Born out of a mission, namely that of building the first universal photonic quantum computer in Europe, QuiX Quantum announced the successful closing of a €15 million Series A funding round, co-led by Invest NL and the EIC Fund, with participation from existing deep tech investors PhotonVentures, Oost NL, and FORWARD.one. Backed by the EIC’s support in the form of blended finance in 2024 (QUQUP project), with this Series A funding, the Dutch company will deliver its first-generation universal photonic quantum computer, thus reinforcing its role as a leader in developing the continent’s quantum photonic ecosystem.
Demonstrating the potential of quantum computing across different fields
Despite the challenges of current quantum technologies, as requiring extreme cooling to function which the EIC-backed QUQUP project aims to address, since its founding in 2019, QuiX Quantum has demonstrated the potential of quantum computing to impact every major global industry.
Built on silicon-nitride chips designed for high-volume manufacturing, QuiX Quantum’s systems are highly scalable, operate primarily at room temperature, and are fully compatible with data-center environments.
First off, in 2022, it became the first company globally to sell both 8-qubit and 64-qubit photonic quantum computers to the German Aerospace Center. More recent achievements have followed in the defence industry, being selected for the Purple NECtar Defence Innovation Challenge alongside other five companies, and in the infrastructure one.
Moreover, in March 2025, QuiX Quantum has partnered with Fermioniq and Deltares – with complementary expertise on the topic of quantum improvements for hydro simulations – to explore new frontiers in hydrodynamic simulations and pave the way for enhanced water management strategies in the Netherlands and beyond.
The closing of the Series A funding unlocks the development of building blocks for a fault-tolerant universal quantum computer
QuiX Quantum has announced it has secured €15 million in Series A funding to deliver the world’s first single-photon-based universal quantum computer in 2026. In fact, the closing reinforces QuiX Quantum’s position as a full-stack photonic quantum computing leader. After the investment, the company will deliver its first-generation universal photonic quantum computer, designed to implement a universal gate set enabling any quantum operation. This milestone introduces universality, accelerating QuiX Quantum’s toward delivering large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.
Given the growing demand from data centers and end-users for greater computational power and access to real quantum hardware for testing algorithms and use cases, these advancements promise to unlock new computational capabilities in areas such as catalyst simulations, molecular dynamics, machine learning, and data analysis.
Looking into the company’s future prospects against the recent closing of the funding round, Dr. – Ing. Stefan Hengesbach, CEO of QuiX Quantum, noted:
Our Series A funding round fuels our mission to further develop the core building blocks required for a fault-tolerant universal quantum computer. With our first- generation system in 2026, we will demonstrate universality by overcoming long- standing challenges in fast feed-forward electronics and single-photon sources. The next-generation system, planned for 2027, will focus on implementing error correction, a crucial step capable of transforming industries such as chemical engineering, drug development, fraud detection, and advanced manufacturing.
Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board, said:
We warmly congratulate QuiX Quantum on this important milestone. Their successful Series A round reflects not only the strength of their technology and team, but also the growing confidence in Europe’s deep tech ecosystem. The EIC Fund is proud to support QuiX Quantum as they continue to push the boundaries of quantum innovation and strengthen Europe's leadership in this strategic field.
Background information
The EIC Accelerator offers start-ups and SMEs grants of up to €2.5 million combined with equity investments through the EIC Fund ranging from €0.5 to €10 million. Companies can apply for blended finance (combining grant and investment) or equity only. Companies working on technologies of strategic European interest can apply for investments of more than €10 million. In addition to financial support, all projects benefit from a range of Business Acceleration Services that provide access to leading expertise, corporates, investors and ecosystem actors.
Additional information about QuiX Quantum
QuiX Quantum is pioneering scalable photonic quantum computing. Supported through the EIC Accelerator and EIC Fund, the company is developing universal, room-temperature-compatible quantum hardware optimised for practical deployment in data centres and critical industries.
Learn more about QuiX Quantum by visiting the Horizon Europe database or the company’s official website.
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.