Dutch photonic quantum computing pioneer QuiX Quantum has secured €15m in Series A funding to accelerate development of what it says will be the world's first single-photon-based universal quantum computer, targeted for delivery in 2026.
The Enschede-based company's latest funding round was co-led by Invest NL and the EIC Fund, with participation from existing investors PhotonVentures, Oost NL, and FORWARD.one. The investment follows QuiX Quantum's selection for the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator programme, which supports companies developing transformative technologies.
Since its establishment in 2019, QuiX Quantum has carved out a distinctive position in the European quantum computing landscape. The company achieved a significant milestone in 2022 when it became the first globally to sell both 8-qubit and 64-qubit photonic quantum computers to the German Aerospace Center (DLR QCI). Last year, QuiX Quantum expanded its reach by offering cloud access to its quantum systems, creating opportunities for hybrid computing applications across infrastructure, defence, healthcare, and IT sectors.
The company's forthcoming first-generation universal photonic quantum computer represents a crucial step towards fault-tolerant quantum computing. Unlike current systems, this machine will implement a universal gate set, enabling any quantum operation to be performed. The technology leverages fundamental quantum principles of superposition, entanglement, and interference to process information in ways that classical computers cannot.
A key differentiator for QuiX Quantum lies in its silicon-nitride chip technology, which is designed for high-volume manufacturing. The systems operate primarily at room temperature and are fully compatible with data centre environments, addressing practical deployment challenges that have hampered other quantum computing approaches.
Dr Stefan Hengesbach, CEO of QuiX Quantum, explained the company's strategic roadmap: "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 company has already outlined ambitious plans beyond 2026. A next-generation system scheduled for 2027 will focus on implementing error correction, a crucial milestone towards fault-tolerant systems capable of transforming industries including chemical engineering, drug development, fraud detection, and advanced manufacturing.
The funding round has drawn strong support from investors who see QuiX Quantum as a key player in Europe's quantum technology ecosystem. Liz Duijves from Invest-NL Deep Tech Funds described the company as "one of Europe's most promising full-stack quantum computing companies, with a technology that can reshape critical sectors like healthcare, energy and AI".
Jordy Schaufeli from Oost NL highlighted the company's unique position in the Netherlands: "QuiX Quantum is the only company in the Netherlands developing a quantum computer based on photonic silicon nitride chips – a distinctive and promising technology."
The investment is expected to strengthen European supply chains in quantum photonics whilst positioning QuiX Quantum to meet growing demand from data centres and end-users seeking access to real quantum hardware for algorithm testing and application development.
