€15 Million Boost to Build a First-of-its-Kind Quantum Computer
QuiX Quantum, a quantum computing company based in Enschede, Netherlands, just raised €15 million in Series A funding. The goal? To deliver the world’s first single-photon-based universal quantum computer by 2026.
This funding round was co-led by Invest NL and the EIC Fund, with additional support from PhotonVentures, Oost NL, and FORWARD.one. It follows QuiX Quantum’s recent success in securing a grant from the European Innovation Council’s Accelerator programme, which backs technologies with the potential to shake up entire industries.
A Big Leap Towards Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing
According to Dr. Stefan Hengesbach, CEO of QuiX Quantum, the company’s first-generation system will show true universality by solving critical challenges around single-photon sources and fast feed-forward electronics. That system is expected in 2026. A second version, coming in 2027, will focus on error correction, the key to building fault-tolerant quantum machines.
These steps, he says, are vital for unlocking real-world applications in chemical engineering, drug discovery, fraud detection, and advanced manufacturing.From Research to Real Systems
QuiX Quantum was founded in 2019 and has quickly become a leader in photonic quantum computing hardware. Their photonic approach, based on light particles rather than traditional superconducting or ion-trap systems, gives them unique advantages in scalability and room-temperature operation.
They already sold their first system, a clear signal that their tech isn’t just theoretical. In fact, in 2022, they became the first company globally to sell both 8-qubit and 64-qubit photonic quantum computers to the German Aerospace Center (DLR QCI). In 2024, they launched cloud access to their machines, making it easier for industries to test algorithms and use cases with real quantum hardware.
Why Investors Are Betting on QuiX
Investors are bullish on the company’s potential. Liz Duijves of Invest-NL calls QuiX Quantum one of Europe’s most promising full-stack players in quantum tech. “Their technology could reshape sectors like healthcare, energy, and AI,” she said, adding that this investment also strengthens Europe’s role in the global deep tech race.
The EIC Fund echoed this sentiment. Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the Fund Board, said that QuiX’s progress reflects both the strength of its team and the momentum building in Europe’s DeepTech ecosystem.
Built for the Future: Scalable, Compatible, Efficient
What makes QuiX Quantum’s systems stand out is their foundation. Built on silicon-nitride chips, ideal for high-volume manufacturing, the systems are scalable, operate at room temperature, and fit easily into standard data centers. They use quantum properties like superposition and entanglement to compute in ways traditional computers can’t.
This design could unlock breakthroughs in everything from catalyst simulation to machine learning and logistics.
Strengthening a Tech Hub in the Netherlands
Jordy Schaufeli of Oost NL pointed out that QuiX is the only Dutch company building a quantum computer on photonic silicon nitride chips. Supporting them also means investing in the eastern Netherlands as a growing center for photonics and quantum innovation.
With new funding in hand and systems already in play, QuiX Quantum is shaping up to be a major name in the next wave of computing.
