British quantum computing startup Universal Quantum has raised more than $100 million in Series A funding, the company announced Thursday — describing it as the largest Series A ever raised by a UK-headquartered quantum computing startup.
The round was co-led by DCVC and Firgun Ventures, with participation from Singapore's EDBI, Artal, Integral GlobalTech, Main Sequence, Hostplus, NGS Super and IAG Capital. Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki also invested. The financing brings Universal Quantum's cumulative funding above $125 million, not counting its substantial government contracts.
Founded in 2018 as a University of Sussex spinout, the company is developing trapped-ion quantum computers using integrated quantum processing units manufactured through conventional semiconductor production techniques. Its pitch: the industry's biggest challenge is no longer proving qubits work, but building machines with enough reliable, error-corrected qubits to solve commercially useful problems. The company has already secured major research contracts, including a German Aerospace Center program, and plans to expand internationally with research facilities in Singapore and Germany.
