Zurich-based quantum hardware startup ZuriQ has raised €4 million ($4.2 million USD) in a funding round led by Founderful, with participation from SquareOne, First Momentum Ventures, OnSight Ventures, and QAI Ventures.
The investment will support the development of the groundbreaking approach to building scalable quantum computers using reconfigurable 2D lattices of atomic ions.
A New Approach to Quantum Computing
Founded by Pavel Hrmo, Tobias Sägesser, and Shreyans Jain, ZuriQ emerged from research conducted at ETH Zurich under Prof. Jonathan Home. The team set out to revolutionize ion trapping technology, a core component of quantum computing, by creating a novel system that houses a microfabricated trap chip within a superconducting magnet.
Unlike traditional quantum computing models, which face scaling limitations due to 1D architectures, the company’s unique design leverages both electric and magnetic fields, allowing ions to move freely in multiple directions. This breakthrough eliminates potential information flow bottlenecks, a challenge often compared to urban traffic congestion.
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Scaling Beyond Current Market Offerings
The swiss startup’s approach aims to address the industry’s scalability challenges. While current quantum computing companies like Quantinuum and IonQ rely on decades-old technology, the firm has reimagined the core computational building blocks from scratch while maintaining compatibility with proven academic control techniques.
CEO Pavel Hrmo emphasized the importance of scalability, stating:
“The market for small-scale quantum devices is already saturated. Real value comes from scalable solutions with thousands of qubits, and our technology is designed to expand faster and more efficiently than competitors.”
Roadmap and Future Goals
With the new funding, the startup plans to:
- Demonstrate its first prototype by late 2025, featuring dozens of ions in a reconfigurable 2D grid.
- Scale up production and enhance performance to meet the increasing demand for high-precision quantum computing applications.
- Target industries requiring high data privacy, such as financial modeling and drug discovery.
The firm envisions becoming Switzerland’s flagship provider of quantum computing solutions, offering direct system sales and cloud-based access, while contributing to national technology priorities.
Investor Confidence
Pascal Mathis, Partner at Founderful, praised the rapid progress:
“We’ve been highly impressed by the team’s speed in achieving key technical milestones that have long been considered elusive in the quantum computing space.”
With strong investor backing and a unique approach to scalable quantum hardware, the company is positioning itself as a game-changer in the race to build commercially viable quantum computers.
