QuamCore raises $9M to solve the biggest scalability challenge in quantum computing

Israeli startup QuamCore Ltd. wants to help the likes of IBM Corp. and Google LLC scale their quantum computers to the point where they can finally achieve “quantum advantage” and become more useful than existing, classical computers.

It has a plan to do that, and after closing on a $9 million seed funding round today, it has the cash to see it through. The round was led by Viola Ventures and saw participation from Earth & Beyond Ventures.

Founded in 2022, QuamCore has been operating under the radar for the last couple of years, quietly working to finalize its quantum computing scaling technology, which is built for superconducting quantum processor architectures. It says it has all but solved many of the scalability challenges that have prevented practical quantum machines from being made.

The startup’s patented architecture makes it possible to integrate up to one million qubits – the quantum equivalent of bits – into a single ultra-cold chamber called a cryostat. Previously, it was thought impossible to achieve this kind of scale. With its breakthrough, QuamCore reckons it can dramatically reduce the size, energy requirements and cost of quantum computers, paving the way for viable, next-generation applications in the pharmaceutical, AI, materials science and energy industries.

QuamCore says the biggest obstacle for quantum computers that use superconducting qubits has always been heat management. The challenge stems from the fact that the qubits are incredibly sensitive, which results in computational errors.

Engineers get around this by housing their quantum processors at temperatures close to absolute zero. This is done by placing them inside the cryostat, which can maintain such super-chilly temperatures.

But until now, IBM and Google have only managed to squeeze around 5,000 qubits into their cryostats, the major limitation being the huge amount of cables required to connect them all together. As such, their response has been to try and build a system of interconnected cryostats, but it’s thought they would need a football-sized field to house enough cryostats to achieve any practical scale. So the approach simply isn’t viable.

What QuamCore’s technology does is reduce the amount of cables required to connect these qubits by a factor of more than 1,000. In doing this, it becomes possible to house up to 1 million qubits in a single cryostat, so it’s no longer necessary to build a huge room full of cryostats. This achievement will transform the economics of quantum computing, making the technology much more viable, the startup says.

QuamCore co-founder and Chief Executive Alon Cohen said 1 million qubits is widely regarded as the threshold needed to unlock real-world value for quantum computers.

“We saw that this required a radical rethinking of quantum processor architecture,” he explained. “We explored multiple approaches and found a path that actually works — one that eliminates the core bottleneck preventing quantum computing from scaling.”

Cohen helped to design QuamCore’s technology while working for Intel Corp.’s subsidiary Mobileye, where it was originally used to enable autonomous vehicle perception. He holds more than 40 patents in radar communications and signal processing, and earned Intel’s highest innovation award, the Intel Oscar Prize, for his work.

To implement his technology in quantum computing, he teamed up with the company’s other co-founders, Chief Technology Officer Shay Hacohen-Gourgy and Chief Science Officer Serge Rosenblum, who both have more than 15 years of experience working in the quantum technology realm. They helped to build the first superconducting quantum laboratories in Israel, at the Weizmann Institute and the Israel Institute of Technology, respectively.

According to Cohen, he and his colleagues had to rethink everything about quantum computing in order to overcome the challenge of scaling the required cryostats. Together, they developed new digital controls, superconducting devices and even redesigned the quantum processing architecture.

“Today, we have a fully detailed blueprint for a 1 million-qubit quantum computer in a single cryostat, marking a clear, viable path toward practical large-scale quantum computing,” Cohen said. “Our design also incorporates built-in error correction, paving the way for fault-tolerant quantum systems.”

Viola Ventures General Partner Zvika Orron said QuamCore stands out because it’s the first company he has seen that has developed a clear path toward building a commercially viable quantum computer.

“Its breakthrough isn’t just about making quantum computers smaller, it’s about enabling large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing for the first time,” he said. “Just as transistors replaced vacuum tubes, QuamCore is redefining what’s possible in quantum.”

Image: SiliconANGLE/Microsoft Designer