Quantum Motion Startup Receives $50.5 Million Investment

UK quantum computing company Quantum Motion has raised $50.5 million in an equity round led by Bosch Ventures (RBVC) with participation from Porsche, the UK government's National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), and multiple companies.

For the uninitiated, quantum computing builds on principles borrowed from quantum mechanics, focusing on quantum bits (qubits) rather than atoms. It promises to improve what is possible with computers by performing complex calculations in a fraction of the time. Examples of uses could include accelerating new drug discoveries or powering the massive amounts of data processing needed for artificial intelligence applications.

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Scalable Quantum Computers

Quantum Motion was established in 2017 by Professors John Morton and Simon Benjamin of UCL and Oxford University respectively. They set out to create "scalable quantum computers" through new quantum computing architectures compatible with embedded silicon processing.

As with normal computers, heat negatively affects qubits in quantum computing. This means that quantum computers need to be kept very cold. Quantum Motion says it has designed integrated circuits that can "generate, route and process signals at deep cryogenic temperatures" operating at just a few tenths above absolute zero.