Groove Quantum, a quantum computing company spun out of QuTech, has raised €16 million in a seed round and announced the successful demonstration of an 18-qubit semiconductor processor, which the company describes as a new state-of-the-art benchmark for the industry. The round was co-led by Innovation Industries and 55 North, with participation from Verve Ventures and the European Innovation Council Fund, which contributed €7.5 million in equity alongside a €2.5 million EIC Accelerator grant awarded through the European Commission’s Horizon Europe program.
The processor is built on extendible, repeatable unit cells operated in parallel, designed to enable scalable, high-fidelity quantum systems suitable for industrial use. Groove Quantum’s approach is built on germanium-based semiconductor technology, a design the European Innovation Council has highlighted as a significant innovation due to its reduced size and its reliance on standard semiconductor manufacturing techniques. That compatibility with existing manufacturing processes is central to the company’s scalability thesis: by building on the same processes the semiconductor industry already knows how to execute at scale, Groove Quantum can multiply qubit counts far more straightforwardly than approaches that require entirely new fabrication methods.
The funding will support scaling qubit counts, growing the team, and initiating industrial-grade manufacturing at leading semiconductor foundries. The EIC Accelerator grant is specifically designed to help Groove Quantum advance from Technology Readiness Level 6 to Level 8, moving the company closer to a fully market-ready product. The company’s near-term commercial objective is to launch its first fully integrated quantum computer featuring a spin qubit in germanium processor.
Groove Quantum was founded by Anne-Marije Zwerver, who serves as CEO, and was selected as one of 40 innovative startups and SMEs to receive Accelerator grants and investments in the European Innovation Council’s latest evaluation round, a highly competitive program supporting companies with the potential to create new markets or disrupt existing ones.
KEY QUOTES:
“We can safely say we are currently at the forefront of scaling qubits in the semiconductor world and this funding will allow us to further improve our qubit fidelities at higher qubit counts. It will also help us, as per the Accelerator’s objectives, to move from TRL 6 to 8 and launch our first product: a fully integrated quantum computer with a spin qubit in germanium processor.”
Anne-Marije Zwerver, CEO, Groove Quantum
“We have successfully demonstrated an 18-qubit semiconductor processor, setting a new state-of-the-art benchmark for the industry. This extendible system consists of repeatable unit cells that are operated in parallel, paving the way for the scalable, high-fidelity quantum systems the world needs.”
Groove Quantum statement
