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DARPA has launched a multi-phase initiative to accelerate the transition of chip-scale quantum technologies from laboratory research to commercial and defense applications. The Optical-Atomic System Integration & Calibration (OASIC) program, run under DARPA’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) framework, aims to establish modular testbeds across three U.S. sites for rapid evaluation and benchmarking of quantum computing, sensing, and timing components. The OASIC program addresses a longstanding bottleneck in quantum commercialization: the lack of standardized infrastructure to test miniaturized quantum components—such as nanophotonic lasers and optoelectronic modules—against lab-grade systems. To resolve this, DARPA has selected three consortia to lead domain-specific testbeds: QuEra [...]

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Spanish satellite operator Hispasat have signed an agreement to initiate Q-Design, a hybrid quantum key distribution (QKD) project that integrates geostationary (GEO), low-Earth orbit (LEO), and terrestrial QKD channels into a unified, secure communication service. The agreement, announced at the Paris Air Show 2025, represents the first global effort to combine QKD delivery across GEO and LEO segments. Q-Design is being developed by a 15-member European consortium spanning satellite providers (SES, S4, SpeQtral), manufacturers (Thales Alenia Space, GMV, Indra), academic institutes (ICFO, UPM), infrastructure operators (Cellnex, Telefónica), financial end-users (BBVA, Santander), and certification authorities (CCN-CNI). [...]

Orange Quantum Systems (OrangeQS), a Dutch startup specializing in automated quantum chip characterization, has raised €12 million ($13.8 million USD) in an oversubscribed seed round. The round was led by Icecat Capital with participation from Cottonwood Technology Fund, QBeat Ventures, QDNL Participations, and InnovationQuarter Capital. It marks the largest reported seed round to date in the Netherlands’ quantum computing sector. The funds will support the development of next-generation test equipment capable of evaluating quantum chips in days rather than weeks. OrangeQS aims to remove a key manufacturing bottleneck by enabling scalable, standardized, and high-throughput testing for both superconducting and spin qubit [...]

D-Wave Quantum Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Yonsei University and Incheon Metropolitan City to establish a joint quantum initiative in South Korea. The agreement outlines plans to deploy a D-Wave Advantage2 quantum annealing system at Yonsei University’s International Campus in Songdo, and to collaboratively develop applied research and workforce training programs. The MOU also includes cooperative development of commercial quantum use cases across sectors such as biotechnology and materials science. The initiative aligns with Yonsei’s 2025 launch of its Quantum Convergence Research Center and Incheon’s strategy to establish itself as a global quantum hub, leveraging regional strengths in [...]

UK-based quantum sensing firm Aquark Technologies has completed a second maritime trial of its cold-atom atomic clock, AQlock, aboard the Royal Navy’s HMS Pursuer. This marks the first successful stable deployment of a cold-atom-based atomic clock on a moving sea vessel, representing a step forward for sovereign Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) capabilities that operate independently of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The trial, supported by the Royal Navy’s Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), tested AQlock’s robustness and operational stability under offshore conditions in the Solent region. The system utilizes laser-cooled atoms—trapped using [...]

Photonic Inc., a Canadian quantum computing company specializing in distributed and fault-tolerant systems, has announced plans to establish a new research and development facility in the United Kingdom. The expansion will see the company invest over £25 million ($33.6 million USD) over the next three years and create more than 30 high-paying technical jobs, marking a major milestone in Photonic’s international growth strategy. While Photonic’s core research and operations remain based in Canada, the UK facility will add complementary R&D capabilities that extend the firm’s innovation pipeline. The initiative aligns with strategic objectives in both countries, including the UK’s National Quantum [...]

Pasqal has inaugurated its first North American quantum processor factory in Sherbrooke, Québec, and completed the sale of a 100-qubit neutral-atom quantum processing unit (QPU) to Distriq, Quantum Innovation Zone. The factory and system sale mark major steps in Pasqal’s global industrialization strategy and strengthen Québec’s position as a key player in the international quantum computing landscape. The new facility, located in the 50,000-square-foot Espace Quantique 1 building, will manufacture next-generation QPUs and serve growing North American demand. Pasqal first announced its Canadian expansion in 2023, backed by a $15 million loan from Investissement Québec. With this opening, Pasqal becomes one [...]

QuantWare has announced a $4.5 million extension to its Series A round, bringing the total raised to $27 million. The Delft-based quantum hardware company is commercializing VIO, a proprietary scaling technology aimed at enabling superconducting quantum processors with more than one million qubits. The additional funding will be directed toward expanding QuantWare’s chip fabrication capabilities and growing its team. This aligns with the company’s broader strategy to support large-scale quantum processor development and deliver high-performance quantum hardware to customers globally. The funding round was oversubscribed, reflecting growing investor confidence in QuantWare’s roadmap and its role in the broader quantum ecosystem. VIO [...]

We had reported in December 2023 that Infleqtion had been chosen by Japan’s Science and Technology Agency for the Quantum Moonshot program as the sole foreign quantum computing partner in the program. Since then they have been hard at work with researchers from Japan's Institute for Molecular Science (IMS) and others to design the system. Infleqtion has just completed constructing the unit at their facility in Boulder, Colorado and has now shipped it to IMS in Okazaki, Japan. The next step will be to complete the integration, assembly, and testing of the system at IMS. When this is complete the system is expected to [...]

NanoQT and VeriQloud have launched an international collaboration to develop a scalable, hardware-integrated architecture for Blind Quantum Computing (BQC), supported under the EUREKA Globalstars-Japan Round 3 program. The project brings together NanoQT’s nanofiber cavity quantum hardware and VeriQloud’s expertise in quantum network protocols to advance privacy-preserving quantum computing via neutral-atom platforms. The initiative aims to create a BQC-compatible architecture that enables secure delegated computation on networked quantum processors. The system will integrate a nanofiber-based quantum network interface with neutral-atom QPUs and implement cryptographic protocols to ensure client-side data privacy. This hardware-software co-design approach addresses scalability and practical deployment challenges for secure [...]