The Dutch Startup Racing to Build a Universal Photonic Quantum Computer
When Europe talks about the future of quantum technology, a surprising amount of activity points to one region: Twente, in the Netherlands. At the center of this emerging cluster is QuiX Quantum, a University of Twente (UT) spin-off developing photonic quantum processors and working toward a universal photonic quantum computer.
Founded in 2019, QuiX has grown from academic research at UT’s MESA+ Institute into a company supplying quantum hardware to European research institutions, developing integrated photonic processors, and securing significant funding to expand its technology platform. In July 2025, the company raised €15 million to accelerate development of its first-generation universal photonic quantum computer, targeted for 2026. The round was led by Invest-NL and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, both of which have identified photonic quantum computing as a strategic European capability.
For a startup operating outside Europe’s major capitals, QuiX’s trajectory stands out — not only for technological ambition but also for early commercial momentum.
Why Photonic Quantum Computing?
Most quantum computing systems today rely on superconducting qubits or trapped ions, platforms that require extreme environmental conditions such as ultra-low temperatures or high-precision vacuum chambers. Photonic quantum computers, by contrast, use single photons as information carriers — an approach with several documented advantages:
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They can operate at or near room temperature.
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They build on existing integrated photonics infrastructure, including mature silicon nitride (SiN) platforms.
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Photons naturally interface with fiber networks, aligning with long-term quantum communication and networking goals.
QuiX develops the hardware at the center of this architecture: reconfigurable photonic processors capable of manipulating many optical modes simultaneously. Independent reporting in EE Times Europe and Optics.org notes that these processors exhibit low loss, high phase stability, and high-fidelity transformations — characteristics essential for scaling quantum circuits.
This technical approach fits into a broader European movement to leverage strengths in photonic chips and integrated optics, areas where the continent already has world-class research centers and maturing supply chains.
From University Lab to Commercial Hardware
QuiX Quantum’s roots lie in UT’s deep photonics research ecosystem, particularly MESA+ and the Optical Sciences and Adaptive Quantum Optics groups. The founding team — including physicist Jelmer Renema — began developing integrated photonic quantum processors years before the spin-out.
Key milestones include:
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2018–2022: Academic and early QuiX work demonstrates reconfigurable silicon-nitride quantum photonic processors (8×8, 12-mode, and 20-mode), validating SiN as a low-loss platform for quantum applications.
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2022: QuiX wins a €14 million contract from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to develop 8- and 64-qubit universal photonic quantum computers — widely described as the first commercial sale of universal photonic quantum computers based on light. The first processor from this program was handed over to DLR in 2025.
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2024: Launch of Bia™ Quantum Cloud Computing Service, QuiX’s first cloud-access platform for quantum and hybrid quantum–classical workflows.
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2025: €15M Series A to expand system-level integration and progress toward a universal photonic quantum computer.
Although photonic quantum systems are still emerging, QuiX has already shipped hardware, landed a major multi-year national contract, and launched a cloud service — placing it among the more commercially active firms in the global photonic quantum sector.
A European Quantum Strategy Taking Shape
QuiX Quantum sits at the intersection of several European priorities:
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strengthening regional semiconductor and photonics manufacturing,
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advancing technological sovereignty, and
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ensuring Europe remains a player in next-generation quantum computing.
The company’s reliance on silicon nitride is strategic. SiN photonics is a long-standing European stronghold, with established foundries, well-understood fabrication processes, and compatibility with telecom-grade infrastructure. This sidesteps some of the specialized cryogenic hardware required for other quantum platforms.
QuiX benefits from — and contributes to — a dense regional ecosystem centered around Twente:
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New Origin (photonic-chip foundry)
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LioniX International (SiN PIC design and fabrication)
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PHIX Photonics Assembly (packaging and assembly of photonic integrated circuits)
Together, they create a rare, vertically aligned supply chain — from design to fabrication to packaging — within a single geographic area. For Europe, this clustering effect matters: domestic capability in quantum hardware reduces dependency on U.S. and Asian vendors and supports broader EU objectives around technological self-reliance.
The 2026 Goal: A First-Generation Universal Photonic Quantum Computer
QuiX’s roadmap includes the development of a universal photonic quantum computer — one capable of implementing the full set of quantum gates required to perform arbitrary quantum algorithms.
To reach this goal, the company is integrating multiple components:
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Single-photon sources
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Reconfigurable integrated photonic circuits
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Detectors and readout electronics
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Control software and calibration systems
The architecture is modular, enabling photon sources, detectors, and photonic processors to be combined into increasingly complex circuits. This modularity also allows future expansion as new components and higher-performance modules become available.
Developing such a system requires significant engineering progress, but the goal aligns with global momentum in photonic quantum computing — and QuiX now has secured funding and institutional backing to pursue it.
Technical Challenges Ahead
Like all quantum technologies, photonic systems face challenges that need continued innovation:
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Photon loss: Scaling requires maintaining low loss across larger, denser circuits.
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Photon generation: Sources must be bright, deterministic, and identical.
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Error correction: Photonic schemes require specialized error-correction approaches.
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Integration at scale: Increasing mode count and maintaining stability is a demanding engineering task.
QuiX acknowledges these areas in its technical presentations, and its roadmap reflects ongoing efforts to improve the scalability and performance of silicon-nitride photonic platforms.
Commercial Adoption: Where Photonics Fits Today
While universal quantum computers are still in development, photonic processors are already being used for:
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quantum simulation
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boson sampling experiments
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quantum chemistry research
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benchmarking classical–quantum hybrid workflows
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certain photonic machine-learning models
QuiX’s customers to date stem primarily from national research programs, research institutions, and specialist quantum-technology companies. These early adopters stress-test emerging hardware and provide feedback that shapes next-generation designs.
Looking to the future, as photonics matures, potential applications include optimization, materials discovery, secure communication, and quantum networking — all areas receiving significant European investment. Commercial adoption, however, will depend on achieving consistent performance gains beyond today’s research settings.
Why This Story Matters
QuiX Quantum demonstrates how a regionally embedded deep-tech company can meaningfully participate in a global technological shift. The company is advancing a technically grounded approach to quantum computing — integrated photonic processors built on silicon nitride, supported by a unique local supply chain and backed by major European institutions.
Its achievements so far are verifiable: processor development, hardware shipments, a national contract with DLR, a functioning cloud service, and a substantial Series A round. Its future goals — including the development of a universal photonic quantum computer — are ambitious but aligned with the direction of international photonic quantum research.
For Europe, QuiX Quantum represents one of the most concrete efforts to build scalable quantum hardware on European terms, leveraging regional strengths and contributing to continental technological independence.