Oxford Ionics co-founders, Dr Chris Ballance from Oxford's Department of Physics, right, and Dr Tom Harty, left.
Oxford Ionics, a spin-out company from Oxford’s Department of Physics, has announced investment of £30 million in Series A funding from some of the world’s leading quantum and tech investors.
Founded in 2019, Oxford Ionics is a forerunner in ion trap quantum computing technology using its own patented approach. Instead of lasers, Oxford Ionics’ trapped-ion processors use an Electronic Qubit Control (EQC) system to control the qubits. The technology allows for the excellent quantum performance of individual atoms along with the scalability and reliability of electronics integrated into silicon chips.
Unlocking the potential of quantum computing
‘If we are to identify and unlock the true power and potential of quantum computing we need to crack the critical issues that are holding it back: scalability, integration and performance – our unique trapped-ion approach has been developed to address all three,’ comments Dr Chris Ballance from the Department of Physics and co-founder of Oxford Ionics. ‘At Oxford Ionics, we are focused on building technologies that will help quantum computing finish the race, not just take small, incremental steps. Our latest round of funding, and the knowledge, insight and expertise of our new investors bring us even closer to this goal.’
‘This is another commercialisation success story to come from Oxford’s Department of Physics,’ comments Dr Phillip Tait who heads up innovation and enterprise in the Department of Physics. ‘The work we do here has real-life applications – from Oxford Ionics quantum computing to intellectual property that has the potential to revolutionise clean energy or information security. Bringing together industry and research is essential for change and this is fantastic news for Oxford Ionics.’