Q-Factor, a neutral atom quantum computing company, announced $24 million in seed funding. The round was led by NFX and TPY Capital, with participation from Intel Capital, Korea Investment Partners, Deep33 and the Matias family, along with a grant from the Israel Innovation Authority.
The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and the Weizmann Institute of Science, through its technology transfer arm Yeda, are also shareholders. The company was founded to commercialize decades of atomic physics research conducted in their labs.
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Q-Factor founders, from right: Prof. Ofer Firstenberg, Prof. Yoav Sagi, Dr. Guy Raz, Prof. Nir Davidson
(Photo: Eyal Toueg)
Neutral atoms are emerging as one of the most promising approaches to quantum computing. They are naturally inert, can hold quantum information for extended periods and can be precisely controlled using light, without the need for extreme cooling or complex wiring. However, current systems remain too small to deliver commercial value.
Breaking past a few thousand qubits to the hundreds of thousands or millions required for useful computation requires more than incremental improvements. It demands a fundamental architectural shift.
Q-Factor aims to address that challenge. The company brings together four physicists with decades of research at the forefront of neutral atom science. Three lead labs at the Weizmann Institute and the Technion have developed key building blocks of neutral atom systems, including ultracold atoms, controlled atomic interactions, atom transport and advanced laser techniques. The fourth founder brings extensive experience scaling deep-tech ventures.
The founders say they have identified the architectural bottlenecks preventing current systems from scaling beyond a few thousand qubits and developed an approach to reach more than one million.
"The quantum computing industry needs a revolution, not an evolution," said Prof. Ofer Firstenberg, co-founder and chief scientist. "Current systems are too small to deliver on the promise of quantum computing, and incremental improvements alone will not close that gap. We have developed an architecture designed for continuous scalability."
Q-Factor was founded by Prof. Nir Davidson, a leading expert in ultracold atoms and former dean of physics at the Weizmann Institute; Prof. Ofer Firstenberg, an expert in quantum optics and Rydberg atoms, formerly of Harvard and MIT; Prof. Yoav Sagi of the Technion, a specialist in neutral atom manipulation; and Dr. Guy Raz, a physicist with experience leading deep-tech startups.
"It's rare to find a team with this combination of scientific authority and commercial instinct," said Gigi Levy-Weiss, partner at NFX. "They are uniquely positioned to execute on one of the most ambitious goals in quantum computing."
"Neutral atoms are emerging as a leading approach for scalable quantum computing, and Q-Factor is entering with a distinct architectural advantage," said Dekel Persi, partner at TPY Capital.
"Q-Factor's founding team combines scientific depth with a clear understanding of what it takes to build a commercially viable quantum computer," said Lisa Cohen, investment director at Intel Capital. "They have assembled the expertise to tackle the field's most significant challenge, scale."