Universal Quantum is a UK quantum-computing scaleup founded in 2018 by Sebastian Weidt and Prof Winfried Hensinger as a spinout from the University of Sussex. The company has raised close to £100M in combined public + private funding (Source: Tech.eu; Universal Quantum).
Universal Quantum's German subsidiary was awarded a €67M contract from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in 2022 — the largest government quantum-computing contract awarded to a UK startup — to build two systems including a multi-module fault-tolerant machine targeting 99.99% gate fidelity (Source: Universal Quantum Press Release).
The company employs more than 100 people across HQ Haywards Heath plus active operations in the US, Germany, Japan, Denmark, and Australia. Universal Quantum was selected to join Tech Nation's Future Fifty 2026 cohort (Source: DCD; Universal Quantum Press Release).
oversubscribed £3.6 million seed-funding round.
Source: universalquantum.comThe German Aerospace Center (DLR) has commissioned Universal Quantum Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of British startup Universal Quantum, with building a fully scalable trapped ion quantum computer.
Source: universalquantum.comWith an investment of €67 million in total, the DLR is bringing two world-first innovations to Hamburg
Source: universalquantum.comThe basis for both machines will be the most powerful chip ever developed for a quantum computer.
Source: universalquantum.comAs part of a UK government-supported project, Universal Quantum leads a consortium that includes Rolls Royce where the focus is on developing a quantum computer that can help to build more fuel-efficient turbines for aviation, thus reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
Source: universalquantum.comProf Winfried Hensinger pioneered the modular trapped-ion approach now central to Universal Quantum's scaling strategy (Source: University of Sussex).
Two-system delivery with multi-module fault-tolerant target — 99.99% gate fidelity (Source: Universal Quantum Press Release).
UK + US + Germany + Japan + Denmark + Australia presence; selected for Tech Nation Future Fifty 2026 (Source: DCD).
Near Brighton on south-coast England; state-of-the-art research + manufacturing facility (Source: DCD).
Weidt + Hensinger; long-arc University of Sussex research heritage (Source: University of Sussex).
Selected for UK flagship high-growth scaleup programme (Source: Tech.eu).
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