Infleqtion Inc. said today it has raised $100 million from a host of venture capital investors and the government services contractor Science Applications International Corp. to accelerate the development of its neutral atom-based quantum computers.

The company’s latest round was led by new, existing and strategic investors, including SAIC, Glynn Capital, Morgan Stanley’s Counterpoint Global fund, S32, Axial, Breakthrough Victoria, Golden Vision Capital, In-Q-Tel (IQT), Overmatch, S Ventures’ SentinelOne and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, among others.

The startup is looking to compete in the nascent quantum computing industry, which has gotten a lot of attention and attracted some serious money in recent years. Quantum computers hold the promise of solving computational problems in areas such as biology, chemistry and physics that would take classical computers hundreds or even thousands of years.

Infleqtion is one of many dedicated quantum computing startups to have emerged over the last decade, competing with dozens of established big technology firms such as IBM Corp., Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Amazon Web Services Inc.

While IBM and Google’s approach to quantum computing involves storing specialized chips at extremely cold temperatures in expensive cryogenic freezers, Infleqtion says it’s pursuing a more affordable and effective approach. It’s focused on beaming lasers at rubidium atoms that are suspended in a vacuum chamber, as a way of manipulating the individual qubits that power its quantum chips. Qubits are the quantum equivalent of traditional “bits” found in classical computers.

Infleqtion believes that this approach is the most promising way to build scalable quantum machines, as it has the advantage of being able to operate at room temperature. The company has so far deployed a quantum computer called “Sqale” at the National Quantum Computing Centre in Britain, and it has also been selected as a partner in Japan’s Science and Technology Agency’s Quantum Moonshot Program. It also develops specialized software for quantum computers.

The startup plans to build a modest quantum computer that will be accessible via the cloud by 2028, but it’s also pursuing other uses for its laser-based technology, including quantum-enabled positioning, navigation and timing. For instance, its technology can provide extremely precise electronic timing signals that can be used in military equipment, potentially replacing older GPS-based communications systems that are vulnerable to jamming.

It says that its atomic clocks already deliver a “quantum advantage” today, with up to 100 times greater precision than legacy systems. The technology has already been deployed by agencies including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Constellation Research Inc. analyst Holger Mueller said Infleqtion stands apart from other quantum computing startups with its large portfolio of products, which effectively provide the building blocks for others looking to develop atom-centric quantum devices.

“It offers UHV science cells, cold atom source cells, ion traps and more, and these devices help it play into the near-term future of quantum, which is going to be about sensing and navigation more than computing,” the analyst said. “It may well be able to proclaim itself as the first vertically-integrated quantum computing vendor, and it will be interesting to see where the new funding takes it.”

Infleqtion Chief Executive Matt Kinsella told Reuters that the company earned almost $30 million in revenue last year from these applications of its tech, and that number is expected to grow substantially this year. He said its customer order pipeline currently stands at more than $200 million.

According to Kinsella, the company benefits from modifying its technology to support timing devices, as that research “feeds directly into the efforts we’re putting into the computer.” The funds from today’s round will be split between accelerating its quantum computer development and also scaling its atomic clock technology with strategic partners, Kinsella added. As part of those efforts, it will also look into other potential applications for atomic clocks.

SAIC Vice President and Managing Partner Michael Hauser said Infleqtion’s atomic laser tech can potentially replace multiple types of antennas on military vehicles and facilities and eliminate problems with the signals interfering with each other.

“You get these antenna farms and they jam each other,” Hauser explained. “Well, if you’ve got this new form factor of antenna [that uses a different signal] maybe you won’t jam yourself anymore.”

Image: Infleqtion