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Quantum Motion
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Quantum Motion

UCL and Oxford spinout building silicon CMOS quantum processors; raised $160m Series C May 2026.

Quantum Motion, the UCL and Oxford silicon-CMOS quantum spinout, closed a $160m Series C on 7 May 2026 with the British Business Bank contributing £40m, its largest single direct cheque since its £6.6bn mandate began.

Last refreshed: 22 July 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics

Key Question

Why is the British Business Bank writing its biggest-ever direct cheque into a quantum computing company?

Timeline for Quantum Motion

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Background

Quantum Motion is a spinout from University College London and the University of Oxford whose distinctive approach integrates quantum processors with standard silicon semiconductor fabrication, a potential route to mass production that exotic qubit materials cannot offer. The architecture targets fault-tolerant, scalable Quantum computing by building on decades of industrial CMOS manufacturing know-how rather than novel materials Science.

The company has deployed a full-stack silicon CMOS quantum computer at the UK National Quantum Computing Centre and reached Stage B of the US DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, giving it defence-research recognition alongside a live UK government compute deployment . Its May 2026 Series c was co-led by DCVC and Kembara, with the British Business Bank's cornerstone stake its largest direct cheque to date.

That cornerstone signals London's intent to anchor a domestic quantum hardware champion before US and Chinese investment consolidates the field, and marks a live test of whether the Bank's expanded direct-investment mandate can support a late-stage deep-tech company without displacing the private investors who co-led the round.

Common Questions
What makes Quantum Motion's quantum computer different from IBM's?
Quantum Motion uses standard silicon CMOS fabrication rather than superconducting circuits or trapped ions, offering a potential manufacturing-scale advantage because chip fabs already know how to produce CMOS at billions of units.Source: Quantum Motion
How much has Quantum Motion raised and who backed it?
Quantum Motion raised $160m in a Series c on 7 May 2026, co-led by DCVC and Kembara, with the British Business Bank contributing £40m as cornerstone investor.Source: Lowdown
What is the DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative?
The DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative assesses whether commercial Quantum computing systems can outperform classical computers on problems of defence relevance; Quantum Motion reached Stage B in 2026.Source: DARPA
Where is Quantum Motion's computer installed?
Quantum Motion has deployed a full-stack silicon CMOS quantum computer at the UK National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC).Source: Lowdown
Source Material
Quantum Motion official website