Photon Queue raises oversubscribed seed round to scale quantum memory systems. July 21, 2026 Press play to listen to this content Company is delivering free-space quantum memory technology to Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Maryland to address a critical bottleneck to scaling quantum networks. CHAMPAIGN, Ill., July 21, 2026 - Photon Queue, a quantum technology company building high-efficiency quantum memories for next-generation quantum computing systems, today announced the close of its oversubscribed seed funding round of $4 million, led by Playground Global. The seed round builds on Photon Queue's early customer traction, including contracts with Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Maryland that validate demand from leading institutions at the forefront of quantum computing and photonic systems research. The funding will accelerate Photon Queue's product development, manufacturing capabilities and customer deployments as the company scales to meet demand from quantum computing companies, national laboratories and research institutions. Quantum computing depends on photons arriving at exactly the right place and time. As systems scale, quantum platforms will need to network many smaller processors together, creating a universal bottleneck: synchronizing single photons across complex quantum systems. Quantum memories solve that problem by storing photons until they are needed. Photon Queue's devices store photons directly in free-space optical loops using proprietary high-reflectivity mirror systems and optical switches. Unlike other approaches that require cryogenics, vacuum systems or complex transduction processes, Photon Queue's devices operate at room temperature using standard power, while delivering ultra-high efficiency and world-leading bandwidth. "Useful quantum computing will require photons to move through networks with extraordinary precision, efficiency and timing. That is the problem Photon Queue was founded to solve," said Nathan Arnold, co-founder and CEO of Photon Queue. "In less than two years, we have taken technology from the lab to deployed commercial hardware with leading national lab and university customers. Our work with Sandia and the University of Maryland is a major validation point that quantum memory is becoming essential infrastructure for the next era of computing." Photon Queue's devices are designed to be compatible with virtually any wavelength, making them broadly applicable across photonic, trapped ion, neutral atom and other quantum computing architectures. The company has deployed its first commercial quantum memory device at Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Maryland. "Quantum computing is hitting a scale problem that better qubits alone cannot solve. The industry needs new infrastructure to move, store and synchronize photons with far greater efficiency," said Marissa Ramirez de Chanlatte, Investor at Playground Global. "Photon Queue has built an elegant solution, turning breakthrough quantum optics into commercial hardware, with early customer traction. We believe they are a foundational company that will define the quantum memory category." "Quantum memories are a critical enabling technology for distributed quantum systems, and performance, efficiency and ease of integration are essential," said Saikat Guha, Clark Distinguished Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park and director of the NSF Center for Quantum Networks. "Photon Queue's room-temperature, free-space approach is compelling because it stores photons directly without the complexity of cryogenics, vacuum systems or transduction. We look forward to working with the Photon Queue team as they continue developing practical quantum memory hardware for our research in quantum networking, sensing, and communication" Founded in 2024 as a spinout from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Photon Queue is led by co-founders Nathan Arnold, CEO and Kelsey Ortiz, CTO. The founding team brings deep expertise in quantum optics, photonic systems and hardware commercialization. Photon Queue is a graduate of the Duality Quantum Accelerator, a corporate partner of the Chicago Quantum Exchange and the winner of the Q2B Startup Pitch Competition. CEO Nathan Arnold is also a fellow at Chain Reaction Innovations at Argonne National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy entrepreneurship program. Photon Queue also recently announced $500,000 in funding from the New Mexico Economic Development Department and Roadrunner Venture Studios to support its expansion in New Mexico and deepen its work with the region's national laboratory and quantum technology ecosystem. About Photon Queue Photon Queue is the world's leading developer of free-space quantum memory devices. Founded in 2024 as a spinout from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the company builds high-performance quantum memories that store photons using linear optics at room temperature - delivering ultra-high efficiency and world-leading bandwidth with no cryogenics, vacuum systems or complex transduction required. Photon Queue's technology serves quantum computing, communications and metrology applications. The company is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. Learn more at photonqueue.com. Oratomic, a quantum computing startup that emerged from stealth just four months ago, has raised... As investment in Physical AI accelerates, simulation is taking on a much larger role than... The quantum computing market is entering a new phase as commercial deployments are beginning to... Scientists have relied on HPC facilities to help them process large volumes of data, execute... Most quantum computing announcements revolve around hardware: more qubits, new processors, and better error correction... Nvidia this week highlighted an early deployment of its Vera CPU at Los Alamos National...

Photon Queue, a quantum technology company developing high-efficiency quantum storage systems, has secured $500,000 in grant funding to establish operations in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The funding comes from the New Mexico Economic Development Department and Roadrunner Venture Studios. The company, founded in 2024 and spun out of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, plans to use the grant to hire locally, lease space in Roadrunner's quantum lab, and build assembly and testing capabilities for its quantum memory devices. Photon Queue develops free-space quantum memories that store photons using linear optics at room temperature, addressing synchronisation challenges in scaling quantum computers. The New Mexico facility will serve as a hub for device assembly, testing and verification work, supporting customers working to scale quantum computing systems.

Quantum Catalyzer and Roadrunner Venture Studios announce strategic partnership to accelerate quantum innovation. Quantum Catalyzer Jun 16, 2026, 09:30 ET Quantum Catalyzer and Roadrunner Venture Studios create a partnership to advance breakthrough quantum technologies. COLLEGE PARK, Md. and ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ - Quantum Catalyzer (Q-Cat) and Roadrunner Venture Studios today announced a strategic partnership to support Roadrunner's advancement in building breakthrough quantum technology companies in the United States. "Quantum Catalyzer is a leader in quantum technology research, development, and commercialization, making it a natural fit to partner with Roadrunner Venture Studios for the translation of emerging technologies into scalable products and companies," said Amanda Stein, CEO of Q-Cat. Through this collaboration, Q-Cat will work closely with Roadrunner to evaluate emerging technologies and support the development of new companies grounded in quantum and quantum-adjacent innovation. The partnership is focused on bridging the gap between technical breakthroughs and scalable businesses by bringing deeper technical diligence, market insight, and commercialization expertise into the earliest stages of venture creation. "Q-Cat brings exactly the kind of rigorous quantum expertise our studio model demands," said Adam Hammer, CEO and Co-Founder. "This partnership means we can move faster and with more confidence at the earliest, hardest stages of company creation - where the right technical judgment makes all the difference." As part of this engagement, Q-Cat will provide technical, strategic, and market expertise to inform Roadrunner's investment decisions and portfolio strategy. The collaboration is designed to strengthen Roadrunner's ability to identify high-potential opportunities and accelerate the path from early-stage innovation to scalable ventures, including evaluating underlying intellectual property, technical feasibility, and market applicability. The engagement will also support the refinement of newly formed company strategies, including product-market fit, customer segmentation, and pathways to pilot deployments across commercial, government, and research environments. The partnership reflects a broader trend across deep tech sectors, where organizations collaborate to build thriving ecosystems. Successful venture creation increasingly depends on integrating technical diligence, market insight, and strategic partnerships from the earliest stages of company formation. About Quantum Catalyzer Quantum Catalyzer (Q-Cat) is a leading research and development organization and venture studio, with expertise in quantum sensing. Q-Cat focuses on accelerating the commercialization of quantum technologies through technical diligence, ecosystem strategy, and support for startups, investors, and institutions at the forefront of quantum innovation. For more information, visit: www.q-cat.io. About Roadrunner Venture Studios Roadrunner Venture Studios is the nation's first national network of venture studios purpose-built for hard science company creation. Roadrunner identifies breakthrough research with national importance and transforms it into scalable, venture-backable companies. With deep ties to the national labs, leading research institutions, and top-tier venture capital firms, Roadrunner specializes in spinning out companies in advanced energy, robotics, precision manufacturing, and now quantum. The studio combines founder development, product strategy, operational mentorship, and early-stage capital to accelerate company creation at the frontiers of American innovation. For more information, visit: www.roadrunnerventurestudios.com. Media Contact Amanda Stein, Quantum Catalyzer, 1 3053430601, [email protected], q-cat.io SOURCE Quantum Catalyzer