Quantum Microchip Designer - Ion Traps
About the job
- Experience designing surface ion traps.
- Strong numerical and analytical methods for electromagnetic and/or thermo-mechanical analysis.
- Knowledge of ion motion and shuttling techniques.
- Ability to write clear technical documents.
- Understanding of the architecture of an ion-trap system.
- Experience with design for test and manufacture.
- Ability to communicate technically with a wide variety of stakeholders.
- Familiarity with electrical testing methods and equipment.
- A PhD or master's degree in physics, electronic engineering, or a related discipline.
- Work with users to determine suitable layouts for ion traps.
- Develop and design ion traps for manufacture.
- Act as technical liaison with ion-trap manufacturers.
- Perform electromagnetic and thermo-mechanical analysis and simulation on designs.
- Work with package designers to develop packages and assembly procedures.
- Document designs and simulations.
- Experience fabricating ion traps.
- Experience designing and implementing test harnesses for microfabricated structures.
- Experience with design for manufacture.
- Experience with design for reliability.
- Experience with package and assembly design.
- Hands-on experience shuttling ions.
- Experience working with commercial foundries.
- Familiarity with commercial design toolsets such as Custom Compiler and Virtuoso.
About the company
Universal Quantum builds practical, large-scale quantum computers using trapped ion technology. Its hardware and software enable clients such as research institutions, technology firms, and government agencies to access advanced computation through partnerships, technology licensing, and direct system sales. The system operates by precisely controlling trapped ions with electronic quantum gates and modular silicon components to scale up performance. It differentiates itself with a focus on real-world, scalable quantum solutions and an interdisciplinary team, aiming to become a leading hub for quantum research and licensing-enabled collaborations.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Series A
Total Funding
$112.5M
Headquarters
Brighton, United Kingdom
Founded
2018
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Singapore’s September 2026 centre adds SGD 30 million and 25 engineers immediately.
- EDBI’s strategic investment strengthens funding, credibility, and Asia-Pacific customer access.
- A 2026 headcount near 105 signals hiring momentum and execution across UK, Germany, and Singapore.
What critics are saying
- The Singapore expansion still leaves Universal Quantum dependent on government-backed procurement and subsidies.
- DLR’s four-year prototype timeline targets end-2026 results, inviting schedule slippage and redesign risk.
- Ion-trap scaling remains unproven at commercial scale; one failed architecture decision kills the company.
What makes Universal Quantum unique
- Universal Quantum’s trapped-ion modular architecture targets million-qubit scaling, unlike single-chip rivals.
- Its Germany DLR €67 million program validates multi-chip transfer technology in real hardware.
- The Singapore R&D centre deepens packaging, integration, and algorithm co-design with EDBI support.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Flexible Work Hours
401(k) Company Match
Parental Leave
Stock Options
Relocation Assistance
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
1%1 year growth
1%2 year growth
2%Universal Quantum raises ~EUR 93m Series A. #Universal Quantum #quantum computing hardware #trapped-ion quantum #Series A funding #DCVC Deal at a glance. * Type - funding · Series A * Enterprise value - €92.6M * Original amount - USD 100M * Target - Universal Quantum * Acquirer - - * Investor - DCVC, Firgun Ventures, EDBI, Integral GlobalTech, NGS Super, IAG Capital, EdenBase, Eigenstate Holdings, SiteGround Capital, Dave Baszucki, Nauta Capital, The Venture Collective * Sector - Technology * Region - - * Announced - - Deal-ID: MMN-001087 Key facts. * Buyer - DCVC, Firgun Ventures, EDBI, Integral GlobalTech, NGS Super, IAG Capital, EdenBase, Eigenstate Holdings, SiteGround Capital, Dave Baszucki, Nauta Capital, The Venture Collective * Target - Universal Quantum * Sector - Technology * Geography - - * Deal volume - €92.6M * Date - - Quantum hardware funding: scaling trapped-ion systems for practical compute. Universal Quantum, a UK quantum-computing hardware company, has raised $100 million (~EUR 93m) in Series A funding to scale its modular, error-corrected quantum hardware and expand engineering and commercial operations. The round was co-led by DCVC and Firgun Ventures. The investor group also includes EDBI, Integral GlobalTech, NGS Super, IAG Capital, EdenBase, Eigenstate Holdings, SiteGround Capital, Dave Baszucki, Nauta Capital and The Venture Collective. Universal Quantum described the financing as the largest Series A raised by a UK-headquartered quantum company. Why this round fits the current quantum investment pattern. This deal is a clear signal of where private capital is concentrating in quantum: hardware platforms that claim a path from lab demonstrations to systems that can be manufactured, scaled and ultimately sold. Universal Quantum is building modular quantum computers based on trapped-ion technology, where electrically confined charged atoms serve as qubits. The company's technical direction centers on "tiled" and interconnected trapped-ion chips, designed to be linked together into larger machines. The modularity point matters commercially: buyers and partners tend to underwrite roadmaps that show how compute capacity increases over time without a full architectural reset. What the capital is intended to do. Universal Quantum has said the funding will be used to: * Scale modular, error-corrected quantum-computing hardware * Expand engineering capacity * Build out commercial operations Taken together, that mix implies a shift from primarily R&D execution toward systemization and go-to-market readiness. In quantum hardware, commercial operations usually means longer-cycle engagement with government programs, national labs and early enterprise partners, plus ecosystem development with component suppliers and integrators. These are relationship-heavy channels where credibility, delivery cadence and roadmap clarity drive retention and follow-on contracts. A multinational syndicate, and what it suggests. The composition of the syndicate is notable. Alongside venture investors, the round includes international and strategic capital, including Singapore's EDBI and Japan's Integral GlobalTech, as well as institutional participation. That matters for two reasons: * Patient capital for deep hardware timelines. Quantum hardware scaling is capex and talent intensive, and milestones can be measured in years. Institutional and sovereign-backed investors can support longer development arcs, particularly when aligned with national technology agendas. * Geopolitical competition is shaping funding flows. The participation of sovereign, pension and deep-tech capital indicates that strategic competition is helping accelerate private investment in quantum hardware. For companies like Universal Quantum, this can translate into additional non-dilutive opportunities, program access and partnership pull, but it also increases scrutiny on supply chain, export controls and jurisdictional alignment. Competitive context: trapped-ion, but with a packaging thesis. Trapped-ion approaches have long been seen as strong on qubit quality, but scaling to practical systems remains the hard part. Universal Quantum's stated focus on tiled, interconnected chips is effectively a packaging and architecture bet: building a route to larger machines by connecting modules rather than relying on a single monolithic device. For commercial adoption, the key questions will be whether modularity reduces integration risk, improves manufacturability and supports serviceability over time. Those factors influence switching costs and customer confidence, especially for early adopters signing multi-year development and access agreements. What this enables. * Faster scaling of modular, error-corrected trapped-ion hardware toward larger systems * Hiring and retention of scarce quantum engineering talent in the UK and abroad * More structured commercial engagement with government and early enterprise buyers * Deeper international relationships through sovereign and strategic investors What to watch. * Evidence of repeatable manufacturing and system integration progress for the tiled-chip approach * The shape of commercial contracts: pilot access vs multi-year development partnerships * How international investor participation influences program access and regulatory constraints * Whether the company can translate engineering scale-up into credible delivery timelines Companies & investors in this story. Sources.
Sussex spinout Universal Quantum lands $100M+ Series A as the UK quantum funding race heats up. October 8, 2026 * Universal Quantum raises over $100M in Series A, co-led by DCVC and Firgun Ventures. * The Sussex spinout says it is delivering on a $77M German Aerospace Center contract. * Firgun has now joined three UK quantum rounds in 2026, each on a different technology. In May 2026, DCVC co-led a $160 million round for Quantum Motion, a British company that builds quantum computers from silicon chips. Today, the Silicon Valley investor co-led a rival British round built on a different idea. Universal Quantum has raised more than $100 million in Series A funding to link trapped-ion chips into larger machines. Firgun Ventures, a London-based fund dedicated to quantum, co-led alongside DCVC. The round also includes EDBI, the Singapore-based sovereign investor; Artal, advised by Invus; Integral GlobalTech; Main Sequence; Hostplus; NGS Super; IAG Capital; EdenBase; Eigenstate Holdings; SiteGround Capital; and Dave Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox. Existing and new strategic investors, including Nauta Capital and The Venture Collective, also took part. The company says the Series A is the largest ever raised by a UK-headquartered quantum firm. The University of Sussex, where both founders hold professorships, calls it a record for a Sussex spinout and says it is the company's first significant round of investment. "Universal Quantum's progress reflects our partners' belief that we represent one of the most credible paths to quantum computing at scale. This round unites an extraordinary group of investors from the world's most important pools of capital around a single mission: delivering utility-scale quantum computing," said Dr Sebastian Weidt, CEO and co-founder of Universal Quantum. Same investors, rival technologies. Firgun has now joined three UK quantum rounds in 2026, and each one uses a different technology. It was a new investor in Quantum Motion's silicon-based Series C in May. It also took part in the £260 million Series C raised by Oxford Quantum Circuits, which builds superconducting machines. As Tech Funding News reported, OQC announced the round on June 3 and says it is Europe's largest private quantum computing round. Universal Quantum, which uses trapped ions, is the third. The British Business Bank committed £40 million to Quantum Motion's round and also backed OQC. The company's release does not name it among Universal Quantum's investors. TFN has profiled the bank's £600 million UK technology portfolio, which includes Quantum Motion. Firgun launched in November 2025 with a $70 million first close, anchored by the Qatar Investment Authority, and a $250 million target. In a December 2025 interview with The Quantum Insider, Zeynep Korutürk said seed money is easy to find in quantum, but few investors can credibly lead Series A and B rounds. That is the gap the fund aims to fill. "Universal Quantum brings together world-class scientific leadership with an exceptionally clear approach to quantum computing," said Zeynep Korutürk, founding and managing partner at Firgun Ventures. DCVC made a similar case for both of its British rounds, with a different technology each time. When Quantum Motion raised in May, Prineha Narang, an operating partner at DCVC, said the firm invested because "silicon is the foundation that scales." Now general partner James Hardiman makes a scale argument for trapped ions. "True quantum utility will be unlocked by companies that are relentlessly focused on the scalability of their machines. Universal Quantum's modular architecture addresses the hardest challenges in scaling ion trap systems. Quantum is a global race, and we are pleased to back a team with genuine standing across Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America," said Hardiman. Silicon has other European backers too. TFN covered French startup Quobly's €115 million round on the same day as OQC's. One large contract, few public numbers. The startup, founded in 2018, works by tiling many small trapped-ion chips together. Each chip holds charged atoms in place with electric fields, and the atoms act as qubits, the basic units of quantum information. The company says its design avoids photonic interconnects, large lasers, and heavy cooling equipment, and that its patented interconnect, which it describes as world-record, is what lets the chips work as one machine. Its biggest public proof point is a contract with the German Aerospace Center, known as DLR. In November 2022, DLR commissioned the company's German subsidiary to build a single-chip machine and a multi-chip machine of up to 100 qubits at its Hamburg site within four years. The deal was announced at 67 million euros. The company now cites it as a $77 million contract and says it is delivering against it. Trapped ions are a crowded field. IonQ agreed in June 2025 to buy British rival Oxford Ionics, which makes trapped-ion chips on standard semiconductor processes, for $1.075 billion. Quantinuum, which also uses trapped ions, closed a $600 million equity round at a $10 billion pre-money valuation in September 2025. Capital is arriving faster than revenue. McKinsey counted $12.6 billion of investment in quantum startups in 2025, 6.3 times the year before. Revenue at quantum computing companies passed $1 billion in the same year. Public markets are open to the sector as well. Finland's IQM raised €275 million in a Series B in September 2025 and began trading on Nasdaq on July 2, 2026, after merging with a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, in a deal that valued it at $1.8 billion before the new money went in. Universal Quantum will use the money to keep developing its modular design, including the chiplet arrays and control systems it says reduce engineering risk, and to expand in Singapore, the United States, Japan, and Hamburg. Lazard was its exclusive financial adviser. The announcement does not disclose a valuation, total funding raised, or hiring targets. The company says further international collaborations will be announced soon. Until Universal Quantum publishes qubit counts and error rates, the round measures investor confidence, not engineering progress.
Universal Quantum raises £75m+ to scale globally. Record Series A for UK quantum computing startup as trapped-ion pioneer is backed by sovereign, institutional and DeepTech investors Listen to article Universal Quantum, a UK company building large-scale quantum computing systems for real-world use, has secured over $100 million (£75m+) in Series A funding - marking the largest Series A ever raised by a quantum firm headquartered in the UK. The funding will accelerate the company's global expansion, as well as the development and commercialisation of its modular technology, advancing a path towards fault-tolerant quantum computing. The round was co-led by DCVC and Firgun Ventures, with participation from EDBI, Artal (advised by Invus), Integral GlobalTech, Main Sequence, Hostplus, NGS Super, IAG Capital, EdenBase, Eigenstate.holdings, and Dave Baszucki (founder and CEO of Roblox), as well as other existing and new strategic investors including Nauta Capital and The Venture Collective. "Universal Quantum's progress reflects our partners' belief that we represent one of the most credible paths to quantum computing at scale," said Dr Sebastian Weidt, CEO and co-founder of Universal Quantum. "This round unites an extraordinary group of investors from the world's most important pools of capital around a single mission: delivering utility-scale quantum computing." The new capital will drive the continued development and commercialisation of Universal Quantum's modular approach to building the quantum computers needed for practical, error-corrected use - leveraging the company's patented, world-record interconnect technology and advanced integrated chips to develop the chiplet arrays and control systems required to reduce engineering risk and accelerate the path to larger-scale quantum computers. The funding will also support Universal Quantum's recently announced expansion in Singapore, where it is establishing its first R&D centre outside Europe, as well as expansion in the United States, Japan and across its German hub in Hamburg. Universal Quantum was founded on the belief that scale is the major challenge in quantum computing. Its computers are designed and built by linking together, or tiling, many small, advanced quantum chips to deliver the overall high-quality qubit count required to solve problems classical computers cannot - without reliance on photonic interconnects or large, costly lasers and cooling infrastructure. Each chip uses trapped-ion technology, where charged atoms held in place by electric fields act as qubits. Universal Quantum's approach is designed to connect these modules in a practical, manufacturable way, creating a route to the scale needed for fault-tolerant quantum computing and giving industry partners a clearer path to quantum utility. Universal Quantum was founded in 2018 by Professor Sebastian Weidt and Professor Winfried Hensinger of the University of Sussex, co-authors of the first practical blueprint for a large-scale trapped-ion quantum computer, published in 2017. It has since become a global engineering operation, with sites across three continents. Now delivering against a $77 million contract with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Universal Quantum is establishing a permanent presence via an R&D centre in Singapore, with further international collaborations to be announced soon. "Universal Quantum brings together world-class scientific leadership with an exceptionally clear approach to quantum computing," said Zeynep Korutürk, founding & managing partner of Firgun Ventures. "Having laid some of the earliest foundations for large-scale trapped-ion architectures, Sebastian and Winfried are true pioneers in the field. With Europe under pressure to prove it can compete on frontier technologies, we are proud to invest in a European company that has grown into a global player, one that is well positioned to help define the future of industrial-scale quantum computing." "True quantum utility will be unlocked by companies that are relentlessly focused on the scalability of their machines," said James Hardiman, general partner at DCVC. "Universal Quantum's modular architecture addresses the hardest challenges in scaling ion trap systems. Quantum is a global race, and we are pleased to back a team with genuine standing across Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America." Bill Bartee, managing partner at Main Sequence, added: "What sets Universal Quantum apart is its ability to win major contracts at this stage of development. "In a sector where hype and hyperbole are running far ahead of commercial reality, Universal Quantum has built a paying customer base that includes some of the world's most demanding scientific and government institutions, and has done so before most competitors have shipped any working hardware." Evren Bilimer, managing director at Invus, said: "We believe quantum computing will be one of the defining technologies of the coming decades, and that the companies which reach utility-scale will be those that combine deep technical capability with commercial discipline. "Universal Quantum stands out for the rigour of its engineering roadmap and for having funded that roadmap through real customer contracts. We are pleased to deepen our commitment to the quantum ecosystem by backing this team." Lazard, Inc. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Universal Quantum in the transaction.
Universal Quantum raises $100m in largest UK quantum Series A. 8 Oct 2026 The funding will help the business further expand into Singapore, the US, Japan and Germany. University of Sussex-founded Universal Quantum has raised more than $100m in what is the largest Series A ever raised by a UK-headquartered quantum company. The round was co-led by Silicon Valley deep-tech investor DCVC and London-based early-stage quantum investor Firgun Ventures, with participation from the likes of Singapore's EDBI, Artal and IAG Capital. Roblox founder and CEO Dave Baszucki also took part in the round. Universal Quantum was founded in 2018 by long-standing collaborators and Sussex quantum professors Sebastian Weidt and Winfried Hensinger. A year prior in 2017, two co-published what they called the "first practical blueprint" for large-scale trapped ion quantum computers, which they used as the basis for the start-up. The start-up develops next-generation quantum devices for clients including the German Aerospace Centre. Its computers are designed by linking together many advanced quantum chips to deliver the overall high-quality qubit count required to solve problems classical computers generally cannot. "Universal Quantum's progress reflects our partners' belief that we represent one of the most credible paths to quantum computing at scale," said Weidt, the company's CEO. "This round unites an extraordinary group of investors from the world's most important pools of capital around a single mission: delivering utility-scale quantum computing." The new capital will be used to further develop and commercialise their products, the company said. It is also being used to support Universal Quantum's recently announced expansion into Singapore, where it has established its first R&D centre outside Europe, as well as expansion in the US, Japan and across its German hub in Hamburg. "Having laid some of the earliest foundations for large-scale trapped-ion architectures, Sebastian and Winfried are true pioneers in the field," commented Zeynep Korutürk, the founding and managing partner of Firgun Ventures. "With Europe under pressure to prove it can compete on frontier technologies, we are proud to invest in a European company that has grown into a global player, one that is well positioned to help define the future of industrial-scale quantum computing." Suhasini Srinivasaragavan is a sci-tech reporter for Silicon Republic
Universal Quantum secures UK's largest quantum Series A with €89 million to scale modular quantum computers. October 8, 2026 Brighton-based Universal Quantum, a company building large-scale quantum computing systems for real-world use, today announced it has secured over €89 million ($100 million) in Series A funding - reprotedly marking the largest Series A ever raised by a quantum firm in the UK. The funding will accelerate the company's global expansion, as well as the development and commercialisation of its modular technology, advancing a path towards fault-tolerant quantum computing. The round was co-led by DCVC and Firgun Ventures, with participation from EDBI, Artal, Integral GlobalTech, Main Sequence, Hostplus, NGS Super, IAG Capital, EdenBase, Eigenstate.holdings, and Dave Baszucki (founder and CEO of Roblox), as well as other existing and new strategic investors including Nauta Capital and The Venture Collective. "Universal Quantum's progress reflects our partners' belief that we represent one of the most credible paths to quantum computing at scale," says Dr. Sebastian Weidt, CEO and co-founder of Universal Quantum. "This round unites an extraordinary group of investors from the world's most important pools of capital around a single mission: delivering utility-scale quantum computing." Universal Quantum's Series A comes amid continued investment in European quantum computing hardware in 2026. According to EU-Startups reporting, seven comparable companies have secured approximately €714 million this year, bringing the combined figure to over €803 million including Universal Quantum's latest round. In the UK, Oxford Quantum Circuits raised €301 million to expand its Quantum-AI data-centre platform, while Delft-based QuantWare secured €152 million to scale quantum processor manufacturing and France's Quobly raised €115 million to industrialise silicon-based quantum computers. Particularly relevant to Universal Quantum's trapped-ion approach are Germany's eleQtron, which raised €57 million, and Switzerland's ZuriQ, which secured €22.4 million. Firgun Ventures, co-lead investor in Universal Quantum's round, also participated in the Oxford Quantum Circuits and ZuriQ financings. EU-Startups previously covered Universal Quantum in June 2020, when the Brighton-based company secured €4 million in Seed funding to develop its modular quantum computing technology. "Universal Quantum brings together world-class scientific leadership with an exceptionally clear approach to quantum computing," adds Zeynep Korutürk, Founding & Managing Partner of Firgun Ventures. "Having laid some of the earliest foundations for large-scale trapped-ion architectures, Sebastian and Winfried are true pioneers in the field. With Europe under pressure to prove it can compete on frontier technologies, we are proud to invest in a European company that has grown into a global player, one that is well positioned to help define the future of industrial-scale quantum computing." Universal Quantum was founded in 2018 by Professor Sebastian Weidt and Professor Winfried Hensinger of the University of Sussex, co-authors of the first practical blueprint for a large-scale trapped-ion quantum computer, published in 2017. What began as an academic vision has since become a global engineering operation, with sites across three continents and more than 100 highly technical FTEs. The company is building utility-scale quantum computers to help confront global challenges. That means reaching the large numbers of high-quality qubits needed to perform real-world tasks, from drug discovery and battery design to climate modelling and many others beyond the reach of classical computers. Its modular trapped-ion architecture and enabling technologies are designed to make this achievable. Today's new capital will drive the continued development and commercialisation of Universal Quantum's modular approach to building the quantum computers needed for practical, error-corrected use. The company looks to leverage their patented, world-record interconnect technology and advanced integrated chips to develop the chiplet arrays and control systems required to reduce engineering risk and accelerate the path to larger-scale quantum computers. The funding will also support Universal Quantum's recently announced expansion in Singapore, where it is establishing its first R&D centre outside Europe, as well as expansion in the United States, Japan and across its German hub in Hamburg. "True quantum utility will be unlocked by companies that are relentlessly focused on the scalability of their machines," says James Hardiman, General Partner at DCVC. "Universal Quantum's modular architecture addresses the hardest challenges in scaling ion trap systems. Quantum is a global race, and we are pleased to back a team with genuine standing across Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America." Each chip uses trapped-ion technology, where charged atoms held in place by electric fields act as qubits. Universal Quantum's approach is designed to connect these modules in a practical, manufacturable way, creating a route to the scale needed for fault-tolerant quantum computing and giving industry partners a clearer path to quantum utility. According to data provided by the company, the quantum technology market could be worth €53-89 billion ($60-100 billion) annually by 2035, while helping to unlock up to €2.4 trillion ($2.7 trillion) of economic value worldwide in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, finance and automotive. "What sets Universal Quantum apart is its ability to win major contracts at this stage of development," adds Bill Bartee, Managing Partner at Main Sequence. "In a sector where hype and hyperbole are running far ahead of commercial reality, Universal Quantum has built a paying customer base that includes some of the world's most demanding scientific and government institutions, and has done so before most competitors have shipped any working hardware." Now delivering against a €68 million ($77 million) contract with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Universal Quantum is establishing a permanent presence via an R&D centre in Singapore, with further international collaborations to be announced soon.