UK quantum computing company secures one of Europe’s largest private quantum funding rounds to accelerate enterprise-grade quantum infrastructure
Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), a UK-based quantum computing company building superconducting quantum systems and a Quantum-AI data-centre platform, has raised an oversubscribed €301 million (£260 million / $350 million) Series C funding round.
The round is positioned as one of the largest private investments in Europe’s quantum computing sector to date, signaling growing investor confidence in quantum systems moving from research-stage technology to commercial infrastructure.
Major oversubscribed round led by Bullhound Capital
The Series C was led by Bullhound Capital, with participation from a wide consortium of institutional and strategic investors including the British Business Bank, Invus-advised Fynveur, COFIDES, Alpha Edison, Fulcrum Asset Management, Pentland Ventures, Magdalen College Oxford, Adaptive Capital Partners, Firgun Ventures, 18 West, and Oxford Capital.
Existing backers such as Oxford Science Enterprises, SBI, Chevron Technology Ventures, and others also joined the round.
Building Quantum-AI infrastructure for data centres
Founded in 2017, OQC develops superconducting quantum computers designed specifically for deployment in data-centre environments. The company positions itself as a pioneer of “Quantum-Compute-as-a-Service,” integrating quantum systems directly into enterprise-grade infrastructure alongside AI and high-performance computing.
CEO Gerald Mullally described the raise as a turning point for the sector:
“This is a coming-of-age moment for British quantum computing… a clear shift from long-term promise to near-term delivery.”
OQC says the new capital will be used to scale internationally, expand its operational footprint, and accelerate development toward fault-tolerant quantum computing systems.
Enterprise and government demand
The company reports increasing demand from enterprise and government customers across financial services, defence, and security sectors. These organizations are exploring quantum computing for workloads that are increasingly difficult or impossible for classical systems to solve efficiently.
OQC already operates systems across multiple regions, including deployments in the UK, US, Japan, and Spain, forming what it describes as a global quantum computing platform.
From lab research to infrastructure layer
Unlike traditional quantum hardware startups focused purely on experimental systems, OQC’s approach centers on integrating quantum computing into secure, scalable infrastructure stacks.
Dr. Peter Leek, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, emphasized system engineering and scalability:
“We aim to build engineered systems that scale as simply as possible… advancing performance and reliability while integrating into trusted infrastructure.”
Strategic implications
Investors view OQC as part of a broader shift in DeepTech where quantum computing is transitioning from long-term R&D to early-stage commercial deployment. The combination of AI workloads, data-centre integration, and government-grade security positioning places the company in a growing category of “quantum infrastructure providers.”
Per Roman, Managing Partner at Bullhound Capital, noted:
“As quantum computing moves into global infrastructure, OQC is positioned to shape that transition.”
About Oxford Quantum Circuits
Oxford Quantum Circuits is a UK quantum computing company founded in 2017, focused on superconducting quantum processors and Quantum-Compute-as-a-Service infrastructure for enterprise and government customers.
