With venture funds in short supply, Europe’s quantum companies need users to de-risk technologies and draw in private investors
Photo credits: Dan Cristian Pădureț / Unsplash
Quantum technologies are heralded by the European Commission as key for the future security and prosperity of Europe. But Europe’s investors are heading in the opposite direction.
According to a recent report from the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC), investment in Europe’s quantum start-ups fell by 40% between 2023 and 2024. In the US, meanwhile, it tripled over the same period.
Europe is especially short of venture capital firms capable of leading investment rounds above €100 million, the report notes. This pushes quantum companies to look elsewhere.
For those involved in funding Europe’s deep tech sector, however, the solution is not more venture capital, but more users.
“When I assess a quantum company, what I’m…
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