Last Updated: 11 April 2025
Sparrow Quantum, a Danish supplier of photonic quantum chips, has raised €21.5 million in Series A funding to ramp up development and commercial rollout of its flagship quantum chip technology. The round was led by PensionDanmark and joined by Novo Holdings, EIFO (Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund), and existing investors including 2xN, LIFTT, and the European Innovation Council.
This new funding comes on the heels of a €4.1 million seed round raised in 2023, and reflects strong investor confidence in Sparrow Quantum’s ability to bring advanced quantum photonics from lab research into industrial applications.
Sparrow Quantum was born out of the research group of Professor Peter Lodahl at the Niels Bohr Institute, a globally recognized center of quantum innovation. The company’s flagship product, the Sparrow Core chip, delivers a deterministic single-photon source—essential for scaling photonic quantum computing. Unlike probabilistic methods, this chip reliably produces single photons on demand, a key requirement for building stable and efficient quantum systems.
With this chip, Sparrow Quantum has set a benchmark for reliability and performance, enabling faster, more accurate processing for applications ranging from generative AI to quantum-enhanced machine learning.
"With this investment, we can truly intensify our efforts to bring quantum technology from the lab to the market."
Professor Peter Lodahl, Founder and Chief Quantum Officer of Sparrow Quantum
With the Series A funds, Sparrow Quantum plans to scale up photonic chip production to meet rising global demand. The investment will also support advanced R&D efforts, particularly in developing entangled photon sources—a next step in enabling more complex quantum operations.
A key priority is expanding the company’s specialized talent base to accelerate product development and bring additional solutions to market.
"It is an honor to build up a truly world-class team of quantum photonics experts with unique know-how on quantum photonic chip technology."
Professor Peter Lodahl
This investment reflects a broader effort to build a resilient European quantum supply chain. By keeping chip manufacturing, quality control, and R&D within European borders, Sparrow Quantum aligns with the EU’s strategic focus on technological sovereignty. The company’s work complements the goals of the EU Chips Act, which aims to secure Europe's position in critical technologies.
"Quantum technology can open an entirely new world of solutions to complex problems. We see a clear potential for the investment to yield an attractive return on our members' pension savings while also benefiting the national economy."
PensionDanmark CEO Peter Stensgaard Mørch
Founded as a spin-out from the Niels Bohr Institute, Sparrow Quantum is built on over 25 years of quantum physics research. The team specializes in light-matter interfaces, which are fundamental to the scalability of photonic quantum technologies.
Led by CEO Kurt Stokbro and Chief Quantum Officer Peter Lodahl, the company is focused on enabling real-world applications of quantum systems. Its deterministic single-photon chip technology is already used by quantum system integrators across Europe.
"This investment is a testament to Denmark and Europe’s ability to lead in quantum technology. With strong backing from visionary Danish investors, we are ready to unlock quantum breakthroughs that benefit society and the global economy."
Sparrow Quantum’s CEO Kurt Stokbro
In addition to its recent Series A, Sparrow Quantum raised €4.1 million in 2023 through its seed round. The startup’s investors now include: PensionDanmark, EIFO, Novo Holdings, 2xN, LIFTT, European Innovation Council.
These backers bring not just capital but deep sector knowledge in venture, deeptech, and infrastructure. Their support strengthens the company’s roadmap to scale, innovate, and maintain Europe’s competitive edge in quantum technologies.
