Last Updated: 7 May 2026
German quantum computing company eleQtron has raised €57 million in a Series A round, one of the largest at this funding stage in the sector worldwide. The company, based in Siegen and co-founded by Jan Henrik Leisse, Michael Johanning, and Kaoru Naganuma, builds quantum processors intended for industrial use rather than laboratory research. The aim is to bring quantum computing into enterprise operations the same way cloud infrastructure and AI platforms have become standard tools for large organizations.
Investment in quantum computing has grown sharply over the past year. The sector attracted over $1.25 billion in the first quarter of 2025 alone, more than double the $550 million raised in Q1 2024, a 128% increase year over year. That growth is not just about research funding. Commercial orders for quantum computers reached $854 million in 2024, up 70% from 2023, with more units sold across more industries and regions than the year before.
The round is led by Schwarz Digits, the IT and digital arm of Schwarz Group, an international retail industry leader. The EIC Fund of the European Innovation Council is also among the key investors. Returning backer Earlybird participates alongside new investors: French venture firm Ankaa Ventures, laser equipment specialist Precitec, and development banks NRW.BANK and IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH. The package also includes individual grants.
eleQtron already has more than €54 million in signed contracts, which puts it in a small group of quantum hardware companies with real commercial activity rather than just research agreements. McKinsey estimates that quantum computing companies generated between $650 million and $750 million in revenue in 2024 and are on track to surpass $1 billion in 2025. Against that figure, eleQtron's order backlog represents a notable share of the market's current output.
The decision by Schwarz Group to lead the round says something about how large European companies are beginning to think about quantum computing. For them, this is less about betting on a future technology and more about securing access to infrastructure they expect to need. Christian Müller, Co-CEO of Schwarz Digits, explained the strategic logic:
"Digital sovereignty is a top priority for us and our partners. Following our strategic decisions in the areas of cloud and artificial intelligence, the investment in eleQtron is a logical building block. We want to ensure that we remain independent in key technologies and actively shape forward-looking, secure IT infrastructures right here in Germany."
Christian Müller, Co-CEO of Schwarz Digits
Three areas will receive the bulk of the new funding: building production capacity at scale, expanding cloud-based access to eleQtron's systems, and developing the hardware platform further. The cloud component deserves particular attention. Companies that cannot install quantum hardware on their own premises would be able to access eleQtron's systems remotely, which opens the technology to a wider range of potential customers without requiring major upfront investment on their end.
eleQtron will also continue developing its MAGIC technology, the microwave-based system it uses to control qubits. The goal is to make the hardware consistent and reliable enough for industrial production. Jan Henrik Leisse, CEO and co-founder, described where the company sees itself in the broader transition:
"Quantum computing is transitioning from a research-driven technology to an industrially usable infrastructure. With this funding, we are accelerating that transition and building systems that will solve real-world industrial problems."
Jan Henrik Leisse, CEO and Co-founder of eleQtron
Founded in 2020 as a spin-off from the University of Siegen, eleQtron employs more than 100 people and works with European research and computing centers. It was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2025 and has sold quantum computers to the German Aerospace Center and Forschungszentrum Jülich, a major German research institution.
The company builds quantum computers based on trapped ions. A quick explanation of what that means: standard computers use bits, which are either a zero or a one. Quantum computers use qubits, which can hold multiple values at the same time. That property allows them to tackle certain complex problems far faster than conventional machines. Tasks that might take a classical computer months could, in theory, take a quantum computer hours.
Most companies building trapped-ion quantum computers use lasers to control their qubits, a method that is precise but expensive and hard to scale up. eleQtron's MAGIC technology, which stands for Magnetic Gradient Induced Coupling, uses microwaves instead. The company says this approach is more robust, more accurate, and better suited to large-scale manufacturing.
eleQtron's first major funding was a €16 million seed round in 2022, led by Earlybird. Combined with this Series A, total known funding based on publicly disclosed rounds stands at approximately €73 million.
The current investor group spans several categories. Schwarz Digits brings both capital and a direct connection to enterprise deployment. The EIC Fund, an arm of the European Commission, focuses on deep-tech companies working through the difficult transition from research to commercial product. Earlybird provides venture experience and European network access. Ankaa Ventures, Precitec, NRW.BANK, and IFB Innovationsstarter round out the group.
"eleQtron combines a clearly differentiated technology with a compelling approach to scaling and commercializing quantum computing. In particular, the combination of proprietary technology and cloud-based access demonstrates how research can translate into real-world applications. We are excited to continue supporting the company in its next phase of growth."
Dr. Hendrik Brandis, Co-Founder and Partner, Earlybird
