London-based quantum computing startup Orca Computing has raised USD 15 million in a Series A funding round led by Octopus Ventures with participation from other European deep-tech investors. 

The proceeds will be directed toward accelerating the development of near-term photonic quantum computing systems and software with data processing capabilities.  

Simultaneously, the company also entered into a one-year partnership with the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) to build quantum-enhanced future data processing capabilities and to explore the potential of quantum in various use cases. As part of the partnership, Orca will deploy its PT-1 model, which is capable of operating at room temperature, at the MoD premises. This marks the ministry’s first quantum computer.

Founded in 2019, Orca Computing develops scalable quantum computers and software to solve real-world problems based on the photonic approach (light-based). It uses its proprietary and patented quantum memory technology to store and retrieve photons on demand, which reduces the randomness in photonic qubit generation and enables industry-standard components to be used. The company was selected to lead a UK government project in November 2021, which focused on building a quantum-safe data center of the future.