Quantum Computing Firm OQT Raises KRW 14 Billion in Pre-Series A Funding

Neutral-atom quantum computing company OQT is looking to build domestic and international partnerships after raising a pre-Series A round.

OQT announced on October 15 that it had raised KRW 14 billion in pre-Series A funding. The round was led by DSC Investment, with existing investors Kakao Ventures and Bluepoint Partners participating in the follow-on investment. New investors Murex Partners, Stonebridge Ventures, Schmidt, Z Venture Capital (ZVC), and Global Innovation Labs (GIL) also joined the round.

OQT plans to scale up and expand globally with this round. Through ZVC, it aims to broaden its connections with global markets and industry networks in Japan, the United States, and elsewhere. Together with GIL, it also plans to strengthen global technology cooperation and network links with SRI, formerly Stanford Research Institute, in the United States.

OQT was founded by CEO Kim Donggyu, a professor in the Department of Physics at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and a founding member of QuEra, the global company that developed the world's first 256-qubit neutral-atom quantum computer. The company directly designs and develops fault-tolerant quantum computers based on logical qubits, using laser-cooled neutral atoms.

Building on this investment, OQT plans to accelerate the development of fault-tolerant quantum computers and focus on building systems that can be used in real-world industrial and research settings.

"We invested because we believe OQT is the team best positioned to solve quantum computing's key challenges, given its technical capabilities, network, and deep understanding of global technology trends," said Shin Jeongho, a senior investment manager at Kakao Ventures. "The follow-on investment is an extension of our confidence in the company. Having achieved meaningful R&D results in a short period, we expect the team to successfully tackle the remaining challenges to commercialization one by one."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.