ZuriQ's 2D Trapped-Ion Architecture: How a Swiss Startup Raised $29.7M to Break Quantum Computing's Scaling Barrier

ZuriQ is a Swiss quantum computing startup spun out of ETH Zürich in 2024 by Dr. Pavel Hrmo, Dr. Tobias Sägesser, and Dr. Shreyans Jain . The company aims to solve trapped-ion quantum computing's biggest bottleneck: scaling. It has raised a total of $29.7 million from investors, with a breakthrough architecture that moves ions in two dimensions rather than one.

Why 2D Matters: Escaping the Ion Chain

Most trapped-ion quantum computers confine ions in a linear (one-dimensional) chain using radio-frequency Paul traps. This design limits how many qubits can be controlled on a single chip — additions inevitably mean a longer, more fragile chain. ZuriQ's innovation is a natively two-dimensional Penning micro-trap architecture . Instead of a line, the chip uses static magnetic fields and micro-fabricated electrodes to trap ions in a flat 2D lattice, where they can move freely across the surface in both x and y directions .

Because the architecture is planar, it can be built using standard semiconductor fabrication processes — the same methods used for classical computer chips — enabling much higher qubit densities and a straightforward scaling path . ZuriQ has already demonstrated a working 2D trapped-ion processor test chip, realizing a 3×3 array of nine individually controlled ions . The company describes this as the largest two-dimensional trapped-ion array of its kind .

Total Funding: $29.7 Million Across Two Rounds

ZuriQ has raised capital in two tranches:

Round	Amount	Announced	Lead Investor
Pre-seed	$4.2 million	January 2025	Founderful
Seed	$25.5 million (approx. €22.4 million)	July 28, 2026	Quantonation
Total	$29.7 million

The seed round was led by Quantonation, a globally recognized venture capital firm based in Paris and Boston that invests exclusively in physics and quantum startups . Additional new investors in the seed round included Forward.one, Extantia, and Firgun Ventures . All existing pre-seed investors also participated, including Founderful, SquareOne, First Momentum Ventures, OnSight Ventures, and QAI Ventures .

How the Capital Will Be Used

ZuriQ has outlined four key areas for the new funding:

• Expand the engineering and research team — hiring across hardware, software, and chip design roles .
• Scale chip fabrication — the company is partnering with Infineon Technologies to manufacture its 2D trapped-ion chips using commercial semiconductor processes .
• Increase qubit counts on the 2D architecture and accelerate the development of processors capable of running utility-scale quantum computations .
• Advance toward a commercial quantum computer — pushing the technology from the lab toward real-world applications .

"Our architecture is two-dimensional from the ground up, so the number of qubits we can place on a chip will grow far more readily than current designs," ZuriQ has noted, according to SiliconAngle's reporting on the seed round . The company plans to use its manufacturing partnership with Infineon to produce chips at scale, avoiding the custom-fabrication bottlenecks that slow down other quantum hardware startups .