Quantum technology, once solely the realm of academic experimenters, is steadily becoming an industry reality. Recently, Nu Quantum, a University of Cambridge spinout, took a major leap by securing $60M in a Series A funding round. This marks a record for quantum-focused early-stage fundraising in the UK. As a serial entrepreneur myself, I’m always intrigued by how startups manage to take cutting-edge science and position it as an investment-worthy opportunity, and Nu Quantum nailed it. Here’s why this development matters, and what lessons we, especially as female entrepreneurs, can take away from it.
Record-Breaking Fundraising for Quantum Networking Hardware
Nu Quantum’s core product isn’t a standalone quantum computer. Instead, it’s the networking infrastructure that connects quantum processors to work together, a bit like building Wi-Fi for quantum computing. This is revolutionary because only interconnected systems can scale up to tackle real-world problems. These networks could soon enable applications such as drug discovery or simulations in financial systems that would take classical supercomputers decades to complete.
Led by National Grid Partners, with significant contributions from Gresham House Ventures, Morpheus Ventures, and returning investors like Amadeus Capital and IQ Capital, this funding round highlights how hot quantum computing is becoming for investors. According to sources such as Tech.eu and Silicon Republic, this capital will allow Nu Quantum to accelerate hardware development for its "Entanglement Fabric", a technology designed to connect processors via quantum entanglement.
A Look at the Numbers and Strategy
Starting with just a vision back in 2018, founder Carmen Palacios-Berraquero built Nu Quantum from the ground up, using her academic background at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. It's interesting to see how they structured their fundraising efforts. For instance:
- 2018: Foundation of Nu Quantum following six years of research.
- 2023: Pre-series A round of £8.5 million.
- 2025: Record Series A of $60 million.
For context, quantum startups globally raised just over $1 billion in 2023. Seeing $60M pour into one early-stage UK company is notable, and it tells us their pitch addressed real-world worries about quantum scalability and utility.
The funding will go toward scaling their roadmap for Entanglement Fabric, expanding their 50-member team, and entering new global markets. They aim to position themselves at the center of a trillion-dollar quantum computing market, as mentioned in their interviews with Cambridge Enterprise.
Lessons for Female Entrepreneurs in Europe
As someone bootstrapping startups like Fe/male Switch, I know that building trust with investors, customers, and even your own team often feels like climbing Everest barefoot. Here are the takeaways I see from Nu Quantum’s approach:
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Deep Expertise Opens Doors, But Execution Is Key: Nu Quantum’s founder built her leadership position starting with research credibility, but she paired this with a bold vision for market growth. Often, women in tech face challenges in being taken seriously despite their qualifications. The key is showing how your expertise translates into practical outcomes.
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Build Investor Confidence Early: Nu Quantum raised £8.5M prior to this Series A. That smaller round was crucial for proving its capabilities and attracting this year’s record funds. Consider layering funding in smaller, progressive rounds rather than chasing a big amount all at once.
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Think About Infrastructure, Not Just Product: Many of us start with a solution-focused mindset, our product or service is everything. But investors are clearly willing to back what brings scalability to a whole ecosystem, like Nu Quantum’s networking tools.
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Communicate Your Value Effectively: I suspect Nu Quantum clinched such high investment because they framed the problem’s scale (connecting quantum processors for real-world use), not just their current solution. Women's startups can benefit greatly from improving how we communicate vision and systemic impact.
How to Prepare for Big Funding Rounds
If you're an early-stage founder targeting major funding rounds, these steps should help:
- Validate Early: Spend time soft-launching your product or testing assumptions. Nu Quantum took five years from founding to its Series A.
- Develop Storytelling Suited to Your Audience: Showcase where your idea fits in the market trajectory, as Nu Quantum does with their focus on "fault-tolerant" quantum computing systems.
- Engage Strategic Partners: Don't rely only on financial returns to attract investors; show how working with your company fits into their wider strategic goals.
Pitfalls to Avoid
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Avoid chasing trends uncritically: The quantum field is competitive. If investors notice that your startup lacks differentiation or a clear roadmap, they’ll steer clear. Focus tightly on what sets you apart.
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Don't neglect global expansion early on: Remaining geographically limited can cap your opportunities. Nu Quantum secured funding partly due to its potential global relevance.
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Don’t neglect team-building: Scaling isn’t just about money; you need a multidisciplinary team that matches your ambitions.
Broader Industry Takeaways
Nu Quantum’s achievement signals growing European innovation leadership in quantum technology. For startups in diverse sectors, this sort of breakthrough funding proves the value of aligning long-term technical aspirations with society's broader needs. Europe’s still catching up with the US and Asia in raising capital at this scale, but events like this create positive momentum.
Quantum computing’s practical future will depend on tools like distributed systems rather than isolated breakthroughs. It’s exciting to see a Cambridge-founded company not only bring quantum closer, but also inspire other European entrepreneurs.
For all of us, Nu Quantum offers lessons in how visionary thinking, industry relevance, and well-targeted investor outreach can take a deeply technical idea all the way to record-setting funding rounds. Let’s learn from their story and keep pushing forward.
FAQ
1. What is Nu Quantum and what does it aim to achieve?
Nu Quantum is a University of Cambridge spinout focused on building quantum networking infrastructure to connect quantum processors. It aims to enable scalable, distributed quantum computing systems that can solve complex problems beyond the reach of classical computers. Explore Nu Quantum's vision
2. How much funding did Nu Quantum secure in its Series A round?
Nu Quantum raised $60 million in a Series A funding round, making it the largest quantum computing Series A in the UK to date. Read about the funding round
3. Who were the lead and supporting investors in this funding?
The funding round was led by National Grid Partners. Other investors included Gresham House Ventures, Morpheus Ventures, Amadeus Capital, IQ Capital, and Cambridge Enterprise Ventures. Learn more about the investors
4. What is Nu Quantum’s core product and how does it function?
Nu Quantum’s core product is its “Entanglement Fabric,” a photonic quantum networking technology. It connects quantum processors into a distributed system, enabling modular, scalable quantum computing. Discover the Entanglement Fabric
5. What makes Nu Quantum’s approach to quantum computing unique?
Unlike focusing solely on developing standalone quantum processors, Nu Quantum is advancing quantum networking to enable interconnected systems. This technology unlocks the ability to scale quantum computing to tackle real-world applications. Dive deeper into Nu Quantum's approach
6. How will the $60 million be used by Nu Quantum?
The funding will be used to accelerate the roadmap for Nu Quantum’s Entanglement Fabric, expand its team, and fuel global expansion to scale its operations. See how funds will be utilized
7. What is the potential future market value of quantum computing?
The quantum computing market is projected to reach $1 trillion in value, with infrastructure solutions like distributed quantum computing playing a critical role. Read more about the market potential
8. What are the challenges in quantum computing that Nu Quantum aims to resolve?
The biggest challenges include scalability and building fault-tolerant systems. Nu Quantum addresses these by creating a distributed computing architecture through networking quantum processors. Explore the challenges in quantum computing
9. How did Nu Quantum begin its journey?
Nu Quantum was founded in 2018 by Dr. Carmen Palacios-Berraquero following years of research at the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory. Learn about Nu Quantum’s founding story
10. What lessons can female entrepreneurs learn from Nu Quantum’s success?
Female entrepreneurs can learn to pair deep expertise with practical market vision, strategically build investor confidence through staged funding, and focus on systemic infrastructure solutions instead of just individual products. This strategic approach can unlock significant investment opportunities. Read lessons from Nu Quantum’s success
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
