Groove Quantum, a Delft-based deep-tech startup, received €10 million (approximately $11.8 million USD) from the acclaimed European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator program, boosting Europe’s quantum computing business. The €2.5 million grant and large equity investment will boost the company’s germanium spin qubit device development for next-generation quantum processors.
A rigorous selection in a competitive field
Only 40 deep-tech firms were selected from over 1,000 applications submitted to the EIC Accelerator, which is how Groove Quantum came to be. Each received a combination of grant and equity, with reviewers calling Groove Quantum’s germanium-based strategy “a standout in a crowded field.” This demonstrates how the potential of germanium in scalable quantum structures is becoming increasingly recognized.
Why germanium qubits?
Groove’s method is based on the use of sophisticated transistor techniques from the semiconductor industry to implement spin-qubits in germanium quantum wells. By using established CMOS fabrication, these qubits are designed to be scalable, high-fidelity, and small, facilitating their integration into conventional semiconductor foundries.
Prominent scholarly studies underscore the potential of germanium. In 2022, scientists demonstrated high-mobility planar germanium with firm superconducting gaps, an essential element for coherent quantum circuits. A significant breakthrough towards reliable processors was taken more recently in late 2024 when a 10-qubit germanium array achieved high-fidelity local control.
How Groove plans to scale
Groove was established in 2024 by Anne-Marije Zwerver and Nico Hendrickx with the goal of using the EIC funds to increase the number of qubits while maintaining coherence and error rates. With an eye towards secure communications, drug discovery, quantum simulation, and other computation-intensive businesses, their roadmap focusses on multi-qubit arrays.
With spin-based quantum states, the hardware design is similar to that of silicon transistors. Germanium hole-qubit arrays have demonstrated the ability to provide precise control through gate-driven electric fields by utilising fast electric-dipole spin resonance (EDSR) for gate operations.
Behind the EIC Accelerator
The EIC Accelerator program, which is run by the European Commission, is designed to help entrepreneurs and SMEs in deep-tech and frontier sciences. It provides a combination of up to €15M in equity investment from the EIC Fund and non-dilutive grants (up to €2.5M). Additionally, chosen businesses get access to networks of investors, company development assistance, and mentors.
The top 40 recipients receive a total of around €230 million in funding out of 150 applications that advance to the interview stage. The remaining recipients were given either pure grants or equity packages, while about 87% received blended funding, which included Groove Quantum.
European quantum strategy context
The European Commission’s Quantum Strategy, which seeks to lead quantum technology by 2030, matches Groove’s achievements. Funding for chip lines, quantum piloting facilities, and the Quantum Skills Academy which aims to connect research and commercial deployment are all part of the strategy.
By 2026, a new quantum design facility and training academy is anticipated to open as part of this strategy, with pilot lines to assist hardware firms such as Groove in producing and expanding quantum chips throughout Europe.
Building on strong scientific foundations
Advances in germanium qubit technology are propelling Groove Quantum forward. Important turning points include:
- A clean superconducting interface, which is necessary for coherent quantum devices, was proven by the hard superconducting gap in germanium devices.
- Electric control of a 10-qubit germanium array: used hole spins in a 2D qubit lattice to produce high-fidelity, controlled gate operations.
According to this study, germanium is extremely viable for scalable quantum systems, which allows Groove to move from prototypes to integrated multi-qubit processors.
Broader landscape and competition
European quantum companies including Quantinuum, IQM, Pasqal, QuEra, and D-Wave are receiving considerable funding. Numerous initiatives use photonic, trapping-ion, and superconducting techniques, or spin-qubits (such as silicon-based methods).
Germanium’s infrastructure compatibility is what makes it stand out; by utilising CMOS foundries, it may be possible to access billions of transistors and a manufacturing-savvy industrial base. In contrast, unusual qubit platforms may provide a scaling advantage for Germany-based systems because they require completely new fabrication facilities.
Challenges ahead
Despite the potential, there are significant obstacles for germanium spin-qubits:
- Coherence & gate fidelity: It’s still difficult to maintain lengthy decoherence times in real-world cryogenic operations.
- Integration: It’s no minor task to develop qubit control mechanisms, wiring, and readout channels at scale.
- Error correction: Thousands to millions of qubits must be managed in order to implement fault-tolerant designs like surface or concatenated codes.
- Competition: Rapid R&D advancement is necessary to compete with established multi-qubit systems such as neutral-atom qubits (Quantinuum, Pasqal), ion-traps, or mature superconducting qubit (IBM, Google).
Nevertheless, germanium is a formidable competitor due to its dense integration, lower device footprints, and well-known fabrication process.
What the funding unlocks
The €10 million award from Groove Quantum can support:
- Increased die runs at affiliated fabs (including through European pilot lines) are part of expanded fabrication campaigns.
- Scaling of qubit arrays: From tens to possibly hundreds of qubits.
- Development of control electronics: incorporating gate-voltage control circuits or microwaves.
- Cohesion with EU infrastructure: utilising the EIC network and Quantum Strategy pipelines to expand on talent hubs and roadmap facilities.
Additionally, the significant non-dilutive support provides flexibility for collaborations, future fundraising, IP development, and strategic choices.
Considering the future
Although there isn’t a commercial quantum computer now, by 2025, several qubit technologies will be vying for scalable, fault-tolerant systems. Groove is ideally positioned within the European quantum hardware renaissance due to its germanium-centric approach. If its roadmap is correct, it might offer a viable route to high-density, CMOS-based quantum processors that are closely integrated with classical computing something that no other qubit modality at this time can do on a large scale.
Final thoughts
The victory of Groove Quantum is due to:
- The feasibility of germanium spin-qubits, supported by convincing research findings.
- European commitment: with significant support from EIC and efforts related to the quantum plan.
- The emergence of a hardware ecosystem that can create devices with several qubits.
Groove positions itself as a leader in fusing semiconductor history with quantum innovation as quantum computing moves from scholarly research to commercial applications. The industry will be watching over the next two years to see if the money raised results in scaled qubit arrays, prototype quantum circuits, and eventually quantum advantage claims through germanium-centric devices.
