Q-CTRL Secures US$290 Million Series C Funding Led by Salesforce Ventures to Accelerate the Convergence of Quantum and AI
Q-CTRL, the global leader in quantum infrastructure software, today announced a landmark Series C private fundraise of US$290 million (A$415 million), led by Salesforce Ventures. The round is headlined by significant participation from Bullhound Capital and Affinity Partners, and a global syndicate of new and existing investors.
The oversubscribed round mints the newest quantum-sector unicorn and places Q-CTRL among the best-capitalized quantum firms in private markets. The company’s Series C saw two expansions to meet investor demand and represents the largest quantum-sector fundraise for a software-focused business.
This success is underpinned by the company’s unique “AI for quantum” infrastructure software, which is critical to deploying quantum computers in data centers and integrating quantum sensors into real-world vehicles for autonomy and commercial aviation.
Quantum advantage represents the holy grail for the industry, and Q-CTRL’s AI-driven software has already made it a reality—delivering global firsts across both quantum computing and quantum sensing. The company’s marquee product, Ironstone Opal, is an unjammable, unspoofable, and undetectable quantum navigation system that works when GPS is unavailable or denied. The company’s proprietary software-ruggedization enables its highly sensitive quantum sensors to perform in the field 100 times better than the best alternative, and is being deployed on commercial aircraft and autonomous vehicles.
In this next phase of growth, Q-CTRL will double down on its software-first capabilities, cementing its market leadership at the intersection of AI and quantum. Concurrently, the company will scale globally to meet customer demand across sectors, from finance to energy, and continue to deliver on major autonomy and aerospace programs.
New investors supporting the company’s expansion include Affinity Partners, AMD Ventures, EDGE Group, MPower Partners, Australia’s National Reconstruction Fund Corporation, and SPARX Asset Management. Returning investors include Alpha Edison, Alumni Ventures, Bullhound Capital, DCVC, In-Q-Tel, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Main Sequence, Ridgeline, Salesforce Ventures, Salus Ventures, and Square Peg. Q-CTRL’s investors bring a mix of perspectives spanning strategic corporate venture, private equity, and growth-stage venture capital, and position the company to scale opportunities through joint sales, technology integration, and direct revenue generation.
“The investor syndicate we’ve assembled showcases the strength of our technology, revenue growth, and strategic alignment with some of the most important sectors today, from AI to aviation,” said Q-CTRL CEO and Founder Michael J. Biercuk. “At Q-CTRL, one of our core values is to Be Real, and that means a continued drive to deliver true customer value from quantum technology through our unique focus on infrastructure software. We’re excited to be able to deliver technical and commercial leadership as one of the largest and most successful privately held companies in the global quantum sector.”
“The hard problem in quantum is not building the machine, it is getting useful output from it. Q-CTRL solves that with AI-powered control software, and the proof is already public: a materials simulation on IBM hardware that any developer can now call directly from the IBM Quantum Platform, and the first quantum navigation system qualified for safety of flight. That software layer will decide whether quantum shows up in enterprise data centers this decade, and it is why Salesforce Ventures led this round,” said Robert Keith, Partner, Salesforce Ventures.
“Our investment in Q-CTRL reflects the company’s unique position at the forefront of quantum technology, combining technical leadership with strong commercial momentum,” said Luis Videgaray, Partner at Affinity Partners. “Mike and his team have demonstrated an exceptional ability to translate cutting-edge innovation into real-world applications, and we look forward to supporting their continued growth and success.”
“Q-CTRL is one of the few quantum companies with real customers and real revenue,” said Per Roman, Bullhound Capital Founding Partner and Q-CTRL board member. “Michael has executed on everything he told us he would and then some. We’re pleased to keep backing him.”
“We see Q-CTRL as more than a commercial leader; they are a strategic asset across the entire quantum industry,” said Tony Holt, Co-founder and Partner of Square Peg. “Q-CTRL’s contributions to aviation and autonomy through its leadership in GPS-free quantum navigation are already reshaping the future of commercial air travel and boosting passenger safety. We’re proud to renew and expand our commitment to Q-CTRL as we’ve seen their growth trajectory first-hand since 2019, and look forward to them becoming one of the defining global businesses of the quantum era.”
“Quantum technology only creates true value when it moves beyond the lab and performs reliably in the field—and Q-CTRL’s software-first approach proves that transition is already underway,” said Kathy Matsui, General Partner, and Kazuhiro Hosaka, Vice President, MPower Partners. “From enabling navigation where GPS fails to delivering the quantum-powered data center, Q-CTRL is solving mission-critical challenges across global industry and resilience. MPower Partners is thrilled to back Q-CTRL, and we look forward to expanding their footprint in Japan, where deep industrial demand and sovereign commitment make it a natural hub for quantum commercialization.”
About Q-CTRL
Q-CTRL is the pioneer in AI-powered infrastructure software for quantum technology, offering a hardware-agnostic software platform that makes quantum machines thousands of times more powerful. This opens many parallel market verticals in computing, sensing, and health, making Q-CTRL a ubiquitous quantum company based on a single unique technology.
The company’s marquee product is an unjammable, unspoofable, undetectable quantum navigation system that works when GPS is unavailable, is 100 times better than the best alternative, and is being deployed on commercial aircraft with Airbus, in autonomous platforms with Lockheed Martin, and on unmanned drones.
The company’s breakthroughs have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Newsweek. Founded in 2017 by Professor Michael J. Biercuk, Q-CTRL operates globally from offices in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Huntsville, Berlin, and Oxford.
