PlanQC GmbH

Introducing our member:

COMPANY PROFILE

• planqc is one of the leading companies in the development of quantum computers. With a unique technology based on neutral atoms as qubits, planqc is pursuing the fastest path to building industry-relevant quantum computers. 
• As the first spin-off from the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics within the Munich Quantum Valley initiative, planqc builds on internationally recognized cutting-edge research. Its successful transition from basic research to marketable products is groundbreaking and “offers hope for Germany as a high-tech hub” (Handelsblatt, June 30, 2022).
• The founding team is supported, among others, by Max Planck Institute directors Immanuel Bloch and Ignacio Cirac as scientific advisors, as well as by the internationally networked
• Economist and member of numerous supervisory boards Ann-Kristin Achleitner, as a founding investor, and Hermann Hauser, co-founder of ARM and one of the world's best-known venture capitalists.
• Substantial initial orders worth approximately 50 million euros in the first 24 months confirm planqc's technological leadership.  

planqc develops quantum computers that can solve problems that were previously unsolvable.  planqc’s technology is revolutionizing fields such as climate and materials research, automotive engineering, and aviation, as well as logistics and the pharmaceutical industry. It heralds a new era in cryptography, opens up unimagined possibilities for artificial intelligence, and provides science with new insights into the world. In this way, planqc is helping to solve global problems and tapping into a market worth billions.

planqc leverages the unique strengths of Germany as a business location. As the first spin-off from the Nobel Prize-winning Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics within the Munich Quantum Valley, planqc builds on internationally recognized cutting-edge research. In addition, planqc benefits from the results of forward-looking economic development initiatives: The core components of the quantum computer come from suppliers in the domestic photonics, optics, and vacuum industries, which have established their global leadership in part through successful industrial policy. 

planqc strengthens Germany as a high-tech hub and promotes technological sovereignty.  With its “Made in Germany” quantum computer, planqc is becoming the nucleus of a new high-tech industry. planqc drives innovation not only by establishing its own production facilities but also by setting requirements for an ecosystem of suppliers. As such, planqc serves as an example of the successful transfer of cutting-edge research to industry and makes an important contribution to German and European technological sovereignty.

As a technology leader, planqc is making the quantum age a reality. Unlike the hardware from competitors such as Google or IBM, planqc’s quantum computers are based on neutral atoms as qubits. This gives planqc the most promising technology for harnessing the potential of quantum computers. This is because it enables a rapid increase in both the number and quality of qubits. This is crucial for overcoming the error-prone nature of today’s quantum computers—and the key to developing quantum computers suitable for industrial use. By providing quantum computers for data centers as well as computing time on its own quantum computers, planqc gives its customers access to a revolutionary technology.  

Major initial contracts confirm planqc’s technological leadership. In less than two years, planqc has been awarded public contracts totaling approximately 50 million euros. The company won a 29-million-euro contract from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to build the first digital neutral-atom quantum computer by 2027. Also through 2027, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), together with the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics and the Leibniz Supercomputing Center, is providing planqc with 20 million euros in funding to develop a 1,000-qubit quantum computer. In addition, planqc received contracts from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to improve climate models using quantum machine learning and to enhance battery performance, a contract from d-fine to simulate new materials, and a contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to improve image recognition. 

Successful Funding Round: Investors Put Their Trust in planqc. In July 2024, planqc secured 50 million euros from prominent investors in a Series A funding round. Led by the European family office CATRON Holding and the DeepTech & Climate Fund (DTCF), additional support came from Bayern Kapital, the Max Planck Foundation, other private investors, existing investors UVC and Speedinvest, as well as a non-dilutive grant from the BMBF.

The founding team at planqc combines scientific expertise with entrepreneurial know-how. Alexander Glätzle, CEO of planqc, brings his experience as a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford and the Center for Quantum Technologies in Singapore, as well as his background in management consulting, while Sebastian Blatt, CTO of planqc and group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, has spent over a decade conducting research at renowned institutions such as the University of Colorado and Harvard University and is known for his work on the world’s most precise atomic clocks. The founding team also includes Johannes Zeiher, also a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, who previously conducted research at the University of California, Berkeley. From the very beginning, the founders were able to count on prominent support—including from Max Planck Directors Immanuel Bloch and Ignacio Cirac as advisors, from Ann-Kristin Achleitner, an internationally connected economist and member of multiple supervisory boards, as a founding investor, and from Hermann Hauser, co-founder of ARM and one of the world’s best-known venture capitalists.

Renowned prizes and awards confirm the company’s potential. In 2024, planqc was honored with the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a prestigious accolade for entrepreneurial excellence. In addition, the company received the German Startup Award in the “Newcomer of the Year” category in 2023, presented by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in recognition of its promising future. Furthermore, planqc was inducted into the Technology Pioneers 2024 as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Innovator Communities.