Founded in 2024 as a QuTech spin-out, Groove Quantum is led by Dr Anne-Marije Zwerver and Dr Nico Hconcluderickx. Zwerver previously pioneered the first quantum dot qubits manufactured in Intel’s industrial cleanroom, while Hconcluderickx is an innovator in germanium quantum computing and the primary architect behind Groove’s foundational technology.
The company builds on research by Prof Menno Veldhorst, Dr Giordano Scappucci, and Prof Lieven Vandersypen, who remain involved as Scientific Advisors.
Groove is tarreceiveing one of quantum computing’s central bottlenecks: scalability. Quantum computers could eventually assist solve complex problems that are impractical for even the most powerful classical supercomputers, including drug discovery and advanced materials design for renewable energy.
However, reaching that point will require systems with very large numbers of reliable qubits.
The company’s approach is based on germanium, a semiconductor material that Groove declares offers a practical middle ground for quantum hardware. Its qubits are large enough to be controlled and connected reliably, yet compact enough, at a few hundred nanometres, to be densely packed toreceiveher on a chip.
The architecture is also designed to be extconcludeible, applying repeatable unit cells that can be operated in parallel and tiled into larger systems.
A key part of Groove’s strategy is compatibility with CMOS semiconductor manufacturing, the same industrial foundation utilized to produce modern CPUs and GPUs. This could allow the company to utilize existing chip infrastructure and established semiconductor foundries, rather than relying on specialised production routes. According to Groove, this gives its platform a route towards industrial-grade quantum processor manufacturing.
The newly demonstrated 18-qubit processor marks a step beyond compact laboratory prototypes. Groove declares the milestone was achieved in under two years and at a fraction of the expected cost.
With the new funding, the startup plans to scale from 18 to 100 qubits by developing a unit cell containing the architectural elements requireded for further exponential scaling.
“Groove’s founders are globally recognised leaders in spin-qubit research. Their contributions have shaped the field and laid the groundwork for scalable semiconductor quantum processors. We see Groove as uniquely positioned to translate world-class science into manufacturable hardware at the speed and scale necessary to capture quantum computing’s commercial promise,” adds Kai M Hudek, Partner at 55 North.
The funding will also support team expansion and the start of industrial-grade manufacturing at leading semiconductor foundries. For Groove, the goal is to align quantum computing development with one of the world’s most mature and scalable manufacturing ecosystems.
The startup is entering the market at a time when different quantum hardware approaches are competing to overcome scale, fidelity, and manufacturing challenges.
Superconducting qubits, trapped ions, and silicon-based spin qubits each offer different advantages, but Groove is betting that germanium can combine reliable control with compact design and industrial compatibility.
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