Irish quantum computing startup Equal1 has unveiled the world’s first silicon-based quantum server.

Dubbed Bell-1, Equal1 says the server operates at 1,600W and slots “seamlessly” into existing data centers and high-performance computing (HPC) environments by plugging into standard electrical sockets.

Named after John Stewart Bell, the Belfast-born physicist whose work focused on quantum mechanics, the company said that its Quantum Server family comes in a “conventional rack-mounted server unit” and uses the same technology that powers existing semiconductors.

Designed to augment, rather than replace, classical computing, the company says Bell-1 will function as a six qubit quantum processing system, with its UnityQ 6-Qubit sitting alongside existing CPU and GPU-based workloads.

Additionally, its closed cycle cryo-cooler allows the machine to operate at 0.3 Kelvin (-272.85°C) without requiring large external dilution refrigerators, while future generations of the Bell Quantum Server family will incorporate Equal1’s Quantum System on Chip (QSoC) technology.

Equal1 CEO Jason Lynch said: “Bell-1 represents a paradigm shift in how quantum computing is deployed and utilized. We’ve taken quantum technology out of the lab and into real-world environments where it can drive innovation and solve complex computational challenges. This is the dawn of quantum computing 2.0 – where accessibility, scalability, and practicality take center stage.

“By eliminating the barriers of cost, infrastructure, and complexity, Equal1 is empowering businesses to harness the exponential power of quantum computing today – not in some distant future. Bell-1 is not just an advancement – it’s a revolution in computing.”

Bell-1 is now available and shipping to customers.

Spun out of University College Dublin in 2018, Equal1 is aiming to build a quantum processor using silicon spin qubits, a technology that has been co-developed by TNO and Delft University of Technology.

Last month, Equal1 announced TNO had invested an undisclosed amount in the startup. As a result of the investment, Equal1 will relocate part of its R&D activities to the House of Quantum in Delft, the Netherlands.