Sparrow Quantum has raised $24 million in a Series A funding round.

The round was led by PensionDanmark and saw participation from the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark, Novo Holdings, and the European Innovation Council.

It follows the $4.7m raised by the Danish photonic quantum startup in a 2023 seed round.

Spun out of Professor Peter Lodahl’s research group at the Niels Bohr Institute, the company has developed Sparrow Core, described as an “on-chip deterministic single-photon source critical for scaling photonic quantum computing by generating photons reliably on demand.”

According to Sparrow Quantum, its chip “sets the industry benchmark, delivering best-in-class efficiency, quality, and exceptional stability,” adding that photonic quantum computers powered by the Sparrow Core chip “can achieve notably faster processing speeds than earlier iterations.”

The startup said this latest funding round will allow it to scale up the production of its Sparrow Core chips, in addition to advancing its R&D into entangled photon sources and supporting the expansion of its technical expertise.

“With this investment, we can truly intensify our efforts to bring quantum technology from the lab to the market,” said Professor Lodahl, founder and chief quantum officer, Sparrow Quantum. “It enables us to scale up in three critical areas which are essential for industrializing our photonic quantum chips and ensuring we can deliver stable, advanced solutions to the market. It is an honor to build up a truly world-class team of quantum photonics experts with unique know-how on quantum photonic chip technology.”