Guide 02
Quantum startups to watch in 2027
These are the quantum and deep-tech companies whose founders and technical leaders have come on Blond & Quantum. Each one is betting on a different layer of the quantum stack, and each interview explains the bet in business terms.
By Eva Galant · Updated October 19, 2026
| Company | What it builds | Layer | Interview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diraq | Silicon spin qubits made on standard semiconductor lines | Hardware | Arne Laucht |
| Pasqal | Neutral-atom quantum computers | Hardware | Wasiq Bokhari, Alain Aspect |
| ORCA Computing | Room-temperature photonic quantum systems for data centers | Hardware | Thien-An Nguyen |
| Quantum Computing Inc. (QCI) | Photonics-based quantum products (publicly listed) | Hardware | Pouya Dianat |
| QC Design | Design automation software for fault-tolerant quantum computers | Software | Ish Dhand |
| FirstQFM | Foundation models that improve quantum hardware performance | Software / AI | Isaiah Hull |
| KETS Quantum Security | Quantum key distribution on photonic chips | Security | Francesco Raffaelli |
| VeriQloud | Quantum security, including QEnclave for protecting quantum cloud computations | Security | Marc Kaplan |
| Welinq | Quantum memories for networking quantum computers | Networking | Eleni Diamanti |
| Quantum Signals | AI trading signals, classical first with quantum later | Applications | Yianni Gamvros |
| TAU Systems | Compact particle accelerators and soft X-ray lasers | Deep tech | Jerome Paye |
Hardware: different routes to a useful machine
Diraq bets that quantum computing can ride the same manufacturing curve that made classical chips cheap, fitting qubits on a single chip that runs at about one kelvin. Pasqal builds with neutral atoms, the modality FirstQFM's Isaiah Hull calls quietly winning. ORCA ships photonic systems that run at room temperature and fit existing data centers. QCI, a public company, shows what the revenue side of quantum looks like today.
Software: the layers hardware teams need
QC Design competes with in-house teams rather than other startups, giving hardware companies the simulation tools they would otherwise need 20 PhDs to build. FirstQFM treats making quantum hardware work as an AI problem.
Security and networking: the nearest revenue
KETS turns quantum key distribution from a hand-built box into a card that slots into telecom equipment. VeriQloud addresses harvest-now, decrypt-later risk and the limits of trusting a cloud provider. Welinq, co-founded by Eleni Diamanti, builds quantum memories, part of her case that modular quantum computing will beat monolithic designs.
Building a quantum startup and want to be considered for the Startup Series? Write to Eva.