Two French quantum-computing startups—Pasqal and Quobly—have pulled in fresh funding rounds that highlight both the momentum and the constraints of Europe’s bid to compete in a technology race dominated by the U.S. and China.
Pasqal, which traces its roots to the Institut d’Optique in Palaiseau outside Paris, said it raised €25 million (about $27 million). Quobly, a spin-off from CEA-Leti, a major French government-backed microelectronics research lab in Grenoble, closed a much larger Series A of €115 million (about $124 million) and says it aims to commercialize a cloud-accessible quantum computer by the end of 2026.
The timing is not accidental. The article points to surging military, industrial, and institutional demand for high-performance computing—and to quantum computing’s shift from lab research into a strategic competition on par with semiconductors and hypersonic missiles.
Pasqal bets on “neutral atoms” to scale quantum hardware
Pasqal’s €25 million (about $27 million) raise is aimed at strengthening its position in a fast-moving global field, according to the article. The company builds quantum computers using “neutral atoms,” a different approach from the superconducting qubits favored by IBM and Google.
The pitch, as described in the source: neutral-atom technology could offer better long-term scalability, with denser architectures. But the competitive pressure is relentless, with the U.S., China, and Canada producing frequent announcements—an especially tough pace for a French company without comparable access to deep capital markets.
France’s defense procurement agency, the DGA (Direction générale de l’armement), is watching the sector closely. The article says the French Armed Forces Ministry explicitly lists a “quantum breakthrough” among its priority technology areas, alongside hypervelocity, connected collaborative combat, and autonomous systems. For defense, quantum computing is tied to concrete use cases including cryptanalysis, logistics optimization, and materials modeling for new weapons.
Quobly raises $124 million and sets a late-2026 commercialization target
Quobly’s funding round is far larger: €115 million (about $124 million) in a Series A. The Grenoble-based CEA-Leti spin-off says it plans to industrialize a silicon-based quantum computer and sell access via the cloud before the end of 2026.
Silicon is framed as an industrial bet. In principle, it could allow qubits to be manufactured using the same equipment as conventional chips, which could lower costs and make scaling easier. Quobly’s stated goal, the article says, is to deploy France’s first commercial quantum computer available through cloud access by late 2026.
| Entreprise | Montant levé | Technologie | Objectif annoncé |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasqal | 25 millions € | Atomes neutres | Consolidation et R&D |
| Quobly | 115 millions € | Silicium (CMOS) | Ordinateur commercial cloud fin 2026 |
Source : La Nouvelle République, La Tribune
The sovereignty argument is central. A quantum computer accessible via cloud services from France, running on French infrastructure, would reduce reliance on U.S. or Chinese platforms for institutions and industrial users, the article says.
That logic aligns with the European program JUNIQ, described in the source as an effort to build an initial European quantum-computing infrastructure, with France playing a leading role through companies including Eviden, the Atos business unit.
Pourquoi le quantique français joue sa souveraineté
A broader French ecosystem, from supercomputing to quantum
The two funding announcements are part of a wider national push, the article argues. It points to SiPearl, founded in 2019, which is developing the European processor “Rhea” intended for the Jupiter supercomputer, and to Eviden’s role in continent-scale quantum projects.
The source also says France ranks fourth globally by presence in the Top500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, with two machines in the global top 20.
In that context, Pasqal and Quobly are building on decades of public research and close ties with institutions including the CEA, CNRS, and France’s engineering schools. The question, the article says, is no longer whether France can do quantum research—it’s whether it can turn that academic strength into globally competitive industry.
Funding remains the bottleneck as U.S. giants spend billions
The capital gap is described as the biggest obstacle. €25 million (about $27 million) for Pasqal and €115 million (about $124 million) for Quobly are meaningful sums in France, the article notes, but small compared with the billions poured into U.S. champions.
The source names IBM, Google, IonQ, and Quantinuum as companies with access to a different order of magnitude of funding.
That’s where public intervention becomes decisive, the article argues. France’s “France 2030” plan earmarked hundreds of millions of euros for the quantum sector, and public procurement—particularly through the DGA and industrial partners—can provide an initial guaranteed market that helps startups validate technology before pursuing private customers.
The article also points to the creation of a Defense ministerial agency for artificial intelligence, announced in 2024, as evidence of a push to structure institutional demand. Quantum computing fits into that logic, with defense applications—from post-quantum cryptography to operational optimization—seen as credible early markets even while quantum compute power remains limited and use cases are tightly targeted.
Why Quobly’s late-2026 cloud deadline is a key test
Quobly’s pledge to commercialize cloud access by the end of 2026 is presented as a first for France’s quantum sector. No French quantum company had previously put such a specific date on a broadly accessible commercial product, according to the article.
If Quobly delivers, the implications would be significant: a public technical validation that silicon-based quantum technology can move beyond the lab, and a signal to investors that France can produce products—not just research. The article frames that shift from deep tech to market as a central goal of industrial policy.
Near-term job impacts are expected to remain modest. The companies employ “a few hundred” people, the article says, but knock-on effects could spread across subcontractors and suppliers—from cryogenics and photonics components to cloud integrators—if commercialization stays on schedule.
Late 2026, the article concludes, is the next date to watch.
Quantique français 2026 : Pasqal, Quobly, les chiffres clés
- Quobly a levé 115 millions d'euros en série A pour industrialiser son ordinateur quantique sur silicium.
- Pasqal a levé 25 millions d'euros ; la start-up opère depuis l'Institut d'optique de Palaiseau.
- Quobly vise le déploiement de son premier ordinateur quantique commercial en accès cloud d'ici fin 2026.
- La France figure au quatrième rang mondial en nombre de supercalculateurs dans le classement des 500 plus puissants.
- La rupture quantique est explicitement listée parmi les priorités technologiques de défense du ministère des Armées.
Sources
4 sources · 6 faits sourcés
