July 21, 2021 — Berkeley, CA — Atom Computing, a fast-growing quantum computing start-up announces its transition into the next phase of growth after closing $15M in Series A funding.
Atom Computing is the first company to build nuclear-spin qubits out of an alkaline earth element. Today the company unveils its first-generation quantum computing system, Phoenix, a 100-atom system showcasing astonishing stability. This innovative breakthrough demonstrates Atom Computing’s ability to produce quantum systems with unprecedented stability at scale.
Taking the helm, Rob Hays, computing industry veteran, is appointed CEO, President and member of Atom Computing’s Board of Directors. Meanwhile, Co-founder and CTO, Ben Bloom, Ph.D., will continue leading Atom Computing’s engineering team to develop and execute the
roadmap for scalable quantum computing systems. Rob was most recently Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Lenovo’s Infrastructure Solutions Group where he led the growth and profitability strategy for Lenovo’s data center products and services. Rob also served at Intel for
more than 20 years, where he was Vice President and General Manager responsible for leading Intel’s Xeon processor roadmaps, resulting in strong market leadership.
“Quantum computing has accelerated to a point where it is no longer 10 years out. The scalability and stability of our systems gives us confidence that we will be able to lead the industry to true quantum advantage,” said Rob Hays, CEO and President, Atom Computing. “We will be able to solve complex problems that have not been practical to address with classical computing, even with the exponential performance gains of Moore’s Law and
massively-scalable cluster architectures.”
Atom Computing secured more than $15M in Series A funding which includes investment from leading venture capital firms: Venrock, Innovation Endeavors and Prelude Ventures. In addition, the National Science Foundation awarded the company three grants. These investments enabled Atom Computing to assemble a team of brilliant quantum physicists and design engineers with experience across various disciplines and applications to help develop the company’s first quantum computing system.The company’s first-generation quantum computing system, Phoenix, is currently capable of trapping 100 atoms in a vacuum chamber with optical tweezers. Phoenix is able to rearrange and manipulate their quantum states with lasers. The system demonstrates exceptionally stable qubits at scale, with coherence times that are orders of magnitude greater than ever reported.
“Atom Computing has a deep focus on scalable platforms compatible with error correction,” said Ben Bloom, Co-founder and CTO, Atom Computing. “We’ve been able to focus on building a one-of-a-kind system that exists nowhere else in the world. Even within the first few months of Phoenix’s operation, we have measured performance levels never before reported in any scalable quantum system.”
“I’m honored to lead this amazing team who has accomplished so much in the early stages of the company with a modest investment compared to what others have made. Combining the best of modern classical computing with quantum computing will allow us to reach new heights in science and engineering,” Hays added.
Additionally, Bill Jeffrey, Ph.D., joins the Board of Directors of Atom Computing, bringing more than 30 years of executive leadership expertise in developing advanced technologies. Bill is CEO of SRI International, a leading research and development organization serving government and industry. He also has executive experience with HRL Laboratories, NIST, OSTP and DARPA. Bill’s experience working with government bodies and the industry to develop new technology will be invaluable to building Atom Computing’s business.
