Oxford Ionics
Oxford Ionics is a UK-based trapped-ion quantum computing company that builds full-stack quantum computers using proprietary Electronic Qubit Control technology, enabling semiconductor-fab manufacturing of qubits. It serves governments, research institutions, and enterprises, and was acquired by IonQ for $1.075 billion in September 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersOxford, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Oxford Ionics does
Oxford Ionics is a UK-based trapped-ion quantum computing company founded in 2019 by Dr. Chris Ballance and Dr. Tom Harty, both PhD researchers from the University of Oxford. The company's core innovation is its proprietary Electronic Qubit Control (EQC) technology, which uses electronics integrated directly onto silicon chips to control trapped-ion qubits rather than lasers, allowing qubit-control components to be manufactured in standard semiconductor fabs. Oxford Ionics holds world records in all three quantum computing supermetrics: single-qubit gate fidelity (99.9992%), two-qubit gate fidelity (99.99%), and state preparation and measurement fidelity (99.9993%). Its product portfolio includes Foundation systems (16-64 qubits), Enterprise-grade systems (256+ qubits planned for 2026), and Value at Scale systems (10,000+ qubits planned for 2027), all field-upgradeable via credit-card-sized Quantum Processor Unit (QPU) swaps. Named products include QUARTET, delivered to the UK's National Quantum Computing Centre, and Mini-Q, a portable system built with Infineon Technologies for Germany's Cyberagentur.
Oxford Ionics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Oxford Ionics
- Legal name
- Oxford Ionics Ltd
- Website
- https://oxionics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Oxford Ionics is a UK-based trapped-ion quantum computing company that builds full-stack quantum computers using proprietary Electronic Qubit Control technology, enabling semiconductor-fab manufacturing of qubits. It serves governments, research institutions, and enterprises, and was acquired by IonQ for $1.075 billion in September 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Oxford Ionics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Quantum Computing Hardware
- NAICS
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Electronic Computers (3571)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trapped-Ion QPU Systems (HDAGAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- QPU Packaging, Interconnects & Chiplets (Quantum Processor Integration) (HDAGAAAJ), Quantum Control Electronics (AWG/DAC/ADC, Timing & Synchronization) (HDAGABAF), QEC-Aware Control, Calibration & Feedback (active reset, adaptive control) (HDAGAJAG), QCaaS Platforms & Developer Portals (HDAGAIAB)
Keywords
Where Oxford Ionics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oxford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Oxford Ionics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Quantum computer hardware sales: Sale of full-stack trapped-ion quantum computers including Foundation (16-64 qubit) and Enterprise-grade (256+ qubit) systems. Revenue from quantum computing systems sold to government institutions, research centers, and enterprises.
- Service and maintenance: Ongoing support, upgrades, and maintenance services for deployed quantum computers. Field upgrades through QPU swaps.
- Research partnerships: Revenue from research collaborations and partnerships with government agencies and enterprises for applications development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Foundation systems - 16-64 qubits at 99.99% fidelity |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Enterprise-grade systems - 256+ qubits at 99.99% fidelity |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Value at scale - 10,000+ qubits |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Oxford Ionics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Oxford Ionics designs, manufactures, and sells full-stack trapped-ion quantum computers based on its proprietary Electronic Qubit Control (EQC) technology, which integrates qubit control onto standard semiconductor chips rather than using lasers. Its product lineup includes Foundation systems (16–64 qubits), Enterprise-grade systems (256+ qubits), and planned Value at Scale systems (10,000+ qubits in 2027), sold to government agencies, national quantum centers, research labs, and large enterprises, alongside ongoing service, maintenance, and field-upgradable QPU swap support.
Product overview
Oxford Ionics is a trapped-ion quantum computing company that offers a portfolio of quantum computer products powered by its proprietary Electronic Qubit Control (EQC) technology. The product lineup includes Foundation systems (16-64 qubits at 99.99% fidelity) for early quantum research, Enterprise-grade systems (256+ qubits at 99.99% fidelity) for advanced applications development, and Value at Scale systems (10,000+ qubits planned for 2027) for broad commercial value. Key products include QUARTET, a full-stack quantum computer delivered to the UK's National Quantum Computing Centre, and Mini-Q, a portable quantum computer for Germany's Cyberagentur. All systems use Electronic Qubit Control technology that integrates qubit control onto standard semiconductor chips, enabling unprecedented scalability and field-upgradability through modular Quantum Processor Units (QPUs).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Foundation Systems Entry-level full-stack trapped-ion quantum computer containing 16-64 physical qubits at 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, designed for early quantum research, algorithm development, and Quantum Error Correction (QEC) experimentation. Targeted at government institutions, research labs, and enterprises beginning quantum programmes.
- Enterprise-Grade Systems 256+ qubit trapped-ion quantum computers at 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity designed for advanced quantum applications development. QEC-ready with mid-circuit measurement and feed-forward capabilities, enabling over 16 logical qubits at 10^-8 error rates. Targeted at large enterprises and government agencies running advanced research and applications.
- Value at Scale Systems 10,000+ qubit trapped-ion quantum processors that replicate the 256-qubit Enterprise-grade designs in an ultra-dense 2D fabric, capable of running QEC protocols yielding over 700 logical qubits at 10^-8 error rates. Designed for broad commercial value across industries.
- QUARTET (QUantum Advantage-Ready Trapped-ion Exploration Testbed) Full-stack trapped-ion quantum computer leveraging Oxford Ionics' proprietary Electronic Qubit Control technology. Designed for deployment at the UK NQCC and field-upgradeable to the company's highest-performing systems via credit-card-sized QPU swap. Delivered to NQCC's Harwell campus for applications research.
- Mini-Q Portable Quantum Computer Portable, mobile trapped-ion quantum computer designed for national security and defence applications. Compact and robust design enabled by Electronic Qubit Control technology integrated onto thumbnail-sized semiconductor chips. Developed for Germany's Cyberagentur as part of a €35M investment, representing the first mobile variant of Oxford Ionics' product line.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity - enabling 1010x performance increase over 99.9% gold standard on same size device
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Oxford Ionics
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Oxford Ionics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature10 records
Oxford Ionics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Iceberg QuantumcorePartnership with Iceberg Quantum specializing in Quantum Low-Density Parity-Check (qLDPC) codes for fault-tolerant quantum architecture. Collaboration as part of Oxford Ionics' participation in DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative. Combines Oxford Ionics' trapped-ion technology with Iceberg Quantum's qLDPC codes for reduced qubit overhead.
- DARPAcoreSelected for Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) Stage A with clear roadmap towards utility-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers. Program aims to verify quantum computing approaches that can achieve utility-scale operation by 2033.
- RiverlanecorePartnership for Quantum Missions Q-Surge project to upgrade QUARTET with 2D qubit connectivity. Riverlane provides quantum error correction expertise.
- UK National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC)coreDelivered QUARTET quantum computer to NQCC's Harwell campus for applications research. Partnership for Quantum Missions program and SparQ testbed programme.
- QuanscientcorePartnership with multiphysics simulation software developer Quanscient and Airbus for computational fluid dynamics in aerospace applications. Part of UK NQCC's SparQ programme.
- AirbuscoreEnd-user partner for computational fluid dynamics quantum simulations. Provides feedback on airfoil and vehicle aerodynamics simulations using Oxford Ionics' quantum computers combined with Quanscient's CFD algorithms.
- Infineon TechnologiescorePartnership to deliver portable quantum computer Mini-Q to Cyberagentur. Infineon contributes expertise in microfabrication of highly reliable, large-scale ion trap chips. Two companies developing increasingly powerful quantum processor units.
- Cyberagenturcore€35M investment contract to build portable quantum computer Mini-Q for German Federal Government's cybersecurity agency. First mobile variant of Oxford Ionics' product line for national security applications.
- NVIDIAstrategicTechnology partner integration with NVIDIA platforms for quantum computing simulation and error correction
- Amazon Web ServicesstrategicIntegration with AWS for cloud-based quantum computing access
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Oxford Ionics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IonQ: IonQ acquired Oxford Ionics in September 2025 and is itself a leading trapped-ion quantum computing company. They are directly comparable as trapped-ion platform providers targeting enterprise and government customers with cloud-accessible quantum systems.
- Quantinuum: Quantinuum (the Honeywell/Cambridge Quantum trapped-ion joint venture) is the most direct competitor, pursuing a similar full-stack trapped-ion quantum computing strategy with H-Series systems, the InQuanto software platform, and a focus on high-fidelity logical qubits.
- Rigetti Computing: Rigetti is a publicly-listed superconducting quantum hardware vendor offering full-stack systems and a quantum cloud service. Comparable as a UK/US-focused quantum hardware startup pursuing similar enterprise and government customers with a vertically integrated quantum computer product.
- D-Wave Quantum: D-Wave is a publicly-traded quantum computing vendor selling annealing and gate-model systems directly to enterprises and governments. Comparable as a vertical quantum hardware vendor with a similar commercial model targeting optimisation and research workloads.
Broad incumbents
- IBM Quantum: IBM's Quantum division is a broad incumbent offering superconducting quantum hardware (Heron, Condor), Qiskit software, and a large installed enterprise/government base. Comparable as a full-stack quantum platform serving similar end-markets, though using a different qubit modality.
- Google Quantum AI: Google Quantum AI operates one of the largest superconducting quantum programmes, targeting error-corrected logical qubits and demonstrated below-threshold QEC in 2024. Comparable as a deep-tech quantum platform pursuing utility-scale computing, though without commercial hardware sales focus.
Emerging players
- Atom Computing: Atom Computing is a neutral-atom quantum computing company that has demonstrated 1,000+ qubit systems and pursues Microsoft Azure integrations. Comparable as a modality-rival quantum hardware company targeting similar government and enterprise quantum-as-a-service use cases.
- QuEra Computing: QuEra builds neutral-atom quantum computers with a focus on analog and digital modes, targeting HPC and government customers through AWS Braket. Comparable as an emerging quantum hardware player pursuing similar use cases in optimisation, simulation, and machine learning.
- Pasqal: Pasqal is a French neutral-atom quantum computing company offering Orion and Vega-class systems, with a strong European footprint and partnerships with HPC centres. Comparable as an emerging modality competitor serving similar government and enterprise quantum customers.
Others
- Infineon Technologies: Infineon is Oxford Ionics' core ion-trap chip manufacturing partner under the Mini-Q contract, contributing microfabrication expertise for ion-trap QPUs. Comparable as a semiconductor manufacturing collaborator and adjacent ecosystem participant in the trapped-ion supply chain.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Oxford Ionics social profiles
Digital presenceOxford Ionics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Oxford Ionics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Oxford Ionics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Oxford Ionics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Oxford Ionics
What does Oxford Ionics do?
Oxford Ionics designs, manufactures, and sells full-stack trapped-ion quantum computers based on its proprietary Electronic Qubit Control (EQC) technology, which integrates qubit control onto standard semiconductor chips rather than using lasers. Its product lineup includes Foundation systems (16–64 qubits), Enterprise-grade systems (256+ qubits), and planned Value at Scale systems (10,000+ qubits in 2027), sold to government agencies, national quantum centers, research labs, and large enterprises, alongside ongoing service, maintenance, and field-upgradable QPU swap support.
Is Oxford Ionics a public or private company?
Oxford Ionics is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Oxford Ionics founded?
Oxford Ionics was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Oxford Ionics based?
Oxford Ionics is headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Oxford Ionics make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Quantum computer hardware sales are the primary driver. The others are service and maintenance and research partnerships.
Who are Oxford Ionics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IonQ, Quantinuum, Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Quantum. Broad incumbents are IBM Quantum and Google Quantum AI. Emerging players are Atom Computing, QuEra Computing and Pasqal. Infineon Technologies is listed as an others.
Does Oxford Ionics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Oxford Ionics.
What industry is Oxford Ionics in?
Oxford Ionics's product category is Quantum Computing Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAGAAAB, Trapped-Ion QPU Systems, with a secondary code of HDAGAAAJ, QPU Packaging, Interconnects & Chiplets (Quantum Processor Integration). Its NAICS code is 33411 and its SIC code is 3571.