“Europe should not fall back into strategic dependence when it comes to quantum processors”
Peak Quantum is a spin-off of the Walther Meissner Institute (WMI) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) founded in 2024. The team develops and manufactures quantum processors in which error resistance is a physical property of the hardware. Although the initial complexity is higher compared to relying entirely on subsequent error correction via software, it is expected to pay off once the system scales up to an increasing number of qubits. Peak Quantum has core competencies in chip design, nanomanufacturing, and system integration, and can build on over 5 million euros in growth financing from venture capital and public grants. Recently, the startup has become one of the primary operators of the SUPREME pilot line as part of the EU Chips Act. In this interview, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dr. Thomas Luschmann discusses the technology, the startup’s origin, and the young company’s future plans.
Dr. Thomas Luschmann, would you like to briefly introduce Peak Quantum to us?
Dr. Thomas Luschmann: We are a quantum computing startup based in Munich and a spin-off of the Technical University of Munich and the Walther Meissner Institute, which is part of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. We manufacture quantum processors based on superconducting circuits—meaning chips built on highly complex layered structures of superconducting metals on silicon wafers. Before we were founded in 2024, we had spent years researching various types of qubits, their fabrication in cleanrooms, and optimal process control. Our goal is to commercialize a new architecture for qubits. In doing so, we are deliberately taking a different approach from the ones currently in the mainstream. Preparations for founding the company, including clarifying intellectual property rights, began in the beginning of 2023. We now have a team of 13 people and are growing rapidly. We completed a funding round at the beginning of the year and can now build on a total of over 5 million euros in venture capital and public funding.
What’s the story behind your architecture for fault-tolerant quantum processors?
Luschmann: After years of qubit research, we believe that current architectures using superconducting transmon qubits are too error-prone to scale. We have spent a long time optimizing these architectures ourselves and are well aware of the challenges involved in scaling up to industrial levels. Correcting all initial errors with software cannot be the solution. Instead, we took a step back and systematically examined the chip architecture, materials, and coating processes for sources of error in order to develop a qubit that is inherently less error-prone. The goal is to minimize post-processing error corrections, and thus the overhead and redundancies of such systems. To achieve this, we’ve delved deeply into the physical mechanisms that enable the storing of quantum states and are now approaching the goal through smart circuit design and systematically improved nanofabrication processes: quantum processors in which error resistance is a physical property of the hardware.
So does the secret lie in chip design—or is it also a matter of materials?
Luschmann: Yes and no. We haven’t found a new, miraculous superconducting material that suddenly solves all problems. Instead, we use commercially available superconducting films. In the industry some rely on niobium, others on aluminum or tantalum. But in principle, they’re all similar—and we, too, operate within that range of materials. The material is very important, but it’s more about material processing—that is, the engineering and process control involved in the wafer coating processes. The goal is to be able to implement the highly complex designs we develop in the nanofabrication with high quality and reproducible results. So it’s more a question of material processing than the material itself.
Why don’t all quantum processor manufacturers build such defect-free hardware?
Luschmann: Our approach is very ambitious and manufacturing this type of circuit is extremely difficult. Our architecture for error-protected qubits isn’t entirely new. Other researchers have considered it as well, but so far, they have not been able to fabricate them in a scalable and reliable manner. Our advantage is that we’ve spent years developing and optimizing nanofabrication processes. Some of these are protected by intellectual property rights, which means we can now actually manufacture these circuits—even those proposed by others. What’s more, as a startup, we’re able to take the high-risk step of moving to a new architecture, where others have already advanced far along their roadmaps and have invested too much to start from scratch.
For a startup, you have a surprisingly high level of vertical integration. Can you draw on hardware from your original institutions?
Luschmann: Yes, that’s a key USP for us and stems from our roots in Munich Quantum Valley. There has been extensive and very ambitious investment here to create the necessary infrastructure—namely, cleanrooms and laboratories. Much of this is located at and around the Walther Meissner Institute, where we grew out of. We’re now drawing on that infrastructure. While it wasn’t trivial to resolve all the legal issues surrounding leasing the space for commercial activities, it was possible and is now a huge advantage for us. The negotiations with the universities and the ministry were time-consuming, but as a result, we’re now in a position to use this infrastructure, which was built for quantum computing, for the industrialization of quantum computers. Initial funding through the EXIST program was also very helpful, as it allowed us to initially use the infrastructure of our parent institutes unbureaucratically and free of charge. That gave us a one-year buffer during which we could push forward with contract negotiations and the company’s founding. This is important because in our industry, speed is key. We think of innovation cycles in weeks and months, not years.
You play a key role in the SUPREME pilot line under the EU Chips Act. How did Peak Quantum, as a startup, come to shoulder so much responsibility?
Luschmann: Supreme is a major project involving over 20 partners. Among them are VTT in Finland as coordinator, TU Delft, Fraunhofer and Max-Planck Institutes and other renowned institutions across Europe. The core idea behind the project is about Europe joining forces to industrialize the local manufacturing of quantum processors and avoid falling into strategic dependence in this area. There is manufacturing infrastructure at three locations: in Finland, in Delft, the Netherlands, and in Munich/Garching. At the Garching site, we are the operators; we run the production line and are in the lead for process development in the field of quantum processors. There are also other approaches in the project, for example in the field of quantum-limited amplifiers or integrated photonics. But for us, this is a cornerstone project with 2.5 million euros in funding. We were in the right place at the right time to take on this role. We also had the reputation of our institutes behind us—institutes with a long track record of internationally competitive research that we are commercializing as their spin-off. This makes us an ideal candidate for this project because it requires a long-term operator for the pilot line who can accept commercial orders, process them, and deliver chips. Research institutes are not really suited for this.
What is the strategic significance of this pilot line for the EU?
Luschmann: Ideally: Resilience and independence. The goal is not to repeat the mistakes made in the semiconductor sector, but to build up the expertise and infrastructure for manufacturing quantum processors at the highest level within Europe. Especially since global relations aren’t getting any easier with. Compared to semiconductor manufacturing,the cards are now being reshuffled—and Europe has the chance to break free from strategic dependencies. Of course, it will all depend on how successful we are.
For your team and many companies, the speed at which quantum computers begin to scale is crucial. What time frames are you planning for?
Luschmann: Our discussions with investors and stakeholders clearly revolve around deep-tech timelines, and we are honest about that: We won’t be profitable in two years, and we don’t expect the launch of industrial quantum processors until the end of the decade. Large-scale industrial applications of quantum computers aren’t expected until the 2030s at the earliest—and we want to be ready by then.
What role does a trade show like World of Quantum play for your startup?
Luschmann: Trade shows and conferences are very important to us in many ways. We’re currently attending many academic conferences to exchange knowledge and recruit talented people. We use industry conferences such as the World of Quantum to engage early on with potential customers and suppliers, and generally to network within the quantum ecosystem. For us, it’s also simply a home game in Munich, and we definitely want to be there. It’s also great to see how it has developed! The first time I attended, it was a quarter of an exhibition hall with ten stands; last year, it was already an entire hall. The seamless transition to Laser World of Photonics is also interesting because that’s where we meet the suppliers of the various manufacturing tools we work with. We’re there from a buyer’s perspective—and we appreciate the proximity.