Orange Quantum Systems (OrangeQS), a pioneering Dutch startup transforming the field of quantum chip testing, has closed an oversubscribed €12 million seed round — the largest seed investment round thus far in the Netherlands’ thriving quantum computing sector.
The round was led by Icecat Capital, supported by Cottonwood Technology Fund, QBeat Ventures, QDNL Participations, and InnovationQuarter Capital. Cottonwood and QDNL Participations backed the company’s pre-seed round in 2023. New investors are Icecat Capital and the dedicated quantum fund QBeat, both eager to fuel the international scaling of Orange Quantum Systems, and InnovationQuarter Capital.
Quantum computing is a rapidly developing field. As the chips that underpin many of these advances become more complex, a significant challenge has emerged: the need for scalable, precise, and cost-effective quantum chip testing. OrangeQS meets these challenges with a comprehensive product suite designed to streamline quantum chip testing across the entire value chain.
OrangeQS’s flagship test product, OrangeQS MAX, sets new industry benchmarks for high‑volume, standardized quantum‑chip testing. Europe’s leading quantum‑computer builder IQM will use the system in Espoo, Finland to accelerate quantum chip development.
Further, OrangeQS FLEX offers customizable chip-testing solutions for academic and industrial R&D teams. It is being used, among others, by quantum research labs at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) and the University of Napoli (Italy).
Additionally, R&D labs like the Advanced Quantum Testbed at Berkeley Lab (USA), Chalmers Next Labs (Sweden) and QuTech (The Netherlands) are testing OrangeQS Juice, an open-source operating system enabling users to seamlessly manage their complete quantum research setup within a single environment.
With the fresh funds, OrangeQS will invest the new €12 million in building even faster test machines that check quantum chips in days rather than weeks. By removing this bottleneck, the company helps leading chip makers keep doubling the number of reliable quantum bits (“qubits”) every few years — setting the stage for a quantum equivalent of Moore’s Law.
The new funding round drew strong interest from investors, reinforcing the company’s ambition to become the global leader in testing solutions for the rapidly developing quantum chip market.
“We are excited to see such strong support from the investment community,” says Garrelt Alberts, CEO of OrangeQS. “This funding round not only validates the critical importance of our technology but also enables us to accelerate our product roadmap, delivering the testing solutions essential to the emerging quantum computing industry as it advances toward building powerful quantum computers that benefit society.”
Martijn Hoogeveen, investor at Icecat Capital, adds: “We see strong potential in OrangeQS to become the leader in quantum chip testing in a market which is developing fast, but still in an early stage. Especially, in enabling complex AI, we see a future for tested quantum computing solutions.” Icecat Capital contributes three million euro to this investment round.
Orange Quantum Systems develops advanced solutions for automated testing and characterization of quantum chips, enabling the transition from lab-scale devices to industrial-grade quantum computers. Based in Delft, the Netherlands, the company leverages deep academic roots and engineering excellence to serve the global quantum ecosystem.
Read further: Icecat, Invest, chiptesting, IcecatCapital, OrangeQS, quantumchips, quantumcomputing
Founder and CEO of Icecat NV. Investor. Ph.D.
