QUDORA Wins EuroHPC Grant for Trapped-Ion Scaling Roadmap
QUDORA Technologies, a German quantum firm, is one of 13 European companies to participate in the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking’s Quantum Grand Challenge. This selection provides funding for developing a roadmap, with approximately 4 million euros distributed across the entire program. QUDORA’s specific task in this phase is to develop a technical and financial strategy for scaling its trapped-ion control technology.
QUDORA’s Role in the Quantum Grand Challenge
The company’s project, named NEQTAR (Near-Field Quantum Control High-Performance Computing Architecture), aims to create a roadmap for scaling the company’s proprietary Near Field Quantum Control (NFQC) technology and integrating it with European supercomputing centers. QUDORA identifies itself as a full-stack quantum computing company specializing in ion-trap hardware, employing between 11 and 50 individuals.
This initiative represents Phase 1 of a two-part program, focusing on plans supported by proofs of principle or early prototypes. QUDORA has not yet disclosed the qubit count of its current systems in connection with this announcement. A roadmap is a document outlining future plans, not a functional processor; therefore, the selection acknowledges a successful proposal and not a demonstrated operational result. Additionally, QUDORA received the STEP Seal, a European Commission recognition for high-scoring proposals.
Dr. Amado Bautista-Salvador, CEO and co-founder, attributed the selection to the company’s dedicated team and ambitious vision.
“Being selected as one of 13 European quantum companies is a testament to our entire team’s work and our progress toward building a globally competitive quantum computing company from Europe.”
Understanding the Grand Challenge Funding Structure
The EuroHPC JU conducted an open call for proposals from October 2025 to January 2026. Out of 30 submissions, 27 met the eligibility criteria. An independent panel then selected 13 proposals for the main funding list, with three placed on a reserve list. The Governing Board officially approved the final selections on June 19, 2026.
The approximately 4 million euros in Horizon Europe grant money will go across all selected companies, meaning no single firm receives a substantial sum at this initial stage. Larger funding opportunities will become available later, but only for a subset of participants. In Phase 2, commencing in January 2027, Phase 1 participants can apply to the European Investment Bank’s Venture Debt Platform. This subsequent financing is contingent on due diligence and is not guaranteed to any company at this time.
The selected teams represent a variety of hardware types, including cat-state superconducting, silicon-spin CMOS, trapped-ion, photonic, and analog processors. The program’s overarching goal is to foster the development of utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers within Europe. This ambitious objective remains years away and relies on significant hardware advancements that have yet to materialize. Currently, the primary deliverable is a strategic plan, and the venture debt needed to fund any actual construction is a separate decision yet to be made.