Nearly €100 million over three years, Quantonation's first dedicated fund for quantum technology completes full investment
On July 11, Quantonation Ventures announced the closing of its first fund dedicated to quantum technology with a final investment of €91 million, exceeding its initial target of €50 million. In three years, Quantonation has built a portfolio of the world's most promising quantum technology companies and has become the largest investor in the sector.
Launched in Paris in May 2018, Quantonation was initiated by Audacia, a leading French growth equity investor, and Gravigation, an investment fund, with Charles Beigbeder, Chairman of Gravitation and Partner of Audacia, as founding partner of the firm. In terms of expertise, co-founder Christophe Jurczak holds a PhD in Quantum Physics. D. in laser cooling of atoms under the supervision of Prof. Alain Aspect.
The founding team of Quantonation: from left to right: O. Tonneau, C. Jurczak, JG Boinot-Tramoni, C. Beigbeder
Quantonation was founded to seize the opportunity of the second quantum revolution: 100 years of successful development of quantum science that can finally be translated into the next generation of devices and applications in sensing, communication and computing.
We have successfully internalized deep expertise, leveraging a network of experts and connecting with leading global ecosystems to find the best companies and make sound investment decisions, with 20 companies in the portfolio and 2 exits already," said Quantonation. We have invested in spin-off companies from the most prestigious universities around the world, such as MIT, Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris, Ecole Supérieure d'Optique de Paris, University of Oxford, University of Waterloo, University of Sherbrooke, etc. We monitor more than 400 startups developing quantum technologies, constituting the largest deal flow in the field."
Quantonation's portfolio (as of July 2022)
Quantonation Ventures' first fund dedicated to quantum technologies, Quantonation 1, invests in early-stage companies, from seed to Series A. Its portfolio includes all the projects in which the team has invested since 2018 and in which it has participated.
The multiplier effect of the first fund has been phenomenal: in total, the portfolio companies have raised more than €200 million, thus creating more than 300 jobs in the last 3 years. It was also strongly supported by the French National Seed Fund, managed by the Banque Nationale d'Investissement on behalf of the French government and Audacia.
But Quantonation 1 is only the first step, and Quantonation will also support companies at a later stage through another vehicle dedicated to raising larger scale financing for companies.
Following the success of Quantonation 1, Quantonation Ventures has the perfect opportunity to complete its offering of investment vehicles to limited partners (LPs) and to consolidate its position as a leading investor in the emerging quantum economy," said Olivier Tonneau, Partner at Quantonation. This is why we are launching Quantonation Ventures' Quantum Opportunity Fund to support the scale-up of European quantum startups."
Markus Solibieda, Managing Director of BASF Ventures Ltd. commented, "Quantum computing can have a significant impact on many industries, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automotive, aerospace and finance, and Quantonation has a proven track record of deep technology companies focused on industrial applications. We are proud to join Quantum Technologies as a significant investor in supporting up-and-coming young companies in this exciting space."
Reference link：
https://www.quantonation.com/2022/07/11/final-closing-of-its-early-stage-fund-at-e91m%ef%bf%bc/
