eleQtron
University of Siegen spin-off building trapped-ion quantum computers controlled by microwaves instead of lasers (MAGIC); customers include DLR and Forschungszentrum Jülich.
- Sector
- Fusion & Quantum
- Headquarters
- Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia
- Founded
- 2020
- Ownership
- Private, venture-backed
- Known for
- MAGIC trapped-ion quantum computer
- Website
- www.eleqtron.com
- Topics
- quantum computing trapped ions microwave control University of Siegen DLR
What they do
eleQtron builds quantum computers that store information in individual charged atoms (ions) held in an electromagnetic trap. Trapped-ion machines are known for high-quality qubits, but most competitors steer each ion with precisely aimed laser beams, which demands complex optics and very stable lab conditions. eleQtron's MAGIC technology (Magnetic Gradient Induced Coupling) instead uses microwaves, with magnetic field gradients making each ion respond to a slightly different frequency so it can be addressed individually.
Why it matters
If microwaves can replace much of the laser apparatus, trapped-ion systems become easier to build, ship and scale, and they can borrow from mature microwave electronics. Starting-up.de reports single-qubit fidelity of about 99.95 per cent and gate times of a few microseconds for the approach. The company has turned that into contracts: the German Aerospace Center (DLR) commissioned quantum computing demonstrators, including one built with NXP and ParityQC, and Forschungszentrum Jülich signed in 2023 for a system at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre. In May 2026 eleQtron reported an order backlog of more than 54 million euros.
Products to know
- MAGIC-based quantum processors: delivered as on-premise systems to research and government customers, with cloud access being expanded.
The German angle
eleQtron is a reminder that German deep tech does not only come from Munich or Berlin. It was founded in 2020 in Siegen by Jan Leisse, Christof Wunderlich and Michael Johanning; Wunderlich, a physics professor, had built a quantum computer at the University of Siegen before the company existed. In May 2026 it closed a 57 million euro Series A led by Schwarz Digits, the IT arm of the Lidl and Kaufland owner Schwarz Group, with the EIC Fund, Earlybird, laser specialist Precitec, NRW.BANK and IFB Hamburg. A retail group backing quantum hardware says something about how German corporates now view technological sovereignty.
Sources
Stories
Why Germany's deep-tech founders cluster around Munich, Aachen and Dresden
Three cities produce a striking share of Germany's hardware start-ups. The reasons are older and more specific than talent alone, and the failures of Lilium and Volocopter show the limits.
Twelve German deep-tech startups building real hardware
Photonic processors, e-fuel plants, wildfire satellites, graphene chips and heat batteries: twelve young German companies whose products you can weigh, install or launch.
More in Fusion & Quantum
Proxima Fusion
Max Planck spin-out in Munich designing stellarator fusion power plants with high-temperature superconducting magnets, starting with the Alp…
Marvel Fusion
Munich company pursuing laser-driven fusion with ultrashort laser pulses and nanostructured targets, and building a laser facility at Colora…
planqc
Max Planck spin-out in Garching building neutral-atom quantum computers designed to plug into supercomputing centres.
Last reviewed 4 November 2026. Main source: quantumcomputingreport.com/eleqtron-secures-e57-million-61-5. Something out of date? Suggest a correction.