A new quantum computer startup from Harvard, MIT raises $17M

Quantum computer startup QuEra Computing's 256-qubit machine and Florian Huber, one of the team of scientist that built the machine are shown in this picture taken in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., on February 18, 2021. The technology was born in the labs of Harvard University and MIT. It uses neutral atoms which are put in a vacuum chamber and controlled with lasers. Alexei Bylinskii - QuEra/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT.

OAKLAND, Calif (Reuters) - A new quantum computer startup born from researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) called QuEra Computing said on Wednesday it raised $17 million from investors, including Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten Inc.

It’s the latest quantum computer hardware maker to come out of the lab at a time when funding for the nascent technology is booming.