MQTEK raises back-to-back angel rounds to scale quantum-computing components

What's the deal? MQTEK (太微量子), a Chinese startup that makes core components for neutral-atom and ion-trap quantum computers, has closed back-to-back angel rounds. Investors include Innoangel Fund, Dongfang Jiafu, Xiaomiao LangchengDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Yunqi PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Shuimu Investment, and Far East Yuanzhi. The funds will go toward expanding production and R&D across three product lines.

Founded in 2021, MQTEK positions itself as a "water seller in a gold rush" — it doesn't build full quantum computers but supplies the precision instruments that labs and startups need to build them. Its team hails from the University of Science and Technology of China, Tsinghua, and Zhejiang University. Founder and chief executive Wang Xuankai holds a PhD in quantum information and has developed microscopes, current sources, and laser systems.

Why now? Demand for upstream quantum components in China has surged as new neutral-atom teams join the landscape alongside established superconducting groups. China's 15th Five-Year Plan lists quantum technology as the top priority among future industries, unlocking significant policy support.

MQTEK reported revenue of several million yuan in 2025 and expects that figure to grow five to ten times in 2026 as it ramps production capacity.

What could go wrong? Quantum computing remains largely pre-commercial. If downstream adoption stalls or government funding shifts, demand for upstream components could plateau. The startup also faces the challenge of scaling precision lab instruments into reliable industrial-grade products — a leap that has tripped up many hardware companies.

The signal: MQTEK's raise reflects a broader pattern: as quantum computing matures from science experiment to engineering challenge, investors are betting on the supply chain, not just the end product. The "picks and shovels" thesis — backing component makers rather than full-system builders — is gaining traction in China's quantum sector.

The company's three product lines illustrate where bottlenecks sit. Its quantum gas microscope supports arrays of over 10,000 atoms with a millimetre-scale field of view. Its high-precision current source achieves noise below 1ppm — one-fifth the level of leading overseas alternatives — at roughly two-thirds the price, with delivery in two months versus 15. A third product, a measurement-and-control system, is in development.

Customers already include Tsinghua University, quantum startup Liangyi Wanxiang, and national laboratories. Wang told 36Kr he wants scientists to assemble quantum experiment platforms "like Lego" — modular, standardised, and fast.

Investor Dongfang Jiafu called MQTEK's position a classic "chokepoint" localisation play, arguing that regardless of which quantum architecture wins, upstream precision instruments will remain essential. Yunqi Partners noted the team's foresight in entering the field in 2021, before neutral-atom computing became a hot sector.