MPower Partners Fund II ("MPower"), a Japan-based global venture capital fund, has invested in Q-CTRL, the Sydney-headquartered global quantum leader delivering “AI for quantum” infrastructure software to improve the performance of quantum hardware. The investment is part of Q-CTRL's US$290 million (A$415 million) Series C, led by Salesforce Ventures with significant participation from Affinity Partners and Bullhound Capital, alongside a global syndicate of new and existing investors.

Q-CTRL has pioneered “AI for quantum” infrastructure software, which improves the performance of quantum computing and sensing hardware, and is critical to deploying quantum systems in data centers and integrating them into real-world vehicles for autonomy and commercial aviation.

Satellite navigation underpins the modern economy, from aerospace and aviation to shipping and logistics. Yet GPS is fragile; incidents of deliberate jamming and spoofing are now disrupting thousands of commercial flights and putting mission-critical operations at risk in contested environments. The solution the industry has long looked to is magnetic navigation, requiring no external signal, but no one had been able to make it work reliably outside the lab.

In April last year, Q-CTRL achieved commercial quantum advantage in navigation; its software-ruggedized quantum sensors overcame GPS denial in airborne field trials, outperforming classical GPS backups by 100 times. Ironstone Opal has since achieved safety-of-flight qualification and is being integrated onto both commercial aircraft and autonomous platforms with leading aerospace providers. The company’s AI-driven quantum control software is also integrated into leading quantum computing hardware to suppress the errors constraining today's hardware at commercial scale.

Q-CTRL has built real commercial traction across aerospace and enterprise while maintaining its mission to make quantum technology useful. The company has demonstrated significant traction in Japan, with customers ranging from industry leaders like SoftBank and Mazda to key research partners including the University of Tokyo and RIKEN.  Q-CTRL plans to scale global deployment of its navigation systems and deepen its software leadership as quantum moves into data centers and real-world missions.

This investment is part of MPower Partners Fund II. Quantum-enabled data centers and resilient navigation in GPS-denied environments are a first-order priority for sovereign capability and national security, and of growing strategic importance to Japan and its allies. Japan's deepening role in the AUKUS trilateral security partnership, its world-class aerospace and precision-manufacturing base, and its demand for resilient, safety-critical systems make it an important market for Q-CTRL's global expansion. MPower looks forward to supporting the company as it expands its presence in Japan, including a local R&D team. Backing a category-defining technology company at the frontier of quantum and connecting it to Japan is what MPower had in mind when it set out its Japan Dynamism theme.

Comment from Michael J. Biercuk, CEO and Founder, Q-CTRL

“Over the last two years we’ve been privileged to build a strong relationship with the team at MPower Partners, and we’ve been impressed by their expertise and commitment to economic prosperity in Japan. We’re thrilled to partner with them as we grow our local presence and look forward to strengthening our relationships across Japanese industry, academia, and government with MPower’s support.”

Comment from Kathy Matsui, General Partner, and Kazuhiro Hosaka, Vice President, MPower Partners

"Quantum technology only creates true value when it moves beyond the lab and performs reliably in the field—and Q-CTRL’s software-first approach proves that transition is already underway. From enabling navigation where GPS fails to delivering the quantum-powered data center, Q-CTRL is solving mission-critical challenges across global industry and resilience. MPower Partners is thrilled to back Q-CTRL, and we look forward to expanding their footprint in Japan, where deep industrial demand and sovereign commitment make it a natural hub for quantum commercialization."

About Q-CTRL

• CEO: Michael J. Biercuk

• Established: 2017

• Location: Sydney, Australia

• Corporate URL: https://q-ctrl.com/

• Press release by company: https://q-ctrl.com/blog/q-ctrl-secures-us-290-million-series-c-funding-led-by-salesforce-ventures-to-accelerate-the-convergence-of-quantum-and-ai

About MPower Partners

MPower Partners is a Japan-based venture capital fund with a mission to empower visionary gamechangers and unlock transformative growth. With our diverse investment team and deep global networks, we identify and support high-potential ventures both in Japan and internationally. We go beyond capital investments by helping drive true and sustainable growth among our portfolio startups via our proprietary ESG framework. On a broader level, as bridge-builders and ecosystem shapers, we hope to leave the Japanese venture capital ecosystem better than we found it, one with more diversity and scale.

Fund website: https://www.mpower-partners.com

For inquiries, please contact: info@mpower-partners.com

This press release has been prepared for the purpose of providing information to qualified institutional investors and potential portfolio companies of the Fund, and is not a disclosure document pursuant to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, and does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation to purchase the Fund.