Hefei Sizhen Chip Technology just closed a Series B funding round worth over 100 million yuan, or approximately 14.8 million dollars. The investment was led by Goertek and Weihao Core Semiconductor, with additional participation from Huace Film & TV, Suzhou Venture Capital, Suzhou Financial Holding, Chuangling Capital, and Houlang Capital.
The startup, based in Hefei and founded in 2020, builds silicon-photonic quantum computing systems. Their work encompasses everything from the core optical devices to the full-scale machine architecture. The core technology stems from research conducted at the Key Laboratory of Quantum Information at the University of Science and Technology of China.
Capital from this round goes toward research and development for 10,000-bit special-purpose optical computing clusters and general-purpose quantum chipsets. The company released a programmable quantum computer based on silicon photonic chips late in 2025 and plans to roll out a 5,000-bit optical computing product by the end of 2026.
This funding marks a significant shift in bringing industrial and government-linked capital to the photonic approach of quantum computing. While the company pursues these large-scale systems, they maintain a stable commercial base through their existing quantum random number generator (QRNG) chip business. This move signals a growing interest in the viability of photonic quantum hardware as a path to commercial-scale operation.