SkyWater Inks Foundry Deal With Quantum Computer Startup

The U.S.-based foundry vendor has announced a multi-million-dollar deal with QuamCore

By Mark LaPedus

SkyWater Technology, a U.S.-based foundry vendor, has announced a multi-million-dollar foundry deal with QuamCore, a developer of quantum computers.

Under the terms, SkyWater will fabricate and jointly optimize the superconducting process modules required to produce QuamCore’s Single Flux Quantum (SFQ) digital controller chips.

The SFQ chips are a key part of QuamCore’s fault-tolerant quantum computer line, which is still in R&D. The SFQ chip will help enable the company’s efforts to develop a 1-million qubit superconducting quantum computer. In general, quantum computers, which are still in the development stages, promise to outperform today’s traditional computers.

Meanwhile, based in Bloomington, Minn., SkyWater is a pure-play foundry vendor. Over the years, the company has developed an expertise in the ability to fabricate quantum computing devices. SkyWater also manufactures mixed-signal CMOS devices, rad-hard ICs, power discretes, MEMS, photonics, interposers and other products.

What is quantum computing?

Isreal’s QuamCore is one of a growing number of companies that are developing quantum computers. Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, PsiQuantum and many others are racing each other to develop practical and useful quantum computers.

In the works for years, quantum computers are different than today’s classical computers. A traditional computer uses binary digits, or bits, to store and process data. These bits are represented as either a “0” or “1”.

In contrast, quantum computers use qubits to encode and process data. A qubit can represent a “0” or “1” or a superposition of both states simultaneously. Thus, in theory, quantum computers can outperform a classical computer.

Companies, universities and others are developing various types of qubits. According to IBM, here are the more common types of qubits in development: superconducting qubits, trapped ion qubits, quantum dots, and photons. Microsoft is building a fault-tolerant quantum computer based on topological qubits.

But quantum computers are still in the development stages. To date, companies have developed quantum computers with anywhere from a few qubits to just over 1,000 qubits in a single system. At best, though, these systems are used for rudimentary R&D work.

To make a practical quantum computer, a system will likely need millions of qubits in a single unit. A useful quantum computer promises to make major breakthroughs in drug discovery, advanced materials, energy and other fields.

It could take years before companies develop practical quantum computers. “Although companies are working hard to deliver on their roadmaps, the challenges they face are daunting,” said Matt Swayne from the Quantum Insider, a technology site. “Quantum computing remains in its early stages, with significant hurdles in hardware, software, and scalability. One of the biggest issues is decoherence and error rates — qubits, the fundamental units of quantum information, are incredibly fragile and prone to losing their quantum state due to environmental interference. Maintaining stability long enough for meaningful computation remains a major obstacle.”

Connecting qubits

The quantum computing community, however, is making progress. For example, founded in 2022, QuamCore last March emerged from stealth mode with $9 million in seed funding.

Then, in August 2025, the company received $26 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Sentinel Global, with participation from Arkin Capital, as well as existing investors Viola Ventures, Earth & Beyond Ventures, Surround Ventures, Rhodium and Qbeat. The Israel Innovation Authority contributed a $4 million non-dilutive grant.

QuamCore is working on what could be a revolutionary technology. To make quantum computing viable for the real world, systems will need to manage millions of qubits in a single unit.

That’s far beyond the limits of current hardware. The most advanced superconducting quantum systems can support about 5,000 qubits per cryostat. Generally, quantum devices are enclosed in a cryostat, which is a system that can maintain the devices at low temperatures.

DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is using a sophisticated cooling system to keep qubits – the heart of quantum computers – cold enough for scientists to study them for use in quantum computers. Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

QuamCore has developed an architecture capable of scaling to 1 million qubits – in a single cryostat. This in turn eliminates the need for a multi-cryostat infrastructure.

QuamCore’s innovation lies in integrating the superconducting digital control logic directly into the cryostat. This reduces the cabling burden by orders of magnitude. It also eliminates the thermal bottleneck that has blocked large-scale adoption. The design also includes built-in error correction, a critical feature for achieving fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Meanwhile, SkyWater and QuamCore will co-engineer a superconducting fabrication process optimized for integrating SFQ digital control circuits with superconducting qubit arrays. The jointly developed SFQ technology will enable ultra-low-power, high-speed control to operate natively at cryogenic temperatures as low as 10mK, addressing major bottlenecks in wiring density, heat load and system complexity. (10mK or millikelvin is equal to -273.14°C.)

Here are some of the key details about QuamCore’s digital circuit technology:

*Integrated SFQ control can reduce cabling by up to 1,000x compared with conventional approaches

*SFQ-based controllers deliver power dissipation that is lower by several orders of magnitude compared with CMOS

SkyWater and QuamCore are expected hit several milestones over the next 12 to18 months, including test-vehicle fabrication and demonstration of cryo-SFQ control chips.

Meanwhile, for over a decade, SkyWater has been manufacturing various quantum computing devices. The company’s customer list continues to grow. “SkyWater added four additional quantum computing customers during the (most recent) quarter, including Silicon Quantum Computing and QuamCore, bringing the total to seven,” said Krish Sankar, an analyst at TD Cowen, in a research note. “This includes PsiQuantum and D-Wave.”

“In general, we partner with each quantum customer to develop customer proprietary process flows,” according to officials from SkyWater. “These are co-created through our ATS programs to enable highly differentiated architectures and within a manufacturing environment that positions them to scale quickly when ready.”

The quantum computing market represents a small portion of SkyWater’s overall business. But in the segment, SkyWater’s sales are expected to grow by 30% year-over-year in 2025, according to TD Cowen.

SkyWater is expanding in other ways. Earlier this year, the company acquired Infineon’s 200mm fab in Austin, Texas.

This week, SkyWater reported its financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 28. Click here for the results.