Diraq secures $20m from NRF to put quantum chips in data centres

The new funds will support Diraq’s ongoing aim to release its first commercial quantum computing system in the first half of 2029. Diraq aims to put one million quantum bits on its chips by 2031, a key step in enabling practical large-scale applications.

The company is currently recruiting an additional 10 to 15 staff, predominantly building out its engineering team and expanding commercial operations in Australia. Spun out from UNSW in 2022, the company employs more than 70 staff and PhD students.

Dzurak said the company is currently in “quite advanced discussions” with data centre operators “primarily” in Australia to deploy the prototype systems alongside existing infrastructure.

“Ultimately the primary commercial pathway for quantum computing is cloud access, and so we want to begin testing both our remote access via cloud in a commercial data center environment but also begin integrating our quantum computing systems with significant classical computing and AI etc,” Dzurak told Capital Brief.

“Actually doing that in data center environments sooner rather than later is crucial, because when we sell our products in 2029 we intend to be locating many of them in commercial data centers.”

Unlike some of Diraq’s competitors, integration in existing data centers would reduce the need for energy intensive cooling facilities.

In September, Diraq had a research paper published in the scientific journal Nature that demonstrated its silicon quantum dot qubit technology can be manufactured using existing silicon microchip manufacturing techniques.

Other key milestones include testing more advanced chips, testing classical computing chips that control quantum bits and continuing system design and software development. The Sydney-based company recently launched operations in Melbourne and has US operations in Palo Alto, Boston and Chicago.

Diraq’s technology is also being closely scrutinised by scientists at the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency as a part of the Quantum Benchmark Initiative to deliver a quantum computer that has higher computational value that it costs to run by 2033.

Diraq was shortlisted alongside 10 other companies to progress to the second stage of the three stage program in November 2025.

In a statement, Dzurak said “Australia has always been a quantum powerhouse in the lab and, with the [NRF’s] backing, we are ensuring it becomes a quantum powerhouse in the market”.

What they said: “Australia has the potential to lead the world in quantum computing and Diraq’s groundbreaking combination of silicon-based qubits and tried and tested semiconductor architecture will allow it to create quantum computers at a fraction of the cost and size of its competitors, revolutionising the industry,” NRF CEO David Gall said.

Gall also said that “Diraq represent exactly the kind of high-value, transformative manufacturing the NRFC was created to support."

Main Sequence Ventures Investment Manager Alejandra Romero said: "Diraq has the ultimate edge: they are th only players capable of putting millions of qubits on a single chip using the world’s existing multi-trillion-dollar silicon supply chain.”

“The team has progressed rapidly in a few short years establishing partnerships with global technology leaders, including Dell and Nvidia, that recognise the opportunity and want to partner with Diraq to integrate the company’s quantum technology,” Romero said.