Insider Brief
- Cryogenic electronics startup Rhonexum has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding led by QDNL Participations to develop electronics designed to operate in cryogenic environments for quantum computing systems.
- The funding round included participation from Venture Kick and additional support from Swiss innovation programs including EPFL Startup Launchpad, Fondation pour l’Innovation Technologique, and Swiss National Science Foundation.
- The company plans to use the funding to accelerate product development, expand its engineering team, and deliver its first industrial-grade cryogenic electronics product to early customers later this year.
PRESS RELEASE — Cryogenic electronics startup Rhonexum has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding led by equity investment from QDNL Participations.
The funding, which also includes participation from Venture Kick, as well as grant funding, will allow Rhonexum to accelerate product development and begin to commercialize its first product, designed to drive the development of scalable quantum computers to initial customers.
Rhonexum develops electronics that can operate at cryogenic temperatures close to absolute zero. These temperatures are essential for technologies such as quantum computing, but conventional electronics cannot reliably function in these environments.
By using proprietary models and software tools, Rhonexum can deliver electronics made using standard semiconductor processes that operate directly within cryogenic systems, removing a major scalability bottleneck in quantum computing.
Rhonexum, a spin-out from AQUA Lab at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), was founded in November 2025 in Lausanne, Switzerland by Vicente Carbon and Dr. Hung-Chi Han. Dr. Han is a published expert in cryogenic semiconductor physics and cryogenic transistor modeling, and previously worked at semiconductor giant TSMC. Vicente Carbon has a background in robotics and systems engineering, with a strong focus on translating deep-tech research into industrial applications.
In addition to the new support from specialist early-stage quantum technology VC firm QDNL Participations, Rhonexum has received funding support from Venture Kick, a major supporter of deep‑tech startups in Switzerland. It has also received non-dilutive funding from leading Swiss innovation programs. These include EPFL Startup Launchpad, Fondation pour l’Innovation Technologique (FIT), and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
The new funds will be used to accelerate product development, expand the company’s design team, and deliver a first industrial-grade cryogenic electronics product to a limited group of early customers, scheduled for later this year.
Vicente Carbon, co-founder of Rhonexum, said:
“We founded Rhonexum to become the key provider of cryogenic electronics for scalable quantum computers. Our goals are to enable the transition from lab-sized systems to practical, large-scale machines, optimize thermal-load losses and reduce cabling complexity. Our technology also has future strategic applications beyond quantum, such as in space and advanced sensing.”
Kris Kaczmarek, QDNL Participations investment director, said:
“Cryogenic CMOS is an important emerging technology space. Rhonexum stands out with an internal software-driven modeling methodology that enables accurate cryogenic simulation before fabrication, allowing for faster and more cost-effective hardware development. We see real potential here, so we’re proud to support Vicente and Hung-Chi as they work to bring their first product to market.”
