Insider Brief
- Japanese neutral-atom quantum computing startup Yaqumo raised a seed extension round from JIC Venture Growth Investments and Toyota Invention Partners to support commercialization and long-term growth.
- The investment represents the first quantum computing hardware investment for JIC VGI and the first quantum computing startup investment for Toyota Invention Partners.
- Yaqumo said the new investors complement earlier backing from Quantonation and Alumni Ventures and will help strengthen collaborations across Japan’s government, industrial and global quantum ecosystems.
PRESS RELEASE — Yaqumo Inc. (“Yaqumo”), a Japanese startup developing neutral-atom quantum computers, today announced that it has raised funding in a seed extension round from JIC Venture Growth Investments Co., Ltd. (“JIC VGI”) and Toyota Invention Partners,Inc. (“TIP”).
This investment marks JIC VGI’s first investment in a quantum computing hardware startup. Through JIC VGI’s participation, Yaqumo will deepen its collaboration with government-related institutions and strengthen the foundation supporting its long-term growth.
This investment also marks TIP’s first investment in a startup working on quantum computing. Through TIP’s participation, Yaqumo will advance business collaboration and explore potential applications by leveraging the Toyota’s deep expertise in manufacturing and mobility.
Yaqumo has previously raised funding from Quantonation, a leading global venture capital firm dedicated to quantum technologies, and Alumni Ventures, a major U.S.-based venture capital firm. With the addition of JIC VGI and TIP, Yaqumo is building a growth platform that connects the global quantum ecosystem with Japan’s industrial foundation, accelerating the research, development, and social implementation of neutral-atom quantum computers originating from Japan.
JIC VGI is a venture capital arm of the Japan Investment Corporation (“JIC”) group. Through funds including JIC Venture Growth Fund I, with approximately JPY 120 billion in capital, and JIC Venture Growth Fund II, with approximately JPY 200 billion in capital, JIC VGI aims to promote innovation in Japan and enhance international competitiveness by making venture and growth investments in promising startups.
In the deep-tech sector, JIC VGI supports startups in emerging industries that have the potential to become the core of next-generation industrial structures. By providing end-to-end support—from the early stages through to exit strategies—it helps foster the growth of domestic startups and strengthen Japan’s industrial competitiveness in new fields that require long-term, large-scale risk capital.
Toyota Invention Partners (TIP) is a strategic investment firm established by Toyota Motor Corporation. With a JPY 100 billion investment pool, TIP invests globally in startups and companies that offer strong strategic and business synergies with Toyota, including those expected to play an active role in Toyota Woven City. TIP places particular emphasis on fostering business collaboration with its portfolio partners.
Unlike traditional venture capital funds, TIP does not operate under a fixed investment horizon allowing it to provide long-term support aligned with the timeline of each business collaboration. In addition to capital investment, TIP leverages Toyota’s assets — including talent, manufacturing expertise, commercial channels, and global networks — to create new value in mobility and accelerate real-world implementation over the long term.
About the Financing
As global competition accelerates toward the practical implementation of quantum computers, Yaqumo has now welcomed JIC VGI, a government-backed fund, and TIP, Toyota’s strategic investment company, as new shareholders, following earlier investments from Quantonation, a global venture capital firm specializing in quantum technologies, and Alumni Ventures, a U.S.-based venture capital firm.
For Yaqumo, which is working to bring neutral-atom quantum computers into real-world use, support from both international specialist and growth investors and Japan’s public-private and industrial foundations carries significant strategic importance.
Through this financing, Yaqumo will further strengthen its collaboration with the Japanese government and the Toyota Group as it advances toward the social implementation of quantum computers.
