Insider Brief
- Atom Computing has advanced to the final stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, with potential funding of up to $300 million.
- The Stage C phase will independently assess whether Atom’s proposed utility-scale neutral-atom quantum computer can be built and operated as designed.
- Microsoft will provide algorithmic support and error-correction codes to Atom Computing as part of the program.
PRESS RELEASE — Atom Computing today announced it has been selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to advance to the final stage of the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), a landmark program assessing the feasibility of building utility-scale quantum computers on an accelerated timeline. This stage, with potential funding of up to $300 million, reinforces the momentum behind Atom Computing’s vision and roadmap for building a utility-scale quantum computer using neutral-atom quantum technology.
DARPA launched the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative to evaluate whether practical, industrial quantum computers can be realized sooner than conventional industry projections. Atom Computing was selected for Stage A of the program in early 2025 and subsequently advanced to Stage B in late 2025, where the company developed and presented a comprehensive plan for realizing a utility-scale quantum computer. This work included detailed technology development milestones, risk assessments, mitigation strategies, and prototype systems designed to demonstrate critical capabilities.
With Atom’s selection for Stage C, an independent government verification and validation team will determine if the company’s utility-scale quantum computer concept can be constructed as designed and operated as intended. As part of the program, Microsoft has agreed to also provide algorithmic support and error correction codes to Atom Computing.
“We are excited to be chosen for the final stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative,” said Dr. Ben Bloom, CEO and Founder of Atom Computing. “We believe utility-scale quantum computing is closer than many expect, and this milestone reinforces our confidence in the scalability and performance of neutral-atom architectures. We continue to focus on delivering fault-tolerant quantum systems capable of unlocking transformative advances across science, industry, and national security.”
Atom Computing has emerged as a recognized leader in the development of large-scale quantum computing systems. The company has achieved several industry-first milestones, including the demonstration of quantum systems exceeding 1,000 physical qubits, the first neutral-atom platform to achieve sub-threshold performance with full end-to-end quantum error correction across many rounds, and the industry’s first commercial sale of a logical-qubit quantum computer in 2025 to QuNorth, a Nordic quantum initiative funded by EIFO and Novo Nordisk Foundation. Most recently, the company signed a Letter of Intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce for $100 million, further underscoring growing public-sector interest in advanced quantum capabilities.
Dr. Jonathan King, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of Atom Computing, said: “The momentum across the quantum computing sector continues to accelerate as breakthroughs in error correction, system scalability, and hardware reliability strengthen confidence in the technology’s near-term commercial potential. Atom Computing’s neutral-atom architecture, combined with its demonstrated progress toward fault-tolerant quantum computing, positions the company at the forefront of delivering practical quantum systems capable of addressing some of the world’s most complex computational challenges.”
As governments and enterprises increasingly invest in next-generation computing infrastructure, Atom Computing remains focused on turning scientific innovation into operational capability and establishing the foundation for the utility-scale quantum era.
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