Ledger. Australian venture funding, tracked

Startup · $171m raised

Diraq

Quantum computing company building spin qubit chips on silicon

Sydney, NSW

Coverage

Stories naming Diraq. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.

Funding announcement

Diraq pushing its quantum computer to the cloud amid commercialisation race

Sydney quantum computing company Diraq will station an eight-qubit prototype machine inside an Equinix facility from October, a step toward moving the technology from lab to market.

Funding announcement

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #176, 30th August 2026

Weekly roundup: Blackbird confirms a record fund close and Galileo reaches a first close, Genesis merges with Proudi, IREN secures massive debt, and several startups report raises, grants and program wins.

Funding announcement

🇦🇺 This Week in Australian Startups #175, 23rd August 2026

Weekly roundup: Constantinople raises $62.5m; Blackbird wraps fund six above $1b; Guardhouse buys Mobohubb; SCX.ai debuts on the ASX; plus seed rounds, exits and executive changes across the ecosystem.

News

Q-Day: why quantum readiness can't wait, with Vikram Sharma, QuintessenceLabs

Allens' Cyber Brief podcast hosts QuintessenceLabs founder and CEO Vikram Sharma discussing quantum computing threats to encryption, harvest-now-decrypt-later attacks, and the governance steps boards should take toward post-quantum readiness.

2 deals

ACT Investors: 15 Canberra Funds Backing Deep Tech in 2026

A directory of fifteen Canberra investors backing deep tech, noting ACTivate Capital's fund first close, several government-backed company raises, an incubator's alumni, and one portfolio acquisition.

4 deals

Silicon Quantum Computing receives $20 million NRF boost

The National Reconstruction Fund has put $20 million into Sydney quantum chip maker Silicon Quantum Computing via a SAFE note, following its smaller-than-planned 2023 Series A and a similar NRF bet on Diraq.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

Unnamed stage $20m

NRF tips $20 million into Diraq for homegrown quantum computing

The National Reconstruction Fund has invested $20 million in Sydney quantum startup Diraq, an equity stake the government fund says will aid domestic production and hiring ahead of a planned 2029 product launch.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia

9 deals

Six Aussie startups that raised $28.5 million this week

Weekly roundup detailing new capital for Australian startups Diraq, BrainFish, RecycleSmart, Cohabit and Five Faces, alongside Alumly's undisclosed multimillion-dollar backing from UK investor Mauve Group.

Also Startup Daily

2 deals

Quantum chips startup Diraq secures $15 million towards new raise

Quantum computing venture Diraq has banked $15 million toward an unfinished round, with earlier backers joined by two new funds, pushing its cumulative funding beyond US$137 million.

Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily

6 deals

Uniseed adds another $25m from UniSuper to commercialise academic research

UniSuper adds a further $25 million to its backing of Uniseed, reaching $100 million in total support for the university research commercialisation fund; past cheques to quantum and biotech startups are recapped.

2 deals

Diraq expands into Chicago's quantum cluster after landing US gov contracts

Quantum computing company Diraq, a UNSW spin-out led by Andrew Dzurak, has signed to base itself at a Chicago quantum park alongside PsiQuantum, adding recent US Energy Department and DARPA awards.

Also Forbes Australia

Grant

Aussie company Diraq to support DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative

Quantum processor maker Diraq has won a US defence agency contract for the first stage of a quantum benchmarking program, leading a consortium with Emergence Quantum, Riverlane, Global Foundries and Imec.

Also Startup Daily

14 deals

Eight Aussie startups that raised $118.8 million this week

Weekly roundup of eight Australian funding rounds, led by Samsara Eco's $100m Series A extension; Diraq, 1Breadcrumb, Aquila, NRN, Klean, Bearhug and Sindy Labs also secured capital, and Klean won a Queensland grant.

Also TechCrunch Australia·SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing·Techboard·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing·Forbes Australia·@AuManufacturing

undisclosed

Our investment in Diraq: A step closer to reaching fault-tolerant applications

Main Sequence's post explains why the fund backed quantum computing company Diraq, citing its silicon qubit approach, a chip-production deal with Global Foundries, and prior investment from Quantonation.

Also Startup Daily·@AuManufacturing·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily

2 deals

‘Record demonstration’: Dark horse in quantum race passes new milestone

Quantum computing startup Diraq announced record qubit control fidelity and chip-making partnerships with GlobalFoundries and IMEC; the piece also recounts its Quantonation-led Series A, early Allectus backing, and PsiQuantum's government funding.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily

3 deals

Labor bets big on quantum with $1 billion deal for PsiQuantum and multimillion-dollar Sydney Uni hub

The Australian federal and Queensland governments are investing $940m in PsiQuantum, which will open a Brisbane regional headquarters; $18.4m will fund a national quantum centre at the University of Sydney.

Also Dealroom·Forbes Australia·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia

2 deals

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Manufacturing roundup: Legrand buys NZ cable firm MSS; ClearVue lands a $4m placement; Nova Systems appoints Dean Rosenfield CEO; Diraq, having recently raised $29m, advertises 14 roles.

Also SmartCompany·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Early VC·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily

5 deals

Early VC #3 - Diraq and Marqo raised Series A. Ansarada acquired for $236.3m. New Bupa's $20m fund.

Australian startups Diraq, Marqo, and Hatch secured funding rounds. Ansarada was acquired by Datasite. Bupa launched a new venture fund, and the Queensland government backed several VCs and accelerators.

2 deals

Quantum computing startup Diraq boosts Series A with an extra $23 million

Diraq, a Sydney-based quantum computing startup, has raised a US$15 million Series A-2 extension led by Quantonation, with UNSW and John Higgins Family Investments participating, adding to US$20 million raised at its 2022 spin-out.

Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Forbes Australia

3 deals

Quantum leap: Diraq secures an extra $23 million in Series A

Diraq has added $23 million to its Series A in a Quantonation-led round, with Higgins Family Investments and UNSW also taking part, on top of the $30.6 million raised earlier.

Also @AuManufacturing·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Early VC·@AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily

16 deals

Eight Aussie startups that secured $30.2 million this week

Weekly roundup of eight Australian startups raising a combined $30.2 million, spanning SME lending, quantum computing grants, proptech, consumer apps and recycling, plus Stylerunner's earlier sale to Accent Group.

Also Startup Daily

2 deals

Diraq awarded $3 million NSW Quantum Computing Commercialisation Fund grant

Quantum computing startup Diraq has received a $3 million grant from NSW's Quantum Computing Commercialisation Fund, following federal support last month through CRC-Projects round 14.

Also @AuManufacturing·@AuManufacturing

3 deals

Quantum computing, plastic recycling among round 14 CRC-Projects

Round 14 of the CRC-Projects program awarded 24 projects a combined $50 million in grants, with named recipients including Gilmour Space, Diraq and Advanced Circular Polymers alongside university and industry partners.

Also @AuManufacturing·SmartCompany·SmartCompany

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