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TreQ takes quantum leap with Milton Park move
Published on 11 February 2025
Start-up to manufacture quantum computers in Oxfordshire
Image: L-R – Tom Booker (MEPC), Mandy Birch (TreQ), Anna Fletcher (MEPC) and Gibson Armstrong (TreQ)
US-based quantum computing start-up TreQ is setting up shop in the UK. Its new production facility will be in Milton Park, the UK’s largest single ownership innovation community. This follows the company being oversubscribed in its $5 million seed funding round.
TreQ builds its quantum systems to enable technology leaders at FTSE 100 companies, universities and research entities to unlock quantum computing’s transformative potential.
Its innovative open-architecture systems are upgradable and extensible. This improves capital efficiency and technology resiliency. They plan to build their first quantum computer under the TreQ brand at their new facility in 2025.
Quantum veterans
Its core team of half a dozen senior engineers and executives includes several experienced quantum veterans–most are UK citizens. In fact, before working with TreQ, several of its team members built the UK’s first commercial quantum computer—and then almost a dozen more systems worldwide.
The company decided to begin operations in the UK because of national initiatives focused on commercialising quantum and because half of the current quantum computing market is in Europe.
Why Milton Park?
TreQ picked Milton Park because of its state-of-the-art campus, its worker-friendly, family-friendly environment and its welcoming team, with the move overseen by Tom Booker, Milton Park’s Commercial Manager.
“The entire Milton Park team were wonderful, from Tom and his team to the Bee House staff! They helped us find the space we needed, made us feel welcome, and worked with us every step of the way. We could not have had a better move-in experience,” said TreQ’s CEO, Mandy Birch, who is also a brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Tom Booker said: “We’re delighted to welcome TreQ to Milton Park. Having them here highlights the Park’s recognition as a hub for cutting-edge science and technology, and we’re excited to see the team leverage local expertise and resources to develop its quantum computing systems.”
He added, “Their pioneering work aligns with our vision to support companies innovating to tackle global challenges. TreQ joins a growing cluster of deep-tech businesses and we look forward to seeing their impact in the years to come.”
Transformational technology
According to McKinsey, the quantum computing market could reach £55 billion by 2035, contributing around £1.5 trillion in economic value by revolutionising industries like finance, chemical research, life sciences and transport.
Recognised as transformational technology, quantum computers are capable of solving currently intractable problems. Unlike traditional computers, which rely on binary 0 and 1 “bits”, quantum “qubits” can exist at any value in between. Rather than performing calculations sequentially like digital processors, quantum systems perform calculations simultaneously in parallel, exponentially increasing their processing power.
For example, Google recently announced its new Willow quantum chip took five minutes to solve a problem that would take the world’s fastest supercomputers ten septillion – or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 – years to complete. Today only a few quantum computers operate in the UK.
TreQ’s move coincides with the United Nations naming 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
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