pi Ventures Leads $2 Million Seed Round in Quanfluence to Advance Quantum Photonics Technology
Quanfluence, a company pioneering photonics based quantum and quantum inspired solutions, has raised $2 million in a seed funding round led by pi Ventures. The round also saw participation from Golden Sparrow, Reena Dayal and others. Reena is also the Founder and CEO of the Quantum Ecosystems and Technology Council of India (QETCI).
With the rise of data-driven decision-making, the demand for powerful optimization tools has grown rapidly. Tackling optimization problems involves processing vast amounts of data to determine the best possible outcomes sifting through billions of possibilities that need exceptional computational power. While quantum computing has dominated the future-of-computing conversation, existing systems face hardware instability, noise, and scaling challenges. At the same time, classical computers struggle with complex, high-dimensional problems. By integrating optics and computational technology, Quanfluence offers a breakthrough solution that overcomes these limitations, delivering scalability and energy efficiency without the drawbacks of conventional approaches.
Quanfluence’s 100x faster optimization technology is powered by its optical Ising machine, which leverages light waves as computational units. These waves are manipulated through advanced photonic circuits and paired with high-speed field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), enabling the system to process hundreds of interconnected variables simultaneously. Their current system, capable of handling 128 interconnected variables (~10,000 permutations), has been successfully piloted with select customers for small-scale problems. They are now testing a more advanced version capable of processing 10-25 million permutations, scheduled for release next quarter to address complex real-world optimization challenges such as financial optimization and risk management, logistics, workforce scheduling, optimizing delivery routes etc.
Quanfluence is also on a mission to develop a general-purpose quantum computer entirely from India within the next five to six years. The computer would use the continuous variable paradigm of photonics.
The newly secured funds will be directed towards scaling its near-term products and bringing them to market. These products will showcase the practical applications of its ising machine while building momentum for its ultimate goal. Further, the funds will advance research and development for Quanfluence’s flagship quantum computer.
With all R&D and hardware development housed at its Bangalore center, Quanfluence is committed to showcasing India’s capability to deliver world-class innovation in quantum technology. Backed by a multidisciplinary team of engineers, physicists, and deep-tech experts, Quanfluence is uniquely positioned to establish India as a global leader in cutting-edge quantum technology.
Sujoy Chakravarty, Co-Founder and CEO of Quanfluence, said: “This funding is a significant milestone for us, reinforcing our vision to pioneer quantum computing from India. It enables us to enhance our photonic-based technologies, scale the optimizer, and accelerate the development of our general-purpose quantum computer. We deeply appreciate the trust and support of our investors, who share our belief in the transformative potential of quantum computing.”
Shubham Sandeep, Managing Director at pi Ventures, said: “Quanfluence represents the ideal fusion of cutting-edge innovation, bold vision and near-term commercialization in quantum computing. Their photonic-based technology, already available today, holds the potential to transform industries by addressing complex optimization challenges where classical computing falls short. It is rare to encounter repeat successful founders in the DeepTech domain and we feel privileged to partner with Sujoy, Ravi, Biman and their exceptional team as they pioneer the future of quantum advancements.”
About Quanfluence
Founded in 2021 by Sujoy Chakravarty, Ravi Mehta, Biman Chattopadhyay, Prof Anil Prabhakar, Aditi Vaidya and Prof Sandeep Goyal, and incubated in the IITM Incubation Centre, Quanfluence is a Bangalore-based photonic quantum technology startup. Quanfluence has a hardware based optimization solution that complements AI to improve decision making ability. Quanfluence is also on a mission to develop a fault-tolerant, general-purpose quantum computer within the next five to six years.. Backed by a multidisciplinary team of engineers, physicists, and seasoned deep-tech professionals, Quanfluence is advancing India’s role as a leader in global quantum innovation.
About pi Ventures
pi Ventures is an early stage venture capital fund pioneering AI and deep tech investments in India, currently deploying out of our $85M fund. The fund backs disruptive tech ventures solving global problems thus creating 10x differentiated businesses. The VC fund portfolio includes world leading technology companies like Wysa, Pixis, Agnikul, Silence Laboratories and Niramai among others.
About Golden Sparrow
Golden Sparrow is a US-based $8M fund investing in AI, SaaS/DevTools and Deep Tech. Rishaad Currimjee is the GP at the fund. Their portfolio includes EtherealX, Morphing Machines, Sentra World, Figr Design and CyGenica, amongst others.
