Oratomic Launches to Build Utility-scale Quantum Computers

Startup founded by quantum computing pioneers aims to achieve cryptographically relevant quantum computation by 2030.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 11:23am

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A highly detailed 3D illustration of a glowing, reconfigurable array of atomic qubits, with neon cyan and magenta lights illuminating the intricate quantum hardware, conceptually representing the potential for rapid advances in fault-tolerant quantum computing.Oratomic's breakthrough research suggests utility-scale quantum computers capable of breaking modern encryption may be achievable sooner than expected, underscoring the urgency of transitioning to post-quantum cryptography.Pasadena Today

Oratomic, a new startup founded by leading experts in fault-tolerant quantum computing and neutral-atom technology, has launched with the goal of building utility-scale quantum computers by the end of the decade. The company's research, conducted in collaboration with scientists at Caltech, suggests that such quantum computers could be built with just 10,000 reconfigurable atomic qubits - far fewer than previous estimates of millions of qubits required. This breakthrough could significantly accelerate the timeline for practical quantum computing applications, including the ability to run Shor's algorithm and challenge current encryption methods.

Why it matters

The potential for Oratomic's quantum computers to achieve cryptographically relevant capabilities sooner than expected highlights the growing urgency for the transition to post-quantum cryptography. While exciting for the broad range of applications quantum computing could enable, these advances also put modern encryption methods at risk, emphasizing the need for global efforts to secure vulnerable systems.

The details

Oratomic's founding team includes experts from Caltech, Berkeley, Harvard, Amazon, Google, and other leading institutions in fields like fault-tolerant quantum computing, neutral-atom technology, error correction theory, AI, and optical engineering. The company's new research demonstrates that utility-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers can be built with just 10,000 reconfigurable atomic qubits, dramatically lowering the hardware threshold required for cryptographically relevant quantum computation compared to previous estimates. This breakthrough is enabled by a new approach using dynamically reconfigurable arrays of atomic qubits, which allows for more flexible connectivity and efficient quantum error correction.

  • Oratomic launched in March 2026.
  • The company's research was published in March 2026.

The players

Oratomic

A startup founded by pioneers of fault-tolerant quantum computing and neutral-atom technology, with the mission of building utility-scale quantum computers by the end of the decade.

Dolev Bluvstein

The CEO of Oratomic, who previously believed commercially useful quantum computing was still far away until the company's new research advances changed his mind.

Manuel Endres

An Oratomic co-founder who has worked on neutral-atom tweezer systems for over a decade and has already trapped arrays of 6,000 atomic qubits.

John Preskill

An Oratomic team member who has been working on fault-tolerant quantum computing for decades.

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

The institution where Oratomic collaborated with scientists on the research that led to the company's launch.

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What they’re saying

“Oratomic's founding team all previously believed that commercially useful quantum computing was far away. Our new research advances simultaneously changed all of our minds. We have assembled a team of top experts across neutral-atom quantum computing, error-correction theory, artificial intelligence, and optical engineering, and we are on a focused mission to build a utility-scale quantum computer.”

— Dolev Bluvstein, CEO, Oratomic

“It is plausible, although not guaranteed, that we will have a fault-tolerant quantum computer by the end of the decade. Although exciting and opening the door to a broad range of applications, such advances would also put modern cryptography at risk. Our results emphasize the importance of transitioning vulnerable cryptosystems to post-quantum encryption.”

— Dolev Bluvstein, CEO, Oratomic

What’s next

Global guidelines call for transitioning to post-quantum encryption by 2035, underscoring the urgency of Oratomic's work to develop utility-scale quantum computers capable of running Shor's algorithm and breaking current encryption methods.

The takeaway

Oratomic's breakthrough research suggests that the timeline for achieving cryptographically relevant quantum computing capabilities may be significantly accelerated, highlighting both the immense potential of neutral-atom quantum platforms and the critical need to prepare for the security implications of these advances.