Australian quantum computing start-up Dirac has secured up to $300 million in funding from a U.S. government program aimed at advancing fault-tolerant quantum computers. Founded in 2022 as a spin-out from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Dirac has been selected for the final phase of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) quantum benchmarking program. The multi-stage initiative is assessing the feasibility of building an industrially viable quantum computer by 2033.

The final phase, known as Stage C, will provide Dirac with up to $300 million in funding, beginning with an initial tranche of $51 million. The company plans to deliver a utility-scale quantum computer by 2031, two years ahead of DARPA’s timeline, with applications including accelerating drug discovery and developing more efficient batteries.

Dirac’s founder, Andrew Dzurak, emphasized that participation in the U.S. program complements rather than replaces the company’s Australian roots. Australian taxpayers have contributed $20 million to Dirac through the National Reconstruction Fund. Dzurak highlighted Australia’s strong quantum computing talent and expressed confidence that the company can leverage opportunities in both countries, facilitated by close security ties between Australia and the United States.

Dirac’s technology builds on silicon-based quantum bits (qubits) using energy-efficient architectures derived from smartphone chip designs. This approach has enabled the company to integrate a higher number of qubits on a single chip compared to other quantum platforms. Dirac has demonstrated stable operation of an eight-qubit array and aims to scale to 150,000 qubits by 2029, ultimately reaching more than two million qubits on one chip by 2031.

The company has established a U.S. presence with headquarters in Palo Alto, and laboratories in Chicago and Albuquerque, alongside a technology hub in Los Angeles. It has also secured a $38 million Letter of Intent from the U.S. Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act to support domestic manufacturing of fault-tolerant silicon quantum computers.

Dzurak noted that Dirac’s compact and energy-efficient quantum systems are expected to be assembled in development centers in both Australia and the United States. Upcoming milestones include a series of technical demonstrations and system updates to validate critical components for a future utility-scale quantum computing platform. The program will also aid in expanding research infrastructure and testing environments to support advanced experimentation.

Scott McGregor, Dirac chairman and former Broadcom executive, highlighted that DARPA’s Stage C will rigorously assess the cost-effectiveness and manufacturability of quantum computers—key factors that will determine industry leaders in what he described as a race paralleling the evolution of the semiconductor sector.