US quantum computer company chooses Copenhagen for global HQ
The world’s most powerful quantum computer is about to start construction in Innovation District Copenhagen. It is a so-called level 2 quantum computer, the price tag, 80 mio Euro, and its name will be Magne, for the Nordic god for strength. The company building the hardware is US-based Atom Computing, and they recently established an European headquarters in Innovation District Copenhagen. By Jes Andersen.
Ensuring a succesful quantum computer
Atom Computing uses so-called neutral atom technology, which is considered the most readily scale-able of available technologies. The company was launched in 2018 in Berkeley, California and later in Boulder, Colorado. At the time of writing (November 2025) they have close to 100 staff around the world and are still heavily expanding. The Danish staff is still only three, including the Director, but that too is about to change.
I have been hired to ensure, that the project stays on track, that the Danish quantum ecosystem is supported and expanded and to ensure, that Magne becomes a success with all its partners. By New Years we expect to have hired another two-to-three staff and by 2027 we will probably be around 15”: Jesper Kamp, Regional Director for Europe, Atom Computing.
A need for highly qualified staff
Part of the growth is made necessary by the fact that Magne will be assembled and maintained on site. Many of its components are made by European and Danish companies. For the team in Denmark to be able to contribute to the installation and maintain the system, the staff of Atom in Denmark need to be highly qualified.
Most likely all the new colleagues will have a Master or PhD degree. Thankfully it is relatively easy to attract high level talent to Copenhagen in general and Innovation District Copenhagen in particular”: Jesper Kamp, Regional Director for Europe, Atom Computing.
Keeping the Nordis at the forefront of Quantum development
Magne will be available for researchers from academia as well as commercial companies. With an 80 million Euro price tag, no one university or company in Denmark would likely have been able to buy it. Instead, it is a joint investment by the Innovation District Copenhagen-partners Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The two have the vision that access to an actual level 2 quantum computer rather than a simulator, will help the Danish and Nordic researchers and ecosystem develop skills and algorithms that will keep them at the forefront of quantum developments and hence keep Denmark and the Nordics a world class quantum ecosystem and contribute to create a strong future industry stronghold.
We start installing the computer in the summer of 2026 and expect to have the first use-cases on Magne in the beginning of 2027. We encourage research intensive companies to start building quantum teams today rather than tomorrow. As quantum computing evolves, it will most likely disrupt some industries you thought you had locked down”: Jesper Kamp, Regional Director for Europe, Atom Computing.
Capacity for disrupting multiple industries
Some of the quantum computers we will see in the next generation are expected to be useful for companies within energy, green transition, medicine, materials and the chemical industry. They could also disrupt banking and investment, telecommunications and logistics. This is just to name a few.
Vibrant quantum eco-system
In Copenhagen, Atom Computing joins a vibrant quantum eco-system. Their current offices are set in Quantum Denmark. A quantum-tech focused start-up community housed in the original buildings for the Niels Bohr Institute. Innovation District Copenhagen is also home to world-class academic resources and has strong political backing.