Dutch facility boosts Riverlane's European expansion

The move establishes the company’s first dedicated European hub for QEC research and development at the House of Quantum.

Professor Terhal joins Professors Earl Campbell and Dan Browne as one of Riverlane’s Fellows, a select group of world-leading scientists who help guide and achieve the key milestones on the company’s roadmap.The Fellows play a central role in advancing foundational QEC science and shaping Riverlane’s long-term research direction.

Steve Brierley, CEO & Founder of Riverlane said: “Professor Terhal’s appointment marks our critical expansion into Delft and signals Riverlane’s deepening commitment to Europe’s quantum ecosystem. Delft is an extraordinary centre of research and collaboration and Barbara’s leadership will help strengthen the bridge between science and industry in quantum error correction. 

“She is one of the world’s leading theorists in quantum error correction, whose research on quantum codes and fault-tolerant architectures has defined much of the field. As QEC moves rapidly from research to practical implementation, her insight will be invaluable in guiding our scientific direction and helping us achieve our mission to master quantum error correction and unlock a new age of human progress.”

The House of Quantum is a key centre in Europe’s rapidly growing quantum technology ecosystem and Riverlane’s Delft hub will focus on applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to advance quantum error correction. 

The team will develop AI-based decoders and tools to strengthen Riverlane’s real-time QEC technology, Deltaflow, and its open-source software platform, Deltakit, driving progress toward utility-scale quantum computing.

Professor Terhal said: “To reach utility-scale quantum systems we must overcome the central challenge of quantum error correction. Riverlane is a leading player with the expertise and focus to turn QEC from theory into technology, and I’m excited to help strengthen that bridge from Europe. 

“Delft has long been a leader in experimental quantum research and this new hub will create a European centre of gravity for error correction and support the development of new AI tools that can accelerate progress in this critical field.”

“Quantum error correction is the key to unlocking large-scale quantum computers, and our work in Delft will focus on making it faster, smarter and more efficient,” noted Neil Gillespie, VP of Applied Research at Riverlane. 

"By applying AI across Riverlane’s QEC technologies, we can push the limits of performance in Deltaflow and expand the capabilities of Deltakit. Barbara’s expertise in foundational QEC theory will help ensure this work is grounded in world-class science.”

Over the coming years, House of Quantum will serve as a hub for Riverlane’s research and team growth, reinforcing the company’s commitment to mastering QEC and deepening collaboration across Europe’s quantum community. 

Already a valued partner of leading Dutch companies including Qblox, Quantware and Orange Quantum Systems, the establishment of a permanent presence in Delft will strengthen these partnerships and help position Europe at the forefront of the global quantum computing industry.

Founded in 2016, Riverlane has its global headquarters in Cambridge, UK and its US headquarters in Boston. The company has raised over $120 million in private funding to date, including an $85m Series C in 2024.