Bleichroeder SPAC Partner Pasqal Launches Italy's First Neutral-Atom Quantum Computer
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Paris-based Pasqal launched SOL, Italy's first neutral-atom quantum computer, at CINECA in Bologna. The system integrates a 140-qubit Orion QPU with the Leonardo pre-exascale EuroHPC supercomputer, marking a milestone in Europe's hybrid HPC-quantum infrastructure. This follows deployments in France and Germany. Additionally, Pasqal plans to go public via a SPAC merger with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. II in March 2026, valuing the company at $2.6 billion.
On Thursday, Paris-based Pasqal disclosed the launch of Europe's third Pasqal-built quantum computer, hosted at CINECA in Bologna, Italy.
The system, named SOL, is Italy's first neutral-atom quantum computer. It is based on Pasqal's Orion quantum processing unit (QPU) with 140 qubits.
Details
The system inauguration marked the rollout of new high-performance computing (HPC) and quantum systems procured by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking.
It is co-funded by Italy's Ministry of University and Research through ICSC (Italian Research Center on HPC, Big Data, and Quantum Computing), including the Pasqal-delivered platform.
This installation represents a significant milestone in Europe's development of integrated HPC and quantum infrastructure.
The system has been designed for tight integration with the Leonardo pre-exascale EuroHPC supercomputer—one of the world's most powerful HPC systems.
The launch strengthens Pasqal's expansion across Europe, following earlier deployments in France at CEA-TGCC and in Germany at FZJ-JSC under the EuroHPC JU HPCQS pilot program.
Collectively, these installations serve as the foundation of Europe's distributed hybrid HPC–quantum computing network, designed to support advanced research and enterprise use cases in areas such as materials science, optimization, and machine learning.
Pasqal Going Public Soon
In March 2026, Pasqal disclosed that it is merging with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. II (NASDAQ:BBCQ) in a SPAC deal.
The transaction values Pasqal at a pre-money equity of $2.0 billion and the combined company at a pro forma enterprise value of $2.6 billion.
Pasqal expects to garner over $600 million in gross proceeds from the deal. Post-closure, the company will operate as Pasqal and list on Nasdaq.
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