Kipu Quantum Acquires PlanQK to Accelerate Development of Industrially Relevant Quantum Solutions

Insider Brief

• Kipu Quantum announced the acquisition of PlanQK, the German quantum computing platform successfully built and commercialized by Anaqor AG.
• Key members of the PlanQK team of experts have already joined Kipu Quantum.
• This move follows Kipu Quantum’s successful €11.4 million second closing of the seed funding round.

PRESS RELEASE — Kipu Quantum, the worldwide leading quantum software company, announced today the strategic acquisition of PlanQK, the German quantum computing platform successfully built and commercialized by Anaqor AG. Along with its platform, key members of its team of experts joined Kipu Quantum to lead the way in making useful quantum computing accessible to organizations of all sizes, including industrial, academic, and governmental ones.

This move follows Kipu Quantum’s successful €11.4 million second closing of the seed funding round led by HV Capital and DTCF in late 2023.

The well-established and industry-recognized PlanQK platform with a constantly growing quantum ecosystem of more than 100 organizations enhances accessibility to quantum computing across various sectors, serving a broad range of users from leading companies such as BASF, DB Systel GmbH, T-LABS and TRUMPF. 

The acquisition will drastically accelerate the commercialization of Kipu’s application- and hardware-specific algorithms, as services through the PlanQK platform, enabling frictionless access for organizations to integrate quantum solutions into their existing processes.

Combining their strengths, Kipu Quantum and the PlanQK team are set to greatly enhance quantum computing accessibility across various industries, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, logistics and finance, accelerating these sectors towards achieving quantum advantage.

Strategic Integration for Accelerated Growth

Kipu Quantum’s CEO, Daniel Volz, stated, “Kipu Quantum’s massively compressed algorithms enable the use of today’s quantum processors across multiple industries to solve industrially sized problems, without waiting a decade for massive quantum computers. Our work with customers such as BASF, DLR, and MasOrange has demonstrated that this is feasible. Making our world-leading algorithm services accessible through the PlanQK platform will make our capabilities available to a much wider audience.”

Michael Falkenthal, lead architect of the PlanQK platform stated, “By merging our deep technical expertise and strengths with Kipu Quantum, we aim to deliver unparalleled value and accelerate access to quantum computing capabilities sooner than anticipated. PlanQK will remain an open, community-driven platform, enhanced by our partnerships and research initiatives to support all quantum innovators. Together, we will facilitate seamless integration of quantum solutions into existing organizational processes, significantly broadening the reach and application of advanced quantum technologies.”

Enrique Solano, co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Kipu Quantum emphasized, ”We are delighted to welcome the elite team of PlanQK, bolstering our capabilities. We share the mission to achieve a first demonstration of quantum advantage. We appreciate the unique qualities and talents our new colleagues bring to achieve this mission by 2026. Together, we are here to make history and make useful quantum computing as soon as possible.”

Era of Useful Quantum Computing

Alexandra Beckstein, CEO and co-founder of QAI Ventures, whose Swiss-based accelerator program KIPU graduated in 2023, commented, “We highly appreciate the strategic move in acquiring the PlanQK platform. This confirms Kipu’s commitment to the era of useful quantum computing and positions the company as a frontrunner. Their innovative methods will enhance the ability to deliver high-impact quantum solutions and drive significant advancements in complex real-life computational processes. We will continue to support their journey towards business-relevant quantum computing.”