German Kipu Quantum has acquired the German quantum computing platform PlanQK, built and commercialised by Anaqor AG. The 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 PlanQK platform with a growing quantum ecosystem of more than 100 organizations connects quantum players across sectors, serving users from leading companies such as BASF, DB Systel GmbH, T-LABS and TRUMPF. They aim to accrue more users across pharmaceuticals, chemicals, logistics and finance.

It is the first open community-powered platform and ecosystem for quantum applications, connecting developers, industrial users, researchers, and quantum hardware providers with a platform for the integration, deployment, development, and monetization of quantum services. 

Kipu Quantum is a German company that deploys algorithms based on compression technology that requires orders of magnitude less quantum processor resources to solve a given problem.

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.”

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

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.”

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.”