Insider Brief
- European AI and quantum entrepreneurs, led by Peter Sarlin after the $655 million sale of Silo AI, have launched Qutwo to help companies prepare for a future transition from classical to quantum computing, according to Handelsblatt.
- Qutwo is developing AI-driven software to simulate how existing enterprise workloads could move toward quantum systems as timelines for quantum advantage remain uncertain.
- The company was incubated within PostScriptum, reflecting a broader effort to translate advances in computing power into practical tools for industrial users rather than relying on near-term quantum hardware deployment.
After a $655 million exit, the founder of a leading European AI company is launching a new startup to help businesses prepare for the possible arrival of quantum computing.
Peter Sarlin, founder of Silo AI, has joined forces with figures from Europe’s quantum sector to launch Qutwo, a company focused on software that simulates how classical computing workloads could move toward quantum systems, according to reporting by Handelsblatt.
Qutwo is backed by entrepreneurs who have already shaped Europe’s AI and quantum ecosystems. Joining Sarlin, a well-known figure in artificial intelligence, is Kuan Yen Tan, a co-founder of the German-Finnish quantum computing company IQM. Speaking to Handelsblatt, Sarlin framed Qutwo as an AI-focused company designed specifically for a world in which quantum computing becomes practical.
The company was incubated with PostScriptum, the Helsinki-based AI venture builder founded by Sarlin to foster European technological sovereignty.
The launch comes as large technology companies and governments increasingly talk about “quantum advantage,” the point at which quantum computers can solve certain problems better than classical machines. Most quantum companies are aiming at the end of the decade for the commercial quantum era, a time when quantum computers can perform certain tasks more efficiently than their classical counterparts.
That’s important because for many companies, particularly in sectors such as chemicals, energy, and materials science, the issue is not whether quantum computing will matter, but how abruptly it might arrive. Quantum computers are expected to offer advantages in modeling complex molecules, simulating materials and solving optimization problems that strain today’s machines. If those capabilities become available suddenly, firms that have not prepared could find themselves at a disadvantage.
Handelsblatt, considered one of Germany’s leading business and financial newspapers, reports that major German corporations are already exploring ways to ready themselves for this shift. The challenge is that most enterprises do not yet know which of their calculations might benefit from quantum methods, or how a transition would affect existing IT processes. Qutwo aims to address that gap by providing operational software that simulates how workloads could move from classical computing toward what Sarlin described as full quantum advantage.
From CPUs to GPUs — And Beyond
Sarlin draws parallels between the current quantum discussion and the evolution of artificial intelligence over the past decade. In AI, the real transformation did not come from new algorithms alone, but from access to vastly more efficient computing power. Traditional central processing units were gradually replaced by graphics processing units, or GPUs, which are better suited to the parallel calculations required by modern AI systems.
As AI demand grew, companies poured billions of dollars into building GPU-based data centers. Those investments now help create tools that can generate text, images and software code in seconds — tasks that once required significant human effort. Sarlin said that the lesson is that computing infrastructure and software adaptation matter as much as breakthroughs in theory.
Quantum computing could represent the next major shift in computing power, Sarlin told the financial newspaper. Even before large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum machines exist, companies will need ways to experiment, plan, and redesign workflows. Qutwo’s strategy is to use AI-driven software to model quantum behavior and help organizations understand how future systems might fit into their operations.
Lessons From the AI Boom
Sarlin founded Silo AI in 2017, well before generative AI tools captured public attention. The company grew alongside the broader AI market and was acquired in 2024 by the U.S. chipmaker AMD for $665 million.
Sarlin does not expect a transition to quantum to happen overnight disruption. Instead, he suggests it is likely to be a gradual shift, in which classical and quantum systems coexist for years. During that period, hybrid approaches — combining traditional computers, AI and early quantum devices — are expected to dominate.
Qutwo positions itself in that in-between phase. Rather than waiting for powerful quantum hardware to become widely available, the company is betting that enterprises will pay now to understand what quantum computing could mean for them later. By simulating quantum workloads and mapping potential transitions, Qutwo hopes to reduce uncertainty and lower the risk of being caught unprepared.
Sovereignty is also critical for the founders. Qutwo’s leaders see their company as part of a wider effort to ensure that Europe’s industrial base is not left reacting to quantum advances made elsewhere.
