Startup Prepares Enterprises for Quantum Computing Era

Eighteen months after selling his startup to chipmaker AMD for $665 million, Finnish entrepreneur Peter Sarlin has stepped down as CEO of the unit, now known as AMD Silo AI. He now serves as chairman for two new ventures: the physical AI lab NestAI, and QuTwo, an AI startup focused on helping businesses prepare for the quantum computing era.

Currently funded entirely by Sarlin's family office, PostScriptum, QuTwo describes itself as "an AI lab for the quantum era." Rather than waiting for quantum computing to mature, it is already collaborating with enterprise clients—including European fashion retailer Zalando. Together, they are developing what the companies call "lifestyle agents": AI tools designed to go beyond simple product search and proactively recommend products and experiences.

QuTwo operates on the premise that AI is approaching an efficiency barrier that quantum computing may eventually help overcome. However, the company isn't betting on when that will happen, Sarlin told TechCrunch. Instead, the startup is building QuTwo OS as an orchestration layer that enables companies to transition from classical to quantum computing, utilizing hybrid computing solutions along the way.

Sarlin has invested in Finnish quantum firms IQM and QMill through PostScriptum. He is among a growing number of investors who believe quantum computing will eventually outperform classical computers across a wide range of industrial applications while reducing AI's energy consumption. Yet he also believes initial use cases will require mixed hardware environments, and that enterprises would prefer to focus on their core business challenges while QuTwo OS handles the technical routing.

In this context, the potential advantage of so-called "quantum-inspired" computing is its immediate viability. It uses classical hardware to simulate quantum behavior, bypassing the current limitations of quantum hardware. Meanwhile, QuTwo OS is designed for flexibility, supporting both quantum and non-quantum algorithms and chips.

QuTwo's team brings expertise from both sides of the quantum-AI divide. On the quantum side, it includes IQM co-founder Kuan Yen Tan and board member Antti Vasara, who also chairs SemiQon, a Finnish semiconductor startup focused on quantum chips. The enterprise side is represented by Sarlin himself and Kaj-Mikael Björk, a former co-founder at Silo AI. Pekka Lundmark, the former CEO of Finnish telecom giant Nokia, has also joined QuTwo's board.

Across both domains, the team comprises over 30 quantum and AI scientists. Sarlin is clear about the company's position: "We're building for the quantum world, but QuTwo is an AI company." This means QuTwo is focused on "transitioning AI workloads from classical to quantum computing."

Consequently, its potential customer base is broad. Beyond Zalando, QuTwo has launched a joint quantum AI research initiative with OP Pohjola, a major Finnish financial services provider.

From the start, QuTwo has been commercially driven and already has "large design partnerships valued in the tens of millions," Sarlin said. These partnerships—where the vendor co-develops its product alongside enterprise customers—allow QuTwo to learn client expectations while building its platform. They also represent a strategic bet by enterprises seeking an early advantage for when quantum computing becomes mainstream.