CTO
Vincent is a quantum-physicist with a doctorate from the University of Copenhagen where his research focused on quantum-computational chemistry and theoretical quantum-optics at the Niels Bohr Institute under supervision of professor Anders Sørensen. Previously he completed his Masters at the University of Tokyo and Bachelors at Delft University of Technology. Vincent also worked as a researcher at Google, in the quantum-hardware team of John Martinis, where he focused on implementing quantum-computational chemistry simulations and quantum optimization strategies on current-day quantum-processors with three different superconducting qubit architectures. In his role as CTO of Qu & Co, Vincent leads our quantum-algorithm development activities and our implementations of such algorithms on the quantum-processors of our hardware partners.
CEO
Benno is a quantum-physicist from Delft University in the Netherlands, who graduated in 1998 on quantum-dot research in the quantum-transport group (now QuTech) under Leo Kouwenhoven (now Microsoft). Benno is also a serial entrepreneur, experienced boardroom consultant and as our CEO dedicated to translating emerging quantum-technologies into high-value industry-relevant solutions. Benno has over 15 years of business development, B2B commercial and investment experience and was an advisor to a multitude of technology businesses. He is the founder of a local Dutch strategy consulting boutique with 25 consultants and previously worked a.o. at the Boston Consulting Group, in risk management at ING Bank and in private equity at Alpinvest Partners. Benno holds an MBA cum laude from INSEAD in France.
Qu&Co is a partner of the Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab and we use Amazon Braket as part of our quantum software development programs. Amazon QSL engagements are collaborative research programs that allow Amazon’s corporate clients to work with leading experts in quantum computing, machine learning, and high-performance to identify quantum use-cases and implement novel quantum-algorithms. Amazon QSL partner Qu&Co is an expert in working with corporate clients to develop novel quantum-algorithms for quantum-chemistry and quantum-enhanced machine-learning. Qu&Co’s experience developing our novel algorithms for quantum machine learning and computational chemistry with the new Amazon Braket service has been very positive. Amazon Braket promises a solid integration between classical and quantum hardware, and gives us a hardware-agnostic development environment, classical simulators, and access to different quantum computers.
Qu&Co has a business and scientific collaboration with Schrödinger. Schrödinger’s industry-leading computational platform to accelerate drug discovery and materials design is deployed by leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, and electronics companies worldwide. Schrödinger has nearly 400 employees working from 10 offices around the world. By bringing together Qu&Co’s expertise in quantum-computing and Schrödinger’s deep knowledge and experience in applying quantum mechanics in real-world applications, the collaboration aims to advance the state of the art of quantum computing for quantum chemistry and material-science. The collaboration will also explore a hybrid computing framework that leverages the strengths of both quantum and conventional approaches to atomistic simulations.
Qu&Co is a member of the IBM Q Network, a global community of leading Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, startups, and national research labs that explores practical applications for quantum computing. Qu&Co and other members contribute to the accelerating field of quantum computing and can access IBM quantum computing hardware to run experiments and algorithms, as well as collaborate with IBM researchers and other organizations in the IBM Q Network. “IBM sees the next few years as the dawn of the commercial quantum era, a formative period when quantum computing technology and its early use cases develop rapidly. The IBM Q Network will serve as a vehicle to make quantum computing more accessible to businesses and organizations through access to the most advanced IBM Q systems and quantum ecosystem,” said Dario Gil, vice president of AI and IBM Q, IBM Research. “Working closely with our clients, together we can begin to explore the ways big and small quantum computing can address previously unsolvable problems applicable to industries such as financial services, automotive or chemistry. There will be a shared focus on discovering areas of quantum advantage that may lead to commercial, intellectual and societal benefit in the future.”
Qu&Co is a Rigetti QCS development partner. Rigetti Computing is one of the leading full-stack quantum-computing developers offering both hardware and software-development tools. Rigetti’s QCS platform serves as a single access-point to Rigetti's quantum-processors and quantum-simulators. As QCS development partner, Qu&Co is able to access QCS through a dedicated Quantum Machine Image (QMI), which is a virtualized programming and execution environment designed to develop and run quantum software applications. Qu&Co uses the QCS platform for developing quantum-applications and to distribute them to our clients and to the broader QCS community.
Qu&Co is a member of the Microsoft Quantum Network, a global community of organisations working closely with Microsoft to build practical applications and accelerate the adoption of quantum computing. Quantum Network startups also benefit from a partnership with Microsoft for Startups to help them grow their businesses, build innovative solutions, and connect to valuable expertise, research and other Microsoft resources. Microsoft is a full-stack quantum-computing developer offering both hardware and software-development tools. Microsoft develops quantum-processors based on topological qubit architectures, which promise to be more robust against outside interference.
Qu&Co is a network partner of the 5-HT Digital Hub in Germany. The 5-HT Digital Hub in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, founded by a.o. BASF and SAP, supports innovation in the field of digitization for the chemical and healthcare sectors. The Digital Hub initiative is a scheme operated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to support digital innovation in Germany by promoting cooperation amongst the network partners: startups, corporates and venture capitalists. Through this network, the hub aim to create „an ecosystem for digital innovation“ that allows various players to benefit from each other.
Qu&Co is a partner of the Quantum Delft ecosystem. Quantum Delft is a vibrant, innovative community where top-quality scientists, engineers, students and entrepreneurs work together on the frontier of quantum technology. It is located on the campus of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, home of QuTech (the Dutch national research center for quantum hardware) the Microsoft quantum-lab and leading quantum-hardware startups like Delft Circuits, QBlox, Single Quantum, Orange Quantum Systems and BlueFors. Quantum Delft provides innovative quantum businesses with access to top talent, a pool of 200 quantum-technology researchers, a strong start-up community and top-notch research facilities.
