Classiq, QAI sign partnership to launch Korea's 1st quantum cloud service

QAI CEO Im Se-man, left, and Classiq Head of Asia-Pacific Akira Tanaka formalize a new partnership agreement during a signing ceremony. Courtesy of Classiq

Classiq Technologies, an Israeli quantum software firm, and Korean data center operator QAI have signed a multiyear agreement to launch the country’s first locally operated "Quantum-as-a-Service" platform. The cloud-based model will allow Korean businesses to rent quantum computing power instead of building expensive, proprietary hardware.

The deal pairs Classiq's software platform, which converts high-level program designs into code that can run on different types of quantum computers, with QAI's domestic data center infrastructure.

The companies said the combination will let Korean companies, government agencies and researchers test and run quantum computing applications without deep technical hardware expertise.

QAI will operate the service under its own brand and handle sales and customer support in Korea, while Classiq will provide technical backing, the companies said.

They also plan to address data sovereignty and security requirements sought by Korean public institutions, and to pursue joint marketing and engineer training programs.

"Quantum computing will not flourish through hardware access alone," Classiq co-founder and CEO Nir Minerbi said in a statement, adding that accessible software is needed for enterprises and institutions to apply quantum computing practically.

QAI CEO Im Se-man said the partnership "combines a global quantum computing software platform with QAI's infrastructure and commercialization capabilities" to build a quantum cloud service tailored to the Korean market.

Classiq's platform holds SOC 2 accreditation, a security compliance standard commonly required by corporate and government clients handling sensitive data.

The company has raised more than $200 million from investors including SoftBank, AMD and Samsung NEXT.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.