Peter Sarlin launches Qutwo to bridge AI and quantum computing

Eighteen months after selling Silo AI to chipmaker AMD for $665 million, Finnish entrepreneur Peter Sarlin has left his role as CEO of AMD Silo AI. Sarlin is launching Qutwo, serving as chairman alongside his other new venture, the physical AI lab NestAI. Fully funded by Sarlin’s family office, PostScriptum, Qutwo describes itself as an AI lab for the quantum era. From the outset, the startup has focused on commercial viability, securing large design partnerships—commercial agreements where a vendor co-develops products with enterprise customers—valued in the tens of millions of dollars.

The startup is developing Qutwo OS, an orchestration layer designed to help enterprises shift workloads from classical to quantum environments. The venture is built on the premise that AI is hitting an efficiency wall that quantum computing may eventually help solve. Rather than waiting for quantum hardware to mature, Qutwo OS is designed to be flexible, supporting both quantum and non-quantum algorithms and chips. This allows companies to make use of hybrid computing and quantum-inspired methods—which simulate quantum behavior on classical hardware—to solve business problems today. “We’re building for the quantum world, but Qutwo is an AI company,” said founder Peter Sarlin, noting that the company aims to push AI workloads from classical to quantum systems.

To bridge the quantum-AI divide, Qutwo has built a team of over 30 quantum and AI scientists. The startup’s roster includes IQM co-founder Kuan Yen Tan, board member Antti Vasara (who also chairs the Finnish semiconductor startup SemiQon), and Kaj-Mikael Björk, a former Silo AI co-founder. Pekka Lundmark, the former CEO of Nokia, has also joined Qutwo’s board. Sarlin himself has deep ties to the sector, having previously invested in Finnish quantum companies IQM and QMill through PostScriptum.

Qutwo is already working with European enterprise customers to deploy its technology. The startup is collaborating with Zalando to develop lifestyle agents, which are AI tools designed to go beyond search to proactively suggest products and experiences. Additionally, Qutwo has launched a joint quantum AI research initiative with OP Pohjola, a Finnish financial services provider.

Why it matters

Qutwo is building an orchestration layer, Qutwo OS, designed to help enterprises transition from classical to quantum computing by utilizing hybrid computing and quantum-inspired methods that are viable today.