Software Startup Launches Singapore’s First Commercial Quantum Computer

Singapore‑based software firm Horizon Quantum announced on Wednesday that it has become the first private company to operate a quantum computer for commercial use in Singapore. The milestone arrives as the start‑up prepares for a U.S. Nasdaq listing.

Founded in 2018 by quantum researcher Joe Fitzsimons, the company says the system is now fully operational. The machine integrates components from a range of quantum‑hardware suppliers, including Maybell Quantum, Quantum Machines and Rigetti Computing.

According to Horizon Quantum, the new computer also makes it the first pure‑play quantum‑software firm to own its own quantum processor – a strategic move intended to accelerate software development and reduce reliance on external hardware partners.

“Our focus is on helping developers start harnessing quantum computers to do real‑world work,” Fitzsimons, the CEO, told CNBC. “How do we take full advantage of these systems? How do we program them?”

Horizon Quantum builds the software tools and infrastructure needed to power applications for quantum‑computing systems. “Although we’re very much focused on the software side, it’s critical to understand how the stack works down to the physical level. That’s why we have a test‑bed now,” Fitzsimons added.

With the hardware in hand, Horizon plans to accelerate the development of quantum‑enabled solutions across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, finance, logistics and materials science. Quantum processors are designed to tackle problems that are intractable for classical machines by exploiting superposition, entanglement and quantum tunneling.

In drug discovery, for example, accurate simulation of molecular interactions can require exponential computational resources. A quantum computer could, in principle, evaluate many more configurations in parallel, shortening the lead time for candidate identification. In finance, the ability to run millions of Monte Carlo simulations instantaneously could transform portfolio‑risk assessment and option‑pricing models.

Industry insiders at leading technology firms estimate that practical, application‑ready quantum computing is roughly five years away. While the technology remains in a nascent stage, engineering challenges—from error‑correction to cryogenic cooling—continue to dominate research agendas.

Investment in quantum technology has surged. Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM and a host of venture‑backed start‑ups have collectively poured billions of dollars into hardware, software and talent. The U.S. government’s recent budget allocations also underline the strategic importance of quantum supremacy for national security and economic competitiveness.

Investor sentiment received another boost in June when Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang described quantum computing as approaching an “inflection point,” suggesting that commercial use cases could materialize sooner than many analysts anticipated.

Horizon Quantum’s announcement precedes a merger with dMY Squared Technology Group Inc., a special‑purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The definitive business‑combination agreement, disclosed in September, values Horizon at roughly $503 million and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, delivering a Nasdaq listing under the ticker “HQ.”

The move also aligns with Singapore’s broader ambition to become a regional quantum hub. The city‑state began its quantum journey in 2007 with the establishment of its first research center and has since rolled out a National Quantum Strategy (NQS) that earmarks S$300 million over five years for ecosystem development, including the fabrication of locally designed quantum processors.

Prior to Horizon’s deployment, Singapore operated a single quantum computer used primarily for academic research. U.S.‑based Quantinuum has announced plans to install an additional commercial system in 2026, intensifying competition for talent and market share in the Asia‑Pacific region.

From a business perspective, owning an on‑premise quantum processor gives Horizon a distinct advantage: it can iterate software prototypes rapidly, certify performance in situ, and offer clients a tighter integration between algorithm and hardware. This vertical integration is likely to attract enterprise customers that value data‑security and low‑latency access—attributes that cloud‑based quantum services sometimes struggle to guarantee.

Analysts anticipate that the global quantum‑computing market could exceed $30 billion by 2035, driven by a combination of government funding, corporate R&D spend, and emerging revenue streams from quantum‑as‑a‑service platforms. Horizon Quantum’s dual‑play—software expertise coupled with proprietary hardware—positions the company to capture a meaningful slice of this growth, provided it can navigate the technical hurdles of error mitigation and scale‑up.