Singapore-based RAQS Quantum is positioning itself as a bridge between the quantum and enterprise worlds. On the hardware front, RAQS believes that quantum-inspired solutions, rather than pure quantum technologies, are a good way to gently introduce enterprises to what quantum can do. On the services front, RAQS helps quantum companies commercialize and enter new markets, while training enterprise professionals in quantum computing. Through its activities, the company has developed an understanding of the requirements and motivations that lead organizations in Asia-Pacific (APAC) to adopt quantum technologies.
On the sidelines of ATxEnterprise in Singapore, we spoke with Raghunath Koduvayur, CEO of RAQS Quantum, where he spoke about what quantum-inspired means, why the company is focusing on both hardware and services, the APAC appetite for quantum, and how the region can position itself as a force within the global quantum ecosystem.
Quantum-inspired solutions: A step towards pure quantum technologies
RAQS Quantum was established in 2025 by Koduvayur, who was formerly at quantum computing company IQM, along with Professor Rainer Dumke of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Professor Dario Poletti of the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The goal of the company has been to develop quantum-inspired algorithms, and, ultimately, a quantum-inspired edge chip, while providing commercial services in order to raise the revenue needed to fund hardware-software development.
Explained Koduvayur, “We are a quantum-inspired technology company, so we build quantum inspired algorithms. And based on that we are trying to see if we can also develop a chip, which is a quantum-inspired edge processor. The hardware part is still at a very early stage. That’s an idea which we are building on, and it has big potential because nobody else is doing it on that front. With the quantum-inspired algorithms, we work on different optimization problems, and so on, at this point.”
On the hardware front, RAQS believes that the edge is where it can carve out a niche. Rather than introducing another conventional edge processor, RAQS argues that a quantum-inspired chip could be capable of performing powerful, low-latency computation directly on the device itself. Such a platform could eventually support workloads such as small language models (SLMs) while also exploiting quantum-inspired techniques for significant data compression. In some use cases, the company believes these methods could reduce data volumes by as much as 70–80%, lowering bandwidth requirements and enabling more efficient on-device processing. The combination of local computation and data compression has the potential to reduce operating costs, improve privacy and create substantial value for customers.
One reason for taking a quantum-inspired approach, said Koduvayur, is to introduce enterprises to quantum computing in a gradual manner, especially given the heavy focus on AI today.
He said, “We are building the bridge between AI and quantum, which can use the power of AI, but it can also use some of the power of quantum. At this point, you cannot do much with quantum algorithms, and most enterprises are not willing to invest in it. But if we have a bridge in between, then we can already say that with quantum-inspired, we can already deliver some results today. Some ROI can be shown today. It is a step up over classical, it is one step closer to quantum, and that is how it should be looked at.”
Why quantum companies should start engaging with enterprises today
From the very outset, RAQS made the decision to begin commercialising as soon as possible. The company offers a slew of services, from consulting to holding introductory courses on quantum computing. The reason for this, said Koduvayur, is his conviction that quantum companies should sustain themselves through revenue generated from commercialisation rather than by relying solely on investors or government grants. Such a commercial mindset, observed Koduvayur, is lacking among most quantum companies today.
He said, “People like me, we come from the commercial side.
My first question is always, how are we going to commercialize it? And I’ve been asked, why do we need to commercialize it now? And then I say, how do we make money? And then they say, we’ll get the next public grant, or we will get the next funding from investors. And I say no, that’s not the way. We need to start commercializing right from day one. That’s been my mindset.”
Koduvayur went on to warn that neglecting to engage potential customers could jeopardize the quantum industry, simply because enterprises will not be sufficiently educated about quantum computing to adopt it when it becomes a reality. He cited technologies such blockchain as illustrative examples.
“If you don’t educate the industry today, if you don’t get the enterprises today, then quantum would remain a bubble. And in my time in technology, we have seen many technologies which have not gone mainstream. Blockchain is one. VR is another technology – people thought that every AI application would be VR, and it didn’t go through that stage. 3D printing was another. Quantum should not get into that bucket. Quantum should get into the bucket where smartphones were, apps were, cloud was.”
APAC’s potential in quantum adoption
When asked whether the APAC market is mature enough for quantum technologies, Koduvayur drew a clear distinction between the markets building quantum technologies, and those that may potentially adopt them. He identified Singapore, Japan and South Korea as leaders in quantum development, but pointed out that the rest of APAC has traditionally been very quick to embrace new technologies .
He said, “In quantum research, these three markets are undoubtedly leading, and if you add Australia in the region, these four markets are clear winners in quantum research and scientific breakthroughs. But with enterprise adoption, we should look at just the recent history. Be it cloud adoption, be it smartphone applications – Asia Pacific has always been a very, very strong adopter of technologies.”
Koduvayur emphasised that the success of enterprise adoption, especially in APAC, requires a staggered approach with clear ROIs.
Enterprises cannot invest into a five year horizon, but you can break it down for them, and you can say, I can show you some results in the next 12 months’ time or six months’ time.”
“For example, I can give you a Center of Excellence in quantum, plus some business results, which you can take to your board and to your management team. If you can break it down into these pieces, they do invest. Once you show them that a technology works, or once you show them how they can present it to their bosses with a business case, they all adopt it. And that’s what we are seeing at this point”.
Koduvayur also pointed out that the region provides fertile ground for quantum use cases such as optimization, especially in areas such as finance, maritime, logistics, agriculture, and airports.
“The opportunities with quantum are in optimization problems, simulation problems, machine learning problems. For that, what do you need? You need data. If you look at airports, Changi Airport and the Middle Eastern airports are some of the busiest. The kind of data, the kind of optimization opportunity that you have, is insane. The Singapore port is one of the busiest in the world. Asia gives you opportunity with this kind of data.”
APAC and the geopolitics of quantum
Over the past few years, technology has become increasingly intertwined with geopolitics, a trend which has not eluded the quantum industry. Surrounding the quantum industry, like that of other technologies, are issues such as tech sovereignty and the risks of dual-use technologies.
Commenting on historical trends, Koduvayur said he is optimistic that the quantum industry will be able to navigate such challenges.
“Any dual-use technology has always had this argument, and we, as humans, manage to navigate it reasonably well. Are countries protective? They are. It’s the same with drone technology, it’s the same with other technologies, such as self-driving cars. So, there have been many arguments around the same thing — even tech sovereignty of on-premise versus the cloud. It was always the case. So, we will find a way.”
The greater concern, said Koduvayur, is the risk of a widening digital divide, where decades of investment by Western countries could leave much of Asia behind in the quantum race. To prevent this from happening, he suggested that countries in Asia begin working on ancillary areas that can make themselves indispensable to the global quantum economy.
Will we see another digital divide like we have seen with the silicon race? That the West will go so far, far ahead of the East that there are many markets that are left behind, and we just become the back office?”
“That, I think, is the scarier part, and when I talk to governments in Asia, I tell them that it’s not too late to start on quantum today. Although processor development is scientific and there’s a lot of R&D required, there’s a lot of things that have to happen around that processor — with electronics, with cabling, with engineering, with software. Hopefully, the eastern part of the world can wake up to that opportunity and start creating ecosystems around these ancillary areas.”
Koduvayur concluded by expressing his hope that countries in APAC will adopt a more collaborative approach to quantum development, taking a cue from the European Union by prioritising regional cooperation over competition. By doing so, he argued, APAC might have a fair chance of becoming globally competitive.
“I think Asia Pacific can come together, follow the EU model, maybe on the quantum side of it. That’s my wish list. Is it close to reality? Maybe not, but ideally that would be the case, instead of Thailand competing with Indonesia, competing with India, competing with Singapore. If we can bring all of these countries together, saying this is our opportunity to go forward with quantum, maybe it would be a fair race, but at this point I don’t see it happening.”
