Singapore quantum startup AQSolotl has opened a Johor Bahru office for developing and commercializing quantum-computing control hardware, extending technology spun out of Singapore’s research ecosystem into Malaysia.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia says AQSolotl is the first quantum computing hardware company operating in the country. Its base at UTM Technovation Park puts the startup alongside Malaysian engineering talent while keeping it close to Singapore, where its CHRONOS-Q controller is already being piloted at national and university quantum hubs.
AQSolotl brings quantum control hardware to Johor
AQSolotl said in a Sept. 29 LinkedIn update that it recently held a soft opening for the office. The company did not give an exact opening date, investment figure, staffing level or production target.
UTM said in its announcement of the Johor operation that AQSolotl had established research, development and commercialization operations at the park. The university said the company will work on quantum computer controllers in Johor Bahru.
AQSolotl builds controllers rather than quantum processors. Its flagship CHRONOS-Q links conventional computers with quantum systems, generating and reading the signals used to control qubits. That classical layer is also central to hybrid systems; Japan’s RIKEN is pairing quantum research with a GPU-heavy HPC layer through its ROQUO supercomputer.
Nanyang Technological University said CHRONOS-Q has been piloted at Singapore’s National Quantum Computing Hub and NTU’s Nanyang Quantum Hub. AQSolotl was spun out in late 2024 from technology developed at NTU and the National University of Singapore by researchers affiliated with the Centre for Quantum Technologies.
AQSolotl co-founder and CTO Dr. Yap Yung Szen is also a UTM senior lecturer. UTM says its quantum work began through Japanese collaborations in 2009 and expanded to Singapore in 2018.
Johor links Malaysia to Singapore’s quantum ecosystem
Johor gives AQSolotl access to UTM’s research and talent pipeline while remaining close to Singapore’s established quantum programs. The state is also drawing major digital infrastructure investment, including rapid data-center expansion near Singapore.
UTM said the operation will offer industrial internships to engineering and physics students, giving them direct exposure to quantum hardware development and commercialization.
Malaysia is also exploring a proposed National Quantum & AI Center of Excellence. MOSTI said an Aug. 17 discussion with IBM Asia Pacific covered talent, R&D, infrastructure and potential use cases, although no operating center has been announced or linked to AQSolotl.
Enterprises are meanwhile testing quantum-inspired software on existing GPU and HPC infrastructure as fault-tolerant quantum computing continues to mature.
UTM’s announcement did not name customers tied to the Johor operation or disclose production capacity or support terms. The new office adds a commercial quantum-control hardware operation to Malaysia’s emerging quantum ecosystem, connected to Singapore’s established research network and positioned to expand regional access to technology used to operate quantum processors.
Read more: The US Department of Energy is offering up to $215 million through Quantum Genesis Q, a competition aimed at fault-tolerant systems with at least 100 logical qubits.