RhymeQ, a quantum computing software startup based in Karlsruhe, Germany, and Zürich, Switzerland, has raised $2.2 million in pre-seed funding to make quantum computing more accessible to software developers worldwide. The funding round was led by Ground State Ventures, with participation from Vanagon Ventures, Plug and Play, and Freiraum Ventures.
The company has developed Rhyme, a programming abstraction layer designed to enable software developers with basic Python knowledge to create applications for quantum computers without requiring specialized expertise in quantum physics. The technology aims to address one of the major challenges facing the quantum computing industry: the limited number of developers capable of building and debugging quantum applications.
Quantum computing has the potential to support advanced computational applications across industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and manufacturing. However, developing software for quantum hardware typically requires extensive knowledge of quantum algorithms, circuits, and specialized programming frameworks.
RhymeQ addresses these challenges by allowing developers to write code using familiar programming conventions while its compiler technology translates that code into instructions compatible with quantum computing systems.
The platform also supports multiple quantum processors, reducing dependence on individual hardware providers and enabling developers to build applications that can operate across different quantum computing architectures.
RhymeQ was founded in 2026 by CEO Daniel Volz, CTO Tamás Varga, and COO Christina Wu. Volz previously led quantum computing initiatives at McKinsey and BASF and co-founded Kipu Quantum, a startup focused on quantum computing solutions.
Varga, who invented the Rhyme programming technology, brings more than 15 years of software engineering experience from Swiss Re and UBS. The founding team’s combined expertise spans quantum computing, enterprise software development, and commercial technology applications.
The new financing will support the expansion of RhymeQ’s engineering team, further development of its enterprise software platform, and the establishment of a global community of developers using Rhyme.
The company also plans to establish partnerships with quantum hardware manufacturers to integrate their existing software libraries with its programming environment. These integrations are intended to improve compatibility and simplify application development across different quantum computing platforms.
RhymeQ officially emerged from stealth on October 22, 2026, at NVIDIA GTC Berlin, where Volz introduced Rhyme during the NVIDIA Inception startup pitch session.
The company is a member of NVIDIA Inception, a program supporting technology startups. Rhyme’s compiler integrates directly with NVIDIA CUDA-Q, an open-source platform for developing quantum computing applications.
Through this integration, developers can use the same Rhyme code on GPU-accelerated quantum simulators and physical quantum processors from multiple hardware providers. This capability is designed to simplify testing, debugging, and deployment as quantum computing technology continues to develop.
The company has also begun providing free access to its Rhyme compiler and developer community for the first participants on its waitlist. Additional developers are expected to receive invitations over the coming weeks as the platform’s initial rollout expands.
By removing some of the specialized programming requirements associated with quantum computing, RhymeQ aims to broaden the pool of developers capable of building practical quantum applications and accelerate enterprise adoption of emerging quantum technologies.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are on a mission to make quantum computers programmable by every developer on the planet. While vibe coding is taking over the classical programming world, the situation is not so simple in the quantum world. Quantum circuits can only be debugged by PhD-level physicists. With Rhyme, any programmer can both develop and debug production-ready code to run on quantum computers at enterprise level.”
Daniel Volz, Founder And CEO Of RhymeQ
“While the gap between quantum algorithms and hardware is closing fast, we keep hearing ‘who cares if no one knows how to use them’. This is the gap RhymeQ is closing. And there’s no one who understands this better than Daniel Volz, who’s seen both sides of the equation, whether it was implementing quantum for chemistry at BASF or providing quantum solutions at Kipu Quantum.”
Kris Kaczmarek, Partner At Ground State Ventures
