Qunova Computing

About Qunova Computing

Qunova Computing, established in January 2021 by Professor June-Koo Kevin Rhee of KAIST, is a South Korean leader in quantum software. The company specializes in developing high-performance quantum algorithms and software, primarily targeting quantum chemistry, materials science, and drug discovery, with applications extending to fintech, logistics optimization, and industrial engineering sectors. Qunova operates on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, licensing its proprietary algorithms through an API and a dedicated software platform to industrial and academic clients, aiming to accelerate R&D cycles and reduce time-to-market. Its core technology is the Handover Iteration Variational Quantum Eigensolver (HI-VQE) algorithm, a hardware-agnostic, hybrid classical-quantum solution designed for Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) computers. The HI-VQE algorithm combines classical and quantum processing to enhance accuracy and speed while minimizing resource demands, demonstrating a thousand-fold efficiency increase for complex quantum chemistry problems at chemical accuracy, and has been tested with up to 68 qubits. The algorithm's performance is validated by its inclusion in IBM's Qiskit Functions Catalog and availability on the AWS Marketplace. Following a successful pre-Series A round, Qunova secured $10 million in a Series A round in August 2025 from investors including Korea Development Bank, GS Ventures, and Company K Partners, earmarked for expanding its development team and accelerating quantum advantage for industrial partners. The company was also recognized as an 'IP-Value Strong SME' by the Korea Technology Finance Corporation in late 2023.