memQ
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What memQ does
memQ is a Chicago-based private company founded in 2021 as a spin-out from the University of Chicago, focused on enabling distributed quantum computing through a full-stack quantum networking platform branded xQNA (extensible Quantum Network Architecture). The company develops chip-scale hardware components including Quantum Network Interface Controllers (QNIC) for matter-to-light qubit conversion, Quantum Memory Modules (QMM) using erbium-doped TiO2 on commercial foundry silicon photonics, and Quantum Control Systems (QCS) photonic integrated circuits for switching, routing, and modulation across distributed quantum nodes. The architecture is qubit-modality agnostic, supporting interconnection of superconducting, trapped ion, neutral atom, and photonic quantum processors across optical networks, and is compatible with 300mm foundry wafer production and telecom C-band infrastructure.
The software layer is anchored by xDQC (Extensible Distributed Quantum Compiler), built on the NVIDIA CUDA-Q platform, which orchestrates workload distribution across networked quantum processing units using GPU-accelerated simulation. memQ monetizes through a combination of government R&D contracts (DARPA HARQ, NASA Phase I STTR, Office of Naval Research, Air Force Research Laboratory CRADA), future hardware sales to quantum computing companies and research institutions, and a planned open-source release of xDQC in June 2026. Customer base is heavily weighted toward U.S. federal agencies and defense research entities, with emerging interest from commercial quantum computing vendors such as Atom Computing.
The company employs 1-10 staff and has raised approximately $12.55 million to date, with a $10 million Series A closed in March 2026 co-led by Quantonation and Ocean Azul Partners. memQ holds a peer-reviewed publication portfolio across Physical Review Applied, Nano Letters, and Applied Physics Reviews, has been recognized by the White House OSTP and QED-C/NIST, and counts David Awschalom (founding director of Chicago Quantum Exchange and Q-NEXT) on its advisory board.
memQ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- memQ
- Legal name
- memQ Inc
- Website
- https://memq.tech
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
memQ industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Quantum Networking Hardware
- NAICS
- Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413), Electronic Connector Manufacturing (334417), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Quantum Transceivers, Modems & Photonic Interfaces (HDAGAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Quantum Hardware Abstraction Layers & Backend Interfaces (HDAGACAH), Modular & Networked QPU Systems (Multi-QPU Architectures) (HDAGAAAI), Quantum Job Scheduling, Queuing & Resource Management (HDAGAIAE)
Keywords
Where memQ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
memQ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Quantum Networking Hardware Sales: Sale of quantum networking components including QNICs, QMMs, and QCS to quantum computing companies, research institutions, and government agencies. Products are chip-scale solutions using commercial foundry processes for scalable production.
- Government R&D Contracts: Research and development contracts with government agencies including DARPA HARQ program, NASA Phase I STTR, and Office of Naval Research awards for specific quantum networking technology development.
- Software Licensing (xDQC): Extensible Distributed Quantum Compiler software expected to be released as open-source with preview in H1 2026. May generate licensing revenue through enterprise support or premium features.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
memQ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
memQ develops and sells the xQNA (extensible Quantum Network Architecture) portfolio of photonic integrated circuit hardware and software that enables distributed quantum computing by connecting heterogeneous quantum processors over optical networks. Hardware components include Quantum Network Interface Controllers (QNICs), Quantum Memory Modules (QMMs), and Quantum Control Systems (QCS) built on commercial foundry silicon photonics with erbium-doped TiO2 materials. The software layer, xDQC (Extensible Distributed Quantum Compiler), orchestrates quantum workload distribution across networked processors using GPU-accelerated simulation.
Product overview
memQ offers the xQNA (extensible Quantum Network Architecture) portfolio, a unified platform combining both hardware and software products for quantum networking. The hardware portfolio includes QNIC (Quantum Network Interface Controllers) for matter-to-light qubit conversion, QMM (Quantum Memory Modules) providing stable rare-earth-based quantum memories on foundry silicon photonics, and QCS (Quantum Control Systems) as photonics integrated circuits for network orchestration. The software layer comprises xDQC (Extensible Distributed Quantum Compiler), built on NVIDIA CUDA-Q, which distributes workloads across networked quantum processors. Together, these products enable modular, heterogeneous quantum computing architectures where different quantum systems can connect without collapsing quantum states, addressing the scale-out limitations of monolithic quantum processors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- xQNA: Extensible Quantum Network Architecture - the company's portfolio of quantum networking components including quantum network interface controllers, quantum memory modules, and quantum control systems
- xDQC
Products and services
- QNIC (Quantum Network Interface Controller) Hardware photonic component that enables extraction of qubits from quantum processing units (QPUs) in the form of photons, accomplishing matter-to-light conversion so that qubits can traverse optical networks without collapsing quantum state. Provides qubit-agnostic connectivity for various quantum computer types (superconducting, trapped ion, neutral atom, photonic) to join a quantum network. Built using commercial foundry silicon photonics processes on 300mm wafers.
- QMM (Quantum Memory Modules) Hardware modules that provide the ability to hold and act upon qubits in stable memory state across the network, addressing distance, timing, noise, and workflow requirements. Built with erbium-doped TiO2 on commercial foundry silicon photonics, achieving 64μs optical coherence time and 27kHz spectral diffusion over 4ms, with telecom C-band compatibility. Enables centralized entanglement operations and quantum state buffering.
- QCS (Quantum Control System) Photonic integrated circuit that orchestrates switching, routing, modulation, and control of quantum channels across distributed quantum networks with atomic precision. Provides laser pulsing, AOM/EOM functionality, qubit source pairing, and Stark memory control to enable entanglement at virtually any distance. Includes cryogenic operation capability for quantum applications.
- xDQC (Extensible Distributed Quantum Compiler) Software orchestration layer built on the NVIDIA CUDA-Q platform that distributes quantum workloads across multiple quantum processing units in a network. Treats QPU-to-QPU links as first-class optimizable components, uses GPU-accelerated simulation for workload profiling and routing optimization, and enables circuit partitioning across heterogeneous quantum processors. Aims to reduce resource demands by a factor of 1,000x for heterogeneous quantum computing. Preview scheduled for H1 2026 with full open-source release planned for June 2026.
Quantifiable outcome
- Potential 1,000x reduction in resource demands for heterogeneous quantum computing through hardware- and network-aware compiler optimization
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use memQ
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
memQ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
memQ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- qBraidcorememQ leads a multi-organization team including qBraid on DARPA's HARQ program to develop heterogeneous quantum compiler. qBraid was founded to democratize quantum computing and this partnership aligns with their mission to drive innovation and adoption across government and industry.
- MIT (Researchers)coreResearchers from MIT are part of the multi-organization team working with memQ on DARPA HARQ program to develop hardware- and network-aware quantum compiler for heterogeneous quantum processors.
- Yale University (Researchers)coreResearchers from Yale University collaborate with memQ on DARPA HARQ program, bringing expertise in quantum error correction and logical-level interfaces between qubit platforms.
- University of Chicago (Researchers)coreUniversity of Chicago researchers, including Professor Liang Jiang, collaborate on HARQ program. Professor David Awschalom also serves on memQ's advisory board. MemQ originated as a UChicago spin-out.
- Atom ComputingstrategicAtom Computing CEO Dr. Ben Bloom expressed interest in collaborating with memQ on photonic integrated control circuits that are key enablers for scaling quantum computers. Both companies focus on utility-scale networked quantum systems.
- NVIDIAcorememQ's xDQC (Extensible Distributed Quantum Compiler) is built on the NVIDIA CUDA-Q platform. CUDA-Q provides GPU-accelerated simulation backends enabling benchmarking of partitioned circuits at scale. Open-source release planned for June 2026.
- Professor David AwschalomstrategicProfessor David Awschalom, globally recognized pioneer in quantum science and founding director of Chicago Quantum Exchange and Q-NEXT, joined memQ's advisory board. He serves as distinguished professor at UChicago and senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory.
- AIM PhotonicscoreAmerican Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics provides shared foundry facility at NY CREATES' NanoTech Complex in Albany, NY where memQ's 300mm wafer tapeout was performed under CRADA with Air Force Research Lab.
- Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)coreAFRL partnered with memQ under CRADA to perform 300mm wafer tapeout demonstrating integration of quantum technologies with proven semiconductor manufacturing processes for reliable production at scale.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
memQ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aliro Quantum: Aliro builds quantum networking software and simulation platforms for entanglement-based networks, the same distributed quantum computing problem memQ addresses with hardware. Both target multi-node quantum networks with the goal of enabling resource sharing and entanglement distribution across heterogeneous quantum systems.
- Quantum Bridge: Quantum Bridge develops quantum networking hardware including quantum repeaters and photonic interconnects for connecting quantum computers. Like memQ, it targets heterogeneous quantum networking using semiconductor-integrated photonics, making it a direct hardware competitor in the quantum networking space.
- LuxQuanta: LuxQuanta builds continuous-variable quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum networking hardware for telecom carriers and enterprises. While focused on QKD security use cases rather than distributed computing, both companies pursue photonic quantum networking infrastructure using integrated photonics.
- Qunnect: Qunnect develops quantum memory hardware using rubidium atoms and photonic interconnects for entanglement distribution, directly comparable to memQ's QMM quantum memory modules. Both target metropolitan-scale quantum network testbeds and telecom-compatible wavelengths.
Broad incumbents
- IBM Quantum: IBM operates the IBM Quantum Network — a multi-node, multi-modality quantum networking initiative across its quantum cloud platform. While IBM is also a potential customer for memQ's QNIC technology, its internal networking efforts position it as a broad incumbent defining the same problem space memQ targets.
- Cisco (Outshift): Cisco's Outshift incubator has launched quantum networking and quantum security initiatives including quantum data center interconnect efforts. As a major networking equipment incumbent, Cisco represents both a potential partner and a competitor in commercializing quantum networking infrastructure.
- PsiQuantum: PsiQuantum is building photonic, fault-tolerant quantum computers at utility scale, with explicit networking across modular QPU arrays. Its all-photonic approach overlaps with memQ's photonic networking thesis, though PsiQuantum is vertically integrated rather than a pure networking supplier.
Emerging players
- qBraid: qBraid is a quantum software platform providing development environments, SDKs, and access to multiple quantum hardware backends. As memQ's co-team member on DARPA's HARQ program, qBraid addresses adjacent developer tooling and orchestration challenges for distributed quantum workloads.
- Classiq: Classiq provides quantum software development platforms focused on high-level circuit synthesis and compilation, complementary to memQ's xDQC distributed compiler. Both target the workflow layer above quantum hardware, though Classiq focuses on circuit design rather than cross-QPU orchestration.
Others
- AIM Photonics: AIM Photonics is the US integrated photonics foundry where memQ performed its 300mm wafer tapeout through the AFRL CRADA. It is an enabler and partner rather than a competitor, providing the manufacturing infrastructure that memQ's foundry-compatible strategy depends on.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
memQ social profiles
Digital presencememQ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
memQ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
memQ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
memQ M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about memQ
What does memQ do?
memQ develops and sells the xQNA (extensible Quantum Network Architecture) portfolio of photonic integrated circuit hardware and software that enables distributed quantum computing by connecting heterogeneous quantum processors over optical networks. Hardware components include Quantum Network Interface Controllers (QNICs), Quantum Memory Modules (QMMs), and Quantum Control Systems (QCS) built on commercial foundry silicon photonics with erbium-doped TiO2 materials. The software layer, xDQC (Extensible Distributed Quantum Compiler), orchestrates quantum workload distribution across networked processors using GPU-accelerated simulation.
Is memQ a public or private company?
memQ is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was memQ founded?
memQ was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is memQ based?
memQ is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does memQ make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Quantum Networking Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are government R&D Contracts and software Licensing (xDQC).
Who are memQ's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aliro Quantum, Quantum Bridge, LuxQuanta and Qunnect. Broad incumbents are IBM Quantum, Cisco (Outshift) and PsiQuantum. Emerging players are qBraid and Classiq. AIM Photonics is listed as an others.
Does memQ have an API?
No public API is recorded for memQ.
What industry is memQ in?
memQ's product category is Quantum Networking Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAGAFAE, Quantum Transceivers, Modems & Photonic Interfaces, with a secondary code of HDAGACAH, Quantum Hardware Abstraction Layers & Backend Interfaces. Its NAICS code is 334413 and its SIC code is 3576.