Qilimanjaro Backs Analog Quantum Tech to Deliver Scalable Hybrid Systems
A Barcelona-based quantum pioneer believes today’s real-world impact will come from analog systems embedded in supercomputing centers
Quantum computing has become one of Europe’s most strategically vital frontiers—but its real-world promise may not lie where most expect. Instead of chasing digital universality, one Barcelona firm is betting on analog systems as the key to solving urgent industrial and scientific problems.
At the heart of this approach is a belief that hybrid quantum-classical systems, tailored for specific applications and embedded within high-performance computing (HPC) centers, offer the fastest route to practical results. Analog quantum computers, unlike their digital counterparts, can bypass some of today’s toughest hardware limitations and operate with significantly fewer error correction demands.
“We think that before you run, you need to walk,” said Marta P. Estarellas, Chief Executive of Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech. “And what we all should be starting to do is to prove this quantum advantage for real-world applications.”
This article explores a bold vision for Europe’s quantum future that embraces hybrid architectures. In this model, analog quantum systems are an accessible and efficient complement to classical and digital quantum technologies. They provide a practical stepping stone toward demonstrable quantum advantage, especially for application-specific challenges in chemistry, artificial intelligence, and materials science.
From Chemist to Quantum Architect
Initially trained in chemistry, Estarellas turned to quantum computing after seeing firsthand the computational limits of classical approaches in drug development.
Believing that quantum logic is essential to describe quantum systems in nature, she now leads a team that designs quantum computers from the hardware up.
Rather than pursuing only digital quantum systems, Qilimanjaro has committed to analog computing. These systems sidestep many immediate bottlenecks plaguing digital qubit platforms, such as high error rates and the need for large, fault-tolerant chips. The analog approach allows for a different type of computation that is less demanding regarding control and coherence.
“We develop analog quantum computers because analog can bypass, up to certain levels, the demanding needs of error correction,” Estarellas explained during a presentation in London. “We don’t need those large chips. We don’t need these error correction protocols. We are doing computing, quantum computing, differently.”
Qilimanjaro focuses on superconducting chips using fluxonium qubits, which were chosen for their enhanced coherence times. Longer coherence enables quantum states to persist long enough to complete meaningful computations, critical to achieving quantum advantage in practical settings.
Building Infrastructure for Hybrid Computing
Estarellas shared these insights during her address at Commercializing Quantum Global 2025 in London on May 13, 2025. The event gathered leading voices in the industry to explore the commercial applications of quantum technology and its integration into traditional computing frameworks.
In contrast to digital platforms aiming for universality, Qilimanjaro prioritizes application-specific quantum systems. This strategic decision reflects a broader belief in hybrid computing environments, where analog quantum systems can integrate directly with classical HPC infrastructures.
The company has already deployed two digital quantum systems at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and is now working to install a third, analog-based processor.
All are integrated with MareNostrum 5, one of the world's top-ranked supercomputers. These deployments exemplify a model in which analog quantum computers are not siloed in specialist labs but embedded into existing data ecosystems.
Qilimanjaro is also building its quantum data center in Barcelona to further this agenda. The facility will provide researchers, engineers, and industry specialists with continuous access to operational quantum systems. The company updates hardware and software in real time, engaging users in co-development processes that prioritize usability and relevance.
“Quantum is hard to understand, and programming quantum computers takes some learning,” Estarellas noted. “What we are doing is to ensure that this will be a widespread technology in the future, completely and truly democratized to everyone. We will walk users towards understanding how to do it.”
Reimagining AI Through Quantum Systems
Among Qilimanjaro’s most forward-leaning initiatives is the development of AI applications native to quantum hardware. Rather than attempting to replicate classical machine learning models, the company is building new architectures that leverage the distinctive strengths of analog quantum computation.
These models, based on techniques like quantum reservoirs and extreme learning machines, are designed to process data more efficiently.
“We might not find ways of doing it faster,” Estarellas said, “but we do find ways that potentially can compress the resources that you need to do so.”
Such advances could help address one of the most pressing challenges in AI development: sustainability. As large language models and other tools demand more energy and computing power, quantum-based methods may offer a path to reduce the carbon and infrastructure footprint of next-generation AI.
Preparing for Industrial Use Cases
Qilimanjaro’s vision for democratizing quantum computing extends beyond access. It also includes educational and exploratory services that help organizations become quantum-ready. These engagements help clients understand whether and how quantum methods could benefit their optimization, simulation, or data-processing problems.
“We help them migrate the ideas that they might have into something that will be able to run on a quantum computer,” Estarellas explained. “Even if it’s not now—maybe it’s going to be in five years, maybe ten years—they will be quantum ready.”
Sectors showing strong interest include logistics, energy, cybersecurity, aeronautics, health, and telecommunications. The company is collaborating with CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) on particle physics simulations and with research centers on many-body physics and condensed matter problems.
This hands-on approach, grounded in scientific rigor, has earned Qilimanjaro a reputation for resisting hype. Instead of speculative claims about quantum supremacy, it emphasizes a stepwise, collaborative progression.
“Quantum computing will change the world,” Estarellas said. “It will go step by step.”
Toward a Sustainable Quantum Future
Qilimanjaro's roadmap includes broader partnerships with national HPC networks and further expansion of its quantum-as-a-service offerings.
The ultimate goal is to integrate analog quantum machines seamlessly into digital workflows, giving industries and academic institutions the tools to explore, test, and ultimately operationalize quantum solutions.
With an ethos rooted in cross-disciplinary innovation and user-centered development, this approach offers a compelling blueprint for Europe’s quantum ambitions.
By focusing on the practical, the participatory, and the hybrid, the company is helping lay the groundwork for a computing future that is as accessible as it is powerful.
It is a reminder that quantum innovation doesn’t have to wait for perfection. Sometimes, the most disruptive technologies begin not with grand pronouncements but with working prototypes, open access, and a willingness to walk before running.
