What is /q99, the Argentine company that promises to revolutionize computing in Latin America?

Published in Fortuna

With an estimated investment of over $100 million for the next five years in the region, the company founded by Facundo Díaz seeks to lead the global convergence between quantum computing and AI.

Technology continues to challenge the future, and artificial intelligence, already incorporated into the routine of Argentines with tools such as ChatGPT, is just the tip of the iceberg. Behind the scenes, there is another paradigm shift advancing by leaps and bounds: Quantum Computing, which promises an even more radical revolution in people's lives to make things that until recently seemed utopian a reality.

Although it is not very well known, the idea of this technology emerged in 1981. This new paradigm is based on the principles of quantum mechanics—the part of physics that studies atomic and subatomic particles—and has the potential to overcome the limitations of classical computing and address complex problems exponentially faster.

It is estimated that with this new technology, many fields could be revolutionized, such as medicine, chemistry, materials science, and artificial intelligence. It even opens new doors in areas such as the simulation of complex quantum systems. This potential is particularly revealed in the efficient resolution of large number factorization problems, a crucial task for cryptography.

Unlike classical computing, which uses bits to represent information in the form of 0s and 1s, quantum computing uses qubits (quantum bits), which can represent 0, 1, or both states simultaneously thanks to the principle of quantum superposition.

What is a qubit?

Quantum computing uses the qubit as the basic unit of information instead of the conventional bit. The main characteristic of this alternative system is that it allows for the coherent superposition of ones and zeroes, the digits of the binary system upon which all computing revolves, unlike the bit, which can only adopt one value at a time—one or zero.

This particularity of quantum technology means that a qubit can be zero and one at the same time, and also in different proportions. The multiplicity of states allows a quantum computer of just 30 qubits, for example, to perform 10 trillion floating-point operations per second, that is, some 5.8 trillion more than the most powerful PlayStation on the market.

/q99, the first quantum computing company in Argentina.

/q99 is the startup created by the Argentine Facundo Díaz, who managed to bring together an interdisciplinary team of scientists and technology professionals to promote the creation of an ecosystem that enhances the development of these technologies in Latin America.

The company is already venturing into key fields with high-impact projects: from transforming companies and businesses through the hyper-personalization of products and prices, eradicating diseases through advances in medicine, and innovating in sustainability through the development of hyper-efficient value chains and supplies with a positive impact on the environment. In the financial area, they are developing automated investment portfolio models, capable of optimizing returns, minimizing risks.

"Latin America joined the AI revolution late, a technology that dates back to 1950, but it can still be a leader in Quantum Computing. At /q99, we seek to develop a research and collaboration ecosystem to fully leverage the possibilities offered by this convergence of AI, Machine Learning, and quantum computing. We seek, support, and incubate projects. With more than 30 patents in development, our focus aims to drive innovation and develop talent in the region through partnerships with companies and universities to lead the next technological revolution," states Facundo Díaz, CEO of /q99.

Díaz comments: "Most companies waste more than 90% of their data, using management software that only generates predefined results. In the era of AI, and especially when combined with quantum computing, this approach becomes obsolete." He continues explaining: "Our first development is an engine that captures and synchronizes huge amounts of internal and external data with AI models and quantum computational power. Once trained, these systems can manage any business process faster, more efficiently, and more sophisticatedly than the best current market softwares."

With projected investments of over $100 million in the next five years and agreements with global leaders in quantum computing, this young startup is already shaping up to be a key player in the technological and economic advancement of the region.