Quantum Dice has received funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) thanks to their disruptive innovation: Q-TASTic, the world’s first probabilistic processor, integrating quantum photonic randomness with stochastic computing to unlock unparalleled efficiency in AI, optimisation, and scientific modelling.
Probabilistic algorithms, which use randomness to solve complex problems or model uncertainty in sectors such as machine learning, climate modelling, and genomic research, are currently bottlenecked by standard computers designed for deterministic logic. These computers must simulate randomness (pseudorandomness), a process that is slow and energy-intensive.
Quantum Dice solves this by creating a “probabilistic processor” that integrates true quantum randomness directly into the hardware, allowing these algorithms to run natively and efficiently.
Strata is proud to have supported Quantum Dice on this amazing journey. Congratulations to the Team!
When and why did you found the company? What was your main motivation?
Dr. Ramy Shelbaya, CEO and Co-founder of Quantum Dice, explained that the company was founded in an interesting and unusual way.
Ramy explained that, while completing his PhD at Oxford University, he entered a competition to transform university innovation into real business ideas. He met his co-founders at that same competition, who went on to win the inaugural prize together. In his words:
“From there, the company was founded. We took that initial idea, built a concept around it, and decided that this is something that we can take forward. And that’s how it all started”.
What are your most promising projects?
Ramy explained that the team is betting hard on the project for which they have won this EIC grant: probabilistic computing.
“We are very excited about this project, not just because of the interesting combination of physics, computer science and engineering that goes behind it, but also because of the wide applicability of the technology”
Over the last year, we discovered that the places where it can have an impact are so diverse and so numerous, that it is really exciting to work on it.
What are the most interesting opportunities in your industry?
Their specific industry is called probabilistic computing, but the broader industry is next-generation computing.
“How do we resolve the existing bottlenecks that we are coming up against in traditional CMOS-based computing applications that we currently all know and use (such as CPUs, GPUs, etc.). We are reaching the limit of what they can do. We haven’t reached that yet, but we are starting to see it.”
How do you envision the company in 5 years? And in 10 years?
“In five years, our goal is to have the first generation of our system being deployed en masse. Not in prototyping, but actually being deployed out there as a mass production system.”
“In 10 years, our goal is to have given the world the platform to enable probabilistic algorithms, whether that’s an optimization, or an AI. The idea then is that all of these new and interesting algorithms are based on quantified hardware.”.
Which challenges have you found since the company was founded, and what would you say has been the most difficult part?
Dr. Ramy comments that the biggest constant challenge is hiring people:
“Getting good talent is hard. It is a difficult task both when you’re getting junior people who are betting the start of their career on you, or your senior people who are betting the livelihood of their family on you. In both cases, it’s not an easy thing to do.
You have to figure out the best way to sell your vision, not just to your customers or investors; you have to get buy-in from the people who are going to build it with you.
Another challenge, of course, is managing timelines. This is a complex process with many steps, many different bits and pieces in the middle”.
How would you describe your experience with the EIC Accelerator?
The accelerator application process is daunting. It is not easy to approach: lots of questions, lots of nuances that you’re not really sure about, lots of “what are they expecting to hear here?” We know our technology, we know why it’s going to be good, we know why it’s going to be successful. But we don’t necessarily know how the committee will look at it. It’s a little bit more difficult than when you’re speaking to an investor, because with an investor, at least you get an idea by talking to them about what they want.
And of course, the timeline: it’s a long process. And how do you manage all of that, while still running a company?
Of course, if you win, it’s worth it. If you win, the ratio between the work put in versus the reward is good. But if you don’t win, you will still refine your story: you will learn where your story doesn’t land, and where it does. And so it is still worth it, even if you don’t necessarily win”.
What do you think about Strata services?
I wasn’t expecting the team to write the whole thing, because that is impossible.
Nobody will know what you’re doing better than you. Their role here is to help you frame it in the best way possible, not to come up with it for you. I think that’s only a piece of advice for anybody who comes in. They did help us get it into shape, and they did help us answer the right questions, and they kept us on track.
As startups, we can sometimes get drowned in different things that take our attention. A little bit more insistence or a little bit more project management can help, that’s something I really appreciate at Strata,”- concluded Dr. Ramy.
About the author of this post
Sara Gavidia
Marketing & Communications Manager
E-learning Specialist
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sara.gavidia@strata.team
Hello! I’m Sara 👋🏻 I’m the Lead content editor at Strata. We want to thank all our lovely clients for sharing their insightgul and inspiring stories with all of us. Feel free to explore and read all of them!
