en.Wedoany.com Reported - Aqarios Quantum Technologies AG has officially begun trading on the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange following its merger with special purpose acquisition company Fonterelli SPAC 4 AG, making it the first publicly listed pure quantum computing company in Germany.
The Munich-based quantum software developer announced that the listing aims to raise additional capital and enhance brand awareness for expanding its software platform and broadening commercial applications in the industrial sector. Founded in 2021 as a spin-off from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich), Aqarios specializes in quantum optimization software, helping enterprises tackle computationally intensive challenges in areas such as supply chain management, energy systems, manufacturing, and financial portfolio optimization.
CEO Michael Lachner stated that the timing of the listing coincides with a critical phase where quantum computing is transitioning from research to industrial application. In a company blog post, he noted that quantum computing will determine industrial competitiveness in the coming years, and they aim to keep this value creation within Germany and Europe. Lachner said that becoming Germany's first publicly listed quantum software company allows investors to access this future technology as conveniently as industrial clients. Through its product Luna, the company has demonstrated that quantum computing is relevant to current enterprise needs, being hardware-agnostic, application-driven, and scalable.
Aqarios' flagship product Luna is a software platform that enables enterprises to develop and run quantum-enabled optimization applications without requiring expertise in quantum computing. Luna is not tied to any specific quantum computer but instead automatically selects the most suitable classical and quantum computing resources across multiple hardware vendors for each problem.
This hardware-agnostic design reflects a general trend in the quantum software industry. As quantum hardware remains in a phase of coexistence among multiple technological approaches—including superconducting, ion trap, neutral atom, and photonic systems—many enterprise software companies are developing platforms that do not rely on a single quantum processor. According to Aqarios, Luna integrates classical and quantum computing resources to determine which parts of a problem are best suited for each computing paradigm. The platform has already been deployed in commercial environments and won the Quantum Effects Award 2025 in the quantum computing software and algorithms category. Since its inception, Aqarios has established partnerships with several major German industrial enterprises, including BASF, E.ON, and MTU Aero Engines. These collaborations primarily focus on applying quantum optimization techniques to business problems where traditional computing methods are cost-prohibitive.
The company is also involved in the QuCUN (Quantum Computing User Network) research consortium, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space, with members including SAP, BASF, and LMU Munich, aiming to build an open quantum computing ecosystem for industrial users. Beyond research collaborations, Aqarios revealed it is expanding commercial applications through partnerships such as quantum-assisted portfolio optimization with fintech company Divizend.
This public listing comes at a time of increasing investment activity in Europe's quantum technology sector, with both government and private capital ramping up investments in quantum computing research, software, and hardware development. While several publicly listed companies globally are involved in quantum technology, fewer are listed on European exchanges, and most combine quantum operations with broader technology businesses. The company's leadership team will continue to be led by Lachner. The Supervisory Board is chaired by Dr. Sebastian Kern, with Vice Chairman Dr. Sebastian Feld, a professor at TU Delft, and board member Dr. Thomas Gabor, a researcher at the University of Exeter. Aqarios stated that the funds and capital market access from the listing will support continued investment in its software platform, talent recruitment, and customer expansion to drive increased adoption of quantum computing in the industrial market.
