Ground State Ventures led a $2.2 million pre-seed funding round for RhymeQ, a startup aiming to broaden access to quantum computing for software developers. RhymeQ has created Rhyme, a new system that allows programmers familiar with Python to code for quantum computers, handling the complex translation through its compilers, the company says.
“We are on a mission to make quantum computers programmable by every developer on the planet,” says RhymeQ founder and CEO Daniel Volz. The company intends to use these funds to expand its engineering team and build a platform for enterprise-level quantum code development.
RhymeQ Secures $2.2M Seed Funding for Quantum Accessibility
Ground State Ventures spearheaded a $2.2 million pre-seed round, with participation from Vanagon Ventures, Plug and Play and Freiraum Ventures. This financial injection will directly fuel expansion of RhymeQ’s engineering team and the development of its enterprise-level Rhyme platform, designed to bridge the gap between quantum hardware and software accessibility. RhymeQ intends to support a global community of developers proficient in using the Rhyme system while simultaneously forging partnerships with quantum hardware companies to integrate existing software libraries.
The core innovation driving RhymeQ is Rhyme itself, a new abstraction layer enabling developers with foundational Python skills to program quantum computers without requiring a doctorate in quantum physics, according to the company. This approach contrasts sharply with current quantum coding demands, where debugging typically necessitates specialized expertise. “With Rhyme, any programmer can both develop and debug production-ready code to run on quantum computers at enterprise level,” said RhymeQ founder and CEO Daniel Volz.
The system’s compatibility across multiple quantum processors also eliminates hardware lock-in, offering flexibility for developers and organizations. RhymeQ’s launch at NVIDIA GTC Berlin highlights its integration with the NVIDIA CUDA-Q platform, allowing compiled code to run on both GPU-accelerated quantum simulators and actual quantum processors from various hardware providers. This strategic alignment positions RhymeQ within a growing ecosystem of quantum computing tools and infrastructure. The company is also a member of NVIDIA Inception, NVIDIA’s startup program, further solidifying its connection to a leading technology innovator.
Currently, the first developers on the RhymeQ waitlist have gained free access to the Rhyme compiler and the associated developer community, with additional invitations being issued in the coming weeks. Developers interested in joining the RhymeQ community can register for the waitlist at www.rhymeq.com, signaling the company’s intent to build a broad base of users for its novel quantum programming solution.
The impetus behind RhymeQ stems from a recognized bottleneck in the quantum computing field. The availability of algorithms is outpacing the ability of developers to use them. “While the gap between quantum algorithms and hardware is closing fast, we keep hearing ‘who cares if no one knows how to use them’,” explains Kris Kaczmarek, Partner at Ground State Ventures.
“This is the gap RhymeQ is closing.” Kaczmarek emphasizes the unique perspective of Daniel Volz, who brings experience from both implementing quantum solutions at BASF and developing quantum technologies at Kipu Quantum, emphasising his understanding of the challenges on both sides of the equation. Volz co-founded RhymeQ in 2026 with CTO Tamás Varga and COO Christina Wu, building on Varga’s fifteen years of software engineering experience at Swiss Re and UBS. RhymeQ is based in Karlsruhe, Germany and Zürich, Switzerland.
While the gap between quantum algorithms and hardware is closing fast, we keep hearing ‘who cares if no one knows how to use them’. This is the gap RhymeQ is closing.
Kris Kaczmarek, Partner at Ground State Ventures
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