About Strangeworks
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The story of how a serial entrepreneur's bet on quantum computing became the optimization company solving tomorrow's problems today.
The Beginning
Why quantum?
Our founder, whurley, had already built and sold companies to Goldman Sachs, Accenture, and others. Quantum computing might seem like a strange choice for a serial entrepreneur, but that's exactly why it made sense.
He saw it as the biggest revolution in computing coming. Not in five years. Not in ten. But coming, and someone needed to build the infrastructure for it. So he acquired quantumcomputing.com and launched the Superposition blog, interviewing the forefront leaders in the field and building community around what quantum could become.
Then he founded the IEEE Quantum Computing Standards Working Group, kicking off both the Standard for Quantum Technologies Definitions (P7130) and the Standard for Quantum Computing Performance Metrics & Performance Benchmarking (P7131).
This wasn't a research project. It was an entrepreneurial bet with eyes wide open about the timeframes, the challenges, and the potential.
Early 2018
Building the company
In early 2018, Strangeworks officially launched. The mission: figure out what actually works in quantum computing and build the software infrastructure for the future.
We assembled a world-class team approaching this entrepreneurially, not as a research lab. QuantumComputing.com grew to thousands of active users. We ran pilot projects with companies exploring quantum applications. We built tools, platforms, and partnerships.
And along the way, a pattern emerged: optimization was at the heart of so much business value.
The Discovery
Optimization unlocks everything
Quantum annealing turned out to be nearer-term than gate-based quantum computing. That insight inspired explorations into quantum-inspired optimizers: classical algorithms that borrow techniques from quantum mechanics. Combined with breakthroughs in AI and high-performance computing, we started seeing real results.
Not theoretical results. Not "someday" results. Results companies could use today.
Optimization wasn't just adjacent to our quantum work. It was the through-line connecting everything. From supply chains to workforce scheduling, energy grids to financial portfolios, optimization is how organizations turn complexity into competitive advantage.
Today
Perfectly positioned for the future
Let's be clear: we are a quantum company. We started as a quantum company, and we will always be a quantum company. We believe in it. We've bet our careers on it.
Today, we deliver measurable value to enterprises using quantum-inspired techniques, classical HPC, and AI breakthroughs. We're pragmatic about where quantum hardware is right now, but that pragmatism comes from deep expertise, not doubt.
We know what's coming. We understand the hardware roadmaps, the algorithm advances, and the timeline to practical quantum advantage. When that future arrives, we'll be ready, because we've been building toward it since the beginning.
That combination of true believers delivering value today while preparing for tomorrow is what makes Strangeworks unique.
THE NETWORK
Full of great people
Strangeworks is powered by brilliant people: engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and domain experts who have spent years deep in quantum computing, optimization, and advanced compute. Our founder speaks globally about quantum and the future of computing. We've built one of the biggest networks of quantum and optimization experts in the world.
Meet the Team
The people building the future of optimization and quantum computing.
Join Us
Explore opportunities to work on problems that matter.
Thought Leadership
Speaking, writing, and sharing what we've learned with the world.
Expert Syndicate
Our network of world-class experts in quantum and optimization.
We're here to solve the problems that matter.
With the best technology available today and the vision to know what's coming tomorrow.