Ex-Silo AI CEO Peter Sarlin’s New Lab Hits $380M Valuation Without VC Cash

Peter Sarlin, the veteran behind AMD’s $665 million Silo AI acquisition, has pulled off an unusual feat: his new venture, QuTwo, is now valued at €325 million ($380 million) after raising a €25 million angel round — and he did it without taking a dime of venture capital.

QuTwo isn’t betting exclusively on quantum computing, despite the name. Its flagship product, QuTwo OS, acts as a smart dispatcher, routing computing tasks across classical chips, quantum processors, or hybrid setups. The practical pitch: most enterprises don’t need pure quantum power yet, but they can benefit from “quantum-inspired” algorithms that run on today’s reliable hardware.

The company is already generating revenue. Design partnerships with Zalando and others have locked in about $23 million in committed business, mainly around AI assistants. “AI is our north star,” Sarlin told TechCrunch. “Quantum is just another compute resource.”

Sarlin deliberately kept the round small and angel-only, drawing investors like Yuri Milner, Xavier Niel, and former F1 champion Nico Rosberg. He saw no reason to chase billion-dollar mega-rounds, even as European AI labs like Ineffable Intelligence raise nine-figure sums. “I could have turned Silo into Europe’s OpenAI with more money,” he said. “I didn’t believe in that play.”

With a five- to ten-year roadmap, QuTwo has hired 50 quantum and AI scientists and expanded into Sweden. The bet is that Europe’s push for sovereign tech will create tailwinds for homegrown AI — especially in sectors like automotive, life sciences, and gaming, where the region already excels.

Source: TechCrunch