A London start-up that uses quantum computers to make music, games and other creative tools, with its Atlas platform for people with no physics background.
Moth is a London quantum computing start-up that works on creative uses, such as music, games and art, rather than finance or drug discovery. It says it aims to make quantum computing accessible to businesses and consumers. Its platform, Atlas, offers ready-made creative tools that the software turns into quantum circuits and runs on real quantum processors from other companies, including IBM and IQM. Moth does not own quantum hardware; it builds the software layer that sits on top. Earlier products include a quantum-inspired synthesiser used by musicians and a game called Space Moths.
Moth was founded in 2022. Reports name Ilyas Khan, the founder of Cambridge Quantum (which became part of Quantinuum), as co-founder and chairman, and Harry Kumar as co-founder and chief creative officer. James Wootton, formerly of IBM Quantum, joined as chief scientific officer in September 2024. The sources disagree on some job titles and on who was chief executive at different dates, so check Moth's own site. Mr Kumar has said the company was founded to unlock real computational power in cultural and creative sectors, and his view is that artists are the antenna for humanity.
In the UK, Moth is a London company; the launch of Atlas included a public weekend hackathon in a Soho basement. A Quantum Insider report from April 2026 describes it as a UK-based quantum technology company that is opening an office in the United States, while one 2025 report says it also has a presence in Basel, Switzerland, where it plans its own quantum computer. We did not find the size of the UK team.
Moth's culture is described as artist-led, with an in-house group called Moth Studios working with artists to test quantum technology in creative settings. The company's own line is that playfulness is the strategy because people need exposure before understanding. Dr Wootton created Cat/Box/Scissors in 2017, described as the first game for a quantum computer, and runs quantum game jams. These are the company's and its leaders' own descriptions rather than something we have checked.
The kinds of roles in a company like this include quantum software developers, researchers in quantum algorithms, game and audio developers, product designers, community and events staff, and business development. Computing, maths, physics and creative-technology skills all fit. Moth's website and its Atlas hackathons are the best places to see what the team is building now.
Website: www.mothquantum.com
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