Classiq and Hatch complete quantum chemistry PoC on AWS in Singapore
Classiq and Hatch have completed a quantum-classical proof-of-concept for computational chemistry, executed on Amazon Web Services infrastructure and the AWS Braket quantum execution service. The project, conducted under Hatch's Dimension X open innovation programme for the Singapore Home Team, demonstrated a workflow for estimating molecular binding energy, a step used in identifying how small molecules interact with protein targets.
The pipeline combined parallelised Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, run on Amazon EC2 for classical high-performance computing, with a variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) handled through Classiq's software platform. A fragment-environment embedding technique was used to isolate the chemically active region of a protein-ligand complex, reducing systems of up to 100 atoms to active spaces of roughly 10 to 14 spatial orbitals. This kept the quantum problem tractable while preserving the surrounding protein environment's electronic influence. The workflow estimated binding energy by computing energies of the full complex, the binding pocket and the ligand separately, then combining those results.
Classiq's platform allowed researchers to specify the problem at a high level, including the fermionic Hamiltonian, electron counts and ansatz type, and automatically synthesised optimised quantum circuits without requiring manual gate-level programming. The pipeline was validated on benchmark systems before extension to more complex molecular settings.
"Quantum computing delivers value when it is connected to real workflows, real infrastructure and real operational needs," said Nir Minerbi, co-founder and CEO of Classiq. "This project shows how Singapore's innovation ecosystem and Classiq's high-level quantum software can come together on AWS to advance practical quantum chemistry experimentation."
Singapore's quantum ambitions
The project sits within a broader national strategy. Singapore's National Quantum Strategy, coordinated by the National Quantum Office with backing from the National Research Foundation, is designed to develop quantum research capabilities and enterprise partnerships across the city-state. Hatch, the innovation centre of the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), provides structured access for deep-tech companies to validate solutions against public safety use cases, operating on a model of scouting, validating and deploying emerging technologies into operational environments.
Mok Shao Hong, Centre Director at Hatch, noted the programme enables global technology companies to test the real-world viability of their solutions within Singapore's operational context. The collaboration is framed as a proof of concept rather than a deployed capability, with the modular architecture designed to incorporate more advanced quantum algorithms as hardware and methods mature.
Market context
Hybrid quantum-classical chemistry is currently one of the most credible near-term application areas for quantum computing, alongside optimisation and cryptography. The VQE algorithm at the core of this workflow is widely used in academic and early commercial quantum chemistry research, though scaling to industrially relevant molecular systems remains an active challenge. Classiq competes with a range of quantum software vendors offering abstraction layers above hardware, including Q-CTRL, Quantinuum's TKET toolchain and IBM's Qiskit ecosystem, as well as chemistry-focused platforms from startups such as Qu&Co (now part of PASQAL).
The decision to route the workload through AWS Braket reflects the continuing role of cloud hyperscalers as the primary commercialisation channel for quantum access. Classiq is also available through AWS Marketplace, which aligns with enterprise procurement preferences and reduces onboarding friction for potential customers in financial services, pharmaceuticals and defence, all sectors where binding energy estimation and molecular simulation carry commercial weight.
The project does not disclose benchmark comparisons against classical-only methods, nor does it confirm which quantum hardware backends were used beyond the Braket execution pathway. Those details will be important to enterprise buyers assessing whether hybrid pipelines offer a demonstrable advantage over best-in-class classical approaches at current qubit scales.