By Mackenzie Tatananni

Quantinuum, owned by Honeywell International, has released its latest offering: a quantum programming language. It's more exciting than it sounds, the CEO says.

Last week, the quantum-computing company announced the general availability of Guppy, a programming language that can be used to create algorithms for quantum computers. Don't let the cutesy name fool you.

Guppy represents "a paradigm shift for developers," CEO Rajeeb Hazra told Barron's.

Guppy is embedded in Python, one of the most-used programming languages in the world. Its syntax resembles that of Python, making it familiar for developers who are new to the world of quantum computing.

Crucially, programmers will be able to write and test their code without having a quantum computer in front of them. Quantinuum also released an emulator called Selene, which Hazra describes as a "digital twin." The software mimics the internal environment of a quantum computer, giving programmers a place to test and debug their code.

This approach doesn't just speed up time to deployment, but also allows quantum developers to address a challenge inherent to quantum computing. The incidence of errors is one of the most pressing issues for scientists as they build progressively larger machines.

Qubits, the basic units of information in a quantum computer, are particularly sensitive to environmental disturbances. Increasing qubit count in a bid to build more powerful computers usually correlates to a higher error rate.

Guppy itself is designed to catch mistakes early in development. It is a case of detection, not prevention, Hazra explained. A fault-tolerant quantum computer -- a term used by International Business Machines and the like -- is simply a machine that uses error correction to detect and prevent the amplification of mistakes.

"All in all, what Guppy does is it moves coding forward from the Dark Ages," Hazra said. "This is transformational for actually integrating and making error correction useful for more than just a scientific demonstration."

Guppy is also compatible with Nvidia CUDA-Q, a platform created by the artificial-intelligence heavyweight to support hybrid quantum-classical computing.

Nvidia and Quantinuum have a partnership dating back to even before Quantinuum was unveiled as a collaborator on Nvidia's Accelerated Quantum Research Center. In 2022, Quantinuum became the first company to integrate CUDA-Q with its own hardware.

"For us and for Nvidia, it's a recognition that we are an important part of the ecosystem and we have to be compatible to give developers choice, " Hazra said. "This software stack is the implementation of a very aligned vision between the two companies."

Hazra doesn't envision a future where quantum computers entirely replace classical computers. Accordingly, Quantinuum aims to offer developers access to a hybrid infrastructure where they can write and debug code. Think of it as a way to prepare for what's ahead.

"That's what we and Nvidia share as a vision, and we work together to make our pieces compatible. That's what the core of the partnership is," Hazra said.

Quantinuum says it is on track to release a fully fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029, around the same time IBM aims to unveil what it has dubbed " the world's first large-scale, fault-tolerant supercomputer."

The company is also gearing up for its public debut. A person with direct knowledge of the matter told Barron's earlier this year that Honeywell was eyeing a potential IPO for Quantinuum sometime between the end of 2026 and 2027.

The company may be private for now, but it has certainly established itself as one to watch in the quantum computing industry.

"I feel very strongly about our competitive position," Hazra said. "I believe we have the most credible road map because it's based on what we've already demonstrated, versus a claim for the future."

Write to Mackenzie Tatananni at mackenzie.tatananni@barrons.com

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 29, 2025 11:26 ET (15:26 GMT)

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