On 7 May 2026, Kvantify, Aarhus University, and Atom Computing will co-host the event “Quantum Computing and the Affinity for Chemistry,” bringing together researchers, industry, and investors to discuss how quantum computing can create value in chemistry and drug discovery. The programme includes contributions from Sofie Carsten Nielsen, Nikolaj Thomas Zinner, Ove Christiansen, and Eliot Kapit, as well as perspectives from EIFO, 55North, Novonesis, LeanBio, QuNorth, and Delphinus Venture Capital. Participation is free of charge, and seats are allocated after pre-registration. SIGN UP HERE.

The event also reflects the momentum behind a major new research and innovation effort. Aarhus University, Kvantify, and Atom Computing have received DKK 30 million from Innovation Fund Denmark for the project Early fault-tolerant quantum computing – Bringing Impact by Revolutionizing Drug Discovery, or EarlyBIRDD. The project has a total budget of DKK 37.7 million, runs for four years, and starts in April 2026.

EarlyBIRDD focuses on one of the core computational bottlenecks in drug discovery: predicting how strongly a candidate drug molecule binds to its target protein. This binding affinity problem is central to screening and prioritising molecules in the search for new medicines. The project brings together advances in computational chemistry methods, quantum algorithms, scalable hardware, and user-oriented software to move quantum computing closer to practical impact.

From Aarhus University, the project builds on strong expertise in theoretical quantum chemistry at the Department of Chemistry. Ove Christiansen, Professor at Aarhus University and Head of Quantum Campus Aarhus, is part of the effort. Together with Kvantify’s software and algorithm capabilities and Atom Computing’s hardware platform, the consortium aims to help unlock early industrial applications of quantum computing in drug discovery. 

READ about the project in the news from Innovation Fund Denmark.