Spanish startup Multiverse Computing is revolutionizing artificial intelligence with groundbreaking technology that compresses large language models (LLMs) by up to 95% without sacrificing performance. Headquartered in San Sebastián, Multiverse has developed a proprietary quantum-inspired compression tool, CompactifAI, which leverages tensor networks from quantum physics to reduce model sizes dramatically while maintaining accuracy and efficiency.
Founded in 2019 by Enrique Lizaso Olmos, Román Orús, Alfonso Rubio, and Samuel Mugel, the company’s innovation marks a significant departure from the prevailing industry trend that increasingly relies on larger and more resource-intensive AI models.
Multiverse’s compressed AI models are reported to be 4 to 12 times faster and can reduce inference costs by 50% to 80%, enabling deployment on edge devices such as home appliances, PCs, drones, and even Raspberry Pi.
The startup recently secured €189 million (approximately $217 million) in a Series B funding round led by Bullhound Capital, with participation from HP Tech Ventures, Toshiba, Forgepoint Capital International, and other global investors.
This funding brings Multiverse’s total capital raised to about €216 million, positioning it as Spain’s largest AI startup and one of the prominent players in the European AI landscape.
Multiverse’s models are already used by major technology companies including Apple, Samsung, Sony, and HP, as well as industrial clients like BASF, Bosch, and Moody’s. Their technology supports both cloud-based and on-device AI applications, offering enhanced privacy, reduced latency, and offline functionality, which represent key advantages for sectors requiring secure and efficient AI integration.
Enrique Lizaso Olmos, CEO of Multiverse Computing, states that their breakthrough is transforming AI deployment by slashing hardware requirements without compromising performance. Co-founder Román Orús highlights that their quantum-inspired approach profiles neural networks in unprecedented ways, eliminating billions of spurious correlations for optimized AI models.
By enabling powerful AI capabilities on much smaller and more affordable hardware, Multiverse is set to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, from finance and manufacturing to healthcare, positioning Spain at the forefront of AI innovation on the global stage. Their pioneering work also contributes to enhancing European technological sovereignty in the competitive AI domain.
– Vestbee
