Q.ANT builds photonic processors and quantum sensors that use light to improve energy efficiency and performance for AI and high-performance computing. The company develops native computing hardware…
AI AccelerationEnergy-Efficient AIHPCLight-based technologyNative ComputingNative SensingPhotonic ComputingQuantum Sensingqant.com
Q.ANT
Q.ANT builds photonic processors and quantum sensors that use light to improve energy efficiency and performance for AI and high-performance computing. The company develops native computing hardware…
AI AccelerationEnergy-Efficient AIHPCLight-based technologyNative ComputingNative SensingPhotonic ComputingQuantum Sensingqant.com
HQStuttgart, DE
Team Size74
Open Jobs10
Total Funding$72M
Latest Fundraise11 months ago
TL;DR
What they do: Build photonic processors, native processing servers and quantum sensors using thin‑film lithium niobate for energy‑efficient AI and HPC
Founded / HQ: 2018; Stuttgart, Germany
Founder / CEO: Dr. Michael Förtsch
Recent funding: €62M Series A announced July 17, 2025 (subsequent closes increased total to ~US$80M)
Lead Software Engineer - Photonic Ecosystem (f/m/d)
HybridStuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, DE
Hybrid • Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, DE
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Location: Stuttgart or Munich, Germany
Type: Full-time, hybrid (1-2 days remote work per week)
Your Mission
The future of AI computing builds on light. Q.ANT is building photonic processing systems that compute with light - delivering a scalable, energy-efficient alternative to transistor-based architectures for next-generation AI and HPC applications.
As
Lead Software Engineer, Photonic Ecosystem (f/m/d)
, you will own Q.ANT’s presence and credibility in the open source software ecosystem. Your mission is to make photonic computing accessible out of the box - ensuring that default installations of frameworks like PyTorch, JAX and vllm can leverage Q.ANT’s photonic hardware without friction. You will drive the photonic enablement of base libraries and AI frameworks from design through upstream acceptance and long-term maintenance, and serve as Q.ANT's trusted focal point in open source development communities. In this role, you will bridge internal teams - algorithms, compiler, device control, infrastructure, and system architecture - with the requirements of the external ecosystem.
What You Will Do
Own the photonic enablement of the open-source software ecosystem - drive integration of Q.ANT’s hardware capabilities into base libraries (OpenBLAS, Eigen, numpy) and AI frameworks (PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow, llama.cpp, vllm)
Get code accepted into upstream repositories and package managers so that default installations support Q.ANT hardware out of the box - and maintain it long-term
Serve as Q.ANT’s focal point for open-source software projects - build trust, demonstrate reliability, and represent Q.ANT professionally in development communities such as the PyTorch community
Guide ecosystem partners of Q.ANT on design, development, upstreaming, and maintenance of their code and packages; deliver technical briefings and training to partners and internal teams
What You Bring
Proven experience in open source software development (5+ years) with a demonstrable track record - contributions, maintainership, and sustained community engagement; verifiable via GitHub profile
What We Offer
Make impact at scale: Help solve one of computing’s biggest challenges - making growing demand in compute and sustainability go hand in hand
Work on the leading edge: Photonic AI acceleration technologies that will define the next decade of computing - already validated in production HPC environments
We’re looking for a software engineer who gets energized by building foundational open source infrastructure, navigating complex upstream contribution processes, and making cutting-edge hardware accessible to the world’s developer communities.
Ready to define how the open source ecosystem runs on photonic computers? We are looking forward to receiving your application!
Q.ANT is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
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Enhance the common native photonic standard library, ensuring frictionless, vendor-agnostic use across the software ecosystem
Align closely with internal teams - algorithms, compiler, device control and infrastructure, system architecture - and bridge external community requirements back into Q.ANT’s development roadmap
Strong experience developing AI or compute frameworks (2+ years) – significant contributions to projects such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, llama.cpp or vllm, ideally across multiple AI open source projects
Strong Python skills for framework development, integration, and ecosystem tooling - non-negotiable
Deep knowledge of AI algorithms - neural network operations, linear algebra operations, and their implementation in compute frameworks
Solid understanding of hardware acceleration architectures (such as GPUs) and performance optimisation - foundational for enabling photonic hardware in software frameworks
Solid grounding in open source development processes and tooling - GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, software test frameworks, package distribution frameworks
Strong ownership, communication, and commitment - you drive ecosystem enablement end-to-end, represent Q.ANT externally with clarity and professionalism, and sustain effort through long upstream contribution cycles
Proficiency in C/C++ or Rust for performance-critical components is desirable
API design, testing, and documentation skills are a plus
Fluent in English; German language beneficial
Own your work from day one: Shape design and code of software, client solutions, and public collaterals on your own, with direct impact on product success and the future of AI infrastructure
Fast-track your growth: Work on challenges with few industry precedents - every problem you solve becomes new institutional knowledge and potentially industry-defining IP
Be the multiplier: Your work enables entire developer communities and directly helps clients succeed with photonic computing
World-class team: Collaborate alongside a passionate, international, cross-functional team of experts in photonics, processor design, and AI software
Direct access to leadership: Work closely with the company’s founders, including CEO Dr. Michael Förtsch, and the Q.ANT senior leadership team
Collaborative culture: Innovative work environment that values technical excellence, open communication, and pragmatic problem-solving
Be part of history: Join at the inflection point where photonic computing transitions from research to mainstream - your contributions will shape this transformation
