The quantum reservoir computer was recognized for its approach to quantum-classical computing and AI model training.
Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) announced that its quantum-enhanced AI system, Watermelon, has been named to Fast Company’s 2026 Next Big Things in Tech list. The annual list recognizes breakthrough technologies with the potential to transform industries and shape the future.
Fast Company recognized Watermelon in the Computing, Chips, and Foundational Technology category for its breakthrough approach to quantum-classical computing. Launched in October 2025, Watermelon is the world’s first commercial quantum reservoir computer, leveraging SQC’s atomic manufacturing capabilities. The system generates quantum-enhanced features from classical data to uncover complex relationships in sparse and time-series datasets, and can also be used as an offload resource to train AI models more efficiently.
Watermelon is built for global enterprises where AI training costs, energy consumption and time-to-insight directly affect operational outcomes. In commercial trials Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications provider, Watermelon reduced the training time of a predictive network model from weeks to days. More recently, results with Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, showed Watermelon improved the accuracy of home energy forecasting models by up to 41% against the classical benchmark.
Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech recognizes innovative technologies developed by established companies, startups and research teams that are making meaningful progress toward transforming the lives of consumers, businesses and society. This year’s honorees span industries, with each innovation demonstrating the potential to create significant impact in the years ahead.
For more information or to view the complete Fast Company 2026 Next Big Things in Tech list, visit fastcompany.com/next-big-things-in-tech.
For more information, visit sqc.com.
