Multiverse Computing
San Sebastián-based software company whose CompactifAI technology compresses large language models by up to 80 to 95 percent; it announced a Series C targeting up to EUR 500 million in July 2026.
Industry: AI model compression | Location: San Sebastián, Spain | Founded: 2019 | Total Funding: EUR 500M (Series C only; earlier rounds not in articles)
About Multiverse Computing
Multiverse Computing is a Spanish artificial intelligence company, headquartered in San Sebastián, that develops model-compression technology. It was founded in 2019 by Enrique Lizaso, Román Orús, Alfonso Rubio-Manzanares and Sam Mugel, and began by applying quantum and quantum-inspired algorithms to problems in finance and industry through a platform called Singularity before turning to AI compression. Its flagship product, CompactifAI, uses tensor networks, a technique borrowed from quantum physics, to shrink large language models by up to 80 to 95 percent with minimal loss of accuracy, according to the company. Smaller models lower energy use, computing costs and response times, and allow AI to run on edge devices, drones, cameras, satellites and vehicles instead of depending on a distant data centre. The company's customers span manufacturing, finance, energy and defence and include Allianz, Bosch, Iberdrola and Telefónica. In July 2026 Multiverse announced a Series C of up to EUR 500 million, roughly USD 570 million, at a pre-money valuation of about EUR 1.5 billion, or USD 1.7 billion, around five times the valuation of its Series B. The round was co-led by Forgepoint Capital International, the BNPP Solar Impulse Venture Fund and Bullhound Capital. Other backers named in the announcement include Santander Alternative Investments, HP Inc., Orange Ventures and Qatar Development Bank, with JP Morgan and Santander CIB advising. The company said the money would go to research and development, sovereign AI infrastructure, international expansion and wider deployment across industries. It also said that annualised revenue had grown more than tenfold since its Series B closed in June 2025, and that total funding would reach about USD 800 million. Qatar Development Bank (QDB) announced its participation at a signing ceremony in Doha in early August 2026; the size of its stake was not disclosed. Under the partnership, QDB will support Multiverse in establishing a regional headquarters in Doha, from which it will serve customers and pursue partnerships across the Gulf and wider Middle East. QDB's chief executive tied the investment to the Startup Qatar Investment Program and to the objectives of Qatar's Third National Development Strategy for 2024 to 2030, while Lizaso called Qatar a launchpad for scaling CompactifAI into new markets. The company's emphasis on running models on an organisation's own infrastructure fits Gulf interest in sovereign AI. Enrique Lizaso is chief executive and Román Orús is chief scientific officer.
Leadership
- Enrique Lizaso, Co-founder and CEO
- Román Orús, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer
- Samuel Mugel, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer
- Alfonso Rubio, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer
- Marta García, Chief Financial Officer
- Victor Gaspar, Chief Sales Officer
- Iraia Ibarzabal, Chief Growth Officer
- John Malcolm, Chief Technical Product Officer