Google-parent company Alphabet has spun out its quantum computing software company Sandbox AQ

Sandbox AQ, a software startup developing quantum-computing and artificial-intelligence tools for commercial use, on Tuesday officially spun off from Alphabet Inc.'s Google to become a stand-alone company. 

In January this year, it was reported that Alphabet was preparing to spin out Sandbox. Though Sandbox was closely tied to Alphabet's skunkworks X unit, it is reportedly separate from that business. Also, Sandbox is separate from Google's quantum computing team in Santa Barbara and focuses on software and experimental quantum projects.

The company plans to develop enterprise software that uses quantum technologies to "address pressing global challenges," including cybersecurity, drug development, and clean energy. It aims to explore the intersection of quantum computing, physics, and AI.

The company already claims customers for its cybersecurity offering, including Vodafone Business, the enterprise arm of European mobile operator Vodafone; Japanese operator Softbank Mobile; Mount Sinai Health System, the New York hospital network; and web-hosting company Wix. Others it will be targeting include the US Federal government, critical infrastructure operators, and the financial services industry.

In addition, Sandbox is nearing deals to sell quantum simulation software to potentially accelerate the development of drugs and materials, CEO Jack Hidary said. Projects that could be commercialized over the next three years include using AI to analyze data from quantum-based sensors to improve medical imaging and also enable navigation by tracking magnetic fields instead of GPS satellites, he added.

Sandbox's focus on quantum applications without quantum hardware sounds odd, but developing the hardware is the focus of a team at Google's Quantum AI Lab. While companies such as Google, IBM, and Honeywell attempt to build viable quantum computers, there's a thriving market for quantum computing simulation software running with conventional high-performance computing components.