Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

It’s been a ride for Qubit Engineering, founded by Marouane Salhi. The company has been developing and growing since its founding in 2018.

When Qubit Engineering first launched, Salhi and his team were focused on using quantum computing technology to solve wind farm layout optimization to operate wind farms in a way that improves production, extends the lifespan of the turbines, and makes load distribution more efficient. Today, they’ve pivoted slightly to use their technology for grid optimization, specifically targeting utility companies.

The company was founded in 2018 by Salhi and two other individuals, all with ties to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). Salhi himself is a Computational Physicist who earned his doctorate at UTK.

The idea for Qubit Engineering began before he graduated, but it really began to take off during the second year of his post-doctoral work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A few years later, he was accepted into the 7th cohort of Innovation Crossroads at ORNL to continue the research and development on his service offering.

Qubit Engineering was sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for the Innovation Crossroads program, which really spun Salhi toward his technology’s use case in grid optimization.

So, what is grid optimization? It involves everything from effectively and efficiently managing multiple power sources (nuclear, renewables, hydro, and gas) to quickly analyzing outages when they occur and reacting with similar speed.

There’s also the matter of achieving the balance among reliability, availability, efficiency, and cost.

“We saw the opportunity with my co-founders to jump in and solve some critical problems in the energy industry, specifically targeting the power grid,” Salhi said.  “Innovation Crossroads helped us a lot. We started working with the lab to develop our product. Today, we have a product, and we are ready to start communicating and selling our product, collaborating with power utilities.”

Qubit Engineering joined the Sustainable Mobility Accelerator in Chattanooga to help make connections in Southeast Tennessee, one of the global hubs for quantum research and innovation.

Salhi said he thinks the time is right for quantum-informed optimization strategies. Qubit Engineering plans to offer that through two SaaS offerings: nuero-grid and quanta-grid technologies.

According to the website, Neuro-Grid brings real-time intelligence to the power grid, turning complex data into clarity, resilience, and smarter decisions for utilities. Quanta-Grid optimizes maintenance schedules, resource efficiency, and helps reduce operational costs with quantum computing intelligence.

The quantum industry has undergone a dramatic transformation from 2018 to 2025, evolving from a largely academic pursuit into a rapidly maturing global sector with real-world applications, significant investment, and growing commercial traction.

According to Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative, the global quantum technology market grew from under $500 million in 2018 to an estimated $1.88 billion in 2025, with projections reaching $97 billion by 2035.

Learn more about how Qubit Engineering works.

Connect with Marouane Salhi.

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