Zapata Secures Foundational Patent for Interoperable Quantum Software Across Key Global Markets

BOSTON, Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zapata Quantum (OTC:ZPTA) ("Zapata", "Zapata Quantum" or the "Company"), a pioneer in quantum computing application and algorithm development, today announced that its patent for Quantum Intermediate Representation (QIR) has been granted in Canada, Europe, Israel, and Australia, in addition to its earlier U.S. grant.

QIR is a hardware-agnostic translation layer that enables quantum applications to interoperate across distinct hardware platforms and programming frameworks. With global patent protection now in place, Zapata has secured exclusive rights to this capability, allowing developers to translate a program once into a universal representation, then execute it across any connected quantum hardware backend.

Core Component of Broader IP Strategy

As the only publicly traded, hardware-agnostic pure-play quantum software company, Zapata's intellectual property strategy is focused on protecting foundational building blocks of the hybrid quantum-classical computing stack, not just individual algorithms. The Company's portfolio includes over 60 granted and pending patents spanning key layers of application development, interoperability, and deployment.

"QIR is the kind of broadly applicable infrastructure that helps make hybrid quantum-classical computing practical at scale so applications can move from one-off demonstrations to repeatable deployment across an evolving hardware landscape," said Dr. Jonathan Olson, Zapata's Strategic Advisor for Intellectual Property. "With QIR now patent-protected in major jurisdictions, we are well positioned to translate that leadership into durable, long-term value."

QIR serves as a "universal translator" between quantum software and quantum hardware, enabling interoperability across a rapidly evolving ecosystem. Analogous to intermediate representations such as LLVM in classical computing, QIR allows developers to translate a program once into a universal representation and execute it across any connected quantum hardware backend—reducing fragmentation and simplifying application deployment.

Importantly, it also works in the reverse direction: a hardware provider that connects to QIR once can support many software tools and programming frameworks without custom integrations for each one. By reducing translation work on both sides, QIR lowers compatibility barriers and helps speed the path from development to deployment for hybrid quantum-classical applications.

Critical for Quantum Computing Evolution

As the quantum industry expands with many competing hardware approaches, standards-like layers such as QIR become increasingly important. This technology has motivated the ecosystem to collaborate on efforts such as the QIR Alliance, led by Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Quantinuum, Quantum Circuits Inc., and Rigetti Computing, to promote this standardized and interoperable framework for quantum programs.

Zapata views QIR as infrastructure technology critical to accelerating the delivery of useful quantum applications and ensuring they scale alongside advances in hardware. More broadly, these expanded QIR patent protections underscore the importance of clarity and consistency in how quantum technology is developed, adopted, and commercialized.

"We've been pursuing a deliberate IP strategy for more than eight years, dating back to our origins in Harvard's quantum computing lab," concluded Sumit Kapur, Chief Executive Officer of Zapata Quantum. "By entering the field early and staying focused on software, we were able to identify and invest in foundational technologies like QIR at a time when few others were focused on the higher layers of the stack. That long-term perspective is now paying off as the industry shifts toward scalable, interoperable quantum applications."

About Zapata Quantum

Zapata Quantum is a leading hardware-agnostic, pure-play quantum software company focused on accelerating quantum application development. With a portfolio of more than 60 granted and pending patents developed over seven years, Zapata supports applications across cryptography, pharmaceuticals, finance, materials discovery, defense, and more. The Company is the only organization to have participated across all technical areas of DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking program and has worked with Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies to translate quantum advances into real-world impact. Learn more at zapataquantum.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company's QIR product and its potential value, benefits and market. Forward-looking statements are prefaced by words such as "anticipate," "expect," "plan," "could," "may," "will," "should," "would," "intend," "seem," "potential," "appear," "continue," "future," "believe," "estimate," "forecast," "project," and similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, our need for additional capital to re-establish material operations and meet future goals and milestone targets which we may be unable to obtain on favorable terms, within the time required or at all, the state of the U.S. economy including issues caused by affordability, the risk of future inflation and uncertainty about interest rates, the future of U.S. tariff policy including litigation risks, our ability to attract and retain key personnel, our ability to maintain and protect intellectual property rights, the risk that software and technology infrastructure on which we depend fail to perform as designed or intended, the possibility that competitors may develop or access technology with similar or superior capabilities to our technology offerings, and the risk factors contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on December 9, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this presentation speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

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