diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index 9b2eac8..ac5d49a 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -1039,13 +1039,13 @@ i18n = ["Babel (>=2.7)"]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "joblib"
-version = "1.4.0"
+version = "1.4.2"
 description = "Lightweight pipelining with Python functions"
 optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.8"
 files = [
-    {file = "joblib-1.4.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:42942470d4062537be4d54c83511186da1fc14ba354961a2114da91efa9a4ed7"},
-    {file = "joblib-1.4.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:1eb0dc091919cd384490de890cb5dfd538410a6d4b3b54eef09fb8c50b409b1c"},
+    {file = "joblib-1.4.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:06d478d5674cbc267e7496a410ee875abd68e4340feff4490bcb7afb88060ae6"},
+    {file = "joblib-1.4.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:2382c5816b2636fbd20a09e0f4e9dad4736765fdfb7dca582943b9c1366b3f0e"},
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1994,7 +1994,7 @@ torch = ["torch (>=2.1.1,<3.0.0)"]
 type = "git"
 url = "https://github.com/qiboteam/qibo.git"
 reference = "HEAD"
-resolved_reference = "036e882adfd7878b566e90eae02ff2c72e16e296"
+resolved_reference = "703af36f06afff6dbc4a629a66b17671a8d8bd92"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "quimb"
@@ -2396,13 +2396,13 @@ files = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "tqdm"
-version = "4.66.2"
+version = "4.66.4"
 description = "Fast, Extensible Progress Meter"
 optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.7"
 files = [
-    {file = "tqdm-4.66.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:1ee4f8a893eb9bef51c6e35730cebf234d5d0b6bd112b0271e10ed7c24a02bd9"},
-    {file = "tqdm-4.66.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:6cd52cdf0fef0e0f543299cfc96fec90d7b8a7e88745f411ec33eb44d5ed3531"},
+    {file = "tqdm-4.66.4-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:b75ca56b413b030bc3f00af51fd2c1a1a5eac6a0c1cca83cbb37a5c52abce644"},
+    {file = "tqdm-4.66.4.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:e4d936c9de8727928f3be6079590e97d9abfe8d39a590be678eb5919ffc186bb"},
 ]
 
 [package.dependencies]
diff --git a/src/qibotn/__init__.py b/src/qibotn/__init__.py
index dc57e90..4942a45 100644
--- a/src/qibotn/__init__.py
+++ b/src/qibotn/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 import importlib.metadata as im
 
+from qibotn.backends import MetaBackend
+
 __version__ = im.version(__package__)
diff --git a/src/qibotn/backends/__init__.py b/src/qibotn/backends/__init__.py
index e69de29..48a1570 100644
--- a/src/qibotn/backends/__init__.py
+++ b/src/qibotn/backends/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+from typing import Union
+
+from qibo.config import raise_error
+
+from qibotn.backends.cutensornet import CuTensorNet  # pylint: disable=E0401
+from qibotn.backends.quimb import QuimbBackend  # pylint: disable=E0401
+
+QibotnBackend = Union[CuTensorNet, QuimbBackend]
+
+PLATFORMS = ("cutensornet", "qutensornet")
+
+
+class MetaBackend:
+    """Meta-backend class which takes care of loading the qibotn backends."""
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def load(platform: str, runcard: dict = None) -> QibotnBackend:
+        """Loads the backend.
+
+        Args:
+            platform (str): Name of the backend to load: either `cutensornet` or `qutensornet`.
+            runcard (dict): Dictionary containing the simulation settings.
+        Returns:
+            qibo.backends.abstract.Backend: The loaded backend.
+        """
+
+        if platform == "cutensornet":  # pragma: no cover
+            return CuTensorNet(runcard)
+        elif platform == "qutensornet":  # pragma: no cover
+            return QuimbBackend(runcard)
+        else:
+            raise_error(
+                NotImplementedError,
+                f"Unsupported platform {platform}, please pick one in (`cutensornet`, `qutensornet)",
+            )
+
+    def list_available(self) -> dict:
+        """Lists all the available qibotn backends."""
+        available_backends = {}
+        for platform in PLATFORMS:
+            try:
+                MetaBackend.load(platform=platform)
+                available = True
+            except:
+                available = False
+            available_backends[platform] = available
+        return available_backends
diff --git a/src/qibotn/backends/cutensornet.py b/src/qibotn/backends/cutensornet.py
index c8341bd..1d38520 100644
--- a/src/qibotn/backends/cutensornet.py
+++ b/src/qibotn/backends/cutensornet.py
@@ -1,19 +1,9 @@
-import cuquantum  # pylint: disable=import-error
 import numpy as np
 from qibo.backends.numpy import NumpyBackend
 from qibo.config import raise_error
 from qibo.result import QuantumState
 
-CUDA_TYPES = {
-    "complex64": (
-        cuquantum.cudaDataType.CUDA_C_32F,
-        cuquantum.ComputeType.COMPUTE_32F,
-    ),
-    "complex128": (
-        cuquantum.cudaDataType.CUDA_C_64F,
-        cuquantum.ComputeType.COMPUTE_64F,
-    ),
-}
+CUDA_TYPES = {}
 
 
 class CuTensorNet(NumpyBackend):  # pragma: no cover
@@ -75,6 +65,18 @@ class CuTensorNet(NumpyBackend):  # pragma: no cover
         self.supports_multigpu = True
         self.handle = self.cutn.create()
 
+        global CUDA_TYPES
+        CUDA_TYPES = {
+            "complex64": (
+                self.cuquantum.cudaDataType.CUDA_C_32F,
+                self.cuquantum.ComputeType.COMPUTE_32F,
+            ),
+            "complex128": (
+                self.cuquantum.cudaDataType.CUDA_C_64F,
+                self.cuquantum.ComputeType.COMPUTE_64F,
+            ),
+        }
+
     def apply_gate(self, gate, state, nqubits):  # pragma: no cover
         raise_error(NotImplementedError, "QiboTN cannot apply gates directly.")