Nu Quantum, the quantum photonics company, today announces the completion of a £650,000 pre-seed investment round. The over-subscribed round was led by Amadeus Capital Partners, with participation from Cambridge Enterprise, IQ Capital, Ahren Capital and Martlet Capital, the investment arm of Marshall of Cambridge Group.

The raise follows over eight years of research at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Nu Quantum is building high-performance, single-photon sources and detectors that work at room temperature. These devices are the building blocks that will enable a range of quantum technologies, the most near-term being Quantum Key Distribution. QKD are communication links that are completely secure as end users are able to detect any imprint on the exchanged photons left by a potential eavesdropper.

Nu Quantum will soon begin work with a major UK telecoms company, testing its quantum technology. While several quantum companies are looking at the fibre-based application of quantum communication technology, Nu Quantum is one of the few looking at its application in ‘free space’ communications. This means communication without fibre optics. Nu Quantum’s their vision for their proprietary components is to form an end-to-end, free-space quantum cybersecurity system that will enable the secure exchange of cryptographic keys globally, via satellite and metropolitan links.

Carmen Palacios-Berraquero, CEO, Nu Quantum, said: “To make quantum communication a reality there are two major challenges: to generate single photons with high purity and to detect them efficiently. Nu Quantum is developing high performance quantum photonics hardware that works at the single photon-level, at room temperature. These quantum components are the necessary building blocks for any quantum architecture.”

Nu Quantum’s award-winning technology is unique and has been patented with the support of Cambridge Enterprise. Since inception in late 2018, Nu Quantum has been successful in receiving several Innovate UK grants and European research grants, taking its available capital to near £1 million. The new investment will enable Nu Quantum to develop its technology into full prototypes over the next 18 months.

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