UK Start-Up AegiQ Secures £1.4m to Develop Secure Quantum Communications
September 9, 2020 | AegiQEstimated reading time: 1 minute

AegiQ, the UK quantum photonics start-up, has announced that it has secured a total of £1.4 million in funding from Innovate UK to develop secure quantum communications for fibre-optic and satellite based applications. AegiQ will join a global pilot project to provide scalable, high-performing semiconductor technology for next generation telecoms.
AegiQ has been awarded Innovate UK funding as part of a consortium of companies. It will build communication infrastructure resistant to hacking by new quantum methods. The start-up is also championing the use and development of quantum photonic technologies. Led by CEO and co-founder Dr. Max Sich, AegiQ is a spin-out of the University of Sheffield and part of the UK government's £70m funding initiative to secure the UK’s position as a world-leader in quantum technology.
Quantum cryptography is viewed as the key to future-proofing security by the telecoms industry, by addressing advances in quantum computing which make traditional messaging encryption methods vulnerable to attacks. The UK National Quantum Technologies Programme expects "Quantum technologies to lead to major advances in [...] the finance, defence, aerospace, energy, infrastructure and telecommunications sectors.”
AegiQ is the leading company developing III-V semiconductor-based quantum photonics (manufacturing chips using elements such as Gallium, Indium and Arsenic rather than traditional Silicon), which is accepted as a far superior method in terms of reliability and security, and leverages existing industrial processing techniques. The company, which is part of this year’s Creative Destruction Lab's Quantum Stream cohort, has also been named one of the Quantum Computing Hardware Companies Building the Future.
“Existing software-based encryption of telecom networks is vulnerable to quantum attack,” commented Scott Dufferwiel, AegiQ’s CTO. “The risks are losing control of our communications and being faced with massively compromised security from quantum hackers. With the rise of quantum computing, standard encryption methods are no longer fit for purpose. A wide range of industries will require these quantum solutions in the near term.”
Dr. Max Sich added: “Thousands of AegiQ systems will be required in each data centre around the world, as they transition to using quantum technologies for communication and cloud computing. Deploying our scalable technology with mass production capabilities into initiatives like this project will position the UK as a world-leader in manufacturing quantum communications.”
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Coherent Announces Agreement to Sell Aerospace and Defense Business to Advent for $400 Million
08/15/2025 | AdventCoherent Corp., a global leader in photonics, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Aerospace and Defense business to Advent, a leading global private equity investor, for $400 million. Proceeds will be used to reduce debt, which will be immediately accretive to Coherent’s EPS.
KYZEN Partners with LPW to Elevate High Purity Cleaning with Cutting-Edge Cyclic Nucleation Technology in North America
08/13/2025 | KYZEN'KYZEN, a global leader in advanced cleaning solutions, has reached a major milestone in high-purity cleaning with the addition of a state-of-the-art Vacuum Cyclic Nucleation System at its North American Application Lab.
Jeh Aerospace Raises $11M to Boost Aircraft Supply Chain
08/12/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamJeh Aerospace, the high-precision aerospace and defense manufacturing startup founded by Vishal Sanghavi and Venkatesh Mudragalla, has raised $11 million in a Series A round led by Elevation Capital, with support from General Catalyst, to scale its commercial aircraft supply chain manufacturing in India, according to OEM.
New Frontier Aerospace and Air Force Institute of Technology Sign CRADA to Advance Hypersonic VTOL Aircraft
08/05/2025 | PR NewswireNew Frontier Aerospace (NFA) is excited to announce a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) aimed at advancing an innovative rocket-powered hypersonic Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft.
Honeywell Advances Technology That Lets Fighter Pilots Breathe Easier for Peak Performance
08/04/2025 | HoneywellHoneywell has developed and launched a new technology that allows military pilots of high-performance fighter jets to breathe easier under extreme conditions.