SETsquared Bristol member, KETS Quantum Security, has joined the growing list of ventures that have achieved successful investment rounds in 2018.

Corporations and government initiatives have backed the quantum-secure communications start-up to the tune of £2 million. The funding round includes investments from early stage venture fund, Quantonation, Kx, and Innovate UK’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which provided £1million.

KETS Quantum Security was formed in the University of Bristol’s Quantum Engineering Technology Labs by Drs Philip Sibson, Jake Kennard, and Chris Erven after winning the Bristol SETsquared New Enterprise Award in 2015. Since then, KETS has developed a range of future-proof, cost-effective technologies for quantum-secured communications that have the power to improve the secure transmission of information such as banking details and medical records.

Quantum computers, such as those being developed by IBM, Microsoft, and Google promise to create a new generation of supercomputers with computing power that poses a critical threat to current cyber security encryption. To counter this threat, KETS has developed one of the world’s first integrated quantum secured encryption technologies capable of protecting against this vulnerability at scale.

This new suite of secure communications systems has proven robust against both conventional and quantum threats, and the KETS team aims to use these systems to boost security in defence, telecoms, and critical infrastructure, with identified end-users in finance, governments, and data centres.

KETS’ CEO and Co-Founder, Chris Erven said:

“Our aim is to become the digital security OS of the future protecting our digital information and critical infrastructure in the 21st century and beyond. KETS is proud to be one of the first start-ups emerging from the National QT programme. This funding will allow us to build on the UK’s investment and deliver first products to our early partners and customers.”

KETS has seen uptake by major defence and telecommunications primes eager to protect themselves against the threat of quantum computers. These new funds will enable KETS to accelerate its growth and undertake trials in the aerospace and telecommunications sectors.

CEO of Quantonation, Christophe Jurczak added:

“After years of ground-breaking research, now is the time for the unique properties of quantum physics to be harnessed and exploited. Quantonation is delighted to be working with the KETS team and supporting them in bringing this technology to market and addressing some of the most challenging problems that will face us in the coming years.”

KETS’ funding announcement comes at a key time in the UK’s National Quantum Technology programme with the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, announcing a government investment of £235 million in the Autumn Budget to support the continued development and commercialisation of quantum technologies to keep the UK at the forefront of this emerging industry.

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