TRUMPF Invests in Quantum Tech Startup Quside

TRUMPF has made a multimillion euro investment in Barcelona-based startup Quside, whose core product is a high-performance random number generator located in a photonic chip. According to TRUMPF, Quside’s chip enables the encryption of messages that even computationally powerful quantum computers cannot decrypt. In addition, the chip can be integrated into common manufacturing processes, supporting mass production.

Using the quantum mechanical properties of light, Quside’s technology produces completely random number combinations at Gbit/s speeds, which makes it possible to improve the encryption of messages. Applications for the technology include simulations such as risk analyses for the financial sector, as well as weather forecasts. The technology also supports simulations in the logistics sector and the pharmaceutical industry.

Quside’s chips generate random numbers that lead to greater security in data transmission and processing. Courtesy of Quside.

Quside’s first customers are from sectors with high security requirements, such as aerospace. In 2026, TRUMPF said, the market of random number generators is expected to be 7 billion to 10 billion euros worldwide, depending on the forecast. TRUMPF cited demand in industries where security plays a major role. It said that the technology could also play an increasingly important role in private devices.

Quside plans to expand into the consumer market in the coming years, to use chips to increase the security of smartphones, tablets, or even vehicles.

Through its venture capital unit, TRUMPF Venture, TRUMPF has made recent investments in Tunable AS, a Norwegian startup that designs and manufactures compact multigas analyzers based on MEMS technology; medical technology company iThera Medical, which is commercializing and developing multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) imaging technology; and SensiBel, an optical MEMS microphone technology company.

About TRUMPF Photonic Components GmbH, VCSEL and Photodiode Solutions

About Quside

Published: January 2023

Glossary

quantum: The term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the atomic and subatomic scales. It originates from quantum theory, a branch of physics that emerged in the early 20th century to explain phenomena observed on very small scales, where classical physics fails to provide accurate explanations. In the context of quantum theory, several key concepts are associated with the term quantum: Quantum mechanics: This is the branch of...
chip: 1. A localized fracture at the end of a cleaved optical fiber or on a glass surface. 2. An integrated circuit.

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