{"id":16404,"date":"2024-09-12T09:59:52","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T07:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/?p=16404"},"modified":"2024-09-11T16:55:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T14:55:50","slug":"quantum-optics-jena-secures-e8-5-million-in-series-a-funding-to-revolutionize-secure-communications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/2024-en\/quantum-optics-jena-secures-e8-5-million-in-series-a-funding-to-revolutionize-secure-communications\/","title":{"rendered":"Quantum Optics Jena Secures \u20ac8.5 Million in Series A Funding to Revolutionize Secure Communications"},"content":{"rendered":"
Investors Back German Quantum Technology as a Cybersecurity Solution<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena (QOJ), a pio\u00adneer\u00ading startup in the field of quan\u00adtum tech\u00adnol\u00adogy, today announced the clos\u00ading of an \u20ac8.5 mil\u00adlion Series A fund\u00ading round. This invest\u00adment under\u00adscores the grow\u00ading con\u00adfi\u00addence in Ger\u00adman quan\u00adtum tech\u00adnol\u00adogy and its poten\u00adtial to rev\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion\u00adize secure data transmission.<\/p>\n

Led by Join Cap\u00adi\u00adtal, a lead\u00ading Euro\u00adpean ven\u00adture cap\u00adi\u00adtal firm, joined by early investors ELAS Tech\u00adnolo\u00adgies GmbH, Fraun\u00adhofer Tech\u00adnolo\u00adgies-Trans\u00adfer Fonds, and beteili\u00adgungs\u00adman\u00adage\u00adment Th\u00fcrin\u00adgen (bm|t) as well as busi\u00adness angel Malte Poll\u00admann, this lat\u00adest fund\u00ading round will fuel QOJ\u2019s expan\u00adsion and accel\u00ader\u00adate the com\u00admer\u00adcial\u00adiza\u00adtion of its quan\u00adtum key dis\u00adtri\u00adb\u00adu\u00adtion tech\u00adnol\u00adogy. With its quan\u00adtum encryp\u00adtion, QOJ enables tap-proof com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion for com\u00adpa\u00adnies and insti\u00adtu\u00adtions of all sizes. The fresh cap\u00adi\u00adtal from this Series A will fuel expan\u00adsion and help bring QOJ\u2019s quan\u00adtum key tech\u00adnol\u00adogy to a wider market.<\/p>\n

Unhackable communication, thanks to quantum optics<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u201cWe are excited to sup\u00adport QOJ in their mis\u00adsion to fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtally trans\u00adform the cyber\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adrity land\u00adscape,\u201d said Tobias Schirmer, Part\u00adner at Join Cap\u00adi\u00adtal. \u201cQuan\u00adtum key dis\u00adtri\u00adb\u00adu\u00adtion is a ground\u00adbreak\u00ading approach to data secu\u00adrity, and QOJ is lead\u00ading the way in this excit\u00ading field.\u201d<\/p>\n

The QOJ team is pio\u00adneer\u00ading advance\u00adments in cyber\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adrity by har\u00adness\u00ading quan\u00adtum optics \u2013 a tech\u00adnol\u00adogy that uses entan\u00adgled pairs of pho\u00adtons (light par\u00adti\u00adcles) to trans\u00admit infor\u00adma\u00adtion with com\u00adplete secu\u00adrity. These pho\u00adtons gen\u00ader\u00adate a secret key, which is then used to encrypt and decrypt data\u2014a method known as entan\u00adgle\u00adment-based key dis\u00adtri\u00adb\u00adu\u00adtion (EKD). With this approach, mul\u00adti\u00adple users can securely com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adcate at the same time using the gen\u00ader\u00adated quan\u00adtum keys.<\/p>\n

Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena is the world\u2019s only com\u00admer\u00adcial provider of such multi-party quan\u00adtum key dis\u00adtri\u00adb\u00adu\u00adtion sys\u00adtems. The com\u00adpany \u2013 which devel\u00adops hard\u00adware, soft\u00adware and ser\u00advices for data exchange \u2013 has received mul\u00adti\u00adple awards for its tech\u00adnolo\u00adgies. QOJ\u2019s solu\u00adtions are par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlarly inter\u00adest\u00ading for cus\u00adtomers with high secu\u00adrity require\u00adments, such as gov\u00adern\u00adment net\u00adworks, as well as banks that need to com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adcate con\u00adfi\u00adden\u00adtially and securely but have high risk of expo\u00adsure to hack\u00aders. This tech\u00adnol\u00adogy can also ben\u00ade\u00adfit research insti\u00adtu\u00adtions, small and medium-sized enter\u00adprises, the health\u00adcare sec\u00adtor, and soci\u00adety as a whole.<\/p>\n

Global Expansion and European Quantum Communication Infrastructure Development<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u201cOur tech\u00adnol\u00adogy has moved beyond the research lab and is now ready for prac\u00adti\u00adcal appli\u00adca\u00adtions. With this fund\u00ading, we can expand our pro\u00adduc\u00adtion capac\u00adity and scale our tech\u00adnol\u00adogy glob\u00adally,\u201d explains Dr. Kevin F\u00fcch\u00adsel, CEO of Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena. \u201cI\u2019ve had the priv\u00adi\u00adlege of col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adrat\u00ading closely with the highly skilled found\u00ading team at Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena for years. Their ground\u00adbreak\u00ading advance\u00adments in quan\u00adtum tech\u00adnol\u00adogy have con\u00adsis\u00adtently impressed me. I\u2019m thrilled to be part of their jour\u00adney as they rede\u00adfine the land\u00adscape of secure com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion\u201d, says busi\u00adness angel Malte Pollmann.<\/p>\n

Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena is already a global player and is also active in Sin\u00adga\u00adpore, Spain, Aus\u00adtria, and Slo\u00adva\u00adkia, with a sales office in North Car\u00adolina, USA. Cur\u00adrently, the com\u00adpany is work\u00ading on con\u00adnect\u00ading data cen\u00adters and crit\u00adi\u00adcal infra\u00adstruc\u00adtures. In the rural area sur\u00adround\u00ading the uni\u00adver\u00adsity town of Jena, Ger\u00admany, QOJ is build\u00ading a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion sys\u00adtem with part\u00adners to securely send infor\u00adma\u00adtion and patient data to the Jena Uni\u00adver\u00adsity Hos\u00adpi\u00adtal. The com\u00adpany is also involved in the con\u00adstruc\u00adtion of a Euro\u00adpean Quan\u00adtum Com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion Infra\u00adstruc\u00adture (Euro\u00adQCI), which is expected to be oper\u00ada\u00adtional across all of Europe by 2027.<\/p>\n

About Quantum Optics Jena<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena was spun off from the Fraun\u00adhofer Insti\u00adtute for Applied Optics and Fine Mechan\u00adics (IOF) in Jena in 2020. The man\u00adag\u00ading direc\u00adtors are Dr. Kevin F\u00fcch\u00adsel and Dr. Oliver de Vries. Just a few months after Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger, whose research made a sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adtion to the under\u00adstand\u00ading of entan\u00adgle\u00adment and received the Nobel Prize in Physics, Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena launched its first com\u00admer\u00adcial solu\u00adtions. Learn more about Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena at www.qo-jena.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Investors<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Join Cap\u00adi\u00adtal<\/a><\/strong> is an early-stage ven\u00adture cap\u00adi\u00adtal fund with offices in Berlin, Lon\u00addon, and Milan that has been invest\u00ading in \u201cNew Indus\u00adtry\u201d star\u00adtups across Europe since 2017. The fund\u2019s strat\u00adegy focuses on deep-tech and B2B soft\u00adware com\u00adpa\u00adnies com\u00admit\u00adted to the dig\u00adi\u00adtal trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adtion of indus\u00adtry and mak\u00ading a sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adtion to solv\u00ading the major chal\u00adlenges of our time. Join Cap\u00adi\u00adtal is cur\u00adrently invest\u00ading from its sec\u00adond fund and man\u00adages more than \u20ac150 mil\u00adlion in assets. Investors include the Nato Inno\u00adva\u00adtion Fund (NIF), KfW Cap\u00adi\u00adtal as well as lead\u00ading fund of funds and fam\u00adily offices. Since incep\u00adtion, Join Cap\u00adi\u00adtal has already invested in a total of 25 port\u00adfo\u00adlio com\u00adpa\u00adnies and real\u00adized four exits.<\/p>\n

bm\u2011t beteili\u00adgungs\u00adman\u00adage\u00adment Th\u00fcrin\u00adgen (bm|t)<\/strong><\/a>, head\u00adquar\u00adtered in Erfurt \u2013 a sub\u00adsidiary of the Th\u00fcringer Auf\u00adbau Bank \u2013 is the first point of con\u00adtact for ven\u00adture cap\u00adi\u00adtal invest\u00adments in Thuringia, Ger\u00admany. bm|t cur\u00adrently man\u00adages twelve funds with a total vol\u00adume of \u20ac445 mil\u00adlion and invests in inno\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive com\u00adpa\u00adnies with strong growth poten\u00adtial across all indus\u00adtries and all phases of the cor\u00adpo\u00adrate life cycle.<\/p>\n

Fraun\u00adhofer Tech\u00adnolo\u00adgie-Trans\u00adfer Fonds (FTTF)<\/strong><\/a> is an inde\u00adpen\u00addent early-stage ven\u00adture cap\u00adi\u00adtal investor for deep-tech star\u00adtups using Fraun\u00adhofer tech\u00adnolo\u00adgies, and the first of its kind in Ger\u00admany. With a vol\u00adume of \u20ac60 mil\u00adlion, FTTF pro\u00advides star\u00adtups with cap\u00adi\u00adtal of up \u20ac5 mil\u00adlion dur\u00ading the chal\u00adleng\u00ading early phases. The FTTF is backed by its two fund investors, the Fraun\u00adhofer-Gesellschaft and the Euro\u00adpean Invest\u00adment Fund (EIF). Since its estab\u00adlish\u00adment in 2019, FTTF has invested in 39 star\u00adtups pur\u00adsu\u00ading inno\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive busi\u00adness mod\u00adels based on a wide range of Fraun\u00adhofer technologies.<\/p>\n

ELAS Tech\u00adnol\u00adogy Invest\u00adment GmbH (ELAS)<\/strong><\/a> is a Ger\u00adman-based but glob\u00adally ori\u00adented finan\u00adcial investor head\u00adquar\u00adtered in Ham\u00adburg in north\u00adern Ger\u00admany. ELAS was founded to pro\u00advide finan\u00adcial and infra\u00adstruc\u00adtural sup\u00adport to promis\u00ading com\u00adpa\u00adnies and orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions in the global pho\u00adton\u00adics and high-tech industry.<\/p>\n

Contact<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena GmbH | Am Zemen\u00adtwerk 8 | 07745 Jena, Ger\u00admany | press@qo-jena.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Quan\u00adtum Optics Jena (QOJ) secured an \u20ac8.5 mil\u00adlion Series A fund\u00ading by Join Cap\u00adi\u00adtal, ELAS Tech\u00adnolo\u00adgies GmbH, Fraun\u00adhofer Tech\u00adnolo\u00adgies-Trans\u00adfer Fonds, bm\u2011t beteili\u00adgungs\u00adman\u00adage\u00adment th\u00fcrin\u00adgen (bm|t) and busi\u00adness angel Malte Pollmann.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16402,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[248],"tags":[176,177,249,210,159,171],"class_list":["post-16404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2024-en","tag-bm-t-en","tag-bmt-en","tag-erfolgsgeschichte-en","tag-investeepartner","tag-investment-en","tag-thuringia"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bm-t.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}