INSIGHTS / News

Aquark Team: From left to right – Jonathan Woods, Chester Camm, Jonathan Emery, Alexander Jantzen, Matt Himsworth, Andrei Dragomir, Max Carey, Florence Concepcion & Vilius Atkočius

The University of Southampton spin-out and UKTIN member has secured €5m (£4.2m) investment from NATO’s deep tech-focused venture fund, with support from EIFO, UKI2S (managed by Future Planet Capital), and MBDA.

Research has revealed that GPS vulnerabilities could result in potential losses of £1 billion per day, with incidents of GPS interference surging by as much as 2000% between 2018 and 2021. While quantum sensors are currently used to deliver accurate signals, they tend to be large, power-intensive, unstable, and susceptible to jamming, leading to reduced accuracy over time.

Aquark Technologies has developed a high-performance cold atom trap that operates without magnetic fields. Aquark’s patented approach allows the creation of quantum sensors that are smaller, lighter, more energy-efficient, and cost-effective – a development that now makes the technology portable and more resilient for use in challenging environments like at sea and in the air.

Quantum technologies have immense commercial potential as they increasingly become integral to global infrastructure. Aquark’s innovation not only serves aligned sectors like finance and telecommunications, where signal accuracy and stability are crucial, but it also plays a vital role in securing national defence infrastructure.

By offering resilience against GPS jamming and providing highly accurate signals at a low cost, Aquark’s solutions can enhance the reliability of critical systems worldwide.

Andrei Dragomir, CEO, Aquark Technologies, said “This funding marks an incredible opportunity for Aquark to take quantum technologies closer to broader use. We are proud to have such a strong syndicate supporting us as we achieve this goal. We are aligned in our vision to deliver quantum technologies that will have a beneficial impact on civilian life, infrastructure, and defence. In this way, we are excited to see Aquark continue to contribute to the UK, Europe, and NATO’s quantum strategies.”

Alexander Jantzen, COO, Aquark Technologies, also comments, “This investment arrives at a pivotal moment as we and the wider ecosystem look to accelerate deployment at a global level. The days of working in laboratory environments are behind us and this acceleration has us incredibly excited. It will see us rapidly expand our brilliant team, grow collaborations, increase capabilities and tackle the hardest miniaturisation problems in order to achieve production at scale.”​