Southampton-based Aquark Technologies, which develops a matchbox-sized, plug-and-play device to bring quantum technologies into everyday use, has secured €5 million in a seed funding round led by the NATO Innovation Fund, with participation from EIFO, MBDA, and UKI2S, managed by Future Planet Capital.
- Founded in 2020 by Andrei Dragomir and Alexander Jantzen, Aquark Technologies originated from the University of Southampton.
- The startup develops Supermolasses, a cooling system that enhances the accessibility and practicality of quantum sensing, computing, and communications. Their innovations in size, weight, power, and cost make these technologies more accessible for everyday use.
- Aquark's technology, also used in the finance and telecommunications sectors, ensures signal accuracy and stability, protects global defense infrastructure, and offers a cost-effective solution against GPS jamming.
Details of the deal
- Aquark is the first startup from the DIANA (Defence Accelerator for the North Atlantic) cohort to secure funding directly from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), an independent venture capital fund backed by 24 NATO allies with over €1 billion invested in deep tech. NIF supports deep tech founders in tackling challenges in defense, security, and resilience.
- DIANA (Defence Accelerator for the North Atlantic) is a €50 million NATO initiative focused on utilizing dual-use technologies to strengthen transatlantic defense. In 2024, DIANA expanded to 23 accelerator sites and 182 test centers across 28 Allied countries, including new locations like Kraków. This growth highlights DIANA's dedication to supporting innovators in key areas such as AI, cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems.
“Safeguarding our infrastructure – from communication, to navigation and financial transactions – is key to building resilient businesses and boosting national security. We are excited to support the Aquark team and look forward to helping them deploy the technology across the world," Partner at NATO Innovation Fund, Kelly Chen, commented.
- The investment was also supported by EIFO, Denmark's investment fund, which provides financial support to entrepreneurs and businesses to foster growth and innovation, as well as MBDA and UKI2S, managed by Future Planet Capital.
- The funding will help Aquark advance its technology, improve signal accuracy, and expand its applications in key sectors like defense, telecommunications, and finance.
“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," Chief Operating Officer at Aquark Technologies, Alexander Jantzen, stated.
