LuxQuanta secures EIC Accelerator Funding

LuxQuanta, an ICFO’s spin-off company and a leading European QKD manufacturer, is one of 42 companies to be selected in the latest call for the European Innovation Council Accelerator (EIC), the business acceleration program within the framework of the EU Horizon Europe research and innovation funding program. The EIC, which supports startups and SMEs driving innovative and disruptive products, services, or business models, had previously selected ICFO’s 2017 spin-off  Quside technologies, for funding in 2023, making LuxQuanta ICFO’s second quantum spin-off to be successful in an Accelerator call. This double acknowledgement is an illustration of quantum technologies that are emerging from ICFO.

LuxQuanta spun out of ICFO in 2021 with the mission of facilitating ultra-secure communications through the use of quantum technologies in the initial steps of the Qollserola project. ICFO is developing this project with the support and co-funding of the Catalan Government through the Secretary of Digital Policies of the Department of Business and Labor.

The project is mainly focused on the quantum communication ring in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, which consists of deploying a secure communication network using quantum cryptography,  integrated in a seamless way with the current available fiber optic infrastructure around Barcelona. The project lays the groundwork for the gradual deployment of the pan-European quantum internet, the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI), in the coming years.

Thanks to their selection by the EIC Accelerator, LuxQuanta will receive 2.5 million euros from European grants to boost the commercialization of its quantum key distribution system. The company will also have the opportunity to access venture capital funds of up to 15 million euros. Selection for an Accelerator is a mark of excellence for its recipients.  LuxQuanta, with a dedicated team of 25 within just two and a half years of its inception, is on an ambitious trajectory to become the leading European QKD manufacturer.

"The European Commission's support comes at a crucial time for LuxQuanta as we embark on our second financing round that will enable us to scale operations, penetrate new markets, and attract top talent," says LuxQuanta's CEO, Vanesa Díaz.

"The international recognition of Catalan quantum start-ups is great news because it represents another step towards positioning Catalonia and its digital and innovation ecosystem on the European and global map of quantum technologies," says the Secretary of Digital Policies of the Generalitat de Cataluña, Gina Tost i Faus. "Furthermore, it confirms that Catalonia is ready to take the leap and maximize the pioneering commitment of the Government towards quantum technologies with the new strategy that we are developing in collaboration and partnership with the ecosystem, and with ICFO as a cornerstone. This strategy should allow us to seize the opportunities for economic and social progress arising from the second quantum revolution."

Catalonia’s strategy to seize the window of opportunity

As announced by the Minister of Business and Labor, Roger Torrent i Ramió, at the last edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), the Government plans to approve the Quantum Technologies Strategy of Catalonia, currently in the drafting phase, before the end of 2024.

The quantum strategy of Catalonia will be added to the strategies in advanced digital technologies – mobile technologies, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and NewSpace – that the Government, through the Secretary of Digital Policies, has launched in recent years to boost new economic sectors based on disruptive technologies that generate opportunities, economic growth, and high-value-added employment, but also with a strong impact on improving people's lives.

As in the other Government strategies in advanced digital technologies, the one dedicated to quantum technology is based on previous work with key players in the ecosystem, promotion of research and innovation, and identification of challenges and opportunities.

In this regard, the Government, through the Secretary of Digital Policies, is already working with ICFO on eight projects:

1. Quantum communication ring in the metropolitan area of Barcelona.
2. Application of quantum technologies for repeaters and long-distance fiber links.
3. Preparation for quantum links in free space and future satellite links.
4. Construction of quantum computers based on ultra-cold atoms.
5. Design and development of magnetic quantum sensors for materials and neuro-medicine.
6. Miniaturization of quantum devices.
7. Exploration of synthetic quantum materials and their applications, in collaboration with MIT (USA) among other leading international centers.
8. Dissemination and promotion of quantum technologies and their application and impact in Catalonia.