Kets Quantum Security rolls out quantum-safe chip-based encryption development kits

The specter of quantum computers breaking encryption has become a growing concern for enterprises, even as the timeline for such events remains fuzzy. Kets Quantum Security believes it’s possible to address current and future security issues at the same time.

The Bristol, England-based company has made chip-based encryption development kits that offer a high level of security today but also claim to provide quantum-safe security for the future. The technology targets markets such as finance and telecommunications, which need greater security, especially as more services move to the cloud.

Future-proof?

The Kets team is confident that randomly generating security keys optically on a chip will enable the product to thwart any future threat of quantum computers.

“The security you get from using those keys protects you against the quantum computer,” Kets CEO and cofounder Dr. Chris Erven told VentureBeat. “We’re probably not going to know when the first one is built. But you get everything in terms of security that is now quantum-safe.”

Erven said the product is not yet ready for mission-critical data, but it is ready for testbeds. The company has a growing list of customers who are testing the offering in small volumes.

“We’re in this really interesting space where we can play [with] it quite a bit for customers and figure out exactly what they want,” Erven said.

The company offers two hardware solutions. The first, Quantum Key Distribution, optically distributes secure cryptographic keys on a chip. The second, Quantum Random Number Generator, uses the “unpredictable properties of quantum mechanical light” to generate random sets of keys.

Kets today announced it has raised $4.38 million in a round co-led by Quantonation and Speedinvest, with participation from Mustard Seed Maze. The company plans to use the money to continue building out its team while also expanding work with partners to develop the technology.

Kets has global ambitions and has recently opened its first international office in Paris.