NATO Supports UK Quantum Sensor Startup Aquark with €5m Investment

The NATO Innovation Fund has recently made its first investment in a quantum startup, participating in a €5 million funding round for Aquark Technologies based in Southampton, UK. This seed funding, led by the NATO Innovation Fund, is aimed at scaling the production of a high-performing, magnetic field-free cold atom trap for position sensing.

Recent research has highlighted the potential vulnerability of GPS systems, with the possibility of causing £1 billion in losses per day. Incidents of GPS interference have surged by 2,000 percent between 2018 and 2021. Quantum sensors, currently utilized for providing accurate signals, are often large, power-hungry, unstable, and susceptible to jamming, leading to decreased accuracy over time.

Aquark Technologies has developed a patented method for constructing cold atom quantum sensors without magnetic fields. This innovation allows them to reduce the size, weight, power consumption, and cost of their sensors. Consequently, the technology is mobile, robust, and suitable for use in challenging terrains such as underwater and in the air.

The NATO fund's investment in Aquark follows previous investments in UK AI chip startup Fractile and three other companies. The primary objective is to secure technology critical for infrastructure supporting key sectors like defense, telecommunications, and finance, which rely on precise signals for accurate positioning, navigation, and timing.

The funding round for Aquark also includes contributions from EIFO, UKI2S (managed by Future Planet Capital), and missile manufacturer MBDA. Alexander Jantzen, COO of Aquark Technologies, expressed enthusiasm about the investment, emphasizing the company's readiness to expand its team, collaborations, and capabilities to achieve production at scale.