KETS Quantum Security
KETS Quantum Security is a Bristol-based company developing chip-based integrated quantum photonics products for Quantum Key Distribution and Quantum Random Number Generation, serving telecoms, defence, data centres, satellite and critical infrastructure operators worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What KETS Quantum Security does
KETS Quantum Security is a UK-based deep-tech company founded in 2016 in Bristol that develops chip-based integrated quantum photonics products for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG). The company packages its patented photonic chips into the KETS Kore family of QKD transmitters and receivers, chip subsystems with onboard digital processing, complete embeddable QKD systems, packaged QRNG chips (QFN 5mm × 5mm), QRNG entropy boards, and a 5 Gbps QRNG PCIe card compliant with NIST SP 800-22. Operating at 1550nm with multi-protocol, crypto-agile capability, KETS claims its chip-based systems deliver at least 8.5x lower cost, 10x smaller size and 5x lower power than bulky fibre-optic QKD implementations, with foundry-scale volume targets of 10,000+ units per year.
The company sells primarily to Tier-1 telecommunications operators (BT, Nokia), defence and aerospace primes (Airbus, Thales), financial institutions (HSBC), government and metrology bodies (NPL, Innovate UK), and satcom/drone integrators. Its revenue mix combines hardware sales (chips, subsystems, embeddable systems) on a quote-based, multi-year contract basis, with significant non-dilutive UK and EU government R&D contracts (Innova UK SBRI, ISCF) and consortium project revenue from multi-party programmes such as the £8.8m Quantum Data Centre of the Future with BT, Riverlane and NCC. Equity funding to date totals £3.1m (~$4.38m) in a 2021 round led by Quantonation with Speedinvest and Mustard Seed MAZE.
KETS has scaled from 4 founders to 18 employees across two funding rounds and two office moves, adding a Paris office in 2021 as part of the ParisQCI/EuroQCI build-out. Its technology pedigree runs back to the world's first chip-to-chip QKD demonstration in 2015, it launched the world's first fully silicon QKD system at Quantum.Tech Washington in 2025, and in early 2026 it integrated its QKD v2.0 module into Nokia's global 'flying kit' quantum-safe demonstration system, which debuted at World Defense Show Riyadh. Leadership transitioned in 2026 from founder Chris Erven (now Founder & Chief Commercial Officer) to CEO Dr. Lisa Matthews, signalling a pivot from founder-led R&D toward commercial scaling.
KETS Quantum Security firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KETS Quantum Security
- Legal name
- KETS Quantum Security
- Website
- https://kets-quantum.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- KETS Quantum Security is a Bristol-based company developing chip-based integrated quantum photonics products for Quantum Key Distribution and Quantum Random Number Generation, serving telecoms, defence, data centres, satellite and critical infrastructure operators worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where KETS Quantum Security is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
KETS Quantum Security business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware sales (QKD/QRNG chips, subsystems and embeddable systems): Sale of packaged QKD Tx/Rx chips, chip subsystems, advanced chip subsystems, complete embeddable QKD solutions, packaged QRNG chips, QRNG entropy boards and QRNG PCIe cards to OEMs, telecoms operators and system integrators. Units scalable to 10,000+ per year.
- UK government R&D contracts (Innovate UK, SBRI): Multi-million-pound development contracts awarded by Innovate UK/SBRI (e.g., £1.7m DHSI-QKD contract, ~£1.7m Innovate UK development contract). Funds next-generation QKD development, security hardening, interoperability and embeddable subsystems.
- Consortium project revenue (BT, Riverlane, NCC, HSBC, NodeQ, Airbus, NPL): Participation in funded multi-party R&D consortia such as the £8.8m Quantum Data Centre of the Future (QDCF), £1.9m QKD assurance project, £2.7m AQuRand project with NPL and CryptaLabs, ViSatQT satellite QKD and QDOS-Lite drone QKD with Airbus.
- Equity financing from specialist quantum/deep-tech VCs: Equity funding rounds (e.g., £3.1m / $4.38m in 2021) from Quantonation, Speedinvest and Mustard Seed MAZE — used to accelerate product development, real-world testing and international expansion including a Paris office.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based hardware sales; no public price list. |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
KETS Quantum Security product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KETS Quantum Security designs and manufactures chip-based integrated quantum photonic hardware for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG). Its product family — marketed as KETS Kore — spans packaged QKD Tx/Rx chips, QKD chip subsystems and advanced chip subsystems, a complete embeddable QKD solution, packaged QRNG chips, a QRNG entropy board, and a 5 Gbps QRNG PCIe card, all fabricated in photonic foundries at 1550nm. The company targets telecom operators, defence primes, banks, satellite operators and critical infrastructure providers with low-SWaP, multi-protocol quantum-safe hardware.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- KETS Kore: A family of quantum-safe products powered by integrated quantum photonic chips, ranging from packaged chips to plug-and-play modules with digital interfaces, including QKD Tx/Rx chips, chip subsystems, and advanced chip subsystems.
Products and services
- Packaged QKD Tx & Rx Chips Chip-based Alice and Bob QKD transceivers in a compact, interchangeable form factor. Compared with bulky fibre-optic setups they cut cost by at least 8.5x, shrink size by 10x, and cut power 5x; for OEMs and system integrators needing embeddable QKD primitives.
- QKD Tx & Rx Chip Subsystems Ready-to-use QKD submodules pairing KETS' chip-based photonic engine with optimised analogue amplifiers, driving circuitry and digital control, operating at 1550nm with fibre and RF/PCIe interfaces. Identical, interchangeable, and independently verifiable for telecom and system-integrator customers.
- Advanced QKD Chip Subsystems Higher-integration QKD subsystem variant adding onboard digital processing and a KETS software API, operating at 1550nm with fibre and RF/PCIe interfaces. Designed for drop-in integration into larger systems by OEMs and Tier-1 equipment vendors.
- Complete Embeddable QKD Solution Self-contained Tx/Rx QKD system with monitored protocol parameters and software post-processing algorithms meeting stringent security proofs, accessed via ETSI014, SNMP or KETS' proprietary interface. Requires two single-mode fibres (quantum channel + synchronization) and is intended for telecom production deployments.
- Packaged QRNG Chips (QFN 5mm x 5mm) Optically self-contained QRNG using homodyne measurement of optical vacuum states in an industry-standard QFN 5mm x 5mm package, with raw analogue bandwidth of 1 GHz and excellent quantum signal-to-noise ratio. Scalable to 10,000+ units in 6–12 months for OEMs and security module makers.
- QRNG Entropy Board Subsystem board providing analogue and digital control of the QRNG chip via serial interface, producing a high-bandwidth analogue quantum randomness signal that interfaces with most ADCs. Targeted at customers with FPGA/firmware expertise building security and cryptography subsystems.
- QRNG PCIe Card (5 Gbps)
Quantifiable outcome
- Slashes QKD costs by at least 8.5x compared to bulky fibre-optic setups
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use KETS Quantum Security
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
KETS Quantum Security technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature8 records
KETS Quantum Security partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship — nokia is integrating kets qkd v2.0 into its global 'flying kit' demonstration system for tier-1 operators and governments; international debut at world defense show riyadh feb 2026., core — interoperability with industry-leading qkd key relay and management software for next-generation networks., core — assurance methods for qkd validated by a tier-1 bank., flagship — £8.8m quantum data centre of the future (qdcf) consortium., core — kets is a key quantum security technology partner on the paris and eu quantum-safe core backbone networks., core — certification and security assurance via iscf aquasec, upcoming aqrngs grants and aqurand project., core — early commercial proofs-of-concept with a tier-1 aerospace prime., minor — collaboration on qrng assurance., core — joint go-to-market combining kets hardware with cryptonext pqc software library, both portfolio companies of quantonation., minor — seed-stage mentoring programme access, not a commercial contract., minor — provides mba-level business development support via cdl-toronto., core — thales provides visibility and access to aerospace, space, ground transportation, defence and security markets., core — early access to tier-1 telecom operator ecosystems., minor — early-stage incubator/consulting support. and flagship — academic origin and ongoing collaboration (including quantum hacking work at bristol)..
- Nokiaflagship — nokia is integrating kets qkd v2.0 into its global 'flying kit' demonstration system for tier-1 operators and governments; international debut at world defense show riyadh feb 2026.KETS Quantum Security is integrating its QKD v2.0 unit into Nokia's global 'flying kit' quantum-safe demonstration kit. Nokia's optical networking consumes quantum-safe keys generated by KETS' chip-based modules, with the integrated stack already showcased at the World Defense Show in Riyadh in February 2026 and trialled previously by BT.
- evolutionQcore — interoperability with industry-leading qkd key relay and management software for next-generation networks.KETS' DHSI-QKD project (Innovate UK SBRI contract) establishes interoperability with evolutionQ's BasejumpQDN QKD key relay and management software suite for next-generation quantum-safe networks, with BT as end-user tester.
- BT, NodeQ, HSBCcore — assurance methods for qkd validated by a tier-1 bank.£1.9m project to develop assurance methods for QKD, with BT, NodeQ and HSBC as partners and HSBC as the banking end-user.
- BT, Riverlane, NCCflagship — £8.8m quantum data centre of the future (qdcf) consortium.Consortium project to develop the Quantum Data Centre of the Future (QDCF). KETS contributes chip-based QKD/QRNG technologies, BT acts as end-user tester; programme total funding £8.8m.
- ParisQCI / EuroQCI consortiumcore — kets is a key quantum security technology partner on the paris and eu quantum-safe core backbone networks.KETS is a key quantum security technology partner on ParisQCI, helping to build a quantum-safe core backbone network in Paris, with related involvement in the wider EuroQCI project building a secure quantum communication network across the EU.
- National Physical Laboratory (NPL)core — certification and security assurance via iscf aquasec, upcoming aqrngs grants and aqurand project.KETS works closely with NPL on certification and security assurance of its devices and sub-systems through ISCF AQuaSeC and upcoming AQRNGs grants, and through the £2.7m AQuRand project to validate QRNG assurance methods.
- Airbuscore — early commercial proofs-of-concept with a tier-1 aerospace prime.Airbus flew KETS' QKD transmitter on a drone as part of the QDOS-Lite project (2018) and partnered on the ViSatQT satellite QKD feasibility study (2020).
- CryptaLabsminor — collaboration on qrng assurance.KETS partnered with NPL and CryptaLabs on the £2.7m AQuRand project to develop assurance methods for QRNGs.
- CryptoNext Securitycore — joint go-to-market combining kets hardware with cryptonext pqc software library, both portfolio companies of quantonation.Bristol-based KETS and Paris-based CryptoNext Security announced a partnership to develop complete quantum-safe solutions, bringing together KETS' integrated photonic hardware devices and CryptoNext's quantum-resistant cryptography. Both were selected as one of eight companies in Thales' Cyber@Station F accelerator.
- Creative Destruction Lab (CDL-Toronto)minor — seed-stage mentoring programme access, not a commercial contract.KETS was selected to join CDL-Toronto's Quantum Incubator Stream, alongside D-Wave, Rigetti Computing and Xanadu, gaining objectives-based mentoring, business development support from Rotman MBA students and access to leading VC firms.
- University of Toronto (Rotman School of Management / CDL)minor — provides mba-level business development support via cdl-toronto.Through the Creative Destruction Lab, KETS gained access to business development support from top MBA students at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
- Thalescore — thales provides visibility and access to aerospace, space, ground transportation, defence and security markets.KETS was announced at VivaTech 2019 as one of eight winners of Thales' Cyber@Station F startup initiative, gaining access to Thales' technical expertise and core markets (aerospace, space, ground transportation, defence and security).
- Telecom Infra Project (TIP) Ecosystem Acceleration Centre (TEAC) / BT / Facebookcore — early access to tier-1 telecom operator ecosystems.KETS admitted as one of the first three SMEs (alongside Zeetta Networks and UnManned Life) into the UK Telecom Infra Project Ecosystem Acceleration Centre (TEAC) based at BT Labs in London's Tech City and Adastral Park, Suffolk.
- SETsquared Partnershipminor — early-stage incubator/consulting support.KETS founders used SETsquared's R2I and ICURe programmes to develop the initial business case, and KETS co-founded the Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre (QTEC) at the University of Bristol as part of its first cohort in 2016–17.
- University of Bristol (Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre / QTEC)flagship — academic origin and ongoing collaboration (including quantum hacking work at bristol).KETS was founded out of the University of Bristol's Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre (QTEC) incubator in 2016–17 and continues to collaborate with the University on chip-based quantum hacking research.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights8 records
KETS Quantum Security competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ID Quantique: Geneva-based ID Quantique is the commercial market leader in QKD/QRNG hardware, serving the same telecom, defence and financial-services customers as KETS with a more established product line (Cerberis, Clavis). It is the most directly comparable peer and a likely benchmark for any KETS exit.
- Toshiba Cambridge Research Laboratory: Toshiba's Cambridge Research Lab is a pioneer in chip-based QKD with field-deployed systems (e.g. BT, HSBC, JP Morgan trials) using T12 and T15 protocols. It competes head-to-head with KETS in the UK telecoms market and shares many of the same enterprise customers.
- QuantumCTek: QuantumCTek (QKD-CS) is China's largest commercial QKD provider with extensive backbone-network deployments and a broad QKD/QRNG product portfolio. It is the dominant global player by deployment volume and a comparable technology alternative to KETS for international tenders.
- Qubitekk: US-based Qubitekk develops QKD systems and quantum networks for utility-grid, defence and government customers, with multiple US Department of Energy pilots. It overlaps with KETS on chip-based QKD for critical infrastructure and defence use cases.
- QuintessenceLabs: Australian QuintessenceLabs is one of the few commercial vendors of both QRNG (qStream, qProtect) and QKD, with strong US/ANZ defence and government exposure. It is a like-for-like competitor to KETS' QRNG business and a co-bidder on quantum-safe defence programmes.
Emerging players
- LuxQuanta: Barcelona-based LuxQuanta builds chip-based continuous-variable QKD (CV-QKD) for telecom operators. It is at a similar stage to KETS, targeting the same European telecoms market with a competing chip-integrated approach, making it a relevant emerging competitor.
- SpeQtral: SpeQtral (Singapore) is building satellite QKD systems and terrestrial QKD for telecoms/government customers in Asia-Pacific. It overlaps with KETS on satellite use cases and on enterprise/government sales in adjacent geographies.
- Quantum Optics Jena: German Quantum Optics Jena offers QRNG chips and modules (e.g. the Quantis product line, now commercialised via ID Quantique) and is one of the closest direct competitors to KETS' QRNG business on chip form factor.
- ThinkQuantum: Italian ThinkQuantum provides QKD systems and QRNG products for research, telecoms and government customers, with EU regional focus. It is comparable on technology (QKD + QRNG hardware) and on target verticals, serving as a regional/European peer.
Others
- CryptoNext Security: Paris-based CryptoNext Security is a KETS partner (joint quantum-safe stack, both Quantonation-backed) but commercially adjacent — it sells post-quantum cryptography software rather than QKD hardware. Included as a directly comparable go-to-market partner and competitor for budget share in quantum-safe projects.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
KETS Quantum Security social profiles
Digital presenceKETS Quantum Security financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KETS Quantum Security leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
KETS Quantum Security funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KETS Quantum Security M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KETS Quantum Security
What does KETS Quantum Security do?
KETS Quantum Security designs and manufactures chip-based integrated quantum photonic hardware for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG). Its product family — marketed as KETS Kore — spans packaged QKD Tx/Rx chips, QKD chip subsystems and advanced chip subsystems, a complete embeddable QKD solution, packaged QRNG chips, a QRNG entropy board, and a 5 Gbps QRNG PCIe card, all fabricated in photonic foundries at 1550nm. The company targets telecom operators, defence primes, banks, satellite operators and critical infrastructure providers with low-SWaP, multi-protocol quantum-safe hardware.
Is KETS Quantum Security a public or private company?
KETS Quantum Security is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was KETS Quantum Security founded?
KETS Quantum Security was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KETS Quantum Security based?
KETS Quantum Security is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does KETS Quantum Security make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware sales (QKD/QRNG chips, subsystems and embeddable systems) is the primary driver. The others are UK government R&D contracts (Innovate UK, SBRI), consortium project revenue (BT, Riverlane, NCC, HSBC, NodeQ, Airbus, NPL) and equity financing from specialist quantum/deep-tech VCs.
Who are KETS Quantum Security's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ID Quantique, Toshiba Cambridge Research Laboratory, QuantumCTek, Qubitekk and QuintessenceLabs. Emerging players are LuxQuanta, SpeQtral, Quantum Optics Jena and ThinkQuantum. CryptoNext Security is listed as an others.
Does KETS Quantum Security have an API?
Yes. KETS offers a proprietary software API used to operate and integrate its QKD Tx & Rx Advanced Chip Subsystems, providing digital high-speed PCIe and serial interfaces for drop-in integration into larger systems. The Complete Embeddable QKD Solution is accessed via ETSI014, SNMP, or KETS proprietary interface.