NTT Research
NTT Research is the Silicon Valley R&D subsidiary of NTT, conducting basic research in photonic/quantum computing, post-quantum cryptography, and medical informatics across four labs, and is now commercializing its first product, SaltGrain, a zero-trust ABE-based security suite, via the Scale Academy incubator targeting finance, healthcare, and technology enterprises.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What NTT Research does
NTT Research, Inc. is a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT, TYO:9432), established in July 2019 in Silicon Valley to conduct basic research as a strategic R&D arm of the NTT Group. It operates four research units: the Physics and Informatics (PHI) Lab (optical/quantum computing, Coherent Ising Machines, TFLN photonic chips), the Cryptography and Information Security (CIS) Lab (attribute-based encryption, post-quantum cryptography), the Medical and Health Informatics (MEI) Lab (bio digital twins, cardiovascular health), and the Physics of AI (PAI) Group (AI through physics and neuroscience). The company monetizes primarily through technology licensing and royalties back into NTT Group, supplemented by an annual R&D allocation tied to roughly 30% of NTT's profits invested in R&D.
The product portfolio combines research-stage photonic and AI hardware (TFLN chips, CIM, programmable nonlinear photonic chips published in Nature, a hyperspectral compute-in-memory architecture targeting 100 PetaOPS at ~2 W/PetaOPS, and a low-power 4K AI chip for drones) with its first commercial product, SaltGrain, a zero-trust data security suite using attribute-based encryption designed for post-quantum deployment. In April 2026, NTT Research launched Scale Academy, a startup incubator that represents its first formal commercialization vehicle and signals a strategic pivot from pure basic research toward market-ready products targeting enterprise customers in finance, healthcare, and technology.
The go-to-market is hybrid: enterprise field sales via Scale Academy (SaltGrain to finance/healthcare/tech verticals), event-driven demand generation through the annual Upgrade summit in San Jose, and strategic partnerships (OptQC for 1 million qubits by 2030; NTT DATA/Kipu Quantum for Latin America commercialization). Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company holds no disclosed independent venture funding, relying on NTT Group balance sheet support and operating with 251–500 employees across Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, and Tokyo.
NTT Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NTT Research
- Legal name
- NTT Research, Inc.
- Website
- https://ntt-research.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- NTT Research is the Silicon Valley R&D subsidiary of NTT, conducting basic research in photonic/quantum computing, post-quantum cryptography, and medical informatics across four labs, and is now commercializing its first product, SaltGrain, a zero-trust ABE-based security suite, via the Scale Academy incubator targeting finance, healthcare, and technology enterprises.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NTT Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cybersecurity & Photonic Computing Research
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Quantum Cryptography & Post-Quantum/Quantum-Safe Security Research (HDAGAMAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Quantum Tech Commercialization, IP, Tech Transfer & Venture Research (HDAGAMAN), Quantum-Safe Data-at-Rest Protection (Storage/Database/File Encryption) (HDAGAGAI), Quantum Communications, Networking & Quantum Internet Research (HDAGAMAH)
Keywords
Where NTT Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
NTT Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Research Services and Technology Licensing: NTT Research operates as the research division of NTT, conducting basic research and advancing technologies as a foundational model for developing high-impact innovation across NTT Group's global business. The company invests 30% of its profits in R&D annually.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
NTT Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NTT Research conducts basic scientific research across quantum computing, photonics, cryptography, and medical informatics through four labs (PHI, CIS, MEI, PAI), and has begun commercializing breakthrough technologies via its Scale Academy incubator. Its first commercial product, SaltGrain, is a zero-trust data security suite built on attribute-based encryption designed for post-quantum, AI-era protection of enterprise data in finance, healthcare, and technology sectors.
Product overview
NTT Research operates as a basic research organization within NTT Group, conducting fundamental research across four primary labs: the Physics and Informatics (PHI) Lab focusing on optical computing and quantum information, the Cryptography and Information Security (CIS) Lab specializing in cryptographic innovations, the Medical and Health Informatics (MEI) Lab advancing bio digital twin research, and the Physics of Artificial Intelligence (PAI) Group studying AI through physics and neuroscience. The company's product portfolio centers on photonic computing technologies including Thin Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) chips and the Coherent Ising Machine (CIM), alongside SaltGrain—a zero-trust data security platform built on attribute-based encryption. In 2026, NTT Research launched Scale Academy as its formal commercialization arm, with SaltGrain as the inaugural spinout product targeting post-quantum security for enterprises in finance, healthcare, and technology sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SaltGrain: A zero-trust data security suite built on attribute-based encryption (ABE) technology, designed for post-quantum deployment to address cybersecurity needs in the AI era.
- Scale Academy
- PHI Lab
- CIS Lab
- MEI Lab
- PAI Group
Products and services
- SaltGrain A zero-trust data security suite built on attribute-based encryption (ABE) that protects data throughout its lifecycle. Encryption travels with the data itself rather than protecting perimeters, enabling granular policy-based access control where users or AI systems can view only authorized portions of encrypted documents. The ABE core is engineered for post-quantum deployment, targeting enterprises in finance, healthcare, and technology sectors facing AI-era security threats.
- Scale Academy A startup incubator program launched by NTT Research to transform fundamental research from its labs into viable products and services through structured milestones and funding gates. Scale Academy represents the company's first formal commercialization arm, with SaltGrain as its inaugural spinout product, and is intended to spin out additional breakthrough technologies selected from the PHI, CIS, and MEI research pipelines.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100 PetaOPS with power efficiency near 2 W/PetaOPS
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use NTT Research
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NTT Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature6 records
NTT Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OptQCcorePartnership with Japanese startup OptQC targeting 1 million qubits by 2030, announced at NTT Research's Upgrade 2026 event. This collaboration advances the development of scalable optical quantum computers.
- Cornell UniversitycoreCollaboration with Cornell University to develop the world's first programmable nonlinear photonics chip, with research published in Nature.
- Stanford UniversitycoreCollaboration with Stanford University alongside Cornell on the programmable nonlinear photonics chip research, with results published in Nature.
- Kipu QuantumcoreFormalized alliance between NTT DATA and Germany-founded Kipu Quantum to commercialize quantum computing for Latin American industries including banking, insurance, logistics, and retail.
- Tohoku UniversitycoreJoint research agreement between NTT Research PHI Lab and Graduate School of Information Science at Tohoku University to accelerate development of quantum-enhanced Coherent Ising Machines, focusing on large-scale cyber CIM simulation platform using high-performance computing.
- Harvard UniversitycoreCollaboration with Harvard University Center for Brain Science on Physics of Intelligence vision that led to the creation of the Physics of AI Group. Ongoing collaboration to address similarities between biological and artificial intelligences.
- Q-STAR Industry AlliancecoreJapan's quantum industry alliance coordinating 112 corporate members including Toyota, NEC, Fujitsu, and Toshiba in the broader keiretsu-structured quantum industrialization programme as part of Japan's JPY 1.05 trillion national quantum investment strategy through 2030.
- University of California BerkeleyminorAcademic collaboration alongside Stanford University hosting the Bay Area Crypto Day to promote interest in cryptography research.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NTT Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PsiQuantum: PsiQuantum builds fault-tolerant quantum computers using photonic technologies, directly overlapping with NTT Research's PHI Lab work on TFLN chips, Coherent Ising Machines, and the OptQC partnership targeting optical quantum computing at scale.
- Xanadu Quantum Technologies: Xanadu develops photonic quantum computers and quantum software (PennyLane), making it a direct competitor to NTT Research's photonic computing and CIM research programs aimed at optical quantum advantage.
- Lightmatter: Lightmatter builds photonic AI processors and interconnects that target energy-efficient compute, directly comparable to NTT Research's TFLN photonic chips and Hyperspectral Compute-in-Memory architecture targeting ~2 W/PetaOPS efficiency.
- IonQ: IonQ is a leading commercial quantum computing company pursuing trapped-ion and photonic networking approaches, competing for the same enterprise optimization and quantum-research customers NTT Research targets via its CIM and quantum communications programs.
- Rigetti Computing: Rigetti builds superconducting quantum computers and a quantum cloud platform, comparable to NTT Research as a public quantum hardware competitor pursuing enterprise and government quantum applications.
Broad incumbents
- IBM Quantum: IBM Quantum offers the most established enterprise quantum platform (Qiskit, IBM Quantum Network) and is the dominant incumbent NTT Research competes with for enterprise research partnerships and quantum talent.
- Google Quantum AI: Google Quantum AI is a well-funded incumbent pursuing superconducting quantum computing and quantum error correction, comparable to NTT Research as a deep-tech quantum research organization with commercialization pathways.
- Microsoft Azure Quantum: Microsoft Azure Quantum provides a broad quantum cloud platform and is investing in topological qubits, overlapping with NTT Research as a large incumbent pursuing enterprise quantum and post-quantum security offerings.
Emerging players
- PQShield: PQShield is a venture-backed post-quantum cryptography company providing PQC implementations for chips, networks, and software—directly comparable to NTT Research's SaltGrain post-quantum data security suite.
- ISARA Corporation: ISARA builds post-quantum security and cryptographic-agility solutions for enterprises and governments, an emerging specialist peer competing with NTT Research's CIS Lab and SaltGrain for PQC adoption in regulated industries.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NTT Research social profiles
Digital presenceNTT Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NTT Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
NTT Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NTT Research 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 NTT Research
What does NTT Research do?
NTT Research conducts basic scientific research across quantum computing, photonics, cryptography, and medical informatics through four labs (PHI, CIS, MEI, PAI), and has begun commercializing breakthrough technologies via its Scale Academy incubator. Its first commercial product, SaltGrain, is a zero-trust data security suite built on attribute-based encryption designed for post-quantum, AI-era protection of enterprise data in finance, healthcare, and technology sectors.
Is NTT Research a public or private company?
NTT Research is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was NTT Research founded?
NTT Research was founded in 2019. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is NTT Research based?
NTT Research is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does NTT Research make money?
One revenue line is on record: research Services and Technology Licensing.
Who are NTT Research's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PsiQuantum, Xanadu Quantum Technologies, Lightmatter, IonQ and Rigetti Computing. Broad incumbents are IBM Quantum, Google Quantum AI and Microsoft Azure Quantum. Emerging players are PQShield and ISARA Corporation.
Does NTT Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for NTT Research.
What industry is NTT Research in?
NTT Research's product category is Cybersecurity & Photonic Computing Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAGAMAI, Quantum Cryptography & Post-Quantum/Quantum-Safe Security Research, with a secondary code of HDAGAMAN, Quantum Tech Commercialization, IP, Tech Transfer & Venture Research. Its NAICS code is 541715 and its SIC code is 8731.