Acubed
Acubed was Airbus' dedicated Silicon Valley innovation center, developing aerospace AI and quantum-sensing technologies (notably MagNav navigation) for integration into Airbus' core businesses. The entity has completed its decade-long mission and been absorbed into the parent.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSunnyvale, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Acubed does
Acubed was the dedicated Silicon Valley innovation center of Airbus, established in 2015 and based in Sunnyvale, California. Operating with approximately 51-100 employees, the unit functioned as an internal corporate R&D center rather than a commercial entity — its outputs were integrated directly into Airbus' core aerospace platforms and services rather than sold to external customers. Acubed's mission was to advance cutting-edge aerospace technologies to strengthen Airbus' competitive position, bridging Silicon Valley's AI, quantum, and software talent pools with Airbus' commercial aviation business.
Acubed's most prominent technical output was MagNav, a quantum-sensing navigation system developed in partnership with SandboxAQ. MagNav uses Earth's magnetic fields as a positioning reference for aircraft, representing — per SandboxAQ's CEO — the first novel absolute navigation system in 50 years. Over more than 150 hours of flight testing across the continental United States, the system maintained positional accuracy within two nautical miles 100% of the time and within 550 meters in most cases, meeting or surpassing Federal Aviation Administration standards. Beyond MagNav, Acubed ran internal technology programs including Project ADAM and staffed dedicated AI/ML leadership (Head of ML, Director of Engineering).
Following a decade of operation, Acubed completed its mission and was fully integrated into Airbus' core businesses, with capabilities and projects continuing to scale through Airbus' commercial platforms. As a result, Acubed no longer operates as an independent entity; its former functions are now embedded within Airbus' broader innovation and engineering organization.
Acubed firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Acubed
- Legal name
- Acubed
- Website
- https://acubed.airbus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Acubed was Airbus' dedicated Silicon Valley innovation center, developing aerospace AI and quantum-sensing technologies (notably MagNav navigation) for integration into Airbus' core businesses. The entity has completed its decade-long mission and been absorbed into the parent.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Acubed industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerospace Navigation Systems
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Avionics Software, Certification & Safety-Critical Systems (DO-178/DO-254) (IMABAFAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing (Fixed-Wing) (IMABAAAA)
Keywords
Where Acubed is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sunnyvale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Acubed business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations
Acubed product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Acubed was Airbus' dedicated Silicon Valley innovation center, developing advanced aerospace technologies over roughly a decade. Its primary known product was MagNav, a quantum-sensing navigation system built in partnership with SandboxAQ that uses Earth's magnetic fields to determine aircraft position. The center's capabilities have now been fully integrated into Airbus' core businesses following mission completion.
Product overview
Acubed was Airbus' dedicated Silicon Valley innovation center, which has now completed its mission and been integrated into Airbus' core businesses. Its primary known product was MagNav, a quantum-sensing navigation system developed in partnership with SandboxAQ that uses Earth's magnetic fields for aircraft positioning. This technology represents a novel absolute navigation system described as the first in 50 years, with applications in aviation resilience and national defense.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Acubed
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Acubed technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
Acubed partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SandboxAQcoreAirbus subsidiary Acubed partnered with Silicon Valley company SandboxAQ to field-test MagNav, a quantum-sensing navigation system. The partnership involved over 150 hours of flight testing across the continental United States, validating the system's accuracy and compliance with FAA standards. This collaboration represented a significant technology integration between the two companies for aviation navigation innovation.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Acubed competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Collins Aerospace (RTX): Major avionics and navigation systems supplier across commercial and military aerospace, including GPS and inertial navigation products. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the integrated aircraft navigation category.
- L3Harris Technologies: Defense and avionics prime producing inertial measurement units, GPS-denied navigation systems, and integrated mission avionics. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the alternative-PNT and military navigation category where MagNav competes.
- Northrop Grumman: Defense prime with established positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) and inertial navigation businesses serving military aviation and weapons systems. Comparable as a large incumbent competing for the same defense PNT budget MagNav is positioned to address.
- Honeywell Aerospace: Major incumbent avionics and navigation systems supplier to commercial and military aviation. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping inertial, GPS, and integrated navigation product lines that any quantum-sensing entrant must displace or complement.
- BAE Systems: Global defense prime with navigation, guidance, and integrated avionics offerings across air, land, and maritime platforms. Comparable as an incumbent in the military-grade PNT and navigation systems category that MagNav would compete with for defense procurement.
- Safran Electronics & Defense: European aerospace and defense supplier of inertial navigation, hybrid navigation systems, and avionics. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering alternative PNT solutions directly overlapping MagNav's positioning for commercial aviation and defense applications.
Emerging players
- Vector Atomic: US-based quantum-sensing startup focused on PNT (positioning, navigation, timing) solutions including quantum gyroscopes and clocks for GPS-denied environments. Directly comparable technology category to MagNav, serving overlapping defense and aerospace customers.
- Exail: European high-technology company (formerly iXblue) producing quantum-sensing inertial navigation systems and other PNT equipment for aerospace and defense. Closely comparable as a peer building quantum-based navigation hardware for maritime, land, and airborne platforms.
- Infleqtion: Quantum sensing and information company developing quantum-based navigation, timing, and sensing solutions. Comparable as a peer developing quantum-sensor-derived PNT for aerospace and defense, intersecting directly with MagNav's category.
Direct peers
- SandboxAQ: Direct technology partner on MagNav; SandboxAQ is a quantum-AI company commercializing quantum-sensing navigation and related applications. Closely comparable as a peer in the quantum-sensing-for-navigation category and an explicit collaborator on Acubed's flagship product.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Acubed social profiles
Digital presenceAcubed financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Acubed leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Acubed funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Acubed 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 Acubed
What does Acubed do?
Acubed was Airbus' dedicated Silicon Valley innovation center, developing advanced aerospace technologies over roughly a decade. Its primary known product was MagNav, a quantum-sensing navigation system built in partnership with SandboxAQ that uses Earth's magnetic fields to determine aircraft position. The center's capabilities have now been fully integrated into Airbus' core businesses following mission completion.
Is Acubed a public or private company?
Acubed is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was Acubed founded?
Acubed was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Acubed based?
Acubed is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Acubed's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Collins Aerospace (RTX), L3Harris Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell Aerospace, BAE Systems and Safran Electronics & Defense. Emerging players are Vector Atomic, Exail and Infleqtion. SandboxAQ is listed as a direct peer.
Does Acubed have an API?
No public API is recorded for Acubed.
What industry is Acubed in?
Acubed's product category is Aerospace Navigation Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAFAK, Avionics Software, Certification & Safety-Critical Systems (DO-178/DO-254), with a secondary code of IMABAAAA, Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing (Fixed-Wing). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.