Name

Diffraqtion

Legal name

SensorQ Technologies Inc.

Website

https://diffraqtion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quantum Imaging Hardware for Space and Defense

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audio, Imaging & Multimedia SoCs (ISP/Codec/Display) (HDAHABAH), Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM)

Keywords

• Quantum imaging technology
• Space domain awareness
• Satellite imaging sensors
• Earth observation satellites
• Photon-level detection

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Quantum Camera Hardware Sales: Sale of quantum camera systems (Galileo-1 VSPU) to defense agencies, space organizations, and commercial satellite operators. Hardware includes visual sensing and processing units for space domain awareness and Earth observation satellites.
2. Government Contracts (DARPA SBIR): Non-dilutive SBIR Phase 2 contract funding from DARPA ($1.5M) for development of quantum imaging technology for space surveillance. Future contracts expected through US Space Force programs.
3. Satellite Constellation Services: Planned deployment of large constellations of low-cost, high-precision satellites providing space domain awareness, defense intelligence, and commercial Earth observation services. Revenue from data/services provision to government and commercial customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Diffraqtion builds and sells the Galileo-1 Visual Sensing and Processing Unit (VSPU), a compact quantum camera that uses programmable light plates combined with quantum algorithms and onboard AI to detect individual photons, bypassing the conventional diffraction limit. The hardware is intended for integration into satellites, telescopes, and other imaging systems for space domain awareness, missile defense, and Earth observation applications. The company is also developing dedicated Space Domain Awareness and Earth Observation satellite constellations powered by this quantum camera.

Product overview

Diffraqtion offers a unified quantum camera platform with the Galileo-1 VSPU (Visual Sensing and Processing Unit) as the core product. The Galileo-1 is an award-winning ultra-precise quantum camera that enables object detection at 20x further distance and 1000x faster processing than conventional sensors. Built on technology developed for NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory and DARPA's space surveillance programs, this camera powers the company's satellite constellation platforms for Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Earth Intelligence applications. The company is building the world's largest high-resolution imaging satellite fleet combining quantum photonics with AI to make satellites and machines see further and think faster.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Galileo-1 VSPU (Visual Sensing and Processing Unit): Award-winning ultra-precise quantum camera with fastest vision AI, capable of 20x resolution improvement and 1000x faster processing

Products and services

• Galileo-1 Visual Sensing and Processing Unit (VSPU) First-of-its-kind quantum camera designed to super-power telescopes and satellites. Uses programmable light plates with quantum algorithms and onboard AI to detect individual photons, enabling object detection at 20x further distance than current optical sensors with 1,000x faster processing and 1,000x greater energy efficiency than conventional GPU/VPU systems. Supports USB-C, M8/M12, or custom integration with Python library and cloud training platform.
• Space Domain Awareness Satellite Constellation Planned constellation of low-cost, high-precision satellites for space domain awareness and orbital object tracking. Capabilities include daytime tracking, coronagraph applications, and sub-diffraction tracking of images, originally co-developed with DARPA for high-precision space situational awareness.
• Earth Observation Satellite Constellation Planned world's largest high-resolution imaging satellite fleet for Earth observation, providing Hubble-class resolution from a Cubesat form factor. Supports high revisit times for agriculture, disaster response, environmental monitoring, and wildfire detection applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20x higher resolution than conventional optical sensors
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• U.S. Space Force Apollo AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026Company actively demonstrating and refining quantum imaging technology with government partners through Apollo Accelerator program. Collaboration with Space Systems Command TAP Lab.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Technology developed in partnership with NASA for high-precision space situational awareness. Originally intended for NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory, successor to James Webb and Hubble space telescopes, dedicated to finding exoplanets that can support life.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Planet Labs: Planet Labs operates one of the world's largest commercial Earth-imaging satellite constellations, providing daily high-resolution imagery to government and commercial customers. Diffraqtion's planned Earth Observation Constellation is a direct competitor to Planet's SkySat and Pelican fleets, targeting the same EO use cases with a different sensor architecture.
• Kepler Communications: Kepler Communications operates a LEO constellation providing on-orbit data services to government and commercial customers. Diffraqtion's Head of Product is Kepler co-founder/CTO Mark Michael, and Kepler is highly comparable as a small-sat constellation operator building space infrastructure for defense and commercial markets.
• Maxar Technologies: Maxar is a leading provider of high-resolution Earth observation satellites and imagery, including the WorldView and Legion constellations. It is a primary competitor to Diffraqtion in defense/EO imaging and supplies the same government and intelligence customers Diffraqtion targets.
• BlackSky Holdings: BlackSky operates a low-Earth-orbit constellation for high-revisit geospatial intelligence serving defense and commercial customers. Its tasking-and-analytics platform and direct Space Force/DARPA relationships make it a direct competitor in the SDA and EO markets Diffraqtion is pursuing.

Broad incumbents

• Lockheed Martin Space: Lockheed Martin Space is a dominant prime for U.S. national-security space systems, including space domain awareness, missile warning, and EO satellites. Diffraqtion is selling into the same Space Force and DARPA budgets, often as a sub-tier supplier or partner to primes like Lockheed.
• L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris supplies space payloads, sensors, and intelligence solutions to DoD, intelligence community, and NASA, including space domain awareness and missile defense. It is a direct competitor for sensor/payload contracts and an integrator that could partner with or compete against Diffraqtion in SDA programs.
• Ball Aerospace: Ball Aerospace (a BAE Systems subsidiary) is a leading supplier of space-based optical instruments, telescopes, and payloads for NASA, DoD, and intelligence customers. It builds instruments for the Hubble and James Webb successors and competes head-to-head with Diffraqtion for space telescope/sensor procurement.

Emerging players

• Capella Space: Capella Space operates a SAR (synthetic aperture radar) imaging satellite constellation serving defense and commercial customers with all-weather imagery. It competes with Diffraqtion's planned Earth Observation Constellation for EO budgets and high-revisit tasking contracts, including from U.S. government buyers.
• HawkEye 360: HawkEye 360 operates a constellation of RF-sensing satellites for space domain awareness and signals intelligence. While its modality is RF rather than optical, it competes for the same Space Force and intelligence-community budgets in space situational awareness that Diffraqtion's optical SDA satellites would address.
• Satellogic: Satellogic is building a large, low-cost EO satellite constellation for high-revisit multispectral imaging targeting government and commercial customers. Like Diffraqtion, it pitches a cost-down approach to high-resolution imagery and competes for the same commercial EO contracts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diffraqtion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Diffraqtion