What diatope does

Diatope GmbH is a 2021 spin-off from Ulm University, headquartered in Ummendorf, Germany. The company engineers isotopically controlled diamond materials with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers for quantum sensing and quantum computing applications. It operates as a founder-led, privately held GmbH with a small team of approximately eight members and no disclosed external funding rounds to date.

The company's core technology combines chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of isotopically engineered diamond with NV-center creation via ion implantation or in-situ doping, followed by high-temperature annealing and quantum-grade characterization. It uses custom-built, in-house equipment designed for atomic-scale precision. Its product portfolio comprises four lines: Quantum Grade Diamond (substrate), Quantum Processor (NV-based qubit platform), Quantum Sensor (nano-scale magnetic sensing), and bespoke R&D Services.

Diatope runs a sales-led, direct go-to-market model with custom quotation-based pricing. Revenue derives from one-time product sales of materials and components plus professional services for custom research and development. The customer base spans quantum computing developers, quantum sensing developers, and academic research institutions, with no named accounts disclosed. The company participates in four European quantum research consortia — AMADEUS (with Thales), DIAQUAM (funded by BMBF), DIAQ (with DLR), and PROMISE-Quantum — which provide grant funding, technical validation and ecosystem visibility. No external investment, revenue, or funding rounds have been disclosed.

Name

diatope

Legal name

Diatope GmbH

Website

https://diatope.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Diatope GmbH is a German Ulm University spin-off that engineers isotopically controlled CVD diamond materials with NV centers for quantum sensing and quantum computing, serving quantum technology developers and research institutions through direct sales and R&D services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quantum Diamond Materials

NAICS

Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (327)

akta.pro primary industry

NV Center & Color-Center Diamond QPU Systems (HDAGAAAF)

Keywords

• Engineered diamond materials
• Quantum sensing hardware
• Nitrogen vacancy diamonds
• CVD diamond synthesis
• Quantum computing components

Headquarters

HQ city

Ulm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Quantum Grade Diamond Products: Sale of engineered diamond materials with NV centers, including quantum grade diamond substrates, NV-rich diamond, and isotopically engineered diamond for quantum sensing and computing applications.
2. Custom R&D Services: Research and development services for custom diamond quantum technology applications, including process development and characterization services.
3. Quantum Processor and Sensor Components: Sale of engineered diamond components for integration into quantum processors and quantum sensors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Diatope GmbH manufactures engineered diamond materials with engineered nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers used as components in quantum sensing and quantum computing hardware. The company produces quantum-grade diamonds via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes and supplies associated hardware components for research laboratories and industrial quantum technology customers.

Product overview

Diatope is a spin-off from Ulm University providing engineered diamond hardware for quantum technologies. The company offers a portfolio of quantum diamond products and services including Quantum Grade Diamond (base material), Quantum Processor, Quantum Sensor, and R&D Services. They combine CVD diamond growth, NV center generation, certification, and application expertise to deliver NV diamond material for magnetic imaging, nano-NMR, and quantum computing applications. All products are manufactured in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quantum Grade Diamond
• Quantum Processor
• Quantum Sensor
• Custom R&D and Diamond Engineering Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Room temperature operation of quantum sensors and computers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AMADEUScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021EU research project funded by the European Commission, led by Thales, focused on diamond-based quantum sensing. Diatope is responsible for development of novel CVD diamond with NV centers optimized for quantum sensing applications.
• DIAQUAMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman quantum technology research project (BMBF funded) focused on diamond quantum materials for quantum applications.
• DIAQ (DLR Quantum Computing Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDLR (German Aerospace Center) quantum computing initiative. Diatope participated at World of QUANTUM exhibition under DLR booth.
• PROMISE-QuantumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU quantum technology research project focused on quantum systems and materials.
• ThalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean aerospace and defense company leading the AMADEUS project. Diatope collaborates on diamond-based quantum sensing development within this consortium.
• ZAQuant (Zentrum für Angewandte Quantentechnologie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter for Applied Quantum Technology at University of Stuttgart, hosting AMADEUS project meetings.
• Universität UlmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity spin-off origin. Diatope was established as a spin-off from Ulm University's Institute for Quantum Optics, with ongoing research connections.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Element Six: Element Six (a De Beers Group company) is the world's largest synthetic diamond manufacturer, producing CVD and HPHT diamond including engineered material for quantum technology applications — directly comparable to Diatope's engineered NV-diamond substrate offering, but at significantly larger scale and broader application portfolio.
• Quantum Brilliance: Quantum Brilliance develops diamond-based quantum accelerators using NV centers, operating at room temperature. While vertically integrated to the full QPU system rather than substrate supply, it shares Diatope's NV-diamond technology base and competes for the same downstream quantum computing customers.
• Qnami: Qnami (Switzerland) produces NV-diamond based quantum sensing and imaging tools for nanoscale magnetic imaging. It shares Diatope's NV-diamond quantum sensing focus and is a potential customer/peer for engineered NV-diamond substrates in the European market.
• NVision Imaging Technologies: NVision Imaging Technologies builds NV-diamond based quantum imaging and sensing systems, including hyperpolarization and MRI applications. It is a fellow European NV-diamond quantum hardware player and a potential customer for Diatope's engineered substrates.

Emerging players

• QZabre: QZabre (ETH Zurich spin-off) develops NV-diamond based quantum magnetometers and scanning probe systems. Like Diatope it leverages Ulm/Zurich-area academic NV-diamond expertise, though it focuses on complete instruments rather than substrate supply.
• HRL Laboratories: HRL Laboratories (a Boeing-owned research lab) conducts pioneering R&D on NV-center diamond for quantum sensing and computing applications. It is comparable as a peer in NV-diamond technology development, though operating primarily in research rather than commercial substrate supply.

Broad incumbents

• Oxford Instruments: Oxford Instruments is a large, established scientific instruments supplier with a quantum technology portfolio including diamond-related products and cryogenic systems. It overlaps with Diatope at the intersection of quantum hardware materials and instrumentation, but across a much broader product range.
• Bruker: Bruker is a major scientific instruments company with NMR, EPR, and quantum-sensing product lines that increasingly incorporate diamond-based detection. It competes with Diatope downstream in quantum sensing applications while also being a potential buyer of advanced NV-diamond substrates.

Others

• Lake Shore Cryotronics: Lake Shore Cryotronics supplies measurement systems, probes, and cryogenic instruments used in quantum and NV-diamond research. It is an adjacent enabler in the NV-diamond ecosystem rather than a direct competitor, but addresses the same quantum technology customer base.
• attocube systems: attocube systems (now part of Quantum Design) provides cryogenic, nano-positioning, and quantum measurement instrumentation widely used in NV-diamond and quantum research labs. It is an enabling infrastructure supplier to the same quantum research customer base rather than a substrate competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diatope

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 diatope