Insider Brief
- Arqit Quantum has made a strategic investment in Sirius Computer to support the development of quantum-safe communications for defence, government and national security users.
- The companies are developing Crux, a software-based connectivity platform that combines Sirius’s secure networking technology with Arqit’s Sovereign Key Platform and NetworkSecure adaptors.
- The investment will support product development and integration, while the companies pursue secure networking opportunities with NATO member countries, the UK Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defense.
PRESS RELEASE — Arqit Quantum Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQQ), a global leader in quantum-safe encryption helping safeguard sensitive information from current and future cyber threats, today announced a strategic investment in Sirius Computer, Inc., a technology provider of secure computing and networking solutions for defence, intelligence and critical national infrastructure. This will accelerate the development and delivery of quantum-safe communications for defence, government and national security users.
The investment builds on an existing partnership that combines Sirius’s secure networking technology with Arqit’s Sovereign Key Platform (SKP) and NetworkSecure
adaptors to deliver Crux, a software-based connectivity platform. The companies’ joint offering protects sensitive communications across devices and networks, helping defence users share information securely in deployed environments, and when operating alongside allied forces.
The software-based offering is designed to run on commercial devices and work alongside existing infrastructure, enabling users to extend secure communications without replacing their underlying networks. Applications include mobile devices, cloud and network systems, autonomous platforms such as Uncrewed Autonomous Vehicles (UAVs) and their associated control systems.
The strategic investment will support the continued development of Crux and Sirius’s broader software and hardware technologies, deeper integration with Arqit‘s encryption solutions, and the creation of new joint products and services. The companies have been selected as part of a winning bidding consortium to provide secure networking services to NATO. The companies will also expand their joint go-to-market activities, pursuing opportunities across NATO member countries and other allied nations, including the UK Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defense.
Paul Feenan, General Manager for Defence & Government at Arqit, said: “Defence organisations face a difficult balance between getting critical information to the people and platforms that need it, while keeping it out of adversaries’ hands. When forces operate alongside allies, that challenge extends across national boundaries and different technologies. Security needs to support that cooperation without adding complexity for personnel on the ground. It also needs to protect information whose sensitivity will outlast the operation itself. Investing in Sirius will help us build on our existing partnership to make quantum-safe communications easier to deploy and extend to more defence users.”
Jason Van der Schyff, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sirius, said: “We’ve built Sirius around the belief that secure communications shouldn’t depend on complex, expensive infrastructure that is difficult to deploy and maintain. Our partnership with Arqit has already demonstrated what’s possible when advanced encryption enhances lightweight, adaptable networking technology. This investment is a significant vote of confidence in our team and our technology, and gives us the resources to accelerate development, expand our capabilities and bring these solutions to more defence and government customers around the world.”