SandboxAQ aligns with, invests in QKD software firm evolutionQ
SandboxAQ, the Alphabet spin-off targeting post-quantum cryptography, quantum sensing and other market segment, continues to intrigue, this week announcing a partnership with and strategic investment in evolutionQ, a quantum cybersecurity and risk management firm.
The alliance between the two companies appears to be SandboxAQ’s first public move to support quantum key distribution (QKD), as it calls for SandboxAQ to promote evolutionQ’s BasejumpQDN, described in a statement as “a software layer that manages and secures QKD delivery and optimizes QKD use for efficiency, adaptive network stability, and reduced latency.” News of the partnership comes about 15 months after evolutionQ unveiled BasejumpQDN.
Sandbox CEO Jack Hidary, in an interview with IQT News last Apri, roughly one month before his keynote speech at IQT’s Quantum Enterprise event in San Diego, said of QKD, “QKD will have its place, but right now, it is not going to be the priority for majority of companies, who will be looking more immediately at the upgrade from RSA to post-RSA. But we do recommend that people look at QKD, as it will be a technology that in the future will be part of the spectrum of secure communication.”
This week’s statement said SandboxAQ also will benefit “from cutting-edge research and talent emerging from the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing” in Canada, which is where evolutionQ is based, along with offices in Germany. Meanwhile, evolutionQ will integrate and distribute SandboxAQ’s Security Suite and services and tap into the company’s business, product and technical expertise, the statement added.
As for the investment, no financial figures were disclosed, but the financing is part of evolutionQ’s $5.5 million Series A funding, which was announced in June (with Quantonation at the time mentioned as the lead investor). Though it may be a fairly modest investment, it is the first in SandboxAQ’s Strategic Investment Program, the company said, and may signal that the Alphabet spin-off is about to become a more active investor in the space.
“As quantum threats continue to evolve, the best way for large, global enterprises to protect their data, networks and communications is through a layered security approach encompassing a range of quantum-resistant solutions. Our alliance with evolutionQ will give our respective customers a well-orchestrated ecosystem of quantum-safe cybersecurity products,” said Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ. “Our investment in evolutionQ marks the first of a series of strategic investments we will be making to advance the AQ ecosystem.”
Dr. Michele Mosca, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of evolutionQ, added, “As commercial and government agencies begin re-evaluating their existing cryptography protocols and cybersecurity architectures, it makes sense for them to explore PQC and QKD technologies simultaneously. Our alliance with SandboxAQ enables us to offer complementary cybersecurity solutions to combat emerging quantum threats. We’re excited to join forces with SandboxAQ and look forward to our close collaboration.”
This is just the latest and probably not the last intriguing move in the post-quantum cybersecurity environment. This alliance and others are sure to be the subject of much discussion at IQT’s Quantum Cybersecurity event in New York City this October.
Dan O’Shea has covered telecommunications and related topics including semiconductors, sensors, retail systems, digital payments and quantum computing/technology for over 25 years.
