LuxQuanta, the Catalan company pioneering quantum cybersecurity, has closed a financing round of 8 million euros to scale its technology and consolidate itself as one of the global leaders in the sector. The operation, led by the Big Sur Ventures fund with the support of top-tier investors such as Wayra (Telefónica), GMV and the European Innovation Council, marks the company's transition from startup to scaleup and validates a growth model based on knowledge transfer and the training of highly specialized talent, where the Industrial Doctorate Plan of the Generalitat de Catalunya plays a fundamental role.
Founded in 2021 as a spin-off of the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), LuxQuanta has developed a disruptive solution to one of the greatest challenges of our digital age: the threat posed by future quantum computers to current encryption systems. Its technology, called NOVA LQ, is based on Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution (CV-QKD), a system that uses the laws of quantum physics to guarantee completely secure communications. The main competitive advantage of its proposal is that it can be directly integrated into existing fiber optic networks, democratizing access to robust cybersecurity for critical sectors such as telecommunications, data centers, governments and financial institutions. “The rise of quantum computing poses a significant risk to current encryption systems and LuxQuanta is capable of responding to new quantum challenges,” celebrates Vanesa Díaz, CEO of the company.
LuxQuanta's success and exponential growth could not be understood without its determined commitment to research and development. In this context, collaboration with the academic world through the Industrial Doctorate Plan has become a strategic tool. The company is currently promoting two doctoral projects in collaboration with ICFO and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC).
The first project addresses the distribution of quantum keys over long distances, with the aim of exceeding 150 km to facilitate their deployment in real networks. The second focuses on photonic integration, a miniaturization of components on a chip that is essential to reduce costs and scale up production massively.
For Vanesa Díaz, the value of these projects is incalculable. “ The industrial doctorate is key to attracting talent and accelerating innovation in quantum technologies ,” says the CEO. In such a specialized field where talent is scarce, the program allows LuxQuanta to incorporate highly trained professionals who contribute directly to the business. “ Both of them bring a very powerful capacity: highly trained professionals who can delve into specific topics with the technical support of the senior team, thus helping us achieve our research and development goals with high quality and quickly ,” Díaz highlights about her doctoral students, Pol and Eli. This synergy translates into tangible results: the doctoral students’ research “ directly feeds the products we are currently marketing and those we will sell over the next year ,” says the CEO.
With the 8 million capital raised, LuxQuanta aims to accelerate its international expansion, where it already has clients in more than a dozen European countries, the United States, Brazil and Singapore. The funds will also be used to strengthen the technical and operational team and advance research into integrated photonics, key to the massive deployment of its technology.
The company, which currently has 50 employees at its headquarters in Castelldefels, is already preparing to move to larger facilities in Barcelona to support its growth. This success, recognized with awards such as Best European Startup at GITEX Europe 2025, not only validates LuxQuanta's technological potential, but also reinforces Catalonia's role as one of the main quantum innovation hubs in Europe.
