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ISTANBUL and DELFT – Qubitrium, a deep-tech hardware company, today announced the successful orbital deployment of its flagship 1U CubeSat payload, QubitCore. The hardware was launched to low Earth orbit aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-16 mission on 30th of March, 2026 from California, US, with precise orbital placement executed by D-Orbit’s ION Satellite Carrier. This successful deployment marks a critical milestone in the second quantum revolution, taking advanced physics out of the laboratory and validating it as industrial-grade space infrastructure. QubitCore is an engineered module designed to enable space-based entanglement distribution. By generating and distributing cryptographic keys secured by the fundamental laws of physics, QubitCore provides the indispensable hardware required for wide range quantum networks. Unlike software-only cybersecurity firms, Qubitrium also focuses on developing the high-precision physical components that make quantum secure networks a reality. Following its successful deployment, the QubitCore payload is now commercially available for satellite operators and telecommunications providers worldwide. Positioned with a base hardware price point of around half a million euros, the module is designed as a highly specialized, integratable component. Qubitrium has already transformed complex quantum systems into reliable, fully commercialized modules. The successful launch of this payload represents the primary objective and direct output of Qubitrium’s previous investment round. This crucial development phase was propelled by the strong backing of institutional investors, including Türkiye Development Fund,, and ACT Venture Partners, who recognized the strategic necessity of sovereign-grade quantum technologies. Having achieved space heritage, Qubitrium is now advancing to its next phase of growth. The company’s focus shifts decisively toward scaling up operations. Future capital and strategic efforts will be dedicated to expanding manufacturing capacity across its laboratories in Türkiye and the Netherlands, and forging new, expansive partnerships with global aerospace and telecommunications leaders to build the physical backbone of the quantum internet. “Seeing QubitCore successfully deploy into orbit is the ultimate validation of our deep-tech engineering,” said Dr. Kadir Durak, Founder of Qubitrium. “We have proven that our hardware can withstand the rigors of space and deliver the security the future demands. Our next step is clear: we are scaling up our production capacity and expanding our global partnerships to ensure that quantum secure infrastructure becomes the global standard.” About Qubitrium: Founded in 2020, Qubitrium is a deep-tech company specializing in the design and manufacturing of quantum hardware. Qubitrium is based on facilities at Özyeğin University in Türkiye and in Delft, the Netherlands and develops high-precision components, including single-photon source and detectors, precise laser controllers, and space-resilient CubeSat modules, that enable quantum secure communication, highly accurate measurement, and precise time synchronization for the defense, space, and energy sectors.

The German consortium QuINSiDa has achieved a major step towards mobile quantum-secure communication. They demonstrated a one-of-a-kind free-space data transfer channel supporting, for the first time, LiFi and major quantum key distribution (QKD) implementations. Additionally, the system integrates key management (KMS), encryption, and monitoring, illustrating technological readiness. This architecture enables quantum-secure key delivery without relying on fiber or radio, opening new possibilities for high-security networks where flexible infrastructure is desirable. Most quantum communication systems depended on dedicated fiber networks, limiting their flexibility. QuINSiDa has now demonstrated an integrated optical-wireless quantum security stack in the laboratory, combining free-space Continuous- and Discrete-Variable QKD (CV/DV-QKD) with Li-Fi and connecting the result to key management, encryption and monitoring. The setup operates over a line-of-sight optical link, enabling quantum-secure key distribution for civil critical infrastructure applications, including maritime and harbor connectivity, industrial campuses, aviation, automotive environments, temporary secure networks and fixed-to-mobile links. The design allows to conveniently deploy and monitor the system while remaining compatible with existing security workflows. With this achievement, Germany steps closer to a future where quantum-secure communication is moving towards mobile security applications, that can be deployed wherever optical wireless links are feasible. This brings quantum-secure encryption into real-world operations and offers a powerful tool for securing critical infrastructure. Fraunhofer IPMS’ Role in the Project Within the QuINSiDa project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is primarily responsible for developing and integrating Li-Fi-based optical wireless communication. Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a wireless communication technology that utilizes light to transmit data, providing high-speed data transfer, enhanced security, and minimized interference. It is specifically designed for environments where radio frequency communication is restricted or where secure data exchange is essential. In the QuINSiDa project Fraunhofer IPMS provides optical transmitter and receiver systems, combining them with quantum key distribution (QKD) to enable wireless, quantum-secure data transmission. This work builds on Fraunhofer IPMS’s more than 15 years of experience in the development of optical wireless Li-Fi systems as well as integrating optoelectronic components. Additionally, Fraunhofer IPMS is developing an optical free-space communication system based on a telescope setup to replace the current fiber-optic link between QKD components. This approach paves the way toward a fully wireless QKD-over-LiFi system. Technical highlights The breakthrough lies in a combination of Li-Fi and QKD that enables line-of-sight communication. In this approach, Li-Fi and QKD are integrated into the same wireless environment: Continuous-Variable QKD at 1550 nm Discrete-Variable QKD at 810 nm Li-Fi in the 850–940 nm range. Wavelength separation and optical filtering allow all three to operate simultaneously without disturbing each other. In the integrated system, the QKD post-processing data is transmitted over the Li-Fi link rather than in a dedicated channel. The Li-Fi connection thus forms the only channel for classical communication, which is an advantageous simplification. Maintaining a stable free-space optical link requires precise alignment, which the QuINSiDa system achieves by using a Pointing/Acquisition/Tracking (PAT) subsystem. Li-Fi supports endpoint identification/localization and provides a feedback channel, enabling PAT to acquire and maintain alignment for the quantum link. The project implemented a coupling/interface concept that can serve both CV-QKD and DV-QKD while preserving the signal properties relevant to QKD. PAT control and telemetry are fully integrated into the overall communications flow. The QuINSiDa setup focuses on practical operational readiness and integrates key management, encryption, and monitoring. At the same time, network management workflows and telemetry (e.g., via a gNMI-based approach) are adapted to QKD, Li-Fi, and PAT components. The result is an end-to-end system designed not only as a laboratory demonstration, but as a deployable, monitorable, and maintainable solution ready for operational security environments.   Consortium QuINSiDa was carried out by a consortium of six partners: KEEQuant GmbH (coordination; CV-QKD, key management integration), Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS (Li-Fi and free-space link components; PAT), Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF (DV-QKD contribution), Infosim GmbH & Co. KG (monitoring/network management system integration), TELCO TECH GmbH (encryption integration), and BESCom Elektronik GmbH (use-case, transfer and dissemination).   Press contacts KEEQuant GmbH (Coordinator): Imran Khan, press@keequant.com Fraunhofer IPMS: Stephan Kube, stephan.kube@ipms.fraunhofer.de Fraunhofer IOF: Daniel Heinig, daniel.heinig@iof.fraunhofer.de Infosim: Stefan Kremling, kremling@infosim.net TELCO TECH: Bernd Schulz, bschulz@telco-tech.de BESCom: Faouzi Takni, Faouzi.takni@bescom.de Funding acknowledgment QuINSiDa was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) under project numbers 16KISQ082K within the funding measure “Lokale Netze zur Quantenkommunikation (Q-LAN)”.