NEXUS

Overview

Q*Bird’s NEXUS project, commissioned under the EIC Accelerator, will enhance MDI-QKD hardware size and efficiency, introduce next-generation optical modules and enable high-density user node deployments. It will also develop the orchestration layer required for multi-operator, multi-domain quantum networking, ensuring that Europe possesses an end-to-end sovereign capability spanning hardware, control systems and network-level intelligence. Under this programme, Q*Bird has secured €2.5 million in grant funding and €5 million in equity investment to accelerate the scale-up of its quantum secure network solutions.

With the EIC Accelerator, Q*Bird will expand its European production capacity and advance its broader roadmap spanning quantum security network orchestration, and components essential for a future federated quantum internet. The initiative will drive down QKD costs, increasing market growth and job creation, all while strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy in secure communication technologies.

Selected from 959 applicants, Q*Bird is one of only 40 elite startups to receive this prestigious blended finance support and one of just four Dutch companies in this elite cohort. The programme, which began on 1 December 2025, backs deep-tech innovations that deliver transformative capabilities to the European market while reducing strategic dependencies in critical sectors.

Disclaimer

This project is co-funded by the European Union.