kiutra and the EIC Accelerator: Near Absolute Zero as a Service

kiutra, registered in Munich in 2018 and led by managing director Alexander Regnat, builds cryostats that cool samples to fractions of a degree above absolute zero using adiabatic demagnetisation, magnetising and demagnetising solid materials, instead of the scarce helium-3 that many cooling systems rely on. Its EIC Accelerator project, CRYOFAST, "Democratizing Cryogenic Measurements for the Quantum Ecosystem", receives an EU contribution of €2,499,963 and runs from November 2024 to October 2026, according to CORDIS. It aims to set up "Cryogenics-as-a-Service": a facility where quantum hardware developers send semiconductor and superconducting devices for fast, standardised low-temperature measurements, with results delivered through a secure cloud platform.

In the first year, the report says, all scheduled deliverables were submitted. The dedicated service area, the "Cryofloor", was completed and put into operation, and both L-Type Rapid cryostats, "Semicon" and "Supercon", were installed and commissioned, meeting thermal specifications, according to CORDIS. Measurement electronics for the Semicon system are integrated; the Supercon stack, radio-frequency components and a vector magnet were still being procured. A sample-tracking workflow with QR identifiers was completed. Market launch preparations are planned for the second period.

Where kiutra Stands Now

In October 2025 kiutra closed a €13 million round co-led by NovaCapital of Italy and 55 North of Denmark with High-Tech Gründerfonds, taking total private and public funding above €30 million, according to The Quantum Insider. It says its systems are deployed worldwide. Its annual loss rose from €476,595 in 2020 to €2.91 million in 2024, according to its accounts on North Data, which also lists a further €3.97 million EU grant for large-scale magnetic cooling from September 2024.

The Technology: Cold Without Helium-3

Quantum chips must be tested near absolute zero, and many cooling systems depend on helium-3, which kiutra notes NATO and EU initiatives flag as a supply chain risk. Magnetic cooling uses solid-state materials instead, and kiutra's cryostats let users load samples in minutes. The CRYOFAST service applies this to testing along the fabrication chain, so chipmakers get feedback quickly without owning a cryostat.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The project runs until October 2026, so it is too early to judge it. The infrastructure is built and running, which is the hardest part. Pilot studies with quantum hardware developers, the cloud platform and commercial launch are still to be shown. The Supercon measurement stack was incomplete at the report date.

1. Cryofloor and cryostatsDeliveredCommissioned.
2. Sample-tracking workflowDeliveredQR-based.
3. Supercon measurement stackProcurementYear-one report.
4. Commercial service launchPendingPlanned in period 2.

The Money

kiutra relies on a mix of equity and grants. The EIC award was blended finance; the 2025 round's announcement does not name the EIC Fund as an investor. Public grants listed on North Data since 2019 exceed €10 million.

CRYOFAST was kiutra's second EIC Accelerator grant. In the March 2020 cut-off of the Horizon 2020 EIC Accelerator pilot, kiutra was selected for a grant, without equity, for CADR, a cryogen-free, continuous and fully automatic cooling system based on magnetic cooling, according to the European Commission's list of selected companies. The project ran from October 2020 to March 2023 with an EU contribution of €1,517,862.50 towards a total cost of €2,168,375 and aimed at a rapid prototyping tool for quantum hardware makers; its last public report mentions the finished design, a CE marking and a Series A round, but no test results, according to CORDIS. kiutra says the project produced an automatic characterisation tool for qubits based on its L-Type Rapid platform, which it now sells with automated sample loading and a base temperature of 50 mK, according to its project overview and product page.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Europe's quantum industry depends on cryogenics, much of it tied to helium-3 supply. A European, helium-3-free supplier with a testing service lowers barriers for start-ups and reduces supply risk.

The Verdict

kiutra and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.