Quside, founded in 2017 in Castelldefels near Barcelona, with roots in quantum research at the ICFO photonics institute, makes quantum random number generators, chips and cards that use quantum effects in light to produce truly unpredictable numbers for encryption keys and simulations. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's June 2023 cut-off with blended finance and received an EU grant of €2.50 million for RPU, a €3.91 million project from March 2024 to February 2026 to build a "Randomness Processing Unit" that combines quantum entropy with reprogrammable logic to accelerate cryptography and stochastic computing, and to design a next-generation photonic chip, according to CORDIS.
The only public report, to February 2025, says Quside built a PCIe prototype delivering 1 Gbps of quantum entropy, wrote Linux drivers and integrations for OpenSSL and the post-quantum library libOQS, began implementing AES, SHA-3 and NTT algorithms on the card, and designed a photonic interferometer running at 1 GHz, according to the CORDIS reporting page. It decided to put "selected RPU functionalities" into its Garnet product line, and says some are already in the Garnet Plus A41. The project has ended without a public final report; Quside's website lists RPU One and RPU Cloud among its products.
Company file
- Legal entity
- Quside Technologies SL, Castelldefels
- Products
- Ruby chipset, Garnet PCIe, Nellite FMC, RPU One
- Partners
- Thales, Keyfactor, PQShield, Lattice, Telefónica Tech, Indra, IKERLAN
- Investors
- TRUMPF Venture, Bullnet Capital
- Founded
- September 2017
- EIC funding
- Blended finance
Where Quside Stands Now
In 2025, according to a review by Quside's Carlos Abellán, the company released Onyx X5, a module combining its Ruby S1 chip with a quantum-safe root of trust in a Lattice Semiconductor chip, and it lists integrations with Thales hardware security modules, Keyfactor and PQShield, according to its 2025 review. In June 2026 it agreed to cooperate with Indra Group on defence cybersecurity and quantum projects, and in July 2026 it released quside-curand to bring its entropy into NVIDIA CUDA workflows, according to its news page. Its latest filed accounts put annual sales between €500,000 and €1 million, according to Empresia.
"The commercial impact is already visible, with some of the RPU's core features integrated into the Garnet Plus A41 QRNG."
Quside, first periodic report to the EICThe Technology: Randomness You Can Prove
Encryption depends on random numbers, and computers generate them with algorithms or noisy circuits that can be flawed or predictable. Quside's generators measure quantum fluctuations in laser light, which it says produce provably unpredictable randomness certifiable to NIST, BSI and ISO standards. The RPU adds logic to use that randomness directly for key generation, encryption and Monte Carlo simulations, sparing the host processor.
What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows
The award aimed to take the RPU and a new photonic chip toward market. Quside built the prototype and software, and moved parts of the design into an existing product line rather than a standalone launch at the halfway point. What the second year produced, including the photonic chip, is not documented publicly.
- RPU prototypeDelivered1 Gbps PCIe card.
- Software stackDeliveredDrivers, OpenSSL, libOQS.
- Photonic chipDesignedNot reported as built.
- Commercial scaleUnverifiedSales under €1M.
The Money
The EU grant covered 64% of the project. Quside extended its Series A, led by TRUMPF Venture and Bullnet Capital, to more than €10 million before the EIC project began, according to Quside. Whether the EIC Fund invested under the 2023 blended award has not been announced.
What Cannot Be Checked
Questions for the EIC
Whether the EIC Fund invested, whether the photonic chip was produced, how many RPUs have been sold and what Quside's losses are are not public.
Why Europe Should Care
Governments are publishing roadmaps for quantum-safe security, Quside notes, and EU rules such as NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act raise the bar for cryptography. A European supplier of certified quantum entropy has a place in that transition. Quside has partners and products; its revenue has not yet followed.
What the award promised
A quantum randomness processing unit and next-generation photonic chip for secure computing.
What the record shows
A prototype, product integrations and partnerships, with sales under €1 million.
The Verdict
Solid technology, small business
Quside advanced its product line with EIC money and is well connected in the security industry. Its sales show a company still at the start of its market.
Quside and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.
