Startup · $51.7m raised · Cybersecurity
Canberra, ACT
Every investor coverage indicates participated in a round QuintessenceLabs raised.
| Investor | Rounds | Invested |
|---|---|---|
| NRF Corporation | Unnamed stage | $15,000,000 |
| Chevron | Unnamed stage | $5,000,000 |
| InterValley Ventures | Unnamed stage · Series B | - |
| Main Sequence Ventures | Unnamed stage · Series B | - |
| Telus | Unnamed stage | - |
| Capital Property Group | Series B | - |
| Telus Ventures | Series B | - |
| Defence Innovation Hub | Grant | - |
Companies QuintessenceLabs acquired or merged with, per published coverage. Buying a company is not investing in one: nothing here counts in the deals column.
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Vikram Sharma | Founder and CEO | allens.com.au, Startup Daily (Wed 9 Mar 2022), Startup Daily (Sun 31 Oct 2021), TechCrunch Australia, theceomagazine.com |
Stories naming QuintessenceLabs. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Allens' Cyber Brief podcast hosts QuintessenceLabs founder and CEO Vikram Sharma discussing quantum computing threats to encryption, harvest-now-decrypt-later attacks, and the governance steps boards should take toward post-quantum readiness.
A directory of fifteen Canberra investors backing deep tech, noting ACTivate Capital's fund first close, several government-backed company raises, an incubator's alumni, and one portfolio acquisition.
NRF chair Martijn Wilder describes boardroom disagreement over risk appetite at the government investor, recounting earlier deals backing Harrison.ai, Quantum Brilliance, Myriota, QuintessenceLabs and Vault Cloud.
Roundup of two Australian raises: a quantum security company's government-led $20m round and a retail analytics startup's US seed round backing its American push.
QuintessenceLabs, a two-decade-old cybersecurity company in Canberra, has raised $20 million with $15 million coming from the National Reconstruction Fund; earlier rounds for Harrison.ai, Vault Cloud and Quantum Brilliance are also recalled.
SeenCulture, a workplace platform, has secured $1 million in a pre-seed round from Alice Anderson Fund, M8 Ventures, InterValley Ventures and Torus, having earlier joined Techstars' first Sydney cohort with Cut Through Angels backing.
Also SmartCompany·SmartCompany
Law firm Lander & Rogers advised AirTree Ventures on FairSupply's AUD6.3 million Series A, with Tidal Ventures, Minderoo Foundation and QIC participating; the firm also recalls recent raises by QuintessenceLabs and Logmaster.
Melbourne cybersecurity firm Cydarm raised $3 million in a round led by InterValley Ventures, with Five V Capital and returning backer Right Click Capital, to hire staff and expand internationally.
Cut Through Venture's November newsletter rounds up October 2021's record deal count for Australian startups, listing raises across climate, fintech, cybersecurity and legal tech, plus Startmate Demo Day graduates and active investors.
InterValley Ventures' blog post explains why the firm invested in Canberra quantum-encryption startup Quintessence Labs on September 17, pointing to quantum computing progress and growing national cybersecurity needs.
Also TechCrunch Venture·Cut Through Venture·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily
Eight Australian organisations received Defence Innovation Hub contracts worth over $21 million, funding work on imaging systems, unmanned vessels, data protection, aerial video systems, hull repair research and pilot training simulation.
Several Australian security and technology firms, including Penten and Quintessence Labs, received Defence Innovation Hub contracts totalling over $21 million, with individual grants detailed.
Also @AuManufacturing
A profile interview with QuintessenceLabs founder Vikram Sharma on his quantum encryption company, its cybersecurity mission, and the benefits of Westpac's 2017 Businesses of Tomorrow selection, including consulting support and a study tour.