Active Testbed · 2024 onwards
ARTEMIS photonic testbed (Aegiq)
ARTEMIS
A photonic quantum computing testbed built for the National Quantum Computing Centre under its 2024 testbed programme.
Role: Lead
Themes: Computing
Aegiq
Company · Sheffield
Aegiq builds photonic quantum computers in Sheffield around its own quantum-dot light sources, which emit single photons and entangled pairs at telecom wavelengths and ship in standard racks with only a mild cryogenic module. Founded in 2019 by Scott Dufferwiel, Maksym Sich and Andrii Iamshanov, it won a place in the NQCC's £30m testbed programme and commissioned its system at Harwell in late September 2025. It also led QTA-Foil, a SparQ study with BAE Systems on the quantum resources needed for aerofoil design, and opened a new Sheffield headquarters in May 2026.
Aegiq is a Sheffield company working on quantum processors, photonics and communications, founded in 2019. In this directory it leads ARTEMIS and QTA-Foil and is a partner in 5 more. People profiled here include Maksym Sich (Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer) and Scott Dufferwiel (Co-founder and CEO).
Sources: Quantum light sources (Aegiq) · Company (Aegiq) · Quantum computing testbeds (NQCC) · Aegiq commissions photonic quantum computer at the UK's NQCC (Quantum Zeitgeist) · QTA-Foil (NQCC)
Projects (7)
Leads (2)
- Completed Consortium · 2025 to 2026
QTA-Foil (Quantum and Tensor Approaches to aeroFoil design)
QTA-Foil
Aegiq and BAE Systems estimated the quantum resources needed to speed up aerodynamic and hydrodynamic design.
Role: Lead
Themes: Computing, Software and algorithms
Partner in (5)
- Active Hub · 2024 to 2029
Integrated Quantum Networks Quantum Technology Research Hub
IQN
A national research hub building quantum networks, from local links to satellite connections. Heriot-Watt University leads it.
Role: Partner
Funding: £21.9m
Themes: Networks, Communications
- Active Programme · 2024 onwards
NQCC Quantum Computing Testbed Programme
A £30m programme that paid seven companies to build prototype quantum computers, known as testbeds, at the NQCC in Harwell.
Role: Partner
Funding: £30m
Themes: Computing
- Completed Programme · 2025 to 2026
Quantum Missions pilot: Quantum Computing and Quantum Networks
Quantum Missions pilot
An Innovate UK competition that funded industry projects in quantum computing and quantum networks towards the UK quantum missions.
Role: Partner
Themes: Computing, Networks
- Completed Consortium · 2020 to 2024
Next Generation Satellite QKD: Creating a UK Sovereign Capability for Manufacturing Satellite QKD Payloads
An Arqit-led consortium working on UK manufacture of quantum key distribution payloads for satellites.
Role: Partner
Themes: Communications, Networks
- Completed Consortium · 2020 onwards
QT Assemble: Integrate Quantum Technology Programme
QT Assemble
A three-year Fraunhofer CAP-led consortium to make quantum technology components smaller, more robust and easier to build.
Role: Partner
Themes: Materials and components, Sensing
In the news
Recent articles from Quantum Zeitgeist that mention Aegiq.
How Do Photonic Quantum Computers Work?, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Photonic quantum computers encode a qubit in a single particle of light, steer it through a programmable maze of glass and count it with superconducting detectors, and the chips come off ordinary 300 millimetre semiconductor lines. As of mid-2026 no photonic platform has demonstrated a peer-reviewed
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Sir Peter Knight, The Physicist Who Helped Build Britain’s Quantum Programme, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
The theorist who taught British quantum physics to cost itself honestly, and who now chairs the board advising on a national quantum strategy worth billions.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
AI Cuts Quantum Calibration Time 3× for Aegiq Photonic System, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Aegiq’s Artemis photonic quantum computer now uses NVIDIA Ising AI, significantly reducing manual effort for quantum calibration.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Top Photonic Quantum Computing Companies, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
The top photonic quantum computing companies in 2026: PsiQuantum’s million-qubit fault-tolerant build, Xanadu’s NASDAQ listing, Quandela, ORCA, QuiX, Aegiq, Sparrow Quantum, and Nu Quantum across the photonic modality.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Partnerships (3)
Research, commercial and investment relationships, by year. Partners with a profile here are linked.
-
Firgun Ventures Investment 2024
-
Quantum Exponential Investment 2022
Recorded on Quantum Exponential's profile.
-
University of Sheffield Research 2019
Products
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LightWorks SDK (external site)
Software sdk · Available
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QLAS (external site)
Hardware · Available
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Artemis (external site)
Quantum processor · Available
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Deterministic quantum light sources (SPS1550, EPS1550) (external site)
Hardware · Available
Similar organisations
Chosen by shared specialisms, then location and type.
ORCA Computing
Company · London · 3 shared specialisms
Duality Quantum Photonics
Company · Bristol · 2 shared specialisms
nodeQ
Company · York · 2 shared specialisms
Nu Quantum
Company · Cambridge · 2 shared specialisms
Company data from Entangled Future. News from Quantum Zeitgeist. Last checked 2 October 2026.
Logos and names are trademarks of their respective owners, used to identify them. No endorsement implied.