Company · Southampton
Aquark Technologies, a University of Southampton spin-out, makes cold-atom clocks and sensors around a trap that cools atoms without magnetic fields, which it says makes the hardware smaller and easier to deploy. Its AQlock clocks were used in a June 2026 Royal Navy trial aboard XV Patrick Blackett, giving two Saab Giraffe 1X radars a shared time reference without satellite signals, with QinetiQ and Dstl taking part. The NATO Innovation Fund led its €5m seed round in September 2024, and in May 2026 it set up a Danish subsidiary at the Niels Bohr Institute.
Founded in 2021, Aquark Technologies is a company in Southampton focused on quantum sensing, neutral atom and hardware. It is a partner in 1 UK project: Quantum Sensing Mission Primer. Profiled here: Andrei Dragomir (Co-Founder and CEO).
Sources: Aquark Technologies raises €5 million in seed financing led by NATO Innovation Fund | The Quantum Insider · Aquark links radars with quantum timing for clearer picture | Quantum Zeitgeist · Royal Navy tests link quantum clock navigation and radar | Navy Leaders · Aquark Technologies becomes first UK firm at Niels Bohr Institute | Quantum Zeitgeist
Quantum Sensing Mission Primer
Innovate UK contracts for 14 projects building quantum sensors and position, navigation and timing products, run as phase 1 of the sensing missions.
Role: Partner
Funding: £14m
Themes: Sensing, Timing and navigation, Imaging
Recent articles from Quantum Zeitgeist that mention Aquark Technologies.
Aquark augmented networked radars with quantum timing in a June 2026 trial, maintaining a coherent picture independent of GNSS.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Researchers at Aquark Technologies have developed an alternative to the standard magneto-optical trap (MOT) for confining and cooling neutral atoms, achieving comparable atom numbers and densities without the use of magnetic fields. This all-optical trap utilizes laser beams to create a restoring fo
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Aquark Technologies has established a European entity in Denmark and is the first UK company to register at the Niels Bohr Institute. This expansion builds upon existing collaboration between British and Nordic quantum technology sectors, positioning the company within the Danish quantum ecosystem.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
A 2026 directory of 170 quantum computing companies across hardware, software, security, sensing, components and investment, with funding, leadership and technology for each. It spans superconducting, trapped-ion, neutral-atom, photonic and silicon-spin approaches, plus notable market exits.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Research, commercial and investment relationships, by year. Partners with a profile here are linked.
University of Southampton Research 2019
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