In episode four of this season of the UKTN Podcast, PQShield founder and CEO Dr Ali El Kaafarani explains how quantum computers will one day crack today’s encryption to expose our data, and discusses the race to create cryptography that can fend off cyberattacks powered by quantum devices.
Oxford-headquartered PQShield is a cybersecurity spinout founded by researchers to develop post-quantum cryptography tools. The company, which has raised nearly $27m in funding, has contributed to developing the first cryptography standards designed to block cyberattacks from quantum machines.
Its software and hardware products are already being adopted by companies such as Bosch and Collins Aerospace. Kaafarani is also a researcher at the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford and has previous experience at HP Labs.
During the show, Kaafarani tells UKTN Podcast host Jane Wakefield why “strengthening the startup position in the UK should be a top priority for the UK government to excel at quantum computing”.
Elsewhere during the episode, the PQShields founder explains why the UK lacks “a great vision from the government” to encourage more companies to scale and grow to an international level without being acquired or moving to the US.
Listen to the full episode here, along with all previous episodes of the UKTN Podcast.
This season, the UKTN Podcast is speaking to key tech stakeholders in addition to founders of high-growth startups. Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.
The UKTN Podcast is sponsored by Sage.