ATRC’s VentureOne Launches QuantumGate

VentureOne, the commercialization arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has launched QuantumGate. The venture seeks to provide organizations with a strong set of data security products designed to safeguard their assets in the quantum era. 

The launch announcement was made at CyberQ, a conference hosted by the UAE Cyber Security Council and supported by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII). The conference is dedicated to exploring the significant impact of the emerging Quantum Age on information security. 

QuantumGate’s data security products are built on proprietary technology developed by experts at Abu Dhabi’s TII and are designed to protect data assets from present and future threats, while ensuring adherence to forthcoming cryptographic regulations.  

HE Faisal Al Bannai, the secretary general of ATRC, said in a statement, “The quantum era isn’t a distant threat — it is here. The launch of QuantumGate is a pivotal step in safeguarding invaluable data assets against ever-increasing cybersecurity threats. QuantumGate’s sovereign solutions will ensure our country’s and our organizations’ sensitive information stays safe.” 

Dr. Najwa Aaraj, the CEO of TII, said, “Cryptographic algorithms are used by virtually all organizations to encrypt and protect data. But advancements in quantum computing will render many of them obsolete in as little as five to 10 years. Even with current security measures, bad actors can collect and store organizational data to decrypt it later, when quantum computers are more widely available. This means the risk is imminent — organizational data is already at risk.” 

QuantumGate has two offerings in its product suite. The first, QSphere, is a comprehensive solution offering a post-quantum VPN and post-quantum email, file folder, and text encryption and decryption application. The second product, Salina, is an identity and access management tool that streamlines authentication by removing the need for passwords. 

In addition to its product offerings, QuantumGate will offer advisory services to assist organizations in transitioning from classical to post-quantum cryptography, ensuring smooth operations with minimal disruption. 

In an interview with Inc. Arabia, Reda Nidhakou, acting CEO of VentureOne, shed light on the rationale behind QuantumGate. "In the coming years, we’re going to see quantum computers become larger scale, which will pose a significant challenge to classic cryptography and jeopardize current cybersecurity measures," he said. "This is critical for all internet users, for all website owners, for all online transactions, and for enterprise infrastructure." 

He thus highlighted the immediate need for organizations to prepare for these risks. "Quantum computing posts risks to organizations today – even though quantum computers aren’t yet widely available, data can still be harvested now to decrypt later, when quantum computing is more mainstream," Nidhakou pointed out. "Given much of today’s sensitive data will still be sensitive in five to 10 years time when this happens, organizations need to act now to protect their data assets." 

He continued, "During the last four years, we have put in place a strong crypto team who worked in stealth mode on post-quantum crypto libraries and underlying security solutions. Today, we have achieved significant progress, and we are in the process of finalizing successful proof of concepts with a few entities." 

Meanwhile, Septimiu Fabian Mare, head of engineering at QSphere, QuantumGate’s technical arm, expanded on the broader challenges organizations face in the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape. "Some of the biggest security issues we see today are the aforementioned quantum threats and overall advancement of exploits and weaknesses in current systems," Mare said. "Also, the fact that implementing and adopting the new post-quantum standards is a multi-year effort that is not to be underestimated. We set our own milestones and created the drive to address these in time and mature them by the time the UAE’s new cryptographic standards are out (which was this year) and continue to do so." 

He also highlighted how QuantumGate’s technology addresses these vulnerabilities. "QuantumGate tackles the underlying security aspect of our modern society, setting the foundations on which our digital society is built," he said. "Whereas until recent years cryptography was considered an integral component of every solution we utilize, the advent of the quantum age and recent increase of exploits has shaken the foundation of what we considered the security status quo." 

QuantumGate is the third significant venture launched by VentureOne as it continues to expand its influence in tech innovation. This comes after the launch of SteerAI, an autonomous mobility technology provider, in October 2024, and AI71, a business solutions firm utilizing Falcon generative AI models, in 2023.  

According to Nidhakou, QuantumGate fits into the overall strategy VentureOne has set for itself. "VentureOne is dedicated to bringing groundbreaking tech to market and making a positive impact," he said. "Businesses everywhere are undergoing massive digital transformations by adopting AI and other advanced technologies – and VentureOne’s strategy is to offer a comprehensive suite of solutions to solve organizations’ most pressing challenges." 

Nidhakou also hinted at VentureOne’s next project. "This trend of empowering organizations will continue in subsequent venture launches," he said. "Our next launch will focus on climate protection – watch for an announcement soon."