Arqit

A UK quantum-safe encryption company with offices in London and Belfast.

About Arqit

Arqit is a British company that builds quantum-safe encryption. Encryption is the scrambling of information so only the right people can read it. Quantum computers are a new type of very powerful computer that, once they are big enough, could break much of the encryption used today. Arqit makes software that protects data and device-to-device communications against those future attacks as well as the attacks happening now. Its customers include telecoms companies, governments and defence organisations.

Arqit was founded in 2017 in London by David Williams, who led it as chief executive until 2024. Before Arqit he co-founded Avanti, a satellite communications company whose biggest customer was the British Government, and he started the space-focused investment firm Seraphim Space Ventures in 2014. Andy Leaver became chief executive in 2024, and Nick Pointon is chief financial officer. Arqit is headquartered in London (3 Orchard Place) and also has an office at Urban HQ in Belfast, plus one in Arlington, Virginia.

Arqit describes its purpose as "providing transformational technology to keep safe the data of our governments, enterprises, and citizens". It calls itself "a global leader in quantum-safe encryption", and says its approach is Strong, Simple, Scalable and Standards-based. It has said its company values were chosen together, but they appear only in an image on its careers page, so we cannot list them.

Its products have changed over time. Early on it was known for QuantumCloud, a cloud service that lets devices agree secret keys (the secret codes that lock and unlock data) in a new way. Its December 2025 results release lists three main products. SKA-Platform uses lightweight software agents on devices to create encryption keys. NetworkSecure protects network connections. Encryption Intelligence is a set of risk-analysis tools and an advisory service that finds weak or quantum-vulnerable encryption; Arqit says it acquired this portfolio from the UK company Ampliphae. The release names telecoms customers Sparkle, RSG Telecom and Fabric Networks, and a collaboration with Intel on quantum-safe encryption. Arqit says it is ISO 27001 certified (an international security standard), was named an IDC Innovator for Post-Quantum Cryptography in 2024 and won a GSMA Global Mobile Award in 2024.

Arqit is a small, specialist company, so working there is likely to mean working close to mathematicians, software engineers and security specialists on a fast-moving problem. Its careers page links to open roles but, in the pages we read, does not mention graduate schemes or internships, so check it directly. Subjects that lead towards this kind of work include maths, computer science and physics.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Software that creates encryption keys on devices using lightweight agents, designed to stay secure against quantum attacks.', 'title': 'SKA-Platform'}
• {'desc': 'Quantum-safe protection for network connections.', 'title': 'NetworkSecure'}
• {'desc': 'Risk-analysis tools and advice that find weak or quantum-vulnerable encryption.', 'title': 'Encryption Intelligence'}
• {'desc': 'Works with telecoms operators such as Sparkle, RSG Telecom and Fabric Networks, and government and defence customers.', 'title': 'Telecom and defence customers'}

Key facts

• Founded 2017 in London by David Williams
• Offices: London, Belfast and Arlington, Virginia
• Andy Leaver chief executive since 2024
• Purpose (own words): keep safe the data of governments, enterprises and citizens
• Named IDC Innovator for Post-Quantum Cryptography (2024) and GSMA Global Mobile Award winner (2024), per company

Website: arqitgroup.com