Quside: Spain’s Quantum Randomness Innovator for European Cybersecurity and Defense Autonomy

Quside Technologies S.L. is a Spanish quantum-technology company pioneering hardware for truly random number generation. Founded as an ICFO (Barcelona Photonics Institute) spin-off in 2017, Quside has developed photonic-chip devices that produce unpredictable entropy for cryptography and high-performance computing. Its founders – Dr. Carlos Abellán (telecom engineer, ICFO PhD), Waldimar Amaya (quantum hardware expert), and Domenico Tulli (photonics specialist) – have built a team of European-trained engineers to drive this innovation. Quside’s mission is to integrate quantum technology into everyday connectivity and computation, enhancing security for communications and data. In recent years it has moved from lab-scale prototypes to industrial-scale modules, forming partnerships with industry leaders. For example, the company’s QRNG chips have been demonstrated in collaboration with Thales and deployed at Equinix data centers. At the same time, the firm secured high-level certifications: in May 2025 its QRNG products (Garnet™ and Nellite™ series) achieved Spain’s National Security Framework (“ENS”) High qualification. This validates Quside for use in sensitive national defense networks. The combination of cutting-edge quantum physics and semiconductor design gives Quside strategic leverage: it enables EU-based cryptographic hardware that does not rely on extra-European suppliers. By aligning its technology with NATO and EU standards (e.g. NIST’s SP800-90B randomness standard), Quside offers a path toward European sovereign capabilities in cyber resilience. This analysis examines the company’s profile in the context of EU strategic autonomy and collective defense, assessing how its quantum-secure solutions contribute to Europe’s deterrence and interoperability goals.