European Space Agency Supporting Commercialization of New Products Which Will Unlock New Lucrative Markets
ESPOO, Finland (October 30, 2025) – SemiQon, an emerging leader in the field of quantum computing hardware, today announces it is now developing technologies optimized to support space exploration with the support of European Space Agency’s BIC program (ESA). This builds on the company’s release of the world’s first cryogenic CMOS transistor released earlier this year and brings the potential for immediate gains to the field of spaceborne electronics.
Developing new technology is a cornerstone of ESA’s mandate. The Agency spends around 8% of its budget on direct research and development, just over €600 million annually goes toward R&D and innovation. One element of this is ESA’s BIC Finland program, which offers up to €90,000 jointly from ESA and Business Finland to help companies begin to ensure their product is suitable for use in space.
When adding in other organizations in Europe as well as non-European markets including the U.S., U.K., Japan, India and others, up to $3.5 billion in direct government funding is available globally each year to startups developing new technologies for space.
“We at SemiQon think that our cryo-CMOS technology is ideally suited for use in a range of spaceborne applications. There are several different types of instrumentation which can benefit from this innovation because of its almost total absence of heat dissipation which conserves power, extending the capabilities of spaceborne vehicles, especially in deep space. The capability to function optimally in cryogenic temperatures will also enhance the performance of these components while in space, further extending battery life” said Himadri Majumdar, CEO at SemiQon. “We believe space is one of the most lucrative markets for our devices, and it is a market which is accessible to us near-term. Therefore, joining ESA’s BIC Finland program is an important next step in accessing this pool of new users.”
ESA experts have identified several potential uses for SemiQon’s products including on telescopes (bolometer, infrared, x-ray), 5G telecommunications digital beam forming, and Lunar/Mars exploration. These devices use an onboard temperature management system to optimize the performance of their electronics, which consumes extra energy. However, using the cryo-CMOS technology SemiQon has developed, the battery life of these spaceborne vehicles is expected to be extended by 50% because temperature management is no longer required, significantly increasing performance.
By joining the BIC program, SemiQon gains access to ESA’s technical expertise, equity-free funding, training, and extensive European networks to develop space industry applications.
ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs) are the largest network of incubators supporting space related start-ups in Europe. The objective is to support product development while provides excellent opportunities to connect with new business partners and potential end users. This includes industry, universities, research organisations, government and investors.
About SemiQon
Founded in 2022 as a spinoff from VTT, one of Europe’s leading research institutions, SemiQon is building silicon-based quantum processors for the million-qubit era. The company’s mission is to realize the promise of quantum computing by delivering scalability through powerful, resilient, and cost-effective quantum processors and related components. SemiQon’s technology builds upon decades of development and know-how from the semiconductor industry, making its silicon processors commercially competitive and well-suited for mass-production versus alternative solutions. To learn more about our groundbreaking work, please visit semiqon.tech.
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