Diffraqtion is looking to see farther in space, and to understand its environment faster. The MA-based startup emerged from stealth today with a $4.2M pre-seed round.
QDNL Participations led the round, and was joined by milemark•capital, Aether VC, and ADIN. Also included in the fundraising is a $1.5M DARPA SBIR Direct-to-Phase 2 contract.
The tech: Diffraqtion is building quantum cameras for space. The cameras combine quantum imaging with AI to spot faraway objects—or, to clearly see closer objects with a much smaller lens. With this tech, Diffraqtion aims to cut down on image processing time at a dramatically lower price point than current products.
The startup says its platforms will be able to compete with large, exquisite platforms for a fraction of the price, according to CEO and cofounder Johannes Galatsanos.
- The firm is seeking to build 6U cubesats with a 10cm lens, for $500,000. Galatsanos says that craft will be capable of capturing the same resolution as a large Vantor sat.
- Galatsanos said the firm is planning to build a larger camera with capability that can rival that of the Hubble Space Telescope for a “couple million dollars” on a 50kg spacecraft.
Deliverables: The quantum nature of the tech means customers won’t get images—but Galatsanos said most people just want the data and analysis anyways.
But what customers would lose in pretty pictures from space, they more than gain in speed. Galatsanos said the camera’s quick processing abilities—”at the speed of light”—will offer customers analytics and insights in seconds, not hours.
“If this works and we get this into orbit…now we can give you very cheap, very high-res imaging—which is very timely,” he said.
While everyone wants answers faster, the high level of speed is especially important for national security decision-making, he said.
What’s next: Diffraqtion is taking its first steps towards its long-term goal of building a constellation, Galatsanos said.
The startup plans to begin conducting ground-based SDA operations in 2027. Its first launch, set for 2028, is expected to bring Diffraqtion’s SDA capabilities to orbit. The following year, in 2029, the company is planning to turn its cameras downward, and begin offering EO services.
