The Stage | Lisa Matthews, CEO, KETS Quantum Security

Why It Matters

Quantum‑safe networking will protect finance, defence and telecom sectors from future decryption, creating a multi‑billion‑dollar market and a competitive edge for early adopters.

Key Takeaways

• Quantum computers threaten all public‑key encryption systems today.
• KETS built a photonic chip generating unhackable encryption keys.
• Chip integrates into existing networking gear, avoiding new hardware.
• Ten‑year UK startup now moving to industrial‑scale production.
• Mass adoption expected within two to five years globally.

Summary

Lisa Matthews, CEO of UK‑based KETS Quantum Security, outlined the looming risk that quantum computers pose to today’s public‑key encryption and introduced the company’s photonic integrated circuit as a quantum‑safe solution.

She explained that quantum machines could eventually break all conventional encryption, jeopardising secure communications in finance, defence and telecom. KETS’s chip condenses the optical components needed to generate and share encryption keys that are theoretically unbreakable by quantum attacks, allowing seamless integration into existing networking hardware.

Matthews highlighted that the ten‑year‑old spin‑out from the University of Bristol has been funded by government grants, venture capital and early sales, and is now entering an industrialisation phase, partnering with global equipment manufacturers to embed the technology in standard product catalogs. She projected a two‑to‑five‑year horizon for widespread adoption.

If successful, KETS’s approach could safeguard critical infrastructure without costly network overhauls, positioning the firm as a key player in the emerging quantum‑safe market and prompting enterprises to upgrade security ahead of the quantum threat.

Original Description

In this episode of The Stage, Lisa Matthews, CEO at KETS Quantum Security, shares how the company is addressing one of the biggest challenges posed by quantum computing – the future of secure communications.

Her focus goes beyond today’s networks. Through photonic chip technology, KETS is enabling quantum-safe encryption that can be embedded into existing infrastructure, helping drive secure communications at scale.

Because the future of connectivity depends on trust, security and resilience.

#QuantumSecurity #CyberSecurity #TheStage

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