QNu Labs raises INR ₹200 crore in quantum security push

QNu Labs has raised ₹200 crore in a Series A1 funding round led by the National Quantum Mission and Speciale Invest.

Other investors included Sony Innovation Fund, Gaja Capital and Artha Ventures. The Bengaluru-based cybersecurity company has now raised a total of ₹375 crore.

QNu Labs develops quantum-safe cybersecurity technology, an area drawing growing attention as governments and large organisations assess how future quantum computing systems could weaken current encryption methods. The new capital will be used for research and development, expanding sales in India and overseas, and supporting a project linked to India's Quantum Secure and Sensing Networks.

Part of the funding will support QNu's role in an approved research, development and innovation project to build the technology backbone of India's Quantum Secure and Sensing Networks, or IQSN. The company also plans to expand into quantum sensing and artificial intelligence, while increasing deployments in government, critical infrastructure and banking.

Migration drive

The funding comes as policymakers and businesses prepare for a broader shift to cryptographic systems designed to resist attacks from quantum computers. India's National Quantum Mission, which runs through 2029, is adding momentum to domestic companies in the field.

QNu Labs was incubated at IIT Madras in 2016 and founded by Srinivasa Rao Aluri and Sunil Gupta. It says it has spent a decade developing its technology stack and has already deployed products across government, critical infrastructure and BFSI environments.

Sunil Gupta, Co-founder, QNu Labs, pointed to India's policy backdrop and the company's existing installations. "India has moved early in the quantum era. The National Quantum Mission, through its IIT Madras hub, has laid the foundation and, with implementation timelines published in 2026 across sectors, quantum-safe technology is shifting from policy to commercial deployment. QNu Labs has spent over a decade building this stack and has already deployed across government, critical infrastructure and BFSI. Investment in indigenous capability now gives India a clear opportunity: secure its expanding digital infrastructure with sovereign technology that meets global standards and competes in global markets," Gupta said.

He added that the investor mix reflected overseas interest in the sector. "That approximately 80% of this round came from new global investors is a strong signal that conviction in quantum-safe security is building worldwide, and QNu is at the centre of it," Gupta said.

Investor backing

The participation of domestic and international investors highlights broader appetite for deep-tech and cybersecurity businesses emerging from India. Gaja Capital's involvement is notable because the firm recently became the first Indian private equity house to list publicly.

Gopal Jain, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Gaja Capital, said the market was moving from early development to commercial scale. "Quantum-safe security is becoming national infrastructure - as essential to a digital economy as power and transport are to a physical one. QNu Labs has spent a decade building a full stack in India and is already deployed in the environments where trust matters most: critical infrastructure, government and BFSI. What attracted us is that the science is done and the demand curve is turning - this is now a scaling problem, and that is where we work best," Jain said.

Speciale Invest, an existing backer, also participated in the round. Vishesh Rajaram, Managing Partner, Speciale Invest, said, "We first backed QNu Labs five years ago, convinced that quantum-safe security would move from the laboratory to the mainstream. That conviction is now playing out at scale, with governments and enterprises worldwide racing to prepare for the quantum era. We are proud to continue backing QNu Labs as it enters this next phase of growth and global leadership."

The National Quantum Mission's role in the round also underlines the Indian government's interest in building domestic quantum communication and security infrastructure. Ravindra Barlingay, CEO, IITM C-DOT Samgnya Technologies Foundation, said, "Sovereignty in the quantum era will rest on the technologies and products a nation can build, secure and trust as its own. QNu Labs' progress in quantum-safe cybersecurity, and the strong global and domestic investor interest it has attracted, marks a meaningful milestone in the maturation of India's deep-tech ecosystem. As the National Hub for Quantum Communication under the National Quantum Mission, Samgnya has led the investment round as a step towards strengthening the country's quantum capabilities at their foundation. QNu Labs' trajectory will be closely watched as India advances its ambition to build trusted, sovereign and globally competitive quantum technologies and products, and to take its place among the world's leaders in the quantum age."

Sony Innovation Fund was another new investor in the round. Yoko Fukata, Director and Head of Sony Ventures India, Sony Innovation Fund, said, "Sony Innovation Fund is actively investing across the deep-tech sector, with a strong focus on India's rapidly growing ecosystem. We are excited to back QNu Labs, a pioneer and market leader in India's quantum-safe cybersecurity sector, and look forward to collaborating with the team as it scales its solutions across global markets."

QNu Labs employs 160 engineers, physicists and mathematicians, according to the company, and is focused on secure communications and cryptographic systems designed for a post-quantum environment. The latest round brings its total capital raised to ₹375 crore, as competition to build domestic quantum security infrastructure gathers pace in India.