Arqit announces strategic investment in Sirius to strengthen quantum-safe communications for defence and government
Arqit and Sirius have been selected as part of a winning bidding consortium to provide secure networking services to NATO.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
Arqit Quantum (ARQQ) announced an investment in Sirius Computer to advance quantum-safe communications for defence, government and national security users. The investment builds on an existing partnership combining Sirius networking technology with Arqit's encryption solutions in Crux, a software-based connectivity platform.
Arqit expects the investment to support further development of Crux and Sirius's software and hardware, deeper integration with its encryption solutions, and new joint products and services. The companies have been selected as part of a winning bidding consortium to provide secure networking services to NATO. They also plan to expand joint sales activities across NATO member countries and other allied nations, pursuing opportunities including the UK Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defense.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Hollow bars mark forward-looking points. How the balance works
Positive
- Moderate pointArqit and Sirius selected within a winning bidding consortium to provide secure networking services to NATO.
- Moderate point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Sirius investment is intended to support development, deeper Arqit encryption integration and new joint offerings.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Joint sales expansion planned across NATO members and allied nations, including UK and US defence opportunities.
Negative
- None.
News Explained
The release gives no investment amount or consideration, so the funding commitment, any stake Arqit receives in Sirius, and any effect on Arqit’s share count are unspecified.
Historical Context
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NATO secure-networking contract signed through consortium; one-year term plus two annual renewal options.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Key Terms
quantum-safe encryption technical
uncrewed autonomous vehicles (uavs) technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Investment builds on successful joint deployments to accelerate product development and expand into new defence markets
LONDON, Oct. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arqit Quantum Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQQ), a global leader in quantum-safe encryption helping safeguard sensitive information from current and future cyber threats, today announced a strategic investment in Sirius Computer, Inc., a technology provider of secure computing and networking solutions for defence, intelligence and critical national infrastructure. This will accelerate the development and delivery of quantum-safe communications for defence, government and national security users.
The investment builds on an existing partnership that combines Sirius’s secure networking technology with Arqit’s Sovereign Key Platform (SKP) and NetworkSecure™ adaptors to deliver Crux, a software-based connectivity platform. The companies' joint offering protects sensitive communications across devices and networks, helping defence users share information securely in deployed environments, and when operating alongside allied forces.
The software-based offering is designed to run on commercial devices and work alongside existing infrastructure, enabling users to extend secure communications without replacing their underlying networks. Applications include mobile devices, cloud and network systems, autonomous platforms such as Uncrewed Autonomous Vehicles (UAVs) and their associated control systems.
The strategic investment will support the continued development of Crux and Sirius’s broader software and hardware technologies, deeper integration with Arqit's encryption solutions, and the creation of new joint products and services. The companies have been selected as part of a winning bidding consortium to provide secure networking services to NATO. The companies will also expand their joint go-to-market activities, pursuing opportunities across NATO member countries and other allied nations, including the UK Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defense.
Paul Feenan, General Manager for Defence & Government at Arqit, said: “Defence organisations face a difficult balance between getting critical information to the people and platforms that need it, while keeping it out of adversaries’ hands. When forces operate alongside allies, that challenge extends across national boundaries and different technologies. Security needs to support that cooperation without adding complexity for personnel on the ground. It also needs to protect information whose sensitivity will outlast the operation itself. Investing in Sirius will help us build on our existing partnership to make quantum-safe communications easier to deploy and extend to more defence users.”
Jason Van der Schyff, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sirius, said: "We've built Sirius around the belief that secure communications shouldn't depend on complex, expensive infrastructure that is difficult to deploy and maintain. Our partnership with Arqit has already demonstrated what's possible when advanced encryption enhances lightweight, adaptable networking technology. This investment is a significant vote of confidence in our team and our technology, and gives us the resources to accelerate development, expand our capabilities and bring these solutions to more defence and government customers around the world."
About Arqit
Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ) secures the world’s most critical data with quantum-safe encryption software. Simple, scalable, and compliant, its products integrate with existing infrastructure, and require no rip and replace of hardware.
Arqit provides a complete “Detect, Protect, Comply” solution for governments and enterprises that detects and inventories cryptographic assets, protects data, ensures compliance, and safeguards transition to the post-quantum era.
Arqit’s primary product offerings are Encryption Intelligence and NetworkSecure™. Encryption Intelligence detects cryptographic exposure, identifies vulnerabilities, and maps dependencies. NetworkSecure™ protects data in transit with provably secure post-quantum cryptography and contributes to establishment of confidential compute environments for complete data sovereignty.
Arqit is an IDC Innovator for Post-Quantum Cryptography (2024) and a multi-award-winner in quantum-safe security.
For more information, visit www.arqitgroup.com.
About Sirius
Sirius Computer, Inc., develops secure computing and networking solutions for defence, intelligence and critical national infrastructure. Its flagship product, Crux, delivers lightweight, quantum-safe secure communications across mobile devices, computers and embedded systems, enabling organisations to protect sensitive information without replacing existing network infrastructure.
Designed for demanding operational environments, Sirius technologies support secure connectivity across distributed teams, autonomous platforms and deployed networks. Sirius has undertaken UK Government-supported research and development through HMGCC's Co-Creation programme and was named a finalist in the Startup in Cyber category at the 2026 National Cyber Awards.
Sirius operates across the United States, United Kingdom and Germany.
For more information, visit www.sirius.computer
Media relations enquiries:
Arqit: Arqit@brands2life.com
Investor relations enquiries:
Arqit: investorrelations@arqit.uk
Caution About Forward-Looking Statements
This communication includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Arqit’s expectations and beliefs concerning future events and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. These factors are difficult to predict accurately and may be beyond Arqit’s control. Forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere speak only as of the date made. New uncertainties and risks arise from time to time, and it is impossible for Arqit to predict these events or how they may affect it. Except as required by law, Arqit does not have any duty to, and does not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this communication or elsewhere after the date this communication is issued. In light of these risks and uncertainties, investors should keep in mind that results, events or developments discussed in any forward-looking statement made in this communication may not occur. Uncertainties and risk factors that could affect Arqit’s future performance and cause results to differ from the forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to: (i) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Arqit, (ii) the ability to maintain the listing of Arqit’s securities on a national securities exchange, (iii) changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which Arqit operates, variations in operating performance across competitors and changes in laws and regulations affecting Arqit’s business, (iv) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realise additional opportunities, (v) the potential inability of Arqit to successfully deliver its operational technology, (vi) the risk of interruption or failure of Arqit’s information technology and communications system, (vii) the enforceability of Arqit’s intellectual property, (viii) market and other conditions, and (ix) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in Arqit’s annual report on Form 20-F (the “Form 20-F”), filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on 9 December 2025 and in subsequent filings with the SEC. While the list of factors discussed above and in the Form 20-F and other SEC filings are considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realisation of forward-looking statements.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What is Arqit's investment in Sirius intended to support?
Arqit intends the investment to support Crux development, Sirius's broader software and hardware technologies, deeper integration with Arqit's encryption solutions, and new joint products and services.
Have Arqit and Sirius been selected to provide services to NATO?
Arqit and Sirius have been selected as part of a winning bidding consortium to provide secure networking services to NATO.
Does Arqit and Sirius's Crux platform require users to replace existing networks?
Crux is designed to run on commercial devices alongside existing infrastructure, allowing users to extend secure communications without replacing their underlying networks. Its applications include mobile devices, cloud and network systems, and autonomous platforms with their associated control systems.