QSENSATO, a spin-off from the University of Bari, has raised €500,000 ($560K USD) in pre-seed funding from LIFTT and Quantum Italia to accelerate the development and commercialization of integrated vapor cell quantum sensors. The company’s core technology is based on atomic-photonic chips that exploit quantum interference effects in rubidium vapor to achieve high sensitivity in measuring electric and magnetic fields. These quantum atomic sensors are miniaturized and optimized for portability, enabling use cases in medical diagnostics, GPS-free navigation, geophysics, and critical infrastructure monitoring.
The funding will support the advancement of new prototypes, commercial scaling in Europe and the U.S., and the refinement of devices built on intellectual property originating from research at ICFO (Institute of Photonic Sciences) and CNR-IFN Milan. The company’s R&D is led by Gianvito Lucivero, whose research combines precision photonics with quantum metrology. QSENSATO’s development roadmap is aligned with Italy’s National Quantum Science and Technology Institute (NQSTI), and benefits from the PNRR framework and the Rita Levi Montalcini program for scientific talent repatriation.
QSENSATO’s early recognition includes awards at national innovation competitions, including Start Cup Puglia and the GIStartup Award. The startup aims to establish a commercial platform for high-accuracy sensing based on compact quantum devices, with active collaboration from academic and legal partners. Its positioning as a deep-tech innovator in quantum sensing reflects growing investor confidence in real-world applications of atomic-scale measurement platforms.
Full details are available in the official announcement from Quantonation here.
May 19, 2025
