Quantum technology firm BTQ Technologies Corp. announced on Friday that it has completed the design of a next-generation QCIM+PUF quantum-secure chip in collaboration with South Korea's ICTK Co., Ltd., and is now advancing preparations for mass production.
This chip integrates BTQ's proprietary quantum computing memory security intellectual property with ICTK's VIA PUF™ technology to establish a hardware-based security platform. It is designed to support device-unique authentication, cryptographic acceleration, and trusted device identity at the chip level. QCIM is a soft IP encryption architecture that reduces latency and power consumption by performing cryptographic operations within the memory subsystem, while maintaining compatibility with both classical and post-quantum cryptography. The PUF (Physical Unclonable Function) technology leverages microscopic manufacturing variations to generate a unique hardware identity for each individual chip.
This collaboration is based on a memorandum of understanding signed in May 2025 and a joint investment agreement of $15 million reached in October, covering joint design, verification, tape-out, and potential mass production. ICTK has established partnerships with telecommunications and financial services companies such as LG U+. Its VIA PUF™ technology is described as the world's first commercially available PUF technology, characterized as fully passive and requiring no error correction.
The CEO of BTQ stated that recent U.S. executive orders promoting quantum innovation and post-quantum cybersecurity underscore that trusted quantum infrastructure is becoming a national priority. The completion of this chip design represents a significant step in introducing the company's security technology into deployable semiconductor infrastructure for the quantum era.
BTQ plans to deliver test chips to key customers and strategic partners for performance validation by the end of the year, aiming to progress the product toward global market access and readiness for mass production.