ANU atomic physicists raise $12 million for their startup
Nomad Atomics grew out of world-leading work at the Australian National University (ANU), where its cofounders lead the most advanced quantum gravimetry / accelerometer programs in Australia. Their research focused on critical aspects of building deployable sensors and robust supporting infrastructure for navigation systems. On the back of this experience, Nomad Atomics was founded with the aim of taking quantum technology to the commercial sector.
They are leaders in quantum sensing technology and build miniaturised quantum sensors for mining, underground resources exploration and navigation.
“Nomad Atomics is an excellent case study of how the innovation ecosystem in Canberra can help a team of academic founders go on a commercialization journey. At the Canberra Innovation Network, we are all very proud of what they have achieved so far, and we are looking forward to seeing even more momentum in the quantum innovation activity in the ACT,’ said Petr Adamek, CEO of CBRIN.”
The company was founded by Kyle Hardman, Paul Wigley and Christian Freier, who worked at ANU on a post-doctoral research project in precision measurement, a niche subfield of atomic physics that uses atoms to make precise measurements of the world.
With no interest in pursuing a career in academia, the co-founders embarked on commercialising their research in 2020, raising $2 million in seed funding and a fresh $10 million pre-series A round led by Blackbird with participation from Right Click Capital.
ANU is a shareholder in the company. The founders leveraged a Discovery Translation Fund grant from the University in 2017 to develop a proof-of-concept of their solution. The team engaged with the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRRIN) to go through their programs around commercialising their research and learning how to sell as they developed their business skills.’
‘Nomad Atomics is an excellent case study of how the innovation ecosystem in Canberra can help a team of academic founders go on a commercialization journey. At the Canberra Innovation Network, we are all very proud of what they have achieved so far, and we are looking forward to seeing even more momentum in the quantum innovation activity in the ACT,’ said CBRIN CEO Petr Adámek.
Low profile
The co-founders have kept a low profile, spending the past three years figuring out how to make quantum sensor technology small enough to leave the lab and take measurements of the outside world.
‘We’ve built these sensors before – and so have many people around the world – in lab settings where they take up a whole room,’ said cofounder and Chief Operating Officer Paul Wigley.
‘There’s a whole room of infrastructure, and they sit there, and they measure just where they are. They’re great proof of concepts of the technology, but not inherently useful to everyday industries. Being able to shrink it down to a size where you can take it out into the world and make measurements becomes really important and really valuable.’
Measuring Gravity
Nomad Atomic’s quantum gravimeter, which measures the acceleration of gravity, is a 20cm x 20cm x 30cm box that is small enough that a single person can move it around to conduct surveys.
The company generates revenues by providing services such as conducting feasibility studies and mapping with its devices and has already landed its first customers in underground mining, resource exploration and water utilities.
The quantum gravimeters can be used by resource companies to explore far deeper and smaller mineral deposits or for more efficient and safe production from underground mines.
The promise of the technology is to provide more precise measurements than classical sensors, which rely on mechanical systems that can be skewed by changes in temperatures or the age of the device.
Quantum sensors can eliminate this device instability by relating all measurements to fundamentally unchanging properties of atoms.
‘Quantum sensing has been around for ages … the push has always been: when will we get to the point when we can actually make these sensors a usable size?’ said cofounder and CEO Kyle Hardman.
Nomad Atomics plans to use the fresh capital to grow the company by building more devices and expanding its sales team, while continuing to invest in research and development of two new prototype sensors.
The start-up plans to hire more than 20 new roles and plans to expand into the markets such as CO2 sequestration and navigation.
