Quantum sensing is emerging as a powerful tool in the field of biomedical research, offering unprecedented precision in detecting and analysing diseases at the cellular level. Dutch startup QT Sense is at the forefront of this innovation, leveraging high-precision quantum technology to improve diagnostics and targeted treatments for complex diseases like cancer and sepsis.
Funding for growth
In a recent development, the startup secured €6 million in funding, combining equity investment from QDNL Participations, an investor focused on quantum technology. It also saw contributions from angel investors, alongside grant funding from Interreg Europe.
The new funds will be used to further refine Quantum Nuova, QT Sense’s first commercial product, the first version of which is already being prepared to ship to the company’s first hospital customer. It is the University Medical Center Groningen, where it will be used in the Emergency and Acute Care Center for cutting-edge sepsis diagnostics research.
Breakthrough in quantum sensing for healthcare
QT Sense was founded in February 2024 as a spinout from University Medical Center Groningen. Prof. Dr Romana Schirhagl, an expert in quantum sensing at the single-cell level, and the company’s chief scientific officer, co-founded the company with Dr. Deepak Veeregowda, and Hoang Nguyen, chief operating officer with over 10 years of experience in finance, investments, and operations.
Its technology is based on the interaction between specially prepared nanodiamonds and individual cells. By monitoring the brightness of light emitted from these nanodiamonds, researchers can measure cellular activity in real time at a single-cell resolution. This capability is particularly valuable for understanding oxidative stress, which plays a critical role in a range of diseases, from cancer to inflammatory conditions.
Potential impact on healthcare and research
By enabling real-time, single-cell monitoring of biological activity, QT Sense’s technology could transform disease research and treatment in several key areas:
Early sepsis detection: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition where early diagnosis can make a significant difference in patient outcomes. The ability to detect cellular changes at an early stage could help clinicians intervene more effectively.
Personalised cancer treatment: Quantum sensing may help assess how individual cancer cells respond to different treatments, allowing for more tailored and effective therapies.
Drug development: Pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers could use the Quantum Nuova platform to study disease mechanisms at an unprecedented level of detail, potentially accelerating drug discovery.
Competition
Technology-wise, several companies use quantum sensing principles to address healthcare challenges, such as QDTI, which applies similar quantum sensing in diagnostics. However, QT Sense focuses on single-cell-level detection, which allows it to achieve much higher precision in diagnosing and understanding diseases like cancer and sepsis, offering a deeper and more detailed insight into cellular activity that current technologies can’t match.
Regarding market competition, a few companies aim to solve similar problems, particularly in areas like sepsis diagnostics, such as Inflammatix. However, existing solutions are limited in terms of speed and sensitivity, leaving significant gaps in meeting clinical needs. QT Sense fills those gaps by offering better diagnostic sensitivity and monitoring dynamic cellular changes in real-time.
What holds for the future of this industry?
While quantum sensing offers exciting possibilities, translating the technology into widespread clinical applications will require further validation and integration into existing healthcare workflows. The field is still in its early stages, and adoption will depend on proving the scalability, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness of quantum-based diagnostics.
With its recent funding and strong academic backing, QT Sense is well-positioned to advance its technology and expand its impact in the biomedical sector. The company’s ability to demonstrate real-world applications for Quantum Nuova in hospitals and research institutions will be key to its long-term success.
As quantum technologies continue to evolve, startups like QT Sense are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in disease diagnostics, offering new tools that could improve patient care and advance medical research.
“While other companies use quantum sensing principles to address healthcare challenges, their existing solutions are limited in terms of spatial resolution & sensitivity, leaving significant gaps in meeting clinical needs. QTSense’s focus on single-cell-level detection allows us to achieve much higher precision in diagnosing and understanding diseases, offering a deeper and more detailed insight into cellular activity that current technologies can’t match,” said co-founder and CEO, Dr. Deepak H. Veeregowda, who has 15 years of experience in engineering and entrepreneurship.
“What we noticed in the QT Sense team was the rare combination of deep quantum sensing and life sciences expertise, along with a good understanding of building and selling products. It is exceptional teams like theirs that will move quantum sensing from the lab into practical applications,” added Ton van ’t Noordende, general partner at QDNL Participations.
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