PQShield develops post-quantum cryptography (PQC) that chip designers, device makers and software vendors build into their own products. Its software libraries and hardware IP implement the new NIST algorithms, so that keys, key exchange and digital signatures stay secure once large quantum computers can break today’s public-key cryptography.
The company works from research outwards, with a team of cryptographers, researchers and engineers who contributed to all of the first international PQC NIST standards.
At A Glance
| Vendor | PQShield Ltd |
|---|---|
| Category | PKI and certificate lifecycle (post-quantum cryptography) |
| Identities covered | Cryptographic keys and signatures, device Root-of-Trust |
| Deployment | Software libraries and hardware IP integrated into customer products |
| Certifications | FIPS 140-3 CMVP (PQCryptoLib-Core), NCSC Assured Cyber Security Consultancy |
| Customers | AMD, Microchip Technologies, Collins Aerospace, Lattice Semiconductor, NTT Data |
| Market classification | PKI & Certificate Lifecycle |
What PQShield Does
Moving from RSA and elliptic curve cryptography to quantum-resistant algorithms is a long job, because cryptography is buried in firmware, silicon and protocols that ship for years. PQShield supplies ready-made implementations of ML-KEM (FIPS 203) and ML-DSA (FIPS 204) so product teams do not have to write and certify their own. Hybrid PQ/T schemes let products run classical and post-quantum algorithms side by side during the transition, so a device shipped now can stay interoperable with today’s systems while being ready for the new standards.
Products
PQMicroLib-Core
PQMicroLib-Core brings PQC to memory-constrained embedded devices. It runs baremetal in as little as 5KB of RAM. It is CAVP-Ready, derives from the certified PQCryptoLib-Core, offers drop-in TLS compatible with the PSA Certified Crypto API, and includes countermeasures against differential power analysis and fault injection.
PQCryptoLib-Core
PQCryptoLib-Core is the configurable software library for desktop and server software on Linux, Windows and Mac, covering classical, PQC and PQ/T hybrid cryptography. It holds FIPS 140-3 CMVP certification and is CAVP compliant, which matters for vendors selling into regulated and government markets.
PQCryptoLib-SDK
PQCryptoLib-SDK pairs PQCryptoLib-Core with an OpenSSL 3.x provider so developers can try PQC in TLS quickly. It supports ML-DSA, Falcon, ML-KEM and hybrid PQ/T schemes and is intended for prototyping and experimentation.
PQPlatform-CoPro
PQPlatform-CoPro is a compact cryptographic coprocessor for chip designers who want to add PQC to an existing security subsystem. It is FIPS 140-3 CAVP compliant with side-channel protection.
PQPlatform-TrustSys
PQPlatform-TrustSys is a PQC-first Root-of-Trust with side-channel resistance proven in silicon. It supports ML-KEM and ML-DSA alongside ECC and RSA, with fault-tolerance countermeasures.
PQPerform Accelerators
The PQPerform line serves infrastructure that handles huge numbers of connections:
| PQPerform-Flare | Up to 1 million key encapsulations per second with ML-KEM and ML-DSA, FIPS 140-3 CAVP certified, for network HSMs and TLS |
|---|---|
| PQPerform-Inferno | Configurable lattice PQC acceleration for AXI4 and PCIe systems |
| PQPerform-Flex | PQPerform-Inferno with a RISC-V processor for cryptoagility, including HQC |
How It Works
PQShield ships components that customers build into their own products rather than a hosted service. Software libraries are linked into applications, operating systems or baremetal firmware. Hardware IP is integrated into chip designs at design time, either alongside an existing security subsystem or as the chip’s Root-of-Trust. Accelerators are attached over AXI4 or PCIe inside appliances such as network HSMs, and several Inferno instances can run side by side with load balancing between them.
Four security grades, Cloud, Edge, Lab and Government, set the level of side-channel and fault-injection protection built into a component.
Identities And Systems Covered
| Keys and key exchange | ML-KEM key encapsulation and hybrid PQ/T schemes for TLS |
|---|---|
| Digital signatures | ML-DSA and Falcon, with ECC and RSA in PQPlatform-TrustSys |
| Device identity | Hardware Root-of-Trust through PQPlatform-TrustSys |
| Systems | Linux, Windows and Mac, embedded devices, network HSMs |
Company Background
| Founded | 2018 by Ali El Kaafarani, out of the University of Oxford |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Oxford, United Kingdom, with teams in the Netherlands and France |
| Leadership | Ali El Kaafarani (Founder and CEO), Hal Conklin (CCO) |
| Funding | A $37 million Series B led by Addition, with Chevron Technology Ventures, Legal & General, Braavos Capital and Oxford Science Enterprises, taking total investment past a reported $60 million |
| Recognition | Included in The Sunday Times 100 Tech list and in the MarketsandMarkets 360Quadrants for the PQC market (February 2026) |
Note: This overview is compiled from PQShield’s publicly available information as of 3 November 2026. It is provided for information only. NHI Mgmt Group does not endorse any vendor, and nothing on this page represents the opinions of NHI Mgmt Group.