Diffraqtion, an MIT and University of Maryland spinout developing satellite and telescope systems powered by a quantum camera, has closed a pre-seed financing round totaling $4.2 million, combining both dilutive and non-dilutive capital. The round was led by QDNL Participations, with participation from milemark•capital, Aether VC, ADIN, and Offline Ventures. In addition to the equity financing, the company also secured non-dilutive support through a DARPA SBIR Direct-to-Phase 2 contract tied to space situational awareness capabilities.
Founded by Johannes Galatsanos, Christine Wang, Ph.D., and Prof. Saikat Guha, Diffraqtion is developing what it describes as a first-of-its-kind quantum camera designed to help satellites and telescopes detect objects at longer distances while processing visual information far faster than conventional systems. The company says the technology can deliver up to 20 times higher resolution and up to 1,000 times faster processing than traditional camera-and-processor approaches, enabling ultra-high-resolution imaging at a lower cost relative to today’s satellite and ground-based telescope systems.
Diffraqtion’s technology is positioned for space domain awareness missions, where continuous monitoring and identification of objects in orbit has become a growing priority amid rising congestion and increasing operational reliance on space-based infrastructure. The company also expects the system to support commercial Earth observation use cases, including agriculture monitoring, disaster response, and environmental tracking.
The company said the quantum camera builds on Prof. Guha’s prior research conducted with NASA and DARPA and is protected by patented quantum imaging intellectual property developed by the founding team.
Diffraqtion has also accumulated several recent external validations and program milestones. The company said it won first place at SLUSH 100, selected from more than 1,000 startups, which included a $1.1 million equity prize backed by Cherry Ventures and General Catalyst. It also received TechConnect’s “2025 Best Space Innovation” award, which included a $100,000 prize. Separately, Diffraqtion is participating in the U.S. Space Force’s Apollo Accelerator, where it said it is actively demonstrating and refining its quantum imaging technology with government partners.
Looking ahead, Diffraqtion said it plans to conduct “on-sky” demonstrations in early 2026 with the University of California Observatories, followed by space-based demonstrations intended to validate performance in orbit. The company’s longer-term strategy centers on deploying large constellations of lower-cost, high-precision imaging satellites and integrating the quantum camera into telescope networks, aiming to broaden coverage and improve monitoring cadence for both orbital and terrestrial targets.
Diffraqtion also highlighted additions and experience across its leadership team as it prepares for pilot deployments and demonstrations. Galatsanos, the company’s co-founder and chief executive officer, has a background spanning AI, quantum technology, and operations, and previously held roles including MIT researcher, executive director at Novartis, and technical consultant, according to the company. Wang, the co-founder and chief technology officer, previously worked in optics and photonics leadership roles at Riverside Research and Draper Labs after completing research training at Harvard, EPFL, and the Max Planck Institute. Guha, a co-founder and the company’s chief scientific advisor, is a quantum sensing researcher with more than 100 papers and patents and serves as a distinguished chair professor at the University of Maryland, with an adjunct appointment at MIT.
The company said Mark Michael, head of product, previously served as CTO and co-founder of Kepler Communications and worked at IBM earlier in his career.
QDNL Participations, the lead investor, is a $70 million fund focused on early-stage quantum technology investments and was established in 2022.
KEY QUOTES:
“Space-based infrastructure powers our communications, navigation, and defense, and through Earth Imaging, it supports everything from agriculture to disaster response. Yet despite the boom in low-cost launches, we still lack clear, continuous visibility of what’s happening above and below the atmosphere. Our quantum camera changes that: it tracks smaller, faster objects to keep assets in orbit safe, while delivering ultra-high-resolution imaging for critical applications on Earth.”
Johannes Galatsanos, CEO and Co-Founder, Diffraqtion
“Quantum sensing can bring new capabilities to monitoring and protecting orbital infrastructure. Diffraqtion’s team combines deep photonics and quantum expertise with practical defense and space insight – exactly what’s needed to bring quantum imaging into operational reality.”
Chad Rigetti, Venture Partner, QDNL Participations
