Dutch quantum startup QT Sense, has raised €6M to further refine its Quantum Nuova product, which aims to improve our knowledge of diseases. The funding combines equity investment from quantum-focused VC fund QDNL Participations, plus a group of angels, with grant funding from Interreg Europe.

QT Sense was spun out from the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands. The company emerged from the research group led by Prof. Dr. Romana Schirhagl, from research on quantum sensing technology in biomedical applications.

QT Sense’s technology relies on exposing specially prepared nanodiamonds to individual cells, allowing the company to measure a change in brightness of light emitted by the nanodiamonds that corresponds to cellular activity. By mapping these changes in real time at a single-cell resolution, the startup can provide early sepsis diagnostics and enhance personalised cancer treatment and drug development for both pharmaceutical and academic applications.

“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,” explained co-founder and CEO, Dr. Deepak H. Veeregowda.

The new funds will be used to further refine Quantum Nuova, a single-cell Nano-MRI platform that uses diamond magnetometry to monitor oxidative stress in real-time. It enables precise measurement of free radicals within individual cells, aiding research in areas such as drug toxicity, immune responses, arthritis, male fertility, and cancer. The first version is already being prepared to ship to the company’s first customer, the University Medical Center Groningen, where it will be used in the Emergency and Acute Care Center for cutting-edge sepsis diagnostics research.

The company also produces a miniature incubator designed for multi-well plates, offering a controlled environment with regulated temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels to cultivate and maintain cell cultures.

“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” said Ton van Noordende, general partner at QDNL Participations.