Diffraqtion

Diffraqtion is a deep-tech startup at the intersection of space, quantum photonics, and optics, with roots at MIT, University of Maryland, and University of Arizona. The company develops next-generation quantum cameras that can capture information beyond the conventional diffraction limit — the physical boundary constraining traditional cameras.

Conventional cameras lose approximately 95% of the information contained in light. Diffraqtion's award-winning Quantum Camera technology uses breakthroughs in quantum photonics developed over 10 years by Prof. Saikat Guha in partnership with DARPA and NASA, originally for high-precision space situational awareness and the Habitable Worlds Observatory (the successor to the James Webb and Hubble space observatories, dedicated to finding exoplanets that can support life). The cameras can identify objects 20× further away than any camera known to humanity — being the first to see beyond the diffraction limit.

Diffraqtion won first prize out of 1,000 startups at SLUSH 2025 ($1.2M prize) and $100k Best Space Innovation of 2025 at TechConnect. In early 2026, DARPA backed Diffraqtion to demonstrate its quantum camera for space and Earth surveillance. The company raised $4.2M in seed funding to build quantum-camera-enabled satellite and telescope constellations.