Singapore’s Quantum ambitions accelerate as Aires advances region’s first PQC and quantum tech patents

Singapore has opened doors to commercialise quantum technology in 2026. Aires Applied Quantum Technology has built itself to become a key player in strengthening the nation’s homegrown quantum capabilities.

Founded and developed entirely in Singapore, Aires pioneers Southeast Asia’s internationally filed post-quantum cryptography (PQC) patents, spanning encryption, IoT security and quantum simulation algorithms.

As one of the only deep-tech startups in the region to eye profitability at a stage where most quantum companies remain in research or pilot phases, the company’s technology is built by an independent Singapore-based research team rather than through external licensing, overseas dependencies or defence-restricted collaborations.

Its IP portfolio currently includes three in-house developed patents filed in Singapore, the United States and Japan, and two patents developed from the founding team. The patents are locally and internationally recognised with grant awards from government bodies and agencies like Enterprise SG, Innovate UK, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Eureka and Tubitak.

Local innovation that gained momentum in a global deep-tech race
Aires began during the Covid-19 period, when co-founder and mathematician Lim Meng Liang revisited his earlier research in Diophantine equations. That work became the mathematical foundation for Aires’ first patent, which drew early support from Enterprise Singapore and NUS Enterprise.

Since its launch in 2023, the company has been selected for international quantum showcases in Berlin, Tokyo, and Korea, including the inaugural Berlin Quantum Pioneer, where it was one of six and the only Asian company selected among more than 60 global entrants. Interest began pouring in from the US, UK, Spain, Canada, Norway, Japan, and even national intelligence and research communities, underscoring global demand for independent IP holders in the quantum landscape.

From research to real-world applications 
Singapore’s quantum technology landscape is entering a new phase of maturity, and as global players race to consolidate critical intellectual property, the expansion of the nation’s own ecosystem is increasingly aligned with these international shifts.

In this evolving environment, Aires intends to support the national efforts through cost-efficient deep-tech innovation with a highly specialised research team capable of building proprietary quantum technologies from Singapore. As part of this approach, the company has focused on practical software-based applications that do not require capital intensive hardware, extending quantum-safe cryptography to organisations with limited capital and, for the first time in Asia, to individual users.

Their quantum-resistant encryption APIs integrate into common enterprise systems such as HRMS, payroll, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and cloud platforms. LionGuard, Aires’ proprietary consumer app provides quantum-safe cryptography and encryption on Windows, iOS and Android; and their quantum education and training programmes, accredited by Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) Singapore, are used in financial sector upskilling.

“The quantum sector is clearly shifting toward an IP-driven model,” shares Ken Lin, Co-founder and MD at Aires. “Recent patent consolidations by leading global firms underline how quickly proprietary algorithms and in-house research are becoming the core determinants of value. That is where our patents, technology and R&D capabilities contribute meaningfully to both Singapore and Southeast Asia at large, as they are developed end-to-end right here at home.”