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VTT Info: S-Transistors raises €2.6 million pre-seed round to introduce a unique superconducting transistor platform for scalable orchestration of quantum computers

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ESPOO, Finland, Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The new Finnish startup is disrupting the ways of controlling large-scale quantum computers by delivering a completely new class of electronic devices – superconducting transistors. These novel devices combine the computational power of transistors with the ultra-low power dissipation of superconductors. S-Transistors is developing first-of-its-kind quantum motherboards that will provide energy- and cost-efficient orchestration of cryogenic quantum computers at scale.

Newly launched Finnish startup S-Transistors, originating from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has raised €2.6 million in pre-seed funding to pioneer a fundamentally new class of integrated circuits based on superconducting transistors. The technology has several promising applications, from energy-efficient classical computing to spacecraft electronics, but quantum computing, in particular, stands to benefit most.

Today’s cryogenically cooled superconducting quantum computers need a paradigm-changing solution to break the scaling limit of the quantum processing unit (QPU) – the array of quantum bits that, by analogy to a conventional CPU, does the quantum computing. That limit comes from the power-hungry, poorly scalable way quantum processors are controlled today: multiple expensive, bulky cables per qubit, running from the processor inside the cryostat out to room-temperature electronics. This is exactly where S-Transistors’ superconducting transistor technology, which is already available at wafer scale, offers a solution that is radically more energy-efficient and compact than existing alternatives.

The funding round was led by Lifeline Ventures, a leading Nordic investor, and joined by an angel investor. S-Transistors is going to use the pre-seed funding to develop several product prototypes for cryogenic signal control and handling, set up its own cryogenic laboratory, establish a manufacturing pilot line for its unique integrated circuits based on superconducting transistors, and grow the team.

“Today’s efforts in scaling cryogenic quantum computers have delivered tremendous progress, with several practical use cases already demonstrated. However, further scaling is approaching a hard wall, as it still relies on power-hungry room-temperature electronics and separate wiring for each quantum bit (qubit) – both used to operate the quantum computer and link it to the outside world. The clearest path forward, for superconducting quantum computers in particular, is to bring the classical control and interface hardware down into the cryostat, right next to the quantum chip kept cold to protect its fragile quantum states. The catch is that such integration is extremely demanding in power dissipation, speed, and energy efficiency,” says Dr. Heorhii Bohuslavskyi, Co-founder and CEO of S-Transistors. “Superconducting transistors are exactly that missing piece of hardware for large-scale, energy-efficient quantum computing.”

Cryogenic quantum computers, including those based on superconducting quantum bits, are considered among the most promising platforms for scaling quantum computing. Unlocking their full potential will require quantum machines with hundreds of thousands of qubits, along with new technologies capable of supporting such computing systems at that scale.

One key challenge is the electronics used to control the qubits and transmit signals to and from the quantum processor. Today, much of this equipment operates outside the cryogenic environment that hosts the quantum-processing chip. Moving it closer to the quantum processor and operating it at extremely low temperatures could significantly improve scalability.

However, this is not simply a matter of placing conventional chips in the cold. Although some industrial silicon transistors can operate at deep cryogenic temperatures, they struggle to combine the performance needed to control large numbers of qubits with extremely low power consumption. Excess heat can disrupt the cryogenic environment and interfere with the quantum processor’s fragile operations.

Superconducting transistors offer a promising solution to this very problem. They combine ultra-low power consumption and high-speed performance with compatibility with the quantum processor’s cryogenic environment.

“When you think about it, the transistor is the most mass-manufactured device in human history. By combining the transistor functionality, with its unparalleled computing potential, and the superconducting property of near-zero power dissipation in a single device, we can reach a completely new level of energy-efficient cryogenic computing. In the near term, this already solves the cryogenic signal routing and delivery problems the superconducting quantum computer, but the real vision is the quantum motherboard: a completely new platform for scaling quantum computers, operating at mK temperatures, and controlling the operation of qubit-based QPU,” says Dr. Andrey Generalov, Co-founder and CTO of S-Transistors.

S-Transistors’ first product is a superconducting-transistor-based multiplexer that plugs into existing cryogenic setups and speeds up the development and prototyping of various quantum devices. It will ship to early customers and strategic partners within the company’s first year of operation. The multiplexer is the first logical step toward the quantum motherboard and, according to prospective customers and collaborators, it addresses one of the most acute pain points in scaling today’s superconducting quantum computers.

The potential reaches well beyond quantum computing and sensing. First theorised in the 1980s, a scalable and reproducible superconducting transistor technology today has strong potential across classical and quantum computing, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing hardware, spacecraft electronics, and fundamental particle detectors. S-Transistors intends to be the one to take that first step from lab to fab, toward customer adoption of superconducting transistor technology.

“S-Transistors is one of those rare companies built around a genuinely new piece of fundamental technology that could become an enabling layer for an entire industry. As quantum computers scale from hundreds or thousands of qubits toward commercially useful machines, we believe superconducting transistors can become a critical part of the hardware stack that makes that scaling possible,” says Jyri Engeström, Partner at Lifeline Ventures.

“Our strategy at VTT is to shorten the journey from idea to pilot, from pilot to commercial solution. We will continue to be a part of S-Transistors’ journey as the company approaches the manufacturing phase. S-Transistors’ superconducting transistor technology will allow us to reach the point where quantum computers finally provide real-world value,” says Erja Turunen, Executive Vice President at VTT.

MEDIA MATERIAL: https://vtt.contenthub.fi/ui/shares/w20275311/7GpG281ad1/en/

For additional information:
S-Transistors
Heorhii Bohuslavskyi, Co-founder and CEO of S-Transistors
heorhii@s-transistors.com

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Eija Tuominen, Research Team Leader
eija.tuominen@vtt.fi, tel. +358 503 296 207

S-Transistors

S-Transistors is pioneering a new class of transistors for scalable, energy-efficient classical and quantum computing. The company combines patent-pending fabrication and early-product circuit architectures with 50+ years of combined experience across microelectronics, cryogenics, quantum electronics, and advanced manufacturing. Guided by the pain points of academics and industry quantum computing players from Europe to North America and Asia, S-Transistors is on a quest to build the world’s first quantum motherboard – and unblock the scaling of quantum computers into the quantum-utility era.

https://s-transistors.com, LinkedIn

Further information on VTT:
Paula Bergqvist, Communications Manager
+358 20 722 5161, paula.bergqvist@vtt.fi
www.vttresearch.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/vtt-info/r/s-transistors-raises–2-6-million-pre-seed-round-to-introduce-a-unique-superconducting-transistor-pl,c4388950

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SOURCE VTT Info

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SparkLabs and Mirae Asset Launch a Venture Capital Fund for Central Asian Startups

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SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC), IT Park Ventures (Uzbekistan), Mirae Asset Venture Investment and SparkLabs Group have signed a term sheet to establish SparkLabs Mirae Silk Road Fund I LP, a new venture capital fund. The fund will be managed by Mirae Asset Venture Investment and SparkLabs Group.

The signing took place in Seoul during the state visits of the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to Korea and the first Central Asia–Republic of Korea Summit.

During this past week, South Korea and Kazakhstan signed commercial agreements worth US$18.95 billion. Kazakhstan is a country of 20 million people with its core industries being oil and gas, and among the highest producers of iron and silver in the world. Uzbekistan is a country of 39 million people, and they are the largest electricity producer in Central Asia.

Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC) is Kazakhstan’s national fund of funds and are anchor investors along with IT Park Ventures, the venture capital arm of the country’s state technology park. The new venture capital fund will back Central Asian startups at the Series A and later, which are businesses with a proven model that are ready to scale beyond the region. The fund is sector-agnostic but focuses on AI-native companies, where artificial intelligence is core to the product and business model.

“Higgsfield becoming Kazakhstan’s first unicorn was a turning point. It showed that a world-class AI company can be built in Central Asia. And it won’t be the last with more than half of the region’s population is under 30, growing up digital and our governments actively investing in AI. Yet the region is still largely overlooked by international investors, and that’s the opportunity this fund is built for,” explained Aslan Sultanov, Co-founder and General Partner at SparkLabs Mirae Silk Road.

Former Coinbase CTO and Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, Balaji Srinivasan, reopened his Network School in Kazakhstan last month. Telegram launched an AI lab and opened their first regional office in Kazakhstan this past year.

Beyond capital, portfolio companies will gain access to the SparkLabs and Mirae Asset’s global networks, along with hands-on support in expanding into South Korea, the United States and the MENA region.

About the Partners

SparkLabs Group is a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds that has invested in over 600 startups across 6 continents since December 2013. These companies include OpenAI, SpaceX, Vectara, Kneron, Anthropic, Nex Team, Kraken, GenG, Lyft, MetAI, and others.

Mirae Asset Venture Investment is the venture capital arm of Mirae Asset Financial Group, one of Asia’s largest independent financial groups with over US$845 billion in assets under management. The company operates worldwide across 18 markets, and manages a fully diversified global investment platform encompassing ETFs, alternative investments, and traditional strategies.

Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC) is Kazakhstan’s national fund of funds and part of Baiterek National Managing Holding. QIC invests in private equity and venture capital funds alongside international and private partners, with the goal of attracting long-term capital into Kazakhstan and developing the country’s investment ecosystem. QIC participates in 19 funds with a combined capitalization of $2.8 billion.

IT Park Ventures is the venture capital arm of IT Park Uzbekistan, the country’s state technology park and the main platform supporting Uzbekistan’s IT industry and tech exports. IT Park Ventures invests in startups from Uzbekistan and Central Asia and co-invests with international funds, connecting regional founders with global capital and markets.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sparklabs-and-mirae-asset-launch-a-venture-capital-fund-for-central-asian-startups-302883810.html

SOURCE SparkLabs Group

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AECOM Data Breach Investigation: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Probes Class Action Claims After Hackers Allege Theft of More Than 1 TB of Data

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National class action law firm offers free, confidential case evaluations to AECOM employees, clients, and others whose personal information may have been exposed in the reported AECOM data breach.

DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Edelson Lechtzin LLP, a national class action law firm, is investigating data privacy claims arising from a reported data breach at AECOM, the U.S.-based multinational infrastructure and engineering firm. Anyone who has received a data breach notice from AECOM, or who believes their personal information may have been exposed, can request a free case evaluation.

AECOM data breach — at a glance:

Company: AECOM, a Texas-based, multibillion-dollar multinational infrastructure consulting, engineering, design, and construction management firm.Reported: A cyberattack said to have occurred on or about September 17, 2026, first surfaced on dark web monitoring sites.Hackers’ claims: The group Metaencryptor claimed responsibility for an attack said to involve approximately 1.22 terabytes (TB) of data. Separately, dark web monitoring service Breachsense listed a related AECOM leak of roughly 670GB attributed to a group identified as BrainCipher.Status: The breach and the hackers’ claims remain unconfirmed. AECOM has not publicly detailed the scope or impact.Who may be affected: Current and former AECOM employees, clients, and others whose data AECOM held.Cost to you: Nothing. Case evaluations are free and confidential.

What Happened

According to a September 17, 2026 post on the dark web monitoring site Ransomware.live, the hacker group Metaencryptor claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on AECOM that allegedly affected about 1.22 TB of data. The cybersecurity blog HookPhish similarly reported that Metaencryptor was behind a suspected attack on the engineering firm.

Separately, the dark web monitoring service Breachsense reported an AECOM data leak listed at approximately 670GB, attributed to a group it identified as BrainCipher. Breachsense also indexed thousands of AECOM-linked credentials circulating online, including 27,434 @aecom.com accounts drawn from external breaches and 6,077 credentials tied to aecom.com itself — among them thousands of logins found in “combo lists” and in infostealer malware logs, many with plaintext passwords. Breachsense cautioned that those credentials may belong to either customers or staff and are not necessarily connected to the claimed attack.

The breach has not been confirmed, and important details (including its true scope, the specific data involved, and the number of people affected) are not yet publicly available.

What Personal Information May Be at Risk

The specific data involved in the reported AECOM data breach has not been confirmed. Data breaches like this can expose personal information, increasing the risk of identity theft and fraud. Affected individuals should treat any AECOM breach notification seriously.

Who May Be Affected by the AECOM Data Breach

The investigation focuses on current and former AECOM employees, clients, and anyone else whose personal information AECOM maintained. Anyone who has received a data breach notification from AECOM may face an increased risk of identity theft and fraud and is encouraged to come forward.

Your Legal Options

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is investigating a potential class action to pursue legal remedies on behalf of individuals whose sensitive personal data may have been compromised in the reported AECOM breach. A successful case could recover compensation for losses such as lost time, out-of-pocket costs, and loss of privacy, and could push AECOM to strengthen how it protects personal information. The firm will evaluate your rights and potential claims at no cost.

Recommended Steps to Protect Yourself

Review your account statements and credit reports regularly and stay alert for suspicious activity.Confirm whether your information was involved in the AECOM incident.Preserve any letters or emails you received about the breach.Consider placing fraud alerts and enrolling in credit monitoring.

Contact Us for a Free Case Evaluation

Speak confidentially with a data privacy attorney today: Marc Edelson, Esq., Edelson Lechtzin LLP, 411 S. State Street, Suite N-300, Newtown, PA 18940; Phone: 844-696-7492; Email: medelson@edelson-law.com; Web: www.edelson-law.com. Or click HERE to request a free consultation.

About Edelson Lechtzin LLP

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is a national class action law firm with offices in Pennsylvania and California. In addition to data breach litigation, the firm handles class and collective actions involving securities and investment fraud, federal antitrust violations, ERISA employee benefit plans, wage theft, and consumer fraud.

Media and Partnership Inquiries: Use the contact information above to connect with our team regarding interviews, co-counsel opportunities, and referral partnerships.

Legal Notice: This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The reported data breach and the hackers’ claims described above are unconfirmed.

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SOURCE Edelson Lechtzin LLP

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iScreen Reaches No. 1 in Graphics & Design Across 94 Markets Following iOS 27 Update

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Extra-large widget experiences, iOS 27-inspired themes and new customization tools drive iScreen’s latest global growth

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — iScreen, a mobile customization app for iOS and Android, announced that it has reached No. 1 in the Graphics & Design category across 94 countries and regions following its latest iOS 27-focused update.

The update expands iScreen’s Home Screen customization experience with new extra-large widgets, iOS 27-inspired themes, layouts optimized for new screen proportions, and AI-assisted design tools.

Extra-Large Widgets

Built for the larger widget canvas available in iOS 27, iScreen’s new extra-large widgets go beyond simply scaling up existing formats. The collection includes Photo, Album, Music, Calendar, Interactive Refrigerator and Quick Launch widgets, among others. Users can also customize content, layouts and visual styles to create more functional and expressive Home Screen experiences.

iOS 27-Inspired Themes and iPhone Duo Theme Support

iScreen has introduced new iOS 27-inspired themes that combine coordinated wallpapers, transparent-style widgets, icons and other visual elements into complete Home Screen setups.

Selected themes have also been optimized for iPhone Duo’s screen proportions and display dimensions, with wallpapers, widgets and icons adjusted to better fit the new format while maintaining a cohesive visual experience.

AI-Assisted Home Screen Design

iScreen is also testing AI Home Screen Designer with a limited group of users. The feature generates coordinated design suggestions based on users’ preferences for style, color and visual elements, combining wallpapers, widgets and icons into a unified setup.

“The latest iOS update has opened up new possibilities for mobile personalization,” said the iScreen team. “We want to turn those capabilities into practical and creative experiences that make Home Screen design easier and more expressive.”

About iScreen

iScreen is a mobile customization app offering widgets, wallpapers, themes and Home Screen customization tools for iOS and Android devices. With more than 100 million users worldwide, iScreen has ranked No. 1 in Graphics & Design across 94 countries and regions and has been featured by Apple Editorial in 128 countries for five consecutive days.

Official Website: iScreen – Phone Style, iScreen it!
iOS Download: ‎‎iScreen – Widgets & Wallpaper App – App Store
Android Download: iScreen Google Play

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/iscreen-reaches-no-1-in-graphics–design-across-94-markets-following-ios-27-update-302883972.html

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