Cybersecurity and cryptography company Xiphera has received funding from Business Finland to develop innovative hardware-accelerated cryptographic technology. The project will run for 18 months with a total budget of €460,470.
The project focuses on accelerating Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) and Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) computation methods on FPGA and ASIC platforms. This enables data processing while fully encrypted, significantly faster and more energy-efficient than current software-based solutions.
“The funding enables both deep and applied research activities in a technologically challenging area of cryptography. We expect this research to lead to a significant leap toward commercializable FHE and ZKP solutions,” says Petri Jehkonen, Director of Strategic Programs at Xiphera.
Use cases and commercial opportunities:
- Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) enables data to be processed directly in encrypted form, eliminating the need for decryption. For example, banks or hospitals can analyze data securely, without exposing private information to outsiders.
- Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) enables the verification of information or computations without revealing the information itself. For instance, a bank can verify a customer’s data or the validity of a transaction without disclosing additional details.
The project’s key objectives include analyzing the most promising hardware-accelerated FHE and ZKP methods, developing a Proof-of-Concept accelerator, and demonstrating the technology in an FPGA environment. In addition, the project will deliver an evaluation framework and application analysis for the commercialization potential of these technologies.
“With these solutions, we aim to position ourselves at the international forefront of this technology, opening doors to new business opportunities in both the private and public sectors,” Jehkonen concludes.
