Bosch and Element Six Form Joint Venture to Scale Quantum Sensing Technologies

Insider Brief:

• Bosch has formed a joint venture with Element Six to commercialize quantum sensors, with Bosch leading operations and Element Six holding a 25% stake.

• The sensors use synthetic diamonds with nitrogen-vacancy centers to detect weak magnetic and electric fields, targeting applications in healthcare, navigation, and resource exploration.

• Bosch intends to scale production for industrial use, eventually integrating sensors onto chips to enable compact, cost-efficient deployment across multiple sectors.

In a recent release, Bosch announced the formation of a joint venture with synthetic diamond specialist Element Six to commercialize quantum sensors. The new entity, Bosch Quantum Sensing, is an extension of Bosch’s in-house startup of the same name founded in 2022 and will be based in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Bosch will lead operations, while Element Six—part of the De Beers Group—will hold a 25% stake. The agreement remains subject to regulatory approval.

Bosch has been conducting research in quantum technologies for over a decade and sees quantum sensors as strategic for both future innovation and market growth. The company estimates that, by the mid-2030s, the global market potential for medical and mobility applications of quantum sensors will reach the mid-single-digit billion-euro range annually.

Synthetic Diamonds as a Key Enabler

Quantum sensors developed by Bosch rely on synthetic diamonds, which are engineered to host nitrogen-vacancy centers. These NV centers are point defects in the diamond lattice that can be used to detect extremely weak magnetic fields, electric fields, and temperature variations with high precision. Because of their quantum properties, NV centers are increasingly being explored for use in magnetometry, inertial navigation, and biomedical diagnostics.

Element Six brings long-standing expertise in producing synthetic diamonds with the quality and scalability needed for industrial applications. “Through the new joint venture between Bosch and Element Six, which aligns with Element Six’ contribution towards De Beers Group’s Origins strategy, we will integrate our synthetic diamond technology with Bosch Quantum Sensing’s capabilities,” said Siobhán Duffy, CEO of Element Six. She emphasized the joint goal of targeting critical sectors such as healthcare and navigation.

Katrin Kobe, CEO of Bosch Quantum Sensing, added: “We want to work with Element Six to make quantum sensors economical and allow them to be produced on an industrial scale. In this way, we will create the basis for innovative applications that set new standards for precision and efficiency.”

Toward Industrial-Scale Quantum Sensing

The latest prototype developed by Bosch is the most compact of its kind relative to its sensitivity class, reportedly comparable in size to a modern smartphone. This form factor enables its potential use in portable applications, such as wearable medical devices or onboard navigation systems in vehicles where GPS may be unreliable. In addition to mobility and medicine, Bosch has also identified resource exploration as a target use case.

The long-term objective is to develop quantum sensors small enough to be integrated directly onto semiconductor chips, further improving scalability and cost efficiency. According to Bosch chairman Stefan Hartung, “Quantum sensors are a future technology with huge potential. They will bring about fundamental changes in many sectors of our economy, and improve people’s lives. In setting up this new company, we are underscoring this technology’s strategic significance for Bosch.”

By formalizing this partnership and integrating synthetic diamond production with in-house sensor development, Bosch intends to accelerate the transition from research to market-ready products. The venture is part of a broader effort within the industry to industrialize quantum sensing, especially in application domains where traditional sensors cannot meet required performance thresholds.

Bosch Quantum Sensing currently employs 30 associates and plans to scale as the technology matures. Further details on the financial structure of the deal were not disclosed.