Internship - FPGA Hardware Design - PQ Cryptography Hardware Accelerator

CryptoNext Security is a deeptech startup specializing in post-quantum cryptography. Our solutions help businesses and institutions prepare for a future where quantum computers will challenge traditional data security. We work with leading clients in finance, defense, and telecommunications.

As part of an exploratory project on hardware accelerators for post-quantum cryptography (PQC), we are looking for a highly motivated FPGA Hardware Design Engineer to take ownership of a key strategic project at the intersection of hardware/software codesign (FPGA development and low-level C) and post-quantum cryptographic accelerators. You will work on the design, integration, and evaluation of hardware accelerators for well-identified mathematical functions used in post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, with a strong focus on demonstrating concrete performance benefits on a real embedded platform.

Your mission

You will study state-of-the-art approaches described in the scientific literature on PQC hardware acceleration, including relevant academic work such as this recent study, and implement the selected ones. You will focus in particular on the Number Theoretic Transform (NTT) and the Keccak state permutation function, two key computational functions involved in the implementation of algorithms such as ML-KEM and ML-DSA (lattice-based PQC algorithms).

You will be responsible for developing system-level RTL code using SystemVerilog, integrating the resulting accelerators into a complete hardware/software system, and evaluating their impact on application-level performance. The target platform will be an AMD Xilinx ZCU104 development board, equipped with a Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC.

The primary objective of the internship is to demonstrate, on the target platform, that a hardware accelerator for either the NTT or the Keccak permutation can effectively accelerate the corresponding ML-KEM or ML-DSA implementation in the CryptoNext Quantum Safe Library (C-QSL).

Required skills

• FPGA development, RTL design using Verilog, SystemVerilog or VHDL
• Experience with AMD Vivado or Intel Altera Quartus and FPGA development platforms
• Good programming skills in C under Linux, with basic knowledge of assembly language
• Strong interest in hardware/software codesign and embedded systems
• Experience with Git and standard software development workflows
• Familiarity with shell scripting, Makefiles, and compiler toolchains
• Experience using profilers and debuggers to analyze and optimize software performance
• Ability to work independently, investigate technical problems, and communicate results clearly

• Knowledge of AMBA protocols, such as AXI, AHB, APB, or CHI
• Experience with JTAG-based debugging
• Experience with QEMU, including the Xilinx fork of QEMU
• Experience with QEMU/SystemC/Verilator co-simulation
• Previous exposure to post-quantum cryptography, lattice-based cryptography, ML-KEM, ML-DSA, NTT or DFT, or Keccak (or more generally hash functions)
• Familiarity with embedded Linux and Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC architectures

Internship details

• Duration: 6 months
• Period: December 2026 – June 2027
• Education: Final-year engineering student or M2 / Master's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, embedded systems, microelectronics, or a related field