Samira Carolina Oliva Madrigal

Founder & Chief Cryptographer

A privileged mind with an unorthodox and special background, Samira has strongly demonstrated her expertise in cryptology and emerging technology.

With an exceptional background in theoretical and applied cryptology across all implementation domains, she accomplished major strides working with authorities in the fields of Homomorphic Encryption (FHE/HE) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). At the same time she contributed significantly as a Senior Engineer in Cryptology focused on PQC contributing to theoretical improvements, applied cryptography, and writing cryptographic firmware which earned her numerous recognitions and one of the most prestigious CEO Game Changer Award at leading semi-conductor Marvell, awarded to very few elite engineers.

She is a leading co-author of breakthrough contributions in cryptology including modular arithmetic for finite fields, homomorphic encryption for approximate arithmetic with applications to machine learning, and post-quantum cryptography. Her remarkable contribution to improving the cornerstone operation in cryptology that spans modern and advanced cryptology, modular multiplication that is reduction-free and fully interleaved, earned her invitation to state-of-the-art scientific research collaborations in other areas of advanced cryptography. CASA, the scalable accelerator for CKKS-RNS which incorporates her multiplier and experimented with CKKS-RNS compatible primes, remains a breakthrough contribution in FHE with applications to artificial intelligence and constrained devices.

After groundbreaking publications to International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR) Conference on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems (CHES) and International Workshop on the Arithmetic of Finite Fields (WAIFI), Samira decided to explore the iconic city of Paris, regarded as a global epicenter for mathematical and cryptographic excellence. As an already established researcher with an Erdős number 4, within two months, Samira was ready to leave the French Grande école, Télécom Paris, with initial goal of contributing a special doctoral thesis and instead pursue independent scientific research and development back home. Shortly after her return, she submitted a ground breaking contribution for improving the calculus of Set Field Membership and applications to Verifiable Computation (specifically Encryption) and Cryptographic Proofs from Polynomial Interactive Oracle Proofs. Currently, she is collaborating to improve that work as well as parallel applications to Verifiable CKKS-RNS and Securing AI (cryptanalysis and verifiable LLMs). An exceptional self learner and polyglot fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian, with striking ability to accomplish anything she sets her mind to, she is excited to take her potential to the fullest.

Recently recognized by Influential Women 2026 for amplifying the impact of women in technological expertise.