Maryland-based IonQ has agreed to accumulate SkyWater Expertise in a deal that may create, the businesses say, the “first vertically built-in, full-stack quantum computing platform.”
Beneath the phrases of the settlement, IonQ will purchase SkyWater for $35 per share in a cash-and-stock transaction, valuing the Minnesota-based semiconductor foundry at about $1.8 billion.
The deal has been authorised by the boards of each firms and is predicted to shut within the second or third quarter of 2026, topic to shareholder and regulatory approvals.
Why this acquisition?
The acquisition provides IonQ embedded entry to a trusted, US-based semiconductor foundry, strengthening its management over chip design, fabrication, packaging, and deployment. This may speed up its roadmap towards fault-tolerant quantum computer systems and shorten improvement timelines for its next-generation methods.
IonQ expects to start useful testing of its 200,000-qubit quantum processing models in 2028. These methods are designed to assist greater than 8,000 ultra-high-fidelity logical qubits. The corporate additionally stated the deal may push ahead work on its deliberate 2-million-qubit chip by as much as a 12 months.
“This transformational acquisition permits IonQ to materially speed up its quantum computing roadmap and safe its absolutely scalable provide chain domestically. With safe, U.S.-based design, packaging and chip fabrication – IonQ will profit from vertical integration throughout our more and more interlinked quantum computing, quantum networking, quantum safety, and quantum sensing functions for land, sea, air, and area,” stated Niccolo de Masi, IonQ Chairman and Chief Government Officer.
“We’re assured that uniting our revolutionary quantum platform with SkyWater’s main capabilities in parallel innovation, engineering, and manufacturing will speed up America’s means to deploy quantum expertise for mission-critical functions. This historic transaction will considerably speed up the commercialisation of our absolutely fault-tolerant quantum computer systems and profit our nation’s broader quantum business, enhancing our nationwide safety, financial energy, and technological superiority,” provides de Masi.
SkyWater will proceed to function as a pure-play semiconductor foundry after the acquisition, serving its present business and public-sector prospects. The enterprise will run as an entirely owned subsidiary underneath the SkyWater title, led by CEO Thomas Sonderman, who will report back to de Masi.
“This mixture marks a pivotal second in SkyWater’s evolution,” stated Thomas Sonderman, Chief Government Officer of SkyWater Expertise. “As the biggest pure-play semiconductor foundry based mostly within the U.S., SkyWater is already the companion of selection for superior improvement and manufacturing companies in each the private and non-private sectors as quantum computing and manufacturing more and more align. Becoming a member of forces with IonQ will speed up a number of engineering pathways for next-generation quantum chips, delivering pace, precision, and scale. Importantly, SkyWater stays absolutely dedicated to all of our semiconductor foundry prospects and can proceed because the quantum service provider provider of selection with a good broader set of quantum sensing and quantum networking options for all of our prospects and companions.”
Key quantum companion for the US authorities
The mixed firm goals to place itself as a key quantum companion for the US authorities and its allies, supported by SkyWater’s DMEA Class 1 Trusted Foundry accreditation. Its end-to-end US-based provide chain will assist assist delicate federal packages and handle nationwide safety issues associated to superior computing.
SkyWater shareholders will obtain $15 in money and $20 in IonQ inventory for every SkyWater share, topic to a value collar. The provide represents a 38% premium to SkyWater’s 30-day volume-weighted common share value as of January 23, 2026.
After the deal closes, SkyWater shareholders are anticipated to personal between 4.4% and 6.7% of the mixed firm.
IonQ stated SkyWater’s amenities in Minnesota, Florida, and Texas will turn into regional quantum manufacturing hubs. The corporate additionally reaffirmed its 2025 income outlook, saying it expects to return in on the excessive finish or above its beforehand acknowledged $106 million to $110 million vary.
IonQ and SkyWater are scheduled to debate the transaction in additional element throughout a joint webcast later immediately.
