Quantum computing company IonQ has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SkyWater Technology, a U.S.-based pure-play semiconductor foundry, in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.8 billion.
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Why Did IonQ Acquire SkyWater?
IonQ said Monday the SkyWater acquisition will form a vertically integrated, full-stack quantum platform and accelerate quantum computing development for aerospace and defense, as well as pharmaceuticals, finance and cloud computing applications. The deal also supports IonQ’s plan to test 200,000-qubit quantum processing units by 2028, enabling over 8,000 high-fidelity logical qubits and advancing its path toward a 2 million-qubit system.
“This transformational acquisition enables IonQ to materially accelerate its quantum computing roadmap and secure its fully scalable supply chain domestically. With secure, U.S.-based design, packaging and chip fabrication – IonQ will benefit from vertical integration across our increasingly interlinked quantum computing, quantum networking, quantum security, and quantum sensing applications for land, sea, air, and space,” said Niccolo de Masi, chairman and CEO of IonQ.
What Are the Details of the SkyWater Acquisition?
IonQ will acquire SkyWater for $35 per share, with $15 in cash and $20 in IonQ stock, subject to a collar. The deal represents a 38 percent premium over SkyWater’s 30-day volume-weighted average share price as of Jan. 23. It is expected to close in the second or third quarter of 2026, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals.
SkyWater will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary under its existing name, led by CEO Thomas Sonderman, and will continue serving defense and commercial customers as a global merchant semiconductor foundry. The transaction ensures continuity across SkyWater’s advanced manufacturing and quantum-related services.
Previous IonQ Acquisitions
The transaction follows the acquisitions of Capella Space, Vector Atomic and Skyloom Global in 2025 as part of IonQ’s efforts to advance its quantum technology capabilities.
