IonQ to buy SkyWater for $1.8 billion to expand hardware capabilities

Jan 26 (Reuters) - Quantum computing steadfast IonQ (IONQ) said connected Monday it would bargain chipmaker SkyWater Technology (SKYT) for astir $1.8 billion, successful ​a woody that would bring semiconductor manufacturing in-house and boost ‌the improvement of its next-generation quantum processors.

The cash-and-stock woody volition let IonQ to unafraid its proviso ‌chain by taking power of its ain spot production, ensuring a dependable proviso of precocious exertion arsenic it scales up its enactment supporting national and defence sectors.

IonQ's shares roseate astir 2% successful premarket trading, portion SkyWater ⁠jumped much than 8%.

By acquiring ‌its ain fabrication installation and securing embedded entree to a trusted U.S. foundry, IonQ volition beryllium capable to ‍begin investigating its planned 200,000-qubit chips successful 2028, which is earlier than antecedently expected, the institution said. In quantum computing, a qubit serves arsenic the cardinal ​unit of information.

SkyWater, a U.S. semiconductor foundry with operations successful Minnesota, ‌Florida, and Texas, volition usage those facilities arsenic quantum accumulation hubs for IonQ, the companies said.

SkyWater's shareholders volition person $15 successful currency and $20 successful IonQ banal for each stock of SkyWater, representing a premium of astir 12% to SkyWater's past closing price.

The woody is expected to adjacent successful the ⁠second oregon 3rd 4th of 2026, aft ​which SkyWater volition run arsenic a wholly ​owned subsidiary, remaining nether the enactment of CEO Thomas Sonderman, who volition study to IonQ CEO Niccolo de Masi.

The subsidiary ‍will proceed to supply ⁠its existing aerospace, defense, and commercialized customers with wafer services, precocious packaging, and specialized components similar atomic clocks.

IonQ besides said it ⁠expects its full-year 2025 gross to beryllium astatine the precocious extremity oregon supra its ‌previously announced forecast of $106 cardinal to $110 million.

(Reporting by Anhata Rooprai ‌in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)