On January 27, 2026, IonQ, a prominent player in the quantum computing arena, declared its intention to acquire chip - maker SkyWater in a deal valued at roughly $1.8 billion, which will be a mix of cash and stock.

This strategic acquisition provides IonQ with seamless, in - house access to SkyWater's resources. It empowers IonQ with comprehensive onshore manufacturing capabilities, covering the entire process from initial design to wafer fabrication, packaging, and final testing.

Such an integration is set to expedite the development of next - generation quantum processors. Moreover, it will play a pivotal role in transitioning quantum computing from the realm of academic proof - of - concepts to real - world industrial applications.

Post - transaction, the time taken for wafer iteration will be significantly reduced. This reduction will facilitate parallel prototyping, a process that allows multiple prototypes to be developed simultaneously, thereby substantially speeding up product launch schedules.

In terms of specific milestones, functional testing that can support over 8,000 logical qubits has been rescheduled to 2028. Additionally, the development of the originally planned 2 million - qubit chip architecture is anticipated to be finished a year earlier than initially projected.