IonQ to buy British quantum computing firm Oxford Ionics for $1.1bn.


Quantum computing and networking group IonQ is to buy Oxford Ionics in a deal valuing the British outfit at $1.08bn.

Source: Sharecast

The deal gives Maryland-based IonQ the ownership of Oxford Ionics' groundbreaking ion-trap technology manufactured on standard semiconductor chips.

Oxford Ionics, whose investors including Braavos, Lansdown Partners and ARM founder Hermann Hauser, was founded in 2019. The company commercialised its tech in 2024, selling full-stack quantum computers to the UK's National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) and Germany’s Cyberagentur.

The combined technologies of both companies will "set a new standard within quantum computing and deliver superior value for our customers through market-leading enterprise applications", according to IonQ's chief executive Niccolo de Masi.

“IonQ’s vision has always been to drive real-world impact in every era and year of quantum computing’s growth. Today’s announcement of our intention to acquire Oxford Ionics accelerates our mission to full fault-tolerant quantum computers with 2 million physical qubits and 80,000 logical qubits by 2030," de Masi said.

IonQ shares were up 3.5% at $0.38 by 1122 in New York.

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