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Intel to acquire Israeli quantum software firm Classiq for $2.3 billion
Intel is acquiring Classiq, an Israeli developer of operating-system-style software for quantum computers, for $2.3 billion in cash and stock, according to CTech. The deal would be the largest quantum company acquisition to date, ahead of IonQ's $1 billion purchase of Oxford Ionics last year. Classiq, founded six years ago, has about 150 employees and has raised roughly $200 million; its 2025 round of $110 million valued it at an estimated $600 million to $700 million. Intel has set aside more than $100 million in retention grants, and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, a personal investor in Classiq, reportedly recused himself from the deal discussions.
Why it mattersThe price is several times Classiq's last estimated valuation, in a field where, per the article, quantum computers have yet to see widespread commercial use. Classiq's software is hardware-agnostic and counts BMW, HSBC, Citi and Toshiba among its customers, and the article describes the deal as a first major exit for Israel's quantum industry.