Quantum computing company IonQ said on Monday it would acquire cybersecurity firm Elisity in an all-stock transaction valued at up to $1.3 billion, as it looks to expand its quantum security business.
The deal pairs IonQ's post-quantum cryptography and quantum key distribution capabilities with Elisity's enterprise Zero Trust security platform. IonQ said the acquisition would give it expanded channels to bring its quantum offerings to both enterprise and government customers, helping them deal with current threats and prepare for attacks from future quantum computers.
A bet on the quantum security era
Elisity, founded in 2019, has more than 100 customer deployments worldwide and has doubled its revenue and customer base year-over-year, according to IonQ. The headline value includes up to $150 million in earn-outs tied to Elisity's performance after closing.
The number of IonQ shares to be issued will be calculated at a price between $33.07 and $49.61 per share. Elisity CEO James Winebrenner will continue to lead the acquired business after the deal closes. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
IonQ CEO Niccolo de Masi framed the acquisition around what the industry calls "Q-Day" — the theoretical point at which a quantum computer becomes powerful enough to crack the public-key cryptography that protects most of today's digital infrastructure. "Q-Day is coming much faster than predicted," he said.
Part of a bigger build-out
The Elisity purchase continues IonQ's push beyond pure quantum computing hardware. Earlier this year, the company completed its acquisition of chipmaker SkyWater Technology to bring semiconductor manufacturing in-house and support development of its next-generation quantum processors. With the Elisity deal, IonQ is positioning itself across both the quantum computing stack and the enterprise security market that quantum machines may one day threaten.
Sources:
- [IonQ to buy cybersecurity firm Elisity in up to $1.3 billion deal](https://m.economictimes.com/tech/startups/ionq-to-buy-cybersecurity-firm-elisity-in-up-to-1-3-billion-deal/amp_articleshow/134893439.cms)
The deal pairs IonQ's post-quantum cryptography and quantum key distribution capabilities with Elisity's enterprise Zero Trust security platform. IonQ said the acquisition would give it expanded channels to bring its quantum offerings to both enterprise and government customers, helping them deal with current threats and prepare for attacks from future quantum computers.
A bet on the quantum security era
Elisity, founded in 2019, has more than 100 customer deployments worldwide and has doubled its revenue and customer base year-over-year, according to IonQ. The headline value includes up to $150 million in earn-outs tied to Elisity's performance after closing.
The number of IonQ shares to be issued will be calculated at a price between $33.07 and $49.61 per share. Elisity CEO James Winebrenner will continue to lead the acquired business after the deal closes. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
IonQ CEO Niccolo de Masi framed the acquisition around what the industry calls "Q-Day" — the theoretical point at which a quantum computer becomes powerful enough to crack the public-key cryptography that protects most of today's digital infrastructure. "Q-Day is coming much faster than predicted," he said.
Part of a bigger build-out
The Elisity purchase continues IonQ's push beyond pure quantum computing hardware. Earlier this year, the company completed its acquisition of chipmaker SkyWater Technology to bring semiconductor manufacturing in-house and support development of its next-generation quantum processors. With the Elisity deal, IonQ is positioning itself across both the quantum computing stack and the enterprise security market that quantum machines may one day threaten.
Sources:
- [IonQ to buy cybersecurity firm Elisity in up to $1.3 billion deal](https://m.economictimes.com/tech/startups/ionq-to-buy-cybersecurity-firm-elisity-in-up-to-1-3-billion-deal/amp_articleshow/134893439.cms)
