FTC Clears IonQ's $1.8B SkyWater Deal as IBM Claims Quantum Advantage

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission cleared IonQ's $1.8 billion acquisition of chipmaker SkyWater Technology on July 31, resolving a split among commissioners over conditions. Separately, IBM announced three demonstrations that it says prove quantum advantage has been reached, according to a report from The Next Platform.

The FTC's two Republican commissioners voted to clear the deal without conditions, while the two Democratic commissioners initially sought restrictions, Reuters reported. The disagreement was resolved after further review, allowing the acquisition to proceed.

IonQ Gains Chip Manufacturing Access

IonQ, a quantum computing company based in College Park, Maryland, announced the deal earlier in 2026. SkyWater Technology, headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, operates a semiconductor foundry that produces chips for defense, aerospace, and industrial customers. The acquisition gives IonQ direct access to fabrication capabilities for its quantum processors.

• Purchase price: $1.8 billion in cash and stock.
• SkyWater will operate as a subsidiary of IonQ.
• The FTC's two Republican commissioners voted to clear the deal without conditions, while the two Democratic commissioners initially sought restrictions on data sharing and foreign ownership.
• The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.

IBM Declares Quantum Advantage

IBM announced on July 31 that it has achieved quantum advantage through three demonstrations, according to The Next Platform. The company said the results show quantum computers solving problems faster than classical supercomputers. IBM plans to release further details in upcoming publications.

The claim is notable because IBM has previously been skeptical of quantum advantage assertions, including Google's 2019 demonstration. If verified, IBM's demonstrations would represent a significant step toward practical quantum computing applications in fields such as materials science and cryptography.

What Comes Next

With the FTC clearance, IonQ can proceed with integrating SkyWater's foundry operations. The company plans to use the facility to produce its trapped-ion quantum processors at scale. IBM, meanwhile, is expected to publish its demonstration results in peer-reviewed journals, which will allow the scientific community to verify the claims. Both developments underscore the accelerating pace of quantum computing progress, with hardware manufacturing and performance milestones converging in the same week.