IonQ Agrees to Buy Chipmaker SkyWater in $1.8 Billion Deal

Quantum computing firm IonQ Inc. has agreed to buy SkyWater Technology Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal that values the chipmaker at about $1.8 billion.

IonQ will pay $35 a share for the Minnesota-based company, it said in a statement on Monday. That comprises $15 in cash and $20 in stock, and is a 38% premium to SkyWater’s average share price over 30 days, the company said.

The deal gives IonQ access to a large, US-based chip foundry, allowing it to speed up development of its own technology and boost its appeal to US customers in sensitive sectors like defense, Chief ...