Intel has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Classiq, an Israeli quantum computing software company, with the goal of becoming a full-stack quantum provider, from qubits to software. The deal, announced on October 26, 2026, is still subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first half of 2027. Intel has not disclosed the price; Bloomberg puts the deal at around $2.3 billion, while SiliconANGLE puts it at $2.2 billion.
The Intel-Classiq deal in 20 seconds
- Intel is buying Classiq to pair its silicon spin-qubit hardware with quantum software.
- Bloomberg puts the deal at around $2.3 billion; Intel has not disclosed a price.
- Closing is expected in the first half of 2027, subject to approvals.
- Intel says it will keep Classiq’s software compatible with other vendors’ hardware.
Classiq develops a platform that generates quantum circuits from high-level descriptions, in a way similar to how electronic design automation (EDA) tools automate chip design. According to Intel, it combines automatic algorithm synthesis, a high-level quantum modeling language and AI agents, and runs across different types of quantum computers. The company says dozens of large companies use it; SiliconANGLE names BMW, HSBC and Intesa Sanpaolo among its customers.
What Intel gains from Classiq
Intel has been researching quantum computing since 2015 and is betting on silicon spin qubits, which are fabricated with processes similar to those used for transistors. With the acquisition, according to Intel’s press release, its quantum computing group will become a full-stack business, and the company will add quantum processing units (QPUs) to its lineup of CPUs, GPUs and ASICs. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan says in the release that the deal transforms that group into a full-stack quantum computing business. Classiq co-founder and CEO Nir Minerbi says the two companies together can accelerate the adoption of quantum computing.
Intel stresses that it will keep the software hardware-agnostic and preserve Classiq’s integrations with other platforms, a relevant point since Classiq’s current customers work with quantum computers from different vendors. Until the deal closes, the two companies will continue to operate separately.
The price tag and Lip-Bu Tan’s role
Intel has not given figures. According to Bloomberg, cited by Reuters and reported by KSL, the deal would be worth around $2.3 billion, a figure Reuters could not verify. SiliconANGLE puts it at $2.2 billion and calls it Intel’s second-largest acquisition after Mobileye, for which it paid $15.3 billion in 2017. Classiq has raised just over $200 million in funding rounds, including a $110 million Series C in May 2025.
There’s one detail worth keeping in mind. According to SiliconANGLE, Lip-Bu Tan himself was one of Classiq’s early investors, took part in its Series B and returned for the Series C. Intel’s press release does not mention that relationship or how it was handled during the negotiation.
A race for full-stack platforms
The acquisition comes amid heavy investment in quantum computing. SiliconANGLE points to IBM, with its Qiskit software platform and its own quantum processors, as Intel’s main rival in offering integrated hardware and software. Gartner, for its part, forecasts that the quantum computing market will top $1 billion in 2027, still a small figure next to other semiconductor markets.
For Intel, the deal is a long-term bet: commercially useful quantum computers at scale do not exist yet. What it is buying now is a software layer with customers and a team in Israel, which Intel will turn into its quantum development hub, according to SiliconANGLE.
Frequently asked questions
What is Classiq?
An Israeli quantum software company that generates circuits from high-level descriptions and runs on quantum computers from different vendors.
How much is Intel paying for Classiq?
Intel hasn’t disclosed it. Bloomberg puts the deal at around $2.3 billion, and SiliconANGLE at $2.2 billion.
When will the deal close?
Intel expects to close it in the first half of 2027, once it obtains regulatory approvals.
Will Classiq keep working with other quantum computers?
According to Intel, yes: the company is committed to keeping the software hardware-agnostic and preserving its integrations with other platforms.
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