15.3 billion yuan, Intel announced a major acquisition

According to a report by Chip Trends on October 27, Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, announced on Twitter earlier this morning that the company has reached an agreement to acquire Classiq, an Israeli quantum computing software provider.

"This acquisition marks a transformative moment for Intel's Quantum Computing division, from which we will build a brand new quantum computing business," Pat Gelsinger wrote in his tweet. "Through our partnership with Classiq, Intel will become a full-stack quantum solution provider, adding Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) to our diversified computing platform portfolio that already covers CPUs, GPUs and ASICs."

According to Intel's press release, this acquisition combines Classiq's automated quantum algorithm synthesis platform with Intel's quantum software platform, silicon spin qubit technology and semiconductor manufacturing technology, to create a user-friendly full-stack quantum computing platform, positioning Intel as a full-stack quantum computing service provider.

The transaction is still subject to regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2027. Prior to the closing of the transaction, Intel and Classiq will continue to operate as two independent companies.

Intel did not disclose the purchase price of this acquisition.

According to a report by Israel's Haaretz, this transaction is the largest acquisition in the global quantum computing industry to date, and also Intel's first major acquisition in four years. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the transaction price is approximately 2.3 billion US dollars (equivalent to about 15.3 billion yuan), and the payment method will be determined upon the completion of the transaction.

This is the first acquisition announced by Pat Gelsinger since he took office as Intel CEO for a year and a half, and it is also Intel's second largest acquisition in Israel, second only to the $15.3 billion acquisition of Israeli autonomous driving technology company Mobileye in 2017.

Intel's press release shows that Intel has been committed to the R&D of quantum computing since 2015, and is now the only company that can use the same equipment and processes as traditional silicon-based semiconductor manufacturing to mass-produce qubit chips and complex cryogenic control electronics.

Founded in 2020, Classiq provides a unified software platform that is independent of underlying qubit architectures and hardware. This high-level abstraction enables quantum computing to move beyond custom handcrafted circuits and applications and become a mainstream computing platform.

Nir Minerbi, Co-founder and CEO of Classiq, said: "Classiq has always been committed to making quantum computing practical and accessible, enabling developers, researchers and enterprises to create scalable quantum applications without requiring deep expertise in quantum circuit design. The collaboration between Intel and Classiq will help unlock the advantages of quantum computing and accelerate its widespread adoption."

After the transaction is completed, Intel plans to continue supporting Classiq's existing multi-platform integration, and ensure the delivery of architecture-agnostic and hardware-agnostic software solutions, so as to continuously promote the development of an open and collaborative quantum software ecosystem.

According to Haaretz, although the quantum computing market is still small and mostly in the research stage, Classiq's software has been used by dozens of companies across various industries. The company's annualized revenue last year reached millions of US dollars, increasing by more than 5 times compared to the previous year.

According to another report from Bloomberg, Classiq provides customers with specially developed AI tools to help them test the practical value of quantum computing for their own business operations. The company has raised more than 200 million US dollars in total financing, has about 130 employees, and its customers include BMW and AT&T.

Classiq's synthesis platform complements Intel's quantum hardware and software capabilities. This acquisition reflects Intel's expanded business focus, striving to gain a firm foothold in the quantum computing sector.

This article is from the WeChat Official Account "Chip Trends", author: ZeR0, editor: Mo Ying, published with authorization from 36Kr.