Quantum News Nexus

If your social media channels are stuffed with quantum commentary, no one gets mentioned more than IonQ. Even as Nvidia is starting to play a stronger role in the space, and giants like IBM, Google, and Microsoft command attention for every quantum step they take, IonQ is the true darling, especially beloved among investors who bought into its stock at around $5 and saw it surge above $62 this week (and love to brag about it).

IonQ also is the most active M&A mover in quantum right now, bringing the company even more attention, and it’s at the dealmaking table again this week. First, it announced the completion of its Oxford Ionics acquisition. Then, after taking a quick breath, IonQ announced a definitive agreement to acquire Vector Atomic, a quantum sensing company based in Pleasanton, California, in an all-stock deal.

Though IonQ always has listed quantum sensing among its talents, this is probably its most significant move yet in the realm of quantum capabilities aimed at positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) applications. This includes atomic clock technology, synchronization hardware, gravimeters, and inertial sensors.

“This acquisition marks a significant acceleration and expansion opportunity for IonQ as we continue to lead the commercialization of quantum technologies,” said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ, in a statement. “Integrating Vector Atomic’s sensing capabilities across our compute, networking, and space portfolios will advance our mission to provide scalable, commercial-grade quantum solutions for our customers today. The addition of Vector Atomic’s 29 pending and issued patents to IonQ’s formidable patent portfolio, and its talented team of scientists and engineers will help us reach our quantum technology goals.”

The deal also is a natural follow-up to IonQ’s recent move to launch an IonQ Federal unit, as Vector Atomic has secured $200M+ in government contracts and recently landed a contract for the U.S. Department of Defense’s classified X-37B orbital test vehicle project. It also supports applications for military submarine sensing capabilities.

A follow-up note on the stock: There certainly has been a big fan base online, but also several people observing that the valuation has rocketed too high too quickly. Still, whatever happens, IonQ has positioned itself pretty brilliantly as a full-stack quantum computing company that is actually selling systems now, and it has distanced itself from those short-seller reports that sought to bring it down back in 2022.