Intel is buying its way deeper into quantum computing before the window of opportunity closes.
The company announced late Monday that it will purchase Classiq, an Israeli quantum software developer, in a step toward creating "a user-friendly full-stack quantum computing platform" that combines the newly acquired software with Intel's existing quantum hardware. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027.
This is only the latest move by the chip maker to stake its claim in the space. Back in April, CEO Lip-Bu Tan joined the board of privately held PsiQuantum, just months after framing quantum computing as an upcoming paradigm shift in how large amounts of data will be processed.
Tan's ties to the sector run deep. He chairs the venture capital firm A&E Investment, which backed PsiQuantum's $2.4 billion funding round and joined a $55 million round for IonQ before its trading debut.
That personal interest has translated into larger corporate ambitions with mixed results. Intel's quantum chips remain strictly research-grade rather than commercial. The company released a quantum software development kit in 2023, but since then, its moves have resembled the tangential exposure typical of Big Tech players anxious not to miss out.
Still, Intel has spent over a decade researching the technology alongside partners, including federal agencies. Its preferred architecture centers on silicon spin qubits, which store information in the magnetic orientation of a single electron trapped inside a silicon chip.
Intel says the Classiq acquisition will help its quantum effort "mature into a mainstream computing business," and that might very well be true. Acquisitions that are designed not just to stoke growth, but also to gain access to mature proprietary technology, are commonplace in quantum computing, and they have generally proven effective for players looking to compress the time needed to bring a product to market.
IonQ has leaned heavily on this playbook in recent years, mounting an acquisition spree highlighted by its purchase of Oxford Ionics last year and SkyWater Technology in July. The deals have helped IonQ build more-capable systems while securing control over an in-house foundry to advance its goal of becoming a merchant supplier for the industry.
Intel, however, has its work cut out for it. In addition to lacking the early-mover advantage of competitors that have established commercial traction, its quantum computing strategy appears far less defined than those of its Big Tech peers.
Other tech giants have been more explicit about their roadmaps. Microsoft positions itself as an ecosystem enabler, offering cloud access to third-party quantum hardware alongside its own development efforts. Alphabet's Google prioritizes in-house systems, though its robust research capacity and technical prowess have kept its name in the spotlight despite few public announcements.
The quantum industry continues to march toward milestones clustered around the end of the decade, when most major developers aim to deliver error-tolerant systems that could open the door to broader adoption. Today's systems remain too noisy and too small to tackle real-world problems in priority areas such as pharmacology and materials science.
In an industry that has moved so far and so quickly over the past decade, it's unwise to rule out any contenders. One thing is clear: The transition from laboratory curiosity to commercial reality is under way, and no one wants to be left behind.
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