FTC Approves IonQ’s $1.8B SkyWater Acquisition

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), it has approved quantum computing company IonQ’s $1.8 billion acquisition of semiconductor manufacturer SkyWater Technology after FTC leadership reached no agreement on whether to impose additional conditions on the deal.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a statement that he had proposed requiring IonQ to provide fair access to SkyWater’s services for competing quantum computing companies, some of which already have ongoing contracts with SkyWater. The proposed measures were intended to preserve competition in the market as the United States continues to expand its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.

FTC Commissioner Mark Meador said in a separate statement that he believes the merger would not reduce competition and that additional restrictions were unnecessary.

Ferguson noted that because the two commissioners failed to reach an agreement on a conditional approval order, “the next-best option was to allow the merger to proceed.”

According to SkyWater, the company is one of the largest semiconductor foundries in the United States, providing advanced manufacturing capabilities for applications including quantum computing, defense, aerospace, and other high-performance technologies.

The acquisition strengthens IonQ’s position in the semiconductor and quantum computing ecosystem by combining its quantum technology expertise with SkyWater’s domestic chip manufacturing capabilities. The deal also reflects the growing importance of semiconductor fabrication capacity in supporting emerging technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence.