Intel has agreed to acquire Classiq, an Israeli startup specializing in software for programming quantum computers. Although the chipmaker announced the transaction on Monday without disclosing financial terms, Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, put its value at approximately $2.3 billion. Intel declined to comment on the reported figure.
Quantum computers use qubits to tackle certain problems, including molecular simulation, far faster than conventional chips. Programming these systems, however, remains difficult and typically requires specialist expertise. Classiq seeks to simplify that process by allowing developers to specify a program’s intended function, after which its platform designs the corresponding quantum circuit. The approach resembles the use of chip-design software for conventional processors.
Classiq’s platform operates across different types of quantum hardware, with BMW and HSBC among its customers. Intel, meanwhile, has pursued quantum computing since 2015, building qubits on silicon with the equipment it uses to manufacture conventional chips. Combining those processors with Classiq’s software would give Intel what the industry describes as a full-stack quantum computing business.
Intel says it will maintain Classiq’s support for other companies’ quantum hardware rather than limit the software to its own systems. Classiq is also set to become Intel’s global development center for quantum computing. Subject to regulatory approval, the acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2027.
