IonQ Buys Cybersecurity Firm Elisity in $1.3B All-Stock Deal
IonQ is going all in on cybersecurity. The quantum computing company said Monday it has agreed to buy Elisity, a zero-trust security firm, in an all-stock deal worth up to $1.3 billion — the priciest purchase in IonQ’s history and the clearest sign yet that quantum computing and cybersecurity are becoming the same business. The IonQ Elisity acquisition was announced in an IonQ press release and reported by Reuters, Barron’s, and Investor’s Business Daily. Up to $150 million of the headline value comes as earnouts tied to Elisity’s performance after closing, so the final price depends on how the business does. The number of IonQ shares changing hands will be set off the 20-day volume-weighted average price before closing, with a floor of $33.07 and a ceiling of $49.61 per share. IonQ expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approval, and Elisity CEO James Winebrenner will stay on to run the business. ...