Intel announced it has agreed to acquire Israeli quantum computing software developer Classiq, adding tools for designing quantum applications to its work building processors based on silicon spin qubits.

Classiq develops software that translates quantum algorithms written in its Qmod programming language into circuits for different types of quantum processors. Its synthesis engine accounts for hardware constraints and reduces the need to design each gate manually. The software also supports hardware benchmarking and optimization, allowing developers to compare approaches across different quantum computing systems. Classiq also offers AI agents that can generate and refine quantum code from natural language requests.

Classiq says it serves dozens of enterprise customers, including BMW, Citi, Rolls-Royce and Comcast. It has also collaborated with Nvidia on quantum simulation, including a BMW research project using Nvidia’s CUDA-Q platform. The startup has raised more than $200 million, including a $110 million Series C round in 2025. AMD, Qualcomm and quantum computing company IonQ participated in a subsequent November funding round that year.

Intel plans to integrate Classiq’s tools with its existing quantum software, silicon spin-qubit research and semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the acquisition would turn the company’s quantum computing group into a “full-stack quantum computing business.” Intel said the combination would also enable it to add quantum processing units to its portfolio of CPUs, GPUs and specialized chips.

Intel has pursued silicon spin qubits for more than a decade, seeking to fabricate quantum hardware using conventional chipmaking processes. In January, Argonne National Laboratory reported that its researchers are using Intel’s Tunnel Falls, a 12-qubit silicon research chip introduced in 2023, to study qubit interactions and how variations in the underlying materials affect performance.

The companies disclosed the definitive agreement Monday but did not announce a purchase price. Israeli business publication CTech reported that the deal is valued at $2.3 billion in cash and stock, which would make it the most expensive quantum company acquisition to date. Intel and Classiq will operate independently until the expected close of the deal in the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approval.

Intel did not provide a timetable for commercial products combining its quantum hardware with Classiq’s software. After the deal closes, Intel says it intends to maintain Classiq’s existing integrations with multiple quantum computing platforms and preserve its compatibility with different types of quantum hardware, including systems from competing vendors.