IonQ acquires zero trust firm Elisity in transaction worth up to 1.3 billion

Quantum computing company IonQ has agreed to acquire microsegmentation company Elisity in an all-stock transaction valued at up to $1.3 billion. SecurityWeek, CyberScoop, Quantum Computing Report, Quantum Zeitgeist, and HPCwire all reported on the purchase agreement on October 12, 2026. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

SecurityWeek reported that the deal includes up to $150 million in earnout consideration, which depends on how the business of Elisity performs. The exact number of IonQ shares issued will be based on the volume-weighted average price over 20 trading days shortly before closing, with the price bound between $33.07 and $49.61. [1]

IonQ develops general-purpose trapped ion quantum computers and software to execute quantum circuits from its headquarters in College Park, Maryland. Elisity was founded in 2019 and develops software that restricts access and enforces least-privilege security policies. [1][7]

IonQ expects to complete the acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to SecurityWeek. The acquisition brings the least-privilege access and microsegmentation technology of Elisity into the quantum platform of IonQ. [1][5]