WORLDTECHIntel Agrees to Acquire Quantum Software Provider Classiq
Intel has agreed to buy Classiq, a quantum computing software company, in a deal the chipmaker says will allow it to build a full-stack quantum computing platform.
What the agreement covers
Intel Corporation has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Classiq, which it describes as a leading provider of quantum computing software. Intel is a semiconductor and electrical company based in Santa Clara.
According to the announcement, combining Classiq's synthesis platform with Intel's spin-qubit manufacturing and its existing software would produce a user-friendly full-stack quantum computing platform. Intel argues that such a platform would allow the technology to mature into a mainstream computing business.
Comparison with chip design software
The announcement draws a parallel with the history of chip design. More than forty years ago, Electronic Design Automation and Computer-Aided Design software changed silicon chip design and classical computing by offering a common software layer that separated chip design from the complexity of the underlying hardware.
Intel says Classiq plays a similar role in quantum computing, providing a unifying software platform that does not depend on the particular qubit modality or hardware underneath.
Open questions
- What are the financial terms of the agreement and when is it expected to close?