IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) is a prominent player in the quantum computing industry, recognized as one of the 12 tech stocks with the biggest upside potential. Despite recent fluctuations in its stock price, IonQ maintains a strong market capitalization of $16.12 billion and robust liquidity. The company made headlines on January 28 with the completion of its acquisition of Skyloom Global, a US-based developer specializing in lightwave-optics technology for secure communications. This strategic move, initially announced in November 2025, is considered a significant step towards scalable quantum networking according to Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ.
The acquisition of Skyloom Global is expected to bolster IonQ’s quantum networking roadmap by leveraging Skyloom’s expertise in free-space optical communications, photonic systems engineering, and secure data transmission. These capabilities are poised to accelerate IonQ’s advancements in quantum networking, quantum key distribution, and future quantum-enabled communications infrastructure.
In addition to the Skyloom acquisition, IonQ has been actively pursuing other strategic initiatives to fortify its position in the quantum ecosystem. On January 26, the company announced its proposed $1.8 billion acquisition of SkyWater Technologies, a move that Wedbush Securities views as a positive step forward. This acquisition is projected to enhance IonQ’s production and chip design capabilities for its 200K and 2M qubit systems.
Wedbush analyst Antoine Legault highlighted the competitive advantage that IonQ stands to gain from the SkyWater acquisition, particularly in bringing manufacturing and packaging in-house to accelerate development cycles and receive critical engineering feedback on quantum systems iterations. This move would position IonQ as the only vertically integrated trapped-ion player in the market.
The combined impact of the completed Skyloom Global acquisition and the planned SkyWater acquisition underscores IonQ’s strategic focus on expanding its presence in both quantum networking and manufacturing to support faster development cycles. As a developer of quantum computers and networks in the United States, IonQ offers access to quantum computers with varying qubit capacities, along with quantum detection systems and quantum-safe networking solutions. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in College Park, Maryland, IonQ continues to drive innovation in the quantum computing landscape.
While IonQ presents compelling investment opportunities, investors seeking alternative options in the AI sector may consider exploring undervalued AI stocks with significant upside potential and lower downside risk. For insights on a promising short-term AI stock that could benefit from current market trends, including Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring movement, refer to our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
