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FTC Clears IonQ Acquisition of SkyWater Without Conditions

By  |  August 2, 2026
FTC Clears IonQ Acquisition of SkyWater Without Conditions

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has approved quantum computing company IonQ’s proposed acquisition of semiconductor manufacturer SkyWater Technology, despite differing views among the agency’s leadership over whether the merger should include safeguards aimed at protecting competition.

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    According to Reuters, the FTC cleared the approximately $1.8 billion transaction on Friday after Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Commissioner Mark Meador disagreed about whether the deal warranted conditions before approval.

    Reuters reported that Ferguson had supported requiring IonQ to provide fair access to SkyWater’s manufacturing services for competing quantum computing companies that currently rely on the foundry. He also favored additional measures intended to preserve competition as the United States expands domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity.

    Meador, however, concluded that the acquisition was not likely to substantially reduce competition, according to Reuters. Without agreement on conditions, Ferguson said allowing the transaction to proceed was the preferable outcome rather than delaying or blocking it, Reuters reported.

    Read more: FTC Targets $15.5B IonQ–SkyWater Chip Tie-Up With New Request

    The approval removes the final major regulatory hurdle for the acquisition, which IonQ announced earlier this year. Reuters previously reported that the company said buying SkyWater would strengthen its quantum hardware capabilities by bringing semiconductor manufacturing under its control and accelerating development of future quantum processors.

    SkyWater has described itself as the largest U.S.-based semiconductor foundry, according to Reuters.

    The FTC’s decision highlights ongoing debates within U.S. antitrust enforcement over how to evaluate mergers involving emerging technologies and critical manufacturing infrastructure, while ultimately allowing the transaction to move forward without behavioral remedies, according to Reuters.

    Source: Reuters