IBM to Acquire HRL Laboratories to Power the Future of Quantum
Rhea-AI Summary
IBM (NYSE: IBM) signed a definitive agreement to acquire HRL Laboratories, a privately held R&D institution jointly owned by Boeing and General Motors, which will continue partnering with IBM on quantum applications. The deal, with undisclosed financial terms, is expected to close by the end of Q3 2026, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.
According to IBM, HRL’s strengths in silicon‑spin qubits, quantum sensing, advanced materials, and high-speed electronics will complement IBM’s superconducting-qubit roadmap toward large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers. HRL is expected to support IBM’s plans for future systems such as IBM Quantum Starling by 2029, projected to run 100 million quantum operations, and the later Blue Jay platform, projected at 1 billion operations. The acquisition also creates opportunities to collaborate with Anderon, IBM’s planned quantum wafer foundry, including potential development of spin-qubit manufacturing to help industrialize quantum technologies.
Positive
- Definitive agreement to acquire HRL Laboratories adds silicon-spin qubit and sensing expertise to IBM’s quantum program
- HRL’s quantum materials and advanced manufacturing portfolio broadens IBM capabilities in next-generation computing and mission-critical systems
- Roadmap targets IBM Quantum Starling by 2029, projected at 100 million quantum operations and 20,000x current power
- Planned Blue Jay system projected to deliver 1 billion quantum operations in the mid-2030s
- Potential integration with Anderon quantum wafer foundry to develop scalable spin-qubit manufacturing and faster learning cycles
Negative
- Transaction closing remains subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals, creating execution and timing risk
- Financial terms of the HRL acquisition were not disclosed, limiting investor visibility on deal valuation and return
News Market Reaction – IBM
In the Jul 23 session, IBM gained 0.43%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction. Our momentum scanner triggered 3 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Previous Acquisition Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15 | Cognitus acquisition | Positive | +1.7% | IBM signed a Cognitus acquisition agreement; financial terms were not disclosed and closing remained subject to approvals. |
| Feb 27 | HashiCorp acquisition | Positive | -1.0% | HashiCorp acquisition completed for $35 per share, representing a $6.4 billion enterprise value. |
| Jan 16 | AST acquisition | Positive | +1.2% | Applications Software Technology acquisition announced; financial terms were not disclosed, with closing expected in Q1 2025. |
| Sep 09 | Accelalpha acquisition | Positive | +0.9% | Accelalpha acquisition announced to expand Oracle consulting expertise, with closing expected in fourth quarter 2024. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Three of four tag-matched IBM acquisition events aligned with positive 24-hour reactions, while one diverged.
Key Terms
silicon-spin qubits technical
quantum sensing technical
superconducting qubits technical
qubit interconnects technical
fault-tolerant quantum computers technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
HRL's expertise in silicon-spin qubits and quantum sensing will strengthen and extend IBM's world-leading quantum computing mission
HRL's advanced expertise in silicon-spin qubit engineering will complement and extend IBM's long-term mission to scale increasingly powerful quantum computers and accelerate its quantum vision. Superconducting qubits and spin qubits both leverage state-of-the art silicon fabrication. This shared foundation is amongst the reasons why these two modalities offer credible paths to scaling quantum technologies.
"The HRL team will help IBM push even farther forward toward the frontiers of quantum innovation," said Jay Gambetta, IBM's Director of Research and IBM Fellow. "This talented group of researchers brings a broad portfolio of technologies that will strengthen IBM's long-term plans to deliver useful quantum computing to the world, bringing together advances across quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum networking to enable the applications of the future."
"Joining IBM is the natural next chapter for what we have built at HRL, where our team has dedicated years to exploring paths to how future quantum computers could be built at scales that today seem impossible," said Rob Vasquez, President and Chief Executive Officer at HRL "We now look forward to leveraging IBM's industry leadership and working alongside their world-class talent on fundamental infrastructure to take this vision forward. Additionally, our cutting-edge physical and information science innovations will combine with their advanced research capabilities to deliver an unmatched suite of technology solutions for our commercial and government customers."
HRL will also enable IBM to innovate in and industrialize promising technologies such as quantum sensing and drive new research into quantum materials. This includes ultra precise quantum sensors capable of detecting subtle physical phenomena and capturing finely tuned measurements for life sciences, navigation, defense, and scientific applications. Combined with additional capabilities in cryogenics, control electronics, qubit interconnects, and packaging, IBM anticipates that HRL's technical breakthroughs will help fuel its quantum program for decades to come.
Additionally, HRL has developed innovations in novel quantum materials that have the potential to unlock better semiconductors and more sensitive sensors – all of which can optimize the performance and scalability of a wide range of quantum technologies.
Beyond its leadership in quantum computing, HRL brings deep expertise in advanced sensors, high-speed and high-power communications, electronics, advanced manufacturing, and materials science, developed through decades of research and development for both commercial and
Advancing Quantum Computers for Generations to Come
IBM continues to define the direction for the industry with superconducting qubit-based architectures, including breakthroughs in error correction and new algorithms enabling quantum computers to run harder problems more efficiently. IBM's roadmap to deliver the world's first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers is clear and on course. This includes delivering IBM Quantum Starling by 2029, which will be 20,000 times more powerful than today's quantum computers and capable of running 100 million quantum operations. In the mid-2030s, Starling will be followed by the even more powerful
As IBM looks to further extend quantum computing, HRL will bring robust knowledge of silicon‑based spin qubit platforms and surrounding infrastructure that could offer new insights into how to best scale quantum computers into the next decade.
In May 2026, IBM further expanded its global quantum leadership when the company announced it would establish Anderon, the world's first pure-play quantum wafer foundry. As a standalone IBM company, Anderon is being created with the support of the
Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed, and IBM's acquisition of HRL is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
Media Contact:
Erin Angelini
IBM
edlehr@us.ibm.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ibm-to-acquire-hrl-laboratories-to-power-the-future-of-quantum-302833239.html
SOURCE IBM