The acquisition will integrate Seed’s machine learning and cloud architecture expertise into IonQ’s quantum infrastructure team to help optimize system performance and scale enterprise-ready solutions on IonQ’s QI platforms.
COLLEGE PARK, MD – January 28, 2026 – IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the global leader in quantum platforms, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Seed innovationsa Colorado-based software and technology research and development company focused on providing technology solutions and process improvements that address the complex challenges faced by government and commercial customers. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The Seed Innovations team will join IonQ’s Quantum Infrastructure business and Seed Innovations founder Marlu Oswald will report to Frank Backes, President of IonQ Quantum Infrastructure.
At IonQ, Seed will deploy its expertise in machine learning (ML), advanced software architecture, and cloud migration to accelerate IonQ’s work in developing enterprise-grade AI-driven software layers that will be critical to managing and scaling complex quantum workloads.
Founded in 2013, Seed Innovations has established itself as a provider of full-lifecycle software development, legacy system upgrades, and R&D for the Department of War (DoW), intelligence community, and commercial sector.
“This acquisition expands IonQ’s software capabilities as we build the world’s only enterprise-grade, full-stack quantum platform,” said Frank Backes, president of quantum infrastructure at IonQ. “Seed Innovations’ expertise in machine learning and automated scaling architecture will be instrumental in optimizing the performance of our quantum applications.
Seed Innovations will focus on significantly improving IonQ’s performance, including:
- Quantum performance powered by AI: Leverage Seed’s deep expertise in ML and advanced algorithms to help analyze system data, predict behaviors, and drive continuous improvement.
- Enterprise-wide automation: Implemented Seed’s proven DevOps and automated scaling architectures to support IonQ’s scaling goals.
- Seamless cloud integrationn: Use Seed’s extensive experience in cloud migration and microservices to improve the availability of IonQ across all major cloud providers.
The acquisition reflects IonQ’s commitment to creating a comprehensive, enterprise-grade platform that includes quantum computing, quantum networks, quantum sensing and quantum security. Seed Innovations joins a growing portfolio of strategic quantum acquisitions, including Loom from the sky, Atomic vector, Capella space, Oxford Ionics, Quantum ID, LumièresynqAnd Qubitekkas well as the recently announced agreement to acquire the American semiconductor manufacturer SkyWater Technology.
IonQ expects this transaction to close on January 30, 2026.
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc.. (NYSE: IONQ) is the global leader in quantum platforms providing solutions for quantum computing, networking, sensing and security. IonQ’s next generation of quantum computers, the upcoming IonQ Tempo, will be the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems that help customers and partners including Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results and accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity and defense. By 2025, the company achieved a two-qubit gate fidelity of 99.99%, set a world record for quantum computing performance.
Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, IonQ has more than 1,300 employees with operations in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Toronto and the United Kingdom. Our quantum computing services are available from all major cloud providers, and we also support customers’ networking and sensing needs on land, sea, air and space. IonQ makes quantum platforms more accessible and impactful than ever. Learn more about IonQ.com.
About seed innovations
Seed Innovations LLC is a Colorado-based women-owned small business (WOSB) specializing in full-lifecycle software development, cloud migration, and technology research and development (R&D). Experts in machine learning, software architecture, and cloud, Seed’s team of software architects, software developers, site reliability engineers (SREs), and machine learning PhDs enable Seed to develop innovative solutions to solve complex technical challenges. Seed develops, implements and executes large-scale technical solutions for customers in the DoW, federal and commercial spaces. Seed Innovations holds certifications in technical areas such as Scaled Agile Framework, SCRUM, Security Plus, AWS, and Project Management.
IonQ Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the expected timing of closing of the transaction, the direction of Seed Innovations following closing and its impact on and integration into our business. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “expect”, “expect”, “accelerate”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “suggest”, “plan”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “target”, “project”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “forecast”, “confident” and other similar expressions. These statements are only predictions based on our expectations and projections regarding future events as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including, among others, those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2025, June 30, 2025 and September 30, 2025 filed with the SEC. New risks emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor to assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement we make. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except as otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts
IonQ media contacts:
Cheryl Krauss
Tor Constantine
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