HRL Laboratories

Quantum Computing · Deep Tech · Semiconductors

Acquisition

IBM to acquire HRL Laboratories to bolster quantum computing roadmap

The lab, jointly owned by Boeing and General Motors, specializes in silicon-spin qubits, a rival approach to IBM's superconducting bet.

• IBM signed a definitive agreement to acquire HRL Laboratories, a private R&D institution jointly owned by Boeing and General Motors, with financial terms undisclosed.
• HRL specializes in silicon-spin qubit engineering, quantum sensing, advanced materials, and high-speed electronics, capabilities distinct from IBM's superconducting-qubit approach.
• Boeing and General Motors will keep partnering with IBM on quantum applications after the deal closes, which is expected by the end of Q3 2026 pending regulatory approval.
• IBM ties HRL's technology to its roadmap for Quantum Starling, targeting 100 million quantum operations by 2029, and the later Blue Jay system, targeting 1 billion operations.
• HRL could also feed into Anderon, IBM's planned quantum wafer foundry, opening a path toward industrializing spin-qubit manufacturing alongside superconducting chips.
• Acquiring a second qubit modality hedges IBM against the scaling risks of a superconducting-only architecture, echoing a broader industry shift toward multi-modality quantum bets.