D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) Stock Jumps as Company Drops $550M on Quantum Circuits

TLDR

• D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) agreed to acquire Quantum Circuits Inc. for $550 million in stock and cash, with the deal expected to close in late January 2026.
• The acquisition adds gate-based quantum computing to D-Wave’s existing quantum annealing platform, creating a dual-platform strategy.
• Quantum Circuits brings hardware-level error correction technology that reduces the number of physical qubits needed for stable quantum systems.
• Yale professor Rob Schoelkopf, who helped invent key superconducting qubit designs, will join D-Wave along with a new research center in New Haven, Connecticut.
• D-Wave plans to release an early version of its gate-based system in 2026, with QBTS stock rising about 2% after the announcement and up over 20% since the start of 2026.

D-Wave Quantum announced an agreement to acquire Quantum Circuits Inc. for $550 million. The deal consists of $300 million in D-Wave common stock and $250 million in cash.

D-Wave Quantum Inc., QBTS

The transaction is expected to close in late January 2026. It’s pending review and approval of the stock listing.

The acquisition marks a strategic shift for D-Wave. The company has built its business around quantum annealing technology, which handles complex planning and routing tasks.

Now D-Wave is adding gate-based quantum computing to its lineup. Many in the industry view gate-based systems as the long-term future of quantum computing.

The company plans to operate both platforms at the same time. Each system will target different customer needs and use cases.

D-Wave’s stock climbed about 2% following the announcement. QBTS shares have jumped over 20% since the beginning of 2026.

Technology and Talent

Quantum Circuits developed an approach that embeds error correction directly into the hardware. This design reduces how many physical qubits are required to create stable logical qubits.

Fewer physical qubits means more efficient quantum systems. D-Wave intends to integrate this technology with its existing control systems and cloud platform.

The deal brings a research and development center in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale professor Rob Schoelkopf is part of the Quantum Circuits team joining D-Wave.

Schoelkopf helped invent superconducting qubit designs that are now used throughout the quantum computing industry. His expertise in superconducting quantum computing and practical error correction adds research depth to D-Wave.

Dual Platform Strategy

D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz said the acquisition cements the company’s position as a leader in superconducting quantum computing. He stated that D-Wave will “leapfrog the industry” by bringing gate-model products and services to market in 2026.

The quantum annealing business continues to operate and serve current customers. D-Wave is not abandoning its existing technology.

Instead, the company is building a dual-platform approach. The annealing system handles optimization problems while the gate-based system will address a broader range of computational challenges.

D-Wave expects to release an early version of its gate-based system later this year. The timeline puts pressure on the company to execute quickly.

Analysts on Wall Street give D-Wave a Strong Buy consensus rating. The average price target stands at $40, which represents a 27.92% upside from current levels.

The deal values Quantum Circuits at $550 million and brings together two different approaches to quantum computing under one roof. D-Wave now controls both quantum annealing and gate-based quantum technologies through the acquisition.

The post D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) Stock Jumps as Company Drops $550M on Quantum Circuits appeared first on Blockonomi.