On May 30, 2025, IonQ, a leading commercial quantum computing and networking company, completed its acquisition of Lightsynq Technologies Inc., a Boston-based startup founded by former Harvard University quantum memory experts. The addition of Lightsynq’s team and intellectual property is expected to significantly accelerate IonQ’s quantum networking and quantum computing roadmaps. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised IonQ on the transaction.

Lightsynq was founded by former Harvard quantum networking experts and Amazon Web Services (AWS) Center for Quantum Networking leaders Dr. Mihir Bhaskar (CEO), Dr. Bart Machielse (CTO), and Dr. David Levonian (CPO), with the goal of building a leading photonic interconnect platform to enable high-fidelity, multi-nodal qubit operations. Their technology supports modular scalability and advances fault-tolerance, helping to create the world’s most powerful interconnected quantum systems. Lightsynq’s unique architecture now enhances IonQ’s quantum computers and strengthens the company’s quantum networking roadmap.

As part of the transaction, IonQ also expanded its patent portfolio to include more than 20 technology patents and patent applications related to quantum memory, further solidifying IonQ’s position as a leader in quantum intellectual property.

The Wilson Sonsini team advising IonQ on the acquisition includes:

M&A
Rich Mullen
Brian Chan
Hallee Moore
Elia Perez Villamarin
Melis Kilic
Matt Katona

Corporate
Mark Fitzgerald
Mark Bass

Technology Transactions
Jamie Clessuras
Allegra Sachs
Chris Murray
Graham Hendrick
Mina Li

Data, Privacy, and Cybersecurity
Matt Staples
Daniel Chen
Dantam Chan

Tax
Derek Wallace
Anjali Krishnan

Employee Benefits and Compensation
Matt Norgard
Jason Chan
Laura Yun

Employment Litigation
Matt Gorman
Quinn Christie

National Security/Export Control
Josh Gruenspecht
Tarek Helou
Jahna Hartwig
Seth Cowell
Rebecca Campbell
Grace Beck

Real Estate
Susan Reinstra
Sean Wilkinson
Alex Corluyan

Environmental
Martin Sul

For more information, please see IonQ’s press release.