Classiq CEO: “We Will Lead Intel’s Quantum Business from Israel”
27 October, 2026
Nir Minerbi says Classiq will lead Intel’s quantum strategy and business, and reveals annual bookings of tens of millions of dollars
Above: Classiq CEO Nir Minerbi. Photo: Eyal Touag
Intel announced yesterday that it is acquiring Israeli quantum software company Classiq in a deal estimated to be worth up to $2.3 billion in cash and stock. At a press briefing this morning, Classiq co-founder and CEO Nir Minerbi outlined how the company is expected to integrate into Intel, shared details of its commercial activity and presented his vision for the future of quantum computing.
According to Minerbi, once the deal is completed, Classiq will become a business unit within Intel and lead the chipmaker’s quantum strategy and commercial operations from Israel. The unit will report to the organization headed by Intel Chief Technology Officer Pushkar Nadha.
“They see us as providing the strategic and business leadership for Intel’s quantum computing operations—software, hardware, business and strategy. This will happen from Israel,” Minerbi said. The precise roles of Classiq’s executives within Intel have yet to be determined, he added, but the intention is to preserve much of the company’s existing structure.
“Intel’s management has emphasized how important it is for us to continue operating like a startup, moving quickly and serving the entire industry. They have also stressed that they need every single employee.”
Minerbi said Intel currently employs around 70 people in quantum computing and that the acquisition of Classiq is expected to double its quantum workforce. Intel plans to expand the operation significantly, he added. Asked whether the Classiq team would also be responsible for Intel’s existing quantum employees, Minerbi said it was too early to say definitively. “The overall direction is for us to play a significant leadership role in quantum computing under the CTO.”
A Platform for the Entire Industry
Minerbi said Nadha had presented US journalists and analysts with a slide comparing Microsoft’s DOS operating system, Nvidia’s CUDA platform, and Intel and Classiq’s place in the world of quantum computing.
“Intel’s vision is to provide the software that enables the hardware,” he said. “That hardware is not limited to Intel’s own hardware. Our software will remain hardware-agnostic and continue to serve the entire industry.”
Intel is developing its own quantum computer, but according to Minerbi, it plans to continue supporting hardware from other companies through Classiq’s platform. Beyond its own quantum computer, he said, Intel has capabilities in chip manufacturing, packaging, control systems, simulations and high-performance computing that can serve the industry as a whole.
“There are players whose goal is clearly to serve only their own computers. Intel is different, and so is its vision. Combining its hardware capabilities with our software creates a major opportunity.”
Customers Prepare for the Quantum Era
Classiq develops a software platform for designing and developing algorithms for quantum computers. Developers define the problem and its constraints, and the system generates a quantum circuit that can be adapted to different hardware platforms.
Minerbi said the company was founded approximately six years ago to address the shortage of software tools for quantum computers. “We developed software for computers that didn’t really exist yet. Two or three years after the company was founded, the computers evolved and an industry emerged, and we were well positioned to serve it.”
According to Minerbi, Classiq works with major corporations, governments, universities and defense companies. Responding to a question from TechTime about the pace of the company’s commercial activity, he said Classiq records annual bookings—orders or contracts worth tens of millions of dollars. He did not provide an exact figure for recognized revenue or the company’s growth rate.
Minerbi explained that customers are not yet paying for direct commercial benefits achieved through quantum computation, but rather for the ability to prepare for the future. “Organizations pay us because they are doing something that helps them commercially: preparing for the quantum computing era, building their teams, developing applications and creating intellectual property in the field.”
Before the Intel deal, Classiq had also seriously considered an IPO or a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, Minerbi revealed. “It’s fair to say we were close to taking that route,” he said. The company also considered a large private funding round and continuing to operate independently.
Looking ahead, Minerbi expects quantum computers to be integrated alongside existing computing infrastructure. “For at least the next 15 years, quantum computing will be hybrid. A quantum processor will work alongside CPUs and GPUs in a data center or a supercomputing center. It won’t replace your laptop; it will work together with the existing computing world.”
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