IonQ Awarded $7.5 Million Follow-On Funding from AFRL to Advance Full-Stack Quantum Networking
Business Wire•27/10/2026•07:00 ET
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Key Highlights
- ➤AFRL awards IonQ $7.5 million in follow-on Phase 2 funding
- ➤Phase 2 expands IonQ’s Rome, New York quantum network
- ➤Free-space optical links enable secure line-of-sight entanglement distribution
- ➤Quantum frequency converters connect heterogeneous quantum and classical hardware
- ➤Award falls within IonQ’s previously announced $21.1 million collaboration
Expert Statements
Jordan Shapiro, President, Quantum Platform at IonQ
“This follow-on funding from AFRL underscores the strength of our long-term partnership and validates IonQ's full-stack approach. We are unlocking new domains for quantum networking by going to free space optics.”
Jordan Shapiro, President, Quantum Platform at IonQ
“Advanced optical hardware and automated control software are what close the gap between laboratory demonstration and field deployment. We are building quantum networking that runs on standard telecom infrastructure and through open air, and proving it on a live network.”
IonQ Awarded $7.5 Million Follow-On Funding from AFRL to Advance Full-Stack Quantum Networking
Phase 2 expansion builds on a first-generation quantum network in Rome, New York, adding advanced optical, hardware, and software layers for real-world deployment.
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