Sept 8 (Reuters) - Infleqtion will go public through a

merger with a blank-check company, led by veteran Wall Street

dealmaker Michael Klein, valuing the quantum computing startup

at $1.8 billion before new investment, the companies said on

Monday.

The merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC)

Churchill Capital Corp X is expected to provide Infleqtion with

more than $540 million before costs, including a co-investment

from institutional investors such as Maverick Capital,

Counterpoint Global and Glynn Capital.

Infleqtion, which builds quantum computers and precision

sensors, said proceeds would accelerate product development and

expand applications in areas such as artificial intelligence,

national security and space.

The combined company is expected to list under the ticker

"INFQ" on a North American exchange.

Infleqtion CEO Matthew Kinsella expects the completion

of the deal later this year or in early 2026, according to

Bloomberg News, which first reported the development.

The Klein-led SPAC had about $416 million set aside in

its trust account as of June 30, and Infleqtion has also lined

up more than $125 million from institutional investors through

PIPE - or money that would go to the company if the deal is

completed.

In recent years, quantum computing firms such as IonQ ( IONQ )

, Rigetti Computing ( RGTI ) and D-Wave Quantum ( QBTS )

have gone public through SPAC mergers as interest grows in this

new form of computing.

A SPAC is a shell firm that raises money through an IPO

to merge with a private business and take it public, offering

companies an alternative route to the market that bypasses the

longer and costlier process of a traditional IPO.

Infleqtion's systems are used by chip designer Nvidia ( NVDA )

, the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and the UK

government. The company has about $29 million in trailing

12-month revenue as of June 30 and it expects about $50 million

in booked and awarded business by the end of 2025.