The takeaway: The US Commerce Department is investing $300 million in three quantum-computing companies and taking minority ownership stakes in each as part of the deal. D-Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing, and Quantinuum will each receive $100 million in CHIPS Act research and development funding. The investment is intended to expand quantum hardware research and strengthen US supply chains for advanced semiconductors and related technologies.
The awards are aimed at practical engineering work rather than quantum software. The companies are focused on building and manufacturing the components needed for larger, more reliable quantum systems, including processors, cryogenic equipment, semiconductor devices, lasers, and optical hardware.
Rigetti will use its funding to address the challenges of scaling superconducting quantum processors. The company said it plans to expand its cryogenic capacity and accelerate production at its specialized manufacturing facilities. It will also address technical issues that have made it difficult to build larger superconducting systems.
D-Wave said the funding will support microelectronics research and development, including advanced semiconductor prototypes for quantum technology. The British Columbia-based company said the work is intended to support scalable, high-performance quantum hardware.
Quantinuum's project is centered on integrated photonics, which combines optical components and electronics in compact systems. The company said it will work with GlobalFoundries to fabricate next-generation ion traps and other electronic components. It also plans to work with Monarch Quantum on integrated lasers and optical components for its systems.
The Commerce Department will take a minority stake in all three companies as part of the grants. The structure gives the government a direct financial interest in companies developing domestic quantum and advanced hardware capabilities.
GlobalFoundries also finalized a separate $375 million agreement with the government to expand domestic quantum manufacturing. Under the five-year deal, the chipmaker will receive milestone-based research and development funding from the Commerce Department.
The company said the funding will help quantum hardware developers move from lab prototypes to commercial-scale manufacturing. It is intended to support the technologies needed to build scalable quantum processing units in the US.
GlobalFoundries has already received federal support for related work. In July, the government said it would take a 1% stake in GlobalFoundries and provide $300 million for silicon photonics development for data centers.
The latest grants show how federal quantum funding is shifting toward the hardware and manufacturing challenges facing the industry. Quantum companies still need to prove they can build systems at scale, rather than simply demonstrate advances in the lab.