US to invest $2 billion in IBM, other quantum computing firms

May 21 (Reuters) - The Trump administration will take $2 billion in
equity stakes across nine quantum-computing companies, including a new
IBM (IBM.N), opens new tab venture, in a major push to secure U.S.
leadership in the emerging technology and counter China. 

The move shows the growing prominence of quantum computing, where recent
technological breakthroughs have deepened investor interest in its
potential to speed up tasks ranging from drug discovery to financial
modelling and cryptography. 

The U.S. Department of Commerce said on Thursday that IBM would receive
$1 billion to set up a company to manufacture quantum chips, while
contract chipmaker GlobalFoundries (GFS.O), opens new tab will get $375
million to build a U.S. factory producing components for different types
of quantum machines. 

IBM said the new company, Anderon, will be based in New Albany, New
York, and become America's first dedicated quantum chip manufacturing
facility. It did not disclose the government's stake in the new company. 

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna told Reuters the new firm would offer its
chipmaking technology to outside customers and was already in talks with
potential clients. "They're going to get the exact same capability that
we have for ourselves," Krishna said. 

Other firms including D-Wave (QBTS.N), opens new tab, Rigetti Computing
(RGTI.O), opens new tab and Infleqtion (INFQ.N), opens new tab will get
about $100 million each, while Diraq will receive up to $38 million to
tackle key technical hurdles holding back more powerful systems, the
Commerce Department added. 

Two of the recipients have ties to the administration. Emil Michael, the
Pentagon's top technology official, took D-Wave public in 2022 through a
blank-check firm he was heading at the time. PsiQuantum last year
raised $1 billion from investors including Nvidia's venture capital arm
and Donald Trump Jr.-backed 1789 Capital. 

Shares of companies involved in the deal rose between 6% and 31%
following the announcement. 

https://www.reuters.com/business/us-award-2-billion-quantum-computing-fir
ms-take-equity-stakes-wsj-reports-2026-05-21/