Trump quantum – Nine quantum-focused firms are splitting $2 billion in grants backed by the Biden-era 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, with the Trump administration taking varying equity stakes in return. IBM’s package includes major plans for a new 300-millimeter quantum wafer fo
By Thursday morning, the numbers moved fast—so fast that investors were already pricing in the money before the ink was fully dry.
Nine major quantum computing companies are set to split $2 billion in grants from the Trump administration. with the government taking varying equity stakes in each of the firms. IBM is projected to receive half the award. GlobalFoundries is slated for $375 million. and several other companies—including D-Wave Quantum. Inc. Infleqtion Inc. and Rigetti Computing Inc.—are each expected to receive $100 million. Diraq, a private startup, is expected to receive $38 million.
For IBM. the grant is not just a funding boost—it’s a commitment aimed at building hardware at a scale the sector has been chasing. IBM said it will put its portion of the award toward a new IBM company called Anderon. IBM also said it will match the grant with another $1 billion in cash for the Albany, New York-based standalone company.
IBM described Anderon as “a state-of-the-art 300-millimeter quantum wafer foundry.” It added that the effort will help the nation “solidify its leadership at the center of a thriving new quantum industry. ” estimated to generate up to $850 billion in economic value by 2040. IBM also said the initiative would spur American economic growth and bolster national security.
The administration’s structure matters as much as the dollar amount. The final deals are still being confirmed, and multiple announcements say the funds are contingent on meeting certain milestones.
In the market, that uncertainty didn’t stop enthusiasm. Shares of publicly traded companies involved were up in Thursday’s premarket. As of publication. IBM (NYSE: IBM) was up about 6.6%. D-Wave (NYSE: QBTS) was up about 17.5%. and Rigetti (Nasdaq: RGTI) was up about 15.5%. Global Foundries (Nasdaq: GFS) rose about 14.5%, and Infleqtion (NYSE: INFQ) jumped about 24%.
The money itself is coming through a Biden-era program. The grants are supplied by the Biden-era 2022 Chips and Science Act. a law that provided $280 billion in funding for semiconductors over the next decade. The record of opposition was stark: votes against it came from 187 House Republicans and 32 Senate Republicans.
Last year, Trump used his joint address to Congress to criticize the legislation. “Your CHIPS Act is a horrible, horrible thing,” Trump told Congress, according to Politico. Directing his remarks at Speaker Mike Johnson. he continued: “You should get rid of the CHIP[S] Act and whatever’s left over Mr. Speaker, you should use it to reduce debt or any other reason you want to.”.
Now, the Trump administration is moving forward with quantum-grant funding routed through that same act—while making the awards contingent on receiving equity stakes in the quantum computing companies.
The approach is in line with the administration’s broader willingness to take ownership positions in major industries. The government took a 10% stake in Intel last year.
For at least some recipients, the equity terms are tied directly to stock offerings to the Commerce Department. D-Wave and Infleqtion plan to offer $100 million worth of common stock to the Commerce Department, and Infleqtion is proposing a 15% discount on market pricing.
The Commerce Department was asked for comment by Fast Company, and the outlet said it would update the post if it heard back.
At the center of this story is a single question that’s already being answered in real time by stock charts: in quantum computing, the next leap may be fueled not only by grants—but by the government’s decision to take ownership along with the funding.
quantum computing CHIPS and Science Act Trump administration IBM Anderon GlobalFoundries D-Wave Infleqtion Rigetti Diraq Commerce Department equity stakes 300-millimeter quantum wafer foundry semiconductor funding