The US Commerce Department plans to award $2B in grants to nine quantum computing companies and will take equity stakes; IBM is set to get $1B of the package

Trump administration hopes to spur ‘a new era of American innovation,’ Commerce's Lutnick says — WASHINGTON—The Trump administration …

Wall Street Journal 2026-05-22

Context & Ripple Effects

Coverage moved from reports that quantum companies were negotiating funding-for-equity arrangements with Commerce to a defined package spanning nine companies. Earlier private commitments from IBM and Google to university research show that the field’s support base had already included both corporate R&D and academic partnerships.

The subsequent market reaction—sharp gains in D-Wave, Rigetti and IBM shares—indicates that investors treated the federal package as a meaningful validation event. Later executive orders focused on development and security place the funding effort within a broader federal quantum agenda.

First-order effects

Nine quantum-computing companies gain a new federal funding source, while Commerce gains equity exposure to the recipients; IBM is positioned to receive roughly half of the package.
Public-market quantum names receive an immediate sentiment boost, as reflected in the reported share-price jumps following the announcement.

Second-order effects

Funding tied to equity changes the trade-off for recipients: they get capital but add the federal government as a stakeholder, making the terms and governance implications relevant to other companies seeking similar support.
Rivals and private investors will have to assess whether federally backed recipients can fund technical development on more favorable terms, potentially shifting capital and partnership interest toward companies able to qualify for government programs.

Third-order effects

If this model persists, US industrial policy in frontier computing could move beyond grants and research support toward direct state participation in company upside as well as risk.
Paired with federal action on quantum development and security, the package points toward a more strategically managed quantum sector in which commercial progress and national-security priorities are increasingly linked.

The trend: Quantum computing is becoming a strategic-technology market where federal support is evolving from research sponsorship into equity-linked industrial policy.

Discussion

@arvindkrishna Arvind Krishna on x
With support from the @CommerceGov, @IBM today announced plans for Anderon, America's first purpose-built quantum chip foundry. Leveraging IBM's decades-long quantum leadership and strengths in wafer fabrication, the initiative will accelerate American quantum innovation and ena…
@patrickmoorhead Patrick Moorhead on x
Not greenfield. IBM has been fabricating Loon and Nighthawk on 300mm at NY CREATES Albany since November 2025. Anderon is the corporate spinout, capitalized for merchant scale. Superconducting qubits and supporting electronics first, with stated intent to expand modalities... …
@mccoycountyexec Dan McCoy-CountyExec on x
This investment from the U.S. Department of Commerce and IBM in a new quantum foundry at Albany NanoTech is another strong sign that our region is where the future of semiconductor and quantum innovation is being built. It builds on years of work here in Albany County to grow
@squawkstreet @squawkstreet on x
“It's an entirely passive stake - no voting on the shares, no board seats, etcetera.” @infleqtion CEO Matt Kinsella... [video]
@arpitrage Arpit Gupta on x
These government equity stakes are becoming more a part of standard policy: $2b here in quantum computing firms https://www.wsj.com/...
@marionawfal Mario Nawfal on x
🇨🇳🇺🇸 Trump admin dropped $2B and took minority ownership in IBM, GlobalFoundries, D-Wave, Rigetti, Infleqtion, Atom Computing, PsiQuantum, Quantinuum & Diraq. IBM alone gets $1B (they're matching it) to build a dedicated quantum chip foundry in upstate NY. Goal? Beat China to [im…
@kwekuoa Kweku Opoku-Agyemang, Ph.D on x
A $1 Billion validation of world-class science. Huge congratulations to my brilliant former co-authors at IBM on securing this massive quantum foundry award! Long before founding Machine Learning X Doing, I had the privilege of collaborating with these minds on how emerging tech
@andrewcurran_ Andrew Curran on x
The White House is awarding $2 billion in grants - $1 billion of it directly to IBM - to nine quantum computing companies and taking a equity stake in all of them. A quantum industry executive order is also being drafted. [image]
@noahpinion Noah Smith on x
The slow nationalization of U.S. industry continues
@adamthierer Adam Thierer on x
more equity stakes insanity on the way. Crony computational capitalism via “equity stakes” isn't real capitalism at all. It is just a softer version of Chinese-style central planning. It's fundamentally anti-free market and un-American. This is also how big government gets its [i…
@scottlincicome Scott Lincicome on x
Now 21-23* government stakes in private firms during non-emergency/peacetime (depending on how you measure), up from ZERO before Trump took office. *Assuming equity stakes in all 9 quantum firms - reporting is murky.
@divestech Dan Ives on x
Our 2026 tech predictions into this year had US/Quantum partnership on the docket. Seems like it's here now. Great for sector 🏆🍿🔥🐂👇 @CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/... [image]
@liebermanaustin Austin Lieberman on x
Wait... $IBM is a quantum chip company?
@scottlincicome Scott Lincicome on x
“Today's quantum deals are the latest installment in an improvised project to convert federal power into presidential leverage over private enterprise. It's antithetical to American capitalism” - @DeHavenTad 🔥 https://www.cato.org/... [image]
@mtslive @mtslive on x
SITUATION DETECTED: The Trump administration is deploying $2B into quantum computing companies in exchange for equity stakes, per WSJ. IBM will receive $1B of the package, GlobalFoundries gets $375M, with D-Wave, Rigetti, and Infleqtion among the other recipients.
@andrewcurran_ Andrew Curran on x
IBM up 7% pre market.
@benbrodydc Ben Brody on x
Meanwhile IBM and Commerce are each putting $1B into a standalone firm that'll be a quantum chip foundary. Commerce overall announcing plans for $2B in quantum commitments under CHIPS Act with nine companies today. Includes minority stakes for the gov 👀
@danprimack Dan Primack on x
U.S. to take equity stakes in quantum computing companies https://www.axios.com/...
@gurgavin @gurgavin on x
🚨 TRUMP'S GOVERNMENT TO INVEST $2 BILLION INTO QUANTUM COMPUTING COMPANIES — WSJ INVESTMENTS INCLUDE: ▪️ $1B → IBM ▪️ $375M → GLOBALFOUNDRIES ▪️ $100M → D-WAVE QUANTUM ▪️ $100M → RIGETTI COMPUTING ▪️ $100M → INFLEQTION ▪️ $38M → DIRAQ $IBM $GFS $QBTS $RGTI
@anecdotal Hollis Robbins on x
Breaking news about the Trump administration awarding $2 billion in grants to quantum-computing companies. Investing in the technology is bypassing universities altogether, @AmrithRamkumar @heathersomervil https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
Josh Mandell Josh Mandell on linkedin
Super exciting news from IBM and the U.S. Department of Commerce on the announcement of the nation's first purpose-built quantum foundry! …
PJ Catalano PJ Catalano on linkedin
IBM and U.S. Department of Commerce Announce America's First Purpose-Built Quantum Foundry, Supported by Proposed $1 Billion CHIPS Award …
Nickle LaMoreaux Nickle LaMoreaux on linkedin
Today IBM announced plans with the U.S. Department of Commerce to build America's first pure-play quantum wafer foundry. …
Jerry M. Chow Jerry M. Chow on linkedin
Quantum computing will not scale just on research breakthroughs alone. We also need the manufacturing capability to build these technologies reliably, at volume. …
Dave C. Dave C. on linkedin
Big news this morning! — IBM and the U.S. Department of Commerce have announced a significant partnership to launch Anderon - America's first-ever pure-play quantum chip foundry. …
Nick Svolos Nick Svolos on linkedin
Huge step forward for IBM's innovation in the quantum industry... IBM and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced plans for America's first purpose-built quantum foundry. …
Bill Frauenhofer Bill Frauenhofer on linkedin
Today marks a significant milestone for American innovation. The Department of Commerce's CHIPS R&D Office announced Letters of Intent with 9 quantum companies for $2 billion in incentives. …
Julia Lane Julia Lane on linkedin
Today, the U.S. government announced a historic $2B investment in quantum companies. What I find especially important is the growing recognition …
r/neoliberal r on reddit
U.S. to Award Quantum-Computing Firms $2 Billion and Take Equity Stakes
r/IonQ r on reddit
US to award Quantum Computing Firms 2 Billion and take Equity Stakes
@wittywebhandle Blaise Ulysse Bernard Collins on bluesky
You know the AI bubble is in trouble when ‘Quantum Computing’ enters the narrative fold. — The ultimate ‘never gonna happen’ attempt at the ‘next bubble’ that has died on the table every time it's been deployed.
r/politics r on reddit
Quantum stocks soar as U.S. reportedly plans $2 billion ‘award’ and taking equity stakes

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