U.S. Commerce Unveils $2.013 Billion for 9 Quantum Firms, Lifting D-Wave and Rigetti
Updated
Updated · Zacks Investment Research · Jun 1
U.S. Commerce Unveils $2.013 Billion for 9 Quantum Firms, Lifting D-Wave and Rigetti
4 articles · Updated · Zacks Investment Research · Jun 1
$2.013 billion in proposed CHIPS and Science Act incentives went to nine quantum-related companies, with D-Wave and Rigetti each slated for up to $100 million.
May 21 trading reflected the announcement immediately: D-Wave shares jumped 14.6% and Rigetti surged 22.6%, far outpacing the S&P 500's 1% gain.
D-Wave's case rests on nearer-term commercialization, including a $10 million, two-year quantum-computing-as-a-service deal with a Fortune 100 customer and existing use in optimization tasks.
Rigetti is using the federal backing to push superconducting quantum R&D; first-quarter revenue nearly tripled to $4.4 million and its 108-qubit Cepheus system is now available on major cloud platforms.
The funding has revived investor focus on quantum computing, but the report argues D-Wave is better positioned near term because it has clearer revenue pathways than Rigetti's longer-horizon technology bet.
D-Wave targets today's problems while Rigetti aims for tomorrow's breakthroughs. Which government-backed strategy will ultimately win the quantum race?
As government money floods quantum tech, are we seeing a strategic investment in U.S. leadership or the start of another tech bubble?
A billion dollars is creating America's first quantum foundry. Will this centralize innovation or create an industry-wide bottleneck?
The $2 Billion Quantum Leap: U.S. Government’s 2026 Funding Initiative, Equity Model, and the Race for Quantum Supremacy
Overview
In May 2026, the U.S. government launched a $2 billion quantum computing funding initiative to strengthen national leadership and accelerate R&D in quantum technology. Through the CHIPS Act, awards were distributed to seven companies, each targeting critical technical and manufacturing challenges across different quantum computing modalities. This strategic investment aims to keep the United States at the forefront of innovation by supporting a diverse range of quantum approaches, ensuring robust progress from research to commercialization. The initiative reflects a comprehensive effort to address industry bottlenecks and secure the nation’s position in the rapidly evolving quantum landscape.