①According to sources familiar with the matter, several US quantum computing companies are currently in talks with the US Department of Commerce, intending to replicate the previous " Intel" model. The model involves exchanging equity for federal funding; ② Industry insiders say that funding and equity investment in quantum computing companies will undoubtedly be one of the first major signals of the Trump administration's support for the field.
According to sources familiar with the matter, several U.S. quantum computing companies are currently in talks with the U.S. Department of Commerce to replicate the previous " Intel model"—exchanging equity for federal funding. This move indicates that the Trump administration is expanding its intervention in key sectors of the economy.
The quantum computing companies reportedly in talks include IonQ, Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, Quantum Computing Inc., and Atom Computing. These companies are discussing making the U.S. government a shareholder as part of agreements to receive funding from specialized technology companies.
Such consultations are the latest example of the U.S. government's recent push to acquire equity stakes in companies. President Trump and Commerce Secretary Lutnick have previously stated that, given the financial support and endorsement provided by taxpayer money, the government should share in the increased value of these companies.
Copy Intel model
In August of this year, the U.S. government agreed to acquire nearly 10% of chip giant Intel by converting nearly $9 billion of previously allocated funds into equity. This arrangement made the government Intel's largest shareholder.
Over the past few months, U.S. energy The department has also reached similar agreements with a few rare earth material producers in the United States. A recent example is perhaps Lithium Americas – last month it was reported that the U.S. government was exploring providing loans and equity stakes to Lithium Americas to accelerate operations at its Thacker Pass lithium mine project in Nevada.
Sources familiar with the matter said that in its latest investment plans, the quantum computing companies are negotiating grants of at least $10 million each from Washington. Other tech companies are expected to compete for the funding.
The funding these companies are seeking will come from the Office of Chip Research and Development—an office reorganized by Lutnick during the previous Biden administration's restructuring of funding for the 2022 Chip Act. He recently reclaimed billions of dollars from Biden-funded technology research programs.
It is understood that the cooperation agreement between the US government and Quantum Inc. has not yet been finalized and its contents may be adjusted.
Documents from the U.S. Department of Commerce requesting funding indicate that, in addition to equity investment, the collaboration may also include warrants and intellectual property rights. Terms such as licensing, patent royalties, or revenue sharing.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Paul Dabbar, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce who previously served as an executive at a quantum computing company and an official at the Department of Energy, is currently leading financing negotiations with industry players. Commerce Department officials stated that Bohr Quantum Technology, which Dabbar co-founded and served as CEO for four years, is not among the candidates for funding.
Power quantum computing
Industry insiders say that funding and equity investment in quantum computing companies will undoubtedly be one of the first major signals of the Trump administration's support for the field.
Quantum computing is currently viewed by various parties as a key next-generation technology because it can quickly complete calculations that would take current computers a very long time. Experts say that breakthroughs in this technology will accelerate the development of new drugs and materials . This will advance the research and development of new chemicals and improve the operational efficiency of various sectors of the economy.
Despite a recent pullback, the stock prices of companies in this sector have generally soared this year – companies such as Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Quantum have at least doubled in value so far in 2025.
From IBM to Microsoft From traditional US tech giants to Chinese companies, all are increasing their investment in quantum computing. Google announced on Wednesday that its quantum computer runs 13,000 times faster than classical supercomputers, potentially accelerating drug development and materials science.
Regarding this potential collaboration, Yuping Huang, CEO of Quantum Computing Inc., said it was exciting that the Trump administration might hold equity in companies in the quantum computing industry.
The heads of other companies involved in the rumors also generally adopted a positive stance. A spokesperson for Rigetti stated that the company is continuing to explore financing opportunities with the government. Allison Schwartz, D-Wave's head of government relations, said that the company hopes the sale of its shares will resolve the government's difficulties and ultimately generate a return on its investment.
(Article source: CLS)
