Shares Of Quantum Computing Firms Surge After Reports Trump Administration Could Take A Stake

Core Viewpoint - Shares of U.S. quantum computing firms experienced significant increases in premarket trading due to reports of the Trump administration negotiating equity stakes in these companies in exchange for federal funding, similar to a previous deal with Intel [1][2]. Company Developments - At least three quantum computing firms, IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum, are in discussions to provide equity to the Commerce Department for funding awards [2][4]. - Quantum Computing and Atom Computing are also considering similar arrangements [2]. - In premarket trading, IonQ's shares rose nearly 8% to $59.76, Rigetti Computing's shares surged 8.3% to $39, D-Wave Quantum's shares increased by 12.3% to $30.64, and Quantum Computing's shares were up by 9.21% [2][3]. Funding and Equity Structure - The federal funding awards for these companies are intended for "promising technology companies," with each company potentially receiving at least $10 million [4]. - The specifics regarding the amount of equity each company must relinquish and the structure of the deal remain unclear, particularly in comparison to the government's stake in Intel, which does not include board representation [4]. Industry Context - Quantum computing is recognized as a significant advancement in computing technology, with capabilities far exceeding those of current supercomputers. Google recently claimed its Willow quantum chip performed a complex physics simulation 13,000 times faster than existing supercomputers [6]. - Other major players in the quantum computing space, such as Microsoft and IBM, have also reported substantial progress, although practical deployment of quantum computers is still considered years away [6].