Rigetti Computing has secured up to $100 million in U.S. government funding over three years to advance superconducting quantum computing research and development, according to a May 21, 2026 announcement by the Department of Commerce.
The company signed a letter of intent with the Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Research and Development Office as part of a broader $2.013 billion federal investment across nine quantum computing companies under the CHIPS and Science Act. The funding aims to address key technical challenges in scaling superconducting quantum systems, including miniaturizing and integrating novel readout electronics and next-generation cryostat architectures, according to the official announcement from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Rigetti is one of seven quantum computing companies receiving CHIPS Act support. The portfolio approach targets multiple quantum modalities—neutral atom, silicon-spin, superconducting, photonic, and trapped ion—to advance the most consequential unresolved engineering problems across the industry, according to the Department of Commerce. IBM will receive the largest single allocation of $1 billion to establish a quantum foundry subsidiary, while GlobalFoundries will receive $375 million for a secure domestic quantum foundry serving multiple quantum modalities.
As a condition for receiving the funds, the Department of Commerce will take a minority, non-controlling equity stake in Rigetti. The company, founded in Berkeley, California, focuses on full-stack superconducting quantum computing systems and has made its Cepheus-1-108Q—a 108-qubit superconducting processor—available through Amazon Web Services’ Braket quantum computing service. Rigetti has previously raised $350 million through an at-the-market equity offering in June 2025 to fund its quantum scaling roadmap.
The timing of the federal investment underscores a strategic shift in how the U.S. government is supporting quantum technology development. Rather than funding research grants alone, the Trump administration is now taking direct equity stakes in quantum companies alongside capital deployment. The move reflects quantum computing’s significance for national defense, advanced materials and biopharmaceutical discovery, financial modeling, and energy systems, according to the Department of Commerce announcement. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that the quantum investments will “create thousands of high-paying American jobs while advancing American quantum capabilities.”
Sources
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — Official announcement of $2.013 billion CHIPS Act quantum computing incentives across nine companies, including Rigetti’s $100 million allocation and stated technical focus areas
- Wall Street Journal — Reporting on the Trump administration’s $2 billion quantum computing funding award and government equity stakes in nine companies
- GlobeNewswire — Rigetti’s official announcement of the letter of intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce for up to $100 million in funding
- The Quantum Insider — Coverage of Rigetti’s funding within the broader $2 billion quantum computing initiative
