Details
- Rigetti has signed a definitive agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce for a $100 million award to accelerate R&D on superconducting quantum computing, under the CHIPS Act R&D Broad Agency Announcement, as of September 2026.
- The funding goes to Rigetti & Co, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rigetti Computing, Inc., with the Department receiving a minority, non-controlling equity stake in the company in return.
- Rigetti will run three R&D projects: miniaturizing and integrating readout electronics, expanding cryogenic capacity via a new cryostat architecture, and developing fabrication for high-connectivity chip architectures to support utility-scale systems.
- The award builds on Rigetti’s existing superconducting qubit platforms, including on-premises 9–108 qubit systems and its Cepheus multi-chip architecture, and follows earlier CHIPS Act commitments announced in 2026.
- Rigetti manufactures its quantum chips in-house at Fab-1 and operates cloud-accessible systems like the 108-qubit Cepheus-1-108Q, positioning it as a key U.S. player in superconducting quantum hardware alongside other CHIPS-funded efforts.
Impact
This funding strengthens U.S. leadership in superconducting quantum computing and aligns with broader CHIPS Act efforts to onshore strategic semiconductor and quantum capabilities. Over the next 12–24 months, Rigetti’s work on cryogenics, electronics integration, and high-connectivity architectures could influence industry roadmaps for scalable, utility-grade quantum systems and attract further public–private investment into quantum hardware and manufacturing infrastructure.
