U.S. Eyes Equity Stakes in Quantum Firms | JQJO

The Trump administration is negotiating equity-for-funding deals with quantum-computing firms, including IonQ, Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Quantum, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources. Quantum Computing Inc. and Atom Computing are weighing similar arrangements. Shares jumped in early Thursday trading: IonQ and D-Wave up 9%, Rigetti 7%, Quantum Computing 11%. The talks echo recent U.S. moves to take stakes in strategic companies, after investments in MP Materials and a roughly 10% position in Intel. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington will avoid nonstrategic sectors, as quantum’s economic and security implications loom amid competition with China.