U.S. Set to Take Stake in Rigetti Computing

The U.S. federal government is expected to take an equity stake in Rigetti Computing, Inc. by the end of 2026, marking a significant step in Washington’s effort to secure domestic leadership in quantum computing. The move would give the government a direct ownership interest in one of the country’s prominent quantum hardware companies, alongside existing public-sector support for advanced computing and semiconductor technologies.

Any agreement is expected to be structured as a direct equity investment, voting shares, convertible rights, or a comparable ownership arrangement. Federal officials have increasingly treated quantum computing as a strategic technology with implications for national security, encryption, materials science, and artificial intelligence.

A stake in Rigetti would underscore the government’s willingness to use ownership tools, not just grants and procurement contracts, to strengthen critical technology supply chains. The company, based in the United States, develops superconducting quantum processors and cloud-accessible quantum systems, placing it within a sector viewed as central to long-term technological competition.