Rigetti wins $100M from US government for quantum R&D

Rigetti Computing will receive $100 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce, an investment secured through the CHIPS Act’s Broad Agency Announcement. The funding will support three research and development projects designed to overcome key obstacles in scaling superconducting quantum computing. This investment aims to accelerate the company’s path toward building utility-scale quantum computers and strengthening the domestic quantum computing ecosystem. $100M CHIPS Act Funding Accelerates Rigetti’s Superconducting Qubit R&D Rigetti’s superconducting qubit systems achieve gate speeds of 50 to 70 nanoseconds, a performance benchmark the company states is approximately 10,000 times faster than trapped-ion systems and 100 times faster than neutral-atom systems. This speed advantage is a key element of the research now supported by a $100 million investment from the U.S. The funding will specifically support research into scaling these systems, addressing technical bottlenecks hindering the development of utility-scale quantum computers. The Department will secure a minority, non-controlling equity stake in Rigetti as a condition of the funding, designed to enhance the return on investment for the U.S. government. Rigetti states this arrangement signals a strategic alignment between public funding and private sector innovation in a critical technology area. The company deployed its largest multi-chip quantum computer in 2026, Cepheus-1-108Q, utilizing twelve 9-qubit chiplets tiled together; this deployment demonstrates a progression in the company’s chiplet-based technology, the company says. Rigetti designs and manufactures these chips in-house at Fab-1, described as the industry’s first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Kulkarni explained that solving crucial challenges in scaling gives the company the opportunity to transform the industry by putting large-scale quantum computers in the hands of America’s quantum computing researchers faster. He believes shortening the time and reducing the cost to build quantum systems at scale will broaden adoption and strengthen the domestic quantum computing ecosystem. Rigetti’s current offerings include on-premises quantum computing systems ranging from 9 to 108 qubits, supporting national laboratories and research centers, alongside cloud access through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. Solving crucial challenges in scaling gives us the opportunity to transform the industry by putting large-scale quantum computers in the hands of America’s quantum computing researchers faster. Source: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/08/3357469/0/en/rigetti-signs-definitive-agreement-for-100m-with-u-s-government-to-accelerate-r-d-for-superconducting-quantum-computing.html More like thisQuantum Computing Business News$100M CHIPS Act Funding to Bolster Rigetti’s Quantum ScalingQuantum Computing Business NewsRigetti has $541 million to fund quantum R&DTechnology NewsQuantum Zeitgeist Weekly DigestQuantum ComputingRigetti Ankaa-2: 84-Qubit Quantum Computer ReleasedStay currentSee today’s quantum computing news on Quantum Zeitgeist for the latest breakthroughs in qubits, hardware, algorithms, and industry deals. Tags: The Neuron With a keen intuition for emerging technologies, The Neuron brings over 5 years of deep expertise to the AI conversation. Coming from roots in software engineering, they've witnessed firsthand the transformation from traditional computing paradigms to today's ML-powered landscape. Their hands-on experience implementing neural networks and deep learning systems for Fortune 500 companies has provided unique insights that few tech writers possess. From developing recommendation engines that drive billions in revenue to optimizing computer vision systems for manufacturing giants, The Neuron doesn't just write about machine learning—they've shaped its real-world applications across industries. Having built real systems that are used across the globe by millions of users, that deep technological bases helps me write about the technologies of the future and current. Whether that is AI or Quantum Computing.