Quantinuum Inc. has finalized a definitive agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Research and Development Office for up to $100 million in federal funding. The award, which follows a non-binding letter of intent announced in May 2026, is intended to support research and development activities related to scaling trapped-ion quantum computing systems.
Under the terms of the award, $56.0 million will be disbursed immediately, with an additional $32.0 million and $12.0 million available upon the achievement of specific project milestones. The funding is contingent on the company issuing equity securities to the Department of Commerce. The company has issued 2,369,528 shares of Class A common stock to the Department of Commerce as of September 8, 2026.
The project, which is scheduled to run until the earlier of project completion or the fifth anniversary of the award date, focuses on three key technical areas: the development of low-loss integrated photonics at 422 nanometers, the prototyping of control application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) on a high-voltage process for cryogenic operation, and the development of optical components at trapped-ion critical wavelengths.
The agreement includes specific requirements regarding intellectual property and domestic production. The company is required to maintain an intellectual property rights management plan and must ensure that any inventions generated through the project are predominantly produced or licensed for production in the United States. The Department of Commerce has the right to claw back funds or terminate the agreement in the event of a material failure to comply with these requirements.
In addition to the federal funding, Quantinuum is partnering with GlobalFoundries and Monarch Quantum. GlobalFoundries will fabricate next-generation ion traps and control electronics using 300mm wafer technology, while Monarch Quantum will develop and manufacture scalable lasers and optical components. The company stated that this collaboration aims to strengthen the domestic supply chain and improve the reliability of quantum hardware.
