Washington D.C, 23 October 2025 — The Donald Trump administration is reportedly exploring the acquisition of equity stakes in U.S. quantum-computing companies as part of a broader effort to bolster domestic supply chains and technological competitiveness.
According to the report, federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Commerce are in talks with firms such as IonQ, Inc., D‑Wave Quantum Inc., Rigetti Computing, Inc. and Quantum Computing Inc. about mechanisms that would pair federal funding with minority shareholdings in these firms.
The initiative comes on the heels of earlier government intervention in other strategic sectors: the U.S. has already taken or discussed taking stakes in companies tied to rare-earth materials and advanced semiconductors, such as MP Materials Corp. and Intel Corporation.
Why Quantum?
Quantum computing is seen as a pivotal technology with applications ranging from cryptography and materials science to logistics and artificial intelligence. For the U.S. government, promoting home-grown capabilities in this area also serves a broader national-security and economic-resilience agenda.
Market Reaction
In response to the reports, shares of publicly listed quantum-computing firms jumped. For example, companies such as IonQ, D-Wave and Rigetti saw gains of 12 %-14 % in pre-market trading. The move signals investors’ optimism that government backing could accelerate commercialisation of quantum technologies and improve revenue visibility.
Broader Strategic Implications
Analysts believe the move signals a deeper shift in U.S. industrial policy: wherein federal funding to strategic technology firms is increasingly tied to ownership stakes rather than purely grants or tax incentives. This trend, sometimes described as a form of “state capitalism,” raises questions about government-business interface, market dynamics, and long-term innovation governance.
Risks & Considerations
Despite the promise, quantum computing remains an emerging field with significant technical and commercial hurdles, such as error correction, scaling qubits, and achieving “quantum advantage.” Government intervention raises questions about market distortion, corporate governance, and whether the U.S. can truly leap ahead of global competitors such as China.
What This Means for Asia
For Asian economies with growing ambitions in technology and manufacturing, the U.S.’s move may have multiple implications:
- It underscores how supply-chain resilience and strategic technology sovereignty are shaping global investment flows.
- It may intensify competition for partnership, investment and talent in quantum and related tech sectors across the Asia-Pacific.
- It signals to Asian firms and governments that access to foundational technologies may increasingly come with geopolitically-tinged terms.
