Nine quantum computing companies receive $2B in federal grants under deals including government equity stakes, sparking premarket stock rallies.
Quantum computing stocks surged in premarket trading after the U.S. government awarded $2B in grants to nine firms, with deals including equity stakes. The funding aims to accelerate technological advancements in the sector.
The grants follow prior federal investments in emerging technologies, though this marks the first large-scale equity participation by the government. Comparable programs have targeted semiconductors and clean energy, but quantum computing remains a high-risk, high-reward focus.
Premarket gains reflected investor optimism about the sector’s growth potential, though trading volumes remained thin ahead of the official market open.