Key Takeaways
International Business Machines Corp. will establish the first U.S. pure-play quantum chip foundry with $2 billion in funding, a move that positions it at the center of America's domestic semiconductor ambitions and challenges the sector's established manufacturing models.
"With the support of the US Department of Commerce, Anderon will be well-positioned to fuel America's fast-growing quantum technology industry,” Arvind Krishna, IBM chairman and chief executive, said.
The Department of Commerce signed a letter of intent to provide a $1 billion grant from the CHIPS Act program. IBM will match this with a $1 billion cash investment, alongside intellectual property and personnel, to create the Anderon foundry in Albany, New York. The facility will be a 300-millimeter quantum wafer fab, a standard used for high-volume semiconductor manufacturing.
The news sent IBM shares up nearly 16% for their best weekly gain since October 2002, adding tens of billions to its market value. The investment is a direct challenge to the existing fabless model for quantum startups, who may now become customers of their largest competitor.
The federal backing is part of a larger $2 billion package to support the quantum industry, which the Trump administration has described as critical to national security. While IBM was the largest recipient, smaller grants were given to quantum firms like Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, and Infleqtion, whose shares also surged on the news.
“IBM wants to turn its captive quantum fab into an industry fab,” Patrick Moorhead, Chief Analyst at Moor Insights, said on X, noting it “could be America's first foundry purpose-built solely for quantum manufacturing.” Moorhead added that IBM has been fabricating its Loon and Nighthawk quantum processors on 300mm wafers in Albany since November 2025, meaning the new Anderon venture is a well-capitalized spinout of an existing operation.
The funding is a significant endorsement of quantum technology, likely fueled by national security concerns as countries like China advance their own capabilities. Just last week, a peer-reviewed paper in Nature showcased the power of Jiuzhang 4.0, a record-shattering photonic quantum computer from scientists at a state-sponsored Chinese university.
For investors, the Anderon announcement solidifies IBM's role at the core of the U.S. quantum ecosystem, but the near-term thesis still depends on its hybrid cloud and AI execution. While IBM projects quantum computing could generate up to $850 billion in economic value by 2040, the stock's immediate future remains tied to growth in its software and consulting segments. The federal funding does not remove the risk that a softer macro environment could slow discretionary IT spending.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
