The U.S. Department of Commerce provided a total of $2 billion in government grants to nine quantum computing companies and acquired equity stakes in related transactions.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a total of $2 billion in government grants to nine quantum computing companies, including IBM, and will acquire equity stakes in related transactions. This move aims to accelerate the development of the emerging quantum computing industry and promote the construction of more stable and scalable quantum computing systems. The report states that this funding arrangement is part of the Trump administration's plan to maintain the U.S.'s competitive advantage in cutting-edge computing and usher in a "new era of technological innovation."