Rigetti Computing is expanding its footprint in government-backed quantum research, formalizing its intent to collaborate with US federal agencies on advancing quantum computing capabilities.
The move puts the California-based company at the center of a growing push by the US government to develop quantum technologies with national security implications, particularly around fault-tolerant quantum computing and cryptographic resilience.
What Rigetti is actually building
Rigetti isn’t some startup pitching slide decks. The company, founded in 2013, operates its own in-house superconducting quantum processor fabrication facility. Think of it as the rare quantum company that designs the chips and builds them under the same roof, a vertical integration play in a field where most competitors outsource at least part of the hardware stack.
On April 28, 2025, Rigetti received a $5.48 million award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The funding targets the development of its Alternating-Bias Assisted Annealing technology, known as ABAA, a chip-fabrication process designed to reduce defects in superconducting qubits.
