IBM Launches First Quantum Chip Foundry in the U.S. with $2 Billion Investment

IBM has spun off Anderon, the first quantum chip foundry in the U.S. The project received a $1 billion grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce under the CHIPS Act, matched by IBM’s own investment. The foundry will be located in Albany, New York, and will specialize in producing 300mm wafers with superconducting qubit-based quantum processors.

Anderon will be the world’s first neutral foundry for quantum chips, offering services to third-party manufacturers. Currently, all quantum computers are built by vertically integrated companies that develop and produce their own hardware. Transitioning to 300mm wafers will increase the yield of finished devices by 30 times due to higher complexity and qubit density.

Federal funding has been distributed among nine companies, including GlobalFoundries ($375 million), Rigetti, D-Wave, and PsiQuantum (each receiving $100 million). Most recipients are required to provide the government with equity stakes. However, no such conditions have been announced for Anderon, raising questions about potential preferential treatment for IBM.

Experts note that Anderon’s market is limited, with only a few superconducting quantum chip manufacturers, such as Rigetti and SEEQC, likely to become key clients. Competitors like Google and IonQ are unlikely to collaborate with a foundry owned by IBM, the dominant player in the quantum technology market.

The Anderon project is part of the global race in quantum technologies. China has already invested over $15 billion, while Japan has allocated $7.4 billion for industry development. The U.S. aims to close the gap, but experts remain skeptical about the timeline for quantum computer commercialization, with Nvidia estimating at least 20 years before widespread adoption.