Overview

• Rigetti secured a three‑year, $5.8 million Air Force Research Laboratory contract to advance superconducting quantum networking, collaborating with Netherlands‑based QphoX to explore scaling via networked processors.
• Rigetti shares set new 52‑week highs after the award, while peers D‑Wave and IonQ also rallied on sector momentum tied to government activity.
• IonQ signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Energy to design and execute an orbital demonstration of quantum‑secure communications using its satellite platform.
• Sector strength also reflected a solid D‑Wave update, with additional tailwinds reported from a media account of potential U.S. quantum‑strategy expansion that has not been confirmed.
• Analysts caution that many public quantum companies remain unprofitable with limited revenue, signaling multi‑year paths to commercialization despite recent stock gains.