IBM and the U.S. Department of Commerce have signed a Letter of Intent for a proposed quantum chip foundry backed by up to $1 billion in CHIPS incentives.
The project would support Anderon, a new IBM company that the company describes as America’s first pure-play quantum foundry. IBM also plans to contribute $1 billion in cash, along with intellectual property, manufacturing assets and staff, as the company builds out the operation.
What Anderon Is Meant to Do
Anderon is planned as a standalone company headquartered in Albany, New York. Its role would be to manufacture quantum wafers, giving IBM and other quantum technology companies a U.S.-based source for advanced chip production. internal-link-topic: quantum computing hardware
IBM said the foundry would operate around 300-millimeter quantum wafer fabrication and initially support superconducting qubit wafers and related electronics. Over time, the company expects the operation to expand into other quantum technologies.
The announcement matters because quantum hardware still depends on specialized fabrication, testing and process development. A dedicated foundry could give companies a more reliable path from lab-scale devices to larger production runs, especially as the U.S. tries to keep more critical technology manufacturing inside the country.
The Deal Is Not Final Yet
The Commerce Department funding is still described as a proposed CHIPS award, and the launch of Anderon remains subject to final agreements between IBM and the department. That makes the announcement an important step, but not the completion of the deal. internal-link-topic: CHIPS Act semiconductor funding
IBM framed the project as part of a broader effort to strengthen U.S. quantum leadership, national security and the domestic semiconductor supply chain. If finalized, the investment would be one of the federal government’s largest quantum research and manufacturing commitments to date.