The IBM-backed company landed the largest single allocation from the CHIPS quantum initiative, with IBM matching the government's billion-dollar commitment dollar for dollar.
Anderon, the IBM-backed quantum manufacturing startup, has finalized a $1 billion award from the US Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act. The September 16 announcement makes it the single largest recipient in the CHIPS quantum initiative, which distributed roughly $2 billion across nine companies.
IBM is matching the federal commitment with its own $1 billion cash investment, bringing total funding for Anderon’s Albany, New York foundry to $2 billion. That’s a serious bet on a company that only formalized its relationship with the Commerce Department via a letter of intent back in May 2026.
America’s first pure-play quantum foundry
Anderon operates out of the Albany NanoTech Complex, where it manufactures superconducting qubit wafers and supporting electronics. It’s positioned as the first purpose-built pure-play quantum foundry in the US. The foundry has already begun early production, with its first quantum wafers rolling off the line.
Anderon isn’t just building wafers for IBM’s quantum roadmap. The foundry serves multiple quantum hardware vendors, functioning more like TSMC does for classical chips than like an in-house fab.
CEO Mukesh Khare framed the award as a catalyst for the broader industry, stating that the agreement strengthens Anderon’s manufacturing capabilities essential for quantum’s growth.
The CHIPS Act’s quantum chapter
Of the roughly $2 billion earmarked for quantum across nine companies, Anderon’s $1 billion award accounts for half the total pool. The letter of intent between IBM and the Department of Commerce was signed on May 21, 2026, setting up the framework for this finalized agreement.
Why superconducting qubits matter
Anderon’s focus on superconducting qubit wafers places it squarely in the most commercially advanced lane of quantum computing. Superconducting qubits, the same technology underpinning IBM’s own quantum processors, require fabrication techniques that overlap meaningfully with classical semiconductor manufacturing but demand tolerances and materials expertise that most existing fabs simply don’t have.
