D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS) stock surged 12.24% in pre-market trading on Thursday, following reports that the Trump administration is in talks to take equity stakes in several quantum computing companies. This move signals a significant expansion of government intervention in what it considers critical segments of the economy.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, D-Wave Quantum, along with other companies like IonQ and Rigetti Computing, are discussing agreements that would make the U.S. government a shareholder in exchange for federal funding. The discussions reportedly include minimum funding awards of $10 million each from Washington. This potential investment is part of a broader initiative to support promising technology companies and maintain U.S. competitiveness in the quantum computing sector.

The news has sparked a rally across the quantum computing industry, with shares of several companies in the sector seeing significant pre-market gains. This development highlights the growing importance of quantum computing in national security and economic strategy. It also represents a continuation of the Trump administration's recent trend of taking stakes in companies deemed critical to national interests, following similar moves in the semiconductor and rare earth materials industries.