Yazılar

Quantum Computing Firm Infleqtion to Go Public via $1.8B SPAC Deal

/in /tarafından

Infleqtion, a quantum computing and precision sensor company, announced Monday it will go public through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp X, a SPAC led by Wall Street dealmaker Michael Klein, valuing the startup at $1.8 billion pre-investment.

The transaction is expected to provide Infleqtion with over $540 million before costs, including $416 million from the SPAC’s trust account and more than $125 million in PIPE funding from investors such as Maverick Capital, Counterpoint Global, and Glynn Capital.

The merged company will list under the ticker “INFQ” on a North American exchange, with closing expected by late 2025 or early 2026.

Founded in 2007, Infleqtion has raised $283 million to date and employs about 185 staff. Its quantum systems and sensors are already in use by Nvidia, NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the UK government. The company reported $29M in trailing 12-month revenue as of June 30 and projects $50M in booked and awarded business by end-2025.

Proceeds from the deal will accelerate product development and expand quantum applications in AI, national security, and space exploration.

Quantum peers IonQ, Rigetti, and D-Wave have also gone public via SPACs in recent years, though with mixed results amid challenges scaling the technology commercially. Infleqtion hopes its government partnerships and enterprise clients give it an edge in bridging R&D with practical deployment.

ASML to Become Top Shareholder in Mistral AI With $1.5B Investment

/in /tarafından

ASML, the Dutch maker of cutting-edge chipmaking equipment, will become the top shareholder in French startup Mistral AI after leading its latest €1.7 billion (~$2B) Series C funding round, sources told Reuters. ASML is committing €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion), securing a board seat at Mistral in the process.

The funding values Mistral at €10 billion ($11.7 billion) pre-money, making it the most valuable AI company in Europe. The deal underscores Europe’s push for technological sovereignty, reducing reliance on U.S. and Chinese AI models.

Founded in 2023 by Arthur Mensch (ex-DeepMind) along with Timothée Lacroix and Guillaume Lample (ex-Meta), Mistral has quickly positioned itself as Europe’s AI champion, competing with giants like OpenAI and Google. It was last valued above $6 billion in 2023 and has backing from Nvidia.

ASML, the sole supplier of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines—vital for advanced chipmaking by firms like TSMC and Intel—could integrate Mistral’s AI-driven data analytics to improve its €180 million EUV systems. The partnership could bolster both firms: Mistral gains capital and industrial ties, while ASML sharpens its AI-enabled chipmaking capabilities.

The move highlights a rare strategic alignment of two European tech powerhouses. By tying together semiconductor infrastructure and AI model development, the partnership signals Europe’s intent to carve out a sovereign AI ecosystem in a field dominated by U.S. and Chinese players.

Nvidia Warns U.S. GAIN AI Act Could Harm Competition, Echoes AI Diffusion Rule

/in /tarafından

Nvidia criticized the proposed GAIN AI Act on Friday, warning that it would restrict global competition and hurt the U.S. economy much like last year’s AI Diffusion Rule, which limited the export of high-performance chips.

The Guaranteeing Access and Innovation for National Artificial Intelligence Act, introduced as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, would require AI chipmakers to prioritize domestic orders before fulfilling foreign contracts. Exporters would also need licenses to ship chips above certain performance thresholds, specifically processors rated 4,800 or higher in total computing power.

In a statement, Nvidia argued the law addresses a non-existent issue:

“We never deprive American customers in order to serve the rest of the world. In trying to solve a problem that does not exist, the proposed bill would restrict competition worldwide in any industry that uses mainstream computing chips.”

The Act mirrors the AI Diffusion Rule enacted under President Joe Biden, which rationed computing capacity among allies while cutting off rivals like China. Both measures reflect Washington’s effort to secure U.S. access to advanced silicon and limit China’s AI capabilities, particularly amid concerns about its military applications.

The debate comes just weeks after President Donald Trump struck a deal with Nvidia allowing the company to resume certain AI chip exports to China in exchange for the U.S. government receiving a cut of sales—an unprecedented arrangement underscoring the geopolitical stakes around advanced semiconductors.

If enacted, the GAIN AI Act could reshape the global AI hardware supply chain, tightening U.S. control over who gets access to the most powerful chips.