Insider Brief
- Infleqtion has formally launched its $6.2 million ARPA-E ENCODE project, focused on applying quantum-enhanced computing methods to optimize U.S. energy grid operations.
- The project targets grid optimization challenges that are increasingly difficult for classical solvers, driven by rising electricity demand from electrification and AI workloads.
- Infleqtion will collaborate with national laboratories and industry partners, including Argonne National Laboratory, NLR, EPRI, and ComEd, to advance scalable, energy-efficient quantum approaches for critical infrastructure.
PRESS RELEASE — Infleqtion, a global leader in quantum computing and quantum sensing, today announced it has executed its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), formally launching development under its $6.2 million Enhancing Neutral-atom Computers for Optimizing Delivery of Energy (ENCODE) project. This program, which includes key collaborations with Argonne National Laboratory, the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), EPRI, and ComEd, is the first quantum project for the department focusing on advancing the application of quantum-enhanced computational methods to revolutionize energy grid optimization. This announcement follows Infleqtion’s plans to go public through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp X (NASDAQ: CCCX).
Expanding Energy Capability
As electricity demand rises due to rapid electrification and power-intensive AI computing, grid operators face optimization challenges that exceed the capacity of classical systems. While industry-standard solvers like Gurobi and CPLEX have delivered billions of dollars in annual value by optimizing these systems, they are reaching their computational limits. The ENCODE program addresses this gap by applying quantum-enhanced logic to provide the precision and speed necessary for a secure and stable energy future. Infleqtion’s unique quantum solutions have the potential to improve energy affordability and increase grid stability by enabling more efficient dispatch, transmission, and resource optimization across increasingly complex power systems.
The Full Stack Advantage
Achieving quantum progress in the energy sector requires co-design across the full computing stack. Infleqtion’s end-to-end capabilities, from our neutral-atom processors to the Superstaq optimization layer, uniquely position us to accelerate development in grid optimization. Our platform offers a dual benefit for critical infrastructure: it is built on a foundation of large-scale neutral-atom arrays, having already demonstrated 1,600 qubit array, and operates on kilowatts of energy. This scalability is further validated by our recent achievement of 12 logical qubits with error detection, paving the way for fault-tolerant computing without the megawatt-scale demands of traditional supercomputers.
“As the surge in power-intensive computing and new demands on domestic energy production push our infrastructure to its limits, securing the grid has become a matter of national capability,” said Matt Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion. “We are grateful for ARPA-E’s leadership in prioritizing the use of quantum computing to solve the hyper-complex optimization problems facing modern power networks, ensuring a resilient national system that is truly equipped for the next decade of demand.”
A Trusted Partner in National Security
This contract execution marks another milestone in Infleqtion’s 19-year history as a trusted supplier to the U.S. government and its allies. With hundreds of successful contracts for government and commercial entities, Infleqtion’s deep-rooted experience ensures its solutions are grounded in technical stability and a proven track record of advancing quantum technology for emerging and critical infrastructure.
Strategic Collaboration for Critical Infrastructure
Beyond this specific contract, Infleqtion’s work across the Department of Energy laboratory system includes ongoing efforts with Argonne National Laboratory and the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), including this recently awarded ARPA-E initiative. Together, these partnerships underscore Infleqtion’s broad commitment to supporting national labs with scalable quantum software and technologies that accelerate both foundational research and real-world impact.
