French quantum computing firm Pasqal is gearing up for a big moment. It is listing on Nasdaq through a SPAC deal that values the company at $2 billion. That’s about 100 times its revenue from 2025, which was €16.5 million. This valuation puts Pasqal in an interesting spot compared to rivals like Quantinuum, which trades near a $20 billion market cap. Quantinuum’s valuation is roughly 647 times its 2025 revenue.
Pasqal’s filings are clear about the risks. They warn that commercial success for quantum computing might never happen. The technology might not deliver as hoped. But Pasqal is also unique because it’s a French company working on critical tech. Its filings mention “French state influence.” Any big investor who isn’t from France or the EU must get approval from the French Ministry of the Economy. This “kill switch” ensures national control over the company’s future.
Pasqal expects to raise about $500 million from its Nasdaq listing. The combined company, named Pasqal Holding SA, aims to close the deal in the second half of 2026. The CEO, Wasiq Bokhari, is leading the charge in a market that’s watching closely.
Meta’s Louisiana AI Data Center Expansion
Meanwhile, Meta is supercharging its AI infrastructure in the U.S. The company announced that its Louisiana data center, called Hyperion, will grow to 5 gigawatts of compute power. This project will cost more than $50 billion. It is one of the largest AI infrastructure investments globally.
The impact on the local community is already visible. Teachers in Richland Parish have received bonuses tied to the project. Last year, they got $10,000, and this year, some bonuses topped $50,000. Meta has also awarded more than $1.6 billion in contracts to local Louisiana businesses since the data center’s groundbreaking in December 2024.
Meta plans to invest over $1 billion in local infrastructure upgrades to support this massive facility. The data center is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs in the area, boosting the local economy and workforce.
Broader Moves in AI and Semiconductor Markets
A few other big names are moving toward public markets. OpenAI and Anthropic, two leading AI firms, have filed S1 forms in the U.S. but haven’t set exact IPO dates. OpenAI’s target valuation is above a trillion dollars. Anthropic is expected to push ahead with an IPO, possibly in October.
SpaceX also made headlines with its IPO. The company had a $2 trillion valuation at the offering. Its shares jumped from $135 to over $200 during the IPO but later dropped back.
SK Hynix, a South Korean chipmaker, completed a U.S. listing in July 2026. It plans to grow aggressively in the U.S. through stock market presence and building manufacturing plants.
Advances in AI Hardware and Optical Links
Nvidia launched a product called NVLink Fusion in 2025. This technology allows cloud providers and hyperscalers to build custom AI systems using Nvidia’s scale-up fabric. Partners of NVLink Fusion include Ayar Labs, Marvell Technologies, and Lightmatter.
Data centers are pushing electrical links toward terabit-per-second speeds. But higher frequencies cause more heat, power use, and signal loss. That’s why optical interconnects are gaining attention. These use light to move data, promising faster and cooler connections.
Companies like Ayar Labs and Lightmatter are developing optical chiplets and photonic interposers. Lightmatter is even working on a photonic interposer that stacks processors directly on a silicon photonics engine. Hybrid bonding is improving how electronic and photonic chiplets combine into single optical engines.
Nvidia plans to increase the number of interconnected GPUs from 72 today to as many as 576 by 2027. The company expects optical technologies to move into scale-up networking as AI bandwidth demands grow. Their approach is gradual, starting with scale-out and then moving up to scale-up connections. Future AI systems could span multiple server racks using a mix of electrical, optical, and other link technologies.
All these developments show how the AI and quantum computing landscape is evolving fast. From France’s quantum gamble to Meta’s massive data center and the drive for faster AI hardware, the tech world is gearing up for big changes ahead.
Based on
- Pasqal’s SPAC filings reveal a $2bn French quantum bet, and a French kill switch — thenextweb.com
- Meta is doubling down on its Louisiana AI data center | Business Insider Africa — africa.businessinsider.com
- After SpaceX, what investors must know about OpenAI and Anthropic IPOs | The Independent — independent.co.uk
- SK Hynix ADR on Nasdaq: What Investors Need to Know About Trading Debut – Business Insider — businessinsider.com
- Nvlink Fusion Optics Push Past the Copper Wall – IEEE Spectrum — spectrum.ieee.org
