D-Wave Picks Boca Raton for New U.S. Headquarters, Promises Hundreds of High-Paying Quantum Jobs
D-Wave Quantum is relocating its corporate headquarters from Palo Alto to the Boca Raton Innovation Campus in Florida by late 2026, establishing a U.S. R&D hub expected to create hundreds of high-paying technology and research jobs.
- Headquarters move: 25,000-square-foot lease at the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC) with completion targeted by end of 2026.
- Jobs: Company projects “hundreds” of high-paying technology, R&D, testing and support roles to be staffed in Boca Raton.
- R&D and partnerships: Plans include a U.S. R&D hub and a $20 million sale/installation tied to Florida Atlantic University (FAU).
- Resilience: Boca Raton adds bicoastal redundancy to D‑Wave’s labs across North America.
Move details and facility
D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Palo Alto to the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC), signing a lease for roughly 25,000 square feet. The company says the transition will be completed by the end of 2026. For D‑Wave’s announcement, see the D‑Wave press release.
BRiC is a 1.7-million-square-foot former IBM campus renovated after a $100 million investment by CP Group; amenities include a wellness center, on-site dining and roughly 1,100 parking spaces—features attractive to firms moving from high-density tech markets. Coverage on BRiC and campus details appears in industry reporting such as Investing.com coverage.
Why D‑Wave picked Florida
CEO Dr. Alan Baratz cited Florida’s growing technology ecosystem, strong science and education pipelines, and an expanding pool of skilled workers as key reasons for selecting Boca Raton. The company also noted rapidly rising demand for its systems—reporting a 314% increase in use of Advantage2 annealing systems over the past year and a 114% increase in Stride hybrid solver use in six months—data D‑Wave referenced when announcing the move (investing.com).
“Florida’s fast-growing tech scene, strong science and education pipeline, and growing pool of skilled workers made the state an ideal place for our next phase,” — Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO.
U.S. R&D, redundancy and partnerships
D‑Wave will base core R&D, testing and support functions at BRiC, creating a new U.S. research-and-development hub focused on advancing its annealing roadmap while expanding gate-model work. The company will retain labs in New Haven, Conn.; Burnaby, B.C.; Marina Del Rey, Calif.; and Huntsville, Ala., providing bicoastal and continental redundancy (SEC filing (8‑K)).
D‑Wave disclosed a related $20 million agreement to install an Advantage2 annealing quantum computer on the nearby campus of Florida Atlantic University (FAU), intended to deepen research ties and broaden access for students and faculty (8‑K; StockTitan).
Economic and workforce impact
State and local officials hailed the relocation as a win for Palm Beach County and for Florida’s broader push to attract advanced-technology employers. Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly and local leaders framed the move as a boost to sectors including manufacturing, life sciences, cybersecurity and defense (D‑Wave press release).
D‑Wave projects the shift will create “hundreds” of high-paying technology and R&D jobs. Local reporting and company filings note plans to staff core research, testing and support teams at the new site, though a detailed hiring timeline was not included in the initial announcement (CBS12 local reporting).
Market context and company size
D‑Wave has been a public company since 2022. Market commentary noted a strong equity run—reports cited a greater than 330% increase in the prior year with trading near $25.11 and a market capitalization around $9.3 billion at the time of coverage, reflecting renewed investor interest as quantum computing advances toward commercial use (Investing.com coverage).
What to watch: timelines and staffing
Key near-term items include D‑Wave’s hiring timeline for Boca Raton, the planned expansion of gate-model work (with an initial system expected later in 2026) and the operational timeline for the FAU Advantage2 installation. Local universities and workforce programs will be central to training and staffing pipelines.
Implications: the move both widens U.S. access to commercial quantum annealing tools—supporting industries like logistics, defense, materials science and finance—and strengthens geographic diversity for critical technology infrastructure.
