If you're looking for stocks that have the potential to go parabolic, you're going to have to look past well-established companies and toward those with big potential. These types of stocks carry considerably more risk, but if one hits it big, the payoff will be worth it.
Let's look at two growth stocks that have the potential to go parabolic.
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1. IonQ
IonQ (IONQ 5.14%) wants to do for quantum computing what Nvidia did for artificial intelligence (AI), and it's not shy about saying so. The company is trying to solve one of the hardest problems in tech, which is to make quantum computing less prone to errors.
Because quantum computing uses qubits that can be either a 0 or 1 at the same time, it can solve problems exponentially faster than traditional computing. The catch, though, is that this also makes the technology error-prone.
IonQ is betting that its trapped-ion technology, which uses actual atoms instead of fabricated qubits, can deliver more stable results with fewer errors. It's also developed its Clifford Noise Reduction software to help reduce logical error rates even further.
The company also understands that quantum computers and software by themselves don't solve the entire issue of quantum computing, so it has also invested in and acquired companies involved in quantum networking and other areas. It recently showed that it can convert photons from its trapped-ion system into telecom wavelengths, which would allow quantum computers to communicate over existing fiber networks. That opens the door to a future quantum internet.
While IonQ is well capitalized, the company has only generated $28.3 million in revenue through the first half of the year and has produced negative free cash flow of $89 million. This is not a stock you're buying because it's about to see a big surge in revenue or profits -- you're investing in its future potential. The problem is that no one knows if and when this potential will be realized.
However, the prize, if IonQ succeeds, is enormous. If a company can crack the code for quantum computing, its stock will likely go parabolic.
2. SoundHound AI
While IonQ is working to reinvent computing, SoundHound AI (SOUN -0.14%) is turning its focus on changing how people interact with AI. The company has its roots in music recognition, but has evolved into a voice-first AI platform. Its goal is to take AI beyond just text chat and apply voice AI so that people can interact with AI more naturally. As AI moves to its next phase with AI agents, this becomes even more important.
SoundHound's Amelia 7.0 platform is a big step in that direction. It's designed to let AI agents go beyond answering questions to actually planning and executing tasks through natural conversation. Its technology was designed to handle speech-to-meaning and deep-meaning understanding in real time, which means it can process what someone is saying even before they finish talking.
Meanwhile, SoundHound's acquisition of Amelia brought with it conversational intelligence and industry-specific knowledge. This type of voice-first platform would be huge in helping companies automate call centers or customer service without frustrating customers.
SoundHound AI has been seeing rapid growth, with revenue surging 217% year over year in its most recent quarter to $42.7 million. Meanwhile, management expects to reach adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) profitability by the end of 2025. SoundHound is currently transitioning 15 of its largest customers to Amelia 7.0, so this growth is coming even before its big agentic AI push.
Competition in AI agents is intense, but SoundHound's voice-first approach could be a real differentiator. If it can become a leader in agentic AI, this relatively small company could see its stock price move sharply higher over the next few years.
