Wall Street loves chasing the next artificial intelligence (AI) darling. But the truly patient investors are already looking beyond today's graphics processing unit (GPU) shortage to a more fundamental shift in computing itself. Quantum computing has graduated from physics labs to Fortune 500 pilot programs -- and three publicly traded pure-play quantum companies are leading the charge.
The search for the next Nvidia (NVDA 1.83%) requires looking beyond simple hardware metrics. The winner will likely be the company that establishes a full-stack ecosystem, locking in developers the way Nvidia's Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) platform did for AI. Here are three quantum computing stocks I'd buy today for exposure to this powerful mega-trend.
Image source: Getty Images.
The fidelity leader
IonQ (IONQ +5.11%) has emerged as the blue chip candidate in the quantum race. The company's trapped-ion technology achieved a world-record 99.99% 2-qubit gate fidelity in October 2025 -- a "four nines" benchmark that crosses the critical threshold for efficient error correction. This isn't just a bragging right. It means IonQ can, in principle, build useful logical qubits with far fewer physical qubits than competitors stuck at 99.5% fidelity.
NYSE: IONQ
Key Data Points
The financial picture is equally compelling. Third-quarter 2025 revenue hit $39.9 million, representing 222% year-over-year growth. Full-year guidance of $106 million to $110 million confirms that IonQ is converting bookings into real revenue. More importantly, a $3.5 billion cash position (pro forma after a recent secondary offering) gives the company a strategic weapon for acquisitions and talent wars. The recently completed acquisitions of Vector Atomic and Oxford Ionics signal a move toward platform dominance.
The modular scaler
Rigetti Computing (RGTI +0.04%) takes a different approach -- superconducting qubits arranged in a modular, multichip architecture. Think of it as the Advanced Micro Devices strategy for quantum: Rather than building one massive chip, Rigetti bonds smaller, high-yielding chips together. This mirrors the semiconductor industry's successful chiplet revolution.
NASDAQ: RGTI
Key Data Points
The company's 84-qubit Ankaa-3 system achieves a median 2-qubit gate fidelity of 99.5 -- lower than IonQ's but improving rapidly. The key advantage is speed. Superconducting qubits operate in nanoseconds versus microseconds for trapped ions.
Rigetti has also commercialized its technology through the sale of Novera quantum processing units (QPUs) to the Air Force Research Laboratory, universities, and commercial partners. With roughly $600 million in cash and investments as of early November 2025 and its own Fab-1 foundry in California, Rigetti has the runway to pursue its chiplet roadmap, including a 100-plus qubit modular system targeted for 2025 and larger utility-scale machines beyond that.
The pragmatist with optionality
D-Wave Quantum (QBTS +1.12%) is often misunderstood. Critics dismiss it as "just an annealer" -- a specialized quantum computer for optimization problems rather than a universal machine. But that specialization is generating revenue today while competitors wait for fault-tolerant systems.
NYSE: QBTS
Key Data Points
D-Wave's Advantage2 system boasts over 4,400 annealing qubits with 20-way connectivity, and the company now counts 133 customers across commercial, research, and government sectors, including Volkswagen, Mastercard, and Lockheed Martin. Q3 2025 revenue doubled year over year to $3.7 million.
Meanwhile, D-Wave is quietly building a universal gate-model computer using fluxonium qubits -- a bet that could leapfrog the transmon technology used by most superconducting competitors. A cash position of roughly $836 million, up sharply from earlier in 2025, dramatically reduces near-term liquidity risk and gives D-Wave meaningful runway, even though profitability remains a long way off.
The quantum basket approach
No one knows which qubit architecture will ultimately dominate. Trapped ions offer superior fidelity. Superconducting systems offer speed. Annealing provides utility today. For investors willing to accept volatility in exchange for asymmetric upside, owning all three creates a diversified bet on the quantum future.
That said, all three remain unprofitable, and their stock prices already reflect high expectations for future success. If technical scaling or market adoption stumbles, the downside could be steep.
The risks are real -- premium valuations, unproven scaling, and competition from deep-pocketed tech giants. However, the potential market of $45 billion to $131 billion by 2040 suggests the rewards could outweigh the risks. The Quantum Industrial Revolution has begun. These three stocks offer front-row seats.
