IonQ, Microsoft, PsiQuantum, Rigetti, D-Wave and the Rest of the Field
IonQ
A trapped ion company that has grown through acquisitions, including Oxford Ionics and the chip maker SkyWater. In September 2026 it unveiled the sixth generation Superion 256 platform, designed for high volume semiconductor fabrication with on-chip electronic control instead of external lasers, and targets commercial deliveries in 2027. Reports say annual revenue passed 100 million dollars.
Microsoft
Microsoft announced Majorana 1 in 2025, a chip built around topological qubits, an approach that could have built in error protection. The scientific community has debated the evidence, so watch for independent confirmation. See topological qubits.
PsiQuantum
PsiQuantum is building a photonic quantum computer in large facilities with chip foundry partners, aiming straight for fault tolerance rather than small noisy machines. See photonic quantum computing.
Rigetti and D-Wave
Rigetti makes superconducting gate model chips. D-Wave sells quantum annealers, a different technology covered in gate model vs annealing. Both are publicly traded.
Neutral atoms and photonics
Pasqal, QuEra and Infleqtion use arrays of atoms held by lasers. See neutral atoms. Pasqal's SPAC deal was announced March 4, 2026 and reportedly completed on August 27, 2026 (ticker PSQL), and Infleqtion trades on the NYSE as INFQ. Xanadu and IQM round out the growth stage field, and IQM has traded as IQMX since July 2, 2026.
What to watch
- Logical qubit counts and error rates, not just physical qubit counts.
- Real customer revenue versus research contracts.
- Whether manufacturing deals deliver working chips.
Caution
Quantum stocks and tokens swing hard on news. This page is educational only. See risk management.
PsiQuantum: where the build stands
PsiQuantum raised about 1 billion dollars in 2025, with NVIDIA's venture arm among the investors, according to coverage, to build large facilities in Brisbane and Chicago. Reports say it broke ground at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in late 2025, where a large test system is meant to be evaluated under DARPA's benchmarking program, and that it still aims for a utility scale machine in Brisbane by the end of 2027. We did not find 2026-dated reporting on either site in our sources, so check the company for progress. See the PsiQuantum bet explained and the DARPA program.
Microsoft: status of Majorana
As of 2026-10-09 we found no new independent confirmation of the topological claims in the sources we could read. The debate and a retraction connected to earlier Majorana work are covered in the Majorana claims check and the Majorana debate. Microsoft also works with neutral atom partners, see Atom Computing and Microsoft.
Rigetti and D-Wave in more depth
Rigetti builds chiplet based superconducting systems (Cepheus explained). D-Wave's annealers have been the subject of both big claims and rebuttals (the Flatiron rebuttal). Being public means quarterly numbers you can read. See how pure plays make money.
Neutral atoms and photonics in brief
QuEra's work with Harvard on fault tolerance is in this guide, and the broader roundup is in Infleqtion, Pasqal and planqc. On the photonic side see Xanadu and Quandela. The listing dates mentioned above are as reported by the press, so confirm them with each company.
A simple scorecard for any company
- Is there a peer reviewed result with error rates, not just qubit counts?
- Can customers use the machine today, and are they paying?
- Is the roadmap specific, with dates that have been met before?
- Does revenue come from products or mostly from research contracts?
None of this is a recommendation to buy or avoid any company, and no company here is connected to the QNT memecoin.
Sources and further reading
- Quantum Computing Report: IonQ Superion
- Quantum Zeitgeist: quantum computing companies in 2026
- PostQuantum.com: company profiles
- DatacenterDynamics: PsiQuantum raises 1bn
- Evertiq: PsiQuantum breaks ground in Chicago
Reported as of 2026-10-09. Company roadmaps are targets and often slip. Check each company's own announcements.
Frequently asked questions
What is IonQ's Superion?
A sixth generation chip platform unveiled in September 2026, with on-chip electronics, aimed at high volume fabrication and customer deliveries in 2027.
Did Microsoft build a topological qubit?
Microsoft announced Majorana 1 in 2025. The evidence has been debated, so look for independent confirmation.
What is the difference between D-Wave and IBM?
D-Wave sells quantum annealers for optimization problems. IBM builds gate model machines aimed at general quantum computing.
Are these companies connected to QNT?
No.
Who is closest to a fault tolerant machine?
Nobody has a large one yet. Google and IBM have published the most concrete error correction paths, and trapped ion firms lead on accuracy.
Are quantum stocks safe?
No stock is risk free, and quantum stocks swing hard on news. This is not investment advice.
Keep reading
- The Biggest Innovators in Quantum Computing in 2026
A tour of the companies pushing quantum forward in 2026: IBM, Google, Quantinuum Ltd, IonQ, Microsoft, PsiQuantum, Rigetti, D-Wave, Pasqal, Xanadu, IQM and NVIDIA. - Gate Model vs Quantum Annealing: What Is the Difference?
Gate model quantum computers run circuits of gates; quantum annealers solve optimization problems. Learn the difference in plain English and why it matters. - Quantum Computing Companies to Know (and Not to Confuse)
A neutral overview of well-known quantum computing companies and what approach each takes, plus how they differ from a memecoin. - The People Leading the Charge in Quantum Computing
Researchers and executives who shaped quantum computing: Neven, Gambetta, Hazra, Devoret, Martinis, Shor, Preskill, Nayak, O'Brien, Gidney, Aspect and more.
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