Key facts
- IonQ and IBM are identified as two leading quantum computing stocks for long-term investment.
- IonQ's Superion 256 platform is available for order, representing its hardware roadmap.
- IBM plans to deliver its large-scale, fault-tolerant Quantum Starling system in 2029.
- Quantum computing could aid in drug discovery, materials science, optimization, and cybersecurity.
- IBM is investing over $10 billion in quantum computing over the next five years.
Quantum computing companies IonQ and International Business Machines (IBM) are highlighted as compelling long-term investment opportunities, with analysts suggesting a 10-year holding period. Both companies are making significant strides in developing quantum hardware and integrating the technology into various sectors.
IonQ is positioning itself as a merchant supplier of quantum hardware and services. In September, the company launched its Superion product line, featuring the Superion 256 platform, a sixth-generation trapped-ion system developed in partnership with foundry SkyWater. This launch signifies IonQ's ability to offer a clear hardware roadmap and actual products. Additionally, IonQ has successfully demonstrated networking capabilities by linking two independent trapped-ion quantum systems using photonic interconnects, a crucial step for scaling future quantum computers beyond single units.
IBM is pursuing a strategy of weaving quantum computing into supercomputing, industry research, and national infrastructure. The company has committed over $10 billion to quantum computing initiatives over the next five years, covering research, chip manufacturing, and ecosystem development. IBM's roadmap includes the Quantum Starling system, a large-scale, fault-tolerant machine targeted for delivery in 2029, which is expected to perform approximately 20,000 times more operations than current quantum machines. IBM is also developing the necessary infrastructure, such as modular cryogenic systems capable of hosting hundreds of quantum chips, and has proposed a "quantum-centric supercomputing" architecture to integrate quantum processors with other computing engines.
Experts believe that over the next decade, quantum workloads will evolve from experimental stages to practical tools for optimization, simulation, and AI fine-tuning across diverse fields including drug discovery, chip design, finance, and logistics. This projected growth, coupled with the companies' ongoing technological advancements and strategic investments, underpins the long-term investment thesis for both IonQ and IBM.