Two Quantum Computing Stocks Poised for Takeoff: IonQ and Rigetti Lead the Scalability Charge

The quantum computing sector is no longer a distant dream. By mid-2025, it's a market with $854 million in annual sales, fueled by strategic partnerships, tangible revenue streams, and breakthroughs in error correction and scalability. Among the pack, IonQ (IONQ) and Rigetti Computing (RGTI) stand out as the best bets for investors seeking near-term commercial upside. Both companies have built moats through partnerships with industry giants, delivered verified revenue, and prioritized R&D efficiency—key factors that reduce risk in this nascent field.

Let's dive into why these two stocks are primed for growth.

IonQ (IONQ): The Trapped-Ion Leader with Strategic Scale

Why It's a Buy:
IonQ has become the poster child for quantum commercialization. Its trapped-ion qubits—a hardware architecture known for superior coherence and error resilience—are now powering partnerships with AWS, Microsoft, and Google Cloud. These alliances aren't just about branding; they're revenue generators. For example, IonQ's cloud-based quantum services are already embedded in enterprise workflows for drug discovery, materials science, and logistics optimization.

Key Catalysts:
1. Acquisitions with Impact: IonQ's $1.1 billion purchase of Oxford Ionics (a DARPA-backed firm) and its Boston-based rival Lightsynq Technologies has turbocharged its roadmap. Oxford Ionics' work on fault-tolerant quantum computers (target: 2033) gives IonQ a clear path to scaling.
2. Analyst Backing: Needham's $50 price target (vs. current $38.71/share) reflects confidence in its five-year development targets being met by 2025.
3. Stock Performance: IonQ's shares are up 386.9% year-to-date, a stark contrast to the broader tech sector's volatility.

Risk Mitigation:
IonQ's partnerships with cloud giants insulate it from the “lab-to-market” execution risk. These allies also provide critical data and compute resources, accelerating IonQ's ability to refine algorithms and scale qubit counts.

Rigetti Computing (RGTI): Hybrid Systems for Near-Term Impact

Why It's a Buy:
Rigetti is the practical play in quantum computing. Its hybrid quantum-classical systems allow enterprises to tackle problems today, not in a distant future. Clients like NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and HSBC are already paying for access to its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services (RQCS).

Key Catalysts:
1. Defensible Client Base: Rigetti's work with defense and financial clients (e.g., optimizing supply chains, simulating molecular interactions) generates recurring revenue. Its hybrid approach—using classical algorithms to preprocess data for quantum processing—ensures relevance even as error rates remain high.
2. Funding for Growth: A $350 million equity offering in early 2025 has bolstered its R&D budget. This capital will likely fuel advancements in quantum interconnects and co-processor integration, making its systems more accessible to enterprises.
3. Stock Value: Despite a dip in 2025, RGTI is up 1,086% annually, and its $12.10/share price offers a discount relative to IonQ's valuation.

Risk Mitigation:
Rigetti's focus on short-to-medium-term applications (e.g., quantum-inspired algorithms for classical computers) reduces reliance on perfecting fault tolerance. This “crawl-walk-run” strategy makes its revenue streams more predictable and defensible.

The Broader Market: A Confluence of Catalysts

The sector's growth is being supercharged by $2 billion in venture capital and $10 billion in global government funding (e.g., Australia's $620M for PsiQuantum, Japan's $7.4B quantum push). Breakthroughs in error correction (Google's Willow chip, IBM's Starling roadmap) and quantum communication ($14.9B market by 2035) further validate the space.

Investment Thesis: Buy Both, but Prioritize Scalability

• IonQ is the long-term leader in hardware innovation. Its trapped-ion tech and DARPA-backed partnerships position it to dominate the fault-tolerant era.
• Rigetti is the short-term winner for investors seeking near-term revenue and enterprise adoption. Its cloud platform and hybrid systems make it the “AWS of quantum” today.

Both stocks are trading at reasonable multiples given their growth trajectories. For risk-aware investors, a 50/50 allocation to IONQ and RGTI offers exposure to both the cutting edge and the pragmatic side of quantum computing.

Final Take

The quantum race is no longer a race to the first error-free qubit—it's a race to the first scalable revenue model. IonQ and Rigetti have already crossed that finish line. With partnerships, defensible tech stacks, and real-world use cases, they're the safest bets for investors looking to profit from quantum's next wave.

Disclosure: The author holds no positions in the stocks mentioned.