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Ibm Google Emerge As Top Investors In Quantum Computing With Most

Bonisiwe Shabane
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ibm google emerge as top investors in quantum computing with most

Many big tech companies, including startups, are foraying into the emerging field of quantum computing. Out of the 300 quantum computing patents issued in 2025, two companies have received the most. What Happened: International Business Machines Corp. and Alphabet Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google appear to have made significant investments in the quantum computing space on a year-to-date basis. According to the data shared by Martin Shkreli, there was a steep drop-off in issued patents after IBM and Google, suggesting that other companies are either smaller players or not prioritizing quantum computing as... IonQ Inc., D-Wave Quantum Inc., PsiQuantum, Quantinuum, and Intel Corp., followed the first two firms.

Furthermore, he highlighted that Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC), Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC), and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) also hold quantum patents, which he describes as “big company spend.” Half a century ago, a factory in Poughkeepsie, New York, cranked out computer hardware. The profits from mainframes financed pampered employees, scientific research and a dividend that made International Business Machines the most valuable company on the planet.

Now, a diminished IBM gets most of its revenue from soft things: computer programs and business services. But it’s at work on a new kind of machine that could return Poughkeepsie to its glory days. This is where it will assemble quantum computers, the magical devices designed to tackle mathematical challenges that would overwhelm an ordinary computer. If quantum delivers on its promises, engineers will use it to make giant strides in the design of drugs, vaccines, batteries and chemicals. Last year Boston Consulting Group predicted that come 2040, quantum hardware and software providers will be taking in $90 billion to $170 billion of annual revenue. IBM has been part of this rapidly evolving technology since the turn of the century.

Leading its effort: Jay Gambetta, a 46-year-old physicist from Australia who oversees 3,000 employees on six continents doing research. He will not stint quantum, since he has spent his entire career in that field. Gambetta joined IBM’s Watson Research Center, 39 miles south of the Poughkeepsie factory, in 2011 after postdoc years at Yale and then on the faculty at the University of Waterloo. He says, “While I like teaching, really I wanted to build.” IBM Quick QuoteIBM NVDA Quick QuoteNVDA QTUM Quick QuoteQTUM IONQ Quick QuoteIONQ QBTS Quick QuoteQBTS In 2025, the quantum-computing industry gained serious momentum.

Private and public players accelerated both hardware development and policy support. Companies like IonQ (IONQ Quick QuoteIONQ - Free Report) , D-Wave Quantum (QBTS Quick QuoteQBTS - Free Report) and Rigetti pushed forward with more reliable qubits, stronger cloud offerings and growing commercial traction, while... On the policy front, the Trump administration moved aggressively to cement quantum as a national priority; reports in September indicated that the White House was preparing executive actions to drive federal adoption of quantum... At the same time, capital flowed into thematic vehicles. The Defiance Quantum Computing ETF (QTUM Quick QuoteQTUM - Free Report) , which holds a diversified basket of pure-play quantum companies, crossed the $2 billion assets under management (AUM) mark in 2025 and has... Meanwhile, large-cap technology companies also intervened decisively.

IBM (IBM Quick QuoteIBM - Free Report) advanced its System Two and fault-tolerance roadmap, Google strengthened its algorithmic breakthroughs, Amazon deepened its Braket quantum-cloud integrations and NVIDIA (NVDA Quick QuoteNVDA - Free Report) expanded... Their aggressive investments signaled that hyperscalers view quantum as a strategic frontier, further validating the industry’s commercial potential and accelerating its trajectory. Strengths and Risks of Pure-Plays: IonQ remains the most prominent pure-play. In the third quarter of 2025, it posted $39.9 million in revenues, 37% above guidance and 222% year-over-year growth. The company achieved a world-record 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, a major technical milestone. After a $2 billion equity increase in October, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock’s cash position reached $3.5 billion, giving it a meaningful runway despite a $1.1 billion quarterly net loss.

Quantum computing is one of the most exciting technological revolutions happening today. Big Tech is pouring billions into this field, racing to unlock computing power far beyond what traditional computers can achieve. Google, IBM, and Microsoft are leading the charge, each with unique approaches and groundbreaking milestones. In 2019, Google claimed “quantum supremacy” with its Sycamore quantum processor. This means their quantum computer solved a problem that even the most advanced supercomputers would take thousands of years to complete. This was a landmark achievement, proving quantum computing’s real-world potential.

What this means:Quantum supremacy isn’t just a fancy term—it’s a clear sign that quantum computers will one day outperform traditional computers in certain tasks. Businesses in fields like drug discovery, cryptography, and logistics should start exploring quantum solutions now to avoid falling behind. IBM has set an ambitious goal to develop a 100,000-qubit quantum computer by 2033. This is a massive leap from today’s quantum computers, which operate in the hundreds of qubits range. IBM is working with governments and universities to achieve this. Why this is important:A 100,000-qubit machine could revolutionize industries, solving optimization problems, material simulations, and AI tasks at speeds we can’t yet imagine.

It also signals IBM’s long-term commitment to quantum computing. IBM follows a clear roadmap aiming for 100,000 qubits and fosters an open-access quantum development ecosystem. Google focuses on bold breakthroughs and practical algorithms while pursuing a million-qubit fault-tolerant quantum computer. Startups like IonQ and PsiQuantum innovate rapidly with alternative architectures to tackle quantum computing’s biggest challenges. Quantum computing, once confined to academic whiteboards in science fiction, has now become a central focus in technological race. Leading this charge are three powerful forces: IBM, Google, and a fast-growing wave of startups.

It's not solely an issue of attaining scientific milestones anymore; it's also about exploring new frontiers in computing and establishing technological superiority. Quantum physics advances can only get you so far; your success will depend on shrewd tactical foresight and closely coordinated action. To join the CNBC Technology Executive Council, go to cnbccouncils.com/tec While there are still differing perspectives on how long it will be until certain types of quantum computing hit commercial viability, experts from big tech companies like Google and IBM as well as smaller... Yet, in a space teeming with unknowns, there's still a lot to learn about the potential fate of a world in quantum's hands. Unlike classical computing, which processes information through bits that can exist in either zeros or ones, quantum computing is an evolving field where quantum bits (or qubits) can occupy both zero and one in...

These qubits can then basically communicate with each other to further increase the speed and complexity of information processing in a calculation. Within the field of quantum computing, there are two types of technologies. What most people refer to when they talk about it is universal gate-based models. The second model is called annealing quantum. "It's a different technology," explained Mandy Birch, CEO and founder of TreQ, a quantum systems engineering company focused on manufacturing applications. Companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM are aggressively pursuing gate-model quantum computing, each with different qubit technologies and strategies.

D-Wave is largely working with annealing technology, which primarily serves companies that want to optimize their operations. Annealing models still have a ways to go, but unlike gate models that researchers are still developing, annealing is able to deliver commercial value today.

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