Quantinuum's IPO Is Putting Pressure on IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum. Here's Which Quantum Computing Stock Survives the Reset.
Key Points
Quantinuum's IPO has raised the bar for pure plays in the space, exposing the weaknesses in its under-commercialized quantum computing competitors.
D-Wave's surging bookings suggest enterprise demand may be arriving before revenue.
IonQ's growth and relatively lower valuation make it the best positioned pure play at this point.
- 10 stocks we like better than IonQ ›
When Quantinuum (NASDAQ: QNT) filed in May to go public on the Nasdaq, and then did so in early June -- targeting up to $1.05 billion in proceeds at a $12.7 billion valuation -- the quantum computing sector had a moment of reckoning. A well-capitalized, Honeywell-backed (NASDAQ: HON), full-stack quantum company has come to public markets with institutional credibility, a $100 million U.S. government stake, and the kind of hardware benchmarks that are making every existing quantum computing pure play look over its shoulder. Its actual IPO was even better than originally proposed, with a $1.68 billion raise and a valuation of over $15 billion.
The question for quantum investors who already hold IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI), or D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) isn't whether Quantinuum's initial public offering (IPO) matters. It does. The question is which of these three has its feet under it firmly enough to withstand the comparison -- and which is running out of time.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
The one with the most to lose: Rigetti Computing
Rigetti Computing posted first-quarter 2026 revenue of $4.4 million. As of the end of the quarter, it had $569 million in cash on its books and no debt, which buys it some time -- but the revenue base is thin enough that a $12.7 billion Quantinuum entering the same investor conversations creates real pressure on perception. Rigetti has won a contract to supply a 108-qubit system to the Indian government's Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, and its 128-qubit system is actively rolling out. Its technology is advancing. Its commercialization hasn't caught up. Until and unless it does, Rigetti will remain a hardware story in a market that is starting to demand revenue proof.
The most interesting pivot: D-Wave Quantum
Here's the counterintuitive one. D-Wave Quantum posted Q1 2026 revenue of $2.9 million -- down 81% from the prior year -- and the stock initially got punished for it. But look past the revenue line: Bookings for the quarter rose 1,994% year over year to $33.4 million. The company closed a $20 million system sale to Florida Atlantic University and a $10 million, two-year quantum-computing-as-a-service agreement with a Fortune 100 company. Remaining performance obligations jumped 563%.
D-Wave occupies a position in this space that no other company does: Thanks to its recent acquisition of peer Quantum Circuits, it is the only dual-platform quantum company, running both quantum annealing and gate-model systems. Quantum annealing systems differ from most other forms of the technology being pursued in that they are only useful for a limited range of applications. However, they are already capable of delivering solutions to real enterprise optimization problems today -- in areas such as routing, logistics, and finance -- even though fault-tolerant hardware has yet to mature. All this offers it a commercial wedge into an enterprise market that Quantinuum's trapped-ion hardware doesn't compete with directly. When D-Wave's booked sales convert into revenue in the back half of 2026, the story will change.
The clear survivor: IonQ
IonQ is the name that emerges from Quantinuum's IPO in the strongest position. Its first-quarter revenue rose 755% year over year to $64.7 million, beating its own guidance midpoint by 30%. Full-year revenue guidance was raised to a range of $260 million to $270 million, which would amount to organic growth of more than 100%, with a backlog of $470 million.
The reason IonQ will survive this reset isn't just its revenue -- it's that IonQ and Quantinuum are actually fighting on the same battlefield. Both use trapped-ion qubit hardware. Both are pursuing enterprise and government contracts. IonQ trades at roughly 179 times sales, while Quantinuum trades near 505 times sales. When institutional investors compare the two, IonQ looks like the less expensive version of the same bet -- with a live revenue base that Quantinuum is still building toward.
Should you buy stock in IonQ right now?
Before you buy stock in IonQ, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and IonQ wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $433,268!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,259,391!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 935% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 207% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of June 16, 2026.
Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Honeywell International and IonQ. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Recommended Articles
