3 Emerging Tech Stocks That Could Help Set You Up for Life

Key Points

• IonQ is one of the top companies in the emerging field of quantum computing.

• SoundHound's unique voice-first technology could help it become a leader in agentic AI.

• AppLovin has a big opportunity if it can move its adtech platform beyond gaming.

• 10 stocks we like better than IonQ ›

If you're looking for some potential millionaire-making stocks, be prepared for the fact that you're going to have to swing for the fences when making your choice and hope you connect with the right pitch. While there are a lot of great megacap stocks out there, some of the easier pitches may not have the return potential you're looking for.

Let's look at three high-risk, high-potential-reward growth stocks that could be worth taking a swing at because they have home run potential that could help set you up for life.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »

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1. IonQ

IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) is trying to take quantum computing from something theoretical and turn it into something real that organizations can use, and it's making progress faster than many thought possible. The company is already delivering systems to government, academic, and enterprise customers while working toward fault-tolerant machines that can run large-scale applications.

While the basis for classical computing is bits representing 1s or 0s, for quantum computing, it is quantum bits, or qubits, that can represent 1s, 0s, or both simultaneously. This allows for much faster processing of information. But qubits aren't as easy to create or put to use. That's where IonQ has an edge.

Instead of trying to create artificial qubits like most competitors, IonQ uses trapped ions, which are actual atoms. As such, they are much more stable and have lower error rates than fabricated qubits. IonQ has also built error-reduction software and other tools so the machines can produce more useful results, which is what will really matter when quantum computing starts to get adopted.

IonQ is also thinking beyond just the hardware. It has been building software, compilers, and networking tools to make sure its systems can scale, and it has made acquisitions to add high-speed networking and even satellite-based quantum links. It also already has a major partnership with AstraZeneca, Amazon, and Nvidia to show how its technology can speed up drug discovery, which could be one of the biggest opportunities for the technology. The early results have been impressive, with as much as a 20x improvement in workflows.

The company has $1.6 billion in cash and no debt on its balance sheet after a recent equity raise, so it has the resources to keep pushing forward. Quantum computing isn't going to replace classical computing in the next few years, but it has the potential to be the next big technological innovation after artificial intelligence (AI), and IonQ is in a strong position to lead.

2. SoundHound AI

SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) has been around for a while, but it has completely reinvented itself as a leader in voice and agentic AI. The company's technology goes beyond basic speech recognition with its speech-to-meaning engine, which can actually understand natural language and intent.

SoundHound has long had a presence in the automotive and restaurant markets, but its earlier acquisition of Amelia opened the door into healthcare and financial services, which are much bigger opportunities. Amelia also brought with it enterprise-grade conversational intelligence, and SoundHound has now combined the two companies' technologies into its Amelia 7.0 platform.

The platform goes beyond voice, however, and allows customers to create AI agents that can do tasks on their own, with little coding needed. It has also added real-time visual recognition so the platform can respond to voice and visual inputs together.

SoundHound is currently transitioning its 15 largest customers to the Amelia 7.0 platform, but even before its introduction, the company was growing rapidly. Last quarter, its revenue surged a whopping 217% to $42.7 million, and management said it is on track to reach adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) profitability by the end of 2025.

SoundHound is still an early-stage company, but it is taking a unique approach to AI agents with its voice-first technology. If this helps, it becomes a leader in agentic AI, and the payoff could be big.

3. AppLovin

AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) has been one of the market's best-performing stocks over the past year, up more than 500%, but the growth story might just be getting started.

The company sold off its gaming portfolio and is now a pure-play adtech platform powered by its Axon 2.0 AI engine. This technology uses machine learning to optimize ad placement, targeting, and bidding, helping mobile game developers earn more from their advertising. In its most recent quarter, revenue jumped 77% to $1.26 billion and adjusted EBITDA nearly doubled to $1 billion, showing just how profitable the model can be.

Management believes within the gaming industry alone that it can grow its revenue by 20% to 30% moving forward. However, it doesn't plan to stop there. It is piloting Axon 2.0 for e-commerce and web-based ads, planning an international rollout, and launching a self-serve ads manager. These moves could bring in a much broader customer base and keep the growth rate high.

Short sellers have gone after the stock, but AppLovin keeps delivering quarter after quarter, and so has the stock. If its platform proves to be just as effective outside of gaming as it has inside gaming, there could still be plenty of upside from here.

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Geoffrey Seiler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, AppLovin, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends AstraZeneca Plc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.