3 Under-the-Radar AI Stock Picks That Could Be Incredible Buys
Key Points
IonQ is a quantum computing leader.
SoundHound AI could make a big splash in the AI realm.
Nebius is seeing huge demand for its platform.
- 10 stocks we like better than IonQ ›
If you're looking for some smaller companies with massive upside, you're not alone. Investors are attracted to opportunities with the promise of getting rich quickly, so finding companies with huge growth and massive upside is key.
However, the market also prices risk and reward accordingly, so some of these stocks have huge upside because they are incredibly risky. If you're not OK with some of these picks losing money, then these stocks aren't for you. However, I'm confident at least one of these stocks will pan out, and if it becomes the next 10-bagger, it can erase a lot of losers.
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Three stocks that I'm eyeing for great upside are IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN), and Nebius (NASDAQ: NBIS). All three of these look primed to deliver strong returns over the next few years, but their success is far from certain.
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1. IonQ
While artificial intelligence (AI) is all the rage right now, quantum computing is on the horizon. Several companies are making incredible breakthroughs, and IonQ is among them. The primary issue with quantum computing currently is that it isn't accurate enough to deploy in a commercial setting. However, IonQ currently has the world's most accurate quantum computing technology, so it's the leader in this realm.
IonQ is seeing huge demand for its early-stage products and has also signed several contracts with clients to partner in quantum computing research. In Q4 2025, its revenue rose 429% year over year, and it expects its revenue to double next year. That's a bullish outlook for one of the quantum computing leaders, but there's also no guarantee of success.
Quantum computing is a highly competitive space, and there are several tech giants also competing in this realm. I believe IonQ's product will still be a big winner, but it has its work cut out for it.
2. SoundHound AI
SoundHound AI is a software company that's combining generative AI with audio recognition technology. There is a huge market for a product like this, but it's currently being primarily used in the restaurant space to automate drive-thrus, as well as digital assistants in vehicles. However, the end market is far larger than that.
SoundHound AI's technology could be utilized in any scenario where there is a human-to-human interaction over the phone. That means sectors like healthcare, insurance, and finance could be targets of SoundHound AI's software, especially in the customer service departments.
During its latest quarter, SoundHound AI's revenue grew at a 59% pace, and it reported signing several customers in the aforementioned industries, as well as increasing some of its contracts with existing clients. Time will tell if SoundHound AI can deliver a product that's viable and if consumers will accept more automation, but if it pans out, SoundHound AI can transform into a giant in no time.
3. Nebius
Nebius is a neocloud company that offers a cloud computing platform that specializes in AI. Nebius has a lucrative deal with Nvidia to gain access to its cutting-edge hardware first, making it a no-barrier platform on which to run AI workflows. Nebius boasts several big-name clients like Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), but is also popular among individual developers because it offers a full-stack platform that gives every tool its clients need to train and run AI models.
Demand for Nebius' services is increasing, and it projects that its annual run rate will rise to $7 billion to $9 billion by the end of 2026. That's up from $1.25 billion at the end of 2025, showcasing its huge growth rate. The biggest question surrounding Nebius is profitability, which will come eventually.
Right now, it's focused on grabbing as much market share in AI as possible. The big risk here is that Nebius gets too far out in front of its skis, but with as much money is still left to be spent on AI infrastructure, I think there's still plenty of upside here.
Should you buy stock in IonQ right now?
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Keithen Drury has positions in IonQ, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nebius Group, Nvidia, and SoundHound AI. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends IonQ, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and SoundHound AI. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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