3 Red-Hot Growth Stocks to Buy in 2026

There is no shortage of red-hot growth stocks available. Some companies are churning out impressive revenue growth rates in the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), and investors need to be aware of them in order to make huge profits. However, some stocks aren't as well-known as others. Finding these under-the-radar red-hot growth stocks can be a huge boost to your portfolio if you're right.

I've got my eyes on three of them, and each looks like an intriguing stock to buy this year.

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1. SoundHound AI

SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) increased its revenue by 59% during the fourth quarter of 2025. SoundHound AI combines audio recognition technology with generative AI, which is a field with huge potential. There is a big market opportunity for its software, as customer service reps could be replaced and enhanced by SoundHound AI's technology. These are massive costs for medical, insurance, and financial institutions, and if SoundHound AI can conquer this market, it's bound to be a long-term winner.

Right now, it's making inroads into these sectors, but the primary area it has seen success in is restaurant drive-thru automation. While this is a comparatively small sector, it allows SoundHound AI to offer clients a good example of what's possible.

SoundHound AI is also currently out of favor with investors. At the time of this writing, it's down around 60% from its all-time high, and actually looks like a fairly compelling buy right now compared to just a few months ago. This is a rare opportunity to scoop up a red-hot growth stock at a discount, and investors should take advantage of it.

2. Nebius

Nebius (NASDAQ: NBIS) is expected to post the fastest growth rate of any company on this list during 2026. At the end of 2025, its annual run rate (ARR) was $1.25 billion. By the end of 2026, that figure is expected to rise to $7 billion to $9 billion. That's about as explosive a growth as you'll see in the stock market, and that's because Nebius is operating in an important area.

Nebius is essentially an AI-focused cloud computing operation. It focuses on building or renting out space in a data center and putting cutting-edge computing equipment in it. Then, it rents those spaces back to clients who want access to the best AI hardware. Nebius's full-stack solution has made it a turn-key solution for anyone looking to develop AI applications, and with the world just scratching the surface of what's possible with generative AI, Nebius is set to continue growing long after 2026.

3. IonQ

IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) had Q4 2025 revenue growth of 429%, but that's a number with an asterisk. IonQ is a quantum computing company and is still working on proving out commercial viability for its products. Most of that revenue comes from various contracts it has signed, although there are some product sales mixed in for companies that want to explore quantum computing.

You're not buying IonQ's stock for what it will do in 2026; you're buying it for what it will do in the next decade. If IonQ's technology becomes the winner in the quantum computing realm, there's an estimated $28 billion to $72 billion annual quantum computing market expected to emerge by 2035. That's a sizable opportunity, and if IonQ can capture it, it could be the biggest winner on this list. However, we're a long way away from having any clarity on the AI race, so IonQ could also be a flop. But since it currently has the most accurate quantum computer on the planet, I think it's one of the better bets in the quantum computing world, so I'm still confident in it.

These three stocks aren't sure things. There is a real risk involved in each of them. However, if they work out, they could provide monster returns. As a result, investors should be cautious about what percentage of their portfolio is devoted to stocks like this. I'd say no more than 1% per stock is a smart range, as that will provide a meaningful effect if these stocks pan out, but won't harm you too much if they flop.

Keithen Drury has positions in IonQ, Nebius Group, and SoundHound AI. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends IonQ and SoundHound AI. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.