3 Stocks to Take Advantage of the $72 Billion Quantum Computing Industry

Quantum computing hasn't hit the mainstream yet, but it's coming. Several companies are excited about the prospects of quantum computing and how it can transform how we do business. McKinsey & Company estimates that the quantum computing market could be worth up to $72 billion annually by 2035. That's a major market opportunity to capture. There are several competitors in this space, but I think three stocks are primed to do well. If you're looking to get started investing in quantum computing, I think these three make for an excellent core to build a section of your portfolio around. Image source: Getty Images. IonQ The biggest problem with quantum computing right now is inaccuracy. Quantum computers use particles to perform computations, and measuring what's happening at the atomic level is difficult in the presence of significant background noise. So inaccuracies can easily enter a calculation. Every company in the quantum computing space is trying to solve this problem, but nobody has technology as accurate as IonQ (IONQ 1.46%). While most companies struggle to reach 99.9% accuracy, IonQ has already achieved 99.99%. ExpandNYSE: IONQIonQToday's Change(-1.46%) $-0.72Current Price$48.59Key Data PointsMarket Cap$18BDay's Range$45.52 - $49.4352wk Range$25.89 - $84.64Volume934KAvg Vol28MGross Margin-2879.52% As computing systems get larger, errors can compound. As a result, many available quantum computing devices are relatively small and cannot handle large workloads. However, IonQ is building a 256-qubit quantum computer using the same technology that enabled 99.99% accuracy. If this computer is successful, it puts IonQ on the fast track to becoming one of the top quantum computing investments. Alphabet Alphabet (GOOG 2.09%) (GOOGL 2.36%) is one of the legacy tech companies competing in quantum computing, and it has announced several breakthroughs. Alphabet is self-funding its quantum research, unlike others that must raise capital from the public markets. If it can develop a viable quantum computer, it already has the infrastructure set up to monetize it via Google Cloud. ExpandNASDAQ: GOOGLAlphabetToday's Change(-2.36%) $-9.35Current Price$387.59Key Data PointsMarket Cap$4.7TDay's Range$386.12 - $397.0652wk Range$162.00 - $408.61Volume1.5MAvg Vol29MGross Margin60.43%Dividend Yield0.22% This makes Alphabet a safe bet, as even if its quantum chip fails to gain traction, it could still fill its data center with computers from IonQ and make money renting out its capabilities to clients via the cloud. That makes Alphabet a no-brainer investment in this space. Nvidia Last is Nvidia (NVDA 0.77%), which is solely focused on traditional computing units. However, it recognizes that quantum computing will affect the future, so it's doing several things to ensure that its computing units are used in the process. Nvidia believes that future computing will be a hybrid of traditional and quantum methods. This hybrid approach will require existing computing infrastructure, which is dominated by Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs). In order to stay on top, Nvidia has tweaked its leading CUDA software to include quantum functions and renamed it CUDA-Q. It has also developed a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model to help with error correction, further advancing many companies' accuracy scores. It has also created NVQLink, which allows quantum computers to plug into existing computing networks. ExpandNASDAQ: NVDANvidiaToday's Change(-0.77%) $-1.71Current Price$220.61Key Data PointsMarket Cap$5.3TDay's Range$217.91 - $224.4852wk Range$129.16 - $236.54Volume1.2MAvg Vol171MGross Margin71.07%Dividend Yield0.02% All of this showcases that Nvidia is looking to bridge the gap between traditional and quantum computing methods. This is a great place to be, and Nvidia will still be a great investment even after the AI build-out is over and quantum computing hits the mainstream.Read NextMay 17, 2026 •By Keith NoonanWhy IonQ Stock Surged This WeekMay 16, 2026 •By John BromelsMeet the Quantum Computing Stock That Could Crush IonQ in 2026May 16, 2026 •By Geoffrey SeilerThis Quantum Computing Company Has Every Big Tech Firm Quietly Paying AttentionMay 16, 2026 •By James HiresThis Tech Stock Doesn't Need AI to Win. That's Exactly Why It's My Top Pick Right Now.May 15, 2026 •By Keithen DruryThis Genius Quantum Computing Stock Just Grew Its Revenue at a 755% RateMay 15, 2026 •By Keith NoonanWhy IonQ Stock Is Plummeting TodayAbout the AuthorKeithen Drury is a contributing Motley Fool technology analyst covering AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and SaaS stocks. In addition to The Motley Fool, Keithen is a mechanical engineer and has held roles at Honeywell and smaller industrial companies like Brand Hydraulics and Lincoln Industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Dordt University.TMFTripleOptionStocks MentionedIonQNYSE: IONQ$48.44(-1.76%)-$0.87AlphabetNASDAQ: GOOGL$387.59(-2.36%)-$9.35NvidiaNASDAQ: NVDA$220.61(-0.77%)-$1.71AlphabetNASDAQ: GOOG$384.90(-2.09%)-$8.21*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.