Back to News
quantum-computing

3 Under-the-Radar AI Stock Picks That Could Be Incredible Buys

The Motley Fool
Loading...
5 min read
0 likes
⚡ Quantum Brief
Three high-risk, high-reward stocks—IonQ, SoundHound AI, and Nebius—are positioned for potential breakthroughs in quantum computing, AI-driven audio recognition, and neocloud infrastructure, respectively, according to a 2026 market analysis. IonQ leads quantum computing with the world’s most accurate hardware, reporting 429% YoY revenue growth in Q4 2025 and projecting doubled revenue in 2026, though competition from tech giants remains fierce. SoundHound AI merges generative AI with voice recognition, targeting drive-thrus and customer service sectors, with 59% revenue growth and expanding contracts in healthcare, finance, and automotive industries. Nebius, a neocloud platform, partners with Nvidia to offer AI-optimized cloud services, forecasting $7–9B annual run rate by late 2026—up from $1.25B in 2025—but faces profitability challenges amid rapid expansion. All three stocks carry significant volatility, with analysts warning of high risk but potential 10x returns if their technologies achieve mainstream adoption.
3 Under-the-Radar AI Stock Picks That Could Be Incredible Buys

Summarize this article with:

By Keithen Drury – Apr 13, 2026 at 12:00AM ESTKey PointsIonQ is a quantum computing leader.SoundHound AI could make a big splash in the AI realm.Nebius is seeing huge demand for its platform.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. Three stocks that I'm eyeing for great upside are IonQ (IONQ +2.53%), SoundHound AI (SOUN 1.83%), and Nebius (NBIS +6.34%). All three of these look primed to deliver strong returns over the next few years, but their success is far from certain. Image source: Getty Images. 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. ExpandNYSE: IONQIonQToday's Change(2.53%) $0.71Current Price$28.79Key Data PointsMarket Cap$11BDay's Range$28.13 - $29.3752wk Range$23.48 - $84.64Volume131KAvg Vol21MGross Margin-2267.11% 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. ExpandNASDAQ: SOUNSoundHound AIToday's Change(-1.83%) $-0.12Current Price$6.43Key Data PointsMarket Cap$2.7BDay's Range$6.36 - $6.7052wk Range$5.83 - $22.17Volume89KAvg Vol26MGross Margin32.96% 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 (META +0.22%) and Microsoft (MSFT 0.60%), 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. ExpandNASDAQ: NBISNebius GroupToday's Change(6.34%) $8.64Current Price$144.97Key Data PointsMarket Cap$36BDay's Range$134.88 - $149.8252wk Range$20.25 - $149.82Volume218KAvg Vol16MGross Margin-765.63% 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.Read NextApr 12, 2026 •By Rick OrfordIs IonQ Stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell?Apr 12, 2026 •By Will HealyWhy Dollar-Cost Averaging May Not Make Sense With IonQ StockApr 10, 2026 •By Keithen DruryThe Best Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy TodayApr 6, 2026 •By Keithen DruryIs IonQ's Trapped Ion Technology Its Secret Weapon in Quantum Computing?Apr 6, 2026 •By Scott LevineWhy IonQ Stock Plummeted 24.9% in MarchApr 2, 2026 •By Parkev Tatevosian, CFAIs IonQ Stock a Generational Buying Opportunity, or a Falling Knife to Avoid?About 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$28.79(+2.53%)+$0.71Nebius GroupNASDAQ: NBIS$144.97(+6.34%)+$8.64SoundHound AINASDAQ: SOUN$6.44(-1.76%)-$0.12*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

Read Original

Tags

quantum-computing
ionq

Source Information

Source: The Motley Fool