Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTJohnny Rice, The Motley FoolSun, July 26, 2026 at 4:45 PM GMT+2 5 min readQuantum computing has been a white-hot industry for investors, but who's actually winning the quantum computing race?The answer depends on what you mean by "winning." If you're asking which company has made the most progress commercially, I think the answer is fairly straightforward: IonQ. But it's still early innings.Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »If you're asking who will build the first truly useful quantum computer, that's a much more interesting question, and the truth is, it's much too early to tell that just yet.Let's take a look at both IonQ and Rigetti Computing.Image source: Getty ImagesIonQ is building a full-stack quantum platformIonQ (NYSE: IONQ) spent the last year transforming itself from a quantum computing developer into something more expansive. Company management now describes IonQ as a full-stack platform spanning computing, networking, sensing, and security.Its underlying technology differs from many competitors, including Rigetti. IonQ builds trapped-ion quantum computers, a design generally associated with very high gate fidelity -- the accuracy of quantum operations -- but slower gate speeds than superconducting systems. The company reported a 2-qubit gate fidelity of 99.99% last year.IonQ is also pushing aggressively into commercial deployment after a string of major acquisitions last year. During the first quarter of 2026, it sold the first of its newest 256-qubit system and expanded sales into more than 30 countries.Rigetti is betting on superconducting speedRigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) builds superconducting quantum processors, the same general technology pursued by companies like IBM and Alphabet. These systems operate dramatically faster than trapped-ion machines, with gate speeds measured in tens of nanoseconds. But they also require extremely complex cryogenic cooling systems operating near absolute zero and generally struggle to deliver the same level of fidelity as IonQ's trapped-ion approach.Rigetti finally launched its 108-qubit Cepheus-1-108Q processor and demonstrated a 2-qubit gate fidelity of 99.1%. CEO Subodh Kulkarni has said the company believes it can reach quantum advantage -- industry jargon for the point at which quantum computers outperform classical computers on commercially useful tasks -- in roughly three years if it reaches about 1,000 qubits while maintaining high fidelity and effective error mitigation.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info