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You can get public-market exposure to quantum computing by buying shares in listed companies with quantum-related businesses or by buying an exchange-traded fund (ETF) whose holdings include quantum companies. The first route concentrates risk in individual businesses; the second can spread it across developers, large technology firms and suppliers. In either case, check what the investment actually owns, how far its products have progressed commercially, its financial condition, and the costs and trading risks. The examples below are U.S.-focused, and company listings and fund details can change.
Choose between individual stocks and an ETF
The main decision is whether you want exposure to specific companies or a basket of securities selected under a fund’s mandate. “Quantum” in a company or fund name does not, by itself, show how much of its business or portfolio depends on quantum computing.
| Route | What you own | Main diligence question |
|---|---|---|
| Individual company shares | An ownership interest in one listed company, whose quantum-related activities may be only part of a broader business. | How dependent are the company’s prospects on quantum computing, and what do its latest filings show about revenue, losses, cash needs and share issuance? |
| Thematic ETF | A fund holding multiple securities according to an index or other investment mandate. | Do the current holdings and selection rules provide the kind of quantum exposure you intend, and what are the fund’s costs and trading conditions? |
Neither route removes the risks of an early-stage sector. A fund can diversify company-specific exposure, but its holdings may include large technology businesses with many other activities, suppliers, or companies connected to machine learning as well as quantum computing.
Which publicly traded companies are examples?
In its May 2026 review, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) highlighted four U.S.-listed companies: IonQ, D-Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing and Quantum Computing Inc. They are examples, not a complete global universe or a ranking. The company descriptions below are based partly on issuer materials; assess those claims alongside filings and independent evidence.
#1 Best Overall
| Company and symbol | What to know | Listing detail in the cited material |
|---|---|---|
| IonQ (IONQ) | Its August 2026 SEC-filed prospectus describes offerings in quantum computing, networking, sensing and security. The prospectus also reports significant historical operating losses and characterizes the business as being in early commercial growth. | The August 2026 prospectus identifies IONQ as its NYSE symbol. |
| D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) | The company describes systems, software and services involving annealing and gate-model computing. | D-Wave announced that its listing transfer from the NYSE to Nasdaq took effect July 27, 2026; the ticker remained QBTS. |
| Rigetti Computing (RGTI) | The company’s investor-relations materials describe its quantum-computing focus and provide access to quarterly results and filings. | ESMA included Rigetti in its May 2026 sector review. Check a current company filing for its venue and symbol. |
| Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT) | The company describes photonics-related quantum-computing offerings. Treat product and commercial statements on its investor-relations page as issuer claims. | The company’s investor-relations page identifies QUBT as its Nasdaq symbol. |
Listing information above is tied to the dated materials cited, not a guarantee of current trading status. ESMA said publicly traded companies primarily focused on quantum computing outside the United States were few, while also identifying adjacent listings. Exchange access, reporting standards, currency, tax treatment and investor eligibility depend on the investor’s jurisdiction.
How quantum-themed ETFs differ
Fund labels and mandates vary. An ETF may hold dedicated quantum developers, diversified technology companies, or suppliers of enabling technology; some funds also include machine-learning exposure. Read the current prospectus, index methodology and holdings rather than inferring exposure from the fund’s name.
Rank #2
| Fund example | What the cited materials establish | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Defiance QTUM | The fund page describes quantum-computing and machine-learning themes and provides access to fund documents and holdings resources. | Use the current prospectus and holdings to determine the portfolio’s actual exposure; the thematic description alone does not establish its current composition. |
| WisdomTree WQTM | WisdomTree’s March 2026 presentation says WQTM seeks to track the WisdomTree Classiq Quantum Computing Index before fees and expenses and reports a 0.45% expense ratio. Its holdings table is dated June 30, 2026: Quantinuum 7.2%, D-Wave 5.5%, Rigetti 5.1%, IonQ 4.8%, IBM 3.6%, Intel 3.1%, Quantum Computing Inc. 2.8% and Microsoft 2.5%. | The dated holdings illustrate a mix of dedicated quantum businesses and larger technology companies. The stated expense ratio and weights may change; check current fund documents. |
ESMA’s May 2026 analysis reported that three EU-domiciled ETFs with a specific quantum-computing focus collectively held USD 0.6 billion in assets at the end of March 2026. It also reported USD 3.3 billion for a U.S. quantum-computing-and-machine-learning-themed ETF and USD 0.03 billion for a recently launched pure-play quantum fund. These are dated snapshots, not current fund sizes, and should not be compared as if the funds had identical mandates.
A practical process for evaluating an investment
- Confirm that you can buy it. Search your brokerage’s security listings for the current company name, ticker and exchange, or the ETF’s name and ticker. Check current issuer or fund disclosures if the details do not match. Brokerage access, eligibility, currency and tax rules vary by jurisdiction.
- Establish what the business or fund actually does. For a company, distinguish quantum-related products from its other activities and identify the computing approach or adjacent areas it says it serves. For a fund, review the investment objective, index methodology, current holdings, concentration and geographic scope.
- Separate demonstrated progress from projections. In company filings and updates, distinguish disclosed products, customers and recognized revenue from forward-looking targets, technical milestones and broad market forecasts. A milestone announcement is not, by itself, evidence of sustained commercial demand.
- Review financial resilience and dilution risk. Read the latest annual and quarterly filings for revenue, operating losses, cash and financing needs, and share issuance. Additional share issuance can dilute existing ownership. Do not assume an earlier filing describes the company’s current financial position.
- For an ETF, check total ownership and trading costs. Review its prospectus, shareholder reports, fees, holdings, bid-ask spread and trading liquidity. ETF market prices can be above or below net asset value (NAV); inspect the fund’s premium-or-discount information as well as the quoted share price.
- Compare the position with your wider portfolio. Consider how much exposure you already have through broad technology funds or individual technology shares. A quantum-themed ETF may overlap with other investments, and a single-stock position remains exposed to company-specific outcomes.
The SEC’s Investor.gov guidance recommends reviewing public disclosures through EDGAR, considering costs and diversification, and treating promises of high returns with little or no risk as a warning sign. It notes: “Every investment carries some degree of risk and the potential for greater returns comes with greater risk.”
Risks specific to this sector
Commercialization and losses
ESMA’s May 2026 risk analysis said that the pure-play firms it reviewed remained at an early stage of commercialization and continued to operate at significant losses. That is a dated supervisory assessment, not a prediction for every company or a statement about each company’s finances today. Review each issuer’s latest filings for updated results and risks.
Volatile expectations and valuations
ESMA reported that the four U.S.-listed companies it analyzed experienced repeated valuation surges followed by corrections beginning in late 2024. It identified factors including funding expectations, technical milestone announcements and projections of possible economic impact. In late 2025, their combined market capitalization temporarily exceeded USD 65 billion and their weekly trading volumes surpassed USD 70 billion, according to ESMA. Those are historical peaks, not current values or evidence that a particular security is fairly valued.
Fund structure and market-price risk
An ETF’s share price can differ from the value of its underlying holdings per share, especially when markets are stressed or the underlying securities are less liquid. The SEC’s ETF guidance advises investors to read the prospectus and examine objectives, risks, costs, holdings, spreads and premium-or-discount information. A fund’s theme also does not guarantee that its holdings will move together or track progress in quantum technology.
Changing disclosures
Company listings, ticker symbols, results, fund holdings, assets, fees and market conditions can change. Use current SEC filings and issuer or fund documents for a decision rather than relying on a historical market snapshot or an older holdings list.
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