2025 is the year of quantum computing (already)

Quantum computing is hogging the headlines in 2025 and it's ok to say it's the year of quantum--or maybe qubits--with 10 months to go in the year. The quantum computing developments are flying, but it's worth noting that we're years away from big commercial adoption.

Nevertheless, CxOs need to get ready. After all, the boardroom is getting tired of AI. The generative AI trade is losing steam. Just check out the lack of reaction to Nvidia, which only grew its data center business a mere 93%. Ho hum. Boardrooms are going to start asking about your quantum computing plans in 3, 2, 1.

Why is it the year of quantum already? For starters, there's a new development almost weekly. Pure play quantum stocks are hot but have cooled off a bit. Hyperscale cloud players are deadly serious about quantum as AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud all have credible efforts underway. Quantinuum is threading the needle between AI and quantum computing. IBM is scaling. And there are real use cases out there as companies like IonQ are citing projects with DARPA, Astra Zeneca and others.

Here's what's happened so far in the first eight weeks of 2025.

January

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said quantum computing is 15- to 30-years away from being really useful. Those comments landed at CES 2025 and came up because quantum computing stocks had a torrid run at the end of 2024 as quantum became more practical, focused on hybrid HPC architectures and Google Cloud touted a new quantum chip called Willow.
• Quantum vendors have tried to prove Huang wrong since he made those comments. Days after Huang’s comments the pure plays such as IonQ and D-Wave all cited commercial projects.

• Microsoft launched its Quantum Ready Initiative, which helps enterprises sort out use cases for quantum computing and get ready to deploy.
• IonQ, University of Maryland and State of Maryland announced a $1 billion investment to create the "Capital of Quantum." Under the initiative, IonQ will be an anchor partner as it continues to pursue federal government contracts. IonQ at the University of Maryland's Discovery District, which is near Washington, DC and Annapolis, MD.
• D-Wave said it will expand distribution of its quantum computing offerings via a partnership with Carahsoft, which is a premier distributor of IT to the government. Under the deal, Carahsoft will aggregate D-Wave's offerings as a reseller. The partnership will give D-Wave throughput under Carahsoft's contract vehicles.

February

• Quantinuum launched its Generative Quantum AI framework that aims to combine AI, quantum computing and supercomputers to address problems classical computing can't solve.
• Microsoft launched Majorana 1, a quantum computing chip with a Topological Core architecture. Topological quantum computing uses a concept similar to semiconductors using "anyons," which can arrange qubits into patterns. A topological superconductor is a material that can create a new state of matter. It's harnessed to create a more stable qubit that can be digitally controlled.
• IonQ is doubling down on quantum networking with an acquisition, diversifying globally and has a new CEO along with fourth quarter results and plans to raise more capital. The purchase of ID Quantique gives IonQ more quantum networking patents and diversifies the company's global footprint with expansion in South Korea. In November, IonQ bought Quibitekk. IonQ named Niccolo de Masi CEO with Peter Chapman becoming Executive Chair. Chapman will focus on strategy and enterprise adoption.
• Amazon Web Services launched Ocelot, a first-generation quantum computing chip that was developed with the California Institute of Technology.
• And for good measure, Constellation Research updated its quantum computing shortlists. Constellation ShortList™ Quantum Computing Platforms | Quantum Computing Software Platforms | Quantum Full Stack Players

March

• D-Wave said its quantum computer outperformed a classical supercomputer in solving magnetic materials simulation problems. The company also reported its fourth quarter results. D-Wave followed up with a quantum blockchain architecture.
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at Nvidia GTC 2025 hosted the company’s first quantum day. A panel that featured most of the quantum computing CEOs amounted to a mea culpa tour following Huang’s comments in January.
• Quantinuum quantum computers have created true verifiable randomness in a project that could be valuable to cybersecurity. In a paper in Nature, Quantinuum along with JPMorganChase, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Texas have generated true randomness critical to cryptography and cybersecurity. Quantinuum said the latest advance was built on research from Shih-Han Hung and Scott Aaronson of the University of Texas at Austin.
• IonQ and Ansys said they also outperformed classical computing when designing medical devices. IonQ also expanded its quantum networking portfolio and raised more than $372 million via an equity offering.
• Classiq said it worked with Sumitomo Corp. and Mizuho-DL Financial Technology to successfully compress quantum circuits in implementing quantum algorithms for Monte Carlo simulations.
• Rigetti Computing and Quanta Computer said they will spend a combined $500 million to accelerate development and commercialization of superconducting quantum computing. The company also reported fourth quarter revenue of $2.27 million and 2024 revenue of $10.79 million. The net loss for 2024 was $200.99 million.

April

• IBM said it will spend $30 billion in R&D in the US as part of a broader $150 billion spend. That R&D in part will be devoted to quantum computing. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said on the company’s first quarter earnings call: "In Quantum, we are proud to partner with the Basque Government to deploy Europe's first IBM Quantum System 2 in Spain, a milestone in global Quantum leadership." IBM also published a paper on how quantum addresses problems in combinatorial optimization.
• IonQ moved to expand its reach. It established a quantum computing and networking hub in Chattanooga, Tennessee in a $22 million deal. The company also outlined an agreement with Toyota Tsusho and AIST to expand quantum computer reach in Japan. IonQ also signed a memorandum of understanding with Intellian to extend into South Korea. IonQ also said its Forte Enterprise system is available through Amazon Braket.
• D-Wave and Davidson Technologies, a defense technology company, assembled D-Wave's Advantage2 annealing quantum system at Davidson's Huntsville, Alabama headquarters.
• Classiq, a quantum software development company, and Wolfram Research joined CERN’s Open Quantum Institute (OQI). The two companies will target quantum-based technologies to optimize electrical networks.
• Researchers at Tokyo University of Science, Japan unveiled DSAPS, a chip system that overcomes capacity and precision limits with dual scalable annealing processors.
• U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) selected host of companies to evaluate a variety of technologies for creating quantum bits. The companies include: Alice & Bob, Atlantic Quantum, Atom Computing, Diraq, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, IonQ, Nord Quantique, Oxford Ionics, Photonic Inc., Quantinuum, Quantum Motion, QuEra Computing, Rigetti Computing, Silicon Quantum Computing Pty. Ltd. and Xanadu.

What now?

One thing worth noting here is that we’re really looking at the year of quantum readiness and development rather than deployment. That said, CxOs need to start thinking about quantum. Constellation Research analyst Holger Mueller broke down how you should be thinking about the year of quantum.

• If you have to protect your IP against state actors you need to do quantum key encryption today.
• If you have smaller planning and simulation issues in your business - get your pilot going.
• If you are on process manufacturing, chemical, pharma etc. - you must have quantum pilots. You likely have them on annealing and laser gate already but need to keep an eye on all super conducting players.
• Everybody else can sit back and get the popcorn but keep an eye on medium scale planning and simulation. All enterprises have those. On the tech side, watch stabilization, componentization and then scale loop. IBM is the most advanced and learn from their process.