By now, Nvidia has change into a family identify. The substitute intelligence (AI) chip inventory dominates the marketplace for GPUs, the chips that make AI fashions like ChatGPT run, and has ridden the AI growth to change into essentially the most invaluable firm on the planet.
Nonetheless, some buyers are already in search of the subsequent massive factor in know-how, and appear to have settled on quantum computing, a revolutionary know-how that makes use of qubits, or quantum bits, to course of data. By doing so, these computer systems are in a position to carry out complicated calculations exponentially quicker than conventional computer systems, which means they might have the same disruptive impact as AI.

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Quantum shares have gotten buzzy this 12 months, and shares like IonQ (IONQ 5.63%) have surged. As you may see from the chart beneath, IonQ and its friends have skyrocketed during the last 12 months in a rally that started final December with Alphabet‘s announcement of a breakthrough with its Willow quantum chip.
IonQ is the largest of the 4 pure-play quantum shares, now buying and selling at a market cap of $19.4 billion. Although the corporate nonetheless has little or no income, it has been constructing important momentum and displaying extra proof that it and quantum computing extra typically can go mainstream. Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the place IonQ stands at present and the place it might go within the subsequent decade.
IonQ at present
IonQ reported $20.7 million in income within the second quarter, up 82% from the quarter a 12 months in the past. That is nonetheless tiny for a corporation with a market cap of almost $20 billion, however there are indicators of a vivid future for IonQ.
Within the second quarter, the corporate stated a collaborative analysis program between it, AstraZeneca, Amazon Internet Companies (AWS), and Nvidia achieved greater than 20 instances enchancment in end-to-end time-to-solution utilizing a quantum-accelerated computational chemistry workflow for drug discovery. That is robust proof of the potential of the know-how.
The corporate additionally cast partnerships all over the world within the second quarter, together with in South Korea, Japan, and Sweden, and introduced an growth within the Asia-Pacific area in collaboration with Emergence Quantum, an Australian firm.
Lastly, IonQ has been rising via a string of acquisitions, beefing up its capabilities in quantum computing. These embrace Lightsynq and Capella within the second quarter, and Oxford Ionics and Vector Atomic, which hasn’t closed but, in September.
Simply on Wednesday, the corporate signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Division of Power to advance quantum applied sciences in area, displaying the federal authorities is getting extra concerned in quantum.
Will it beat Nvidia over the subsequent decade?
There is a ton of uncertainty in quantum computing over the subsequent decade. The know-how appears promising, however IonQ’s progress forecast nonetheless appears comparatively modest because it expects full-year income of $82 million to $100 million. It might nonetheless be a number of years earlier than it reaches $1 billion.
Evaluating IonQ’s prospects to Nvidia’s is tough as a result of Nvidia is at a a lot totally different stage of its life cycle. As essentially the most invaluable firm on the planet, the ceiling for Nvidia’s progress is far decrease than IonQ. At a price-to-earnings ratio of roughly 40, a 10x for Nvidia over the subsequent decade would imply reaching $40 trillion in market cap and $1 trillion in revenue if it maintained its valuation.
Presently, there are no firms with $1 trillion in income, not to mention $1 trillion in revenue, and the S&P 500‘s present market cap is about $55 trillion. it that manner, a 10x return for Nvidia might be tough, if not unrealistic, over the subsequent decade.
With better upside potential and the potential disruption from quantum computing, IonQ might outperform Nvidia, nevertheless it’s a lot riskier than the AI chief.
For tech-minded progress buyers, proudly owning each shares could be the very best method. It is going to additionally provide you with publicity to the highest names in AI and quantum computing.
Jeremy Bowman has positions in Amazon and Nvidia. The Motley Idiot has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, and Nvidia. The Motley Idiot recommends AstraZeneca Plc. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure coverage.