Wave after wave of transformative technologies have marked the past 100 years — each moving from invention to mass adoption, reshaping society and generating significant economic value along the way. Now, in the 21st century, we may be approaching the next major technological breakthrough: the advent of the quantum computing era.

From the rise of television in the mid-20th century to the smartphone revolution of the early 2000s and, most recently, the breakthrough of generative artificial intelligence, new technologies have defined generations. Take the internet, for example: in the late 1960s, a group of U.S. government researchers began linking computers, inventing a new way to share information. Over the following decades, scientists built upon that foundation. Then, in the 1990s, the World Wide Web emerged — opening the internet to the public and creating the digital backbone for email, ecommerce and social media.

Much like the internet in the 1980s, quantum computing’s evolution is accelerating — it looks closer to a ‘tipping point’ that could release its immense potential. While the technology’s theoretical foundations were established in the late 20th century, only in recent years has this set a wave of innovation in motion. As the wave gathers pace, it has the potential to disrupt industries like finance, medicine and cybersecurity. Even so, it’s important to acknowledge that — despite early use cases — commercial success is not yet assured, and broad adoption may still face challenges.

The Rise of Quantum Computing

Source: VanEck Research.

Building Momentum: Quantum Investment and Innovation

The growing commitment from governments and leading tech companies signals that quantum computing may be approaching a tipping point. According to McKinsey & Company, public investments now exceed $42 billion, underscoring national interest in this transformative technology.1 At the same time, the private sector is rapidly advancing, with over 10,000 quantum-related patents granted in the past five years.2

Global Public Quantum Technology Investments

Source: McKinsey & Company (2024). Quantum Technology Monitor.

Economic opportunities are already being explored in various industries. For instance, in finance, quantum computing could be used for optimizing investment portfolios, risk analysis and fraud detection, while also posing a long-term challenge to existing encryption standards. In healthcare, it has promise for drug discovery, molecule simulation and medical data analysis. A notable example is IBM’s collaboration with the U.S. Cleveland Clinic, where the first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare was installed in 2023. Among other applications, it is used to enhance machine learning models for prescribing antibiotics, drawing on a dataset of 4.7 million cases in a 2025 publish case study.3

More recently, D-Wave Quantum Inc, a Californian quantum computing company, made headlines by claiming quantum supremacy on a “useful, real-world problem” through a quantum-optimized simulation of magnetic materials. The achievement—peer-reviewed and published in the journal Science—has sparked widespread discussion across the scientific and tech communities. It could mark a significant step forward in applying quantum computing to materials science.4

The Current State of Quantum Computing

Putting things into perspective, quantum computing is shifting from theoretical research into early-stage commercial exploration — marked by rapid progress, but also significant technical challenges.

As part of this transition, several companies are now offering quantum computers—either through physical purchase and delivery, or via remote access through cloud platforms. Pricing ranges from free public access to enterprise-level subscription models.5 In the past six months, major players have announced notable hardware milestones: Google introduced its Willow chip, Microsoft unveiled its Majorana processor, and Amazon announced Ocelot, which uses cat qubits to improve error correction.

While these developments are promising, they primarily reflect advancements in hardware rather than immediate commercial utility. Most current systems still operate within the so-called NISQ (Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum) era — capable of impressive demonstrations but limited by error rates and a lack of scalability. They remain largely experimental and not yet viable for broad, real-world applications.

As a result, much of the current enthusiasm is rooted in long-term potential rather than proven performance. The gap between laboratory breakthroughs and widespread deployment remains wide — and closing it will require sustained innovation and focused execution. Leading firms have acknowledged these challenges and laid out clear roadmaps to address them. Most recently, IBM updated its quantum roadmap, aiming to deliver a fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029.6

From Potential to Progress

Quantum computing may be approaching a tipping point, with the potential to drive significant innovation. Being an emerging technology, its progress is likely to be uneven, and widespread adoption is far from guaranteed.

Investors who recognize its long-term potential may find it worthwhile to watch the development closely. The next breakthrough could be nearer than we think — and for those who are prepared, it may offer a chance to engage with one of the most promising frontiers in modern technology.

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1 McKinsey & Co 2024 Technology Monitor.

2 EconSight AG, data as of March 31st 2025, for 2020-2024.

3 Cleveland Clinic, Machine Learning and Quantum Computing Predict Which Antibiotic To Prescribe for UTIs, 2025.

4 D-Wave, Beyond Classical: D-Wave First to Demonstrate Quantum Supremacy on Useful, Real-World Problem, 2025.

5 Examples: https://www.rigetti.com/novera, https://www.ibm.com/quantum/pricing. Accessed May 2025.

6 Example: https://www.ibm.com/roadmaps/quantum/.

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