Accelerating the Commercialization of Quantum Computing: Explosive Growth and Investment Surge in the Enterprise Market by 2026
Editor
In early 2026, the quantum computing industry is reaching a historic turning point. Until last year, quantum computing was primarily focused on research and development and proof of concept, but it has finally begun to create commercial value. The global quantum computing market grew from $5.5 billion in 2025 to $18.7 billion in 2026, a staggering 340% increase, far exceeding market forecasts. Notably, the enterprise quantum computing service (QCaaS, Quantum Computing as a Service) market accounts for 67% of the total market, or $12.5 billion, becoming the key driver of commercialization.
The background of this rapid growth lies in the fact that examples of achieving quantum advantage are beginning to be proven in real industrial settings. Last December, JP Morgan Chase in the U.S. announced that it achieved a computation speed 1,200 times faster than existing supercomputers in portfolio optimization using quantum computing. In Germany, Bayer’s drug development division reduced the time for molecular structure analysis from six months to two weeks through quantum simulation. These practical achievements are major factors driving corporate investments in quantum computing.
The competitive landscape among leading companies in the market is also unfolding interestingly. IBM, headquartered in New York, recorded a 420% increase in quantum computing revenue in 2026, reaching $3.4 billion, maintaining its number one position with an 18.2% market share. IBM’s ‘Condor’ chip offers 1,121 qubits, and currently, over 200 companies worldwide are using services through the IBM Quantum Network. Notably, IBM formed a strategic partnership with Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom last October to actively expand into the Asian market.
Google (Alphabet), based in Mountain View, California, is closely trailing IBM with a 15.7% market share through its cloud service based on its ‘Willow’ quantum processor. Google’s quantum computing revenue reached $820 million in the first quarter of 2026, a 380% increase from the same period last year. Google’s strength lies in the development of quantum-classical hybrid algorithms, and its ‘Quantum AI’ platform, which combines machine learning and quantum computing, is gaining attention. Currently, about 150 corporate clients are using Google’s quantum computing services.
Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, is attempting to differentiate itself in the market with a unique approach. Microsoft focuses on topological qubit technology and provides an integrated environment to access various quantum computing hardware through its ‘Azure Quantum’ platform. This strategy has been effective, with quantum computing-related revenue surpassing $1.2 billion in 2026. Particularly, the service allowing corporate clients to compare and test various quantum hardware platforms is gaining popularity. Microsoft’s market share stands at 11.3%, ranking third.
Innovative Applications in Financial Services and Drug Development
The most active commercial applications of quantum computing are in financial services and drug development. In the financial sector, quantum computing’s effectiveness is being proven in complex risk modeling, portfolio optimization, and fraud detection. Goldman Sachs announced that since December 2025, it has improved option pricing accuracy by 23% by introducing Monte Carlo simulations using quantum computing. This resulted in an annual cost saving of approximately $120 million, and currently, 35% of all derivative transactions are based on quantum computing models.
Revolutionary changes are also occurring in the field of drug development. Swiss company Roche reduced the discovery time for Alzheimer’s drug candidates from three years to eight months using quantum computing for molecular simulation. In this process, the quantum computer was able to calculate 2^50 molecular interactions simultaneously, a task that would take decades with existing supercomputers. Roche is currently utilizing quantum computing in five drug development projects and expects to reduce annual R&D expenses by 15%.
The power of quantum computing is also evident in logistics optimization. German company Volkswagen has been piloting a quantum computing-based traffic flow optimization system in Lisbon and Beijing since November 2025. This system optimizes the routes of 100,000 vehicles in the city in real-time, reducing average travel time by 22% and fuel consumption by 18%. Volkswagen announced plans to expand this technology to 50 major cities worldwide by the end of 2026.
Quantum computing hardware technology is also rapidly advancing. In addition to the existing superconducting qubit method, various technologies such as ion trap, photonic, and neutral atom are approaching commercialization. IonQ, headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria, announced that it achieved a 99.8% 2-qubit gate fidelity with its ion trap-based quantum computer. This surpasses the existing superconducting method’s 99.5%, bringing it one step closer to the threshold of quantum error correction. IonQ’s stock price rose by 47% in the week following this announcement, with a current market capitalization of $2.3 billion.
Investment Trends and Government Policy Support
Venture capital and government investments in quantum computing are expanding on an unprecedented scale. In 2025, global investments in quantum computing startups reached $7.8 billion, a 156% increase from 2024. Notably, corporate investors’ participation has surged. Big tech companies’ venture investment divisions, such as Google Ventures, Microsoft Ventures, and Amazon’s Alexa Fund, invested a total of $2.3 billion in quantum computing startups, accounting for 29% of the total investment.
Government support is also being significantly expanded. The U.S. set the 2026 National Quantum Initiative (NQI) budget at $3.4 billion, an 85% increase from the previous year, with 60%, or $2 billion, allocated to commercialization support. The European Union announced plans to invest €4.5 billion over the next three years through the ‘Quantum Flagship’ program. China is also continuing its annual investment of $1.5 billion, centered around the National Laboratory for Quantum Information Science.
The Korean government is also actively fostering quantum computing. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced an investment of 1.2 trillion won in the ‘K-Quantum Computing Project’ by 2026. The core of this project is the development of a 1,000-qubit quantum computer and the training of 5,000 quantum computing specialists by 2030. Currently, Samsung Electronics, SK Telecom, and LG Uplus have each established quantum computing research centers, and KAIST and Seoul National University have established specialized graduate programs in quantum computing.
However, significant technical challenges and risks still exist for the commercialization of quantum computing. The biggest issue is quantum error correction. The current coherence time of qubits in commercial quantum computers is about 100 microseconds on average, which still limits the execution of complex algorithms. According to recent research by MIT, practical quantum applications require 1,000 to 10,000 physical qubits per logical qubit, a level difficult to achieve with current technology.
The shortage of talent is also a serious issue. According to Deloitte’s 2025 survey, there are about 25,000 quantum computing specialists worldwide, but the market demand is 75,000. As a result, the average salary of a quantum computing engineer in Silicon Valley is $280,000, 80% higher than that of a general software engineer. As the competition for talent intensifies, major companies are strengthening partnerships with universities and operating their own training programs to secure talent.
Security and standardization issues are also obstacles to commercialization. Concerns that quantum computers could render existing encryption systems ineffective are causing many companies to hesitate in adopting quantum computing. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced quantum-resistant encryption standards in 2024, but actual implementation and verification require time. Additionally, the standardization of quantum computing hardware and software is still in its early stages, making it difficult for companies to choose platforms.
The outlook for the quantum computing market in 2026 remains optimistic. Gartner predicts that the global quantum computing market will grow to $25 billion by the end of 2026 and reach $85 billion by 2030. It is expected that commercialization will gradually expand from specific fields where quantum advantage has been proven, with financial modeling, drug discovery, logistics optimization, and materials science leading the way. Despite short-term volatility, it is evaluated as a promising investment area offering long-term innovative growth potential for investors.
This analysis is based on publicly available market data and industry reports and is not intended as investment advice. Quantum computing is an emerging technology field that may involve high volatility and technical risks, so careful consideration is required when making investment decisions.
