1971 · Classical
A processor on a chip
Intel introduced the 4004 microprocessor. Integrating processing functions made new products possible, but complete computers still needed memory and other components.
A field guide to quantum computing
Quantum,
explained.
The science. The companies. The bigger picture.
Explore quantum computing and the businesses building its future.
Open minds. Good questions.
Free guides. No physics degree required.
Every dot is a measurement.
A simulated double-slit experiment. Waves pass two slits and interfere. Each particle lands at one random spot, yet together they draw the pattern of the waves. 0 particles detected.
Three ways to get curious.
A good question is a good beginning.
01 / THE SCIENCE
Start with
the extraordinary.
Qubits, interference and entanglement. Six short lessons to make the unfamiliar feel a little more familiar.
Explore the lessons02 / THE COMPANIES
Meet the
quantum builders.
Different technologies. Different business models. Get to know the companies behind the research.
Explore company profiles03 / THE INVESTMENT QUESTIONS
Look beyond
the headline.
Read the evidence, understand the finances and ask better questions about the investment case.
Open the research guideWhere quantum stands · Reviewed 2026-10-02
Research access is real. Usefulness is task-specific.
Cloud services provide access to quantum experiments. A research result still needs a task, comparison and limits before it can support a broader claim.
Explore research access → · Read a dated milestone →A short history of big ideas
Explore the timeline →1994 · Quantum
Factoring changes the quantum conversation
Shor presented efficient quantum algorithms for factoring and discrete logarithms. Algorithmic possibility requires suitable hardware; it did not mean contemporary encryption was immediately broken.
2024 · Quantum
A cryptography response
NIST finalized its first three post-quantum cryptography standards in August 2024. These protect information using classical systems; they are not a quantum computer deployment.
Start with a human problem
All applications →Applications · Applications
Chemistry and materials
Could quantum models help researchers understand molecules and materials?
Applications · Applications
Security and post-quantum cryptography
Why organizations can act on cryptography before a cryptographically relevant quantum computer exists.
Applications · Applications
Optimization: better solutions at what cost?
A delivery route is easy to picture. Proving a useful quantum improvement is harder.
A closer look / Quantum progress
A breakthrough.
And the questions
that come next.
What does a more reliable quantum memory actually tell us? Explore the Willow result, its evidence and its limits.
Read the worked exampleA dated result. An open question.
The businesses behind the research
Explore the companies →Companies & Investing · Investing
IBM
A diversified technology company developing quantum processors, software and research access.
Companies & Investing · Investing
Alphabet / Google Quantum AI
A quantum research program within a much larger advertising and cloud business.
Companies & Investing · Investing
Microsoft / Azure Quantum
Cloud access and development tools alongside a quantum hardware research program.
Explained stories
Explore the briefsIonQ enters DARPA's next test; funding remains conditional
DARPA confirmed IonQ's move into the final phase of its quantum benchmarking program. The milestone brings deeper technical scrutiny, while the company describes the potential funding as conditional.
IonQ and D-Wave: reading the FY2025 numbers without mixing the measures
A historical comparison of company-reported FY2025 results. Revenue, bookings and liquid assets answer different questions; these figures are not current balances or an investment ranking.
A quantum investing checklist: connect the experiment to the business
An educational framework for reading quantum-company claims, financial statements and technology categories. Start with the actual evidence, then ask which business activity an investment represents.