Is Rigetti's Academic Strategy the Key to Scaling Quantum Adoption?

Rigetti Computing’s RGTI has recently strengthened its academic presence through a new collaboration with Montana State University’s (MSU) QCORE facility. The university is now the first academic institution to host a Rigetti quantum computer on premises, featuring the company’s 9-qubit Novera system based on the Ankaa architecture. This deployment moves beyond cloud access and provides researchers with direct, hands-on use of Rigetti hardware. For the company, the partnership represents a strategic step toward accelerating quantum research in academic settings while positioning Rigetti at the center of future innovation and potential commercialization pathways.

The initiative also highlights Rigetti’s broader strategy of integrating research, education, and technology development. By working with MSU, Rigetti is supporting QCORE’s mission to advance quantum and photonic systems research, build workforce development programs, and foster collaboration with institutions such as the U.S. Air Force Research Lab. From an investor standpoint, this underscores the company’s intent to expand its influence across both academia and government, creating a foundation for long-term adoption of its technology and strengthening its role in the quantum computing ecosystem.

Peers Updates

IonQ IONQ continues to make strategic headway in advancing its trapped-ion quantum systems. In May 2025, IONQ demonstrated practical strides in hybrid quantum-classical computing, applying quantum-enhanced generative adversarial networks (QGANs) and quantum machine learning to improve materials science simulations and large language model fine-tuning, respectively. The company is also strengthening its commercialization roadmap through key acquisitions and partnerships: it has agreed to acquire Oxford Ionics, an ion-trap-on-a-chip specialist, to support its goal of reaching millions of qubits by 2030.

Arqit Quantum ARQQ, meanwhile, is sharpening its focus on quantum-safe encryption, advancing beyond research toward real-world deployment. The company was recently selected to join Oracle’s Defense Ecosystem, highlighting its growing relevance in protecting sensitive government and defense data. In telecommunications, Arqit signed a three-year agreement with a global Tier-1 operator to integrate its NetworkSecure solution into Network-as-a-Service offerings across 32 countries, expanding its reach in enterprise and public-sector markets. The company also launched the SKA Edge Controller, a tactical platform designed to secure deployed military operations with quantum-resistant symmetric keys. Together, these initiatives demonstrate Arqit’s intent to position itself as a security-first quantum solutions provider, differentiating its strategy from hardware-led peers.

Rigetti’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates

Shares of RGTI have gained 8.1% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s growth of 21%.

From a valuation standpoint, Rigetti trades at a price-to-book ratio of 9.66, above the industry average. RGTI carries a Value Score of F.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Rigetti’s 2025 earnings implies a significant 86.1% rise from the year-ago period.

The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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