Quantum's Next Winners? 3 Enablers With 10%+ Projected Growth in 2026

The recently announced $1.8 billion acquisition of SkyWater Technology by IonQ IONQ marks a strategic inflection point in the evolution of the quantum computing industry. By bringing a U.S. semiconductor foundry in-house through a cash-and-stock transaction, valuing SkyWater at $35 per share, IonQ is positioning itself to build a vertically integrated, full-stack quantum platform that spans design, fabrication, packaging and deployment.

The move addresses a core constraint in quantum scaling. Until now, hardware developers such as IonQ have depended on external foundries for the fabrication of increasingly complex qubit and control electronics, limiting iteration speed and manufacturing flexibility. Internalizing fabrication could shorten development cycles and support the transition from laboratory systems toward larger-scale, production-ready architectures.

More broadly, IonQ’s pivot toward vertical integration stands out within the quantum ecosystem, where peers such as D-Wave and Rigetti continue to rely in varying degrees on external manufacturing partners, highlighting a potential divergence in strategic approaches as the industry matures.

Against this backdrop, this article focuses on three quantum enablers, Northrop Grumman NOC, Cloudflare NET and Arqit Quantum ARQQ that appear well-positioned to benefit from the sector’s transition toward scalable manufacturing and infrastructure, offering exposure to quantum adoption without the binary risks associated with pure-play hardware developers. These three stocks are projected to report more than 10% earnings growth in 2026.

Why Quantum Enablers Matter More in 2026

As the quantum computing market continues to expand from early research toward commercial relevance, the role of quantum enablers is becoming increasingly central to the sector’s 2026 growth momentum. Going by a Markets and Markets report, the global quantum computing market is expected to grow from roughly $3.52 billion in 2025 to $20.2 billion in 2030, with longer-term estimates pointing to exponential expansion over the next decade. Within this broader ecosystem, enabling technologies — including semiconductor manufacturing, design software, post-quantum cryptography, test and measurement systems and hybrid infrastructure — are anticipated to capture a growing share of near-term revenues as enterprises and governments prepare for quantum adoption.

Meanwhile, McKinsey’s recent research projects that the three core pillars of quantum technology—quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum sensing — could together generate up to $97 billion in revenues worldwide by 2035.

For investors, this underlines why companies positioned as enablers may offer clearer revenue paths and reduced execution risk in 2026 compared with standalone quantum hardware developers.

3 Enablers to Report More Than 10% Earnings Growth in 2026

Northrop Grumman: It has signaled a growing interest in quantum technologies through strategic investments and research collaborations. The company committed $12.5 million to support quantum information science and engineering at Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus, helping establish a Center of Quantum Architecture and Software Development. Additionally, Northrop Grumman actively recruits research scientists in quantum information, indicating internal capability development in advanced quantum computing and information technologies.

In 2026, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock is expected to report earnings growth of 10.2% on revenue growth of 5.1%.

Cloudflare: It is advancing post-quantum security infrastructure with expanded end-to-end support for post-quantum cryptography in its Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution, with broader protocol compatibility for all IP protocols slated by mid-2025. This positions Cloudflare as a key enabler for enterprises and governments preparing for quantum-era cybersecurity threats, as over 35% of traffic on its network already benefits from quantum-safe encryption protections.

In 2026, this Zacks Rank #3 stock is expected to report earnings growth of 28.8% on revenue growth of 26.9%.

Arqit Quantum: It is advancing quantum-safe encryption with its Encryption Intelligence platform, commercially launched in January 2026, to help organizations plan and execute migration to post-quantum cryptography. The company was selected by the UK National Cyber Security Centre to participate in its Post-Quantum Cryptography Pilot using Encryption Intelligence for cryptographic discovery and migration planning. Arqit has also secured multi-year commercial contracts, including a three-year agreement with a global tier-1 telecom operator for quantum-safe network deployment, highlighting real-world demand for its quantum-secure solutions.

In 2026, this Zacks Rank #3 stock is expected to report earnings growth of 30.3% on revenue growth of 214.2%.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Arqit Quantum Inc. Price and Consensus

Arqit Quantum Inc. price-consensus-chart | Arqit Quantum Inc. Quote

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