The most comprehensive open analysis of quantum computing
We systematically reviewed 1,222 research papers, tracked 81 startups raising $11.8B, identified 134 enterprise customers across 189 deals, and analyzed community sentiment across 3 platforms — covering every major signal in quantum from 2020 to 2026.
Research
Output peaked in 2023 with 334 papers — a 14x increase from 2020. Algorithms and Theory leads at 235 papers. The field is shifting from theory to building real hardware and software.
Output over time
7 years tracked · 2026 partial
334
peak in 2023
1,222
total papers
14x
growth to peak
By research area
20 topics identified
Startups
Quantum Hardware dominates at $8.8B across 32 companies. Building the physical machines is still the biggest bet — but the software layer is catching up fast.
Where they are
81 companies worldwide
Where the money goes
Funding by market category
Quantum Hardware
32 companies
Quantum Error Correction
13 companies
Quantum Software/Cloud
23 companies
Cybersecurity/PQC
11 companies
Quantum AI/ML
10 companies
Developer Tools
15 companies
Revenue
Government is the single largest buyer at 39.5% of total revenue. Most deals land at $1-5M, but 14 deals exceed $50M — the enterprise market is real.
Revenue by industry
134 customers across 6 sectors
Deal sizes
189 deals tracked
Community
Commercial Applications runs 82% positive — real technical progress excites people. But Hype vs Reality hits 59% negative — practitioners see through the hype.
By platform
Reddit, Hacker News, X (Twitter)
43% pos · 29% neg
Hacker News
41% pos · 22% neg
X (Twitter)
69% pos · 10% neg
By topic
Sorted by positivity