Quantum Algorithms & Software Patents: Top Companies & Trends 2026
Quantum Algorithms & Software Patents: Who Leads and Where Filing Is Headed
35.0% of all 6,722 records sit with just five assignees, while the ranked list runs a full 100 companies deep — concentration at the top with a long tail below it. Annual filings climbed from 270 in 2017 to a peak of 1,072 in 2023. Across the most recent complete three-year span, filings dropped 16% — from 924 in 2021 to 779 in 2024 — a pullback from the peak rather than a collapse, and one that predates the still-incomplete 2025-2026 data.
- 1INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION11.6%
- 2GOOGLE LLC8.2%
- 3RIGETTI & CO INC5.7%
- 4MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC4.9%
- 5IONQ INC4.5%
See the full quantum algorithms & software patent landscape analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions about this landscape
Who holds the most quantum algorithm and software patents?
The ranking in this dataset covers 100 companies, with a single leader holding 778 records well ahead of a fifth-place figure of 304 and a tenth-place figure of 123. That leader-to-tail gap means one company has built a materially deeper filing position than the rest of the ranked group. The top five assignees combined hold 35.0% of all 6,722 records in scope, so a small number of firms account for a disproportionate share of the field even though the ranking runs one hundred names deep.
Is quantum algorithm and software patent filing still growing?
Filings grew from 270 in 2017 to a peak of 1,072 in 2023, then eased to 779 in 2024 — a 16% drop across that three-year span from 2021’s 924. That is the most recent period that can be treated as complete, because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months and the 2025-2026 figures are still filling in. Read the recent pullback as a real move off the 2023 peak, not as evidence the field is dying out, since later years will revise upward as more filings publish.
What technology areas do these patents actually cover?
The dominant IPC class is G06N, computing based on AI models, appearing on 87.5% of all 6,722 records, followed by G06F electric digital data processing at 27.3%. Narrower classes tied to the physical execution layer — B82Y nanotechnology, H01L semiconductors, H10N solid-state devices, H03K pulse technique, and H04L digital transmission — each sit at under 10% of records. Because a single record can carry several IPC codes, these shares add up to well over 100%, which is expected and not a data error.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Quantum Algorithms & Software Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.