Quantum Computing Patents: Top Companies & Filing Trends 2026
Quantum Computing Patents: Who Leads and Where Filing Is Headed
31.6% concentration. The top 5 ranked assignees combined account for 6,778 of the 21,462 records in scope — a leadership group that has pulled well ahead of the long tail. Annual filings climbed from 872 in 2017 to a peak of 2,979 in 2023. The 2021-2024 window, the most recent span with largely complete publication, moved from 2,500 to 2,430 filings — a roughly flat trajectory rather than a downturn. Years after 2024 will continue to fill in as publication catches up with filing.
- 1INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION12.7%
- 2GOOGLE LLC10.1%
- 3MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC4.5%
- 4QUANTINUUM LLC2.2%
- 5IONQ INC2.1%
See the full quantum computing 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 quantum computing patents
Who holds the most quantum computing patents?
One assignee leads the ranked list with 2,716 records, well ahead of the rest of the field; fifth place holds 458 and tenth place holds 312. The top five assignees combined account for 31.6% of all 21,462 records in scope, and the top ten account for 41.2%. Below that tier sits a long tail of companies and universities with far smaller portfolios, so a single leader does not translate into a monopoly over the whole field.
Is quantum computing patent filing still growing?
Filing activity rose steadily from 872 records in 2017 to a peak of 2,979 in 2023. Looking at the most recent span with largely complete publication, 2021 to 2024, filings moved from 2,500 to 2,430, essentially flat rather than declining. Figures for 2025 and 2026 will continue to rise as publication catches up, since publication typically lags filing by about 18 months.
What technology areas dominate quantum computing patent claims?
G06N, the IPC class covering AI-model-based computing, appears on 74.0% of the 21,462 records in scope, making it by far the most common classification even though the underlying search targets qubit hardware and control. H10N and H01L, covering solid-state devices and semiconductors, each sit around 12-13%, with nanotechnology, pulse-technique circuits and digital communications classes trailing further behind. Because records can carry multiple classes, these percentages do not sum to 100% and should be read as independent shares of the same record base.
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 Computing 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.