A recent study from South Korea’s patent office shows a clear gap in global quantum computing efforts. Between 2014 and 2023, there were 9,162 quantum computing patent filings around the world. The U.S. led with 4,187 cases, which equals 45.7% of the global total. China came in second with 2,279 filings, or 24.9%.
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Both countries are now far ahead of others, and China is moving fast. In fact, China’s filing rate is more than double the yearly pace seen in other countries. This trend points to a stronger focus on locking in early rights as the tech starts to shift from labs to business use.
In terms of growth, the pace of patent filings for commercial products has taken off. From 2015 to 2023, the number of patents grew by 86% per year. At the same time, patents tied to basic research grew by just 26.8% each year. This gap suggests more firms are now working on tools, code, and services that aim to make money in the near term.
IBM and Google Lead, While Chinese Firms Close In
The top patent holders in the space are U.S. tech firms. International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) filed 1,120 quantum-related patents over the past 10 years. Alphabet (GOOGL), the parent of Google, filed 680. Meanwhile, one Chinese firm is also gaining ground. Origin Quantum filed 605 patents, with annual growth exceeding 130%.
Other Chinese firms, such as Baidu (BIDU) and Tencent Holdings (TCEHY), are also building their quantum stacks. Both firms saw their patent counts grow at more than 90% per year. This shift shows a broader trend where Chinese firms are trying to catch up with U.S. peers in both tech and patents.
Other key firms in the space include Microsoft (MSFT), IonQ (IONQ), and D-Wave Quantum (QBTS), which are all active in quantum research and development.
Korea Trails But Sees Strong Growth
South Korea ranked sixth with 248 patent filings, accounting for 2.7% of the global total. That count is lower than filings from Europe, Japan, and Canada. However, Korea is one of the fastest-growing markets. The country’s patent filings increased at an annual rate of 58.5%, behind only China and Israel.
Local firms have not yet made the global top 10, and the Korean government is urging its companies to do more. The country’s patent office says it is key for firms to link research with patent work if they want to play a bigger role in the future.
Today, most of the focus is still on hardware and theory, but that is starting to change. As more tools and apps reach the market, the patent race could play a bigger role in shaping who leads in quantum tech.
Using TipRanks’ Comparison Tool, we’ve assembled a list of notable U.S. and Chinese quantum computing companies to compare them and gain a broader perspective on each stock and the quantum industry as a whole.
