DARPA Moves Four Quantum Companies into Final Evaluation Stage

In 2026, DARPA announced that Atom Computing, Diraq, IBM, and IonQ have progressed to Stage C of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI). Stage C follows a year-long Stage B review of each performer’s research plan, risks, and prototype requirements. In Stage C, DARPA’s team will work directly with the companies to test hardware against utility-scale roadmaps, aiming to determine whether any quantum-computing approach can achieve “utility-scale” operation—where computational value exceeds cost—by 2033.

Four more teams enter Quantum Benchmarking Initiative’s final stage Diraq Advances to Final Stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative IonQ Advances to DARPA QBI Stage C in $300M Agreement

QBI evaluates commercial quantum-computing efforts without selecting winners or losers. Since its inception, the program has reviewed more than 20 companies pursuing diverse qubit technologies. Earlier participants Microsoft and PsiQuantum entered Stage C after a pilot precursor (US2QC). The goal is to give the U.S. government an independent assessment of which approaches can deliver fault-tolerant, large-scale quantum computers in the near term.

Four more teams enter Quantum Benchmarking Initiative’s final stage

• Atom Computing – builds scalable arrays of neutral atoms.

Diraq Advances to Final Stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative

• Diraq – employs silicon CMOS spin qubits compatible with existing semiconductor fabs.

Diraq Advances to Final Stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative

• IBM – develops modular superconducting processors.

Four more teams enter Quantum Benchmarking Initiative’s final stage

• IonQ – advances trapped-ion quantum computers under the “Superion” brand.

IonQ Advances to DARPA QBI Stage C in $300M Agreement

These firms join Microsoft and PsiQuantum, already in Stage C.

Four more teams enter Quantum Benchmarking Initiative’s final stage

• DARPA agreements with IonQ and Diraq each have a potential value of up to US $300 million.

IonQ Advances to DARPA QBI Stage C in $300M Agreement

• Diraq will receive an initial US $51 million tranche for the next year of development.

Diraq Advances to Final Stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative

• IonQ’s Stage C work runs through 2029, with multiple generations of its Superion systems undergoing validation.

IonQ Advances to DARPA QBI Stage C in $300M Agreement

• Diraq claims its silicon spin-qubit platform can scale to 150,000 qubits by 2029 and reach utility scale by 2031, two years ahead of QBI’s 2033 target.

Diraq Advances to Final Stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative

• Funding beyond the initial obligations remains subject to future appropriations.

IonQ Advances to DARPA QBI Stage C in $300M Agreement

IonQ Chairman and CEO Niccolò de Masi called the Stage C selection a “significant vote of confidence” in the company’s roadmap. Diraq Founder and CEO Andrew Dzurak described the advancement as “crucial independent validation” of its silicon-spin-qubit path.

Diraq Advances to Final Stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative

• Utility-scale timeline: Diraq projects utility scale by 2031, while QBI’s overall target is 2033.

Diraq Advances to Final Stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative

• Funding certainty: Both agreements cite potential values up to $300 million, but additional funding depends on future appropriations.

IonQ Advances to DARPA QBI Stage C in $300M Agreement

• “Stage B is about putting the performers’ plans under a microscope: understanding the assumptions, identifying the risks, and determining whether the proposed development paths could plausibly get all the way to utility scale,” — Micah, QBI Managing Director

Four more teams enter Quantum Benchmarking Initiative’s final stage

• “Advancing to Stage C is a significant vote of confidence in IonQ's technology roadmap and architecture for delivering quantum computing at utility scale,” — Niccolò de Masi, IonQ Chairman and CEO

IonQ Advances to DARPA QBI Stage C in $300M Agreement

During Stage C, DARPA’s verification team will conduct hardware and system tests with each company, aiming to demonstrate performance against the published roadmaps. IonQ will submit successive Superion generations for evaluation through 2029, while Diraq plans a series of technical demonstrations and system updates, including deployment of its first silicon-spin quantum computer in a commercial data centre. The outcomes will inform whether any evaluated approach can meet the utility-scale criteria by the 2033 deadline.

Diraq Advances to Final Stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative