MilestonePolicy & securityConfirmed
DARPA moves Atom Computing, Diraq, IBM and IonQ to its final quantum test stage
Oct 7, 2026
On Oct. 7, 2026, DARPA advanced Atom Computing, Diraq, IBM and IonQ to Stage C of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, where government evaluators will test whether their designs for utility-scale quantum computers can actually be built and work as intended. Microsoft and PsiQuantum were already in Stage C.
Why it matters
The initiative is the US government's independent check on whether any approach can deliver a quantum computer worth more than it costs by 2033. Stage C moves from reviewing plans to testing the hardware itself.
DARPA · Atom Computing · Diraq · IBM · IonQ · Microsoft · PsiQuantum
Sources (2)
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DARPA
Four more teams enter Quantum Benchmarking Initiative's final stage
“Four more organizations have advanced to the final stage of DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), which seeks to determine whether any quantum computing approach can achieve utility-scale operation – meaning its computational value exceeds its cost – by the year 2033.”
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Quantum Computing Report
DARPA Selects Atom Computing, Diraq, IBM, and IonQ for Final Stage C Verification under Quantum Benchmarking Initiative
“The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected four commercial quantum hardware developers—Atom Computing, Diraq, IBM, and IonQ—to advance to Stage C of the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI).”
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