D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS) saw its shares jump 5.38% during pre-market trading, as investors reacted to a newly published research paper that bolsters the company's quantum computing roadmap.

The surge comes after D-Wave released research supporting its path toward achieving practical quantum advantage, a development that adds a significant tailwind for the stock just ahead of its second-quarter earnings report. The breakthrough reinforces confidence in the company's technology and commercial prospects.

The broader application software sector showed weakness during the session, but D-Wave's quantum-specific catalyst helped it buck the trend and attract pre-market buyers.