Rigetti Computing's stock surged 5.34% in pre-market trading on Thursday, as the quantum computing company attracted significant investor attention.

The sharp pre-market gain follows the company's announcement of launching its new 108-qubit Cepheus-1-108Q quantum computing system and securing a substantial $8.4 million contract with India's Centre for Development of Advanced Computing. These developments have raised fresh questions about the company's valuation and growth prospects in the competitive quantum computing sector.

The movement also aligns with broader strength in quantum computing stocks during the pre-market session, as several peers in the sector posted gains amid renewed investor interest in quantum technology companies.