The Water Tower Hour

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of WTR Small Cap Spotlight, First Phosphate CEO John Passalacqua joins WTR's Tim Gerdeman and Dmitry Silversteyn to discuss the company's recent C$17.7 million financing, G7-backed investment and offtake agreements, and strategy to build a fully integrated North American lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery materials supply chain. The conversation covers project financing, commercial partnerships, upcoming development milestones, and what could drive the company's next phase of growth.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of WTR Small Cap Spotlight, Homerun Resources CEO Brian Leeners joins WTR's Tim Gerdeman and Dmitry Silversteyn to discuss the company's integrated strategy to transform high-purity silica into solar glass, advanced materials, and energy storage solutions. The conversation covers recent engineering achievements, financing strategy, government incentives, commercialization plans, and the milestones that could shape Homerun's long-term growth story.

Send us Fan MailRon Yekutiel, Co-Founder, Chairman, President, and CEO of Kaltura, Inc. (NASDAQ: KLTR), joins the latest WTR Small-Cap Spotlight for an in-depth look at the company's next chapter. In conversation with host Tim Gerdeman and WTR analyst James Kisner, Yekutiel explains how Kaltura is moving from a long-standing leadership position in enterprise video to an AI-powered, agentic digital experience platform. He outlines how the company is combining its core technology with photorealistic conversational avatars from the eSelf acquisition and intent-based journey orchestration from PathFactory to transform customer, employee, learner, and audience experiences.During the episode, Yekutiel demonstrates his own digital twin, an avatar that presents Kaltura's investor deck, answers questions, and switches to Japanese on command. The discussion also covers the two agentic solutions planned for release in the second half of 2026, the strategic importance of Kaltura's real-time experience layer, and how the leadership team is balancing investment in growth with adjusted EBITDA profitability and positive cash flow.

Send us Fan MailDr. Elazar Sonnenschein, Founder and CEO of Pulsenmore Ltd. (Nasdaq and Tel Aviv: PLSM), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR equity research analyst James Kisner on this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight Podcast. Pulsenmore has built the first FDA De Novo–authorized, prescription home-use prenatal ultrasound, allowing expectant mothers to capture images on a handheld device for remote physician review.Sonnenschein walks through the company's journey from concept to creating an entirely new regulatory category, what it takes to deliver a home scan clinicians can trust, and how years of real-world use shaped the platform. The conversation explores Pulsenmore's U.S. commercial launch, its proving ground in Israel, and a broader women's health strategy that now extends into fertility and IVF monitoring. He also shares his perspective on scaling the business and what investors should be watching over the year ahead.

Send us Fan MailJoin WTR's Tim Gerdeman and Peter Gastreich to unpack why the circular carbon and environmental solutions sector just hit an inflection point. After two rough years of oversupply and policy uncertainty, 2026 brings a structural reset, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis has reframed domestic renewable fuels and critical minerals. Drawing on WTR's new Primer covering approximately 50 public companies across five subsectors, Peter and Tim dig into the nine investment themes that matter most right now, why carbon intensity has become a direct revenue driver rather than a sustainability checkbox, and what separates the winners from the losers, from feedstock security to balance sheet strength through commissioning. They close with the near-term catalysts every investor should be watching.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight Podcast, Jolienne Halisky, CFO of AIB Data Centers Inc. (NYSE American: AIB), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR equity research analyst James Kisner. AIB is a power-first developer of AI and high-performance computing infrastructure. The company locks up executed utility power agreements before it breaks ground, then builds modular, liquid-cooled facilities that tenants lease and fill with their own GPUs. Halisky explains why power, not chips, is the real bottleneck in AI infrastructure, and how securing it first lets customers deploy compute months or years sooner. She covers the recent name change from BlockchAIn Digital Infrastructure, the shift from Bitcoin hosting to AI workloads, and how the build-to-suit model keeps hardware obsolescence off the balance sheet. Halisky also walks through the roughly 40 MW live today, a pipeline approaching 395 MW, the debt-free capital strategy, and the milestones investors should watch.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight Podcast, Yehu Ofer, CEO, and Einav Brenner, CFO of Odysight.ai Inc. (Nasdaq and Tel Aviv: ODYS), join host Tim Gerdeman and WTR equity research analyst James Kisner. Odysight.ai pairs small optical sensors with AI to bring predictive maintenance to aerospace, defense, and industrial markets, placing eyes inside hard-to-reach, safety-critical parts to spot leaks, cracks, and corrosion and forecast failures before they happen. Ofer explains how legacy monitoring relies mostly on vibration sensors bolted to moving parts, leaving much of a platform checked only by the human eye, and how Odysight's AI reads what those systems miss. He traces the path from optics to a qualified aerospace product and why today's defense environment is pulling customers in. Brenner walks through the backlog, the shift toward recurring revenue, and the company's cash and funding. Ofer closes with the milestones investors should watch across the U.S., Europe, and beyond.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of WTR Small Cap Spotlight, host Tim Gerdeman is joined by WTR Natural Resources analyst Richard Tullis and Al Petrie, Founder and Senior Partner of Al Petrie Advisors, for a discussion on the resurgence of oil production in the Gulf of America.The conversation highlights the key drivers behind the Gulf's renewed production momentum, including 20,000 psi deepwater technology, expanded use of subsea tiebacks, supportive regulatory developments, and the region's attractive economics relative to major onshore shale basins. Richard and Al also discuss investor interest in offshore energy companies, themes from the Louisiana Energy Conference, consolidation activity, and why the Gulf of America may continue to play an important role in U.S. oil production growth.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of WTR Small Cap Spotlight, Critical Metals Corp.'s Director of Corporate Development and Investor Relations, Tom McNamara, joins WTR's Tim Gerdeman and Dmitry Silversteyn to discuss the company's flagship Tanbreez rare earth project and its path to development. The conversation covers ownership consolidation, commercial partnerships, and accelerated project execution, as well as Critical Metals' broader strategy to build an integrated Western rare earth and lithium supply chain serving defense, advanced technologies, and the global energy transition. 

Send us Fan MailJoin Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair & Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at WTR, and Linda Bolton Weiser, Senior Consumer Analyst, as they dive into WTR's unique approach to consumer research. Get insights on store check methods and how social media data can be used to gauge brand strength for consumer companies. Learn how WTR's open platform benefits all classes of investors and gives consumer companies broad reach. Discover why some stocks—like AENT, COE, IPAR, SXT, WALD, and WDFC—become "orphans" in the sector and how WTR's research can help them capture investor attention. Learn why numbers of listeners and viewers of WTR's online content far exceed those of other research platforms. Get a glimpse into possible areas for future consumer coverage, including beauty, watches, and cannabis. 

Send us Fan MailIn this special episode of the WTR Small Cap Spotlight Podcast, originally featured on WTR Healthcare Happenings, Nick Kadysh, Founding CEO and President of PharmAla Biotech Holdings (CSE: MDMA), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR Healthcare Analyst Robert Sassoon to discuss the company's positioning as a world-leading supplier of clinical-grade MDMA and its strategy for unlocking pipeline value through smart partnerships. Nick walks through two recently announced transactions: the formation of Restora Neurosciences, a 50/50 SPV to advance APA-01, a non-psychedelic neurology molecule targeting traumatic brain injury and stroke, and a term sheet granting Jupiter Neurosciences (NASDAQ: JUNS) exclusive US rights to lead asset ALA-002, valued at more than $100 million. He also explains why a focused, capital-efficient model matters for a seven-person company supporting 33 clinical trials worldwide. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small Cap Spotlight podcast, Eric Robinson, Senior Vice President of Operations, and Joe Wong, Chief Technology Officer of Arq, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQ), join Tim Gerdeman (Vice Chair, Co-Founder & CMO, Water Tower Research) and Peter Gastreich (Managing Director, Water Tower Research).In a technical deep-dive into operations, Eric and Joe shared views on the science and commercial applications of activated carbon, the engineering challenges Arq encountered in scaling granular activated carbon (GAC) production at its Red River facility, the surging demand for GAC in PFAS drinking water treatment, the competitive dynamics and supply-side barriers in the activated carbon market, Arq's path forward on GAC capacity decisions, and the strategic optionality remaining at the idled Corbin facility.Subscribe and visit watertowerresearch.com for open-access small cap research, podcasts, and conference schedules.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small Cap Spotlight podcast, Dr. Wang, Chief Financial Officer of Lotus Technology (Nasdaq: LOT), joins Tim Gerdeman (Vice Chair, Co-Founder & CMO, Water Tower Research) and WTR Analyst Eric Goldstein.Founded in 1948 and reborn under Geely, Lotus Technology has evolved from a legendary British sports car maker into a global intelligent and luxury mobility company. In FY2025, Lotus deliberately stepped back from low-margin, discounted volume — gross margins more than doubled, the net loss narrowed 58%, and adjusted EBITDA loss improved 63%. Management is now targeting double-digit gross margins in 2026 and luxury-peer profitability by 2028.Dr. Wang walks through the margin expansion strategy, the global ramp of the 900V super-hybrid lineup (FOR ME in China, Eletre X in Europe), the Focus 2030 strategy under the new Geely-aligned board, the path to North America via Canada, and the key milestones investors should be watching.Subscribe and visit watertowerresearch.com for open-access small cap research, podcasts, and conference schedules.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, join Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair & Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at WTR, and Peter Gastreich, Managing Director - Energy Transition and Sustainable Investing, as they dive into WTR's Initiation of Coverage report for ClearSign Technologies (NASDAQ: CLIR). ClearSign is an industrial combustion innovator addressing a non-discretionary regulatory driver: NOx emissions compliance. Discover how ClearSign's burner technology tackles both NOx pathways at a fraction of conventional costs, the regulatory cycle expanding from California to Texas and beyond, its manufacturing partnership with Zeeco, and the growing addressable market across refining and ethylene. Peter also shares WTR's financial forecasts for CLIR, including its path to its first annual net profit and rapid scaling beyond. 

Send us Fan MailThis is the third and final episode in a three-part WTR Symposium Series podcast on investment opportunities in industrial decarbonization and the circular resource economy. WTR's Shawn Severson and Peter Gastreich are joined by CEOs of Abundia Global Impact Group (AGIG), Ace Green Recycling (anticipated NASDAQ: AGXI); Aduro Clean Technologies (ADUR), Comstock Inc. (LODE) and Northstar Clean Technologies (ROOOF). The podcast explores how five differentiated and high-growth companies are profitably converting waste including plastics, batteries, biomass, solar panels and asphalt shingles into high-value outputs including critical minerals like silver and lithium, circular chemical feedstocks, SAF and construction materials and underpinned by domestic supply chain tailwinds and a double revenue model getting paid for both finished product and waste intake. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight podcast, Chris Zhang, Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy of Maison Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq: MSS) joins host Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Water Tower Research, and WTR Analyst James Kisner. Maison is a specialty grocery retailer serving Asian-American and other ethnic communities, operating HK Good Fortune stores in Southern California and Lee Lee International Supermarkets in Arizona. Zhang lays out the company's tech-driven transformation across four pillars: store inventory, sales and order operations, customer privacy, and customer loyalty, with AI-powered forecasting and replenishment furthest along and perishables the first problem it tackles. He details the newly announced collaboration framework with SupplyAi and MiniMax aimed at embedding AI in everyday food-retail workflows, the direct-sourcing strategy across Asia including the Guizhou Moutai distribution agreement, and the company's Worldcoin (WLD) treasury position and early proof-of-human exploration. The conversation closes with the operating KPIs and milestones that would signal the AI and solutions strategy is working over the next 12 months.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of WTR Small-Cap Spotlight, Shubha Dasgupta, CEO & Co-Founder of Pineapple Financial, joins host Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co-Founder, and CMO of Water Tower Research, along with Dr. John Roy, WTR's Senior Equity Research Analyst. The conversation explores the corporate strategy of Pineapple Financial (Nasdaq: PAPL), a Canadian fintech company that provides a cloud-based brokerage network equipping over 700 independent brokers with proprietary AI-driven tools. Since its inception a decade ago, the company has funded over $15 billion in mortgages and currently funds approximately $3 billion annually across Canada.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight podcast, Gautam Garg, Vice President of Finance of eGain Corporation (NASDAQ: EGAN), joins host Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co-Founder, and Chief Marketing Officer of Water Tower Research, and WTR Analyst James Kisner.eGain is a leader in AI-powered knowledge management, helping Global 2000 enterprises unify siloed content into an AI Knowledge Hub that delivers accurate, compliant answers across customer service and adjacent functions.Garg explains why trusted knowledge has emerged as core AI infrastructure and why enterprise AI initiatives frequently underperform when built on stale or inconsistent data. He walks through recent product launches including the AI Knowledge Suite for Retail Banking, the IVA voice agent, Evaluator, Agentic Studio, and the developer-focused Composer platform, which supports integrations with Copilot, Claude, Gemini, and Cursor via MCP connectors.The conversation also covers a surge in RFP activity, a fast-growing partner ecosystem, expansion into HR and field service verticals, and eGain's profitable, debt-free financial profile heading into fiscal year 2027.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Oren Elkayam, CEO of Mobilicom (NASDAQ: MOB), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR senior equity research analyst John Roy to discuss how Mobilicom has positioned itself as a one-stop provider of the critical cyber, software, and hardware solutions that connect and secure drones, robotics, and autonomous systems. The conversation covers the company's role in the U.S. Department of Defense drone dominance initiative, its inclusion in the Marine Corps program of record, the strategic importance of Blue UAS and NDAA certification, and a U.S. manufacturing expansion designed to meet Pentagon procurement requirements. Elkayam also walks through the company's supply chain inventory strategy built around anticipated component shortages, and growing demand from NATO countries, Israel, and the Asia Pacific region. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Small-Cap Spotlight, Ning Ding, Chairman and CEO of ZJK Industrial, joins WTR's Tim Gerdeman, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer and equity analyst Eric Goldstein to unpack the company's record 2025 results, its expanding role in the AI infrastructure supply chain, and a multi-year plan to scale production globally — including a new Vietnam facility and a planned U.S. R&D and testing center.ZJK Industrial (NASDAQ: ZJK) is a Shenzhen-based precision metal parts manufacturer with one of the most technically demanding portfolios in global manufacturing — supplying AI infrastructure, liquid cooling for high-performance computing, electric vehicles, aerospace, medical devices, and advanced electronics.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small Cap Spotlight podcast, Robert Ellin, Chairman and CEO of LiveOne, Inc. (Nasdaq: LVO), joins Tim Gerdeman (Vice Chair, Co-Founder & CMO, Water Tower Research) and WTR Analyst Eric Goldstein.LiveOne is a B2B-driven music, entertainment, and technology platform. Slacker Radio is embedded in every Tesla on the road today, and its subsidiary PodcastOne (Nasdaq: PODC) is one of the top podcast publishers in the U.S. The company is guiding for $82–$90M in consolidated FY2027 revenue with positive adjusted EBITDA across all subsidiaries.The conversation covers the newly announced AT&T partnership, the subscriber conversion strategy, AI content licensing through PodcastOneAI, and the broader case for audio in the streaming landscape.

Send us Fan MailThis is the second episode in a three-part WTR Symposium Series on investment opportunities in industrial decarbonization and the circular resource economy. Shawn Severson and Peter Gastreich are joined by Gevo (GEVO), Alto Ingredients (ALTO), CapCO2, and LSB Industries (LXU) to explore how carbon has shifted from a compliance cost to a profit driver across aviation fuel, marine fuels, specialty alcohols, and fertilizers, and how regulatory tailwinds, accelerated by the Strait of Hormuz crisis, are reshaping the opportunity for investors in Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS). 

Send us Fan MailAl Petrie, Founder and Senior Partner of Al Petrie Advisors and organizer of the Louisiana Energy Conference, joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR natural resources analysts Richard Tullis and Jeff Robertson for a post-event recap of the 2026 LEC. The conversation covers key themes across all three days, including Gulf of America E&P activity and the return of offshore enthusiasm, U.S. onshore producers watching the futures curve before committing capital, and a forward-looking third day focused on LNG export buildout, carbon capture, AI-driven data center power demand, and energy infrastructure. Petrie also walks through what record attendance of 550 registrants and 50-plus sponsors signals about where industry confidence stands heading into the second half of 2026, and shares early themes shaping the 2027 edition. 

Send us Fan MailThomas Lamb, CEO of Myriad Uranium (OTC: MYRUF), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR analyst Dimitri Silverstein to discuss the company's flagship Copper Mountain Uranium Project in Wyoming and the catalysts that could materially re-rate the asset over the next 12 months. Lamb walks through the December 2025 airborne geophysics program that identified significant new anomaly areas east of the known resource, the Phase 2 drilling program now underway and the key milestones investors should track, and the strategic rationale for consolidating 100% ownership through the Rush Rare Metals merger. The conversation also covers the monetization of the Red Basin project in New Mexico and what the entry of technology-sector investors into uranium signals about where institutional capital is heading as AI data centers and energy security drive renewed demand for domestic nuclear fuel supply. 

Send us Fan MailDoug Lane, Managing Director and Consumer Analyst at Water Tower Research, joins host Tim Gerdeman to walk through the May edition of the WTR Consumer Monthly. The conversation covers what the WTR Consumer Index is signaling about sector health, where earnings have held up better than feared but multiple contractions and record-low consumer sentiment readings are weighing on valuations, and how currency trends are creating a split picture for global consumer companies. The centerpiece is Doug's Fundamental Focus on Helen of Troy (NASDAQ: HELE), a case study in how deeply discounted stocks with credible restructuring plans can re-rate sharply when operational results begin to confirm the recovery thesis. Doug also walks through several other names in his coverage, including Culp Industries, Bassett Furniture, Miller Knoll, and 800 Flowers, where cost restructuring is advancing, and the gap between sentiment and fundamentals may be closing.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small‑Cap Spotlight podcast, Rod Baltzer, CEO of Deep Isolation, joins Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co‑Founder, and Chief Marketing Officer of Water Tower Research, along with WTR Analyst Eric Goldstein.Deep Isolation is an innovative nuclear waste disposal technology company focused on protecting human health and the environment by addressing one of the most persistent challenges of the nuclear age. The company has pioneered a patented, directionally drilled deep‑borehole disposal system that places spent nuclear fuel and high‑level radioactive waste approximately one mile underground — twice the depth of a traditional mined repository, at roughly 70% lower cost, and achievable in months rather than decades.At the core of the platform is Deep Isolation's Universal Canister System, a single integrated solution for storage, transportation, and permanent disposal. By eliminating the need to repackage waste, the system helps avoid a potential $30 billion liability embedded in the current U.S. dry‑cask stockpile. With more than 100 patents; strategic partnerships with Halliburton, Amentum, Navarro, and Westinghouse; over $6 million in DOE and ARPA‑E grants; and no direct global competitor in the borehole disposal space, Deep Isolation sits at the nexus of the nuclear renaissance, the SMR buildout, and a $155 billion global waste backlog expected to nearly double by 2050.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight podcast, Mike Logozzo, CEO, and Tom Kutzman, CFO of reAlpha Tech Corp. (NASDAQ: AIRE), join host Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co-Founder, and Chief Marketing Officer of Water Tower Research, and WTR Analyst James Kisner.reAlpha is developing an AI-powered homebuying platform designed to coordinate real estate brokerage, mortgage, and title services on a single platform. The platform is anchored by Claire, the company's proprietary AI homebuying concierge, and a rebate-at-closing model that rewards buyers who utilize multiple reAlpha services.Mike Logozzo walks through the "One reAlpha" vision, the progress of the Prevu integration, and the strategic rationale behind the proposed InstaMortgage acquisition, which would bring direct mortgage lending onto the platform. Tom Kutzman outlines a return-driven spending initiative encompassing headcount realignment, AI productivity gains, and vendor optimization.The conversation closes with reAlpha's priorities for the remainder of 2026, including completing the InstaMortgage transaction, converting platform visitors into customers during the spring and summer buying season, and expanding services into additional states.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Small-Cap Spotlight, John Pasalacqua, CEO of First Phosphate, joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR analyst Dmitry Silversteyn to unpack Agnico Eagle's $95 million acquisition of Fox River Resources and what the move signals about the accelerating strategic interest in North American phosphate as a critical material for electrification.Pasalacqua outlines why First Phosphate's singular focus on high‑purity igneous anorthosite in Quebec differentiates it from fertilizer‑oriented peers, and details the company's fully validated mine‑to‑battery supply chain, the infrastructure advantages of the Bégin–La‑Marche resource, and a pathway to first production in 2029. With LFP now representing roughly 80% of global battery production and phosphate comprising more than 60% of the cathode by weight, he makes the case that North American supply chain independence begins with domestic phosphate.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Small‑Cap Spotlight, Zak Calisto, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Karooooo, joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR analyst Eric Goldstein to discuss the global connected vehicle and fleet intelligence platform built on Cartrack, a SaaS telematics leader with more than two decades of operating history. With 2.6 million subscribers across four continents, Karooooo delivers real‑time vehicle tracking, driver behavior analytics, and workflow automation on a highly recurring subscription model. FY2026 was a record year, with Cartrack subscription revenue up 19%, ARR reaching USD 325 million (up 38% in dollar terms), and the Board raising the annual dividend 20%. FY2027 guidance points to continued subscription revenue acceleration and 21% EPS growth at the midpoint.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Small-Cap Spotlight, John Lai, CEO of PetVivo Holdings (PETV), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR analyst Robert Sassoon to discuss the company's regenerative medicine platform for companion animals. The conversation covers PetVivo's product suite led by Spryng, its cartilage-mimicking protein particle matrix; the off-the-shelf Precise PRP product; and a BioPiezo collaboration with the University of Connecticut that pairs Spryng with nanofiber technology to drive cartilage regeneration with potential translation to human medicine. Lai also previews the launch of PetVivo.ai, an agentic AI platform for veterinary practices, and outlines the company's pathway toward cash-flow breakeven. 

Send us Fan MailDakota Semler, CEO of Xos Trucks (NASDAQ: XOS), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR analyst Eric Goldstein to discuss how Xos survived the EV truck shakeout and emerged with three growing business units — medium-duty vehicles serving UPS, FedEx, and others, the Xos Hub mobile charging platform, and a Powertrain business that supplies third parties such as Blue Bird. Semler explains how a sub-$100,000 chassis price point opens new markets, the emerging vehicle-to-grid opportunity in school bus fleets, and the three pillars driving financial strategy: growth, margins, and liquidity. With improving free cash flow, Xos is demonstrating that disciplined execution — not subsidies — is what keeps an EV company standing.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the WTR Small Cap Spotlight Podcast, Joseph Lucosky, Managing Director of Lucosky Brookman LLP, joins host Tim Gerdeman to explain why the old microcap IPO playbook is dead, and what's replacing it. Joe walks through the wave of exchange rule changes since late 2024, the 86% collapse in Q1 2026 microcap IPO volume, NASDAQ's new 51013 discretionary review process, and the rise of alternative pathways, including uplists, cross-lists, direct listings, and reverse mergers. He also explains why getting a deal done in this environment requires an advocate, not a paper-pusher. That point is backed up by the firm's track record of completing two of the five microcap IPOs in Q1 2026, including the deal that ended a 78-day NASDAQ drought. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Small-Cap Spotlight, Dr. Siyu Huang, Founder and CEO of Factorial Energy, joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR analyst Eric Goldstein to discuss why solid-state batteries are finally crossing from lab to road. The conversation covers Factorial's two platforms — FEST® for drones and defense, Solstice for robotics and energy storage — joint development agreements with strategic partners including Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Hyundai, and Kia, a strategic investment from IQT, the venture arm of the U.S. national security community, and why defense and drone markets may generate revenue well ahead of the automotive ramp. Dr. Huang also explains the company's capital-light business model and how it plans to scale without building its own gigafactories.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight, Stephen Rodgers, Head of Global Planning and Strategy at SBC Medical Group Holdings (NASDAQ: SBC), joins WTR's Tim Gerdeman and Robert Sassoon. Rodgers discusses how SBC's 26‑year build‑out into a 283‑location platform serving 2.1 million customers with a 72% repeat rate has created a scale, data, and trust advantage that competitors have been unable to replicate. He outlines the rationale for expanding beyond aesthetics into orthopedics, fertility, and dentistry, and highlights longevity as a major white space being addressed through the SBC Wellness 2.0 B2B program. The conversation also covers SBC's partnership‑driven global expansion via Orange Twist in the U.S., AHH in Singapore, and footholds in Thailand and Vietnam, and concludes with Rodgers' perspective on AI as a key driver—including plans to leverage SBC's proprietary library of millions of before‑and‑after treatment images.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Small Cap Spotlight, Brian Leeners, CEO of Homerun Resources, joins Shawn Severson and Dmitry Silversteyn of WTR to discuss the investment case behind the company's planned solar glass business in Brazil. The conversation highlights the strong project economics, growing market demand, and the strategic value of its adjacent silica resource. The discussion also covers key execution milestones, potential expansion beyond phase one, and management's longer-term vision for smarter, higher‑value solar glass applications. 

Send us Fan MailIn this Showcase Series, Rob Spillman, Chairman and CEO of Bassett Furniture Industries (NASDAQ: BSET), joins host Doug Lane, Managing Director and Consumer Analyst at WTR, to discuss how one of America's oldest furniture brands is driving growth in a challenging housing environment. Spillman walks through Bassett's “good, better, best” product strategy and the opening‑price‑point introductions that stood out at High Point Market, the expansion of the Lane Venture outdoor brand into Bassett retail stores, the company's blend of U.S. manufacturing with complementary overseas sourcing, and the newly opened Cincinnati store marking a return to a key market. With nearly 125 years of history behind it, Bassett is leaning on innovation, lean operations, and long‑term confidence in the American home furnishings market.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of WTR Small-Cap Spotlight, Oren Hershkovitz, CEO of Enlivex, joins host Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co-Founder, and CMO of Water Tower Research, along with Dr. John Roy, WTR's Senior Equity Research Analyst. The conversation explores the evolved corporate strategy of Enlivex, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company that has pioneered a dual-pillar approach combining traditional drug development with a high-exposure digital asset treasury (DAT). Unlike companies that focus their treasuries on Bitcoin, Enlivex is the first public company to center its strategy around prediction markets, specifically the RAIN decentralized protocol. This novel approach allows the company to potentially leverage yield enhancement activities from its digital assets to aggressively fund the clinical development of its lead immunotherapy candidate, Allocetra, currently in late-stage trials for age-related osteoarthritis.

Send us Fan MailExoZymes (NASDAQ: EXOZ) CEO Michael Heltzen joins Tim Gerdeman and Robert Sassoon in this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight podcast to discuss the company's AI-driven, cell-free biomanufacturing platform and how it aims to overcome longstanding scalability challenges in synthetic biology. The conversation covers the scientific differentiation of its “exozyme” enzyme engineering approach, the commercial strategy behind its lead programs in metabolic health (NCT) and non-intoxicating cannabinoids, and the broader opportunity to produce high-value molecules that have historically been inaccessible at scale. The podcast also explores regulatory dynamics, near-term commercialization milestones, and ExoZymes' dual strategy of advancing internal assets while positioning the platform for future licensing, alongside considerations around capital efficiency and funding.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of WTR Small-Cap Spotlight, Brian Mehler, CEO of Stable, joins host Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co-Founder, and CMO of Water Tower Research, along with Dr. John Roy, WTR's Senior Equity Research Analyst. The conversation explores the strategic priorities of Stable, an institutional-grade Layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for stablecoin transactions and global payments. Unlike many general-purpose chains that use volatile gas tokens, Stable is USDT-native, meaning it uses USDT as its native gas token to ensure predictable transaction costs and a stable $1 peg for fees. This approach removes the friction caused by market swings, which can often make transactions on other networks 15% to 20% more expensive during periods of volatility.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of WTR Small‑Cap Spotlight, Douglas Hineline, Tech Lead and Senior Platform Engineer at Arrive AI (NASDAQ: ARAI), joins WTR's Tim Gerdeman and James Kisner to discuss how Arrive AI is building the infrastructure layer for autonomous last‑mile delivery. Hineline breaks down how Arrive Points—the company's smart lockers and mini cross‑docks—act as secure exchange hubs linking drones, ground robots, couriers, retailers, and consumers. The conversation explores Arrive AI's early traction in healthcare and campus logistics, why advances in AI, edge compute, robotics, and drone regulation are accelerating market readiness, and how the company aims to “own the last inch of the last mile” through a broader Network‑as‑a‑Service platform.

Send us Fan MailJoin WTR's Tim Gerdeman and Peter Gastreich as they unpack key takeaways from WTR's Circular Economy Symposium (Part 1 – SAF) — and lay out why investors should be paying close attention to this sector right now — including high-level feedback from conversations with Kline + Company and CEOs from leading SAF companies or their subsidiaries (AGIG, CLMT, LODE, SAFX). Topics include: the persistent expected structural gap between mandated demand and available supply; why regulatory tailwinds are potentially the most favorable the industry has ever experienced; why the Strait of Hormuz crisis is pulling long-term demand forward and reshaping the energy security case for domestic SAF; and what separates the winners from the losers — including the critical importance of feedstock strategy and how carbon intensity directly impacts the value of SAF.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of WTR Small Cap Spotlight, Al Petrie, Founder and Senior Partner at Al Petrie Advisors, joins Tim Gerdeman, Richard Tullis, and Jeff Robertson of Water Tower Research to preview what sets the Louisiana Energy Conference apart. They discuss the conference's independent structure, all-panel format, broad industry reach, and why this year's agenda—covering offshore and onshore E&P, oil services, LNG, carbon capture, infrastructure, power generation, and data center demand—offers a timely cross-section of today's energy landscape. www.louisianaenergyconference.com

Send us Fan MailJohn Passalacqua, CEO of First Phosphate, joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR's Dmitry Silversteyn to break down the strategic significance of the €170M loan guarantee from a European government entity and its impact on advancing the company's flagship Canadian project. 

Send us Fan MailThis WTR Symposium Series podcast is the first of a three-part symposium exploring investment opportunities emerging from industrial decarbonization and the circular resource economy. The first episode focuses on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Our keynote speaker from Kline + Company, and senior leadership from Abundia Global Impact Group (AGIG), Bioleum Corp (Comstock) (LODE), Montana Renewables (Calumet) (CLMT), and XCF Global (SAFX) join the Water Tower Research team including Shawn Severson, CEO and Co-founder, and Peter Gastreich, Managing Director - Energy and Sustainable Investing, to discuss how waste streams become jet fuel, which SAF business models generate real returns, strong regulatory tailwinds, and why energy security is rewriting the renewable fuels investment thesis. 

Send us Fan MailWater Tower Research's healthcare equity analyst Robert Sassoon breaks down President Trump's executive order on therapeutic psychedelics, examining the five key mechanisms it puts in place — from accelerated FDA review vouchers and right-to-try expansion to federal funding and ibogaine pathway clearance. Sassoon explains what the order gets right, where it falls short (namely on reimbursement and rescheduling), and which companies — including Compass Pathways, Dephinium Therapeutics, and Helus Pharma — stand to benefit most as the sector gains its first clear federal endorsement as a legitimate therapeutic class. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight podcast, Tal Jacobson, CEO of Perion Network (NASDAQ: PERI), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR's James Kisner to discuss how the repositioned, AI-native Perion is tackling fragmentation in the trillion-dollar digital ad market. Jacobson walks through Perion One — a platform that sits above ad-buying platforms like Google, YouTube, Meta, and TikTok rather than replacing them — and Outmax, the company's AI agent that applies algorithmic-trading methodology to media buying for 52 Fortune 100 companies. Because Perion owns no inventory, it can recommend shifting spend to whichever channel delivers the best outcome — an edge single-channel players can't match. The conversation covers Q4 momentum, growth in CTV, Digital Out-of-Home, and Retail Media, partnerships with Amazon, Walmart Connect, and Mastercard, and a three-year plan targeting 20%+ organic ex-TAC CAGR, 28% EBITDA margins by 2028, and $300M+ in cash.

Send us Fan MailOn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight, Gary Atkinson, CEO of Algorhythm Holdings (NASDAQ: RIME), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR's James Kisner. The discussion centers on SemiCab, the company's AI-driven collaborative optimization platform built to reduce empty truck miles and improve freight network efficiency by turning one-off shipments into continuous, multi-stop flows. Atkinson highlights accelerating managed-services traction with major consumer brands in India, the real-world operating benefits the platform has delivered for customers, and the longer-term opportunity to expand into the U.S. through the higher-margin APEX SaaS offering. The conversation also covers growth milestones for 2026, the advantages of the company's asset-light model, and how management is thinking about scaling the business while funding continued expansion.

Send us Fan MailIn this special edition of the WTR Small‑Cap Spotlight Flashcast, Water Tower Research CEO and Co‑Founder Shawn Severson previews the WTR Insights Virtual Conference, April 14–15. The two‑day event features 24 small‑ and micro‑cap companies across ALL WTR research sectors. These companies represent more than $5.5B in combined market cap and will give investors direct access to C-Suite management through fireside chats,  one‑on‑one and small group meetings. Severson explains what sets this conference apart: analyst‑led conversations focused on strategy, competitive positioning, and the business drivers that matter. He also covers the open‑access format, available company primers, and how investors can follow up after the event.

Send us Fan MailOn this episode of the WTR Small‑Cap Spotlight, James Kisner, Technology Analyst at Water Tower Research, joins Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co‑Founder, and Chief Marketing Officer of Water Tower Research, to discuss the latest insights from WTR's suite of AI research products. Kisner walks through key themes from the newest AI Flow Newsletter, describing what he calls a “whiplash” month — from viral bear‑case essays and a 4,000‑person layoff explicitly citing AI, to OpenAI's record‑breaking $110B capital raise and the Pentagon's unprecedented supply‑chain risk designation for Anthropic.He also breaks down the AI Flow Index, which tracks the stock performance of roughly 400 public companies and shows a striking five‑month divergence: semiconductors up nearly 60% since launch while software has declined about 26%. Kisner then introduces the new AI Flow Private Pools Newsletter, which tracks approximately 45 private AI companies with a combined market value of about $1.73 trillion, highlighting notable valuation shifts — including Anthropic's standout $92 billion single‑month gain.

Send us Fan MailRobert Sassoon, WTR Senior Healthcare Analyst, joins Tim Gerdeman to discuss obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the rapidly evolving treatment landscape for this widespread yet often undiagnosed and potentially fatal condition. The conversation explores the shift away from CPAP amid high non‑adherence rates toward emerging alternatives, including neurostimulation, pharmacotherapy, and oral appliances. Sassoon also highlights the valuation gap between incumbents such as ResMed (NYSE: RMD) and innovators like Vivos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VVOS), whose approach extends beyond symptom management to address finite anatomical correction.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, 1‑800‑Flowers.com CFO James Langrock and SVP of Investor Relations Andy Milevoj join Water Tower Research Managing Director Doug Lane and host Tim Gerdeman for a deep dive into the company's multi‑year transformation under new CEO Adolfo Villagomez. The discussion explores the leadership overhaul, the shift from a brand‑led to a functional organizational structure, and renewed priorities around marketing efficiency, customer retention, and technology modernization.From its beginnings as a single Manhattan flower shop in 1976 to its evolution into a $1.7 billion e‑commerce gifting platform serving 9 million customers, the conversation examines how 1‑800‑Flowers is working to restore profitable growth, expand into third‑party marketplaces and retail channels, leverage data and AI to enhance personalization, and build on a business where roughly 74% of revenue comes from repeat customers.