Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and as FOMO sets in, investors are flocking to little-known AI stocks. However, that doesn’t mean investors aren’t becoming weary and even skeptical about the way different companies are touting their use of AI.
For example, since Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) reported earnings in early August, the stock is down 13%. One reason is that analysts are taking a “show us, don’t tell us” approach to the company’s plans to monetize AI. This is likely to become a theme for many companies. In subsequent earnings reports, companies will have to do more than indicate they have AI capabilities. They will have to start showing investors the return on investment.
This may create an opportunity for under-the-radar AI stocks, including several stocks trading for less than $10 or even less than $5 per share. These stocks do present investors with substantially higher risk. However, they also may be the best opportunity for 10x or higher returns.
If this kind of investing appeals to you, here are three little-known AI stocks to help you jumpstart your research.
Predictive Oncology (POAI)
It’s hard to think of a much more compelling use case for AI than in cancer research. This is particularly true as the Biden administration is challenging companies in the United States to find a cancer “moonshot.”
That’s what Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ:POAI) offers to investors. This company uses its proprietary AI-driven platform (PeDAL) to make the critical connections needed to help accurately predict what cancer drugs may be successful with specific tumors.
The company’s website notes that its privately held biobank has more than 150,000 tumor samples, making it the largest. The company’s AI platform efficiently creates predictive models of tumor drug responses to different compounds and molecules.
This company generates very little revenue, is not profitable and has very little interest from institutional investors. That’s the risk of little-known AI stocks. However, if you’re patient and have an appropriate risk tolerance, POAI stock may have a significant payoff.
Remark (MARK)
Remark Holdings (NASDAQ:MARK) develops AI solutions for applications including facial recognition software, AI-powered retail analytics, and forensic investigations. This means it does business in three sectors that are expected to benefit the most from AI: retail, healthcare, and hospitality.
This broad-based approach should lead to multiple revenue streams someday. However, that day is not today. Remark is still generating very little revenue, and it’s not profitable yet. That could be an area of concern for investors.
Another attribute of potential concern is the high amount of short interest in MARK stock. As of August 15, the short-interest ratio was more than 12%. With only 14% of the company’s shares being held by institutional investors, this will be a volatile stock.
These caution flags are not unusual for a company with only a $10 million market cap. That makes Remark among the smallest of small-cap companies. That’s reflected in its stock price. As of this writing, MARK is literally a penny stock that changes hands for around 77 cents per share.
Evolve Technologies (EVLV)
Showing the return on investment with AI involves answering the “so what” question. If you’re of a certain age, you can remember life before the world wide web. However, it wasn’t until Web 2.0 that the internet really took off. That’s when applications were launched that gave the internet utility beyond novelty.
There will be many answers to the “so what” question for AI. Evolv Technologies (NASDAQ:EVLV) has one of them. The company uses AI to remove some of the current inefficiencies involved with event security. Specifically, it uses AI to analyze radio frequency (RF) waves. The AI can differentiate between a weapon and other metallic devices. It can do so 10 times faster than conventional metal detectors so that people can walk through security checkpoints at normal speeds.
The best part is that the company already has products in use at significant venues. This benefit is already showing up as the company expects to generate 53% revenue growth in 2024 and a doubling of its 2023 earnings. If the company hits on those forecasts, this won’t be one of the little-known AI stocks for much longer.
On the date of publication, Chris Markoch had a LONG position in EVLV. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
