The Brilliant Margin™ | Smart, Witty Commentary for Savvy Investors

If investing in tech giants like NVIDIA or Microsoft feels like you’re arriving late to an overcrowded party, fear not. There’s another AI bash underway, and it’s far less crowded—but potentially just as lucrative. The AI revolution isn’t just reserved for established tech royalty. A new breed of nimble, innovative, recently public companies is quietly positioning itself to profit big-time from AI’s unstoppable momentum.

So, savvy investors, put away your magnifying glasses—we’ve already done the detective work. Here are seven smaller, less-well-known stocks that are brilliantly positioned to surf the AI tsunami straight into profit paradise.

Public since late 2020, C3.ai is all-in on providing artificial intelligence solutions specifically designed for enterprise-level businesses. Its AI applications are crafted to optimize efficiency, manage risks, and enhance profitability.

“We are building the operating system of the AI age,” says founder and CEO Tom Siebel[1].

Investor takeaway: With high-profile partnerships like Shell and the U.S. Air Force, C3.ai is proving that big-name customers trust small-name innovation.

Forget traditional antivirus—AI-powered cybersecurity is where SentinelOne thrives. Its advanced AI algorithms detect and neutralize threats faster than traditional methods, keeping data secure in a world increasingly governed by algorithms and data streams.

Investor takeaway: Cybersecurity plus AI equals a potent and scalable investment proposition.

UiPath is leveraging AI to supercharge robotic process automation, making tedious tasks vanish with efficiency that would make even Marie Kondo proud. IPO’d in 2021, the company has quickly garnered a strong user base and even stronger growth potential.

“Automation through AI is not just smart; it’s essential,” says CEO Daniel Dines[2].

Investor takeaway: AI-powered automation has clear ROI, making UiPath a compelling long-term investment

Upstart employs AI to revolutionize lending decisions, using predictive models far more accurate than traditional credit scoring. This approach isn’t just groundbreaking—it’s dramatically profitable, helping lenders approve more loans with fewer defaults.

Investor takeaway: Upstart is proving AI can meaningfully disrupt and monetize even the stodgiest financial processes.

Schrodinger leverages AI to accelerate drug discovery, turning decade-long processes into rapid, efficient workflows. Their algorithms predict molecular interactions, dramatically reducing research time and costs.

“AI transforms the economics of drug discovery,” noted Ramy Farid, CEO[3].

Investor takeaway: Pharma and AI? It’s a marriage investors should RSVP ‘Yes’.

Forget traditional insurance paperwork. Lemonade is blending AI with behavioral economics to revolutionize customer service and claims processing. Its AI chatbot handles claims instantly, making old-school insurers seem positively prehistoric.

Investor takeaway: Lemonade is tapping AI to completely reinvent customer satisfaction and efficiency in insurance—a trillion-dollar industry.

With clients including government defense agencies and private enterprises, BigBear.ai uses advanced AI-driven analytics for real-time decision-making. Public since 2021, it’s quickly carving out a niche in critical, data-rich sectors.

“Data without analytics is just noise; we turn it into insights,” says CEO Mandy Long[4].

Investor takeaway: BigBear.ai is betting big on data analytics, and so far, it’s a bet worth considering.

The AI investment story doesn’t end with giants; it begins with innovators. These smaller, lesser-known stocks offer investors a chance to bet on potential future giants. They’re the fresh faces of an AI revolution that’s just getting started.

“Discovering tomorrow’s AI titans today is the essence of brilliant investing.” — The Brilliant Margin™[5] Forget FOMO. Instead, focus on finding the brilliant, emerging AI companies poised for profitable growth.

See You in the Margin!

Bibliography

[1] C3.ai. (2024). “About Us – C3.ai Corporate Overview.” Retrieved from https://c3.ai

[2] UiPath Inc. (2024). “Company Overview & Mission Statement.” Retrieved from https://www.uipath.com

[3] Schrodinger, Inc. (2024). “Accelerating Drug Discovery.” Retrieved from https://www.schrodinger.com

[4] BigBear.ai. (2024). “About BigBear.ai: AI Analytics Solutions.” Retrieved from https://bigbear.ai

[5] The Brilliant Margin™. (2025). “Investor Commentary Series: Finding Future AI Leaders.” Internal publication.

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