Conference season in the investment industry may be starting to wind down, but several reputable and well-known names have just wrapped up their annual conferences. One of the most recent conferences to wrap up was the Discovery Conference, hosted by The Benchmark Company. The annual conference gives companies opportunities for one-on-one meetings with institutional investors from across the U.S. Here are some of the best ideas from this year's Discovery Conference.
SKYX Platforms
SKYX Platforms (SKYX) provides next-generation smart-home solutions for residential and commercial applications. The company has over 77 patents and patent-pending applications in the U.S. and globally, including 23 issued patents. SKYX Platforms also has a global licensing partnership with General Electric (GE).
Currently, the company is offering a ceiling platform for smart light fixtures, which it says is creating a new global electric safety standard. The Sky Smart Ceiling Plug is an open platform designed to seamlessly integrate into any type of lighting fixture, turning it into a smart light. According to the company, the Sky Smart Ceiling Plug won five Consumer Electronic Show (CES) Awards in 2023.
Beyond the Sky Smart Ceiling Plug for light fixtures, SKYX Platforms is also working on its All-in-One Safe-Smart Ceiling Platform, which it says “makes homes become smart in just minutes.”
Quantum Computing Inc.
Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT) taps into one of the newest areas of technology under development. The company is developing a suite of full-stack quantum solutions for enterprise customers, including its EQC hardware, Qatalyst software and a range of professional services.
Technically speaking, a Quantum computer is one that utilizes quantum mechanics to solve problems that are so complex that standard computers can't crack them. In fact, quantum-computing technology received a major headline boost recently, when IBM (IBM) announced the first quantum computer with over 1,000 qubits, which Scientific American described as "the equivalent of the digital bits in an ordinary computer."
Quantum Computing Inc. offers free trials for remote access to its Dirac quantum computers to enterprises wanting to work on optimization problems. These trials include licenses for academic, testing and development purposes and a set allotment of computing time. Quantum Computing also offers Dirac-1 as a subscription service.
Dyadic
Dyadic (DYAI) is an interesting biotechnology company working on a wide range of products for human health, animal health and alternative proteins. First, the company is applying its proprietary and patented C1 technology to develop vaccines and antibodies for infectious diseases in humans.
During the first quarter, Dyadic began dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial of DYAI-100, a COVID-19 booster vaccine candidate based on recombinant protein. The company expects the results from this first in-human trial to accelerate the adoption of the C1-cell protein production platform.
In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine, Dyadic is also developing several other vaccines for infectious diseases, including influenza, and other illnesses, including cancer. The company is using the same C1 platform to develop vaccines and antibodies for infectious diseases in animals, with a focus on Rift-Valley fever, salmonellosis, zoonotic influenza, West Nile virus, coronavirus, plague, rabies, Lyme disease and brucellosis.
Finally, Dyadic's alternative proteins program is aimed at reducing the cost of recombinant protein production using its proprietary Dapibus platform and other technologies in the search for non-pharmaceutical recombinant proteins. As part of this last program, Dyadic has launched a strategic partnership with a global food ingredient company and is exploring licensing and product opportunities in the alternative meat industry.
Ideal Power
Ideal Power (IPWR) has patented a unique bidirectional semiconductor power switch that's designed for applications in which energy efficiency is of the utmost importance. More specifically, the company's Bidirectional, Bipolar Junction Transistor, or B-TRAN, is designed for use in renewable-energy applications and energy storage, electric vehicles and EV chargers, data centers, solid-state circuit breakers, and other military and industrial uses.
Because it is bidirectional, just one B-TRAN can replace two or more conventional power switches in a wide array of applications. As a result, B-TRAN is not only eco-friendly but also extremely efficient, which makes it perfect for energy-efficient or green-energy devices. For example, EVs that utilize Ideal Power's technology have improved range. Additionally, the company's technology can boost the number of kilowatt hours that can be harvested from renewable-energy installations.
One reason B-TRAN is so energy-efficient is because of its unique, double-sided design, which significantly reduces conduction losses, the complexity of thermal management, and operating costs in AC power switching and control circuitry. Ideal Power's SymCool IQ Intelligent Power Module, which was launched recently, also uses its B-TRAN bidirectional power switch.
Know Labs
Know Labs (KNW) is developing non-invasive blood glucose monitoring solutions. The company's proprietary Bio-RFID is a technology platform that uses radio waves "to identify and measure what is going on inside your body." Know Labs' device can be integrated into a wide range of device types from wearable to mobile or bench-top form factors.
In fact, the company sees more than 100 potential applications for its Bio-RFID sensors, which can identify various molecules found in the body, including glucose, metabolized drugs, oxygen and alcohol. Given its ability to monitor glucose, diabetics may be particularly interested in these sensors because they do not require needles or even invasive transmitters to be placed on the body.
For this reason, it's easy to see why Know Labs is targeting blood glucose as its first priority. In fact, the Bio-RFID sensors don't even require test strips, lancets or other expensive consumable supplies. To use the sensors, the patient just needs to place one in their palm or hold the portable device to capture a spot reading of their blood glucose.
Know Labs has also developed a wearable glucose monitoring device called the UBand.
Investing in high-growth sectors
All the companies on this list operate in high-growth sectors and are developing cutting-edge technologies in their fields with the potential for tremendous gains in the future. For example, one estimate pegged the quantum-computing market at $812.6 million in revenue for 2022, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22% between 2023 and 2030, bringing it to $8.2 billion in revenue.
Meanwhile, another estimate suggested the blood glucose monitoring device market was worth $12.5 billion in 2022 and projected a CAGR of 8.13% between 2023 and 2030. In fact, Know Labs could eventually address many more markets than just blood glucose monitoring with its technology, so these numbers probably represent only a fraction of the company’s potential total addressable market (TAM).
Ideal Power already addresses a large number of energy-efficient markets. However, one firm estimated that EVs alone represented a $49.1 billion market in 2022 and projected a CAGR of more than 15.5% between 2023 and 2032, making it worth $215.7 billion. Thus, Ideal Power’s TAM should be significantly larger than this one market alone.
Similarly, Dyadic is working on both vaccines and antibodies for infectious diseases and other illnesses in both humans and animals. However, considering only vaccines for infectious diseases, one estimate pegs the market at $77.6 billion in 2023 with a CAGR of 3.9% between 2023 and 2028, making it worth $93.8 billion.
Of course, despite the large TAMs these companies could see, investors are always advised to do their own due diligence before investing in any company or sector.
Ari Zoldan is CEO of Quantum Media Group, LLC, and Ideal Power is a client of Quantum Media Group. There is no connection between Quantum Computing Inc. and Quantum Media Group.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Ari Zoldan
Ari Zoldan is the CEO of New York-based Quantum Media Group, LLC. The company provides investor relations, public relations and equity research services to publicly traded companies. As an on-air media personality, Ari can be seen regularly on major media outlets and is frequently quoted in mainstream news outlets covering business, innovation and emerging trends.
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