Here’s a look at the two moonshots I own right now.

A play on self-driving vehicles and humanoid robotics

First up, we have Hesai (NASDAQ: HSAI). It’s a Chinese company that specialises in LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology and is listed on both the Nasdaq and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The reason I’ve invested in this company is that I expect demand for LiDAR solutions to soar over the next decade. Not only should demand come from automotive companies deploying advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and driverless vehicles, but it should also come from the humanoid robotic space (many robots use LiDAR for perception).

It’s worth noting that revenues here are growing at a spectacular rate. In the third quarter of 2025, for example, they were up 47% year on year to $112m.

Meanwhile, profits are starting to emerge as well. For Q3, non-GAAP net income was about $40m versus a net loss a year earlier.

Now, despite the impressive level of growth (and a valuation that looks very reasonable), this stock’s extremely risky. Some risks to consider include US/China relations, a delisting from the US, competition from rivals, and new technologies that could make LiDAR obsolete.

Given the risks, I’ve kept my position really small. That way, if the stock blows up, my retirement portfolio won’t be badly impacted.

I see a lot of potential though. I think this stock could be worth a closer look if an investor’s looking for high-growth opportunities.

A growth stock for the quantum computing boom

The other stock in my portfolio I consider to be a moonshot is SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT). It’s a small US chip manufacturer that’s increasingly focusing on the quantum computing market.

Looking ahead, SkyWater plans to be the chip manufacturing ‘partner of choice’ for quantum computing businesses. So with this stock I get exposure to the quantum computing industry without having to make a bet on an individual company’s technology.

Of course, quantum computing’s an emerging technology and it may never take off – that’s a key risk here.

The good news however, is that this chip company also serves customers in the defence, aerospace, automotive, consumer, healthcare, and industrial markets. So it’s relatively diversified.

As for the valuation, this looks attractive. If we take the revenue forecast of $609m for next year and the current market-cap of $800m, we get a price-to-sales ratio of just 1.6.

I’ll be keeping my position small though. With this one, share price swings of 10%-20% a day are the norm so I don’t want to have a large position that might tank my portfolio if things go wrong.

Taking a five-year view however, I see a lot of potential. I think this growth stock’s worthy of further research.

The post Here are the 2 ‘moonshot’ growth stocks in my retirement portfolio as we start 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

But is Tesla the best stock for the humanoid robotics revolution? Probably not, in my personal view. Here’s why I think that.

Impressive technology

Tesla’s Optimus robot is certainly impressive. Powered by a version of the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology – adapted for bipedal navigation – it can walk, talk, dance, and more.

CEO Elon Musk believes that his Optimus robots will be able to do “anything you want” including cleaning your house, walking your dog, and doing your shopping. And he’s hoping that in the future, the company will be able to sell its humanoids for $20,000 to $30,000 – less than the cost of a car.

Lots of competition

The thing is though, there are loads of companies globally developing humanoid robots today and many have equally impressive products. Some examples of businesses here include XPeng, Figure AI, Boston Dynamics, UBTECH, and Agility Robotics.

Given that so many companies have their own prototypes, I think it’s highly likely that humanoid robots will be commoditised in the future. In other words, there will be so much competition that it will be hard for those who manufacture them to generate huge profits.

Look at the supply chain

Given this potential backdrop, I reckon component or software makers may be better investments to consider than Tesla and other companies that manufacture the robots. I think it’s likely that companies that produce technology for the brains or bodies of humanoids will do really well as the industry expands.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs seem to agree with me. In a recent research report on humanoid robotics, they wrote: “Our analysts project the best investment opportunities for now could lie in component makers that form the supply chain.”

My humanoid robotics stock

One stock that I see a huge amount of potential in (and have bought myself) is Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI). It’s a small Chinese company that’s a market leader in LiDAR (remote sensing) technology.

Now, not all humanoids use LiDAR for perception. Tesla’s Optimus, for instance, relies on cameras.

However, many do. For example, of the five companies I mentioned above, four use LiDAR in their humanoids (and at least two work with Hesai).

Today, Hesai is having lots of success in the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving car space. Yesterday (11 November), for example, it reported 48% year-on-year revenue growth for Q3.

Looking ahead, I expect it to have similar success with humanoids as the technology goes mainstream. Because it has industry-leading products and relationships with many robotics companies.

“Looking to the decade ahead, we’re excited to evolve into a full-spectrum technology infrastructure builder, pioneering the next wave of innovation that will redefine how cars and robots perceive and interact with the world!”
Hesai Group

Now, the fact that Hesai is a Chinese company introduces a lot of risks. We all know that tension between the US and China is sky-high today.

Taking a long-term view though, I see a huge amount of potential. If an investor is looking to capitalise on the humanoid robotics revolution, I think this stock is worth a look.

The post Is Tesla the best stock for the humanoid robotics boom? Hint: probably not… appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Recently, I was playing around with ChatGPT and I asked it to list five growth stocks that could potentially be the next Nvidia. Here are the names it came up with.

ChatGPT’s picks

Based on current market trends, ChatGPT listed the following companies:

• AMD
• ASML
• Broadcom
• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
• Oracle

The first four businesses operate in the chip industry, like Nvidia, while Oracle’s in the cloud computing/data centre space.

I’m not convinced

Now, these are all brilliant companies. All five could potentially deliver strong returns in the years ahead. But are they likely to be the next Nvidia? I don’t think so.

Nvidia’s story is pretty unique. You see, CEO Jensen Huang saw the artificial intelligence (AI) boom coming long before most other chip companies did (well before ChatGPT was launched). As a result, he was able to develop market-leading products for the industry (GPUs) and capture a huge amount of market share.

When the AI market took off a few years ago, Nvidia’s sales and earnings skyrocketed. Last financial year revenue was $130bn – about 1,100% higher than the figure five years earlier.

One other thing worth noting is that if we go back a decade or so, Nvidia wasn’t a mainstream stock. As a result, its market-cap was only around $10bn (the smallest company in ChatGPT’s list is AMD with a market-cap of $420bn).

Now, ChatGPT hasn’t been able to see this and find an equivalent in another industry. It’s simply listed five growth stocks that are ‘frequently cited’ as having the potential for significant gains.

In other words, it hasn’t really done any proper research. That’s disappointing, and it highlights the risks of using AI for investment decisions.

Finding the next big thing?

If I was looking for the next Nvidia today (and I am), I’d be looking for small, less-well-known companies in emerging growth industries. Some examples here include self-driving vehicles, humanoid robots, flying taxis/drones, and nuclear power.

My focus would be on companies that develop vital technology for their industries, have strong competitive advantages (meaning competitors can’t easily replicate their products), strong management teams (ideally founder-led companies), and solid balance sheets. To my mind, these are the crucial ingredients when it comes to finding the next Nvidia.

A growth stock I’ve uncovered

One stock I’ve personally taken a punt on recently is Hesai (NASDAQ: HSAI). It’s a small Chinese company that specialises in LiDAR (remote sensing) technology and is founder-led.

I think it looks really well placed to benefit from the growth of both the self-driving vehicle and humanoid robotics industries. Already, it has loads of partnerships with businesses in these industries and has significant market share.

I’ll point out that this is probably the riskiest stock I own. The fact that it’s a Chinese business means that there are all kinds of complex geopolitical risks.

Given the risks, I expect its share price to have huge swings (like Nvidia has over the years). I’m comfortable with the risks though – I’m in it as a long-term investor.

If someone’s looking for big gains (and comfortable with risk), I think it’s worth a closer look.

The post I asked ChatGPT for the ‘next Nvidia stock’. Here are 5 names it gave me… appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

Looking for the next Nvidia? That could be challenging as stocks like this are rare, but here are three shares with significant potential to check out.

Exploring Nvidia’s success

Before I list the stocks, it’s worth quickly exploring Nvidia’s success. What has driven it?

Well, in short, it’s had market-leading products (chips) in a huge growth industry (AI). This had led to spectacular revenue and earnings growth.

The low-altitude economy is about to take off

Looking at things through that framework, one stock worth highlighting is Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY). It’s a leader in all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft (aka ‘flying cars’).

This stock is insanely speculative. Because right now, flying cars aren’t exactly a mainstream concept.

But things could change quickly. In the years ahead, the ‘low-altitude economy’ (activity below 1,000 metres) is projected to see enormous growth. According to Business Aviation, the industry could be worth $41.5bn by 2035.

It’s worth noting that Joby – which is heavily backed by Toyota – has a working product called the Joby S4. This is an air taxi designed to carry four passengers.

Now, the valuation here is crazy. Currently, it has a market cap of $15bn but a 2026 sales forecast of just $53m.

Still, I think it could be worth a look as a highly speculative investment. In the long run, it could deliver explosive returns.

The nuclear industry is booming

Another industry that looks set to boom in the years ahead is nuclear energy. Today, both governments and companies are looking at nuclear as an alternative to fossil fuel energy.

A stock in this industry that looks interesting to me – and is flying right now – is BWX Technologies (NYSE: BWXT). It’s a specialty manufacturer of nuclear components.

This company offers products for small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced reactors, naval nuclear reactors, nuclear fuels, and more. So, it could potentially play a major role in the nuclear revolution.

One thing I like about it is that it’s already profitable. This reduces risk for investors.

It’s still risky as there are no guarantees that nuclear energy will take off. Still, I think it’s worth a closer look today.

An autonomous driving and humanoid robotics play

Finally, check out Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI). It’s a global leader in LiDAR technology.

Looking ahead, this company appears well positioned to benefit from the growth of two industries – self-driving cars and humanoid robotics. Over the next decade, these industries are expected to explode.

Note that today, the company has partnerships with businesses in both of these industries. And it’s already seeing huge revenue growth.

This stock is really risky as it’s a Chinese ADR. So, risks include restrictions on the use of its products in the US and the possibility of a US de-listing.

I think it looks really interesting, though. I bought a small position myself recently as a ‘moonshot’ growth stock and I think it’s worth a look.

Big potential

I’ll point out that I don’t expect any of these companies to become the largest in the world, like Nvidia has. But, taking a long-term view, I see the potential for substantial gains.

The post Looking for the next Nvidia? Here are 3 exciting growth stocks to check out appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

However, I’m not afraid to take small positions in high-risk, high-return growth companies in an effort to generate explosive gains. I call these my ‘moonshot’ growth stocks.

Recently, I was doing some research into the autonomous driving and humanoid robotics industries and stumbled on a relatively unknown business that I thought looked really interesting. So, I bought a few shares for my portfolio.

This stock is really risky. But I think it could have more potential than any other in my portfolio.

A global leader in niche technology

The stock I bought was Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI). A Chinese company that’s listed on both the Nasdaq and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, it’s a global leader in LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology.

LiDAR is a remote sensing tech that emits rapid laser pulses to create precise, high-resolution 3D maps of the environment. Today, it’s used by most autonomous driving companies including Waymo, Apollo, and Zoox.

In 2024, Hesai had a 33% market share of the global LiDAR market by revenue (61% market share in autonomous ‘Level 4’ driving). Meanwhile, it also had more global LiDAR published patent applications than any other company.

Out of my comfort zone

Now, this is very different from my normal type of investment. It’s fair to say that it’s out of my comfort zone.

For a start, it’s a Chinese ADR (American Depositary Receipt). I tend to steer clear of these due to geopolitical risks (the possibility of a US delisting, high tariffs, etc) and transparency issues.

Secondly, it’s hard to know if the company has a genuine competitive advantage. While it has substantial market share, it has a few competitors including the likes of Luminar and Ouster.

Enormous potential

As I said above though, I see huge potential. There are two reasons why.

For a start, Hesai looks really well placed to benefit from the shift to self-driving vehicles. Currently, it has partnerships with a range of robotaxi companies including Apollo, Pony.ai, DiDi, and WeRide. It also has partnerships with many regular carmakers offering Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and exploring self-driving tech. Names here include Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Li Auto. As the self-driving industry grows, I expect LiDAR technology to be in high demand.

Secondly, it looks well placed to benefit from the humanoid robot revolution. That’s because most of these robots use LiDAR for perception too (along with cameras). Now, this industry is still nascent today. However, experts see huge growth ahead. According to Morgan Stanley, it could be worth $5trn by 2050. That’s good news for Hesai, which already has partnerships with several humanoid developers.

It’s worth noting that the company is already growing at a rapid clip. In Q2, it made total LiDAR shipments of 352,095 units, an increase of 307% year on year. This resulted in a 54% increase in revenue. It also led to a swing from losses to profit.

I’ll point out that I expect this stock to be a wild ride. It could crash spectacularly. With a market cap of around $4bn and a price-to-sales ratio of 8.5, however, I like the set-up. I’m excited about the potential.

The post This is the riskiest growth stock in my portfolio. But it might just have the most potential appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.