WTR Small-Cap Spotlight

Water Tower Research
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 WTR Small-Cap Spotlight is Water Tower Research's weekly podcast covering small-cap and micro-cap equities. Each episode features exclusive CEO interviews, analyst deep-dives, and actionable stock ideas across sectors including biotech, energy, technology, and industrials. Hosted by Tim Gerdeman, WTR Vice Chair & Co-Founder, the show gives investors direct access to the management teams and analysts behind under-the-radar opportunities. New episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms. 

  1. 3H AGO

    ExoZymes (EXOZ): Unlocking Hard-to-Scale Molecules with AI-Driven, Cell-Free Biomanufacturing

    Send us Fan Mail ExoZymes (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.

    32 min

  2. 6D AGO

    WTR Circular Economy Symposium (Part 1 – SAF): Key Takeaways and Why Investors Should Pay Close Attention

    Send us Fan Mail Join 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.

    15 min

  3. APR 29

    The 2026 Louisiana Energy Conference: Energy Themes, Access, and Opportunity

    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

    10 min

  4. APR 24

    First Phosphate (FRSPF): European Participation in Project Funding Highlights the Strategic Nature of the Company’s Resource

    Send us Fan Mail John 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.

    9 min

  5. APR 23

    CIRCULAR ECONOMY: Investing in SAF, CCUS and Waste-to-Value (PART 1 – SAF)

    Send us Fan Mail This 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.

    1h 22m

  6. APR 22

    Trump's Psychedelic Medicine Executive Order: What It Means for Patients and Investors

    Send us Fan Mail Water 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.

    9 min

  7. APR 22

    Perion Networks (PERI): Algo Trading for Ads — Perion's AI Layer for a Trillion-Dollar Market

    Send us Fan Mail In 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.

    10 min

  8. APR 15

    Algorhythm Holdings (RIME): SemiCab’s AI Platform Tackles Empty Miles in Global Freight

    Send us Fan Mail On 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.

    25 min
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5
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About

 WTR Small-Cap Spotlight is Water Tower Research's weekly podcast covering small-cap and micro-cap equities. Each episode features exclusive CEO interviews, analyst deep-dives, and actionable stock ideas across sectors including biotech, energy, technology, and industrials. Hosted by Tim Gerdeman, WTR Vice Chair & Co-Founder, the show gives investors direct access to the management teams and analysts behind under-the-radar opportunities. New episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms. 

Information

  • Creator
    Water Tower Research
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    246
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 WTR Small-Cap Spotlight
  • Show Website
    WTR Small-Cap Spotlight

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