My Top Small-Cap Growth Stock Pick I Think Can 10x In 2026

When the word “innovation” is thrown around in the finance world, most investors would immediately jump to the conclusion that a particular investors is talking about a technology company. That’s simply because most of the premier examples of innovation that changes the way we live and work has indeed come via technology, at least over the course of the past few decades. In fact, I’d argue that most of the true growth we’ve seen over the course of the past few centuries has been defined by technological innovations (from machinery to the Industrial Revolution altogether). 

Indeed, in that context, I think technology can be too narrowly defined today. Investors think of cloud, AI, machine learning, quantum computing and most screen-based technologies as the most integral growth engines of the economy. I’m not saying they aren’t – they are.

But there are other companies propelling truly disruptive technologies I think can drive massive upside potential in 2026. 

Here’s why I think The Metals Company (NASDAQ:TMC) is one of the most overlooked growth stocks in this regard, and why I think it’s totally within the realm of possibility that this stock goes on a 1,000% return surge in 2026. 

Demand for Battery Metals Is Incredible

Battery visual

Forget the headlines around renewable energy projects getting stalled, EV and solar tax credits going away, and the return of fossil fuels as the central power for our economy moving forward. The reality is that electrification is everywhere – from how we charge and heat our homes, to how we store data or power for other needs.

The need for ever-improving battery technology is obvious. We use batteries in all of our technological devices which provide us with the medium to use these core technologies I mentioned earlier. And that’s to say nothing of the server farms and data centers that are popping up (as well as the high-performance chip development), all of which require significant amounts of batter minerals to function. 

The Metals Company is a speculative powerhouse targeting polymetallic nodules in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone. This undersea zone is packed with nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese – you know, the critical battery metals fueling the EV and renewable energy boom.

Now, one may immediately brush off these growth trends, considering President Trump’s views on these technologies. That’s fair. But Trump also has a well-defined pro-mining agenda. Thus, with land-based supplies dwindling amid geopolitical tensions, TMC’s vast reserves could catapult it from pre-revenue status to a multi-billion-dollar cash machine. 

How Big Of An Opportunity Are We Talking? 

A stack of $100 bills

What I think is most prevalent to the discussion around TMC, which is currently valued at a market capitalization of just $3.7 billion, is that this is a company in control of the world’s largest undeveloped batter metal deposit. There’s an estimated 51 million metric tons of probable reserves sitting on the ocean floor in the form of golf ball sized nodules. TMC is the first notable company to develop a technology to safely remove these from the ocean floor and bring them to the surface. 

Using the price of copper (around $11,500 per metric ton) as a proxy, that’s a potential addressable market of nearly $600 billion alone. Factoring in some of the other more valuable minerals (such as nickel or cobalt at nearly $50,000 per metric ton) in the mix, and investors can clearly get to a trillion dollar total revenue basis as the addressable market for TMC. 

The ultimate control of this impressive deposit is meaningful, and TMC’s ability to achieve permits from various international bodies (with many expecting the U.S. to allow the company to mine these minerals under its flag in particularly sensitive international waters) could lead to massive upside in the coming years, if commercialization takes place.

So, Will TMC Begin Deep Sea Mining For Real?

Sea visual

I think there are a couple key factors that could lead to a quicker path to commercialization than some expect. There are some indications that the company could be due for commercial production of key battery minerals sooner than late-2027 (current projections), given recent early-stage permits for some exploratory mining expeditions. 

First, a push form groups looking to minimize the impacts of terrestrial mining could push for these forms of mining to be approved much quicker, and could gain international approvals at an expedited rate. Additionally, if we see significant shortages of cobalt, nickel, cobalt or manganese, that could push for a quicker turnaround from here. 

But even given the company’s stated intention of starting commercial operations in less than two year’s time, the race will be on among investors to capture a piece of this pie before it explodes in size. In my view, this is a trend that could be just as big as machine learning in terms of total value capture potential, but may have a commercialization timeline that’s more feasible.

To me, that’s a salivating opportunity, and I think plenty of investors are likely to join in on this parade.