10 Best “Moonshot” Tech Stocks to Buy According to Short Sellers

In this article, we look at the 10 Best “Moonshot” Tech Stocks to Buy According to Short Sellers.

Moonshot tech stocks are not built for calm investors, tidy spreadsheets, or people who value stability and uninterrupted sleep. They sit where large addressable markets meet fragile balance sheets, volatile narratives, and heavy skepticism. That is exactly why short sellers matter in this corner of the market. A short sale generally reflects a bet that a stock will fall, though it can also be used as a hedge; when the stock rises instead, short sellers can face losses that intensify the move.

The setup is especially combustible in 2026 because several speculative technology themes still have real capital behind them. Reuters reported in February that Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft were expected to invest about $650 billion this year to expand AI-related infrastructure, up sharply from 2025. Battery demand has also expanded as EV sales and grid storage needs have grown, while McKinsey noted that lithium-ion battery demand more than doubled between 2022 and 2025. Space technology is drawing similar speculative oxygen, with Reuters reporting that global space investment reached $7.95 billion in the first quarter of 2026, a record level.

That does not necessarily make these stocks safe. It makes them polarized. The best “moonshot” tech stocks in this group are not conventional compounders; they are battleground names where AI, automation, robotics, EVs, health platforms, and space technology collide with short interest, execution risk, and retail enthusiasm. In other words, tiny rocket engines strapped to very nervous balance sheets.

Methodology

For this article, we screened U.S.-listed technology and technology-adjacent companies with high short interest as a percentage of float, focusing on names tied to speculative growth themes such as AI software, automation, robotics, EVs, batteries, space technology, defense AI, and digital health platforms. We then narrowed the list to stocks that fit the “moonshot” profile: companies with large addressable markets, volatile trading histories, strong retail interest, elevated execution risk, and substantial upside. The final ranking is based on short interest as a percentage of float, from highest to lowest.

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10. Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID)

Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 48.97% of float as of April 30, 2026, according to MarketBeat.

Lucid’s moonshot case sharpened on April 14, when the company said Uber would lift its total investment in Lucid to $500 million and expand its purchase commitment to at least 35,000 Lucid vehicles for a future global robotaxi service. The agreement covers Lucid Gravity and future midsize vehicles, turning LCID from a premium EV survival story into a more direct bet on autonomous mobility infrastructure. Lucid also announced a $550 million investment from an affiliate of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund as part of the same update.

The reason short sellers remain crowded into the name is also plain to see. On May 5, Lucid reported first-quarter revenue of $282.5 million, up 20% from the prior-year period, while production rose 149% to 5,500 vehicles. Deliveries, however, came in at 3,093 after a supplier issue hit Gravity SUV shipments in February. Reuters also reported that Lucid suspended its full-year forecast after missing quarterly revenue estimates, even as March orders rebounded and its post-raise liquidity rose to about $4.7 billion.

That is the LCID setup in one frame: huge robotaxi optionality, premium EV technology, fresh capital, and a short base betting that execution, dilution, and demand will keep Gravity undefeated.

Lucid Group, Inc. designs and manufactures luxury electric vehicles, including the Lucid Air sedan and Lucid Gravity SUV, and develops EV platform and powertrain technologies for consumer and commercial mobility markets.

9. SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN)

SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 40.75% of float as of April 30, 2026, according to MarketBeat.

The voice and agentic AI company gave bulls fresh material on May 7, when it reported first-quarter revenue of $44.2 million, up 52% year-over-year. SoundHound also reaffirmed its 2026 revenue outlook of $225 million to $260 million and said its planned acquisition of LivePerson would help create an end-to-end conversational AI platform spanning voice, messaging, and digital customer engagement. The deal is expected to give the combined company a $500 million revenue opportunity from the existing customer base alone.

The moonshot case also got a product layer on May 5, when SoundHound launched OASYS, its self-learning, orchestrated agentic AI platform. The company said OASYS can build, orchestrate, evaluate, and improve AI agents over time across channels such as phones, web chats, in-vehicle systems, kiosks, and other digital or physical touchpoints.

Short sellers still have plenty to chew on. The company posted a GAAP net loss of $25.0 million and adjusted EBITDA loss of $26.7 million in the first quarter, while the LivePerson deal adds integration risk to a story already fueled by aggressive AI expectations. SOUN is the kind of stock where the bull case revolves around cars, restaurants, banks, and call centers, while the bear case quietly asks who pays for the rocket fuel.

SoundHound AI, Inc. provides voice and conversational AI technology for automotive, restaurants, smart devices, customer service, healthcare, retail, financial services, and other enterprise markets.

8. Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS)

Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 34.27% of float as of April 30, 2026, according to MarketBeat.

Ondas gave the moonshot case another defense-AI layer on May 18, when it agreed to acquire Omnisys Ltd., an Israeli developer of AI-powered Battle Resource Optimization software for multi-domain defense planning and real-time decision-making. Ondas said Omnisys’ platform will act as an orchestration layer across its autonomous systems portfolio, helping coordinate sensors, autonomous platforms, and defense assets across complex missions.

That follows a May 14 quarterly results that explain why the stock has attracted speculative heat. Ondas reported first-quarter revenue of $50.1 million, up from $4.3 million a year earlier, and raised its full-year 2026 revenue target to at least $390 million. The company also said pro forma backlog reached $457 million, helped by order activity and acquisitions, while its Palantir partnership is being used to integrate AI-driven ISR and command capabilities across air, ground, and stratospheric systems.

Short sellers still have a clear case. Ondas is scaling through a rapid acquisition spree, and operating expenses rose sharply, resulting in an adjusted EBITDA loss of $10.9 million in the first quarter. Management also expects adjusted EBITDA losses to remain elevated in the second quarter before improving later in 2026. This is a very moonshot setup: drones, counter-UAS, defense robotics, Palantir, and battlefield AI on one side; integration risk and cash-burn gravity on the other.

Ondas Inc. provides autonomous systems, robotics, counter-drone technologies, private wireless networks, and mission-critical defense and security platforms.

7. Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPST)

Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPST) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 33.83% of float as of April 30, 2026, according to MarketBeat.

Upstart gave both sides of the trade fresh material on May 5, when it reported first-quarter revenue of $308 million, up 44% year-over-year, while transaction volume rose 77% to 425,356 loans and total originations increased 61% to roughly $3.4 billion. The company also reaffirmed its full-year 2026 outlook for revenue of about $1.4 billion and adjusted EBITDA of about $294 million. That supports the moonshot case: Upstart is trying to make AI underwriting a scaled marketplace layer for consumer credit, not just a fintech lending widget with a fancy hat.

Short sellers still have obvious reasons to stay involved. Upstart’s first-quarter net loss widened to $6.6 million from $2.4 million a year earlier, while contribution margin fell to 50% from 55%, and adjusted EBITDA margin dropped to 13% from 20%. The company also remains exposed to credit-market conditions, funding availability, borrower performance, and lender demand. That leaves UPST as a classic moonshot fintech: huge AI-credit upside, but still chained to the interest-rate and credit-cycle dungeon.

Upstart Holdings, Inc. operates an AI lending marketplace that connects consumers with banks and credit unions across personal loans, auto loans, home equity lines of credit, and related lending products.

6. Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:QUBT)

Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:QUBT) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 32.73% of float as of April 30, 2026, according to MarketBeat.

QUBT fits the title almost too neatly: speculative quantum tech, heavy short interest, and a business still trying to prove that early commercial traction can become something larger. The company gave bulls a recent data point on May 11, when it reported first-quarter revenue of $3.7 million, up from just $39,000 in the prior-year period, though QCI said the increase was driven mainly by its February acquisition of Luminar Semiconductor. Quantum Computing also reported a net loss of $4.1 million, or $0.02 per share, compared with net income of $17.0 million a year earlier, though that prior-year result was helped by non-cash derivative gains.

The short-seller case is still obvious. QUBT remains an early-stage photonics and quantum optics company operating in a field where commercial timelines are uncertain, revenue is still small, and investor enthusiasm can run ahead of real adoption. That is exactly why it works as a moonshot stock, but not as a quiet compounder. The bull case is that its photonic chips, quantum machines, and foundry services become more relevant as customers test quantum and optimization workloads. The bear case is that the technology takes longer to scale than the stock market’s patience allows.

Quantum Computing Inc. develops integrated photonics, quantum optics, quantum machines, reservoir computing systems, and related hardware and software for optimization, sensing, imaging, cybersecurity, and other advanced computing applications.

5. Asana, Inc. (NYSE:ASAN)

Asana, Inc. (NYSE:ASAN) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 33.04% of float as of April 30, 2026, according to MarketBeat.

The short-seller case is unusually direct. In a May 6 Business Insider report on AI’s pressure on SaaS companies, analyst Pat Walravens argued that application-software providers face disruption because AI makes software easier to build and replace, specifically naming Asana among the companies under pressure.

Asana’s counterargument is that its Work Graph, governance, and collaboration layer make it more foundational as enterprises add AI agents. That is the ASAN battleground: either AI turns work management into a higher-value control layer, or it makes parts of the category easier to clone with cheaper tools.

That said, Asana fits the moonshot bucket through its attempt to become an enterprise coordination layer for human and AI work, rather than just another project-management dashboard collecting digital dust. The company describes Asana AI Teammates as agents that work within team workflows, use project context, handle tasks such as research synthesis and risk flagging, and operate within existing enterprise permissions. Its broader AI product suite includes AI Teammates, AI Studio, smart workflows, and AI connectors that turn conversations into coordinated work.

Asana, Inc. provides work management software for project tracking, workflow coordination, goals, reporting, automation, and AI-powered collaboration across teams and enterprises.

4. BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BBAI)

BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BBAI) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 29.58% of float as of April 30, 2026, according to MarketBeat.

BigBear.ai strengthened its defense-AI case on May 5, when it reported a first-quarter backlog of $281.9 million, up 14% from the fourth quarter. The increase was driven mainly by a $53 million sole-source prime classified award, while the company said first-quarter wins totaled nearly $75 million across the national security, trade, and travel markets. BigBear.ai also reaffirmed its full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $135 million to $165 million, and said gross margin expanded to 34.0% from 21.3% a year earlier, helped by higher-margin generative AI revenue from Ask Sage.

The short-seller case is not hard to find either. First-quarter revenue slipped 1% to $34.4 million because of lower Army program volume, even though Ask Sage partly offset the decline. BigBear.ai also posted a $56.8 million net loss and a $9.9 million adjusted EBITDA loss, while SG&A expenses rose as the company absorbed acquisition-related costs and expanded sales and marketing. That leaves BBAI as a clean moonshot battleground: classified defense AI contracts, secure generative AI, and national-security demand on one side; uneven revenue, losses, and execution risk on the other.

BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. provides Edge AI-powered decision intelligence, predictive analytics, computer vision, and digital identity solutions for national security, defense, travel and trade, supply chain, and other complex operating environments.

3. Serve Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ:SERV)

Serve Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ:SERV) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 29.11% of float as of April 30, 2026, according to MarketBeat.

Serve’s moonshot case strengthened on May 7, when the company reported first-quarter revenue of $3.0 million, up 238% sequentially and 578% year-over-year. The company said it operated across sidewalk delivery and healthcare robotics in the quarter after acquiring Diligent Robotics, expanding its footprint to 44 cities across 14 states. Serve also had about 2,000 robots deployed, with software services contributing about one-third of Q1 revenue and recurring revenue making up just under half of total revenue.

That puts SERV squarely in the physical AI bucket. The company is trying to build a broader autonomy platform across outdoor delivery robots and indoor hospital robots, not just a cute sidewalk bot that brings burritos like a tiny wheeled intern. Short sellers still have a clear case. Serve reaffirmed 2026 revenue guidance of about $26 million, but its Q1 net loss was $49.0 million, adjusted EBITDA loss was $36.3 million, and net cash used in operating activities was $41.4 million. In other words, the revenue ramp is real, but the burn rate is still doing parkour through the income statement.

Serve Robotics Inc. designs and operates autonomous robots for sidewalk delivery and indoor service environments, including hospital delivery robots through Diligent Robotics, combining robotics hardware, autonomy software, fleet operations, and related services.

2. Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUNR)

Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUNR) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 28.15% of float as of April 30, 2026.

The company strengthened its moonshot case on May 14, when it reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $186.7 million, compared with $62.5 million in the prior-year period. Intuitive Machines also posted positive adjusted EBITDA of $2.7 million and a record quarter-end backlog of about $1.06 billion, up from $213.1 million at the end of 2025. The backlog increase included acquired backlog from Lanteris, as well as new awards primarily tied to the IM-5 mission, a government defense contract, and other contracts.

The short interest reflects why LUNR remains a polarized space-tech name rather than a conventional growth stock. The company is trying to turn lunar missions, defense work, space networks, and payload delivery into a broader commercial platform, but the story still depends on mission execution, government contract timing, and integration of Lanteris. Investors also had reasons to stay cautious after the quarter, as Investor’s Business Daily reported that the company missed analyst expectations for both revenue and earnings per share.

Intuitive Machines, Inc. is a space technology company that provides lunar access, lunar data services, orbital services, space systems, and related infrastructure for government and commercial customers.

1. Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (NYSE:EVTL)

Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (NYSE:EVTL) is one of the best “moonshot” tech stocks to buy according to short sellers. The stock’s latest publicly reported short interest stood at 24.52% of float as of April 30, 2026, according to MarketBeat.

Vertical strengthened its moonshot case in April by hitting major technical and financing milestones for its Valo eVTOL aircraft. On April 16, the company said it had completed what it described as the world’s first full-scale piloted two-way transition flight under UK civil aviation Design Organization Approval oversight, taking the aircraft from vertical takeoff to cruise flight and back to vertical landing in one continuous mission. Four days later, Vertical announced the execution and closing of a financing package of up to $850 million, giving it additional support as it works toward certification and commercialization.

The short-seller case is also clear. Vertical remains an early-stage aviation company trying to certify a new electric aircraft category, meaning the path still depends on flight testing, regulatory approvals, funding access, and eventual production execution. MarketBeat also notes that Vertical has negative earnings, which makes conventional valuation harder, while recent coverage of the financing package still highlights dilution and capital-structure risk around the company’s scale-up plans. That leaves EVTL as a classic moonshot stock: a real aircraft milestone and fresh capital on one side, certification risk and balance-sheet gravity on the other.

Vertical Aerospace Ltd. is a UK-based aerospace and technology company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for advanced air mobility, with its Valo aircraft designed for zero-emission passenger transport.

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