Shares of tech defense company Swarmer have skyrocketed since its March 17 IPO.
The company's software has been used in over 100,000 real-world missions.
With roughly $310,000 in revenue last year, this is a highly speculative investment.
Since its market debut on Tuesday, the stock price for tech defense company Swarmer (NASDAQ: SWMR) has skyrocketed.
With an initial public offering price of $5, the shares opened trading at $12.50 on Tuesday, then climbed to $31 by the end of the day. After that, shares kept climbing, opening at $53 on Thursday. As of midday on Friday, the stock was changing hands at about $45.30 -- well below its peak of $65.04, but still up impressively over the course of the week.
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In the wake of all this early excitement, it's important for anyone who is considering buying shares to not do so based on hype alone. Here are three key things to keep in mind.
Swarmer emphasizes that it is a software company with a product that can be used for unmanned systems, but that it is not a drone manufacturer.
It believes that gives it a distinct advantage as a supplier within an increasingly competitive and fragmented drone manufacturing market, as the capabilities of its licensed software can provide manufacturers with an edge in securing contracts.
Speaking of that software, the company says its platform has been used in over 100,000 real-world missions in Ukraine, providing data and feedback that can be used to fine-tune performance and deepen operational intelligence.
Swarmer is not for risk-averse investors.
Image source: Getty Images.
Its revenue was nearly $310,000 in 2025, down from roughly $329,000 in 2024. Losses, however, grew. In 2024, Swarmer had a net loss of $2 million. In 2025, that jumped to $8.5 million.
It's also dependent on a small number of customers, which is a risky position. Losing one key client could significantly harm the business. Anyone considering making an investment will want to keep an eye on any announcements of new contracts, and watch to see if it can expand its client base in the coming quarters.
Swarmer has noted that in 2024 and 2025, all of its revenues were from "non-U.S. operations in Ukraine." That makes its finances particularly susceptible to foreign currency fluctuations and to geopolitical and economic issues.
"Our value and stock price could also be adversely affected by illegal activities by others, corruption or by claims, even if groundless, implicating us in illegal activities," the company said in its IPO filing.
Initial public offerings are just like any other investment in that everyone considering putting their money into one should understand what they are buying.
Before making a decision about a recently debuted stock, it's worth taking the time to read the company's S-1 filing on SEC.gov, which lays out all the details.
Even with the stock price rocketing higher over the last few days, remember that Swarmer's revenue was roughly $310,000 last year. Investors still have plenty of time to consider whether this company is worth a small, speculative investment.
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Jack Delaney has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.