Sektory a témata
Lesser-known AI and chip suppliers: 6 real companies worth exploring
Key takeaways
- There is a "second tier" of picks and shovels: real and liquid companies that supply those who make chips and build AI data centres.
- Unlike pink-sheet "shadow companies", these stocks are exchange-listed, report their numbers, and can be bought through a standard broker.
- This is a starting point for YOUR OWN research, not a buy list — individual stocks carry higher risk than an index.
- You can buy the whole chain at once with spread risk through a broad semiconductor or AI ETF.
- Verify current numbers and valuations yourself for each company; this is about understanding the businesses and their role in the chain.
In the article on picks and shovels we covered the principle: bet on suppliers, not just on stars. Here are six specific real, exchange-listed companies from the "second tier" of the chain — less well known than NVIDIA, but critical. These are not pink-sheet shadow companies; they are serious businesses you can buy through a regular broker.
Six suppliers worth analysing
- KLA (KLAC) — quality control and wafer inspection. Without it, no advanced chip can be manufactured.
- Entegris (ENTG) — materials, chemicals and purity for chip manufacturing; a "consumables" model tied to production volume.
- MKS Instruments (MKSI) — subsystems for manufacturing equipment; a supplier to the suppliers (Lam, Applied Materials).
- Monolithic Power (MPWR) — power-management chips for AI servers and GPUs.
- Vertiv (VRT) — power and cooling for data centres; the "shovels" of AI infrastructure construction.
- Arista Networks (ANET) — high-speed networks interconnecting GPU clusters.
How to work with this list
Treat it as a starting point, not a buy list. For each company, go through the business, economic moat, numbers (growth, margins, debt), risks and valuation — yourself, from the annual reports. Many of these stocks have been expensively valued after the AI wave, and all of them are cyclical (dependent on investment in chips and data centres).
The calmer route: the whole chain via ETF
If you do not want to pick individuals, a semiconductor ETF holds most of this chain at once and spreads the risk. For most people that is more sensible than hunting individual suppliers. You will find one in the ETF overview.
This is educational content, not investment advice. Verify current numbers and valuations for each company yourself.
FAQ
Are these companies pink sheets or penny stocks?
No. These are six real, exchange-listed companies that report their numbers and can be bought through a standard broker. They serve as a safer counterpart to obscure pink-sheet "shadow companies".
Is this a buy list?
No, it is a starting point for your own research. For each company, go through the business, moat, numbers, risks and valuation yourself. Individual stocks carry higher risk than a broad index, and these companies tend to be expensively valued.
How do I buy the whole supply chain at once?
Through a broad semiconductor or AI ETF that holds most of these companies simultaneously and spreads single-stock risk. For most investors that is a calmer and simpler approach than selecting individual suppliers.