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    Shawn Severson

    Research Analyst at Water Tower Research

    Shawn Severson is the President & Co-Founder of Water Tower Research, specializing in technology, climate tech, and small-cap equity research with a focus on companies like Ocean Power Technologies Inc and SES AI Corp. Renowned for his stock picking performance, Severson has been frequently recognized as a top research analyst, including being ranked among the Wall Street Journal's 'Best on the Street' and earning StarMine Analyst Awards as a Top 3 stock picker. He began his analyst career as an associate at Kemper Securities and went on to hold senior roles at JMP Securities, ThinkEquity, Robert W. Baird (London), Raymond James, and alphaDIRECT Advisors before co-founding Water Tower Research. Severson holds a BA in Finance and Economics from Augustana College and has led investor relations and IPO advisory efforts as Managing Director at The Blueshirt Group.

    Shawn Severson's questions to Ocean Power Technologies (OPTT) leadership

    Shawn Severson's questions to Ocean Power Technologies (OPTT) leadership • Q2 2025

    Question

    Shawn Severson of Water Tower Research inquired about the progress of the recurring revenue and "as-a-service" strategy, its integration with commercialization, and how to model the recurring revenue stream from equipment sales. He also asked about the global scalability of projects initiated in Latin America.

    Answer

    CEO Philipp Stratmann confirmed a growing trend in leases and as-a-service models across both defense and commercial sectors. He stated that while large project sales drive significant revenue increases, they also build an installed base for new, long-term service contracts. For Latin America, Stratmann explained that the strategy involves proving solutions in targeted regions and then replicating that success globally, leveraging the overlap between security and offshore energy needs.

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    Shawn Severson's questions to Ocean Power Technologies (OPTT) leadership • Q1 2025

    Question

    Shawn Severson from Water Tower Research asked for a comparison of OPTT's commercialization inflection point versus its peers, the expected long-term business mix between data-as-a-service and equipment sales, and the key focus areas for the technology roadmap over the next 24 months.

    Answer

    CEO Philipp Stratmann asserted that OPTT is commercially ready, citing growing backlog and real-world, non-grant-funded deployments. He projected a long-term business mix of over 50% from the defense and security sector, with a blend of recurring revenue from commercial leases and scalable growth from equipment sales. For the technology roadmap, Stratmann highlighted continuous improvements, the next-generation PowerBuoy, and the development of remote charging and docking systems to create a collaborative 'system of systems' for autonomous ocean vehicles.

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    Shawn Severson's questions to Ocean Power Technologies (OPTT) leadership • Q4 2024

    Question

    Shawn Severson from Water Tower Research asked about the key drivers behind the recent commercial inflection point, whether sales cycles for new customers are shortening, and the potential political risks to the business from the upcoming U.S. election.

    Answer

    CEO Dr. Philipp Stratmann attributed the commercial success to a targeted commercial team and a focus on market-ready solutions, rather than just general market trends. He confirmed that sales cycles for new customers are shortening because the company now has inventory available for immediate demonstrations. Regarding political risk, Dr. Stratmann stated he sees minimal impact, as national security and global energy demand are bipartisan priorities that the company's dual-use technologies serve.

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    Shawn Severson's questions to SES AI (SES) leadership

    Shawn Severson's questions to SES AI (SES) leadership • Q3 2024

    Question

    Shawn Severson of Water Tower Research requested an update on the commercial development of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market and asked for a comparison of the competitive advantages of SES's lithium metal batteries versus traditional lithium-ion for UAM applications.

    Answer

    CEO Qichao Hu responded that the UAM market, including passenger and cargo drones, is growing rapidly, especially in China. He noted SES has developed a custom 30-amp-hour cell specifically for this market. Hu highlighted the key advantage is energy density, with SES's lithium metal cells offering 400 Wh/kg compared to about 250 Wh/kg for lithium-ion cells. This performance boost allows for nearly 50% longer flight times or greater payload, significantly improving UAM operator economics.

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