Thanks for signing up for DividendStocks.com! It's the daily newsletter built for dividend and income investors. Before we can begin sending your daily updates, there’s one quick step left. Please confirm your subscription using the link below so our emails reach your inbox. Click Here to Confirm Your Subscription to DividendStocks.com Here’s a small glimpse of what you’ll get access to: Dividend Stock Ideas — Each newsletter features dividend stocks with high yields, sustainable payouts, and strong growth potential. Ex-Dividend Stocks — Want to capture upcoming dividend payouts? Find out which stocks are going ex-dividend this week. Market News and Events — Stay in the loop on the latest developments impacting popular dividend names like AT&T, Exxon Mobil, IBM, Procter & Gamble, and Verizon. Bonus: As a thank-you for confirming, you’ll also receive a free PDF copy of Automatic Income, our popular guide to building wealth through dividend investing. Let’s get your dividend journey started! Discover Top Income-Generating Stocks Here See you in your inbox soon,
The DividendStocks.com Team P.S. Don’t miss out click here to verify your subscription and secure your daily dividend insights and your free investing guide!
More Reading from MarketBeat Sea, Space, & Sky: 3 Frontier Robotics Stocks Under $20Written by Jeffrey Neal Johnson. First Published: 1/20/2026. 
Article Highlights - Redwire Corporation is pivoting to defense while solidifying its backlog as a critical provider of space infrastructure.
- Ondas Holdings is experiencing rapid growth as global demand for its autonomous drone platforms in the security and defense sectors continues to increase.
- Nauticus Robotics has validated its subsea technology and secured strategic partnerships to transition from development to commercial services.
For investors in the technology sector, factory automation has long been a standard trade. For years, capital flowed to companies that build robots to move boxes in warehouses or weld parts on assembly lines. That trade has become crowded and expensive. As we move through January 2026, a quieter but meaningful rotation is occurring: smart money is shifting toward frontier robotics. Frontier robotics are a different breed of machines—autonomous systems built to operate in the dirty, dull, and dangerous environments where human labor is too risky, too scarce, or prohibitively expensive. We're talking about the depths of the ocean, the vacuum of orbit, and the hostile skies of conflict zones. Redwire Corporation: The Infrastructure of Orbit The former CEO of Google calls it the most important thing to happen in 500, maybe 1,000 years of human society. A former U.S. Treasury Secretary says when your great-grandchildren write the history of this period, the political headlines will be the second or third story. The first story is something none of us have seen before. The dot-com collapse, global financial crisis, and COVID-19 pandemic don't compare to what's coming next. We may be entering a period of dramatic, almost unimaginable change. See the full warning and how to prepare now. Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) is distinguishing itself as more than a space exploration concept; it is becoming a critical infrastructure vendor. Currently trading in the $11–$12 range, the stock recently triggered a reliable bullish indicator: insider buying. When executives buy shares on the open market, it signals that people with the most intimate knowledge of the business believe the stock is undervalued relative to its future prospects. That insider picture is somewhat noisier than it first appears. Early this year a major backer and board member, Ae Red Holdings, LLC, sold a significant block of shares—likely realizing gains—which has distorted aggregate insider-trade data. At the same time, the CEO and other C-suite executives have continued to make open-market purchases. The steady buying from management suggests those closest to operations still believe the company's value is underestimated despite institutional profit-taking. The financials support that confidence. In the third quarter of 2025, Redwire reported revenue of $103.4 million, a 50.7% increase year-over-year, and it carries a backlog of $355.6 million. A strong backlog gives investors visibility into future revenues and suggests growth is sustainable rather than a one-off. Redwire has also pivoted from a pure space-manufacturing firm toward a hybrid defense supplier. A notable catalyst is the acquisition of Edge Autonomy, which positions Redwire to supply unmanned aerial systems—such as the Stalker and Penguin—to defense clients, including the U.S. Army. At the same time, its space division continues to supply Roll-Out Solar Arrays (ROSA), the preferred power solution for the International Space Station and future commercial stations. For investors, Redwire is a foundation play that bridges stable defense contracts and the high-growth space economy. Ondas Holdings: Breakout Growth in the Sky Where Redwire offers stability, Ondas Holdings (NASDAQ: ONDS) represents high-velocity growth. Recent trading showed a 142% surge in unusual call options activity. Call option volume spikes like this often indicate institutional traders positioning for a potential breakout, anticipating positive news or a near-term jump in the share price. The speculation has a fundamental basis. In Q3 2025, Ondas reported revenue of $10.1 million, a 582% increase versus the prior-year period—evidence the company has moved from testing into commercial deployment. Ondas specializes in "drone-in-a-box" systems—autonomous docking stations that allow drones to operate without an on-site pilot. Its recent momentum has been driven largely by demand from the defense sector. The Iron Drone system, designed to intercept and neutralize hostile drones, has seen increased demand amid conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Additionally, the acquisition of Apeiro Motion expands Ondas's reach into ground robotics. For investors, Ondas is the growth play: higher volatility but a steep revenue trajectory that suggests accelerating market adoption. Nauticus Robotics: A Turnaround in the Deep The final component of this frontier portfolio operates beneath the waves. Nauticus Robotics (NASDAQ: KITT) is a turnaround candidate, trading near $1. The stock recently jumped 8.1% on commercial progress, drawing interest from value-oriented investors who specialize in distressed assets. Nauticus aims to replace large, pollution-heavy offshore vessels with small autonomous robots—an idea with significant operational and environmental upside—but the company has faced steep financial headwinds. A critical milestone arrived when Nauticus's flagship robot, Aquanaut, completed deep-sea testing to 2,300 meters, validating its ability to withstand extreme ocean-floor pressures. That success has opened commercial discussions with energy majors such as Shell (NYSE: SHEL) and Petrobras (NYSE: PBR), moving the firm from lab development closer to service-provider status. Cash burn has been the primary historical risk. Management has taken aggressive steps to address this: in late 2025 the company completed a debt restructuring and secured a partnership with Forum Energy Technologies. By leveraging Forum's manufacturing capabilities, Nauticus can avoid heavy capital outlays on its own factories and focus on selling high-margin software (ToolKITT) and deploying its robot fleet. Investors should view Nauticus as high-risk, high-reward—successful execution could materially reprice the stock. The Dirty, Dull, and Dangerous Premium The move into Nauticus, Redwire, and Ondas reflects a broader theme: investors seeking value in tangible, industrial technology. These companies aren't building consumer gadgets; they're building infrastructure for the next generation of the global economy. Redwire powers satellites and stations that connect the world. Ondas secures the skies and monitors critical rail and oil lines. Nauticus services the subsea energy grid. With bullish data signals ranging from insider buying to massive revenue spikes, these three stocks under $20 provide a way to diversify a portfolio with exposure to high-barrier industrial technology. As 2026 unfolds, the evidence suggests the frontier robotics sector may finally be hitting its stride.
| 
