What exactly is a "platform technology"?

A platform technology is a foundational system that enables the development of many other products, applications, or services. Unlike single-purpose products, platforms create entire ecosystems where many other businesses and innovations can build upon them. Examples include genomic sequencing machines that enable numerous medical breakthroughs, semiconductor manufacturing equipment that powers countless electronic devices, or robotic surgical systems that can perform a wide range of procedures. These technologies typically have widespread applications across multiple industries and create long-lasting value.

Why does this investment approach require patience?

Platform technologies often take years or even decades to fully mature and realize their potential. The companies in this collection are building complex, integrated systems that require significant development time, regulatory approvals (especially in healthcare), and market adoption. While this creates a longer timeline for returns, it also potentially offers greater rewards as these technologies become essential infrastructure. Patient investors allow these companies time to establish market dominance, expand their applications, and create the ecosystems that can generate substantial profits over the long term.

What role does AI play in these platform companies?

Artificial intelligence serves as a powerful accelerant for these platform technologies, speeding up development cycles and unlocking new applications. AI helps genomic platforms analyze complex biological data, improves the precision of robotic systems, optimizes semiconductor manufacturing, and enhances automation platforms. This technological convergence creates a virtuous cycle—many of these platforms generate massive amounts of data that further train AI systems, which then improve the platforms themselves. This synergy is dramatically shortening what would historically be much longer development horizons.

What are CRISPR-based technologies mentioned in several stocks?

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a revolutionary gene-editing technology that allows scientists to precisely modify DNA sequences. Companies like CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA), and Editas Medicine (EDIT) are developing therapeutic applications of this technology to potentially cure genetic diseases by correcting the underlying DNA mutations. This represents a fundamental platform for an entirely new approach to medicine, moving beyond treating symptoms to potentially curing diseases at their genetic source. As a platform technology, CRISPR could enable thousands of different therapeutic applications over many years.

What is EUV lithography that ASML provides?

EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography is an advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology that uses extremely short wavelength light to create incredibly tiny and precise patterns on silicon wafers. ASML holds a monopoly on these specialized machines, which are absolutely essential for manufacturing the world's most advanced computer chips. Each EUV machine costs around $150 million and contains over 100,000 parts, creating a significant barrier to competition. This technology is the foundation for continued advancement in computing power, enabling everything from smartphones to AI systems to quantum computing.

17 handpicked stocks

Patient Platforms

This carefully curated collection features companies building the technological foundations that will power innovation for decades to come. Our analysts have identified businesses creating essential infrastructure in genomics, AI, robotics, and advanced computing—platforms that could define their industries and generate substantial long-term returns.

Han Tan | Market Analyst

Updated 2 days ago | Published at juin 17