Planet Microcap Podcast | Microcap Investing Strategies

My guest on the show today is Paul Cerro, Founder and CIO of Cedar Grove Capital Management, and today’s conversation is all about fallen angels — once high-profile companies that collapse due to poor execution, leverage, or macro pressure, but can become some of the most mispriced and compelling opportunities in the market. Paul breaks down the anatomy of a fallen angel, why these setups create structural market inefficiencies — especially in illiquid micro-caps — and how forced selling, headline-driven reactions, and information scarcity can disconnect price from fundamentals. Most importantly, he explains the key dividing line between a genuine opportunity and a value trap: management credibility. In micro-caps, direct access to leadership gives investors a rare ability to test their assumptions and validate the story before making a high-conviction bet. We also zoom out to the macro landscape, where Paul sees 2026 shaping up as a major buyout year for fallen companies. With private equity sitting on rec

My guest on the show today is Jason Kirsch, Portfolio Manager at Rosen Partnership and co-architect of the firm’s Active Value Strategy — a concentrated, long-only, private-owner-style approach to investing in micro-cap companies across Canada, the U.S., and Europe. In this episode, Jason walks us through Rosen Partnership’s philosophy of thinking like private owners in the public markets: buying capital-light, high-ROIC compounders at meaningful discounts to intrinsic value; partnering with aligned management teams; and using “constructivism” — a collaborative, non-activist engagement style — to help unlock long-term value. We dig deep into how Jason builds a true knowledge edge: talking not just to management, but to former executives, board members, competitors, suppliers — anyone who can broaden the mosaic and create an informational gap most investors simply aren’t willing to develop. Jason also shares lessons learned from catalysts that didn’t play out, how misaligned incentives can turn a bargain into

My guest on the show today is Kenny Chan, Founder and Portfolio Manager of Korwell Capital. Kenny is only 23, but he’s built an investment philosophy rooted in the classics — Peter Lynch, Joel Greenblatt, Warren Buffett — and adapted with a modern, high-conviction approach. His north star: “Buy Phil Fisher–like businesses at Graham-like prices.” Kenny walks us through the four categories that define his framework: misunderstood Buffett-like compounders, deep Graham-style value plays, capital-cycle opportunities, and turnarounds. We discuss how he launched Korwell Capital straight out of college, and how investing his own convictions — not academic theory — drives his process. We dig into two examples that bring this to life. First, Advance Auto Parts, where Kenny saw a rare combination of capital-cycle tailwinds, industry consolidation, and a fixable integration problem — creating a classic turnaround at a very cheap price. Second, Trubar, which received a takeover bid on the day of our interview. Kenny break

My guest on the show today is Jacob Stephan, Senior Research Analyst at Lake Street Capital Markets. He recently authored a “Crypto Industry” white paper, and I invited him on to break it down. In this episode, Jacob lays out why digital assets have crossed into institutional viability—a “normalization phase” driven by clearer regulation, enterprise-grade infrastructure, and real corporate adoption. We discuss the internet-style adoption curve (crypto at ~7% global penetration), why regulation is the cornerstone of investability (FIT 21 progress, the new FASB fair-value accounting, and pending clarity in the U.S.), and how stablecoins—“dollars with an API”—are emerging as the killer app with multi-trillion settlement volumes. Jacob walks through concrete examples from Visa, Mastercard, and JPMorgan moving beyond pilots to on-chain settlement, and contrasts stablecoins’ payment utility with Bitcoin’s treasury/“digital gold” role. We also cover the nuanced risks: centralization at the access layer (custody, clo

My guest on the show today is Gwen Hofmeyr, Founder and Senior Analyst at Maiden Financial. In this episode, Gwen walks us through her unique research methodology — which she refers to as “financial archaeology.” This is a process built around extremely deep, original investigative work designed to uncover uncommon information — insights that simply aren’t available in typical company reports or mainstream research. We discuss how Gwen routinely spends 200 to 600 hours analyzing a single company, validating market share by breaking down thousands of individual products, and constructing an understanding of a business that is entirely independent of management narrative and sell-side opinion. We also talk about how this approach leads to owner-level conviction, and why that conviction matters so much in the microcap universe, where volatility is high and broad consensus is often absent. Gwen also shares why some of the most compelling opportunities she’s finding today are in Europe, particularly in industrial

My guest on the show today is Doug Porter, Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analysts at Acuitas Investments. Doug and his team recently published a new white paper titled, "The Case for MicroCap." For most of you listening in, you're already a diehard MicroCap-per, and we've all succumbed to the altar to the merits of hunting in inefficient markets. Having said that, I invited Doug on here to not only remind us why we are here, why we hunt for the best investment ideas in our neck of the woods, but more importantly, in my opinion, to showcase why in 2025, the case for investing in MicroCaps has merit as a place to build wealth and allocate capital. Doug breaks down the structural inefficiencies and long-term opportunity in the micro-cap equity market — a segment that remains largely ignored by big institutions, but continues to be fertile ground for alpha generation. We discuss why micro-caps have historically outperformed in 84% of rolling 30-year periods, the critical role of active management in filte

My guest today is Sage Berryman, CEO of Aluula Composites (TSXV: AUUA). Aluula is focused on revolutionizing material science. Founded in 2019, the company has developed a patented process for producing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composites without glues—fusing at the molecular level to create materials that are lighter, stronger, more durable, and fully recyclable. This “mono-material” design also enables circularity and addresses the growing demand for PFAS-free solutions. The company first gained traction in windsports through its Ocean Rodeo subsidiary, but following a 2023 RTO and a 2024 strategic refocus under Sage’s leadership, Alula divested Ocean Rodeo to concentrate on becoming an ingredient brand. Today, Aluula is targeting both premium outdoor markets—packs, tents, wind sports—and larger commercial and industrial applications, where strength, durability, and recyclability are key. Aluula will be presenting at our conference in Toronto, the Planet MicroCap Showcase on October

My guest on the show today is Balkar Sivia, Founder & Portfolio Manager at White Falcon Capital Management. In this episode, Balkar shares his unique path from engineering to investing, and why he built White Falcon around an unconstrained, opportunistic philosophy — one that rejects traditional style boxes like “growth” or “value.” We dive into White Falcon’s three “engines” — Compounders, Value Today, and Value Tomorrow — and how, for Balkar, this structure should result in part of the portfolio always working. Balkar walks through case studies, explaining how he looks for quality businesses facing temporary challenges, and how narrative shifts and multiple expansion drive returns over a three-year horizon. We also discuss the lessons he’s learned in managing value traps, how he’s thinking about AI as an investor, and the importance of evolving your process over time. At the heart of it all is a focus on quality management, incentives, and high-conviction positions in a concentrated 20-stock North Ameri

My guest on the show today is Ben Finser, Founder and Portfolio Manager at Fin Capital Management. In this episode, Ben shares his journey from a decade at Kabouter Management to launching Fin Capital in 2024, and how his entrepreneurial background shaped his passion for analyzing and owning high-quality businesses. We dive into his exclusive focus on international micro and small caps, a “target-rich universe” of some 15,000 listed companies in developed markets outside the US. Ben explains why these overlooked businesses — often with no sell-side coverage and tiny trading volumes — present compelling opportunities for investors willing to dig deeper. Ben also details his boots-on-the-ground due diligence process, including traveling globally to meet management teams, comparing companies to global peers, and navigating cultural nuances when assessing business quality and long-term growth. We talk about his “pseudo-activist” engagement approach, where he works alongside management to improve disclosures, expa

My guest today is Sean Black, CEO of Happy Belly Food Group (CSE: HBFG | OTCQB: HBFGF). Happy Belly is a Canadian consolidator of emerging Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR) brands, with expansion plans into the U.S. The company started as Plantingco, a niche plant-based CPG business, but under Sean’s leadership pivoted to become food agnostic—focused on scalable, cash flow positive QSR concepts. The model is straightforward: acquire small, profitable, debt-free brands, grow corporate stores with free cash flow, and scale through franchising. The portfolio is intentionally diversified with no duplication—think Rosie’s Burgers as a Shake Shack equivalent, IQ Foods as Canada’s Sweet Green, and Pyro as a Cava-style concept. I spoke with Sean to learn more about the company, as well as: The pivot from Plantingco to QSR consolidation M&A model and brand strategy Growth targets and the $100 million milestone Risks, alignment, and long-term vision For more information about Happy Belly Food Group, please visit: http

My guest on the show today is Iggy, better known as Iggy on Investing, a deep value investor and blogger. In this episode, Iggy shares how the COVID-19 lockdown gave him the time to dive into investing, turning inspiration from Buffett and Graham into a disciplined deep value strategy focused on small, illiquid companies trading at substantial discounts to book value. We discuss his “Young Buffett”–style approach—seeking firms at 0.3× to 0.5× book with strong ROIC and catalysts, especially in overlooked European markets—as well as the role his blog plays in clarifying his thinking, building conviction, and holding through long, boring periods. Iggy also walks us through hard-learned lessons—from the importance of staying within your circle of competence and scrutinizing corporate governance, to navigating shareholder activism via a “stag hunt” scenario. And he shares how he’s building investor community in Europe, including hosting his 2nd Annual Benelux Investor Event on Saturday, September 27. For more info

My guest on the show today is Kayser Pravia, Founder of El Planeta Financiero. In this episode, Kayser shares his mission to expand financial literacy and microcap investing for Spanish-speaking investors worldwide. We discuss his evolution from day trading losses to a Buffett- and Lynch-inspired value investor, why he runs a concentrated portfolio, and his focus on recession-proof businesses with strong balance sheets. Kayser also talks about building El Planeta Financiero into a growing educational platform and investing community for Spanish speakers. For more information about El Planeta Financiero, you can subscribe to the YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@elplanetafinanciero  You can Follow Kayser Pravia on Twitter/X @elplanetaf: https://x.com/elplanetaf Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the Planet MicroCap YouTube channel. I’ve provided the link in the description if you’d like to subscribe. You’ll also get the chance to wat

My guest on the show today is Asif Suria, Founder of Inside Arbitrage and Co-Host of the Special Situations Report podcast. In this episode, Asif shares his evolution from traditional value investing to a diversified, event-driven strategy that includes merger arbitrage, spin-offs, buybacks, insider activity, and more. We dive into his “three-legged stool” process — combining event triggers, a 14-factor quant model, and deep qualitative research — and how it’s helped him navigate both opportunities and challenges in special situations. Asif also walks through real-world examples, highlighting lessons learned from his biggest wins and most humbling setbacks. For more information about Inside Arbitrage and the Special Situations Report Podcast, please visit: https://www.insidearbitrage.com/ You can Follow Asif Suria on Twitter/X @AsifSuria: https://x.com/asifsuria Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the Planet MicroCap YouTube channel. I’ve provide

My guest on the show today is Jordan Zinberg, President & CEO of Bedford Park Capital. Jordan leads the Bedford Park Opportunities Fund, a highly concentrated, Canada-focused small and mid-cap equity strategy. In this episode, Jordan shares how his fund delivered a 58.6% return in 2024, net of fees and expenses, and was named Best One-Year Return at the Canadian Hedge Fund Awards with a 73% return over the 12 months ended June 30, 2024. We also discuss the firm’s annualized return of 18.4% since inception in 2018. Jordan walks us through the firm’s signature approach—identifying high-growth companies trading at reasonable valuations in a deeply inefficient market. We talk about how he builds conviction through intensive research, how he sizes positions (starting small and pyramiding up), and why bad average-down decisions are rare. We take a close look at his biggest winners—Propel Holdings, Source Energy Services, and Enterprise Group—and examine how early theses, growth acceleration, and multiple expans

My guest on the show today is Maj Soueidan, Founder, Editor, and Chief Portfolio Officer at MS MicroCaps and GeoInvesting. In this episode, Maj shares a comprehensive update on his investment philosophy, including the performance and evolution of the MSM Quality Index, a passive, factor-driven approach to finding high-quality microcap stocks with multibagger potential. We discuss how the MSM Index blends qualitative and quantitative analysis, what separates it from traditional model portfolios, and the role of occasional rebalancing. Maj also walks us through how the index achieved over 100% returns since inception and why it’s built for long-term staying power. We also dive into the differences between MS Micro Caps and GeoInvesting — one serving as a pipeline of ideas, the other as a deeper research platform — and how Maj thinks about conviction levels, diversification, and information edge. From spotting opportunities in “old boring companies” benefiting from data center and AI trends to reading between th

My guest on the show today is Ryan Telford, Head of Evidence-Based Research at MicroCapClub. In this episode, Ryan breaks down the performance and methodology behind the MC Guts MicroCap Index — a quant-driven benchmark launched by MicroCapClub to track microcap stocks in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. We discuss why Canada and Europe are outperforming while the U.S. lags in 2025, sector rotation, and how Ryan’s “GUTS” framework — Growth, Undervalued, Timing, and Sentiment — identifies overlooked opportunities in the microcap universe. Ryan also shares how the index filters for quality, liquidity, and momentum, and how his research is challenging some of the conventional wisdom around dividend payers, ROIC, and the 52-week low strategy. For more information about MicroCapClub, please visit: https://microcapclub.com/ You can Follow Ryan Telford on Twitter/X @RTelford_invest: https://x.com/RTelford_Invest Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the Plan

My guests on the show today are Anthony Perala and James Hannack, research analysts at Punch & Associates. Anthony and James recently returned from a multi-city due diligence trip across Western Canada, and in this episode, they walk us through what they learned — not just about specific companies, but about the power of seeing businesses up close. We talk about why in-person research still matters, especially in microcaps where management access, company culture, and operational visibility aren’t always obvious on paper or a Zoom screen. They share how walking factory floors, reading body language, and noticing office details can shape conviction and surface red flags in ways spreadsheets simply can’t. Anthony and James also explain why Calgary and Vancouver are becoming regular stops on their research itinerary, how they prepare for and structure field visits, and how they filter insights once they’re back at the desk. We also cover common pitfalls, lessons learned, and what separates candid management

My guest on the show today is Mathieu Martin, Portfolio Manager at Rivemont MicroCap Fund. I've known Mathieu a long time, and he's a regular guest on the show. He's a generalist microcap investor who recently started exploring a sector many investors have written off entirely: Canadian cannabis. After years of avoiding the space due to its speculative excesses, Mathieu has been seeing the potential for a turnaround — with cleaner balance sheets, improving fundamentals, and profitable operators finally emerging. In this episode, we talk about what’s changed in the Canadian cannabis landscape — from rationalized supply and reduced competition, to international export markets and stronger brand differentiation. Mathieu shares how he uncovered opportunities like High Tide, why some vertically integrated players like Cannara Biotech and Rubicon stand out, and how excise tax reform or expanded retail footprints could serve as powerful catalysts for the sector. We also dig into why most investors are still stuck on

My guest on the show today is Jerome, Portfolio Manager at Uzo Capital. Jerome brings a unique lens to public equity investing—shaped by his experience on the equity trading floor at Merrill Lynch during the financial crisis, his global perspective, and a profitable venture in music royalties. In this episode, we dive into Jerome’s barbell investment approach: pairing stable, cash-generative compounders with higher-risk, venture-style bets in the public markets. He walks us through how he identifies “asymmetric” opportunities—where the upside far outweighs the downside—particularly in companies that are either undiscovered or undergoing transformational change. Jerome also shares how his music royalty business, which generates steady, recurring cash flow, provides the emotional and financial runway to take bold swings on high-risk, high-reward ideas. He discusses how this foundation enables him to withstand volatility and dig deeper into ideas that others may overlook. We cover a lot in this conversation—from

My guest on the show today is Ben Brostoff, software engineer at Klaviyo and the writer behind the Stock Talk newsletter on Substack. Ben has a fascinating perspective on investing—he started out in investment banking, taught himself to code, and now spends his free time researching microcap companies, especially in the software and tech space. In this episode, we dive into Ben’s investing philosophy—why he targets 8–10% returns with the least amount of risk, how AI is changing the way he evaluates software moats, and why he won’t own a company unless he’s written a blog post about it. We also dig into some of the key lessons he’s learned, from the dangers of leverage to the power of doing more than just reading a 10-K. Ben shares actionable frameworks for evaluating microcap software companies, offers a nuanced view on AI’s impact on infrastructure and margins, and explains why, for him, true due diligence means turning over every rock. And for full disclosure, we discussed a number of companies during today