BigBear.ai vs. Veritone: Which AI Analytics Stock is the Smarter Play?

Core Insights - The article discusses the emerging niche of artificial intelligence analytics, highlighting BigBear.ai (BBAI) and Veritone (VERI) as notable small-cap players in this sector [1][2]. Company Overview - BigBear.ai focuses on "decision intelligence" for government and defense clients, specializing in mission-critical AI applications for national security and defense [2]. - Veritone provides an enterprise AI platform (aiWARE) targeting media, public sector, and commercial markets, with a suite of audio/video data analytics tools [2]. Market Position and Strategy - BigBear.ai has a backlog of $385 million as of March 31, 2025, with significant government contracts, including a $165 million contract from the U.S. Army [4][8]. - Veritone has shifted its focus solely to AI software, achieving an Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of $58.7 million, with 81% from subscriptions [9][10]. Financial Performance - BigBear.ai eliminated $57.7 million of long-term debt and raised $64.7 million in gross proceeds, strengthening its balance sheet [6][8]. - Veritone's revenue declined by 7% year-over-year to $22.5 million, but it has a higher gross margin of 61.1%, significantly above BigBear.ai's 21.3% [9][10]. Growth Prospects - BigBear.ai is positioned for growth in defense AI, leveraging its backlog and government contracts [4][8]. - Veritone's growth strategy includes vertical-specific AI solutions and expanding into government applications, indicating a competitive edge in software sales [10][12]. Stock Performance - BigBear.ai's stock has increased by nearly 382% over the past year, while Veritone's shares have recently rebounded, rising 111.1% in the past month [14][15]. - Over the past three months, BigBear.ai shares rose by 153.3%, outperforming the broader market, while Veritone gained 25.9% [15]. Valuation Comparison - BigBear.ai trades at a forward Price-to-Sales (P/S) ratio of 12.02, significantly higher than Veritone's 1.13, indicating a premium valuation for BigBear.ai [18][19]. - Veritone's expected revenue growth of 18% in 2025 and narrowing losses suggest a more attractive valuation and clearer path to profitability [19][26].