Exploring Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP) Investor Profile: Who’s Buying and Why?

You're looking at Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP) and wondering who is defintely buying into the future of autonomous security robots-and why they're doing it despite the volatility. Honestly, the investor profile is a fascinating mix: it's not just a retail trade, but a calculated play from serious institutional money, even as the stock price sits around $5.05 per share as of November 2025. While insiders hold a commanding 71.23% of the company, a number of major asset managers are building positions; for example, institutional ownership sits between 7% and 15%, with giants like Vanguard Group Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and BlackRock, Inc. on the shareholder list. We saw BlackRock, Inc. increase its position by over 143% in the third quarter of 2025 alone, suggesting a belief in the long-term vision, even with the company reporting a Q3 2025 net loss of $9.5 million against a revenue of $3.1 million. So, are these institutions betting on the 24% year-over-year revenue growth or the company's $20.4 million cash cushion as of September 30, 2025? We'll map out the specific moves of the biggest buyers and sellers to show you exactly what they see in the Physical AI market.

Who Invests in Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP) and Why?

The investor profile for Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP) is unique, dominated by a large base of individual shareholders who are betting on the long-term vision of autonomous security. This isn't a stock driven by massive institutional index funds; it's a high-conviction, growth-oriented play.

You need to understand the ownership structure first: it tells you who is setting the price action and why the stock can be so volatile. The vast majority of the company's stock, approximately 86.19%, is held by public companies and individual investors, meaning retail investors are the primary driver. This leaves a small slice for professional money managers, which is typical for a pre-profit, high-growth technology company.

Here is the quick breakdown of ownership as of late 2025:

Investment Motivations: The Growth Story

Investors are buying Knightscope, Inc. for one core reason: the potential for explosive growth in the Autonomous Security Robot (ASR) and Emergency Communication Device (ECD) markets. They are not looking for dividends-the company is still in its heavy investment phase, reporting a net loss of $9.5 million in Q3 2025. The focus is on the top line and the technology platform.

The company's recent financial performance shows why growth investors are interested. Knightscope, Inc. reported Q3 2025 revenue of $3.1 million, marking a 24% increase year-over-year. This growth is fueled by strategic execution, like accelerating deliveries and securing over $1 million in new contracts and renewals in October 2025 alone. They are building a predictable, subscription-based revenue stream, which is defintely attractive to growth-focused capital.

• Buy the recurring revenue model (ASR-as-a-Service).
• Bet on AI-powered security robots replacing human guards.
• Target the massive potential upside, not current earnings.

Even Wall Street analysts, who are generally cautious, have a consensus Moderate Buy rating on the stock, with an average price target of $15.67, which suggests a significant upside of over 233% from the stock's price of $4.70 in November 2025. That kind of potential upside is what draws the individual investor who is willing to stomach volatility for a multi-bagger return.

Investment Strategies: High-Conviction, High-Risk

The strategies employed by KSCP investors map directly to the company's risk profile. Given the high retail ownership and the company's stage, you see a mix of long-term conviction and short-term speculation.

Long-Term Growth Speculation: This is the dominant strategy, especially among the retail base. These investors are essentially funding the company's runway to profitability, often through its At-The-Market (ATM) equity offerings, which raised approximately $32.7 million year-to-date in 2025. They are holding for the moment when the company scales its operations (like the move to the new, larger Sunnyvale headquarters in 2025) and its net loss narrows to zero. This is a classic venture capital-style bet in a public market wrapper. To learn more about the foundation of this bet, you can check out Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Short-Term Trading: The stock's high volatility-it has a 52-week range from a low of $2.45 to a high of $20.40-also attracts short-term traders. The low float (shares available to trade) and the strong retail presence mean price movements can be amplified, creating opportunities for quick gains, but also carrying a high risk of loss. This is a high-risk, high-reward environment.

Passive Index Inclusion: The institutional ownership, while small, is often passive. Firms like Vanguard Group Inc. and BlackRock, Inc. are typically holding KSCP shares because the stock is included in a broader index fund, like a small-cap or extended market index, not necessarily because a portfolio manager made a high-conviction, active decision to buy a large stake. They are simply tracking the market.

Institutional Ownership and Major Shareholders of Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP)

If you are looking at Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP), the first thing to understand is that it is still very much a retail-driven stock. The institutional ownership-the money managed by large funds, pensions, and endowments-is relatively low, which is typical for a smaller, high-growth company in the autonomous security space.

As of the end of the 2025 fiscal third quarter (September 30, 2025), institutional investors held a total of approximately 867,861 shares of Knightscope, Inc., with a total institutional value estimated at around $5.252 million. This low institutional float means the stock price can be more volatile, as retail investors' sentiment can swing quickly. It's defintely a risk to map out.

Top Institutional Investors and Their Stakes

While the overall percentage is small, the list of institutional holders includes some of the biggest names in the asset management world, indicating that KSCP has made it onto the radar of major index and quantitative funds. These positions are often driven by index inclusion rather than deep fundamental research, but they still provide a crucial floor of capital.

The largest institutional holders as of September 30, 2025, are dominated by passive index funds and major financial institutions.

• Vanguard Group Inc: Held the largest position with 276,857 shares, valued at approximately $1.321 million.
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc: Established a significant new position of 118,769 shares.
• Geode Capital Management, Llc: Held 99,920 shares, valued at about $477 thousand.
• UBS Group AG: Held 91,324 shares, valued at approximately $436 thousand.
• BlackRock, Inc.: Held 44,260 shares, valued at about $211 thousand.

Here's a quick snapshot of the top five institutional holdings from the Q3 2025 filings:

Recent Changes in Institutional Ownership

What's more important than the current holdings is the trend. Honestly, the Q3 2025 data shows a clear pattern of net institutional accumulation. There were 26 institutions that increased their positions, acquiring a total of 415,786 shares, compared to only 9 institutions that decreased their positions, selling 83,915 shares. The total institutional share count increased by 83.74% quarter-over-quarter.

This is a big signal. It tells you that despite the stock's volatility, more large, sophisticated investors are starting positions or adding to existing ones. For example, BlackRock, Inc. increased its stake by an impressive 143.911%, adding 26,114 shares in the quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Centiva Capital, LP were among the institutions that established entirely new positions. This influx of new capital suggests a growing institutional belief in the long-term Breaking Down Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors and strategy.

The Impact of Institutional Buying on Strategy and Price

Institutional investors play a critical, dual role. First, their buying activity provides liquidity and can stabilize the stock price, especially in a micro-cap like KSCP. Second, their presence can influence corporate strategy, even if their ownership percentage is not a majority.

A concrete example of their influence, or perhaps the challenge of their absence, is Knightscope's recent strategic move in July 2025 to amend its bylaws. The company lowered the quorum required for stockholder meetings from a majority to just one-third (33 1/3%) of the voting power. This was done to reduce the risk of not achieving a quorum, which can happen easily when a large portion of the stock is held by dispersed retail investors who are less likely to vote than concentrated institutional holders.

The action shows management is proactively addressing governance challenges posed by its unique ownership structure. Still, as institutional ownership grows-as it did in Q3 2025-it will increase pressure on management to deliver consistent operational performance and clear pathways to profitability. You should monitor the next 13F filings closely to see if this accumulation trend continues into Q4 2025.

Key Investors and Their Impact on Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP)

If you are looking at Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP), the direct takeaway is that this is an insider-controlled company, not an institutionally-driven one. While the big names are present, the company's direction is overwhelmingly set by its founders and early investors, with institutional funds acting largely as passive holders.

Insider ownership stands at a massive 71.23% of the company, with institutional investors holding a far smaller stake of around 7.31% to 14.61%. This dynamic means that the typical influence of major funds on strategy or governance is significantly muted here.

The Dominance of Insider Ownership

The single most important investor in Knightscope, Inc. is its largest individual shareholder, Mercedes Soria, who holds a commanding 61.80% of the company. This stake, valued at approximately $38.77 million as of the Q3 2025 filings, gives the insider near-absolute control over all major corporate decisions, including board appointments, mergers, and strategic direction. This level of control is a critical factor for any potential investor to understand, as it limits the ability of outside shareholders to force changes.

Here's the quick math: With a majority of the shares locked up by insiders, the public float (the shares available for trading) is relatively small, which can lead to higher volatility. This is defintely a founder-led story.

Notable Institutional Investors and Their Passive Stance

Despite the high insider ownership, several well-known institutional asset managers hold positions in Knightscope, Inc. These are primarily passive investors, meaning they hold the stock as part of their broad index funds (like the Russell 2000 or total stock market funds) rather than as a conviction-driven, active bet.

The largest institutional holders, based on Q3 2025 13F filings, include:

• Vanguard Group Inc.: Held 276,857 shares, valued at about $1.51 million.
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc.: Held 118,769 shares, valued at approximately $647.29 thousand.
• Geode Capital Management, Llc: Held 99,920 shares.
• BlackRock, Inc.: Held 44,260 shares, valued at around $241.22 thousand.

These funds, while massive globally, hold a small percentage of Knightscope, Inc.'s total outstanding shares. Their influence is generally limited to proxy voting on standard governance issues, not dictating the company's core strategy. If you want to dive deeper into the company's foundation, you can check out Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Recent Moves and Investor Sentiment (Q3 2025)

The most recent institutional filings from the third quarter of the 2025 fiscal year show a mix of new interest and position adjustments, reflecting a cautious but growing institutional presence.

• Significant Accumulation: BlackRock, Inc. notably increased its position by 143.911% in Q3 2025, adding 26,114 shares. This is a strong signal of index-tracking growth, not necessarily a new active thesis.
• New Positions: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Centiva Capital, LP were among the funds that established entirely new positions in Q3 2025. Goldman Sachs' position was a new entry of 118,769 shares.
• Selling Activity: Conversely, Equitable Holdings Inc. reduced its stake by 31.741% in the same period, selling 9,300 shares.

This activity suggests that while some funds are initiating or expanding positions-often to align with index weightings-others are trimming their exposure. The total institutional inflows over the last 12 months were approximately $932.08 thousand, against outflows of about $53.66 thousand, indicating a net accumulation trend, albeit on a small base.

What this estimate hides is the sheer scale difference: the largest insider's stake of $38.77 million dwarfs the total institutional value of holdings at only about $4 million. The stock's price, which was around $5.05 per share as of November 17, 2025, is more sensitive to retail investor sentiment and company news, like the recent $1 million milestone in new contracts, than to the quarterly moves of these large, passive funds.

Next Step: Start your due diligence by reviewing the Q3 2025 10-Q filing to understand the capital structure and any recent equity raises.

Market Impact and Investor Sentiment

You are looking at Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP) and seeing a disconnect: institutional investors are still dipping their toes in, but the analyst community is shouting a strong 'Buy.' This situation tells you the market is still trying to price the company's long-term potential against its near-term financial reality.

The institutional ownership base for Knightscope, Inc. remains relatively small, hovering around 0.79% to 14.61% of the stock, depending on the reporting date and methodology for the 2025 fiscal year. This low float suggests that the stock's price movements are heavily influenced by retail investors and short-term trading, leading to high volatility. Still, the fact that major players like Vanguard Group Inc. and BlackRock, Inc. are building positions is a sign of underlying confidence in the long-term vision, even if their total holdings are modest.

• Vanguard Group Inc. holds 276,857 shares as of Q3 2025.
• BlackRock, Inc. increased its position by 143.911% to 44,260 shares in Q3 2025.
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc. established a new position of 118,769 shares in Q3 2025.

Honestly, the institutional investor sentiment is cautiously optimistic, driven by a few large firms initiating or significantly increasing their stakes, but the overall low institutional percentage means the stock is not yet 'de-risked' by broad fund adoption.

Recent Market Reactions to Ownership Shifts

The stock market's reaction to news has been a mixed bag, reflecting the company's growth-stage volatility. For example, the stock price fell a significant 65.73% from $14.74 in November 2024 to $5.05 by November 2025, a clear sign of pressure from market dilution and broader market skepticism regarding high-growth, pre-profit companies. However, when the company delivered on its operational metrics, the market rewarded it quickly.

In May 2025, following the Q1 2025 earnings report, the stock jumped 8.35% in regular trading, closing at $5.27, after Knightscope, Inc. reported a 29% increase in total revenue to $2.9 million and an 11% reduction in net loss. That's the kind of concrete progress that moves the needle. Plus, insider sentiment is defintely positive, with company insiders collectively buying $5.73 million worth of shares over the last year, which is a powerful signal that management believes the stock is undervalued. You rarely see that level of buying if the ship is sinking.

Analyst Perspectives and Key Investor Impact

Wall Street analysts are far more bullish than the current stock price suggests, which is a key opportunity for you to map. The consensus rating from the three analysts covering Knightscope, Inc. is a 'Strong Buy,' with an average price target of $17.33 as of October 2025. This average target implies a massive potential upside of 268.72% from the November 2025 price of $4.70. The range is wide, from a low of $12 to a high of $27, showing the high-risk, high-reward nature of this investment.

The analysts' optimism is grounded in the company's operational trajectory, not just speculation. They project the company's revenue to increase to $11.40 million this fiscal year, a 5.53% jump year-over-year, with an expected Earnings Per Share (EPS) of -$3.75. The impact of key investors like Vanguard Group Inc. and BlackRock, Inc. is less about immediate price movement and more about validation. Their presence adds a layer of due diligence (a 'seal of approval') that other institutions and retail investors look for before committing capital.

Here's the quick math on analyst targets:

What this estimate hides is the continued net loss and the need for a sustained, accelerating revenue growth to justify those targets. If you want to dive deeper into the core financials that underpin this valuation, you should read Breaking Down Knightscope, Inc. (KSCP) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors. Your next step should be to compare the company's current valuation (enterprise value-to-sales) against the projected $11.40 million in 2025 revenue to see if the upside is truly warranted.