Penny stocks are notoriously risky investments. But for investors who snap up shares early on in businesses that later evolve into industry leaders, the returns can be game-changing.

And there are quite a few impressive examples of such explosive gains being unlocked:

• Melrose Industries has surged from around 30p in 2003 to 567p today – a 1,790% return.
• Judges Scientific has skyrocketed from around 64p in 2009 to 4,410p today – a 6,791% return.
• In 30 years, Diploma has jumped from roughly 82p to 6,910p – an 8,327% return.

A simple £1,000 investment at the start of these journeys would be worth over £10,000 today. And in the case of Diploma, the figure’s much closer to £84,269!

But the question now becomes, which penny stocks in 2026 could be the next major winner?

An emerging 10x opportunity?

In 2026, there’s a long list of promising UK micro-cap stocks to choose from. And among these, perhaps one of the most compelling is Helium One Global (LSE:HE1).

This is a helium exploration business with two active projects:

• It’s flagship Southern Rukwa project in Tanzania covering a vast 1,900 square kilometre area of the Rukwa Rift Basin (100% owned).
• A recently-acquired 50% working interest in the Galactica-Pegasus project in Colorado, US, currently being operated by Blue Star Helium.

While Galactica-Pegasus has started extracting helium, its group’s Rukwa project that could be transformational. Rukwa is estimated to contain up to 138 billion cubic feet of the inert gas. And at current market rates, such an enormous reserve could yield anywhere between $69bn to $166bn in revenue over its lifetime.

Compare that against Helium One Global’s £62.7m market-cap, early investors could be on track to earn a 10x return, even if material resource estimates are significantly reduced later down the line.

So should penny stock investors rush to buy shares today?

Understanding the risk

The prospect of Helium One potentially sitting on a genuinely world-class helium reserve is undeniably exciting. Even more so, given that the gas is a critical and non-substitutional input material for semiconductor manufacturing, quantum computing, and space technology.

However, it’s essential to recognise that we’re still in the very early days of this project.

The enormous mineral resource estimate has yet to be confirmed by drilling tests. And while the company has secured mining licenses from Tanzanian regulators, mining infrastructure, processing plants, off-take agreements, and commercial production remain on the to-do list – a process that will take years and vast sums of money to complete.

Is a 1,000%+ return realistic?

The catalysts for a 10x return are real and progressing. But exploration companies fail far more often than they succeed. That includes those with promising reserves simply due to running out of funding.

The near-term revenue from its Galactica-Pegasus project will help on that front. But it isn’t going to be enough. And Helium One will still need to secure external financing, potentially heavily diluting early investors.

That’s why, despite its explosive potential, I haven’t bought any shares. But for investors looking for a lottery-like penny stock, comfortable with the risk of a total loss, I feel Helium One Global looks like one of the most credible opportunities to consider compared to other penny stocks in the UK.