What happened

MicroAlgo (MLGO -10.70%) stock is soaring Friday following an announcement from the company. The algorithm-technologies specialist's share price was up 67.9% as of 10:15 a.m. ET, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

MicroAlgo published a press release this morning announcing it had developed a new backtracking search algorithm software. The company believes that the enterprise-search software will have a wide range of potential applications across various fields, and investors appear to be excited about the possibility for significant adoption among large businesses and research institutions. 

So what

The new, backtracking search software starts with one possible solution for a search query and then searches for additional optimal and near-optimal solutions to the problem or request it's been presented with. Per the press release, MicroAlgo believes that its knowledge-enhanced search software has substantial potential for continued development. The company sees this category of search algorithm being used in a widening range of industries and expects that further evolutions for this technology will create opportunities for problem-solving and decision-making optimization in enterprises.

Now what

MicroAlgo was spun off from China-based augmented-reality specialist WiMi Hologram Cloud late least year, and was then taken public through a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Venus Acquisition Corporation. Following today's pop, MicroAlgo stock is up roughly 62% since the SPAC merger closed and the company made its public debut. There's clearly some strong pricing momentum here, but investors should be cautious.

MLGO Chart

MLGO data by YCharts

While MicroAlgo's recent announcement of advances for its knowledge-based backtracking search technology suggests emerging business opportunities, there's still very little visibility on the company's short-term and long-term performance outlooks. It's certainly possible that the stock will continue to climb and that the business will carve out a lasting niche in algorithm technologies and services, but shares should be approached as a very high-risk play that could have a chance at delivering big returns.