Rippling Named to Fast Company’s 2026 Next Big Things in Tech List

AI has changed the nature of work. AI is no longer just a tool for answering questions; it’s a key tool for businesses to operate more efficiently and effectively. We designed Rippling AI to meet real business needs and Fast Company’s recognition reflects the results of that focus.

Fast Company included Rippling in its 2026 Next Big Things in Tech list for Established Excellence in the Applied AI and Data industry, celebrating a year of big steps forward in Rippling AI. It’s an acknowledgment that Rippling AI goes beyond what most companies in our industry are doing and supports our mission of freeing smart people to do hard work.

Rippling AI goes beyond answering questions. It understands a company’s people, data, permissions, and workflows, then uses that context to prepare and execute work across HR, IT, and finance. The result is AI that analyzes and takes action with the governance and permissions already embedded into Rippling.

As AI adoption accelerates, the challenge is not simply giving more employees access to more models. It’s knowing who is using AI, what it costs, which tools and models are approved, what data is being accessed, and whether the investment is producing a meaningful return.

It’s why we continue to push Rippling AI’s capabilities and why we ship every week and every month.  With Data Cloud, Rippling AI connects company data with worker identity, permissions, and history, making it easier to answer nuanced business questions. Data Cloud brings data and work identity together, so companies can see a complete picture of their business. 

We also launched new AI features to help companies use AI better. AI Governance lets companies expand their AI use while maintaining control over spending, access, and accountability. AI Spend Console shows leaders who is using AI, what it costs in token spend, and how it affects output. With Rippling AI’s plugins, skills, and automations, customers can build shared workflows and knowledge that scale with their business. We also opened the Rippling AI Lab in Bengaluru, where our engineers are creating the foundation for the next generation of Rippling AI.

Fast Company’s recognition shows how Rippling is shaping the future of work. By helping companies use AI to turn data into action, Rippling AI makes business simpler and connects systems that were once separate. We’re honored that Fast Company recognized Rippling, but more importantly, we’re excited to keep building the infrastructure that makes AI genuinely useful for companies running on Rippling.

Learn more why Rippling was chosen for the list here.