Who’s Building the Next Phase of Artificial Intelligence? 20 Innovators Shaping the AI Industry in 2026

Artificial intelligence, the center of global investing in 2025, is evolving from an experimental phase. After a few volatile years – characterized by rapid model breakthroughs, uncertainty, and rapidly changing investment cycles – the sector is entering a consolidation phase. 

In this growing ecosystem, which is expected to reach $4.8 trillion by 2033, a new generation of founders from all industries are emerging to change the landscape. Among labor shortages, aging workforces, and productivity demands, AI-first companies are becoming essential to innovation and competitiveness worldwide. At the forefront of the AI evolution are scientists and startup founders that are today building the companies that will power our collective future.

Against this backdrop, we present the 20 AI entrepreneurs to watch in 2026. These are builders, leaders, and innovators who are guiding the path on how artificial intelligence evolves in the years ahead.

While they come from a wide range of sectors, geographies, and trajectories, they all share one thing: they are creating the foundations of the next chapter of AI.

Alexandr Wang — Founder & CEO, Scale AI (United States)

Alexandr Wang co-founded Scale AI, a startup that specializes in data labeling and evaluation services for training AI models. Formerly the startup’s CEO, he was recently hired as Meta’s Chief AI Officer to lead the Meta Superintelligence Labs.

Before his billion-dollar company, Wang worked at Addepar, Quora, and Hudson River Trading in the technology sector. He dropped out of MIT to co-found Scale AI in 2016. His company’s developments in the defense, autonomous vehicles, and enterprise AI industries caught the attention of major players like Meta, OpenAI, and the U.S. government through military contracts. Scale AI achieved a $30 billion valuation in 2025, when Meta invested $15 billion to obtain a 49% stake in the company.

Wang, one of the youngest self-made billionaires, is now considered a pivotal leader in AI infrastructure amid the AI development race. In 2026, monitor his progress in Meta Superintelligence Labs and expanded AI model training through a data-driven approach. His progress can potentially redefine enterprise and defense applications, bringing real utility into AI investments.

Guillermo Delgado  — Global AI Leader, Nisum (Peru)

Guillermo Delgado, with over 25 years of experience in the biochemistry, AI, and space biology industries, is the Global AI leader at Nisum. The global technology consulting partner specializes in developing intelligent solutions powered by data for retail, financial institutions, and healthcare.

Delgado has a broad track record of contributions to AI vision for space biology. About his education, he holds a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence from Georgia Tech, earned with honors. As an entrepreneur, he is also the co-founder and COO of Deep Space Biology, focused on creating a multi-omics BioSpace AI platform for safe space exploration. His corporate strategy consultant profile drove him to contribute to NASA’s AI vision for space biology and receive innovation awards.

His work is relevant for transforming the Latin American business context through AI development. The interdisciplinary expertise he has gathered makes him outstanding at translating space biology AI to enterprise applications. However, his impact goes beyond the business context. For example, he spoke about AI’s ethical use at the  Congreso Latinoamericano IA, emphasizing the need to prioritize critical thinking when using artificial intelligence. In 2026, watch for Delgado’s influence on Nisum’s AI strategies, especially for Latam’s digital acceleration.

May Habib — Co-founder & CEO, Writer.com (United States)

May Habib is the co-founder and CEO of Writer.com, an enterprise-level generative AI platform that trains custom large language models aligned with corporate guidelines. By generating consistent but unique content for marketing, operations, and workflows, Habib’s company has captured over 250 clients, including Uber, Salesforce, L’Oréal, Intuit, Vanguard, and Accenture. 

A Harvard high honors Economist, Habib started her entrepreneurial path as a teenager in finance before diving into AI. She previously co-founded Qordoba in 2015, an AI-powered localization tool serving clients like Visa and Marriott, processing billions of words daily, before pivoting to Writer. Now, the company has achieved a 10x growth and a valuation of $1.5B.

By ensuring unique but consistent content through agentic AI, Habib is deeply changing the content-generation playing field. In fact, her work has earned her recognition, including selection as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a spot on the Forbes AI 50 list, and an Inc. Female Founder Award. In 2026, watch for further development of agentic AI for workflow automation, LLM advancements for scaling, and her advocacy for equitable language tech. ​

Sergio García — Co-founder & CEO, Boom AI (Mexico)

Sergio García is the co-founder and CEO of Boom AI, a Guadalajara-born startup building AI-powered growth teams for e-commerce brands that develops autonomous marketing and revenue optimization workflows, enabling online sellers to scale through intelligent experimentation and automated growth loops. The startup gained strong traction after receiving investment from Platanus and after being selected as the only Mexican company in Y Combinator’s Fall 2025 batch, earning global visibility and validating Mexico’s rising tech ecosystem.

García and his co-founders emerged from the Institute for Entrepreneurship at Tecnológico de Monterrey, where they refined their technical and business foundations. His work highlights the strength of Mexico’s innovation hubs by combining operational expertise with AI-driven optimization for digital commerce. Under his leadership, Boom AI has become a representative case of how Latin American talent is increasingly competing on the global stage.

In 2026, watch Boom AI’s expansion into US and LATAM e-commerce markets, advances in autonomous growth agents, and García’s role in elevating Mexico’s position within the global AI startup landscape.

Roberto Peñacastro — Founder and CEO, Leadsales (Mexico)

Roberto Peñacastro is the co-founder and CEO of Leadsales, an innovative startup that provides a specialized CRM for WhatsApp and social networks, backed by the Meta Business Partner seal. The platform uses AI tools to personalize customer interactions, offering a unique experience and helping businesses triple sales.

As recognized for his participation in programs such as SkyDeck Batch 14 S22, Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund, and StartX S23, Peñacastro is known as a visionary entrepreneur with an outstanding track record in the industry. His innate ability to lead teams and his dedication to philanthropic causes have led him to mentor other entrepreneurs at Tec de Monterrey and Uniandinos. Furthermore, Forbes Mexico highlighted him as one of the 30 Promises of Business in 2024, while MIT recognized him as an Innovator Under 35 LATAM 2025.

His origins in Queretaro, Mexico have driven his vision for digitalization in emerging markets in Latam, establishing a presence in Colombia and Peru as well. Nonetheless, Peñacastro’s paths beyond Latin America are worth tracking in 2026. With Leadsales’ goal to internationalize, the company is looking to enter new markets, including Brazil, India, Africa, and Southeast Asia, with a Series A in the near future.

Grace Chang— Founder & CEO, Kintsugi (United States)

Grace Chang is the founder and CEO of Kintsugi, a company that uses AI and voice biomarkers to detect mental health conditions from short voice clips. 

The startup’s objective is to close mental health care gaps with this innovative technology by enabling early detection of depression and anxiety, powered by the integration of telehealth, call centers, and remote monitoring.

Chang holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Economics from USC, an MBA from UCLA Anderson, and studies at Stanford, with a background in technical leadership roles.​ 

She is recognized as a pioneer in the implementation of AI for mental health diagnostics, earning her multiple awards, including recognition as a Forbes’ Top 50 AI company to watch.​

In 2026, watch for Chang as continues raising awareness for responsible AI use in the health tech industry. She is expected to drive the expansion of Kintsugi’s technology to cover more mental health issues and create partnerships that can improve patient care through AI.

Ibrahim Hasanov— Founder, Myuser (United States)

A self-taught programmer and entrepreneur from a young age, Ibrahim Hasanov founded Myuser in 2021, an AI-powered outbound automation platform that pioneered fully autonomous B2B sales outreach, enabling highly personalized, scalable cold outreach with AI agents that can converse and schedule meetings like humans.​ Now the CEO, Hasanov, is on track to reach $100 million in revenue before raising funds.

The combination of AI efficiency with authentic, human-like communication is what differentiates Myuser from other endeavors. The vision guiding MyUser – making sales outreach as effortless and human as possible – has driven the development of AI agents that continually improve through learning, ensuring accurate two-way conversations while avoiding typical AI mistakes.

For 2026, Hasanov is worth watching for further advancements in autonomous AI agents that fully handle outbound sales campaigns. By turning complex processes into scalable ones, Hasanov’s innovations are revolutionizing the B2B sales landscape and empowering businesses to focus more on product and innovation rather than outreach logistics. 

Christian Struve— Co-founder & CEO, Fracttal (Spain)

Christian Struve is the co-founder and CEO of Fracttal, an innovative asset management solutions startup. By offering companies tools that improve reliability and operational efficiency through cloud technology and AI, Fracttal has experienced accelerated growth, with more than 180 employees and $15M in revenue.

Struve identified a significant gap in asset maintenance management in Latin American companies. After years of implementing expensive solutions, his vision of democratizing maintenance intelligence led him to start Fracttal, headquartered in Spain and now a global solution that empowers more than 30,000 users in 50 countries. Since then, Startup Chile Demo Day, Intel IoT partnership, and Axtel/Claro recognized his work with Fracttal.

Monitor Fracttal’s AI predictive advancements to reshape asset management operations worldwide and expect to see more of Struve’s leadership as an international speaker, judge, and mentor in entrepreneurship programs.

Dr. Ranjit Tinaikar— CEO, Ness (United States)

Dr. Ranjit Tinaikar has been the CEO of Ness Digital Engineering since 2020, a company that provides digital transformation services – including product engineering, cloud migration, data modernization, AI/machine learning – to help enterprises drive growth via MVPs and ongoing optimization. Since joining Ness, Tinaikar has promoted an engineering culture focused on complex problem-solving and talent growth.

With more than 30 years in technology services, including roles at McKinsey, Thomson Reuters, and Fitch Solutions, Tinaikar brings supply-side expertise across industries. He has set himself apart with proven revenue turnarounds, innovation in Big Data, and a balanced perspective from consulting companies to operational leadership.

Private equity firm KKR acquired Ness for over $500M in 2022, a key indicator of a significant valuation under Dr. Tinaikar’s leadership. In 2026, watch for Ness’ continuous growth led by him, with an aggressive goal to double revenue within 3 to 4 years.

Manuela Gutierrez— Director, 360 Health Data (Colombia)

Manuela Gutierrez is the Project and Operations Leader at 360 Health Data, a Colombian health tech company founded in 2024 by healthcare and evidence experts. She has over 10 years of experience in digital product design, UI/UX, and project management in the healthcare sector,  leading platform development that improves clinical decision-making in complex medical environments. Now, her company has become a differentiated reference by combining local expertise with AI-enabled medical data curation targeted at Spanish-speaking clinical users.​

Gutierrez studied at Fundación Universitaria Bellas Artes and Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas.​ She continued her professional path at Source Meridian as a Product Manager and UX/UI lead. Her experience has positioned her as a leading voice in the digital transformation that is expanding access to medical knowledge across historically underserved regions in Latin America.

In 2026, watch for 360 Health Data’s continued expansion in the region, enhancements in AI-driven clinical decision support, and its role in bridging regional health data gaps. Gutierrez’s leadership will be definitively essential for integrating UX with medical science and technology across healthcare systems in the region. 

Allan Oloo— Co-founder & CTO, Ribbon (United States)

Allan Oloo is the co-founder and CTO of Ribbon, an inheritance platform designed for credit unions, whose main purpose is to ease the grieving process by simplifying estate planning, asset transfers, and legacy management through digital tools that transform complex financial transitions into accessible services. An experienced full-stack software engineer with a BA in Computer Science from Mennonite University, Oloo previously held positions at Jenzabar, Smithsonian, and VistaShare.

Oloo’s leadership has proven relevant for his fintech innovations at Ribbon. More specifically, at the intersection of finance and personal life events, prioritizing empathy while building on new technologies. This is reflected in Ribbon’s traction, as it was recently accepted into the second cohort of the Members Development Company Accelerator.

​During the coming year, watch Ribbon’s expansion in credit union adoption, AI-enhanced estate planning features, and Oloo’s technical leadership driving secure, user-centric innovations as digital legacy tools gain traction post-pandemic.

Ayaz Ahmadov— Co-founder & CEO, Dosty (Azerbaijan)

Ayaz Ahmadov is the co-founder and CEO of Dosty, an Azerbaijan-based pet care app that delivers AI-powered diagnostics, symptom checking, and personalized guidance to pet owners worldwide. Launched in 2022 from Baku, the platform has rapidly grown across 73 countries and earned recognition, such as the Wolves Summit Grand Prize. Dosty addresses vet shortages and rising pet care costs with an accessible, user-centric digital experience.

With more than 17 years in marketing strategy, digital product launches, and brand development, Ahmadov brings deep consumer insight to the PetTech space. He is known for mixing global experience with storytelling, allowing Dosty to scale internationally in the VC ecosystem.

In 2026, watch the progress of Dosty’s expansion across Latin America, its AI roadmap for community and recipe personalization, and continued global user growth. Ahmadov’s strategy of launching first in mature markets is expected to strengthen the company’s positioning as a worldwide pet care super app.

Arda Ecevit— Co-founder & CEO, nextstrat AI (United States)

Arda Ecevit is the co-founder and CEO of NexStrat.ai, a strategy co-pilot that automates from diagnosis-to-execution workflows. Built around agentic AI and the Nex agent system, the platform enables real-time strategy creation, analysis, and reporting for consulting firms seeking safer, faster decision intelligence.

Ecevit brings more than 14 years of executive and consulting experience from Bain & Company, Deloitte, Strategy&, PwC, and Delivery Hero. As the former CEO of Prezentium (acquired by Prezent in 2025), he is recognized for applying hypothesis-driven consulting rigor to AI agents, combining deep problem-solving methodology with technology that minimizes hallucinations and supports regulated industries like finance and healthcare.

In 2026, watch for Ecevit’s leadership, guiding the company’s expansion into heavily regulated sectors, increased adoption by global corporations, and breakthroughs in agentic AI for real-time strategic foresight, positioning the company as a challenger to traditional consulting giants.

Mike Hoey— Founder, Source Meridian (United States, Colombia)

Mike Hoey is the founder of Source Meridian, a Medellín, Colombia-based technology company that specializes in health tech, big data, and advanced text analytics for regulated industries. With a strong customer approach, his work supports pharmaceutical data management, knowledge organization, and tools that enable large unstructured data processing.

Hoey holds a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University, with expertise in neural networks, parallel processing, and regulatory publishing. His previous roles include CTO at Parexel (formerly Liquent) and founder of Intellisophic, giving him significant experience leading global development teams. As a mentor at Techstars, Startup Mexico, and other innovation hubs, he also contributes significantly to ecosystem development across Latin America.

In 2026, expect Source Meridian to deepen its AI-driven services for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients, expand its knowledge management technologies, and strengthen Hoey’s influence as a mentor driving innovation in emerging tech ecosystems across the region.

Jacob Evans— CTO, Kryterion Inc (United States)

Jacob Evans is the CTO at Kryterion Inc., a global provider of secure online proctoring and high-stakes assessment technology. The platform leverages AI-driven monitoring and scalable cloud infrastructure to support certification bodies, enterprises, and educational institutions worldwide.

A skilled engineering and product leader, Evans previously served as CTO at Facet, CTO at Marketware, and CTO at Solutionreach. His track record of scaling engineering teams and modernizing enterprise platforms earned him a spot on The Sociable’s 50 Under 50 Enterprise Executives list for 2025. 

It has not been different at Kryterion, where he has tripled engineering productivity while advancing the company’s secure evaluation capabilities.

In 2026, watch Evans’ contributions to AI-enhanced proctoring, global engineering expansion, and next-generation assessment security as demand for remote credentialing accelerates in an increasingly skills-driven workforce.

Ivan Crewkov— Co-founder & CEO, buddy.ai (United States)

Ivan Crewkov is the co-founder and CEO of Buddy.ai, the world’s first conversational AI tutor for kids, offering affordable 1:1 English learning through a multimodal, speech-driven virtual companion. 

The platform has surpassed 36 million downloads globally and continues to redefine early childhood education through AI-powered interactivity.

Inspired by his daughter’s challenges learning English, Crewkov leveraged his background in voice technology and virtual human systems to build a tutor capable of understanding accented children’s speech using proprietary speech recognition. Buddy.ai’s immersive mini-games, conversational AI, and adaptive learning has made it a trusted global solution for under-12 learners.

In 2026, watch Buddy.ai’s push into broader curricular subjects, further development of multimodal AI pedagogy, and deepening presence in global markets as AI-native education becomes a mainstream complement to traditional schooling.

Francesco Ferro— CEO, PAL Robotics (Spain)

Francesco Ferro is the CEO of PAL Robotics, one of Europe’s leading robotics companies and a core member of the EU-funded RoboSAPIENS consortium. 

His company develops advanced robot platforms, autonomous navigation systems, and multimodal AI capabilities for industrial and service environments. 

Their success in the industry has positioned PAL as a reference point in autonomous mobile robots and human-robot interaction.

Ferro’s leadership integrates engineering depth with applied research. Under his guidance, the company recently published a paper in partnership with RoboSAPIENS introducing a Vision-Language-Model-based method to test industrial autonomous robots and their safety in working alongside humans. The results presented are an important breakthrough to ensuring safer autonomous robotics applications. 

In 2026, we are likely to see significant leaps in the use of automated mobile robots guided b y PAL Robotics. As more research turns to vision-language models, Ferro will be a key player in moving toward cutting-edge robotics powered by AI. 

Claudio González— CTO & EVP, intive (Argentina)

Claudio González is the CTO and EVP at intive, a global digital innovation company. Already operating in 10 countries with more than 2,000 professionals delivering engineering services to enterprises, intive has developed several AI-native transformations and product modernization. 

Gonzalez’ work is focused on guiding clients through the rapid shift toward the use of AI systems, especially in fintech, retail, and enterprise software.

With over 10 years in software engineering, leadership, and architecture, González has built a career that combines technical excellence with business impact. He has become a prominent voice in transforming systems into AI-ready platforms, and sharing his experience through events such as the Argentina Fintech Forum. 

In 2026, watch out for his role in scaling intive’s AI operations at a global level, making progress in enterprise AI channels, and accelerating modernization initiatives as companies continue to prioritize intelligent infrastructure.

Bob Chopra — Founder & CEO, IvySchool.ai (India)

Bob Chopra is the founder of IvySchool.ai, an EdTech movement teaching kids aged 5–18 to build with AI, code, robotics, and creative technology through hands-on, mentor-guided cohorts. At 9 years old, Bob is the world’s youngest ed-tech founder. 

Under his leadership, IvySchool.ai has enrolled over 2,000 students and developed 30+ project‑based modules that emphasize “coding with curiosity, design with empathy, and innovation with purpose.”

In 2026, watch IvySchool.ai expand maker‑education across India and globally, deepen AI‑native curricula for early learners, and scale mentor networks that align project‑based learning with responsible, inclusive technology education.

Article authored by Ana Sofia Herazo