LISTING | U.S. YEARLY | ED. 5(B) | SME BUSINESS REVIEW
Here’s the list of companies recognized under the ‘30 Leading Companies to Watch 2026’ issue.
ad temporis | Interim Management
ad temporis Interim Management is a platform that delivers experienced leadership exactly when it is needed, without delay or internal constraints. It was established in 2009 in Zurich, Switzerland, and has a branch in Hamburg, Germany.
Visual Workforce Inc.
Most organisations still make talent decisions based on resumes, job titles, and past roles rather than verified skills. This information is easy to gather, but it does not reliably reflect what someone can actually do. That gap affects how talent is understood and how opportunity is distributed inside companies. It also leaves a large portion of workforce capability underused or misread. Bryan Bostic of Visual Workforce Inc points to a lack of consistency in how skills are defined across roles. Without standardised skill criteria, organisations cannot reliably compare individual capability. That’s where Visual Workforce steps in. It was set up to organise workforce capability around skills rather than documents. The company’s goal was not to improve existing talent workflows, but to replace the logic they were built on. It emerged from a technology recruiting firm where decisions relied heavily on resumes and job titles instead of actual skills.
OLINK
OLINK is a global EV technology manufacturer specializing in electric vehicle charging connectivity and EVSE solutions. With more than 15 years of industry experience, OLINK develops reliable, high-performance charging adapters, connectors, and charging systems for the global EV market. The company’s product portfolio includes EV charging adapters, AC/DC EV chargers, charging connectors, vehicle inlets, and integrated solar-storage-charging solutions for residential and commercial applications. These products are designed to support major international standards such as CCS1, CCS2, NACS, GB/T, Type 1, Type 2, and CHAdeMO, ensuring compatibility with most electric vehicles and charging infrastructure worldwide.
Vanta
Vanta is a cybersecurity and compliance software company developing software that helps businesses manage security reviews, compliance checks, risk monitoring, audit preparation, and governance operations through automated systems. Christina Cacioppo and Erik Goldman, co-founders, created the business after recognizing how much time companies spent handling compliance work manually. Many organizations relied on spreadsheets, emails, internal documents, and disconnected reporting systems to prepare for audits and security reviews.
Runway
Runway is an artificial intelligence company founded in 2018 by Cristóbal Valenzuela, Alejandro Matamala, and Anastasis Germanidis. The company develops software for AI-generated video, image creation, editing, visual effects, and digital media production. Runway focuses heavily on generative video systems that allow users to create cinematic clips from text prompts, images, sketches, or existing footage. Operations expanded beyond New York into San Francisco, Seattle, London, and Tel Aviv while also supporting remote workers across several countries.
Ginkgo Bioworks
Biology has traditionally been treated as a field focused on observation and slow experimentation. Work in this area has relied on manual laboratory processes, where experiments are carried out step by step, and results are produced over extended periods. This structure limits how quickly biological ideas can be tested, compared, and refined. Ginkgo Bioworks was founded in 2008 by scientists from MIT, including Tom Knight, Jason Kelly, Barry Canton, and Reshma Shetty. The group shared a belief that biology could be treated as an engineering discipline. Instead of viewing cells only as natural systems to study, they can be designed to perform defined functions in a controlled and repeatable way.
Noetix Robotics
Noetix Robotics is a Beijing-based robotics company developing humanoid machines powered by artificial intelligence, motion control systems, and embodied operating software. Founded in 2023 by researchers and engineers from leading Chinese universities, the company has progressed from early prototypes to commercially presented humanoid robots capable of dynamic locomotion and interactive engagement.
Wisepops
Wisepops is a software company developing on-site marketing and visitor engagement tools for e-commerce businesses, publishers, and digital brands. The platform allows businesses to create pop-ups, banners, embedded forms, notification feeds, surveys, and web push campaigns through no-code editing systems. Wisepops mainly focuses on helping companies convert website visitors into email subscribers, customers, app users, and repeat buyers through personalized onsite messaging.
Synthesia
Synthesia is an artificial intelligence software company developing video generation systems for businesses, educators, media producers, and enterprise customers. The company was founded in 2017 by Victor Riparbelli, Steffen Tjerrild, Lourdes Agapito, Matthias Niessner, and Prof. Maja Pantic. The company develops software that allows users to create videos with AI-generated presenters, synthetic voices, translated narration, and automated production systems without traditional filming equipment or video crews.
Raycast
Raycast is a productivity software company developing launcher tools, AI assistants, workflow automation systems, and desktop utilities for Mac and Windows users. The platform allows users to open applications, search files, manage clipboard history, run commands, control settings, create snippets, organize windows, and access online services through keyboard shortcuts instead of traditional mouse navigation. Raycast describes the platform as “your shortcut to everything,” reflecting the company’s focus on reducing repetitive desktop actions through centralized command systems.
Laka
Many cyclists dislike dealing with insurance. Long contracts, confusing terms, slow claims, and endless paperwork have frustrated riders for years. Most people accepted those problems because few alternatives existed. Laka entered the cycling sector with a different idea. Instead of charging fixed annual premiums, Laka spreads claim costs across a collective of riders. Monthly payments can change depending on claims made during that month, though every rider has a maximum cap. When fewer claims happen, riders pay less.
Fyxer
Email dominates modern work culture. Professionals spend hours each week sorting inboxes, replying to messages, scheduling meetings, and writing follow-ups. Many workers finish one video call only to face another flood of unread emails waiting inside Gmail or Outlook. Administrative work consumes large portions of the day before meaningful work even begins. Fyxer entered that space with software designed to reduce communication overload. The company offers an AI assistant that works directly inside Gmail and Outlook, so users remain inside tools they already rely on daily.
Parloa
Customer service relies heavily on voice communication, with large volumes of calls handled by contact centers every day. Customers call to resolve issues related to accounts, products, and services, while agents manage repeated requests across multiple systems. This often results in long handling times and uneven service experiences across channels and regions. Parloa builds artificial intelligence systems for voice-based customer service. The company develops software that enables organizations to design and operate AI voice assistants across phone and digital channels. These systems interpret spoken requests, identify intent, and guide conversations without requiring rigid phone menus. Customers can speak naturally instead of navigating structured keypad options.
Tacto
Manufacturing companies rely on procurement systems to manage suppliers, contracts, pricing, and sourcing decisions. These organizations often work with large supplier networks that provide raw materials, components, and services required for production. Procurement activity is distributed across multiple tools, spreadsheets, and communication channels, which makes oversight difficult and slows decision-making. Tacto develops artificial intelligence software for industrial procurement. The platform supports supplier management, sourcing, contract handling, and spend analysis within a single system.
Pennylane
Pennylane is a financial and accounting platform designed to bring together invoicing, expense tracking, cash management, and accounting workflows in one environment. Rather than separating financial operations across multiple disconnected tools, the system centralizes data flows so that transactions, documents, and reporting remain synchronized. This structure reduces fragmentation and supports faster financial visibility for organizations ranging from freelancers to small and mid-sized enterprises.
Photoroom
Product images play a major role in online shopping. Customers often decide whether to explore a product based on visuals before reading descriptions or reviews. Businesses selling through marketplaces, websites, and social media, therefore, need large volumes of polished product images. Traditional product photography, however, often requires expensive studio setups, editing software, photographers, and long production cycles. Photoroom develops artificial intelligence software for e-commerce image editing and visual content creation.
Lepaya
Workplace training has changed significantly during the past decade. Companies no longer rely only on classroom sessions or static online courses to develop employees. Businesses now require learning systems that support large workforces, track skill development, and connect training with workplace performance. Rapid changes in technology, artificial intelligence, leadership expectations, and workplace communication also created a strong demand for scalable employee learning systems. Lepaya develops workforce learning software designed for employee upskilling and professional development.
Picnic
Picnic develops online grocery delivery systems built around centralized warehouses and electric vehicle distribution. Founded in the Netherlands in 2015, the company operates through a mobile shopping app where customers order groceries directly from their phones. Instead of relying on traditional supermarkets open to walk-in shoppers, groceries are delivered from fulfillment centers through scheduled neighborhood delivery routes.
Gelatex
Gelatex develops nanofiber materials and production technology for biomedical and industrial applications. Founded in Estonia, the company created manufacturing systems designed to produce nanofibers at a much higher speed than many traditional fabrication methods. These materials are used across tissue engineering, wound care research, laboratory testing, filtration, and medical technology development.
Fractory
Fractory develops digital manufacturing procurement systems designed to simplify industrial sourcing and production management. Founded in Estonia, the company operates a manufacturing platform that connects businesses needing custom metal parts with fabrication suppliers capable of producing them. Customers upload technical drawings and specifications through the platform, after which the system processes quotations, manufacturing options, and delivery timelines.
Yuno
Yuno develops payment orchestration technology designed to simplify online transaction management for global businesses. Founded in Latin America, the company provides infrastructure that connects merchants with payment processors, fraud tools, digital wallets, and alternative payment methods through one platform. Businesses use the system to manage payment routing, transaction approvals, checkout performance, and provider integrations across international commerce operations.
Tpaga
Tpaga builds a mobile financial platform that allows users to store money, send transfers, pay bills, and complete transactions through a mobile wallet system. The service also supports merchants and organizations through payment collection tools, payout services, and API-based financial infrastructure. The company operates in Colombia with a focus on expanding digital financial access for both consumers and businesses.
Carry1st
Carry1st is a digital commerce and publishing platform focused on games and interactive entertainment across African markets. The company works with developers to distribute games, manage monetisation, and support payments through locally used financial systems.
Stitch
Stitch is a payments infrastructure company that provides a single API layer for connecting businesses to multiple financial systems, including card networks and bank transfer rails. It enables companies to process payments, manage routing, and handle reconciliation through one integration instead of maintaining separate connections for each provider.
Pargo
Pargo is a parcel access and logistics infrastructure company that enables delivery, pickup, and returns through a network of partner collection points. It connects e-commerce merchants, logistics providers, and customers by routing parcels to physical locations where shipments can be collected or dropped off at convenient times, reducing reliance on direct home delivery.
Endowus
Endowus is a digital wealth advisor and investment platform that brings portfolio management, retirement investing, fund access, and advisory services into one connected system. Investors can access professionally managed funds across multiple asset classes while managing portfolios, reporting, subscriptions, and account activity through a centralized digital interface instead of separate financial systems.
StaffAny
StaffAny is a workforce management software company that provides digital tools for scheduling, attendance tracking, payroll coordination, and staff communication. The platform is built for businesses that manage hourly workers across multiple locations, including retail stores, restaurants, healthcare providers, hospitality businesses, and service operations. Managers use the system to organize shifts, monitor attendance, manage staffing activity, and coordinate workforce operations through one centralized platform.
SIRCLO
SIRCLO is an e-commerce technology company that provides digital commerce services for brands, retailers, and online businesses. The company supports online store development, marketplace management, order processing, fulfillment coordination, and digital sales operations through connected commerce systems. Businesses use the platform to manage products, customer orders, online transactions, and sales activity across multiple channels.
Coolmate
Coolmate is an apparel and lifestyle brand that sells clothing, sportswear, and accessories through digital retail channels. The company offers products across categories for men and women, including t-shirts, underwear, pants, activewear, outerwear, socks, and lifestyle accessories designed for daily use. Customers purchase products through the company’s online platform, where browsing, ordering, payment processing, delivery coordination, and customer service operate through connected e-commerce systems.
SmartHR
SmartHR is a cloud-based HR technology company that provides software for employee management, payroll administration, labor procedures, and workplace operations. The platform supports businesses handling employee records, onboarding, attendance management, payroll coordination, and workplace documentation through digital systems. Companies use the software to organize HR operations, reduce paperwork, and manage workforce administration through a centralized online infrastructure.