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In this issue of The Ascent, we explore how AI is driving real-world impact—enhancing clinical trial efficiency, reshaping search marketing and redefining how businesses operate in an increasingly digital world. We also share several best practices for M&A success, offering insights on how growth-stage companies can identify and execute acquisitions, drive post-merger value and position themselves for long-term growth.
 
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Beyond Foundation Models: The Real Value of AI Lies in Applications

Nearly two years after GPT-4’s release, AI hype remains strong, driven by a race for visibility and capital. But businesses need AI solutions that solve real problems and drive meaningful results. We believe the real opportunity isn’t bigger models—it’s smarter applications.

AI in Life Sciences:
How CluePoints is Modernizing Clinical Trials

AI is rapidly transforming industries, but its potential in life sciences is just beginning to be understood. Summit-backed CluePoints exemplifies how AI can be applied to help solve critical challenges in clinical development. We believe the company’s approach offers a framework for growth-stage companies looking to integrate AI for meaningful, measurable impact.
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Three Ways AI Is Disrupting Search Marketing & How Growth Companies Can Adapt

For 20+ years, search marketing has focused on ranking high in Google search—through ads, organic results or both. AI is reshaping how users search, how platforms respond and how brands compete. For growth companies, these shifts present strategic challenges and opportunities. Here’s what’s changing and how to stay ahead.

Buying to Build: Best Practices to Power Your M&A Strategy

Acquisitions, whether small and strategic or large and transformative, are a powerful growth driver for companies looking to expand their product offerings, team, or reach. Building an effective M&A strategy requires balancing scalability and speed. Here, we share some best practices we’ve seen help drive M&A success.
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Not All Buyers Are Ready to Buy:
How the 95:5 Rule Can Refine Your Go-to-Market Strategy

Understanding buyer behavior is essential for growth companies – knowing how and when to engage potential customers can mean the difference between thriving and stagnating. The 95:5 rule offers an effective framework for helping go-to-market teams prioritize strategies to help drive sustained growth.

Insights to Support Growth

Explore perspectives, growth strategies and stories informed and inspired by our experiences working with companies and teams across the Summit Partners portfolio.
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The content herein reflects the views and opinions of Summit Partners and is intended for executives and operators considering partnering with Summit Partners. The information herein has not been independently verified. The content is intended solely for informational and discussion purposes and is not intended to provide legal, business, tax, accounting, investment or other advice. This document does not constitute an offer to sell or an invitation, recommendation or solicitation of an offer to buy any interests in any Summit product or any other security or investment product in any jurisdiction. The inclusion of any particular investments in this document is not intended to reflect the merits of such investment or any other investment currently held by Summit. There is no guarantee that Summit will be able to invest in similar opportunities in the future. A complete list of publicly disclosed investments may be found here.

In recent years, technological advances have fueled the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (“AI”), and accordingly, the use of AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in a number of sectors. Due to the rapid pace of AI innovation, the broadening scope of potential applications, and any current and forthcoming AI-related regulations, the depth and breadth of AI’s impact - including potential opportunities – remains unclear at this time.

Published April 3, 2025.

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