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The pace of change this year has felt noticeably different. A series of new AI model releases, mounting pressure on traditional software valuations and the rapid maturation of agentic AI capabilities have combined to create what we see as a growing sense of urgency for business leaders across industries.

Yet, in our view, AI disruption is far from uniform, and the opportunity is larger than the current narrative may imply. For growth companies with proprietary data, workflows embedded deeply in customer operations, strong distribution and meaningful network effects, we believe AI is expanding what may be possible: opening new markets, unlocking new use cases and expanding addressable opportunities beyond what efficiency gains alone would suggest.

Helping growth companies build durably through periods of technological change has been a long-standing focus at Summit Partners. In recent years, our dedicated team of AI experts, data scientists and technologists has deepened that work, partnering with portfolio companies to help build the data infrastructure and organizational readiness we believe are foundational for competing in an AI-driven world. In this issue of The Ascent, we share perspectives from that work and highlight innovation we're seeing across our portfolio.

 
AI-Driven Workflow

AI Trends: What Leaders Need to Know This Quarter

AI is moving fast, but not everything that's moving deserves your attention. Members of Summit Partners' AI, Technology and Data Science team share four topics growth-stage leaders should understand this quarter.

AI in Fintech: How Mathematical Models, Machine Learning and Generative AI Are Shaping the Industry

AI is reshaping fintech, but not uniformly. We explore how mathematical models, machine learning and generative AI each play distinct roles across the sector, and why we believe fintech's uniquely rich datasets offer a durable source of competitive advantage in an AI-driven world.
Money transfer, payment using mobile phone app.
People talking about AI.

Three Ways AI is Impacting Your Data Strategy

AI is only as good as the data behind it — a conviction we first shared in 2024 and one that's only grown stronger. Here's an updated view on three ways AI is reshaping data strategy for growth-stage companies.

AI-Accelerated Software Development: A Guide for Growth Leaders Navigating the AI Shift

AI coding tools are reshaping how software gets built. The question for teams is no longer whether to adopt them, but how to get the most out of them. Tim Kohn shares a practical framework for building the workflows and culture that can drive lasting impact.
AI Automated Code Review.

AI News in the Summit Partners Portfolio

From Dashboards to Decisions: Klaviyo Data Now in Claude

Klaviyo
 

OTR Solutions Acquires Key AI Technology to Advance Document Automation and Fraud Prevention Capabilities in Transportation and Logistics

OTR Solutions
 

Doctrine Acquires Maite.ai, Spain’s Leading Legal AI Platform, Strengthening its European Leadership

Doctrine
 

NinjaOne Revolutionizes Vulnerability Management with AI-driven Assessment to Reduce Risk Faster

NinjaOne
 

Optimove Launches AI Content Decisioning to Improve Content Performance

Optimove
 

Summit Partners News

TradingHub Secures Strategic Investment from Nordic Capital to Accelerate Next Phase of Growth

 

Stay22 Announces $122 Million Growth Investment to Power Creator Monetization at Global Scale

 

Summit Partners Announces Global Promotions

 

Additional Summit Partners News

 
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Building Resilience in an AI World: Cybersecurity Strategies for Growth-Stage Companies

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in core operations, we believe it’s critical for growth-stage companies to evaluate their cybersecurity posture through a modern lens. Here, we share several emerging AI-specific vulnerabilities and practical steps to help strengthen defenses.

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 solely for current executives of Summit Partners portfolio companies, as well as executives and operators who are considering a partnership with Summit Partners. The information herein has not been independently verified by a third-party. 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 newsletter 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 newsletter 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.

Any reference to "expertise," "expert," or similar descriptions of knowledge or proficiency reflects the subjective assessment of Summit Partners and is intended solely to indicate familiarity with a subject area. Such characterizations may not imply formal credentialing, licensure, or any objectively verified standard of proficiency, and should not be construed or relied upon as an indication of future outcomes.

In recent years, technological advances have fueled the rapid growth of AI, in particular generative AI, and accordingly, the use of AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in many sectors. Due to the rate at which AI is improving and the pace at which its potential applications are broadening, at this time, it is unclear what impact AI may have on portfolio companies, as well as on the wider financial sector. The impact of and risks associated with AI vary significantly by company, sub-sector, regulatory environment, capital availability and technological evolution. Use of third-party and open-source AI tools, such as ChatGPT or similar tools, by Summit or its portfolio companies, poses additional risks relating to the protection of Summit and its portfolio companies’ proprietary data, including the potential exposure of such confidential information to unauthorized recipients and misuse of the third-party intellectual property, which could adversely affect Summit or its portfolio companies. Use of AI tools may result in allegations or claims against Summit or its portfolio companies related to violation of third-party intellectual property rights, unauthorized access to or use of proprietary information and failure to comply with open-source software requirements. Additionally, AI tools may produce inaccurate, misleading or incomplete responses that could lead to errors in certain business activities, which could have a negative impact on Summit or its portfolio companies. Further, ongoing and future regulatory actions with respect to AI generally or AI’s use in any particular industry may alter, perhaps to a materially adverse extent, the ability of Summit or its portfolio companies to utilize AI in the manner they have to date, and may have an adverse impact on their ability to continue to operate as intended.

Published April 2026.

The Ascent is a quarterly newsletter from Summit Partners, focused on sharing insights and practical strategies for building growth companies. You received this email because you are a leader within the Summit Partners Network or you have subscribed to receive updates from Summit Partners. Please click here to update your subscription preferences.

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