2023 was the year of artificial intelligence (AI). As investment for most tech sectors shrank, AI defied the trend and continued to grow, exhibiting 6x job growth in the first half of 2023 and 37% projected market growth globally over the next 10 years.
This meteoric rise represents substantial opportunities for economic and workforce developers, especially related to foreign direct investment (FDI) and workforce attraction. In this article, we’ll help you seize those opportunities by identifying the fastest-growing AI companies and highlighting AI-related workforce trends that should inform your community’s strategy.
AI Market Size & FDI Opportunities
The global AI market was already valued at a staggering USD 196.63 billion in 2023, but is forecasted to grow even bigger, hitting USD 1,811.75 billion in 2030.
For startups, even amid a general deceleration in venture capital funding across tech, the AI industry did well in 2023. The sector secured $50 billion in venture capital investments, an uptick from the $45.2 billion raised in 2022.
This means the potential for FDI opportunities is not just big—it’s colossal. But who is driving this growth? What companies should you keep an eye on or connect with if you’re looking to bring some of this AI investment to your own city, town, or region?
Fastest-Growing AI Companies
To help you focus your efforts on the right opportunities, we’ve compiled a list of the fastest-growing AI companies across the globe.
This list comes from Gazelle, an AI-powered platform that identifies and indexes growing companies across 910+ different sectors. Gazelle factors in over 1,000 different growth indicators, such as funding rounds, employment growth, to planned capital projects, to identify companies that are in “growth mode” and likely looking to expand.
So, from smart buildings to autonomous military systems, here are the top 10 hottest companies in AI.
1. Dexory, UK
Dexory is a robotics and software company working in the logistics market. Dexory merges robotics and AI to deliver automated logistics solutions for warehouses and sorting centers.
2. Previse, UK
Previse uses AI to enable corporate buyers to safely ensure they pay all their suppliers instantly.
3. Plask, South Korea
Plask offers a Mocap animation tool powered by AI for content creators. With Plask, anyone can create high-quality animations for a fraction of the price of traditional animation toolsets.
4. Databricks, United States
Databricks is a data and AI company. More than 10,000 organizations worldwide rely on the Databricks data intelligence platform to unify and democratize data, analytics, and AI.
5. AlphaSense
AlphaSense is a market intelligence and search platform used by the world’s leading companies and financial institutions.
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6. Anduril Industries, Inc., United States
Anduril Industries, Inc. is an American defense technology company that specializes in advanced autonomous systems.
7. Lightricks, Israel
Lightricks develops creativity tools that enable its users to craft and share visual content on mobile devices.
8. Jasper, Canada
Jasper is an AI copilot for marketing teams and accelerates content and campaign production.
9. Infogrid, UK
Infogrid is an AI technology company that automates facilities management and makes any building smart.
10. Trigo, Israel
Trigo provides grocery stores with technology for checkout and digitized operations.
AI Workforce Trends
Narrowing our focus a bit, we can also look at US job postings to pinpoint specific employers looking for AI talent here in the states. This data is available in the Developer platform, alongside information on demographics, staffing patterns, and other key workforce indicators.
The United States Department of Homeland Security leads the pack with 5,522 unique job postings. While Meta is seen in the top 5 for AI hiring, surprisingly tech giants like Google and Microsoft didn't make the top 10. However, companies from diverse sectors are requiring AI skills - indicating wide adoption of AI beyond just tech-centric companies.
From Marketing to Medicine: AI Skills Are Everywhere
Our research shows that AI is still mostly in high demand in occupations that build AI applications. Nevertheless, AI skills are beginning to creep into non-traditional roles. Here are some unexpected occupations where the demand for AI skills is emerging.
This data helps to validate and quantify some of the stories we see in today’s headlines.
For example, the presence of “Writers & Authors” on this list illustrates that the future of writing is changing rapidly. From Yale to Boston University, universities and colleges now offer classes on writing with AI. The use of AI for writing is no longer a novelty.
Likewise, 38% of HR professionals are now using AI in their day-to-day role. From predictive analytics to content automation, AI tools play a big role in sales and marketing today.
And as the healthcare industry embraces AI-based solutions, AI skills are emerging in medical and health services management. From patient care to administrative tasks, AI is revolutionizing healthcare delivery, optimizing workflows, and improving patient outcomes.
Explore More AI Labor Data Insights
Our devoted AI section contains all the latest findings and research on AI in the labor market.
Whether you're looking for AI firms to attract to your region or analyzing AI workforce data to recruit and retain AI talent, Gazelle and Developer are invaluable tools to guide your strategic efforts.
You can also learn more about Lightcast’s approach to AI on our website. There you’ll find additional research and resources to help you make sense of this disruptive technology’s impact on the labor market.
