The AI Race in 2026: Building foundations for a lasting advantage

The new InvestOps Report surveyed 200 executives in North America, EMEA and APAC to reveal how firms are transforming to compete in the AI era.

After two years focused on operational excellence, 2026 marks a shift toward innovation: 70% of buy-side firms now use AI in their front office - a significant increase from last year. The top technology initiatives are consolidating vendors and platforms (58%) and modernizing infrastructure (54%) - both essential for scaling AI, streamlining workflows and simplifying tech stacks.

But despite this momentum, many firms still operate with fragmented systems and data.

Discover what the leaders are doing differently:

• Leveraging predictive analytics to advance front office capabilities.
• Building unified data foundations to power AI at scale.
• Integrating public and private markets as alternatives reshape portfolios.
• Removing operational complexity to free talent for strategic work.

Why read the report?

• Gain actionable insights: from AI acceleration and front office transformation to data and operational resilience strategies that you can apply to your own firm.
• Benchmark against your peers: see exactly where leading buy-side firms are innovating and key priorities for 2026 and beyond.
• Learn from experts: with commentary from firms including CalSTRS, CPP Investments, Principal Financial, Knollwood Investment Advisory, Deloitte and Alpha FMC.