Ascendion named HFS market leader in agentic services

Ascendion has been named a Market Leader in HFS Research's Horizons: Agentic Services, 2026 report, which assessed 36 providers.

The ranking places the software engineering company among firms evaluated on their use of agentic AI in enterprise services. HFS examined providers on their ability to deliver business value at scale through the technology.

Ascendion said the assessment highlighted its EngineeringAI methodology, AAVA agentic platform, ecosystem partnerships, physical AI studios for client work, and library of reusable agents. It also cited full internal adoption of the platform and what it described as humans-at-the-wheel orchestration.

According to Ascendion, HFS reviewed its work in modernising legacy systems, speeding up software development, and aligning AI agents with standard engineering processes. The report also considered how providers move projects from pilot programmes into production.

Several customer case studies were cited as part of the recognition. In one example, Ascendion said its engineers and AAVA reduced testing effort and modernised 700,000 lines of 40-year-old code for a US wealth management platform over 18 months at 45% lower cost.

It also said work for a top-five global bank generated USD $300 million in annual savings while improving service quality for more than 10 million customers. In healthcare, Ascendion said it launched a platform for a US payer serving one million people with zero failures and at lower cost.

Another project was described as one of the largest agentic AI implementations to date. Ascendion said the programme cut time to market by 40% and unlocked more than USD $500 million in capital, while allowing engineers to focus more on innovation.

Research focus

HFS said enterprise demand for measurable results is rising as companies seek to scale AI deployments. The research group found that productivity is a leading AI priority for 74% of enterprises, increasing pressure on service providers to demonstrate production outcomes rather than trial projects.

That helps explain why rankings in agentic AI services are drawing attention from buyers. Businesses in banking, healthcare, retail, and other sectors are looking for suppliers that can connect AI systems with existing engineering processes while managing cost, risk, and delivery quality.

Paul Roehrig, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Ascendion, said the ranking reflected the company's evolution as an AI-focused software engineering business.

"We are honored once again to be recognized by HFS for what we have built as an AI-native software engineering company," Roehrig said. "Thousands of AI agents in the hands of disciplined engineers are delivering meaningful outcomes for business leaders who trust us to get this right. Our Engineering to the Power of AI method is changing how businesses operate at a fundamental level. As we grow, we're changing what's possible for how we work and live."

HFS highlighted the combination of Ascendion's AAVA platform and its software engineering model, linking that approach to work in legacy modernisation, software development, and business transformation.

"Ascendion stands out for its early and consistent commitment to applying AI, now combining its agentic engineering platform AAVA with product-led engineering mindset to accelerate legacy modernization, streamline software development, and deliver measurable transformation outcomes," said David Cushman, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research.

Ascendion operates across North America, the UK, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, working with enterprise clients in software product engineering, data, experience design, and workforce transformation. It said it is continuing to expand its agentic engineering work through platform development, AI studios, and a trained global workforce.