AI Pulse Survey 2026 - Wellington Management – 2026 VCT Pulse Survey on AI

AI Pulse Survey 2026

How our private portfolio companies use AI

Wellington Management asked 56 private portfolio companies in five sectors how they’re using AI now and how they might deploy it in the future. Pulse Surveys are one of many ways we hope to bring exclusive insights to our portfolio companies.Contents

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Wellington Management’s
AI Pulse Survey

Key points

AI adoption and spending growth are nearly universal among respondents. But the differences in how they deploy AI tell the full story. Among the most compelling insights:

97%

Anticipate AI spending growth, with 50% capping employee token spend

See details (page 4)

42%

Plan to deploy their own custom/open source models

See details (page 9)

57%

Expect to work with 3 or more vendors for their core AI capabilities

See details (page 9)

58%

Plan to hire or keep headcount flat with AI

See details (page 10)

Survey population

Which best describes your company’s sector?

Which best describes your company’s current stage?

Source: Wellington Management. Data as of 31 August 2026. Total number of companies responding: 39.

AI budgets climbing, guardrails catching up

While most companies plan to increase their AI spending, half have capped their token spend per employee.

What are your expectations on AI spending growth in the next 3 years?

Range of average monthly token spend per employee

Have you capped token spend per employee?

Where are you sourcing funds to pay for token budget?

Adoption spiked across the board

YoY adoption increased most across back-office functions like FP&A (+321%), IT & Security (+224%), and HR (+173%)

How is your company using AI? 2025 vs 2026

AI is everywhere

97% employ AI today in some form, with coding, writing, and analytics the most common use cases

How is your company using AI today and in the future?

Fewer vendors, more Claude

Since last year, Claude overtook OpenAI as the leading model vendor, while the landscape overall consolidated significantly

What specific vendors/software solutions are you currently using or considering using?

Who gains, who fades?

Claude is the clear momentum leader, while OpenAI is most at risk for churn

New favorite AI vendor procured in the past 12 months? Most likely AI vendor to churn in the next 12 months?

The coding stack is evolving

Claude is the model of choice for coding, but more companies are deploying open-source models and using multiple vendors

Priority ranking of top coding models

Do you plan to deploy your own custom/open-source models, or buy an existing one?

How many primary vendors do you expect to work with for core AI capabilities?

Talent impact shifting at the extremes, while stability stays on top

Companies expecting a talent “Net increase” (+14 pts) or “Significant net reduction” (+9 pts) grew meaningfully YoY, but most companies will continue to maintain the “Same” headcount

How will AI/potential use of AI impact your talent management strategy and workforce planning (in absolute terms)?

Headcount reduction focus is changing

Where headcount reductions are planned, Customer support is now less of a target (−22 pts), while G&A, Ops, and Design have emerged as targets (+10 pts)