Laudio joins the ranks of Google, Nvidia, Adidas, Walmart, and more
BOSTON, MA, March 24, 2026 — Laudio is proud to have been named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026. This year’s list shines a spotlight on businesses that are shaping industry and culture through their innovations. Alongside the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Fast Company recognizes 720 honorees across 59 sectors and regions.
“Frontline leaders in healthcare play a critical role in both employee and patient experience, yet growing demands leave them stretched too thin,” said CJ Floros, COO of Laudio. “At Laudio, we help leaders work and lead differently, using AI to automate administrative tasks and suggest targeted, data-driven actions that drive meaningful outcomes. We are grateful to Fast Company for this recognition and to the health systems partnering with us to innovate for the frontline.”
Laudio ranked number eight within the Human Resources category on this year’s list. The company is transforming healthcare's frontline workforce by empowering leaders with an AI-enhanced platform that replaces burnout and fragmentation with stability and connection. Designed for those who lead care teams but often lack support themselves, the platform simplifies workflows, automates daily tasks, and delivers personalized recommendations that foster strong relationships. Already enabling 15,000+ leaders managing 300,000+ staff, Laudio is redefining how healthcare organizations invest in human infrastructure.
In the last 18 months, Laudio has continued to expand and enrich its platform, including launching a host of AI enhancements infused throughout leaders’ workflows and advancing its newest module, patient rounding, which enables health systems to further consolidate leaders’ core workflows and data in a single platform. In 2025, Laudio was acquired by Ascend Learning, a leader in healthcare education and technology with a strong focus on nursing, and now serves as a key driver of the company’s expansion within healthcare workforce technology.
The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s hallmark franchise and one of its most anticipated editorial efforts of the year. To determine honorees, Fast Company’s editors and writers review companies driving progress around the world and across industries, evaluating thousands of submissions through a competitive application process. The result is a globe-spanning guide to innovation today, from early-stage startups to some of the most valuable companies in the world.
“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies is about spotlighting organizations that don’t just adapt to change—they drive it,” said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “The companies we honor this year are redefining what leadership looks like in 2026, pairing bold ideas with measurable impact and turning breakthrough innovation into real-world value. They are setting the pace for their industries and offering a blueprint for what sustained innovation can achieve.”
The full list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies honorees can now be found at fastcompany.com. It will also be available on newsstands beginning March 31, 2026.
Fast Company will host the Most Innovative Companies Summit and Gala for honorees on May 19 in New York City. The summit features a day of inspiring content, followed by a creative black-tie gala including networking, a seated dinner, and an honoree presentation.
ABOUT LAUDIO
Laudio, an Ascend Learning brand, empowers healthcare leaders to drive large-scale change through everyday human actions. Our AI-enhanced platform streamlines workflows for frontline leaders, strengthens interpersonal connections, and aligns C-suite objectives with frontline efforts, boosting operational efficiency, employee engagement, and patient experience. Laudio makes it possible for patients, frontline workers, and health system leaders to thrive together. Discover how at www.laudio.com.
ABOUT ASCEND LEARNING
Ascend Learning is a leading healthcare and learning technology company. With products that span the learning continuum, Ascend focuses on high-growth careers in a range of industries, with a special focus on healthcare and other licensure-driven occupations. Ascend Learning products, from testing to certification, are used by physicians, emergency medical professionals, nurses, allied health professionals, certified personal trainers, financial advisors, skilled trades professionals and insurance brokers. Learn more at www.ascendlearning.com.
ABOUT FAST COMPANY
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc. For more information, please visit fastcompany.com.
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