How ketteQ Climbed More Than 500 Spots on the 2026 Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies

There are 5,000 companies on this year's Inc. 5000 list, and ketteQ ranked No. 929, up from No. 1,454 last year. Here's why we believe this matters to the future of supply chain planning.

At ketteQ, we didn't set out to make planning software marginally better. Back in 2018, before AI had exploded the way it has today, we set out to build something different: an open architecture, not the proprietary systems on which most legacy providers were built.

That decision is what let us move fast when AI did arrive. Because our architecture was already open, we could adopt new technology as it matured and build PolymatiQ™, our patent-pending agentic solvers, and Quintus™, our AI, directly into the foundation instead of bolting it on top.

Legacy providers didn't have that option. Their proprietary architecture meant AI could only ever be added on top, after the fact, which is what results in AI that's caged within the platform it was bolted onto. Ours isn't. We call it Free-Range AI™, because it reasons above any system, unscripted and unconstrained, not locked inside the walls of whatever it was retrofitted onto.

Our climb of more than 500 spots is more than a number. It's validation that building open, years before anyone called this agentic, was the right call from the start.

“Bolted-on AI inherits every limitation of the system underneath it. Quintus™ was built into the foundation from day one, the only way supply chain AI holds up when it matters most.”

Rick McDonald, Chairman of the Board, Former Chief Supply Chain Officer, The Clorox Company, Frito-Lay

A Shift in Thinking, Not Just a Shift in Tools

This isn't about dashboards. It's not about “AI” as a buzzword. It's about whether the AI answering your question was built for this from the start, or added on top after the fact.

That's the difference behind Quintus™, ketteQ's Free-Range AI™.

Powered by PolymatiQ™, our patent-pending agentic solvers, Quintus™ doesn't just run a plan. It reasons over any question, unscripted and unconstrained, testing thousands of scenarios simultaneously and returning the most resilient path forward, the moment you ask, not on a schedule someone configured in advance. And because it was built in, not bolted on, it deploys above the systems you already run, including Salesforce, without asking you to rip out what's already working.

Why Now? Because the World's Supply Chains Aren't Waiting

This isn't theoretical. It's not a sandbox. A growing roster of companies around the world like Carrier, Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan, Johnson Controls, and NCR Voyix are using ketteQ to solve real-world challenges right now:

•  Reducing inventory without compromising availability

•  Improving field service fix rates with real-time parts visibility

•  Aligning demand, inventory, and supply planning across global networks

•  Navigating labor disruptions, supplier variability, and shifting service expectations

These aren't edge cases, they're the new normal. And companies around the world are betting on Quintus™ to stay ahead of it.

What This Growth Signals

Yes, we made the list again, and we moved up more than 500 spots to get there. ketteQ earned the No. 929 spot on the 2026 Inc. 5000, marking our second consecutive year on the list, along with regional recognition of No. 41 in the Atlanta metro area, No. 10 in the Business Products category, and No. 44 in the state of Georgia.

This climb reflects four things coming together at once: transformational technology innovation, from our AI-native architecture to the launch of Quintus™ and PolymatiQ™, sustained revenue growth, and industry-leading customer retention and one of the most talented and dedicated team of supply chain experts in the industry. Each on its own would be a good year. Together, they're why we moved up more than 500 spots.

The ranking comes just days after we launched Quintus™ on August 10, momentum that reinforces what our customers, partners, and investors already see: planning is being reinvented, and ketteQ is at the forefront. But the number isn't the story.

The story is that supply chain planning is finally being rethought from the ground up. Not tweaked. Not integrated. Rethought. And our growth is being fueled by executives and teams who are ready for that shift.

Because when the environment changes, your planning system can't stay the same.

“This recognition isn't just about company growth, it's about market momentum. Supply chain leaders are done waiting for outdated systems to catch up. They're stepping into a new generation of planning, faster, smarter, and built to adapt with Quintus™. That's what's fueling our growth.” Mike Landry, CEO of ketteQ. Confirm exact wording with Mike before publishing.

How We Got Here

“I've spent 15 years in supply chain, watched major technology innovations come and go, but Quintus™ is a true game changer that will transform supply chain planning.” - Dan Luttner, NEOS by Argon & Co.

Here's what's powered our momentum:

•  A second consecutive year on the Inc. 5000, climbing from No. 1,454 to No. 929

•  Regional and category leadership recognition across Atlanta, Georgia, and the Business Products category

•  Production results at customers including Carrier (10% inventory reduction, double-digit revenue growth) and Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan (15% inventory reduction, 6% increase in first-time fix rates)

•  The launch of Quintus™, ketteQ's Free-Range AI™, built into the foundation from day one, not bolted on after the fact

•  An expanding partner ecosystem, with implementation and consulting firms accelerating toward ketteQ

So What's Next?

We believe planning should be dynamic, not deterministic. Strategic, not reactive. Connected, not siloed. And unlike the systems you're stuck with, it shouldn't take years to change.

The Inc. 5000 recognition, alongside the recent launch of Quintus™, signals a market that's ready for real change and a company built to deliver it.

Want to see the complete Inc. 5000 list? Visit www.inc.com/inc5000 to see all honorees and explore our profile.

To learn more, read the Inc. 5000 press release and see what Quintus™ can do at www.ketteQ.com/Quintus.