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Fortune
Fortune
Sheryl Estrada

$12 billion AI startup founder says future tech giants could operate with fewer than 100 employees

Close up of woman using laptop with AI generative technology interface. Content creator typing command prompts and text using artificial intelligence in modern office. (Credit: Getty Images)

Good morning. Could the next generation of tech giants fit in a single office?

In the coming years, some of the most valuable companies in the world will have “sub-100 employees,” Daniel Nadler, the founder and CEO of OpenEvidence, predicted during a panel session at Nvidia’s GTC 2026 summit on Monday. “I think the world’s not prepared for that,” Nadler said.

OpenEvidence is an AI‑powered medical information and clinical decision support company used by physicians. In January, the startup closed a $250 million Series  D funding round, co‑led by Thrive Capital and DST Global, which doubled its valuation to approximately $12  billion.

“Take OpenEvidence, we have sub-100 employees, yet 300 million Americans will be treated this year by a doctor who used OpenEvidence in the loop,” Nadler said. Each employee in his company is indirectly supporting millions of patients, he said.

“The scale is unfathomable, and that’s directly a result of what Jensen and Nvidia, and these tools and the people who develop on top of that technology have enabled as the new starting point,” he said, adding, “I think the world economy—and certainly the tech economy—is going to look unrecognizable.”

Leaders across tech are beginning to echo the idea that companies could be built and run by smaller teams. For example, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has emphasized that AI acts as a collaborator that lets individuals and small teams achieve results that once required much larger organizations, amplifying productivity and creativity. Block recently announced it would cut 40% of the fintech company’s headcount because of gains in AI. The decision was part of a longer transformation, Block CFO and COO Amrita Ahuja recently told me. “This is a two-year journey for us,” she said. “This was not an overnight decision.”

The rise of ultra-efficient, AI-driven teams could require a fundamental restructuring of the workforce, according to new research from McKinsey. To capture the full value of AI, organizations need to go beyond “a piecemeal approach, and push for a double transformation—both technical and organizational—that includes reimagining how work gets done across functions and workflows,” according to the report. It will likely take a lot of work and preparation, along with training and upskilling for employees whose roles may be redefined.

While AI can dramatically increase productivity, fully realizing its potential is a complex and demanding challenge for companies of all sizes.

Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com

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