The Nexia Global Growth Index Report 2026

Nexia invited a hand-picked cohort of 179 mid-sized companies from its client base to participate in the inaugural Nexia Global Growth Insights survey. Answers were given in Q1 2026. Around 80% of respondents have an annual turnover of between $5m and $999m. Collectively, respondents’ companies employ an estimated 213,000 people worldwide.

This survey demonstrates what business leaders all over the world are thinking when it comes to corporate growth.

The mid-market is entering an era of measured growth.

GlobalData defines agentic AI as advanced AI systems that act autonomously, making decisions and taking actions with limited or no human supervision. An AI agent is a software program that interacts with its environment and collects data, which it uses to perform specific tasks, answer questions, and automate processes for users. The agentic AI ecosystem includes software companies that offer agentic frameworks, software platforms, and agentic tools. The list of companies is growing rapidly and includes system integrators, start-ups, and Big Tech. For enterprises that do not have the resources to create their own AI agents, the industry has already developed many pre-packaged AI agents for a wide range of applications, such as earnings analysers, video script generators, and customer profile builders. Dozens of companies are already providing industry-specific agentic AI solutions, and the number is growing.

In terms of early adopters we predict the leading adopters will be financial services, scientific research, healthcare, transportation and logistics, and industrials.

In the report we provide initial best practices as this is a very new area and software developers are still learning their way through the new frameworks, APIs and protocols. In terms of timelines we believe it will take1 1-2 years for commercial deployments to take off but long-term the migration to native-AI architecture has begun and AI agents will play a critical role.

To access the full report visit: Agentic AI: Strategic Intelligence - Market Research Reports & Consulting | GlobalData UK Ltd.

Growth appetite remains strong within the mid-market despite the geopolitical and economic volatility in 2026. 61% of respondents are targeting 5–20% growth, while 54% describe their approach to growth as ambitious. This comes on the back of huge pressure on supply lines, energy prices and raw materials, which have been affected by global tariffs, protectionism and the war in Iran. This highlights that the mid-market is still optimistic about its place in the global economy, and it does seem that firms are confident in navigating the current waters.

Nexia’s growth leaders report that access to capital does not appear to be a primary constraint on growth. Capital markets may generate headlines and are critical to investors and companies seeking a stock market listing or bond issuance, but 75% of respondents say capital markets are either not significant or neutral for their growth prospects. Even more striking, labour availability is either not significant or neutral for half of all growth leaders. In fact, 57% of companies are confident they can attract and retain the talent needed for growth, with barely 1% saying they are not at all confident.

Despite the respondents confidence with labour/talent, internal function suggest that sales & marketing capacity is the number one internal factor critical for growth.

We also asked what “enablers” growth leaders require to hit their growth goals. The top response is team capability, with leadership bandwidth another essential component. Clearly, the human element is key.

Team capability, access to talent and leadership bandwidth all rank above access to capital. The strongest growth plans are built around the people who execute them.

Being a network of advisors, Nexia asked respondents which external consulting services they use. The survey reveals utilisation rates of specialist services at around one in three firms. A quarter of respondents make no use of any external expertise.

The absence of specialist advice in fields such as tax and law is particularly noteworthy in the context of the growth desired by so many of our respondents. Crossing borders into new geographies, developing a workforce, embracing new technologies and engaging in M&A will all require deep expertise to execute.

This is especially true across Europe where EY reports that “nearly 40% of European family businesses expect a leadership or ownership transition within the next decade, but only 30% have a formal succession plan”. This is an opportunity for many to seek specialist help whatever the exit strategy may be.

Collaborating with experts on technical issues tends to deliver a strong return on investment, especially for smaller and mid-sized firms lacking internal teams in these areas. As stated above: there is plenty of capital but there are concerns over the internal abilities or talent to deploy this capital for growth. This makes external advisors crucial to the growth ecosystem. The findings should encourage both clients and their advisors to work more closely together in a common goal: growth.

The Nexia Global Growth Insights Survey reveals an appetite for growth across the world’s leading economies. The hunger to grow your market, to launch new products and to expand into new markets is near-universal. That is reassuring. The world needs growth-minded companies and the advisors to help them.