AI Stocks Beyond Chips: 3 Companies Poised for Success in 2026

December 29, 2025

SoundHound is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing field of voice-powered AI agents.
Even though Salesforce’s stock seems to be somewhat stagnant, there are significant growth opportunities on the horizon thanks to AI agents.
Once regarded as lagging in AI, Snowflake has actually been performing impressively lately.
10 stocks we prefer over SoundHound AI ›

While semiconductor and artificial intelligence infrastructure stocks have led the market recently, there’s a chance that AI software stocks might finally see a surge in 2026.

Let’s consider three AI software stocks that could be worthwhile investments in 2026.

SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) started as a voice technology company and is now pivoting towards becoming a leader in voice-driven agent AI. Since AI agents rely heavily on understanding user input, having strong voice recognition capabilities could give them an edge.

This company has seen rapid growth, with revenues more than doubling in the first three quarters of 2025. It has made significant inroads into the automotive and food service sectors, with its tech being utilized for sophisticated voice assistants and ordering systems. Additionally, the acquisition of Amelia positions SoundHound to enhance its agent AI capabilities across various sectors, including healthcare and finance.

Moreover, SoundHound is working on improving its gross profit margins and aims to achieve positive EBITDA soon. The rollout of the Amelia 7 platform is ongoing, and the company seems to be in a favorable position for future growth.

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) has been perceived as a potential AI underperformer, yet the rising significance of clean, organized data showcases its resilience. Its platform is crucial for customer service, marketing, and sales for numerous businesses globally. The recent acquisition of Informatica strengthens its role as a dependable source of enterprise data.

Inherent to its SaaS offerings, Salesforce is incorporating agent AI into its solutions. The integration of Agentforce into products like Slack and Tableau has been successful, driving a remarkable 330% increase in annual recurring revenue (ARR) during the last quarter, reaching $540 million. A flexible pricing model has also been beneficial, allowing customers to choose between different payment options.

Salesforce stock is, in fact, undervalued, currently trading at a forward price/sales ratio under 5.5, a forward price/earnings ratio around 20, and a price/earnings growth (PEG) ratio of less than 0.65. A PEG ratio below 1 typically suggests that a stock may be undervalued.

Another notable player in the data space is Snowflake (New York Stock Exchange: SNOW). It operates a cloud data warehousing and analytics platform that separates storage from computing. This allows customers to manage data flexibly across various cloud providers without being locked into one vendor. However, once data is on the Snowflake platform, migration elsewhere can be challenging, making it somewhat inflexible.

Snowflake also features AI capabilities through Snowflake Intelligence, enabling users to create AI agents that securely access their data. As of the last quarter, over 1,200 customers utilized these solutions, producing $100 million in AI-related revenue.

Despite early perceptions of being an AI underachiever, Snowflake has adapted exceptionally well, with revenues rising by 29% last quarter, fueled by strong demand from both existing and new clients. The company reported a record number of new customers and maintained a net revenue retention rate of 125% over the last year. These are solid signs that these companies could lead in the AI arena by 2026.

Before making an investment in SoundHound AI, consider the following:

Our analyst team at Motley Fool Stock Advisor has uncovered some stocks they believe are poised for remarkable gains. Interestingly, SoundHound AI isn’t on that list. These alternatives present the potential for solid returns in the upcoming years.

For reference, Netflix was recommended in December 2004—an investment of $1,000 then would be worth $509,470 today! Similarly, Nvidia recommendations from 2005 would now be worth $1,167,988.

It’s worth noting that the Stock Advisor average return stands at an impressive 991%, far exceeding the S&P 500’s 196%. Don’t miss out on our latest top 10 list, crafted by retail investors for retail investors.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of December 22, 2025

Jeffrey Seiler has a position in Salesforce. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Salesforce, Snowflake, and SoundHound AI. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.