Island tops Texas peers in CNBC's Disruptor 50 list

Island has been named to CNBC's 2026 Disruptor 50 list, ranking No. 28. The Dallas-based company is the only business headquartered in Dallas on this year's list and the highest-ranked Texas company, ahead of Austin-based Saronic at No. 40 and Apptronik at No. 50.

CNBC's Disruptor 50 tracks venture-backed companies it identifies as reshaping industries. This year's list placed particular emphasis on businesses using artificial intelligence at scale. For Island, the ranking adds to the profile of a company that sells software designed to give employers tighter control over how staff and automated systems use applications, data and AI tools in the workplace.

Island is targeting a problem that has become more urgent for large organisations as employees and software agents use generative AI in everyday work. Chief information officers and chief information security officers face pressure to allow wider use of AI systems while limiting the risk of sensitive corporate data being exposed through unsanctioned tools or poorly governed workflows.

Its approach combines browser-based software, desktop controls and policy enforcement across work applications. The model is intended to let organisations apply security and governance rules across both consumer browsers and enterprise-managed environments, while retaining visibility into how users and agents interact with data.

That pitch appears to be resonating with large customers. Island said its client base includes several of the largest US banks and dozens of Fortune 500 companies across healthcare, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications and travel.

The company also said annual recurring revenue has more than doubled year over year since launch, indicating sustained demand from large enterprises as they expand spending on AI-related workplace tools and security systems.

Texas ranking

For Texas, the ranking gives Dallas a rare presence on a national start-up list often dominated by the coasts and by Austin. Island's position above two Austin companies may also suggest that investors and customers are looking beyond robotics and defence-related technology toward software aimed at managing AI use inside large organisations.

Island is backed by investors including Coatue Management, Insight Partners, Sequoia Capital and Cyberstarts. That support has helped place it among a group of well-funded technology businesses developing products focused on workplace security and AI oversight rather than consumer-facing applications.

Its broader offering includes an enterprise browser, software that extends policy controls to consumer browsers and desktop software designed to cover thicker applications and AI tools. The company argues that this setup can replace parts of older cyber security architectures by moving control closer to where employees and software agents work.

That position places Island at the intersection of several crowded markets, including cyber security, end-user computing, enterprise IT management and AI governance. Rivals range from established security vendors to newer companies building monitoring and control tools for generative AI, making customer retention and large-scale deployment important tests of market traction.

Growth claims

Island has collected a string of technology industry accolades in recent years, including inclusion in the Forbes Cloud 100 and Fortune Cyber 60, as well as a top ranking in LinkedIn's Dallas start-up list. The CNBC ranking is among the more visible mainstream business recognitions it has received.

CNBC says its methodology combines qualitative and quantitative measures, including business models, scalability and customer growth, with input from PitchBook, IBISWorld and an advisory council focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Mike Fey, chief executive officer and co-founder of Island, commented on the recognition and the company's customer growth.

"Being named to the CNBC Disruptor 50 is a tremendous honor," Fey said. "Organisations everywhere are rethinking how work gets done, embracing a model where security, productivity, and simplicity are built directly into the workspace itself. We're privileged to support an impressive and rapidly growing base among the largest Fortune 500 customers, alongside fast-growing companies of all sizes, as they modernize work for the AI era."