Bain & Company’s 2025 Global Technology Report reveals that while AI promises transformative innovation, investors face an $800 billion annual shortfall to sustainably fund the data centers of 2030
Meeting the world’s anticipated AI demand by 2030 will require an additional $2 trillion in annual revenue to fund the necessary computing power. Yet even with AI-driven cost savings, Bain & Company’s latest research finds a shortfall of $800 billion remains.
In its sixth annual Global Technology Report, Bain projects that global AI computing needs could climb to 200 gigawatts by 2030, with the US accounting for half of that demand.
Even if US companies redirected their entire on-premise IT budgets to the cloud and reinvested savings from applying AI in areas such as sales, marketing, customer support, and R&D into new data centers, the total would still be insufficient.
According to Bain, AI’s compute requirements are rising at more than twice the pace of Moore’s Law, intensifying the funding challenge.
Bain projects that global AI computing needs could climb to 200 gigawatts by 2030, with the US accounting for half of that demand
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Agentic AI races ahead, promising new gains
As computing demand increases, leading companies have moved beyond AI pilots to scale the technology across core workflows — delivering 10 to 25 percent EBITDA gains in just two years.
Most, however, remain in experimentation mode, settling for modest productivity improvements, Bain’s report notes. Tech-forward enterprises are now investing heavily in agentic AI, fueling unprecedented innovation.
Over the next three to five years, 5 to 10 percent of tech spending could go toward foundational AI platforms, protocols, and real-time data access, with up to half eventually devoted to enterprise-wide AI agents.
Bain identifies four levels of maturity — ranging from large language model (LLM)-powered retrieval agents to multi-agent constellations — where investment and innovation are accelerating most at levels 2 and 3. Leaders are rapidly compounding their advantages, while followers fall further behind. Meanwhile, IT architectures remain a barrier, struggling to enable secure, context-aware agents to collaborate across applications and databases.
SaaS and the AI disruption choice
Generative and agentic AI are transforming software-as-a-service (SaaS), yet this shift does not spell obsolescence. In many cases, AI can actually expand the total addressable market for SaaS providers. To capture this opportunity, companies should assess two dimensions: AI’s potential to automate user tasks and its ability to penetrate SaaS workflows.
Incumbent providers are well-positioned to lead but must make bold strategic moves — whether through selective open-sourcing, evolving monetization models, or embedding AI-first standards. Success will depend on owning critical data, shaping industry norms, and pricing by outcomes rather than log-ins.
“In the Middle East, SaaS providers are already beginning to see the impact of AI across critical workflows,” said Brahim Laaidi, partner at Bain & Company Middle East. “The opportunity is to use AI not just to optimize tasks, but to reimagine how value is created for customers. Providers that act boldly, by adapting monetization models, investing in data ownership, and embedding AI-first standards, will secure long-term leadership in a rapidly evolving market.”
According to Bain, AI’s compute requirements are rising at more than twice the pace of Moore’s Law, intensifying the funding challengeSovereign AI redefines global business strategy
Tariffs, export controls, and governments’ drive for sovereign AI are accelerating the fragmentation of global technology supply chains, according to Bain & Company. Once primarily an engine of economic growth, AI is now also a lever of political power and national security.
As semiconductor supply chains fragment, the US and China continue to dominate the decoupling trend — China alone represents about 20 percent of global chip manufacturing capacity this year, the report notes. “Sovereign AI capabilities are increasingly seen as a strategic advantage on par with economic and military strength,” said Anne Hoecker, head of Bain’s Global Technology practice.
“While sovereign AI is a global priority, individual countries’ goals vary. Therefore, for most countries, achieving full-stack independence is not feasible, at least not today. Considering these differences, global AI standards are unlikely to converge. “To succeed, multinational firms will need to localize not just compliance, but also their technology architecture. Businesses need to make decisions with optionality, moving boldly where confidence is high and prioritizing flexibility where uncertainty rules.”
Companies explore quantum computing advancements, rise of humanoid robots
Alongside the rapid acceleration of AI initiatives, two distinct technological trends are gaining momentum: quantum computing and humanoid robots.
Quantum computing could create up to $250 billion in market value across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, finance, logistics, and materials science, though these opportunities are expected to emerge gradually — and are not guaranteed, according to Bain.
Realizing its full potential will require fully capable, fault-tolerant quantum computers at scale, which remain several years away, the report notes. Meanwhile, humanoid robots are moving from viral videos to billion-dollar valuations. Their commercial success will depend on ecosystem readiness, with early adopters best positioned to lead in this emerging growth era. Despite the attention and investment, most humanoid robot deployments are still in early stages and rely heavily on human oversight, Bain finds.
Technology private equity deals slow in H2 2025, but investor sentiment remains positive
The era of easy technology private equity (PE) deals is waning as momentum driven by software sales slows. Bain’s 2025 analysis of North American PE technology deals shows that deal-making has felt the impact of tariff-related uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, despite a strong start to the year.
While software spending continues to outpace overall GDP growth, its penetration is reaching saturation in key sectors such as manufacturing and retail, creating new challenges for tech investors seeking top-tier growth. Even with slower deal processes, investor sentiment remains upbeat. Technology continues to outperform most other sectors in deal activity, Bain’s analysis finds.