Market overview
The global foundation models market is worth USD 61.4 bn in 2026 and is forecast to reach USD 487 bn by 2036, growing at a 23.0% CAGR. United States is the largest country market and Language is the largest by modality segment.
| Scope | Paid access to general-purpose pretrained models across text, image, video, audio and multimodal use: API usage, licences, subscriptions and cloud-hosted model services. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology |
| Value 2025 | USD 48.0 bn |
| Value 2026 | USD 61.4 bn |
| Value 2036 | USD 487 bn |
| CAGR 2026-2036 | 23.0% |
| Volume 2026 | 256 million paid accounts |
| Volume 2036 | 3,389 million paid accounts |
| Average price 2026 | USD 240 per paid account |
| Report price | Starts from USD 1,999 |
| Published | November 2026 |
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Foundation Models market size and forecast, 2026-2036
Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.
| Year | Market value |
|---|---|
| 2026 | USD 61.4 bn |
| 2027 | USD 75.6 bn |
| 2028 | USD 93.0 bn |
| 2029 | USD 114 bn |
| 2030 | USD 141 bn |
| 2031 | USD 173 bn |
| 2032 | USD 213 bn |
| 2033 | USD 262 bn |
| 2034 | USD 322 bn |
| 2035 | USD 396 bn |
| 2036 | USD 487 bn |
Foundation Models market segmentation
By modality
Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.
| Segment | Share 2026 | Share 2036 | Value 2026 | CAGR 2026-36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | 64.0% | 51.6% | USD 39.3 bn | 20.4% |
| Image and video | 14.0% | 21.3% | USD 8.6 bn | 28.3% |
| Audio and speech | 8.0% | 8.9% | USD 4.9 bn | 24.3% |
| Multimodal and other | 14.0% | 18.2% | USD 8.6 bn | 26.3% |
By access
Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.
| Segment | Share 2026 | Share 2036 | Value 2026 | CAGR 2026-36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| API and cloud platforms | 44.0% | 47.8% | USD 27.0 bn | 24.0% |
| Enterprise licences | 30.0% | 30.1% | USD 18.4 bn | 23.0% |
| Consumer subscriptions | 26.0% | 22.1% | USD 16.0 bn | 21.0% |
By model size
| Segment | Share 2026 | Share 2036 | Value 2026 | CAGR 2026-36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10B parameters | 18.0% | 20.0% | USD 11.1 bn | 24.3% |
| 10B to 100B parameters | 31.0% | 28.0% | USD 19.0 bn | 21.8% |
| Above 100B parameters | 51.0% | 52.0% | USD 31.3 bn | 23.2% |
By licence type
| Segment | Share 2026 | Share 2036 | Value 2026 | CAGR 2026-36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closed proprietary | 66.0% | 56.0% | USD 40.6 bn | 21.0% |
| Open weights | 21.0% | 30.0% | USD 12.9 bn | 27.5% |
| Hybrid and restricted licences | 13.0% | 14.0% | USD 8.0 bn | 23.9% |
By buyer
| Segment | Share 2026 | Share 2036 | Value 2026 | CAGR 2026-36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprises | 54.0% | 55.0% | USD 33.2 bn | 23.2% |
| Developers and startups | 24.0% | 25.0% | USD 14.7 bn | 23.5% |
| Government | 9.0% | 9.0% | USD 5.5 bn | 23.0% |
| Consumers | 13.0% | 11.0% | USD 8.0 bn | 21.0% |
Top 25 countries for foundation models by revenue
Countries are ranked by revenue earned from sales in the country, not by where the product is made. The ten largest hold 86.5% of 2026 revenue and the 25 countries below together hold 96.8%.
Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.
| # | Country | Value 2026 | Share 2026 | Value 2036 | CAGR 2026-36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | USD 25.8 bn | 42.0% | USD 179 bn | 21.4% |
| 2 | China | USD 9.2 bn | 15.0% | USD 88.6 bn | 25.4% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | USD 3.1 bn | 5.0% | USD 21.4 bn | 21.4% |
| 4 | India | USD 3.1 bn | 5.0% | USD 37.5 bn | 28.4% |
| 5 | Japan | USD 2.5 bn | 4.0% | USD 17.0 bn | 21.4% |
| 6 | Germany | USD 2.5 bn | 4.0% | USD 17.0 bn | 21.4% |
| 7 | France | USD 1.8 bn | 3.0% | USD 14.1 bn | 22.6% |
| 8 | Canada | USD 1.8 bn | 3.0% | USD 12.7 bn | 21.2% |
| 9 | South Korea | USD 1.8 bn | 3.0% | USD 16.6 bn | 24.6% |
| 10 | Brazil | USD 1.5 bn | 2.5% | USD 14.6 bn | 25.3% |
| 11 | Israel | USD 1.3 bn | 2.1% | USD 11.4 bn | 24.2% |
| 12 | Singapore | USD 1.0 bn | 1.7% | USD 9.1 bn | 24.2% |
| 13 | United Arab Emirates | USD 836 mn | 1.4% | USD 7.3 bn | 24.2% |
| 14 | Saudi Arabia | USD 670 mn | 1.1% | USD 5.8 bn | 24.2% |
| 15 | Netherlands | USD 535 mn | 0.9% | USD 4.0 bn | 22.3% |
| 16 | Spain | USD 430 mn | 0.7% | USD 3.2 bn | 22.1% |
| 17 | Italy | USD 344 mn | 0.6% | USD 2.5 bn | 22.1% |
| 18 | Sweden | USD 276 mn | 0.5% | USD 2.0 bn | 22.1% |
| 19 | Switzerland | USD 221 mn | 0.4% | USD 1.6 bn | 21.9% |
| 20 | Australia | USD 178 mn | 0.3% | USD 1.4 bn | 23.0% |
| 21 | Ireland | USD 141 mn | 0.2% | USD 1.2 bn | 24.0% |
| 22 | Poland | USD 111 mn | 0.2% | USD 974 mn | 24.3% |
| 23 | Taiwan | USD 92 mn | 0.1% | USD 779 mn | 23.8% |
| 24 | Indonesia | USD 74 mn | 0.1% | USD 633 mn | 24.0% |
| 25 | Mexico | USD 55 mn | 0.09% | USD 487 mn | 24.3% |
| Rest of world | USD 2.0 bn | 3.2% | USD 15.7 bn | 23.0% |
Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.
Competitive landscape
Group 1: Global leaders
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- Microsoft
- Amazon Web Services
- Meta Platforms
- xAI
Group 2: Regional and specialist players
- Mistral AI
- Cohere
- Baidu
- Alibaba Cloud
- Tencent
- DeepSeek
- Moonshot AI
- Zhipu AI
- ByteDance
- AI21 Labs
Group 3: Emerging and niche players
- Stability AI
- Runway
- Midjourney
- ElevenLabs
- Black Forest Labs
- Luma AI
- Ideogram
- Suno
- Reka AI
Research methodology
Every figure on this page comes from the research framework that we apply to all of the markets we cover. The 2025 base for the foundation models market is built from the volume sold and the price that buyers pay, and is cross-checked against the size of the wider industry the market belongs to. Where a market can be sized in more than one way, the routes are compared before a figure is set.
The forecast runs year by year from the 2025 base to 2036. Growth in each year reflects demand from the industries that buy the product, adoption of new technology, pricing, regulation and replacement cycles. Volume and price are modelled together, so revenue in each year equals volume multiplied by average price. The 2026 to 2036 compound annual growth rate of 23.0% is calculated from the resulting values.
The market is divided by modality, by access, by model size, by licence type, by buyer. The 25 largest countries are ranked by revenue earned from sales to buyers in each country, not by where the product is made. Segment values and country values add up to the market total in every year, and every report is checked for consistency before it is published.
Companies are placed in three groups: global leaders, regional and specialist players, and emerging and niche players. The groups describe how companies compete in the market. They are not a ranking and they are not market shares.
Our analysts also carry out primary research. Customized reports add interviews with key opinion leaders, such as senior executives, technical specialists and buyers, to test the assumptions behind the numbers for the question being asked.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the foundation models market?
The global foundation models market is estimated at USD 48.0 bn in 2025 and USD 61.4 bn in 2026.
How fast will the foundation models market grow?
It is forecast to reach USD 487 bn by 2036, a compound annual growth rate of 23.0% from 2026, an increase of USD 426 bn.
Which country is the largest market for foundation models?
United States is the largest market by revenue at USD 25.8 bn in 2026, 42.0% of the global total. The three largest countries together hold 62.0%.
Which country is growing fastest?
Among the ten largest markets, India is growing fastest at 28.4% a year from 2026 to 2036.
Which foundation models segment is largest?
In the by modality split, Language is the largest segment with 64.0% of 2026 revenue.
Who are the leading foundation models companies?
Global leaders include OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft.
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