68% of CFOs Are Increasing Tech Spending — Here's What That Means for Your Business

The numbers are in, and the signal is clear: CFOs aren't just talking about AI anymore — they're writing the checks.

Grant Thornton's Q1 2026 CFO survey, which polled over 230 finance leaders across industries, found that 68% of CFOs expect IT and digital transformation spending to increase over the next 12 months. That's the highest level recorded in 21 quarters — over five years of data — and it marks a decisive shift from experimentation to implementation.

For growing businesses watching enterprise trends for signals about where the market is heading, this is one worth paying attention to.

What the Data Says

The survey paints a picture of finance leaders who are simultaneously optimistic and pragmatic:

• 72% anticipate net profit increases over the next year, suggesting the spending isn't speculative — it's backed by revenue confidence
• 62% are confident in achieving their technology objectives, up significantly from prior quarters
• 28% plan no cost cuts at all, the highest share ever recorded in the survey (compared to a previous high of 18% in Q4 2024)
• 60% have already restructured their cost and operational efficiency practices, indicating the groundwork for AI adoption is being laid

As Paul Melville of Grant Thornton put it: "Companies can't afford to treat AI as optional... investment alone isn't enough. You need to deliver ROI."

Why This Matters for Growing Businesses

When nearly 7 in 10 CFOs at mid-to-large companies are increasing tech spend, it creates a ripple effect that reaches every business size:

1. The tools are getting better and cheaper. Enterprise investment in AI-powered financial tools drives competition among vendors, which pushes prices down and quality up. The FP&A software that cost six figures three years ago now has equivalents available for a fraction of that — or in some cases, like James Analytics, starting free.

2. Talent expectations are shifting. The survey found that 54% of CFOs still face challenges attracting and retaining finance talent. AI tools are increasingly filling the gap — not by replacing people, but by handling the repetitive data processing, reconciliation, and reporting work that consumes most of a finance team's time. IBM's research found that AI can reduce time spent on data capture and manipulation by up to 65%.

3. Your competitors are adopting. If you're a $2M-$20M business competing against companies backed by well-funded finance teams with AI-powered forecasting, you're at a disadvantage — unless you have similar capabilities. The good news is that those capabilities are now accessible at every budget level.

The AI-Finance Convergence

This spending surge isn't happening in a vacuum. Across the financial services landscape, AI integration is accelerating:

• LPL Financial partnered with Anthropic to deploy AI-driven tools to thousands of advisors serving 8 million clients
• Morgan Stanley is using AI to process client data for personalized guidance on tax strategies and retirement planning
• Robinhood launched an AI-powered "Strategies" tool for personalized investment guidance
• Over one-third of consumers now consult AI tools for investment guidance before meeting human advisors

The pattern is consistent: AI isn't replacing financial expertise — it's making it scalable. The same CFO who manages a $50M P&L can now get the same caliber of analysis that previously required a team of analysts.

What Growing Businesses Should Do Now

If you're running a business in the $1M-$20M range, here's what this trend means for your next quarter:

Audit your financial reporting process. How many hours per month does your team spend building reports, reconciling data, and preparing financial statements? If the answer is more than a few hours, you're leaving efficiency on the table. Automated platforms can generate P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports in minutes from your existing accounting data.

Start forecasting, not just reporting. The survey shows CFOs are investing in predictive capabilities, not just backward-looking reports. Rolling forecasts and scenario planning — once reserved for companies with dedicated FP&A teams — are now available through AI-powered tools that connect directly to QuickBooks, Xero, or your accounting platform of choice.

Don't wait for perfection. Raul Vega from Grant Thornton noted that "AI needs good data, compatible systems, and effective knowledge management." But you don't need perfect data to start. Begin with what you have — your existing transactions, chart of accounts, and historical financials — and let the tools surface insights you'd otherwise miss.

Budget for AI adoption. If 68% of CFOs are increasing their tech spend, the question isn't whether to invest in financial technology — it's how much and how soon. Even a modest investment in automated reporting and AI-powered insights can free up hours each week for strategic decision-making.

The Bottom Line

The Q1 2026 CFO survey confirms what many of us in the financial technology space have been seeing on the ground: AI in finance has crossed the threshold from "interesting experiment" to "operational necessity."

For growing businesses, the opportunity is clear. The same AI-powered financial planning capabilities that enterprise companies are spending millions to implement are available today at a fraction of the cost. The question isn't whether your business needs better financial intelligence — it's whether you can afford to wait while your competitors get it first.