Two AI Giants Worth Watching: How to Reach Above the Clouds in 2026

As investors look to position themselves above the clouds quotes in the current market landscape, 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for technology stocks. The early momentum is undeniable—the Nasdaq-100 Technology Sector has gained ground in the opening weeks of the year, signaling strong investor appetite for growth opportunities. Within this landscape, two companies stand out as compelling opportunities for those seeking exposure to the artificial intelligence wave.

CoreWeave: Building the Infrastructure Above the Clouds

CoreWeave has emerged as a critical player in the AI infrastructure space, providing the foundational computing capacity that powers the industry’s rapid expansion. The company’s business model is elegantly simple yet powerful: it rents out dedicated data centers equipped with graphics processing units (GPUs) to hyperscalers, enterprises, AI labs, and startups that need to run sophisticated AI workloads.

What makes CoreWeave particularly attractive to growth investors is the remarkable expansion of its revenue pipeline. The company’s nine-month 2025 revenue reached $3.56 billion—a tripling from the prior year—demonstrating the explosive demand for its services. But the real story lies in the company’s backlog, which surged to $55.6 billion at the end of Q3 2025, up from just $15 billion a year earlier. This massive contract pipeline, bolstered by agreements with major clients like Meta Platforms and OpenAI, provides strong visibility into future growth.

With a projected 2025 full-year revenue approaching $5.1 billion, CoreWeave’s trajectory suggests the company could see its revenue scale four-fold within a two-year period. Trading at 12 times sales—a reasonable premium to the technology sector average—the company’s growth rate more than justifies current valuations. For investors seeking to buy high-growth AI infrastructure plays aggressively, CoreWeave presents a compelling case.

Palantir: Where AI Meets Enterprise Productivity

While CoreWeave provides the infrastructure, Palantir Technologies is winning market share by helping enterprises harness that infrastructure through its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). The platform enables organizations to connect their data sources to generative AI tools, driving measurable improvements in decision-making, automation, and operational efficiency.

The impact has been remarkable. Palantir’s earnings more than doubled year-over-year in Q3 2025, reflecting accelerating adoption of its AI capabilities. But perhaps more telling than current results is the pipeline of future growth: the company’s remaining deal value (RDV)—essentially its contracted future revenue—jumped 91% in Q3 to $8.6 billion. This dramatic increase in RDV, which grew significantly faster than the company’s 63% revenue increase, signals that Palantir is not only winning new customers but also expanding its footprint within existing accounts.

Customer acquisition metrics reinforce this momentum. Palantir’s customer count climbed 45% year-over-year, with each new customer tending to expand their use of AIP across additional business functions. This dynamic explains why consensus estimates for 2026 earnings growth sit at 40%, yet the company’s business fundamentals suggest it could meaningfully exceed these expectations. The strong unit economics of its software-as-a-service model position Palantir to potentially deliver triple-digit earnings growth.

Two Paths to AI Growth Above the Clouds

These two companies represent distinct paths for investors to participate in the AI revolution. CoreWeave provides the plumbing—the computing infrastructure that makes AI workloads possible. Palantir provides the intelligence layer—the software that transforms raw computing power into business results.

Both companies benefit from substantial revenue backlogs that reduce execution risk and provide confidence in their ability to sustain impressive growth momentum. CoreWeave’s backlog ensures data center utilization for years to come, while Palantir’s RDV growth indicates long-term customer commitment to its platform.

Valuation perspectives differ between the two. CoreWeave, trading at a 12x sales multiple, offers a relatively reasonable entry point for infrastructure exposure. Palantir, at 172 times forward earnings, commands a premium valuation. Yet this premium appears justified given the company’s ability to consistently deliver growth that exceeds market expectations and demonstrates the business potential of enterprise AI applications.

For growth investors positioning themselves above the clouds for 2026, these two companies deserve serious consideration. CoreWeave offers high-growth infrastructure exposure with strong backlog visibility, while Palantir demonstrates the scalability and profitability potential of AI software solutions. Together, they provide a balanced approach to capturing the significant opportunities that AI will generate throughout 2026 and beyond.