BigBear.ai's uneven revenue path
BigBear.ai offers consulting services and sophisticated data analytics that assist customers in making choices tied to national security and defense. The firm obtained national clearance in the Netherlands for its airport security software, broadened tailored generative AI tools for defense operations, and added a retired military general to its Board of Directors.[S1]
SoundHound AI's steady climb
SoundHound AI builds bespoke voice-assistant systems that allow businesses to deliver conversational interactions to their customers. The company closed a stock-funded purchase of LivePerson, a provider of omnichannel conversations, introduced a completely embedded voice platform for cars, and simultaneously broadened automated voice ordering connections for restaurant management software.[S1]
Why revenue trends matter
Revenue is a primary baseline for investors assessing fundamental business growth. It shows whether a company is attracting customers and expanding its overall business volume over time. Quarterly revenue figures for BigBear.ai and SoundHound AI, sourced from Financial Modeling Prep as of Sept. 25, 2026, provide the comparison.[S1]
During 2024, BigBear.ai generated considerably more revenue than SoundHound AI, yet that relationship has now flipped. This reversal points to SoundHound's operations growing while BigBear.ai's have shrunk, which is troubling given how quickly the AI industry is expanding. It implies BigBear.ai's offerings might lack the appeal needed to deliver the exceptional growth investors expect from young software firms.[S1]
Understand this article deeper
Even so, both firms reported higher sales than a year earlier in the second quarter, aided by acquisitions. SoundHound has bought multiple companies in recent years, most recently LivePerson, which pushed it ahead of BigBear.ai in revenue. BigBear.ai's second-quarter sales of $36.7 million marked a 13% rise from a year ago, credited to its purchase of Ask Sage, an AI platform designed for government agencies.[S1]
SoundHound lifted its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $230 million to $260 million, excluding any contribution from LivePerson. BigBear.ai forecasts full-year sales of $135 million to $165 million, clearly below its AI competitor, signaling that SoundHound's business keeps expanding at a quicker pace.[S1]
