News
In Brief
- Phenom has acquired Included, an AI-driven people analytics platform.
- Included's analytics will strengthen Phenom's AI workforce intelligence offerings.
- HR leaders gain deeper actionable workforce insights for improved planning and decision-making.
Phenom acquired Included, an AI-native people analytics platform founded in 2021, on Jan. 14. The aim is to enhance its workforce intelligence capabilities and empower HR professionals with deeper planning insights.
The acquisition addresses a common challenge: organizations struggle to quickly consolidate data from disparate HR systems to draw relevant insights. Included's agentic AI will integrate natively into Phenom's platform, the company stated, providing conversational analytics through natural language queries.
Phenom CEO and co-founder Mahe Bayireddi put it this way in the company announcement: "Deeper people analytics and workforce planning insights are no longer optional; they're the foundation for building agile, future-ready teams. The acquisition of Included expands our ability to deliver contextualized Applied AI capabilities for every persona and organization.
People Analytics Trends
Organizations are using people analytics more strategically as workforce planning grows more complex. The HR analytics market will reach $9.9 billion by 2031, up from $3.7 billion in 2024, according to Insight Partners.
Only 20% of employers use predictive analytics in HR, while just 17% regularly deploy prescriptive analytics, according to HR.com. This gap persists despite pressure on HR leaders to forecast workforce needs rather than simply report historical data.
A January 2025 World Economic Forum study found 86% of employers expect AI to transform their business by 2030. Meanwhile, 39% of workers believe new technology will render their current skills outdated within that period.
People analytics tools now provide workforce performance insights, turnover and retention trends, future scenario modeling and compensation planning. Organizations are replacing rigid org charts with AI-powered platforms that map skills, predict gaps and enable real-time planning.
Overview of the Combined Phenom and Included Platform
The combined platform aims to deliver the following capabilities, according to Phenom:
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Integrated data | Standardized data from HR, talent acquisition and performance systems |
| Predictive intelligence | Ontology-backed analytics to help mitigate workforce risks |
| Cross-functional dashboards | Real-time visualizations with compliance-ready insights |
| AI-generated narratives | Automated reporting on bottlenecks, hiring velocity and skills gaps |
| Agentic analytics | Conversational AI for natural language workforce queries |
Phenom Recent Activity
The HR technology sector has demonstrated strong momentum, with vendors raising $3.5 billion in the first half of 2025. Notable consolidations have included SAP's acquisition of SmartRecruiters in August 2025 and Zoom's acquisition of BrightHire in November 2025.
Phenom's own momentum began in February 2025 when it acquired EDGE to strengthen resource-planning tools, followed by its unveiling of the X+ Ontologies and verticalized AI agents and the announcement of a strategic alliance with Deloitte. The platform earned SAP Endorsed App status by midyear and collected analyst recognition throughout 2025.
The company did not disclose details of today's acquisition.
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