From No. 2,137 to No. 1,175, our highest Inc. 5000 ranking yet, built on engineering delivery, a team that executes, and the trust of our clients.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 13, 2026: Essentia ranks No. 1,175 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies, driven by 298% revenue growth from 2022 to 2025. A year ago, we ranked No. 2,137. That is a climb of 962 places in one year, and our highest ranking in four appearances on the list.
A move of that size reflects a change in how Essentia delivers networks, not a single strong quarter.
Essentia was founded in 2003. We have designed and built network infrastructure through multiple technology cycles, funding programs, and market shifts. Operators who hand us a build are relying on engineering judgment tested over more than 20 years.
This ranking reflects that trust compounding: four appearances on the Inc. 5000 since 2020, and the best one yet. It is not a short-term spike.
The climb from No. 2,137 to No. 1,175 tracks directly to what changed in how we deliver.
Speed and reliability come from engineers, permitting specialists, construction managers, and project leaders who are empowered to make decisions and clear blockers.
That is also why a people-first culture is an operating decision, not a perk. Essentia earned its 2026-2027 Great Place to Work certification because the team that builds your network is a team that is trusted to own the result. The ranking is their work.
“Making the Inc. 5000 is a recognition of growth, but what I’m most proud of is how we grew. We built this company as a fully remote team across broadband and hyperscale infrastructure, so our people are already in the markets where our clients build. That only works when you hire people who live your core values and give them clear accountability. Our growth is the result of hundreds of individual decisions by people who care deeply about the work and about each other.”
Kristin Krotosky, Vice President, Human Resources, Essentia
If you are an operator, ISP, or infrastructure leader planning your next build, we would like to hear about it. Connect with Essentia’s network engineering experts to discuss design, permitting, compliance, and construction management for your upcoming projects.
Inc. will celebrate the honorees at the 2026 Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala, taking place October 14-16 in Dallas, Texas, and the top 500 will be listed in the Fall issue of Inc. magazine.
Companies on the 2026 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2022 to 2025. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2022. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent, meaning not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies, as of December 31, 2025. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2022 is $100,000; the minimum for 2025 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons.
Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
At Essentia, we’ve assembled a team of trusted experts who design and build turnkey outdoor and indoor networks with unrivaled quality and record-setting cycle times. We know true breakthrough innovations are the ones that target real customer pain points, inefficiencies, and error-prone processes. That is why we deliver tech-enabled infrastructure services including drone data capture, engineering automations, and machine learning, all powered by our proprietary eSpeed Technology Platform. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Essentia operates nationwide, supporting hyperscalers, data center operators, neocloud and GPU infrastructure providers, ISPs and telecom carriers, electric utilities, and rural broadband cooperatives.
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