Dutch companies increased their spending on corporate AI software during the first quarter of 2026, according to transaction data released by business management service Pleo.
The study found that expenditure on platforms such as OpenAI and Anthropic grew substantially across commercial organizations in the Netherlands.
Surging demand for major AI providers
Expenditure on Anthropic experienced the most dramatic jump, with corporate spending up by more than 80 percent compared to the previous quarter.
The platform climbed eight spots in the ranking of tech software suppliers used by businesses, moving ahead of well-established providers like Adobe, Google, and LinkedIn.
OpenAI retained its position as the top technology vendor overall. Spending on its software increased by nearly 30 percent, even as user accounts remained relatively stable.
This suggests existing corporate clients are either utilizing the service more heavily or upgrading to higher-tier subscriptions for advanced computing tasks. The underlying figures reflect a broader shift where software budgets are increasingly directed toward artificial intelligence tools.
Challenges in tracking software overhead
Despite the rapid investment, many firms face difficulty tracking the financial return on these subscriptions.
The report highlights that numerous organizations still lack clear systems to measure token usage, determine which departments drive costs, or evaluate whether the expense delivers measurable gains in workforce efficiency.
The broader software sector is tracking this change as AI adoption matures across administrative, tech, and retail operations. Dutch business confidence has slowly adjusted alongside changing corporate budgets and technology needs.
Smaller enterprise initiatives are also emerging across the country. OpenAI recently launched a project targeted at European small and medium-sized businesses, intended to provide technical training to help firms evaluate and implement AI infrastructure safely.
