DeepStream named Top Tech for Sourcing in Hackett's SolutionMap H2 2026

Hackett's analysts placed DeepStream in the top quartile for Sourcing, with Innovation scored at 8.8 out of 10. Here is what they found and what customers said.

The Hackett Group 2026 Top Tech Sourcing badge, 2026 Customer Value Sourcing badge and Spend Matters Customer Favourite badge

The Hackett Group has named DeepStream Top Tech for Sourcing in its SolutionMap H2 2026, placing DeepStream in the top quartile of sourcing software providers. SolutionMap is published by Spend Matters, a Hackett Group division, and the Fall 2026 edition evaluated 122 procurement technology providers.

The award follows the Customer Value badge and the Spend Matters Customer Favourite award across the previous three cycles, and sits alongside DeepStream being rated best in class for RFx and sourcing optimisation in the mid-market in the H2 2025 and H1 2026 evaluations.

Key findings at a glance

  • Top Tech for Sourcing: a top-quartile placement in SolutionMap H2 2026.
  • Innovation scored 8.8 out of 10, one of DeepStream's most differentiating scores in the whole study.
  • Quick deployment scored 9.0 out of 10 by customer references.
  • Rated Advanced for RFx and for Modern Sourcing Platform, with Services the highest-scoring capability area.
  • Fully independent: DeepStream has never paid Spend Matters or The Hackett Group a penny.

How SolutionMap evaluates sourcing software

SolutionMap is not a pay-to-play listing. Hackett's analysts score every feature and capability against fixed definitions. Where there is any doubt about whether something works as described, they ask to see it in a live demo. They then check the results with multiple customers directly.

That makes the result a fair read of what the analysts saw and what customers told them, and nothing else. You can view DeepStream's profile in the Hackett vendor directory.

Innovation: AI across the full sourcing cycle

Innovation scored 8.8 out of 10. In the analysts' own findings, what earned that mark is that DeepStream builds AI into every stage of the sourcing cycle rather than bolting it onto one step:

  • structuring requirements and generating RFx documents
  • assisting suppliers with their responses
  • comparing bids side by side
  • analysing outcomes for a single event and across the whole portfolio

Plenty of sourcing platforms can say they have AI now. The difference here is that the same AI layer follows the work from the first draft through to the award analysis, instead of stopping at the most impressive part of a demo.

An agentic RFx pipeline

Separate AI agents read your source documents, draft RFx sections, questions and evaluation criteria, then check the draft for gaps and risks before refining it. Much of the event build is done before a buyer opens the draft. See how AI RFP generation works in DeepStream.

Supplier responses you can compare

Suppliers can submit documents and pricing in whatever format they have. The AI parses and structures them, then lines them up for a true side-by-side bid comparison inside the RFx module.

Analytics in plain English

Ask a question in plain language and get back a chart, a table or a recommended KPI, for one event or across your portfolio. Hackett noted that AI sourcing analytics brings buyers a capability that was largely absent before.

A release cycle led by customers

DeepStream ships new releases every fortnight, built directly from customer feedback. The analysts noted that this keeps the platform led by its customers rather than by a fixed roadmap. They also called out a strong focus on user experience as a driver of adoption by both buyers and suppliers, and a highly configurable platform that can run complex RFx events.

None of this takes the decision away from the buyer. As Dan Gianfreda, CEO of DeepStream, puts it:

“None of it replaces the buyer's judgement on what to award. It removes the hours it takes to get there.”

Governance is built into every sourcing event, and the person accountable for the award stays in control of it. Our guide to DeepStream's AI capabilities covers each feature in more detail.

What customers told Hackett

Hackett's customer references scored DeepStream out of 10:

  • Quick deployment: 9.0
  • Innovation: 8.8
  • Pricing and affordability: 8.8
  • Expectations met: 8.8
  • Customer satisfaction: 8.5
  • User experience: 8.0

And in their own words:

“Their strengths are an extremely high level of customer service more than I have ever seen from a tech vendor. The platform is very user-friendly and well-constructed and supported. All of our experiences with DeepStream have been very positive.”
“Innovative, responsive, knowledge of the sourcing processes are strengths. It is an intuitive tool.”
“Ease of use (implementation, onboarding and use is quite intuitive) and adoption on the suppliers side an already onboarded portfolio across key industries (e.g. renewable or oil & gas).”

Where DeepStream fits, and where it does not

Hackett rated DeepStream Advanced for RFx and for Modern Sourcing Platform, with Services scoring highest of all our capability areas. For SME and mid-market buyers, Hackett's market-fit view places DeepStream at or above the expected fit in RFx, sourcing optimisation, analytics and services.

Being clear about fit matters as much as the score. DeepStream is an AI-enhanced sourcing software platform. If you need a single suite covering the whole source-to-pay chain, including specialist supplier management and contract lifecycle management, that is not what we are building. DeepStream focuses on sourcing and works alongside the ERP and CLM tools you already run.

Hackett's customers also told us where to go further: a more structured approach to group evaluations and scorecards, broader eAuction functionality, and deeper supplier integration and supplier prequalification. That feedback is exactly what the fortnightly release cycle is for.

A consistent record in independent evaluations

Is DeepStream the right fit for your team?

An analyst score tells you how a platform performs against a fixed standard. It cannot tell you whether it suits the way your team works. The Find Your Tech Fit assessment is a short questionnaire built to answer exactly that.

Or, if you would like to see the AI RFx pipeline working on one of your own documents, talk to the team.

About DeepStream

DeepStream is an AI-enhanced eSourcing platform built for mid-market procurement teams. It combines flexible, intuitive sourcing workflows with AI that removes administration, not accountability, with governance built into every sourcing event.

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