Rocket Software Selects 23 Projects to Compete at Rocket.Build 2026 Finals in London

More than 650 innovators from 14 countries submitted over 230 AI-focused projects designed to improve customer outcomes and connect innovation across Rocket Software’s portfolio

WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rocket Software, a global technology leader in modernization software, today announced the 23 projects advancing to the Rocket.Build 2026 Finals, taking place November 3-5 in London. More than 650 innovators from 14 countries submitted over 230 projects, demonstrating the scale, ingenuity, and global collaboration driving the next generation of AI-powered solutions across the Rocket Software ecosystem.

Rocket.Build has grown from an internal hackathon into a global innovation program that brings together employees, customers, partners, and students to solve real-world challenges and create meaningful impact. Launched in 2014 to spark product innovation, the program now gives participants across Rocket Software’s global ecosystem a forum to experiment with new technologies and turn ideas into solutions to benefit customers and the broader community. This year’s program challenged participants to explore how AI and Rocket Software’s portfolio can help customers realize value faster, simplify mission-critical environments, and accelerate modernization. Projects were developed around three themes:

• Transforming Customer Outcomes: Creating AI-powered experiences that help customers deliver faster, clearer and more intuitive outcomes for their end users.
• Reinventing How Work Gets Done: Using AI and modern technology to simplify workflows, reduce operational overhead, and help technical and business teams work more effectively.
• Unlocking Value Through Cross-Product Innovation: Bringing Rocket products and data together to create new capabilities through shared insights, connected workflows and product synergy.
  
  

“Rocket.Build has become more than an opportunity to experiment. It’s a way for our teams to turn bold ideas into innovation grounded in the challenges our customers are trying to solve,” said Neil Fowler, SVP of Software Engineering, Hybrid Cloud. “This year’s finalists show how AI can be applied in practical ways across our portfolio to simplify complex environments, improve how work gets done, and create better experiences. Their projects reflect what’s possible when we combine experimentation with deep expertise and a relentless focus on customer impact.”

Following virtual coding and regional judging in September, 23 projects were selected to advance to London. These span Rocket Software’s portfolio, including several focused on Vertica^® and others incorporating capabilities such as Rocket^® EVA™ and Rocket^® ContentEdge™, addressing challenges across mainframe operations, security, analytics, software development, customer support, and operational efficiency. Many projects apply AI to areas such as vulnerability detection, root-cause analysis, and transforming complex data into actionable insights.

The finalist projects explore experimental concepts and do not represent announcements of commercially available functionality.

The 23 teams will come together in London in November to present their projects at the Rocket.Build 2026 Finals, where this year's winning projects will be selected and recognized for their potential to drive innovation, customer value and business impact. Learn more about Rocket.Build 2026 and follow the competition here.

About Rocket Software

Rocket Software is a global technology leader in modernization and a partner of choice that empowers the world's leading businesses on their IT and mainframe modernization journeys, spanning core systems to the cloud. Trusted by more than 13,500 customers and 850 partners, and with more than 3,000 global employees, Rocket Software enables customers to maximize their data, applications, and infrastructure to deliver critical services that power our modern world.

Rocket Software is a privately held U.S. corporation headquartered in the Boston area with centers of excellence strategically located throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Rocket Software is a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity.

Follow Rocket Software LinkedIn, YouTube, and X or visit www.RocketSoftware.com.

FAQ

What is Rocket.Build?

Rocket.Build is Rocket Software’s global innovation program, bringing together employees, customers, partners and students to develop solutions to real-world challenges. It began in 2014 as an internal hackathon focused on product innovation and has since expanded across Rocket Software’s global ecosystem, giving participants an opportunity to explore new technologies and turn ideas into solutions with the potential to benefit customers and the broader community.

How many people participated in Rocket.Build 2026?

More than 650 innovators submitted over 230 projects from 14 countries. Following virtual coding and regional judging in September, 23 projects were selected to advance to the Rocket.Build 2026 Finals in London.

What did Rocket.Build 2026 focus on?

This year’s program focused on how AI and Rocket Software’s portfolio can help customers realize value faster, simplify mission-critical environments, and accelerate modernization. Projects centered on three themes: transforming customer outcomes, reinventing how work gets done, and unlocking value through cross-product innovation.

How are Rocket.Build 2026 participants using AI?

Many of this year’s finalist projects apply AI to real-world customer and operational challenges. Concepts range from diagnosing mainframe issues and identifying vulnerabilities to automating root-cause analysis and turning complex data into actionable insights. The focus is on practical applications that can simplify complex environments, improve workflows, and create better experiences.

How do this year’s projects span Rocket Software’s portfolio?

The finalist projects represent a cross-section of Rocket Software’s solution families, including several focused on Vertica and others incorporating capabilities such as Rocket EVA and Rocket ContentEdge. The projects explore areas including mainframe operations and security, analytics, deployment, customer support and internal workflows, as well as opportunities to connect capabilities across Rocket’s portfolio.

What happens at the Rocket.Build 2026 Finals?

The 23 finalist teams will come together in London from November 3-5 to present their projects to Rocket Software’s Executive Leadership Team, which will select the Rocket.Build 2026 winners.

Media Contact:

Lacey Darrow
ldarrow@rocketsoftware.com