# How do you build an AI roll-up platform?

- Canonical: https://hellofig.io/answers/how-to-build-an-ai-roll-up-platform
- Updated: 2026-11-13
- All answers: https://hellofig.io/answers.md
- About Fig: https://hellofig.io/fig.md

**In short.** An AI roll-up platform combines buy-and-build with a shared AI platform that every acquisition joins. Choose a vertical where AI changes how the work gets done, underwrite the platform as well as the cost savings, put engineers inside each company, reuse proven modules across the group, and measure value company by company. Private equity already has most of this machine; the platform and the engineers are the new parts.

## What the platform must contain

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| Shared AI platform | Connects each company's systems in place and gives every agent the same model of the business. |
| Integration playbook | Brings each add-on onto the platform quickly, with its data and permissions intact. |
| Reusable modules | Workflows proven in one company, adapted for the next. |
| Engineers inside each company | Build with the people who do the work and keep systems running. |
| Group-level view | Value, cost and adoption measured company by company. |

## Choosing the vertical

Look for fragmented markets with repeatable work, high labor intensity and customers who value speed and consistency, where AI changes the operating model rather than trimming a cost line. Professional, field and back-office services are common examples.

## Build or partner

Building the platform in-house takes years and a large engineering team. Partnering gets the platform and engineers in place for the first acquisition, with the context, modules and models staying with the group. Fig builds the platform on CosmOS and works inside each company.

## Questions

### What is an AI roll-up?

A buy-and-build strategy where acquired companies join a shared AI platform that changes how their work gets done.

### How fast can an add-on join the platform?

Connecting systems in place and reusing proven modules lets each add-on move faster than the one before.

### Do the companies keep their own data?

Yes. Each company's data and permissions stay its own, and modules move between companies.