AAC Technologies Makes TIME's World's Best Companies 2026 List on AI Growth
AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. has been named in TIME's World's Best Companies 2026 ranking, and according to the company it is the sole Hong Kong-listed technology manufacturer on the list. The company says its new AI-related businesses drove the strong revenue growth behind the recognition.
- AAC Technologies is named in TIME's World's Best Companies 2026, compiled with Statista, and says it is the only Hong Kong-listed technology manufacturer on the list.
- The company received a "Very High" rating for revenue growth and was shortlisted in Information Technology & Electronic Hardware.
- Management expects new AI related business revenue of RMB 8 billion to RMB 9 billion by 2027.
- Thermal management is the largest growth pillar, with Vapor Chamber and active thermal management projected to reach RMB 5 billion.
- According to the company, Apple's iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro series use its Vapor Chamber heat spreaders.
What the ranking measures
TIME magazine, together with global data provider Statista, released the 2026 edition of the World's Best Companies ranking. The list covers 1,000 top performing enterprises worldwide. Weighted overall scores are based on three dimensions: employee satisfaction, revenue growth, and transparency in sustainable development.
According to AAC Technologies, it received the highest rating of "Very High" for revenue growth and was shortlisted in the Information Technology & Electronic Hardware category. The company describes the ranking as one of the world's most credible comprehensive corporate evaluations.
A shift toward AI perception infrastructure
AAC Technologies says the ranking shows that the impact of the AI economy has extended well beyond chipmakers into physical industries such as advanced manufacturing. In recent years, the company states, it has accelerated its transition into a provider of AI perception infrastructure, with a dual track layout covering the computing power side and end device segments.
Its new AI business matrix includes:
- Liquid cooled Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) for servers
- AR optical waveguides and optical engines
- Acoustic solutions for automotive smart cockpits
- Actuators for humanoid robots
- CPO micro lens arrays for optical communications
The company says these emerging segments have become the core driver of its revenue growth and are poised to sustain long term earnings growth.
Targets and thermal management
Based on management guidance, AAC Technologies expects total revenue from its new AI related businesses to reach RMB 8 billion to RMB 9 billion by 2027.
Thermal management is described as the largest and most certain growth pillar. The company says its liquid cooled server CDU products have achieved global delivery, with shipment volume ranking among the top three domestic suppliers. The revenue scale of its Vapor Chamber (VC) and active thermal management business is projected to hit the RMB 5 billion mark.
AAC Technologies also states that Apple's newly launched iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro series adopt Vapor Chamber (VC) heat spreaders supplied by the company.
What it means
The recognition places a component manufacturer, rather than a chip designer or software company, among the beneficiaries of AI demand. The figures on the 2027 revenue range and the thermal management outlook are management projections and company claims, not independent results. For investors and industry watchers, they indicate where AAC Technologies sees its growth coming from: server cooling, optical components and robotics hardware alongside its established device business.
ACN Newswire: Artificial Intelligence: Driven by Strong Growth in New AI Business, AAC Technologies Named in TIME's World's Best Companies 2026
