Why SAS Institute matters
SAS marked 50 years in 2026 and is considered the largest privately held software company, with customers in more than 150 countries and 1,400-plus partners. On April 28, 2026 it expanded SAS Viya with Viya Copilot assistants, a Model Context Protocol server and an Agentic AI Accelerator for building governed agents. CEO Jim Goodnight and other executives have discussed an eventual IPO since 2024, and SAS says it is profitable and debt free.
The numberCelebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026 with customers in 150+ countries and 1,400+ partners
North Carolina connection
SAS is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, where Jim Goodnight and John Sall founded it in 1976.
On The All Things AI 100
Listed under North Carolina. AI companies headquartered or anchored in North Carolina.
Quick answers
- What does SAS Institute do?
- Analytics and AI software maker; SAS Viya platform for data management, modeling, decisioning and agents. SAS marked 50 years in 2026 and is considered the largest privately held software company, with customers in more than 150 countries and 1,400-plus partners.
- What AI capabilities does SAS Institute offer?
- SAS Institute offers SAS Viya, a platform for data management, statistical modeling, machine learning, forecasting, and decisioning used by analysts and operations teams. SAS Viya Copilot helps users prepare data, write code, and explain models in natural language. The SAS Agentic AI Accelerator supports building agents that call Viya models and business rules. Intelligent Decisioning applies models to real-time customer and risk decisions.
- Why is SAS Institute on The All Things AI 100?
- SAS Institute is listed under North Carolina. AI companies headquartered or anchored in North Carolina. Celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026 with customers in 150+ countries and 1,400+ partners.
- Where is SAS Institute based, and who owns it?
- SAS Institute is based in Cary, NC, was founded in 1976 and is private (founder-owned); IPO discussed but not filed.