Elevator and escalator major Otis has been named to Business Insider’s America’s Most Innovative Businesses 2027 list, recognising companies demonstrating strong performance in innovation, technology and research and development.
Otis announced the recognition on September 23, 2026, from Farmington, Connecticut, confirming its inclusion among Business Insider’s America’s Most Innovative Businesses for 2027.
The recognition places Otis among 500 large U.S. companies identified by Business Insider and Plant-A Insights Group for their performance across innovation reputation, technological impact and investment in research and development.
Business Insider’s study screened more than 4,000 publicly traded U.S. companies, examining factors including patent activity, technological innovation, R&D investment and industry reputation. More than 1,600 companies with at least 1,000 employees were also evaluated through a nationwide survey involving over 67,000 professionals and more than 260,000 peer-to-peer evaluations.
Innovation Across Vertical Mobility
For Otis, the recognition comes as the company continues to expand the role of digital technology and connected systems across elevators, escalators and building mobility.
In announcing the recognition, Otis highlighted its focus on digital tools, connected technologies and engineering excellence, with the aim of creating safer, smarter and more seamless experiences for passengers and customers.
The company’s broader innovation strategy includes technologies involving artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, as well as digitally connected elevator systems and tools designed to improve service and customer experience.
These developments reflect a wider shift within the vertical transportation industry, where connectivity, predictive capabilities, digital monitoring and data-led service are increasingly becoming important components of modern elevator systems.
How the Companies Were Evaluated
Business Insider and Plant-A Insights assessed companies across three principal areas: reputation, impact and investment.
The reputation component considered how industry professionals viewed companies in terms of innovation and the adoption of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Technological impact was assessed using patent data from January 2020 through December 2025, including patent citations, industry reach, patent volumes and changes in patent intensity.
The investment component examined company filings between 2020 and 2025 to assess R&D spending, changes in research investment relative to revenue and performance against industry benchmarks. The 500 companies with the highest combined scores across the three areas were included in the final recognition.
Another Recognition for Otis in 2026
The Business Insider recognition adds to a series of corporate and product honours received by Otis.
The company’s awards portfolio now lists America’s Most Innovative Businesses, Business Insider 2027, alongside other recent recognitions covering workplace performance, corporate responsibility, sustainability and product innovation.
Earlier in 2026, Otis also received recognition for products including its Gen3 Comfort elevator and Smart Cab 2.0 solutions, while continuing to introduce connected elevator and modernisation technologies across multiple markets.
Globally, Otis says its systems move approximately 2.5 billion people every day, while the company maintains around 2.5 million customer units worldwide. Its workforce comprises approximately 72,000 people, including around 45,000 field professionals.
The latest Business Insider recognition further highlights the growing importance of technological development within the elevator and escalator sector, as manufacturers increasingly combine traditional engineering with connectivity, digital services, AI and data-driven building mobility solutions.
Source: Otis Elevator Company and Business Insider