Howdy has been honored as a "Top Software Vendor" for the summer of 2026 by Ramp Economics Lab. We placed on the "Trending" list for the Freelance and Labor Marketplace category.
About Ramp's Top Software Vendors series
Ramp Economics Lab is the research arm of fintech company Ramp, led by economist Ara Kharazian. Ramp's Top Software Vendors series is built from Ramp Rate, the company's data-backed vendor directory, using payment activity from over 70,000 businesses on Ramp's platform.
Other honorees include AI infrastructure platforms like DeepSeek, Together AI, and Fireworks AI. Howdy, a global hiring company, is the only team-building company on the Trending list.
Why Howdy made the list
Today, AI coding tools can write functions on command. The value has shifted to devs who understand the business, know what's worth building, and can judge whether AI's output is right (or merely confident-sounding).
"Companies are not choosing between AI and engineers. They are building with both, and the data shows it," said Jacqueline Samira, Founder and CEO of Howdy. "Seeing Howdy on this list next to model providers like DeepSeek and inference platforms like Together AI and Fireworks AI confirms what our clients already know. The AI stack is only as good as the engineers deploying it, and those engineers are the scarcest, most valuable part of the stack."
The Howdy difference
Howdy is built to find the engineers this moment calls for. We connect businesses with professionals who combine tech skills with judgment and ownership. Here's how we do it:
Vetted by psychologists
Every Howdy professional is sourced and vetted by a team of psychologists trained as recruiters. Our recruitment team is built to assess judgment and fit in addition to skills.
Matched for skill and fit
Professionals are matched to roles based on how they'll work with a team. We look past the resume to find engineers who fit your culture and pace.
A 98% retention rate
In an industry notorious for high churn, Howdy is proud of our 98% retention rate. Teams stay intact over time, so companies aren't rebuilding institutional knowledge every few months.
Pradeepta Dash, CTO of Exceeds AI, built his engineering team through Howdy and has evaluated talent vendors for close to two decades. He places Howdy in the top 5% of every vendor he's worked with.
"I can depend on these guys to own the product, understand the product, and also take on tasks pretty independently," Dash says.
The takeaway
Companies are spending more on AI infrastructure and on the engineers who deploy it. Howdy fills this gap with experienced engineers who direct AI tools and own the result.
Looking for AI-native engineers who own outcomes? Talk to Howdy about building your team.
