Brands to watch: Bain & Company unveils its 10th annual Insurgent Brands list

Insurgents continue to drive outsized growth and disruptive innovation across categories in the fast-moving consumer goods sector

Middle East, March 30, 2026: Bain & Company published its 2026 Insurgent Brands list, the firm’s 10th annual record of the brands redefining growth in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. This year’s list identifies 113 insurgent brands, including 31 newcomers, spanning categories such as food, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and beauty and personal care. 

Insurgent brands captured nearly 36% of growth in NielsenIQ-tracked channels across all FMCG categories in 2025, a sharp increase from roughly 23% in 2024, despite accounting for less than 2% of total market share. These companies grew volumes by approximately 55% year over year even while overall market volumes remained flat, demonstrating that insurgents’ growth reflects real consumer demand and not just price inflation. 

Collaboration pairs IBM Consulting’s quantum safe transformation expertise with Bain’s market leading capabilities in due diligence

Middle East—March 17, 2026. Bain & Company today announced it will work with IBM to deliver expertise to private equity and corporate clients on post-quantum cryptography risks and strategic mitigations.

The strategic collaboration brings together the companies’ deep cybersecurity expertise including IBM Consulting’s quantum-safe transformation services and Bain’s market-leading capabilities in diligence to provide clients a state-of-the-art assessment of resilience in the fast-emerging post-quantum world. This will enable clients to take vital mitigation measures and integrate PQC into strategic and operational plans.