1 in 5 AI Projects Fail Outright. 8ALTA Launches to Catch That Before the Contract Is Signed

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, August 20, 2026 - Most companies get their first real assessment of an AI opportunity from the vendor trying to sell them the product. 8ALTA, a new AI decision-support firm, says that's the core problem it exists to fix, offering independent, fixed-fee assessments for boards and executive teams before any capital or credibility is on the line.

The timing follows fresh data on how often AI projects go sideways. Gartner research published in April 2026 found that only 28% of AI use cases in infrastructure and operations achieve ROI expectations, while 20% fail outright. Of the leaders who reported a failure, 57% pointed to unrealistic expectations set at the start, with skill gaps and poor data quality close behind.

"Vendors are good at selling solutions. They're not the ones who should be defining the problem," said Kristine Koed, CEO of 8ALTA. "By the time most executive teams get independent scrutiny on an AI initiative, the budget is already spent and the credibility is already on the line. We built 8ALTA to sit in front of that decision, not after it."

8ALTA works under a "Clarity Before Commitment" model: three fixed-fee engagements, no vendor commissions, no hidden costs. A Clarity Session delivers an independent assessment, problem statement, and ROI model. A Strategy Blueprint adds a roadmap and board-ready presentation materials. A Launch Package extends that into vendor proposal review and a formal risk register. Every engagement is designed to give leadership a defensible answer to the question "should we do this, and with whom" before a vendor contract is signed.

The firm's leadership team spans enterprise IT and AI, including Ricardo Casanova as Chief AI Officer, Jamie Fisher as Chief Growth Officer, and David Kleber as CTO, with partners running regional offices across Denmark, Canada, and Asia Pacific.

"AI vendors are moving fast, and boards are under pressure to move just as fast," said Jamie Fisher, Chief Growth Officer at 8ALTA. "The firms that win this next stretch won't be the ones who commit first. They'll be the ones who commit correctly."

8ALTA is now taking on new engagements. More information is available at www.8alta.com.

Media Contact
Jamie Fisher
Chief Growth Officer, 8ALTA
Copenhagen, DK
jamie@8alta.com
+447300192131
www.8alta.com

About 8ALTA
8ALTA provides independent AI decision-making support for boards, founders, and executive teams.
Operating on a fixed-fee, vendor-neutral basis, the firm helps organizations build the evidence, ownership structure, and roadmap needed to make defensible AI investment decisions, with offices in Denmark, Canada, and Asia Pacific.

This release was published on openPR.