In this NYSE Live interview, Barry McCardel, Founder and CEO of Hex, discusses the future of AI-powered analytics, the company's recent funding round, and why it chose to re-architect its platform to meet the demands of an AI-first world.

Kristen Scholer spoke with McCardel about enterprise data analytics, AI agents, software innovation, product development, and the changing landscape of modern business intelligence.

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence and enterprise data. McCardel explains that organizations increasingly want to empower employees with AI-driven access to information while maintaining governance, accuracy, and trust across critical business systems.

The interview also explores the inspiration behind Hex. After years of working with data platforms and analytics tools, McCardel and his co-founders recognized an opportunity to build a new type of analytics environment designed to better serve data professionals and business users alike.

Another major theme is the rapid acceleration of generative AI and agent-based technologies. These capabilities are transforming how organizations generate reports, conduct analyses, build dashboards, and extract insights from increasingly large and complex datasets.

The conversation further examines the importance of governance in AI-powered analytics. As businesses adopt AI tools more broadly, maintaining transparency, reliability, and accountability becomes critical to ensuring high-quality decision-making.

The interview also highlights Hex's decision to redesign significant elements of its platform architecture. McCardel argues that products originally built before the emergence of modern AI agents may require substantial rethinking to fully capitalize on new capabilities.

Another key topic is the growing role of AI-assisted software development. By leveraging coding agents and advanced AI tools, engineering teams can execute ambitious development projects more efficiently while accelerating innovation cycles.

The discussion also addresses Hex's recent $100 million Series D financing. The funding supports the company's efforts to expand its product capabilities and continue investing in AI-native analytics infrastructure.

Additionally, McCardel shares his perspective on the broader software industry. While artificial intelligence may disrupt certain software categories, he believes new opportunities are emerging for platforms that successfully integrate AI into core workflows.

The conversation explores the future of business intelligence, where AI agents, natural language interfaces, and governed data systems increasingly work together to help organizations derive value from information more quickly.

Looking ahead, Hex intends to continue advancing its AI-native platform vision while helping customers navigate the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence, analytics, and enterprise decision-making.

Throughout the discussion, McCardel shares perspectives on artificial intelligence, analytics platforms, enterprise software, data governance, AI agents, business intelligence, venture capital, software development, digital transformation, and innovation.

Disclaimer: Informational content only. NYSE does not endorse or recommend investments, strategies, companies, products, or services discussed.