The rise of the middle

At re.set, we believe it’s not the company with the most resources that wins — but the one that works best.
And that truth has never felt more relevant than it does today.

For years, the business world has been a battle of extremes. On one side, large corporations with rigid structures and robust processes. On the other, nimble startups, fast-moving and eager to disrupt.

In between, mid-sized companies often seemed stuck — too big to pivot, too small to dominate.
But something has changed.

A new historical moment

We’re witnessing a quiet revolution. Mid-sized companies — with teams of 50, 200 or 500 people — are finding their moment.
They’re not small enough to run on instinct alone, nor so big that they're paralyzed by legacy systems.

They have the agility to move.
The critical mass to implement real change.
And increasingly, access to tools that used to be exclusive to giants.

The key catalyst? Artificial intelligence.

AI: the great equalizer

AI isn’t just a productivity boost. It’s a shift in the rules of the game.
It gives mid-sized companies the power to learn faster, make better decisions, and scale innovation — without bloated systems or complex hierarchies.

What once took teams of analysts now happens in near real-time.
What once needed long approval chains can now be handled by empowered teams.
What once was slow, expensive innovation is now faster, cheaper, and continuous.

AI isn’t just a tool. It’s a new pace of work.
And well-organized mid-sized companies are uniquely positioned to take advantage.

What does AI enable organizationally?

• More equitable access to knowledge

• Real capacity to experiment and improve weekly

• A culture of accessible data, not data silos

• More distributed, continuous, and human-centered innovation

Companies that prove the point

Tony’s Chocolonely and Drip Capital are great examples.
They’re not competing on scale, but on clarity, purpose, and operational intelligence.

Tony’s has built a global brand with an ethical and efficient supply chain — showing how to scale social impact without losing focus or agility.
Drip Capital is transforming trade finance by using AI to cut bureaucracy and extend access — moving faster and doing more with less.

Both are punching above their weight.
Not because they have more — but because they work better.

What high-performing mid-sized companies do differently

They don’t aim to look like anyone else.
They aim to be relevant, coherent, and sustainable in the way they operate.

What about you?

If you’re a mid-sized company, this may be your moment.
Not to imitate the big players. Not to play the startup game.
But to build something of your own: agile, ambitious, human — and ready to evolve every single day.

Because in this new era, it’s not the ones with the most who win.
It’s the ones who work better, learn faster, and aren’t afraid to change.

The question isn’t whether you can compete.
The question is: are you ready to move?