Firstup Extends AI Leadership With Award-Winning AI Search, Copilot and ChatGPT Integrations, and ISO/IEC 42001:2023 Certification for Responsible AI Governance

Firstup's latest release pairs independently certified AI governance with new Model Context Protocol (MCP) capabilities that bring workforce communications directly into the AI assistants employees already use — extending a year of innovation that has the company on pace to deliver 60% more capability than in 2025

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Firstup, the pioneer of intelligent communication and engagement platforms for the workforce, today introduced its latest platform release, following a first half of award-winning AI innovation that puts the company on track to deliver 60% more capability to customers in 2026 than in 2025. The release meets employees in the tools they already use, connects Firstup to the enterprise systems they rely on, and sharpens the everyday employee experience. Many of the headline release features were drawn directly from Firstup's customer Idea Portal, a reflection of the company's commitment to customer-centricity.

"While much of our industry slows down for the summer, we've increased our pace of innovation," said Bill Schuh, CEO of Firstup. "Through 1H, we delivered 60% more capability than a year ago, including significant advances in AI backed by enterprise-grade quality, availability, and security. Our Q3 release enhances our ability to deliver the right message with the right role-relevant context to the right person at the right place and time—so employees can act on it. That's how communication drives measurable business impact."

ISO/IEC 42001:2023 Certification for Responsible AI Governance

In August, Firstup achieved ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification for its Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS), following an independent audit of the company's approach to governing AI-related activities.

The certification reflects Firstup's structured approach to AI governance, including risk assessment, defined accountability, operational controls, and ongoing monitoring and improvement.

"As AI rapidly evolves, enterprises need credible assurance that the systems they rely on are governed responsibly," said Vinod Malhotra, Chief Technology Officer of Firstup. "ISO/IEC 42001 certification independently validates Firstup's disciplined approach to AI governance, including human oversight, privacy and data protection, transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. It reinforces our commitment to building AI solutions that are not only powerful, but also secure, trustworthy, and designed to scale responsibly."

Firstup Content Inside Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT

Using Model Context Protocol (MCP), employees can search their organization's Firstup communications, topics, and people directly inside Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT—asking questions such as, "Did we announce anything about open enrollment?" and getting the actual company communication, cited, instead of a guess. Every answer is securely scoped to content that the employee already has permission to access in Firstup, preserving existing access controls when Firstup content is surfaced through external AI assistants. Organizations connect Firstup to the enterprise Copilot or ChatGPT they already use, so there is no new tool to roll out.

Fully Connected to Your Systems

The release also delivers efficiency and productivity gains by connecting Firstup to the enterprise systems employees rely on daily, so basic tasks get done in seconds instead of requiring separate logins:

• SAP SuccessFactors Integration – Employees and managers can complete HR tasks inside Firstup, such as submitting time off, approving requests and updating personal details, with every change saved back to SAP automatically
• Dayforce Integration – Employees can view payslips, time-off requests and balances from Dayforce right inside Firstup on web or mobile, delivering a more seamless experience

A Smarter, More Trusted Experience

Rounding out the release are enhancements that personalize, measure, and secure every interaction across the platform:

• Custom Homepage Enhancements – Employees set their own shortcuts, admins keep critical links pinned, and a refreshed layout keeps high-value content above the fold
• AI Search Enhancements – Chat history for employees and a real-time AI Usage Report that gives leaders greater visibility into AI adoption and usage, extending Firstup's award-winning AI Search
• Alias Commenting – Enables users to comment as the brand, a team, or persona with full admin accountability behind the scenes
• Email Reachability Management – A new Email Management page that shows exactly who is unsubscribed and why, with one-click bulk resubscribe

"Employees shouldn't have to hunt through apps to find an answer or finish a task," said Cheryl Chavez, Chief Product Officer of Firstup. "With this release, trusted company content shows up right inside Copilot and ChatGPT, and employees can complete HR tasks like submitting time off without ever leaving Firstup. That's communication that gets things done, in the places people already work."

Co-Designing the Future With Customers

Firstup also announced its Customer Innovation Program, a partnership with key customers to co-design new platform capabilities. The program pairs Firstup product teams directly with enterprise leaders in communications, HR, and IT to shape important new products from concept through release, building on the customer-driven roadmap that powered the first half of 2026.

Recent Recognitions

The release caps a first half of sustained momentum and industry recognition for Firstup's AI-driven innovation:

• Forrester's Total Economic Impact™ study found Firstup's intelligent workforce communications platform delivered $8.9 million in benefits and 398% ROI for a composite organization representative of interviewed customers with experience using Firstup
• Firstup AI Search was named "Overall AI Search Platform of the Year" in the 2026 AI Breakthrough Awards program
• Firstup was named a finalist in The 2026 SaaS Awards in the "Most Innovative SaaS Solution" category
• Firstup won the Lighthouse Tech Award for Employee Experience Platform Innovation

That momentum is matched by scale. Firstup reaches millions of employees across more than 180 countries.

All Q3 features are available today. For more information, visit our blog.

About Firstup

Firstup is the leading platform for intelligent communication and engagement that powers meaningful business outcomes. As a true "mission control" for workforce communications, Firstup is built for organizations with critically important frontline employees, delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. The platform enables hyper-personalized, data-driven journeys across channels (email, mobile, intranet, digital signage and more), bringing alignment, clarity and engagement to every level of the organization.

With integrations to core HR, IT and business systems, Firstup reduces digital noise, surfaces actionable insights, strengthens employee experience and helps clients maximize productivity and retention. Trusted by large enterprises worldwide, Firstup transforms internal communication into measurable impact. Learn more at www.firstup.io.

Media Contact
[email protected]

SOURCE Firstup