Lattice, the San Francisco‑based provider of a unified people‑management suite, announced on 31 March 2026 that it has purchased the AI‑native coaching technology developed by Mandala. The deal also brings Mandala’s founder and CEO, Tarun Galagali, into Lattice’s leadership team to spearhead the creation of new artificial‑intelligence features across its platform.
The move is framed as a cornerstone of Lattice’s “People + AI” strategy, which aims to embed generative‑AI assistance directly into performance‑management workflows. By integrating Mandala’s neuroscience‑backed coaching capabilities, Lattice intends to offer a broader spectrum of AI‑enabled tools for organizations at any stage of AI adoption—from early experimenters to firms that have already deployed large‑scale models.
From Coaching Labs to Enterprise Suites
Mandala, a startup that delivers AI‑powered coaching through Slack, has trained more than 3,000 leaders at institutions such as UC Berkeley, Ohio State University and corporations including Google, Microsoft, Grow Therapy, and Pendo. Its methodology, co‑developed with Dr. Michael Platt of Wharton’s Neuroscience Initiative, blends behavioral science with real‑time digital interaction.
Galagali will now oversee the integration of those capabilities into Lattice’s existing product stack, which already includes the Lattice AI Agent—a conversational assistant that surfaces performance insights and suggestions within the flow of work. The combined offering is expected to shift managers from passive data consumers to proactive decision‑makers, according to Lattice’s chief executive.
Market Context: AI’s Growing Role in Human Resources
Industry analysts predict a rapid escalation in AI‑driven HR functions. Gartner projects that by 2030, 50 % of current HR activities will be automated or performed by AI agents. The adoption curve appears to be steepening: a recent survey indicated that 61 % of HR leaders were in advanced stages of generative‑AI implementation in early 2024, up from 19 % in 2023, while 82 % of respondents said they intended to roll out agentic AI capabilities within the year.
These figures suggest a shift from legacy, retrospective performance‑management tools toward proactive, AI‑augmented systems that can deliver real‑time coaching, calibration, and alignment. Lattice’s acquisition positions it to compete with other enterprise talent platforms that are beginning to embed large‑language‑model (LLM) services, but Lattice differentiates itself by emphasizing a neuroscience‑grounded coaching layer rather than a purely data‑driven recommendation engine.
Technical Perspective: From Data to Action
Lattice’s existing architecture already aggregates performance metrics, goal tracking, engagement surveys, and compensation data into a unified data lake. The integration of Mandala’s coaching engine adds a contextual inference layer that can interpret these signals in light of behavioral science principles. By leveraging the Lattice AI Agent, the combined solution can surface personalized prompts—such as suggested feedback topics or development pathways—directly within Slack or other collaboration tools.
From an engineering standpoint, the challenge lies in aligning Mandala’s real‑time coaching models with Lattice’s multi‑tenant data pipelines while preserving data privacy and compliance. The company has indicated that the new AI‑native features will be “safely and securely” grounded in each organization’s context, suggesting the use of on‑premises or encrypted cloud deployment options for enterprise customers with strict governance requirements.
Customer Reactions
Early adopters have already voiced approval of Lattice’s direction. Jessica Jolley, Vice President of People Development & Strategy at Pendo, praised the platform’s ability to blend “personalized coaching with practical tools managers can use in real time.” Similarly, JD Slaughter, Group Vice President of Organizational Development & Effectiveness at Huge, highlighted the reduction of “unnecessary feedback burdens” while maintaining impactful manager‑employee conversations.
Looking Ahead
Tarun Galagali, who previously held senior roles at Google, Verily (Alphabet’s life‑sciences arm) and Talkspace, will guide the next phase of Lattice’s AI roadmap. In addition to his work at Lattice, Galagali is co‑author of *PAUSE*, a leadership book slated for a 2027 release with Hachette, and contributes thought leadership on AI and management to Forbes.
The acquisition signals Lattice’s ambition to become a one‑stop shop for AI‑enhanced talent management, competing with both traditional HRIS vendors and newer AI‑first platforms. As enterprises increasingly demand tools that can translate data into actionable coaching at scale, Lattice’s expanded suite may set a benchmark for how behavioral science can be operationalized through generative AI.
