Australian AI firms are embedding into the operational core of US industries.Companies like Pro Medicus and BrainChip are winning contracts in healthcare and defence by delivering real-time performance and efficiency gains.Melbourne-founded Restoke.ai has quadrupled revenue in under a year, signing 400+ US venues Special Report: Australian artificial intelligence companies are gaining ground in the world’s most competitive technology market, with a growing cohort scaling revenue in the US across healthcare, hospitality and enterprise software.What links them is a clear operational focus. Rather than chasing consumer applications, these businesses are targeting industries under pressure and delivering tools that lift margins, productivity or performance in real time.Healthcare scale in North AmericaProMedicus (ASX:PME) has built one of the strongest healthcare software stories on the Australian market. Its Visage imaging platform uses advanced algorithms to process and stream large radiology datasets and is now embedded across leading US hospital systems.North America accounts for the bulk of Pro Medicus’ revenue, supported by long-term contracts with major academic and private health networks.Winning large US hospital deals has positioned the company as a rare Australian technology exporter competing head-to-head with established global incumbents in mission-critical clinical infrastructure.Its success reflects a broader theme: US enterprises are willing to adopt offshore AI platforms when they deliver measurable workflow and performance gains.Edge AI and defence demandBrainChip Holdings (ASX:BRN) is pursuing a different but equally strategic path into the US market. Its neuromorphic AI processor, Akida, is designed for low-power, on-device machine learning.The technology has attracted interest across aerospace, defence and automotive sectors, where demand for edge AI capability continues to expand.In these environments, efficiency and real-time decision-making at the device level are commercially and strategically important.By focusing on specialised industrial and defence use cases rather than mass-market applications, BrainChip has aligned itself with segments of the US economy investing heavily in advanced computing capability.Restaurant intelligence under pressureThe same operational theme is evident in hospitality. Melbourne-founded Restoke.ai has carved out a niche in what it describes as “restaurant intelligence”. The company entered the US as tariffs, inflation and supply chain volatility intensified pressure on American operators.Restaurants in the US typically run on margins of 3% to 5%. Rising input costs for beef, produce, coffee, aluminium and kitchen equipment left many struggling to forecast costs even a week ahead.Restoke integrates with existing point-of-sale, accounting and inventory systems to provide real-time visibility into margins, cost of goods sold and wastage.Since launching in the US, it has signed more than 400 venues, with America now accounting for roughly 20% of company growth. Global revenue has quadrupled in under a year.US venues using the platform report an average uplift of about US$22,000 a month in margin within six months, alongside a 10% to 15% reduction in cost of goods sold.Chief executive Assaf Stizki, a former chef who relocated to Austin to lead expansion, says volatility has accelerated adoption.“Restaurants aren’t failing because demand has disappeared,” he said. “They’re failing because cost volatility has become impossible to manage manually.”The company recently launched what it describes as “agentic restaurant intelligence”. This AI tool not only flags problems, such as supplier price anomalies, but can also automatically take action, such as adjusting menus in real time across multi-venue groups.Product development has been supported by the $5.1 million Restoke raised in seed funding in 2024 from Rampersand, Mandalay Venture Partners, Archangels and US-based funds, backing a strategy focused on international expansion..“There’s been a belief that hospitality can’t be systemised,” co-founder Ken Brand said. “What’s changing is that the economics now demand it.”This article was developed in collaboration with Restoke.ai, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.Originally published as Australian AI exporters win US market share as operational tech drives margin growth