NewsEntry Writing

Stratus Awards 2026: Loadsmart and Elise Houlik Lead the Winners

·2 min read

The Stratus Awards for Cloud Computing 2026 recognise Loadsmart, Intuit's Elise Houlik, IBM Cloudability and more. Explore selected results announced on 22 September.

Last checked against official sources: 21 October 2026

* Dates and timings are subject to change, please check directly with the awards organisers.

Business Intelligence Group announced the Stratus Awards for Cloud Computing 2026 winners on 22 September 2026. Loadsmart received the Overall Winner distinction, while Elise Houlik, Chief Privacy Officer at Intuit, was named Overall Individual Winner and received the Cloud for Good Impact Award.

Congratulations to the recognised teams and individuals. The official release separates organisations, products and individual recognition; those distinctions matter when you describe a result.

Selected Results

Organisations

  • Loadsmart: Agentic AI/Autonomous Cloud Operations, with the additional Overall Winner distinction.
  • C&D Technologies: AI Data Center Infrastructure.

Entries Listed Under Products

The organiser's product-results section includes:

  • IBM Cloudability: FinOps/Cloud Cost Optimization.
  • Keepit: Backup/Disaster Recovery/Resilience.
  • ZEDEDA: Edge Computing.

Individual Recognition

  • Elise Houlik, Intuit: Overall Individual Winner and Cloud for Good Impact Award.

This is a selection, not the full winners list. The official announcement also lists finalists separately. Do not present a finalist as a winner, or turn a product's category recognition into an overall company win.

Explain What the Technology Changes

The organiser's commentary emphasises specific work performed by cloud systems, trusted data, governance and resilience. Use those themes as research prompts, not as a substitute for the criteria of an award you plan to enter.

For your own case study, identify the customer or operational problem, the decisions your team made and the outcome you can substantiate. Explain what changed compared with the starting point, how you measured it and whose experience supports the figures. A broad AI label alone does not explain impact.

These are entry-preparation recommendations, not quoted judges' feedback or independent verification of the performance claims in the release. Use Crafting Winning Awards Entries to develop a clear, evidence-led narrative. This report does not announce a future entry round or guarantee eligibility or success.

Sources