Lattice Acquires Mandala Technology to Build the Industry's First AI-Native People Intelligence Platform
Talent Management / Learning / Content Management | 4 min read
Lattice, the people platform where people and AI succeed together, has announced the acquisition of Mandala's AI-native coaching technology and the addition of its founder, Tarun Galagali, to the Lattice team. The acquisition marks a significant step in Lattice's People + AI strategy — bringing an AI-native intelligence layer grounded in neuroscience directly into its platform, and positioning Lattice to create what it describes as the industry's first AI-native people intelligence platform. Galagali will lead the development of new AI-native capabilities within Lattice's people platform, serving customers at every stage of AI adoption — from beginners to advanced users.
"Most platforms tell you what happened. We're building the layer that tells you what to do next. By bringing AI-native capabilities directly into the platform, we're helping managers lead better in real time by connecting people performance to business outcomes in a way that's never been possible before. This is how we make work meaningful for everyone."
— Sarah Franklin, CEO, Lattice
Who Is Tarun Galagali and What Is Mandala?
At Mandala, Galagali trained thousands of leaders across top universities, companies, and high-growth startups — including UC Berkeley, Ohio State University, Google, Microsoft, Grow Therapy, and Pendo. His leadership development methodology is grounded in neuroscience, developed in close collaboration with Dr. Michael Platt, Head of Wharton's Neuroscience Initiative. This scientific foundation is what distinguishes Mandala's approach from conventional coaching platforms — translating neuroscience research into practical, AI-delivered leadership development that produces measurable behaviour change rather than generic content consumption.
"Lattice has already built an incredible suite of products — a proven platform that thousands of HR leaders already trust. What I'm excited to continue building is an AI-native intelligence layer grounded in neuroscience and designed to feel human: the piece that translates people data into actual behaviour change and leadership evolution."
— Tarun Galagali, Founder, Mandala (joining Lattice)
What This Builds On: Lattice's AI and Performance Foundation
The acquisition builds on Lattice's existing foundation of performance data, engagement insights, and AI innovation — including the Lattice AI Agent, which aligns teams and coaches managers in the flow of work. By being among the first to build AI-native solutions incorporating data for on-demand reviews and calibration, Lattice's platform frees up time for managers to be more connected, insightful, and impactful — shifting from reactive performance tracking to real-time, actionable people intelligence. Unlike traditional performance management solutions that offer rearview, retrospective approaches, the combined Lattice and Mandala capability delivers insights grounded in live company context and translated directly into leadership behaviour recommendations.
The Market Context: AI Is Transforming HR at Pace
The acquisition arrives at a pivotal moment for the HR technology sector. Gartner projects that by 2030, 50% of current HR activities will be AI-automated or performed by AI agents — fundamentally transforming HR's roles and workflows. As of early 2025, 61% of HR leaders were already in advanced stages of implementing generative AI, a dramatic leap from just 19% in 2023, and 82% had planned to deploy agentic AI capabilities over the subsequent year. For Lattice, the Mandala acquisition positions it to meet that demand — serving HR leaders not just with data infrastructure but with an AI-native coaching and intelligence layer designed to change how managers actually lead, day to day.
Key Takeaways
- • Lattice has acquired Mandala's AI-native coaching technology and its founder Tarun Galagali, who will lead the development of new AI-native capabilities within Lattice's people platform — creating what Lattice describes as the industry's first AI-native people intelligence platform.
- • Mandala's methodology is grounded in neuroscience — developed in collaboration with Dr. Michael Platt, Head of Wharton's Neuroscience Initiative — and has been applied at UC Berkeley, Ohio State University, Google, Microsoft, Grow Therapy, and Pendo, training thousands of leaders.
- • The acquisition extends Lattice's existing AI foundation — including its Lattice AI Agent that coaches managers in the flow of work — by adding a neuroscience-backed intelligence layer that translates people data into real behaviour change and leadership evolution, not just reporting.
- • The strategic shift is from rearview performance management ("telling you what happened") to real-time, actionable intelligence ("telling you what to do next") — connecting people performance directly to business outcomes in the flow of work.
- • Gartner projects 50% of HR activities will be AI-automated by 2030; 61% of HR leaders were already in advanced GenAI implementation stages as of early 2025 (up from 19% in 2023) — placing Lattice's acquisition squarely at the centre of the sector's most urgent strategic transition.