City Hive, the all-in-one commerce and marketing platform for the three-tier alcohol industry, has announced a major milestone: over $1 billion in annual B2B payments processed through its platform, just 526 days after launching its payment system. The achievement highlights a fundamental shift in how wholesalers, distributors, and retailers transact, reconcile, and report payments in a highly regulated market.

Unlike traditional payment solutions, City Hive’s system is embedded directly within its platform, giving administrators granular data access where every dollar is tied to a license, invoice, and compliance record — automatically reconciled in real time.

“Surpassing $1 billion in annual B2B payments isn’t just a number,” said Roi Kliper, CEO of City Hive. “It validates that the wholesale alcohol industry was ready for infrastructure built to work with its regulatory framework, not around it. Payments should always have been embedded, compliant, and tied to every license and invoice.”

Built for the U.S. Three-Tier System

City Hive’s platform serves as a comprehensive wholesale solution designed specifically for the U.S. three-tier alcohol system, operating seamlessly across traditional wholesale networks and the 17 control states. The system prioritizes data integrity, brand sovereignty, and compliance, offering flexibility to function either as an integrated connection to an existing ERP or as a full ERP itself.

Looking ahead to 2026, the platform will introduce a local AI chat feature for distributors, enabling instant operational support for stores. This initiative is part of City Hive’s broader Data Driven Commerce strategy, leveraging over 12 billion tracked transactions across suppliers, wholesalers, and retailers.

Unlike marketplace-style platforms that aggregate multiple retailers under a shared storefront, City Hive is a true white-label solution: every storefront, transaction, and data record remains tied to the licensed operator, preserving brand identity.

$1 Billion in Smart Volume

The milestone reflects transactions across 54,000+ active merchants in 44 states, with each payment carrying structured data on product, license, invoice, and counterparty. For wholesale administrators and compliance officers, this embedded architecture reduces overhead, minimizes reconciliation exceptions, and creates a defensible, auditable record at the SKU and license level — something external batch ACH processing cannot match.

“The question was never whether the wholesale industry needed to modernize,” said Roi Kliper. “It was whether anyone would build the right foundation to do it on. Embedded payments, real-time reconciliation, and full compliance data at the SKU level — that’s the foundation. Everything else builds on top of it.”

City Hive plans to showcase its platform at the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) Annual Conference in May 2026, demonstrating how embedded payments, ERP integrations, and full compliance visibility are helping operators modernize digital infrastructure without sacrificing brand control or regulatory compliance.

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Tata Elxsi, a global leader in design and technology services, has launched DevStudio.ai, a multi-agent AI solution designed to accelerate the automotive software development lifecycle (SDLC) for OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and semiconductor companies. Purpose-built for automotive engineering, the platform addresses the complexity, safety, and compliance demands unique to the industry.

Unlike general-purpose generative AI tools, DevStudio.ai is ASPICE-aligned and supports all stages of the V-cycle, from requirements and architecture to implementation, testing, and qualification. The platform maintains end-to-end traceability and integrates with widely used engineering toolchains, allowing teams to embed AI “co-engineers” directly into existing workflows.

A standout feature is DevStudio.ai’s deployment flexibility: it operates on both cloud-based infrastructure and air-gapped on-premise environments, ensuring compliance with enterprise AI and security policies.

“The automotive industry is at an inflection point,” said Sundar Ganapathi, CTO – Automotive, Tata Elxsi. “Competitive pressures now demand software development at China speed. DevStudio.ai brings the power of generative AI into the automotive SDLC, enabling OEMs and suppliers to accelerate development while maintaining the rigor required for safety-critical systems.”

Early deployments of DevStudio.ai are already underway in North America, Japan, and India, spanning body, chassis, infotainment, and software-defined vehicle (SDV) architectures. Early results indicate noticeable speed-to-market improvements and productivity gains, validating the platform’s design for automotive-specific challenges.

Pallavi Dalal, Head – Automotive GenAI and AI Practice at Tata Elxsi, added, “DevStudio.ai is the culmination of intensive collaboration between our automotive domain experts and generative AI specialists. Our vision is an AI co-engineer working alongside every engineer, from OEMs to Tier-1 suppliers. By partnering with leading GenAI companies and hyperscalers, we’re building a future-forward platform for automotive engineering.”

With the launch of DevStudio.ai, Tata Elxsi positions itself at the forefront of AI-driven automotive innovation, offering a tool that merges generative AI capabilities with the rigorous safety and compliance demands of modern vehicle software development.

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PulsePoint, the technology company reshaping health marketing, has expanded its omnichannel capabilities with a new integration on Reddit, enabling healthcare marketers to target healthcare professionals (HCPs) directly while coordinating campaigns across PulsePoint’s full ecosystem.

The move taps into a growing trend: HCPs increasingly engage on social platforms to connect with peers, discuss clinical questions, and consume educational content. With PulsePoint’s Audience Manager, marketers can build dynamic, verified HCP segments based on clinical intent, digital interests, and brand relevance — then activate them seamlessly on Reddit.

Campaigns on Reddit through PulsePoint offer:

• Self-serve activation in a high-engagement social channel used by a broad U.S. HCP audience

• Omnichannel orchestration, connecting Reddit campaigns with programmatic display, EHR platforms, DOOH, and other social channels

• NPI-level measurement, providing actionable insights including profession, referral source, and detailed site activity

• Optimized audience intelligence, improving social ROI and campaign outcomes

“Healthcare professionals are increasingly turning to community platforms to explore clinical topics, evaluate new therapies, and engage in peer-to-peer discussion,” said Ezra Suveyke, Chief Product Officer at PulsePoint. “This integration gives brands the ability to engage HCPs on Reddit in a way that’s informed by their behavior across all channels.”

PulsePoint’s timing is strategic. In Q4 2025, daily active users on Reddit rose 19% year over year, with views on health topics up 61% year over year. Clinically focused communities such as r/medicine provide fertile ground for professionals staying informed, sharing insights, and debating trends.

For marketers seeking more than standard social metrics, PulsePoint offers HCP365, which delivers granular, NPI-specific insights across channels — from site visits and search activity to email engagement — providing a comprehensive picture of HCP behavior and campaign impact.

With Reddit now in the mix, PulsePoint positions itself as a go-to platform for healthcare brands seeking to combine precise HCP targeting with full omnichannel visibility, ensuring campaigns are both measurable and meaningful.

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Three leading luxury marketing firms — North & Warren, the digital and media powerhouse; Quinn, the award-winning strategic communications agency; and Interluxe Group, a leader in brand experiences and in-person activations — have officially merged under the Interluxe Group brand. The integration forms a full-service, luxury-focused marketing agency that combines proprietary audience data with media, communications, digital marketing, and experiential solutions.

The unified Interluxe Group aims to provide luxury brands with precision targeting and creative execution across earned media, performance marketing, experiential activations, and strategic communications. By connecting data-driven insights with immersive storytelling, the agency promises to help brands drive acquisition, loyalty, engagement, and advocacy — all with measurable outcomes.

“Our merger simplifies complexity for luxury brands while expanding possibilities across media, communications, and experiential,” said Nick Van Sicklen, Founder & CEO of Interluxe Group. “This integration allows us to deliver both scale and craft with measurable results.”

The newly combined agency now boasts 130+ team members across North America and Europe, led by an experienced executive team: Nick Van Sicklen (Founder & CEO), Matt Carroll (Founder & Chief Commercial Officer), Maneesh K. Goyal (President, Experiential & Executive Chairman), Jay Meyer (President, Lifestyle Media), and Florence Quinn (President, Strategic Communications).

“Experiences sit at the heart of how luxury brands build emotional connection and long-term loyalty,” said Maneesh K. Goyal. “This unified platform allows us to seamlessly connect storytelling, media, and live experiences in a way that feels intentional and immersive.”

The merger builds on Interluxe Group’s vision of a modern, full-service agency purpose-built for luxury brands seeking to engage high-net-worth audiences effectively. By combining strategic communications, digital marketing, and live experiences within a single ecosystem, the agency positions itself as a go-to partner for brands across travel, hospitality, automotive, fashion, jewelry, beauty, and home design sectors.

Supporting this expansion, Interluxe Group received a strategic investment in January 2025 from Mountaingate Capital, a Colorado-based private equity firm, aimed at fueling growth and solidifying the agency’s leadership in the luxury marketing space.

“Integrating under the Interluxe Group brand allows us to deliver best-in-class solutions with cohesion and a seamless way for luxury brands to connect with their most valuable audiences,” added Matt Carroll, Founder & Chief Commercial Officer.

With this merger, Interluxe Group seeks to redefine how luxury brands engage with affluent audiences, combining intelligence, creativity, and immersive experiences in one unified platform — a model likely to influence the next wave of luxury marketing strategy.

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Guideline, a leading provider of Ad Intelligence and Media Plan Management technology, has unveiled its Media Plan Management MCP Server, a new product that allows advertising agencies, media buyers, and enterprise clients to connect their own AI agents directly to Guideline’s platform. Built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — the emerging open standard for agentic AI connectivity — the server is the first in a planned series of MCP-enabled capabilities from the company.

Traditionally, media planning has been a patchwork of disconnected systems, with teams manually exporting data and compiling reports across multiple platforms. As campaigns grow in complexity across markets and channels, the need for faster, integrated workflows has become urgent. The MCP Server addresses this by offering a plug-and-play connection between any MCP-compatible AI agent — whether Claude, ChatGPT, or proprietary internal tools — and Guideline’s media plan management suite, no custom integration required.

Once connected, planners and buyers can interact with media plans conversationally, asking natural-language questions about campaign status, budgets, vendor performance, or plan-to-actual comparisons. The AI agent can instantly provide actionable insights, consolidate multi-campaign data, and generate performance summaries — all without leaving the chat interface. The server provides secure, read-only access, ensuring sensitive data remains protected.

“The complexity of modern media planning is skyrocketing, and agencies are increasingly turning to AI to manage it,” said Vincent Mifsud, CEO of Guideline. “Our MCP Server positions Guideline at the center of this transformation, giving clients AI-native infrastructure to streamline workflows, make faster decisions, and focus human talent on strategy rather than manual processes.”

The MCP standard, originally developed by Anthropic and now supported by OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, has become a widely adopted framework for connecting AI agents to external tools. Analysts project that 75% of enterprise gateway vendors will integrate MCP by the end of 2026. By building on this open standard, Guideline ensures broad compatibility and future-proof connectivity.

Steve Silvers, Guideline’s Chief Product Officer, called the launch a “pivotal moment” in the company’s agentic AI strategy, highlighting that the MCP Server is just the first of several AI-native capabilities planned across the media plan management suite. The goal: allow agencies and brands to deploy AI agents across every stage of media planning and buying without traditional integration headaches.

For agencies, the implications are significant. Instead of toggling between platforms, manually compiling reports, or waiting for analytics cycles, planners can engage AI agents in multi-step analysis, retrieving, consolidating, and interpreting media plan data across campaigns, clients, and markets — all in a single conversational workflow.

With AI-driven workflows now integrated into the media planning backbone, Guideline is betting that

agentic AI will become as essential to agencies as spreadsheets once were, redefining how marketing operations teams plan, execute, and optimize campaigns.

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In a crowded field of sales tech giants, Consensus, the AI-powered demo automation platform, has earned a spot in G2’s Top 5 Sales Software companies for 2026 — standing out as the only demo automation platform recognized alongside Salesforce, HubSpot, Gong, and PandaDoc.

This nod isn’t just a trophy. It signals the arrival of Demo-Led Growth as a legitimate GTM strategy. While Salesforce defined CRM, HubSpot made inbound marketing ubiquitous, and Gong brought conversation intelligence into the mainstream, Consensus is pioneering a new category: always-on, intelligent demos that sell for you.

Consensus allows revenue teams to deliver interactive demos 24/7. Each session captures deep buyer intent and stakeholder data — who watched, what they engaged with, and who they shared it with. That intelligence feeds directly to sales reps, giving them a precise roadmap to close deals faster.

"Demo automation has been the best-kept secret of winning GTM teams for years," said Betty Mok, SVP of Marketing at Consensus. "Being named alongside Salesforce, Gong, and HubSpot isn’t a badge — it’s a signal that Demo-Led Growth separates winners from everyone else."

Unlike traditional sales processes that rely on rep availability and performance, Consensus scales demo delivery without sacrificing insight. Users report measurable improvements in engagement, demo completion rates, and pipeline velocity — a clear indication that automated, intent-driven demos can accelerate conversion in ways static presentations never could.

Industry analysts see this as part of a broader shift in B2B sales tech. Companies are moving beyond one-off demos or static content. Platforms like Consensus provide dynamic, data-rich buyer experiences that link marketing intent directly to sales outcomes. In other words, the era of hoping your reps deliver a perfect demo every time is over. The era of intelligent, scalable, 24/7 demo experiences is officially here.

For GTM teams, this recognition from G2 could mark a turning point. As more organizations adopt Demo-Led Growth, the tech landscape may start to look less like a collection of isolated tools and more like integrated, experience-first revenue platforms — with Consensus leading the charge.

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Global supply chain platform Avetta has been named to the The Hackett Group 50 to Know for 2025–2026, an annual assessment recognizing technology providers shaping the future of procurement.

The recognition comes from The Hackett Group, a global strategy and operations consultancy known for benchmarking enterprise performance and evaluating emerging technology trends across procurement, finance, and supply chain operations.

Avetta was selected from roughly 220 procurement technology providers worldwide, following an evaluation process conducted by Hackett’s Solution Intelligence analysts. The review included product briefings, demonstrations, year-round market monitoring, and direct engagement with vendors.

The list highlights companies that are pushing the procurement technology market forward, whether through innovation, market adoption, or the ability to deliver measurable business outcomes.

A Competitive Procurement Technology Landscape

Procurement technology has become one of the fastest-evolving segments in enterprise software. As supply chains grow more complex and risk-prone, organizations are turning to digital platforms that provide greater visibility into supplier performance, compliance, and operational readiness.

The Hackett Group’s annual “50 to Know” report reflects that shift. The consultancy evaluates vendors based on a data-driven framework covering technology capabilities, solution maturity, innovation, customer adoption, and market impact.

In its latest assessment, Hackett analysts noted that AI capabilities are now widely embedded across procurement platforms, raising the bar for differentiation. Vendors are increasingly judged not simply on their technical features, but on their ability to translate innovation into practical results for enterprises.

“Organizations evaluating procurement technology investments often use these lists as a starting point,” said Nikhil Gaur, Director of Strategic Projects and Research Analyst at The Hackett Group. According to Gaur, the growing density of the market means that standout vendors must demonstrate both innovation and tangible business impact.

Avetta’s Focus: “Intelligent Work Readiness”

Avetta’s platform centers on a concept it calls intelligent work readiness, which combines AI-driven insights with operational data to help organizations assess supplier risk and readiness across global supply chains.

The platform is designed to help procurement teams answer a critical question: Are suppliers truly ready to perform safely, securely, and compliantly before work begins?

To address that challenge, Avetta aggregates supplier information across safety, sustainability, regulatory compliance, and operational capabilities. The platform then uses AI-based insights to surface risks and readiness gaps across a company’s vendor network.

CEO Arshad Matin said the recognition reflects Avetta’s approach to helping organizations manage complex supplier ecosystems.

“The Hackett Group is a highly respected voice on global procurement strategies and enterprise operations,” Matin said. “This recognition reinforces our focus on helping organizations build supply chains that are truly ready to work—capable, trusted partners aligned on safety, security, and sustainability.”

Bridging the Global “Readiness Gap”

One of the central themes in Avetta’s positioning is the “global readiness gap.” The company argues that the pace of operational risk—from regulatory changes to safety incidents—often moves faster than organizations can respond.

Procurement teams, which historically focused on cost control and vendor sourcing, are increasingly responsible for managing:

• Worker safety and compliance

• Environmental and sustainability requirements

• Cybersecurity risks in vendor networks

• Operational reliability across distributed supply chains

Platforms like Avetta aim to close this gap by giving procurement teams continuous visibility into supplier readiness, allowing them to identify risks before they disrupt operations.

Benefits for Buyers and Suppliers

Avetta’s platform is structured to support both sides of the supply chain equation.

For enterprise hiring clients, the network provides a centralized environment to vet suppliers and contractors. The goal is to ensure work is performed safely and compliantly across complex projects and geographically dispersed operations.

For suppliers, the platform acts as a gateway into large enterprise ecosystems. Avetta provides training resources, compliance guidance, and AI-driven insights designed to help suppliers meet the requirements of major buyers.

In theory, the approach reduces friction in supplier onboarding while also improving safety and compliance outcomes.

AI’s Expanding Role in Procurement Platforms

The Hackett Group’s evaluation highlights a broader trend across enterprise software: AI is rapidly becoming a baseline capability rather than a differentiator.

Many procurement platforms now use machine learning to:

• Assess supplier risk

• Automate compliance checks

• Predict disruptions in supply chains

• Optimize sourcing decisions

The challenge for vendors is demonstrating that those AI capabilities translate into real-world benefits—something analysts increasingly emphasize when evaluating solutions.

According to Hackett’s analysts, the procurement technology market is becoming crowded, making it harder for vendors to stand out without clear proof of impact.

Why Recognition Lists Still Matter

Industry rankings and “top vendor” lists can sometimes feel like marketing exercises. But in procurement technology—where organizations must sift through hundreds of vendors—they often serve a practical purpose.

Enterprise buyers frequently use these reports as shortlists when evaluating new technology investments, particularly in complex areas like supplier risk management and compliance.

Being included in the “50 to Know” list therefore places Avetta among a group of vendors that analysts believe are worth watching as procurement technology continues to evolve.

The Bigger Picture: Procurement as a Strategic Function

The recognition also reflects a larger shift happening inside enterprises. Procurement, once viewed primarily as a back-office function, is increasingly seen as a strategic driver of resilience and operational continuity.

Supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and regulatory scrutiny have pushed procurement teams into a more prominent role.

Technology platforms that can deliver real-time supplier intelligence, automated compliance workflows, and scalable risk management are quickly becoming central to that transformation.

For vendors like Avetta, the opportunity lies in helping enterprises move from reactive risk management to proactive supplier readiness.

And as AI becomes more deeply embedded across procurement software, the companies that succeed will likely be those that can translate algorithms into operational confidence across global supply networks.

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Marketing technology firm AppLovin is set to appear at the upcoming Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in San Francisco, where company executives will discuss strategy, market trends, and the evolving digital advertising landscape.

The session will take the form of a fireside chat scheduled for March 4 at 8:30 a.m. PT, offering investors and industry watchers an opportunity to hear directly from one of the fastest-growing players in mobile marketing infrastructure.

For a company that has steadily expanded its footprint across ad tech, app monetization, and performance marketing, the appearance comes at a moment when the mobile advertising ecosystem is undergoing significant transformation.

A Platform Built for Performance Marketing

Founded to help mobile developers scale user acquisition and monetization, AppLovin has evolved into a broader marketing technology platform that leverages machine learning to optimize advertising performance.

Its platform combines several core components, including:

• Ad discovery and demand aggregation

• Machine-learning-driven campaign optimization

• App monetization and mediation tools

• Real-time data analytics for advertisers and developers

These capabilities allow mobile app publishers and advertisers to manage the full lifecycle of digital campaigns—from acquiring users to maximizing revenue within apps.

Over time, AppLovin has expanded its focus beyond gaming, where it originally built much of its presence, toward a broader range of mobile-first businesses seeking scalable growth channels.

Why the TMT Conference Matters

The Morgan Stanley TMT conference is widely regarded as one of the most influential investor gatherings in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors. Held annually in San Francisco, the event brings together executives from leading tech companies alongside institutional investors and analysts.

For publicly traded technology firms, these conferences serve as a key platform to:

• Provide updates on business performance

• Outline product and platform strategies

• Address investor questions about market trends and competition

For AppLovin, the fireside chat offers a chance to highlight how its platform is evolving amid major shifts in the digital advertising ecosystem.

Navigating a Rapidly Changing Ad Tech Landscape

The mobile advertising market has experienced a series of structural changes in recent years.

Privacy regulations, operating system policy changes, and new data governance rules have forced advertisers to rethink how they target users and measure performance. These shifts have accelerated the demand for AI-driven ad optimization platforms capable of delivering results without relying heavily on traditional tracking methods.

Platforms like AppLovin increasingly compete on algorithmic efficiency and large-scale data modeling, areas where machine learning plays a critical role.

As marketers search for alternatives to older attribution models, performance-focused advertising platforms have gained renewed attention from investors.

Industry observers are also watching how companies like AppLovin position themselves relative to larger ecosystems run by companies such as Google and Meta Platforms, which still dominate global digital advertising.

What Investors Will Be Listening For

While the conference session is structured as a conversation rather than a formal presentation, analysts will likely focus on several key areas:

AI-driven advertising technology.
Machine learning has become the backbone of modern marketing platforms, and investors will want insight into how AppLovin continues to refine its predictive models.

Expansion beyond mobile gaming.
The company has been steadily diversifying its customer base across different app categories and digital businesses.

Competitive positioning in ad tech.
As consolidation reshapes the industry, platforms that can deliver measurable performance at scale are attracting strong investor interest.

Monetization and platform growth.
Investors will be looking for signals about demand from developers and advertisers navigating a more complex privacy environment.

How to Watch the Session

The fireside chat will be streamed via webcast through the company’s investor relations portal. Interested viewers can access the event through the AppLovin investor website, where a replay will also be made available following the conference.

Conference appearances like this rarely introduce major product launches, but they often provide valuable insight into how technology companies see their role in rapidly evolving markets.

In AppLovin’s case, the conversation comes at a time when marketing platforms are increasingly defined by automation, AI-driven optimization, and the ability to adapt to privacy-first advertising models.

For marketers and investors alike, the discussion could offer a useful window into where performance marketing platforms are headed next.

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