e-commerce
LinkedIn partners with ESPN to launch Office Sports Quiz
MUMBAI: LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network in association with ESPN, the one-stop destination for all things sports, today, announced the launch of the LinkedIn ESPN Office Sports Quiz for working professionals. The registrations for this joint initiative for corporates across the country are open.
The consumer insights gathered by ESPN indicate that sport has been one of the top discussion topics amongst white-collar business professionals. The multisport LinkedIn ESPN Office Sports Quiz is an attempt to provide a platform to these discerning sports fans in offices and workspaces to demonstrate their sports knowledge, unique skills as a team, passion for sport and get rewarded for it.
“People often find inspiration for their personal and professional lives from the sports they follow. We are really excited to partner with ESPN for the Office Sports quiz, to see our members collaborate with each other, enjoy a common interest, and spur a sense of community at the workplace. At LinkedIn, we believe in helping our members become better professionals and this is an interesting way to encourage passions, connections, and conversations beyond the workplace,” says Srividya Gopani, Director – Brand and Consumer Marketing, APAC and China at LinkedIn.
The LinkedIn ESPN Office Sports Quiz comprises two rounds. The first round will be conducted online over three weeks on www.ESPN.in followed by the second round including semi-final and final to be played offline on July 17, 2019, in Mumbai. Gaurav Kapur, a popular television presenter, actor, and ex-IPL host will anchor the second round. The on-ground show will be shot in a full-blown studio with multi-cam set up to produce full HD quality video content and rolled out on ESPN platforms, ESPN.in & ESPNcricinfo.
The winning team will get an all-expense paid trip to England to watch an English Football League match live from the stadium.
Akshaya Kolhe, Head of Sales, ESPN, said, “ESPN is continually engaging with sports fans through various interactive shows and engaging fun content to keep their passion for sports alive. We all have grown up participating in quiz competitions and sports quizzes, it is our attempt to bring back the same flavor and
competitiveness for the present-day fans. By making it multi-sports including cricket, our attempt is to tap the ever-increasing multisport interest in India”
To be eligible to participate in the quiz, the applicants will have to form a team of two within the same organization and register here. The applicants can register in any of the three weeks but will have to play the quiz any day within that particular week.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
