iWorld
Hoichoi restarts outdoor campaign for its new original
MUMBAI– Hoichoi is ready to stream its biggest release of the first half of the year, Tansener Tanpura, shot extensively in beautiful locations across West Bengal (before the lockdown). Since the release of the Official Poster in March, subscribers of hoichoi have been eagerly counting days to watch this Treasure-Hunt/Adventure series starring popular faces Vikram Chatterjee and Rupsa Chatterjee in the lead along with Hindi-serial actor Jayati Bhatia.
Post-Lockdown phase, Kolkata opened its roads, office and leisure section(s) doors for the public, however, what was drastically missing were the big billboards that once enamoured the city! Hoichoi with its much-awaited series, Tansener Tanpura in its pocket, decided to launch an outdoor campaign that will drive up the anticipation level among the Hoichoi audience, becoming the first in the Entertainment sector to do so.
A Hoichoi Original Series, slated to stream from 26 June, Tansener Tanpura is a quest to attain the ultimate musical level. The quest for the “Tanpura” of Tansen which has been passed on to the next generations is a metaphor to understand which among the students has attained the ultimate understanding of music. The Tanpura must be earned after solving a lot of riddles and only the person who knows his music well and is free of the lust for fame can get it.
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.
