e-commerce
Lycos extends deal with Yahoo! for enhanced search advertising, expects 10 per cent higher topline
New Delhi: Global Internet brand Lycos today announced the extension of its deal with Yahoo! for enhanced search advertising by one more year. The contract leverages Lycos; services to increase the reach of Yahoo! search and content offerings. Contextual advertising offerings of Lycos will in turn increase.
This relationship – that allows LYCOS to serve globally on all platforms including search, mobile and other contextual advertising – is expected to increase LYCOS’ turnover by 10% in FY2016-2017.
The enhanced form of search advertising is a type of contextually targeted platform which allows online search advertisers to buy keyword-targeted traffic from sources other than search engine results pages.
Lycos Internet Limited had reported consolidated revenue from operations of Rs 1957 crore and a net profit after tax and minority interest of Rs 342.22 crore for the year ended March 31, 2015 (FY-2015). For the nine month period ended December 31, 2015, the company reported revenue of Rs 1782 crore reflecting a growth of about 18 per cent over the corresponding year ago period, and a net profit after tax and minority interest of Rs 321 crore.
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.
