iWorld
Shark Tank India 5 opens the tank with a call to ditch burnout and pitch brilliance
MUMBAI: The sharks are circling again. Shark Tank India is back for a fiery fifth season, opening the floodgates for India’s boldest, brightest business ideas—with registrations now live on Sony Liv. The show, which has quickly evolved from a niche format to a national pitch phenomenon, will once again air across Sony Liv and Sony Entertainment Television, bringing prime-time entrepreneurship to every screen.
This season’s promo swims upstream with a cheeky jab at hustle culture. In a witty twist on the 70-hour workweek mantra, the new campaign declares: “Breakthroughs aren’t born from burnout—they’re born from brave ideas.” The message? You don’t need exhaustion, you need innovation.
Since its Indian debut in 2021, the tank has hosted 741 pitches, backed 351 deals, and facilitated over Rs 293 crore in funding. From college dorm rooms to family kitchens, it’s become the holy grail for every dreamer with a deck.
Got a wild idea, a disruptive product, or a startup that’s just waiting to scale? The tank is open—apply now on Sony Liv. Because the next big thing might just be one pitch away.
https://sharktank.sonyliv.com/
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.
