e-commerce
ShopClues launches Neighbourhood Market for localised sellers
MUMBAI: E-commerce venture ShopClues is set to redefine online shopping norms with its latest offering – the Neighbourhood Market.
With this new feature, ShopClues will create opportunities for localised sellers to showcase their products to buyers near them across mobile and web platforms. The discovery engine selects and brings forth deals and merchandise of local vendors, spread across all categories for an easy purchase experience.
The Neighbourhood Market will also provide customers with best prices along with faster delivery timelines, speedier complaint resolution and quicker return protocol. ShopClues is targeting a reduced delivery time of four hours with this initiative.
ShopClues.com co-founder and CEO Sanjay Sethi said, “ShopClues is known in the e-commerce segment for its value-driven technological development and innovative shopping approach that cater to the specific preferences of Indian consumer. Our latest offering, the Neighbourhood Market will enable local shoppers and sellers to interact for a better overall shopping experience. Many of our users are first-time buyers who are used to shopping from malls or local bazaars. They prefer to have a physical face to their purchases which is now possible with our new property.”
At present, ShopClues offers more than 19 million products from around 200k sellers across the country and has over two million daily visitors.
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.
