iWorld
Voot partners with upGrad, expands content play to edutainment
MUMBAI: Leading streaming platform Voot has tied up with the largest online higher education company upGrad. This opens a doorway for consumers and working professionals to seamlessly access the best of entertainment and education videos, all under one roof.
Voot, home to hours of exciting entertainment content across formats and genres, with this thoughtful partnership, is pioneering the cause for young Indian professionals by providing them quality upskilling content as part of its repertoire. A dedicated upGrad segment on the Voot app will unleash its viewers into a pool of informative content around the new-age domains of data science, blockchain, tech and management, which are carefully curated by upGrad’s in-house content team to help working professionals enhance their employability quotient.
Additionally, to provide in-depth and accurate knowledge, the playlist will also include new-age anecdotes in the form of snackable videos and sessions hosted by industry leaders and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). The segment will include upGrad Shotgyaan, Crash course in Data Science and a recently curated interesting list of Work From Home (WFH) tech tips as starters with frequent additions being made to the binge-watch content library.
Voot AVOD business head Akash Banerji said, “In these times, with digital assuming a decisive role in a user’s life, our objective with Voot is to deliver a truly enriching and inclusive content slate that elevates the user experience and engagement. Blending our entertainment proposition with learning through this partnership with upGrad, is not only an innovative solution for young minds, but also enables us to widen our reach and user base."
Announcing the partnership, upgrade corporate development president Gaurav Kumar said, “Young India is hooked on to the OTT platforms for their daily dose of entertainment and therefore, it is exciting to have a special window that seamlessly lands them to a new-age upskilling content playlist, that will add up to their professional growth at large. With our insightful storytelling format and innovative execution, we look forward to shedding the stereotypical emotion attached with education of being serious.”
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.
