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IndustryUpdate

"We aim to offer the most comprehensive solutions in the operational friction.
channel," said Dean Reverman, vice president of mar-
keting at BlueStar. "With NoviSign and VoCoVo, we're Kayak, Affirm expand partnership into Canada
enabling our partners to meet the growing demand Kayak and Affirm expanded their exclusive partnership
for integrated communication and signage solutions
that enhance shopper experiences and operational effi- into Canada just in time for summer travel. Canadian
users on ca.kayak.com can now choose Affirm at check-
ciency." Both partnerships underscore BlueStar's value-
added approach and commitment to innovation. out to split travel costs, such as flights, hotels and car
rentals, into monthly payments with no late or hidden
Cashflows, Cardstream tackle embedded payments fees. Following a quick eligibility check, approved users
can select a plan that suits their budget. The expansion
Cashflows and Cardstream Group partnered to acceler- builds on the companies' successful U.S. partnership
ate embedded payment solutions for ISOs, ISVs, plat- and reflects growing demand for flexible travel payment
forms and payfacs across the UK and Europe. By com- options, the partners stated. Affirm, now offered by over
bining Cashflows' acquiring expertise with Cardstream's 350,000 merchants, said it continues to fuel merchant
payment facilitator-as-a-service (PFaaS ) infrastructure, growth while helping consumers book dream trips with
the alliance aims to simplify complex regulatory, com- transparency and ease.
pliance and operational demands, allowing faster go-to-
market for payment services. The PFaaS model delivers ACQUISITION
an end-to-end solution—including onboarding, compli-
ance, merchant activation, and transaction processing—
empowering partners to monetize from day one, the Alation acquires Numbers Station AI
partners stated. This collaboration, they added, enables Alation Inc., a provider of enterprise data intelligence,
flexible, scalable growth for payfacs, offering modular
technology and compliance assurance without heavy acquired Numbers Station AI, a startup specializing in
AI agents for data workflows. Founded by Stanford
infrastructure investment.
researchers, Numbers Station developed AI-native appli-
Emburse launches Emburse Partner Community cations that integrate natural language interfaces with
structured data, enabling automation of complex data
Emburse launched the Emburse Partner Community, tasks.The acquisition aims to enhance Alation's capabili-
bringing together 140 global partners to transform ties in building AI-native analytics applications featur-
corporate travel and expense management through ing agentic workflows that operate with enterprise-
collaboration. The initiative supports financial institu- grade governance and context. By combining Numbers
tions, travel firms, SaaS providers, ERP systems and Station's AI agents with Alation's rich metadata founda-
resellers with tools, resources and incentives to enhance tion, Alation seeks to empower organizations to build
AI-powered expense intelligence, Emburse stated. Marie intelligent applications that reason over structured data,
Shepard, the company's CRO, emphasized that transfor- understand business context and automate real-time
mation stems from partnership, not silos. The program decision-making, all while maintaining rigorous gover-
offers a partner portal, real-time updates, training and a nance and compliance standards.
three-tiered structure tailored to partner needs. Emburse
noted that partners like CTM, Datanamic, OMNIA APPOINTMENTS
Partners and UKG celebrate the community's collab-
orative approach to smarter spend management, stream-
lined workflows and improved financial oversight for Ebanx selects Marie-Elise Droga
over 20,000 organizations.
Marie-Elise Droga, a payments industry veteran with
FIS, Kipp team up to prevent card declines two decades of experience, was named chief revenue
officer at Ebanx. Known for her leadership in cross-bor-
FIS partnered with Letskipp Ltd. (Kipp) to launch a der payments and global growth, Droga has held senior
first-of-its-kind non-sufficient funds (NSF) authorization roles at Visa, Western Union and Consumer Edge, where
solution for debit clients. This innovative offering allows she led international teams and forged strategic fintech
issuers to approve transactions even when a custom- partnerships. Her global perspective—shaped by living
er's balance is insufficient—without charging overdraft and working in seven countries—fuels her commitment
fees—by enabling merchants to voluntarily pay a pre- to expanding financial inclusion in emerging markets. At
mium to authorize the transaction, FIS stated. The solu- Ebanx, she will lead global commercial and partnership
tion aims to reduce declined transactions, recover lost efforts, aiming to scale operations across Latin America,
revenue and improve customer experience. NSF declines Africa and APAC. Droga brings purpose-driven leader-
are a leading cause of lost sales and customer frustration, ship to her new role, Ebanx stated.
the partners noted, adding that by streamlining financial
operations and preserving POS interactions, the partner- Donald Kossmann joins Chargebacks911
ship helps issuers drive top-of-wallet status and unlock Chargebacks911 said it appointed Donald Kossmann
new revenue while enhancing loyalty and reducing
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