Ramp vs Sage

Ramp is now live in the UK

Ramp announces its expansion into the UK market, marking a significant international growth milestone.

Ramp Launches in UK, Launches AI Token Spend Platform

US expense management startup Ramp has launched in the UK, its first market outside North America, following its acquisition of Swedish payments firm Billhop. Ramp, which competes with Brex, offers a unified platform for payments, corporate cards, vendor management, and automated bookkeeping. The company has onboarded UK customers since the summer, including ElevenLabs and Attio, and is highlighting its AI token spend intelligence tools. Ramp reports AI spending among its customers has grown 21 times since June 2025. It also announced a collaboration with Visa to support its UK corporate card offering.

• Ramp launched in the UK, its first market outside North America.
• Ramp acquired Swedish payment infrastructure firm Billhop earlier this year.
• Ramp raised $750 million at a valuation of $44 billion in June 2026.

Khosla Ventures Opens First New York Office on 14th Street

Khosla Ventures, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm, is expanding to New York with its first office outside Sand Hill Road. The new outpost on 14th Street is expected to open this fall, according to partner Keith Rabois. The office will house several investors and feature an 'executive briefing center' where portfolio companies can meet with Fortune 500 companies. Rabois discussed talent density in New York, noting strong junior talent but challenges in hiring senior executives due to commuting. The move follows his relocation to the East Coast and comes as a CBRE report shows New York overtaking the Bay Area in tech talent headcount.

• Khosla Ventures is opening its first office outside Sand Hill Road in New York on 14th Street, expected this fall.
• The office will include an 'executive briefing center' for portfolio companies to meet with Fortune 500 companies.
• Keith Rabois confirmed the opening at TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event in New York.

GPMA Announces 2026 Shortlist with New Categories and Regional Grand Prix

The Global Performance Marketing Awards (GPMA) have released their 2026 shortlist, timed with PI LIVE Europe. The awards feature 11 new categories reflecting industry trends like full-funnel marketing, incrementality, and influencer marketing. For the first time, regional Grand Prix awards will be given for APAC, EMEA, and the Americas. Judges highlighted the convergence of brand, creator, and performance marketing, with creators being held accountable for sales and conversions. AI was noted as a standout theme across entries, used for optimization, routing, content, and compliance. The awards, hosted by Daniel Bower, mark the 10th anniversary and introduce a new, less formal format.

• The GPMA 2026 shortlist has been announced with 11 new categories.
• Regional Grand Prix awards for APAC, EMEA, and the Americas are introduced for the first time.
• The 2026 GPMA marks the 10th anniversary of the awards.

NetApp CMO: AI Failures Are Data Problems

Gabie Boko, NetApp’s chief marketing officer and juror on The Drum B2B Awards Effectiveness jury, argues that most AI disappointment in B2B marketing stems from poor data foundations rather than model flaws. Boko, who joined NetApp in 2022 and has more than 25 years’ experience at firms including HPE, SAP and Sage, says marketers should prioritise governed, accessible, trustworthy data and cyber resilience over visible front-end tools. She emphasises that human judgment—knowing which patterns matter to customers—remains the differentiator when tools are widely available. Boko also recommends balancing brand-building with commercial performance and encourages B2B marketers to develop a distinctive voice and technical curiosity to work effectively with data and engineering teams.

• Gabie Boko is NetApp’s chief marketing officer and joined NetApp in 2022.
• She served as a juror on the Effectiveness jury for The Drum B2B Awards.
• Boko states that much AI disappointment is actually caused by scattered, poorly governed, or siloed data rather than the models themselves.