Observed Signal · Sep 17, 2026 · Other · Source: Hello Partner · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
BuildLab Competition: Seven Affiliate Firms Build AI Time-Saving Tools
PI LIVE Europe's BuildLab competition brought together seven affiliate marketing companies to develop next-generation partnership tools addressing manual tasks and data fragmentation. Teams from Tradedoubler, Awin, Impact.com, Optimise, Everflow, Adtraction, and Bravo Savings Network built working prototypes in one day using AI tools and MCP integrations. Bravo Savings Network won the challenge, and Adtraction won the community vote. Optimise also launched AI-powered agents (Insight Agent and Growth Agent) at the event. The conference highlighted the need for industry-wide standards, with Kevin Edwards of APMA emphasizing collaboration for long-term sustainability. The Performance Marketing Awards are expanding into global partnership awards. The overall sentiment is positive, focusing on growth, innovation, and standards.
Industry event highlighting AI-driven innovation in affiliate marketing, but not a major product launch or industry-shifting announcement.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- PI LIVE hosted BuildLab, where Bravo Savings Network won the challenge, and Adtraction won the community vote.
- Seven companies participated: Tradedoubler, Awin, Impact.com, Optimise, Everflow, Adtraction, and Bravo Savings Network, building AI-driven prototypes in one day.
- Optimise launched AI agents (Insight Agent and Growth Agent) at PI LIVE, powered by Partner IQ.
- Kevin Edwards of APMA emphasized the need for industry-wide standards in affiliate marketing.
- The Performance Marketing Awards (PMAs) are expanding into global partnership awards.
Connected Companies & Entities
5 Entities mapped“Tradedoubler team, dubbed Ctrl Alt Elite, includes Corin Ward, Director of AI; Colin Chadwick, Frontend Developer; Daniel Frisk, Senior Syst...”
“The Awin team, named Here for A-win, includes engineering and product staff such as Sebastian Jonas, Pedro Santos, Pradeep Hunjanalu, Rafi U...”
“The impact.com team, PI Radius Squared, includes Smita Pillai, Alex Ratford, Otto Kokars, Pini Stimler, and Jakub Kozlowski.”
“Adtraction's team includes Clare O'Reilly, Olga Tamm, Oeyvind Brunsell, Oleg Mikheles, and Daniel Oersted, with CEO Simon Gustafson commenti...”
“Peter Smith, UK Managing Director at Sovendus, discusses 'Brands as Publishers'.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
PI LIVE BuildLab Launches to Build Partnership Tools
PI LIVE is launching BuildLab, a one-day build challenge this September that will gather up to ten teams to design free, ungated partnership tools for the affiliate and partnerships industry. Launch partners include Awin, impact.com and Tradedoubler (part of the NYORDA Group). Organisers will reveal the technical challenge 24 hours before build day; teams will work remotely and produce prototypes reviewed by an independent panel and voted on by the affiliate community. The winner will be announced live on stage at PI LIVE Europe in October. Organisers say the initiative aims to move the industry from discussion about AI and change to practical, shareable solutions.
PI LIVE BuildLab Launches to Build Next‑Gen Partnership Tools
Hello Partner's newsletter announces the launch of PI LIVE BuildLab, an initiative at PI LIVE Europe this September aimed at architecting next‑generation partnership tools. Impact.com is announced as a supporter of the first edition. The newsletter also highlights industry stories including new research showing LLM chatbots struggle to find discounts, VideoAmp cutting 20% of its workforce amid an AI push (including the CTO role), and PubMatic rolling out a 'guardrail architecture' for agentic advertising. The edition includes a limited‑time Boutique Agency Pass offer for PI LIVE and practical advice for affiliate managers.
Awin, CJ, Partnerize, impact.com CEOs to Map Industry's Future
The CEOs and co-founders of Awin, CJ, Partnerize, and impact.com will join forces for a keynote at PI LIVE Europe to discuss the future of the affiliate and performance marketing industry. The discussion comes as the industry faces significant shifts driven by AI, including the rise of AI shopping agents and changing customer journeys. Recent research cited in the article shows 72% of AI platform users use AI for product research, 42% of consumers use AI tools for shopping, and Mastercard predicts one in ten will routinely use AI agents to shop by 2030. The leaders will address the need for new measurement and attribution models beyond last-click, aiming to scale the industry tenfold. The keynote will be moderated by Jennifer Goodwin.
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