News

Investments
Startup Telli Raises $15 Million to Replace Call Centers With AI Agents
July 23, 2026

telli raised $15 million in a seed round to develop its artificial intelligence (AI) agent builder focused on customer-facing AI agents. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins...

Artificial Intelligence
Stripe Eyes $10 Billion Deal for AI Model Marketplace OpenRouter
July 23, 2026

Stripe is in talks to buy OpenRouter, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup that could sell for roughly $10 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move would mark a significant step outside payments for a company that processes transactions for much of the internet....

Artificial Intelligence
AI’s Biggest Flex Isn’t a Model. It’s a Cap.
July 23, 2026

OpenAI this week opened its Supply Co. merchandise store to the public, selling apparel and accessories once reserved for employees. The move follows a broader push by technology companies, including Nvidia, Apple and Palantir, to use premium merchandise to build community around their brands. Get...

Loyalty & Rewards
Summer Travel Spending Gives Rewards a Starring Role
July 23, 2026

Summer travel spending has survived a quarter that was arguably rougher for travel companies than for many of their customers. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required....

B2B Payments
Forget Travel, WEX’s Next Act Is B2B Payments
July 23, 2026

WEX Inc.’s (NYSE: WEX) second-quarter results, reported Wednesday (July 22), were flattered by forces outside its control. Higher fuel prices and favorable foreign exchange movements helped lift revenue 14.2% to $753.5 million, while adjusted earnings per share climbed 35.4% to $5.35.  Get the Full Story...

Artificial Intelligence
She Couldn’t Find the Right App, So She Had AI Build It
July 23, 2026

Maggie Gao posted on X in June that she had analyzed more than 10 million lines of public data to build a free tool for New York City renters. The result, called Stoop, lets apartment hunters search any building across the city’s five boroughs for...

Retail
Amazon and Walmart Face a New Gatekeeper for Loyalty
July 23, 2026

This summer, Amazon moved Prime Day to June 23-26, leaving July without its usual commercial centerpiece for the first time outside the pandemic-disrupted 2021 event.  Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content...

Artificial Intelligence
An AI Is About to Become a First-Time CEO
July 23, 2026

Every major AI lab is building toward the autonomous employee. Skyfall AI thinks that goal is too small. The startup, founded by the team behind Maluuba, which Microsoft acquired for about $160 million in 2017, emerged from stealth on July 20 with a different target:...

Artificial Intelligence
Coalition Launches National Initiative to Test and Scale Health AI
July 23, 2026

The Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), a nonprofit organization founded by clinicians to advance responsible health artificial intelligence, launched a national initiative designed to help public health agencies evaluate, implement and scale generative AI. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article...