EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s post was inspired by a comment by Mathew Schultz in a LinkedIn discussion stream regarding my post: Which current ProcureTech solution providers recognize or champion an agent-based metaprise model?
As a side note, here was my preliminary response to Mathew that prompted the comparison you are about to read:
The first thing that came to mind was American Express’ acquisition of Eyal Rosenberg’s amazing company, Nipendo.
For example, Nipendo’s cloud-based automation enables Amex to handle supplier onboarding, invoice reconciliation, and payments natively—areas where Ramp excels (e.g., PO syncing, bill pay). This move appears to make Amex a more direct P2P competitor.
I also wonder how Ramp will adjust to working in a Hybrid Agent-based Metaprise model – https://bit.ly/4j1z1QS.
Comparing Apples To Apples?
Amex’s acquisition of Nipendo, announced January 11, 2023, and closed in Q1 2023 (Business Wire, 2023), strengthens its B2B payments and P2P capabilities, directly affecting its competitive stance against Ramp.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Nipendo’s Contribution
- Capabilities: Nipendo, an Israeli B2B payments automation firm, excels in supplier collaboration, invoice processing, and payment execution, integrating seamlessly with ERPs (e.g., SAP). It automates procure-to-pay processes, reducing manual friction (PYMNTS, 2023).
- Strategic Fit: Amex aimed to build an “end-to-end B2B platform” (Anna Marrs, Amex), enhancing its supplier-side offerings beyond card issuance. Nipendo complements prior moves like Acompay (2019) and Amex Business Link (2022).
- Impact on Amex vs. Ramp
- Functionality Boost:
- Pre-Nipendo: Amex relied on card networks and partnerships (e.g., BillTrust) for P2P, lagging Ramp’s integrated procurement-to-AP suite (Venue, 2023). Its spend management was fragmented, often requiring tools like Concur.
- Post-Nipendo: Nipendo’s cloud-based automation narrows the gap, enabling Amex to handle supplier onboarding, invoice reconciliation, and payments natively—areas where Ramp excels (e.g., PO syncing, bill pay). This makes Amex a more direct P2P competitor.
- Supplier Focus:
- Ramp’s supplier management is buyer-centric (e.g., vendor sync with NetSuite), while Nipendo strengthens Amex’s supplier network integration, potentially outpacing Ramp in complex B2B ecosystems (e.g., manufacturing).
- However, Ramp’s front-end procurement (intake forms) remains ahead; Nipendo focuses on back-end AP, not request capture.
- Market Positioning:
- Amex gains ground in enterprise B2B payments, leveraging its $1.5T network to push Nipendo’s tech to large clients—Ramp’s 25,000+ client base skews smaller (SMBs to Shopify-scale).
- Ramp retains an edge in agility and UX (6,500 hours saved, Forrester), while Amex’s legacy brand and Nipendo’s depth appeal to entrenched corporates.
- Competitive Implications
- Closer Rivalry: Nipendo brings Amex closer to Ramp’s P2P turf, intensifying competition in AP automation and supplier payments—key 2025 pain points (GEP Outlook). Ramp’s all-in-one edge (cards + procurement) now faces a more robust Amex offering.
- Model Contrast: Both remain orchestration-focused (centralized, equation-based), not adopting Hansen’s Metaprise ABM (10–20% niche). Nipendo’s integration doesn’t shift Amex to decentralization, keeping Ramp’s hybrid hints (e.g., Seat Intelligence) a minor differentiator.
- Strategic Edge: Amex’s scale ($50B revenue) and Nipendo’s supplier tech could erode Ramp’s SME lead if Amex markets aggressively. Yet, Ramp’s no-fee model and fintech speed counter Amex’s premium pricing and slower innovation pace.
Critical Perspective
- Data Gaps: Nipendo’s post-2023 impact within Amex lacks 2025 specifics—its full integration and adoption rates are unclear. Ramp’s 2025 roadmap (post-$150M raise, Reuters 2024) is also speculative, though AI and acquisitions are hinted.
- Competition Scope: Amex’s broader portfolio (consumer cards, travel) dilutes its ProcureTech focus, unlike Ramp’s laser-targeted spend management. Nipendo narrows this gap but doesn’t fully reposition Amex as a Ramp rival.
- 2025 Context: With orchestration dominating (80–90%), Nipendo bolsters Amex’s relevance in a consolidation-driven market (50–60% of firms), but Ramp’s growth suggests fintechs still outpace legacy giants in agility.
Conclusion
Ramp and American Express are competitors in corporate spend management and P2P, with Ramp challenging Amex’s SME card dominance and Amex countering with its vast network and brand. The 2023 Nipendo acquisition enhances Amex’s supplier-side automation, closing the functionality gap with Ramp’s integrated P2P suite and intensifying their rivalry in AP and B2B payments. While Ramp retains advantages in UX, cost, and procurement breadth, Amex’s scale and Nipendo’s depth strengthen its enterprise play, making it a more formidable foe in 2025’s efficiency-driven landscape. Neither fully embraces Metaprise, keeping their battle within orchestration’s mainstream.
“The continued use of equation-based intake and orchestration models will yield only modest improvements in implementation success rates, likely reaching a ceiling of around 65–70% due to their inability to adapt dynamically or integrate seamlessly across ecosystems. For organizations seeking transformative success, transitioning toward hybrid or agent-based Metaprise models will be necessary to overcome the structural limitations of equation-based approaches.” – How will the procuretech implementation success rate improve with the use of the Agent-based Metaprise Model?
Have You Heard Of Ramp?
Before Mathew Schultz’s comment on LinkedIn, I had never heard of Ramp, or if I had, it likely got lost in the industry’s 5,000 plus sea of ProcureTech solution providers.
So, why is Ramp “hidden in plain sight” in the procurement and supply chain world? I did a little homework, and this is what I found:
If you’ve been in the ProcureTech industry for some time and haven’t heard of Ramp until now, there could be several reasons tied to your specific focus, geographic scope, or the evolving nature of Ramp’s presence in the procurement landscape as of April 9, 2025. Ramp, while a significant player in the broader fintech and spend management space, has only recently solidified its ProcureTech credentials, which might explain its lower visibility depending on your vantage point. Let’s break this down critically, exploring plausible reasons and contextualizing Ramp’s rise within the industry.
Possible Reasons You Haven’t Heard of Ramp
- Ramp’s Fintech Origins Over ProcureTech Roots
- Background: Founded in 2019 by Eric Glyman and the Paribus team, Ramp launched as a corporate card and expense management platform, not a traditional ProcureTech solution. Its initial pitch—disrupting American Express with no-fee cards and 1.5% cashback—targeted finance teams, not procurement professionals (TechCrunch, 2019).
- ProcureTech Entry: Ramp’s pivot into procure-to-pay (P2P) came later with the 2023 Venue acquisition, adding intake forms, purchase orders (POs), and vendor management. This shift, while notable (e.g., $7.65B valuation post-2024 funding), is recent compared to established ProcureTech players like Coupa (founded 2006) or GEP (1999).
- Why You Missed It: If your focus has been on core ProcureTech—source-to-pay (S2P), supplier ecosystems, or strategic sourcing—Ramp’s early fintech identity (cards, expense tracking) might have kept it off your radar until its P2P expansion gained traction.
- U.S.-Centric Growth and Limited Global Hype
- Market Focus: Ramp is U.S.-based (New York) with a strong North American footprint, serving 25,000+ clients like Shopify (Reuters, 2024). Its global reach—cards accepted worldwide, local issuing in 33 countries—is growing but less prominent than legacy players like SAP Ariba or Amex, which have decades of international presence.
- Industry Buzz: While Ramp has garnered fintech attention (e.g., $717M funding, Forbes 2024), its ProcureTech narrative is newer and less dominant in global procurement circles compared to the 2025 “year of orchestration” hype around Zip or GEP (Procurement Magazine, 2024).
- Why You Missed It: If you’re based outside North America or tuned into European/Asian ProcureTech ecosystems (e.g., Ivalua in France, Jaggaer in Austria), Ramp’s U.S.-heavy marketing and quieter global ProcureTech push might have bypassed your networks.
- Niche Within the ProcureTech Mix
- Positioning: Among 5,000+ ProcureTech solutions (ProcureTech100), Ramp fits the equation-based intake and orchestration model (80–90% of providers), but its all-in-one blend (cards, procurement, AP) diverges from specialized S2P suites or supplier-focused tools (e.g., Nipendo pre-Amex). It’s not a pure-play procurement solution like Procurify or a Metaprise innovator like Hansen’s vision (prior questions).
- Visibility: Ramp’s 4x revenue growth (2022) and $150M Series D-2 (2024) made waves in fintech circles, but its ProcureTech profile—5% savings, 8x faster closures (Forrester, 2024)—competes with louder voices like Coupa’s ERP integrations or Zip’s orchestration leadership (Spend Matters, 2025).
- Why You Missed It: If your focus is on strategic sourcing, supplier collaboration, or niche innovations (e.g., Akirolabs), Ramp’s broader spend management lens might not have registered as a core ProcureTech contender until recently.
- Latecomer to Procurement Conferences and Thought Leadership
- Industry Presence: Ramp’s thought leadership is growing—e.g., featured in Procurement Magazine’s 2024 Top 10—but it lacks the decades-long conference circuit presence of GEP (ProcureCon) or SAP Ariba (SAPPHIRE). Its marketing leans on fintech events (e.g., Money20/20) over procurement-specific forums.
- Media Reach: Unlike Jon W. Hansen’s 3,000 articles or Coupa’s enterprise webinars, Ramp’s narrative (e.g., “ambitious vision,” TechCrunch 2023) targets CFOs and startups more than CPOs, limiting its ProcureTech echo chamber penetration.
- Why You Missed It: If you rely on procurement conferences, journals, or veteran networks (e.g., ISM, SIG), Ramp’s fintech-first voice and newer P2P focus might not have hit your channels until its 2023–2025 surge.
- Your Specific Industry Lens
- Sector Focus: Ramp excels for tech-forward SMBs and enterprises (e.g., Shopify, 11,600 employees), but it’s less tailored to industries with complex supply chains (e.g., manufacturing, defense) where Metaprise-like solutions or full S2P suites shine (e.g., Jaggaer, Ivalua).
- Role Perspective: If you’re a procurement strategist or supplier manager rather than a finance-focused buyer, Ramp’s card-and-spend pitch might not have aligned with your priorities over tools like ProcurEngine (negotiation) or ProPurchaser (market data).
- Why You Missed It: Your expertise might center on areas Ramp only recently entered (P2P) or doesn’t fully address (sourcing, inventory), keeping it peripheral until now.
Why Ramp Is Gaining Traction Now
- P2P Expansion: The Venue acquisition (2023) and Ironclad partnership (2024) transformed Ramp into a legitimate P2P player, syncing POs with NetSuite and adding contract tools—features that resonate with 2025’s 50–60% stack consolidation trend (ArcBlue, 2024).
- Market Momentum: Its $7.65B valuation and 25,000+ clients (Reuters, 2024) signal a breakout beyond fintech, challenging Amex and Coupa in spend management—a shift amplified by 2025’s efficiency focus (GEP Outlook).
- ProcureTech Relevance: Ramp’s 5% savings and 6,500-hour efficiency gains (Forrester) align with the 94% of executives prioritizing AI-driven operations (Web ID: 23), pulling it into the orchestration spotlight (80–90% of providers).
Critical Perspective
- Discovery Lag: Ramp’s rapid rise (4x revenue in 2022) suggests it’s been under the radar for industry veterans focused on traditional ProcureTech giants or niche innovators. Its fintech branding delayed its procurement cred, unlike Zip’s orchestration-first identity.
- Awareness Gap: If you’re not in Ramp’s U.S.-centric orbit or tracking fintech crossovers, its absence from your radar is plausible—especially if your network predates its 2023 P2P pivot.
- Industry Noise: With 5,000+ solutions (ProcureTech100), Ramp’s signal might have been drowned out by louder voices until its scale and funding forced attention.
Conclusion
You might not have heard of Ramp because it entered ProcureTech as a fintech disruptor, not a procurement native, focusing initially on cards and spend rather than S2P or supplier ecosystems. Its U.S.-centric growth, late P2P expansion (2023), and quieter presence in procurement-specific circles kept it off your radar, especially if your lens is global, strategic, or niche-focused. By 2025, Ramp’s $7.65B valuation, 25,000+ clients, and all-in-one platform (procurement, AP, cards) make it unavoidable, riding the orchestration wave (80–90%) and 50–60% consolidation trend. It’s a newcomer to your world, but a heavyweight now—likely why it’s surfacing in your awareness. If your tenure predates 2019 or spans non-U.S. markets, that explains the gap.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I have been covering Coupa since its founding by the two Oracle executives. Here is the link to Procurement Insights’ coverage of Coupa going back to 2007: https://procureinsights.com/?s=Coupa
Regarding ZIP, they virtually came out of nowhere not too long ago. Here is Procurement Insights’ coverage of ZIP: https://procureinsights.com/?s=ZIP
As for Ramp, today’s post is pretty much it, which probably explains the following:
Zip’s media coverage is moderate, startup-focused, and tied to rapid unicorn status ($1.2B in 18 months) and AI innovation ($2.2B, 2024), with a scrappy, niche tone. Coupa’s is extensive, mature, and enterprise-centric, peaking with its $8B acquisition but rooted in long-term BSM leadership. Ramp is high-volume, dynamic, and fintech-flavored, spotlighting its $8.1B valuation and 25,000+ clients with an ambitious flair. Ramp and Coupa overshadow Zip in volume and breadth, driven by scale and legacy, while Zip’s coverage is more specialized, reflecting its younger, narrower ProcureTech lane.
Ramp’s fintech-to-P2P pivot might have delayed its ProcureTech spotlight. Similarly, Zip’s quiet rise could explain its lower profile until now.
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Procurement Insights
2 Years Later How Does Amex’s Acquisition of Nipendo Impact Ramp (Who’s Ramp)?
Posted on April 9, 2025
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s post was inspired by a comment by Mathew Schultz in a LinkedIn discussion stream regarding my post: Which current ProcureTech solution providers recognize or champion an agent-based metaprise model?
As a side note, here was my preliminary response to Mathew that prompted the comparison you are about to read:
The first thing that came to mind was American Express’ acquisition of Eyal Rosenberg’s amazing company, Nipendo.
For example, Nipendo’s cloud-based automation enables Amex to handle supplier onboarding, invoice reconciliation, and payments natively—areas where Ramp excels (e.g., PO syncing, bill pay). This move appears to make Amex a more direct P2P competitor.
I also wonder how Ramp will adjust to working in a Hybrid Agent-based Metaprise model – https://bit.ly/4j1z1QS.
Comparing Apples To Apples?
Amex’s acquisition of Nipendo, announced January 11, 2023, and closed in Q1 2023 (Business Wire, 2023), strengthens its B2B payments and P2P capabilities, directly affecting its competitive stance against Ramp.
Here’s the breakdown:
Critical Perspective
Conclusion
Ramp and American Express are competitors in corporate spend management and P2P, with Ramp challenging Amex’s SME card dominance and Amex countering with its vast network and brand. The 2023 Nipendo acquisition enhances Amex’s supplier-side automation, closing the functionality gap with Ramp’s integrated P2P suite and intensifying their rivalry in AP and B2B payments. While Ramp retains advantages in UX, cost, and procurement breadth, Amex’s scale and Nipendo’s depth strengthen its enterprise play, making it a more formidable foe in 2025’s efficiency-driven landscape. Neither fully embraces Metaprise, keeping their battle within orchestration’s mainstream.
“The continued use of equation-based intake and orchestration models will yield only modest improvements in implementation success rates, likely reaching a ceiling of around 65–70% due to their inability to adapt dynamically or integrate seamlessly across ecosystems. For organizations seeking transformative success, transitioning toward hybrid or agent-based Metaprise models will be necessary to overcome the structural limitations of equation-based approaches.” – How will the procuretech implementation success rate improve with the use of the Agent-based Metaprise Model?
Have You Heard Of Ramp?
Before Mathew Schultz’s comment on LinkedIn, I had never heard of Ramp, or if I had, it likely got lost in the industry’s 5,000 plus sea of ProcureTech solution providers.
So, why is Ramp “hidden in plain sight” in the procurement and supply chain world? I did a little homework, and this is what I found:
If you’ve been in the ProcureTech industry for some time and haven’t heard of Ramp until now, there could be several reasons tied to your specific focus, geographic scope, or the evolving nature of Ramp’s presence in the procurement landscape as of April 9, 2025. Ramp, while a significant player in the broader fintech and spend management space, has only recently solidified its ProcureTech credentials, which might explain its lower visibility depending on your vantage point. Let’s break this down critically, exploring plausible reasons and contextualizing Ramp’s rise within the industry.
Possible Reasons You Haven’t Heard of Ramp
Why Ramp Is Gaining Traction Now
Critical Perspective
Conclusion
You might not have heard of Ramp because it entered ProcureTech as a fintech disruptor, not a procurement native, focusing initially on cards and spend rather than S2P or supplier ecosystems. Its U.S.-centric growth, late P2P expansion (2023), and quieter presence in procurement-specific circles kept it off your radar, especially if your lens is global, strategic, or niche-focused. By 2025, Ramp’s $7.65B valuation, 25,000+ clients, and all-in-one platform (procurement, AP, cards) make it unavoidable, riding the orchestration wave (80–90%) and 50–60% consolidation trend. It’s a newcomer to your world, but a heavyweight now—likely why it’s surfacing in your awareness. If your tenure predates 2019 or spans non-U.S. markets, that explains the gap.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I have been covering Coupa since its founding by the two Oracle executives. Here is the link to Procurement Insights’ coverage of Coupa going back to 2007: https://procureinsights.com/?s=Coupa
Regarding ZIP, they virtually came out of nowhere not too long ago. Here is Procurement Insights’ coverage of ZIP: https://procureinsights.com/?s=ZIP
As for Ramp, today’s post is pretty much it, which probably explains the following:
Zip’s media coverage is moderate, startup-focused, and tied to rapid unicorn status ($1.2B in 18 months) and AI innovation ($2.2B, 2024), with a scrappy, niche tone. Coupa’s is extensive, mature, and enterprise-centric, peaking with its $8B acquisition but rooted in long-term BSM leadership. Ramp is high-volume, dynamic, and fintech-flavored, spotlighting its $8.1B valuation and 25,000+ clients with an ambitious flair. Ramp and Coupa overshadow Zip in volume and breadth, driven by scale and legacy, while Zip’s coverage is more specialized, reflecting its younger, narrower ProcureTech lane.
Ramp’s fintech-to-P2P pivot might have delayed its ProcureTech spotlight. Similarly, Zip’s quiet rise could explain its lower profile until now.
30
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