Top 5 Stories in Procurement: Pivot, Ford, Zip & Syspro

Q&A: ZIP’s Rujul Zaparde on Investing in Procurement AI

Zip Forward London brought together more than 300 procurement and finance leaders. Over the space of one day, leaders had the opportunity to strategise and develop a bold new vision for the future of the industry. 

At the event, Procurement Magazine spoke to Rujul Zaparde, CoFounder and CEO at Zip to hear about investments in AI adoption across procurement.

Rujul highlights Zip's commitment to the EMEA region, noting that its AI orchestration layer connects disparate enterprise stacks. By embedding intelligent agents directly into procurement workflows, the platform delivers comprehensive insights. 

This strategic automation empowers organisations to successfully navigate complex regulatory environments while driving maximum efficiency, allowing teams to shift focus from manual tasks to high-value strategy.

How AI Procurement Platform Pivot Raised $70m

Pivot – an AI operating system for procurement – has raised US$40m in its latest funding round, taking its total amount raised since 2023 to US$70m. 

The Series B funding round was led by Forestay Capital and Notion Capital, with participation from Greyhound and EcoVadis, as well as existing investors Hedosophia, Visionaries Club and Emblem. 

With this capital, Pivot will accelerate the development of its agentic AI capabilities, expanding into new markets and deepening its integrations with ERPs and financial systems across complex environments. 

“Enterprise procurement has been overdue for a generational shift,” says Deborah Pittet, Partner at Forestay Capital.

How is Ford Repurposing an Idle EV Battery Facility?

The automotive manufacturer has transformed an idle electric vehicle battery facility into a utility-scale BESS production site and secured a multi-year supply agreement with EDF power solutions North America.

Ford has established Ford Energy as a wholly owned subsidiary to manufacture battery energy storage systems.

The company is converting an existing US electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Glendale, Kentucky to produce utility-scale energy storage products. Ford plans to deploy at least 20 GWh each year with first customer deliveries scheduled for 2027.

"Ford Energy allows us to maximise the value of our battery manufacturing capabilities," says Lisa Drake, President of Ford Energy.

"We're building a business focused first on utility-scale battery energy storage systems for large customers while also offering battery cells for residential energy storage solutions."

Syspro Embeds Payment Infrastructure into Procurement ERP

Manufacturing software company Syspro has formed a partnership with financial technology company Nuvei to embed integrated payments into its enterprise resource planning platform. The integration connects sales orders and accounts receivable to payment infrastructure across more than 200 markets.

The partnership extends Syspro's PayThem Payment Gateway and demonstrates how procurement systems are absorbing financial operations that previously sat outside core platforms. According to McKinsey, industrial companies investing in software to enable new revenue sources can see enterprise value grow up to 1.5 times.

Why You Should Enter the Global Procurement Awards 2026

Procurement has undergone a fundamental shift. Once seen primarily as a cost-centre, it is now a source of competitive advantage, driving efficiency and savings while advancing sustainability, innovation and ethical practices across global supply chains. 

On 8 September 2026, the Global Procurement Awards will take place at the iconic JW Marriott Grosvenor House London. Bringing together the world's leading procurement professionals, the awards will be an exclusive black-tie gala dinner celebrating excellence, innovation and leadership across the industry. 

Brought to you in association with Procurement Magazine, the event will honour the companies and executives transforming procurement on a global scale.