Everything We Learnt From Zip Forward Europe
This year marked the inaugural Zip Forward Europe event in London, attracting more than 200 procurement and finance leaders from across the EMEA region. Hosted at 22 Bishopsgate, the day saw participants assembled to explore procurement orchestration's future amid today's increasingly unpredictable global landscape.
The event's headline announcement was the introduction of Zip for Risk Orchestration, a new solution integrated within its procurement orchestration platform.
This powerful capability enables global organisations to streamline supplier risk assessments, automate financial verifications and navigate compliance obligations efficiently — all designed to mitigate risks related to fraud, security breaches and regulatory enforcement without compromising business momentum.
The timing of this launch could hardly be more pertinent, as security threats and regulatory complexity continue to intensify across global markets. Companies are increasingly turning to orchestration for a more connected and proactive approach to third-party risk management.
"Just as we transformed procurement orchestration, we're now helping businesses proactively manage regulatory and operational risks worldwide," said Zip co-founder and CEO, Rujul Zaparde, on stage.
Thought leadership takes centre stage
The keynote session featured an impressive lineup of speakers from Metro Bank, EcoVadis and Invesco, each offering unique perspectives on procurement's evolving role.
A particularly notable contribution came from Clare Cassano, Head of Procurement Strategy at Invesco, who emphasised that expanding spend under management directly strengthens supplier governance.
"Effective supplier risk management begins with comprehensive spend visibility and control," Clare said. "By implementing Zip to drive more spend under management, we're building a foundation for better supplier oversight. It allows us to make more informed decisions in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape."
Attendees participated in expert-led roundtables and workshops hosted by Zip's Advisory team, featuring customers from diverse organisations including AppsFlyer, Lighthouse and Camunda, showcasing how companies across industries are leveraging Zip to generate measurable business value through automation, visibility and operational efficiency.
The day concluded with an inspiring keynote from Dr Elouise Epstein, Partner at Kearney, who described the current moment as the dawn of "Procurement 4.0"—an era characterised by agentic AI, composable solutions and orchestration serving as connective tissue between tools, data and strategy.
EMEA expansion demonstrates market momentum
Zip Forward Europe's success marks another milestone in the company's rapid EMEA expansion. Since establishing its London office in 2024, Zip has expanded its regional team by over 400% and doubled its customer base within just one year.
This remarkable growth reflects both the region's demand for more intelligent procurement solutions and Zip's commitment to delivering platforms that enhance business flow.
The company's launch of Zip for Risk Orchestration comes at a crucial moment, demonstrating its ongoing dedication to helping customers build resilience, intelligence and confidence throughout their supplier relationships.
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