Xero stories
Customer-facing firms were hit hardest as weak demand and higher costs left UK small businesses with their slowest sales growth in two years.
Unused subscriptions are leaving UK SMEs exposed to rising SaaS bills, with some firms able to trim GBP £10,000 a year.
UK Xero users can now manage supplier, expense and employee payments in one place as Dext expands its payments tool with payroll.
Small businesses can now ask Claude for live cash and invoice data from Xero without leaving their accounting records.
Australian businesses are pushing AI beyond pilots, prompting Glean to nearly double local headcount as ANZ customers rise more than 60 per cent.
The move strengthens Xero’s North American engineering base as it pushes AI tools into its core accounting software for small businesses.
A Sydney base and local team are meant to help Anthropic win more Australian and New Zealand customers as AI adoption gathers pace.
The move signals a deeper push into Australia and New Zealand as Anthropic courts enterprise and government customers from a Sydney base.
Users can now track performance against targets and share AI-powered scorecards as Xero expands analytics tools to 4.6 million subscribers worldwide.
Brands will be able to assess creator campaigns with first-party YouTube data as impact.com adds direct discovery, activation and measurement tools.
Australia’s smallest employers face heavier payroll compliance as PaySauce targets 694,000 micro-businesses with new hires and AUD $4 million backing.
Small businesses could see faster reporting and less manual admin as AI-driven rivals automate bookkeeping and pressure QuickBooks to adapt.
The new platform aims to cut routine bookkeeping for small firms by automating payments, reconciliation and tax prep while keeping users in control.
The hire sharpens Intuit's APAC push as it adapts QuickBooks and Mailchimp to local tax and compliance demands across the region.
The partnership signals a split in finance software as firms weigh tighter control inside one platform against AI agents that span several systems.
Cash flow pressure is building for US small firms as payment times lengthened and late invoices rose in Xero's March quarter data.
Momentum stayed firm for Australian small businesses in the March quarter, as sales, jobs and wages all rose despite higher fuel costs.
Improving demand and higher interest-rate relief helped New Zealand small businesses post 3.9% sales growth in the March quarter.
Cash flow is tightening for Canadian small businesses as March sales improved only slightly, while payment times lengthened and late bills rose.
The hire comes as Wagepoint seeks to turn new products and a refreshed brand into wider uptake among Canadian small businesses and advisers.
