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Finance Leaders Are Ready to Increase AI, but Most Aren’t Ready to Control ItNew independent study commissioned by Basware finds that 76% plan to increase AI investment, but only 39% are ready to scale it

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Key findings

76% plan to increase AI investment67% of finance teams already run AI in AP, but only 39% have built the operating model to execute at scale68% need ROI before any further finance technology spend55% expect AI investments in AP to pay back within six to 24 months46% have only struck an effective balance between governance and innovation65% say major or urgent improvement is needed to adjust to new financial regulations64% prioritize stability and compliance over raw innovation when choosing AI

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — For years, finance leaders have invested in the potential of AI. Now, they’re requiring proof it can scale under real operating conditions. According to the findings of From Experimentation to Execution: Governed Autonomy for AI in Accounts Payable, a new Forrester Consulting Opportunity Snapshot commissioned by Basware, the global leader in Invoice Lifecycle Management (ILM), the criteria for AI success in accounts payable have shifted.

Three quarters (76%) of enterprise finance and AP decision-makers plan to increase AI investment over the next 12 to 24 months, but 68% say they’ll require demonstrable ROI before committing more funds. The gap isn’t ambition, it’s execution. 67% already use AI for targeted AP use cases, but only 39% operate AI centers of excellence at scale.

Control is now the deciding factor. 64% prioritize stability and compliance over raw innovation when choosing AI, and less than half (46%) say they’ve struck an effective balance between governance and innovation. Success is no longer just about what AI can do. It’s about whether teams can control it.

Investment is Rising, as are Expectations

Finance leaders are rejecting the promise of instant AI returns.

According to the Forrester study, only 7% of finance leaders expect AI investments in AP to pay back in under 6 months; 20% expect payback within 6 to 12 months; and 35% expect value to take 13 to 24 months to materialize.

The demand for proof reflects where AI is now operating. Finance leaders are looking for value that holds up in live operations, where process complexity exposes weak business cases. Meanwhile, two thirds (65%) need major or urgent improvement to meet new financial regulations, such as Nacha’s 2026 fraud monitoring rules now in effect in the US, and 63% point to growing demand for data-backed decision-making.

AI investment is already concentrating in AP areas where the link to control is easiest to demonstrate.

“Finance is a strong place to start with AI because the value can be measured,” said Donna Wilczek, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Basware. “The challenge is getting from ambition to execution in a way the business can trust. Once outcomes are proven, the remit can grow.”

Moving From Automation to Trusted Execution

The question of trust is now the central tension. An AI agent resolving an invoice exception or recommending an approval needs permission to act, and a reliable record of what happened. With 68% of finance leaders requiring demonstrable ROI before committing further technology spend, AP has become an early test of whether AI can move from automation to trusted execution.

“Governed AI is no longer aspirational, it’s a board-level requirement,” said Wilczek. “Every AI decision in accounts payable needs to be logged, traceable, and auditable from the moment it’s made, not reconstructed after the fact.”

Finance must set clear guardrails to guide these decisions. Basware’s Governed Autonomy framework lets finance teams define how far AI can act. Human review stays in the workflow wherever judgment is required. AI’s authority expands only as outcomes are proven. The framework sets three levels of AI authority, from Advisor to Collaborator to Operator, so autonomy grows only as each level earns trust.

“Success in the next phase of AP won’t be achieved by the teams using the most AI, but by the teams that govern it best,” Wilczek added.

On August 17, Forrester Principal Analyst Meng Liu, will join Basware’s Anssi Ruokonen, Head of Data and AI, for a live webinar to walk through From Experimentation to Execution: Governed Autonomy for AI in Accounts Payable and discuss what’s driving the gap and how to close it. Click here to register for the event.”

About the study

This Opportunity Snapshot was commissioned by Basware. Forrester Consulting supplemented this research with custom survey questions asked of 231 decision-makers responsible for finance/AP technology across the UK, US, France, and Germany. The custom survey began and was completed in March 2026.

About Basware 

Basware is how the world’s best finance teams gain complete control of every invoice, every time. Our Intelligent Invoice Lifecycle Management Platform ensures end-to-end efficiency, compliance and control for all invoice transactions. Powered by the world’s most sophisticated invoice-centric AI, trained on over 2.5 billion invoices, Basware’s Intelligent Automation drives real ROI by transforming finance operations. We serve 6,500+ customers globally and are trusted by industry leaders including DHL, Heineken and Sony. Fueled by more than 40 years of specialized expertise with $10+ trillion in total spend handled, we are pioneering the next era of finance. With Basware, now it all just happens.

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Cogent Communications CEO to Present at Three Upcoming Conferences

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WASHINGTON, July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc.(“Cogent”) (NASDAQ: CCOI), one of the largest Internet service providers in the world, today announced that Dave Schaeffer, Cogent’s Chief Executive Officer, will present at the following conferences:

The KeyBanc Technology Leadership Forum is being held at The Montage in Deer Valley, UT. Dave Schaeffer will be presenting on Monday, August 10th at 11:30 a.m. MT.

The TD Cowen 12th Annual Communications Infrastructure Summit is being held at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, CO. Dave Schaeffer will be presenting on Tuesday, August 11th at 3:45 p.m. MT. 

The Oppenheimer 29th Annual Technology, Internet & Communications Conference is being held virtually. Dave Schaeffer will be presenting on Wednesday, August 12th at 11:35 a.m. ET.

Investors and other interested parties may access live audio webcasts of the conference presentations by going to the “Events” section of Cogent’s website at www.cogentco.com/events. Replays of the webcasts will be available for 90 days following the presentations.

About Cogent

Cogent Communications (NASDAQ: CCOI) is a multinational, Tier 1 facilities-based ISP. Cogent specializes in providing businesses with high-speed Internet access, Ethernet transport, and colocation services. Cogent’s facilities-based, all-optical IP network backbone provides services in 306 markets globally.

Cogent is headquartered at 2450 N Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20037. For more information, visit www.cogentco.com. Cogent can be reached in the United States at (202) 295-4200 or via email at info@cogentco.com.

Information in this release may involve expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc. as of the date of the release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement. The statements in this release are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences. Some of the factors and risks associated with our business are discussed in Cogent’s registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in its other reports filed from time to time with the SEC.

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SOURCE Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc.

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75% of Small Business Owners Tapped Personal Credit for Business Expenses, Bluevine Study Finds

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New national survey reveals lack of loan preparation puts personal financial health at risk, contributing to delays or denials for 1 in 4 applicants.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new national survey published today by Bluevine—the largest digital banking platform for small businesses in the U.S.*—reveals that small business financing challenges are often driven by a gap in preparation and financial literacy rather than a lack of available capital. According to the study of more than 800 U.S. small business owners, 25% of their recent business financing applications were delayed or denied due to avoidable application mistakes, driving many founders to compromise their personal financial health.

The findings highlight a critical disconnect: While roughly two-thirds (65%) of SMB owners applied for a business line of credit or term loan in the past 12 months, the vast majority skipped fundamental preparation steps. A striking 73% of respondents admitted they did not research lender approval requirements beforehand, 72% failed to update their financial statements, and 56% did not check their business credit score before hitting submit.

These preparation gaps frequently force owners to rely on personal financing to keep operations afloat, with 75% of small business owners self-reporting that they used personal credit cards or personal loans for business expenses over the last year. This marks a massive jump from Bluevine’s 2025 data, where 49% of owners reported using a personal card to cover business expenses.

“Using personal credit cards for business expenses can create risk beyond utilization,” said Aditya Narula, Senior VP & GM of Lending & Credit at Bluevine. “It can blur personal and business finances, limit the owner’s ability to build business credit, and make tax or cash-flow tracking harder. Over time, it may constrain personal borrowing capacity for a mortgage, car loan, or emergency needs. A stronger application starts before the application itself.”

Additional Key Findings

The Early-Stage Vulnerability: Business owners whose companies are five years old or younger struggle the most with the process. Over half (54%) experienced issues with their most recent application, compared to just 24% of established businesses (six years or older). Furthermore, 44% of newer owners rely on personal credit cards, and 20% utilize personal loans for business needs.The Personal Toll of Mixed Finances: Relying on personal credit is actively harming small business owners’ private lives. Of the 41% of owners who currently use personal credit cards for business expenses, more than 4 in 5 (42%) say it has negatively affected their personal finances, including increasing personal credit utilization (23%), creating household stress or conflict (16%), and lowering personal credit scores (12%).Application Surprises: Among the 37% of SMB owners who ran into roadblocks during their most recent application, 12% were caught off guard by how long processing took, 11% discovered their credit score was lower than expected, and 8% applied without understanding lender requirements.Financing Alleviates Stress: Access to proper business financing remains vital to operational health. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of small business owners state that having a dedicated business line of credit or term loan significantly reduces their stress about covering upcoming expenses or emergencies.

“A prepared application can materially speed up the process because it reduces back-and-forth,” Narula added. “Current P&Ls, recent bank statements, accurate business information, and a clean credit profile help lenders verify your business faster. The biggest unlock is consistency: when documents, revenue, ownership, and credit history tell the same story, decisions move faster.”

For a deeper dive into real-world credit behavior and advice on navigating the application process, read the full findings here.

Methodology

The survey was conducted online by Centiment for Bluevine between May 12, 2026, and May 13, 2026. The results are based on 864 completed surveys from U.S. adults aged 18 and older who were verified as small business owners. The data is unweighted, and the margin of error is approximately ±3% for the overall sample with a 97% confidence level.

* As compared to publicly available data on the number of lifetime customer accounts held by other U.S. banking platforms dedicated to small businesses that offer both checking and lending services, as of June 2026.

About Bluevine

Bluevine is the largest small business banking platform in the U.S., serving as the financial operating system for startups and small businesses. Through a single account, companies can earn more, save more, borrow, and manage their money whenever and wherever they do business – without ever stepping into a branch. Accessible through one dashboard, its product suite integrates high-yield business checking, accounts payable, debit and credit cards, loans, and lines of credit. Since 2013, Bluevine has served over 1 million customers, delivered over $17 billion in loans, and is currently trusted with over $2 billion in managed customer deposits. Bluevine has been named as the Best Online BusinessChecking Account by Nerdwallet for 2026 and recognized as one of CNBC’s World’s Top Fintech Companies in 2026.

Bluevine is backed by leading private and institutional investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, 83North, Citi Ventures, ION Crossover Partners, SVB Capital, Nationwide, and M12 (Microsoft’s Venture Arm). Bluevine is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking Services provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. Lines of credit are issued by Celtic Bank. For more information, please visit bluevine.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

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SOURCE Bluevine

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Ticketbud Expands Credentialing Capabilities for Large, Complex Events

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AUSTIN, Texas, July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ticketbud expanded its event ticketing and credentialing capabilities to include credential printing, access control, and on-site badge services, helping large and complex events manage attendee, staff, vendor, and VIP access with greater flexibility, speed, and control.

Ticketbud expands its credential services to include credential printing, access control, and on-site badge services.

After launching and field-testing its new tools at highly attended, high profile events over the last year, Ticketbud has refined its credentialing and ticketing system to better support organizers who need more than standard ticket types. The enhanced credentialing solution allows event teams to manage tickets, credentials, access levels, intake forms, approvals, badge printing, wristbands, and on-site support through one streamlined platform.

“Every event is different, and we needed to build out a robust and customizable system for supporting the many different needs of our growing client base,” said Kayhan Ahmadi, CEO of Ticketbud. “For large, complex events, we’ve added the ability to allow event organizers to take in attendee data to set up access control for all kinds of guests, like notable guests, staff, sponsors, talent and even vendors and production staff. We can print these credentials in advance or even on demand and on site, matching our clients’ needs for flexibility and responsiveness.”

Credentialing can quickly become one of the most complicated parts of event operations, especially for organizers managing large-scale festivals, conferences, venues, sponsor activations and VIP areas across client and production teams, vendors, media, and talent. Ticketbud’s approach brings those moving pieces together, eliminating the need for multiple platforms and third-party services.

With Ticketbud, organizers have the ability to manage both ticket-level access and credential-level access in one place. Credential access can be applied across tickets, badges, and wristbands, equipping the system for the realities of high-volume event operations across multiple venues, access zones, rotating staff, sponsor activations, and tiered VIP experiences.

“The majority of large events use a ticketing software solution for selling tickets to their audience and a completely separate service for staff, security and production credentials at the event. This means that often ticket scanning and credential scanning never talk to each other.” Ahmadi said. “Most frequently, simple generic credentials are printed en masse in advance and are not assigned to a specific individual. We wanted to give event organizers a better solution: Credentials and ticketing as an integration solution.” 

Ticketbud’s credentialing solution also supports customized intake and approval workflows. Organizers can create credential-specific intake forms using Ticketbud’s existing platform to collect names, photos, company information, role type, venue assignment, or other custom fields, and export submissions for review.

Client-side reviewers then approve or deny requests before credentials are printed and distributed, helping event teams maintain tighter control over who receives access to sensitive or restricted areas.

As part of its expanded event services, Ticketbud supports the physical side of credentialing, assisting with wristband ordering and credential printing and production logistics — both in-house or on-site. This gives organizers a more complete, white-glove solution than currently exists in the marketplace.

The credentialing expansion is part of Ticketbud’s broader commitment to providing all-in-one event technology and hands-on support for organizers managing events of every size, from community gatherings to large-scale productions.

About Ticketbud:

Ticketbud is the event organizers ticketing platform, user-friendly for first time organizers, powerful and flexible for large festivals and events. Access all features and ongoing customer support, with complete reporting and data ownership. With early payouts and the flexibility to customize, event organizers worldwide trust Ticketbud. Get a ticketing buddy you can rely on.

Ticketbud and Ticketbud LLC are registered trademarks of Ideabud LLC, in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:                

Kayhan Ahmadi

Email: press@ticketbud.com

512-696-4658

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SOURCE Ticketbud

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