• Starling Bank has agreed to acquire Ember with plans to integrate Ember’s tax and bookkeeping tools into its business banking platform, giving small businesses streamlined support for invoicing, expenses, payroll, and tax submissions.
• Ember’s software currently serves customers of major UK banks, but will become exclusive to Starling customers in 2026.
• The move positions Starling to help businesses comply with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC’s) Making Tax Digital mandate by April 2026.

UK-based Starling Bank announced this week that it will acquire fellow UK fintech Ember, a tax and bookkeeping platform. Starling will build Ember’s resources into its banking platform to provide small business owners with tools they need to manage their transactions and tax submissions. Terms of the acquisition are undisclosed.

Ember was founded in 2019 to give small businesses a human accountant to work with throughout the year to offer real-time insights into their finances and automated bookkeeping. The company offers tools for invoicing, expense management, payroll, tax optimization, and more to do the heavy lifting of tax and VAT compliance while maximizing companies’ visibility into their finances.

“Ember’s platform is beautifully designed to simplify complex accounting tasks through a user-friendly interface,” said Starling Bank Managing Director of SME Banking Adeel Hyder. “As Starling ramps up the roll-out of best-in-class solutions for small businesses, we will continue to build, partner, or buy as best meets customers’ needs.”

Ember currently serves thousands of UK-based small businesses, including customers of HSBC, Revolut, Barclays, and Lloyds. Under the agreement with Starling, however, the company’s software will be exclusively available to Starling Bank customers starting in 2026. Also, as part of today’s deal, Starling will discontinue Ember’s accountancy advisory services.

This is a key move for Starling and strategic timing, given that His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has mandated a Making Tax Digital requirement starting in April of 2026. Starling’s integration of Ember’s tools will help the many businesses that aren’t prepared for online tax reporting to integrate Ember’s HMRC-recognized software by the end of 2025.

The integration of Ember will be available to Starling’s business customers as part of a suite of business services. Among the bank’s other commercial customer tools are Spaces, a tool that allows business owners to put money aside for designated purposes; Bills Manager, which helps businesses pay suppliers on time; and Spending Intelligence, an AI-powered spending tracker.

“We are a natural fintech consolidator, so targeted acquisitions like Ember will form a key part of our strategy as we continue to develop Starling Bank in the UK and Engine by Starling overseas,” said Starling Group Chief Financial Officer Declan Ferguson. “Just as Fleet Mortgages has flourished since we bought it in 2021, I’m confident that Ember’s best-in-class tools will become a fantastic addition to Starling Bank’s offering.”

Photo by Peťka Šurinová

• Palo Alto Networks is acquiring identity security company CyberArk for $25 billion.
• The deal marks Palo Alto Networks’ first major move into the identity space as threats from AI-generated attacks and synthetic identities increase.
• The deal will integrate CyberArk’s privileged access management tools into Palo Alto’s AI-driven platforms, expanding protection to human, machine, and AI agent identities under a unified security architecture.

Palo Alto Networks announced plans to acquire CyberArk this week. The Massachusetts-based identity security company agreed to be acquired for approximately $25 billion.

The deal will bring CyberArk’s privileged access management (PAM) and identity security technology into Palo Alto Networks’ existing AI-powered security platforms, marking the California-based company’s first entry into the identity space. Combining the expertise of the two organizations, Palo Alto Networks will extend identity protection to all identity types, including human, machine, and autonomous AI agents.

For CyberArk, the new backing will help to establish itself as an identity security platform by driving better combined security outcomes.

“Our market entry strategy has always been to enter categories at their inflection point, and we believe that moment for Identity Security is now,” said Palo Alto Networks Chairman and CEO Nikesh Arora. “This strategy has guided our evolution from a next-gen firewall company into a multi-platform cybersecurity leader. Today, the rise of AI and the explosion of machine identities have made it clear that the future of security must be built on the vision that every identity requires the right level of privilege controls, not the ‘IAM fallacy’. CyberArk is the definitive leader in Identity Security with durable, foundational technology that is essential for securing the AI era. Together, we will define the next chapter of cybersecurity.”

The deal comes at a time when identity and security are converging, especially as gathering credentials for both human and machine identities such as AI agents begins to challenge traditional security frameworks. The integration of CyberArk’s Identity Security Platform with Palo Alto Networks will provide a single solution to help eliminate security gaps; extend identity management to ensure the right level of privilege controls is applied to every identity, which includes humans, machines, and even agents; and help enforce just-in-time access and least privilege principles to ensure that AI agents are granted only the permissions they need.

Palo Alto Networks was founded in 2005 and has since provided more than 70,000 organizations across the globe with solutions across network, cloud, and security operations. The transaction has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both Palo Alto Networks and CyberArk, and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.

This deal marks a notable shift in cybersecurity, as it signals that identity security is no longer an add-on, but it is rather a central piece of the future of threat prevention. As organizations rely more on cloud infrastructure, machine-to-machine communication, and AI-driven operations, identity should be front and center. Palo Alto Networks’ move to integrate CyberArk’s technology doesn’t just add another product line, but instead redefines cybersecurity architecture around identity as the new perimeter.

The move also comes at a time when banks are fighting deepfake identity images at onboarding, struggling to distinguish synthetic identities created by AI from real images, and facing pressure to secure machine-to-machine communications. Each of these elements highlight the growing need for stronger identity verification and privilege management across both human and non-human users.

Photo by Brett Sayles

• DASH and S4i Systems have merged to form SMRTR, a new company focused on delivering automation and compliance solutions to the manufacturing and food and beverage industries.
• SMRTR offers a cloud-based platform that streamlines accounts payable, document automation, supplier onboarding, and regulatory compliance.
• The new organization bridges the gap between finance and supply chain operations.

Accounts payable automation specialist DASH announced this week that it is joining forces with compliance and content management solutions provider S4i Systems. The new entity is called SMRTR, and will offer automation and compliance solutions to manufacturing and food and beverage companies.

SMRTR’s cloud-based solutions will help customers improve operational efficiency with its tools that include AP processing, document automation, supplier onboarding and compliance, and electronic proof of delivery. By combining DASH’s financial process automation with S4i’s supplier compliance tools, SMRTR is uniquely positioned to streamline both front-and back-office operations, ultimately bridging finance and supply chain documentation in a unique way.

SMRTR CEO Susanne Moore highlighted how industries facing labor shortages and increased regulation are undergoing a shift toward platform consolidation. “Our customers have consistently told us they want fewer vendors and more comprehensive solutions,” said Moore. “This merger allows us to deliver exactly that—a complete automation platform that addresses both operational efficiency and regulatory compliance from a single source. We’re bringing together decades of industry experience to solve problems that matter to our customers’ bottom line.”

DASH was founded in 1998 to help its customers automate accounts payable processes and manage their documents. The company supports its clients by offering ERP tools that provide regulatory compliance and audit preparation by reducing manual processes and improving accuracy in financial operations.

S4i Systems launched in 2002, offering automation solutions for companies working in the food & beverage industry. The company’s supplier management platform helps clients meet industry-specific regulatory requirements by offering documentation management and supply chain traceability.

Logistically, SMRTR will bring on employees from existing locations. The company will support product portfolios of both DASH and S4i Systems, maintaining each company’s existing customer relationships.

This merger reflects a growing trend among mid-market automation and compliance vendors to consolidate services into end-to-end platforms. As regulatory demands and supply chain complexities increase in the food and beverage industry, companies are looking for partners that can handle both compliance and operational efficiency.

Photo By: Kaboompics.com