Two CEO announcements just reshaped the AP automation software industry

For years, the AP automation software industry has been characterized by intense competition among a large number of fragmented providers, with Stampli and Tipalti as the clear leaders for midmarket and SMBs. The market has already seen a number of shifts in 2025 – notably the acquisition of AvidXChange by CorPay in May – but nothing prepared us for the confluence of announcements that happened on July 24th.

The first announcement was from Tipalti: Speaking in the publication CTech, Tipalti CEO Chen Amit said that Tipalti had decided to shift its strategy, and is now “focusing on mid-market customers and reducing our exposure to small customers.” In SaaS, “mid-market” typically refers to businesses that are under $100M in revenue; in that context, it’s surprising to hear the word “exposure” as if small and medium-sized businesses are perceived as a risk.

The second announcement was from Stampli: With coincidental but notable timing, we announced to qualified prospects the launch of Stampli Edge – an extension of our powerful AP automation platform for midsize businesses with features and capabilities specifically curated for the needs of medium- and small sized businesses. 

What a contrast. We’re investing in giving the Stampli “edge” to the SMBs that Tipalti appears to be moving on from. 

What Tipalti’s change may mean for your business

If you’re a business under $100 million in revenue that’s considering or currently using Tipalti, the CEO’s statement about reducing “exposure” to small customers may raises practical questions about your future with the platform. Since mid-market typically begins at $100 million, this shift could effectively close the door for many businesses.

While Tipalti hasn’t announced plans to discontinue service for existing SMB customers, the use of the word “exposure” with respect to these businesses may raise important questions, such as:

• Support and service levels. If resources are allocated toward mid-market customers, will smaller accounts experience longer response times or reduced access to specialized support?
• Product development priorities. Will features that benefit primarily smaller businesses receive less investment as development resources shift toward larger customer requirements?
• Pricing and contract terms. If Tipalti is deprioritizing a segment of their customer base, will they implement pricing changes or contract modifications that are more appropriate for bigger businesses and overly burdensome for SMBs?
• Account management attention. Strategic accounts typically receive more proactive account management. Will SMBs receive a reduced level of service?

For businesses that are growing to the standard $100M definition of “mid-size” but aren’t there yet, these questions may lead to a bigger one: Do you want to build your AP processes on a platform where your business size is viewed as an exposure?

Stampli is investing in SMBs and their specific AP needs

For 10 years, Stampli’s core AP platform has offered mid-market and SMB customers a platform that connects every dot – integrating AP with payments, credit cards, vendor management tools, and a comprehensive procurement platform. Our platform gives these businesses an edge by bringing together the functionality they need to run any process from procure to pay, the AI that performs increasing amounts of work for them, all of the messaging and collaboration that happens around any invoice, and seamless integration with their ERP.

But not every business needs the complete power of Stampli’s platform. We recognized that there is a type of business that has outgrown basic bill pay but isn’t complex enough to require a complete procure-to-pay platform. Stampli Edge is our solution for these businesses – an extension of our platform with the capabilities these businesses need to free their finance teams from labor-intensive invoice processes so they can focus on growing to the next level. 

Stampli Edge includes sophisticated invoice automation, vendor management, and integrated payments – all designed for multi-tasking finance teams to automate their most time-consuming tasks. As you scale, Stampli Edge provides a migration path to more functionality while allowing you to maintain your processes and data.

For businesses that are entering the next stage of growth, Stampli Edge eliminates the compromise between basic tools you’ll quickly outgrow and mid-market solutions that may be too complex for where you are today.

Key advantages of Stampli Edge include:

• Rapid deployment. Stampli Edge integrates with popular SMB ERPs like QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, and Oracle NetSuite, with implementations measured in days, not months.
• Complete automation without complexity. AI-powered invoice capture, intelligent approval routing, and streamlined payment processing provide enterprise-level automation in an SMB-friendly package.
• Built to grow with you. Perhaps most importantly for businesses concerned about platform migrations, Stampli Edge is designed to scale seamlessly as your company grows, eliminating the need for painful system switches down the road.

The opportunity in timing

As you assess your needs, there are key factors that growing businesses should prioritize in their selection process.

• Commitment to your segment. Look for providers who view businesses in your revenue range as core customers. This typically translates to better support, responsiveness, and feature development aligned with your needs.
• Implementation speed and simplicity. Growing businesses benefit most from solutions that can be deployed quickly without extensive IT involvement. For example, Edge’s pre-built ERP integrations and cloud-based deployment can mean going live in days rather than months.
• A solution for the long run. Perhaps most critically, choose a platform that grows with your business to avoid the costly migrations that come with outgrowing your AP solution. Stampli Edge, for example, is designed to transition seamlessly from your current needs to complex requirements without process changes or data loss.

Navigating the shift: What you need to know

With these shifting dynamics in AP automation, businesses under $100 million in revenue may be left with questions about how this news could affect them and what their best path forward might be. Below are answers to some of the most pressing questions teams have navigating this transition.

1. When did Tipalti announce it was limiting exposure to SMBs?

Tipalti’s announcement was on July 24, 2025, in a statement by CEO Chen Amit in the publication CTech. That same day, Stampli introduced Stampli Edge, a solution built for growing businesses navigating this change. 

2. What does Tipalti’s announcement mean for smaller businesses?
While Tipalti hasn’t explicitly stated it will discontinue service for SMB customers, the language about “reducing exposure” suggests that support, product development, pricing, and account attention may be deprioritized for companies under $100 million in revenue.

3. Who is Stampli Edge designed for?
Edge is ideal for companies on the path to mid-market, who need a solution that provides more than basic bill pay. If you’re using QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, or Oracle NetSuite, Stampli Edge integrates quickly and offers features designed specifically for your stage of growth. (This comes alongside Stampli’s traditional support for all other ERPs, including those from SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, and many other providers.)

4. How quickly can I implement Stampli Edge?
Stampli Edge is designed for rapid deployment, often going live in days, not months. It requires minimal IT resources thanks to pre-built ERP integrations and a cloud-based architecture.

5. Can Stampli Edge scale as my business grows?
Yes. One of Edge’s core advantages is that it offers a seamless upgrade path to Stampli’s more sophisticated features, eliminating the need for disruptive system migrations as you grow. You can add complex functionality without losing historical data or changing your core AP processes.

Ready to explore AP automation built for growing businesses like yours?

Learn how Stampli Edge provides the sophisticated features you need with the simplicity you want.