This week on Digi-Tools in Accrual World, Indi Tatla and John Toon are joined by new co-host Billie Mcloughlin for a packed episode of accounting tech news and fintech news covering some of the biggest raises, most practical product updates, and one very contentious claim from Microsoft's AI chief.

The show kicks off with Allica Bank's $155 million Series D raise, which pushes the UK-focused business bank to a $1.2 billion valuation and into unicorn territory. The hosts unpack what the funding means for expansion into Northern Europe and whether an IPO or acquisition is the more likely exit.

From there, the team covers Stacks, which has raised $23 million to push further into financial close automation and has launched an AI Flux Analysis tool to identify transaction variances, before moving on to Basis, an AI agent platform that has hit a $1.15 billion valuation after raising $100 million to build long-horizon agentic workflows across tax, audit and advisory functions inside accounting firms.

On the more practical side, John runs through a substantial update from Active Workpapers, including the launch of Group Overview for managing portfolios of connected clients and a new integration with FreeAgent. Billie covers Xama AML's new client portal, which simplifies ID verification and multi-director onboarding, reducing the back-and-forth that has long made AML compliance a drag on practice time.

John also looks at Briefcase's new accruals automation tool, which detects recurring expenses and suggests journal postings at month-end before automatically reversing them when the invoice arrives. The hosts discuss how Briefcase's iterative, practice-led approach to development has helped them release features that genuinely land.

The episode also touches on the Crezco and iplicit partnership, which brings embedded payment functionality into iplicit's mid-market platform under the name iplicit Pay, and on Dytto, a new AI startup promising to free accountants from manual tasks, which receives a sceptical reception from all three hosts.

The episode closes with a proper debate on the Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman's claim that accountants could be fully automated within two years. Billie, John and Indi push back on the timeline, drawing on adoption curves from cloud accounting and e-commerce, and make the case that professional judgment, regulatory accountability and client trust will slow the transition considerably.

This episode is brought to you by Xledger, the mid-market accounting platform.

Find out more at: https://www.xledger.com

In this episode of Digi-Tools in Accrual World, John Toon, Ryan Pearcy, and Leigh Stallard navigate a wave of major enterprise resource planning (ERP) updates and fintech news. The team examines Intuit's shifting focus toward the enterprise market with its new Construction Edition and discusses whether this will successfully migrate long-term desktop users to the cloud.

The conversation covers significant AI advancements from industry giants. Sage Intacct has introduced new AI agents designed to streamline financial close and enhance cash intelligence, while NetSuite recently announced a suite of AI tools at its New York conference. The hosts also discuss the implications of Sage Intacct opening up data access via Snowflake, offering firms more flexibility for advanced reporting and business intelligence.

Additionally, the episode highlights a substantial $22 million funding round for audit and bank confirmation platform Circit, the launch of Ask Vinyl for automated meeting insights, and Fishbowl’s entry into the UK market with AI-driven manufacturing tools. The show concludes with a look at Zoho’s unified ERP strategy and a significant, though unconfirmed, rumour regarding the future of Sage 50 Professional in the cloud.

This episode is essential listening for digitally savvy accountants wanting to stay informed on the latest accounting tech news and fintech news.

Take your finances into the future and run your business or not-for-profit more effectively with iplicit, the mid-tier ERP solution. Website: https://www.iplicit.com

• 00:00 Intro

• 02:35 Intuit Enterprise Suite

• 06:14 Sage Intacct AI Agents and Data Cloud

• 11:15 Circit $22m Investment

• 15:35 Vinyl's New AI Capabilities

• 20:02 Briefcase: General Availability

• 21:18 Hammock: Joint Property Owners

• 22:54 Fishbowl: AI Manufacturing

• 27:19 Zoho ERP

• 31:13 NetSuite AI Updates

• 33:55 Rumour Mill: Sage 50 Cloud

• 36:32 Outro

In this episode of Digi-Tools in Accrual World - sponsored by FreeAgent - Indi Tatla and Ryan Pearcy are joined by new co-host Heather Smith to discuss the latest developments in accounting tech news and fintech news. The team breaks down a massive wave of updates from Xero, including the long-awaited integration of AI-powered data extraction directly into the core platform, which aims to eliminate manual entry for receipts and invoices.

The conversation also covers significant shifts in the wider market, exploring the so-called "SaaS Apocalypse" and how generative AI is forcing a re-evaluation of traditional software subscription models. From strategic acquisitions like Mayday taking over Easy Month End to the latest consolidation in the UK payroll market with MoorePay acquiring Buddy, this episode provides a comprehensive look at the tools and trends shaping the future for digitally savvy accountants.

00:00 - Introduction and welcome to new co-host Heather Smith 04:08 - Xero integrates AI-powered data capture into core accounting platform 05:50 - A new side-panel Quick View feature simplifies the bill management process in Xero 08:58 - Xero updates global inbox storage to improve document organisation and file management 13:58 - Xero launches new tools to help small businesses manage cash flow and tax 20:00 - Xero integrates Melio for streamlined online bill payments for US small businesses 23:43 - Mayday acquires Easy Month End to streamline the financial close process 28:41 - Digital payroll platform Buddy has been acquired by MoorePay to bolster payroll technology 32:00 - New WorkflowMax Q1 updates focus on saving time for project administration tasks 33:48 - The SaaS apocalypse: Why AI is disrupting traditional software stocks 42:35 - Closing remarks and Digital Disruptor Awards 2026 announcement

Episode Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by FreeAgent. https://www.freeagent.com