Naboo claims AI agents slash corporate event spend by 12% for finance teams
The Parisian start-up rebrands to target finance departments, claiming its artificial intelligence agents reduce corporate event spending by 12 per cent.
Key points
- Naboo handles over $300 million in annual corporate events and claims AI saves clients 12 per cent per event.
- The platform now targets procurement and finance teams alongside event organisers to unify spending control.
- AI agents automate supplier negotiations and administrative tasks to reduce manual workload for staff.
Naboo, a Paris-based startup that manages corporate events, announced a rebrand on Tuesday that shifts its primary focus toward procurement and finance teams. According to The Next Web, the company now positions its platform as a unified system for both event organisers and the departments responsible for controlling spending. This strategic pivot aims to address the differing priorities between planners seeking speed and finance teams requiring strict budget oversight.
The firm states that it processes more than $300 million in corporate events annually. It claims its artificial intelligence technology reduces client costs by 12 per cent per event on average, although it did not specify the methodology used to measure these savings. The Next Web reports that Naboo uses background AI agents to handle supplier sourcing, requirement analysis, and repetitive administrative duties. These agents also negotiate quotes directly with suppliers, aiming to streamline the procurement process.
What we know
Bryan Kulka, Naboo’s head of brand and communications, stated that the AI absorbs complexity in the background. This allows human teams to dedicate more time to advice, support, and service quality, according to The Next Web. The new visual identity was created by design agency Bleed, moving the brand away from being perceived solely as a booking site. Instead, it presents itself as a connector between event, procurement, and finance functions within large organisations.
The rebrand follows a period of significant expansion for the company. In February, Naboo raised a $70 million Series B funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and opened a new office in New York. At that time, the company indicated plans to expand into wider procurement activities, including the development of an AI booking agent and a corporate payment card. The Next Web notes that Naboo was founded in 2022 by Maxime Eduardo, Antoine Servant, Lucien Bredin, and Jean-Louis Villeminot.
Currently, Naboo employs 180 staff members across eight countries. Its client list includes approximately a quarter of the firms featured in France’s CAC 40 index. The company also lists Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Siemens among its customers, according to The Next Web. This move into AI-driven procurement is not unique; Vertice, which acquired rival Vendr in June, also operates an AI negotiation agent for software contracts.
Defender's checklist
- Verify that AI-driven procurement tools have clear audit trails for all automated negotiations.
- Ensure finance teams retain final approval rights over spending thresholds set by AI agents.
- Confirm that supplier data shared with AI platforms is encrypted and access-controlled.
- Review vendor contracts to understand how AI-derived savings are calculated and verified.
Background: AI agents
AI agents are the software entities that perform specific tasks using instructions from large language models. Agentic AI is the architectural approach that grants these agents autonomy to plan, reason and act. You use agents as tools within agentic AI systems to achieve complex, multi-step outcomes without manual oversight at every stage.
Read the full guide: AI Agents vs Agentic AI: The Distinction That Matters
What to do and how to stay safe: Naboo
- Audit current event spending policies to identify gaps where AI automation might introduce uncontrolled costs.
- Require vendors to provide transparent metrics on how AI savings are measured before adoption.
- Implement strict approval workflows for any automated supplier negotiations exceeding set limits.
- Monitor access logs for AI agents to ensure they only interact with authorised suppliers.
Step-by-step guide: AI Governance for Small Teams: Practical Controls and Cost
General security guidance from the TechWire Beat newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Naboo claim its AI saves clients?
Naboo claims its AI saves clients an average of 12 per cent per event, though it did not disclose how this figure is measured.
Who are Naboo's new target customers?
The company is now targeting procurement and finance teams, in addition to its existing base of event organisers.
What funding has Naboo received recently?
In February, Naboo raised a $70 million Series B round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.
