Category Archives: Business

KEZAD Group Announces the Development of AED 112 Million SME Hub in Abu Dhabi

The 25,260 square metre hub will serve as a launchpad for SMEs to establish and expand operations in the Emirate 

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 11 June 2026: Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD Group, one of the largest operators of integrated and purpose-built economic zones in the region, has announced the development of the KEZAD SME Hub, a purpose-built business platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The SME Hub marks the Group’s first-of-its-kind development designed to support SMEs in establishing and scaling their operations in the emirate.

Scheduled for handover before the end of this year, and located in KEZAD A (KEZAD Al Ma’mourah), the 25,260 square metre KEZAD SME Hub is designed as a practical bridge between early-stage SME incubators and full-fledged industrial market facilities. The aim of the SME Hub is to ease the transition from startup to scaled production and distribution within an integrated economic zone.

The hub benefits from direct connectivity to Khalifa Port and Etihad Rail networks, and offers businesses access to more than 75 percent of the UAE’s urban areas within a 90-minute drive. 

As a pioneering development, the AED 112 million hub combines Micro Industrial Units and office suites in a single model, enabling SMEs to streamline day-to-day activity, logistics and costs. Co-located within a like-minded SME community and complementary industrial activities, businesses can unlock partnership opportunities through shared services and supplier networks. 

The hub comprises 175 flexible business-ready Micro Industrial Units starting from 100 square metres, supported by a dedicated business centre and access to KEZAD’s on-site infrastructure and business support services. 

SMEs represent 94 percent of all businesses in the UAE, and contribute to 64 percent of the nation’s non-oil GDP. In Abu Dhabi, SMEs constitute around 98 percent of the emirate’s businesses, employ 46 percent of the workforce, and contribute to around 43 percent to its non-oil GDP. With the SME sector expected to grow to one million enterprises by 2030, SME development remains central to the diversification of Abu Dhabi’s economy. 

Abdullah Al Hameli, CEO, Economic Cities & Free Zones, AD Ports Group said: “SME sector growth is a top priority for Abu Dhabi. In alignment with the leadership’s vision, we aim to establish KEZAD as a thriving ecosystem for small and medium enterprise development in the region. The KEZAD SME Hub will serve as a launchpad for SMEs, nurturing and developing the industry with vital resources and support required to grow in a competitive market.

Joining the hub will also enable SME investors to leverage the advantages and business support provided by KEZAD’s integrated business ecosystems.”

Mohamed Al Khadar Al Ahmed, CEO, Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD Group said: “With the SME Hub initiative, we are strengthening KEZAD’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem dedicated to small and medium industries. The Hub will play a crucial role by providing early-stage support for SME startups while also enabling established SMEs to scale their operations at competitive costs within an integrated industrial environment, bridging the gap between SME incubators and the industrial market facilities needed to compete and grow.” 

Small and medium enterprises play a vital role in Abu Dhabi’s economy, fuelling industrial advancement and job creation. Backed by the leadership’s vision, KEZAD continues to empower SMEs to set up, thrive, and grow into globally competitive businesses, reinforcing the emirate’s position as a leading destination for industry and commerce

In this connection, KEZAD Group has signed an MoU with Emirates Growth Fund to support the development of UAE-based SMEs, combining KEZAD’s integrated industrial and logistics ecosystem with EGF’s growth capital and strategic support. The collaboration aims to help high-potential SMEs access the resources, infrastructure and guidance needed to scale their operations and compete in wider regional and global markets.

SS Floral Couture: Where Floral Design Meets Luxury Storytelling

Based between Mumbai and London, Seema Shah approaches floristry as an art form — blending emotion, design, and meticulous craftsmanship. Inspired by the precision of couture fashion, each arrangement is thoughtfully composed, layered, and styled to reflect both the occasion and the story behind it. The name SS Floral Couture reflects this philosophy: Seema Shah’s personal signature combined with a commitment to refined floral artistry.

Specializing in luxury event styling, bespoke wedding installations, and custom floral arrangements, Seema works with an exquisite selection of premium blooms including roses, orchids, peonies, hydrangeas, exotic flowers, and preserved florals. Known for her signature palette of soft neutrals, blush tones, whites, and subtle gold accents, her work embodies modern luxury, understated elegance, and timeless sophistication.

From intimate celebrations to large-scale weddings and brand collaborations, Seema Shah creates striking floral concepts that transform environments and leave a lasting impression. Every project begins with a thoughtful consultation, ensuring each design is deeply personal and aligned with the client’s vision.

With a growing presence across Mumbai and London, Seema Shah continues to shape SS Floral Couture into a globally recognized name in luxury floral design, redefining florals not simply as décor, but as meaningful design experiences that linger long after the celebration ends.

Learning Spiral Launches AI-Powered Exam Security & Smart Evaluation Solution

India, June 11: Amid mounting anxiety over the leaking of exam papers, inappropriate behaviour on behalf of students during exams, and errors that occur when exams are assessed, Learning Spiral has launched the most sophisticated AI-based solution that provides security to exams and makes them smarter. 

Through enhanced monitoring features and smart evaluation systems, evidence-based insights into assessment data, and streamlined processes, this solution is intended to enhance the integrity of examinations in schools, colleges, and other educational institutions. Designed specifically for today’s digital educational environment, it provides schools, colleges, and other educational institutions with tools to reduce error by human intervention; increase fairness and accuracy when determining the results of assessments; and ultimately, enable conducting accurate assessments more frequently. 

Manish Mohta, the founder of Learning Spiral, said, “As education develops, we must provide secure, reliable assessments. Technology can support this by decreasing vulnerabilities, increasing transparency, and creating confidence in assessment.”

Learning Spiral will support institutions through this initiative to create a more trusted, future-oriented assessment environment utilizing intelligent technology solutions.

Ethereal Machines Raises $28.5 Million Series B to Advance India’s Deep-Tech Manufacturing Revolution and Sovereign Industrial Capabilities

June 11: Ethereal Machines, India’s leading deep-tech precision manufacturing company, today announced it has raised $28.5 million in a Series B round led by Avataar Ventures, with participation from Peak XV Partners and other investors. The capital will be deployed to advance India’s self-reliance in advanced precision manufacturing, equipping domestic and international aerospace, defence, and healthcare industries with the high-tolerance components they have historically been forced to import.

The round follows a period of rapid growth. Since its $13 million Series A in June 2024, Ethereal Machines has grown its Machining-as-a-Service (MaaS) revenue 3X year-over-year and scaled production capacity 10X across its Smart Factory operations. The company now runs India’s first fully automated smart manufacturing unit in Peenya, Bengaluru, operating 24/7 across three shifts, and has signed an MoU with the Government of Karnataka to establish a 300,000 sq. ft. mega-factory on the outskirts of the city. During this period, it also launched Aura (3-axis) and Nimbus (5-axis),proprietary CNC machines achieving sub-10-micron accuracy — a first for Indian manufacturing — and expanded its client base across aerospace, defence, healthcare, semiconductors, and consumer electronics.

 The capital will be deployed across five key priorities:

• Mega-Factory Build-Out: Build a 300,000+ sq. ft. facility to help create 2000+ new local jobs – set to become one of the largest automated advanced manufacturing facilities outside of China. The factory will be equipped with state-of-the-art multi-axis CNC systems, a software first approach, cleanroom capabilities, etc. designed to serve global aerospace, defence, medical, semi-con and consumer electronics OEMs at scale. 

• Vesper: Ethereal continues to invest in its proprietary factory operating software stack that uses AI to predict manufacturing lead times, track factory uptime and output in real time and optimise production workflows. This shift from experience-driven to data-driven manufacturing allows Ethereal to operate at the speed and reliability that customers demand – without compromising on micron-level accuracy.

• India’s First Domestic CNC Controller: The funds will also be used to develop India’s first proprietary multi-axis CNC controller: the command centre that governs every axis of machine movement and delivers the micron-level precision.

• Semi-conductors: Ethereal is actively engaged in India’s emerging semiconductor ecosystem, supporting the domestic sourcing of high-precision components critical to chip manufacturing infrastructure which is a space where the company sees a long-term, strategically significant opportunity.

• Global Expansion: Building dedicated teams in the United States and Europe to serve global aerospace, defence, and medical device OEMs directly.

Commenting on the fundraise, Kaushik Mudda, Co-Founder & CEO, Ethereal Machines shared, “India has long had the engineering talent to lead in advanced manufacturing; what has been missing is deeply integrated industrial capability at global standards. The world is actively looking for resilient alternatives in global manufacturing, and India has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to emerge as a serious deep-tech manufacturing powerhouse. Ethereal Machines is building that foundation from precision CNC systems to intelligent factory software and large-scale automated manufacturing. This capital allows us to accelerate that journey and position India as a trusted global hub for high-precision manufacturing.”

Anirudh Singh, Partner, Avataar Ventures shared, “Ethereal is solving one of the hardest problems in the entire manufacturing stack: building high-precision components at global standards and at scale, out of India. And it sits in front of one of the largest end markets in the world. It takes superhuman strength to do this with minimal outside support in an unforgiving industry, and there is no better team than Kaushik and Navin to pull it off. Their full-stack approach of building their own CNC machines and pairing them with intelligent factory software, lets them operate at 1/6th the cost of global peers. The roster of top-tier global clients they have already won is validation of that technological edge. As global supply chains look for trusted, resilient alternatives, we believe Ethereal can become a category-defining manufacturing platform from India, built for the world.”

Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Peak XV and Surge shared, “India is at an inflection point in precision manufacturing. As global companies look for more resilient supply chains and demand grows across aerospace, defence, semiconductors and medical devices, India has the opportunity to become a trusted global hub for precision manufacturing. Kaushik, Navin and the Ethereal Machines team are building exactly the kind of full-stack capability this moment requires, from proprietary CNC machines and factory software – Vesper, to scaled production capability. We have partnered with this team since the seed round and are excited to continue deepening that partnership.”

The raise comes at an inflection point for Indian manufacturing. The sector contributes roughly 17% of the country’s GDP, yet India remains heavily dependent on precision machine tools imported from Germany and Japan. The global “China+1” supply chain diversification trend, combined with surging demand across aerospace and defence, has created an unprecedented window for Indian manufacturers to capture a meaningful share of the $220 billion global precision manufacturing market, which is expected to grow to $400 billion by 2030. With its proprietary machines, Machining-as-a-Service model, and growing roster of global clients, Ethereal Machines is positioned to help establish India as a tier-one destination for precision engineering.

Seattle’s Back to Business Program deepens support to small businesses affected by crime and vandalism

Reimbursement caps to small businesses for repairs and preventative measures increase.

Seattle | June 11- The Seattle Office of Economic Development increased reimbursement caps to small businesses affected by crime and vandalism or are making improvements to preventative measures for their business. Unexpected expenses from vandalism and property damage can create real and burdensome financial challenges from repairs and restoration. The Back to Business Program is designed to help businesses overcome these challenges so they can focus on what they do best – growing their small business.

Today, the Storefront Repair Fund increased the reimbursement limit from $3,000 per incident to $5,000 per incident for up to three incidents in a calendar year for repairs costs. The Storefront Security Fund increased the one-time reimbursement for approved security improvements from $6,000 to $10,000. Building on the success of 2022 – 2024 COVID-19-era program designed to help businesses recover from damages from vandalism, the City of Seattle launched the Back to Business Program in August of 2025, with renewed $3.3M in funding for 2026.

“Since taking office I have met with hundreds of small business owners, and the message to me has been clear. It is difficult to be a small business owner right now, and the City can and should do more to help,” said Mayor Katie B. Wilson. “That’s why I am glad programs and services like Back to Business exist, and am proud to support them. If we can provide even a little relief to small businesses when they are impacted by crime or vandalism or when they want to do more to protect their business, that can go a long way for the business being able to invest back in itself and its community.”

Between August 2025 and the end of May 2026, the Back to Business Program awarded 437 grants to 325 businesses totaling more than $1,030,000 in reimbursements. Because the program application is simple to use, a business may apply to the Storefront Security Fund and the Storefront Repair Fund at the same time, provided they meet eligibility and have the correct documents.

“After administering the program for several months and evaluating applications, our program team found ways to deepen the support we provide to small businesses who are impacted by crime,” said Beto Yarce, director for the Seattle Office of Economic Development. “Increasing the limits provides more meaningful support to more small businesses and will have a greater impact on a business owner’s bottom line. The Back to Business Program is just one tool in our suite of services to make Seattle an easier and more affordable place to do business.”

This increase will result in the Back to Business Program covering one hundred percent of a business’s recovery and preventative cost for about ninety percent of eligible businesses who apply. Business owners who had eligible expenses that exceeded the previous limits will retroactively receive a payment for the difference between their original request and the updated limits, if they originally submitted invoices for an amount higher than the original limits. No action is needed by a business to receive the retroactive payment.

Laura Schneider, owner of West Seattle’s Meeples Games received support from the Back to Business Program in January of 2026. “As a small business owner, every break-in is a massive setback, but the Back to Business program provided us with a real path forward. Thanks to the program, we received immediate help replacing our doors through the Storefront Repair Fund,” said Schneider. “The Storefront Security Fund helped us proactively upgrade our security with astragals and security film. It has restored my peace of mind. Seattle’s investment in independent storefronts works, and Meeples Games is incredibly grateful for this vital support.”

Applications for the Back to Business Program are open until December 31, 2026 or until funds are exhausted. To find out more about the program, eligibility and to apply, visit seattle.gov/back-to-business.

What people are saying

Council President Joy Hollingsworth (District 3)
“OED’s Back to Business Program has been instrumental in helping small businesses recover and get back on their feet. Without this support, many local businesses may not have been able to afford the costly repairs needed to reopen their doors. I love seeing this program expanding so that even more small businesses that call Seattle home can access the resources they need to recover, grow, and continue serving our communities.”

Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1)
“Operating a small business in Seattle is tough already – even without being the victim of crime or vandalism. The Back to Business Program has been a great resource for many of the small business in our district to help cover the cost of repairs. From family-friendly establishments like Meeples Games or West Seattle Arcade in West Seattle, to Georgetown Pizza and Arcade, to our coffee shops and art galleries in Pioneer Square, the program has helped make it just a little more affordable to stay in business. I am excited that OED is announcing these reimbursement increases, which will remove even more of the financial burden on small business when they are recovering from a crime, or making plans to prevent it.”

Councilmember Eddie Lin (District 2)
“District 2 is home to some of the best food in the city, from Hood Famous and Pho Bac in the CID/Little Saigon to Island Soul and King Donuts in the south end. Small businesses serve community across needs, including food, day care, healthcare, finance and accounting, tech, security, and support services, yet many of these organizations are struggling with skyrocketing costs. Further, broken systems around public safety, mental and behavioral health are pushing additional risks and costs onto community. I am excited that the City can provide a bit of relief to these businesses and the community leaders that run them. Thank you Mayor Wilson and the Office of Economic Development for your care and leadership.”

Councilmember Alexix Mercedes Rinck (Position 8 – Citywide)
“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods. This financial investment in preventative measures and increasing the threshold for reimbursements signal our city’s dedication to our small business ecosystem. As Chair of the Human Services, Labor, and Economic Development Committee, I am committed to action to support our small businesses throughout this turbulent time for our economy.”

Daniel Abraha, Owner, Madrona Market
“As a small business owner who came from a different state to start a business in Seattle, we have faced a lot of challenges – especially in this economy. As a business owner getting help such as training or grants goes a long way. When we get Back to Business Funding, it helps big time and it goes a long way.”

Kelsey Lewin, Co-Owner, Pink Gorilla Games
“The Back to Business Program has been invaluable to us, providing huge relief during frustrating situations. Recovering from property damage via the storefront repair fund took a huge weight off of our shoulders.”

ICMAI Welcomes CMA Rathindra Bose, Reinforcing Commitment to the Cost and Management Accountancy Profession

USD 2 Trillion a Year Never Makes It from Obligation to Settlement. Rivvun AI Is Built to Recover It

Icertis veterans raise $7.55 million seed for Rivvun AI to recover enterprise spend and revenue leakage — Co led by Sitara Capital and 3one4 Capital

Seattle, WA – June 11, Rivvun AI Inc. announced a $7.55 million oversubscribed seed round led by Sitara Capital and 3one4 Capital, to deploy an autonomous AI execution layer purpose-built for enterprise spend and revenue recovery.

The scale of the problem is staggering. McKinsey research finds that enterprise procurement functions lose up to one-third of planned savings during execution — with an additional 3– 4% of total external spend lost to transaction inefficiency and noncompliance. Across fortune 2000 revenues that compounds to more than $2T in value that never reaches the bottom line. The money isn’t lost to fraud or bad contracts. It disappears in the gap between what was contractually committed and what enterprise systems were ever built to collect.

Built by the Executives Who Saw This Problem at Scale

Anand Veerkar and Niranjan Umarane spent the last decade as senior executives at Icertis, where they helped scale the company to more than $350 million ARR and built a platform governing some of the world’s largest commercial portfolios. Across every industry, the pattern was consistent: terms of trade were precisely structured; financial execution against them was not. Money owed under negotiated agreements quietly went uncollected — not because anyone decided to leave it, but because no system in the enterprise stack was designed to recover it. They left to build that system. They are joined by serial entrepreneur Patrick Linton, who brings deep experience scaling global operations for enterprise software companies.

The Problem Is Structural. So Is the Solution.

ERP systems record transactions. CRM tools track relationships. Procurement platforms manage approvals. None of them enforce outcomes. Rivvun’s autonomous AI execution layer connects to existing ERP, CRM, and procurement systems, interprets commercial obligations, identifies what hasn’t settled as agreed, and initiates recovery at the transaction level. No rip-and-replace. No new system of record.

Two agentic families power the platform: Spend Assurance on the buy side — recovering supplier rebates, pricing commitments, and procurement obligations that have gone unenforced; and Margin Defense on the sell side — recovering customer settlement variances, trade term discrepancies, and revenue that left the P&L without authorization.

Built Vertical-First, Because Leakage Isn’t Generic

Chargeback mechanics in pharma — GPO compliance, government pricing obligations — look nothing like settlement gaps in banking or trade term failures in CPG. Generic AI produces generic results. Rivvun deploys with vertical-specific agent logic tuned to the precise failure patterns of each industry, across Pharma, Healthcare, Banking, CPG/Retail and Industrial

Anand Veerkar, CEO and Co-Founder, Rivvun AI commented: “The enterprise has spent years being told AI will transform how it operates. What it needed was AI that creates direct, measurable impact on the P&L – not productivity narratives, not dashboards. Rivvun closes the gap between what was agreed and what was collected, recovering money that goes straight to the bottom line.

Sachin Bhanot, Managing Partner, Sitara Capital added: “We’ve invested in enterprise technology for years. The winners tie their value directly to a number the CFO can see on the P&L. Rivvun does exactly that with precision rare for a company at this stage – and with a founding team that has already built a category-leader in this space.”

Anurag Ramdasan, Partner, 3one4 Capital said: “The team at Rivvun is one of the strongest founder-market fit we’ve seen in the vertical AI category so far. They are not pitching a horizontal AI solution and hoping for enterprises to extract value out of it. They are delivering ROI on AI for large enterprises from the first day of implementation, which is very critical for enterprise AI adoption. This rigor comes from the deep expertise of the founders, and we are incredibly excited to back such a transformational team at seed stage.”

Global Triumph: True IDC, Backed by CP Group and GIP, Wins ‘Digital Infrastructure of the Year’ at IJGlobal Awards

Your Brain Decides What to Buy Before You Do

Imagine yourself in a shopping mall on a casual Saturday afternoon. There are signs of discounts, smells of freshly baked bread, and calm, rhythmic music in the background. Your hand reaches for a luxurious-looking pack of coffee as if on its own. When you return home, you rationalise the purchase to yourself or to your friend as ‘this coffee was discounted and the packaging is very convenient.’

But the real story of this decision is far more complex. When you were rationalising your choice, a barrage of processes occurred in your brain. A few seconds before the decision, your limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotions, had already given the ‘buy’ command. You had no chance of resisting it. This was not a rational decision; it was influenced by pure human biology.

According to Assistant Professor Dr Indrė Radavičienė of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Vilnius University, consumer decisions are often shaped by emotional and subconscious processes long before people consciously evaluate their choices.

“We tend to think of ourselves as rational consumers, but emotions often begin shaping our decisions before conscious reasoning takes over,” says Dr Radavičienė.

Our brain reacts faster than the mind decides

Welcome to the world of neuromarketing, where neurobiology, psychology, marketing, and consumer behaviour research meet. Here, we seek answers to seemingly simple yet fundamentally important questions: what makes a person trust one brand and completely ignore another? What happens to our brain when we see a discount sign? Why do some colours calm us down and others make us rush? Is it possible to predict a purchase decision even before the person is consciously aware of it?

Neuromarketing is often misunderstood as an attempt to create ‘zombie consumers’ who are helplessly following advertising instructions. But the true purpose of this science is far more human: to understand the authentic and spontaneous human reaction, often disguised by social norms, politeness, or simply a lack of self-awareness. Neuromarketing allows us to take a peek at the mysterious process taking place in our brains, even before we consciously utter the final ‘I will buy it.’

Using modern technology, neuromarketing reveals how evolutionary instincts, emotional stimulation, and subconscious filters shape our daily choices. It also explains why stories created by brands often beat even biological tastes, how FOMO – the fear of missing out – encourages impulsiveness, and why the sustainable future of business belongs to a deep and respectful understanding of the emotional needs of the consumer rather than aggressive advertising. Traditional market research – surveys, focus groups, and interviews – is based on the assumption that the consumer knows what they want and can name it. But psychologists note the paradox that we are ‘emotional beings who sometimes think’ rather than ‘thinking beings who sometimes feel.’ When you are asked why you like a certain advertisement, your brain begins to create a logical response to an emotional impulse. This is called post-hoc rationalisation, when we come up with reasons to justify our behaviour after it happened.

“When people explain why they chose a product, they are often constructing a logical explanation for an emotional response that occurred earlier,” explains Dr Radavičienė.

Neuromarketing bypasses this ‘filter’. It observes the nervous system directly, capturing reactions that occur within the first milliseconds, before you can think.

How do they know which product will be successful?

To understand consumer behaviour, researchers use tools that were only available to top-notch medical centres a few decades ago.

1. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

One of the most advanced tools is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This technology measures changes in blood flow in the brain. When a certain area of the brain is activated, it needs more oxygen, which is brought by blood. For example, if the pleasure and reward centre nucleus accumbens lights up when seeing a certain product, marketing specialists know – the product will be successful. If the amygdala is activated, the consumer feels insecurity or fear, i.e. emotions that can discourage the purchase.

2. Electroencephalography (EEG)

Another widely used method is electroencephalography (EEG), which measures electrical impulses in the brain. This is an extremely fast method that allows us to see how a person’s state changes when watching a 30-second video clip. At which point did the viewer stop being interested? When did they feel engaged? The EEG provides the answers in almost real time.

3. Eye-tracking and pupillometry

Eye-tracking equipment plays an equally important role because our eyes are among the most reliable traitors of the subconscious mind. Eye-tracking technologies create ‘heat maps’ that reveal exactly where our gaze is headed. For example, on a page with a photo of a baby, people usually look at the baby’s face rather than the text. However, if the baby in the photo is looking in the direction of the text, consumers’ eyes automatically follow the baby’s gaze. Pupils are also measured: the more they expand, the greater the emotional excitement (positive or negative) that a person is experiencing.

“What makes these tools particularly valuable is that they allow researchers to observe reactions that occur before consumers themselves become fully aware of them,” says Dr Radavičienė.

Pepsi and Coca-Cola: which is tastier?

One of the most famous neuromarketing experiments concerns the eternal rivalry between Pepsi and Coca-Cola. In the blind test, most of the subjects preferred Pepsi. The taste centres in their brain reacted positively to this drink.

However, things changed when people saw brands. Drinking Coca-Cola activated areas of the brain associated with long-term memory, emotions, and self-identification. People didn’t just say that Coca-Cola tastes better – their brains really ‘experienced’ a better taste. Over decades of marketing, the brand has become part of their identity, leading to a loss of biological taste in favour of the emotional story it creates.

Another astonishing example is the wine price experiment. When the subjects tasted the same wine, but with different prices indicated (between $5 and $90), their brains recorded a real, physiological increase in pleasure from drinking a ‘more expensive’ drink. This means that the price is not just a number; it is an expectation set by your brain that directly changes your sensory experience.

“These experiments demonstrate that our experience of a product is shaped not only by its physical characteristics but also by expectations, memories, and emotions,” notes Dr Radavičienė.

A perfect example of neuromarketing – the layout of IKEA stores

Companies have long used neuromarketing knowledge to imperceptibly ease consumers’ path to purchase. For example, a study by Frito-Lay found that the glossy packaging of potato crisps activates areas in the brain associated with feelings of guilt about unhealthy food intake. The shift to matte, more ‘natural’-looking packaging has suppressed this response in the brain, so people started buying crisps more freely, without remorse.

Have you ever wondered why so many fast food restaurants use red and yellow colours? Red stimulates energy and appetite, and yellow promotes optimism and attentiveness. In contrast, blue is rarely used in the food industry because, in nature, it is often associated with decay or poison, so it subconsciously suppresses appetite.

The layout of IKEA stores is a masterpiece of neuromarketing. The one-way path makes you see thousands of trifles. Your brain gets tired of making decisions, and when you reach the checkout, your ‘muscle of self-control’ is so weakened that you can easily throw a few more candles or a cutting board into your cart that you didn’t need at all.

“Many retail environments are designed around well-established psychological principles. Consumers may not consciously notice these influences, but they can nevertheless affect behaviour,” says Dr Radavičienė.

Are we still making our own decisions?

Many people have a legitimate question: isn’t this manipulation? If companies know how to bypass our rational thinking, do we still decide for ourselves what to buy and what not?

We have to understand that neuromarketing cannot make you buy something you essentially don’t want. It simply helps brands communicate more effectively. For example, the National Cancer Institute used brain scanning to find the most effective social advertising against smoking. The winner was not the most aesthetically pleasing advertisement, but the one that gave the brain the strongest impulse to take action and call the helpline. In this case, science has contributed to public health. In addition, professional studies are conducted in accordance with strict ethical guidelines. The subjects always give their consent, and their privacy is protected by law. Brain data does not reveal personal thoughts or memories; it only indicates a general reaction to the stimulus.

“Neuromarketing cannot force people to buy something they fundamentally do not want. Its purpose is to better understand human reactions rather than manipulate them,” emphasises Dr Radavičienė.

Online, emotions are even more important

When you buy online, emotions are even more often ahead of logic, so the buying process becomes impulsive rather than consistent. Here, the purchase is determined by two main factors: a person’s emotional stimulation (energy level) and the pleasure experienced. If a website or an advertisement creates positive emotions and, at the same time, piques curiosity, a person tends to buy now, without going into long reflections. Neuromarketing studies show that visual information is processed thousands of times faster in our brains than text, so emotional impulse acts as a fast filter: users are reluctant to analyse all the technical data but rely on what they feel when they see an immersive image. Brands that understand these brain mechanisms are able to establish a connection with the consumer even before they can logically evaluate the price or characteristics of the product.

A ‘TrustPulse’ (2023) market study confirmed that one of the strongest drivers of impulsiveness is the fear of missing out something important (FOMO), which accounts for about 60 per cent of unplanned purchases. This feeling is deeply rooted in our evolution as an instinct to acquire resources in time and to remain part of the social group, so time-limited offers create a sense of urgency that directly bypasses rational thinking. Meanwhile, research by the ‘Edelman Trust Barometer’ in 2022 and 2023 confirmed that when making high-value decisions, the brain is looking for security and emotional certainty – as many as 83 per cent of consumers are determined to make big purchases only after receiving affirmation through feedback from other people or a trusted brand reputation.

“Digital environments encourage rapid decision-making, which is why emotional responses often play an even greater role online than in traditional retail settings,” explains Dr Radavičienė.

In addition to these primary reactions, secondary emotional mechanisms, such as pride and strengthening of social status, also operate. This is particularly evident in the luxury goods sector, where the analysis of the luxury goods market in 2023 performed by ‘Deloitte’ confirmed that as many as 72 per cent of shoppers choose a product not because of its practical characteristics, but because of the psychological satisfaction it provides and the ability to demonstrate their identity or status. This emotional reward brings constant joy even after the moment of purchase, strengthening the connection with the selected brand.

Finally, the greatest value is created by a sense of community – companies that focus on both product features and creating a common identity are able to retain customers three times longer, because for them, buying becomes no longer a simple transaction but an emotional attachment to a social group close to them.

Why does the future belong to neuromarketing? 

In a world where we see thousands of advertising messages every day, traditional methods are starting to fail. We learned to ignore advertising banners, to ‘disconnect’ our attention through pauses, and to filter out noise. Neuromarketing, however, offers a different path – it helps to create content that does not scream, but resonates quietly and accurately with human emotions and experiences.

A business that understands the emotional needs of its customers can create products that really solve problems instead of simply bombarding the consumer with empty promises or shoving goods that they don’t need. Rather than creating an artificial need through aggressive advertising, neuromarketing specialists seek to respond to the deepest human expectations by creating value that the brain recognises as authentic and useful. This is the way to more sustainable marketing with less ‘noise’ and more meaning. Such a strategy allows companies to optimise their resources, avoid wasting their budget on advertising that annoys consumers, and build a long-term, trust-based relationship with their audience rather than one-off sales.

“The future belongs to organisations that understand the emotional needs of their audiences and create genuine value rather than simply competing for attention,” says Dr Radavičienė.

So, the next time you feel an irresistible urge to buy a new item, just smile. This is a sign that your brain has recognised something familiar, safe, or joyful. We are not rational machines; we are very complex and wonderfully emotional people – and this is the biggest part of our charm.

TechnoMile Recognized among Notable Vendors in Contract Lifecycle Management Platforms Landscape Report

Leading research firm notes TechnoMile CLM’s self-reported focus on obligation management and regulatory and policy compliance use cases 

TYSONS, VA — June 10, 2026 — TechnoMile, the leading AI solution that unifies growth, contracts, compliance, and security workflows, today announced it has been included in Forrester’s report, The Contract Lifecycle Management Platforms Landscape, Q2 2026. The report provides an overview of notable CLM platform vendors and is designed to help technology executives as well as contracts, procurement, legal, and risk professionals understand vendor differences and explore CLM options based on size and market focus.

Forrester’s report describes the CLM market as shifting toward postsignature intelligence, governance, and integration depth – capabilities that have long been mission-critical realities for organizations operating in the federal contracting environment. The report identifies these capabilities as the emerging center of gravity for mature CLM platforms as AI-native tools increasingly automate earlier-stage drafting and negotiation workflows.

For TechnoMile, its inclusion reflects the company’s purpose-built focus on the complexities of government contracting. According to self-reported data in the report, TechnoMile’s top extended use cases – obligation management and regulatory and policy compliance – are precisely the capabilities that federal contractors rely on to manage highly regulated, postsignature contract execution.

“To us, being included in Forrester’s CLM Platforms Landscape report reflects the growing market recognition that federal contracting demands a fundamentally different approach to contract lifecycle management,” said Mick Fox, COO, TechnoMile. “For GovCon and Aerospace & Defense organizations, the complexity has never been in drafting – it’s in executing against contractual obligations, managing compliance across a highly regulated environment, and maintaining audit readiness throughout the life of a contract. TechnoMile was built for exactly that reality.”

Unlike general-purpose CLM platforms designed primarily around negotiation workflows, TechnoMile’s Contracts Suite is built for the full operational lifecycle of federal contracts – from opportunity identification through contract closeout. The platform supports organizations in managing OCI vetting, clause tracking and flowdowns, contract modifications, limitation of funds monitoring, subcontractor oversight, CDRL and deliverable management, CPARS, and contract closeout, among other postsignature functions.

TechnoMile’s AI strategy is purpose-built for the regulated workflows of federal contracting, leveraging domain-trained AI agents and copilots that continuously learn from historical capture, contract, program, and compliance data across the enterprise – helping organizations reduce manual workload, improve decision quality, mitigate risk, and strengthen audit readiness over time.

To access a complimentary copy of The Contract Lifecycle Management Platforms Landscape, Q2 2026 report, please visit https://technomile.com/resources/the-contract-lifecycle-management-platforms-landscape-report-q2-2026.