AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 9Spokes, a leading global data platform, announced the launch of Pulse, a new intelligence layer within its SMB Financial Hub platform that delivers small business customers answers they cannot get from their bank app, accounting software, or merchant terminal alone. With AI raising the bar for how people expect to consume data, SMB owners now want plain-language answers, not static dashboards — they want insights that explain what their data means and what to do about it. Pulse is built for that shift and for financial service providers who are not yet ready to implement customer-facing AI solutions but who recognize the shift.

Pulse synthesizes consented data from connected banking, accounting, merchant, payroll, marketing, and other business sources into key insights organized to answer SMB's business questions: "Can I pay my bills?", "Is my business growing?", "Is one site/store over- or underperforming?", "Is sales revenue better or worse for this same time period YOY?", "Has performance improved on social channels for this time period YOY?" and much more. It gives small business owners a clear picture of where they stand, what to do next, and where their business is headed, in one place.

When an SMB connects its bank accounts, Pulse immediately surfaces cash insights that address the questions every owner asks: cash runway, cash direction, burn rate changes, and unusual transactions. When accounting data is added, outstanding invoices and bills surface as actions, and Pulse computes cross-source insights that neither tool can produce alone. When merchant data is connected, Pulse adds the growth picture — revenue pace versus last year, average order value, transaction volume, and site performance.

"Bank data is a great first step but adding further sources can tell you what to do about it — for instance, collecting $8,000 in overdue invoices extends runway from 14 to 22 days. Add merchant data and you get richer insights on whether the business is growing," said Marty Montague, CEO at 9Spokes. "SMBs use Pulse because the value compounds with every source they connect and financial institutions get that connected intelligence flowing back to them, as well."

Every source an SMB connects flows back to the FI as structured intelligence — financials, cash position, multi-bank relationships, and merchant activity — useful for lending signals, relationship conversations, and identifying wallet-share opportunities, all without document requests.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Configurable, with FIs controlling which insights surface, at what thresholds.
• Embeds into existing digital banking experiences
• Provides banking insights: cash runway, cash gap, spending shifts, and unusual payments
• Delivers accounting-enriched insights: overdue invoices and bills mapped against current cash position
• Surfaces growth signals from merchant data: revenue pace versus last year, average order value, transaction volume, and per-site performance
• Highlights combined-source insights, e.g., "Collecting $8,000 in overdue invoices extends runway from 14 to 22 days," or "Revenue pacing 18% above last year — Downtown site +28%."

Contact 9Spokes for a demo today!

About 9Spokes

9Spokes is a global data platform that supports financial institutions and fintech firms worldwide. By aggregating consented business data from a variety of sources, 9Spokes helps businesses harness powerful tools for better financial management and strategic decision-making, driving transformation within the financial sector.