Buyers Edge Platform, a digital procurement network for the foodservice industry, has appointed Katie Fairchild as its first Chief Marketing Officer. The move elevates marketing within the company's executive leadership as it scales operations and customer engagement. Fairchild brings over 15 years of marketing leadership experience in technology companies. Most recently, she served as CMO at Restaurant365, where she led a 50-person marketing team and executed strategies supporting year-over-year growth. Her expertise includes brand integration, sales development, attribution frameworks and aligning marketing with revenue objectives. In her new role, Fairchild will lead brand strategy, demand generation and customer engagement across Buyers Edge Platform's divisions, including its Digital Procurement Network, Fresh Services, Software Solutions and Supply Chain Management offerings.

CollectivIQ, a Boston-based startup incubated at hospitality procurement firm Buyers Edge Platform, has launched software that queries multiple large language models simultaneously to provide more accurate AI responses. The tool pulls information from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok and up to 10 other models, then fuses overlapping information to reduce hallucinations and errors. Founder John Davie developed the solution after discovering enterprise AI contracts were expensive and produced unreliable results. The company claims all data is encrypted and deleted after use to maintain privacy. CollectivIQ operates on a usage-based pricing model, paying token costs for AI model enterprise APIs whilst charging customers only for what they use. Fully funded by Davie, the startup plans to seek outside capital later this year.

Buyers Edge Platform acquires NCB Foodservice, expanding European fresh produce capabilities. Buyers Edge Platform, a leading digital procurement network and solutions provider for the foodservice industry, announces the acquisition of NCB Foodservice, a UK-based specialist in fresh produce and broader fresh categories serving foodservice and hospitality operators nationwide. The transaction advances Buyers Edge Platform's European growth strategy and represents the company's second acquisition in the fresh produce management category. This acquisition marks a significant step for Buyers Edge Platform in building a pan-European fresh network. The company is combining local market expertise with its technology and buying scale to deliver greater value and supply chain resilience for operators across the UK. "Buyers Edge Platform is a clear leader in the U.S. produce management space and we are ready to deliver that same value to the UK," said Buyers Edge Platform CEO John Davie. "NCB is recognized for its exceptionally high level of service to its many stakeholders in the UK, consistently achieving a remarkable 99.5% delivery rate and they will now also leverage our broader suite of platform services to further elevate their stakeholder experience." "By partnering with NCB, we're deepening our UK sourcing capabilities while connecting growers and regional wholesalers to national operators. Our Fresh Division in the UK will deliver the same value that has driven our great reputation in the US fresh marketplace," said David Liesenfelt, President, Buyers Edge Platform Fresh Division. "Joining Buyers Edge Platform enables NCB to bring more innovation and scale to our customers, while strengthening our investment back into local communities," said Jayne Bettinson, Managing Director of NCB Foodservice. "With our right first-time approach, our team will continue to deliver the service and product excellence our clients expect - now supported by enhanced data, broader programs, and a stronger supplier ecosystem."