Ramp economist Ara Kharazian led a conversation during the MACPA's monthly town hall meeting on Sept. 8 that focused on his insights from Ramp’s proprietary datasets, which track real-time business spending and AI adoption and reveal how companies are investing, innovating, and preparing for what’s next.
If you missed the meeting, here are three key takeaways:
1. AI spend data reveals competitive adoption trends
Ramp’s AI Index offers a granular view into how businesses are investing in artificial intelligence — not only how much they’re spending, but also which vendors they’re choosing. While OpenAI’s ChatGPT is widely known, Kharazian said Anthropic is generating comparable revenue in the tech sector, and enterprise adoption of Google’s AI tools is stronger than consumer awareness might suggest.
Why it matters for CPAs: This dataset provides finance leaders with a real-time lens into which AI vendors and tools are gaining traction, helping them anticipate market shifts and understand competitive dynamics. CPAs advising clients on tech strategy, budgeting, or innovation can use this insight to benchmark their own AI spending decisions against broader industry trends.
2. The Business Spend Nowcast Shows Real-Time Economic Shifts
Ramp’s Business Spend Nowcast aggregates anonymized corporate card and bill-pay transactions across more than 40,000 companies to provide a live snapshot of economic activity. Kharazian said this data is especially powerful because it shows what businesses are spending on right now, offering faster signals than traditional government data or quarterly reports.
According to Kharazian's data, the economy's fastest growing sector right now is technology — in particular, tech companies spending considerable money on new technology. On the other end of the spectrum are construction and manufacturing, which are lagging at the moment.
Why it matters for CPAs: For accountants and finance professionals, the Nowcast offers a timely economic barometer that can guide strategic planning, risk assessments, and forecasting. Firms and clients can leverage this intelligence to anticipate demand fluctuations, adjust budgets, and spot early signs of industry shifts.
3. Going forward: Focus on pricing data and platform investments
Looking ahead, Kharazian is exploring data around ad platform pricing and sector-level investment patterns. He emphasized that tracking actual prices on digital platforms and understanding which sectors are over- or under-invested will be critical to understanding economic trends and growth opportunities.
Why it matters for CPAs: Forward-looking pricing and sector analysis can help CPAs identify emerging risks and opportunities for their clients. This level of market intelligence supports more nuanced decision-making around resource allocation, valuation, and growth strategies.
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