Tropic Report: Enterprise AI-Native Spend Up 94% YoY
New data from $18B in software spend under management reveals that mid-market and enterprise companies grew AI-Native spend by 94% year-over-year — nearly double the 51% growth for hybrid tools, and dramatically outpacing Primarily SaaS at just 8%. The verdict is clear: companies are placing serious bets on purpose-built AI, not just AI features bolted onto legacy platforms.
Read on Tropic →The "AI Tax" Is Real: Vendors Pushing 20-37% Price Increases
From the same Tropic report: vendors are leveraging AI to push renewal price increases of 20-37% — far beyond typical 3-9% annual uplifts. Tactics include forced SKU migrations, unbundling then rebundling features, and credit-based pricing that obscures true costs. The silver lining? Negotiation works — bringing final uplifts down to ~12% on average.
Read on Tropic →WordStream: Search Shifts From Answers to Actions
In-depth analysis of the 2026 AI marketing landscape. Key insight: users no longer search "plumber near me" — they ask "Can you get someone to fix my sink this afternoon?" AI assistants don't show options; they select providers. This changes the game for PMMs: visibility now depends on how easily AI can interpret and reuse your data.
Read on WordStream →FirmPilot Raises $22M for AI-Powered Legal Marketing
Vertical AI is getting serious investment. FirmPilot closed an oversubscribed Series A-1 to scale their all-in-one AI platform for law firm marketing — including AI-driven SEO, GEO (AI search optimization), PPC, and competitive blueprinting. Shows how AI is enabling specialists to build full-stack marketing solutions for specific industries.
Read on AI Journal →Mersel AI Launches Brand Citation Platform for AI Search
New tool focused on an emerging PMM challenge: getting your brand mentioned in AI-generated search results. Mersel AI's platform aims to increase brand citation frequency when users ask LLMs questions. As AI search grows (ChatGPT now has 800M+ weekly users), "generative engine optimization" is becoming as critical as traditional SEO.
Read on MarTech →💡 My Take
Read this one: The Tropic report is essential reading. The 94% YoY growth in AI-Native spend — while "Primarily SaaS" limps along at 8% — tells you where the market is heading. If you're at a vendor that hasn't meaningfully integrated AI, you're losing wallet share. And if you're buying software, prepare for the AI Tax conversations at renewal time.