Alibaba launches Accio Work AI platform to automate SME sourcing

Alibaba Group introduced Accio Work, an AI‑driven service that provides small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) with a 24/7 team of autonomous agents. The platform automates end‑to‑end sourcing tasks such as supplier research, product comparison, outreach, negotiation and procurement, as well as marketing and sales operations. Users set goals in natural language; the system assembles specialist agents to execute the plan without any coding or technical setup. A highlighted feature, the Accio Sourcing Toolkit, offers senior‑level sourcing expertise, enabling founders to describe product specifications and receive curated supplier options around the clock. By handling repetitive research and outreach, the tool aims to reduce manual effort, speed product development and improve supplier decisions for time‑pressed founders and CEOs.