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Center CEO Naveen Singh. (Center Photo)
American Express announced Thursday that it plans to acquire Center, a Bellevue, Wash.-based startup that helps businesses manage expenses.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.
Center targets middle-market companies that use its software to track corporate spending on travel and other expenses. It also offers a corporate credit card.
Center had raised more than $140 million from private investors since launching in 2017. It has about 160 employees; full-time workers will join American Express when the acquisition closes.
Center raised $30 million in December 2023. CEO Naveen Singh told GeekWire at the time that the company was exploring new ways to grow by building APIs and potentially partnering with banks.
Singh’s father, Concur co-founder Steve Singh, previously founded and led expense management giant Concur, and is chairman of Center.
Center’s exec team includes several former Concur employees.
The company is ranked No. 76 on the GeekWire 200, our list of top Pacific Northwest tech startups.
Center cut about 4% of its workforce in September.
Steve Singh, who more recently led Docker as CEO, last year led a group of investors in the acquisition of Direct Travel Inc., a Colorado-based corporate travel management company.
Singh said at the time Direct Travel would partner closely with three other companies for which he also serves as executive chairman, including Center as well as Spotnana, a travel-as-a-service technology platform, and Troop, a group meetings and events company.
