A travel-and-expense platform that treats AI as its operating model: Ava, an agent that handles about 60% of customer interactions on a proprietary 'zero critical hallucination' framework, Navan-owned models replacing third-party LLM calls, and AI assistants sold outward as Navan Edge and Navan Anywhere.
How is Navan using AI?
Navan's AI strategy centres on Navan Cognition, a proprietary agent framework built for 'zero critical hallucinations', and Ava, the support agent it powers, which handled about 52% of user interactions in fiscal 2026 and roughly 60% by Q2 fiscal 2027 as half its model calls moved to Navan-owned models. Navan, listed on NASDAQ in October 2025 at a $6.2 billion valuation, now sells AI outward too: Navan Edge, a personal travel agent it calls its fastest-growing product, and Navan Anywhere, an MCP server for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
Category
Business finance & infrastructure
Founded
2015
Headquarters
Palo Alto, United States
Licence and supervision
Not a bank. Navan's corporate cards are issued by a partner issuing bank, with Navan bearing the credit risk and settling with the issuer; Navan Connect links customers' existing Visa and Mastercard corporate cards. The 10-K says its payments and expense offerings may be subject to money-transmission, lending and payments laws and PCI-DSS; Navan holds no banking licence.
Scale
$233 million of revenue, $3.0 billion of gross booking volume and $1.3 billion of payment volume in Q2 fiscal 2027 (quarter to July 31, 2026); fiscal 2026 revenue $702.3 million
Flagship platform
Navan Cognition and Ava
AI leadership
Ariel Cohen · Ilan Twig · Aurélien Nolf
- Navan says it became the first travel company to integrate generative AI across its products on February 7, 2023, using the OpenAI and ChatGPT APIs in its contact centre, in Ava and across its codebase, the same day it rebranded from TripActions.
- Navan Cognition, unveiled June 25, 2025 and in full production since early 2023, deploys networks of specialised, continuously supervised agents; CTO Ilan Twig told PYMNTS that Ava ran for two years with no unauthorised upgrades or cost mismatches and grew from the work of dozens to hundreds of human agents.
- The fiscal 2026 10-K reports Ava handled about 52% of user interactions with an 81% CSAT, against 96% for the platform, under a zero-critical-hallucination standard; on the Q2 fiscal 2027 call CEO Ariel Cohen said Ava handled about 60% of interactions and that about 50% of its model calls now run on Navan-owned models trained on Navan data, up from 30% in Q1.
- Navan priced its IPO at $25 on October 29, 2025, raising about $923 million at a $6.2 billion valuation, roughly $3 billion below its 2022 private mark; shares fell 20% on the first day. Fiscal 2026 (to January 31, 2026) revenue was $702.3 million, up 31%, with a net loss of $398.0 million and about 3,700 employees.
- Navan Edge, announced March 2, 2026, is an AI travel assistant for business travellers without a corporate Navan account, targeting an unmanaged-travel market Navan puts at about $56-57 billion; by September 2026 Cohen called it 'the fastest-growing product that we have ever launched in Navan' and the company's flagship AI product.
- Navan Anywhere (July 2026) exposes travel, expense, booking and policy data through a Navan MCP server to ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Gemini, with booking inside Gemini Enterprise; on the Q4 fiscal 2026 call Navan said more than 70% of expenses are automated and AI codes receipts.
- Q2 fiscal 2027: revenue $233 million (up 35%), GBV $3.0 billion (up 45%), payment volume $1.3 billion (up 34%), non-GAAP gross margin 75% versus 73% a year earlier, which the CFO attributed mainly to Ava's higher resolution rate and the shift to Navan's own models; GAAP net loss $29 million.
What is Navan Cognition and Ava?
Navan Cognition is the proprietary framework that creates, trains, deploys and supervises specialised AI agents, combining machine learning with LLM reasoning and layered supervisors, rules and chain-of-thought checks aimed at 'zero critical hallucinations' (a wrong ticket charge or an unauthorised upgrade). It has powered Ava, Navan's customer-support agent, in full production since early 2023; Ava cancels and changes flights, issues refunds, books seats and upgrades, and hands frustrated users to a human. Ava handled about 52% of user interactions in fiscal 2026 with an 81% CSAT (96% platform-wide) and about 60% in Q2 fiscal 2027, when roughly 50% of its model calls ran on Navan-owned models, up from 30% a quarter earlier.[1][5][6][3]
What has Navan done on AI, and when?
- Sep 9, 2026
Q2 call: Ava at 60%, half of model calls in-house[3]
Cohen said Ava handled about 60% of customer interactions, 50% of Ava's model calls ran on Navan-owned models (from 30%), Navan MCP reaches ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot, and Edge is the fastest-growing product Navan has launched; the CFO credited AI for the 75% gross margin.
- Sep 9, 2026
Q2 fiscal 2027: revenue up 35%, outlook raised[2]
Revenue $233 million, GBV $3.0 billion, payment volume $1.3 billion, non-GAAP operating income $17 million; Cohen said Navan is 'leading travel into the agentic era'.
- Jul 1, 2026
Navan Anywhere and the Navan MCP server[11]
Travellers book inside Gemini Enterprise and admins query T&E data through ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini via a Model Context Protocol server, with more workplace integrations planned.
- Apr 2, 2026
First 10-K: Ava at 52% of interactions[1]
Fiscal 2026 revenue $702.3 million (up 31%), GBV $9.1 billion, net loss $398.0 million, about 3,700 employees; Ava CSAT 81% versus 96% platform-wide under the zero-critical-hallucination standard.
- Mar 25, 2026
Q4 fiscal 2026 call: Ava at 50%, Edge aimed at a $57 billion market[4]
Management said Ava handled 50% of traveller support, over 70% of expenses were automated, and Edge's unmanaged-travel TAM was about $57 billion; the Reed & Mackay customers were being migrated onto the AI platform.
- Mar 2, 2026
Navan Edge announced[10]
An AI travel assistant for every business traveller, including those without a corporate account, that books hyper-personalised trips, manages itineraries and resolves disruptions; Cohen: 'Travel is a top use case for LLMs.'
- Oct 30, 2025
- Jul 2, 2025
CTO describes the zero-hallucination architecture[6]
Layers of agents, AI supervisors, chain-of-thought and rule-based checks double-check every answer; Twig said Ava takes actions such as refunds and upgrades and escalates frustrated users to humans.
- Jun 25, 2025
Navan Cognition unveiled[5]
The agent framework behind Ava, 'replacing hundreds of human agents' and handling thousands of chats a day, is opened to customers to build their own supervised AI workforces.
- Oct 19, 2023
Citi launches a Navan-powered T&E system for commercial-card clients[12]
Navan Connect's card-link technology underpins a jointly branded travel and expense system for Citi Commercial Bank cardholders, initially in the US.
- Feb 7, 2023
Navan integrates OpenAI across its products[9]
Rebranding from TripActions, Navan said it was the first travel company to use generative AI across its infrastructure, via the OpenAI and ChatGPT APIs, in the contact centre, in Ava and in its codebase.
Where does Navan use AI today?
| System | What it does | Status | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ava support agent[1][3][6] | Handles cancellations, changes, refunds, seat and class upgrades and disruption support; about 52% of interactions in fiscal 2026, about 60% in Q2 fiscal 2027, CSAT 81%. | In production | Customer-facing chatbots |
| Navan Edge travel assistant[10][3] | Agentic assistant that plans and books flights, hotels, restaurants and events and makes changes; Navan's flagship AI product, also sold to unmanaged travellers. | In production | Generative & agentic AI |
| Navan Anywhere and MCP server[11][3] | Booking in Gemini Enterprise and conversational access to travel, expense and policy data from ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Gemini. | Rolling out | Generative & agentic AI |
| Zero-critical-hallucination supervision[1][6][5] | Navan Cognition layers AI supervisors, rules and reasoning checks over agents so that no interaction charges the wrong amount or grants an unauthorised upgrade; Navan reports two years without such errors. | In production | Model risk management |
| Expense automation and receipt coding[4] | More than 70% of expenses automated, with an AI agent coding receipts, per the Q4 fiscal 2026 call. | In production | Generative & agentic AI |
| OpenAI APIs and in-house models[9][3] | OpenAI and ChatGPT APIs integrated in 2023; by Q2 fiscal 2027 about half of Ava's model calls ran on Navan-owned, travel-trained models for accuracy, speed and cost. | In production | Third-party & vendor AI |
| Generative AI in the codebase[9] | Navan said in February 2023 it was using OpenAI's APIs to optimise efficiencies across its codebase. | In production | AI-generated code & coding agents |
| Corporate-card credit risk models[1] | The 10-K describes models that analyse a business's credit risk from purchase and transaction history for Navan's corporate card, for which Navan bears credit risk to the issuing bank. | In production | Credit scoring & underwriting |
Use-case links open the tracker's rules-by-use-case matrix: which documents govern each system type.
What has Navan disclosed in numbers?
| Metric | Value | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Share of user interactions handled by Ava | about 52% (fiscal 2026); about 60% (Q2 fiscal 2027)[1][3] | Jul 31, 2026 |
| Customer satisfaction | CSAT 96% platform-wide, 81% for Ava (fiscal 2026); CSAT 96 and NPS 44 in Q2 fiscal 2027[1][3] | Jul 31, 2026 |
| Ava model calls on Navan-owned models | about 50%, up from 30% in Q1 fiscal 2027[3] | Jul 31, 2026 |
| Expenses automated | more than 70%[4] | Mar 25, 2026 |
| Q2 fiscal 2027 results | revenue $233 million (+35%); GBV $3.0 billion (+45%); payment volume $1.3 billion (+34%); non-GAAP gross margin 75%; GAAP net loss $29 million[2] | Jul 31, 2026 |
| Fiscal 2026 results | revenue $702.3 million (+31%); GBV $9.1 billion; payment volume $4.1 billion; net loss $398.0 million; about 3,700 employees[1] | Jan 31, 2026 |
| IPO | $25 a share; about $923 million raised; $6.2 billion valuation; shares down 20% on day one[7][8] | Oct 30, 2025 |
| Unmanaged-travel market targeted by Navan Edge | about $56-57 billion (company estimate)[4] | Mar 25, 2026 |
“In Q2, Ava handled approximately 60% of customer interaction, and our customers love it.”[3]
Ariel Cohen · Co-Founder and CEO · Sep 9, 2026
“Ava actually takes action, whether that’s canceling or changing a flight, issuing refunds, booking seats or upgrading classes.”[6]
Ilan Twig · Co-Founder and CTO · Jul 2, 2025
“At Navan, we believe the future of AI isn’t just about smarter tools, it’s about having expert and advanced AI team members working alongside you”[5]
Ilan Twig · Co-Founder and CTO · Jun 25, 2025
“Travel is a top use case for LLMs. The people have spoken: they want to say the word and let the AI handle the rest. They want a solution that works for them and not the other way around.”[10]
Ariel Cohen · Co-Founder and CEO · Mar 2, 2026
Who runs AI at Navan?
Which regulators govern Navan's AI?
| Authority | Why it matters here | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| SEC | Listed on NASDAQ since October 30, 2025, Navan's 10-K names Navan Cognition and Navan Edge among its material technologies and reports Ava's share of interactions and CSAT; those AI claims fall under the SEC's AI-disclosure recommendations and examination priorities. | Investor Advisory Committee AI disclosure recommendation Division of Examinations FY2026 Priorities |
| State money-transmitter and payments regulators | The 10-K says Navan's payments, card and expense offerings are or may become subject to money-transmission, payments, lending and anti-money-laundering laws and licensing, and that new or reinterpreted money-transmitter statutes could impose registration requirements. | |
| EU AI Act | Navan operates across Europe (including Reed & Mackay in the UK and staff in the Netherlands) and Ava and Navan Edge are customer-facing AI agents, which brings the EU AI Act's transparency obligations for AI systems interacting with people into scope for EU users. | Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 Commission guidelines on AI Act Article 50 transparency |
| CFPB | Navan's corporate card is issued by a partner bank and underwritten with Navan's transaction-history models; business credit remains subject to ECOA and Regulation B adverse-action rules, and the 10-K notes possible regulator inquiries about the card offering. | ECOA / Regulation B adverse action (15 U.S.C. 1691(d); 12 CFR 1002.9) |
Linked authorities have a page in the AI Regulation Tracker; the others are named for completeness and not yet tracked.
What does the public record suggest about Navan's AI strategy?
Analysis by BankingNewsAI from the sources cited on this page. Observations, not advice.
01
The AI metric that matters is the share of interactions Ava absorbs
Navan reports it consistently: about 50% in mid-2025, 52% for fiscal 2026, 60% in Q2 fiscal 2027, and ties it directly to gross margin (75% from 73%). Few fintechs publish the deflection rate and the margin effect in the same breath.
02
Error tolerance is defined in money terms
Navan's 'critical hallucination' is a wrong charge or a free upgrade, and the architecture of supervisors and rule checks exists to prevent those; the claim of two years without such errors is the company's, not an audited figure.
03
Model ownership is becoming the cost lever
Moving half of Ava's calls to Navan-trained models in one quarter is framed as accuracy, speed and lower cost; it also reduces dependence on the OpenAI integration announced in 2023.
04
AI is now a product line, not only a cost centre
Edge sells travel-agent service to individuals outside corporate contracts and Anywhere puts Navan inside other companies' AI tools; both widen the market beyond the sales-led enterprise base that drives GBV.
05
Losses persist despite the automation
Fiscal 2026's $398 million net loss and a $2.0 billion accumulated deficit sit alongside the AI efficiency story; non-GAAP operating income turned positive ($17 million in Q2 fiscal 2027), which is where management points.
What is Ava and how much of Navan's support does it handle?
Ava is Navan's AI customer-support agent, in production since early 2023 and powered by Navan Cognition. It cancels and changes flights, issues refunds, books seats and upgrades, and hands frustrated travellers to a human. Navan's 10-K says Ava handled about 52% of user interactions in fiscal 2026 with an 81% CSAT (96% platform-wide); on the September 2026 earnings call CEO Ariel Cohen said it handled about 60% in Q2 fiscal 2027.
What is Navan Cognition?
Navan Cognition is Navan's proprietary framework for creating, training, deploying and supervising specialised AI agents. It combines machine-learning models with LLM reasoning and adds AI supervisors, chain-of-thought and rule-based checks so that agents avoid 'critical hallucinations' such as charging the wrong fare or granting an unauthorised upgrade. Unveiled publicly in June 2025, it powers Ava, Navan Edge and Navan Anywhere, and by Q2 fiscal 2027 about half of Ava's model calls ran on Navan-owned models.
Does Navan use OpenAI?
Yes, since February 7, 2023, when Navan said it was the first travel company to integrate generative AI across its products through the OpenAI and ChatGPT APIs, in its contact centre, in Ava and in its codebase. Navan has since been shifting work to its own travel-trained models: on the Q2 fiscal 2027 call it said about 50% of Ava's model calls ran on Navan-owned models, up from 30% a quarter earlier, and Navan Anywhere also connects to Claude, Copilot and Gemini.
Is Navan a bank or a fintech?
Navan is a NASDAQ-listed travel, payments and expense platform, not a bank. Its corporate cards are issued by a partner issuing bank with Navan bearing the credit risk, and Navan Connect links customers' existing Visa and Mastercard corporate cards (including Brex cards) into its expense system. Payment volume on the platform was $1.3 billion in Q2 fiscal 2027 and $4.1 billion in fiscal 2026.
Who regulates Navan's AI?
No regulator licenses Navan's AI directly. As a listed company its AI claims are subject to SEC disclosure rules; its payments and card offerings may fall under state money-transmission, lending and anti-money-laundering laws, and its corporate-card underwriting under ECOA; and in Europe, where Navan operates, customer-facing agents such as Ava and Edge fall under the EU AI Act's transparency obligations.
What is Navan Edge?
Navan Edge, announced March 2, 2026, is an AI travel assistant that plans and books flights, hotels, restaurants and events, manages itineraries and resolves disruptions, offered to business travellers including those whose employers do not use Navan. Navan estimates that unmanaged-travel market at about $56-57 billion and by September 2026 called Edge its flagship AI product and 'the fastest-growing product that we have ever launched'.
How is Navan performing financially?
Navan listed in October 2025 at $25 a share and a $6.2 billion valuation. Fiscal 2026 (to January 31, 2026) revenue was $702.3 million, up 31%, with a net loss of $398.0 million. In Q2 fiscal 2027 revenue rose 35% to $233 million, gross booking volume 45% to $3.0 billion, non-GAAP gross margin reached 75% (credited mainly to Ava and in-house models), non-GAAP operating income was $17 million and the GAAP net loss $29 million; Navan raised its full-year outlook.
- Navan, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2026
- Navan Announces Strong Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2027 Results
- Navan (NAVN) Q2 Fiscal 2027 Earnings Call Transcript
- Navan (NAVN) Q4 Fiscal 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
- Navan Unveils Navan Cognition: Groundbreaking Agentic AI Platform for Companies to Build AI Workforces
- Navan CTO on Building an Agentic AI Platform With 'Zero Critical Hallucinations'
- Corporate travel and expense software firm Navan shares sink 20% in first trading day after $6 billion Nasdaq IPO
- Navan Announces Closing of Initial Public Offering
- Super App Becomes First Travel Company to Leverage Generative AI
- Navan Gives Business Travelers an AI-Powered Hyper-Personalized Travel Assistant
- Meet Navan Anywhere: Powering Travel and Expense Wherever Work Happens
- Citi and Navan Launch First Complete Travel and Expense System for Citi Commercial Card Clients
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