Expana launches IQ Connect MCP for agrifood intelligence

Expana unveiled Expana IQ Connect at Digital Procurement World in Amsterdam, giving AI tools enterprise-grade access to its benchmark prices, forecasts and insights. The launch is meant to help procurement and supply chain teams make faster, more defensible sourcing and forecasting decisions inside the AI platforms they already use.

Why it matters: - Expana IQ Connect puts independently audited agrifood intelligence directly inside enterprise AI tools. - The product is designed to help procurement teams and supply chain leaders make sourcing, negotiation and forecasting decisions with trusted market data. - The launch targets AI use cases where decision quality depends on verified benchmarks rather than generic chatbot output.

What happened: - Expana announced Expana IQ Connect at Digital Procurement World in Amsterdam on Sept. 30, 2026. - The new MCP server connects Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini to Expana's benchmark prices, forecasts, news and expert insights. - The announcement came during a DPW session featuring Expana Chief Product Officer Vinay Kapoor and Bernhard Rabian, Group VP Procurement at Gategroup.

The details: - Expana IQ Connect gives AI agents enterprise-grade access to IOSCO-assured benchmark prices, forecasts, news and expert insights. - Expana says the product can accelerate sourcing decisions, improve negotiation preparation and strengthen cost forecasting for commodity buyers, category managers and supply chain directors. - Julie Harris, Expana's CEO, said enterprises need AI grounded in trusted, reliable data. - Harris said Expana IQ Connect delivers market intelligence directly into tools teams already use. - Vinay Kapoor said the product is a real MCP, not a repackaged chatbot. - Kapoor said every Expana benchmark number carries published sourcing and methodology, making the data independent, verified and auditable. - Expana IQ Connect is available now. - Expana also says its broader goal is to make commodity intelligence AI-ready wherever customers work. - Expana IQ Agents is the company's growing set of specialist agents built to work alongside procurement teams. - The first Expana IQ Agent, a cost model agent, is already live.

Between the lines: - The launch shows how commodity intelligence providers are trying to become infrastructure for enterprise AI, not just data vendors. - Expana is leaning on auditability and published methodology as its differentiator in a market where AI systems can otherwise produce opaque outputs. - Connecting to standardized enterprise platforms may make it easier for procurement teams to adopt AI without changing core workflows.

What's next: - Expana says more specialist agents are on the way as part of the IQ Agents lineup. - The company is positioning Expana IQ Connect as a foundation for broader AI-enabled procurement workflows across the agrifood sector. - More information is available at Expana's website and Expana's LinkedIn page.