Alibaba.com announced at its CoCreate 2025 summit in Las Vegas on September 4, 2025, that 63% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) worldwide are adopting AI tools to enhance cross-border trade, according to its research. The B2B platform launched its most ambitious AI overhaul, introducing tools like Deep Search and the Accio AI agent to empower SMEs to navigate global markets with unprecedented speed and precision.
Event: CoCreate 2025, held in Las Vegas, attracted over 3,500 attendees and 25,000+ SME pitches from 150 countries.
AI Adoption: 63% of global SMEs now use AI tools for cross-border trade.
Key Tools: Deep Search (AI-powered procurement) and Accio (world’s first AI agent for global trade).
Accio Growth: 1.5 million new users in one month, a 50% spike since May 2024 launch.
Impact: Automates 70% of manual workflows, slashing tasks like sourcing and compliance from weeks to minutes.
Super September: Annual sales event with 200,000+ AI-curated sourcing lists and up to 20% discounts.
Alibaba.com’s research highlights a seismic shift in global trade, with 63% of SMEs leveraging AI to compete as “micro-multinationals”—small businesses scaling internationally with agility. For example, a two-person design studio can now sell in 20 countries using AI-generated market insights, a process that once required months and extensive resources. AI has democratized access to robust supply chains, streamlining supplier negotiations, compliance checks, and logistics.
“AI isn’t a luxury—it’s survival,” said Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com. “B2B demands long-text, multimodal AI tools to navigate global trade. We’re overhauling our 26-year-old business to empower SMEs in a world where speed, precision, and adaptability matter most.”
Alibaba.com introduced Deep Search, an AI-powered B2B procurement tool that processes long natural language queries and image-based searches. By dissecting queries and cross-referencing 280 million B2B-specific product listings, Deep Search delivers hyper-relevant supplier and product matches, cutting sourcing time from hours to seconds. Powered by 26 years of industry data, it evolves to meet niche business needs.
Launched in May 2024 under the Alibaba International umbrella, Accio is the world’s first AI agent dedicated to global trade. It saw a 50% user base increase (1.5 million new users) within a month of its Agent Mode launch. Accio automates 70% of manual workflows, reducing tasks like product ideation, prototyping, compliance, and supplier sourcing from weeks to minutes, enhancing efficiency for cross-border businesses.
CoCreate 2025 doubled in size from last year, hosting over 3,500 attendees and receiving 25,000+ SME business pitches, reflecting SMEs’ hunger for AI-driven solutions. The summit coincided with Super September, Alibaba.com’s largest annual sales event, featuring 200,000+ AI-curated sourcing lists with discounts up to 20%, tailored to global bestsellers.
The surge in AI adoption aligns with Alibaba.com’s broader efforts to support SMEs, as seen in its MSME Day 2024 initiatives, where 30,000 businesses adopted its AI tools, boosting product exposure by 37%. The rise of “micro-multinationals” reflects a leaner globalization model, enabling SMEs to compete with larger corporations. Alibaba’s stock (BABA) was priced at $81.10 on September 8, 2025, with a market cap of $195.07 billion, up 0.75% intraday, signaling investor confidence in its AI strategy.
Launched in 1999, Alibaba.com is a leading B2B e-commerce platform serving buyers and suppliers in over 200 countries. Part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, it provides tools to help businesses reach global audiences and source products efficiently.
CoCreate is a premier sourcing event connecting global e-commerce sellers, retailers, and wholesalers with manufacturers and experts, fostering collaboration to optimize supply chains and drive growth.
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