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Meituan Launches Food Delivery Brand KeeTa Amid Hong Kong Debut

KeeTa starts operation in Mong Kok and Tai Kok Tsui areas

HONG KONG, May 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Meituan (HKG: 3690) (the “Company”), a leading technology-driven retail company in China, today introduced KeeTa, a new food delivery brand as it officially launches in the Hong Kong market, to provide residents with more customized, efficient and reliable delivery services.

Meituan introduces new food delivery brand KeeTa as it officially launches in the Hong Kong market.
Meituan introduces new food delivery brand KeeTa as it officially launches in the Hong Kong market.

Following the initial launch in Mong Kok and Tai Kok Tsui, the Company expects KeeTa to complete full coverage of the Hong Kong market by the end of this year. The KeeTa app is now available for download in major mobile app stores. Delivery services via KeeTa will start at 8:00 a.m., Monday, May 22, 2023 local time.

Notable merchants that have joined KeeTa include brands like McDonald’s, Maxim’s MX (美心MX), KFC, Yoshinoya(吉野家), Pacific Coffee, and popular food and beverage shops such as hana-musubi (華御結), Hung Fook Tong(鴻福堂), and CHICHA San Chen(吃茶三千). Each newly registered KeeTa user will receive a gift coupon package valued at HK$300, including special meal offers and delivery fee reductions.

KeeTa has introduced a Meal for One program customized for Hong Kong residents. It offers value-for-money set menus for individuals, which allow them to order a meal for as little as HK$60, including delivery fee. Currently available set menus include Chinese, western and Japanese cuisines and beverages. For merchants, the program provides optimized online exposure without requiring additional advertising and traffic expenses. Promoting selected set menus also helps merchants with more efficient ingredient purchasing and meal preparation. Merchants can grow their overall profitability through greater order volumes.

To further improve user experience, KeeTa has an “On-time Promise” policy, an industry-first in the Hong Kong market, which comes free-of-charge for all users. It includes a tiered compensation plan for late orders. Users are promised vouchers toward future purchases for eligible orders delivered more than 15 minutes beyond the original delivery estimate. For courier support, KeeTa is offering couriers multiple reward programs, including incentives for on-time deliveries to improve performance.

“We are seeing an accelerating development of the food delivery market in Hong Kong in the past few years and still unfilled market demands from diners, restaurants and couriers,” said a Meituan spokesperson. “KeeTa aims to meet users’ demand for high-quality delivery services, help merchants grow their business, and provide more flexible and rewarding employment opportunities for couriers.”

Inspired by the renowned sprinter cheetah, KeeTa aims to become an exceptional and enduring on-demand delivery platform in the Hong Kong market, providing high-quality services with more efficiency and better user experience for Hong Kong residents.

About KeeTa

KeeTa is a technology-driven delivery platform that connects consumers with local food and retail merchants and couriers. With the mission of “We help people eat better, live better,” KeeTa is committed to providing localized high-quality products and services, benefiting consumers, food and retail merchants and couriers from the entire ecosystem. KeeTa was launched by Meituan (3690.HK), which owns China’s leading food delivery platform Meituan Waimai.

About Meituan

Meituan (HKG: 3690) (the “Company”) is a leading technology-driven retail company in China. With the mission of “We help people eat better, live better,” the Company uses technology to connect consumers and merchants. Service offerings on its platform address people’s daily needs for food and retail goods and extend further to broad lifestyle and travel services. Meituan is the world’s leading on-demand food delivery service provider and China’s leading e-commerce platform for in-store dining services. Meituan helps consumers discover merchant information, make informed decisions, complete online and offline transactions and enjoy on-demand delivery. The Company currently owns several household brands in China, including Meituan, China’s leading online marketplace for services, Dianping, China’s leading online destination for discovering local services, Meituan Waimai for on-demand delivery services, and Meituan Bikes for bike-sharing services. Meituan has 677.9 million Annual Transacting Users and 9.3 million Annual Active Merchants as of December 31, 2022. The Company operates in over 2,800 cities and counties in China.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Meituan
pr.global@meituan.com   

ICR Inc.
Email: MeituanPR@icrinc.com

LG Display Recognized for Pioneering Research on Ultra-large OLED and Stretchable Displays at SID 2023

SEOUL, South Korea, May 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — LG Display, the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that two of its research papers on ‘ultra-large OLED display’ and ‘Stretchable display’ have been selected as Distinguished Papers by the Society for Information Display (SID).

LG Display's Third Generation OLED TV Panel
LG Display’s Third Generation OLED TV Panel

Under the theme of ‘A Novel Ultra-Large Size OLED Display for Premium TVs,’ LG Display’s research team led by Dr. Hong-jae Shin, research fellow, received the Excellence Paper Award for introducing the key technologies that enabled ultra-large OLED displays of 80 inches and above. With this award, LG Display has been recognized once again for its leadership in OLED innovation.

LG Display's Stretchable Display
LG Display’s Stretchable Display

LG Display led the development of a series of ultra-large OLED TV panels by addressing the challenge of uniformly expressing high-quality images on larger screens, advancing panel and driving technologies, improving the performance of organic light-emitting components, and minimizing bezels.

Following on from the 88-inch 8K OLED TV panel released in 2018, the company commenced the production of its largest 97-inch OLED TV panels last year to offer a full lineup ranging from medium-sized to ultra-large OLED displays. LG Display is the only company with capability of mass-producing ultra-large OLED panels of 80 inches and above.

In addition, LG Display will introduce ‘META technology,’ its third-generation OLED TV panel technology, during SID 2023. These OLED panels realize the industry’s highest brightness of 2,100 nits (1 nit: the brightness of a single candle) among existing OLED TVs, making them the perfect solution for ultra-large TVs. Notably, these panels also demonstrate a remarkable 22 percent improvement in energy efficiency.

Another research team led by Precedence Technology Laboratory at LG Display was also awarded the Excellence Paper Award for the paper, ‘High-Resolution Active-Matrix Micro-LED Stretchable Displays.’ The Stretchable display is highly anticipated as a next-generation display technology courtesy of its ultimate free-form technology that enables it to be extended, folded, and twisted.

LG Display unveiled the industry’s first 12-inch Stretchable display last year that can be stretched by up to 20 percent while delivering full-color RGB and a high resolution of 100ppi (pixels per inch) comparable to standard monitors. This award-winning research has garnered recognition for significantly enhancing the resolution, flexibility, and reliability of stretchable displays, achieving substantial progress towards its commercialization.

LG Display will also present its latest research findings on new technologies during Display Week 2023 from May 21 to 26 at LA Convention Center. This will include the presentation of 15 research papers with significant findings regarding next-generation displays such as OLED and microLED.

LG Display also plans to unveil its latest cutting-edge technologies at SID 2023, including its new OLED technology and third-generation OLED TV panels based on ‘META Technology.’

“We will continue to maintain and expand our competitive advantage by developing cutting-edge displays that provide innovative customer value, particularly in the field of large-sized and high-resolution displays, thereby widening the technological gap between us and our competitors,” remarked Soo-young Yoon, CTO and Executive Vice President at LG Display.

About LG Display

LG Display Co., Ltd. [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220] is the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, including thin-film transistor liquid crystal and OLED displays. The company manufactures display panels in a broad range of sizes and specifications primarily for use in TVs, notebook computers, desktop monitors, automobiles, and various other applications, including tablets and mobile devices. LG Display currently operates manufacturing facilities in Korea and China, and back-end assembly facilities in Korea, China, and Vietnam. The company has approximately 69,656 employees operating worldwide. For more news and information about LG Display, please visit www.lgdisplay.com.

Media Contact:
Joo Yeon Jennifer Ha, Manager, Global PR Team 
Email: hjy05@lgdisplay.com 

Jean Lee, Team Leader, Global PR Team
Email: jean.lee@lgdisplay.com

Mini-sized, Mega Performance: Introducing New VIOFO A119 MINI 2 Dash Cam with Sony STARVIS 2

SHENZHEN, China, May 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — VIOFO, an innovative dashcam brand, has been committed to improving the image quality of dashcams. Following last year’s release of the world’s first 4K HDR A139 Pro featuring Sony’s newest STARVIS 2 technology, VIOFO recently launched another first-ever 2K HDR dashcam A119 Mini 2, using Sony’s latest STARVIS 2 IMX675 sensor and boasting a range of impressive features, which greatly enhances low-illuminance performance and ability to capture clear license plates.


A119 Mini 2 is the newly upgraded version of our A119 Mini dashcam, making leaps and bounds in both performance and functionality. Let’s take a closer look at it and whether it’s worth considering for your vehicle.

Mini Design

One of the standout features of A119 Mini 2 is its mini design. It is VIOFO’s smallest dashcam, with a discreet dimension of 1.8 inch*2.9 inch*1.6 inch, just the size of a car key. Despite its powerful performance, A119 Mini 2 is incredibly compact and can be mounted behind the rear-view mirror, taking up minimal space on your windshield. This makes it ideal for those who prefer a more concealed installation, as it won’t obstruct the driver’s view or draw attention to itself.

What’s new on A119 Mini 2?

Newest Sony STARVIS 2 Image Sensor

A119 Mini 2 is the world’s first dashcam using Sony’s newest STARVIS 2 IMX675 sensor. The new sensor employs Sony’s unique STARVIS 2 technology which delivers high sensitivity and a wider dynamic range, but with approximately 30% less power consumption than conventional models such as the STARVIS IMX335 image sensor.

Main Features

  • Single exposure method with approximately 2.5 times wider dynamic range than conventional models

The Sony STARVIS 2 tech uses unique processing technology to increase the area of the light-receiving unit despite pixel size limitations, resulting in a wide dynamic range in a 1/2.8-type 5.12 megapixels format. This design delivers a dynamic range approximately 2.5 times wider than conventional models, at 78 dB, thereby enabling high-precision capturing. It can record images accurately without overexposure even in situations such as nighttime roads or tunnel entrances/exits with large changes in brightness.

  • Improved sensitivity in the low-light domain delivers high-quality images in dark environments

The STARVIS 2 IMX675 sensor deploys a back-illuminated structure which increases the amount of light to be captured and enables super-high sensitivity, making it possible to capture high-quality and low-noise images even in low-light scenes and at night.

  • Consumes 30% less power than conventional models

The IMX675 sensor utilizes a stacked structure, employing a Cu-Cu connection between the pixel unit and circuit unit, to achieve an optimized layout for multiple high-speed signal processing circuits. This results in significantly lower power consumption, approximately 30% lower than conventional models. With this new sensor, issues such as power consumption costs, impact on the environment, and camera heat generation can be effectively reduced.

Best-In-Class 2K HDR Image Quality

Powered by a Sony STARVIS 2 image sensor, A119 Mini 2 is by far VIOFO’s second most advanced dashcam. The Sony STARVIS 2 image sensor means that A119 Mini 2 can record crisp videos at 2K 60fps resolution, and at a sensitivity beyond the human eye in low light environments, bringing low noise, eliminating motion blur, and revealing more details. This is a step up from their already impressive 2K quality on other models.

The image sensor IMX675 produces sharp and detailed footage day and night with its outstanding DOL HDR technology. This tech captures a bright and dark image in succession and superimposes one over the other, which helps balance extremely bright and dark areas to accurately restore 2K details recorded at night.

A119 Mini 2 also features an F1.6 aperture with a wider-angle view than A119 Mini’s 140˚, providing a good field of view for capturing everything that happens on the road.

Smart Voice Control

Voice control is another innovative A119 Mini 2 feature, which allows you to start recording, take photos, turn on WiFi, and more by giving simple voice commands in multiple languages (English, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai). This can be especially handy if you’re driving while you keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.

The voice control function supports up to 10 voice commands, including:

  • Take Photo
  • Video Start
  • Video Stop
  • Turn On Audio
  • Turn Off Audio
  • Turn On Screen
  • Turn Off Screen
  • Lock the Video
  • Turn On WiFi
  • Turn Off WiFi

Other Amazing Features

Ultra Fast 5GHz Wi-Fi

A119 Mini 2 comes equipped with dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz Wi-Fi. The upgraded 5GHz Wi-Fi provides 4 times faster file transfer than 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, enabling ultra-rapid file transfer, smooth video viewing, and dashcam settings adjustment. The built-in Wi-Fi feature lets you connect the dashcam to your iOS & Android smartphones using the VIOFO app, you can live stream, playback recorded videos, download, or share video files with ease, making it simple to access, store, and send over video evidence in case of any incident.

*Download a 1-minute 2K video in just 10 seconds, with a download speed up to 11MBps (data from VIOFO R&D center).

Intelligent Parking Mode

One of the most important A119 Mini 2 features is Parking Mode, providing 24/7 surveillance of your car even when you’re away. The parking mode offers three options, Auto Event Detection, Time Lapse Recording, and Low Bitrate Recording, keeping your car safe while parked and giving you peace of mind no matter where you go.

Auto Event Detection

With a built-in G-sensor, A119 Mini 2 can detect any motion or impact during parking and automatically start recording for 45 seconds. Supported by a buffered function, it records a 45-second video that starts 15 seconds before and 30 seconds after the detected event, ensuring no critical moments are missed.

Time Lapse Recording

The time lapse mode condenses long periods of time into shorter video clips, recording a video at low frames at 1 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 10 fps without audio recorded, which saves storage and power. This is particularly useful for capturing road trips, scenic drives, or lengthy commutes, as it presents the entire journey in a more concise and easily watchable way.

Low Bitrate Recording

It keeps continuous recording with audio in small file sizes, helping save more space on the MicroSD card.

Voice Notification

A119 Mini 2 comes with voice notifications that serve as a virtual assistant to keep you informed of important dashcam events, such as video protection, setting changes, or memory card errors. This feature keeps you fully focused on the road.

GPS Logger

A119 Mini 2 is equipped with a GPS logger that accurately records detailed location, speed, and time data of the vehicle, making it an ideal tool for insurance claim situations. The GPS data can be viewed when playing back the video on VIOFO App or a computer.

Auto Emergency Lock

With the built-in G-sensor, when a sudden collision or crash occurs, the dashcam automatically triggers the Auto Emergency Lock feature and locks the current video file, preventing it from being overwritten. This way, the accident scene can be accurately reconstructed for your peace of mind.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the A119 Mini 2 dash cam is innovative and tech-forward. It is powered by Sony’s newest STARVIS 2 IMX675 sensor, offering best-in-class 2K footage quality. Additionally, it features smart voice control, enabling hands-free operations. Whether you’re looking for a way to protect yourself on the road or simply want to capture beautiful footage of your travels, the A119 Mini 2 is definitely worth your consideration.

About VIOFO Dashcam

Founded in 2011, VIOFO was started by two engineers aiming at providing the ultimate dash camera image quality for users worldwide.  Attribute to 10 years concentration in dashcam imaging, VIOFO dash cameras are now distributed in over 70 countries with millions of followers. For best customer experience, VIOFO always stays ears open to feedback from both regular and professional users. For more product information, pls visit VIOFO official.

AGM Group Receives Notification from Nasdaq Relating Delayed Filing of Form 20-F

BEIJING, May 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — AGM Group Holdings Inc. (“AGM Group ” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: AGMH), an integrated technology company focusing on providing fintech software services and producing high-performance hardware and computing equipment, today announced that it received a notification letter dated May 17, 2023 (the “Notification Letter”) from Nasdaq notifying that the Company is not in compliance with the requirements for continued listing set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) since the Company did not timely file its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (the “2022 Form 20-F”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

The Notification Letter has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s shares on Nasdaq. Pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company has 60 calendar days from the date of the Notification Letter to submit a plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules (the “Compliance Plan”). If Nasdaq accepts the Compliance Plan, it may grant the Company an extension of up to 180 calendar days or until November 13, 2023, to regain compliance.

AGM Group continues to work diligently to complete the Form 20-F and file it with SEC as soon as reasonably practicable. The Company expects to submit a plan to regain compliance or file its Form 20-F within the timeline prescribed by Nasdaq.

This announcement is made in compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(b), which requires prompt disclosure of receipt of a notification of deficiency.

About AGM Group Holdings Inc.

Incorporated in April 2015 and headquartered in Beijing, China, AGM Group Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AGMH) is an integrated technology company focusing on providing fintech software services and producing high-performance hardware and computing equipment. AGMH’s mission is to become one of the key participants and contributors in the global fintech and blockchain ecosystem. For more information, please visit www.agmprime.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this press release are forward-looking statements and involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry in which the Company operates, but involve a number of unknown risks and uncertainties, Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. You are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained herein and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.

For more information, please contact:

In China:
At the Company:
Email: ir@agmprime.com

Seaquant Consulting
Ms. Kristy Li
Email: kristy@sea-quant.com

Source: AGM Group Holdings Inc.

Emeren to Release First Quarter 2023 Financial Results on May 31, 2023


STAMFORD, CT, May 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Emeren Group Ltd (“Emeren” or the “Company”) (www.emeren.com) (NYSE: SOL), a leading global solar project developer, owner, and operator, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023 after the U.S. stock market close on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The Company will host a conference call to discuss the financial results at 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

What:    Emeren Group Ltd First Quarter (ended March 31, 2023) Earnings Call

When:    5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Webcast: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/upr9x999

Participant Online Registration: https://register.vevent.com/register/BId591b19e06ce430c8013887637b005f4

Please register in advance to join the conference call using the link provided below and dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. Conference call access information will be provided upon registration.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Emeren Group Ltd’s website at https://ir.emeren.com/.

About Emeren Group Ltd

Emeren Group Ltd (NYSE: SOL) is a leading global solar project developer, owner, and operator with a ~3 GW pipeline of projects and IPP assets across Europe, North America, and Asia. The Company focuses on solar power project development, construction management and project financing services with local professional teams across multiple countries. For more information, go to www.emeren.com.     

UAE Ministry of Interior Launches Pioneering Strategy to Use AI to Protect Children Online

  • The UAE Ministry of Interior launches new Child Protection Strategy to tackle the surge of online child abuse at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 43rd Session of the Universal Periodic Review.
  • UAE intends to promote a holistic approach for child protection, which empowers children, upholds values and creates a safe and cohesive environment online.

GENEVA, May 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 43rd Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group, the Ministry of Interior (MOI) of the United Arab Emirates, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of the UAE, launched a new innovative programme, MOI’s Child Protection Strategy 2023-26, which responds to the global crisis of child safety on online platforms.

The launch event at Palais des Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland gathered a diverse group of relevant high-level stakeholders from the UAE, WePROTECT Global Alliance, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the FBI, among others.

Unveiling the Child Protection Strategy, Lt. Colonel Abdulrahman Al Tamimi, Deputy Director General of the International Affairs Bureau at the MOI said:

“Against the backdrop of increased online child sexual abuse and exploitation, the safety of children is the UAE’s utmost priority. Our latest strategy centres around building a comprehensive system for child protection which will be facilitated by effective partnerships with all relevant stakeholders. Additionally, by adopting AI and machine learning to assist efforts in tackling infringement of children’s rights in the virtual world, we in the UAE are determined to continue leading these efforts by example”, Lt. Col. Humaid said.

According to Lt. Col. Al Tamimi, the Ministry aims to enhance the capabilities of professionals in the field and support their mental health, improve cooperation nationally and internationally to combat the spread of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and raise awareness of children’s rights, including their dignified right to grow in a moral and safe community.

Major Khaled AlKaabi Director, Child Protection Center, UAE MOI, also stressed the importance of enhancing the efficiency of child protection services.

“The online world is only becoming more contentious with child sexual abuse and exploitation on the rise, and it is our duty to enhance child protection services to prevent harm. The UAE Child Protection Strategy is designed to ensure children’s rights receive the precedence they deserve in a holistic manner”, said Lt. Col. Al Tamimi.

Speaking at the launch event, Irakli Beridze, Head of the Centre for AI and Robotics at UNICRI, highlighted the use of AI as the most progressive way to safeguard children online and endorsed UAE’s strategy.

“Through a cohesive collaboration between law enforcement agencies, technological solutions and machine learning – the versatility to monitor children’s activity online is far more concise. The UAE’s Child Protection Strategy is a practical action plan which essentially facilitates the prevention, detection and most importantly, prosecution of the perpetrators behind online child abuse”, said Beridze.

The newly unveiled Child Protection Strategy builds on the UAE MOI’s global leadership advocacy, capacity-building, operations and policy-making relevant for improving the protection of children online. UAE MOI is a Member of the Virtual Global Task Force, Permanent Board Member of WePROTECT Global Alliance, and co-founder of AI for Safer Children Initiative.

For more background on the overarching AI for Safer Children programme, see the website – https://unicri.it/topics/AI-for-Safer-Children

Australia’s Most Influential CEO for 2023

MELBOURNE, Australia, May 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Sri Lankan born, Chamil Fernando, CEO of Alii, has been honoured with the prestigious Most Influential CEO 2023 – Australia award in the accounts payable business category by CEO Monthly in recognition of the remarkable growth and transformative impact he has had on Alii and the business sector in Australia.

Chamil Fernando, CEO, Alii Technology Group Pty Ltd
Chamil Fernando, CEO, Alii Technology Group Pty Ltd

Since taking over the reins in 2021, Alii has experienced unprecedented growth, propelling the company from relative obscurity to becoming one of the most talked-about organisations in the region. Under Fernando’s leadership, Alii has grown over 400% in just over 12 months including a successful Pre-Series A capital round.

Alii’s transformation has been remarkable, marked by numerous achievements and milestones over the last two years. The platform providing a fully automated end-to-end accounts payable automation solution with invoice fraud detection has enabled the company to quadruple its client base in less than 12 months due to the overall efficiencies and time-saving benefits. Under Fernando’s guidance, the company has successfully rebuilt its product, established a robust ecosystem of integration and solution partners, and continue to receive praise and recognition from several satisfied clients.

Fernando’s remarkable journey to becoming the Most Influential CEO 2023 – Australia (Accounts Payable Software) by CEO Monthly is a testament to the extensive experience in executive roles and his exceptional ability to transform businesses within a short timeframe. He attributes Alii’s success to key elements such as having a quality product, fostering a positive company culture, promoting gender balance and equality, developing leadership capabilities, and providing a safe environment for team members to learn and grow. Fernando’s leadership capabilities are widely recognised and has garnered praise for his outstanding contributions to the company’s rapid transformation. 

Mr Fernando shared, “Alii team members have played a crucial role in the company’s success, as it is built on great company culture and values. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Alii team. We have fostered a culture of collaboration, innovation, and customer-centricity that has propelled our growth and success. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved, and I am excited about the future of Alii.”

This global recognition alongside other influential CEO’s and businesses further strengthens Alii’s brand and its comprehensive solution offering as the company continues to grow and evolve. With a modern cutting-edge technology used by leading organisations and a steadfast commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and innovation, Alii is poised to reach even greater heights in the future under Fernando’s influential leadership.

About Alii Technology

Alii is the privately owned technology company behind the proprietary software platform that digitises and automates procure-to-pay and accounts payable operations.

With a mission to provide an all-inclusive solution to secure and automate the accounts payable process and allow for inbuilt fraud detection, Alii is used today by leading education institutions, law firms and enterprise organisations across Australia and New Zealand, already helping to safely process more than 1, 000, 000 invoices annually.

With fraud detection and customised workflows and approvals, Alii provides the platform for businesses to engage with a dynamic accounts payable and procure-to-pay automation process to save time, improve visibility and protect the organisation from the risk of fraud.

Edifier Announces W820NB Plus Headphones


Featuring support for LDAC coding and certification of Hi-Res Audio Wireless.

RICHMOND, BC, May 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Edifier, the forward-thinking audio-technology brand, has announced the release of the W820NB Plus which continues the brand’s outstanding record for affordable but premium quality audio products incorporating the latest technologies. The W820NB Plus is an update to the top selling W820NB headphones. This latest version features support for LDAC coding, certification of Hi-Res Audio Wireless, 40mm dynamic driver with Titanium coated composite diaphragm for crystal clear listening and up to 49 hours of playtime.

Edifier W820NB Plus Wireless Noise Cancellation Over-Ear Headphones, LDAC codec with Hi-Res Audio & Hi-Res Wireless certification.
Edifier W820NB Plus Wireless Noise Cancellation Over-Ear Headphones, LDAC codec with Hi-Res Audio & Hi-Res Wireless certification.

The W820NB Plus is certified by Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Wireless Audio, providing a high-frequency bandwidth of up to 40kHz. Whether users prefer wired or wireless connectivity, they can enjoy music with enhanced details, a wider sound field, and richer emotions.

These latest headphones utilize LDAC high-definition codecs technology that allows for a transmission bandwidth of up to 990kbps, similar to a highway in wireless protocol. This ensures that high-bit-rate audio files are transmitted with great protection, retaining about three times the amount of music detail and delivering nearly lossless, natural and full sound.

The W820NB Plus headphones feature Hybrid ANC technology that can effectively cancel up to 43dB of background noise, resulting in an immersive music listening experience. Moreover, these headphones use advanced deep neural network call noise reduction technology, ensuring clear voice calls by accurately capturing the human voice and filtering out unwanted sounds. Business or personal calls can be made and taken with the confidence that call quality is guaranteed.

Equipped with 40mm Titanium coated composite diaphragm dynamic driver, the W820NB Plus offers an exceptional transient response that enhances the clarity of high-frequency sounds. This results in rich, dynamic bass and clear, well-defined mids and highs, which create an immersive music experience background noise.

With a high capacity battery and an energy saving Bluetooth chip, the W820NB Plus provides up to 49 hours of non-stop playtime, making it ideal for travel. Even if the battery runs low, charging for just 10 minutes gives up to 7 hours of music playback ensuring that users can listen to their favourite playlist anytime, anywhere without missing a beat.

Turn on the ambient sound mode and enjoy music whilst being aware of the surroundings without worrying about missing that important train, plane, bus announcement and more. With an ultra low game mode of just 0.08 seconds, users will experience perfectly synchronized sound. Every sound and position is accurately heard, allowing users to fully immerse themselves in the game and play their roles effortlessly.

The W820NB Plus is also compatible with The Edifier Connect App which offers a wide range of musical options and allows users to tailor their listening experience. Users can customize settings such as power display, EQ selection, shutdown timer, prompt volume and soothing sounds to their own preferences.

Available in Grey, Green, Blue, Ivory or traditional Black, there is a colour for everyone. The super soft headband and ear cushions are comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The retractable headphone arm will give users a secure fit with less pressure and help prevent sound leakage.

Price & Availability:

Currently, the W820NB Plus is available for $79.99 on Amazon.com and authorized dealer – Edifier-online.com.

About Edifier:

Edifier specializes in the design and manufacture of premium audio solutions that showcase technological innovation and design excellence. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Beijing, China, Edifier delivers outstanding sound experience through a wide range of audio systems for personal entertainment and professional use. Renowned for its award-winning design philosophy, expertise and innovation in acoustic technology, and superior manufacturing standards, Edifier is one of today’s leading innovators of audio electronics.  

More information about Edifier is available online at www.edifier.com.

Canadian Solar Reports First Quarter 2023 Results

GUELPH, ON, May 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Canadian Solar Inc. (“Canadian Solar” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023.

Highlights

  • 66% increase in solar module shipments year-over-year (“yoy”) to 6.1 GW, in line with guidance of 5.9 GW to 6.2 GW.
  • 36% increase in revenue yoy to $1.7 billion, in line with guidance of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion.
  • 18.7% gross margin, in line with guidance of 18% to 20%.
  • Net income attributable to Canadian Solar of $84 million or $1.19 per diluted share.
  • 25 GWp of solar development pipeline and 47 GWh of battery storage development pipeline, as of March 31, 2023 (Recurrent Energy, formerly Global Energy).
  • Carve-out IPO of CSI Solar subsidiary on track to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO, commented, “We started off the year strong with 36% yoy revenue growth and 750% increase in diluted earnings per share. We continue to leverage our premium brand to capture increased solar and battery storage opportunities, while laying the groundwork for future success with strategic capacity expansion. We remain focused on profitable growth and continue to optimize our cost structure through vertical integration. With the imminent IPO of our CSI Solar subsidiary, we will have a new platform to raise investment capital and further strengthen our leading position in solar and battery storage manufacturing.”

Yan Zhuang, President of Canadian Solar’s CSI Solar subsidiary, said, “We delivered a record operating profit in the first quarter, despite normal seasonal softness with lower input and manufacturing processing costs, and lower logistics costs. Looking ahead, as we continue to grow our volumes and increase the level of vertical integration, we expect profitability to remain healthy as our cost structure continues to improve and we reap the benefits of greater scale. On the battery energy storage side, we continue to grow our contracted turnkey pipeline which stood at approximately $1.3 billion as of March 31, 2023, and have continued to sign new contracts across the world reflecting overall market growth and positive customer response to our innovative products and solutions.”

Ismael Guerrero, Corporate VP and President of Canadian Solar’s Recurrent Energy subsidiary, said, “As expected, we monetized a smaller number of projects in the first quarter, namely, around 5 MWp in Japan, reflecting typical fluctuations in the timing of project sales. Importantly, we formally unified our Global Energy platform under our Recurrent Energy brand, which now encompasses our global development and services businesses rather than just our North American business as before. Recurrent Energy is now one of the world’s largest platforms with a global development pipeline of 25 GWp of solar and 47 GWh of battery energy storage projects, of which 14 GWp and 12 GWh respectively have interconnections granted. With a large majority of our pipeline being developed from greenfield, and increasingly holding and owning more of the projects we develop, we expect to capture even more value created throughout the project development cycle.”

Dr. Huifeng Chang, Senior VP and CFO, added, “In the first quarter, we achieved $1.7 billion in revenue, a 18.7% gross margin, and net income of $1.19 per diluted share. We delivered positive operating cash flow, while we continue to build on solar modules and battery storage inventories to position our topline growth for the balance of 2023. We fortified our balance sheet in the quarter and remain well-positioned to support our planned strategic capacity expansion, drive growth and create additional value. Both the N-type TOPCon capacity and greater manufacturing vertical integration will drive further cost reductions and greater operating leverage with higher volumes.”

First Quarter 2023 Results

Total module shipments recognized as revenues in the first quarter of 2023 were 6.1 GW, up 66% yoy. Of the total, 90 MW were shipped to the Company’s own utility-scale solar power projects.

Net revenues in the first quarter of 2023 were up 36% yoy and down 14% quarter-over-quarter (“qoq”) to $1.7 billion. The sequential decrease reflects the expected decline in module average selling price (“ASP”), lower solar module shipment volume due to seasonality, and lower project sales. The yoy increase was mainly driven by a significant increase in solar module shipments, partially offset by lower module ASPs and lower revenues from utility-scale battery storage solutions and project sales due to the timing of projects.

Gross profit in the first quarter of 2023 was $318 million, up 76% yoy and down 9% qoq. Gross margin in the first quarter of 2023 was 18.7%, compared to 17.7% in the fourth quarter of 2022, within the guidance range of 18% to 20%. The gross margin improvement was mainly driven by lower manufacturing costs, partially offset by lower module ASPs.

Total operating expenses in the first quarter of 2023 were $172 million compared to $213 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $165 million in the first quarter of 2022. The sequential decrease was mainly driven by further declines in logistics costs, while the yoy increase was mainly driven by higher total logistics costs due to the significant increase in solar module shipments, partially offset by lower average logistics costs per unit.

Depreciation and amortization charges in the first quarter of 2023 were $68 million, compared to $50 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $66 million in the first quarter of 2022. The sequential increase was primarily driven by the Company’s previously outlined manufacturing capacity expansion as it works to meet anticipated higher demand levels.

Net interest expense in the first quarter of 2023 was $12 million, compared to $11 million in both the fourth and first quarters of 2022.

Net foreign exchange and derivative loss in the first quarter of 2023 was $13 million, compared to a net loss of $15 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and a net gain of $3 million in the first quarter of 2022. The net foreign exchange loss and derivative was mainly due to a weaker U.S. dollar.

Net income attributable to Canadian Solar in the first quarter of 2023 was $84 million, or $1.19 per diluted share (“diluted EPS”), compared to net income of $78 million, or $1.11 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2022, and net income of $9 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2022.

Net cash flow provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2023 was $47 million, compared to $397 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. The qoq decrease in operating cash flow primarily resulted from higher inventory in preparation for expected revenue growth.

Total debt was $3.0 billion as of March 31, 2023, compared to $2.6 billion as of December 31, 2022, and included $831 million and $684 million of debt related to Recurrent Energy as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. Non-recourse debt used to finance solar power systems and project assets increased to $410 million as of March 31, 2023 from $365 million as of December 31, 2022.

Total project assets as of March 31, 2023 were $864 million, compared to $824 million as of December 31, 2022. Project assets are projects that are developed and built for sale, as part of Recurrent Energy’s business model.

The net value of solar power systems as of March 31, 2023 was $472 million, compared to $365 million as of December 31, 2022. Solar power systems are projects that are developed and built to be held on the Company’s balance sheet.

Corporate Structure

The Company has two business segments: Recurrent Energy, formerly Global Energy, and CSI Solar. The two businesses operate as follows:  

  • Recurrent Energy (formerly Global Energy) is one of the world’s largest clean energy project development platforms with 14 years’ experience, having delivered nearly 9 GWp of solar power projects and 3 GWh of battery storage projects. It is vertically integrated and has strong expertise from greenfield origination, development, financing, execution, operations and maintenance, and asset management.
  • CSI Solar consists of solar module and battery storage manufacturing, and delivery of total system solutions, including inverters, solar system kits and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) services. CSI Solar’s battery storage business includes both its utility-scale turnkey battery system solutions, as well as a small but growing residential battery storage business. These storage systems solutions are complemented with long-term service agreements, including future battery capacity augmentation services.

Recurrent Energy Segment (formerly Global Energy)

Recurrent Energy is one of the world’s largest and most geographically diversified utility-scale solar and energy storage project development platforms, with a 14-year track record of originating, developing, financing, and building nearly 9 GWp of solar power plants and 3 GWh of battery storage power plants across six continents. As of March 31, 2023, the Company had a leading position with a total global solar development pipeline of approximately 25 GWp and an energy storage development pipeline of over 47 GWh.

While Recurrent Energy’s business model was historically predominantly develop-to-sell, as previously communicated, the Company is in the process of adjusting its strategy to create greater asset value and retain greater ownership of projects in select markets to increase the revenues generated through recurring income, such as power sales, operations and maintenance, and asset management income.

The business model will consist of three key drivers:

  • Operating portfolio to drive stable, diversified cash flows in growth markets with stable currencies.
  • Project sales (or asset rotations) in the rest of the world, driving cash-efficient, funded growth model as value from project sales will help fund growth in operating assets.
  • Power services through long-term operations and maintenance (“O&M”) contracts, currently with 6 GW of contracted projects.  

Recurrent Energy is continuing to evaluate adjustments in its growth strategy to hold valuable solar assets for the longer term.

Project Development Pipeline – Solar

As of March 31, 2023, Recurrent Energy’s total solar project development pipeline was 24.6 GWp, including 1.7 GWp under construction, 5.2 GWp of backlog, and 17.7 GWp of projects in advanced and early-stage pipelines, defined as follows:  

  • Backlog projects are late-stage projects that have passed their risk cliff date and are expected to start construction in the next 1-4 years. A project’s risk cliff date is the date on which the project passes the last high-risk development stage and varies depending on the country where it is located. This is usually after the projects have received all the required environmental and regulatory approvals, and entered into interconnection agreements, feed-in tariff (“FIT”) arrangements and power purchase agreements (“PPAs”). Significant majority of projects in backlog are contracted (i.e., have secured a PPA or FIT), and the remaining are reasonably assured of securing PPAs.
  • Advanced pipeline projects are mid-stage projects that have secured or have more than 90% certainty of securing an interconnection agreement.
  • Early-stage pipeline projects are early-stage projects controlled by Recurrent Energy that are in the process of securing interconnection.

The following table presents Recurrent Energy’s total solar project development pipeline.

Solar Project Development Pipeline (as of March 31, 2023) – MWp*

Region

In
Construction

Backlog

Advanced
Pipeline

Early-Stage
Pipeline

Total

North America

422

1,977

4,656

7,055

Latin America

1,400**

2,397**

887

407

5,091

Europe, the Middle East and Africa
(“EMEA”)

89

1,236

3,194

3,267

7,786

Japan

4

141

12

46

203

China

250

971**

1,325

2,546

Asia Pacific excluding Japan and China

3

1,001

887

1,891

Total

1,743

5,170

7,071

10,588

24,572

*All numbers are gross MWp.

**Including 672 MWp in construction and 332 MWp in backlog that are owned by or already sold to third parties.

Project Development Pipeline – Battery Storage

As of March 31, 2023, Recurrent Energy’s total battery storage project development pipeline was 47.4 GWh, including 0.3 GWh under construction, 1.7 GWh of backlog, and 45.4 GWh of projects in advanced and early-stage pipelines.

The table below sets forth Recurrent Energy’s total storage project development pipeline.

Energy Storage Project Development Pipeline (as of March 31, 2023) – MWh

Region

In
Construction

Backlog

Advanced
Pipeline

Early-Stage

Pipeline

Total

North America

3,898

15,242

19,140

Latin America

1,100

2,040

970

4,110

EMEA

110

4,038

10,081

14,229

Japan

19

19

China

300

7,500

7,800

Asia Pacific excluding Japan and China

20

458

200

1,440

2,118

Total

320

1,668

10,176

35,252

47,416

Projects in Operation – Solar and Energy Storage Power Plants

As of March 31, 2023, Recurrent Energy’s solar power plants in operation totaled 609 MWp, with a combined estimated net resale value of approximately $700 million to Recurrent Energy. The estimated net resale value is based on selling prices that Recurrent Energy is currently negotiating or comparable asset sales.

Solar Power Plants in Operation – MWp*

Latin America

Japan

China

Asia Pacific

ex. Japan and China

Total

335

176

86

12

609

*All numbers are net MWp owned by Recurrent Energy; total gross MWp of projects is 1,063 MWp,
including volume that is already sold to third parties.

As of March 31, 2023, Recurrent Energy’s energy storage power plants in operation totaled 280 MWh, representing the 20% interest Recurrent Energy retains in the 1,400 MWh Crimson standalone battery energy storage project in California.

Operating Results

The following table presents select unaudited results of operations data of the Recurrent Energy segment for the periods indicated.

Recurrent Energy Segment Financial Results

(In Thousands of U.S. Dollars, Except Percentages)

Three Months Ended

March 31, 2023

December 31,
2022

March 31, 2022

Net revenues

20,052

73,650

92,966

Cost of revenues

12,843

57,686

75,130

Gross profit

7,209

15,964

17,836

Operating expenses

22,414

17,315

18,847

Loss from operations*

(15,205)

(1,351)

(1,011)

Gross margin

36.0 %

21.7 %

19.2 %

Operating margin

-75.8 %

-1.8 %

-1.1 %

*Loss from operations reflects management’s allocation and estimate as some services are shared by the Company’s
two business segments.

CSI Solar Segment

Solar Modules

CSI Solar shipped 6.1 GW of solar modules to more than 70 countries in the first quarter of 2023. For the first quarter of 2023, the top five markets ranked by shipments were China, Brazil, the U.S., Spain, and Germany.

CSI Solar’s 2024 solar capacity expansion targets are set forth below.

Solar Manufacturing Capacity, GW*

March 2023

Actual

June 2023

Plan

December 2023

Plan

March 2024

Plan

Ingot

20.4

20.4

20.4

50.4

Wafer

21.0

21.0

35.0

50.0

Cell

21.0

26.0

50.0

60.0

Module

36.2

36.7

50.0

75.0

*Nameplate annualized capacities at said point in time. Capacity expansion plans are subject to change without notice
based on market conditions and capital allocation plans.

Battery Storage Solutions

Within CSI Solar, the battery storage solutions team, namely CSI Energy Storage, provides customers with competitive turnkey, integrated, utility-scale battery storage solutions, including bankable, end-to-end, utility-scale, turnkey battery storage system solutions across various applications. System performance is complemented with long-term service agreements, which include future battery capacity augmentation services and bring in long-term, stable income.

As of March 31, 2023, CSI Energy Storage had a total project turnkey pipeline of 22.8 GWh, which includes both contracted and in construction projects, as well as projects at different stages of the negotiation process. CSI Energy Storage was also managing 2.3 GWh of projects under long-term service agreements, which are operational battery storage projects delivered by CSI Energy Storage that are under multi-year long-term service agreements and generate recurring earnings.

The total contracted turnkey pipeline was approximately $1.3 billion, which are contractual obligations with customers and provide significant earnings visibility over a multi-year period.

The table below sets forth CSI Energy Storage’s battery storage manufacturing capacity expansion targets.

Battery Storage Manufacturing
Capacity, GWh*

March 2023

Actual

December 2023

Plan

SolBank

2.5

10.0

*Nameplate annualized capacities at said point in time. Capacity expansion plans are subject to change without notice
based on market conditions and capital allocation plans.

Operating Results 

The following table presents select unaudited results of operations data of the CSI Solar segment for the periods indicated. 

CSI Solar Segment Financial Results* 

(In Thousands of U.S. Dollars, Except Percentages)

Three Months Ended

March 31, 2023

December 31,
2022

March 31, 2022

Net revenues

1,709,730

1,976,045

1,209,994

Cost of revenues

1,394,121

1,631,417

1,034,165

Gross profit

315,609

344,628

175,829

Operating expenses

146,151

192,099

143,931

Income from operations

169,458

152,529

31,898

Gross margin

18.5 %

17.4 %

14.5 %

Operating margin

9.9 %

7.7 %

2.6 %

*Include effects of both sales to third-party customers and to the Company’s Recurrent Energy segment. Please
refer to the attached financial tables for intercompany transaction elimination information. Income from operations
reflects management’s allocation and estimate as some services are shared by the Company’s two business
segments.

The table below provides the geographic distribution of the net revenues of CSI Solar:

CSI Solar Net Revenues Geographic Distribution* (In Millions of U.S. Dollars, Except Percentages)

Q1 2023

% of Net
Revenues

Q4 2022

% of Net
Revenues

Q1 2022

% of Net
Revenues

Asia

555

33

846

45

473

41

Americas

632

38

635

33

453

39

Europe and others

494

29

417

22

231

20

Total

1,681

100

1,898

100

1,157

100

*Excludes sales from CSI Solar to Recurrent Energy.

Business Outlook

The Company’s business outlook is based on management’s current views and estimates given factors such as existing market conditions, order book, production capacity, input material prices, foreign exchange fluctuations, anticipated timing of project sales, and the global economic environment. This outlook is subject to uncertainty with respect to, among other things, customer demand, project construction and sale schedules, product sales prices and costs, supply chain constraints, and geopolitical conflicts. Management’s views and estimates are subject to change without notice.

For the second quarter of 2023, the Company expects total revenue to be in the range of $2.4 billion to $2.6 billion. Gross margin is expected to be between 19% and 21%. Total module shipments recognized as revenues by CSI Solar are expected to be in the range of 8.1 GW to 8.4 GW, including approximately 60 MW to the Company’s own projects.  

For the full year of 2023, the Company reiterates its prior outlook for CSI Solar’s total module shipments to be in the range of 30 GW to 35 GW. CSI Solar’s battery storage shipments are expected to be in the range of 1.8 GWh to 2.0 GWh, representing this year’s transition from white label to own manufactured product. The Company’s total revenue is now expected to be in the range of $9.0 billion to $9.5 billion from the prior range of $8.5 billion to $9.5 billion.

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO, commented, “We expect significant revenue and profit growth in the second quarter driven by both higher volume in solar module shipments and project sales. In the CSI Solar segment, volume growth is picking up while costs continue to come down, albeit partially offset by gradual ASP declines. On the Recurrent Energy side, we expect the closing of a major project sale during the quarter to have a significantly positive impact on profit. Overall, we will continue to leverage our market leadership position and expect significant growth in 2023 and beyond across both our solar and battery storage businesses.”

Recent Developments

Recurrent Energy (formerly Global Energy)

On May 15, 2023, Canadian Solar announced its wholly-owned subsidiary Recurrent Energy signed an aggregated virtual power purchase agreement with EMD Electronics, Biogen Inc., Wayfair LLC, Autodesk, Inc. and a large healthcare company for 100% of the production capacity of the Liberty Solar Project. Recurrent Energy is currently developing the 100 MWac solar project in Liberty County, Texas, around 50 miles from Houston. The project is expected to be operational in 2024.

On April 10, 2023, Canadian Solar announced the rebranding of its wholly-owned Global Energy subsidiary as Recurrent Energy. Recurrent Energy, previously the Company’s North American utility-scale solar and energy storage project developer, will now encompass all its global development and services businesses.

CSI Solar

On May 17, 2023, Canadian Solar announced its majority-owned subsidiary CSI Solar’s CSI Energy Storage will deliver 363 MWh of battery energy products to an Aypa Power Project in Texas. The project is expected to reach commercial operation by Q2 2024.

On April 11, 2023, Canadian Solar announced its majority-owned subsidiary CSI Solar capacity expansion plans. Namely, CSI Solar intends to have 20.4 GW of ingot, 35 GW of wafer, 50 GW of cell and 50 GW of module capacities by the end of 2023 and is expected to have 50.4 GW of ingot, 50 GW of wafer, 60 GW of cell and 75 GW of module capacities by the end of Q1 2024.

Conference Call Information 

The Company will hold a conference call on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight Time (8:00 p.m., Thursday, May 18, 2023, in Hong Kong) to discuss its first quarter 2023 results and business outlook. The dial-in phone number for the live audio call is +1-877-704-4453 (toll-free from the U.S.), 800-965-561 (toll-free from Hong Kong), 400-120-2840 (local dial-in from Mainland China) or +1-201-389-0920 from international locations. The conference ID is 13738337. A live webcast of the conference call will also be available on the investor relations section of Canadian Solar’s website at www.canadiansolar.com.

A replay of the call will be available 2 hours after the conclusion of the call until 11:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, June 1, 2023 (11:00 a.m., June 2, 2023, in Hong Kong) and can be accessed by +1-844-512-2921 (toll-free from the U.S.), or +1-412-317-6671 from international locations. The replay pin number is 13738337. A webcast replay will also be available on the investor relations section of Canadian Solar’s website at www.canadiansolar.com.

About Canadian Solar Inc.

Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 in Canada and is one of the world’s largest solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development. Over the past 22 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered around 94 GW of premium-quality, solar photovoltaic modules to customers across the world. Likewise, since entering the project development business in 2010, Canadian Solar has developed, built and connected over 8.8 GWp in over 20 countries across the world. Currently, the Company has approximately 609 MWp of projects in operation, 6.9 GWp of projects under construction or in backlog (late-stage), and an additional 17.7 GWp of projects in advanced and early-stage pipeline. Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar and renewable energy industry, having been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2006. For additional information about the Company, follow Canadian Solar on LinkedIn or visit www.canadiansolar.com.

Safe Harbor/Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release, including those regarding the Company’s expected future shipment volumes, revenues, gross margins and project sales are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements are made under the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by such terms as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include general business, regulatory and economic conditions and the state of the solar and battery storage market and industry; geopolitical tensions and conflicts, including impasses, sanctions and export controls; volatility, uncertainty, delays and disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic; supply chain disruptions; governmental support for the deployment of solar power; future available supplies of high-purity silicon; demand for end-use products by consumers and inventory levels of such products in the supply chain; changes in demand from significant customers; changes in demand from major markets such as Japan, the U.S., China, Brazil and Europe; changes in effective tax rates; changes in customer order patterns; changes in product mix; changes in corporate responsibility, especially environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) requirements; capacity utilization; level of competition; pricing pressure and declines in or failure to timely adjust average selling prices; delays in new product introduction; delays in utility-scale project approval process; delays in utility-scale project construction; delays in the completion of project sales; continued success in technological innovations and delivery of products with the features that customers demand; shortage in supply of materials or capacity requirements; availability of financing; exchange and inflation rate fluctuations; uncertainties related to the CSI Solar carve-out listing; litigation and other risks as described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F filed on April 18, 2023. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance, or achievements. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All information provided in this press release is as of today’s date, unless otherwise stated, and Canadian Solar undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contacts:

FINANCIAL TABLES FOLLOW

The following tables provide unaudited select financial data for the Company’s CSI Solar and Recurrent Energy businesses.

Select Financial Data – CSI Solar and Recurrent Energy

Three Months Ended March 31, 2023

(In Thousands of U.S. Dollars, Except Percentages)

CSI Solar

Recurrent
Energy

Elimination
and
unallocated
items (1)

Total

Net revenues 

1,709,730

20,052

(28,501)

1,701,281

Cost of revenues

1,394,121

12,843

(23,684)

1,383,280

Gross profit

315,609

7,209

(4,817)

318,001

Gross margin

18.5 %

36.0 %

18.7 %

Income (loss) from
    operations
(2)

169,458

(15,205)

(8,649)

145,604

Select Financial Data – CSI Solar and Recurrent Energy

Three Months Ended March 31, 2022

(In Thousands of U.S. Dollars, Except Percentages)

CSI Solar

Recurrent

Energy

Elimination
and
unallocated
items (1)

Total

Net revenues 

1,209,994

92,966

(52,611)

1,250,349

Cost of revenues

1,034,165

75,130

(39,837)

1,069,458

Gross profit

175,829

17,836

(12,774)

180,891

Gross margin

14.5 %

19.2 %

14.5 %

Income (loss) from
    operations
(2)

31,898

(1,011)

(15,372)

15,515

(1) Includes inter-segment elimination, and unallocated corporate costs not considered part of management’s
evaluation of business segment operating performance.

(2) Income (loss) from operations reflects management’s allocation and estimate as some services are shared
by the Company’s two business segments.

Select Financial Data – CSI Solar and Recurrent Energy

Three Months
Ended

March 31, 2023

Three Months
Ended

December 31,
2022

Three Months
Ended

March 31, 2022

(In Thousands of U.S. Dollars)

CSI Solar Revenues:

Solar modules

1,454,876

1,642,144

963,045

Solar system kits

133,587

157,845

90,456

Utility-scale battery storage

9,815

48,992

82,500

Residential battery storage

4,995

686

EPC

49,023

20,933

5,323

Others

28,933

27,346

16,059

Subtotal

1,681,229

1,897,946

1,157,383

Recurrent Energy Revenues:

Solar and battery storage projects

4,621

58,504

78,392

O&M and asset management services

8,687

8,087

7,948

Others (includes electricity sales)

6,744

7,059

6,626

Subtotal

20,052

73,650

92,966

Total net revenues

1,701,281

1,971,596

1,250,349

Canadian Solar Inc.

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In Thousands of U.S. Dollars, Except Share and Per Share Data)

Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

March 31,

2023

2022

2022

Net revenues

$ 1,701,281

$ 1,971,596

$ 1,250,349

Cost of revenues

1,383,280

1,622,967

1,069,458

Gross profit

318,001

348,629

180,891

Operating expenses:

Selling and distribution
expenses

88,371

126,313

108,845

General and administrative
expenses

78,648

89,207

62,810

Research and development
expenses

17,307

20,607

13,280

Other operating income,
net

(11,929)

(23,260)

(19,559)

Total operating expenses

172,397

212,867

165,376

Income from operations

145,604

135,762

15,515

Other income (expenses):

Interest expense

(20,448)

(20,195)

(15,302)

Interest income

7,956

9,287

4,212

Gain (loss) on change in
fair value of derivatives, net

7,601

(27,071)

(24,738)

Foreign exchange gain
(loss), net

(20,860)

11,610

27,862

Investment income (loss),

net

8,380

2,628

(5,524)

Total other expense

(17,371)

(23,741)

(13,490)

Income before income taxes
and equity in earnings of
affiliates

128,233

112,021

2,025

Income tax benefit (expense)

(28,715)

(21,850)

5,183

Equity in earnings of affiliates

7,311

8,653

1,726

Net income

106,829

98,824

8,934

Less: Net income (loss)
attributable to non-
controlling interests

23,117

20,990

(273)

Net income attributable to
Canadian Solar Inc.

$ 83,712

$ 77,834

$ 9,207

Earnings per share – basic

$   1.30

$   1.21

$   0.14

Shares used in computation –
basic

64,517,935

64,505,398

64,028,919

Earnings per share – diluted

$   1.19

$   1.11

$   0.14

Shares used in computation –
diluted

71,424,749

71,307,345

64,720,107

 Canadian Solar Inc.

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

(In Thousands of U.S. Dollars)

 Three Months Ended

March 31,

December 31,

March 31,

2023

2022

2022

Net Income

$ 106,829

$ 98,824

$ 8,934

Other comprehensive income
(loss):

Foreign currency translation
adjustment

23,250

73,310

7,511

Gain on changes in fair value of
available-for-sale debt securities,
net of tax

339

306

Gain (loss) on interest rate swap,
net of tax

(105)

34

190

Share of gain (loss) on changes in
fair value of derivatives of affiliate,
net of tax

(610)

1,499

Comprehensive income

129,703

173,973

16,635

Less: comprehensive income
attributable to non-controlling
interests

25,162

30,631

1,127

Comprehensive income
attributable to Canadian Solar
Inc.

$ 104,541

$ 143,342

$ 15,508

Canadian Solar Inc.

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In Thousands of U.S. Dollars)

March 31,

December 31,

2023

2022

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$  848,035

$ 981,434

Restricted cash

1,207,573

978,116

Accounts receivable trade, net

991,168

970,950

Accounts receivable, unbilled

67,886

57,770

Amounts due from related parties

51,190

48,614

Inventories

1,671,544

1,524,095

Value added tax recoverable

192,810

158,773

Advances to suppliers, net

345,633

253,484

Derivative assets

7,761

17,516

Project assets

396,035

385,964

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

267,833

267,941

Total current assets

6,047,468

5,644,657

Restricted cash

19,925

9,953

Property, plant and equipment, net

1,986,335

1,826,643

Solar power systems, net

471,971

364,816

Deferred tax assets, net

226,765

229,226

Advances to suppliers, net

73,531

65,352

Investments in affiliates

136,449

115,784

Intangible assets, net

14,797

17,530

Project assets

467,567

438,529

Right-of-use assets

153,716

103,600

Amounts due from related parties

35,106

33,489

Other non-current assets

195,693

187,549

TOTAL ASSETS

$  9,829,323

$  9,037,128

Canadian Solar Inc.

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Continued)

(In Thousands of U.S. Dollars)

March 31,

December 31,

2023

2022

Current liabilities:

Short-term borrowings

$  1,761,960

$ 1,443,816

Accounts payable

797,909

805,300

Short-term notes payable

1,620,475

1,493,399

Amounts due to related parties

16,736

89

Other payables

864,097

853,040

Advances from customers

335,207

334,943

Derivative liabilities

11,920

25,359

Operating lease liabilities

9,779

9,810

Other current liabilities

397,122

293,012

Total current liabilities

5,815,205

5,258,768

Long-term borrowings

862,759

813,406

Convertible notes

226,335

225,977

Liability for uncertain tax positions

5,730

5,730

Deferred tax liabilities

67,930

66,630

Loss contingency accruals

6,887

5,000

Operating lease liabilities

72,852

25,714

Other non-current liabilities

337,560

329,209

TOTAL LIABILITIES

7,395,258

6,730,434

Equity:

Common shares

835,543

835,543

Additional paid-in capital

2,785

1,127

Retained earnings

1,359,232

1,275,520

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(149,722)

(170,551)

Total Canadian Solar Inc. shareholders’
equity

2,047,838

1,941,639

Non-controlling interests

386,227

365,055

TOTAL EQUITY

2,434,065

2,306,694

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

$ 9,829,323

$ 9,037,128

Source: Canadian Solar Inc.

QunaSys Launches “Quantum Algorithm Grand Challenge”: Join the Race to Push NISQ Algorithms to the Next Level

TOKYO, May 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — QunaSys, a quantum computing software company, is excited to invite students, researchers, and anyone learning and researching quantum computation and quantum chemistry worldwide to participate in the Quantum Algorithm Grand Challenge (QAGC).

The challenge began on May 3, 2023, and the final submission deadline is July 31, 2023. The top four individuals or teams will have the opportunity to present their algorithms at the workshop hosted by QunaSys during IEEE Quantum Week 2023, taking place in Seattle, USA from September 17 to 22, 2023. Additionally, the top three individuals or teams will receive cash prizes: USD 10,000 for the first place, USD 5,000 for the second place, and USD 3,000 for the third place.

Contest-based research has successfully driven industrialization in fields like machine learning and robotics. It involves benchmarking real problems and competing for improvements. QAGC provides a quantum algorithm platform that evaluates proposed algorithms based on the same criteria, inspiring researchers worldwide to enhance their algorithms through competition. The ultimate goal is to expedite the industrial implementation of quantum computing.

The challenge problem for QAGC is to calculate the ground energy of the modified Fermi-Hubbard model, which closely resembles molecular problems but with a known exact solution. Using this model enables benchmark beyond classically simulatable size. The evaluation will be based on accuracy, measured by the absolute difference between proposed results and the exact solution. The evaluation system will consist of 8 qubits, and the estimated running time should not exceed 1000 seconds.

QAGC presents a perfect opportunity for quantum computing enthusiasts to showcase their skills and creativity. By participating, you will have the chance to push the boundaries of NISQ algorithms and contribute to the advancement of quantum computing technology. Additionally, you will gain valuable insights from other researchers and developers worldwide while becoming part of the thriving quantum computing community.

Join the race today to take NISQ algorithms to the next level! Register for the Quantum Algorithm Grand Challenge now. To learn more about the challenge and how to participate, visit https://www.qagc.org/ for further information.

Contact
QAGC secretariat: qagc@qunasys.com

Source: QunaSys Inc.