Tag Archives: CXP

PR Newswire

WeLab Bank Launches GoWealth and Becomes Asia’s 1st Purely-digital Bank to Launch Digital Wealth Advisory Solution

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powered by AllianzGI to deliver Goal-based Investment experience

HONG KONG, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — WeLab Bank (or “the Bank”), the virtual bank dedicated to curating intelligent banking experience, announced that it had become Asia’s 1st purely-digital bank independent of traditional banking groups in major Asian markets to launch digital wealth advisory solution1 as its GoWealth Digital Wealth Advisory (GoWealth) rolled out to market today. Over the two-month trial period, the innovative solution achieved a satisfactory result in the goal-setting flow for over 65,000 visitors. 70% of reviewers expressed that they were looking forward to the official product launch. GoWealth combines the fintech strength of WeLab Bank with the investment expertise of Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI), one of the world’s leading asset management firms, empowering customers to reach their financial goals on “autopilot” with an end-to-end approach.

WeLab Bank Chief Executive Tat Lee (Left) and AllianzGI Head of Institutional Business for Asia Pacific Philip Tso (right) believe GoWealth will raise the bar for the wealth management industry and mark an important milestone for the entire banking industry.
WeLab Bank Chief Executive Tat Lee (Left) and AllianzGI Head of Institutional Business for Asia Pacific Philip Tso (right) believe GoWealth will raise the bar for the wealth management industry and mark an important milestone for the entire banking industry.

Goal-based investment experience through “Set, Track, Goal”

Unlike most of the wealth management products in the market which are risk-based, GoWealth is a goal-based wealth advisory solution. It ties the entire investment experience with customers’ goals through an end-to-end advisory process, ranging from financial planning and investment portfolio recommendations to fund transactions and financial goal tracking, all in the WeLab Bank app. For customers who have clear financial goals, try to establish an investment habit, or get ready for financial independence, in just 3 steps – “Set, Track, Goal”, everyone can capitalize on the power of technology and reach their financial goals on autopilot.

WeLab Bank Chief Executive Tat Lee said, “Most of the existing wealth management services focus on high-net-worth customer segments; some relationship managers cease following up and stop tracking investment performance after customers buy investment products. Understanding these pain points, WeLab Bank is determined to digitalize and democratize wealth advisory through GoWealth. By providing goal-based end-to-end investment, we are enabling everyone to get easy access to professional financial advisory in our mobile app. On this occasion, by launching GoWealth, we are proud to become Asia’s 1st purely-digital bank to launch a digital wealth advisory solution1. We envisage that GoWealth will raise the bar for the wealth management industry and mark an important milestone for the entire banking industry.”

WeLab Bank’s Intelligent investment engine powered by AllianzGI

WeLab Bank trail-blazes digital wealth management services through GoWealth, backed by its fintech experience and AllianzGI’s investment management expertise. GoWealth’s unrivaled intelligent investment engine can instantly calculate the “probability of success”2, providing investment recommendations and managing risk for customers under all circumstances. GoWealth’s investment recommendation is made based on its 12 model portfolios, the intelligent engine runs simulations under 12,000 market scenarios and predicts their performance over the next 50 years3. Then it makes an investment recommendation that best-fits customers and stands the highest probability of success4. To empower customers’ risk management, GoWealth updates the “probability of success” on a regular basis which allows customers to understand the risks involved with greater ease. It tracks the progress of customers’ financial goals, and helps customers stay on track with smart alerts so that they can manage their portfolios at fingertips and gain traction under all market conditions.

AllianzGI Head of Institutional Business for Asia Pacific Philip Tso said, “We are excited to collaborate with WeLab Bank and deliver our expertise to more customer segments through fintech. GoWealth relies on the extensive portfolio simulation methodology and AllianzGI’s expertise in and investment management. We believe we can work with WeLab to help democratize digital wealth management solutions for more customers in the city, helping them achieve their financial goals and needs.”

Start GoWealth with as low as HKD100 and enjoy special kickoff offer

Customers can kick start their personalized investment plan at as low as HKD100 through the GoWealth tab in the WeLab Bank app. To celebrate the public launch of GoWealth, all new customers can enjoy a kickstart fund up to HKD500 and full rebate of the subscription fees is entitled to all customers for their first HKD30,000 investment, the total rebate amount is as much as HKD23,0005!

For more details about digital wealth advisory services GoWealth, please refer to the WeLab Bank website.

1According to a market research conducted by WeLab Bank on 26th May 2022, WeLab Bank is the first virtual bank that is independent from traditional banking groups to provide digital wealth advisory solutions in the below major Asian developed and emerging markets: Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Mainland China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

2″Probability of success” is a statistical probability to achieve your target wealth at the end of the investment plan. It is computed by simulating the potential growth of wealth based on the goal parameters provided by you during the goal setting process, model portfolio allocation and our capital market assumptions.

3The algorithm in GoWealth relies on the portfolio simulation database containing 12,000 simulation paths for the model portfolios projected over the next 50 years (i.e. 600 months), which reflects our capital market forecast on various asset classes and the model portfolios in terms of risk, return and correlations.

4GoWealth’s investment engine will recommend a model portfolio with the highest probability of success and lowest expected risk level within the 2% probability of success buffer range.

5 From now until 15 July 2022, open WeLab Bank account with referral code “INVEST” and Investment Account and make your one-time investment of model portfolio to enjoy WeLab Bank GoWealth Seed Money Welcome Offer (“Welcome Offer”) and get up to HKD500 Seed Money as kickstart fund.  From now until 30 September 2022, invest in mutual funds with a minimum subscription fee of 1.5% to enjoy WeLab Bank GoWealth Cash Rebate Subscription Offer (“Subscription Offer”) and get the subscription fee rebate and cash rebate.  Investment amount shall not include any redemption amount of mutual funds made before accreditation of the subscription fee rebate and cash rebate.  To enjoy the maximum rebate amount, new customers should fulfil both the relevant terms and conditions of the Welcome Offer and the Subscription Offer. The abovesaid offers are subject to terms and conditions. For further details, please refer to WeLab Bank website.

Disclaimers: The above information is for reference only and does not constitute any offer, solicitation, recommendation, comment or any guarantee to the purchase or sale of any investment products or services. The investment products or services are not equivalent to, nor should it be treated as a substitute for, time deposit. Investment involves risks, the value of investment products may go up or down and the investment products may even become valueless.  The contents above have not been reviewed by the Securities and Futures Commission.

About WeLab Bank  

Welab Bank Limited (“WeLab Bank” or the “Bank”), is a homegrown virtual bank licensed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (“HKMA”). Founded by a team of financial and technology experts, WeLab Bank’s mission is to understand customers’ needs and design a personalized, intelligent banking experience that helps them manage, save and grow their money. WeLab Bank represents a 100% digital banking experience that is simple, intuitive, and built around our customers. WeLab Bank focuses on the powerful mobile app and the numberless Debit Card, both designed with an obsession with customers’ experience and data security.

WeLab Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of WeLab Holdings Limited (“WeLab”), a leading pan-Asian fintech platform. WeLab provides a wide range of digital financial services with leading positions in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Indonesia, with more than 50 million individual users and over 700 enterprise customers.

WeLab is backed by the most renowned investors including Allianz, International Finance Corporation (a member of the World Bank Group), Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad, CK Hutchison’s TOM Group, and Sequoia Capital.

To learn more, please visit www.welab.bank and www.welab.co. Follow WeLab Bank on Instagram: welab.bank.

About Allianz Global Investors

Allianz Global Investors is a leading active asset manager with over 700 investment professionals in 24 offices worldwide and managing EUR 637 billion in assets (Data as at 31 March 2022). We invest for the long term and seek to generate value for clients every step of the way. We do this by being active – in how we partner with clients and anticipate their changing needs, and build solutions based on capabilities across public and private markets. Our focus on protecting and enhancing our clients’ assets leads naturally to a commitment to sustainability to drive positive change. Our goal is to elevate the investment experience for clients, whatever their location or objectives.

Active is: Allianz Global Investors

PR Newswire

Aiken Digital – SG / MY Join Forces with Onyx Island

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SINGAPORE, June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Aiken Digital, a global growth agency that specialises in growth consulting, experience design, system development, creative & content, XB ecommerce and SaaS products, and Onyx Island, a leading digital experience agency in APAC, announced today on the completion of the merger between Aiken Digital and Onyx Island with a total workforce strength of 80 based in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

In connection with the merger, Onyx Island will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Aiken Digital. This merger will see a synergistic collaboration between the both agencies and evolve its offerings to serve the combined customer base of Aiken Digital & Onyx Island. Currently, the combined clientele includes Mastercard, L’Oréal, Luxottica, LVMH, Sotheby, L.D. Waxson, Beam Suntory, Cortina Watch, Philip Morris SG/MY, Salesforce APAC, NTUC and more.

From this merger, Aiken Digital will be known as Aiken Group, which will streamline its core businesses into 4 key business units as follows:

  1. Aiken Digital – Digital Consulting & Services
  2. Fixx Labs – Web 3.0 & Blockchain Solutions
  3. Social Commerce Cloud
  4. Esports & Gaming

Joseph Chua, CEO of Aiken Group, said, “Building upon our proven track record of successful M&A, this merger combines our expertise in consulting and digital experiences as we reimagine what we can deliver to customers as a leading global growth agency. We look forward to Onyx Island’s team joining Aiken Digital, further cultivating a shared culture of innovation and driving even greater value for Aiken Group’s stakeholders and partners.”

Danny Murong, Managing Director of Onyx Island, said, “Onyx Island has been reshaping the digital experience landscape for the past 10 years, helping our clients to improve the user’s experience through digital platforms/products. We stand for innovation and unwavering support of our clients and their business operations and now we are extending our commitment to exceptional service and innovation. Combining our assets and talented team with Aiken Digital’s experience in this field creates a remarkable growth agency to serve the needs of all our existing and future clients. Collectively, we will deliver even more value and innovation to customers, enabling them to thrive in this increasingly complex multi-cloud era.”

Danny Murong (pictured 5th from left), Zhi Wei Koh (pictured 3rd from left), Joshua Ooi (pictured 1st from right) & Wei Liang Lee (pictured 4th from right)
Danny Murong (pictured 5th from left), Zhi Wei Koh (pictured 3rd from left), Joshua Ooi (pictured 1st from right) & Wei Liang Lee (pictured 4th from right)

Following the closing of the merger, Aiken Digital will strengthen their ranks with a few key leadership positions within Singapore & Malaysia operations. The agency will appoint Danny Murong as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Aiken Group, Zhi Wei Koh as the Creative Director, Joshua Ooi as the Project Management Office Lead (PMO) and Wei Liang Lee as the Technical Lead.

About Aiken Digital

Aiken Digital is an established growth agency that focuses on developing technology solutions powered by AI to ignite a new generation of growth for companies.

Aiken has a global footprint with 7 offices worldwide in Malaysia, Singapore, China and UK. Founded in 2006 and head-quartered in China, Aiken serves multiple large clients such as Mastercard, Sotheby, L’Oréal, and more.

About Onyx Island

Onyx Island’s expertise in Digital Marketing, Social Media, UI/UX Design, Web Development, CRM Implementation & System Integration, Marketing & Sales Automation has helped key clients such as Beam Suntory, Cortina Watch, Luxottica, Philip Morris and Salesforce APAC build a positive user experience for their brands, fostering lasting and valuable relationships with their customers.

Founded in 2010, Onyx Island is headquartered in Singapore with regional operations in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia.

PR Newswire

Trajan to acquire leading chromatography consumables and tools business building critical mass in the gas chromatography portfolio

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Highlights

  • Trajan to acquire Chromatography Research Supplies, Inc. (CRS), a leading global manufacturer of high-quality analytical consumables
  • Provides Trajan with enhanced and extended production capabilities to service its growing gas chromatography business. Strengthens Trajan’s product portfolio particularly in the critical area of the gas chromatography inlet and sample introduction
  • Expands global infrastructure footprint with the acquisition of manufacturing real estate assets in the US
  • Follows three successful acquisitions and one strategic investment since listing on the ASX in June 2021
  • Acquisition delivers FY22 forecast revenues of US$14.1 million (A$20.1 million[1]) and EBITDA of US$4.2 million (A$6.0 million[1])[2], and estimated annual synergies of ~A$1.3 million[7]
  • Acquisition price of US$43.3 million (A$61.9 million[1]) implies ~9.5x FY22F EBITDA (pre synergies)[3]
  • Expected to deliver FY23F earnings per share accretion of >31%[1],[4],[5],[6] (excluding the impact of synergies) or >42% (including 100% of the pro forma impact of identified corporate savings and product line synergies[7])
  • Acquisition to be funded via a fully underwritten A$29.7 million institutional placement (Placement), A$20.0 million in acquisition debt financing through a facility with HSBC and $13.4 million from existing cash
  • Investor webinar to be held at 10:30am (AEST) Friday 17th June 2022. Register via this link.

MELBOURNE, Australia, June 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Global analytical science and device company Trajan Group Holdings Limited (ASX: TRJ) (Trajan or the Company) has today announced the signing of a binding share purchase agreement and a real estate purchase agreement to acquire 100% of Chromatography Research Supplies, Inc. (CRS), a leading global manufacturer of high-quality analytical consumables based in Kentucky, USA.

Having operated for over 25 years, CRS is a leading manufacturer of electronic and manual crimping tools, gas filters, ferrules, and injection port septa. Its products are used in analytical laboratories and various other industries worldwide and are known for their quality, ease of use and high levels of support.

The acquisition is highly complementary to Trajan’s existing product portfolio in the analytical workflow and consolidates Trajan’s current market leading position in gas chromatography sample introduction, supporting the quality of flow path connection and sealing functions with two leading product lines – septa and ferrules. CRS has been a long-term supplier of consumables to Trajan since Trajan’s acquisition of SGE Analytical in 2013.

In addition, the acquisition extends Trajan’s portfolio via CRS’ other product lines. Such product lines include tools that relate to sealing sample vials which are highly complementary to the Trajan Soltec business acquired in late 2018, and coating technologies that align strongly with Trajan’s automation businesses Axel Semrau and LEAP Pal Parts which were both acquired in late 2021.

CRS has a track record of strong financial performance, with accelerated growth expected in FY22F, adding FY22 forecasted revenue of US$14.1 million (A$20.1 million[8]) and forecast EBITDA of US$4.2 million (A$6.0 million[8])[9]. The acquisition price of US$43.3 million (A$61.9 million[8]) implies a ~9.5x EV/FY22F EBITDA[10] on a pre synergies basis.  

Trajan has identified significant revenue and cost synergies as well as corporate savings realised from the date of acquisition and product line alignment, for total estimated annual synergy benefits of ~A$1.3 million[11], expected to ramp up within the first 2–3 years of ownership. Through the consolidation of current manufacturing facilities, Trajan can realise additional synergies over the medium to long term.

Stephen Tomisich, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Trajan said: “The acquisition of CRS enhances multiple areas of our business and builds on our previous successful acquisitions to deliver comprehensive and best in class products in the analytical workflow.”

“Our market leadership in gas chromatography is enhanced with the addition of septa and ferrules components, as well as introducing a broader portfolio of products in other areas of the analytical workflow that build on our automation business.

As with our previous acquisitions, we have partnered with CRS for many years, understand their business, and know precisely where they fit within Trajan. The acquisition is earnings accretive and able to be rapidly integrated. Importantly, our acquisitions are building on capabilities to achieve our vision of personalised, preventative, data-based healthcare.”

Trajan has a proven framework to identify, acquire and integrate complementary businesses into its infrastructure. This framework involves a ‘founder friendly’ approach which is driven by deep industry relationships, targets solutions within the analytical workflow that have the potential to become industry best standard, is complementary to one or multiple business segments, and provides accretive and strategic opportunity to enhance shareholder value. 

Utilising this framework Trajan has, over the past 11 years, built a strong track record of delivering acquisitive and organic growth. That process has accelerated since the Company’s IPO in June 2021, having acquired laboratory automation business Axel Semrau GmbH in November 2021, microsampling business Neoteryx LLC in December 2021, and LEAP PAL Parts and Consumables in December 2021, as well as entered a strategic investment in consumer health monitoring with Humankind Ventures Ltd (trading as Forth) in November 2021.

Acquisition consideration

Trajan is acquiring CRS for US$43.3 million (A$61.9 million[12]) through a share purchase agreement and a real estate purchase agreement, the latter being for the purchase of the land and building from which CRS operates in Kentucky, USA.   

The Company will fund the acquisition of CRS via a fully underwritten A$29.7 million Placement to eligible institutional, sophisticated, and professional investors, an acquisition debt facility from HSBC of A$20.0 million and A$13.4 million from existing cash. Completion of Trajan’s acquisition of CRS is conditional on completion of the Placement and on Trajan satisfying customary conditions to drawdown under the HSBC acquisition financing facility.

The Placement is being issued at an offer price of $2.00 per new share (Offer Price), which represents a 11.1% discount to the last closing price of $2.25 on 16 June 2022.

The Placement will result in the issue of approximately 14.8 million new shares (New Shares), representing approximately 11.0% of Trajan’s existing shares on issue. The New Shares issued under the Placement will rank equally with existing Trajan shares at their date of issue.

Share Purchase Plan

Trajan will also offer eligible shareholders in Australia and New Zealand the opportunity to participate in a non-underwritten Share Purchase Plan (SPP). The SPP has a limit of $30,000 per eligible shareholder.

  • New Shares under the SPP will be issued at $2.00 per share, being the same price as the Offer Price under the Placement.
  • The SPP is being undertaken to raise up to $5.0 million[13].
  • Trajan intends to use the proceeds of the SPP to support the Company’s growth objectives through further strategic acquisitions and organic growth opportunities.
  • The SPP will open on Friday, 24 June 2022 and is expected to close at 5.00pm (AEST), Tuesday 12 July 2022.
  • Further details relating to the SPP will be provided to eligible shareholders in Australia and New Zealand in due course.

Canaccord Genuity (Australia) Limited and Ord Minnett Limited are joint lead managers and underwriters to the Placement and DLA Piper is acting as legal advisor to Trajan.

Indicative timetable

The timetable below is indicative only and subject to change. The Company reserves the right to alter the dates at its discretion and without prior notice, subject to the ASX Listing Rules and Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

Event

Date[14]

SPP Record Date

7:00pm, Thursday, 16 June 2022

Offer announcement

Friday, 17 June 2022

Placement bookbuild opens

Friday, 17 June 2022

Placement bookbuild closes (all jurisdictions)

2:00pm, Friday, 17 June 2022

Announce completion of Placement and trading halt lifted

Monday, 20 June 2022

Settlement of New Securities under the Placement (DvP)

Wednesday, 22 June 2022

Allotment and normal trading of New Securities issued under the Placement

Thursday, 23 June 2022

SPP opens

Friday, 24 June 2022

SPP closes

5:00pm, Tuesday, 12 July 2022

SPP results announced to the ASX

Friday, 15 July 2022

SPP Securities issued

Tuesday, 19 July 2022

Authorised for ASX release by the Board of Trajan Group Holdings Limited.

[1] AUD/USD 0.70 based on assumed AUD/USD exchange rate

[2] CRS FY22F EBITDA includes a rent expense of US$228K

[3] EV / FY22F EBITDA multiple of 9.5x is based on an enterprise value of US$40.2 million (excluding the acquisition of freehold title to real estate owned by CSR for US$3.1 million) and an FY22F EBITDA of US$4.2 million converted to AUD at AUD/USD0.70

[4] Before one-off transaction and implementation costs

[5] Accretion assumes a pre-tax interest rate of 4%

[6] FY23F accretion assumes analyst consensus NPAT estimate of A$8.8m and CSR NPAT of A$4.7m (excluding corporate savings and product line synergies) and an effective tax rate of 20% for CSR based on Trajan management’s due diligence

[7] Refer to page 17 of the ASX Investor Presentation dated 17 June 2022

[8] AUD/USD 0.70 based on assumed AUD/USD exchange rate

[9] CRS FY22F EBITDA includes a rent expense of US$228K

[10] EV / FY22F EBITDA multiple of 9.5x is based on an enterprise value of US$40.2 million (excluding the acquisition of freehold title to real estate owned by CSR for US$3.1 million) and an FY22F EBITDA of US$4.2 million converted to AUD at AUD/USD0.70

[11] Refer to page 17 of the ASX Investor Presentation dated 17 June 2022

[12] AUD/USD 0.70 based on assumed AUD/USD exchange rate at time of completion

[13] The Company reserves its discretion regarding the final amount to be raised under the SPP

[14] The above timetable is indicative only and is subject to change without notice. All dates and times are Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).

About Trajan

Trajan is a global developer and manufacturer of analytical and life sciences products and devices founded to have a positive impact on human wellbeing through scientific measurement. These products and solutions are used in the analysis of biological, food, and environmental samples. Trajan has a portfolio and pipeline of new technologies which support the move towards decentralised, personalised data-based healthcare.

Trajan is a global organisation of 600 people with seven manufacturing sites across the US, Australia, Europe, and Malaysia, and operations in Australia, the US, Asia, and Europe.

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PR Newswire

ACE Green Recycling to build North America’s largest green battery recycling park in Texas

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Proprietary emissions-free battery recycling technology to be deployed to recycle both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries  

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Recycling technology company, ACE Green Recycling (ACE) is announcing its plans to build and operate North America’s largest emissions-free and sustainable battery recycling park in Texas, USA. The 400,000 square foot facility will be able to recycle both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries when fully operational. These batteries are key elements in the automotive, power storage, telecommunications industry and portable devices like mobile phones and laptops. 

The facility is expected to start its phase 1 of operations in the third quarter of 2023, starting with the recycling of lead-acid batteries using ACE’s proprietary emission-free battery recycling technology and followed with a lithium-ion battery recycling facility in proximity. When operating at full capacity, ACE expects the facility to process and recycle up to 100,000 metric ton of used lead-acid batteries and 20,000 metric ton of used lithium-ion batteries annually by 2025.

Traditionally, battery recycling is via the smelting process which involves operating at extremely high temperatures – often more than 1,000 °C – with the burning of expensive and polluting fossil fuels, producing significant greenhouse gases (GHG), and exposing workers to hazardous working conditions. Compared to smelting, ACE’s proprietary technologies for both lead-acid and lithium-ion battery recycling are fully electrified with zero carbon emissions and provide higher battery material yields while providing a safer workplace environment. ACE is also exploring opportunities for operating most of its key plant activities with solar energy to reduce the facility’s Scope 2 emissions.

ACE has identified Texas to locate its flagship battery recycling facility in the United States. With a growing population and easy access to an abundance of spent batteries from automobiles and other industrial sources, Texas is an obvious choice for ACE’s new plant. 

Due to the lack of sufficient recycling capacity, the US is currently exporting a large volume of its scrap batteries to Mexico and Asia while importing battery materials back to make new batteries leading to a major value loss. By establishing a large operation in Texas, ACE intends to reduce America’s dependence on imports of battery materials and batteries from foreign suppliers that are often subject to adverse global supply chain issues. 

“Texas sits at the heart of the world’s global energy revolution with key access to an abundant pool of top engineering and technical talent. ACE’s new facility aims to be part of that revolution and build a greener, more sustainable future for America,” said Nishchay Chadha, ACE’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

ACE’s Texas lead-acid recycling facility will be scaled up in phases. When fully operational, it is projected to recycle more than 5 million lead-acid batteries, prevent more than 50,000 metric ton of GHG emissions, reduce landfill dumping of more than 10 million pounds of hazardous solid waste, and recycle more than 15 million pounds of plastics annually. The facility will also generate up to 100 direct and indirect well-paying American jobs for the local economy. ACE will be announcing more details about its lithium-ion battery recycling operations in upcoming months.

The green technology solutions start-up will utilize its own funds and collaborate with several strategic and financial investors to set up the envisioned Texas battery recycling park. “We are excited to establish our first North American facility in the state of Texas that will not only generate significant local economic activity but also contribute to a greener environmental footprint,” said Dr Vipin Tyagi, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of ACE. “By contributing to America’s battery recycling capabilities, we also aim to strengthen the country’s energy independence and build a more resilient future for the nation.”

ACE has already deployed its technology on a commercial scale and most recently announced a deal with Pondy Oxides & Chemicals Ltd (BSE: 532626), a leading recycler in India, and is set to announce new facilities in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East by early 2023.

About ACE Green Recycling Inc

ACE Green Recycling is an American green recycling technology company with global operations across Southeast Asia and India. The company has started commercializing its proprietary recycling process for used lead-acid batteries that releases no greenhouse gas emissions and is currently scaling up its zero-emission technology to recycle lithium-ion batteries. ACE is also simultaneously working on clean technology solutions for other metallic waste streams. The team behind ACE has decades of recycling, technology and scrap supply chain experience, making them poised to become a leader in global recycling.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ikram Zainy                                                              
Superminted Pte Ltd                                                
ikram@superminted.com
Tel: +(65) 96553441

For any enquiries, please contact:
ACE Green Recycling
communications@ace-green.com

PR Newswire

Ribbon Opens Sydney Office, Customer Showcase Facilities to Support Asia Pacific Operations

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Supporting Ribbon’s growth and momentum in Asia Pacific Region, recent wins with Tier 1 carriers, and expansion of Ribbon enterprise business

SYDNEY, May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Ribbon Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: RBBN), a global provider of real time communications technology and IP optical networking solutions to many of the world’s largest service providers, enterprises, and critical infrastructure operators to modernize and protect their networks, today announced the launch of its new Australian headquarters and customer showcase and demonstration facilities in Sydney.

The new facilities will support Ribbon’s staff, customers and channel partners while enhancing the company’s ability to serve and support customers in Australia, New Zealand and the SE Asia region.

“We are delighted to be launching our new Sydney facilities today as an integral part of our multi-year expansion program in the region,” said Robert Inshaw, Ribbon’s Managing Director Australia and New Zealand. “These new facilities will help to support our growth momentum after signing agreements with several Tier 1 service providers in the region with our IP and Optical networking platforms, as well as the continued strength we are seeing in the SBC market, and with innovative cloud products like Ribbon Connect.”

The new facilities will include a state of the art customer demonstration area, training facilities, Proof of Concept (POC) laboratories, and house post-sales support and technical operations teams. Ribbon supplies critical IP and optical networking equipment to Australia and New Zealand’s largest telecommunications carriers and supports enterprise customers via a large number of channel partners and systems integrators that supply Ribbon equipment (SBCs) and cloud communication services for highly secure, efficient and intelligent communications services.

Inshaw continued, “We would like to thank our customers, partners and employees for their continued commitment to Ribbon’s business and technology. Ribbon is deeply committed to the success of our carrier and enterprise clients in the region, and today’s launch of our new Sydney office facilities will lay the foundation for the next phase of our expansion here and underpin our growth ambitions in the region for many years to come.”

About Ribbon  
Ribbon Communications (Nasdaq: RBBN) delivers communications software, IP and optical networking solutions to service providers, enterprises and critical infrastructure sectors globally. We engage deeply with our customers, helping them modernize their networks for improved competitive positioning and business outcomes in today’s smart, always-on and data-hungry world. Our innovative, end-to-end solutions portfolio delivers unparalleled scale, performance, and agility, including core to edge software-centric solutions, cloud-native offers, leading-edge security and analytics tools, along with IP and optical networking solutions for 5G. We maintain a keen focus on our commitments to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters, offering an annual Sustainability Report to our stakeholders. To learn more about Ribbon, please visit rbbn.com. 

Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements  
The information in this release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events that involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this release, including those regarding the expected benefits from use of Ribbon Communication’s products, are forward-looking statements. The actual results of Ribbon Communications may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Ribbon Communications’ business, please refer to the “Risk Factors” section of Ribbon Communications’ most recent annual or quarterly report filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements represent Ribbon Communications’ views only as of the date on which such statement is made and should not be relied upon as representing Ribbon Communications’ views as of any subsequent date. While Ribbon Communications may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point, Ribbon Communications specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. 

Investor Relations 
+1 (978) 614-8050 
ir@rbbn.com       

North American Press 
Dennis Watson 
+1 (214) 695-2224 
dwatson@rbbn.com  

APAC, CALA & EMEA Press 
Catherine Berthier 
+1 (646) 741-1974 
cberthier@rbbn.com  

Analyst Relations 
Michael Cooper 
+1 (708) 212-6922 
mcooper@rbbn.com  

Logo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ribbon-opens-sydney-office-customer-showcase-facilities-to-support-asia-pacific-operations.jpg

Source: Ribbon Communications Inc.

PR Newswire

VMware Launches New Regional Digital Hub to Foster Greater Innovation and Inclusive Growth in Asia

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Interactive, state-of-the-art technologies are key for enabling businesses to tap VMware’s solutions and global expertise in realizing innovation aspirations in the region

SINGAPORE, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW), a leading innovator in enterprise software, today announced the launch of its new Regional Digital Innovation Hub in Singapore. Singapore’s government is a driver of smart nation initiatives with a strong digital policy agenda which VMware applauds. The government was today represented by Mr. Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth, who officially opened VMware’s digital innovation hub. In attendance was also Chad Norberg, Economic Unit Chief, United States Embassy.

The Regional Digital Innovation Hub will bolster Southeast Asia’s growth as a burgeoning, vibrant technological hub and is dedicated to empowering businesses to navigate the new future of work. It also joins nine other Virtual Briefing Centers located in key markets around the world including Bangalore, Beijing, Tokyo, and Sydney in the Asia Pacific. Tapping into Singapore’s strategic location as the No.1 innovation epicenter outside of Silicon Valley[1] and a critical gateway for businesses to access the rest of Southeast Asia, the new center aims to empower businesses with a clear vision on how to implement technology frameworks and solutions that addresses their unique business challenges across the region.

“With ASEAN on track to become a USD 1 trillion digital economy by 2030[2] and the region’s emergence as an innovation powerhouse, we are committed to accelerating businesses to the future by helping them visualize and implement their digital roadmaps,” said Paul Simos, Vice President and Managing Director of Southeast Asia and Korea at VMware.

“The future of business is digital, and we hope to create a competitive edge for our customers by building a secure place for them to experiment and experience how future technologies can be built into their systems before they are enacted in real life, so that they can anticipate what lies ahead and attain full autonomy on their innovation cycle,” said Simos.

The state-of-the-art hub is equipped with cutting-edge tools like digital whiteboarding, virtual reality (VR) and a personalized experience utilizing radio-frequency identification (RFID). Using the Virtual Briefing Center (VBC), business leaders can explore VMware solutions, collaborate with experts, and experience in-depth demonstrations through both hybrid and online briefings. Hybrid briefings leverage physical engagement with the center’s wall-size display with navigational touch controls and interactive whiteboarding functions to better visualize ideas and concepts, while flexible collaborative tools facilitate discussions with online attendees. Additionally, mixed spaces for small group collaborations and a digital lounge for private meetings can be customized to meet needs of each meeting.

The VBC features four state-of-the-art and next-gen technologies that foster inventive idea exchange and brings to life a modern vision that highlights an organization’s strengths and unpacks specific challenges and constraints by designing a customized roadmap with solutions that address one’s top business priorities. 

The four demo zones showcase the possibilities with technology around the areas of:

  • Advanced IT in a digital hub for the future of work
  • Accelerating the digital employee experience
  • Moving towards Zero IT and Tanzu Labs
  • Enabling innovation with Tanzu Labs

Connected to all of VMware’s other VBCs across the globe, the center also allows for businesses to connect with technical experts and teams from anywhere in the world to unpack technical constraints and design customized technology roadmaps with glove-fit solutions. This will enable business leaders to test current technologies, concepts, and pilot projects before official rollouts, serving as a secure innovation sandbox to build new innovative concepts and transformation roadmaps.

Expanding on its commitment to being an innovation and inclusivity center of excellence for the region, VMware also recently reopened its Singapore office redesigned with versatile, new facilities that focus on collaboration and autonomy to provide employees with greater options for how and where they work. With sustainability and inclusivity as a big focus, the WELL-certified office features air purifiers, recycling areas, yoga rooms with lockers, a jamming studio, and maternity rooms on select floors.

About VMware

VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control. As a trusted foundation to accelerate innovation, VMware software gives businesses the flexibility and choice they need to build the future. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to building a better future through the company’s 2030 Agenda. For more information, please visit www.vmware.com/company.

Disclaimer: This article may contain hyperlinks to non-VMware websites that are created and maintained by third parties who are solely responsible for the content on such websites.

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Securonix Announces APJ Business Momentum led by Cloud-Native SIEM Adoption and Partner Program Expansion

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Company also appoints three senior hires to spearhead regional growth

SINGAPORE, March 9, 2022 — Securonix, Inc., a leader in Next-Gen SIEM, today announced business momentum for the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region, and three strategic hires to bolster its regional leadership team and accelerate market growth. 

Neil Campbell has been appointed to the role of vice president for APJ, alongside Ajay Kumar as director for APJ and Middle East (ME), and Vinny Sharma as director of marketing for APJ and ME.

Securonix’s regional traction has been driven by record demand for cloud-native security monitoring and analytics, the company’s flexible cloud deployment models, and rapid partner program expansion.

"Leading enterprises and managed service providers in APJ have shown a strong appetite for solutions that enable more effective detection and response to advanced threats in cloud environments, and flexible deployment options that align with their cloud strategies, data retention requirements, and overall business needs," said Andy Vallila, Chief Revenue Officer, Securonix. "Neil, Vinny, and Ajay will play key roles in accelerating the impressive growth we are experiencing in-region and innovative product portfolio go-to-market efforts."

"I am thrilled to join Securonix to help fuel its expansion in the world’s fastest-growing region as Asian enterprises step up their cybersecurity posture to safeguard increasing digital transformation efforts," said Neil Campbell, VP for APJ, Securonix. "Organizations across APAC are reportedly 80 percent more likely to fall prey to a cyber attack due to the region’s digital use and connectivity. I am looking forward to working closely with our regional customers and partners to protect their digital assets and hybrid enterprises against the rising tide of ransomware and other malicious activities."

Over the past 12 months, a record number of APJ customers and managed service providers offering SIEM-as-a-Service (SaaS) have adopted Securonix as a modern security analytics platform to replace their legacy SIEM solutions.

Securonix’s pure SaaS architecture providing complete visibility into complex cloud and hybrid environments, and new ‘Bring your own AWS‘ and ‘Securonix with Snowflake‘ programs have driven regional market traction highlighted by:

Securonix has recently secured investment of more than US$1 billion led by Vista Equity Partners to further its global leadership position in cloud-native security analytics and operations.

Securonix’s expansion plan for the APJ region over the next six to 12 months include setting up an office in Japan and establishing footprint across the Southeast Asia (SEA) region, through the appointment of MSSPs and partner enablement. The company currently has operations in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), and Singapore. It aims to double its headcount and achieve double-digit growth across the APJ region by 2024.

Bringing over more than 25 years of leadership and management experience in cybersecurity across global and regional roles, Campbell is responsible for charting Securonix’s overall growth strategy across the APJ region. He was most recently vice president for Asia Pacific (APAC) at Rapid 7 where he spearheaded and built out the company’s sales operations across key markets in the region. Other global and senior leadership roles Campbell had assumed over the course of his career include those held at Telstra and Dimension Data.

Kumar joins Securonix with over a decade of technical sales leadership experience, most recently holding the position of director of solutions engineering for APJ at BeyondTrust. At Securonix, Kumar will lead pre-sales and proof of concepts for the APJ market.

Sharma brings more than 16 years of regional marketing experience in the networking and cybersecurity space to Securonix, most recently holding the position of head of marketing for India at Infoblox. Sharma will lead marketing efforts for APJ and ME at Securonix.

Securonix is actively recruiting in APJ and will continue to add new jobs across all business functions over the next 12 months to leverage the region’s wealth of technical talent. To view Securonix career opportunities, please visit: https://careers.securonix.com/.  

About Securonix

Securonix is redefining SIEM for today’s hybrid cloud, data-driven enterprise. Built on big data architecture, Securonix delivers SIEM, UEBA, XDR, SOAR, Security Data Lake, NTA and vertical-specific applications as a pure SaaS solution with unlimited scalability and no infrastructure cost. Securonix reduces noise and prioritizes high fidelity alerts with behavioral analytics technology that pioneered the UEBA category. To learn more, visit www.securonix.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

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National Arts Group Announces Joint Venture with National Treasury and First Bullion to Create Metaverse Studio

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HONG KONG, March 4, 2022 — Asian leading film production and distribution company National Arts Entertainment Group Holdings Limited ("National Arts" or the "Company"; with its subsidiaries referred as the "Group"; Stock Code: 8228.HK) announce the establishment of a joint venture (JV) company with the National Treasure Management Limited ("National Treasure"), a renowned artist management and entertainment programme production company, and First Bullion Holdings Inc. ("First Bullion") holding company of a digital exchange in the Philippines, to develop a virtual reality, a "dreams come true" experience.

The joint venture company will build a metaverse studio simulating National Arts’s Xiqiao Shan filmmaking studio, which is famous for the unique panoramic film shooting scenes such as National Palace Museum, Kowloon Walled City, the Hong Kong Street and Shanghai Street. Music concerts & contexts, talent quests, movie clips production are available at the metaverse studio, providing immersive online entertainment experiences to players.

Players would also enjoy online shopping at the virtual Shanghai Street malls backed by non-fungible token (NFT) via an e-commerce platform including on/off share payment gateways and goods delivery. For offline operation, the JV company will organize singing, acting, movie making and martial arts training for players to actualize the virtual experiences in reality.

Mr Chow Kai Weng, the Associate Chairman of the National Arts Group said, "Metaverse is the future of entertainment. As the first PRC film production company tapping into the metaverse, I am optimistic about the opportunity. We are open to expanding the virtual reality and even Metaverse businesses in the future. Our artist management will go hand in hand with the metaverse development. "

Mr Dennis Yu, the Executive Director of the National Treasure commented, "Bringing into blockchain and metaverse elements, we hope to redefine the entertainment industry with innovation. Metaverse studio will be a good chance to enhance the movies and music presentation, as well as the online-offline entertainment lifestyle to another level."

Mr Philip Tam Pak Yin, the Founder of First Bullion said, "To create the Metaverse Studio, we will bring together a critical mass of interconnected technologies, including virtual reality, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, blockchain, brain-computer interfaces, web 3.0, etc and the entertainment industry in the decentralized world. Our leading digital assets and STO exchange CryptoSX will fully support the Metaverse Studio to make it accessible and fun to all participants and users."

Under the Letter of Cooperation, the Group, First Bullion, and National Treasure will own 40%, 30% and 30% equity interest respectively in the JV company. Each of the party has right to appoint one director to the JV company. National Arts hopes to promote the GBA entertainment, online games and sales to the mass market through the metaverse studio. National Treasure will provide the design and arts direction for the virtual reality environment and virtual artists creation. First Bullion will support the blockchain technology related to the NFT e-commerce.

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After the rapid growth in Egypt, OPay Group is targeting a major expansion in North Africa and the Arab region

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– Forbes Middle East praises the development of OPay’s business in the region, describing it as the fastest growing and most popular financial technology company in the Egyptian market.

CAIRO, Egypt, Feb. 25, 2022 — Recently,"OPay" wins the best new POS payment service provider in Egypt for 2021 award from "The Global Economics".

According to a press report published by Forbes Middle East magazine, OPay is one of the most prominent companies that have appeared on the electronic payments scene in Egypt as a result of support followed by the Egyptian state. It is also considered one of the fastest growing companies in the Egyptian market since its first launch in Egypt at the start of 2021, OPay Group quickly gained the confidence of thousands of merchants that utilize its points of sale (POS) to collect bills and other payments.


Due to the steps taken by Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and the support provided by Tarek Amer, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, has paved the way for the faster digital transformation of the Egyptian banking sector. The country embraces digital transformation and cashless transactions. The international "OPay" group for financial technology services and electronic payments grow fast.Under Amer’s leadership, the central bank has made the transition to cashless transactions easier, reduced the reliance on cash, and expanded the provision of mechanized services.

The report mentioned that "OPay" Group was founded in 2018, and risen to become a top financial services provider, operating in Nigeria, Egypt, and Pakistan, the company’s early success is credited to its dedication to making financial services accessible to everyone, and now the group is eyeing expansion across the rest of the Middle East and North Africa this year.

This remarkable development achieved by OPay is due to the integrated services it provides to its customers, in addition to the ease of access to them, as the registration on the application or the electronic portal is done in smooth and fast steps, OPay is also becoming a major driver of financial inclusion in Africa, managing to fast track the adoption of digital services through cashless and contactless payments while also improving financial and information security. In particular, OPay’s mobile payment service provides a convenient financial solution to the unbanked population in Africa, with 160 million active users currently generating around $3 billion in monthly transactions.

The international "OPay" group confirmed that it provides a suite of bespoke, customer-centric financial solutions that include offline and online payment options and a digital wallet service using the power of AI. Notably, OPay’s online gateway (OPay checkout) hosts a set of high-quality services, integrated solutions, and an excellent commission scheme, which enable small- and medium-sized businesses to achieve profit growth.

For customers, OPay delivers an easier way to pay bills and other expenses through an app available on iOS as well as Google Play.

OPay Group’s continued success follows a $400 million funding round last August, which increased the company’s valuation to $2 billion. The successful round motivated OPay to venture towards territories in North Africa – particularly Egypt, where the group has achieved monumental success in less than a year, delivering the best possible financial solutions for customers, merchants, and small and medium businesses, and OPay plans to expand to more territories by the end of the year, including the U.A.E. It also aims to enhance its current suite of financial services and adapt to new security standards to keep customer data safe and secure.

 

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PaaSoo Technology Unveils New Logo to Mark European Growth

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DUBLIN, Feb. 25, 2022 — PaaSoo Technology, known within cloud communications industry for allowing enterprises to optimize sending and receiving SMS via APIs, unveils new logo in the world’s biggest tech fair, Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona.

Since 2016, the fast-growing tech company has gained a reputation for reliability, flexibility and security of its CPaaS solutions, among companies that use mobile phones to communicate with clients. Seeing massive demand in the European market, PaaSoo has decided to expand its services to Europe. To better serve its current and potential versatile clientele, the company is now registered with ARCEP, the French regulatory authority for electronic communications, and has opened the latest local office in France.

Further growing its market presence, PaaSoo is proud to take an active part in MWC Barcelona 2022 from 28th February to 3rd March, a highly anticipated 16th edition which marks the comeback of the entire mobile ecosystem. The team is excited to meet their customers and partners face-to-face after 2 years of pandemic restrictions.

Above all, PaaSoo invited Marion Decroocq, the Founder of Couleur Aube, to redesign its logo, illustrating the brand essence. The smooth round-curved wing, also subtly interpreting an infinity symbol, with the brand PaaSoo, is modernly presented in refreshing yet calming electric blue. Decroocq denotes, "I thought of Hermes, the messenger God who facilitated exchanges. I found it interesting to start working on the wings and on what they represent: lightness, speed, agility, and these match PaaSoo’s value." As the designer depicts, color choice always echoes a reflection. A fresh electric blue inspires confidence, responsibility, and harmony, that successfully associates PaaSoo’s stable service and its capability to communicate with the world.

About PaaSoo Technology

Founded in 2016, PaaSoo has offices in France, Ireland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines. PaaSoo’s powerful, agile and cost-effective cloud communication solutions enable clients to connect with end-users across the globe. Companies such as Work Port, Wargaming, Perfect World, and others rely on PaaSoo for critical communications via text or voice messaging.

PaaSoo’s comprehensive selection of scalable, flexible and easy to use APIs and applications allows organizations of any size to use the power of cloud communications for growing their business and staying connected to customers, e.g., for one-time passwords, notifications, alerts, and promotional offers.

For more information: www.paasoo.com