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PR Newswire
AKB48 Team SH Hosts First Online Show Samuneiru and Ticket Sales Heating Up

SHANGHAI, June 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — On June 7, AKB48 Team SH (TSH, these idols belong to Shanghai Shangyue Culture Development Co., Ltd.), the Chinese sister group of Asian idol girl group AKB48, made its debut performance — Samuneiru online.

AKB48 Team SH Hosts First Online Show Samuneiru and Ticket Sales Heating Up
AKB48 Team SH Hosts First Online Show Samuneiru and Ticket Sales Heating Up

Since February, the travel of all the 48 groups across Asia whose main activities are theatrical performances has been suspended due to the COVID-19. The online performance is not only TSH’s first theatrical performance since its building, but also brings the only one 48 Group that restarts its public activities.

TSH will broadcast online every week. Audience both home and abroad may watch the show on the broadcasting platform. Click the link to purchase the tickets if you are interested:

https://www.bilibili.com/blackboard/live/activity-AKB_TeamSH_slt_live.html

Songs in the performance were adapted with Chinese lyrics from those in Samuneiru—the hot theatrical performance of AKB48 from Japan. The performance includes million-selling covers of original songs such as You Are the Melody and Be My Baby. The warm melody and encouraging lyrics inspired everyone in front of the screen to be brave and keep going on. Fans from everywhere were very supportive despite the lack of fervent interaction on the scene. The Group also attracted many young music lovers as it ranked the top of the list of broadcasting platform with an audience number of 500,000. The performance was originally scheduled in February offline but was delayed until June due to force majeure. After waiting for 114 days, these girls stood on their dream stage and brought fans a wonderful audio-visual feast with their clear and beautiful singing and dancing. Meanwhile, their relentless effort and gesture of sweating on the stage also conveyed lots of positive energy. Let’s look forward to more exciting performances of TSH in the future!

Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200612/2827388-1?lang=0

PR Newswire
China issues white paper, sharing experience in COVID-19 fight

BEIJING, June 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — A news report by China.org.cn on China’s recently issued white paper "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action":

 

China recently released a white paper titled "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action." At around 37,000 Chinese characters in length, the document records the country’s efforts in its battle against the coronavirus.

The white paper provides a detailed account of China’s response to the unexpected disease. The country enforced quarantine measures on an unprecedented scale, closed outbound routes from Wuhan, halted public gatherings, and introduced rigorous border controls, thus effectively blocking the transmission routes of the virus. China mobilized medical resources across the country, constructed the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals in around 10 days, and built 16 Fangcang shelter hospitals, thereby massively increasing treatment capacities.

During this unusual period, medical workers rose to the challenge and put themselves in harm’s way. With a firm resolve, the people of Wuhan and Hubei overcame all kinds of difficulties after the closure of the province’s exit channels. Community workers, police officers, customs staff, couriers, sanitation workers, and others from all sectors of society, remained at their posts with unity and dedication. Meanwhile, ordinary people observed self-isolation at home, avoiding outdoor activities and gatherings.

The white paper shows that confronted by the most challenging public health emergency since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the country has succeeded in turning around the situation within a few months. This can be attributed to the philosophy of putting people’s lives first upheld by the government and the whole of society, as well as the united and painstaking efforts of 1.4 billion Chinese people.

Having paid a heavy price, China has contained the spread of the virus within a short time. This represents the country’s responsibility for securing regional and international public health.

Since COVID-19 struck, China has shared information with the international community in a timely manner. From Jan. 11, China started updating the WHO and other concerned parties on a daily basis. On Jan. 12, China submitted the genome sequence of the novel coronavirus to the WHO, which was shared globally. Since Jan. 4, China has maintained close contact with relevant U.S. authorities, sharing information and cooperating on technical matters. The white paper provides a clear timeline of these efforts.

By issuing the white paper, China has published a record of its fight against COVID-19 in an open and transparent manner, and sincerely shared its experience with the rest of the world. Only by acting according to the vision of a global community of shared future can we strengthen confidence, work together, and embrace a brighter tomorrow for mankind.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm
China issues white paper, sharing experience in COVID-19 fight
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2020-06/12/content_76156746.htm  

 

Related Links :

http://www.china.org.cn/

PR Newswire
Bitauto Enters into Definitive Agreement for Going-Private Transaction

BEIJING, June 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Bitauto Holdings Limited ("Bitauto" or the "Company") (NYSE: BITA), a leading provider of internet content & marketing services, and transaction services for China’s automotive industry, today announced that it has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with Yiche Holding Limited ("Parent"), and Yiche Mergersub Limited, a wholly owned Subsidiary of Parent, pursuant to which the Company will be acquired by an investor consortium led by Morespark Limited, an affiliate of Tencent Holdings Limited ("Tencent") and Hammer Capital Opportunities Fund L.P. (acting through its general partner Hammer Capital Opportunities General Partner, "Hammer Capital") in an all-cash transaction that values the Company’s equity at approximately US$1.1 billion (the "Merger").

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), each ordinary share of the Company (each, a "Share") issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be cancelled and cease to exist in exchange for the right to receive US$16 in cash without interest, and each outstanding American depositary share of the Company (each, an "ADS," representing one Share) will be cancelled in exchange for the right to receive US$16 in cash without interest, except for (a) certain Shares (including Shares represented by ADSs) owned by affiliates of Tencent, an affiliate of JD.com, Inc., and Mr. Bin Li, chairman of the board of directors of the Company (the "Board"), which will be rolled over in the transaction , (b) Shares (including ADSs represented by Shares) owned by Parent, Merger Sub, the company or any of their respective subsidiaries, (c) Shares (including ADSs represented by Shares) held by the ADS depositary and reserved for issuance, settlement and allocation upon exercise or vesting of Company’s options and/or restricted share unit awards, and (d) Shares held by shareholders who have validly exercised and not effectively withdrawn or lost their rights to dissent from the merger pursuant to Section 238 of the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands, which will be cancelled and cease to exist in exchange for the right to receive the payment of fair value of those dissenting shares in accordance with Section 238 of the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands.

The merger consideration represents a premium of 16.4% to the closing price of the Company’s ADSs on September 12, 2019, the last trading day prior to the Company’s announcement of its receipt of the "going-private" proposal, and a premium of 35.1% to the average closing price of the Company’s ADSs during the 30 trading days prior to its receipt of the "going-private" proposal. 

The investor consortium includes Tencent and Hammer Capital. The consortium intends to fund the Merger with a combination of rollover equity and cash, and has delivered copies of executed equity commitment letters to the Company.

The Board, acting upon the unanimous recommendation of a committee of independent directors established by the Board (the "Special Committee"), approved the Merger Agreement and the Merger and resolved to recommend that the Company’s shareholders vote to authorize and approve the Merger Agreement and the Merger. The Special Committee negotiated the terms of the Merger Agreement with the assistance of its financial and legal advisors.

The Merger is currently expected to close in the second half of 2020 and is subject to customary closing conditions including the approval of the Merger Agreement by an affirmative vote of holders of Shares representing at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Shares present and voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of the Company’s shareholders. Shareholders affiliated with Tencent, JD.com, Inc., Mr. Bin Li, and Cox Automotive Global Investment, Inc. have each agreed to vote all of the Shares and ADSs they beneficially own, which represent approximately 55.3% of the voting rights attached to the outstanding Shares as of the date of the Merger Agreement, in favor of the authorization and approval of the Merger Agreement and the Merger. If completed, the Merger will result in the Company becoming a privately held company, and its ADSs will no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. 

The Company will prepare and file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement, which will include a proxy statement of the Company. The Schedule 13E-3 will include a description of the Merger Agreement and contain other important information about the Merger, the Company and the other participants in the Merger.

Duff & Phelps, LLC and Duff & Phelps Securities, LLC are serving as financial advisor to the Special Committee.  Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as U.S. legal counsel to the Special Committee.

BofA Securities is serving as financial advisor to the investor consortium. Latham & Watkins LLP and Kirkland and Ellis are serving as U.S. legal counsel and Hong Kong legal counsel to the investor consortium, respectively. 

Additional Information about the Merger

The Company will furnish to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a current report on Form 6-K regarding the Merger, which will include as an exhibit thereto the Merger Agreement. All parties desiring details regarding the Merger are urged to review these documents, which will be available at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov).

In connection with the Merger, the Company will prepare and mail a proxy statement to its shareholders. In addition, certain participants in the Merger will prepare and mail to the Company’s shareholders a Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement that will include the proxy statement. These documents will be filed with or furnished to the SEC. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THESE MATERIALS AND OTHER MATERIALS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, THE MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS. In addition to receiving the proxy statement and Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement by mail, shareholders also will be able to obtain these documents, as well as other filings containing information about the Company, the Merger and related matters, without charge, from the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov) or at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549.

The Company and certain of its directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be "participants" in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s shareholders with respect to the Merger. Information regarding the persons who may be considered "participants" in the solicitation of proxies will be set forth in the proxy statement and Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement relating to the Merger when it is filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants will be included in the proxy statement and Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement and the other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become available.

This announcement is neither a solicitation of a proxy, an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities and it is not a substitute for any proxy statement or other filings that may be made with the SEC should the Merger proceed.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that express the Company’s current opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results and therefore are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "if," "will," "expected" and similar statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include: uncertainties as to how the Company’s shareholders will vote at the meeting of shareholders; the possibility that competing offers will be made; the possibility that financing may not be available; the possibility that various closing conditions for the transaction may not be satisfied or waived; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in documents filed with the SEC by the Company, as well as the Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement and the proxy statement to be filed by the Company. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s expectations as of the date of this press release. You should not rely upon these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

About Bitauto

Bitauto Holdings Limited (NYSE: BITA) is a leading provider of internet content & marketing services, and transaction services for China’s automotive industry. Bitauto’s business consists of three segments: advertising and subscription business, transaction services business and digital marketing solutions business.

Bitauto’s advertising and subscription business provides a variety of advertising services to automakers through the bitauto.com website and corresponding mobile apps which provide consumers with up-to-date automobile pricing and promotional information, specifications, reviews and consumer feedback. Bitauto also provides transaction-focused online advertisements and services for promotional activities to its business partners, including automakers, automobile dealers, auto finance partners and insurance companies. Bitauto offers subscription services via its SaaS platform, which provides web-based and mobile-based integrated digital marketing solutions to new car automobile dealers in China. The SaaS platform enables automobile dealer subscribers to create their own online showrooms, list pricing and promotional information, provide automobile dealer contact information, place advertisements and manage customer relationships to help them reach a broad set of purchase-minded customers and effectively market their automobiles to consumers online.

Bitauto’s transaction services business is primarily conducted by its controlled subsidiary, Yixin Group Limited (SEHK: 2858), a leading online automobile finance transaction platform in China, which provides transaction platform services as well as self-operated financing services.

Bitauto’s digital marketing solutions business provides automakers with one-stop digital marketing solutions, including website creation and maintenance, online public relations, online marketing campaigns, advertising agent services, big data applications and digital image creation.

For more information, please visit ir.bitauto.com.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Suki Li
Bitauto Holdings Limited
Phone: +86-10-6849-2145
[email protected]

Philip Lisio
Foote Group
Phone: +86-10-8429-9544
[email protected]

PR Newswire
P&G and Shopee drive record sales at first-ever experiential online initiative, Show Me My Home, with more than 15x increase in orders

Show Me My Home is a key initiative under the recently signed Joint Business Plan between P&G and Shopee

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, and Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), a leading fast-moving consumer goods company, achieved strong performance for their first-ever experiential online initiative, Show Me My Home. The initiative recorded more than 15x increase in orders at peak day[1], and it is a key activation under the recently signed regional Joint Business Plan (JBP) between Shopee and P&G. The JBP marks a joint commitment between Shopee and P&G to improve the online shopping experience for users across the region, and to provide convenient and easy access to quality FMCG products on Shopee.  

Shankar Viswanathan, Vice-President, P&G Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and E-Commerce, P&G Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (left), and Chris Feng, CEO, Shopee (right), at the official Joint Business Plan signing [Photo taken before circuit breaker]
Shankar Viswanathan, Vice-President, P&G Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and E-Commerce, P&G Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (left), and Chris Feng, CEO, Shopee (right), at the official Joint Business Plan signing [Photo taken before circuit breaker]

Chris Feng, CEO at Shopee, said, "As we transit into the new normal, e-commerce has taken on greater importance in people’s lives. Consumers are increasingly going online to fulfil their everyday needs, and it is important for businesses to remain agile and adapt quickly. The success of P&G’s online debut of the Show Me My Home initiative on Shopee is proof of that. By merging P&G’s portfolio of leading FMCG brands and retail expertise with Shopee’s wealth of insights on online shoppers’ behaviour and preferences, it allowed us to deliver a novel, experiential online home shopping experience for consumers across the region. This success has inspired us to continue innovating to provide the best for our users, and we are excited to work closely with P&G going forward."

Shoppers enjoyed greater convenience with Show Me My Home

The Show Me My Home initiative was initially an offline concept which was well-received among both consumers and retailers. With a shared vision to serve the region’s increasingly savvy digital consumers at scale, P&G leveraged Shopee’s technology expertise and insights on online shoppers to optimize and scale the experience online. Through this partnership, P&G and Shopee successfully piloted the online version of Show Me My Home, recording more than 15x increase in orders at peak day. The Show Me My Home initiative offered greater convenience as shoppers could easily find what they needed as the microsite simulated the household environment. This novel way of shopping online successfully captured shoppers’ attention with an overall increase in traffic for P&G.  

Fostering meaningful connections with Shopee’s in-app engagement features 

As people spend more time online, brands are also increasingly finding new ways to interact and engage with their consumers. As part of the Show Me My Home initiative, P&G leveraged Shopee’s engagement features to foster deeper and meaningful connections with their consumers.

  • Shopee Live: P&G tapped on Shopee Live to engage consumers with a special series of live streams featuring popular local celebrities. The biggest stars, including Yuna, Iman Azman and Preston Kaw shared with fans and Shopee users their favourite P&G products, as well as provided tips on how to use them.
  • Shopee Throw: Users visited Shopee daily to play Shopee Throw, an in-app game where users can win exclusive P&G vouchers and prizes by throwing arrows onto a target on the Shopee app. The game was played over 600,000 times in 5 days, offering added entertainment and value to consumers while they shopped for their favourite P&G brands.      

Show Me My Home marks the first of many initiatives under the recent regional JBP between Shopee and P&G. The JBP aims to better serve and capture the hearts of online shoppers in the region by providing a seamless access to P&G’s wide range of leading brands and products. This agreement will see P&G broadening its multi-brand portfolio offerings on Shopee and tapping on Shopee’s big data analytics capability to provide a personalised customer journey via precise marketing. In addition, P&G will leverage Shopee Brands Suite, a comprehensive set of support tools, such as Shopee Live, to help brand partners better reach and connect with consumers. 

"At P&G, we are continually trying new ways to personalize and engage our consumers be it offline or online. The encouraging results we have achieved from this campaign proves the partnership with Shopee to be very successful as we managed to engage more meaningfully with our consumers on digital platforms. We look forward to evolving with the customer as we work closely with Shopee to execute future innovations online, serving more regions and value-adding to digital transactions," adds Shankar Viswanathan, Vice President, E-Commerce, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

With the success of the Show Me My Home initiative, P&G and Shopee will be bringing it back on 15 June 2020, featuring another round of exclusive deals and promotions from popular P&G brands including Olay, Pantene, and Ambi Pur. 

To know more, visit https://shopee.com.my/m/pg-mid-year-sale

[1] Compared to average day in 2020

Appendix

For a full list of P&G products available on Shopee’s Show Me My Home Campaign, please visit this website.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

About Shopee

Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It was launched in 7 markets in 2015 to connect consumers, sellers, and businesses in the region. Shopee offers an easy, secure, and engaging experience that is enjoyed by millions of people daily. It offers a wide product assortment, supported by integrated payments and logistics, as well as popular entertainment features tailored for each market. Shopee is also a key contributor to the region’s digital economy with a firm commitment to helping brands and entrepreneurs succeed in e-commerce.

Shopee is a part of Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), a leading global consumer internet company. In addition to Shopee, Sea’s other core businesses include its digital entertainment arm, Garena, and digital financial services arm, SeaMoney. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology.

 

Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200610/2826392-1?lang=0

Related Links :

https://pg.com/

PR Newswire
FICO Survey: Philippine Consumers more Comfortable Opening Bank Accounts with Smartphones than Americans and British

26 percent of Filipinos prefer to open a bank account on their phone compared to 18 percent in the US and 25 percent in the UK

MANILA, Philippines, June 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ —

Do Identity Checks by Philippine Banks Turn Away Customers?
Do Identity Checks by Philippine Banks Turn Away Customers?

Highlights:

  • The FICO Consumer Digital Banking Survey examines the preferences Filipino consumers have with digital bank account opening
  • The study found 26 percent of Filipinos prefer to open a bank account on their phone compared to 18 percent in the US and 25 percent in the UK
  • 76 percent of Filipino consumers said they would open a financial account online
  • Identity verification with too much friction could cost organizations over 40 percent of new account openings

More information: https://www.fico.com/identity

FICO, a global analytics software firm, has released its Consumer Digital Banking Survey which found Philippine consumers are more comfortable opening bank accounts on their smartphones than consumers in the US and the UK.

The study showed that 26 percent of Filipinos prefer to open a bank account on their phone, compared to 18 percent in the US and 25 percent in the UK.

"Filipino consumers are digital natives," said Subhashish Bose, FICO’s lead for fraud, security and compliance in Asia Pacific. "Around 40 percent of Filipinos have a smartphone and according to a recent study they rank in the top 10 mobile internet users globally, spending an average of 4.58 hours a day on their phones."

The study showed that digital account opening is rapidly becoming the norm in the Philippines, with 76 percent of consumers saying they would open some kind of financial account online.

Of those that would open a financial account online, 40 percent would consider doing so for an everyday transaction account, 38 percent for a credit card and 33 percent for a personal loan.

Bucking expectations, it was older consumers in the Philippines who were more likely to be leading the digital push with the youngest Filipinos being the laggards.

  • 46 percent of those over 55 years of age said they would open a bank account online
  • 40 to 45 percent of 25-34, 35-44 and 45-54 year-olds said they would do the same
  • While just 28 percent of 18-24-year-olds would open a bank account online

"The truth in the numbers here is far more nuanced," explained Bose. "Younger Filipinos are adept at using smartphones and computers, however, many do not have the required identification forms to open bank accounts at a young age, don’t have regular income or are presented with bank account options that are not appealing. For example, many bank accounts in the Philippines require a minimum balance to avoid monthly account-keeping fees.

"As consumers’ reliance on online services grows in response to COVID-19, we expect further shifts in adoption and indeed an acceleration and acceptance in opening bank accounts digitally. It is important that banks closely examine any points of friction in their application process to ensure consumers are not abandoning a process or switching to a competitor," said Bose.

Filipinos expect account opening to be fully digital

The survey found that a large percentage of Filipinos had an expectation that they should be able to complete all aspects of account opening online or on their phone.

Out of the regular identity checks needed to open an account, 67 percent of Filipinos thought they should be able to prove their identity by scanning documents or providing a selfie, 47 percent expected to prove where they live without going offline and 45 percent said they should be able to set up a biometric such as a fingerprint scan at account opening.

If all actions required to complete an account opening cannot be accomplished in-session, only 41 percent of respondents said they would carry out the necessary offline actions as soon as possible.

Around 33 percent thought they would eventually complete offline actions such as taking a phone call, posting documents, or visiting a branch. A further 13 percent said they would try a competitor while 5 percent said they would give up completely. Overall findings demonstrated that financial institutions in the Philippines that don’t facilitate a completely digital account opening experience could lose over 40 percent of their new business.

"There is research to show that only 6 to 9 percent of applicants move through the funnel and complete the process," said Bose. "Banking executives should review the application completion for authenticated versus non-authenticated applications, as well as how many applicants with saved or abandoned applications return to complete the process."

FICO’s Consumer Digital Banking Survey was produced using an online, quantitative poll of 5,000 adults (over 18) across 10 countries carried out on behalf of FICO by an independent research company. The countries surveyed were: Brazil, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Sweden, UK and the USA.

About FICO
FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956 and based in Silicon Valley, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 195 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 2.6 billion payment cards from fraud, to helping people get credit, to ensuring that millions of airplanes and rental cars are in the right place at the right time.

Join the conversation on Twitter at @FICOnews_APAC.

FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the US and other countries

Photo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/fico-survey-philippine-consumers-more-comfortable-opening-bank-accounts-with-smartphones-than-americans-and-british-1.jpg
Logo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/fico-survey-philippine-consumers-more-comfortable-opening-bank-accounts-with-smartphones-than-americans-and-british.jpg

Related Links :

https://www.fico.com

PR Newswire
NS8 Raises $123 Million Series A, Now Among Fastest Growing Fraud Prevention Platforms in the World

Latest Raise Led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and AXA Venture Partners

LAS VEGAS, June 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — NS8, an online fraud prevention company, announced the company has successfully closed $123 million in venture funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and AXA Venture Partners (AVP).

With this investment, NS8 will accelerate product development and expand its global reach with an increased focus on growing its vast partner network. The company has grown from 50 to over 200 employees within the last year, and hiring continues across sales, engineering, marketing, and infrastructure.

Lightspeed’s investment provides NS8 with access to the firm’s expansive global network, as well as a team of operators and advisors to help navigate challenges, build world-class teams, and support the company’s continued growth at all stages. 

"Online fraud prevention has grown rapidly due to the acceleration of ecommerce adoption by merchants and, with it, an increased threat of those seeking to attack online stores. Merchants of all sizes need to invest in security products to ensure a safe and secure online experience," said Bradley Twohig, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners. "NS8’s platform allows its partners and their merchants to stand up a full-service fraud prevention hub, in a matter of a day, across almost every ecommerce platform. The time to value is simply best in class."

AVP has significant experience helping scale companies that leverage differentiated technology and efficient business models to drive innovation in enterprise software, fintech, consumer and digital health. With offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, AVP can also help NS8 accelerate its global expansion.

"NS8 has built a market-leading fraud detection and prevention platform combining advanced data analytics with real-time scoring. NS8’s rapid growth is a testament to the strength of the company’s product and the value NS8 delivers to its customers," said Alex Scherbakovsky, General Partner at AXA Venture Partners and NS8 board member. "We are excited to partner with Adam and the NS8 team to scale the business globally."

Throughout the recent global pandemic, NS8 continues to emerge as the fastest growing industry leader, with year-over-year revenue growth of 200 percent and a dedicated focus on aiding online vendors to make fraud decisions that protect their customers and their bottom line.

"Thanks to this investment from Lightspeed, AXA Venture Partners, and our full backing group, we can continue to scale to meet the growing demand for fraud prevention technology in the global marketplace," said NS8 CEO Adam Rogas. "This partnership positions NS8 to empower even more businesses with enterprise-level fraud defenses, regardless of size or industry."

About NS8
NS8 is a comprehensive fraud prevention platform that combines behavioral analytics, real-time scoring, and global monitoring to help online businesses minimize risk. Its patented scoring technology provides actionable data about the type, quality, and trustworthiness of transactions, which businesses leverage to automate fraud management workflows to suit their individual needs. NS8 is headquartered in Las Vegas, with regional offices located in San Francisco, San Ramon, Miami, Amsterdam, Singapore, and Melbourne. www.ns8.com

Crowell & Moring LLP served as legal counsel to NS8 in the fundraising transaction.

About Lightspeed Venture Partners
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a multi-stage venture capital firm focused on accelerating disruptive innovations and trends in the Enterprise and Consumer sectors. Over the past two decades, the Lightspeed team has backed hundreds of entrepreneurs and helped build more than 400 companies globally, including Snap, Nest, Nutanix, AppDynamics, MuleSoft, OYO, Guardant, StitchFix, and GrubHub. Lightspeed and its affiliates currently manage $10.5B across the global Lightspeed platform, with investment professionals and advisors in Silicon Valley, Israel, India, China, Southeast Asia, and Europe. www.lsvp.com

About AXA Venture Partners
AXA Venture Partners (AVP) is a global venture capital firm investing in high-growth, technology-enabled companies. AVP has built, in less than five years, a unique investment platform specialized in tech investments with $800 million of assets under management through three pillars of investment expertise: early stage, growth stage, and fund of funds. To date, AVP has invested in more than 45 companies and more than 15 funds. The AVP team operates globally with offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, and Hong Kong. Beyond investments, AVP provides unique access to business development opportunities helping portfolio companies to scale globally and accelerate their growth. www.axavp.com

LinkedIn: @ns8               Twitter: @ns8inc               NS8.com

Logo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ns8-raises-123-million-series-a-now-among-fastest-growing-fraud-prevention-platforms-in-the-world.jpg   

Related Links :

http://www.ns8.com

PR Newswire
LIZHI Ranks Among Top 50 Cultural Enterprises in Guangzhou, China

GUANGZHOU, China, June 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — LIZHI INC. ("LIZHI" or the "LIZHI App" or "the Company") (NASDAQ: LIZI), a leading online UGC audio community and interactive audio entertainment platform in China, has been ranked one of the "Top 50 Cultural Enterprise" in Guangzhou, China. The ranking is part of a study conducted by Guangzhou institute for society studies, South China Daily and Guangzhou Association for Cultural and Creative Industries to analyze and evaluate the economic significance of the cultural industry of the city.

The live-streaming industry in China has seen a dramatic boom in recent years. As of March 2020, the number of live-streaming users surged to 560 million with the number of viewers tuning in live-streaming e-commerce events reaching 265 million, according to report from the China Internet Network Information Center. The market has also seen major industry players such as Tiktok, Alibaba and Kuaishou achieved enormous commercial success.

With the launch of 5G network and the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has accelerated the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), Guangzhou, a city in southern China, which is home to numerous tech and internet giants, is on track to create an economic model developing a diverse ecosystem of live-streaming, spanning music, gaming, audio, entertainment, traveling, commerce and intangible cultural heritage. The huge potential of the audio market in China will also propel audio-sharing platforms to usher in a new era of on-demand and streaming content.

Against this backdrop, LIZHI has become the most extensive online UGC audio community and one of the Top 100 Internet Companies in China with total revenue of RMB 1.2 billion  (USD 170 million) in 2019. 2020 marks a new milestone for LIZHI, which has seen the Company’s Q1 revenue surge by 42% year-over-year to RMB 370 million  (USD 52.3 million). The growth has brought a new record high of average monthly active users and creators, which stands at 54.5 million and 6.2 million, respectively. The average number of monthly paying users also soared by 60% this year, to over 450,000.

Backed by its unique business model, LIZHI is riding this technological momentum to create an audio community where everyone not only can enjoy informative and engaging user-generated audio content but also design, share and connect through voices across cultures and countries. Powered by AI, LIZHI’s proprietary tools for audio creation enable creatorsto fine-tune recordings and produce innovative sound effects while streamlining the process of creation, production and distribution.

"As we build a vibrant platform and community for our users and creators, we want to offer the resources they need to thrive. LIZHI now boasts user-generated content across 27 categories including relationship advice, family, education, music and talk shows," said Mr. Marco Lai, Founder and Chief Executive Officerof LIZHI. "We are particularly proud to see that our community is helping low-skilled workers and people with disabilities connect with the world via their vocal talent."

LIZHI has been developing powerful tools with partners to help creators connect to and grow their audience. In 2019, LIZHI worked in partnership with Baidu, a technology company specializing in Internet-based services and artificial intelligence, to create Xiaodu smart speakers that come equipped with built-in features allowing users to better engage with listeners during audio-streaming sessions. Looking forward, the Company will continue to develop new ways of distributing content for IoT devices, optimize interactive features and user interface to create a better experience for all users.

For more information, please visit: http://ir.lizhi.fm/

About LIZHI INC.

LIZHI INC. is a leading online UGC audio community and interactive audio entertainment platform in China, with a mission to enable everyone to showcase vocal talent. The Company is aiming to bring people closer together through voices. 

Since the launch of its Lizhi app in 2013, LIZHI has cultivated a vibrant and growing community encouraging audio content creation and sharing. Now LIZHI is an audio wonderland offering a wide range of podcasts and audio entertainment products and features, including audio live streaming and various interactive audio social products, empowering users to enjoy an immersive and diversified entertainment experience through audio.

LIZHI envisions a global audio community – a place where everyone can create, share and connect with each other through voices and across cultures.

Related Links :

http://ir.lizhi.fm/

PR Newswire
BioWorld Recognized for Excellence of Information & Intelligence to Biopharmaceutical Industry

News service from Clarivate wins plethora of awards at 41st Annual SIPAwards

LONDON and PHILADELPHIA, June 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — BioWorld™, a part of Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CCC), a global leader in providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the pace of innovation, has been recognized for excellence in publishing by the Specialized Information Publishers Association (SIPA). BioWorld, the daily news service for biopharmaceutical and medical technology industries, is the recipient of seven SIPAwards.


BioWorld delivers actionable information and intelligence on the most innovative therapeutics and medical technologies in development. The global team reports breaking news and provides key perspectives on hundreds of therapeutics and devices in development – the companies behind those candidates, the business development transactions that evolve the markets, and the regulatory hurdles that both challenge and guard the processes.

Lynn Yoffee, News Director, BioWorld said, "Every day, we help our readers cut through the noise of information overload. Now ― more than ever ― it is increasingly vital that we continue to provide our readers with unique, compelling and quality content that enables drug and med-tech developers to make more informed decisions."

SIPA hosts the annual SIPAwards competition to recognize excellence in editorial, marketing and product success. Now in its 41st year, the awards highlight the information and insights provided to niche audiences around the world.  BioWorld is now the recipient of 63 SIPAwards dating back to 1998, including 15 awards for its daily news service. This year it was honored in the following categories:

Best Daily Publication
For high-impact daily information.

  • First Place: BioWorld
  • Third Place: BioWorld MedTech

Best New or Relaunched Website
For outstanding website design and maneuverability within a site.

  • First Place: BioWorld and BioWorld MedTech for its entry, titled "Hello Future, Goodbye PDF,"

Best Series
For best series, based on writing, editing and design; the scope and detail of coverage in the stories; the timeliness or "exclusive" value.

Best Infographic
For infographics that clearly and concisely present information, processes or data consistent with the subject matter, target industry and voice of the media outlet.

Best Use of Data
For work in which data plays an essential role. The work may feature any of several forms and formats, (e.g., infographics, trend analyses, blogs, interactive tools, data-based investigation) to enhance its overall effectiveness.

Best Interpretive or Analytical Reporting, Healthcare/Regulatory/Education
For excellent interpretive or analytical reporting covering the healthcare, regulatory and education sectors, with an analysis or explanation of a difficult topic or idea.

About Clarivate  

Clarivate™ is a global leader in providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the pace of innovation. We offer subscription and technology-based solutions coupled with deep domain expertise that cover the entire lifecycle of innovation – from foundational research and ideas to protection and commercialization. Today, we’re setting a trail-blazing course to help customers turn bold ideas into life-changing inventions. Our portfolio consists of some of the world’s most trusted information brands, including the Web of Science™, Cortellis™, Derwent™, CompuMark™, MarkMonitor™ and Techstreet™. For more information, please visit clarivate.com. 

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PR Newswire
New Report With 33 Expert Tips on Circular IT Management

STOCKHOLM, June 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The new report from TCO Development, the organization behind the global sustainability certification for IT products TCO Certified, explains how everyone who buys and uses IT products can implement circular and more sustainable practices.

New report with 33 expert tips on circular IT management
New report with 33 expert tips on circular IT management

"Circular solutions are already available. We now need to use them," says Clare Hobby, Global Purchaser Engagement Director at TCO Development.

The report, Impacts and Insights: Circular IT Management in Practice, sets out how the circular economy helps solve many of the most pressing sustainability challenges linked to IT products. Today’s linear consumption causes substantial carbon dioxide emissions. Natural resources are being rapidly exhausted and vast amounts of hazardous e-waste piles up, with more than 50 million metric tonnes being discarded every year, of which only 20% is being responsibly taken care of. The circular economy can help us reduce the pressure we’re putting on the planet.

As a pioneer of circular procurement, Aalborg municipality has seen the effects of acting with greater circularity.

"The amount of CO2 we can save by keeping IT products longer surprised me. Using laptops for another three years will save emissions equivalent to heating and powering all municipality buildings for a year," says Birgitte Krebs Schleemann, project manager for sustainability procurement at Aalborg municipality.

The circular transition is a paradigm shift that will require both big and small changes. In the report, experts in the frontline of circularity and IT share 33 concrete tips.

"We want to go beyond theory — this report provides practical help for those who want to take the next step," says Clare Hobby.

Some of the tips:

  1. Use your IT-products longer — it’s the single most important thing you can do to save natural resources and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
  2. Work to gradually implement circular practices, such as take-back programs.
  3. Think circular when you’re purchasing IT products. Use circular criteria.
  4. Give your IT products a second life by reselling them.
  5. Acknowledge that circularity is a team effort and no one can do it alone. Both internal and external cooperation is key!

Read the report

About TCO Certified

TCO Certified is the world-leading sustainability certification for IT products. Our comprehensive criteria are designed to drive social and environmental responsibility throughout the product life cycle. Covering 11 product categories, compliance is independently verified, both pre and post certification.

Contact
Cassandra Julin
+46(0)702866861
[email protected]
Press room

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PR Newswire
Blackbaud Customers Around the World Rely on Technology to Support COVID-19 Research and Innovation

Higher education and healthcare institutions turn to Blackbaud solutions to power fundraisers for COVID-19 vaccines, lifesaving equipment

CHARLESTON, South Carolina, June 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good, is supporting key higher education and healthcare institutions around the world with the technology needed to effectively fundraise for COVID-19 research and essential equipment, including potential vaccine breakthroughs, low-cost ventilator production and methods to treat the virus and slow its spread.  

"Throughout the world, many of our customers are on the frontlines of COVID-19 relief and having the cloud software in place to support their missions has never been more critical," said Mike Gianoni, president and CEO, Blackbaud. "We have been continually amazed by our customers globally and their ingenuity during this time and are proud to support their efforts through reliable and highly effective technology."

Fundraising for COVID-19 Vaccine Research in Australia

Blackbaud recently helped the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia launch a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign for COVID-19 vaccine research. Blackbaud’s leading peer-to-peer fundraising solutions enable social good organisations to quickly create fundraising campaigns driving current and new supporters to share their passion for an organisation’s mission. UQ researchers need to raise $4.5 million in addition to the support they’ve received from the government and philanthropic partners, to help them develop a vaccine to end COVID-19.

"We are incredibly grateful for Blackbaud’s support in our efforts to facilitate philanthropic giving to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine development at The University of Queensland," said Jennifer Karlson, pro-vice-chancellor of advancement, University of Queensland. "The technology has been a critical gateway for the UQ community to give to this important cause."

Learn more about the approach the UQ COVID-19 vaccine researchers are taking to quickly develop and manufacture a vaccine for the world.  

Pushing Toward Bioscience Breakthroughs in Manhattan

Within a month, supporters of The Rockefeller University donated more than $16 million for COVID-19 research, a testament to their confidence in the abilities of Rockefeller’s scientists and the relationships the university has built through its advancement team, which relies daily on Blackbaud fundraising and relationship management solutions, including Blackbaud CRM™ and Blackbaud Internet Solutions™. Beyond the total, the speed of the donations has been critical in this moment of world crisis, when time is of the essence, and federal grant funding could take months to secure. 

The Manhattan-based university – a research-driven institution that has seen 25 of its scientists receive the Nobel Prize – closed campus early on in the crisis, except for critical operations laboratories, which currently include 20 labs doing COVID-19 research. The labs are not only collaborating with each other but also across the scientific community, and in some cases internationally, to advance ideas to slow the momentum of the pandemic and identify new therapies. 

At the same time, Rockefeller’s advancement team members have used Blackbaud cloud-based solutions as they’ve worked remotely to educate their donor network on the university’s COVID-19 research and related needs. This falls in line with the informative way the university seeks to introduce new friends – providing lectures, seminars and community events to build an appreciation of their scientists’ work and the greater institution. While recent events have been canceled, postponed or shifted to virtual gatherings because of the pandemic, supporters have been encouraged to direct their table and ticket purchases to research, and to consider making an additional gift to support COVID-19 research, as well.

Learn more about Rockefeller’s fundraising success in the wake of COVID-19 and donation opportunities.

The Race to Create Lifesaving Ventilators in Canada  

In March, Blackbaud customer, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center announced the Code Life Ventilator Challenge, a two-week sprint among engineering and scientific communities to gather the best ideas from around the world to design low-cost and easy to produce emergency ventilators. The challenge received hundreds of submissions from 94 different countries. Nine concepts were selected for an intensive round of testing and three finalists have emerged. The three finalists will receive $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 CAD in compensation for their design and for sharing it with the world in the fight against COVID-19. Montreal General Hospital Foundation relied on Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® to power the fundraising component that has made this challenge possible. Montreal General Hospital Foundation is currently preparing a second challenge specifically to expedite refinement, cost-reduction and regulatory compliance of the final designs.

Stay up to date on the Code Life Ventilator Challenge by following updates here.     

To learn more about how Blackbaud is supporting its global customers during COVID-19, visit Blackbaud.com/COVID-19-resources.

About Blackbaud

Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organisations, faith communities, arts and cultural organisations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organisations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility, school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing and analytics. Serving the industry for more than three decades, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, and has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit  www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Inquiries 
[email protected]

Forward-looking Statements

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud’s investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

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