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PR Newswire

Guardz Launches in Australia and New Zealand to Empower MSPs to Cyber Secure and Insure SMBs

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Partnership with trusted Australia-based IT distributor, Manage Protect, allows MSPs to protect their small and medium-sized business clients

SYDNEY and TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Guardz, the cybersecurity company securing and insuring small businesses, today announced its launch in Australia and New Zealand, empowering MSPs to secure and insure SMBs with its tailor-made, unified cybersecurity platform. The Guardz solution will be distributed through a partnership with Australian-owned and operated IT cloud solution company Manage Protect.

Small businesses are the backbone of the Australian economy and make up 99% of businesses, creating jobs, supporting local communities, and providing crucial services. Almost a quarter of Australia’s SMBs have experienced a cybersecurity incident resulting in service disruption, reputational damage, and revenue loss, and often leading to the permanent closing of doors. As the underpinning of the country’s economy, these companies not only require end-to-end cybersecurity protection, but also personnel with the know-how to properly maintain and proactively manage their cybersecurity. Due to limited resources, budget constraints, and a lack of awareness and training, these SMBs often turn to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to improve their cybersecurity hygiene and manage their IT. These local service providers are crucial to ensure SMBs’ cyber needs are met and that issues that arise are remediated in a timely manner.

Manage Protect sources and offers best-of-breed cloud technology to the Australian and New Zealand markets, providing deep local technical support and partner enablement to protect their MSP clients’ businesses. The Guardz cybersecurity solution for MSPs will be available to Manage Protect’s over 300 MSP customers, enabling them to seamlessly manage their clients’ end-to-end cybersecurity with automated detection and response capabilities.

“As the backbone of the Australian economy, SMBs are crucial to ensuring the cyber posture and operation of the country,” said Dor Eisner, CEO and Co-Founder of Guardz. “There is no better way to protect SMBs than by reaching them through their valued MSPs, and we are delighted to have joined forces with Manage Protect to make our shared mission of unified cyber protection a reality for these millions of businesses.”

“As an Australian company, we are proud to empower local businesses through technology. We have long searched for a product that would offer our customers comprehensive and accessible cybersecurity, and we’ve found that in Guardz’s unique, holistic solution,” said Andrew Johnson, Managing Director and Founder of Manage Protect. “Working together with the Guardz team, we have localised the platform for our market with 100% local technical support, billing (AUD), training, certification, and the recently deployed data centre to serve our region. We are excited to be working with local MSPs to enable and empower them to Manage & Protect their customers and deliver them the peace of mind they deserve efficiently and cost effectively.”

Using the Guardz cybersecurity platform, MSPs can control businesses’ cyber posture, remediation, and subscription plans from a single, multi-tenant platform. The end-to-end, simple, and cost-effective solution provides automated threat detection and remediation across all major attack vectors, including business data, employee identities, cloud directories, web browsing, emails, and devices. The AI-powered solution automatically and continuously monitors a company’s external and internal digital footprint, providing actionable alerts and real-time risk prevention.

About Guardz

Guardz is a unified cybersecurity platform built to empower MSPs to secure and insure SMEs against ever-evolving threats such as phishing, ransomware, account breaches, data loss, and user risks by leveraging AI in a multilayered approach. The solution streamlines cybersecurity with its automated detection and response capabilities across users, emails, devices, and cloud data, all from a single pane of glass. By combining robust cybersecurity technology and deep insurance expertise, Guardz ensures that businesses’ security is consistently monitored, managed, and optimized to prevent the next attack and mitigate the risk. Guardz was founded in 2022 by Dor Eisner and Alon Lavi along with a team of cyber and insurance experts who combine innovation, experience, and creativity to create a safer digital world for small businesses.

About Manage Protect Ltd

Manage Protect is an Australian owned and operated technology company. For over 15 years, we have specialised in integrated cloud solutions to empower managed service providers (MSPs) in providing security, business continuity and productivity solutions to Australian and New Zealand small and medium businesses. Manage Protect’s channel of aligned, trained and certified IT partners and MSPs provide best-of-breed solutions sourced globally, while hosted and supported locally.

Services include Managed Security Services, Cloud Backup, Collaboration, Email Services and Security, File Sharing and Security, Microsoft Licensing, Mobile Device Management and Web and Endpoint Security. We are committed to sharing insights, advice, recommended actions and generating greater awareness of cyber risks among partners and the broader business community.

Media contact:
Allison Grey
Headline Media
allison@headline.media
US: +1 323 283 8176
UK: +44 203 807 4482
IL: +972 53 820 2606 

PR Newswire

CrossFund Raises Additional $1.5M in Funding at a $47M Valuation, Establishes Itself as Leading Investment Gateway to the Emerging World

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Fintech startup, CrossFund, has raised its fourth funding round in two years from family offices in MENA and Asia, BlockBase Ventures, UI Investments, Australian Gulf Capital, BXB Capital, and strategic angels. Founded in 2021 by Ben Cardarelli and Davide Cali, the company has quickly become the equity financing tool of choice for startups in SEA and EMEA with over $40M raised across 80 investments, 15,000 accredited investors, and its first exit to a NASDAQ-listed company. It has also become recognized as a platform for governments to foster innovation and attract FDI through hi-tech startups.

“Having spent nearly 10 years in Asia, we quickly built a strong base of investors and startups here,” says Ben. “These markets we’re in – like Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and Philippines – have large populations, a young, tech-savvy workforce, low labor costs, and an emerging middle class. Our vision has always been to invest early in founders and give people access to valuable startup equity in the economies of the future.”

Ho Chi Minh has become CrossFund‘s strategic base, with the team gaining exclusive access to the most promising startups in Vietnam and SEA. The chance to own equity in international startups with as little as US$5,000, no carry, limited fees, and mentor founders is a value proposition that has resonated with investors.

CrossFund‘s portfolio has grown over 400% in two years and includes an exit, with Edugo’s acquisition. CrossFund‘s portfolio includes high-performers like Clever (APAC), Vulcan (Vietnam), Lipa Later (Kenya), Styched (India), beU (Ethiopia), and Swag Kicks (Pakistan), some of which are raising Series B and backed by leading investors like SOSV, Goodwater, VECTR, i2i, YOLO, YCombinator, and Techstars.

CrossFund‘s success is largely attributed to its use of AI in the vetting, fundraising process, and its Web3 integrations. CrossFund is able to leverage data to rapidly match investors with startups based on sector, stage, geography, areas of expertise, and other granular factors.

“Venture capital is very conservative and traditionally low tech. My background spans over 25 years in IT and I started working with AI in 2002. Our vision was always to leverage technology to disrupt the industry.” says Davide. “The convergence of fundraising with hi-tech is what allows us to scale quickly across different emerging markets.”

With US giants like AngelList, OurCrowd, Republic, and StartEngine having grown into unicorns, backed by VCs like Tiger, SoftBank, and Valor, CrossFund sees similar growth potential in large, emerging markets. US incumbents crave international expansion and are gazing East, seen in Republic’s acquisition of Seedrs and StartEngine’s acquisition of SeedInvest.

“We believe in the rise of Asia and MENA as beacons of innovation,” begins Ben. “Singapore, HK, UAE, and KSA are powerful investment hubs for us. We are leading this vast transition of wealth towards the emerging world and are only at the beginning with what we can accomplish.”

PR Newswire

HUAWEI eKit Joins Hands with Distribution Partners to Explore Unlimited Opportunities in the SME Market

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SHANGHAI, Sept. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — During HUAWEI CONNECT 2023, Huawei held a distribution business session titled “HUAWEI eKit, Digitalization for Success”, outlined its approach to the distribution business: focus on distribution partners (DPs), stay subcontractor-centred, and help global DPs to keep developing the SME market through continuous innovation and competitive products & services. In addition, Huawei launched 17 new distribution products for domains such as campus networks and data storage, providing comprehensive solutions for SMEs.

HUAWEI eKit, a sub-brand designed for the distribution business under Huawei, strives to better serve the digital needs of SMEs, help DPs develop their businesses, and expand opportunities in the SME market.

Wei Xianbin, Director of Huawei Enterprise BG Distribution MKT & Product Sales Dept, explained that HUAWEI eKit has established a complete DP system and maintained a healthy market. By marketable distribution products and IT tools, HUAWEI eKit can assist gold and elite DPs in serving lower-level installers and meet the business needs of countless SMEs, it has carried out distribution business in 41 countries and regions outside of China, and 125 partners have registered as gold DPs.

Products outside China
Products outside China

HUAWEI eKit is dedicated to developing distribution products that are easy to buy, sell, install, maintain, learn, and use for various business scenarios in the SME market. It has developed a wide range of products, including intelligent collaboration, wired and wireless networks, IP + optical access networks, storage, and IT platforms. During the first half of 2023, HUAWEI eKit had launched 31 products. At the session, HUAWEI eKit launched another 17, which includes the eKitEngine S220 and S310 series, L2 and L3 switches that support full 10GE uplink and Perpetual PoE; eKitEngine AP160, a wall plate AP that is 8 mm thin and supports the unique DVFS technology; and other new products that support SAN/NAS hybrid storage. By the end of the year, HUAWEI eKit will have more than 50 distribution products, which can be rearranged into solutions for over 30 typical scenarios.

In the future, HUAWEI eKit will continue to design marketable products that are easy to use, create a stable channel system, build a healthy market. HUAWEI eKit will help DPs develop subcontractors and installers. Together with partners, Huawei will drive the development of the SME market.

For more information, please visit https://ekit.huawei.com/#/ekit/home?countryCode=Global&lang=en   

Contact
hwebgcomms@huawei.com 

PR Newswire

BRI’s Ultra-Micro Holding Continues Sustainable Financing for 36 Million Customers

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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) Persero Tbk. (IDX: BBRI), PT Pegadaian and PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) have been jointly advancing sustainable financing practices in Indonesia’s ultra-micro segment through the Ultra-Micro (UMi) Holding. This initiative aligns with the core themes of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF) on 5-6 September 2023, in Jakarta, Indonesia, with a focus on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles.

BRI's Ultra-Micro Holding Continues Sustainable Financing for 36 Million Customers
BRI’s Ultra-Micro Holding Continues Sustainable Financing for 36 Million Customers

Sunarso, BRI’s President Director, highlighted that Ultra Micro Holding (UMi) integrated over 36 million loan customers and 162 million micro-savings customers into its network, supported by 1,013 SENYUM (Ultra-Micro Service Centers) in Q2 2023. “BRI’s focus is to uplift business actors, embarking on a structured and systematic journey in a unified ecosystem.”

BRI’s approach to integrating the ultra-micro ecosystem involves three phases. First, they implement the “Empowering People” strategy led by PNM to educate ‘unbankable’ businesses. The “Integration” phase provides loan options to ultra-micro entrepreneurs through BRI and Pegadaian. Lastly, BRI concentrates on “Scaling-up Businesses,” enabling ultra-micro segments to transition to micro, micro to small, and small enterprises to medium size.

The UMi Holding has empowered 76 thousand financial advisors, comprising of agents from BRI and PNM Mekaar, and Pegadaian’s marketing personnel. BRI’s micro and ultra-micro credit have grown by 11.4%, reaching IDR 578 trillion. “We are employing a “Go Smaller” strategy to target even smaller segments with shorter and more digitally streamlined processes to meet their needs for a faster and cost-efficient approach,” added Sunarso.

To enhance financial inclusion, the UMi Holding introduces the SenyuM Mobile application to accelerate customer acquisition and serve as a unified digital hub for BRI, Pegadaian, and PNM.  The app has been adopted by over 69,000 individuals from the three entities and utilized by more than 300,000 BRILink and Pegadaian agents. To simplify operations and ensure security, the UMi Holding is spearheading a cashless ecosystem.

BRI also offers a digital banking super app, BRImo, enriched with over 100 features. BRImo’s user growth has exceeded 1 million users monthly. As of June 2023, the user base reached more than 27.8 million, marking a 50.6% Year-on-Year (YoY) increase. Additionally, the transaction value soared to IDR 1,377.6 trillion, reflecting an 89.6% YoY surge.

More information about BRI at www.bri.co.id.

PR Newswire

Yonyou Releases White Paper on Globalization of Digital Operations for Chinese Enterprises, Empowering Global Expansion and Digital Transformation

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HONG KONG, Aug. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — On August 19, 2023, Yonyou Network Technology unveiled the White Paper on Globalization of Digital Operations for Chinese Enterprises at the forum entitled ‘Chinese Enterprises Going Global’ in Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center, aiming to support Chinese enterprises in global expansion and digital transformation.

Holistic Development: New Patterns, New Challenges, Accelerated Globalization

In response to the evolving global dynamics and challenges, an increasing number of Chinese companies are embracing digital economic opportunities to facilitate international growth. Dr. Bowen Guo, General Manager of Yonyou Overseas Business Unit, introduced the global 2.0 strategy during the Chinese Enterprise Globalization Forum.

The White Paper delves into the evolving landscape and challenges faced by Chinese enterprises global operations under the Belt and Road initiative and dual circulation policies. It outlines four global operational models: export, overseas marketing, overseas operations, and global integration.

Digital Intelligence Foundation: Solutions for Chinese Enterprise Global Operations

Then, Mr. Liu Meixiang, General Manager of Yonyou North America, further introduced the Yonyou BIP globalization solution released in the White Paper. Yonyou BIP is a new-generation digital intelligence product developed after seven years of research and development. It supports various capabilities such as multi-language, multi-time zone, multi-format, multi-currency, multi-standard, and localized access. Yonyou BIP also enables regional and localized applications based on customers’ business scenarios, with the scope of applications expanding through the globalized data model.

Mr. Liu also highlighted the topic of global compliance and data security and privacy protection, introducing the business scenarios and solutions for Chinese enterprises going overseas under the GDPR, including finance, tax, HR, recruitment, procurement and OA, and proposing targeted development strategies for planning and building enterprises’ global competitiveness.

World-Class: Case Studies of Chinese Enterprise Global Operations

The White Paper features compelling case studies showcasing the success of Chinese enterprises’ global operations. Notably, China Mobile International collaborated with Yonyou to establish an integrated global HR platform, effectively managing staff performance across 35 countries and integrating 25 sub-processes. Yonyou’s support enabled Wolong Electric Group’s digital procurement platform, leading to a cost reduction of over 10%. Additionally, Yonyou’s efforts transformed Walsin Lihwa into a digital intelligent factory spanning Taiwan and Mainland China.

Founded in 2003 in Hong Kong, Yonyou’s Overseas Business Unit boasts 20 years of expertise. Yonyou has provided best practices for thousands of mid-size and large enterprises, spanning finance, retail, real estate, construction, and trading. Yonyou continues to drive cross-border management and business innovation for enterprises.

From Asia-Pacific to Global: Yonyou Embarks on the Era of Globalization 2.0

The White Paper release marks a new phase for Yonyou Overseas in Globalization 2.0 era. Dr. Bowen Guo highlighted this year’s initiatives of entering Europe, North America, Japan, and the Middle East, covering over a hundred countries in three years. This strategy aligns with the White Paper’s concepts, supporting Chinese enterprises digital transformation for global expansion.

Co-Creation and Mutual Benefit: A New Ecosystem for Global Expansion

Amidst globalization, how Chinese enterprises achieve global operations through digital transformation is vital. The White Paper serves as a comprehensive guide, offering strategies, solutions, and best practices to guide Chinese companies in their global digital transformation journey.

【About Yonyou Network Technology】

Founded in 1988, Yonyou Network Technology is the world’s leading enterprise management software and cloud services provider, offering industry-wide ERP software and SaaS solutions. Yonyou has been recognized by Gartner as global top 10 ERP providers, and ranked by IDC as the largest enterprise management software provider in China.

Yonyou Hong Kong Website: https://www.yonyou.com.hk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YonyouHongKong
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yonyouhongkong
Twitter: https://twitter.com/YonyouOverseas
#YonyouHongKong

PR Newswire

StoreConnect Raises $9M in Seed Round with Lead Investor Bellini Capital: “Time to Revolutionize E-Commerce for SMBs”

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While the global e-commerce industry is on track to generate $6.3 trillion in 2023 (1), SMBs are struggling to compete. StoreConnect will empower over one million global small businesses by liberating them from the challenges of complex SaaS solutions and overwhelming plugin options, targeting a total addressable market (TAM) of over $10 billion. The newfound freedom will enable SMBs to establish unprecedented connections with their customers.

SYDNEY, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The e-commerce industry has long been divided into two camps: intricate setups demanding external assistance and substantial financial investments, or deceptively simplistic “plug-and-play” options, like a well-known platform that lure businesses with their initial ease but ultimately morph into unreliable “plug-and-pray” solutions. Mikel Lindsaar, the visionary CEO behind StoreConnect, a trailblazing force in the e-commerce industry, has successfully secured $9 million in a seed round led by Bellini Capital. This investment is poised to fuel StoreConnect’s mission of addressing the prevailing challenges in the e-commerce landscape, for which Lindsaar calls out several currently impeding the growth and prosperity of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs):

  • SMBs struggle to sustain growth and longevity, with a shocking 34% of online stores vanishing within a year, with average lifespans dwindling to a mere 143 days. (2)
  • The overwhelming number of apps [plugins] available in the marketplace forces SMBs into an arduous evaluation process to find the right fit (Tidio.com). Time-consuming selection becomes an added burden, not to mention slowing page loads.
  • To further compound the problem, adding just six customer-facing apps can inflate load times significantly. (3) This drastic slowdown sabotages user experience and sales conversions. Pages taking over six seconds to load lose half of their visitors, crippling traffic and revenue generation, according to SEO expert Neil Patel. (4) Swift page speed is paramount for customer engagement and business success.
  • Having to “balance” functionality and performance, SMBs are advised to limit apps to a manageable number (aka 25!!) for a comprehensive online store (kubixmedia.co.uk). And finding the right apps out of the thousands of numerous plugins available is a time sink that no business owner can afford.

“These alarming statistics highlight the uphill battle SMBs face within the current ecosystem,” explains Lindsaar, who has previously successfully built and sold four SaaS companies. “I wanted to develop a solution that enables growth and equips ‘Davids’ to compete with ‘Goliaths,'” added Mikel.

A New Category: Customer CommerceTM

The importance of this funding round extends beyond StoreConnect’s dedication to simplifying e-commerce fractured complexities through its fast and comprehensive all-in-one solution. It also lies in StoreConnect’s ability to eliminate major barriers, allowing SMBs to connect with millions more customers, thereby leveling the playing field in the eCommerce arena.

Customer Commerce is a revolutionary, user-driven approach that empowers small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to forge connections with a brand-new range of customers that were previously out of reach.

This revolutionizes their interactions and accelerates transactions opening up new avenues of growth, profitability, and scalability, all at an affordable price tag. By embracing this, SMBs have seen unprecedented opportunities for expansion and success across all avenues of online revenue.

Built on the world-leading CRM platform, the company’s innovative approach has already garnered the support of over 60 Salesforce Solution Integration partners in just 24 months—and is on an impressive run rate of $50 million by 2028.

Lead investor, Arnie Bellini, brings a wealth of expertise to the table. As the co-founder and former CEO of ConnectWise, Bellini is renowned for launching the industry’s most widely used IT-managed services platform. Presently serving as the managing partner of Bellini Capital, an investment firm based in the Tampa area, Bellini declares that existing e-commerce solutions belong to the bygone era of 2005. Undeterred by the limitations of the past, he firmly places his faith in StoreConnect’s transformative capabilities to reshape the e-commerce landscape specifically tailored for SMBs. “StoreConnect aims to revolutionize how small businesses engage in online commerce, paving the way for a brighter and more prosperous future.”

The raised funds will be utilized to expand StoreConnect’s global reach by hiring a dynamic sales team, advancing technology to enhance customer experience, and expanding its partner network, which includes Salesforce solution integration partners.

StoreConnect is poised to solidify its position as the dominant player in the small business e-commerce ecosystem.

About StoreConnect:
Mikel Lindsaar is the CEO and Founder of StoreConnect, a Salesforce Partner Innovation Award Recipient.  Mikel is a serial technology entrepreneur having successfully built and sold four SaaS companies within the last decade. StoreConnect has one goal: to help small and medium-sized businesses become scalable Customer Companies powered by Salesforce. Clients achieve this daily by breaking free of the shackles of what Mikel calls “Plugin Purgatory and SaaS Hell.” StoreConnect clients don’t need multiple SaaS systems connected by plugins to manage their online, in-store POS and in-person Customer Commerce business systems. Many of today’s eCommerce solutions are designed to get up and running quickly and inevitably hit a brick wall of scalability and extensibility as companies grow.  That’s why StoreConnect is built on the world’s CRM, so its customers will never need to replatform no matter how fast they grow in size, product offerings or regions. Global growth now has no barriers for any SMB. Being built on Salesforce allows StoreConnect customers to update their websites, funnels and content in real time, providing an unparalleled competitive advantage. StoreConnect is Time. Well Spent. Visit https://getStoreConnect.com/

Sources:

  1. Dunham, Emma, et al. “Ecommerce Statistics to Get You Ahead in 2023.” Dash, 27 Mar. 2023, dash.app/blog/ecommerce-statistics#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20the%20ecommerce%20industry,
    to%20China%20and%20the%20USA.&text=The%20ecommerce%20market%20is%20set,the%20end%20of%20this%20year.
  2. Hannay, Chris, et al. “Shopify Has a Growing Problem with Customer Retention, Globe Data Study Shows.” The Globe and Mail, 22 Oct. 2022, theglobeandmail.com/business/article-shopify-customer-retention-problem/.
  3. Developer, Author: Burak Shopify, et al. “Shopify Performance Case Study – How Apps Affect Speed ” Speed Boostr.” Speed Boostr, 13 Mar. 2020, speedboostr.com/how-apps-affect-load-speed/
  4. Patel, Neil. “How Loading Time Affects Your Bottom Line.” Neil Patel, 31 May 2021, neilpatel.com/blog/loading-time/.

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PR Newswire

RECENT STUDY SHOWS CLIENT REFERRALS SAVE TIME FOR ENTREPRENEURS

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — BNI® (Business Network International), the world’s largest referral networking organization, recently conducted a study showing that word-of-mouth referrals can be an effective way to grow a business and save time. This study found that BNI referrals convert to revenue 55% of the time1 and that referrals received from BNI Members convert to business 38% quicker than leads from other sources2. Through a structured model, BNI Members around the globe meet each week for approximately ninety minutes to talk about their business, share qualified referrals to one another, and build relationships through the power of visibility and credibility.

To learn more about how BNI works, watch this short video here. If you are interested in learning how you can visit a BNI Chapter for free, please reach out to our Support Team at (800)-825-8286 (USA) or support@bni.com (internationally).

Glad Perez, a Senior Financial Advisor and BNI Member from BNI USA, explains how she benefits from her Membership in ways she was not expecting when she first joined. “When I joined BNI, I knew it was a place to network and pass referrals, but what I never expected was the camaraderie that exists between Members. What Members are asking for may be different, but it doesn’t matter because we all have a common goal: to pass referrals and offer any support and solutions we can. We want to refer Members we know, like and trust…because we truly care about each other succeeding. BNI saves me time and money since it is the only referral marketing program I need to be successful in my business, providing me both national and worldwide exposure.”

Throughout their Membership, BNI Members, like Perez, are given the tools and training to develop long-term, meaningful business relationships with results-driven professionals, dedicated to helping each other generate more sales and more business in a faster amount of time. The data shows that BNI saves time because it is a more effective and efficient way to grow a business. In fact, BNI referrals are twice as likely to convert to business than leads from other non-networking marketing channels3. These numbers demonstrate just how important quality referrals and word-of-mouth marketing can mean to business owners.

“We are on a mission to help BNI Members double the value of their business with personalized support, transformative training, world-class technology, incredible events, and 24×7 access to the most powerful business network on the planet,” says BNI Chairman and CEO Graham Weihmiller. “BNI’s unique model provides a way for business owners to maximize their marketing time each week by providing them with a collaborative cohort of trusted individuals who will share their business on their behalf through the power of referral marketing. It is not only a fun way to grow a business, but also a smart way to grow a business.”

About BNI®
BNI (Business Network International) is the world’s largest and most successful business networking organization. Today, BNI has over 298,000+ Member-businesses participating in over 10,900+ BNI Chapters that meet in-person, online, or in a hybrid format each week in 77+ countries around the globe. Since inception in 1985, BNI has proudly helped 1.9 million businesses garner over $164 billion USD in revenue4. To learn more about BNI and how you can visit a chapter, go to www.bni.com. BNI’s philosophy is centered on Givers Gain® and BNI’s motto is Changing the Way the World Does Business®. To connect with the support team, please reach out to (800)-825-8286 or support@bni.com.

1. This information is based on historical BNI Member self-reported data as of December 2022 and represents collective results from BNI Members worldwide over the last 12 months. Factors influencing results for BNI Members include but are not limited to length of time in BNI, level of participation with their BNI Chapter, industry type, market location, Chapter size, and maturity of the Member business. 2. This information is based on a BNI Member survey conducted in December 2022 (n=10,934). Factors influencing results for BNI Members include but are not limited to length of time in BNI, level of participation with their BNI Chapter, industry type, market location, Chapter size, and maturity of the Member business. 3. This information is based on a BNI Member survey conducted in December 2022 (n=10,934), and on historical BNI Member self-reported data as of December 2022 and represents collective results from BNI Members worldwide over the last 12 months. Factors influencing results for BNI Members include but are not limited to length of time in BNI, level of participation with their BNI Chapter, industry type, market location, Chapter size, and maturity of the Member business.

4. This information is based on historical BNI Member self-reported data and represents collective results from BNI Members worldwide from 1985 to 2023.
PR Newswire

APPETIZER HACKATHON 2022 Comes to a Successful Conclusion

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  • APPETIZER HACKATHON 2022, the second year of APPETIZER HACKATHON, comes to a successful conclusion with the award ceremony
  • Multiple noteworthy business models developed using outstanding API of South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Global Online Hackathon – APPETIZER HACKATHON 2022 hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Korea Foundation for Cooperation of Large & Small Businesses, Rural Affairs and organized by NAVER Cloud and Korea Software Industry Association has concluded after approximately six weeks with the final award ceremony which was held on November 30.


This year marks the second year of the APPETIZER HACKATHON 2022, and it featured approximately 30 participant teams consisting of local developers, startups, and university students in Southeast Asia, with each participant team utilizing the outstanding API provided by ten API companies in South Korea to develop various business models.

Final rankings for top 8 teams were determined from the final presentations judge by the panel of judges consisting of API experts. Team Bruschetta consisting of university students from Indonesia, has won this year’s global hackathon event and took home the grand prize of USD 5,000.

Team Bruschetta, the winner of this year’s event, applied the subscription management and solution API from STEPPAY as their main API, and utilized Langcode CXP, a conversational AI that provides personalized questions and responses, as their secondary API to develop a service named ‘SMEEMS’. SMEEMS is a service that allows management of an individual’s subscription concerning billing amounts with just a single click for customers. It is expected to bring convenience for customers with its chatbot functions and one-click solution while delivering increased sales and improved brand awareness for small and medium enterprises.

Team COOKIE, second place winner of this year’s event, utilized the USIGN API, an international standard digital signature solution from Korea Corporation Security (KCS), to develop the eco-friendly app ‘SWIPE’, where NGOs and users can report environmental issues without separate documentation and received many positive reviews. And for Team CODER, another second-place winner, utilized Pcanpi API from Data B, an automated English revision service, to develop ‘KIDSLINGO’, a toy for children that provides English grammar revision services, has received the audience’s attention.

Also, Team D2HD, joint third place winner of this year’s event, utilized the real-time Twitter scraping API of Hash Scraper to develop ‘Getgoing’, a search engine service for small and medium venture companies, and Team SanSan Tech’s powerful digital assistant ‘EVE’, developed using the Global Market Scraping API from Lamy Solution and Langcode CXP, a conversational AI providing personalized questions and responses, have also garnered attention from the audience. ‘VegVault’, a food ordering service that assists corporate employees with the management of healthy food consumption while also effectively dealing with climate change, developed using the EcoLoop API from Hana Loop and the subscription management and solution API from STEPPAY, were also successful in garnering attention.

The first-place team at the hackathon was given a prize of USD 5,000, the two second-place teams were each given a prize of USD 3,000 and the five third-place teams were each given a prize of USD 1,000. All teams that participated throughout the whole hackathon program schedule were also given USD 500 as a participation prize.

This year’s APPETIZER HACKATHON 2022 was held to promote and secure potential global users of API Marketplace. It served as an event to showcase the superb APIs of South Korea to the global market. You can experience these superb APIs of South Korea at ‘https://www.appetizer.kr‘.

PR Newswire

Fueled by growth and expansion, SM supports MSME communities

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PASAY CITY, Philippines, Dec. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — SM is looking forward to working with communities especially during tough times to sustain and support growth and recovery.

As SM pursues expansion and growth, it contributes to increasing economic activity and growing business resilience that support hundreds of thousands of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). These MSMEs make up 99.5% total business enterprises in the Philippines and generate over 5.3 million jobs or 62.7% of the country’s total employment.

“As we expand, we are mindful about how this brings meaningful support to communities,” SM Investments Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Frederic C. DyBuncio said.

SM acts as a marketplace to over 90,000 MSMEs partners, playing the big brother role and helping them navigate mainstream retailing. SM’s retail stores serve as platforms to offer their products, master their entrepreneurial skills and grow their businesses. SM also provides holistic support through marketing advice, financial access as well as promotion and advertising.

During the pandemic, SM waived rental fees to support the business continuity of MSME partners. SM Supermalls’ Start-Up Market program in high-traffic malls also helps budding online entrepreneurs to put up kiosks in SM malls without the burden of costly rental fees and construction costs.

Through the Farmers’ Produce Markets, a joint project of SM Supermalls, the Department of Agriculture and Resto PH, an association of restaurants in the Philippines, SM helped bring local farmers closer to SM customers and allowed restaurateurs to access fresh vegetables especially during the pandemic disruptions to the supply chain that left farmers and local food establishments with very limited options where to sell their products.

Through BDO Network Bank, SM provided MSMEs and the beneficiaries of Overseas Filipinos with businesses key access to funds. The MSME Kabuhayan Loan is designed to assist small business owners in need of extra funding to increase their inventory of stocks, purchase business equipment and assets, or pursue expansion plans.

With the pandemic displacing the livelihood of many Filipinos, a number of them have become social entrepreneurs selling products online. 2GO Express, which is part of SM’s logistics business, provided them crucial support through solutions that connected sellers and buyers through pickup and delivery services across the Philippines. The company also partnered with FedEx Express, allowing Filipinos to ship their products to various international locations.

Through Airspeed, its other logistics company, SM provided affordable and dependable pick-up and delivery service—a vital support component for the MSME sector. PinaSpeed offered online pick-up and delivery service to micro-businesses in NCR, Rizal, and Cavite and soon in other areas at very reasonable rates.  

Despite economic and geopolitical headwinds, SM is keen on pursuing growth and expansion in 2023 to provide vital support to the economy that will reach more communities.

SM has been increasing its focus on provincial areas where local economies are growing faster Over 80 percent of SM’s new retail stores are in provincial areas where a good chunk of growing overseas remittances flow into. 

“We will continue to invest in growth as we are still seeing more communities that need access to various goods and services,” Mr. DyBuncio said.

PR Newswire

Thailand moving ahead to develop ‘Innovation City’ and reconnect the world

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  • Strong spatial potential of Bangkok explored and analyzed to attract innovation-driven enterprises from around the world
  • The country remains in the Top 50 in Global Startup Ecosystem Index   
  • Startup x Innovation Thailand Expo 2022 (SITE 2022) to be held hybridly in June this year  

BANGKOK, May 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Thailand is forging forward with the development of its first smart innovation hub, led by the National Innovation Agency (Public Organization), better known as NIA. This is accomplished by exploring and analyzing the spatial potential of Bangkok and other significant cities for a specific purpose. After the country’s reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangkok is intended to be a regional innovation hub for innovation-friendly investment, regional air travel hub, and the creation of innovation districts, with the goal of attracting innovation-based entrepreneurs and stimulating strategic partnerships from around the world.

Dr Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director of the National Innovation Agency (NIA), Thailand
Dr Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director of the National Innovation Agency (NIA), Thailand

Thailand also maintains its position in the Top 50 of the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021, with four of its cities ranking among the first 1,000 cities with the finest infrastructure and resources for fostering the startup ecosystem.

Commenting on the ambitious move, Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director of NIA, said: “Many cities throughout the world have policies in place to improve the quality of life and the economy, as well as to make their communities more livable. To make the city a sustainable city, innovation is employed to promote problem-solving and handle difficulties in a fast and effective manner. Bangkok is a city that is constantly expanding. Urbanization is critical, and it invariably requires policies that encourage or provide space for innovation. Such challenges are crucial in supporting the capital’s and the country’s lifestyles and economic prosperity.”

He also said, “To build a brand-related to innovation for Bangkok, it should create an impression that is more than just a city welcoming tourist. What must be pushed intensely is to develop a truly international innovation collaboration space for the community of digital startups, corporates, entrepreneurs, world changers, and innovators. It is a world-class network that wants to help accelerate innovation through fostering co-creation, friendly regulations, and welcoming urban development plans that attract innovative business entrepreneurs. It should also enable connectivity to other cities in order to lessen the concentration of growth and allow for new ways to utilize the resources available in each place. When these cities are discussed, they will have a distinct image, such as being a green city, a clean technology city, or a retail center, which will become a city brand.”

“Many cities designated as Smart Cities or Innovation Cities, such as Barcelona, London, Shenzhen, New York, and other Asian and European cities, must have critical features that are friendly to innovation. They all have the capacity to govern the city’s infrastructure and have regulations that encourage the development of new ideas. It also has the image of a city government that promotes growth through innovation,” said Dr. Pun-Arj.

According to NIA, Thailand has the potential to become an Innovative City in three areas: financial innovation, aviation hub growth, and the creation of innovation districts that invite international investment.

Bangkok as a regional hub for investment in innovation ventures

Bangkok has the potential to become an ASEAN powerhouse for investment in innovation ventures. Previously, investors had the option of choosing between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta. More global venture capital firms, on the other hand, have chosen to invest in Bangkok because of the city’s reputation as a hotbed of financial innovation, owing to the city’s well-built infrastructure. Furthermore, the city is working to expand opportunities for persons who are skilled or have experience. Efforts have been made to promote the body of knowledge, commercial collaborations, and new business connections. 

The city has a variety of educational institutions that may provide upskilling and reskilling as well as information regarding financial services developments. The country receives advantages in terms of pulling money from both within and beyond the country by building a framework to promote the use of technology to assist the financial innovation industry. As a result, many people think of Bangkok as a nice city willing to welcome the financial innovation community, and these good aspects shine out so that more people notice them.

Bangkok as a regional ‘aviation hub’ when the world is reconnected

Bangkok’s strength is that it is the world’s air transportation hub. Because there are just two countries in ASEAN, with Singapore and Bangkok competing for the position, visitors to the region can easily travel to diverse destinations both domestically and internationally. Tourism is expected to return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed. The most important things to plan in Bangkok are solutions for travelers and convenience for entrepreneurs. This invites inventive people from all over the world to engage and collaborate with other sectors by proving that it is an open city for Global Citizens.

‘Innovation districts’ defined as areas rich in opportunities that must be expanded

One of the most important things that visitors to Bangkok look for is the uniqueness of each region and the benefits that can be derived from them. Bangkok has several potentials for innovation. A certain area of the city can be designated as a medical district, a digital development district, a tourism zone, or a logistics district, among other things. These can serve as incubators for entrepreneurs and catalysts for economic value creation. Many stakeholders will benefit from the commitment to establish innovation districts, and it will be a driving factor for economic growth today and in the future.

Bangkok as the startup capital

Thailand remains in the Top 50 of StartupBlink’s Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021, a global resource for knowledge on innovation ecosystems that ranks 100 nations and 1,000 cities with the finest startup ecosystems. Thailand also has four cities among the top 1,000 in the world with the best startup ecosystems. Bangkok is ranked 71st in the world for startups based on the level of innovative prowess of 1,000 cities. This shows the availability of infrastructure, urban setting, and other factors that are comparable to their Southeast Asian or Asian counterparts.

Bangkok is also distinctive in terms of e-commerce and retail technology, ranking 33rd in the globe. Quantitative criteria such as co-working spaces, business facilities, the number of companies/branches functioning in research and technology, Internet convenience, and speed are all included. Unlike Jakarta, which has produced numerous unicorns, and Singapore, which is recognized for its financial startups, Bangkok stands out for its diversity, which it can use to connect with urban lifestyles. This stimulates investors’ interest in many types of businesses, particularly DeepTech, which the government and the NIA are actively supporting.

“To become an innovative city that can attract foreign investors and innovators, a number of factors must be in place, including collaboration among local administrative organizations, innovation investors, the new generation of leaders, educational institutions, research and development communities, and, most importantly, urban residents’ willingness to focus on innovation. We believe that by working together, they can make Bangkok more inventive.”

Dr. Pun-Arj concluded, “The transformation into a knowledge-based economy and leading investment destination will attract innovation-driven enterprises and stimulate strategic partnerships, further developing our growing tech sector by nurturing inclusive growth and impacting the lives of thousands of people in Thailand and beyond.”

Thailand, headed by NIA, will host Startup x Innovation Thailand Expo 2022 (SITE 2022), to showcase outstanding innovative products and services and connect leading startups, innovators, experts, business executives and investors. The event will be held hybridly on June 23-25, 2022, with the theme “Reconnecting the World.”