Saturday, April 25, 2026

Porsche Sells Bugatti Stake to BlueFive Capital

 Porsche has agreed to sell its equity stake in Bugatti Rimac.


Porsche and Rimac Group established Bugatti Rimac as a joint venture in 2021 to serve as home to the iconic Bugatti brand. In this joint venture, Porsche holds a minority stake of 45%, Rimac Group owns 55%. Porsche also holds a 20.6% stake in Rimac Group.


As part of the transaction announced today, Porsche will fully divest its equity stakes in Bugatti Rimac and Rimac Group to a HOF Capital-led consortium. This includes BlueFive Capital as its largest investor, as well as a group of institutional investors across the US and EU. Following completion, Rimac Group is set to take control of Bugatti Rimac and form a strategic partnership with BlueFive Capital and HOF Capital to support its continued growth.


Hazem Ben-Gacem, Founder and Chief Executive of BlueFive Capital: “Bugatti is a monument to automotive obsession, born from Ettore Bugatti’s pursuit of beauty and performance combined. BlueFive Capital approaches this opportunity as more than simply a financial transaction, and we look forward to working alongside the entire Bugatti Rimac team to honor that legacy for generations to come.”


Dr Michael Leiters, CEO of Porsche AG: “In setting up the joint venture Bugatti Rimac together with Rimac Group, we successfully laid the foundation for Bugatti’s future. And as an early-stage investor of Rimac Group, Porsche made a significant contribution to developing Rimac Technology into an established Tier-1 automotive technology company. Now, with the sale of our stake, we are focusing Porsche on the core business. We would like to thank Mate Rimac and his team for the constructive and trusting cooperation over the past years.”


Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti Rimac:


“Porsche has been a crucial partner, and we are deeply grateful for their role in establishing Bugatti Rimac. With the strong foundations their support has provided, we now have a structure that allows us to execute even faster on our long-term vision. We look forward to our collaboration with our new partners.”


About BlueFive Capital


BlueFive Capital is a global investment platform that today has $15 billion in AUM and targets opportunities in high-potential economies with the goal of transforming traditional financial models and fostering sustainable growth. Incorporated in Abu Dhabi Global Market and with offices in London, Manama, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat and Beijing, the firm offers private equity, real estate, infrastructure and financial products to private wealth, institutional and retail clients.


BlueFive Capital was founded in late 2024 and is led by Hazem Ben-Gacem, one of the longest tenured professionals in the global private equity landscape. For more information, please visit www.bluefivecapital.com.



Permalink

https://aetoswire.com/en/news/04202654461


Contacts

Ayesha Daya


adaya@bluefivecapital.com

Friday, April 24, 2026

Sovereign AI for the World: Cohere and Aleph Alpha to Form Global AI Powerhouse as Nations and Enterprises Demand Control Over Their Technology

 TORONTO & HEIDELBERG, Germany - Friday, 24. April 2026



The companies of Schwarz Group Commit $600M (€500M) in Structured Financing to Further Accelerate Germany-Canada Sovereign AI Venture


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cohere and Aleph Alpha, two trusted sovereign AI providers for governments and regulated industries, today announce their plan to join forces. This transatlantic alliance would combine Cohere’s global AI scale with Aleph Alpha’s strong research excellence and deep institutional relationships, forging a globally competitive AI champion backed by their Canadian and German ecosystems. The initiative reflects a shared vision: To provide the world with an independent, enterprise-grade sovereign alternative in an era of growing AI concentration and to ensure that organizations do not need to relinquish control over their own AI stack.


The planned combined entity1 will function as a transatlantic AI powerhouse, anchored in Germany and Canada, empowering organizations to choose, deploy and govern AI according to local laws, cultural contexts, and institutional requirements. By pooling top-tier engineering talent and computational resources across two G7 nations, the partnership aims to significantly accelerate the development of next-generation frontier models and systems while providing a secure alternative to dependence on any single vendor or infrastructure stack.


The market for AI services is projected to surpass $1 trillion annually, with sovereign AI needs representing nearly $600B of that total (McKinsey, March 2026). The partnership uniquely bridges the gap between these segments with its sovereign-first approach, capturing the critical intersection where sovereignty requirements meet broad enterprise AI adoption.


“Combining the strengths of Cohere and Aleph Alpha accelerates our global expansion and advances our mission to deliver sovereign AI to nations around the world,” said Aidan Gomez, Co-founder and CEO, Cohere. “Organizations globally are demanding uncompromising control over their AI stack. This transatlantic partnership unlocks the massive scale, robust infrastructure, and world-class R&D talent required to meet that demand. Built on the bedrock of shared Canadian and German values—where privacy, security, and responsible innovation are paramount—we are uniquely positioned to be the world's trusted AI partner. Together, we will give enterprises and governments across Canada, Europe, and the world the technology to move from exploration to rapid, secure implementation, with the absolute certainty that their data remains their own.”


Through the planned deal, Cohere and Aleph Alpha aim to deliver a secure alternative for customized AI in highly-regulated sectors - including the public sector, finance, defense, energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, and healthcare. Aleph Alpha’s experience in deploying AI in long-standing customer relationships provides an important foundation of this sovereign offering. As part of this partnership, the combined entity will partner with the companies of Schwarz Group, an international leader in the retail industry, to deploy a sovereign offering on its cloud service STACKIT.


“Aleph Alpha is in a unique position in Europe,” said Ilhan Scheer, Co-CEO of Aleph Alpha. “We develop specialized large language models for Europe without compromising on Sovereignty, Transparency and Regulatory Compliance. By living this responsibility, we serve as a trusted and strategic partner to public sector and enterprise customers in Europe. Together with Cohere, we are building a real counterweight for organizations that refuse to outsource control over their AI to a single provider or jurisdiction, giving European institutions and enterprises access to powerful, yet controllable AI they can truly own.”


Furthermore, the companies of Schwarz Group intend to back the upcoming Series E funding of Cohere as lead investor with a $600M (€500M) structured financing commitment. The round is already attracting strong interest from the world’s leading investors who recognize the necessity of an independent global AI powerhouse.


In a joint statement, Rolf Schumann and Christian Müller, Co-CEOs of Schwarz Digits, said: “With this investment, the companies of Schwarz Group position themselves as lead investors for digital sovereignty and infrastructure. Building this infrastructure is a strategic necessity to help shape the AI revolution based on values such as trust, fairness, and responsibility. The establishment of STACKIT, Schwarz Digits’ sovereign cloud infrastructure, as the technical backbone of this transatlantic AI initiative empowers organizations to strengthen their digital independence and maintain control over their data. This is true leadership in digital sovereignty.”


__________________________

1 Subject to approval by Aleph Alpha shareholders as well as competent authorities


About Cohere


Cohere, founded 2019, is a security-first enterprise AI leader building foundation models and end-to-end products to solve business problems. We partner with organizations to deliver seamless integration, customization, and user-friendly solutions. Our all-in-one platform provides maximum security, privacy, and deployment flexibility across clouds, private environments, and on-premises. Headquartered globally in Toronto, San Francisco, and Germany, Cohere operates additional offices in London, New York, Montreal, Paris, and Seoul, serving customers worldwide.


The company has raised ~$1.6BUSD from strategic tech investors (Nvidia, AMD Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Oracle, Cisco), institutional investors (Radical Ventures, Inovia Capital, PSP Investments, HOOPP, BDC, Nexxus), and AI pioneers including Geoffrey Hinton, Fei-Fei Li, Pieter Abbeel, and Raquel Urtasun. For more information, visit Cohere.


About Aleph Alpha


Aleph Alpha was founded in 2019 with the mission to research and build sovereign, human-centric AI for a better world. With an international team of scientists and engineers, the company researches and develops Specialized Large Language Models. Its co-created solutions are the first choice for companies and government institutions that want to maintain sovereignty, secure data, and develop trustworthy applications. With its Headquarters in Heidelberg, Aleph Alpha employs some 200 talent across four locations in Germany.


About Schwarz Digits


Schwarz Digits is the IT and digital division of Schwarz Group and offers convincing digital products and services that meet the high German data protection standards. With the aim of achieving the greatest possible digital sovereignty, Schwarz Digits provides the IT infrastructure and solutions for the extensive ecosystem of Schwarz Group's companies and develops it with a focus on future readiness. Schwarz Digits' sovereign core services include Cloud, Cyber Security, Data and AI, Communication and Workspace. In addition, Schwarz Digits creates optimal conditions for the development of trend-setting innovations for end customers, companies and public sector organizations.


Further information can be found at www.schwarz-digits.de.


About Schwarz Group


Schwarz Group is an international leader in the retail industry with about 14,200 stores and 595,000 employees. In the 2024 fiscal year, the companies of Schwarz Group generated a total sales volume of 175.4 billion euros. Their unique ecosystem lets them cover the full value cycle: from production and retail to recycling and digitalization. They create solutions to make lives safer, healthier and more sustainable, both right now and in the future – they act ahead. Lidl and Kaufland form the pillars of the food retail market and are an integral part of their customers’ daily lives in 32 countries. Many of the own-brand products and much of the sustainable packaging come directly from Schwarz Produktion. Through its recycling management solutions, the environmental service provider PreZero promotes a functional circular economy and is investing in a clean future. The IT and digital division, Schwarz Digits, provides compelling digital products and services that meet the high German data protection standards, thus ensuring the maximum degree of digital sovereignty. As a partner service provider, Schwarz Corporate Solutions assists the companies of Schwarz Group with all matters related to administration, HR, operational activities and everything in between.


For further information can be found at www.gruppe.schwarz.


 


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260424174908/en/



Permalink

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Contacts

Media Contact

Cohere

Amanda Taggart

VP, Communications

amanda.taggart@cohere.com

+1 310 980 9587


Media Contact

Aleph Alpha

Sven Körner

sven.koerner@aleph-alpha.com


Press Contact

Schwarz Digits

Telephone +49 7132 30-490490

presse@digits.schwarz


Press Contact

Schwarz Corporate Affairs GmbH & Co. KG:

Telephone +49 (0)7132 30788600

presse@mail.schwarz


 

The New World ID: Proof of Human for the AI Era Scales Across the Digital Platforms People and Businesses Use Every Day

 Docusign, Okta, Tinder, Vercel, and Zoom bring World ID proof of human to businesses, AI agents, and consumers


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Last week, World announced the next generation of World ID, its proof of human protocol, designed to increase trust on the internet. The announcement was made during “Lift Off,” a live event in San Francisco.


As AI makes it easier than ever to generate convincing content, identities, and interactions, trust online has decreased. World ID addresses this challenge by enabling individuals to privately prove they are a real, unique human, without revealing their identity across apps, platforms, and services.


“If anything online can be faked, you no longer know who or what to trust,” said Tiago Sada, Chief Product Officer at Tools for Humanity, a company building tools for World. “World ID, which has already been used more than 450 million times, is designed to solve that at the root with a simple, privacy-preserving way to prove there’s a real human behind every interaction.”


A Full-Stack Upgrade for Proof of Human


The new World ID introduces an account-based architecture that makes proof of human more secure, more flexible, and ready for widespread adoption across consumer and enterprise use cases.


Key capabilities include:


Account-based design: Enabling persistent, portable proof of human across apps and services;


Key rotation and recovery: Improving security and usability for real-world use;


Multi-key and session support: Allowing seamless authentication across devices and environments;


Enhanced privacy protections: Strengthening anonymity through one-time-use nullifiers; and


Open ecosystem: Opening integration to any developer through a new open-source SDK.


World ID for Business: Verifying Humans in High-Stakes Workflows


World ID is expanding to enterprise environments, where verifying that the correct human is taking an action is increasingly critical.


In communication and collaboration tools, identity assurance is becoming essential as deepfakes improve.


Zoom: Zoom is the first communications platform to offer integration of Deep Face directly into its meetings product. The integration delivers a hardware-backed root of trust through a three-way match: the cryptographically signed image taken when the participant originally verified at an Orb, a real-time Face Auth liveness selfie taken on the participant's device, and the live video frame that other participants see on screen. When all three match, the result is confirmation, with high assurance, that the person on the call is the real, verified human who is expected. The integration analyzes video only, not audio.


In digital agreements, the need to tie actions back to a real person is equally important.


Docusign: Docusign and World are teaming up to bring proof of human into the document signing trust model. Through World ID, signers can confirm specific attributes about themselves, proving they are human and not a bot. This establishes a foundation for human continuity in agreement workflows – giving actions, whether performed directly or delegated, ties back to a verified human.


These use cases address growing risks around impersonation, fraud, and AI-generated deception in business-critical interactions.


World ID for Agents: Human Verification in an Automated World


As AI agents increasingly act on behalf of individuals, verifying the human behind those agents becomes essential.


World is introducing new capabilities to ensure a human remains involved at critical moments in automated workflows, including "human in the loop."


World is teaming up with Vercel to bring human in the loop to developers building on Vercel's new open-source Workflow SDK. Developers can add a step to any workflow or agent to require human verification, and every verification is viewable inside each workflow execution for full auditability. The result is a provable record that a human was in the loop when it mattered most. This feature is live today, and it can be installed from npm.


World is also working with Okta to define how humans and agents interact.


Okta is planning to build a new product: Human Principal. Human Principal will allow API builders to verify whether a human stands behind an agent and its actions, and enforce policies accordingly. Humans will be able to verify themselves using a number of verification methods, and obtain device-bound cryptographic proof that carries across products without requiring cumbersome re-verification. World ID, slated to become one of the first Human Principal integration partners, is set to provide Human Principal with a privacy-preserving, user-friendly, and ubiquitous proof of human verification method.*


Once combined, World ID and Human Principal will enable features like rate limits per human for agent traffic, abuse-protected free tiers, and a cleaner onboarding flow for agents that need to access services on behalf of their human principal. The waitlist to join the upcoming Human Principal beta is now open at humanprincipal.ai.


These tools create a verifiable link between human intent and automated execution in the emerging agentic web.


World ID for People: Bringing Trust to Everyday Platforms


World ID is also expanding across the platforms people use every day, especially where authenticity and fairness matter most. One example is online dating, where trust is fundamental to how people connect.


Last year, World and Match Group launched a World ID pilot with Tinder in Japan, providing individuals with a privacy-preserving way to help confirm there is a real human behind the profile. Today, that integration expands on Tinder in select markets, including Japan and the United States, bringing proof of human to Tinder at scale. The experience is simple: verify with an Orb once, connect your Tinder account, stand out with a verified human badge and increase higher-quality connections by showing you’re real, and for a limited time, receive five free Boosts on Tinder, a paid in-app feature that makes your profile one of the top profiles in your local area. That kind of confidence changes how people show up, and when people show up authentically, better connections follow.


Live events are one of the most visible places where dreaded bots cost real fans real money. World also introduced Concert Kit, a new product that allows artists to reserve tickets for verified humans. Artists are already committing to piloting Concert Kit. Thirty Seconds to Mars will reserve a portion of tickets for verified humans on their upcoming 2027 tour, with more details to come. Some reports suggested that Tools for Humanity has a partnership or commercial relationship with Bruno Mars, ‘The Romantic Tour,’ or Live Nation. This is not the case. There is no business relationship, agreement, or collaboration of any kind between Tools for Humanity, World or its related products and these parties.


About World


World is intended to be the world’s largest, most inclusive network of real humans. The project was originally conceived by Sam Altman, Max Novendstern, and Alex Blania and aims to provide proof of human, finance and connection for every human in the age of AI. Find out more about World at world.org and on X.


*Any mention of future products, features, functionalities, or certifications in this press release is for informational purposes only. These items are not commitments to deliver and should not be relied upon to make purchasing decisions.


 


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260417530721/en/



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Contacts

press contact: press@world.org


 

Pacífico Mexinol Celebrates the Symbolic Groundbreaking in Topolobampo, Positioning Mexico in the New Low-Carbon Chemical Industry

 The initiative brings together governments, diplomats, and global investors around a Net Zero industrial model.

The project establishes Topolobampo, Sinaloa as a key hub for industrial development in North America.

 


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Pacifico Mexinol project (“Mexinol”) celebrated the beginning of its pre-construction phase by symbolically laying a first stone, marking the start of one of the most significant global industrial investments in blue and ultra-low carbon methanol. The event brought together diplomats, authorities, and national and international business leaders, reflecting the project’s strategic importance for Mexico and its integration into the emerging low-carbon economy.


The ceremony was led by Rommel Gallo, CEO of Transition Industries, Mexinol’s parent company, alongside the United States Ambassador to Mexico, Ron Johnson; the Undersecretary of Trade and Industry at the Ministry of Economy, Dr. Vidal Llerenas; the Director General of International Affairs at the Ministry of Energy, Dr. Laila Porras; and the Director of CFEnergía, Eréndira Corral.


Multilateral organizations also participated — including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group — along with international investors, representatives of development finance institutions, export credit agencies from the United States, Italy, Germany, and South Korea, federal officials, and executives from global companies involved in the project’s development. Messages were also received from the Ambassadors of Japan and Italy, reflecting the broad international and financial support for this initiative.


In his keynote address, Rommel Gallo, CEO of Transition Industries, highlighted:


“Mexinol is a strategic platform for North America’s competitiveness, generating economic value and quality jobs in Mexico and the United States. Equally important, it integrates global resources, infrastructure, and capital to deliver a world-scale chemical facility. We are proud of the partnerships built to position Mexico as a key player in the new global chemical industry, strengthening its role in more sophisticated value chains and optimizing the use of resources, from wastewater to natural gas and green hydrogen.”


Ron Johnson, United States Ambassador to Mexico:


“We are not just breaking ground today. We are building the future of both of our countries and strengthening the kind of partnership that delivers tangible results for our people. Today marks an important milestone, not only for the Mexinol project, but for our bilateral relationship. Beyond cross-border jobs and development opportunities, we are here to support a private investment model based on trust, transparency, fairness, and the rule of law.”


Vidal Llerenas, Undersecretary of Trade and Industry at the Ministry of Economy:


“We recognize the support of the Mexican government for this strategic project for the industrial development of Sinaloa, which strengthens confidence to attract investment. Beyond the numbers, Pacifico Mexinol will generate jobs, opportunities, and economic development for the region. It is an initiative aligned with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Plan México, promoting more balanced and sustainable growth in the country.”


Laila Porras, Director General of International Affairs at the Ministry of Energy:


“Pacifico Mexinol demonstrates that strategic collaboration between the State and the private sector can position Mexico as a reliable and competitive partner in the transition to cleaner energy, reinforcing its leadership and responsibility in the global climate agenda.”


World’s Largest Ultra-Low Carbon Facility


Pacifico Mexinol is designed as a next-generation facility under a Net Zero model, with engineering aimed at virtually eliminating the carbon footprint of the process. With an investment exceeding $3.3 billion, the project seeks to transform methanol production—a key input for the global economy—through a sustainable and competitive approach.


Field engineering work and site preparation will begin next month with full construction scheduled to begin in late 2026. When it initiates operations in late 2029 to early 2030, Mexinol is expected to be the largest ultra-low carbon chemicals facility in the world – producing approximately 1.8 million MT of blue methanol and 350,000 MT of ultra-low carbon methanol annually.


Developed by Transition Industries, with participation from the IFC, the project incorporates international partnerships, including an ultra-low-emission methanol supply agreement with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical of Japan. It is also integrated into the Topolobampo Development Hub, positioning the region as a key center for industrial development in North America, generating more than 6,000 construction jobs and at least 450 direct and indirect permanent jobs during operations.


A Local and Global Good Neighbor Model


Project representatives from key companies involved in the future construction and operation of the facility, such as SAMSUNG E&A (S. Korea), Techint Engineering and Construction (Mexico), Grupo Maire / NextChem / KT Tech (Italy), Siemens Energy (Germany), Bonatti (Italy), SIAD Group (Italy) Emerson (USA), Veolia (France), and CFEnergía (Mexico), participated in the event, along with investors and multilateral institutions.


Mexinol is committed to the highest environmental and sustainability standards, leveraging technology and innovation by the exclusive use of treated wastewater from the Municipality of Ahome; operation under a zero-discharge scheme into Ohuira Bay and local community water bodies; the utilization of existing port infrastructure; and the creation of a conservation zone to protect the region's ecosystem.


The event was interrupted by a group of protestors expressing their views. The company reiterated that Mexinol respects the right to peaceful expression and acknowledged that projects of this scale can generate strong perspectives. Mexinol had already opened the groundbreaking ceremony the day prior with a “Community Day” and a commitment to hold it annually on Earth Day. As part of its Good Neighbor Program, the company continues to formally recognize and value community participation in the project’s development through public dialogue, in front of the media, and always without violence.


About Transition Industries LLC


Transition Industries LLC, based in Houston, Texas, develops world-scale net-zero methanol and hydrogen projects across North America, aiming to address climate change and promote environmental and social sustainability. For more information about Pacifico Mexinol or Transition Industries, please contact: inquiries@transitionind.com


 


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260423775301/en/



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Contacts

Karin Nunan, Global Head of Corporate Affairs,

knunan@transitionind.com

Meta Signs Agreement With AWS to Power Agentic AI on AWS Graviton Chips

 


SEATTLE -

The deal helps power the agentic workloads behind Meta’s AI efforts


Key takeaways


The deployment starts with tens of millions of Graviton cores, with the potential to expand.

Meta is now one of the largest Graviton customers in the world.

The deal builds on Meta's long-standing AWS relationship and use of Amazon Bedrock at scale to support its next generation of AI.

 


(BUSINESS WIRE)--Meta has signed an agreement to deploy AWS Graviton processors at scale. The deal marks a significant expansion of a long-standing partnership between the two companies as Meta builds its next generation of AI.


The deployment starts with tens of millions of Graviton cores, with the flexibility to expand as Meta's AI capabilities grow. The deal reflects a shift in how AI infrastructure gets built: while GPUs remain essential for training large models, the rise of agentic AI is creating massive demand for CPU-intensive workloads—real-time reasoning, code generation, search, and orchestrating multi-step tasks. Graviton5 is purpose-built for these workloads, giving Meta the processing power to run them efficiently at scale.


The chips will power various workloads at Meta, including supporting the company’s AI efforts. That work requires infrastructure that can handle billions of interactions while coordinating complex, multi-step agent workflows—exactly the kind of CPU-intensive work Graviton is designed for.


To get the full story, visit About Amazon.


About Amazon Web Services


Amazon Web Services (AWS) is guided by customer obsession, pace of innovation, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. By democratizing technology for nearly two decades and making cloud computing and generative AI accessible to organizations of every size and industry, AWS has built one of the fastest-growing enterprise technology businesses in history. Millions of customers trust AWS to accelerate innovation, transform their businesses, and shape the future. With the most comprehensive AI capabilities and global infrastructure footprint, AWS empowers builders to turn big ideas into reality. Learn more at aws.amazon.com and follow @AWSNewsroom.


 


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260424641117/en/



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Contacts

Amazon.com, Inc.

Media Hotline

Amazon-pr@amazon.com

www.amazon.com/pr

JBL Celebrates 80 Years of Powering Voices

 LOS ANGELES - Thursday, 23. April 2026 AETOSWire Print 



(BUSINESS WIRE)--JBL, the iconic audio brand from HARMAN, is celebrating its 80th anniversary, marking eight decades of delivering sound that moves generations.


A legacy of leadership

Since its founding by visionary engineer James B. Lansing in 1946, JBL has set the standard for audio innovation. From professional recording studios and home entertainment to powering legendary cultural moments like Woodstock and Tomorrowland, JBL has always been committed to delivering authentic, unfiltered sound.


Today, JBL’s influence is unparalleled. It stands as a global leader in personal audio, with hundreds of millions listening to the music they love through JBL portable speakers and headphones. And JBL Professional continues to power over 40% of the world’s cinemas, while serving stadiums, recording studios, music venues and more, ensuring high-quality sound is accessible to listeners everywhere...even in your car.


“For 80 years, JBL’s engineering legacy has been the benchmark for high-fidelity audio, and that standard lives in every JBL product made today. As we celebrate this milestone, JBL remains committed to carrying this standard forward in the technologies that will power the next generation of sound and culture,” said Dave Rogers, President, HARMAN Lifestyle Division.


Eight decades of innovation

For more than eight decades, JBL engineers have pioneered technologies that have transformed how sound is created and experienced, from groundbreaking loudspeaker designs to award-winning smart audio solutions for professional, luxury, portable, and car audio. This relentless pursuit of excellence has earned JBL some of the industry’s highest honours, including Academy Awards for achievements in sound engineering, and a Grammy Award for its “continual mastery and innovation in concert, studio, cinema and broadcast sound and monitors to ensure exacting standards for the most accurate sonic experience.”


Looking ahead, JBL is shaping the future of sound with investments in breakthrough technologies such as spatial audio, adaptive soundscapes, and immersive listening experiences that seamlessly integrate audio into everyday life. Sustainability is also a critical frontier for JBL, guiding product design and production toward a more responsible future for audio innovation.


Amplifying the future

JBL’s commitment to innovation extends beyond breakthrough products. Through community-driven initiatives like the JBL Music Academy, the JBL Campus Program, and partnerships with organizations such as Girls Make Beats, JBL is bringing together emerging artists and the broader industry to break down barriers and amplify the diverse voices that will define the future of audio.


“Authenticity in music is everything. JBL has always been, and will always be, about ensuring artists’ voices are heard, and audiences experience their vision unfiltered, whether on the move, at home, or at a live event. JBL brings the world together through the power of sound.” – Martin Garrix, JBL Global Ambassador.


Anniversary highlights

JBL will mark its 80th anniversary with a series of global initiatives, including the JBL Playback Gallery— showcasing eight decades of iconic JBL products with expert commentary and technical demonstrations. The tour will visit landmark cities throughout 2026, including Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Tokyo, and Vienna.


Other projects include a special digital magazine available for a limited time here, and a full-season takeover of HARMAN’s Audio Talks podcast series. This podcast includes conversations with engineers, designers, and musicians who have influenced JBL’s sound. The celebrations also come to life through a commemorative anniversary video.


With 80 years of audio excellence behind it and a bold vision for the future, JBL stays committed to powering voices that move, connect, and inspire people across the globe.


Learn more about JBL’s 80th anniversary here: https://www.jbl.com/our-story.html


About JBL

For 80 years, JBL has shaped life’s most memorable moments at the intersection of music, lifestyle, gaming and sports. JBL elevates listening experiences with superior audio quality and product designs that encourage individuality and self-expression. With unmatched professional credentials and industry-leading innovation, JBL is a trailblazer in the audio industry because of passionate and talented engineers and designers around the globe. JBL Pro Sound is the foremost technology pushing culture forward through major pop culture events and partnerships with the world’s top talent across music, sports and esports.


About HARMAN

HARMAN is a global leader in Lifestyle Audio and Automotive technology. We create intelligent experiences that enrich people’s lives on the road, in their homes, on the stage, and everywhere in between. Our iconic audio brands — including JBL®, Harman Kardon®, AKG®, Bowers & Wilkins®, Denon®, and Marantz® — bring premium sound to consumers and audio/visual professionals worldwide. More than 50 million vehicles globally rely on HARMAN’s technologies to deliver safer, smarter, and more intuitive in-cabin experiences. HARMAN is a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and has approximately 26,000 employees around the world.


 


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260423455760/en/



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Contacts

HARMAN Lifestyle Communications

Lifestyle.communications@harman.com

Andersen Global Expands African Footprint with Member Firm Launch in Cameroon

 SAN FRANCISCO - Thursday, 23. April 2026



(BUSINESS WIRE)--Andersen Global launches in Cameroon as Phoenix Advisory joins as a member firm and adopts the Andersen brand.


Andersen in Cameroon is a boutique advisory firm providing strategic, corporate, financial, and operational advisory services to organizations across multiple stages of growth. Founded by professionals with experience at large international organizations, the firm combines strong local and CEMAC subregional knowledge of business, legal, and tax regulations with a highly personalized approach designed to deliver practical, measurable outcomes for clients.


“Our adoption of the Andersen brand reflects our commitment to growing alongside our clients and responding to their increasingly complex needs,” said Managing Partner Albert Désiré Zang. “We believe long-term success is built through trust, quality, and consistent support. Becoming a member firm strengthens our ability to deliver thoughtful, sustainable solutions while remaining closely aligned with our clients’ objectives.”


“Andersen in Cameroon adds depth to our presence in Central Africa and reinforces our strategy of building strong, locally rooted firms,” said Mark L. Vorsatz, global chairman and CEO of Andersen. “Albert and his team have demonstrated a strong ability to navigate complex environments while maintaining a clear focus on client priorities, supporting businesses operating in Cameroon and beyond.”


Andersen Global is an international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprised of tax, legal, and valuation professionals around the world. Established in 2013 by U.S. member firm Andersen Tax LLC, Andersen Global now has more than 50,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 1,000 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms.


 


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260423478764/en/



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Contacts

Megan Tsuei

Andersen Global

415-764-2700