Kymeta Corporation Announces $30 Million Equity Investment by Hanwha Systems to Back Global Mobile Satellite-Cellular Connectivity

  Hanwha Systems investment promotes development of LEO antenna solutions for South Korean markets and beyond

REDMOND, Wash.-Tuesday 29 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Kymeta (www.kymetacorp.com) — the communications company making mobile global — announced today that Hanwha Systems (HSC) (www.hanwha.com), a leading global solutions company that provides differentiated smart technologies in defense electronics and information infrastructure, has signed an agreement to invest $30 million to back the development of Kymeta’s next generation solutions, the Kymeta u8™ and Kymeta Connect™.

The investment will further Kymeta’s global market reach, accelerate production of Kymeta products and solutions, and improve the overall growth trajectory of the company. The funding is anticipated to support increased unit production, an enhanced customer experience, and the ongoing development of Kymeta’s next generation capabilities. HSC aims to support Kymeta’s metamaterial-based antenna technology and gain a foothold in the rapidly growing Low Earth Orbit (LEO) antenna market. With the capital investment and upon regulatory approvals, HSC will also receive a seat on the Kymeta Board of Directors.

“The objective of our investment in Kymeta is to enter the LEO satellite antenna market early on, and diversify our technology portfolio,” said Youn Chul Kim, CEO of Hanwha Systems. “With the expertise of HSC’s top-notch defense communication and radar technologies, we are joining hands with this promising U.S. satellite antenna company. All these efforts will further strengthen HSC’s aerospace systems capabilities.”

The investment follows the commercial availability of Kymeta’s next-generation antenna, terminal, and services on November 30, 2020. Kymeta offers seamless and uninterrupted mobile satellite-cellular connectivity to satisfy the overwhelming demand for communications on the move. Kymeta’s new products and services offer a breakthrough in performance, ease of use, and affordability. The company anticipates that these solutions will further enhance its position in both commercial and government markets.

“Support from HSC will help us expand our reach and drive the development and productization of our meta-material based antenna technology,” said Doug Hutcheson, Executive Chairman, Kymeta. “LEO antenna solutions will become preferred for latency-sensitive and highly mobile applications as additional LEO satellites are launched and constellations are deployed. Kymeta’s solutions work on existing GEO networks and are LEO upgradeable. We look forward to working with HSC to develop technologies and solutions that are reliable and critical for communications on the move.”

PJT Partners served as financial advisor and placement agent to Kymeta Corporation with respect to the capital raise.

About Kymeta

Kymeta is unlocking the potential of broadband satellite connectivity, combined with cellular networks, to satisfy the overwhelming demand for comms on the move and making mobile global. Lepton Global Solutions, a Kymeta company, hosts the company’s satellite connectivity solutions and offers unique, complete, and turnkey bundled solutions to the market based on best in class technologies and tailored customer-centric services that meet and exceed customer mission requirements. These solutions in tandem with the company’s flat-panel satellite antenna, the first of its kind, and Kymeta Connect™ services provide revolutionary mobile connectivity on satellite and hybrid satellite-cellular networks to customers around the world. Backed by U.S. and international patents and licenses, the Kymeta terminal addresses the need for lightweight, slim, and high-throughput communication systems that do not require mechanical components to steer toward a satellite. Kymeta makes connecting easy – for any vehicle, vessel, or fixed platform.

Kymeta is a privately held company based in Redmond, Washington.

About Hanwha Systems

HSC is a leading global solutions company providing differentiated smart technologies in defense electronics and information infrastructure. Since its founding in 1978, Hanwha Systems has significantly advanced the defense capabilities of South Korea’s military. The company has spent more than 40 years developing technologies used globally for surveillance, reconnaissance, control, communication, computer, and intelligence (C4I), naval and land.

For more information, visit kymetacorp.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201228005035/en/

Contacts

Business Inquiries for Kymeta:
Jon Maron
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Kymeta Corporation
+1 425.658.8827
jmaron@kymetacorp.com

Media Inquiries for Kymeta:
Amanda Barry
Associated Director PR, The Summit Group
abarry@summitslc.com

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Study Shows Walnuts May have Anti-inflammatory Effects that Reduce Risk of Heart Disease

 Findings from the largest and longest study exploring the benefits of walnuts show regular consumption in older adults may reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing the concentration of certain inflammatory biomarkers



FOLSOM, Calif.-Tuesday 29 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

Findings from a randomized controlled trial recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, indicate that people in their 60s and 70s who regularly consume walnuts may have reduced inflammation, a factor associated with a lower risk of heart disease, compared to those who do not eat walnuts. The research was part of the Walnuts and Healthy Aging (WAHA) study – the largest and longest trial to date exploring the benefits of daily walnut consumption.

In the study, conducted by Dr. Emilio Ros from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, in partnership with Loma Linda University, more than 600 healthy older adults consumed 30 to 60 grams of walnuts per day as part of their typical diet or followed their standard diet (without walnuts) for two years. Those who consumed walnuts had a significant reduction in inflammation, measured by the concentration of known inflammatory markers in the blood, which were reduced by up to 11.5%. Of the 10 well-known inflammatory markers that were measured in the study, six were significantly reduced on the walnut diet, including interleukin-1β, a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine which pharmacologic inactivation has been strongly associated with reduced rates of coronary heart disease. The study’s conclusion is that the anti-inflammatory effects of walnuts provide a mechanistic explanation for cardiovascular disease reduction beyond cholesterol lowering.

“Acute inflammation is a physiological process due to activation of the immune system by injury such as trauma or infection, and is an important defense of the body”, says Dr. Emilio Ros, a lead researcher in the study. “Short-term inflammation helps us heal wounds and fight infections, but inflammation that persists overtime (chronic), caused by factors such as poor diet, obesity, stress and high blood pressure, is damaging instead of healing, particularly when it comes to cardiovascular health. The findings of this study suggest walnuts are one food that may lessen chronic inflammation, which could help to reduce the risk for heart disease – a condition we become more susceptible to as we age.”

While existing scientific evidence establishes walnuts as a heart-healthy3 food, researchers continue to investigate the “how” and “why” behind walnuts’ cardiovascular benefits. According to Dr. Ros, “Walnuts have an optimal mix of essential nutrients like the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA (2.5g/oz), and other highly bioactive components like polyphenols4, that likely play a role in their anti-inflammatory effect and other health benefits.”

References:

Cofán M, Rajaram S, Sala-Vila A, et al. Effects of 2-Year Walnut-Supplemented Diet on Inflammatory Biomarkers. [published online ahead of print November 2, 2020]. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 Nov, 76 (19) 2282–2284.

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315957321_Coronary_Heart_Disease_in_the_Middle_East_and_North_Africa_Current_Status_and_Future_Goals
    https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/heart-diseases-and-high-blood-pressure-rampant-in-the-uae-1.63485429

Contacts

Asya Alpay

Promedia Public Relations

asya@promedia.com.tr

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/study-shows-walnuts-may-have-anti-inflammatory-effects-that-reduce-risk-of-heart-disease/en

21 Years of Airline Passenger Traffic Growth Wiped out in 2020: Cirium Report Reveals

 LONDON -Tuesday 29 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

 Global passenger traffic was down an estimated 67% this year versus 2019 and was reduced to 1999 levels

Travel restrictions to curb COVID-19 forced airlines to cut flights by 49%, from 33.2 million in 2019 to 16.8 million during 2020

Only 3.8 million flights flown internationally in 2020; 77% of all flights were domestic

30% of global commercial fleet remains in storage

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Global aviation data firm Cirium today released its new Airline Insights Review 2020 which reveals the shocking impact on aviation of worldwide travel restrictions to curb COVID-19.

The report shows that the pandemic and its consequences wiped out 21 years of global passenger traffic growth in a matter of months, reducing traffic this year to levels last seen in 1999. In comparison to last year, passenger traffic is estimated to be down 67% in 2020.

At the peak of the disruption in April, scheduled passenger flights dropped significantly to just 13,600 globally on April 25, compared to the year’s busiest day on January 3 when Cirium tracked over 95,000 scheduled passenger flights globally. This marks an extraordinary 86% reduction in flights.

From January to December airlines operated 49% fewer flights in 2020 compared to 2019 – down from 33.2 million flights to just 16.8 million (to December 20).

Domestic travel was down 40% this year, from 21.5 million flights in 2019, while international flights suffered an even more precipitous drop as they were 68% below the 11.7 million flights tracked the year before.

Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium, said: “This severe setback shows the true extent of the challenge faced by the struggling aviation sector as it has sought to reset itself in the new post COVID-19 era.”

“Whereas this time last year we were celebrating the on-time performance of global carriers, this year is dramatically different. Most global airlines were largely on time in 2020; it’s just a shame that the traveling public, airlines and aviation firms worldwide didn’t benefit.

“The factors which usually cause delay, such as congested airspace, taxiways and late connecting passengers simply did not exist in 2020.”

The Cirium Airline Insights Review 2020 replaces Cirium’s annual On-Time Performance Review which for more than a decade has identified the world’s best performing airlines and airports for on-time flight operations.

NEW AIRLINE INSIGHTS REVIEW: FLIGHTS FLOWN DRAMATICALLY DOWN

Global passenger traffic figures reveal a plunge of over two thirds (67%) versus the previous year, with Asia-Pacific continuing to handle over a third of world passenger traffic.

The majority of the scheduled passenger flights flown this year have been domestic – totaling 13 million (77%) with a mere 3.8 million (23%) flying internationally, due to closed borders and limited business travel.

Cirium data analysis recorded Southwest Airlines operating the most flights globally (and in North America), with 854,800 flights in total. Meanwhile, China Southern Airlines (487,700 flights) topped the tables in the Asia-Pacific, Ryanair in Europe (205,000 flights), Azul in Latin America (134,000 flights) and Qatar Airways (82,400 flights) in the Middle East and Africa.

On the ground, Atlanta was the world’s busiest airport, handling over 245,000 arriving flights during 2020, while the world’s busiest air route in both directions was within South Korea, between Seoul and the island of Jeju with 70,700 flights operated.

Forward planning for airlines has dramatically contracted from six- to 12-months for flight scheduling to just six- to eight-weeks – forcing carriers to be nimbler and adapt with greater speed to the rapidly changing rules and travel restrictions around the world.

FLEETS IN STORAGE (BUT NOT THE A320)

As airlines have been forced to drastically reduce the number of aircraft still in service, those still flying are operating significantly fewer hours.

For example, narrowbody aircraft operated just six to seven hours a day in Q3 2020 compared to nine to 10 hours a day in the same period last year.

While up to 30% of the global passenger fleet remains in storage there are signs of recovery on the horizon, with only 10% of short-haul Airbus A320neo aircraft currently in storage showing narrowbody aircraft leading the recovery and domestic and short-haul travel returning first.

With domestic and short-haul services ruling the day, the world’s most used aircraft type was the Airbus A320 with Cirium tracking 5.49 million flights throughout 2020.

SEVEN TRENDS IDENTIFIED BY CIRIUM

“Airlines will have a way before returning to 2019 levels particularly as international travel is significantly down and showing only slow signs of recovery, mainly China and Southeast Asia,” Jeremy Bowen added.

“But Cirium is confident aviation will weather this difficult and terrible year and emerge in better shape – with younger more fuel-efficient aircraft and right-sized fleets – to gradually navigate their way to recovery in the years ahead.”

The seven key trends outlined by The Cirium Airline Insights Review 2020 for next year include:

The consolidation of airlines, particularly in Asia-Pacific where more domestic competitors will merge or be acquired.

New-generation aircraft like the A320neo and the return of the 737 Max, will provide reduced operating costs.

Surplus aircraft will be retired and the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380 are projected to support the rising demand in the denser leisure markets.

In Q4 we saw a 78% plunge in bookings compared to the same period last year – this will naturally change the way the industry forecasts demand, we are seeing on-line search and sentiment becoming the primary indicators to calculate demand.

Airlines will need to deploy more dynamic scheduling with the increased volatility of flight scheduling, as the booking window has fallen from six- to 12-months to just six- to eight-weeks.

The implementation of AI technology will accelerate to automate the traveler experience and real-time proactive information will become more critical.

Aircraft leasing will push past 50% becoming the major manner in which aircraft are financed.

To read the full Cirium Airline Insights Review 2020 – click here.

Bowen thanked the OTP board members comprised of Henry Harteveldt at Atmosphere Research group and Dr. Mario Hardy at Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for their insights and contributions to the Airline Insight Review 2020.

For further information please visit www.cirium.com and follow Cirium updates via LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Cirium

Cirium brings together powerful data and analytics to keep the world moving. Delivering insight, built from decades of experience in the sector, enabling travel companies, aircraft manufacturers, airports, airlines and financial institutions, among others, to make logical and informed decisions which shape the future of travel, growing revenues and enhancing customer experiences. Cirium is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201228005254/en/

Contacts

For media enquiries please contact,

In the UK: Paul Charles / Michael Johnson / Balint Brunner at The PC Agency via cirium@pc.agency or +44 207 768 0001

In the Americas: Mike Arnot, at Juliett Alpha via cirium@juliettalpha.com

In Asia-Pacific: Tracy Cheung, at Cirium via tracy.cheung@cirium.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/21-years-of-airline-passenger-traffic-growth-wiped-out-in-2020-cirium-report-reveals/en

JPMorgan Chase Acquiring a Leading Travel and Loyalty Business

 JPMorgan Chase to transform its end-to-end travel capabilities by acquiring cxLoyalty’s modern and scalable technology platform

NEW YORK -Tuesday 29 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) and cxLoyalty Group Holdings today announced they have signed an agreement for JPMorgan Chase to acquire the Global Loyalty business of cxLoyalty Group Holdings. The deal includes cxLoyalty’s leading technology platforms, full-service travel agency, gift card, merchandise, and points bank businesses.

“This investment demonstrates our commitment to deliver exceptional travel benefits at-scale to our large and rapidly growing customer base. People across the globe want to vacation and travel again, and hopefully that will become a reality for many in the near future. Acquiring the travel and rewards businesses of cxLoyalty will provide enhanced experiences to our millions of Chase customers once they are ready, comfortable and confident to travel,” said Marianne Lake, Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Lending at JPMorgan Chase.

cxLoyalty is a leading loyalty and technology solutions company with over 40 years of experience. Their expertise in designing, administering and fulfilling loyalty programs complements JPMorgan Chase’s reputation of providing customers with elevated and differentiated value. The deal is expected to accelerate the strong foundation built in loyalty, including for Chase’s Ultimate Rewards platform and cxLoyalty’s existing clients, to enable a more holistic, end-to-end customer travel journey for all customers. The cxLoyalty brand and existing client relationships will continue to be led by cxLoyalty Group CEO Todd Siegel.

“JPMorgan Chase is the right partner to further invest in our leading loyalty business,” said Todd Siegel, Chief Executive Officer of cxLoyalty. "This partnership allows us to strengthen and expand our technology solutions, rewards content and world class personalized customer experience for our Fortune 500 clients and their millions of customers, globally.”

Ms. Lake adds, “We welcome Todd and cxLoyalty to JPMorgan Chase, and look forward to creating more value for our shared customers and clients.”

JPMorgan Chase credit card customers will continue using Ultimate Rewards as usual and over time, will have access to enhanced travel experiences.

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.2 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201228005218/en/

Contacts

Amy Bonitatibus, Chief Communications Officer, Chase, amy.m.bonitatibus@jpmorgan.com

Ashley Dodd, head of Card Communications, Chase, ashley.e.dodd@chase.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/jpmorgan-chase-acquiring-a-leading-travel-and-loyalty-business/en

Hytera PoC Solutions Enhance Safety and Protection for Private Security Industry

 SHENZHEN, China-Monday 28 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hytera PoC solutions are designed to help the private security industry ensure the safety and security of buildings, valuables and people by patrolling, securing and monitoring premises, guarding cash or other valuables in transit, and protecting VIPs.

Safety is the top priority. Security guards must react quickly to threats and perform their jobs effectively without compromising the safety of property or personnel. Therefore, instant and efficient communication is essential.

How PoC solutions meet the requirements of the private security industry

Many security guards work at fixed locations such as transport hubs, power stations, offices, education centers, hospitals, shopping malls, retail stores and residential buildings. For these security guards, dedicated Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) networks or Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) solutions provide reliable, instant group communications to ensure a rapid response to any threat.

For organizations with limited budgets that cannot always afford to deploy a dedicated PMR network, PoC solutions provide a cost-effective alternative without the need to invest in any network infrastructure, for this is already provided by mobile network operators.

To ensure the safety of the working environment, it is often necessary to real-time monitor and record the on-site situation. However, fixed CCTV coverage often has blind areas, so mobile surveillance patrols by security guards are needed to fill the gaps. PoC radios and body-worn cameras can capture what happened during an incident and provide video and audio evidence afterwards.

For security guards working in mobile roles such as the close protection of VIPs or the transportation of valuables, the main difficulty is ensuring reliable, instant communications with team members and the office while in transit.

PoC overcomes this problem by providing wide area coverage and seamless group communications over 3G/4G. PoC also provides dispatchers with greater situational awareness in emergencies, for 4G supports video streaming from the scene of the incident. GPS locates assets in the field in real time, which allows dispatchers to more effectively manage the situation and minimize escalation.

Hytera PoC solutions offer a robust and effective communication system and mobile surveillance solutions for the security industry, as 3G/4G networks provide seamless worldwide communications.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/52353694/en

Contacts

Shaowa Cai
shaowa.cai@hytera.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/hytera-poc-solutions-enhance-safety-and-protection-for-private-security-industry/en

20by2020 Improves the Lives of Thousands of Fishermen and their Families in Indonesia

 • The deployment is a unique collaboration between two leading Zayed Sustainability Prize winners to provide sustainable energy solutions to fishing communities

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.-Monday 28 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

The UAE-led humanitarian initiative, 20by2020, continues to extend sustainable solutions to various parts of the world with the latest deployment in Pulau Laut Selatan - South Kalimantan, Indonesia.  The objective of this deployment is to provide 20,700 people from a large fishermen community with improved energy access through off-grid solar lighting.

Pulau Laut Selatan is in the Kota Baru Regency (Borneo), where a quarter of the population still live in the dark, and most households earn their living by fishing. 3,600 solar lanterns and 1,000 mobile-charging solar lanterns will be distributed to fishermen living without access to electricity to assist them and their families with household lighting and income generation, enabling greater economic activities by fishing early in the morning and at night.

Additionally, the lanterns will improve health conditions by replacing kerosene lamps, a basic indoor power source for most households in unelectrified areas, along with candles and diesel generators that can adversely affect people’s safety, the environment, and levels of productivity.

This deployment represents a unique collaboration between two leading Zayed Sustainability Prize winners.  D.light is a 2013 Prize winner and a US-based pioneer in delivering affordable solar-powered solutions for households and small businesses that have been commissioned to provide the technology for 20by2020.  Kopernik, is an Indonesian non-profit organisation and the 2016 Zayed Sustainability Prize winner which specialises in sustainable energy. Its mandate is to reduce poverty in last mile communities.  Kopernik was in charge of implementing the project in the field.

H.E Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), a founding partner of the 20by2020 initiative said: “The UAE and Indonesia are aligned with the UN 2030 agenda and share a common focus on building sustainable cities and communities and supporting vital growth sectors.”

H.E Al Sayegh added, “Over the years, both countries have embarked on several joint sustainability projects that are designed to build resilient societies and economies. The latest 20by2020 deployment of environmentally friendly solar solutions in Indonesia’s South Kalimantan region aims to enhance the quality of life for local residents and will also help to connect unelectrified populations to the grid.  We are glad to be part of this meaningful initiative and outreach. ”

H.E. Mr. Arifin Tasrif, Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, said: “We welcome and appreciate the support extended by the 20by2020 initiative and its partners to the people of South Kalimantan. The leadership of the United Arab Emirates Government, showcased through the Zayed Sustainability Prize, complements our Ministry’s programmes of accelerating the deployment of solar energy since 2017”.

“We strongly believe that this donation will effectively support the Indonesian Government to achieve our target of 23% new and renewable energy in the energy mix and help lead the country’s transition to a cleaner energy future. We would like to extend our appreciation to the United Arab Emirates and we hope that we can continue to work closely together in the field of new and renewable energy to achieve our shared vision of a sustainable future”, he added.

Established in December 2019, 20by2020 is a natural extension of the Zayed Sustainability Prize’s commitment to work with its winners and finalists by continuing to support their goals and allowing their solutions to reach a much wider number of people around the globe.

20by2020 is led by the Zayed Sustainability Prize in partnership with Abu Dhabi Global Market, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Mubadala Petroleum, the UAE Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, Masdar, and BNPP Paribas; the most recent partner to join the initiative and the first international private company.

The initiative exemplifies the commitment of its partners to enable sustainable development at home in the UAE, and abroad, and is complemented by the inspiring work powered by some of these partners in parallel on the ground. In Indonesia, since 2015 Mubadala Petroleum has provided over 174 scholarships to students from fishing communities in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan to pursue higher education at the Kotabaru Polytechnic, while funding has also been provided for soft skills and safety training for students.

Mubadala Petroleum has also been engaging with local fishermen in West Sulawesi since 2014 to support the deployment of artificial fish aggregating devices (rumpon) in the Makassar Strait and fishing lighting technology opening new fishing grounds and additional income sources. In 2018, Mubadala Petroleum funded a skills empowerment training programme for fishermen’s wives in this coastal area, in addition to implementing a Waste Management project which saw the introduction of a waste bank and reuse-recycle waste activities. The project not only improved the village’s environment but also empowered women in the community to generate additional income by producing recycled products and marine-based goods that they could then sell at the local market.

Dr Bakheet Al Katheeri, CEO of Mubadala Petroleum, a founding partner of the initiative, commented: “As a partner in the 20by2020 initiative, we are proud of all the work to date to support disadvantaged communities around the world. This deployment in South Kalimantan in Indonesia will harness the power of innovative technologies to enable sustainable solutions for the local fishing community. Since 2014, we have been involved in empowering this community through a range of well-established projects designed to enhance education, environmental and development goals. Our involvement in the 20by2020 initiative complements these efforts and we look forward to seeing the real-world impact on local communities as these schemes progress.”

Eight deployments have been rolled out to date, including energy, health, water and food solutions in Cambodia, Madagascar, Egypt, Jordan, Nepal, Tanzania, and Uganda. 20by2020 will conclude its 1st phase with a project in Costa Rica and additional solutions will be deployed in another 10 countries as part of phase two.

Contacts

Medhat Juma

Medhat.juma@hkstrategies.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/20by2020-improves-the-lives-of-thousands-of-fishermen-and-their-families-in-indonesia/en

Starcity Is Launching Invest.starcity.com in Partnership With Republic Real Estate to Allow Accredited Investors to Back Coliving Real Estate Development Projects

 • Starcity now enables accredited investors to back select developments and is launching with its cutting edge project in San Francisco - Starcity Minna. With San Francisco in recovery mode, historically, post-recession periods have been the best time to invest in real estate. The project will feature affordable units as low as $900-$1,000 a month to rent.

• Invest.starcity.com is powered by Republic Real Estate, part of Republic, the leading private investing platform for investors seeking high growth potential.

• Starcity is providing standardized access to investors via its new platform.

• Starcity’s portfolio occupancy and collections metrics have returned to pre-COVID levels in key markets and coliving demand has surged to levels higher than pre-pandemic levels.

SAN FRANCISCO-Thursday 24 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Starcity, one of the fastest-growing technology enabled real estate owners and operators, announced today the launch of invest.starcity.com. This first of its kind investment platform allows accredited investors the opportunity to back Starcity development projects.

"We are thrilled to launch invest.starcity.com, so investors of all kinds have the opportunity to back Starcity developments. Typically, large-scale institutional investments are reserved for closed-door dealings, and we're excited to open these deals up to democratize access for more people," said Jon Dishotsky, CEO and co-founder of Starcity.

The first project will be Starcity Minna, a fully approved, 16-story, 270 unit, highrise in the South of Market (SoMa) district of San Francisco. Starcity will operate the 122,845 gross square feet development as a furnished residential community targeting middle and low-income residents of San Francisco with a convenient, value-oriented, and highly amenitized residential lifestyle offering.

"Despite the fall in rents in San Francisco this past year, the city remains largely out of reach for working-class professionals. Very few individuals can afford a $3,000 to $4,000 apartment, and we're excited to deliver units that start in the $900-$1,000 range. This level of affordability has rarely been achieved in San Francisco. Furthermore, major investors and occupiers like Amazon, Blackstone, Google, KKR, Starwood, and others have announced investment initiatives into San Francisco during the pandemic, and Brookfield is going vertical on projects right next door to Minna, so the time is right. And despite noise in the headlines, San Francisco has been a consistently above-market return investment geography due to the supply constraints and demand drivers," said Mo Sakrani, Chief Investment Officer and co-founder of Starcity.

Starcity Minna will comprise 15 residential levels over a welcoming ground floor lobby and event space attached to an outdoor patio, as well as a bike repair and storage facility. Each residential level (FL 2-16) hosts 18 private units with ensuite bathrooms and features a 1,000 square feet amenity space that includes a chef's-style kitchen and dining area, lounge, and media area with expansive city views. The building is topped by a large landscaped rooftop terrace, offering panoramic views of San Francisco.

Starcity Minna will consist of steel modules over a concrete ground-floor podium, tied-together with a concrete elevator core. Four primary module types will make up the private units, corridors, common areas, and stairs. Each module will arrive fully outfitted with furnishings, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, piping, and wiring.

Modular construction is well suited for Starcity Minna for two main reasons. First, San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities to build in globally, and modular construction shifts those costs to an off-site factory. Second, the standardized unit layout is conducive to manufacturing.

"San Francisco remains one of the strongest apartment rental markets in the country. We are delighted to provide access for individual investors into a well-located project poised to capitalize on the city’s next wave of growth and appreciation through technology powered by the Republic platform. Real estate is an $8.9 trillion market, and it's time for everybody to own a piece of it,” said Janine Yorio, Head of Real Estate at Republic.

With this new offering Starcity is reimagining the entire spectrum of real estate:

On the investment side by allowing people access to build wealth.

On the housing side by making living in cities accessible.

On the construction side, by exploring modular to bring the cost of construction down.

This template should create a path for major affordable housing in any city that has income inequality that has been further exacerbated by the pandemic. Real estate has long been a stodgy investment industry, designed to keep the main street investor out — Starcity aims to change that with this launch.

Starcity is one of the leading coliving companies and operates over 1,500 units globally, with over 3,000 units in its development and operations pipeline throughout North America and Western Europe and over 10,000 units in negotiations. Starcity is backed by Y Combinator, NEA, Social Capital, Tribe Capital, Bullpen Capital, Deciens, and Industry Ventures.

Starcity is conducting a Rule 506(c) offering solely to accredited investors. Republic Real Estate has provided the technology to enable Invest.starcity.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201223005265/en/

Contacts

Jon Dishotsky

Media@starcity.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/starcity-is-launching-investstarcitycom-in-partnership-with-republic-real-estate-to-allow-accredited-investors-to-back-coliving-real-estate-development-projects/en

Black Eyed Peas Encourage Fans to #PlayApartTogether for the Holidays In Social Campaign With Zynga

 Platinum Recording Pioneers Share Messages of Gratitude and Social Distancing For A Safe Holiday Season, as Part of Ongoing Games Industry Campaign

-Friday 25 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA):

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201224005018/en/

WHO:

Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, is collaborating with internationally renowned recording artists the Black Eyed Peas to share positivity, encouragement and hope for the holidays.

WHAT:

As a continuation of the award-winning gaming industry initiative, #PlayApartTogether, the Black Eyed Peas have recorded words of encouragement and hope for a healthy, safe holiday season. Founding member of the Grammy award-winning group, Taboo, has created personal videos that will be shared through the #PlayApartTogether network of more than 80 video game companies worldwide, bringing light, warmth and signature Black Eyed Peas style to this unprecedented holiday season.

QUOTE:

“#PlayApartTogether began as an effort to activate the vast, engaged gaming audience to help fight the spread of COVID-19 and care for one another,” said Bernard Kim, President of Publishing at Zynga. “We’re so thankful that the Black Eyed Peas, whose impact on culture and music is immeasurable, are bringing their words of strength and inspiration to the movement so we can head to a new year on a high note. Stay strong, stay safe and stay upbeat, and remember that we’re all in this fight together.”

BACKGROUND:

#PlayApartTogether is a global games industry initiative that encourages physical distancing and other powerful preventive measures in the fight against COVID-19 to the massive global audience of gamers. Spearheaded by Zynga and growing to more than 60 participating companies, #PlayApartTogether has provided vital information, entertainment and physically distanced connection to players around the globe.

SUPPORTING ASSETS:

Supporting visual assets available at: http://bit.ly/PATHoliday

About Zynga

Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment with a mission to connect the world through games. To date, more than one billion people have played Zynga’s franchises including CSR RacingTM, Empires & PuzzlesTM, Merge Dragons!TM, Merge Magic!TM, Toon BlastTM, Toy BlastTM, Words With FriendsTM and Zynga PokerTM. Zynga’s games are available in more than 150 countries and are playable across social platforms and mobile devices worldwide. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with locations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, India, Turkey and Finland. For more information, visit www.zynga.com or follow Zynga on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or the Zynga blog.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the participation of the Black Eyed Peas in a #PlayApartTogether initiative. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “outlook,” “projected,” “planned,” “intends,” “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “target,” “expect,” and statements in the future tense are generally forward-looking. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update such statements. More information about these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions is or will be described in greater detail in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), copies of which may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at http://investor.zynga.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201224005018/en/

Contacts

ZYNGA MEDIA CONTACT:

Dana Whitney | dwhitney@zynga.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/black-eyed-peas-encourage-fans-to-playaparttogether-for-the-holidays-in-social-campaign-with-zynga/en

Avaloq’s Acquisition by NEC Successfully Completed

 ZURICH & TOKYO-Wednesday 23 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Avaloq, a Swiss-based global leader in digital banking solutions and wealth management technology, and Japan-based NEC Corporation today announced the closing of NEC’s acquisition of Avaloq. Each being a market leader in their own field, the combination of their shared vision, technological strengths, and global presence, will accelerate both companies’ long-term growth, global expansion and value creation strategy.

This acquisition was first announced in October 2020, and following receipt of the relevant regulatory approvals, the acquisition was completed on December 22, 2020. NEC now holds 100% of Avaloq’s shares, including the 45% previously held by private equity firm Warburg Pincus, as well as the remaining shares held by Avaloq’s founder Francisco Fernandez and by employees.

Founded in 1985, Avaloq provides powerful cloud solutions for banks and wealth managers around the globe through business process as a service (BPaaS) and software as a service (SaaS) along with on-premise solutions. Avaloq’s vision for the future of wealth management is to maintain the human relationship an investor has with an advisor, to enhance the relationship through technology and to increase engagement and satisfaction. The democratization of wealth management will allow more people to have access to a greater quantity and quality of investment strategies and advice that was once reserved for ultra and high net worth individuals only.

With more than 120 years of expertise, NEC is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. Listed on the Tokyo stock exchange, NEC is a truly global organization with office locations in more than 50 countries.

Masakazu Yamashina, Executive Vice President of NEC and new chairman of Avaloq, said: “With its 35-year heritage and focus on innovation in digital banking solutions, core banking software and wealth management technology, Avaloq is uniquely qualified to launch NEC into the Digital Finance field, which together with Digital Government, is one of the pillars for building NEC’s global growth. Our joint value proposition will build on Avaloq’s reliable digital finance products and the trust it has established amongst its clients, coupled with NEC’s cutting-edge technologies, global business network and digital government domain knowledge.”

Jurg Hunziker, CEO of Avaloq, said: “Avaloq will be entering a new era together with NEC. This transaction has generated much interest and we truly believe that NEC is the best partner for our business. Our solutions will only evolve for the better when leveraging NEC’s proven expertise with technologies related to Digital Identity, Artificial Intelligence, Verification, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, and Biometrics. In addition, our innovation capabilities will be elevated with NEC’s strong commitment to Research & Development, evidenced by the resources it has placed towards this, including dedicated facilities in Heidelberg, Germany. I am very much looking forward to starting this new part of our exciting growth journey together with NEC.”

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201222005751/en/

Contacts

Joseph Jasper, j-jasper(at)nec.com


Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/avaloqrsquos-acquisition-by-nec-successfully-completed/en

Ericom Software Continues Global Expansion with Key Investments in the Middle East Leveraging Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

 Expanding Ericom Global Cloud Platform Data Center Footprint Supports Growing Demand for Ericom Zero Trust Remote Browser Isolation



NEW YORK -Wednesday 23 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ericom Software, a leader in Zero Trust cloud cybersecurity solutions and a member of the Oracle Partner Network (OPN), today announced an expansion of its Ericom Global Cloud platform data center presence in the Middle East to support growing demand for Ericom Shield Remote Browser Isolation (RBI). These investments expand local access to Ericom’s globally distributed, multi-tenant cloud platform for all organizations in the region.

The rate of cyberattacks using malware designed to exploit web browser vulnerabilities has been dramatically accelerating. These types of web and email based attacks use zero-day malware embedded in the content of websites to deliver ransomware, exfiltrate data, disrupt operations, and more. Ericom Shield RBI prevents 100% of web-based attacks by executing web content in a remote, isolated cloud -based container, sending only safe rendering information to a device's browser. When users interact with the websites they are completely safe since no web content is ever executed directly on their devices.

Local Cloud Datacenters Deliver Performance, Availability, and Data Sovereignty

Two of the latest data centers in the Middle East, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and in Dubai, UAE, are deployed in Oracle’s Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), a market-leading platform capable of elastically increasing compute capacity and processing to accommodate changing data traffic needs.

“Ericom’s growing data center footprint in the Middle East is important for a number of reasons,” said Ravi Pather, Ericom Vice President, Europe and Middle East. “Meeting local data residency and sovereignty requirements means that that cloud-based services must retain data and logs in the region. Having multiple Points of Presence (PoPs) also allows us to deliver the performance and resiliency enterprises expect.”

For additional details and an Oracle statement, click here.

About Ericom Software

Ericom Software is a leading provider of Zero Trust cloud cybersecurity solutions for secure web and application access that protect organizations from advanced cyberthreats. Leveraging innovative zero trust browser and application isolation technologies, Ericom's cloud and software security solutions enable simple, secure policy-driven access to mission-critical resources without impacting end-user productivity. Learn more about Ericom and its products by visiting www.ericom.com.

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201222005723/en/

Contacts

Domenick Cilea, 732-813-7401
dcilea@springboardpr.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/ericom-software-continues-global-expansion-with-key-investments-in-the-middle-east-leveraging-oracle-cloud-infrastructure/en

The Top 6 Best Companies To Work For in Egypt 2020 Revealed

 CAIRO-Wednesday 23 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Astrazeneca, Lundbeck, Parkville Pharmaceuticals, MSD Animal Health, Johnson & Johnson and Teleperformance are recognized as the top 6 best places to work in Egypt for 2020 according to the annual prestigious “Best Places To Work” workplace research program. Best Places to Work is an international certification program providing employers in different countries the opportunity to learn more about the engagement and satisfaction of their employees and honor those who deliver an outstanding work experience with the highest standards in regards to working conditions.

Astrazeneca Egypt was awarded the top position in the large enterprises category followed by Parkville Pharmaceuticals, a well established pharma company providing high quality and affordable medicines across the country. Johnson & Johnson Egypt came in the third position followed by Teleperformance Egypt, a subsidiary of the worldwide leader in outsourced omnichannel customer experience management. In the small and medium size enterprises category, Lundbeck Egypt, an affiliate of the global Danish pharmaceutical company scored the top position followed by MSD Animal Health, an affiliate of the global animal health business of MSD.

“Our ambition is to be a trusted healthcare partner and to improve Egyptian patients’ lives with innovative solutions. This cannot be achieved without a highly engaged and competent organization. For that, we are thrilled to be recognized as Best Employer in Egypt for the 2nd year in a row. The survey results together with our internal metrics give us a lot of confidence in our future and our ability as an organization to grow and deliver” said Hatem Werdany, AstraZeneca Egypt Country Director.

“In 2015, we set out to realize a dream; 'To establish Lundbeck Egypt among the best employers in the pharmaceutical industry through a unique culture and working environment'. We ALL worked hard and as one team to transform the dream into a vision. The dream is now a reality, but we won't stop here. We will continue to strive to make Lundbeck Egypt an even better place to work, so we can continue to make a difference for people living with brain diseases” said Ahmed El-Ashmawy, Country Manager for Lundbeck Egypt.

“At Parkville, we are living in an agile environment full of massive changes and diversity with maintaining and developing better work life integration. Believing in heroes is not a slogan, it's a strategy we've worked with since our existence. Workplace is mutual and we are trying to provide the best work place while always boosting employee productivity. We consider our culture as a solid cornerstone of a sustainable development process supported by every successful partner in the workplace, and we still progressing” said Sherif Bassiouny, chairman of Parkville Pharmaceuticals.

"At MSD AH Egypt, we strive to create the foundation of a great workplace. A workplace of respect, trust and full engagement. A workplace which encourages our colleagues to go above and beyond their daily duty. We equipped our employees with the right toolset, empower them with the right skillset and engage them with the right mindset to manifest their full potential and express the best out of themselves. As a team we have a common goal to be the best animal health company in Egypt and to dream it and achieve it together. I am very proud of my team who is delivering sustainable results and was behind putting MSD AH as one of the best places to work in 2018 and again in 2020” said Mamdouh Mahfouz, Executive Director NASES (North Africa, Saudi, Egypt & Sudan) Cluster.

“I am thrilled to see J&J being chosen a Best Place to Work in Egypt. In Janssen, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, we have focused this year on individualizing employee development. Throughout the past couple of years, we have exported more than ten talents to USA, Europe and Middle East. We worked hard to encourage female talents and gave them opportunities to strive. Particularly in 2020, under COVID challenges, we are happy our employees are feeling the company is prioritizing their health & safety,” said Ramez Mohsen, Managing Director for Janssen JENA.

“Being chosen as the Best Place to Work in Egypt, is a reflection of the principle that Johnson & Johnson Consumer in Egypt is setting as “Organization Wellbeing and Development” is and will always be our number one priority. We are focusing on attracting and retaining best talents in Egypt, while enabling them through the right development plans that helps in building further their skills and capabilities. This is always driven by setting the right culture that empowers our people to take critical decisions and being fully accountable of results,” said Mohamed Abdelrasoul, Managing Director for Johnson & Johnson Consumer HoA.

“I’ve always been proud to be part of JnJ team & organization, and in 2020, I’m even prouder as JnJ Egypt is listed as the Best Place to Work in. This year we focused on Walking the talk for putting the well-being of our employees as our number 1 priority. We had flexibility as part of our organization’s DNA. In addition, we took a leadership position in Diversity & Inclusion. Not only that but I am amazed of how fast we integrated technology with our work. And last, appreciating the value of our frontline workers who are supporting customers & patients in the OR. With the all the above milestones, my happiness and pride is indescribable. And indeed JnJ Egypt is the best place to work in!," said Emad Wasef, Managing Director for Johnson & Johnson Medical Egypt & Pakistan.

“This award represents everything we strive to do every day not only for our customers, but also for our employees, stakeholders and community. This might our first certification year and certainly won’t be our last!,” said Mohamed Tawfik, General Manager for Telepeformance Egypt.

“Despite the disruption brought about by the pandemic this year, the average level of engagement of the top 6 companies is 81% and this is something to be proud of. This achievement highlights the companies commitment to provide an environment where employees can thrive and excel in their careers and better serve customers,” said Hamza Idrissi, Program Manager for Egypt.

More than 25 organizations from different industries in Egypt partner with the Best Places To Work organization every year for assessment, benchmarking, and planning actions to strengthen their workplace culture.

ABOUT BEST PLACES TO WORK PROGRAM

Best Places To Work is a global HR certification program that certifies and recognizes leading workplaces in many countries around the world. Our proprietary assessment analyzes a company’s attractiveness through a two-step process focusing on 8 Workplace factors including culture, leadership, opportunities for growth and people practices. Beside the employee satisfaction survey, we conduct an HR assessment focusing on HR practices implemented in the organization against our global people framework standard. The certification allows employers to gain market exposure that will support their recruiting efforts and reinforce their reputation as a place that attracts and invests in great talent.

For more information, please visit the program website at www.bestplacestoworkfor.org

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201223005161/en/

Contacts

Press: Hamza Idrissi

Email: hamza@bestplacestoworkfor.org

Tel: +44 203 129 5354

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/the-top-6-best-companies-to-work-for-in-egypt-2020-revealed/en

Interactive Brokers Group Establishes Entity in Ireland

New Western European Base Created in Response to Brexit and Rapid Regional Growth 

GREENWICH, Conn. & DUBLIN-Wednesday 23 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Interactive Brokers Group (Nasdaq: IBKR), a leading global brokerage firm, today announced the authorization by the Central Bank of Ireland for Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited.

The company expects to expand its staffing substantially over the next year to accommodate the ongoing strong growth of Interactive Brokers’ European business.

“We are expanding to Ireland partly due to Brexit and partly due to our plan of establishing subsidiaries around the world to support our rapid global growth,” said Interactive Brokers chairman Thomas Peterffy. “Client accounts have grown by more than 52% in a year.”

Earlier this year, Interactive Brokers opened an office in Singapore, and just recently in Hungary. The firm now has 11 entities around the globe in the US, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Japan, Luxembourg, Singapore, and the UK. With a staff of 2,000 worldwide, Interactive Brokers serves over one million client accounts in more than 220 countries and territories.

The IDA Ireland, a government agency that promotes Ireland for the opportunities it presents to international companies, has provided invaluable assistance to Interactive Brokers in establishing its Irish office.

Founded over 43 years ago, the company has grown to become one of the preeminent securities firms in the world with over $8.9 billion in equity capital, $25 billion market capital, and $284 billion in client equity.

Interactive Brokers differentiates itself from more traditional brokerage strategies by pursuing an uncompromising focus on technology as a way to bring professional quality investment tools to both demanding professional traders and the average retail investor. Clients residing anywhere in the world can invest in multiple assets classes (in stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds) on 135 markets in 33 countries from a single Integrated Investment Account. The company is also well-known for its advanced technology, superior pricing, industry-low margin rates, and tight forex conversion pricing.

About Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.:

Interactive Brokers Group affiliates provide automated trade execution and custody of securities, commodities, and foreign exchange around the clock on over 135 markets in numerous countries and currencies, from a single IBKR Integrated Investment Account to clients worldwide. We service individual investors, hedge funds, proprietary trading groups, financial advisors and introducing brokers. Our four decades of focus on technology and automation has enabled us to equip our clients with a uniquely sophisticated platform to manage their investment portfolios. We strive to provide our clients with advantageous execution prices and trading, risk and portfolio management tools, research facilities and investment products, all at low or no cost, positioning them to achieve superior returns on investments. Barron’s ranked Interactive Brokers #1 with 5 out of 5 stars in its February 24, 2020, Best Online Broker Review.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201223005032/en/

---

Contacts

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.
Investors: Nancy Stuebe, 203-618-4070
Media: Kalen Holliday, 203-618-4069 or media@ibkr.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/interactive-brokers-group-establishes-entity-in-ireland/en

Mavenir’s End-to-End Solutions for Multi-Generation Mobile Networks, Ideal for African Continent

 Deliver and deploy cloud native software for mobile network services in Africa both in urban and rural areas

-Wednesday 23 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mavenir, the industry's only end-to-end cloud-native Network Software Provider for Communications Service Providers (CSPs) is geared up to provide end-to-end solutions for mobile networks in the African Continent. Mavenir’s multigeneration solutions (2G through 5G) deliver a cost effective and technology advanced supplier alternative to transform the mobile infrastructure in the region and to expand coverage even in the most remote rural areas.

In the Mobile Core, Mavenir brings its market leading, virtualized software for core networks, providing basic and advanced services, as well as its legendary messaging capabilities, based on IP Multimedia Systems (IMS), as well as its Converged Packet Core solution, capable of scaling both up and down, and providing a very solid and reliable infrastructure across all the mobile generations. Mavenir’s Mobile Core includes the 5G Core with ability to slice network services and relies on Mavenir’s Web-Scale Platform that brings the latest container technologies to reality and provides agility and speed to market.

In addition, Mavenir’s Access and Edge offers its OpenRAN solution to increase coverage and to quickly and cost effectively deploy, especially for African rural areas. With the recent acquisition of ip.access, already deployed in Africa, Mavenir now offers Multi Radio Access Technology (MRAT) particularly suitable for countries where 2G and 3G are still dominant as mobile technologies. The Mavenir OpenRAN solution increases flexibility, agility, speed of rollout and helps to decrease costs by using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and new innovative virtualised and open solutions.

“We are proud to be able to provide such flexible solutions specifically targeted to African countries and to provide innovative software that transforms the mobile network economics, all while deploying technology with greater flexibility, greater efficiencies, and more agility as a full end-to-end Network Software Provider,” said Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO at Mavenir. “Mavenir has been and will continue to be committed to bringing transformative innovation and technology to the telecommunications space leveraging our long history and experience in virtualized network solutions.”

Mavenir is committed to world-wide deployment and with its cloud-native solutions, to work with its customers to project them to the future, while decreasing the risks and increasing the cost effectiveness where mobile services are critically needed.

About Mavenir:

Mavenir is the industry's only end-to-end, cloud-native Network Software and Solutions/Systems Integration Provider for mobile technologies, focused on accelerating software network transformation for Communications Service Providers (CSPs). Mavenir offers a comprehensive end-to-end product portfolio across every layer of the network infrastructure stack. From 5G application/service layers to packet core and RAN, Mavenir leads the way in evolved, cloud-native networking solutions enabling innovative and secure experiences for end users. Leveraging innovations in IMS (VoLTE, VoWiFi, Advanced Messaging (RCS)), Private Networks as well as Converged Packet Core and vEPC, 5G Core and OpenRAN vRAN, Mavenir accelerates network transformation for more than 250+ CSP customers in over 120 countries, which serve over 50% of the world’s subscribers.

Mavenir embraces disruptive, innovative technology architectures and business models that drive service agility, flexibility, and velocity. With solutions that propel NFV evolution to achieve web-scale economics, Mavenir offers solutions to help CSPs with cost reduction, revenue generation, and revenue protection. www.mavenir.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201222005083/en/

Contacts

Maryvonne Tubb

Mavenir

PR@mavenir.com

Loren Guertin

MatterNow

mavenir@matternow.com

Kevin Taylor

GlobalResultsPR

mavenir@globalresultspr.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/mavenirrsquos-end-to-end-solutions-for-multi-generation-mobile-networks-ideal-for-african-continent/en

Coagulo Medical Technologies Announces $6.5 Million in Financing to Accelerate Delivery of Disruptive Coagulation Diagnostics Platform

 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-Wednesday 23 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Coagulo Medical Technologies, an MIT-born startup that has developed the world’s first precision-medicine platform for comprehensive and targeted blood clotting management, today announced it has raised $6.5 million in financing from 20/20 HealthCare Partners, Sands Capital, Good Growth Capital, IAG Capital Partners and private investors. The Boston area diagnostics innovator also announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the National Science Foundation to accelerate delivery of breakthrough innovations amid the global COVID–19 public health crisis, which has called attention to the limitations of conventional coagulation tests.

Coagulo’s rapid, point-of-care device is a major advancement for personalized diagnosis and management of all coagulation-related diseases. The device is ultra-portable, requires just drops of blood and will provide vital, clinically-actionable information within 10 minutes. It leverages a proprietary and entirely novel approach to coagulation testing, which is capable of parsing through the entire coagulation cascade to pinpoint deficiency or inhibition of specific coagulation factors and quantifies their effect on clotting time.

Current coagulation testing methods were developed over a half-century ago, provide only general information on blood clotting function and cannot identify the specific cause of a clotting abnormality. Outdated testing technology is akin to a generic check engine light, whereas Coagulo’s test is designed to isolate the issue down to a specific diagnostic code. “The device promises better health outcomes by permitting physicians to supplement clinical intuition with targeted information that they always wanted but no other technology could deliver,” said Dr. Galit Frydman, CSO and President of the company. “To be able to seamlessly deliver those comprehensive, sample-to-insight results using merely drops of blood, and to have that information within a clinically meaningful timeframe and at the bedside, will make Coagulo’s diagnostic platform a critical tool in meeting the ever-evolving challenges of coagulation management,” added Jarrod Niebloom, Coagulo’s CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors. “No doubt the complex clotting issues that continue to be observed in patients with COVID–19 epitomize just how antiquated existing diagnostic tools are and how pressing the clinical need is.”

“Coagulo has developed a platform that directly responds to current medical needs and, further, will support traditional tests like prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time,” said Hillel Bachrach, managing partner of 20/20 HealthCare Partners. “We are excited to invest in Coagulo and to help accelerate their path to market as they up-end an industry that has seen very little innovation for decades.”

20/20 HealthCare Partners, a global investment group based in Boston that invests at the early stage of technology and life science innovation, has led the investment.

About Coagulo:

Founded in 2018 and based out of Alexandria LaunchLabs, Coagulo licensed technology out of MIT and the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) developed by Dr. Galit Frydman, the company’s CSO and President, who also holds appointments in the Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at MGH and in the Center for Biomedical Engineering at MIT. Coagulo has developed the next-generation of rapid, ultra-portable and comprehensive diagnostics for the personalized diagnosis and management of all coagulation-related diseases. Coagulo’s point-of-care device is not yet approved or cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for marketing in the United States.

www.coagulomed.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201222005291/en/

Contacts

Jarrod Niebloom
info@coagulomed.com


Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/coagulo-medical-technologies-announces-65-million-in-financing-to-accelerate-delivery-of-disruptive-coagulation-diagnostics-platform/en

Health Professionals Petition CDC for Guidance: Americans Use Nasal Sprays to Combat COVID-19 Pandemic; Doctors Use in Treating Patients

  “Studies show nasal sprays, such as Xlear, reduces risk of COVID-19 transmission and infection”

WASHINGTON-Wednesday 23 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, a consortium of 15 doctors, nurses and other public health professionals petitioned the Centers for Disease Control to issue Guidance calling on: Americans to use nasal sprays to combat the COVID-19 pandemic; and doctors to use them in treating COVID-19 patients.

The petition has also been placed on Change.org and the medical professionals are seeking support for it from all Americans: https://www.change.org/cdcguidance

The petition in particular calls on CDC to tell Americans to use nasal sprays as part of a layered defense against COVID-19. “You wash your hands; you should wash your nose, too. You wear a mask and social distance; you should do that and use a nasal spray,” said Dr. Alonzo Jones, one of the petitioners, and an inventor of one of the studied nasal sprays.

“We have more data supporting the use of nasal sprays against COVID-19 than we had supporting the use of masks and social distancing when CDC told Americans to do those things,” Dr. Mark Cannon, another petitioner, said. “Nasal sprays are inexpensive, non-invasive, safe, and you can get them off-the-shelf at your local store. It’s pure commonsense,” Cannon added.

“We have data showing that certain nasal sprays don’t just wash away the virus. Certain sprays actually block, deactivate and/or kill the virus,” said Dr. Gustavo Ferrer, a respiratory illness expert who has conducted research on the use of nasal sprays to combat COVID-19, and is among the petitioners.

As a result, the petition calls specifically for CDC Guidance to focus on the use of nasal sprays that contain Xylitol and grapefruit seed extract. Recent studies have found that these natural components used together are antiviral (they block SARS-CoV-2 adhesion to the nasal membrane) and virucidal (they kill or deactivate the virus). One such spray, Xlear, is currently widely available in the US. Xlear has been used by millions of people worldwide, over twenty-plus years, without any adverse effects reported.

Additionally, a new, small clinical study found Xlear lessens the severity and shortens the duration of COVID-19 illnesses, and reduces the risk of further transmission, which is why the petition calls for guidance to doctors to use it as an adjunct to current treatments.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201223005050/en/

Contacts

Jeff Gulko
617.304.7339
jeff@thegulkogroup.com



Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/health-professionals-petition-cdc-for-guidance-americans-use-nasal-sprays-to-combat-covid-19-pandemic-doctors-use-in-treating-patients/en

XPRIZE Announces Winners of Million Dollar Next-Gen Mask Challenge to Reveal the Next Generation of Face Masks Following a Virtual Pitch Slam

 The Six-Month Contest Asked Global Innovators Between the Ages of 15-24 to Help Amid the Pandemic By Creating Face Mask Designs That Overcome Common Barriers to Use

LOS ANGELES-Wednesday 23 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- XPRIZE, a nonprofit organization that uses global competitions to crowdsource solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges, is pleased to announce that, following last week’s pitch slam, Luminosity Lab from the United States has been named the grand prize winner of the organization’s Next-Gen Mask Challenge. Selected by the competition’s panel of judges, which included a diverse set of industry professionals and executives, Luminosity Lab was chosen from the other finalists for their mask’s design, x-factor of style, early assessments of accessibility and functionality. The winning team is student-led and developed the FloeMask, which uses a bifurcated filtration chamber to achieve filtration and breathability for use everyday and during exercise, diverting heat from the wearer’s face.

Luminosity Lab is from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona and includes Nikhil Dave (age 20), Tarun Suresh (age 22), Katie Sue Pascavis (age 19), John Patterson (age 22) and Jerina Winter Gabriel (age 20). The team of five felt compelled to spring into action after witnessing the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on their Arizona community. Within the first few months of the crisis, the students behind Luminosity Lab helped develop the PPE Response Network, which was responsible for crowdsourcing 3D printers across Arizona to create and distribute over 15,000 units of PPE to clinics facing shortages, and designed two patent-pending technologies capable of sterilizing disposable N95 masks for reuse. Their participation in the XPRIZE Next-Gen Mask Challenge was driven by their desire to design a better way to protect those that choose to wear a mask and help communities around the world. The winning team will receive a total prize purse of $500,000, exiting the competition with the network and knowledge needed to further refine their prototype, and ensure it meets filtration requirements, should they decide to bring their design to market in the future.

In addition, two teams, Polair from John Hopkins University in Maryland and Naija Force from Abuja, Nigeria, have been named runners up in the competition and will split $500,000 as the two category winners. Team Polair, composed of 25 engineering undergraduates, was chosen as the Future Forward Award winner and won $250,000 for their prototype’s modular design which allows users to swap out mask bodies and choose a filter based on their environment. Naija Force won $250,000 as the winner of the ‘Mass’k Appeal Award for the transparent face mask they designed, which features straps that can be worn over the ear or on-head. These teams will now begin the process of refining their mask to ensure they meet key filtration metrics.

Launched this July amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the XPRIZE Next-Gen Mask Challenge, sponsored by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and CNBC host Jim Cramer, asked young inventors between the ages of 15-24 to develop the next generation of protective face masks. Throughout the competition, teams had the opportunity to interact with the challenge’s seven industry partners, who lent their expertise to contestants, including: 3M, Autodesk Inc., Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, Honeywell, Lydall, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Under Armour. The competition, which received record entries with 992 teams from 76 countries expressing interest within two months, encouraged teams to design a face mask that overcame at least five of the top ten barriers to mask-wearing, as defined by an XPRIZE-conducted survey. Those common barriers to use included: fogging of glasses, getting too hot, being uncomfortable, causing breathing difficulties, making conversations challenging, prohibiting exercise while wearing, causing pain or not fitting properly, blocking facial expressions, preventing eating or drinking, not being eco-friendly, looking ugly or boring, and difficulty acquiring.

Winning teams were chosen, and final judging was conducted by a panel of experts that included:

Ashish Diwanji, president of Lydall Performance Materials

Brian Hovey, vice president, marketing and commercial excellence at Honeywell

Denise Rutherford, senior vice president - corporate affairs at 3M

Dr. Erik Viirre, professor at University of California San Diego’s Department of Neurosciences and director at the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination

Garret Gerson, CEO of Calamigos Ranch

Heather Hughes, group vice president/general merchandise manager seasonal, general merchandise and photo at Walgreens

June Ambrose, award-winning creative director, author, costume designer and celebrity stylist

Dr. Kimberly Prather, professor and distinguished chair in atmospheric chemistry at University of California San Diego

Summer Chamblin, Gen-Z entrepreneur, content creator and daughter of June Ambrose

Suzanne DiBianca, chief impact officer at Salesforce

Additionally, XPRIZE is pleased to share that team Novus has won the $10,000 People’s Vote Bonus Award which was open to all Next-Gen Mask Challenge top twenty-five teams. The social media-based competition asked teams to defend their design and share their best elevator pitch with their friends, families and followers on social media. Team Novus, based in India, received the most engagement across their social media channels with over 3,000 reactions and interactions on the posts that featured their elevator pitch explaining their design.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be the winners of the Next-Gen Mask Challenge, and are extremely grateful to XPRIZE and all of the incredible sponsors and partners of this event,” said Nikhil Dave of Luminosity Lab. “Since COVID-19 first hit our community in March, we have sought out every way in which we can help - whether it be through crowdsourcing 3D-printed PPE, developing sterilization systems for N95 masks, or even designing our own next-generation mask. We can’t wait to continue pushing to support our global community in every way possible and are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to continue this work with the support and encouragement of XPRIZE.”

“We congratulate the winners of the competition,” said Jim Cramer, the host of Mad Money on CNBC. “When we started this journey, we wanted to create awareness among young people for the need to wear masks. We are gratified to have so many entries from around the world. Now the hard work begins as our young champions set out to develop these masks into ones that will be demonstrated to be effective and can be worn around the globe to try to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

“Wearing a mask is one of the most important steps we can take in defeating this pandemic,” said Marc Benioff. “The XPRIZE Next-Gen Mask Challenge has unleashed the talent of some of the most incredible young innovators who are eager to help create a healthier future for us all.”

Teams will receive their winnings within sixty days and will work independently as they choose to finalize their prototypes utilizing the insight provided throughout the competition and final feedback from the judges. Those interested in following along can do so at xprize.org/mask, theluminositylab.com, teampolair.com and teamnaijaforce.com.ng. For additional information on XPRIZE, please visit www.xprize.org.

ABOUT XPRIZE

XPRIZE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the global leader in designing and implementing innovative competition models to solve the world’s grandest challenges. Active competitions include the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the $10 Million Rainforest XPRIZE, the $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE, the $5 Million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE and the $5 Million XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling. For more information, visit xprize.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201222005657/en/

Contacts

Loren O’Neill/Full Picture/303.908.3302

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Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells Welcomes Winter Holidays with Christmas-themed Collection Event, New Magical Creature and Social Surprises Throughout December

 Zayn Malik Shows Signature Style with Special Avatar and Message for Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells Fans

SAN FRANCISCO -Wednesday 23 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA):

WHO:

Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, announced that winter holiday celebrations are rolling out in its recently released mobile game Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells. Officially licensed from Warner Bros. Games and published under the Portkey Games label, players of the game will be treated to a series of seasonal festivities throughout December, ranging from special limited-time collection events to a host of holiday decor and surprises.

WHAT:

In the game, players can collect cards to complete the new, limited-time ‘Christmas in the Wizarding World’ album to earn a mythical Unicorn as their companion magical creature. Later in the month, holiday decor and weather will turn Hogwarts into a wintry, wizarding wonderland as players encounter falling snowflakes on their gameboard that can be collected to earn rewards. Bringing a bang to the festivities, brightly colored ‘Wizard Cracker’ boosts will drop into the puzzles unexpectedly, giving players the gift of an extra gem-clearing blast as they complete puzzles in this magical Match-3 game.

Bringing style to the season, international artist and known Harry Potter fan Zayn Malik has worked closely with the Zynga team to create new customization elements for the magical Match-3 title. To replicate more life-like features for his avatar in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, Zayn worked to create new eyebrow, earring, beard and eye customizations that will be available in-game to all players in the new year. Malik has shared artwork of his in-game avatar on his own social channels in December, with an invitation for his fans and fellow gamers to share images of their own.

Additionally, as the calendar arrives at Christmas Eve, players can also visit the Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells social channels for more surprises and holiday cheer during the last week of the year.

QUOTES:

“I really enjoyed working with the Zynga team coming up with new elements to the avatar creator,” said Zayn Malik. “I feel like seeing the animated version of myself in the game made it way more fun and with these new customizations that are coming soon, all players will have the opportunity to feel more connected to the game and make their character look more like themselves!”

“As any fan of the Harry Potter books and films knows, Christmas at Hogwarts is a very special time,” said Yaron Leyvand, Senior Vice President of Games at Zynga. “For the first winter holiday for Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, we wanted to treat players to a range of new content and seasonal rewards, released throughout December. We’re excited to celebrate the season with players and also have many more magical Match-3 events and activities in store for next year.”

BACKGROUND:

In Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, players enter a Match-3 adventure brimming with the spells, humour, colour and characters of the Harry Potter series. Featuring the soundtrack and voiceover recordings from the original Harry Potter films, fans follow an authentic, mobile retelling of Harry’s journey through the wizarding world. Earning spells and special boosts as they advance, players solve Match-3 puzzles populated with hopping Chocolate Frogs, fluttering Winged Keys, battling wizard chess pieces and other unexpected obstacles and objects. In the spirit of camaraderie and friendly competition at Hogwarts, players can join or form clubs with other fans to socialise, collaborate on puzzle strategies, share lives and vie for prizes in exclusive Club Events.

Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is playable on iOS and Android devices worldwide, as well as on Amazon Kindle and Facebook. For more information and to connect with other fans, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and visit the game’s website at www.harrypotterpuzzlesandspells.com.

SUPPORTING ASSETS:

Supporting visual assets available at: https://bit.ly/HPPSHoliday

About Zynga

Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment with a mission to connect the world through games. To date, more than one billion people have played Zynga’s franchises including CSR RacingTM, Empires & PuzzlesTM, Merge Dragons!TM, Merge Magic!TM, Toon BlastTM, Toy BlastTM, Words With FriendsTM and Zynga PokerTM. Zynga’s games are available in more than 150 countries and are playable across social platforms and mobile devices worldwide. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with locations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, India, Turkey and Finland. For more information, visit www.zynga.com or follow Zynga on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or the Zynga blog.

About Warner Bros. Games

Warner Bros. Games, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc., is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third-party game titles. Additional information about Warner Bros. Games can be found at https://www.wbgames.com/.

About Portkey Games

Portkey Games, from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, is the games label dedicated to creating new Wizarding World mobile and videogame experiences that place the player at the center of their own adventure, inspired by J.K. Rowling’s original stories. Portkey Games offers players the opportunity to make their own narrative choices and engage with the Wizarding World setting to create new and unique experiences. The label was created to bring gamers and fans new gaming experiences that allow them to delve into the magic of the Wizarding World in immersive ways where they can define their own Wizarding World story.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, gameplay details, game features, and a limited-time holiday event and the expectation of additional events and features in 2021 in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “outlook,” “projected,” “planned,” “intends,” “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “target,” “expect,” and statements in the future tense are generally forward-looking. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update such statements. More information about these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions is or will be described in greater detail in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), copies of which may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at http://investor.zynga.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

WIZARDING WORLD, HARRY POTTER Publishing Rights © J.K. Rowling. HARRY POTTER: PUZZLES & SPELLS, PORTKEY GAMES, WIZARDING WORLD and HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia © and ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. ™ Zynga Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s20)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201222005003/en/

Contacts

ZYNGA MEDIA CONTACT:

Dana Whitney | dwhitney@zynga.com

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The Republic of Congo Brazzaville Becomes the Africa Finance Corporation’s 28th Member State

 BRAZZAVILLE, Congo-Tuesday 22 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Africa Finance Corporation (“AFC” or the “Corporation”) is delighted to welcome the Republic of Congo (“Congo Brazzaville” or “Congo”) as its 28th Member State, following the execution of the country’s Instrument of Adherence by Mr Gilbert Ondongo, Minister of State for the Economy, Industry and Public Finances on the 20th of October 2020.

The Congolese Government’s commitment to structural economic transformation and inclusive growth is fully aligned with AFC’s ecosystem and beneficiation investment strategy. AFC looks forward to supporting the Government of Congo’s efforts to maximize the value of its vast natural resource base and unlock its full agricultural potential for the betterment of its people, by promoting economic growth and diversification, job creation and sustainable development.

Samaila Zubairu, AFC President & CEO, made the following remarks on the announcement today:

“It is my pleasure to welcome the Republic of Congo as a Member State of the Africa Finance Corporation. The Republic of Congo, like many other African countries, has faced dual humanitarian and economic crises this year. In response, the Government scaled up health-related spending and deployed a series of mitigation measures, which helped to contain the crisis. Looking ahead, AFC is committed to supporting the country’s economic recovery, with an engagement strategy that increases productivity through value addition, promotes sustainable development and enhances overall economic resilience.

Commenting on Congo’s accession, Mr. Ondongo stated: “Congo welcomes the partnership of pan-African multilateral institutions such as the Africa Finance Corporation, to drive its economic development and growth. We are pleased to join the membership of the Africa Finance Corporation as it has demonstrated a commitment to the development, financing, and delivery of transformational infrastructure projects, including in Congo where it has supported the SNPC (la Société National du Pétroles de Congo). We look forward to leveraging AFC’s expertise and solution-oriented approach to embark on a new phase of growth and development for the Republic of Congo.”

 

Notes to Editors

About AFC - www.africafc.org

AFC, an investment grade multilateral finance institution, was established in 2007 with an equity capital base of US$1 billion to be the catalyst for private sector-led infrastructure investment across Africa. With a current balance sheet of approximately US$6.6 billion, AFC is the second highest investment grade rated multilateral financial institution in Africa with an A3 rating from Moody’s Investors Service. AFC successfully raised CHF150 million (Green Bond) and US$700 million respectively in 2020, US$1,150 million (US$650 million and US$500 million) in 2019, US$500 million in 2017 and US$750 million in 2015 through Eurobond issuances; out of its Board-approved US$5 Billion Global Medium-Term Note (MTN) Programme. All Eurobond issues were oversubscribed and attracted investors from Asia, Europe, and the USA.

AFC’s investment approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth. AFC invests in high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. To date, the Corporation has invested over US$7.0 billion in projects in 33 countries across Africa.

Follow us on Twitter - @africa_finance

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201221005383/en/

Contacts

For more information contact:

Lucy Savage
Senior Vice President, Communications
Tel: + 234 1 279 9600
Email: lucy.savage@africafc.org

Buchanan Communications
Bobby Morse / Augustine Chipungu
Tel: +44 (0) 207 466 5000
Email: afc@buchanan.uk.com

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ExaGrid Concludes 2020 with 7 Industry Award Wins and New Ransomware Recovery Solution

  Highlights Include the Release of Software Version 6.0, Continued Global Expansion, Strong Sales Quarters, and Consecutive Award Wins



MARLBOROUGH, Mass.-Tuesday 22 December 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ExaGrid®, the industry’s only Tiered Backup Storage solution, today announced that the company had a successful year despite the worldwide struggles associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are grateful to our customers, reseller partners, and alliance partners who have worked with us to make 2020 such a successful year, in spite of the adversity that we have all faced during the pandemic. We are hopeful that in 2021 that there will be some return to normalcy and look forward to more in-person meetings and events,” said Bill Andrews, President and CEO of ExaGrid. “In the meantime, we have been fortunate that ExaGrid’s industry-leading customer support model already featured remote installation and support, so we have been able to continue our no-contact installation for the safety of our staff and customers without interruption.”

Some of ExaGrid’s major highlights in 2020 include:

    Strong growth in Q1 to Q3, especially in the Americas and EMEA, which included a record number of six and seven-figure purchases for both new and existing customers, with another impressive quarter expected for Q4.

    Continued expansion into the Middle East region, adding new territory managers in Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, growing the global sales team, which now covers of 30 countries, with planned expansion to grow to 50 countries over the next two years.

    The release of Software Version 6.0, which included a streamlined navigation experience, user interface improvements, security enhancements, and most notably, the Retention Time-Lock for Ransomware Recovery, making ExaGrid the only backup storage system on the market to offer a non-network-facing tier with immutable objects and delayed deletes for ransomware recovery solution.

    Recognition for its Tiered Backup Storage appliances, earning the following awards in the fall of 2020:

        Network Computing Awards

            Company of the Year

            Hardware Product of the Year

        Storage Awards “The Storries XVII”

            Enterprise Backup Hardware Vendor of the Year

            Storage Performance Optimisation Company of the Year

        SDC Awards

            Storage Company of the Year

            Storage Hardware Innovation of the Year

            Vendor Channel Program of the Year

ExaGrid’s Tiered Backup Storage offers a disk-cache Landing Zone for backup and restore performance and is tiered to a long-term retention repository for cost efficient storage with data deduplication as well as a scale-out storage architecture that scales as data grows. ExaGrid offers the best of both worlds by pairing the fastest backup and restore performance with the lowest cost long-term retention storage.

About ExaGrid
ExaGrid provides Tiered Backup Storage with a unique disk-cache Landing Zone, long-term retention repository, and scale-out architecture. ExaGrid’s Landing Zone provides for the fastest backups, restores, and instant VM recoveries. The retention repository offers the lowest cost for long-term retention. ExaGrid’s scale-out architecture includes full appliances and ensures a fixed-length backup window as data grows, eliminating expensive forklift upgrades and product obsolescence. ExaGrid’s Retention Time-Lock is the only backup storage solution with a non-network facing tier, immutable objects and delayed deletes for ransomware recovery. Visit us at exagrid.com or connect with us on LinkedIn. See what our customers have to say about their own ExaGrid experiences, and learn why they now spend significantly less time on backup, in our customer success stories.

ExaGrid is a registered trademark of ExaGrid Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201222005068/en/

Contacts

Mary Domenichelli
ExaGrid
mdomenichelli@exagrid.com


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