UBTECH Smart Elderly Care Solution Garners Bronze Award Of 2023 Edison Awards

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- UBTECH, a leading global artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics company, was honoured with the Bronze award of the 2023 Edison Awards’ MedTech category for the distinguished innovation of its Smart Elderly Care Solution.

UBTECH's Smart Elderly Care Solution offers an enriched portfolio of intelligent robots to enhance the quality of life for seniors. In addition to using cutting-edge robotics technologies, the solution also leverages advanced AI.

Through UBTECH's Smart Healthcare Cloud Platform, the Smart Elderly Care Solution creates a network that enables seamless integration of a variety of devices. This interconnect between hardware, network and people supports the seven key scenarios of smart elderly care namely, operational management, safety and security, health management, daily care, rehabilitation, mental and physical activities, and nutrition and diet.

“This is the industry’s comprehensive solution that combines advanced robotics and AI technology to assist seniors and their caregivers in nursing homes. Rather than providing services using isolated, individual products, we focus on addressing system-level challenges.

“By extensively applying AI technology, we vastly improved product performance to bring a richer, more optimised experience to the elderly and caregivers. It is an honour to have our Smart Elderly Care Solution be recognised by the Edison Awards,” said UBTECH Co-Chief Technology Officer and UBTECH Healthcare General Manager, Henry Tan in a statement.

Designed for accessibility, the solution portfolio accepts a multitude of inputs. Its smart sensors, working in parallel with its data platform, transform care from passive to proactive in assisting with daily tasks, and with rich interactive features, the solution can support seniors' physical and mental well-being.

Moving into the smart care era, UBTECH provides people with an intelligent, independent and convenient solution to raise the standard for the elderly care industry.

Within the past year, UBTECH has released five service robots which are Wassi, an intelligent walking assistance robot; VerCari, a containerised delivery robot; PathFynder, a smart wheelchair; AuCari, an open delivery robot; and Welli, a companion robot.

Due to its utility and innovation, UBTECH's Smart Elderly Care Solution is garnering international interest. The PathFynder smart wheelchair is now exploring market in North America.

Known as the "Oscars of tech," the Edison Awards is one of the oldest and most prestigious technology awards honouring the most impactful brands and business leaders worldwide, with past winners including Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, General Motors, and Genentech, recognising their excellence in service development, marketing, design and innovation.

All nominations were reviewed by the Edison Awards Steering Committee with the final ballot determined by an independent judging panel comprising more than 3,000 senior business executives and academics from the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, marketing and education, as well as past winners.

--  BERNAMA

WHR GLOBAL RELEASES "ASK THE EXPERT" 2023 DESTINATION SERVICES BENCHMARK REPORT

MILWAUKEE, April 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHR Global (WHR), a leader in the global employee relocation industry, announced the release of its international 2023 Destination Services Benchmark Report called “Ask the Expert.” WHR surveyed 32 companies from its trusted destination services provider network, covering 56 countries worldwide. WHR believes its Benchmark report will help current and future clients compare their global mobility programs to other companies’ destination service offerings for relocating employees and assignees. As companies continue to compete for talent, relocation benefits must be competitive.

Destination services help relocating employees get settled in their new location and can include the following: Area Orientation; Local Registration; Tenancy Management, Lease Check Out and Property Management; Home Search; Mortgage Counseling; Temporary Housing; Spousal and Partner Career Assistance; Help with Immigration (Visa and Immigration Regulations); School Search for Children; Moving Pets; Language and Cultural Training; and Other Settling-In Services.

WHR’s Benchmark data includes the following for 56 countries:

· The average number of days companies offer destination services and days recommended, by country (by entry-level, mid-level and executive-level employees; and by varying family sizes).
· The most common leasing arrangement for expats, by country.
· Destination services presenting the most difficulty, by country.
· Departure services offered for employees leaving a location, by country.
· Ease or difficulty getting security deposits back and timeline, by country.
· Additional recommended destination services, by country. 

According to WHR Strategic Initiatives Manager, Sean Thrun, “Benchmarking destination services helps answer key questions that are critical to employee engagement and retention: Am I offering my employees enough support? Should we provide departure services, or are employees capable of handling on their own? What should my employees be aware of when they move to this country? If your employees are highly specialized and difficult to replace, this Benchmark will guide the service level you provide, and help your employees relocate eyes wide open." 

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PIE SYSTEMS OFFERS "PIE VAT" APP USERS VISITING JAPAN FREE INTERNET SERVICE

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) – Pie Systems Japan Co Ltd, a leading travel tech company which provides the VAT refund solution "PIE VAT" and a subsidiary of Pie Systems Inc, has started providing 5G eSIM for free to PIE VAT app users visiting Japan.

According to Pie Systems in a statement, users can access the service by downloading tax-free shopping app PIE VAT.

Pie Systems Japan Chief Executive Officer, Hiroaki Mizuno said with the eSIM free internet service provided by Pie Systems, users can set up eSIM easily and quickly and access the internet via PIE VAT.

“We provide users with a high-speed and stress-free communications environment through the eSIM that supports 5G. Users can easily claim their VAT refunds with the PIE VAT app at PIE VAT partner stores and shopping malls.

“PIE VAT is a travel platform to connect travellers with retailers/merchants. The app serves as a bridge between them to eliminate various inconveniences during trips. We will continue launching new services to support travellers' wonderful trips,” he said.

PIE VAT is a digital platform delivering delightful tourism, starting with digitising tax-free shopping for merchants and tourists as well as reducing the operational burden for merchants and improving shopping experience for tourists.

Merchants can set up PIE VAT on their personal computers (PCs) or tablets without hardware integration while tourists can easily claim their VAT refunds when travelling abroad with the PIE VAT app.

Users can easily and quickly set up the eSIM via PIE VAT. The eSIM allows them to access the internet and complete VAT refund procedures using the free internet service.

In addition, users can enjoy a high-speed, stress-free communications environment with the eSIM that supports 5G, and can use 1 gigabyte (GB) of data free for a maximum of 30 days.

--  BERNAMA 

Carrier Billing Spend Reaches Us$122 Bln By 2027 - Juniper Research

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- A new study from Juniper Research, foremost experts in payments, revealed that carrier billing spend will reach US$122 billion globally by 2027, rising from US$70 billion in 2023. (US$1=RM4.42)

In a statement, Juniper Research said this growth of 74 per cent over the next four years will be driven by carrier billing expanding beyond content and into physical goods and ticketing.

The market-leading report assesses key verticals across digital content, physical goods and services, and ranks carrier billing spend by the following top verticals, in 2027 which are Digital Games (34 per cent); Digital Videos (25 per cent); Physical Goods (21 per cent); Ticketing (seven per cent); Digital Music (six per cent) and Other (seven per cent).

Carrier billing is a mobile payment method which allows users to make purchases by charging payments to their mobile phone carrier bill.

Whilst digital games and video will account for almost 60 per cent of global carrier billing spend by 2027, the report identified digital ticketing as the fastest-growing area, a key focus for carrier billing platforms and operators over the next four years driven by Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) subscription platforms.

The report identified Japan as being a market of particular interest. Whilst accounting for only two per cent of global mobile subscribers, it will represent 12 per cent of global carrier billing spend by 2027

A preference for cash amongst consumers and concerns about using payment cards online will drive users to increasingly adopt carrier billing.

As such, the report urged carrier billing platforms to accelerate their partnerships with online retail merchants, enabling retailers to offer carrier billing payment solutions, and additionally benefit from Japan’s higher-than-average carrier billing spend.

--  BERNAMA

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK'S OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL MAKES HUGE PRODUCTIVITY GAINS WITH IMANAGE CLOUD

Centralizing legal documents and emails within the bank’s Office of the General Counsel yields 75% time savings, drives secure collaboration and a near-paperless operation

CHICAGO, April 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iManage, the company dedicated to Making Knowledge Work™, today announced that the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) of Philippines-headquartered Asian Development Bank (ADB) – which serves 68 member countries in the APAC region – has achieved impressive productivity, efficiency, and collaboration benefits from the adoption of iManage Work 10 in the cloud for document and email management.

Replacing the previous fragmented approach to information management with iManage Work 10 has significantly reduced time spent on printing, filing, organizing, and searching for documents and emails, cutting it from 2400 person hours per month to just 600 hours – a 75% increase in efficiency. OGC’s 110 employees, some of whom are spread across the different offices, countries and time zones, can securely access files anywhere, at any time, while custom workspaces provide the flexibility to accommodate the different workflows among the different teams in the OGC. 

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NIPPON EXPRESS (UK) RECEIVES IATA CEIV PHARMA CERTIFICATION FOR ITS FACILITY IN HEATHROW AIRPORT SUBURB

TOKYO, Apr. 26, 2023 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ --

Nippon Express (UK) Ltd. (hereinafter "NXUK"), a group company of NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC., has been awarded IATA CEIV Pharma certification*, a quality certificate for pharmaceutical transport established by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), for its facility in the suburbs of Heathrow Airport, effective February 28 this year.   Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202304184992-O1-JHM4p34o   Photo: Interior of facility that has obtained CEIV Pharma certification https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202304184992/_prw_PI2fl_ER26fIgB.jpg?_ga=2.107928770.1572156177.1681692946-1430758024.1637027940     In addition to major global pharmaceutical companies, the United Kingdom is home to numerous small and medium-sized biopharmaceutical companies as well as world-class universities and research institutes, making it a hub for pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Demand for vaccines and therapeutics has increased in recent years along with the COVID-19 pandemic, and imports and exports of pharmaceutical products via Heathrow Airport are expected to continue rising in future.   The Nippon Express Group has positioned the pharmaceutical industry as a key industry in its "Nippon Express Group Business Plan 2023 -- Dynamic Growth," and is pursuing the global development of a safe and secure pharmaceutical logistics platform to meet the ever more sophisticated and diverse needs of pharmaceutical logistics.   NXUK was awarded Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification and Wholesale Distribution Authorisation (WDA) from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in April 2020, evidencing its compliance with internationally recognized standards for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals, and, with the acquisition of CEIV Pharma certification, will now be able to provide safer and higher-quality pharmaceutical transportation services using the UK, an important hub for the pharmaceutical industry, as a nodal point.   The Nippon Express Group is committed to contributing to the health of people around the world by supporting its customers in the global pharmaceutical industry from a logistics perspective through the establishment of a reliable and safe global pharmaceutical logistics platform.   *About CEIV Pharma: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202304184992-O1-eqntQrQm.pdf   Nippon Express website: https://www.nipponexpress.com/   Nippon Express Group's official LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/     Source: NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC.   http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45952

DENMARK TAKES FIRST PLACE IN SECOND ANNUAL WORLD CITIZENSHIP REPORT, GLOBAL 'POWERHOUSES' LOSE THEIR LUSTRE AMONG THE MASS AFFLUENT

London, United Kingdom, April 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Denmark, Switzerland and Finland took the top three spots in the 2023 World Citizenship Report, which launched today. The World Citizenship Report ranks 188 countries across five key motivators defining citizenship for the global citizen. 

Published by CS Global Partners, the world's leading government and investment migration advisory firm, the World Citizenship Report showcases the World Citizenship Index (WCI), an innovative tool that takes a holistic approach to rank the world’s citizenships across multiple dimensions including the motivators of Safety and Security, Quality of Life, Economic Opportunity, Global Mobility and Financial Freedom. 

The World Citizenship Index is the product of a research-driven approach that goes beyond ordinary concepts of passport strength by placing greater emphasis on the diverse attitudes regarding key facets of citizenship. Unlike other rating tools, the World Citizenship Index ranking is designed to reflect a citizenship’s value through the lens of high-net-worth-individuals (HNWIs) and the newest generation of global citizens: the mass affluent population.  

“This year, we looked beyond HNWIs and extended our survey to the new mass affluent, a globally mobile generation who is providing fresh impetus for a renewed drive towards global citizenship. As the world around continues to change at an exponential rate, bringing with it new crises and opportunities – individuals across the globe are increasingly calling their own citizenships into question in terms of the safety, freedoms, and the prosperity they provide,” said Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners. 

“This Report stands apart from other reports in the industry because it examines which countries offer the most benefits for global citizens, particularly in a post-COVID world where those that have the means are consistently searching for greater opportunities." 

This year, Denmark kicked Switzerland out of the top spot and scored the highest points. Switzerland ranked in second place and Finland retained the third spot for a second year in a row.  

Notably, global superpowers such as the United States and China did not rank in the top ten, symbolising a significant shift in what these economic giants can tangibly offer the global elite. HNWIs and mass affluent citizens are searching for a better quality of life, security and financial freedoms, all aspects which have been on shaky ground since the pandemic. 

The surveyed cohort chose ‘Quality of Life’ as the most important feature of citizenship, which ranked first across the World Citizenship Index’s five pillars, eclipsing both Physical Safety and Financial Freedom.  

The Report found that a competitive economy, public services, and environmental sustainability are the three areas mass affluent individuals feel most let down by their governments.​ 

We are unfortunately living through a period where the standard of living is falling at the fastest rate in over a generation. At the end of 2022, the UK Office for Budget Responsibility reported that UK households are set to suffer a 7.1 per cent fall in living standards over the next two years, the largest decline in six decades. Furthermore, according to the latest United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report published in the same period, living conditions in 90 per cent of the world’s countries deteriorated in 2021 – something that hasn’t been seen since the height of the previous global recession caused by the financial crisis in 2007. Moreover, the UNDP report marked the first consecutive year of decline in the 32-year history of the Human Development Index (HDI) – these trends are reflected in the current World Citizenship Index scores. For example, the United States dropped to 29th position for the Quality-of-Life motivator from 20th position previously, which shows how living standards are coming under pressure even in the world’s economic powerhouses. 

"The World Citizenship Report aims to capture what truly concerns and affects a global citizen," added Emmet. "When there are options to gain a second or third citizenship, the first question in a HNWIs mind is 'where is the next place to be associated with?'" 

"High-net-worth individuals and the mass affluent must consider a myriad of factors when deciding something as monumental as where to obtain second citizenship and build a second home. While passport strength is, of course, an important component, it is also one that is subject to the greatest change as evidenced by pandemic related travel restrictions," she added. 

As many parts of the globe recover from COVID-19 and find means to bolster their economies, a new chain of threats has emerged. The conflict in the Ukraine has not only made many nations in the northern hemisphere realise just how fragile the concept of safety and freedom is but has severely impacted energy and food security across the world. 

With so much change happening so rapidly around us, it can be challenging to keep up with how all these disparate factors coming to bear on the prevailing attitudes toward global citizenship. And this is where the value of the World Citizenship Report comes into the picture. The Report continues to build on its reputation as an ambitious product reflecting the evolving nature of these attitudes toward citizenship, and one that is in tune with the defining issues of our time with respect to global citizens, including health and wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and shifting investment priorities. 

The World Citizenship Index’s unique methodology relies on the experience gained through CS Global Partners unparalleled work in the citizenship solutions industry, as well as comprehensive research to evaluate 188 jurisdictions across the five motivators of citizenship out of a maximum attainable score of 100 points.  

The Report’s multidimensional approach ensured that the attitudes under investigation were captured as accurately and meaningfully as possible. Consequently, rather than relying exclusively on value judgments to construct and weight the World Citizenship Index, CS Global Partners also leveraged its unparalleled network of industry experts and access to global citizens to isolate the major motivations for attaining a second citizenship. These factors were then further explored and validated by surveying the global mass affluent population on the value of second citizenship.  

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SINGAPORE-HEADQUARTERED ACTYV.AI DECLARES GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH KGISL

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- Singapore-headquartered actyv.ai, a category creator in the enterprise Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) with embedded business-to-business (B2B) Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and insurance space, has announced a global partnership with KGiSL, a BFSI-centric multiproduct Enterprise Software company.

In a statement, actyv.ai Founder and Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Raghunath Subramanian said: “KGiSL is recognised for its range of BFSI-centric products, its quality consulting, implementation competence and customer success.

“As actyv.ai expands its operations in MENA, APAC and India, KGiSL will enable actyv.ai to scale its operations by orchestrating interactions with Enterprise and BFSI ecosystems. Together, we can positively impact enterprises to drive unprecedented growth and efficiency.”

On the partnership, KGiSL CEO, Prassadh Shanmugam said: “Our expertise in enterprise software products for the BFSI industry will aid in creating pathbreaking use cases for actyv.ai.

“Together, we will drive synergies with our combined bouquet of products and focus on digitally transforming the global supply chain ecosystem, in India and around the globe.

“Our consultative approach will result in sustained outcomes for our customers and their partners through the agile actyv.ai platform.”

-- BERNAMA

NIPPON EXPRESS GROUP'S MD LOGISTICS OPENS "GARNER 2000 PHARMACEUTICAL LOGISTICS CENTER" IN NORTH CAROLINA, U.S.

TOKYO, Apr. 25, 2023 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ --

MD Logistics, LLC (hereinafter "MD"), a group company of NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC., held an opening ceremony on March 23 for the Garner 2000 Pharmaceutical Logistics Center, a dedicated pharmaceutical warehouse established in Garner in the U.S. state of North Carolina in January this year.   NIPPON EXPRESS logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202304184990-O1-hPPV3b7z   Opening ceremony: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202304184990/_prw_PI2fl_K2l3XlYL.jpg     North Carolina is a key hub for the pharmaceutical industry in the United States, with numerous major pharmaceutical manufacturers and life science companies having expanded into the state. It is also home to many research institutes and universities that have amassed significant medical knowledge and technologies.   The Nippon Express Group has positioned the pharmaceutical industry as a key industry in its "Nippon Express Group Business Plan 2023 -- Dynamic Growth," and is pursuing the global development of a safe and secure pharmaceutical logistics platform to meet increasingly sophisticated and diverse pharmaceutical logistics needs.   MD has four warehouses in Indiana and one in Nevada, and has located its sixth U.S. warehouse in North Carolina, where pharmaceutical logistics needs are high and expected to grow further.   The Nippon Express Group will continue supporting customers in the pharmaceutical industry worldwide by building a reliable and secure global pharmaceutical logistics platform, aiming to contribute to the health of people around the world.   Overview of new warehouse - Name:  Garner 2000 Pharmaceutical Logistics Center - Address: 2000 Garner Business Park Drive, Garner, NC 27529, USA - Total floor area: 22,297 m2 (240,000 ft2) - Supported temperature ranges: 2-8 C / 15-25 C (two temperature ranges) - Key facilities: Full air-conditioning, refrigerated storage, quarantine compliance for pharmaceuticals, surveillance cameras, access control, in-house power generation system - Start of operations: January 3, 2023   Warehouse exterior: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202304184990/_prw_PI3fl_MFM64P50.jpg     Warehouse interior: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202304184990/_prw_PI4fl_FUqDi47A.jpg     Nippon Express website: https://www.nipponexpress.com/   Nippon Express Group's official LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/     Source: NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC.  http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45944

WHAT'S BREWING: JAPAN STARBUCKS THIRD GLOBAL MARKET TO INTRODUCE OLEATO BEVERAGES

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- Starbucks has launched an innovative line of coffee beverages called “Oleato”, an alchemy of Starbucks finest arabica coffee infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil at more than 60 select stores across Japan including Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo, on April 20.

Following the February debut of Oleato beverages in Italy and March launch at the Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in Chicago, Seattle and New York, and select stores in the United States (US), Starbucks third global launch market for the beverage line will be in Japan, where Starbucks began its journey as a global brand outside North America more than 26 years ago.

“As we introduce this new coffee innovation to Japan, my time here this week in Tokyo reminds me of the enduring and global relevancy of community, connection, and passion for both coffee and craft.

“We are thrilled to introduce to the Japanese market the next revolution in coffee that brings together an alchemy of nature’s finest ingredients – Starbucks arabica coffee beans and Partanna cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Oleato has opened our eyes to fresh new possibilities for Starbucks,” said Starbucks Coffee Company chairman emeritus and board member, Howard Schultz.

Meanwhile, Starbucks Japan chief executive officer, Takafumi Minaguchi said: “Our customers are eager to explore new ways to enjoy their Starbucks Experience. We believe that this transformational innovation of two unexpected ingredients will exceed their expectations and uplift their cup with an extraordinary new flavour.”

In a statement, Starbucks said the Oleato beverages available at Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo and select Starbucks Reserve stores are Starbucks Reserve Oleato Golden Cream Iced Espresso; Starbucks Reserve Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew; and Starbucks Reserve Oleato Oat Milk Latte.

At the same time, Oleato beverages available at select stores across Japan are Starbucks Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew and Starbucks Oleato Oat Milk Latte.

Since opening its first store in Ginza in 1996, Starbucks has opened more than 1,800 stores in Japan, operated by more than 51,000 partners who proudly wear the green apron.

Starbucks continues to provide a premium Starbucks Experience to customers across Japan, with locally-relevant beverages like matcha and tea beverages, as well as innovations like seasonal Frappuccino blended beverages.

In 2019, Starbucks opened the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo, a fully-immersive tribute to premium coffee quality, innovation and human connection, where extraordinary new coffee experience comes to life for customers every day.

-- BERNAMA

BEAR ROBOTICS INVESTMENT IN M2MTECH TO EXTEND FAMED ELEVATOR DELIVERY ROBOT

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 (Bernama) -- Bear Robotics, a Silicon Valley-based innovator of indoor service robots, announced a strategic investment to fund its Korea-based partner, M2MTech, which specialises in Internet of Things (IoT) convergence for smart remote and predictive systems with elevators.

This investment comes as Bear Robotics now extends their world-renowned Servi robot line with a fully integrated elevator delivery robot, Servi Lift, which is capable of completing last-mile deliveries inside of multi-story buildings such as hotels, hospitals, corporate campuses, as well as other high-rise commercial and residential real estate properties.

In a statement, Bear Robotics co-founder and chief executive officer, John Ha said, the firm believes this investment will truly maximise facility efficiencies and minimise user inconvenience.

“The ELSA convergence platform developed by M2MTech provides strong security, interoperability and connectivity advantages that will set the stage for us to scale our last-mile mobility solutions,” Ha added.

Meanwhile, its co-founder and chief operating officer, Juan Higueros said: “With the global IoT elevator market forecasted to grow to US$64 billion by 2030, it was imperative for us to invest into our close partnership with M2MTech, and to realise the synergies we believe will advance our last-mile aspirations.

“We are confident that this collaborative approach will generate more efficient operations for many of our existing customers and open a broad array of new opportunities that will place Bear Robotics in a position to be the world’s leading multi-story robot delivery solutions provider.”

In engineering Servi Lift, Bear Robotics sought interoperability as its absolute competitive advantage to be applied with major players in the smart elevator market such as OTIS, TKE, Mitsubishi, KONE, Hyundai and Schindler.

With the expansion of urbanisation, the tech pioneer is bullish on the “smart city” shift to robot-friendly buildings, enhanced access security, and the penetration of smart elevators in smart buildings with strong linkages between systems.

Servi Lift will undergo 100 trials in 2023 and broader rollouts lined up across the world in 2024.

--  BERNAMA

PROVINTELL PARTNERS WITH STELLAR CYBER TO DELIVER "THREAT INTELLIGENCE AS FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE" SERVICES IN THE REGION

 Stellar Cyber's Open XDR Platform Ensures Customers Protect Their Investments

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today PROVINTELL, an emerging Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) and Cybersecurity-as-a-Service (CSaaS) Provider in the region, specializing in the Next-Gen Cyber Defense and Response services, announced it has partnered with Stellar Cyber to uplevel their slate of cybersecurity services. Stellar Cyber, the pioneer of Open XDR, developed a unified security operations platform that enables security teams to perform their duties faster and more efficiently.

PROVINTELL’s 24x7 Next-Gen CyberSOC is fully managed by in-house certified cybersecurity specialists highly skilled in threat hunting, incident response, red teaming, and penetration testing.

“We employ ‘Threat Intelligence as First Line of Defense’ by continuously assessing our customers' attack surface, data breach, and exposure risk,” said Nicholas Ng, CISSP, CCLP, PROVINTELL CEO. “The versatility, accessibility, and capabilities of the Stellar Cyber Open XDR Platform are aligned with our regional business expansion plan, reducing our time and cost in research and development and, most importantly, helping us to serve our customers more efficiently.”

PROVINTELL implemented the ‘Threat Intelligence as First Line of Defense’ approach and methodology for its 24x7 Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) customers based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to Identify, Detect, and Respond to cyber risks, threats, and vulnerabilities.

• Identify the attack surface, data breach, and exposure risk.
• Assess and reduce the exposure risk with vulnerability management and security validation.
• Continuous threat hunting and intrusion monitoring with XDR Kill Chain and machine learning.
• Compromise assessment and incident response with external and internal threat intelligence.
• Security orchestration and incident response playbook.
• Latest threat and vulnerability advisory.

This prescriptive methodology enables PROVINTELL to stand out from other MSSP alternatives. “We are focused on delivering the best holistic cybersecurity services possible, and Stellar Cyber is making that dream a reality today,” said Ng.

“We are happy to add PROVINTELL as a trusted managed security service provider partner for their region,” said Jim O’Hara, CRO at Stellar Cyber. “They have a great reputation in the region and are known for exceeding their customers' expectations daily by providing the outcomes security teams require to maintain business continuity.”

ABOUT PROVINTELL

PROVINTELL is an emerging Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) and Cybersecurity-as-a-Service Provider (CSaaS) in the region, specializing in Next-Gen Cyber Defense and Response by utilizing the latest Open XDR with Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence (XDR Kill Chain) technologies to hunt, detect and respond to threats in the most complex environment.

PROVINTELL’s 24x7 Next-Gen CyberSOC is fully managed by in-house certified cybersecurity specialists highly skilled in threat hunting, incident response, red teaming, and penetration testing. They employ ‘Threat Intelligence as First Line of Defense’ by continuously assessing the attack surface, data breach, and exposure risk of the customers, known as the threat and vulnerability intelligence, to enhance PROVINTELL CyberSOC capabilities in orchestrating the most effective cyber defense and response strategies against the latest and sophisticated cyber threats.

www.provintell.com

ABOUT STELLAR CYBER

The Stellar Cyber Open XDR platform delivers comprehensive, unified security without complexity, empowering lean security teams of any skill to secure their environments successfully. With Stellar Cyber, organizations reduce risk with early and precise identification and remediation of threats while slashing costs, retaining investments in existing tools, and improving analyst productivity, delivering an 20x improvement in MTTD and a 8x improvement in MTTR. The company is based in Silicon Valley. For more information, visit www.stellarcyber.ai

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230417005314/en/

Contact

Stellar Cyber:
Daniella Assaf:
M: +1-351-666-0130
E: daniella@inboundjunction.com

Source : Stellar Cyber

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Zoom To Bolster Employee Experience Offering Via Workvivo Acquisition

KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Bernama) -- Zoom Video Communications Inc has announced the acquisition of Workvivo to extend Zoom’s platform and offer its customers new ways to keep employees informed, engaged and connected.

“The power of Workvivo employee experience platform, with its robust communications and engagement offering combined with Zoom’s all-in-one collaboration platform, allows organisations to fully unlock the potential of their employees and evolve their company culture in a hybrid world.

“Workvivo prioritises ease-of-use and simplicity of design, offering the best user experience which is a perfect match to Zoom’s DNA,” said Zoom chief financial officer, Kelly Steckelberg, in a statement.

Meanwhile, Workvivo chief executive officer and co-founder, John Goulding said: “Zoom’s rapid pace of innovation and the persistent dedication to building products with a human-first mindset is why we are most excited about joining the team.

“With Zoom, we can build great things together, make teamwork more meaningful, and extend collaboration beyond knowledge workers, allowing us to reach employees who have historically felt disconnected from the company.”

Founded in 2017, Workvivo provides a modern, feature-rich employee experience platform, combining advanced internal communication and engagement tools, a social intranet, and an employee app, all blended into one central hub, forming the heart of a company's digital ecosystem.

With this acquisition, Zoom continues its evolution to provide the best end-to-end collaboration platform focused on enabling modern work and powering the digital-first workplace.

Following the close of the transaction, Zoom plans to incorporate Workvivo’s capabilities into its platform to deliver a best-in-class, employee experience. Workvivo's founders Goulding and Joe Lennon, and the entire Workvivo team, will be instrumental in driving employee experience innovation strategy.

The transaction is expected to close in first quarter FY2024, with terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

-- BERNAMA

AUTEL ENERGY ROLLS OUT EV CHARGING STATIONS IN SINGAPORE, AIMS SOUTHEAST ASIA EXPANSION

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- Autel Energy, an electric vehicle (EV) charging products and services provider, announced it is rolling out EV charging stations in Singapore.

Currently, the stations in Hup Hin, the National University of Singapore and Gain City at Sungei Kadut Drive have completed installation, while the station in Gain City at Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2 will be unveiled soon.

“Our charging stations offer faster and more efficient charging for EV drivers while supporting APP, RFID Card, Credit Card, Mobile Payment. We look forward to further expanding our EV charging solutions in Singapore and beyond,” said director of Autel APAC and Australia of Autel Energy, Henry He.

In a statement, Autel Energy said the stations which featured its MaxiCharger DC Fast technology, will offer a faster and more efficient charging experience to Singaporean EV drivers.

Autel’s 60-240 kilowatt (kW) MaxiCharger DC Fast series can provide up to 265 kilometre (km) of range in just 10 minutes with a maximum 400A output current and charging speed can be improved by up to 30 per cent  with the boost mode.

The MaxiCharger DC Fast series also features a smart advertising and communication screen that can provide additional revenue streams for businesses, while also offering charging-related information such as State of Charge (SOC), cost and kilowatt-hour (kWh).

Meanwhile, Autel’s charging solutions are highly reliable and compatible with all vehicles of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, and the company has been testing and evaluating new vehicles for interoperability to ensure a higher success rate for charging.

With the installation of its charging stations in Singapore, Autel Energy is helping to accelerate the adoption of EVs and reduce the carbon footprint of transportation.

Aiming to roll out more EV charging stations including in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, as well as expanding its charging infrastructure across Southeast Asia, Autel Energy is committed to making EV charging more accessible and convenient for drivers while contributing to a more sustainable future.

-- BERNAMA

HONG KONG’S TUGU INSURANCE CREDIT RATINGS AFFIRMED - AM BEST

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb-” (Good) of Hong Kong’s Tugu Insurance Company Limited (TIC).

In a statement, AM Best said the outlook of these Credit Ratings (rating) is stable, reflecting TIC’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assessed as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and marginal enterprise risk management (ERM).

TIC’s strong balance sheet assessment is supported by its risk-adjusted capitalisation assessed at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

The company’s capital and surplus has been volatile over the past five years, due to the combined effect of unsteady operating results and revaluation gains or losses arising from its concentrated investment properties.

AM Best viewed TIC’s operating performance as marginal in which the company has reported solid premium growth since 2021; nonetheless, it continued to record an elevated level of expense ratio due to its small premium base.

The company’s investment return has been relatively stable, supported by a stream of rental income from its investment properties, coupled with dividends from listed bonds and common shares, as well as interest income from cash and deposits.

Annual revaluation of investment properties, on the other hand, adds uncertainty to TIC’s net profits or losses, with AM Best expecting TIC’s overall profitability to remain thin over the short to medium term.

United States-headquartered AM Best assessed TIC’s business profile as limited. The company remains a small player in Hong Kong’s highly competitive and fragmented general insurance market.

The rating agency also viewed TIC’s ERM as marginal with underwriting, strategic planning and reserving activities have historically been areas in which the company’s risk management capabilities do not match its profile.

-- BERNAMA

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR FUTURE DIGITAL AWARDS FOR SMART CITIES & IOT INNOVATION 2023 - JUNIPER RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 (Bernama) -- Juniper Research announced that entries are now open for the Future Digital Awards for Smart Cities & IoT Innovation 2023.

According to a statement, entries close on May 19, before being assessed by Juniper Research’s expert panel of analysts, and the awards will be announced on June 21.

Since 2008, the Future Digital Awards have been awarded to tech companies at the forefront of their respective fields: companies that deliver imaginative and innovative products or services that have the potential to disrupt their ecosystems and provide significant benefits to their target audience.

These awards aim to reward the most innovative vendors and solutions in the rapidly evolving smart cities & Internet of Things (IoT) markets, as a renewed focus on sustainability drives further developments in this dynamic industry.

The categories included for IoT Innovation are Best IoT Security Platform (Platinum & Gold); Most Innovative Edge Computing Solution (Platinum & Gold); Best IoT Device Management Platform (Platinum & Gold); and Smart Agriculture Solution Innovation (Platinum & Gold).

Meanwhile, for Sustainability & Smart City Innovation, categories include Best Smart Traffic Management Solution (Platinum & Gold); Best Smart Parking Solution (Platinum & Gold); Innovation in Smart Urban Lighting (Platinum & Gold); and Urban Smart Grid Innovation (Platinum & Gold).

While the rest of the awards focus on products and solutions, the Judges’ Choice awards focus on the organisations driving true innovation in global smart city deployment.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector; providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

-- BERNAMA

BYE, BYE, SPAM AND SCAM: TRUECALLER PIONEERS LIVE CALLER ID EXPERIENCE FOR IPHONE USERS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 (Bernama) -- Truecaller, the world’s leading global communications platform, has announced the introduction of a major update of its product on iPhone.

The update brings in new, exciting features which will provide an improved and more secure communication experience for iPhone users worldwide. This complete Live Caller ID experience is now on iPhone for the first time.

In a statement, Truecaller co-founder and chief executive officer, Alan Mamedi said: “Live Caller ID on iPhone is the one major aspect that has eluded our iPhone app and we are excited to finally introduce it.

“Ever since we completely revamped the Truecaller experience on iPhone a few months ago, we have been seeing strong growth from multiple countries. And now, Live Caller ID will work to keep our iPhone users safe from the growing menace of spam and scam.”

To set up Truecaller Live Caller ID on iPhone, users need to go to the Premium tab within the app and click on ‘Add to Siri’ to help users add the shortcut with one tap. When using this feature for the first time, users will be asked to allow access for Truecaller; choose ‘Always allow’ to avoid being prompted again.

After setting up the Siri shortcut, simply say ‘Hey Siri, search Truecaller’ and Truecaller will instantly tell the user who is calling, whenever receiving an incoming call from an unknown number.

The app will then do a quick search and present it on the calling screen itself and this new feature is exclusively available to Premium subscribers of Truecaller on iOS 16 and newer.

In addition, users can now read other members' feedback on spammers as well as contribute comments of their own, empowering them to report on their own experience while further enhancing Truecaller’s spam detection capabilities with community input.

Now, incoming messages from short messaging service (SMS) will be automatically categorised into Finance, Orders, Reminders, Coupons, Offers and Junk via revamped SMS filtering.

-- BERNAMA

AIRWALLEX SURVEY: SINGAPORE SMES BRACE FOR POTENTIAL RECESSION WITHIN 2 YEARS

 


KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 (Bernama) -- A new survey from global fintech Airwallex revealed seven in 10 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore are bracing for a potential recession within the next two years.

The independent research considered the challenges SMEs in Singapore would face amid the current economic uncertainty, how they would get around them, and how fintechs could support their future growth.

“The challenges identified by SMEs in the survey findings are consistent with what we have been hearing from our customers, with rising costs and ways to manage it being a consistent theme in conversations,” said Airwallex Director, SME and Growth, Singapore, Low Cher Hao.

According to a statement, rising costs are among the top three pain points for two-thirds of Singapore SMEs. Rising costs from suppliers (35 per cent) accounts for the highest rise in business cost, followed by employee costs (30 per cent) and logistical disruption costs (23 per cent) likely due to the pandemic.

To optimise their operations amid an increasingly uncertain environment, SMEs are taking a prudent approach to their financial spending, with nearly two-thirds looking to reduce business spending and/or optimise operations through technology in the next six-12 months.

In addition, improving efficiency (42 per cent), growing revenue (40 per cent), and market share (33 per cent) were the top three priorities for SMEs surveyed.

While SMEs continue to maintain a high level of confidence in traditional banking providers, the survey found that 93 per cent of businesses in Singapore hold a high level of trust in fintech and digital platforms to support their business activities.

More than nine in 10 SMEs have already adopted or are planning to adopt digital or fintech solutions to support their businesses' financial needs, with benefits include saving time (58 per cent), ease of access (50 per cent) and greater control over transactions (48 per cent).

The survey found that nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of SMEs plan to expand their business overseas in the next 12 months with Southeast Asia remains a top expansion region, and top five favoured markets for expansion are Malaysia, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

The survey from Airwallex was carried out by Censuswide from March 16 - 23, among 255 SME business decision makers in Singapore.

-- BERNAMA

ROBOTPLUSPLUS TO UNVEIL INNOVATIVE HYDROBLASTING ROBOT AT SEA ASIA 2023 IN SINGAPORE

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (Bernama) -- RobotPlusPlus, a prominent provider of robots designed for work-at-height, will showcase its Hydroblasting Robot - the HighMate V40 at Sea Asia, a distinguished maritime and offshore event in Singapore from April 25-27.

The first Chinese company to specialise in the design and manufacture of such robots, RobotPlusPlus’ HighMate V40 is equipped with a wastewater recovery system that can recycle up to 99.99 per cent of the wastewater used during its operations.

The HighMate V40 offers several features including autonomous hydroblasting and automatic lane change, making it a preferred option for surface preparation.

“Our HighMate robots comply with European standards and have successfully passed both the Machinery Directive and Radio Equipment Directive tests. Moreover, TÜV Rheinland has granted us CE certification,” said RobotPlusPlus Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Huanyang Xu in a statement.

RobotPlusPlus’ office in Singapore offers round-the-clock technical consulting and customer service to its clients, showcasing commitment to providing safe, environmentally-friendly and quality robotic solutions for work-at-height.

RobotPlusPlus not only provides robots but also a comprehensive package solution for hydroblasting including UHP pumps, vacuum recovery pumps, filtration units, and other necessary equipment, helping clients decrease costs, increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

With its mission to enhance human capabilities with the help of robots, RobotPlusPlus will continue offering the latest technological advancements in robotic solutions for work-at-height, to clients worldwide.

Founded in 2015, RobotPlusPlus focuses on the independent research and development of intelligent specialised robots, and is the first company in China to realise the industrialisation of aerial work robots.

-- BERNAMA

CHITOSE GROUP OBTAINS FUNDING FROM JAPANESE GOVERNMENT-AFFILIATED NEDO FOR GREEN INNOVATION FUND OF USD400M RANGE

KAWASAKI, Japan and SINGAPORE, Apr. 12, 2023 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ --

Chitose Laboratory Corp., the core company of the CHITOSE Group (hereinafter "CHITOSE"), has won funding from a Japanese government-affiliated entity for a project on the self-proposed theme of "Building a global industry originating in Japan based on the direct use of CO2 through photosynthesis" for the "Green Innovation Fund Project (hereinafter "GI Fund"): Promotion of Carbon Recycling Using CO2 from Biomanufacturing Technology as a Direct Raw Material." CHITOSE has been selected as a prospective implementing agency for this theme by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (hereinafter "NEDO"). The total project cost is approximately USD400 million, and the implementation period is scheduled from FY2023 to FY2030.   Project partners' logos: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107621/202304054622/_prw_PI1fl_MS4l1pKj.jpg     CHITOSE is collaborating with other companies/organizations in various positions and industries through the "MATSURI" (meaning "festival" in Japanese) project to build a new algae-based industry to replace the petroleum-based industry. CHITOSE is working on the development of bio-products, the construction of the world's largest 5-hectare microalgae production facility and the demonstration of long-term large-scale production in Malaysia (*).   Under the GI Fund project theme, for which CHITOSE has been selected as a prospective implementing agency, it will develop the algae production technology on a 100 ha production scale with a focus on both economic rationality and environmental sustainability, and on the development of a wide range of applications such as chemical products, toiletry, fuels, feeds and foods using microalgal biomass produced directly from CO2 as a raw material. Through these business activities, CHITOSE will promote the establishment of a global algae-based industry originating from Japan, and contribute to the realization of zero carbon emission by 2050 as advocated by the Japanese government.   This project will be implemented with 34 partner companies of the MATSURI project operated by CHITOSE, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Hiroshima University, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagoya University, and Institute of Microalgal Technology, Japan (IMAT). In addition, CHITOSE will start raising private funds in order to accelerate this project through the GI Fund.   MATSURI partners' enthusiasm and expectations for this project https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202304054622-O1-SkgkNm4n.pdf   About the commissioned and subsidized project which has been adopted - Business/project name: Green Innovation Fund Project (GI Fund): Promotion of Carbon Recycling Using CO2 from Biomanufacturing Technology as a Direct Raw Material   - Adopted theme: Building a global industry originating in Japan based on the direct use of CO2 through photosynthesis   - Theme overview: Using microalgae, with sunlight as an energy source and CO2 as a direct feedstock, the commercial production of chemicals such as bioplastics and functional materials, fuels, foods and feeds, with the aim of realizing zero carbon emission by 2050.   - NEDO disclosure of information on this matter Details of the public call: https://www.nedo.go.jp/koubo/EF2_100190.html (Japanese) Adoption announcement: https://www.nedo.go.jp/koubo/EF3_100190.html (Japanese) Press release on the adoption: https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101619.html (Japanese)   * Commissioned by NEDO to Chitose Laboratory Corp. since 2020 - Press release on adoption: https://chitose-bio.com/jp/news/3514/ (Japanese) - Press release on the start of operation: https://chitose-bio.com/jp/news/5124/ (Japanese)   About MATSURI The MATSURI project aims towards the establishment of an advanced microalgae-based industry. CHITOSE has considerable expertise in large-scale microalgae production technologies, and is leading the MATSURI project collaborating with Japanese progressive enterprises. As what MATSURI means in Japanese, CHITOSE keeps leading a festival to develop a sustainable society.   Image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107621/202304054622/_prw_PI2fl_oI14u9jJ.jpg     Video: A story with a heart for the future, the MATSURI project for building the "algae industry": The world's largest microalgae production facility will accelerate from here. https://matsuri.chitose-bio.com/pages/gallery   Website: https://matsuri-partners.chitose-bio.com/en   About CHITOSE Group CHITOSE Group is a family of biotechnology companies leading the global bioeconomy. To live in abundance beyond the next millennium using the ability of living things, CHITOSE pursues the possibilities of biotechnology through technological and business development collaborating with its business partners all over the world.   Website: https://chitose-bio.com/   About CHITOSE BIO EVOLUTION PTE. LTD. (head office that oversees entire Group) Established in October, 2011 Head Office located in Singapore CEO: Tomohiro FUJITA, Ph. D.   About Chitose Laboratory Corp. (responsible for the project) Established in November, 2002 Head Office located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan CEO: Tomohiro FUJITA, Ph. D. COO: Rie KUGIMIYA    http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45870

ACTYV.AI, PWC INDIA PARTNER TO ENHANCE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, EMBEDDED FINANCE ACROSS SUPPLY CHAIN

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Bernama) -- Singapore-headquartered actyv.ai, a category creator in the enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) with embedded finance space announced a strategic partnership with PwC India.

The alliance will focus on leveraging PwC India’s expertise in supply chain transformation and using the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive growth opportunities while providing access to embedded financial and insurance products.

In a statement, actyv.ai Founder and Global Chief Executive Officer, Raghunath Subramanian said PwC is recognised for its high-quality consulting, digital transformation strategy and customer success.

“As part of this strategic partnership, PwC will enable actyv.ai to reach out to enterprises globally to deliver technology solutions, implementation and support,” he said.

Meanwhile, PwC India Partner & Leader – Alliances & Ecosystems, Vivek Belgavi said: “actyv.ai is a great addition to PwC’s expanding alliance ecosystem aimed at transforming global supply chains.

“Our combined value proposition with actyv.ai will help us deliver sustained outcomes for our clients by offering them the most relevant and agile supply chain solutions for their business,” added Belgavi.

actyv.ai is an AI-powered enterprise SaaS platform with embedded business-to-business (B2B) Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and insurance, transforming the global B2B supply chain by making business transactions faster and easier.

-- BERNAMA

FROM MINE TO ROSTRUM: SOTHEBY'S TO AUCTION ONE OF THE GREATEST GEM DISCOVERIES OF THE CENTURY

AT 55.22 CARATS, THE RARE GEMSTONE IS THE LARGEST & MOST VALUABLE RUBY TO EVER APPEAR AT AUCTION

EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE IN EXCESS OF $30 MILLION UNEARTHED IN MOZAMBIQUE AND CUT FROM A 101 CARAT ROUGH

THE WORLD’S LARGEST GEM-QUALITY RUBY IN EXISTENCE - THE ESTRELA DE FURA 55.22 WILL HIGHLIGHT SOTHEBY’S MAGNIFICENT JEWELS AUCTION THIS JUNE

“Already in its rough state, the Estrela de Fura showed its extraordinary quality traits with a potential to become a one-of-a-kind gemstone.
The cutter was able to realize this potential and created a faceted ruby with an astounding 55.22 ct weight, displaying a saturated and homogeneous red color, combined with a degree of clarity unseen in any other unheated ruby of comparable size.
To see a natural ruby of this size, with such a combination of quality characteristics spared from treatment was considered almost unimaginable.
The natural ruby of 55.22 ct is setting a new record not only for Mozambican rubies, but also for rubies in general.”
The Gübelin Gem Lab

NEW YORK, April 6 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When FURA Gems announced its historic uncovering of the world’s largest gem-quality ruby ever discovered in September 2022, the news dominated headlines the world over, prompting tremendous excitement and taking the gemstone market by storm. Unearthed from FURA’s ruby mine in Montepuez, Mozambique in July of 2022, the gemstone – weighing an astonishing 101 carats – was subsequently named Estrela de FURA (Star of FURA in Portuguese), in a nod to its outstanding depth of color and size, and to shine a spotlight on Mozambique as a rich source of premium quality rubies. Even in its rough, untouched state, Estrela de FURA was considered by experts as an exceptional treasure of nature for its fluorescence, outstanding clarity and vivid red hue, known as ‘pigeon’s blood’ - a color traditionally associated only with Burmese rubies.

Now seven months after its initial debut, as the hammer fell on the final lot of The Exceptional Luxury Evening Auction in Hong Kong, speculation on the ruby’s whereabouts were finally put to rest when Sotheby’s auctioneer, Uni Kim, officially unveiled Estrela de FURA 55.22 to the world. Weighing a sizable 55.22 carats, this exceptionally important and rare Mozambique gem is the largest gem-quality ruby to ever appear at auction. Its combination of rich saturation of color, untouched by heat treatment, highly crystalline appearance and incomparable size that – with an estimate in excess of $30 million – places Estrela de FURA 55.22 as the most valuable and important ruby ever to come to market.

Following an initial series of studies of the 101 carat rough crystal to determine cutting options in the beginning of year, Estrela de FURA was masterfully cut and faceted by a team of artisans - with the rough transformed into a beautiful cushion-shaped stone, which according to a report from the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF), “resulted in vivid red hues due to multiple internal reflections.” The report further states, “a natural ruby from Mozambique of this size and quality can be considered very rare and thus anexceptional treasure of nature.” The aforenamed gem is profoundly rich in chromium which, when exposed to ultraviolet light - as found in sunlight - causes the stone to radiate a fiery red fluorescence, further enhancing the stone’s vibrancy, as though lit from within.

The ruby has become one of the most sought-after colored gemstones at a time when color dominates the world of jewels and rarity drives the market. Rubies of this importance and magnitude are exceedingly rare, with only two examples having ever broken the $15 million barrier at auction, making the appearance of the present gem a landmark event in itself. The Gübelin Gem Lab states further that the ruby “is setting a new record not only for Mozambican rubies, but also for rubies in general.” Estrela de FURA 55.22 is poised to make history as it sets to surpass The Sunrise Ruby, a 25.59 carat ruby of Burmese origin, which sold for $30.3 million ($1,185,451 per carat) at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2015, and still holds the world auction record for a ruby*.

The stone’s new journey commences today at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, where it will then embark on a worldwide tour, with exhibitions scheduled in Taipei, China, Singapore, Geneva and Dubai (full dates will be released in due course) before it stars in Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction in New York on 8 June.
_______________________________________________________________________

“The miraculous discovery last year of the 101 carat Estrela de FURA at the FURA mine in Mozambique was of immense importance, shocking all those in the jewelry world. Now, in its newly transformed state of 55.22 carats, Estrela de FURA 55.22, is a true wonder of nature and sensational stone of perfect color and exceptional clarity, combined with a superb cushion shape. It is undoubtedly positioned to become the standard bearer for African rubies - and gemstones in general, bringing global awareness to their ability to be on par with, and even outshine, those from Burma, which have traditionally been the most desirable and recognizable source for rubies,” declares Quig Bruning, Head of Sotheby’s Jewelry, Americas.

“We, at FURA, are incredibly proud of the discovery of Estrela de FURA at such an early part of our Mozambican journey. Important gemstones, such as Estrela de FURA, are extremely rare, and a beautifully faceted gem-quality ruby of 55.22 carats is almost unheard of. From the in-depth analysis and study of the stone - through the process of cutting and polishing - we have worked with the utmost care and respect for the Ruby, recognizing its importance and stature. Witnessing the completion of Estrela de FURA 55.22 was a monumental achievement for all of us, and we are excited that a new page in the story of this incredible gem and Mozambican rubies is about to be written with Sotheby’s,” declares Dev Shetty, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FURA Gems.
_______________________________________________________________________

RUBY MINING IN MOZAMBIQUE

Ruby mining in Mozambique beholds a long, rich history, with the first significant discoveries of ruby deposits in the country dating back to the 1960s. However, it was not until the early 2000s that the mining of rubies in Mozambique gained real momentum, with the discovery of the Montepuez ruby deposit in the northern part of the country, where the Estrela de FURA rough crystal was originally found. The best of these rubies from Mozambique are characterized by an outstanding transparency and rich color, resulting in extraordinary overall quality. The Montepuez ruby deposit is one of the largest ruby deposits in the world, attracting significant interest from international mining companies.
_______________________________________________________________________

A NOTE TO EDITORS

*The current world record for a ruby sold at auction is held by the ‘Sunrise Ruby,’ a 25.59 carat Burmese stone, which was auctioned at Sotheby’s Geneva in May 2015 for $30.3 million. This price also established a new record for any ruby per carat ($1,185,451 per carat), at the time
_______________________________________________________________________

ABOUT FURA GEMS

FURA Gems Inc. is a young coloured gemstone mining and marketing company established in 2017. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, FURA has over 1,200 employees across continents. It is the first truly pioneering, creative and ethical enterprise to cover the entire spectrum of coloured gemstones.

FURA has three mining operating subsidiaries in Colombia, Mozambique, and Australia, that mine emeralds, rubies, and sapphires respectively. It is the fastest growing coloured gemstone mining company with the sole objective of ensuring stability and traceability of ethically mined coloured gemstones from rough to retail.

FURA Gems will allocate a portion of the proceeds of the sale towards setting up the Fura Training Academy to support the community where it operates in Mozambique.

The key objective is to promote access to qualified education and technical training to the local population in different work streams such as mining, carpentry, engineering, and agriculture to provide them with a sustainable income. www.furagems.com  

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VYTELLE CLOSES $20MM IN SERIES B FUNDING TO ACCELERATE GENETIC PROGRESS IN CATTLE

LENEXA, Kansas, April 5 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vytelle, a precision livestock company, has raised $20MM in Series B funding to accelerate genetic progress in cattle. With this new investment, Vytelle will continue to expand its global operations, while delivering the most accessible, reliable, and predictable reproductive technology available to customers today. 

The investment was led by Forage Capital Partners, a Calgary based growth equity fund that invests across the entire food and agriculture value chain. New investor, Mountain Group Partners, joins current investors, Grosvenor Food and Ag Tech, Open Prairie, Fulcrum Global Capital, Serra Ventures, and KC Rise to complete the round.   

Forage Capital Partner, Jim Taylor said, "Vytelle has proven their ability to scale and deliver consistent results for the benefit of cattle producers aiming to accelerate genetic progress around the world. We are impressed with Vytelle’s track record of growth and delivery and are excited about what the future will bring." 

Vytelle's integrated technology platform combines Vytelle ADVANCE, a breakthrough in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology, with Vytelle SENSE, an animal performance data capture system, and Vytelle INSIGHT, an artificial intelligence based genetic analytics engine.  

As the fastest growing advanced reproduction company, Vytelle is easily accessible to more than 50% of the US cow herd. Combining this footprint, with Vytelle’s curation of the world’s largest multibreed efficiency database, provides the infrastructure to impact bovine genetic progress rapidly. Progressive cattle producers can use the technology to multiply the impact of elite livestock productivity and profitability, sustainably delivering more protein with fewer inputs.  

"We are delighted to have secured this new investment; this is indicative of strong market interest in our products and services. Our mission is clear, and we are grateful for the support of our investors who join us on our journey to ensure meat and milk are viable food choices for future generations." said Kerryann Kocher, CEO of Vytelle.  
 
 
About Vytelle 

Vytelle is a precision livestock company reshaping how cattle producers worldwide optimize their herds. Through Vytelle’s integrated technology platform, generations of genetic gains can be made in just a few years. This allows producers to sustainably deliver more protein with fewer inputs, helping to ensure meat and milk are viable, competitive food choices for future generations. For more information about Vytelle, please visit www.vytelle.com. 

About Forage Capital Partners 

Forage Capital Partners is Canada’s most experienced team of Ag & Food investors, having managed over $500 million in commitments to the industry over the last 18 years. Forage Capital Ag & Food Business Solutions Fund works to provide its portfolio companies with the stability and flexibility they need to expand and adapt their business models during these challenging times. The fund will invest with creative business owners that are looking to capitalize on new and innovative opportunities. For more information on Forage Capital Partners, visit www.foragecapitalpartners.com. 

About Mountain Group Partners 

Mountain Group Partners is a Nashville-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies predominantly in the life sciences, animal health and disruptive technology sectors.  The firm has invested in companies across animal health primarily in companion animals and technologies centered on improving protein production.  Mountain Group takes a hands-on approach to investing based upon its deep operational experience and currently has over $300 million in assets under management. For more information on Mountain Group Partners, visit www.mtngp.com.   

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