Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Depot Schedules Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Conference Call for Tuesday, March 18th at 10:00 am ET

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Depot (“Bitcoin Depot” or the “Company”), a U.S.-based Bitcoin ATM operator and leading fintech company, will hold a conference call and live audio webcast on Tuesday, March 18th at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time (7:00 a.m. Pacific time) to discuss its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. Bitcoin Depot plans to release results before the market open on the same day.

    Call Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025  
    Time: 10:00 a.m. Eastern time (7:00 a.m. Pacific time)

    Phone Instructions
    U.S. and Canada (toll-free): 888-596-4144
    U.S. (toll): 646-968-2525
    Conference ID: 8224936

    Webcast Instructions
    Webcast link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/8kgtbeme

    A replay of the call will be available beginning after 2:00 p.m. Eastern time through March 25, 2025.

    U.S. & Canada (toll-free) replay number: 800-770-2030
    U.S. toll number: 609-800-9909
    Conference ID: 8224936

    If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact Bitcoin Depot’s investor relations team at 1-949-574-3860.

    About Bitcoin Depot
    Bitcoin Depot Inc. (Nasdaq: BTM) was founded in 2016 with the mission to connect those who prefer to use cash to the broader, digital financial system. Bitcoin Depot provides its users with simple, efficient and intuitive means of converting cash into Bitcoin, which users can deploy in the payments, spending and investing space. Users can convert cash to bitcoin at Bitcoin Depot kiosks in 48 states and at thousands of name-brand retail locations in 29 states through its BDCheckout product. The Company has the largest market share in North America with over 8,400 kiosk locations as of February 25, 2025. Learn more at www.bitcoindepot.com.

    Contacts:

    Investors
    Cody Slach
    Gateway Group, Inc.
    949-574-3860
    BTM@gateway-grp.com

    Media
    Brenlyn Motlagh, Ryan Deloney
    Gateway Group, Inc.
    949-574-3860
    BTM@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc. Announces Board Approval of Change in Investment Policy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI BEACH, Fla., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc. (NASDAQ: CUBA) (the “Fund”) today announced that the Fund’s Board of Directors (“Board”) has approved a change in the Fund’s investment strategy. Subject to necessary regulatory filings and the requisite approval of the Fund’s shareholders, the Fund will modify its current investment strategy and redirect the Fund to focus on a “CLO Equity Strategy”. With this change, the Fund’s primary investment objective will change to a total return strategy with a secondary objective of generating high current income for shareholders. In accordance with that change in investment objective, the Fund will focus on investing in equity and junior debt tranches of collateralized loan obligations, or “CLOs”. CLOs are portfolios of collateralized loans consisting primarily of below investment grade U.S. senior secured loans with a large number of distinct underlying borrowers across various industry sectors.

    In recommending this change to the Board, Thomas J. Herzfeld, Chairman of Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc. (the “Investment Manager”) stated, “The Fund’s shareholders should know that we have not taken this decision lightly. We launched the Fund thirty years ago with the expectation that investment opportunities would be available upon opening of U.S. trade relations with Cuba. Over that time, we have seen the geo-political situation ebb and flow and have worked extremely hard to seek opportunities in the Caribbean Basin while we waited for the long-standing stalemate in relations to break. But with the new administration in Washington and the prospects for the opening of Cuba seemingly at a low point, we feel it is time for a dramatic change that is designed to enhance value for shareholders.”

    Cecilia Gondor, Chairperson of the Board of the Fund commented, “With the Fund continuing to trade at a persistent discount, we challenged the investment manager to recommend solutions for our shareholders. After a lengthy period of analysis, the advisor recommended that the Fund refocus its strategy to invest in CLOs. This allows the Fund to take advantage of its closed-end fund structure in a segment of the credit industry that has demonstrated an ability for funds to trade at premiums to net asset value. While this is a dramatic change in investment focus, we believe the change is in the best interest of shareholders.”

    The Directors unanimously approved the proposed changes to the Fund’s investment strategy and will recommend that the Fund’s shareholders approve the changes. The Board approved changes to the Fund’s name to Herzfeld Credit Income Fund, Inc. and ticker symbol, and that, subject to requisite shareholder approval, certain fundamental policies be modified or eliminated. The Board also authorized changes to the Fund’s investment management agreement with the Investment Manager. Those changes implement a new fee structure.

    Standard fee structures within existing funds engaged in CLO strategies are comprised of a management fee based upon assets under management and an incentive fee based upon the income earned by the funds. Under the modifications approved by the Board, the fees for the Fund will be set at a 1.25% management fee and a 10% incentive fee, subject to a hurdle rate of 9%. The prior investment management agreement between the Fund and the Investment Advisor set fees at 1.45% of assets under management. The new fee structure may be more or less than the previous fee structure depending upon the performance of the Fund and the application of the incentive fee structure.

    The Fund intends to hold a special meeting of shareholders as soon as practicable to obtain requisite shareholder approvals as required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), which requires any change to a fundamental policy and the entering into of the new investment management agreement be approved by “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund (as defined under the 1940 Act).

    Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc. has been investing in the credit markets since its founding more than 40 years ago and currently manages approximately $950 million of assets across a number of investment strategies including CLOs, private and public credit and equity, municipal bonds, and other strategies. The Firm has been a consistent top Morningstar manager, having earned recognition as a 5 star performer in multiple categories for 40 consecutive quarters.1

    Mr. Herzfeld commented further, “It is imperative to me that our long-term shareholders understand that we have not given up on the opportunities that we believe ultimately will exist in Cuba. While we think the strategy change for the Fund is absolutely necessary at this time, we continue to look forward to the day when the U.S. and Cuban governments move beyond the current stalemate. We have reserved our rights to use the CUBA ticker symbol on NASDAQ and, should circumstances warrant, we will seek to explore opportunities for investment in Cuba when that day comes. Until then, however, we believe that best use of our closed-end fund structure is in the new CLO strategy.”

    Additional information about the changes to the strategy have been provided in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report filed on Monday, March 3, 2025 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission available on the Fund’s website at www.herzfeld.com/cuba and will be further included in a proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) that the Fund will provide in connection with its special shareholder meeting.

    Additional Information about the Strategy Changes

    This press release is not intended to, and does not, solicit a proxy from any shareholder of the Fund. The solicitation of proxies to effect the proposed changes will only be made by a definitive Proxy Statement.

    This press release references a Proxy Statement, to be filed by the Fund. The Proxy Statement has yet to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). After the Proxy Statement is filed with the SEC, it may be amended or withdrawn. The Fund and its directors, officers and employees, and Herzfeld Advisors, and its shareholders, officers and employees and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposed fundamental policy changes and the proposed approval of the investment advisory agreement. Investors and shareholders may obtain more detailed information regarding the direct and indirect interests of the Fund’s directors, officers and employees, and Herzfeld Advisors and its shareholders, officers and employees and other persons by reading the Proxy Statement when it is filed with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE FUND ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHANGES. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSIDER THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, RISKS, CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND CAREFULLY. THE PROXY STATEMENT WILL CONTAIN INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, RISKS, CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND. The Proxy Statement will not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities, in any state where such offer or sale is not permitted. Security holders may obtain free copies (when it becomes available) of the Proxy Statement and other documents filed with the SEC at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, free copies (when it becomes available) of the Proxy Statement and other documents filed with the SEC may also be obtained by directing a request to the Fund at (800) 854-3863

    About Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc.

    Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc., founded in 1984, is an SEC registered investment advisor, specializing in investment analysis and account management in closed-end funds.

    More information about the advisor can be found at www.herzfeld.com.

    Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. An investment in the Fund is subject to certain risks, including market risk. In general, shares of closed-end funds often trade at a discount from their net asset value and at the time of sale may be trading on the exchange at a price which is more or less than the original purchase price or the net asset value. An investor should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objective, risks, charges and expenses. Please read the Fund’s disclosure documents before investing.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release, and other statements that TJHA or the Fund may make, may contain forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to the Fund’s or TJHA’s future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “trend,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. TJHA and the Fund caution that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and TJHA and the Fund assume no duty to and do not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance. With respect to the Fund, the following factors, among others, could cause actual events to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: (1) changes and volatility in political, economic or industry conditions, particularly with respect to Cuba and other Caribbean Basin countries, the interest rate environment, foreign exchange rates or financial and capital markets, which could result in changes in demand for the Fund or in the Fund’s net asset value; (2) the relative and absolute investment performance of the Fund and its investments; (3) the impact of increased competition; (4) the unfavorable resolution of any legal proceedings; (5) the extent and timing of any distributions or share repurchases; (6) the impact, extent and timing of technological changes; (7) the impact of legislative and regulatory actions and reforms, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to the Fund or TJHA, as applicable; (8) terrorist activities, international hostilities and natural disasters, which may adversely affect the general economy, domestic and local financial and capital markets, specific industries or TJHA or the Fund; (9) TJHA’s and the Fund’s ability to attract and retain highly talented professionals; (10) the impact of TJHA electing to provide support to its products from time to time; (11) the impact of problems at other financial institutions or the failure or negative performance of products at other financial institutions; and (12) the effects of an epidemic, pandemic or public health emergency, including without limitation, COVID-19. Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and other regulatory filings of the Fund with the SEC are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on TJHA’s website at www.herzfeld.com/cuba, and may discuss these or other factors that affect the Fund. The information contained on TJHA’s website is not a part of this press release.

    TJHA has received certain nominations or awards by third-parties as reflected herein. Investors should review the criteria for each nomination or award as reflected on the third-party’s webpage. In addition, the nominations and awards reflect past performance of the nominee or award designee and may not reflect the current performance or status of any such firm or individual and may no longer be applicable. Morningstar award content presented with permission and licensing fee. Contact us for more information on how the ratings are apportioned and for full disclosures regarding third party news and awards.

    Contact:
    Thomas Morgan
    Chief Compliance Officer
    Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors, Inc.
    1-305-777-1660

    ______________________

    1 See disclaimer regarding Morningstar awards.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: MoneyHero Introduces Three-Click Travel Insurance Purchase in Singapore

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MoneyHero Limited (NASDAQ: MNY) (“MoneyHero” or the “Company”), a leading personal finance aggregation and comparison platform, as well as a digital insurance brokerage provider in Greater Southeast Asia, has launched a new three-click travel insurance purchase feature for its members in Singapore. This enhancement allows returning users to instantly purchase travel insurance in just three simple clicks, eliminating the need to repeatedly fill out forms and saving them over 75% of the time typically required for purchasing a travel insurance.

    Frequent travelers often face the hassle of comparing multiple insurance policies before each trip. The new three-click feature simplifies this process, allowing MoneyHero Group members to easily compare travel insurance policies from leading insurers and complete their purchase in three simple clicks – select your preferred policy, review your details, and make payment.

    Faster, Easier, and More Convenient Travel Insurance

    This new feature simplifies the travel insurance experience by allowing MoneyHero Group members to:

            •        Compare real-time quotes from leading insurers

            •        Customize coverage to fit their travel needs

            •        Purchase insurance policies instantly without redirection to third-party sites

            •        Autofill personal details from previous purchases, skipping repetitive form-filling

            •        Receive immediate confirmation and policy issuance

    By integrating this feature with SingSaver membership, MoneyHero provides a seamless experience, making travel insurance purchases as straightforward as booking a flight or hotel online.

    Better for Customers, Stronger for Insurers

    For customers, this means less hassle and faster access to coverage. For insurers, the simplified journey improves conversion rates, increasing policy sales and customer acquisition. MoneyHero has already seen up to 2x higher conversions on end-to-end insurance purchases and expects similar or better results with this new three-click feature.

    Rohith Murthy, CEO of MoneyHero, said:

    “Travelers today seek efficiency and convenience, and they don’t want to waste time filling out the same forms every time they travel. They want a fast, seamless way to compare and purchase insurance with minimal effort. With this launch, we’re saving our members’ time, providing a smarter and more efficient way to purchase travel insurance. Our data indicates that reducing friction leads to higher completion rates for purchases—benefiting both our customers and our insurance partners. This new feature is integral to our commitment to making MoneyHero the go-to destination for digital insurance in the region.”

    Driving Growth in Digital Insurance

    MoneyHero’s insurance business is experiencing significant growth, with revenues from this vertical increasing by 54% year-over-year in the first nine months of 2024. The Company expects further acceleration as it enhances seamless purchase experiences across more insurance categories.

    Currently, MoneyHero’s travel insurance platform supports 11 insurers in Singapore and Hong Kong. Following the success of this new feature, the Company plans to extend three-click purchasing to additional insurance products and markets, further solidifying its position in the digital insurance landscape.

    About MoneyHero Group

    MoneyHero Limited (NASDAQ: MNY) is a market leader in the online personal finance and digital insurance aggregation and comparison sector in Greater Southeast Asia. The Company operates in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines.  Its brand portfolio includes B2C platforms MoneyHero, SingSaver, Money101, Moneymax and Seedly, as well as the B2B platform Creatory.  The Company also retains an equity stake in Malaysian fintech company, Jirnexu Pte. Ltd., parent company of Jirnexu Sdn. Bhd., the operator of RinggitPlus, Malaysia’s largest operating B2C platform. MoneyHero had over 270 commercial partner relationships as at September 30, 2024, and had approximately 7.4 million Monthly Unique Users across its platform for the three months ended September 30, 2024. The Company’s backers include Peter Thiel—co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and the Founders Fund—and Hong Kong businessman, Richard Li, the founder and chairman of Pacific Century Group. To learn more about MoneyHero and how the innovative fintech company is driving APAC’s digital economy, please visit www.MoneyHeroGroup.com.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This document includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States federal securities laws and also contains certain financial forecasts and projections. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this communication, including, but not limited to, statements as to the Group’s growth strategies, future results of operations and financial position, market size, industry trends and growth opportunities, are forward-looking statements. Some of these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words, including “outlook,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “predicts,” “intends,” “trends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. All forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and forecasts and reflect the views, assumptions, expectations, and opinions of the Company, which are all subject to change due to various factors including, without limitation, changes in general economic conditions. Any such estimates, assumptions, expectations, forecasts, views or opinions, whether or not identified in this communication, should be regarded as indicative, preliminary and for illustrative purposes only and should not be relied upon as being necessarily indicative of future results. The forward-looking statements and financial forecasts and projections contained in this communication are subject to a number of factors, risks and uncertainties. Potential risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; the Company’s ability to attract new and retain existing customers in a cost effective manner; competitive pressures in and any disruption to the industries in which the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) operates; the Group’s ability to achieve profitability despite a history of losses; and the Group’s ability to implement its growth strategies and manage its growth; the Group’s ability to meet consumer expectations; the success of the Group’s new product or service offerings; the Group’s ability to attract traffic to its websites; the Group’s internal controls; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the Group’s ability to raise capital; media coverage of the Group; the Group’s ability to obtain adequate insurance coverage; changes in the regulatory environments (such as anti-trust laws, foreign ownership restrictions and tax regimes) and general economic conditions in the countries in which the Group operates; the Group’s ability to attract and retain management and skilled employees; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic on the business of the Group; the success of the Group’s strategic investments and acquisitions, changes in the Group’s relationship with its current customers, suppliers and service providers; disruptions to the Group’s information technology systems and networks; the Group’s ability to grow and protect its brand and the Group’s reputation; the Group’s ability to protect its intellectual property; changes in regulation and other contingencies; the Group’s ability to achieve tax efficiencies of its corporate structure and intercompany arrangements; potential and future litigation that the Group may be involved in; and unanticipated losses, write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges, taxes or other liabilities that may be incurred or required and technological advancements in the Group’s industry. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s annual report for the year ended December 31, 2023 on Form 20-F (File No.: 001-41838), registration statement on Form F-1 (File No.: 333-275205), and other documents to be filed by the Company from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, there may be additional risks that the Company currently does not know, or that the Company currently believes are immaterial, that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s expectations, plans, projections or forecasts of future events and view. If any of the risks materialize or the Company’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause their assessments to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. The inclusion of any statement in this document does not constitute an admission by the Company or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this document. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. In addition, the analyses of the Company contained herein are not, and do not purport to be, appraisals of the securities, assets, or business of the Company.

    For MoneyHero inquiries, please contact:

    Investor Relations:
    MoneyHero IR Team
    IR@MoneyHeroGroup.com

    Media Relations:
    MoneyHero PR Team
    Press@MoneyHeroGroup.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Instinct Brothers Co., Ltd, a Japanese Vertically Integrated Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Technology Company, to Go Public via Merger with Relativity Acquisition Corp.

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Instinct Brothers Co., Ltd has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Relativity Acquisition Corp.
    • The combined company, to be named Instinct Bio Technical Company Inc., will have an implied pro-form enterprise value of approximately $242 million, assuming no further redemptions by Relativity’s public stockholders prior to the closing of the business combination.

    NEW YORK, NY, TOKYO, JAPAN, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Instinct Brothers Co., Ltd., along with its affiliated entities—Hiroki Global Co., Ltd, Artisans Production Co., Ltd, Instinct RAS Co., Ltd (collectively, “Instinct Brothers” or the “Company”)—a vertically integrated regenerative medicine and stem cell technology company based in Japan, and Relativity Acquisition Corp. (“Relativity”), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) that will result in Instinct Brothers becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Relatively upon the closing of the transaction contemplated therein (the “Proposed Transaction”) in accordance with the terms and conditions in the Merger Agreement.

    Upon closing the Proposed Transaction, the combined company will operate under the name Instinct Bio Technical Company Inc. (the “Combined Company”) and intends to list on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘BIOT’.

    A Pioneering, Vertically Integrated Platform for Regenerative Medicine

    With a mission to harness the transformative power of stem cell science, Instinct Brothers has built an ecosystem that integrates stem-cell-based cosmeceuticals, research and development, university partnerships, proprietary manufacturing, industry-leading alliances, global distribution, branding, direct-to-consumer retail, medical consulting and total coordination service for franchise medical clinics, and clinical application research in regenerative medicine.

    By leveraging a high-quality stem cell culture medium with over 380 cytokines and growth factors, Instinct Brothers has positioned itself in the field of stem cell-derived skincare. Through its franchise GENREVER Clinic, the Company has developed a structured model for stem cell-based regenerative therapies targeting anti-aging, immune support, regenerative treatments, and disease prevention.

    Additionally, Instinct Brothers owns and operates ARTISANS PRODUCTION CO., LTD, an ISO 9001-certified manufacturing facility, allowing for seamless production of cosmeceuticals and medical-grade regenerative products. This facility enables precision manufacturing, stringent quality control, and continuous innovation, reinforcing Instinct Brothers’ commitment to excellence in stem cell technology and regenerative medicine.

    The Instinct Brothers management team, led by its founder Tomoki Nagano, will continue to run the Combined Company after the closing of the Proposed Transaction.

    Tomoki Nagano, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Instinct Brothers, said:
    “This transaction marks a transformational milestone for Instinct Brothers, positioning us to accelerate our global expansion and enhance access to cutting-edge stem cell-based therapies. Going public will allow us to scale our operations, broaden our clinical footprint, and fuel the development of new regenerative treatments that improve health and longevity. We are committed to bringing life-changing solutions to a global audience with plans to expand our clinic model into Malaysia and Indonesia, construct new clinics in Japan, and advance our Cell Processing Center joint venture.”

    Tarek Tabsh, Chief Executive Officer of Relativity Acquisition Corp., commented:
    “Perinatal stem cells have an intrinsic capacity to repair and regenerate targeted tissues, and unique adaptability that makes them a promising frontier for regenerative medicine application potential. Instinct Brothers has built a well-integrated business that delivers scientific innovation from the bench to the bedside. Their vertically integrated platform, spanning research, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and clinical application, positions them uniquely for expansion into adjacent markets. We are excited to support their journey as they continue to deliver the next generation of regenerative medicine.”

    Transaction Overview

    Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Relativity will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Instinct Brothers, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Relativity. As part of the Proposed Transaction, Instinct Brothers will become a publicly traded entity under the name “Instinct Bio Technical Company Inc.” The Proposed Transaction values the Combined Company at an estimated pro forma enterprise value of approximately $242 million. The Proposed Transaction is expected to close in Q3 2025, subject to approval by Relativity’s stockholders and other customary closing conditions outlined in the Merger Agreement.

    Advisors

    Chardan Capital Markets LLC is the exclusive M&A and Capital Markets advisor to Instinct Brothers Holdings. Darryl, Edward & Co. is a legal advisor for Instinct Brothers Holdings.

    Loeb & Loeb LLP and Barnett & Linn LLP serve as legal advisors to Relativity Acquisition Corp.

    About Instinct Brothers

    Instinct Brothers is a vertically integrated Japanese company specializing in stem cell technology and regenerative medicine, encompassing research and development, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and clinical applications. Founded in 2017, Instinct Brothers is led by industry expert Tomoki Nagano, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, an industry expert with a vision to drive innovation in regenerative medicine. The Company’s mission is to advance stem cell science, enhance patient outcomes, and pioneer the next generation of stem cell-based therapies.

    About Relativity Acquisition Corp.

    Relativity Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company sponsored by Relativity Acquisition Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    In connection with the Proposed Transaction, Relativity and Instinct Brothers intends to file a Registration Statement on Form F-4 (the “Form F-4”) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ( the “SEC”), which will include a preliminary prospectus with respect to its securities to be issued in connection with the Proposed Transaction and a preliminary proxy statement with regard to Relativity’s stockholder meeting at which Relativity’s stockholders will be asked to vote on the Proposed Transaction. Relativity’s investors, stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the Form F-4, including the proxy statement/prospectus, any amendments thereto and any other documents filed with the SEC, because these documents will contain important information about the proposed business combination. After the Form F-4 has been filed and declared effective, Relativity will mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to stockholders of Relativity as of a record date to be established for voting on the business combination. Relativity stockholders will also be able to obtain a copy of such documents, without charge, by directing a request to: Relativity Acquisition Corp., 3753 Howard Hughes Parkway, Suite 200 Las Vegas, Nevada 89169; e-mail: info@relativityacquisitions.com. These documents, once available, can also be obtained, without charge, at the SEC’s website www.sec.gov.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Relativity and its directors and officers may be deemed participants in soliciting proxies of Relativity’s stockholders in connection with the proposed business combination. Security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of certain of Relativity’s executive officers and directors in the solicitation by reading Relativity’s final prospectus filed with the SEC on February 14, 2022, the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials filed with the SEC in connection with the business combination when they become available. Information concerning the interests of Relativity’s participants in the solicitation, which may, in some cases, be different from those of their stockholders generally, will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the business combination when it becomes available.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction in connection with a proposed potential business combination among Relativity and Instinct Brothers or any related transactions, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction where, or to any person to whom, such offer, solicitation or sale may be unlawful. Any offering of securities or solicitation of votes regarding the proposed transaction will be made only by means of a proxy statement/prospectus that complies with applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from the Securities Act or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release may include, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may include “forward-looking statements”. Statements regarding possible business combinations and the financing thereof, and related matters, as well as all other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management team, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Form F-4 and prospectus to be filed with the SEC. The Company and Relativity undertake no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release except as required by law.

    Contact Information

    Instinct Brothers Co., Ltd.

    Email: ir@instinct-biot.com

    Website: https://instinct-bro.com/

    Relativity Acquisition Corp.

    Email: info@relativityacquisitions.com

    Website: www.relativityacquisitions.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Melissa Launches Integrated Datasets and Native Apps in Snowflake

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Melissa, a global leader in data quality and address management solutions, is now available on Snowflake Marketplace. Offering Melissa APIs as Snowflake native apps, and a selection of its comprehensive datasets, Melissa is supporting enterprise users worldwide with enriched customer data for better business intelligence and global customer engagement. This integration simplifies access to Melissa’s high-quality data and verification services, enabling businesses to enrich, validate, and leverage critical customer and location intelligence directly within the Snowflake AI Data Cloud.

    Melissa now offers 19 data products on Snowflake, including 17 datasets featuring phone, email, demographic, property, and geolocation information, and two Snowflake native apps designed to enhance data verification processes within the Snowflake environment. The newly integrated Personator Consumer and Global Address Verification native apps allow Snowflake users to validate customer addresses globally without exporting data, streamlining workflows and reducing errors.

    “With Melissa’s integration into Snowflake Marketplace, businesses can now access our trusted data and verification services natively within the Snowflake platform. Data workflows are optimized and eliminate the traditional complexities of data extraction, transfer, and integration,” said Daniel Kha Le, Chief Data Officer, Melissa. “This partnership ensures that organizations using Snowflake can seamlessly enhance their data quality—a critical value in improving operational efficiency and driving better decision-making.”

    Snowflake is a single, fully managed and integrated platform that businesses securely connect to globally across any type or scale of data to productize AI, applications, and more in the enterprise. This approach eliminates the data silos that lead to complexity and the need to move data to get business value. Snowflake users access all their data from a single platform, including data that is unstructured, in open formats, and from third parties.

    Through the Snowflake Marketplace, businesses can now easily tap into Melissa’s datasets to find information on:

    • 200 million U.S. consumers, including demographic, lifestyle, and contact data
    • 17+ U.S. million companies and organizations, including firmographic and contacts
    • New mover data updated with over 100,000 new records every week
    • New homeowner data updated with over 75,000 new records every week
    • ZIP+4, Carrier Route, Place Name, Congressional District, Lat&Long Coordinates, Parcel and Building Footprints data
    • Geo-referenced and phone data for the U.S. and Canada

    For more information, access Melissa’s Snowflake Marketplace Page, visit www.Melissa.com, or contact sales@Melissa.com.

    About Melissa
    Powering clean customer data for 40 years, Melissa is the Address Expert. Providing address validation, address autocomplete, and geo-verified address data for 240+ countries, Melissa supports global businesses with its offices in the U.S., U.K., Germany, India, Singapore, and Australia. Melissa’s suite of data quality, ID verification, and location data tools and services drives better decision-making, reduced costs, increased efficiency, and improved compliance. Our APIs, CRM and ecommerce integrations, and online tools help Melissa’s 10,000 customers worldwide process billions of addresses daily, fully capitalizing on the business value of customer data. For more information, visit www.Melissa.com or call 1-800-MELISSA (635-4772). 

    Media contacts
    Greg Brown
    Vice President, Global Marketing, Melissa
    greg.brown@Melissa.com
    +1-800-635-4772 x1130

    MPoweredPR for Melissa
    pr@mpoweredpr.com
    +1-877-794-6777

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/691aaa16-564c-4ea6-b103-0a489043b12b.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Nicholas Wealth Announces $50,000,000 in AUM for $GIAX ETF

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MARIETTA, Ga., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nicholas Wealth, a leading provider of actively managed income ETFs, just announced that the Nicholas Global Equity and Income ETF (GIAX) has $50,000,000 in assets under management as of January 31st, 2025.

    “We are humbled to see the incredible growth in AUM for our GIAX ETF. The success of this fund is a testament to the investors and financial advisors who have believed in us. Our goal was not only to create a fund that provided consistent distributions along with a stable NAV but to do it in a way that provided global diversification for investors. On behalf of the entire XFUNDS / Nicholas Wealth team, thank you! We are excited for the future of GIAX.” – David Nicholas, Portfolio Manager of GIAX

    Distribution as of 2/28/2025

    ETF Ticker Distribution per Share Distribution Rate 30-Day SEC Yield Ex-Date Record Date Payment Date
    GIAX $0.3709 24.00%3 0.48%2 2/27/2025 2/27/2025 2/28/2025

    Inception date: 7/23/2024
    Click here to view standardized performance for GIAX.

    The performance data quoted above represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost and current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance current to the most recent month-end can be obtained by calling (855) 563-6900.

    1Nicholas Global Equity and Income ETF has a gross expense ratio of 0.97%.

    2The 30-Day SEC Yield for GIAX is 0.48%. The 30-Day SEC Yield represents net investment income, which excludes option income, earned by such ETF over the 30-Day period ended January 31, 2025, expressed as an annual percentage rate based on such ETF’s share price at the end of the 30-Day period.

    3The Distribution Rate is the annual rate an investor would receive if the most recent distribution, which includes option income, remained the same going forward. The Distribution Rate is calculated by multiplying an ETF’s Distribution per Share by twelve (12), and dividing the resulting amount by the ETF’s most recent NAV. The Distribution Rate represents a single distribution from the ETF and does not represent its total return. The recent distribution for GIAX on 1/31/25 included 84.93% Return of Capital and 15.07% Income. As a result, an investor may suffer significant losses to their investment. These Distribution Rates may be caused by unusually favorable market conditions and may not be sustainable. Such conditions may not continue to exist and there should be no expectation that this performance may be repeated in the future.

    Investors in the Fund will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset.

    Must be preceded or accompanied by a prospectus.

    Distributions may also include a combination of ordinary dividends, capital gain, and return of investor capital, which may decrease an ETF’s NAV and trading price over time. Please see the 19a-1 notice for more information on return of investor capital. The distribution may contain a return of capital, but an estimate cannot be provided at this time.

    Distributions are not guaranteed. The Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield are not indicative of future distributions, if any, on the ETFs. In particular, future distributions on any ETF may differ significantly from its Distribution Rate or 30-Day SEC Yield. You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from month to month and may be zero. Accordingly, the Distribution Rate and 30-Day SEC Yield will change over time, and such change may be significant.

    Risk Information

    Investments involve risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Investing in the Funds involves a high degree of risk.

    THE FUND, TRUST, AND SUB-ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING ETF.

    Due to the Funds’ investment strategies, the Funds’ investment exposures are concentrated in the same industries that are assigned to the underlying stock or ETF. As with any investment, there is a risk you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Funds’ net asset value (“NAV”) per share, trading prices, yields, total returns, and/or ability to meet their objective.

    Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and may trade at a discount or premium to NAV. Shares are not individually redeemable from the Fund and may only be acquired or redeemed from the Fund in creation units. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.

    Investments involve risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in option contracts which exposes the Fund to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund.

    Equity Market Risk. By virtue of the Fund’s investments in option contracts equity ETFs and equity indices, the Fund is exposed to common stocks indirectly which subjects the Fund to equity market risk.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    Hedging Transactions Risk. Hedging transactions involve risks different than those of underlying investments. In particular, the variable degree of correlation between price movements of hedging transactions and price movements in the position being hedged means that losses on the hedge may be greater than gains in the value of the Fund’s positions, opportunities for gain may be limited or that there may be losses on both parts of a transaction.

    Illiquid Investments Risk. The Fund may, at times, hold illiquid investments, by virtue of the absence of a readily available market for certain of its investments, or because of legal or contractual restrictions on sales.

    Interest Rate Risk. The value of the Fund’s investments in fixed income Treasury securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Yield to Maturity: Yield to maturity (YTM) is the total return anticipated on a bond if the bond is held until it matures.

    Dividend Yield: The dividend yield is a financial ratio that shows how much a company pays out in dividends each year relative to its stock price.

    Average Duration: A measure of a fund’s interest-rate sensitivity—the longer a fund’s duration, the more sensitive the fund is to shifts in interest rates. Duration is determined by a formula that includes coupon rates and bond maturities. Small coupons tend to increase duration, while shorter maturities and higher coupons shorten duration.

    Distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside Fund Services, LLC is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group

    Launch & Structure Partner: Tidal Financial Group.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Infinidat is Recognized as a 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice for Primary Storage Platform for the Seventh Time: 5 Times as an Overall Customers’ Choice and 2 Times as a North America Region Customers’ Choice

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WALTHAM, Mass., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Infinidat, a leading provider of enterprise storage solutions, today announced that the company has been named a 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice in the Gartner Peer Insights “Voice of the Customer”: Primary Storage Platforms.1 This enterprise customer-centric recognition is the seventh time that Infinidat has been recognized [5 times as an overall Customers’ Choice and 2 times as a North America region Customers’ Choice] as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice as either a regional segment or overall Customers’ Choice for enterprise storage.

    On an overall basis, Infinidat has been named a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for Primary Storage five times over the past seven years – 2025, 2023, 2021, 2020, and 2019 − while on a regional basis, Infinidat has been recognized as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice in North America twice – 2024 and 2023. Infinidat’s recognition is based on the reviews and ratings of end users from enterprises that are independently verified by Gartner.

    “We believe the recognition of Infinidat as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for the seventh time, including five times as an overall Customers’ Choice and two times as a North America region Customers’ Choice, demonstrates our expertise in primary storage in the enterprise market,” said Phil Bullinger, CEO at Infinidat. “We believe Infinidat continues to differentiate itself by simplifying storage through advanced automation, enabling cost savings, providing industry-leading performance, incorporating cyber storage resilience and AI, and ensuring 100% availability with our triple-redundant storage architecture that is unique in the industry. There is no stronger endorsement of our comprehensive enterprise storage solutions than to read positive feedback directly from end-user customers who love Infinidat and the exceptional user experience that we deliver.”

    As of the Gartner Peer Insights “Voice of the Customer”: Primary Storage Platforms published on February 24, 2025, Infinidat has received an average overall rating of 4.9 stars out of 5 in the Primary Storage Platforms market for the InfiniBox® and the InfiniBox™ SSA based on 77 reviews. In addition, 99% of customers indicated their willingness to recommend Infinidat to their peers.

    According to the report, “Vendors placed in the upper-right ‘Customers’ Choice’ quadrant of the ‘Voice of the Customer’ have scores that meet or exceed the market average for both axes (User Interest and Adoption, and Overall Experience).” We believe, as the ‘go to’ site for IT buyers of enterprise-class technology solutions, Gartner Peer Insights is the industry-standard enterprise reviews and ratings platform.

    Examples of Customer Reviews
    The following is a sample of the reviews that Infinidat users have been posting on Gartner Peer Insights site recently:

    To read the report, click here. To read more Gartner Peer Insights reviews from Infinidat’s end-user customers worldwide, click here.

    About Gartner Peer Insights
    Gartner Peer Insights is an online platform of ratings and reviews of IT software and services that are written and read by IT professionals and technology decision-makers. The goal is to help IT leaders make more insightful purchase decisions and help technology providers improve their products by receiving objective, unbiased feedback from their customers. Gartner Peer Insights includes more than 350,000 verified reviews in more than 340 markets. For more information, go to: www.gartner.com/reviews/home.

    ¹ Gartner Peer Insights “Voice of the Customer”: Primary Storage Platforms, Peer Contributors, 24 February, 2025.
     
    Gartner Peer Insights content consists of the opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences with the vendors listed on the platform, should not be construed as statements of fact, nor do they represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in this content nor makes any warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this content, about its accuracy or completeness, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
     
    GARTNER is a registered trademarks and service mark, and PEER INSIGHTS is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    Reviews have been edited to account for errors and readability.

    About Infinidat
    Infinidat provides enterprises and service providers with a platform-native primary and secondary storage architecture that delivers comprehensive data services based on InfiniVerse®. This unique platform delivers outstanding IT operating benefits, support for modern workloads across on-premises and hybrid multi-cloud environments. Infinidat’s cyber resilient-by-design infrastructure, consumption-based performance, 100% availability, and cyber security guaranteed SLAs align with enterprise IT and business priorities. Infinidat’s award-winning platform-native data services and acclaimed white glove service are continuously recommended by customers. For more information, visit www.infinidat.com.

    Connect with Infinidat
    About Infinidat
    Read our blog
    Follow us on X
    Join us on LinkedIn
    Visit us on Facebook
    See us on YouTube
    Be our partner

    Media Contact
    Infinidat
    Sapna Capoor
    Director of Global Communications
    scapoor@infinidat.com | Mobile: +44 (0) 7789684159

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: NowVertical to Attend the 37th Annual ROTH Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NowVertical Group Inc. (TSXV: NOW) (“NowVertical” or the “Company”), a leading data and AI solutions provider, today announced they will be attending the invite-only 37th Annual ROTH Conference.

    The 37th Annual ROTH Conference will take place on March 16-18, 2025, in Dana Point, CA, bringing together leading institutional investors and high-growth companies across multiple sectors. As a prestigious, invite-only event, the conference provides a valuable platform for innovative companies like NowVertical to engage directly with investors, industry leaders, and analysts. NowVertical’s inclusion in this exclusive event reflects its strong market position and continued growth in AI and data-driven solutions and services.

    The event will consist of 1-on-1 / small group meetings, analyst-selected fireside chats, industry keynotes and panels with executive management attending from approximately 450 private and public companies in a variety of growth sectors including: Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial Growth, Insurance, Resources, Sustainability and Technology, Media & Entertainment.

    To learn more and submit a registration request, visit https://ibn.fm/Roth2025Registration

    About NowVertical Group Inc.

    The Company is a global data and analytics company which helps clients transform data into tangible business value with AI, fast. Offering a comprehensive suite of solutions and services the Company enables clients to quickly harness the full potential of their data, driving measurable outcomes and accelerating potential return on investment. Enterprises optimize decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and unlock long-term value from their data using the Company’s AI-Infused first party and third-party technologies. NowVertical is growing organically and through strategic acquisitions. For further details about NowVertical, please visit www.nowvertical.com.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    For more information, visit www.nowvertical.com.

    For further information, please contact:

    Andre Garber, CDO
    IR@nowvertical.com
    T: +1(647)947-0223

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (together “forward-looking statements“), including, the alignment of the Company’s leadership and shareholders, and the associated results of the transactions contemplated in this press release on NowVertical’s business, finances and operations. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies, certain of which are unknown. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “should”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by inherent risks and uncertainties, including: adverse market conditions; risks inherent in the data analytics and artificial intelligence sectors in general; regulatory and legislative changes; that future results may vary from historical results; inability to obtain any requisite future financing on suitable terms; any inability to realize the expected benefits and synergies of acquisitions or dispositions; that market competition may affect the business, results and financial condition of the Company and other risk factors identified in documents filed by the Company under its profile at www.sedarplus.com, including the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2023. Further, these forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Oxbridge / SurancePlus Announces Two RWA Tokenized Reinsurance Offerings for its 2025 – 2026 Season: Targeting Returns of 20% and 42%

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: OXBR) (“Oxbridge Re”), together with its subsidiary SurancePlus, is engaged in the tokenization of Real-World Assets (“RWAs”), initially with tokenized reinsurance securities, and in providing reinsurance solutions to property and casualty insurers in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, today announced the launch of its 2025 tokenized reinsurance offerings.

    For the first time, investors can choose their preferred risk-return profile with two distinct options:

    • EtaCat Re – 20% (Balanced Yield)
    • ZetaCat Re – 42% (High Yield)

    Invest now at SurancePlus.com/invest

    These blockchain-powered offerings open access to an asset class that was previously exclusive to institutional investors and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Now, a wider range of investors can access SurancePlus’ tokenized reinsurance securities, targeting high-yield returns backed by Real-World Assets (RWAs) through real-world reinsurance contracts.

    How It Works

    Investors in EtaCat Re have a targeted annual return of 20%, while investors in ZetaCat Re have an annual targeted return of 42%.

    Each security-backed token is priced at $10 per share, with funds used to invest in reinsurance contracts. Investors will receive 3.5% APY on their invested funds until contracts go live on June 1, 2025. Returns are then distributed annually based on underwriting performance.

    These tokens provide exposure to RWA-collateralized reinsurance contracts through its licensed Cayman Islands reinsurance entity, Oxbridge Re NS.

    Investment opportunities are available to U.S. investors under SEC Rule 506(c) and to non-U.S. investors under Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933.

    Jay Madhu, CEO of Oxbridge, commented, “We are excited to launch this year’s offering, especially with the introduction of our balanced-yield, security-backed token, which targets a broader investor base with a projected 20% return. SurancePlus is democratizing an asset class that was once exclusive to high-net-worth individuals, now allowing investors to participate with as little as $5,000.”

    About Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited 

    Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: OXBR, OXBRW) (“Oxbridge”) is headquartered in the Cayman Islands. The company offers tokenized Real-World Assets (“RWAs”) as tokenized reinsurance securities and reinsurance business solutions to property and casualty insurers, through its wholly owned subsidiaries SurancePlus Inc., Oxbridge Re NS, and Oxbridge Reinsurance Limited.

    Insurance businesses in the Gulf Coast region of the United States purchase property and casualty reinsurance through our licensed reinsurers Oxbridge Reinsurance Limited and Oxbridge Re NS.

    Our Web3-focused subsidiary, SurancePlus Inc. (“SurancePlus”), has developed the first “on-chain” reinsurance RWA of its kind to be sponsored by a subsidiary of a publicly traded company. By digitizing interests in reinsurance contracts as on-chain RWAs, SurancePlus has democratized the availability of reinsurance as an alternative investment to both U.S. and non-U.S. investors. 

    Company Contact:
    Oxbridge Re Holdings Limited
    Jay Madhu, CEO
    +1 345-749-7570
    jmadhu@oxbridgere.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “project” and other similar words and expressions are intended to signify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and conditions but rather are subject to various risks and uncertainties. A detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements is included in the section entitled “Risk Factors” contained in our Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on 26th March 2024. The occurrence of any of these risks and uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Any forward-looking statements made in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and, except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release, even if the Company’s expectations or any related events, conditions or circumstances change.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: HERE Technologies Holds Top Ranking in Counterpoint’s 2024 Location Platform Effectiveness Index

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Industry analyst firm ranks HERE as the top location platform for the eighth consecutive year, citing AI-powered mapping innovations, strategic partnerships and customer-centric solutions
    • Location data identified as crucial for global automotive industry’s development of Software-Defined Vehicles, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and Automated Driving functions  

    Amsterdam – HERE Technologies has been recognized as the industry leader in Counterpoint’s 2024 Location Platform Effectiveness Index, ranking first among 27 evaluated vendors, including Google, TomTom and Mapbox. The annual report underscores HERE’s continued leadership in map data quality, AI-powered location intelligence and customer-centric solutions.

    Driving the Future of AI-Powered Mapping for Enterprises
    Counterpoint’s analysis highlights HERE’s continued leadership in digital mapping, with the company leading across eight out of ten categories, including Customers, Partnerships, AI Capabilities and Data Platform. 

    The 2024 report also highlighted HERE’s open-platform strategy and privacy-first approach. The company’s collaboration with AWS was noted as a key factor in enabling scalable, flexible data integrations for enterprises. HERE automates the processing of data from vehicle cameras, sensors, LiDAR, satellite, aerial imagery, and IoT sources, significantly reducing manual processing time while ensuring fresh, high-fidelity map data.

    “HERE continues to lead the location platform industry by combining AI-powered automation with high-quality map data,” said Mohit Sharma, Senior Research Analyst for Automotive at Counterpoint. “The company’s investments in AI, particularly its integration with AWS and the launch of HERE AI Assistant, demonstrate a forward-thinking approach that sets it apart.” Sharma added, “HERE’s real-time mapping capabilities, privacy-centric platform, and ability to scale AI-powered solutions across industries solidified its position as the top-ranked location platform in 2024.”

    Mapping as the Foundation for Software-Defined Vehicles 
    The company earned top scores for continuous innovations and utilization of AI to power its mapmaking and sensor fusion capabilities for the era of software-defined vehicles (SDV). The unified mapping architecture delivered by HERE enables rapid AI-powered map updates, ensuring that vehicles receive fresh and reliable data. The automotive industry’s shift toward SDVs has further underscored the importance of real-time mapping. Dynamic maps are no longer just about navigation; they are about safety and enabling ADAS, EV routing and automated driving technologies.

    In 2024, the HERE HD Live Map reinforced its market position by helping to power leading SAE Level 3 automated driving systems deployed by Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Currently, more than 53 million vehicles, from numerous car brands, depend on HERE map data for ADAS and automated driving applications.

    “As the automotive industry accelerates toward SDVs and real-time, AI-powered capabilities, HERE continues to provide the most advanced and scalable mapping solutions in the market,” said Mike Nefkens, CEO of HERE Technologies. “We are proud to be recognized by Counterpoint for the eighth consecutive year, underscoring our commitment to innovation and delivering to customers the highest quality, up-to-date, and intelligent location data available.”

    Beyond automotive, Counterpoint highlights the continued growth of HERE in enterprise location services, transportation, logistics and mobility. 

    For detailed information on the Counterpoint 2024 Location Platform Effectiveness Index, visit: https://www.here.com/platform/counterpoint-report-2025.

    Media contacts
    HERE Technologies
    Jordan Stark
    +1 312 316 4537
    jordan.stark@here.com

    Dr. Sebastian Kurme 
    +49 173 515 3549 
    sebastian.kurme@here.com

    About HERE Technologies
    HERE has been a pioneer in mapping and location technology for 40 years. Today, HERE’s location platform is recognized as the most complete in the industry, powering location-based products, services and custom maps for organizations and enterprises across the globe. From autonomous driving and seamless logistics to new mobility experiences, HERE allows its partners and customers to innovate while retaining control over their data and safeguarding privacy. Find out how HERE is moving the world forward at https://www.here.com/

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Lenkie secures £49M to fund business supplier payments and accelerate growth in UK

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The SME finance landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift as banks retreat from business lending, leaving a staggering £22 billion SME funding gap in the UK. Cashflow management platform, Lenkie, has today announced £49 million in Series A funding to transform the way growing UK businesses access capital. The funding round, which includes £4 million in equity and a £45 million debt facility, was led by a large US private credit fund focussed on supporting lenders internationally. 

    Lenkie founders Sanjeev Jeyakumar and Nnaemeka Obodoekwe.

    Growing businesses face the challenge of having to spend money in order to make it; footing the bill for stock, subcontractor payments and equipment before a product is even sold. Lenkie’s unique focus on payables financing – paying suppliers directly on behalf of SMEs at the beginning of a transaction – ensures businesses can secure the resources they need upfront to finance these growth-related expenses. 

    While the traditional borrowing experience remains slow, rigid, and reliant on outdated credit assessments (leaving thousands of viable businesses underserved). Lenkie’s cashflow platform gives SMEs access to fast, flexible funding exactly when and how they need it, removing growth bottlenecks and unnecessary friction.

    Founded in 2021 by Sanjeev Jeyakumar and Nnaemeka Obodoekwe, Lenkie has demonstrated strong market traction, funding over £70 million to underserved SMEs and funding payments to 2,000 suppliers across 40 countries. Leveraging proprietary underwriting technology and real-time performance data, the company delivers bespoke financing solutions that dramatically enhance speed and financial inclusion, empowering hundreds of businesses with faster approvals and a seamless borrowing experience.

    Sanjeev Jeyakumar, CEO and co-founder of Lenkie, says: “At its core, all lending is built on a foundation of trust. We’re able to use data and technology to understand the nuances of each business to build that trust in seconds. This enables us to provide fast and flexible capital when it’s most impactful. By financing specific transactions we’re creating a new model of financial inclusion that aligns with how modern businesses operate and grow”.

    Lenkie’s journey began when Sanjeev Jeyakumar, a former Citigroup credit trader, saw first-hand the power of real-time data to de-risk financing in underserved markets, whilst structuring over £2 billion in lending across emerging markets. Later, whilst building a venture-backed B2B marketplace helping small business owners access logistics services, he was exposed to thousands of entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of scaling. 

    “The challenge wasn’t a lack of growth opportunities, it was a broken borrowing experience. By removing friction and making access to capital effortless, we could unlock immense potential and help entrepreneurs realise their ambitions” said Sanjeev Jeyakumar

    The market timing for this is critical. Despite the £22 billion funding gap faced by UK SMEs, they are driving 60% of employment and 50% of GDP, with demand for alternative financing solutions at an all-time high. Lenkie’s transaction-based funding model is at the forefront of this change, providing businesses with an intuitive, need-based financing solution rather than inflexible, one-size-fits-all loans. This precise approach not only reduces the risk of funds being misallocated or underutilised, it is also more cost-effective for SMEs, aligning with their business growth cycles and matching real-time needs.

    “At the heart of our business is the need to invest in stock, reach new customers, and improve supplier relationships. Lenkie’s credit facility has been critical in enabling us to achieve all three. Lenkie offers an outstanding service and the continuous product innovations ensure an excellent user experience. It’s the perfect solution to help us scale” said Ankit Monga, Mongas Kids Wear Limited. 

    Looking ahead, Lenkie is poised to accelerate its mission of transforming SME financing in the UK. With fresh capital and strong industry momentum, the company plans to enhance its data-driven underwriting models, expand partnerships with leading platforms, and explore new markets. By breaking down funding barriers, Lenkie is not just enabling growth for SMEs, but paving the way for the next generation of entrepreneurs across the UK.

    Ends 

    Media images can be found here

    About Lenkie 
    Lenkie is a UK-based fintech providing fast, flexible, and transaction-based financing solutions for SMEs. By leveraging real-time data and payments technology, Lenkie ensures businesses can access capital precisely when they need it, eliminating the inefficiencies of traditional lending. Since its launch in 2021, Lenkie has helped hundreds of businesses access financing and continues to lead innovation with its cash flow management solutions.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Electrify Expo Orlando to Include First-Ever Public Can-Am Electric Motorcycle Demos

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ORLANDO, Fla., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Electrify Expo, North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, today announced that Can-Am will join its first stop in Orlando on March 22 and 23. Attendees will get an exclusive chance to experience the highly-anticipated Can-Am Pulse and Origin electric motorcycles, which are designed to be simple and fun, regardless of riding experience. These demos, along with all other brands at Electrify Expo, are included in the price of the entry ticket, which can be purchased online or in person.

    “Can-Am bringing its all-new Pulse and Origin motorcycles to Electrify Expo Orlando—and offering attendees the world’s first public demo rides on the motorcycle—is a major moment for the industry,” said BJ Birtwell, CEO and Founder of Electrify Expo. “This is exactly the kind of hands-on experience that shifts perceptions and drives adoption towards going electric on two-wheels.”

    Can-Am will showcase its entire lineup of electric motorcycles to the Orange County Convention Center, where attendees with a valid motorcycle license will have the unique opportunity to feel the thrill of instant acceleration, nimble handling, and a silent ride. In addition to demos, Can-Am will also have experts on site to interact with attendees and discuss the brand’s focus on innovation and ushering in the next generation of electric vehicle riders.

    “Electrify Expo is the perfect platform to give attendees the chance to experience Can-Am electric motorcycles,” said Elsa Vilarinho, Director of Global Brand Strategy at Can-Am. “Our bikes are built from the ground up to offer an incredible urban riding experience, merging pulsating performance with style and sophistication. These demos will show riders firsthand how Can-Am is positioning itself to be a global leader in the electric motorcycle industry.”

    Can-Am joins a star-studded list of manufacturers including Tesla, Ford, Toyota, Kawasaki and many others leveraging a one-of-a-kind, pressure-free experience to try out the hottest EV technology on the market.

    For more information and to purchase tickets to Electrify Expo, visit www.electrifyexpo.com.
    Media interested in attending may request credentials by emailing ee@skyya.com.

    About Electrify Expo
    Electrify Expo is North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, where consumers come to shop and experience all things electric. The festival showcases the industry’s leading brands and exciting startups through hands-on activations, demos and experiences spanning EVs, micromobility, solar energy, charging solutions, powersports, automotive aftermarket, and connected home technology, providing attendees with immersive learning opportunities and memorable interactions. From high-powered demo courses to engaging education zones, Electrify Expo offers a unique festival vibe for consumers to reshape what they think they know about EVs. In 2025, Electrify Expo’s nationwide tour will visit Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. To stay up to date on the latest news and announcements from Electrify Expo, visit www.electrifyexpo.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2b4884a2-a002-438c-a4ea-4d83df144159

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: February Commercial Chapter 11s Decrease 42 Percent

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Commercial chapter 11 bankruptcy filings decreased 42 percent in February 2025, with the 481 filings declining from the 826 filings in February 2024, according to data provided by Epiq AACER, the leading provider of U.S. bankruptcy filing data. Last February’s commercial chapter 11 total was elevated by the related filings of two sizeable commercial chapter 11 proceedings. Additionally, there was one less business day in February 2025 compared to last year due to the leap year taking place in 2024.

    Total February commercial filings decreased 16 percent to 2,152 from the 2,576 commercial filings in February 2024. Small business filings, captured as subchapter V elections within chapter 11, declined 12 percent in February 2025 to 176, down from 201 the previous year.

    “The overall filing volume trend waned in February, primarily due to fewer filing days and a typical trend of filings after tax return season,” said Michael Hunter, Vice President of Epiq AACER. “The availability and increased utilization of home equity has enabled homeowners to leverage that value to temporarily offset higher living costs. I expect a continued trend of increased filings through the spring and summer months primarily due to continued increases in living costs, debt accumulation, relatively flat household income growth, and influences related to regulatory change.”

    Total bankruptcy filings were 40,260 in February 2025, a 3 percent increase from the February 2024 total of 39,034. Individual bankruptcy filings increased 5 percent in February to 38,108, up from the February 2024 individual filing total of 36,458. There were 22,899 individual chapter 7 filings in February 2025, an 8 percent increase over the 21,151 filings recorded in February 2024. Conversely, there were 15,128 individual chapter 13 filings in February 2025, a 1 percent decrease from the 15,247 filings last February.

    “Inflation, elevated interest rates, tighter lending terms and geopolitical tensions are creating more challenges for distressed consumers and businesses looking to alleviate their growing debt loads,” said ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss. “Bankruptcy provides an established process for struggling households and businesses looking to access a financial fresh start.”

    ABI has partnered with Epiq Bankruptcy to provide the most current bankruptcy filing data for analysts, researchers, and members of the news media. Epiq Bankruptcy is the leading provider of data, technology, and services for companies operating in the business of bankruptcy. Its Bankruptcy Analytics subscription service provides on-demand access to the industry’s most dynamic bankruptcy data, updated daily. Learn more at https://bankruptcy.epiqglobal.com/analytics.

    About Epiq
    Epiq is a leading legal and compliance services platform integrating people, process, and technology. Through this combination of innovative technology, legal and business expertise, and comprehensive solutions, Epiq drives efficiency in large-scale and increasingly complex tasks. High-performing clients around the world rely on Epiq to streamline the administration of business, settlement administration, legal, and compliance operations to solve immediate challenges and provide scalable ongoing support to transform the enterprise. Learn more at www.epiqglobal.com

    About ABI 
    ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes nearly 10,000 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abi.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abi.org/calendar-of-events.

    Press Contacts
    Carrie Trent
    Epiq, Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Public Relations
    Carrie.Trent@epiqglobal.com

    John Hartgen
    ABI, Public Affairs Officer
    jhartgen@abi.org

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: MARA Announces Bitcoin Production and Mining Operation Updates for February 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BTC Production Per Day Increased 4% M/M
    206 Blocks Won in February, 6% Decrease M/M
    Increased BTC Holdings* to 46,374 BTC

    Fort Lauderdale, FL, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MARA Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA) (“MARA” or the “Company”), a global leader in leveraging digital asset compute to support the energy transformation, today published unaudited bitcoin (“bitcoin” or “BTC”) production updates for February 2025.

    Management Commentary

    “In February, our bitcoin production per day increased 4% over January,” said Fred Thiel, MARA’s chairman and CEO. “Blocks won and bitcoin production decreased by 6% month-over-month, primarily due to a higher network difficulty level and three fewer operational days. Our energized hashrate was slightly above the prior month, and we are close to finishing construction of a 40-megawatt data center in Ohio where we plan to install over ten thousand S21 Pro immersion miners.

    “We established the Company’s leadership in bitcoin mining through an asset-light model, transformed it into a vertically integrated energy and infrastructure company in 2024, and in 2025, we will continue to focus on being the dominant player in bitcoin mining while expanding our footprint in energy generation.

    “In conjunction with our emerging technology business, we are taking steps today, including investing in research and development, to establish our presence in AI and adjacent markets, which we expect will create additional revenue opportunities over the long term. We expect our costs to decline as we realize savings from owning our sites and generating our own power, and we will be laser-focused on efficiency as we drive towards our goal of low-cost energy.”

    Operational Highlights and Updates

    Figure 1: Operational Highlights

        Prior Month Comparison
    Metric   2/28/2025     1/31/2025     % Δ  
    Number of Blocks Won 1   206     218     (6) %
    BTC Produced   706     750     (6) %
    Average BTC Produced per Day   25.2     24.2     4 %
    Share of available miner rewards 2   5.4 %   5.1 %   NM  
    Transaction Fees as % of Total 1   1.4 %   1.6 %   NM  
    Energized Hashrate (EH/s) 1   53.7     53.2     1 %
    1. These metrics are MARAPool only and do not include blocks won from joint ventures.
    2. Defined as the total amount of block rewards including transaction fees that MARA earned during the period divided by the total amount of block rewards and transaction fees awarded by the Bitcoin network during the period.

    NM – Not Meaningful

    As of February 28, 2025, the Company held a total of 46,374 BTC*. MARA opted not to sell any BTC in February.

    *Includes loaned and collateralized bitcoin

    Investor Notice

    Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks, uncertainties and forward-looking statements described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any other periodic reports that we may file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). If any of these risks were to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In that event, the value of our securities could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. The risks and uncertainties we describe are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. In addition, our past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results in the future. See “Forward-Looking Statements” below.

    The operational highlights and updates presented in this press release pertain solely to our BTC mining operations. Detailed information regarding our other operations can be found in our periodic reports filed with the SEC.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this press release are forward-looking statements. The words “may,” “will,” “could,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “believe,” “continue,” “target” and similar expressions or variations or negatives of these words are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements related to the construction and energization of our data center in Ohio and expansion into energy generation, AI and adjacent markets. Such forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations about future events as of the date hereof and involve many risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Subsequent events and developments, including actual results or changes in our assumptions, may cause our views to change. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements except to the extent required by applicable law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Our actual results and outcomes could differ materially from those included in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the factors set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and any other periodic reports that we may file with the SEC.

    About MARA

    MARA (NASDAQ:MARA) is a global leader in digital asset compute that develops and deploys innovative technologies to build a more sustainable and inclusive future. MARA secures the world’s preeminent blockchain ledger and supports the energy transformation by converting clean, stranded, or otherwise underutilized energy into economic value.

    For more information, visit www.mara.com, or follow us on:

    Twitter: @MARAHoldings
    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/maraholdings
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/MARAHoldings
    Instagram: @maraholdingsinc

    MARA Company Contact:
    Telephone: 800-804-1690
    Email: ir@mara.com 

    MARA Media Contact:

    Email: marathon@wachsman.com 

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: Representatives of 185 countries took part in the Olympiad of the Global Universities Association for admission to Russian universities

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The announcement of the winners for the PhD and postdoc tracks was a big success result the eighth international Olympiad. The organizers of the intellectual competitions are 24 Russian universities – members of the association “Global Universities”, successfully developing in the global market of education and research.

    “The Olympiad of the Global Universities Association contributes to achieving one of the indicators of the national project “Youth and Children” – increasing the number of foreign students by 2030 to 500 thousand. In 2024, about 150 thousand people from 185 countries took part in it, which is more than twice the results of the previous year. The winners of the Olympiad will have the right to study in Russia locally within the quota of the Government of the Russian Federation for foreign citizens,” said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    As noted by the head of the Ministry of Education and Science Valery Falkov, a special feature of the 2024 selection was the launch of a postdoc track, which is aimed at attracting young foreign scientists to work in scientific projects of Russian universities. Holders of a candidate of science or PhD degree from a foreign university are given the opportunity to find employment in one of the research projects offered by the organizing universities.

    “We see that the trend for academic mobility remains stable throughout the world, the number of foreign students in Russia is growing. And one of the successful tools of this work is holding such large-scale events as the international Olympiad,” the minister said.

    The track for undergraduate students also started for the first time. The winners and prize winners were 2,129 people, the master’s track – 3,928 people, the postgraduate track – 234 people, and among postdocs – 11. In total, this year the participants filled out almost 362 thousand portfolios. The organizers noted the increase in the activity of the participants and a significant improvement in the quality of their preparation: the average score increased at all stages of the intellectual competitions, despite the increased entry requirements for applicants.

    The Olympiad is held in 14 broad subject profiles:

    — Computer and Data Science

    — Business and management

    — Engineering and technology

    — Clinical medicine and public health

    — Biology and biotechnology

    — Political science and international relations

    — Applied Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence

    — Education and psychology

    — Earth and Environmental Sciences

    — Economics and econometrics

    — Linguistics and modern languages

    — Physical and technical sciences

    — Urbanism and civil engineering

    — Chemistry and Materials Science

    The International Olympiad (known internationally under the brand Russian Scholarship Project Open Doors) has been held since 2017. During this time, more than 500 thousand people from 222 countries of the world took part in it, about 90% of them live in Asia and Africa. More than 12 thousand winners and prize winners received the right to free education in the best Russian universities.

    The universities that are members of the Global Universities Association include the universities that are members of the Global Universities Association and the organizers of the Olympiad.

    1. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research University “Higher School of Economics”

    2. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev”.

    3. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research University ITMO”

    4. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Tomsk State University”

    5. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin”

    6.Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Far Eastern Federal University”

    7. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University)”

    8. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Moscow Polytechnic University”

    9. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Tyumen State University”

    10. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University”

    11. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Siberian Federal University”

    12. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University”

    13. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University”

    14. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation”

    15. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N.I. Lobachevsky”

    16. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Novosibirsk National Research State University”

    17. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Technological University “MISIS”

    18. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Nuclear University MEPhI”

    19. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Southern Federal University”

    20. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University “LETI” named after V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin)”

    21. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba”

    22. Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering”

    23. Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University)

    24. Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Bauman Moscow State Technical University (National Research University)”, as well as the university – co-organizer of the Olympiad in the postgraduate track

    25. Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Siberian State Medical University” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Westminster City Council Launches New Biodiversity and Greening Group to Tackle Ecological Emergency | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    A range of organisations, from landholders to grassroots community groups, joined together last week for the first time to discuss different ecological challenges in the city, and discussed how they can work better together to tackle them. The meeting- hosted by Westminster City Council- provided a platform to collaborate, network and share ideas with the goal of enhancing biodiversity and greening across Westminster.

    Named Wilder Westminster, the first meeting marks the beginning of a long-term commitment by the council to address the ecological emergency. Regular collaboration between members will help to continue the discussion and develop the biodiversity and greening action plan outside the group bi-annual meetings.

    The aim for future meetings is to continue collaborating to ensure greening efforts are coordinated and impactful and that nature is supported to recover and thrive.

    Westminster is home to exceptional green spaces, owned and managed by a variety of stakeholders including Royal Parks, and BIDS (Business Improvement Districts) and community and third sector organisations, so there was an emphasis on partnership building, calling on everyone to take collective responsibility for creating a greener and more nature-rich environment. The working group also touched on issues such as strategy and purpose, and case studies of good greening practices including recent improvements to Cardinal Place in Victoria by Landsec.

    Westminster City Council is hopeful that this new partnership will play a key role in shaping a greener future for central London.

    For more information about the work group is doing as well as how to get more involved by visiting the Environment Hub.

    Cllr Ryan Jude, Cabinet member for Climate Action, Ecology and Culture said:

    It was great to see different organisations come together in one space to focus on how we can work better together to be more environmentally sustainable, in recognition of the ecological emergency and to help deliver a net zero city by 2040.”

    “We all recognise that we can’t do this alone and there is still a lot to be done but by making sure our efforts are coordinated we can bring about meaningful and lasting change in Westminster.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Shoppers in line for fortnight of city centre free giveaways

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Lucky shoppers are set for two-weeks of free goods in city centre shops, stores and eateries starting next Monday (10 March).

    Freebie Fortnight, which runs until 23 March, sees participating businesses in the city centre, including food, retail and beauty, offering goods or services up to the value of £5 or £10 to a set number of customers per day.

    For full details, all customers have to do is search Freebie Fortnight on Aberdeen City Council’s website or look out for the special window stickers in participating shops. Up to 50 customers a day who say the code word “Freebie Fortnight” to staff in participating stores could be in line for a free item.

    The promotion is being led by Aberdeen City Council’s City Development and Regeneration team with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

    Councillor Alex McLellan, the Council’s Finance and Resources convener, said: “The Freebie Fortnight promotion will provide a boost to local shops, cafes, and restaurants and also reward customers for their city centre visit”

    “Aberdeen City Council is delivering significant city centre regeneration, and this is another great initiative to bring people into the city centre.”

    Participating businesses will have an opportunity to devise their own deal based on stock and deliverability.

    A variety of offerings will be ensured, from ‘grab and go’ options which may attract workers and commuters, to sit-down or browsing options which may attract visitors and increase dwell time spent in the city centre.

    Freebie Fortnight is being supported by social media and a Northsound radio campaign. For more information on participating outlets, visit: Freebie Fortnight | Aberdeen City Council

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Ratho Library opens its doors and unveils special artwork

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    The new Ratho Library has officially opened its doors to the public as it moves into its permanent location after closing its doors in 2020 and serving as a mobile service since 2021.

    The opening celebration includes the unveiling of a special artwork inside the library, showcasing a quote chosen by the local community.

    In the summer of 2023, the library hosted a community vote to select a quote from a selection of beloved children’s books. The winning quote, now proudly displayed above the children’s library section, is from Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The quote celebrates the joy of reading and literature, making it a perfect fit for the new library’s vibrant atmosphere.

    In addition to the winning quote, illustrations of Rowena frog and other characters from the book accompany the quote, further enhancing the library’s welcoming environment for young readers.

    Each child who attends the early years centre adjacent to the new library will receive a copy of Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler to mark the official opening of the new library.

    Winning quote 
    ‘Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’ (2005) written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Macmillan Children’s Books (Pan Macmillan).

    ‘About Rowena Reddalot,
    a very well-read frog,
    Who jumped upon a lily pad
    and jumped upon a log,
    Then jumped into the library
    which stood beside the brook,
    And went, “Reddit! Reddit! Reddit!”
    as she jumped upon a book…’

    Julia Donaldson said: 

    I have long campaigned on the valuable role that public libraries play in communities and in developing a love of books. I am very pleased that this library is opening in Ratho; it isn’t news that you hear every day. I want to thank everyone who voted to see ‘Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’ featured on the walls in the children’s area and I hope this joyful space introduces a new generation of readers to stories they will treasure for life.

    Axel Scheffler said:

    It is an honour to know that ‘Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’ was chosen by the local community in Ratho to feature in their new library. I would like to thank them all and also the librarian team who have worked so hard to make this happen. I am so pleased that Rowena frog and Charlie will welcome young readers into the children’s area and I hope they will inspire families to discover great new books together.

    Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker, said:

    We are thrilled to open the doors of our new Ratho Library and celebrate the community’s involvement in selecting the quote that now graces our children’s library. This collaboration highlights our shared love of reading and the importance of literature in inspiring young minds. The winning quote from ‘Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’ perfectly reflects the joy of storytelling, and we are excited to create a space where every visitor, especially our young readers, can feel the magic of books.

    Our dedicated team at Ratho has worked closely with Macmillan Children’s Books to develop the graphic design for our new library and it looks fantastic. I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler and Macmillan Children’s Books for their permission to use ‘Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book’ and their ongoing support in the process. I hope visitors enjoy the design for years to come.

    Ratho Library offers a broad range of services to customers, including access to a wide variety of digital and printed books, free public access to computers, free public Wi-Fi, collection of NHS hearing Aid batteries, support with National Entitlement Cards alongside an exciting programme of events and activities for children and adults. The library will host Tech Donation Boxes later in the year where everyday tech devices can be upcycled.

    An official opening event for the library will be held at a later date.
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn School of Business to Induct Five Distinguished Business Executives into ‘Hall of Fame’

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The School of Business will induct five alumni business leaders into its ‘Hall of Fame’ during a dinner and ceremony on Friday, April 11 at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.

    The School’s signature event typically draws hundreds for a night of celebration.

    “This year, we proudly induct five exceptional alumni into the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame. Their remarkable achievements, leadership, and dedication to service place them among the most distinguished executives in their fields,’’ says Professor Greg Reilly, interim dean of the School of Business.

    “A highlight of the evening is hearing their reflections on their time at UConn and the invaluable advice they offer to students and young alumni,’’ he says. “The Hall of Fame celebration stands as one of the most inspiring and anticipated events of the year.”

    Tickets to the event, which is black-tie optional, are $175 each. There is still time to become an event sponsor as well. For reservations or additional information, please visit: alumni.business.uconn.edu.

    This year’s inductees include:

    Entrepreneur Trisha Bailey Believes in Exceptional Service

    Trisha Bailey, ’99 (CLAS) ’23 (HON) is an entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Bailey’s Pharmacy & Medical Equipment & Supplies, a company built on a culture of exceptional service. She oversees her flagship company, as well as other successful enterprises, employing more than 500 people and generating revenue in the hundreds of millions annually. She is also the mother of five.

    Tricia Bailey (contributed photo)

    Bailey graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UConn in 1999, majoring in human development and family relations, and received an honorary degree from the School of Pharmacy in 2023.

    A track standout at Weaver High School in Hartford, Bailey has been a generous donor to UConn Athletics and became the first woman to have a building named in her honor on campus. She is also involved in real estate development and housing; is a minority owner of NBA teams; and is the owner of the largest equestrian farm in Florida.

    A native of Jamaica, she is deeply committed to community impact, supporting underserved communities in her native land and in the U.S., supporting nursing programs, and food and toy drives.

    Her autobiography “UNBROKEN’’ addresses her complex life journey and shares her deeply held values of compassion, excellence, and empowerment.

    Laurie Havanec Led 300,000 Employees at CVS Health

    Laurie Havanec ’82 (BUS), ’94 JD recently retired from CVS Health, where she served as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer. In that role, she was responsible for 300,000 employees. Prior to joining CVS, Havanec served as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Otis Worldwide Corporation, including during its transition from United Technologies Corporation to an independent, publicly traded company.

    Laurie Havanec (contributed photo)

    Havanec earned her bachelor’s degree, with a marketing major, from the School of Business in 1982. Six weeks after the birth of her second child, she returned to UConn to fill her longtime desire to study law at the UConn Law School. She completed her degree with honors.

    In 2019, Havanec endowed a need-based scholarship, through UConn Women and Philanthropy, to help women in their path to law school. She has served on the Board of Directors of American Water, as a member of the Board of Trustees for both the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame and the Connecticut Governor’s Committee on Workforce and Education. A two-time cancer survivor, Havanec has told her story many times to help educate women about the importance of breast-cancer detection and prevention.

    Inclusivity Always Important to John Hodson

    John Hodson ’85 (BUS), is the Founder and President of True Benefit, a division of AmWINS, a company that goes beyond traditional employee benefits to foster a culture of inclusivity, ethical practices, and community engagement. The company’s mission is to serve both business and the broader community and he has championed diversity, equity, and belonging throughout his career.

    John Hodson (contributed photo)

    Hodson earned his bachelor’s degree, with a marketing major, in 1985 and worked at The Travelers and ConnectiCare. He then became an insurance broker and eventually founded True Benefit. Since its inception, the company has grown to become the exclusive program and risk manager for ADP Total Source, the largest professional employer organization in the nation. True Benefit now serves more than 750,000 employees nationwide, overseeing more than $4 billion in healthcare premiums and delivering healthcare savings and solutions for small- to mid- sized businesses.

    A dedicated advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and racial equity, Hodson has worked to improve insurance policies for the transgender community, addressing gaps in coverage and access to mental health care. He is also a proud supporter of UConn’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiatives, with a focus on promoting mental health and the wellbeing of students. He is actively involved with several professional organizations and serves on the Board of Trustees at Sarah Lawrence College, which two of his children attended.

    Greg Lewis Served as SVP and CFO of Honeywell

    Greg Lewis ’91 (BUS) is the former Senior Vice President and CFO of Honeywell, a Fortune 100 company. This month, he will be stepping down from those roles and is serving as a special advisor to the CEO of the company, where he has worked since 2006.

    Greg Lewis (contributed photo)

    During his time at Honeywell, he served as a catalyst for digital transformation, launched the company’s Enterprise Information Management Strategy and made significant changes for greater operational excellence. He built a culture with data at the forefront of strategic decision making and provided critical leadership in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the dynamic economic and geopolitical environment during the last five years.

    Lewis earned his bachelor’s degree from the School of Business in 1991, with a major in finance, and four years later earned an MBA from Fordham University.

    Over the last three years, Lewis has been involved with the School of Business,  engaging with faculty and students, and mentoring teams. Lewis is a champion of diversity and inclusion and is the executive sponsor of the All-Abilities Employee Network at Honeywell with over 2,500 associates. He chairs the Charlotte (NC) Small Business Innovation Fund and is a board member for Roof Above, a Charlotte-based organization fighting homelessness. He is also an independent director on the board of Medtronic.

    Lewis’ wife, Barbara, is a 1989 graduate of the School of Business. They have established a scholarship here, providing opportunities based on academic achievement and need.

    Rob Skinner Named a Top Financial Advisor

    Rob Skinner ’93 (CLAS) is a Founder and Managing Partner of IEQ Capital, an independent wealth management advisory firm which integrates investing and intellectual and emotional decisions.

    Robert Skinner (contributed photo)

    Skinner began his career at Fidelity Investments in 1995 and later joined Merrill Lynch as First Vice President of Investments. In 2008, he co-founded Luminous Capital, where he served as Chief Investment Officer, Co-Head of Investment Research, and Co-Manager of Portfolio Construction.  Luminous Capital managed $5.5 billion of assets when it was acquired by First Republic Bank in 2012. At First Republic, Skinner served as Senior Managing Director and Wealth Manager.

    Skinner has been lauded for his expertise, including being named as one of America’s Top Wealth Advisors by Forbes and as one of America’s Top 100 Financial Advisors by Barron’s.

    Skinner earned a bachelor’s degree from UConn in 1993, with a major in political science. He is active in a host of community programs, serving on the board of directors for The First Tee of Monterey County and also the Pebble Beach Company Foundation. He is a trustee of PGA REACH, the charitable arm of the PGA of America, as well as the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, and serves on multiple investment advisory boards.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Surfshark makes the Financial Times 1000 Fastest Growing Companies ranking once again

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Surfshark, the world’s leading provider of online security solutions, is proud to announce its inclusion in the prestigious Financial Times 1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies list for the second year in a row. The company was ranked 43rd in the IT and Software category, highlighting its commitment to innovation and continuous growth.

    The FT 1000, compiled annually by the Financial Times in partnership with Statista, ranks Europe’s fastest-growing companies based on their highest annual revenue growth over the past four years. The ranking is created through extensive research, checking several criteria for inclusion: independence, headquarters in Europe, organic growth, and more.

    “Being recognized in the Financial Times 1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies 2025 ranking is an incredible honour to us,” says Dovydas Godelis, Chief Operations Officer at Surfshark. “This achievement reflects our commitment to deliver top-notch cybersecurity products, empowering everyone to protect their digital lives, regardless of their technical expertise.”

    Founded in 2018 with a team of just 30, Surfshark quickly gained worldwide recognition with its VPN. Today, Surfshark offers a comprehensive suite of online security tools, including Surfshark Antivirus, Alternative ID – an email and personal information masking tool, Surfshark Alert for data leak detection, and Incogni, a personal data removal service.

    “Over the past year, we’ve introduced Alternative Number, a service that lets users mask their real phone numbers to reduce scam and spam calls. We’ve also launched a VPN app for Apple TV and introduced Bypasser feature on iOS, which eliminates the need to manually disconnect the VPN to access IP-sensitive websites or services,” says Dovydas Godelis. “Recognitions like being featured in the FT 1000 list of fastest-growing companies inspire us to keep innovating and delivering top-quality security solutions.” 

    For more information on Surfshark’s accomplishments in 2024, please visit: surfshark.com/media/Surfshark_Annual_Wrap-Up_2024.pdf 

    ABOUT SURSHARK

    Surfshark is a cybersecurity company focused on developing humanized privacy and security solutions. The Surfshark One suite includes one of the very few VPNs audited by independent security experts, an officially certified antivirus, a private search tool, and a data leak alert system. Surfshark is recognized as the Tech Advisor’s Editor’s Choice for 2024. For a closer look at Surfshark in 2024, check our annual wrap-up. For more research projects, visit our research hub at: surfshark.com/research

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: APAM Announces Jason Gottlieb as Chief Executive Officer and Eric Colson as Executive Chair

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MILWAUKEE, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (NYSE: APAM, the “Company”) announced today the appointment of Jason Gottlieb, current President of the Company, to succeed Eric Colson as Chief Executive Officer, and the appointment of Mr. Colson as Executive Chair of the Company, each effective following the Company’s 2025 annual meeting of stockholders on June 4, 2025. At that time, it is expected that Mr. Gottlieb will be elected to the Company’s Board of Directors, and Mr. Colson will become Chair of the Board, assuming the role from Stephanie DiMarco who will transition to Lead Independent Director.

    Mr. Gottlieb joined Artisan Partners in October 2016 as a Managing Director of Investment Operations. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Investments and Executive Vice President in February 2017 and President in January 2021. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Gottlieb was a partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs where he was a leader in Goldman Sachs’ Alternative Investment & Manager Selection Group and a portfolio manager on the Goldman Sachs Multi-Manager Alternatives Fund.

    Mr. Colson said, “Appointing Jason as CEO is the culmination of our long-term leadership succession plan and the natural evolution of his current responsibilities. Given his proven track record of leadership and management along with his strategic contributions to the Company over time, our Board of Directors and I have tremendous confidence in Jason’s ability to lead Artisan. I look forward to my continued partnership with Jason and the senior management team in my new role as an active and engaged Executive Chair.”

    “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this world-class investment organization, further expand our multi-asset investment platform and drive the growth of our business,” added Mr. Gottlieb. “We believe we are well positioned to seize the right opportunities to grow our business and continue to deliver successful outcomes for our clients, employees and shareholders.”

    About Artisan Partners
    Artisan Partners is a global investment management firm that provides a broad range of high value-added investment strategies in growing asset classes to sophisticated clients around the world. Since 1994, the firm has been committed to attracting experienced, disciplined investment professionals to manage client assets. Artisan Partners’ autonomous investment teams oversee a diverse range of investment strategies across multiple asset classes. Strategies are offered through various investment vehicles to accommodate a broad range of client mandates.

    Press Inquiries
    Eileen Kwei
    800.399.1770
    eileen.kwei@artisanpartners.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events and our future performance, as well as management’s current expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based on current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, and there are important factors that could cause actual results, level of activity, performance, actions or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance, actions or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These factors include: the loss of key investment professionals or senior management, adverse market or economic conditions for whatever reason, poor performance of our investment strategies, change in the legislative and regulatory environment in which we operate, operational or technical errors or other matters that cause damage to our reputation, and other factors disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those factors listed under the caption entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time. Our periodic and current reports are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.

    © 2025 Artisan Partners. All rights reserved.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Beamr Issues Annual CEO Letter to Shareholders: Highlighting 2024 Achievements and 2025 Strategy – Capitalizing on Market Validation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    In 2025, Beamr plans to leverage the strong market validation it has gained in numerous meetings with prospective customers across key target markets, as well as participation in major events with industry leaders

    Herzliya, Israel, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beamr Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: BMR), a leader in video optimization technology and solutions, today issued a Letter to Shareholders from Sharon Carmel, Chief Executive Officer.

    Dear Shareholders:

    As we look toward a promising and exciting year ahead, I am proud to reflect on Beamr’s achievements throughout 2024, including our financial results and strong cash position for 2024, our recent accomplishments so far in Q1 2025, and look forward to our plans for Q2 2025. We believe that during 2025, Beamr will capitalize on the significant validation it has created in 2024 and convert prospects in the sales funnel into significant revenue growth in the next quarters.

    2024 Highlights

    Beamr Cloud and AI workflows

    On February 20, 2024, we launched the Beamr Cloud SaaS solution, which enables high-efficiency, high-quality and scalable video processing at attractive pricing. Our new video cloud service, accelerated by GPUs, offers more capabilities than we initially expected, which include easy and cost-effective video standards modernization from AVC to HEVC and AV1.

    Following the launch of Beamr Cloud, throughout the year, we continued to strengthen our relationships with industry leaders, such as NVIDIA, to highlight the benefits and features of using our technology in real time with AI video workflows.

    In Q2 2024, we successfully executed on our product development plan, and the first AI video capabilities were integrated into Beamr Cloud. The AI video enhancements allow automatic caption and transcription generation for videos in multiple languages. Incorporating these AI features was a first step in augmenting Beamr Cloud with cutting-edge services.

    We incorporated customer feedback by enhancing Beamr Cloud’s core functionality, making it ready for adoption at scale, which includes:

    • Giving users more control over the compression process using custom presets; and   
    • Adding packaging for streaming.

    Furthermore, we plan to continue introducing improvements to Beamr Cloud, making it easier to use and allow customers higher configurability and flexibly using the service.

    Collaborations with Industry Giants

    In 2024, Beamr highlighted its market presence by participating in eight leading trade shows and conferences, including ACM Mile High Video, GTC, NAB, SIGGRAPH, Oracle CloudWorld, IBC ,Demuxed and AWS re:Invent.

    In IBC, Beamr showcased a demo of live video optimization at 4K and up to 60 frames per second (4Kp60). In SIGGRAPH, we presented with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) an optimized production of large, high-quality, high-resolution videos rendered from 3D design.

    During these events, Beamr executives delivered high-impact presentations to hundreds of industry professionals, showcasing our innovative technology and expanding SaaS solutions. Furthermore, we held over 100 face-to-face meetings with existing and prospective customers. These efforts focused on differentiating Beamr in the video market and highlighting the value of our high-quality, high-efficiency, GPU-accelerated SaaS offerings to key and prospective customers in emerging markets, such as Media & Entertainment, User-Generated content and Internet-of-Things.

    Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)

    Beamr Cloud was launched on OCI in June 2024. OCI is the second cloud service that provides to its customers Beamr’s GPU-based video optimization services, following AWS.

    David Hicks, Oracle’s group vice president, Worldwide ISV Cloud Business Development commented: “Beamr’s commitment to innovation with the Oracle Cloud and quality execution helps our mutual customers receive cloud-enabled, automated, and scalable video processing solutions ready to meet critical business needs.”.

    The collaboration with OCI has opened up access to customers of both companies to the newest generation of GPUs, and preliminary testing showed the potential for increased video processing speed by up to 30%. Alongside the enhanced service on a second cloud platform, Beamr has achieved “Powered by Oracle Cloud Expertise” status and was chosen as one of OCI’s AI innovators.

    Fundraising Activities

    Following our initial public offering on Nasdaq in March 2023, in February 2024, we raised gross proceeds of $13.8 million in an underwritten offering. At the end of 2024, we had $16.4 million in cash and cash equivalents.

    2025: Capitalizing on Market Validation and Materializing the Sales Funnel into Significant Revenues

    Market Validation: Amazon Web Services – ISV Accelerate

    In Q1 2025, Beamr joined the AWS ISV Accelerate program, a global co-sell initiative for Amazon Web Services (AWS) partners. As an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) in the program, Beamr demonstrates strong alignment with AWS’s go-to-market strategies and initiatives. Beamr had progressed from listing on AWS Marketplace to becoming an ISV Accelerate Member in just three months.

    In order to achieve the high bar to ISV Accelerate program, Beamr was required to have 10 opportunities with AWS and go through a Foundational Technology Review (FTR), which validates that our solution is well-architected and using best practices specific to our SaaS.

    The AWS ISV program offers key benefits to drive visibility and co-selling opportunities. By joining, Beamr can expand sales operations through the AWS sales organization and the AWS Marketplace, driving increased growth for Beamr Cloud – the video optimization service that is seamlessly connected with AWS S3 cloud storage service. For example, AWS Account Managers are eligible for incentives when selling Beamr Cloud through AWS Marketplace. They also gain exposure to ISVs through solution partner recommendation engines.

    AI Video Webinar

    In January 2025, Beamr hosted a webinar titled: “The Future of AI Video – From Infrastructure to Experience”. The webinar featured Richard Kerris, VP of Media & Entertainment at NVIDIA, Jeffrey Schick, VP Strategic Client Engagement Media & Entertainment at Oracle and myself. The webinar discussed the platforms and technologies that drive the AI video revolution, and explored the opportunities and challenges of AI -powered media content.

    Webinar hosted by Beamr about AI video

    Keynote to Industry Leaders

    In February 2025, Beamr participated in the ACM Mile-High-Video, and I presented a keynote titled: “Is the Future of Video Processing Destined for GPU?”. The ACM Mile-High-Video conference is a flagship video formats and streaming event, held annually in Denver, and organized by engineers and researchers from both industry and academia.

    This month, Beamr will participate in NVIDIA GTC 2025, with my session discussing the evolution of video compression and the ability to efficiently enhance videos with AI-driven capabilities in real-time during video transcoding, utilizing GPU acceleration.

    CEO Sharon Carmel presenting keynote at ACM Mile-High Video 2025

    SaaS planning for 2025 – from Capabilities to Solutions

    In 2025, we plan to introduce more solutions, as part of our evolving strategy – to further develop our technology, enhance Beamr Cloud’s video workflows and introduce more AI-driven capabilities. This is all based on the numerous meetings we have conducted with prospective customers, as well as on the events we held and attended by industry leaders providing valuable feedback.

    The key target markets we are focused on include: 

    • Media & entertainment
    • User-generated content
    • Internet of things – autonomous vehicles, and other machine learning-driven industries; and

    All identified markets that rely on video as a core component of their business operations can benefit from our offering of GPU-accelerated, high-quality and AI-driven video pipelines, whether deployed via cloud platforms, such as AWS and OCI, private cloud environments for enterprises, or on-premises infrastructure.

    In addition, we plan to continue to advancing our core capabilities and maintain leadership in AI video. Some of the planned core capabilities include:

    • Increasing subjective and objective video quality, and
    • Turning lower resolution videos to high resolution videos using super resolution.

    We anticipate a strong year ahead, with expanded participation in top industry events, increased customer and partner collaborations, and a deeper commitment to strategic partnerships.

    In just the first two months of 2025, Beamr has taken its partnership with AWS to the next level, to a co-sale level, has hosted industry leading companies in its own event and has been chosen to present its technology and achievements at leading industry conferences. We believe this validation shows the recognition that Beamr has achieved in the market.

    The plan for the upcoming quarters and the rest of 2025 is to capitalize on the strong industry recognition and sales pipeline that we have been developing, and we are expecting significant growth in our revenues in 2025 from our existing sales funnel.

    2024 Financial Results

    Regarding our financial results for 2024:

    • Revenues increased by $0.15 million or 5% to $3.06 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to transactions with new customers versus other transactions that were terminated.
    • Cost of revenues increased by $0.14 million to $0.24 million the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to the amortization of internal-used software costs.
    • Research and development expenses increased by $1.06 million, or 58% to $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $0.4 million in salaries, due to increased personnel and an increase of $0.48 million in professional fees due to additional sub-contractors and cloud costs.
    • Selling and marketing expenses increased by $0.31 million, or 88% to $0.67 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $0.36 million in 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase in personnel and an increase in conference costs.
    • General and administrative expenses increased by $0.96 million, or 64% to $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $1.5 million in 2023. The increase was primarily due to increased personnel, increase in professional fees related to public company requirements and increased travel expenses to conferences.
    • Financing expenses, net decreased by $0.3 million, or 141% to ($0.09) million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $(0.2) million in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to changes in fair value of liabilities offset by interest income on bank deposits.
    • Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $3.3 million or $0.22 basic net loss per ordinary share, compared to a net loss of $0.7 million, or $0.06 basic net loss per ordinary share, in the year ended December 31, 2023.
    • Beamr ended 2024 with $16.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $6.1 million as of December 31, 2023.

    In closing, 2024 represented a year of significant progress for Beamr as we executed on our plan by releasing and upgrading Beamr Cloud with AI video processes and workflows, participating in top industry events and increasing our customer and partner collaborations. Importantly, with our cash position at the end of 2024, we continue to have the financial flexibility to both accelerate the growth of our existing business and pursue compelling business development opportunities, a process we are actively engaged in.

    Respectfully,

    Sharon Carmel
    Chief Executive Officer, Beamr Imaging Ltd.

    A copy of Beamr’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at https://www.sec.gov/ and posted on Beamr’s investor relations website at https://www.investors.beamr.com/. Beamr will deliver a hard copy of its annual report, including its complete audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders upon request at investorrelations@beamr.com.

    About Beamr

    Beamr (Nasdaq: BMR) is a world leader in content-adaptive video optimization and modernization. The company serves top media companies like Netflix and Paramount. Beamr’s inventive perceptual optimization technology (CABR) is backed by 53 patents and won the Emmy® award for Technology and Engineering. The innovative technology reduces video file size by up to 50% while guaranteeing quality.

    Beamr Cloud is a high-performance, GPU-based video optimization and modernization service designed for businesses and video professionals across diverse industries. It is conveniently available to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) customers. Beamr Cloud enables video modernization to advanced formats such as AV1 and HEVC, and is ready for video AI workflows. For more details, please visit www.beamr.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this communication may include, among other things, statements about Beamr’s strategic and business plans, technology, relationships, objectives and expectations for its business, the impact of trends on and interest in its business, intellectual property or product and its future results, operations and financial performance and condition, including its expectations for significant revenue growth in 2025. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, reference is made to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in the Company’s annual report filed with the SEC on March 4, 2025 and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. investorrelations@beamr.com

    Investor Contact:

    investorrelations@beamr.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Toobit Launches USDC-M Perpetual Contracts

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Toobit, the award-winning cryptocurrency derivatives exchange, today launches two new USDC-M Perpetual Contracts. Created to build greater price stability and capital efficiency on the trading platform, the product launch will begin with the flagship pairs, BTC/USDC and ETH/USDC.

    “As crypto markets mature, traders increasingly demand a more predictable margin system,” said Mike Williams, Chief Communication Officer of Toobit, “USDC perpetuals delivers on this need by minimizing exposure to potential fluctuations, making advanced trading strategies more accessible than ever.”

    By reducing exposure to collateral volatility, traders can manage risk more effectively on Toobit, while still accessing leverage of up to 175x.

    The crypto exchange also adopts transparent real-time PnL calculations and institutional-grade matching engines– platform features operating behind the scenes to ensure a seamless trading experience around the clock.

    USDC-M Perpetual Contracts, also known as USDC-M Perpetuals, are settled with USD Coin (USDC). Similar to USDT-M Perpetual Contracts, fees are typically settled between the long position holders and short position holders every 8 hours.

    To start trading, users simply need to transfer USDC to their derivatives account, navigate to the USDC Perpetual Contracts section, select their preferred leverage, and execute their positions. Fees can range from 0.02% for makers and 0.06% for takers.

    For more information on Perpetual Contracts, visit the Derivatives tab on http://www.toobit.com

    About Toobit

    Toobit is where the future of crypto trading unfolds—an award-winning cryptocurrency derivatives exchange built for those who thrive exploring new frontiers. With deep liquidity and cutting-edge technology, Toobit empowers traders worldwide to navigate the digital asset markets with confidence. We offer a fair, secure, seamless, and transparent trading experience, ensuring every trade is an opportunity to discover what’s next.

    For more information about Toobit, visit: WebsiteX | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Instagram

    Contact: Davin C.

    Email: market@toobit.com

    Website: www.toobit.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by Toobit. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining and related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99598cab-c5c8-4c8a-8eb5-7ff63152d8c5

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report for 2024 published

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Municipality Finance Plc
    Stock exchange release
    4 March 2025 at 2:00 pm (EET)

    Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report for 2024 published

    Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report and Corporate Governance Statement for the year 2024 have been published in English and Finnish.

    MuniFin Group’s Annual Report fulfills the reporting requirements of European Single Electronic Format (ESEF). In accordance with these requirements, Report of the Board of Directors and the Consolidated Financial Statements are published not only in the Annual Report file but additionally in a separate zip file in which Report of the Board and the Financial Statements are marked up with XBRL tags. These ESEF Financial Statements have been subject to an independent auditor’s assurance.

    MuniFin Group has also published Pillar 3 Disclosure document in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 and Directive 2013/36/EU. The document is available in English. The remuneration aspects of Pillar 3 reporting are also available separately in Finnish in MuniFin Group’s Remuneration Report 2024.

    MuniFin Group has also published its Green Impact Report and Social Impact Report for 2024 in English.

    All of the above-mentioned reports are available on MuniFin’s website at www.munifin.fi.

    MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

    Further information:

    Esa Kallio
    President and CEO
    tel. +358 50 337 7953

    MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finland’s largest credit institutions. The company is owned by Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the Republic of Finland. The Group’s balance sheet totals over EUR 53 billion.

    MuniFin builds a better and more sustainable future with its customers. MuniFin’s customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, corporate entities under their control, and non-profit organisations nominated by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA). Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs.

    MuniFin’s customers are domestic, but the company operates in a completely global business environment. The company is an active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets and the first Finnish green and social bond issuer. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board.

    Read more: www.munifin.fi

    Important Information

    The information contained herein is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into any such country or jurisdiction or otherwise in such circumstances in which the release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any securities or other financial instruments in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

    This communication does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: FactSet Acquires LogoIntern

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NORWALK, Conn., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FactSet (NYSE: FDS | NASDAQ: FDS), a global financial digital platform and enterprise solutions provider, announced the acquisition of TableTop Data, Inc. (“LogoIntern”), a workflow tool beloved by junior bankers to streamline the unenviable task of adding, organizing, and formatting logos into pitch decks. This acquisition builds on FactSet’s recently launched Pitch Creator solution to bring automation to another time-consuming and manual aspect of a junior banker’s daily workflow.

    “So many of us have spent too much time resizing, reordering, and manipulating logos in presentations. While an annoyance for most, for our investment banking clients, this tedious and mundane task is a necessary part of their pitch creation workflow,” said Kendra Brown, Senior Vice President and Senior Director of Banking and Sell-Side Research at FactSet. “FactSet is committed to improving junior banker productivity and driving deal capacity. Incorporating LogoIntern into our product portfolio will free up time for our users to focus on more interesting, higher-value work.”

    Founded in 2016 by a former investment banking analyst, LogoIntern offers a productivity solution that helps financial services professionals create well formatted logo outputs for presentations faster. Current customers include leading global investment banks, boutique advisors, middle market banks, and private equity and venture capital firms.

    “When I started LogoIntern, my goal was to create modern software tools that make tedious work better for junior bankers,” said Jack Archer, Founder and CEO, LogoIntern. “I’m excited to continue this mission at FactSet and join the team in building the next generation of banker productivity solutions that empower users and bring new-found efficiency to their daily work.”

    The transaction closed on March 3, 2025 and is not expected to have a material impact on FactSet’s fiscal 2025 results.

    About FactSet 

    FactSet (NYSE:FDS | NASDAQ:FDS) helps the financial community to see more, think bigger, and work better. Our digital platform and enterprise solutions deliver financial data, analytics, and open technology to more than 8,200 global clients, including over 218,000 individual users. Clients across the buy-side and sell-side as well as wealth managers, private equity firms, and corporations achieve more every day with our comprehensive and connected content, flexible next-generation workflow solutions, and client-centric specialized support. As a member of the S&P 500, we are committed to sustainable growth and have been recognized amongst the Best Places to Work in 2023 by Glassdoor as a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award winner. Learn more at www.factset.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.

    FactSet

    Investor Relations:
    investor_relations@factset.com 

    Media Relations:
    Megan Kovach
    +1.512.736.2795
    megan.kovach@factset.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Lantronix Powers Next-Generation AI-Enabled Camera Solutions With Seamless Teledyne FLIR Thermal Integration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVINE, Calif., March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lantronix Inc.  (NASDAQ: LTRX), a global leader of compute and connectivity for IoT solutions enabling AI Edge Intelligence, today announced a breakthrough in AI-powered camera technology with the seamless integration of its high-performance Open-Q™ System-on-Module (SoM) solutions including hardware and software with Teledyne FLIR’s thermal infrared (IR) camera modules and Prism™ embedded software. This integration accelerates the development of next-generation AI-enabled camera solutions in autonomous navigation/drones, surveillance and robotics.

    Powered by Lantronix’s cutting-edge Open-Q SoMs, based on the Qualcomm Dragonwing™ QRB5165 and QCS8250 processor platforms, this solution delivers unparalleled processing capabilities for AI-driven situational awareness, advanced computational imaging and real-time decision-making. Lantronix’s seamless technology integration provides a competitive edge, enabling developers to create high-performance, size-, weight- and power-optimized (SWaP) AI camera solutions that push the boundaries of innovation.

    Lantronix at the Forefront of AI Edge Intelligence

    “With Lantronix’s Open-Q SoMs, developers can confidently build AI-powered solutions knowing they are backed by industry-leading embedded compute technologies that deliver longevity, reliability and continuous innovation,” said Mathi Gurusamy, Chief Strategy Officer at Lantronix. “By integrating with Teledyne FLIR’s advanced thermal camera modules, Lantronix provides a turnkey embedded AI solution that maximizes performance while simplifying development and deployment,” he added.

    Advanced AI and Thermal Processing

    Lantronix’s integration of Teledyne FLIR Prism into the Qualcomm Dragonwing QRB5165 and QCS8250 platforms brings advanced thermal image signal processing (ISP) and AI capabilities to edge devices. Key features include:

    • Prism ISP: Super resolution, turbulence mitigation, atmospheric obscurant correction, de-noising, image fusion, electronic stabilization, and local contrast enhancement.
    • Prism AI: Real-time object detection, motion target indication, and high-speed target tracking at video frame rates.

    Lantronix’s Open-Q SoMs fully support Teledyne FLIR Hadron™ dual visible-thermal and Boson® thermal camera modules, allowing for simultaneous color and infrared video capture across multiple MIPI-CSI camera interfaces. Key configurations include:

    • Hadron Camera: Integrated with the Lantronix Open-Q 8250 SoM, featuring the Dragonwing QCS8250 processor running Android™.
    • Boson Camera: Integrated with the Lantronix ultra-compact Open-Q 5165 SoM, leveraging the Dragonwing QRB5165 platform on Linux®.

    Teledyne FLIR on the Lantronix Collaboration

    “Our collaboration with Lantronix adds flexibility for integrators developing thermal-enabled AI-based platforms,” said Michael Walters, Vice President of Product Management at Teledyne FLIR OEM. “Our SWaP-optimized IR camera modules and ultra-low embedded software processing power simplify thermal management and extend battery life for autonomy applications.”

    Lantronix Open-Q 5165: Optimized for AI and Edge Computing

    Lantronix’s Open-Q 5165 is an ultra-compact (50mm x 29mm), production-ready, pre-certified SoM based on the powerful Dragonwing QRB5165 platform. Features include:

    • Qualcomm Spectra™ ISP, Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU, and Qualcomm® Hexagon™ DSP
    • 5th generation Qualcomm® AI Engine, with twice the performance of the previous generation, with up to 15 trillion operations per second
    • Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, advanced camera features and many high-speed interfaces

    Lantronix will display its SoMs in the Qualcomm Technologies booth at Hall5/5-161 at Embedded World, March 13–15, 2025, in Nuremberg, Germany.

    About Lantronix

    Lantronix Inc. is a global leader of compute and connectivity IoT solutions that target high-growth markets, including Smart Cities, Enterprise and Transportation. Lantronix’s products and services empower companies to succeed in the growing IoT markets by delivering customizable solutions that enable AI Edge Intelligence. Lantronix’s advanced solutions include Intelligent Substations infrastructure, Infotainment systems and Video Surveillance, supplemented with advanced Out-of-Band Management (OOB) for Cloud and Edge Computing.

    For more information, visit the Lantronix website.

    Lantronix Media Contact:        
    Gail Kathryn Miller
    Corporate Marketing &
    Communications Manager
    media@lantronix.com

    Lantronix Analyst and Investor Contact:        
    investors@lantronix.com

    ©2025 Lantronix, Inc. All rights reserved. Lantronix is a registered trademark. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

    Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm, Qualcomm Dragonwing, Qualcomm Spectra, Snapdragon, Adreno and Hexagon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bitfarms Announces Participation in Upcoming Investor and Industry Conferences

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Ontario, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitfarms Ltd. (NASDAQ/TSX: BITF), a global Bitcoin and vertically integrated data center company, today announced its participation in three upcoming investor and industry conferences.

    Investor Event Details:

    Event: Cantor Fitzgerald Global Technology Conference
    Date: March 12, 2025
    Location: New York, NY
    Bitfarms Participants: Ben Gagnon (CEO), Jeff Lucas (CFO), Tracy Krumme (SVP, IR & Comms)
    Panel Time: 3:40pm-4:05pm ET
    Panel Title: “Hybrid Model for Bitcoin Mining & AI”; CEO Ben Gagnon to participate

    Event: 37th Annual ROTH Conference
    Date: March 17-18, 2025
    Location: Dana Point, CA
    Bitfarms Participants: Liam Wilson (COO), Jeff Lucas (CFO), Tracy Krumme (SVP, IR & Comms)

    Industry Event Details:

    Event: NVIDIA GTC 2025
    Date: March 17-21, 2025
    Location: San Jose, CA
    Bitfarms Participants: Liam Wilson (COO), Philippe Fortier (EVP, Corporate Development), Alex Brammer (SVP, Mining Operations), Craig Hibbard (SVP, Infrastructure)

    For additional information or to schedule 1×1 meetings at any of the above conferences, please reach out to investors@bitfarms.com.

    About Bitfarms Ltd.

    Founded in 2017, Bitfarms is a global vertically integrated Bitcoin data center company that sells its computational power to one or more mining pools from which it receives payment in Bitcoin. Bitfarms develops, owns, and operates vertically integrated mining facilities with in-house management and company-owned electrical engineering, installation service, and multiple onsite technical repair centers.

    Bitfarms currently has 13 operating Bitcoin data centers, as well as hosting agreements with two data centers, in four countries: Canada, the United States, Paraguay, and Argentina. Powered predominantly by environmentally friendly hydro-electric and long-term power contracts, Bitfarms is committed to using sustainable and often underutilized energy infrastructure.

    To learn more about Bitfarms’ events, developments, and online communities:

    www.bitfarms.com
    https://www.facebook.com/bitfarms/
    https://twitter.com/Bitfarms_io
    https://www.instagram.com/bitfarms/
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitfarms/

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Bitfarms
    Tracy Krumme
    SVP, Head of IR & Corp. Comms.
    +1 786-671-5638
    tkrumme@bitfarms.com

    Media Contact: 

    Bitfarms
    Caroline Brady Baker 
    Director, Communications
    cbaker@bitfarms.com 

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Next Hydrogen receives its ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certifications

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc. (“Next Hydrogen“ or the “Company”) (TSXV:NXHOTC:NXHSF) is pleased to announce that it has received official ISO 9001-2015 and ISO 45001-2018 certification notices for its 6610 Edwards Blvd site in Mississauga, Canada. These certifications demonstrate and certify Next Hydrogen’s standardized quality systems, health and safety management systems, supplier selection processes, and continuous improvement processes.

    With these certifications Next Hydrogen has demonstrated that we have a robust operating system that can be scaled quickly to effectively support our growing customer base. Team Next Hydrogen is poised to exceed our customers’ expectations and become the supplier of choice for green hydrogen electrolysis systems. In 2024, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) provided a $2 million investment to Next Hydrogen which was critical in allowing Next Hydrogen to further enhance its quality standards and processes to help secure these certifications.

    “These important certifications highlight our team’s continued commitment and dedication to build our brand steeped in innovation, quality, safety and reliability”, said Raveel Afzaal, President & CEO. “We are particularly grateful to FedDev Ontario for their financial support to achieve this critical milestone as part of our scale-up activities.”

    “Congratulations to Next Hydrogen on this impressive milestone. Investments in clean technology companies, like Next Hydrogen, bolster Canada’s position as a global leader in green manufacturing and support our carbon reduction objectives,” said the Honourable Ruby Sahota, Minister of Democratic Institutions and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

    About Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc.
    Founded in 2007, Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of water electrolyzers that use water and electricity as inputs to generate clean hydrogen for use as a green energy source or a green industrial feedstock. Next Hydrogen’s unique cell design architecture supported by 40 patents enables high current density operations and superior dynamic response to efficiently convert intermittent renewable electricity into green hydrogen on an infrastructure scale. Following successful pilots, Next Hydrogen is scaling up its technology to deliver commercial solutions to decarbonize transportation and industrial sectors. For further information: www.nexthydrogen.com

    About FedDev Ontario
    For 15 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our investment profiles, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    Cautionary Statements
    This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements”. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the risks associated with the hydrogen industry in general; delays or changes in plans with respect to infrastructure development or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to costs and expenses; failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals; health, safety and environmental risks; uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to infrastructure developments or capital expenditures; currency exchange rate fluctuations; as well as general economic conditions, stock market volatility; and the ability to access sufficient capital. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, there will be no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Michelle Meehan Joins Vetty as Chief Marketing Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vetty, the one-stop shop hiring acceleration platform, today announced Michelle Meehan as Chief Marketing Officer. Reporting to CEO Jason Putnam, Meehan will be responsible for overseeing Vetty’s marketing and communications efforts and shaping the future of the brand.

    “Having had the opportunity to work with Michelle, not once, but twice, I’ve seen her strategic vision, creativity and leadership in action,” said Putnam. “Her expertise will be instrumental in driving the Vetty brand forward and connecting with our customers in new and meaningful ways. Exciting times ahead.”

    Recently named one of Chief Marketer’s Top Women in Marketing, Meehan’s 20 years of experience includes founding The Silver Thread, a brand consultancy that serves the HR technology space, amongst others. Meehan’s expertise in HR tech comes from her time as Vice President of Marketing at Plum, Head of Brand Marketing at PandoLogic and Product Marketing Manager at iCIMS. Before this, Meehan spent over a decade in media, where she held strategic marketing and advertising roles at Bloomberg, Rodale and Condé Nast. Over the course of her career, Meehan has been recognized with WIRED’s Marketer of the Year, Media Industry News’ Integrated Marketing Team of the Year and Media Industry News’ Best Marketing Team designations.

    Meehan commented, “I’m excited to step into the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Vetty and reunite with Jason, a leader I greatly admire. Our previous collaboration has demonstrated what we’re able to accomplish together, and I’m eager to bring that energy to Vetty, build on the company’s current momentum and drive impactful growth into new markets. The future here is bright, and I can’t wait to get started.”

    ABOUT VETTY
    Vetty is a one-stop shop hiring acceleration platform where companies can expeditiously complete their screening, credentialing, hiring and onboarding of prospective candidates. Companies count on Vetty to accelerate the time from offer to active and deliver hard ROI. Learn more at https://vetty.co.

    Note to editors: Trademarks and registered trademarks referenced herein remain the property of their respective owners.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/34199e1c-813a-49ae-8835-c521856a8e99

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Churchill Discovers Vanadium-Titanium-Iron Mineralization at the Taylor Brook Nickel Project, Newfoundland & Labrador

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Churchill Resources Inc. (“Churchill” or the “Company”) (TSXV: CRI) is pleased to provide an update on its Taylor Brook nickel project where 2024 drilling and prospecting have returned anomalous Vanadium-Titanium-Magnetite (“VTM”) results at the TB-01 to TB-04 chargeability targets. These targets only cover a small area explored thus far on the margin of the large South Lobe of the Taylor Brook Gabbro Complex (“TBGC”), but suggest it to be a layered intrusion with critical minerals potential, in addition to the property’s high-grade magmatic Ni-Cu-Co mineralization seen at Layden (See news releases February 13, 2023, October 26, 2023).

    Mineralized magnetite-layered units sampled thus far at the South Lobe are generally several metres thick and gently dipping northeasterly, from which numerous 2024 samples returned anomalous values of 540ppm-955ppm V, 3.1%-7.29% Ti and >20% Fe with Ni, Cu and Co enrichment at several sites at the TB-01 Target (Fig. 1 and Table 1).   Winter Borehole Induced Polarization (“BHIP”) surveys at TB-01 have generated high chargeability off-hole targets in this same area, which will be drill tested along with a systematic trenching program.

    Highlights:

    • Taylor Brook Gabbro a layered intrusion with economic potential for VTM critical metals
    • Numerous enriched VTM layers outcrop at the South Lobe allowing systematic surface testing
    • Ni-Cu-Co sulphides found at/near surface at TB-01, also enriched in VTM mineralization
    • BHIP defines large, high chargeability targets near holes TB-24-42B and TB-24-43 at TB-01
    • Spring 2025 work plans include systematic trenching and more drilling at TB-01, and
    • Further exploration for both Ni-Cu-Co magmatic sulphides and VTM mineralization along strike from TB-01 and the ~10km2 magnetic/gravity anomaly at the South Lobe

    Paul Sobie, CEO, commented:

    “The anomalous VTM results we’re starting to see at TB-01 to 04, along with the associated shallow Ni-Cu-Co trends, are compelling, and systematic follow-up work will commence as soon as the snow cover melts. We prioritized this area based on anomalous Ni-Cu-Co in soils, and have drilled and prospected on surface the probable source layer within the TBGC, which is also anomalous in VTM’s, a good indication of layered intrusion-type mineral deposits. We’ve really only begun to evaluate a small portion of the overall approximately 10km2 magnetic / vanadium soil anomaly VTM target on the South Lobe and its margins, so our 2024 results are encouraging.

    VTM’s are important strategic metals for the steel, aerospace and battery industries for vanadium, and the pigment, steel and medical industries for titanium. North America has no vanadium production, with China, Russia, South Africa and Brazil the major producers, world-wide, from large layered intrusions such as the Bushveld Complex (South Africa). Layered intrusive mineral deposits typically exhibit layered VTM mineralization in the upper portions, with PGE and chromite deposits somewhat deeper, and Ni-Cu-Co-PGE deposits lowest, in the more ultramafic portion of the intrusion. The VTM mineralization intersected and prospected at surface at the TBGC therefore would appear to be at its upper levels, with exploration just getting started on the South Lobe.

    Figure 1 – Vanadium in rocks, soils and drill cores over South Lobe TMI with VTEM anomalies

    Systematic prospecting, mapping and trenching at the South Lobe, as well as more drilling at TB-01 are being planned. New exploration permit applications are being prepared for submittal. We’re quite excited by the BHIP method and results, which has located the highest chargeability targets within the TB-01 anomaly, off-hole but not distal from our 2024 drillholes. We’ll drill test these in 2025.”

    The South Lobe has been of particular interest to CRI since staking it in 2021 based on its intense magnetic signature and coincident gravity anomaly, more particularly now as it is returning anomalous vanadium and titanium soil survey and prospecting results per Figure 1. The South Lobe magnetic feature is predominantly a topographic high with good exposures of layering along its margins, where the VTM horizons are commonly resistive, outcropping or forming scarps. Presently less that 10% of the South Lobe has been prospected, therefore the Company is planning a comprehensive prospecting, mapping, and trenching/stripping program for the Spring. The TB-01 horizon(s) are laterally extensive based on airborne geophysics and soil sampling and will be followed up along strike in Spring 2025. As well, the Company’s exploration team will comprehensively sample holes TB-24-41, -42B and -43 for VTM mineralization and PGEs in order to test for potential deeper horizons of mineralization.

    Petrographic, lithogeochemical, and mineral liberation studies on mineralized samples are pending, which will assist in assessing the economic potential of these VTM units.

    Table 1 – Selected 2024 Assay and Lithogeochemical Samples Metal Analytical Results

    BHIP surveys at the TB-01 target were successful and have confirmed that off-hole chargeability anomalies correlate well with layers of VTM mineralization including a near-surface horizon also enriched in Ni-Cu-Co (see inset map on Figure 1). Hole TB-24-41 was blocked at 100m depth so the entire hole could not be surveyed, but the BHIP did detect the near-surface Ni-Cu-Co-VTM horizon (the Ni-Cu-Co trend on the figures) observed in the core as well as in numerous nearby angular boulders.

    The technical and scientific information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Derek H.C Wilton, P.Geo., FGC, who is a “qualified person” as defined under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). Mr. Wilton is an honourary research professor of Economic Geology at Memorial University in St. John’s and is independent of the Company for the purposes of NI 43-101.

    The lithogeochemical samples reported here were whole rock pieces, collected from outcrop and historical drill core by Dr. Wilton during fieldwork in September/October 2024. These samples were sealed in labelled plastic bags in the field. All sample bags were photographed and transported to Thunder Bay, ON, by secure courier. The samples were analysed by ALS Geochemistry Ltd. in Thunder Bay using ME-ICP06 whole rock and ME-MS61L analytical protocols. Samples with over limit Ni contents were re-assayed using OG-46 Aqua-Regia overlimit method. Quality control results, including the laboratory’s own control samples, were evaluated immediately.

    The assay drill core and rock samples were placed in labelled, sealed plastic bags and delivered to Eastern Analytical of Springdale, NL, an ISO/IEC 17025 certified facility. The samples were analysed using ICP 34 (inductively coupled plasma) analytical protocols. Samples with over limit Ni and Fe contents were re-assayed using Eastern’s Ore Grade Assay (multi acid digestion) overlimit method. Quality control results, including the laboratory’s control samples, were evaluated immediately. 1

    1The Company reminds investors that surface rock samples are select samples and may not be representative of all mineralization on the Taylor Brook property.

    About Churchill Resources Inc.

    Churchill Resources Inc. is a Canadian exploration company focused on high grade, magmatic nickel sulphides in Canada, principally at its prospective Taylor Brook and Florence Lake properties in Newfoundland & Labrador. The Churchill management team, board and its advisors have decades of combined management experience in mineral exploration and in the establishment of successful publicly listed mining companies, both in Canada and around the world. Churchill’s Taylor Brook and Florence Lake projects have the potential to benefit from the province’s large and diversified minerals industry, which includes world class nickel mines and processing facilities, and a well-developed mineral exploration sector with locally based drilling and geological expertise.

    Further Information

    For further information regarding Churchill, please contact:

    Churchill Resources Inc.   
    Paul Sobie, Chief Executive Officer   
    Tel. +1 416.365.0930 (o)  
      +1 647.988.0930 (m)  
    Email psobie@churchillresources.com  
         
    Alec Rowlands, Corporate Consultant   
    Tel. +1 416.721.4732 (m)  
    Email arowlands@churchillresources.com  
         

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

    This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “proposed”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “believes” or “intends” or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, , the Company’s objectives, goals and exploration activities conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Company’s properties; interpretation of recent exploration results; future growth potential of the Company, including whether any proposed exploration programs at any of the Company’s properties will be successful; exploration results; and future exploration plans and costs and financing availability.

    These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: the expected benefits to the Company relating to the exploration conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Company’s properties; failure to identify any mineral resources or significant mineralization; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on the Company’s properties; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining and mineral exploration; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); the unlikelihood that properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated; soil sampling results being preliminary in nature and are not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit; title to properties; and those factors described in the most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis of the Company. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law.

    Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: 

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f88f1c38-2fc8-4687-b536-67baa68ec31e

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d18ace1-d149-45eb-b87f-bf7a1d931b09

    The MIL Network