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Category: Finance

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 9.20.24

    Source: US State of California 2

    Sep 20, 2024

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Katherine “Katie” Butler, of Los Angeles, has been appointed Director of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Butler has served as Deputy Director of the Hazardous Waste Management Program at the Department of Toxic Substances Control since 2023. She served as Senior Health Deputy in the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn from 2021 to 2023. She was a Program Supervisor at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health from 2015 to 2021. Butler was a Senior Health Scientist at McDaniel Lambert Inc. from 2008 to 2014. Butler earned a Master of Public Health degree in Environmental Epidemiology from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Notre Dame. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $211,239. Butler is registered without party preference.

    Myriam Bouaziz, of Fairfield, has been appointed Director of the Office of Tax Appeals, where she has served as Chief Deputy Director since 2020 and was Deputy Director of Legislation from 2018 to 2020. Bouaziz was a Consultant in the Office of California State Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León from 2017 to 2018. She was a Consultant for the California State Senate from 2014 to 2017 and Senior Legislative Assistant in the Office of California State Assemblymember Roger Dickinson from 2011 to 2014. Bouaziz was Access Specialist at the San Francisco Mayor’s Office on Disability from 2009 to 2011. She was a Case Manager at the Marin Child Care Council from 2007 to 2008. Bouaziz earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $226,092. Bouaziz is a Democrat.

    Holly Holtzen, of Santa Rosa, has been appointed Administrator of the Veterans Home of California, Yountville. Holtzen has been Interim Program Manager, Financial Resiliency at AARP since 2024. She was State Director of AARP from 2019 to 2024. Holtzen held several positions at the Ohio Housing Finance Agency from 2009 to 2019, including Acting Executive Director from 2018 to 2019, Chief Operating Officer from 2017 to 2019, Director of Research and Strategic Planning from 2012 to 2017 and Strategic Research Coordinator from 2009 to 2012. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Services Research from Old Dominion University, a Master of Public Administration degree from Troy University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Saint Leo University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $175,512. Holtzen is registered without party preference. 

    Samantha Arthur, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Water at the California Natural Resources Agency. Arthur has been Assistant Secretary for Salton Sea Policy at the California Natural Resources Agency since 2023. She held several positions at Audubon California from 2014 to 2023, including Working Lands Program Director from 2019 to 2023, Conservation Project Director from 2016 to 2019 and Conservation Project Manager from 2014 to 2016. Arthur was a Land Protection Specialist with Big Sur Land Trust from 2010 to 2012. She was a member of the California Water Commission from 2020 to 2023. Arthur earned a Master of Environmental Science and Management degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from Whitman College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $181,596. Arthur is a Democrat.

    Todd Ratshin, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Deputy Secretary for Enforcement at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Ratshin has been Chief Board Counsel at the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board since 2017 and was Senior Board Counsel there from 2016 to 2017. Ratshin was a Labor Relations Counsel at the California Department of Human Resources from 2015 to 2016. He was an Associate at Littler Mendelson P.C. from 2011 to 2015. Ratshin was a Labor Relations Counsel at the California Department of Personnel Administration from 2008 to 201l. He was an Associate at the Zumbrunn Law Firm from 2006 to 2008. Ratshin earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Oregon. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $206,700. Ratshin is registered without party preference. 

    Karen Greene Ross, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Commission on State Mandates. Greene Ross was Chief of Staff to California State Controller Betty T. Yee from 2015 to 2022. She was Assistant Chief Counsel at the California High-Speed Rail Authority from 2012 to 2014, where she was Deputy Director of Legislation from 2011 to 2012. Greene Ross served as a Deputy Controller at the State Controller’s Office from 2005 to 2007. She was Deputy Secretary for Legislation at the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency from 2001 to 2003. Greene Ross was Principal Legislative Policy Consultant in the Office of State Senator Adam Schiff from 1999 to 2000 and Principal Policy Consultant in the Office of Assembly Speaker Emeritus Cruz Bustamante in 1998. She was a Committee Consultant in the California State Assembly from 1994 to 1997. Greene Ross earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Florida. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Greene Ross is a Democrat.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: 21.09.2024 Prime Minister: We will not save on the reconstruction of flooded areas

    MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –

    Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.

    A meeting between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the voivodes took place at the Lower Silesian Voivodship Office. It concerned the initial estimate of losses due to the flood. The voivodes presented data that had been obtained from some local governments. They will enable work on the reconstruction program. The current situation has shown that it is also necessary to create new flood protection infrastructure. Losses after the flood

    In some places it is still not possible to estimate losses, including those related to standing water, which is why the voivodes have only presented preliminary estimates of flood damage.

    We are meeting for the first briefing dedicated to the preliminary lists of losses and damages suffered by residents, local governments and state institutions in flooded areas. I emphasize that this is a provisional list. The fight against the flood is not over

    – the Prime Minister began the meeting with the voivodes. The head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Minister Jan Grabiec, presented a summary of the reports prepared by the voivodes. It shows that a state of natural disaster affected a total of 749 localities, inhabited by 2.39 million people. The number of residents who were actually affected by the flood is 57 thousand. Over 6,544 people were evacuated. Initially, 11,502 residential buildings were damaged, i.e. single-family houses, as well as multi-family buildings. 6,033 farm buildings were affected by the flood. 724 public utility buildings were damaged, including schools, kindergartens and sports facilities.

    Only in Lower Silesia, 54 schools, 10 playgrounds, 39 sports fields, 20 nurseries and 20 kindergartens have been damaged at the moment. We know that this is not complete

    – mentioned Donald Tusk. The Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration drew attention to the need to inform about the priority needs in terms of critical infrastructure when estimating losses.

    We will try to release the money for the first tranche very quickly, so as to clear the bridges in various places.

    – emphasized Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak. He also expressed understanding that the most affected localities were not yet able to provide preliminary estimates of losses.

    reconstruction program

    In local government units, the assessment of losses after the passage of the great water is underway. Bromea con necessary to be able to start the reconstruction of post-flood areas.

    We must prepare this great reconstruction plan, which is our commitment and national ambition, so that first of all we know what has been destroyed and who should receive help first, and then we can set off on a grand scale to this huge reconstruction

    – said Donald Tusk. The main challenge is still to protect endangered areas, as well as to help residents who have lost their property. This will be possible thanks to the Reconstruction plan.

    I think that the Prime Minister has outlined very clearly the task that faces all of us. […] We will have to work so that the restoration of these areas to usability is as effective and as fast as possible.

    – said Marcin Kierwiński during the meeting. At the same time, he thanked the voivodes for the collected data and the reports sent, which will enable the commencement of reconstruction work.

    Investments in post-flood reconstruction

    Thanks to government and European funds, it will be possible to help people affected by the flood and rebuild the destroyed infrastructure. On Thursday, the head of the European Commission announced that we will be able to use PLN 20 billion for this purpose.

    Para bromear sobre me something obvious, that in a situation where we will have to release billions of złoty and euros to rebuild flood areas, the situation after the flood must also be better than the situation before the flood. We are not only talking about security, but also about the entire destroyed infrastructure

    – emphasized the Prime Minister. He added that there will be no shortage of funds for the reconstruction of areas affected by the flood.

    Flood infrastructure

    The current situation has shown that it is necessary to expand and modernize flood infrastructure. The idea is to adapt it to current meteorological and hydrological conditions.

    Rational, wise – and I know that they are expensive and there will be no shortage of money for them – decisions regarding reservoirs and other infrastructure that must help us […] reduce the risk of damage in the future

    – Prime Minister said. It is crucial to protect people and their property against flooding as much as possible in the future.

    Green schools

    The Ministers of National Education are working on the “Green Schools” program, which will enable children from flood-affected areas to participate in recreation and activities in a safe place.

    Tomorrow, I hope, we will present a fairly good map of where and from where children can go immediately, with full care and food, a roof over their heads and school activities, so that we can quickly make necessary repairs in schools

    – announced the head of government. The “Green Schools” program will guarantee children the continuation of their education, and parents the possibility of eliminating the effects of the flood. In the meantime, the state will take care of the reconstruction of the school.

    Current flood risk

    The Prime Minister announced a visit to Głogów due to the continuing flood threat.

    It was very important to me that there was nothing missing there at that moment to save the city from the wave.

    – emphasized the head of government. He added that Głogów is the absolute priority today.

    MILES AXIS

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Debtor distribution data (CK92) – Nykredit Realkredit A/S

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    To the Nasdaq Copenhagen

    Debtor distribution data (CK92)

    Pursuant to s 24 Danish Capital Markets Act, Nykredit Realkredit A/S hereby publishes debtor distribution data for callable mortgage bond series as at 20 September 2024 in the attached file.

    Furthermore, the data will be distributed in the usual way through Nasdaq Copenhagen. Data on Nykredit and Totalkredit bonds is also available by ISIN code in Excel format on https://www.nykredit.com/filarkiv/.

    For further information about data format and contents, please refer to the Nasdaq website.

    Questions may be addressed to Morten Bækmand Nielsen, Head of Investor Relations, tel +45 44 55 15 21.

    Yours sincerely
    Nykredit Realkredit A/S

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moolenaar Statement on Reported Investment in Michigan

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

    Headline: Moolenaar Statement on Reported Investment in Michigan

    This week, the Detroit News reported that the state of Michigan is considering a massive incentive package for the construction of a semiconductor manufacturing facility in the state. 

    “State officials have reportedly identified an American company to partner with for a project in Michigan. They should have been focused on attracting American companies from the start, instead of giving taxpayer dollars to CCP-affiliated companies including Gotion. Now is the perfect time for them to correct their mistake and end state support for Gotion,” said Congressman John Moolenaar.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Debtor distribution data (CK92) – Totalkredit A/S

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    To the Nasdaq Copenhagen

    Debtor distribution data (CK92)

    Pursuant to s 24 Danish Capital Markets Act, Totalkredit A/S hereby publishes debtor distribution data for callable mortgage bond series as at 20 September 2024 in the attached file.

    Furthermore, the data will be distributed in the usual way through Nasdaq Copenhagen. Data on Nykredit and Totalkredit bonds is also available by ISIN code in Excel format on https://www.nykredit.com/filarkiv/.

    For further information about data format and contents, please refer to the Nasdaq website.

    Questions may be addressed to Morten Bækmand Nielsen, Head of Investor Relations, tel +45 44 55 15 21.

    Yours sincerely
    Totalkredit A/S

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Signing Day Sports Identifies Synergies from Acquisition of Swifty Global, Expected to Drive Accelerated Revenue Growth, Cost Savings, and Global Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Signing Day Sports, Inc. (“Signing Day Sports” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: SGN), the developer of the Signing Day Sports app and platform to aid high school athletes in the recruitment process, today provided an update regarding its financial position and its plans to acquire Dear Cashmere Group Holding Company (OTC:DRCR), doing business as Swifty Global (“Swifty”), highlighting the strategic and financial synergies that are expected to drive accelerated growth and operational efficiency for both companies.

    Extinguishment of Convertible Notes

    As of September 23, 2024, the outstanding convertible senior secured promissory notes of the Company, with an original balance of more than $0.6 million, had been fully extinguished, primarily from conversion into shares of common stock.

    The improved financial position strengthens the Company’s prospects for growth and future capital raising.

    Key Highlights from the Acquisition

    As previously announced, Signing Day Sports entered into a binding term sheet to acquire 95-99% of the issued and outstanding shares of Swifty, a global online sports and casino technologies company. Swifty is debt-free with a proven track record of growth, revenue generation and profitability. The acquisition is expected to significantly enhance Signing Day Sports’ revenue generation, technical capabilities and profitability from the expansion of both companies.

    • Strong Financial Performance: Swifty achieved revenues of over $128 million and a net profit of approximately $2.44 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, despite significant investments of nearly $3.1 million in software development and licensing.
    • Global Expansion: Swifty is expanding internationally. Swifty recently acquired licenses to offer a full integrated suite of products in Ireland and South Africa, which are expected to have significant online sports and casino markets with limited competition.
    • Fast Development of Revenue Generating Technology: Swifty plans to offer data feed services for the online sports gambling industry in the near future. Swifty has determined that data feed services are expensive and limited in choice, which creates an opportunity for Swifty, and that many sports, like boxing, have limited or no live data feed available to allow real-time betting. The Signing Day Sports team has significant experience working with critical sports datapoints and creating sports measurement technologies, which could assist Swifty in developing this revenue stream.

    Strategic Synergies

    The integration of Swifty is expected to bring several operational advantages and new revenue opportunities for Signing Day Sports:

    • Cost Efficiency: Swifty’s in-house engineering team is expected to reduce Signing Day Sports’ operating costs by over 50%, enabling the company to reinvest those savings into growth initiatives. It is also expected to increase the speed at which Signing Day Sports can roll out new products and technological enhancements to its current offering and optimize monetization of the product and user base.
    • Revenue Growth in SaaS: At their core, both Signing Day Sports and Swifty are SaaS model businesses. Swifty’s scalability, technological resources, and technology initiatives are expected to bolster the growth of Signing Day Sports’ app user base, enhance user retention and provide additional opportunities to monetize renewing subscribers with additional revenue streams.
    • New Revenue Streams: Swifty is expected to further expand Signing Day Sports’ current product offering while also broadening the Company’s exposure to new sports and athletes outside the U.S. Signing Day Sports has accumulated more than 10,000 registered users, which it plans to increase at an accelerated rate in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 2025. The Company’s focus is to develop new strategic revenue streams, and improve revenue metrics per user, with the same aim of fully monetizing this growing user base.
    • New Market Exposure: Since its beginning as a football student-athlete recruitment platform provider, Signing Day Sports has expanded its platform to support baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s soccer. Swifty is expected to bring exposure to new markets in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, as well as exposure to emerging sports without established recruitment models. The Company anticipates that early adopters in these emerging sports markets are a significant market and plans to broaden its platform to capitalize on these prospective revenue streams.
    • Enhanced User Engagement: Swifty’s team is expected to introduce exciting new features to Signing Day Sports, including gamification elements such as live scoreboards, top competitor leaderboards, fantasy leagues and real-time performance tracking, which are designed to boost engagement, organic user acquisition and user retention.

    “With Swifty expected to join the Signing Day Sports family, we anticipate being better positioned than ever to deliver an enhanced user experience while accelerating our expansion into new markets,” said Daniel Nelson, CEO of Signing Day Sports. “This acquisition represents a pivotal moment in our growth journey, and we are confident in the significant value it will bring to our platform, collaborators, student-athletes, and stockholders.”

    James Gibbons, CEO of Swifty, added, “Swifty is excited to bring our technological capabilities and global reach to the Signing Day Sports platform. Together, we will create new opportunities for student-athletes and coaches worldwide while driving operational efficiencies that will further our mutual goals. We look forward to working with Signing Day Sports as we scale into new markets and continue to innovate for the benefit of our users.”

    For further information about Signing Day Sports and Swifty, please see their communication channels listed below:

    Website: https://swifty.global
    X: @swiftyglobal
    Telegram: @swiftyglobal
    Email: hello@swifty.global

    Website: https://signingdaysports.com
    Ecommerce Website: https://signingdayshop.com
    Investor Relations Website: https://ir.signingdaysports.com
    X: @sdsports
    Email: support@signingdaysports.com

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. 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 “may,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to complete the acquisition of Swifty and integrate its business, the ability of the Company, the sellers and Swifty to enter into definitive stock purchase agreement(s), obtain all necessary consents and approvals in connection with the acquisition, obtain NYSE American clearance of a new initial listing application in connection with the acquisition, obtain shareholder approval of the matters to be voted on at the shareholders’ meeting described in the press release, obtain sufficient funding to maintain operations and develop additional services and offerings, market acceptance of the Company’s current products and services and planned offerings, competition from existing online and retail offerings or new offerings that may emerge, impacts from strategic changes to the Company’s business on its net sales, revenues, income from continuing operations, or other results of operations, the Company’s ability to attract new users and customers, increase the rate of subscription renewals, and slow the rate of user attrition, the Company’s ability to retain or obtain intellectual property rights, the Company’s ability to adequately support future growth, the Company’s ability to comply with user data privacy laws and other current or anticipated legal requirements, and the Company’s ability to attract and retain key personnel to manage its business effectively. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s periodic reports which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are, in some cases, beyond our control and could materially affect results. If one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors become applicable, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

    Investor Contact:
    Crescendo Communications, LLC
    212-671-1020
    SGN@crescendo-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitfarms and Riot Announce Settlement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Andrés Finkielsztain Steps Down from Board –
    – Bitfarms Appoints Amy Freedman to Board of Directors –
    – Board to Nominate an Independent Director for Election at Special Meeting –
    – Standstill Agreement Through 2026 Annual Meeting –

    This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purposes of the Company’s prospectus supplement dated March 8, 2024, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated November 10, 2023.

    TORONTO, Ontario and BROSSARD, Québec and CASTLE ROCK, Colo., Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitfarms Ltd. (NASDAQ/TSX: BITF) (“Bitfarms” or the “Company”), a global leader in vertically integrated Bitcoin data center operations, and Riot Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) (“Riot”), an industry leader in vertically integrated Bitcoin (“BTC”) mining, today announced that Bitfarms and Riot have entered into a settlement agreement (the “Agreement”) in advance of the Special Meeting of Bitfarms Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) currently scheduled for November 6, 2024, which will now be held virtually.

    Under the terms of the Agreement:

    • Andrés Finkielsztain has stepped down from Bitfarms’ Board of Directors (the “Board”).
    • Bitfarms has appointed Amy Freedman to its Board and the Governance and Nominating Committee and Compensation Committee of the Board, effective immediately.
    • Riot has agreed to withdraw its June 24, 2024 requisition, as amended, and to accept customary standstill provisions through the Bitfarms 2026 Annual Meeting, with certain exceptions.
    • At the Special Meeting, shareholders will be asked to approve an expansion of the Board from five members to six members, to elect an independent director nominated by the Board to serve as the sixth member of the Board, and to ratify the Company’s July 24, 2024, shareholder rights plan. Riot has agreed to vote in favour of these matters.
    • The Company has provided Riot with certain rights (subject to certain exceptions) to purchase shares of the Company provided Riot holds 15% or more of the outstanding common shares of the Company.

    As a result of the agreement to nominate an additional director for election at the Special Meeting, the Special Meeting may be delayed, but in no event will it be held later than November 20, 2024. The Company will update its shareholders on the timing of the Special Meeting as soon as it can.

    Brian Howlett, Independent Chairman of the Board, said “The Bitfarms Board is committed to effectively overseeing the execution of the Company’s strategic plan as we work to position Bitfarms to capitalize on the opportunities ahead. Additionally, we recognize the importance of refreshment and having the right mix of skills, experience and diversity, and we are always open to adding qualified candidates with valuable insights and perspectives to strengthen our Board. We are pleased to reach this agreement with Riot, which we believe is in the best interests of all Bitfarms shareholders.”

    Mr. Howlett continued, “On behalf of the Board and the entire company, I thank Andrés for his invaluable contributions to Bitfarms over the last four years. He brought great insights to the boardroom with his extensive knowledge of the financial and crypto industry. We wish him well in his future endeavors. We look forward to leveraging Amy’s extensive experience advising public companies as the Board works together to enhance shareholder value.”

    Ben Gagnon, Chief Executive Officer of Bitfarms, said, “We are pleased to reach this agreement with Riot and look forward to turning our full attention to executing our growth strategy. We remain focused on diversifying the business beyond Bitcoin mining into exciting and synergistic new areas like energy generation, energy trading, heat recycling and other high value revenue streams like HPC/AI.”

    Jason Les, Chief Executive Officer of Riot, said, “This agreement represents a significant step to advance shareholder value creation at our respective companies and we are pleased to have reached this constructive resolution with Bitfarms. As Bitfarms’ largest shareholder, we look forward to supporting a reconstituted Bitfarms Board and continued engagement with management.”

    A copy of the Agreement will be filed on Form 6-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and will be posted to the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    About Amy Freedman

    Amy is a corporate governance and public capital markets expert with over 25 years of experience. She is currently an advisor to Ewing Morris and Co. Investment Partners, an alternative asset manager with both equity and credit strategies. In her role, Amy spearheads the fund’s engagement investment opportunities. Previously, she was CEO of Kingsdale Advisors, a leading shareholder services and advisory firm specializing in strategic and defensive advisory, governance advisory, proxy and voting analytics and investor communications. Ms. Freedman has spent over 15 years in capital markets as an investment banker with global firms including Stifel Financial Corp. and Morgan Stanley.

    Ms. Freedman is currently a director on the boards of Mandalay Resources Corporation (TSX: MND, OTCQB: MNDJF), Irish Residential Properties REIT plc (ISE: IRES) and American Hotel Income Properties REIT (TSX: HOT.UN, HOT.U). She holds an MBA and a JD from the University of Toronto.

    About Bitfarms Ltd.

    Founded in 2017, Bitfarms is a global vertically integrated Bitcoin mining data center company that contributes 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. The Company’s proprietary data analytics system delivers best-in-class operational performance and uptime.

    Bitfarms currently has 12 operating Bitcoin data centers and two under development situated 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/

    About Riot Platforms, Inc.

    Riot’s (NASDAQ: RIOT) vision is to be the world’s leading Bitcoin-driven infrastructure platform. Our mission is to positively impact the sectors, networks and communities that we touch. We believe that the combination of an innovative spirit and strong community partnership allows Riot to achieve best-in-class execution and create successful outcomes.

    Riot, a Nevada corporation, is a Bitcoin mining and digital infrastructure company focused on a vertically integrated strategy. Riot has Bitcoin mining operations in central Texas and electrical switchgear engineering and fabrication operations in Denver, Colorado.

    For more information, visit www.riotplatforms.com.

    Cautionary Statement 

    Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, or any other securities exchange or regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    Forward-Looking Statements 

    This news release contains certain “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) that are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release and are covered by safe harbors under Canadian and United States securities laws. The statements and information in this release regarding the strength and positive outcome of board of director renewal, the date of the Special Meeting, the merits and potential of the Company’s growth plan and diversification strategy, other growth opportunities and prospects, statements regarding future growth, plans and objectives of the Company and the maximization of shareholder value, are forward-looking information. Any statements that involve 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”, “prospects”, “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 information.

    This forward-looking information is based on assumptions and estimates of management of the Company and Riot, as applicable, at the time they were made, and involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, various risks relating to the operations and business of the Company, the future performance, liquidity and financial position of the Company and Riot, and uncertainties as to timing of the Special Meeting or the outcome. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to (i) the Company’s filings on www.sedarplus.ca (which are also available on the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov), including the MD&A for the year-ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 7, 2024 and the MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 filed on August 8, 2024, and (ii) Riot’s filings with the SEC, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” of Riot’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2024, and the other filings Riot has made or will make with the SEC after such date, copies of which may be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Although the Company and Riot have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including factors that are currently unknown to or deemed immaterial by the Company. 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 any forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information other than as required by law.

    Investor Relations Contacts:

    For Bitfarms:

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

    Innisfree M&A Incorporated
    Gabrielle Wolf / Scott Winter
    +1 212-750-5833

    Laurel Hill Advisory Group
    1-877-452-7184
    +1 416-304-0211
    assistance@laurelhill.com

    For Riot:

    Phil McPherson
    303-794-2000 ext. 110
    IR@Riot.Inc

    Media Contacts:

    For Bitfarms:

    U.S.: Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
    Dan Katcher or Joseph Sala
    +1 212-355-4449

    Québec: Tact
    Louis-Martin Leclerc
    +1 418-693-2425
    lmleclerc@tactconseil.ca

    For Riot:

    Longacre Square Partners
    Joe Germani / Dan Zacchei
    jgermani@longacresquare.com / dzacchei@longacresquare.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Maquia Capital Acquisition Corp to OTCQX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Maquia Capital Acquisition Corp (OTCQX: MAQC), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Maquia Capital Acquisition Corp previously traded on NASDAQ.

    Maquia Capital Acquisition Corp begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “MAQC.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

    Trading on the OTCQX Market offers companies efficient, cost-effective access to the U.S. capital markets. Streamlined market requirements for OTCQX are designed to help companies lower the cost and complexity of being publicly traded, while providing transparent trading for their investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

    About Maquia Capital Acquisition Corp
    Maquia Capital Acquisition Corporation is a blank check 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. The Company is led by Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Ransdell, Chief Financial Officer, Jeronimo Peralta, Chief Operating Officer, Guillermo Cruz, and Chief Investment Officer, Maggie Vo. 

    About OTC Markets Group Inc.
    OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market and Pink® Open Market.

    Our OTC Link® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

    OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

    To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

    Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

    Media Contact:
    OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: AGF Investments Announces September 2024 Cash Distributions for Certain AGF ETFs and ETF Series

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AGF Investments Inc. (AGF Investments) (TSX:AGF.B) today announced the September 2024 cash distributions for AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund*, AGF Total Return Bond Fund* and AGF Systematic Global Infrastructure ETF, which pay monthly distributions, as well as AGF Global Sustainable Growth Equity ETF and AGF Systematic Global Multi-Sector Bond ETF, which pay quarterly distributions. Unitholders of record on September 30, 2024 will receive cash distributions payable on October 4, 2024.

    Details regarding the final “per unit” distribution amounts are as follows:

    ETF Ticker Exchange Cash Distribution Per Unit ($)
    AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund* AENU Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.136000
    AGF Total Return Bond Fund* ATRB Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.108000
    AGF Systematic Global Infrastructure ETF QIF Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.134910
    AGF Global Sustainable Growth Equity ETF AGSG Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.016000
    AGF Systematic Global Multi-Sector Bond ETF QGB Cboe Canada Inc. $ 0.199000
             

    *AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund and AGF Total Return Bond Fund are mutual funds with an ETF series option.

    Further information about the AGF ETFs can be found at AGF.com.

    About AGF Management Limited

    Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.

    AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.

    Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. With nearly $50 billion in total assets under management and fee-earning assets, AGF serves more than 800,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.

    About AGF Investments

    AGF Investments is a group of wholly owned subsidiaries of AGF Management Limited, a Canadian reporting issuer. The subsidiaries included in AGF Investments are AGF Investments Inc. (AGFI), AGF Investments America Inc. (AGFA), AGF Investments LLC (AGFUS) and AGF International Advisors Company Limited (AGFIA). The term AGF Investments may refer to one or more of these subsidiaries or to all of them jointly. This term is used for convenience and does not precisely describe any of the separate companies, each of which manages its own affairs.

    AGF Investments entities only provide investment advisory services or offers investment funds in the jurisdiction where such firm and/or product is registered or authorized to provide such services.

    AGF Investments Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGF Management Limited and conducts the management and advisory of mutual funds in Canada.

    This information is not intended to provide legal, accounting, tax, investment, financial, or other advice, and should not be relied upon for providing such advice. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated.

    Media Contact

    Amanda Marchment
    Director, Corporate Communications
    416-865-4160
    amanda.marchment@agf.com  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Outbrain announces repurchase of remaining 2.95% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Outbrain Inc. (NASDAQ: OB), a leading technology platform that drives business results by engaging people across the Open Internet, announced today that it has repurchased all of the remaining $118 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2.95% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (the “Convertible Notes”) via a privately negotiated repurchase agreement with Baupost Group Securities, L.L.C., the sole holder of the Convertible Notes. The Company paid, including accrued interest, $109.7 million in cash representing a discount to par value of approximately 7.5%. As a result, Outbrain will record a pre-tax gain of approximately $8.8 million in the third quarter of 2024.

    Following the closing of the transaction, Outbrain has repurchased the entire principal balance of $236 million of the Convertible Notes, with no remaining debt on the balance sheet and approximately $128 million of cash, cash equivalents and investments in marketable securities, when adjusting the balance as of August 31, 2024 for the repayment. Outbrain repurchased the initial $118 million principal amount of the Convertible Notes in April 2023.

    “Our ability to generate cash and our strong balance sheet has enabled the opportunistic repurchase of the remaining balance of Convertible Notes, which is also in anticipation of the expected closing of the Teads acquisition. We believe this transaction strengthens our balance sheet, increasing our net cash balance as we maintain ample liquidity to support our future growth,” said Jason Kiviat, Outbrain’s CFO.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any of the Convertible Notes described herein or any securities of the Company, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation, or sale of the Convertible Notes or any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements generally relating to possible or assumed future results of our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives and statements relating to the transaction to acquire Teads (“Transaction”). You can generally identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “foresee,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions or are not statements of historical fact. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our expectations and projections regarding future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors including, but not limited to: overall advertising demand and traffic generated by our media partners; factors that affect advertising demand and spending, such as the continuation or worsening of unfavorable economic or business conditions or downturns, instability or volatility in financial markets, and other events or factors outside of our control, such as U.S. and global recession concerns, geopolitical concerns, including the ongoing war between Ukraine-Russia and conditions in Israel, supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, labor market volatility, bank closures or disruptions, and the impact of challenging economic conditions, political and policy uncertainties with the approach of the U.S. presidential election, and other factors that have and may further impact advertisers’ ability to pay; our ability to continue to innovate, and adoption by our advertisers and media partners of our expanding solutions; the success of our sales and marketing investments, which may require significant investments and may involve long sales cycles; our ability to grow our business and manage growth effectively; our ability to compete effectively against current and future competitors; the loss or decline of one or more of our large media partners, and our ability to expand our advertiser and media partner relationships; conditions in Israel, including the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and other terrorist organizations, may limit our ability to market, support and innovate on our products due to the impact on our employees as well as our advertisers and their advertising markets, our ability to maintain our revenues or profitability despite quarterly fluctuations in our results, whether due to seasonality, large cyclical events, or other causes; the risk that our research and development efforts may not meet the demands of a rapidly evolving technology market; any failure of our recommendation engine to accurately predict attention or engagement, any deterioration in the quality of our recommendations or failure to present interesting content to users or other factors which may cause us to experience a decline in user engagement or loss of media partners; limits on our ability to collect, use and disclose data to deliver advertisements; our ability to extend our reach into evolving digital media platforms; our ability to maintain and scale our technology platform; our ability to meet demands on our infrastructure and resources due to future growth or otherwise; our failure or the failure of third parties to protect our sites, networks and systems against security breaches, or otherwise to protect the confidential information of us or our partners; outages or disruptions that impact us or our service providers, resulting from cyber incidents, or failures or loss of our infrastructure; significant fluctuations in currency exchange rates; political and regulatory risks in the various markets in which we operate; the challenges of compliance with differing and changing regulatory requirements; the timing and execution of any cost-saving measures and the impact on our business or strategy; our ability and the time required to consummate the Transaction; our ability to successfully integrate Teads’s operations, technologies and employees and to recognize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the Transaction, including the expectation of enhancements to our services, greater revenue or growth opportunities, operating efficiencies and cost savings; the potential impact of the announcement or pendency of the Transaction on ongoing business operations and relationships, including our ability to maintain relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and others with whom we do business; the amount of costs, fees, expenses and charges relating to the Transaction; the initiation or outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted following the announcement of the Transaction; and the risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as an indication of future performance. We cannot assure you that the results, events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation and do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    About Outbrain

    Outbrain (Nasdaq: OB) is a leading technology platform that drives business results by engaging people across the Open Internet. Outbrain predicts moments of engagement to drive measurable outcomes for advertisers and publishers using AI and machine learning across more than 8,000 online properties globally. Founded in 2006, Outbrain is headquartered in New York with offices in Israel and across the United States, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America.

    For more information, visit https://www.outbrain.com.

    Media Contact

    press@outbrain.com

    Investor Relations Contact

    IR@outbrain.com

    (332) 205-8999

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Vancity Investment Management Report Highlights Significant Gains in Shareholder Advocacy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TERRITORIES OF MUSQUEAM, SQUAMISH AND TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATIONS / VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vancity Investment Management, a Canadian leader in socially responsible investing, issued its annual Shareholder Engagement Report today highlighting a year of shareholder advocacy.

    Vancity Investment Management’s commitment to shareholder engagement is grounded in the belief that investors hold the power to drive companies towards a more equitable and sustainable future—a belief that is underscored by the successes detailed in this year’s report. When investing on behalf of clients, Vancity Investment Management assumes an active role rather than merely observing. By leveraging its influence as a responsible shareholder, Vancity Investment Management ensures that the companies within its portfolio not only align with its clients’ values and objectives but also take significant actions to address their broader societal and environmental impacts.

    Vancity Investment Management’s engagement efforts encompass a wide array of areas, including climate, energy, governance, and labour practices. Over the past year, the company has been highly proactive, notably encouraging Starbucks® to commit to comprehensive reporting on biodiversity risks and impacts within its coffee supply chain and successfully advocating for enhanced climate reporting among major Canadian banks.

    “Investing in a company comes with responsibility,” said Wellington Holbrook, President and CEO of Vancity Group. “As shareholders, we can use our influence to promote positive societal and environmental impacts alongside financial returns. By engaging with the companies we recommend, we drive meaningful improvements that contribute to a more equitable economy and create sustainable, long-term value.”

    Snapshot of shareholder engagement in 2024:

    Starbucks: Vancity Investment Management challenged the supply chain sustainability practices of the world’s largest coffeehouse chain, Starbucks, noting that the Arabica coffee bean is considered a biodiversity risk and climate sensitive species. Starbucks has since committed to publicly report on its Arabica coffee bean supply chain in accordance with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework. More details here.

    RBC, TD and Scotiabank: Vancity Investment Management submitted shareholder proposals to these Canadian banks to press for improved climate risk management and disclosure in line with their commitments as signatories to the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA). As a result of our engagement, Scotiabank committed to disclose its framework for assessing clients’ climate transition plans. Both RBC and Scotiabank committed to disclose portfolio-level client performance against these frameworks. In recognition of these commitments, the proposals were withdrawn. More details here.

    CN Rail and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (formerly CP): In support of employee and public safety, Vancity Investment Management engaged with both rail companies to encourage negotiation for paid sick leave policies with all unions that represent their American workforce. CN Rail and CPKC have come to paid sick leave agreements with select unions, and Vancity Investment Management continues to press for additional progress. More details here.

    “The choices businesses make have a huge influence on people’s lives,” said Kelly Hirsch, Vancity Investment Management’s Head of ESG. “When we invest for our clients, we don’t merely watch from afar; we actively engage with companies to enhance their practices, advocate for responsible environmental stewardship, and ensure social responsibility,” added Kelly.

    Vancity Investment Management continues to lead the way in working to create an inclusive economy in Canada, putting people and the planet at the centre of its engagement work.

    To learn more about how Vancity Investment Management focuses on investments that deliver competitive returns while making a positive impact, read the full Shareholder Engagement Report.

    About Vancity Investment Management

    Vancity Investment Management provides management services to individuals, foundations and institutions across Canada that wish to generate wealth through sustainable, profitable and responsible investments. Established in 1995, it was one of the first wealth management firms in Canada to provide investments that deliver competitive returns while making a positive impact on the world. Vancity Investment Management is part of the Vancity Group that includes Vancity, a values-based financial co-operative serving the needs of its more than 560,000 member owners and their communities. With $34 billion in assets, plus assets under administration, Vancity is Canada’s largest community credit union. Vancity Investment Management and Vancity operate primarily within the territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw people in British Columbia.

    Media Relations

    mediarelations@vancity.com
    T: 778-837-0394

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Stardust Power Welcomes Paramita Das as Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Advisor to Chief Executive

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GREENWICH, Conn., Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stardust Power Inc. (NASDAQ: SDST) (“Stardust Power” or the “Company”), an American developer of battery-grade lithium products, today announced that Paramita Das will join as Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Advisor. She will directly advise the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Roshan Pujari.

    With a 20-plus year career of increasing leadership roles and responsibilities at some of the world’s largest metals and minerals companies, Ms. Das has agreed to serve as Stardust Power’s lead external adviser, supporting the Company’s next phase of commercialization and development.

    “We are ecstatic to be working with Paramita given her stature and global leadership experience in the metals and mining sector, as we continue to advance our battery-grade lithium refinery in Oklahoma,” said Roshan Pujari. “Paramita shares our vision of reshoring lithium processing and production to support U.S. energy independence. I look forward to working closely with her to ensure Stardust Power remains at the forefront of operational supply chain and sustainability practices.”

    Ms. Das has over 20 years of experience working with and serving on the boards of global companies, and brings deep expertise in leading teams of commercial, business development and technical professionals. Previously, she spent over 8 years at Rio Tinto, the world’s second largest metals and mining corporation, most recently serving as the Global Head of Marketing, Development and ESG, Metals and Minerals for various Rio Tinto Corporate listed entities. She also had lead roles in commercialization by transforming business segments into highly profitable divisions. Previously, she served as Chief Strategy Officer for Operating Consortium of Sumitomo Corporation, Itochu Corporation, UACJ Consortium and Head of Strategic Planning & Performance at BP’s business unit. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Genco Shipping & Trading Limited, and Coeur Mining, Inc.  

    “I am thrilled to join the exceptional team at Stardust Power as Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Advisor,” said Ms. Das. “As an emerging growth company, Stardust Power offers a unique opportunity to establish a leading U.S. lithium refinery from the ground up. This role allows me to leverage my expertise in commodities and mining while addressing crucial aspects like electrification and supply chain security. I am eager to contribute to creating a robust ESG framework for how we communicate, operate, and report to stakeholders. I look forward to supporting Roshan and the entire Stardust Power team in this exciting and impactful mission.”

    About Stardust Power Inc.

    Stardust Power is a developer of battery-grade lithium products designed to supply the electric vehicle (EV) industry and bolster America’s energy leadership by building resilient supply chains. Stardust Power is developing a strategically central lithium refinery in Muskogee, Oklahoma with the anticipated capacity of producing up to 50,000 metric tons per annum of battery-grade lithium. The company is committed to sustainability at each point in the process. Stardust Power trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “SDST.”

    For more information, visit www.stardust-power.com

    Stardust Power Contacts

    For Investors:
    Johanna Gonzalez 
    investor.relations@stardust-power.com

    For Media:
    Michael Thompson 
    media@stardust-power.com

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements.” Such forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “forecasted,” “projected,” “potential,” “seem,” “future,” “outlook,” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or otherwise indicate statements that are not of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements and factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: the ability of Stardust Power to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of Stardust Power to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain key relationships and retain its management and key employees; risks related to the uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to Stardust Power; risks related to the price of Stardust Power’s securities, including volatility resulting from changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Stardust Power plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Stardust Power’s business and changes in the combined capital structure; and risks related to the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations and identify and realize additional opportunities. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

    Stockholders and prospective investors should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in documents filed by Stardust Power from time to time with the SEC.

    Stockholders and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which only speak as of the date made, are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks, assumptions and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Stardust Power. Stardust Power expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the expectations of Stardust Power with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/924a57ab-c2fd-470b-8f4a-3d5748996048

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Heritage Holding Closes Inaugural Fund with Support from Institutional Capital

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Fundraising Target Met in Four Months with $220 Million in Committed Capital

    Strong Interest from Institutional, High-Net-Worth and Existing Investors

    BOSTON, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Heritage Holding (“Heritage” or “the Company”), a Boston-based private equity firm focused on advancing its successful record of partnering with small business owners and founders, today announced the successful close of its first, institutionally-backed Fund I (the “Fund”) with total committed capital of $220 million. The fundraise was completed in four months and was oversubscribed with commitments from leading institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals and existing investors.

    Heritage was founded in 2015 by Harvard Business School classmates and former co-CEOs of Maicom, Alex de Pfyffer and Ross Porter. Since inception, the Company has established itself as a leader in acquiring and growing small businesses across the services sector, working closely with owners and founders through operational improvements and M&A to build their companies into industry leaders. The Company’s dedicated investment team is highly experienced in sourcing acquisitions and strives to unlock overlooked opportunities in the small business world. Heritage’s history and forward ambition is to partner with successful business owners in providing private equity capital for M&A and sales growth, software implementation and, when desirable, enabling sellers to transition out of their companies over time.

    “Our goal is to focus on five platforms in industries that are on our shortlist and to scale those platforms quickly,” said Ross Porter, Heritage Holding Co-Founder. “Operational bandwidth and focused resources for growth are scarce in the small business ecosystem, which gives Heritage a unique opportunity to identify attractive founder led businesses across a variety of critical industries and build high performing and sustainable companies that can drive attractive outcomes for all stakeholders.”

    “Ross and I are extremely proud of the firm we have built, and we are grateful for the continued support of our investors, advisors and for the hard work of the HH team,” said Alex de Pfyffer, Heritage Holding Co-Founder. “With strong support from a world-class team of investors, the closing of this fund allows us to continue partnering with small business owners, founders and entrepreneurs to successfully grow their businesses and build leading platforms to better serve customers.”

    Small businesses often face unique operational challenges. The Heritage team recognizes and supports these challenges by taking on essential operations roles in the businesses in which the Company invests. In addition to Heritage’s strong operational involvement, the firm differentiates its value creation strategy by enhancing systems and software, focusing on driving new sales growth and enabling rapid and sustainable scaling through mergers and acquisitions.

    “Heritage did what they said they were going to do, they took care of my team, they tripled my business in size, expanded to the West Coast, and we opened a new successful operation in Canada. They are skilled executives and business operators, but above all they are trustworthy and honest good people,” said Paul Maiuri, former owner of Maicom.

    Heritage invests across the business services, healthcare, technology, telecom & IT services, industrial services and special situations industries. Since its founding, Heritage has completed over 25 acquisitions across eight platform companies.

    About Heritage Holding

    Heritage Holding is a micro-cap private equity firm that partners with small business owners and founders to build great companies by driving growth, increasing scale, diversifying service offerings and expanding businesses’ geographic footprints. Founded in 2015 by Harvard Business School classmates and former co-CEOs of Maicom, Alex de Pfyffer and Ross Porter, the firm targets companies across the business services, healthcare, technology, telecom & IT services, industrials and special situations industries where it feels it can add value through its operational expertise.

    Since inception, Heritage has completed 25 acquisitions across eight platform investments and has an investment team of over 12 individuals.

    Heritage is headquartered in Boston, MA and has offices in New York, NY and Raleigh, NC. For more information, please visit www.heritage-holding.com.

    Contact

    Dan Gagnier
    Gagnier Communications
    HeritageHolding@gagnierfc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa50 investment platform gets thumbs up for its innovative financing, strategic partnerships and performance

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, September 23, 2024/APO Group/ —

    Presidents of Madagascar and Tanzania praise Africa50’s critical role in addressing the continent’s infrastructure challenges; Africa50 has mobilized over $1.1 billion in capital commitments and catalyzed an additional $4.4 billion in external financing in just seven years, Adesina.

    Africa50 (www.Africa50.com), the investment platform established by African governments and the African Development Bank, is exceeding expectations and closing critical infrastructure funding gaps through innovative financing mechanisms and strategic partnerships, stakeholders heard on Thursday.

    Speaking at Africa50’s 2024 annual General Shareholders Meeting held in Antananarivo, the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, and his Tanzanian counterpart,  Samia Suluhu Hassan, acknowledged the institution’s pivotal role in addressing the continent’s infrastructure and economic challenges, creating a foundation for sustainable development and prosperity.  

    President Rajoelina highlighted how Africa50 is driving transformational change by mobilizing financing for large-scale infrastructure projects in his country and across the continent.

    He said Madagascar, with its abundant natural and renewable resources, has become a model for energy transition, and added that the country needs the support of international partners such as Africa50.

     “To realise our vision, we need the support of international partners, and this is where the role of Africa50 members is crucial. We need to work together to secure funding for ambitious projects and enable Madagascar to make the transition to green, sustainable energy. This is a challenge for the whole of Africa,” the president said.

    He remarked that the continent has a unique opportunity to reaffirm itself as a global leader in the climate change challenge by supporting innovative and sustainable projects. “Africa is not the problem, Africa is a solution.”

    President Samia Suluhu Hassan, in a speech read by the  Minister of Finance and Planning, Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba Madelu, described clean cooking as an international agenda and a business that must be treated as such.

    According to the International Energy Agency, nearly one billion people in Africa cook with polluting fuels, which has a direct impact on health and leads to half a million premature deaths every year. Yet, the cost of solving the clean energy problem is relatively low.

    The Tanzanian leader encouraged the use of clean cooking microfinance by providing low-interest loans to households to purchase clean cookstoves, allowing for a more manageable transition to clean cooking solutions… “It is crucial to make clean cooking affordable, especially in low-income areas. Governments can introduce effective incentives for producers and consumers to reduce the cost of cooking materials,” the Tanzanian president said.

    The meeting brought together global leaders, policymakers, investors, and infrastructure experts to strategize and collaborate on the actions needed to mobilize investment in a sustainable future for Africa.

    “The fact that Africa50 is exceeding expectations and bridging the funding gap by tackling today’s challenges through innovative financing mechanisms and strategic partnerships is good news for Africa and the world,” President and Chairman of the Boards of Directors of the African Development Bank Group Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina said in a keynote speech at the event.

    Adesina, who is also Chairman of the Africa50 Board of Directors, told the meeting that Africa50 has mobilized over $1.1 billion in capital commitments and catalyzed an additional $4.4 billion in external financing In just seven years of operation. “Its portfolio includes 25 transformative projects in 28 countries, with a total value exceeding $8 billion across energy, transport, digital infrastructure, education, and healthcare sectors.”

    In December 2023, the Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF) secured $222.5 million at first close from predominantly African investors, a first for the continent.

    Africa50’s vision for Africa’s future

    With Africa’s population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050 and a booming consumer market, the continent will be one of the most sought-after investment destinations in the world, Adesina told the meeting, “We are determined to continue mobilizing capital, overcoming barriers to investment, and delivering transformative projects.”

    In his remarks, Africa50 CEO Alain Ebobissé said over the past year, the institution had invested in key infrastructure projects, guided by the need for speed and scale in implementation for the continent. “Investors manage more than $2.3 trillion in Africa. Africa50 aims to mobilise and catalyse some of this capital to finance infrastructure in Africa,” he said.

    He highlighted Africa50’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund as an achievement that is the first of its kind in Africa.

    “This fund is a significant step forward in mobilising African capital to bridge Africa’s infrastructure gap,” Ebobissé added.

    In 2023, Africa50 demonstrated its potential by facilitating significant foreign direct investment in clean energy, even as global FDI declined by 3%.

    With over 60% of the world’s solar energy potential, Africa has a golden opportunity to pursue a low-carbon energy trajectory, expand its electricity supply, and decarbonize its economies.

    Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island nation, was cited as an example of how infrastructure development can stimulate economic growth.

    The African Development Bank’s commitments in Madagascar total more than 1 billion dollars, with transport, energy, and agriculture accounting for more than 97% of the portfolio.

    The flagship Sahofika project, which will be the benchmark for green baseload in the country’s energy mix, will reduce the share of thermal power generation to less than of thermal generation to less than 10%, cutting the country’s generation costs by more than 30%.

    Transport infrastructure

    The African Development Bank remains committed to supporting Madagascar in its efforts to improve connectivity and promote trade across the continent through sustainable transport infrastructure projects, Adesina said.

    “Thanks to the corridor development and trade facilitation project, 165 km of roads, including the Analamisampy-Manja section, along with four bridges on the RN9, have been constructed, reducing travel time from 48 hours to just 5 hours,” Adesina said.

    “Transport infrastructure improvements are also revolutionizing trade and travel, reducing travel times along key corridors from 48 hours to just five hours,” he added.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Searching for a Vaccine Against an Ancient Scourge

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Syphilis cases have surged worldwide, leaving public health officials scrounging for ways to stop the spread. Now, a large, collaborative study of syphilis genetics from four continents has found hints of a possible target for a vaccine.

    Syphilis is a sexually transmitted illness that first appeared in Europe about 500 years ago. Its initial symptoms can vary, but the spiral shaped bacterium that causes it can persist in the body for years, often in the central nervous system, and cause birth defects when it infects infants in utero. Syphilis cases decreased in the middle 20th century as easy, effective treatment with injectable penicillin became available, and became uncommon in the 1990s due to changes in sexual behavior in the wake of the HIV epidemic.

    But recently, syphilis has made an unwelcome comeback. There were 207,255 cases in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than any time since the 1950s. Babies, some of them stillborn, made up 3,755 of those cases. Other countries worldwide are seeing the same disturbing upward trend.

    Stopping syphilis’s spread has become a pressing public health goal. Now, an international collaboration of researchers and doctors has collected one of the most extensive genomic surveys of the syphilis bacterium to date and correlated the genetic data with clinical information about the patients who provided the samples. They are using the data to search for proteins on the surface of the microbe that don’t vary. Such stable proteins could be good targets for a vaccine. They published their findings in the September issue of Lancet Microbe.

    Several previous scientific studies using whole genome-sequencing of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (the bacterium that causes syphilis, abbreviated as TPA) have helped researchers begin to understand the global distribution of circulating strains. However, few analyses of specimens for the purpose of evaluating TPA clinical and genetic diversity to inform syphilis vaccine development have been performed.

    This study enrolled participants from four countries, including Colombia, China, Malawi, and the U.S. Samples of TPA genomes from Africa and South America had been underrepresented in previous genetic studies and were a particularly valuable addition to the TPA genetic dataset.

    Once the samples were collected, they were sent to the University of North Carolina’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases in Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) to have their genetic sequences mapped in Dr. Jonathan Parr’s laboratory.

    “Whole-genome sequencing samples collected by partners around the world improved our understanding of circulating Treponema pallidum strains. The results help us understand differences between strains and identify targets for vaccine development,” says Parr.

    The researchers’ genetic mapping and protein modeling found that syphilis bacteria differed noticeably between continents, but there were enough similarities that the researchers believe they could find good targets for an effective global vaccine.

    UConn School of Medicine Professor Justin Radolf, one of the senior authors on the publication and a Principal Investigator on the NIH U19 award that funded the study, emphasized the importance of these findings.

    “By mapping mutations to three-dimensional models of the bacterium’s proteins, we’ve gained crucial insights that will inform the design of a syphilis vaccine,” Radolf says.

    Researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill are assessing vaccine acceptability to determine what concerns individuals may have on participating in future syphilis vaccine trials and the potential impact of a vaccine on key populations.

    “Engaging with the community now is really important in order to get patients’ opinions and concerns about a future syphilis vaccine trial even before the vaccine has been developed,” says Dr. Arlene C. Seña from UNC-Chapel Hill, co-lead on the clinical study that enrolled participants worldwide and the lead author on the Lancet Microbe manuscript.

    The team has already secured funding to continue their efforts to develop a syphilis vaccine.

    “This study highlights the power of collaboration,” says Juan Salazar, Physician-in-Chief at Connecticut Children’s and co-lead of the project, who also serves as chair of the department of pediatrics at UConn School of Medicine. “Our work here is not just about addressing a local health concern; it’s about contributing to a global solution for a disease that continues to affect millions worldwide.”

    The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and several international research institutions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Brookfield Global Infrastructure Securities Income Fund Announces Quarterly Distribution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BROOKFIELD, NEWS, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookfield Global Infrastructure Securities Income Fund (the “Fund”) (TSX: BGI.UN) today announced a distribution of C$0.15 per unit for the quarter ending September 30, 2024. The distribution will be paid on or before October 15, 2024 to holders of record on September 30, 2024.

    Eligible holders of the Units (“Unitholders”) may participate in the Fund’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (“DRIP”), where they may elect to automatically reinvest their dividends in additional Units. Details of the DRIP are available on the Fund’s website at https://www.brookfieldoaktree.com/fund/brookfield-global-infrastructure-securities-income-fund. Unitholders who wish to participate in the DRIP should contact their investment advisor for further information and to enroll.

    Brookfield Global Infrastructure Securities Income Fund is managed by Brookfield Public Securities Group LLC (PSG). PSG is registered as an investment fund manager in Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and as portfolio manager in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. The Fund uses its website as a channel of distribution of material information about the Fund. Financial and other material information regarding the Fund is routinely posted on and accessible at https://www.brookfieldoaktree.com/fund/brookfield-global-infrastructure-securities-income-fund

    Investing involves risk; principal loss is possible. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

    Contact information:

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier to attend opening ceremony of 21st China-ASEAN Expo

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, Sept. 23 — Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese Vice Premier, will attend and address the opening ceremony of the 21st China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Sept. 24, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian announced here on Monday.

    Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will deliver a video address, and foreign leaders and senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia Vongsey Vissoth, Deputy Prime Minister of Laos Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Vietnam Ho Duc Phoc, as well as Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn will attend the opening ceremony, Lin added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: ODYSIGHT.AI RECEIVES REPEAT PURCHASE ORDER FROM NASA FOR ITS COMPREHENSIVE VISUALIZATION SOLUTION, TO SUPPORT ITS HIGH-SPEED AERONAUTICAL FLIGHT TESTING

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OMER, Israel, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Odysight.ai Inc. (OTCQB: ODYS), a pioneer in AI driven Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and Condition-Based Monitoring (CBM), is pleased to announce the receipt of a new purchase order for the Company’s vision-based system by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to support its high-speed aeronautical flight testing on aerospace vehicles. This repeat order from NASA demonstrates the unique value and quality of Odysight.ai’s innovative solutions.

    Colonel (Res.) Yehu Ofer, CEO of Odysight.ai stated: “This order showcases the trust NASA places in Odysight.ai, and is a strong endorsement of our technology’s effectiveness. We are proud that NASA chose to integrate our solutions to support high-speed aeronautical flight testing and believe this further demonstrates the substantial value we deliver to our customers. We look forward to expanding our partnership with NASA.”

    Inbal Kreiss, board member of Odysight.ai and currently Chief of Innovation at the Systems, Missiles and Space Division of the Israeli Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) and Chairwoman of RAKIA, Israel’s Scientific and Technological Mission to the International Space Station, stated, “It is highly unusual for NASA to select a supplier as a single source for repeated space missions and thus the selection of Odysight.ai’s system by NASA is a clear validation of the exceptional quality of Odysight.ai’s capabilities.”

    Odysight.ai’s visual sensing-based systems provide state-of-the-art solutions, ranging from bespoke cameras to advanced AI algorithms for diagnostics and prognostic health management applications. Odysight.ai’s groundbreaking technology is designed to empower users to autonomously monitor and manage the health of their assets without the need for specialized technicians, providing crucial support for the aerospace sector by enabling Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and Condition Based Monitoring (CBM) of aerial vehicles. This technology enhances sustainment, operational availability and platform safety, offering superior capabilities, including an onboard Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS).

    About Odysight.ai

    Odysight.ai is pioneering the Predictive Maintenance (PdM) and Condition Based Monitoring (CBM) markets with its visualization and AI platform. Providing video sensor-based solutions for critical systems in the aviation, transportation, and energy industries, Odysight.ai leverages proven visual technologies and products from the medical industry. Odysight.ai’s unique video-based sensors, embedded software, and AI algorithms are being deployed in hard-to-reach locations and harsh environments across a variety of PdM and CBM use cases. Odysight.ai’s platform allows maintenance and operations teams visibility into areas which are inaccessible under normal operation, or where the operating ambience is not suitable for continuous real-time monitoring. For more information, please visit: https://www.odysight.ai or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to future events or our future performance. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding future collaboration with NASA. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Those statements are based on information we have when those statements are made or our management’s current expectation and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward- looking statements. Factors that may affect our results, performance, circumstances or achievements include, but are not limited to the following: (i) market acceptance of our existing and new products, including those that utilize our micro Odysight.ai technology or offer Predictive Maintenance and Condition Based Monitoring applications, (ii) lengthy product delays in key markets, (iii) an inability to secure regulatory approvals for the sale of our products, (iv) intense competition in the medical device and related industries from much larger, multinational companies, (v) product liability claims, product malfunctions and the functionality of Odysight.ai’s solutions under all environmental conditions, (vi) our limited manufacturing capabilities and reliance on third-parties for assistance, (vii) an inability to establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities to commercialize our products, (viii) an inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, (ix) our efforts obtain and maintain intellectual property protection covering our products, which may not be successful, (x) our reliance on a single customer that accounts for a substantial portion of our revenues, (xi) our reliance on single suppliers for certain product components, including for miniature video sensors which are suitable for our Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor technology products, (xii) the fact that we will need to raise additional capital to meet our business requirements in the future and that such capital raising may be costly, dilutive or difficult to obtain, (xiii) the impact of computer system failures, cyberattacks or deficiencies in our cybersecurity, (xiv) the fact that we conduct business in multiple foreign jurisdictions, exposing us to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, logistical, global supply chain and communications challenges, burdens and costs of compliance with foreign laws and political and economic instability in each jurisdiction and (xv) political, economic and military instability in Israel, including the impact on our operations of the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and other terrorist organizations from the Gaza Strip and Israel’s war against them. These and other important factors discussed in Odysight.ai’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 26, 2024 and our other reports filed with the SEC could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Odysight.ai undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

    Company Contact:

    Einav Brenner, CFO
    info@odysight.ai

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Miri Segal
    MS-IR LLC
    msegal@ms-ir.com
    Tel: +1-917-607-8654

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Xunlei Announces Appointment of Two New Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Xunlei Limited (“Xunlei” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: XNET), a leading technology company providing distributed cloud services in China, today announced that the board of directors of the Company has appointed Mr. Hui Duan and Mr. Xiaosong Li as members of the board of directors of the Company, effective today.

    Mr. Hui Duan had served as a director of Xunlei from April 2020 to September 2023. He currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer of Beijing Itui Technology Co., Ltd. Prior to that, Mr. Duan founded his own company that provided SaaS tools and services from October 2015 to 2017. From April 2008 to April 2015, Mr. Duan served various management positions at Xunlei including vice president and the chief executive officer of a major subsidiary of Xunlei. Mr. Duan received his EMBA degree from China Europe International Business School in 2015, and bachelor’s degree in computer science from Peking University in 2001.

    Mr. Xiaosong Li has been serving as the Vice President of AGI Business at Xunlei since December 2023. From March 2018 to November 2023, he held the position of technology partner at Beijing Itui Technology Co., Ltd., where he was responsible for leading research and development in the field of artificial intelligence. From March 2008 to March 2018, he gained valuable experience working at Baidu Search Ads (Phoenix Nest), where he progressively advanced his career and ultimately served as the Chief Architect. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University in 2005 and a master’s degree in computer system architecture from Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2008.

    Mr. Jinbo Li, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xunlei, stated, “On behalf of the board of directors, I extend our warmest welcome to Hui Duan and Xiaosong Li for joining the Board. We look forward to working closely with them, leveraging their industry expertise and exceptional management experiences, to create value for our shareholders in the future.”

    About Xunlei

    Founded in 2003, Xunlei Limited (Nasdaq: XNET) is a leading technology company providing distributed cloud services in China. Xunlei provides a wide range of products and services across cloud acceleration, shared cloud computing and digital entertainment to deliver an efficient, smart and safe internet experience.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the management’s quotes in this press release, as well as the Company’s strategic, operational and acquisition plans, contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: the Company’s ability to continue to innovate and provide attractive products and services to retain and grow its user base; the Company’s ability to keep up with technological developments and users’ changing demands in the internet industry; the Company’s ability to convert its users into subscribers of its premium services; the Company’s ability to deal with existing and potential copyright infringement claims and other related claims; the Company’s ability to react to the governmental actions for its scrutiny of internet content in China and the Company’s ability to compete effectively. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that its expectations will turn out to be correct, and investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. Further information regarding risks and uncertainties faced by the Company is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of the press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law.

    Investor Relations
    Xunlei Limited
    Email: ir@xunlei.com 
    Tel: +86 755 6111 1571
    Website: http://ir.xunlei.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Major Envoy Medical Investor Glen Taylor Discusses How Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid Announcement is a Potentially Positive Development for the Company

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    During “The Claman Countdown,” the billionaire investor and entrepreneur noted how hearing aid modes in next-gen wireless earbuds can work with Envoy Medical’s fully implanted hearing devices

    WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minnesota, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Envoy Medical®, Inc. (“Envoy Medical”) (Nasdaq: “COCH”), a hearing health company focused on fully implanted hearing systems, today highlights an interview with key investor Glen Taylor on Fox Business News “The Claman Countdown” in which he commented on the news that Apple’s new AirPods Pro 2 can be used as hearing aids.   

    In the interview, Mr. Taylor was asked whether he was worried about Apple entering the hearing technology market, and he discussed how he believed it could be additive to Envoy Medical’s product offering. Mr. Taylor noted that due to Envoy Medical’s fully implanted devices taking in sound through the ear, devices like the AirPods Pro 2 could potentially work in concert with Envoy Medical’s fully implanted devices. Envoy Medical’s hearing devices are not hearing aids, but rather fully implanted hearing devices for a particular subset of hearing loss.

    Envoy Medical CEO, Brent Lucas stated, “Our hearing implants are different from other hearing implants in that ours use the ear to pick up sound. We sometimes refer to it as ‘Nature’s Microphone.’ The device design of our hearing implants allows recipients to use the ears for other things, such as external electronics, earbuds, or even hearing aids. Once the market appreciates why we believe this is going to be a differentiator, we believe it will increase excitement around our fully implanted hearing implants and the flexibility they can provide to certain patients.”

    About the Esteem® Fully Implanted Active Middle Ear Implant (FI-AMEI)

    The Esteem fully implanted active middle ear implant (FI-AMEI) is the only FDA-approved, fully implanted* hearing device for adults diagnosed with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss allowing for 24/7 hearing capability using the ear’s natural anatomy. The Esteem FI-AMEI hearing implant is invisible and requires no externally worn components and nothing is placed in the ear canal for it to function. Unlike hearing aids, you never put it on or take it off. You can’t lose it. You don’t clean it. The Esteem FI-AMEI hearing implant offers true 24/7 hearing.

    *Once activated, the external Esteem FI-AMEI Personal Programmer is not required for daily use.

    Important safety information for the Esteem FI-AMEI can be found at: https://www.envoymedical.com/safety-information.

    About the Fully Implanted Acclaim® Cochlear Implant

    We believe the fully implanted Acclaim Cochlear Implant (“Acclaim CI”) will be a first-of-its-kind fully implanted cochlear implant. Envoy Medical’s fully implanted technology includes a sensor designed to leverage the natural anatomy of the ear instead of a microphone to capture sound.

    The Acclaim CI is designed to address severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss that is not adequately addressed by hearing aids. The Acclaim CI is expected to be indicated for adults who have been deemed adequate candidates by a qualified physician.

    The Acclaim Cochlear Implant received the Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019. We believe the Acclaim CI was the first hearing-focused device to receive Breakthrough Device Designation.

    CAUTION The fully implanted Acclaim Cochlear Implant is an investigational device. Limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    Copies of the documents filed by Envoy Medical with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations of Envoy Medical concerning the outlook for its business, productivity, plans and goals for future operational improvements and capital investments; the effect of the ability to use electronic devices with the Acclaim CI; the potential for passage of legislation related to reimbursement for active middle ear hearing devices; the impact that such proposed legislation might have on the hearing health market, reimbursement for the Esteem FI-AMEI device, and the Envoy Medical business, and future market conditions or economic performance, as well as any information concerning possible or assumed future operations of Envoy Medical. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Envoy Medical’s current views about future events and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause its actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Envoy Medical does not guarantee that the events described will happen as described (or that they will happen at all). These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to changes in the market price of shares of Envoy Medical’s Class A Common Stock; changes in or removal of Envoy Medical’s shares inclusion in any index; Envoy Medical’s success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, its officers, key employees or directors; unpredictability in the medical device industry, the regulatory process to approve medical devices, and the clinical development process of Envoy Medical products; competition in the medical device industry, and the failure to introduce new products and services in a timely manner or at competitive prices to compete successfully against competitors; disruptions in relationships with Envoy Medical’s suppliers, or disruptions in Envoy Medical’s own production capabilities for some of the key components and materials of its products; changes in the need for capital and the availability of financing and capital to fund these needs; changes in interest rates or rates of inflation; legal, regulatory and other proceedings could be costly and time-consuming to defend; changes in applicable laws or regulations, or the application thereof on Envoy Medical; a loss of any of Envoy Medical’s key intellectual property rights or failure to adequately protect intellectual property rights; the effects of catastrophic events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Envoy Medical on April 1, 2024, and in other reports Envoy Medical files, with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or Envoy Medical’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. While forward-looking statements reflect Envoy Medical’s good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. Envoy Medical disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes after the date of this press release, except as required by applicable law. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based only on information currently available to Envoy Medical. 

    ###

    Investor Contact:
    CORE IR
    516-222-2560
    investorrelations@envoymedical.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Denis Manturov took part in the forum “Microelectronics”

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov took part in the plenary session of the Microelectronics-2024 forum. The 10th anniversary Russian Microelectronics Forum is being held on the Sirius federal territory from September 23 to 28.

    Denis Manturov took part in the forum “Microelectronics”

    At the plenary session, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin addressed the forum participants with a greeting. The plenary session was opened by the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov. Government representatives, heads of federal executive authorities, scientists and the industry community discussed plans and prospects for the development of the Russian electronics industry, innovative approaches, scientific achievements, as well as upcoming changes in government regulation.

    In particular, Denis Manturov spoke about plans to extend tax breaks for electronics industry organizations, expand them to electronics engineering enterprises, and possibly return to advance payments of up to 80% for government contracts in the field of electronics engineering.

    “As for advance payments, it is no secret that up to 100% [is advanced – IF] even today when signing and implementing contracts within the framework of state defense procurement, including for electronic products. And for civil ones, the bar has indeed been lowered to 50%. Taking into account the key rate, we have already discussed this issue today. We will formalize this approach, and I will give the corresponding instruction to the Ministry of Finance and Anton Andreyevich Alikhanov so that colleagues can promptly prepare such a decision and submit it to the Government,” he said, answering a question about the prospects for moving to advance payments of 80% of the contract value when purchasing electronic equipment. “I am sure that this can be a good help, especially today, given the high interest rate on loans,” the First Deputy Prime Minister added.

    During the Microelectronics forum, Denis Manturov also presented state awards to outstanding workers in the electronics industry: the Order of Friendship, the Order of Military Merit, and the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd class.

    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.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://government.ru/nevs/52773/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Arkansas Governor, Local and Community Leaders Congratulate Standard Lithium, Equinor for U.S. Department of Energy Provisional Grant up to US$225 million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEWISVILLE, Ark., Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI), a leading near-commercial lithium development company and Equinor, a global energy leader, is pleased to share that its jointly-owned U.S. subsidiary, SWA Lithium LLC has been selected for up to US$225 million award negotiation from the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”). The conditional award, overseen by the DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, is one of the largest ever awarded to a U.S. critical minerals project and part of the second wave of funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This DOE funding is aimed at expanding domestic manufacturing of all segments of the battery supply chain and increasing production of critical minerals in the U.S. 

    “Arkansas is proud of its all-of-the-above energy strategy, with a rich production history of oil, natural gas, bromine, and now, lithium,” said Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders. “Lithium has the potential to supercharge South Arkansas’ economy – and this announcement from Standard Lithium moves us closer to that goal.”

    “Congratulations to SLI and its partners, and what an exciting investment in Arkansas,” said Arkansas Secretary of Energy and Environment, Shane Khoury. “This award helps ensure that Arkansas stays on track to become a world leader in lithium production and promotes lithium extraction in a proven and cleaner manner.”

    “The announcement by Standard Lithium today is exciting news for south Arkansas,” said Arkansas State Senator Matt Stone. “The $225 million grant from the Department of Energy will firmly establish Arkansas as an energy leader and pave the way for hundreds of jobs for our State.”

    “Standard Lithium’s Department of Energy grant marks a pivotal investment in South Arkansas, empowering local communities while strengthening our nation’s future,” said Arkansas State Senator Ben Gilmore. “This initiative not only fosters economic growth but also plays a crucial role in breaking our dependence on China and securing a resilient supply chain for lithium and beyond.”

    “Congratulations to the SLI/Equinor team,” said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald. “Arkansas is excited to see the validation of the lithium industry growth opportunities that will benefit thousands of Arkansans. This award and others solidify Arkansas’ significant role in securing North America’s lithium supply chain.”

    “South Arkansas College is excited about this news for our long-term partner Standard Lithium, and we will continue to support them in any way possible in the future,” said President of SouthArk College, Dr. Stephanie Tully-Dartez.

    “This is great news for the people of South Arkansas and a significant investment in our future and in our nation’s future by helping to break dependence on foreign sources and supply chain for critical minerals,” said Former Arkansas House Speaker Matthew Shepherd. “Not only will this investment directly create hundreds of jobs, it will indirectly create numerous opportunities for improved healthcare, childcare, and workforce development and have a lasting positive impact on South Arkansas and beyond.”

    “UA -Pulaski Tech is proud to be an educational partner on the workforce training component of this enormous investment in domestic production, securing of supply chains and jobs in Arkansas,” said Dr. Summer Deprow, Chancellor of the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College. 

    “Congratulations Standard Lithium on receiving this outstanding award,” said Lafayette County Judge, Valarie Clark. “Lafayette County is grateful for the opportunity to support this great company in their future endeavors.”

    “I am very proud of Standard Lithium and their persistence in receiving the funding that has been procured by their organization,” said Columbia County Judge, Doug Fields. “I know personally the challenge there is to obtain funding for a project! I’m proud to give my full support to Standard Lithium, and their endeavors to provide new jobs, new infrastructure, and to see them support the community in much-needed ways, not to mention the boost to our economy! Congratulations to Standard Lithium!”

    About the South West Arkansas Project

    The South West Arkansas Project (“SWA” or the “Project”) is located in Lafayette and Columbia Counties, Arkansas, and is being developed in partnership with Equinor, which holds a 45% non-operating interest in the Project. SWA’s Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.4 Mt and 0.4 Mt lithium carbonate equivalent, with an average lithium concentration of 437 mg/L, has some of the highest reported lithium brine concentrations in North America. The design engineers working on behalf of the Company are developing Front-end Engineering Design (“FEED”) and a Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) that contemplates total production of up to 45,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate, to be developed in two phases of 22,500 tonnes per annum each.

    SWA’s direct lithium extraction and lithium carbonate facilities are planned to be located on a 118-acre property in rural Lafayette County, approximately 7 miles south of Lewisville, Arkansas. The Project is expected to create up to 300 construction jobs and 100 direct jobs and dedicate millions of dollars to community impact efforts that will benefit the local area through infrastructure improvements, community health initiatives, educational partnerships, and workforce development programs.

    The Company completed a Preliminary Feasibility Study for the project in 2023, and a DFS and FEED are currently underway.

    Qualified Person

    Steve Ross, P.Geol., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and Vice President Resource Development for the Company, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and technical information in this news release.

    About Standard Lithium

    Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes projects characterized by the highest quality resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. Standard Lithium aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully integrated Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) and purification process. The Company’s flagship projects are located in the Smackover Formation, a world-class lithium brine asset, focused in Arkansas and Texas. In partnership with global energy leader Equinor ASA, Standard Lithium is advancing the South West Arkansas project, a greenfield project located in southern Arkansas, and actively exploring promising lithium brine prospects in East Texas. Additionally, the Company is advancing the Phase 1A project in partnership with LANXESS Corporation, a brownfield development project located in southern Arkansas. Standard Lithium also holds an interest in certain mineral leases in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.

    Standard Lithium is jointly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the trading symbol “SLI”. Please visit the Company’s website at https://www.standardlithium.com.

    About Equinor

    Equinor is an international energy company committed to long-term value creation in a low-carbon future. Equinor’s portfolio of projects encompasses oil and gas, renewables and low-carbon solutions, with an ambition of becoming a net-zero energy company by 2050. Headquartered in Norway, Equinor is the leading operator on the Norwegian continental shelf and is present in around 30 countries worldwide. Our partnership with Standard Lithium to mature DLE projects builds on our broad US energy portfolio of oil and gas, offshore wind, low carbon solutions and battery storage projects.

    For more information on Equinor in the US, please visit: Equinor in the US – Equinor

    Media Contacts:

    Allysa Iverson 
    Standard Lithium Ltd.
    a.iverson@standardlithium.com

    Ola Morten Aanestad 
    Equinor
    oaan@equinor.com

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

    This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target”, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to intended development timelines, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Climate Tech VC Cerulean Ventures Closes Fund I at Climate Week NYC 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cerulean Ventures, a climate tech venture capital firm operating in the trillion dollar annual climate finance sector, closed a $10M pre-seed fund focused on software for hard problems in climate tech. The fund invests in highly-scalable software and technology focused on biodiversity, natural capital and climate-positive profitable business practices.

    Cerulean Ventures was launched with the support of its anchor investor, One Small Planet, strategic investors, Regen Foundation and Regen Network, and several global family offices focused on scaling proven, profitable solutions to address climate change.

    “As tech founders themselves, Jahed and Matthew have the unique experience of bridging complex technology to massive markets,” said Jack Wielebinski, Chief Investment Officer of One Small Planet. “We are proud to support Cerulean’s thesis to invest in software businesses that connect the global economy for nature-positive outcomes.”

    As a team, the General Partners work directly with founders at the earliest stages to develop business operations, set go-to-market strategies and plan for financial success to reach critical funding and business milestones. Matthew Stotts was the founder of a top technology marketing consultancy in Silicon Valley and a co-founder of a financial technology business. Jahed Momand was the co-founder of a developer operations SaaS company and held product leadership roles at a number of top Silicon Valley enterprise software companies. Together they worked on sustainable finance, regenerative agriculture and indigenous land stewardship through the Regen Network. They began investing through Cerulean Ventures in 2022.

    Matthew and Jahed’s work with the Cerulean Ventures portfolio of climate tech entrepreneurs deepens the general partners’ years of work on nature-based solutions, biodiversity, decarbonization, circular materials, waste-to-value, decentralized energy and global networks for coordinating climate finance and accounting. Cerulean’s portfolio of investments include highly-scalable software and data for sustainable supply chains, financial technology for carbon and energy markets, and several innovations in climate finance.

    Four major focus areas for Cerulean Ventures Fund I include: Carbon, Energy, Sustainable Supply Chains and Climate FinTech

    Earthbanc leads the carbon markets
    Earthbanc has built the world’s first vertically integrated, full-stack, nature-based carbon removal company. Leading global multinationals, such as AstraZeneca, work with Earthbanc to scale carbon removal through native, biodiverse and regenerative agroforestry that delivers proven nature-based carbon removals through its proprietary, MRV software in the field, machine learning, and market linkages for agricultural and horticultural produce.

    Earthbanc CEO Tom Duncan: “Our vision at Earthbanc is nothing less than enabling regenerative agriculture, forestry and carbon removal to scale up across 2.5 billion hectares of degraded lands. We make this achievable by building mobile and web software for projects and clients to leverage deep learning and MRV, and we structure capital to enable it to flow into land restoration. Cerulean helped us form capital with the right investors early, and that freed us up to focus on building a truly transformative nature-tech company.”

    Jasmine Energy is opening a global renewable energy market
    Jasmine Energy has digitized and synchronized the United States market for renewable energy credits, which has historically been disaggregated and difficult to access. With an ambitious view of a global tradeable market of credits that incentivize renewable energy investment, Jasmine Energy is critical to the energy transition.

    “Cerulean was one of the first believers in our vision of a globally-coordinated renewable energy market,” said Nathalie Capati, co-founder and CEO of Jasmine Energy. “Few investors have the insight or commitment to support founders building a climate-positive software company that takes on massively complex markets. Cerulean has gone above and beyond in its support for Jasmine.”

    CommonShare is driving sustainable supply chains
    CommonShare is using AI to enable sustainable procurement across all supply chains, making them transparent and fair through a global network of brands, retailers, suppliers, verifiers, and standards owners that promotes clear communication and cross-company collaboration. In a landmark partnership with Bureau Veritas (BV), they will enable origin mapping and purchase order traceability across BV’s Fortune 500 clients, helping them comply with CSRD and EUDR compliance and radically reduce environmental impacts through sustainable procurement.

    “We enjoyed working with the Cerulean team. They were one of the few VCs who understood what we’re doing, which gave them the ability to move fast on diligence and help us focus on building in an entirely new market. Their founder-focused perspective was exactly what we were looking for in a pre-seed partner.” – Martin Smith, Founder & CEO CommonShare.

    Regen is building a global blockchain for good
    Regen Network and its foundation seek to bring the use, regeneration and protection of land and natural resources into balance with indigenous peoples and local communities through an equitable distribution of value, knowledge and stewardship. The blockchain network and technology tools Regen has built enable finance to flow to biodiversity protection, old-growth forests, critical watersheds and irreplaceable natural resources.

    “Jahed and Matthew were early contributors to the Regen Network, a community of hundreds that now spans every continent on Earth,” said Gregory Landua, CEO of Regen Network Development PBC. “We’re excited to see Ceruluean’s contributions to nature-positive technology for the benefit of people and the planet.”

    About Cerulean Ventures
    https://cerulean.vc/

    Cerulean Ventures invests in pre-seed and seed stage Climate FinTech, SaaS and blockchain businesses tapping into the network effects of nature, renewable energy and climate-positive economies. Cerulean finds earth-scale (global) technology opportunities in areas like renewable energy, blue carbon, reforestation, biodiversity and regenerative agriculture, as well as decarbonization, circularity and sustainability across industry, manufacturing, transportation, construction, and supply chains.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BIO-key Expands Deployment with Province of British Columbia, Adds 10,000 Biometric Users for Sign-on and Physical Access Control

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia and HOLMDEL, N.J., Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BIO-key® International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKYI), an innovative provider of workforce and customer identity and access management (IAM) solutions featuring Identity-Bound Biometrics (IBB) for phoneless, tokenless, passwordless and phish-resistant authentication experiences, announced that its long-time customer, the province of British Columbia, has placed new orders with BIO-key. 10,000 users will be added to their existing deployment of WEB-key software, integrated with Broadcom’s SiteMinder infrastructure to streamline and strengthen access to a series of new applications via SAML 2.0 federation standards.

    BIO-key has worked closely with the province’s cybersecurity team to integrate BIO-key’s state-of-the-art, cloud-enabled biometric authentication platform with its existing authentication infrastructure to deliver advanced and secure biometric access to systems, applications and facilities across the organization.

    Since 2012, BIO-key’s secure biometric authentication platform has been integrated with the province’s authentication infrastructure to provide the strongest biometric ID without requiring phones or tokens. In 2017, the province expanded the platform to incorporate physical access control using the same fingerprint biometric for door access. This differentiated approach delivers secure sign in and streamlined access to facilities for users who roam among different workstations and locations without requiring added costs and risks of “what-you-have” token and card solutions that only verify that the card or token is present, not the user. BIO-key credentials derive from the individual themselves, so access cannot be shared, delegated, phished or forgotten.

    Jim Sullivan, BIO-key’s SVP Strategy and Chief Legal Officer, said, “The British Columbia government has been a leader in providing secure biometric authentication with BIO-key solutions for more than a decade. They recognize that unique ‘roving user’ scenarios call for uncompromising yet user-friendly security. We are pleased to be the trusted provider of the highest level of security, by ensuring only the right user accesses the most sensitive information. BIO-key has a long history providing highly secure, robust and cost-efficient solutions in government, defense, finance, retail and other highly-regulated industries. Today, we are finding that BIO-key’s superior user experience, through phoneless, tokenless and passwordless solutions, translates very well to many enterprise use cases, particularly where we bring multi-factor authentication to roving workforces.”

    About BIO-key International, Inc. (www.BIO-key.com)
    BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication and cybersecurity with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) software securing access for over forty million users. BIO-key allows customers to choose the right authentication factors for diverse use cases, including phoneless, tokenless and passwordless biometric options. Its hosted or on-premise PortalGuard IAM solution provides cost-effective, easy-to-deploy, convenient, and secure access to computers, information, applications, and high-value transactions.

    BIO-key Safe Harbor Statement
    All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”). The words “estimate,” “project,” “intends,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the “safe-harbor” provisions of the Act. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, our history of losses and limited revenue; our ability to raise additional capital; our ability to protect our intellectual property; changes in business conditions; changes in our sales strategy and product development plans; changes in the marketplace; continued services of our executive management team; security breaches; competition in the biometric technology industry; market acceptance of biometric products generally and our products under development; our ability to execute and deliver on contracts in Africa; our ability to expand into Asia, Africa and other foreign markets; our ability to integrate the operations and personnel of Swivel Secure into our business; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; delays in the development of products and statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing as well as other factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.


    Investor Contacts
    William Jones, David Collins
    Catalyst IR
    BKYI@catalyst-ir.com
    212-924-9800

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: IDT Corporation to Report Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWARK, NJ, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), a global provider of fintech, cloud communications, and traditional communications solutions, has scheduled its report of financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2024 (the three and twelve months ended July 31, 2024) on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

    IDT’s earnings release will be issued and posted on the IDT investor relations website (https://www.idt.net/investors-and–media) at approximately 4:30 PM Eastern.

    IDT will host an earnings conference call beginning at 5:30 PM Eastern with management’s discussion of results followed by Q&A with investors. To listen to the call and participate in the Q&A, dial 1-888-506-0062 (toll-free from the US) or 1-973-528-0011 (international) and provide the following access code: 126998).

    A replay of the conference call will be available approximately three hours after the call concludes through October 22, 2024. To access the call replay, dial 1-877-481-4010 (toll-free from the US) or 1-919-882-2331 (international) and provide this replay passcode: 51021. The replay will also be accessible via streaming audio at the IDT investor relations website.

    ABOUT IDT CORPORATION

    IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT) is a global provider of fintech and communications solutions through a portfolio of synergistic businesses: National Retail Solutions (NRS), through its point-of-sale (POS) platform, enables independent retailers to operate more effectively while providing advertisers and marketers with unprecedented reach into underserved consumer markets; BOSS Money facilitates innovative international remittances and fintech payments solutions; net2phone provides enterprises and organizations with intelligently integrated cloud communications and contact center services across channels and devices; IDT Digital Payments and BOSS Revolution Calling make sharing prepaid products and services and speaking with friends and family around the world convenient and reliable; and, IDT Global and IDT Express enable communications services to provision and manage international voice and SMS messaging.

    Contact:
    Bill Ulrey
    IDT Investor Relations
    Phone: (973) 438-3838
    E-mail: invest@idt.net

    ###

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Wearable Devices Announces First Half 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    YOKNE’AM ILLIT, Israel, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wearable Devices Ltd.  (the “Company” or “Wearable Devices”) (Nasdaq: WLDS, WLDSW), a technology growth company specializing in artificial intelligence (“AI”)-powered touchless sensing wearables, today announced its financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

    First Half 2024 Financial Results and Recent Company Highlights:

    • Recognized initial revenue from the sale of business-to-consumer (B2C) focused Mudra Band for Apple Watch and business-to-business (B2B) collaborations, totaling $394 thousand.

    Mudra Band:

    • Enhanced product proposition for flagship product: We have introduced two major new features for our Mudra Band: touchless gesture control for Apple Watch, allowing users to manage tasks hands-free, and integration with ChatGPT, enabling users to interact with AI directly via predefined gestures and voice commands on their Apple Watch. These innovations enhance convenience, accessibility, and AI-powered functionality for on-the-go multitasking.
    • Announced new innovative and disruptive product- the Mudra Link: Currently receiving preorders for Mudra Link, the first AI neural interface wristband for Android and beyond, providing advanced neural input technology for Android users. Official launch expected in the first quarter of 2025.
    • Expanded market potential with range of new supported devices: Now supports the Apple Vision Pro, in addition to other Apple devices including Mac, iPad, Apple TV and iPhone, allowing Apple users to extend their gesture control experience.

    Global B2B collaborations:

    • Signed an agreement with Qualcomm Technologies (“Qualcomm”) to collaborate in elevating extended reality (“XR”) experiences with Mudra neural technology and successfully completed the first phase of integration of Mudra technology with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Spaces XR developer platform.
    • Fortune 500 consumer electronics corporation has purchased a special license for a state-of-the-art Mudra Development Kit (“MDK”) to evaluate certain deep-level capabilities of the MDK for developing next-generation user interfaces.
    • Announced successful demonstrations of the Mudra technology on Lenovo’s ThinkReality XR headset, at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2024.
    • Signed reseller agreement to enhance licensing program presence in South Korea and China.
    • Strengthened presence in the defense sector and delivered custom touchless technology to global defense company as part of an ongoing collaboration.

    In the first half of 2024, Wearable Devices continued recognizing revenue from the sale of Mudra Band for Apple Watch, the Company’s flagship B2C product, which began shipping towards the end of 2023. Revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2024 were $394 thousand, increasing from approximately $12 thousand compared to the six months ended June 30, 2023. Net loss increased to $4.2 million, or $(0.21) per basic and diluted share, in the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to net loss of $3.9 million, or $(0.26) per basic and diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2023, primarily related to an increase in the Company’s operating expenses associated with its continued efforts to scale its business activity.

    Asher Dahan, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Wearable Devices, commented, “In the first half of 2024, we increased the delivery of our flagship B2C product, the Mudra Band for Apple Watch. After an extended preorder period during which the Mudra Band generated strong customer interest, we began shipping the product towards the end of 2023 and are pleased to have reached this important milestone.

    Subsequent to the close of the first half of 2024, we announced the launch of our new Mudra Link wristband, bringing our state-of-the-art neural input Mudra technology to a broader range of operating system platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. This has been a major initiative for our business, and the logical next step in our growth trajectory. With preorders now open and an official launch planned for the first half of 2025, we expect the Mudra Link to significantly expand our addressable market as we tap into the large and expanding population of Android, Windows, and macOS users.

    We continue to invest in our business, as reflected in the modest increases in research and development, sales and marketing, and general and administrative expenses in the period. We’re still in the early stages of growth in the broader wearables industry, and Wearable Devices is well positioned to be a leader in the space given our patented AI-based neural input interface technology.”

    About Wearable Devices Ltd.

    Wearable Devices Ltd. is a growth company developing AI-based neural input interface technology for the B2C and B2B markets. The Company’s flagship product, the Mudra Band for Apple Watch, integrates innovative AI-based technology and algorithms into a functional, stylish wristband that utilizes proprietary sensors to identify subtle finger and wrist movements allowing the user to “touchlessly” interact with connected devices. The Company also markets a B2B product, which utilizes the same technology and functions as the Mudra Band and is available to businesses on a licensing basis. Wearable Devices Is committed to creating disruptive, industry leading technology that leverages AI and proprietary algorithms, software, and hardware to set the input standard for the Extended Reality, one of the most rapidly expanding landscapes in the tech industry. The Company’s ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq market under the symbols “WLDS” and “WLDSW”, respectively.

    Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when we discuss our growth trajectory; the launch of the Mudra Link and its benefits and advantages, including significant potential increase in the Company’s total available market; future investment in our business; and our position as a leader in the space of wearable devices. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the trading of our ordinary shares or warrants and the development of a liquid trading market; our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on March 15, 2024 and our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    IMS Investor Relations
    203.972.9200
    wearabledevices@imsinvestorrelations.com

         
    INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)    
    U.S. dollars (in thousands)          
               
        June 30,   December 31,  
        2024   2023  
    ASSETS          
               
    CURRENT ASSETS:          
               
    Cash and cash equivalents   3,103   810  
    Short-term bank deposits   57   4,045  
    Account receivable   47   –  
    Governmental grant receivable   7   108  
    Other receivables and prepaid expenses   306   757  
    Inventories   1,218   1,032  
               
    TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS   4,738   6,752  
               
    NON-CURRENT ASSETS:          
               
    Long-term bank deposits   –   54  
    Right-of-use assets   458   592  
    Property and equipment, net   176   194  
               
    TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS   634   840  
               
    TOTAL ASSETS   5,372   7,592  
               
               
    INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED)          
    U.S. dollars (in thousands)          
               
        June 30,   December 31,  
        2024   2023  
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
               
    CURRENT LIABILITIES:          
    Accounts payables   175   410  
    Advance payments   101   312  
    Accrued payroll and other employment related accruals   641   579  
    Convertible promissory note   1,934   –  
    Accrued expenses   386   190  
    Lease liabilities   296   297  
    TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES   3,533   1,788  
    Lease liabilities   144   278  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES   3,677   2,066  
               
    SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
    Ordinary shares, NIS 0.01 par value:   58   57  
    Authorized 50,000,000 as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023; issued and outstanding 20,887,428 shares as of June 30, 2024 and 20,387,428 shares as of December 31, 2023  
    Additional paid-in capital   27,070   26,692  
    Accumulated losses   (25,433)   (21,223)  
               
    TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY   1,695   5,526  
               
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY   5,372   7,592  
               
    INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (UNAUDITED)          
    U.S. dollars (in thousands)          
               
        Six months ended
    June 30,
    2024
    		     Six months
    ended
    June 30,
    2023 
               
         U.S. dollars
    in thousands
        (except per share amounts)
               
    Revenues   394     12
    Expenses:          
    Cost of revenues   (315)     (3)
    Research and development, net   (1,616)     (1,560)
    Sales and marketing expenses   (1,083)     (1,050)
    General and administrative expenses   (1,601)     (1,453)
    OPERATING LOSS   (4,221)     (4,054)
    FINANCING INCOME, NET   11     158
               
    NET LOSS AND TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE LOSS   (4,210)     (3,896)
               
    Net loss per ordinary share, basic and diluted   (0.21)     (0.26)
               
    Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding basic and diluted   20,392,984     15,254,457
               
                 
    INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)
    U.S. dollars (in thousands)    		            
                   
        Six months ended  
    June 30,
        2024     2023  
    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:            
    Net loss   (4,210)     (3,896)  
                 
    Adjustments required to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities              
                 
    Depreciation   54     23  
    Accrued interest on deposits   39     *(19)  
    Interest expenses on convertible promissory note   14     –  
    Share based compensation expenses   112     109  
    Unrealized gain from foreign currency derivative activities   61     –  
                 
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities items:            
    Increase in inventory   (186)     (6)  
    Increase in accounts receivables   (47)     –  
    Decrease (increase) in governmental grants receivables   101     (29)  
    Decrease (increase) in other receivables and prepaid expenses   380     (95)  
    (Decrease) increase in advance payments   (211)     20  
    Decrease in deferred revenues   –     (12)  
    Decrease in accounts payable   (236)     (44)  
    Increase in accrued payroll and other employment related accruals   62     163  
    Increase in accrued expenses   206     48  
    Net cash used in operating activities   (3,861)     (3,738)  
                 
    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:            
    Purchase of property and equipment   (36)     (93)  
    Proceeds (investments) associated with deposits, net   4,003     *(2,036)  
    Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities   3,967     (2,129)  
                 
    CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:            
    Proceeds from issuance of convertible promissory note   1,920     –  
    Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares as a result of exercise of warrants   –     1,448  
    Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares associated with the SEPA   267        
    Net cash provided by financing activities   2,187     1,448  
                 
    NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS   2,293     (4,419)  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD   810     10,373  
    CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD   3,103     5,954  
         
    SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:    
    Interest received from deposits 110       159  
    Right-of-use asset recognized against lease liability –       446  
                   
                   
    *Reclassified              

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: dsm-firmenich to present at the dbVIC – Deutsche Bank ADR Virtual Investor Conference on September 25 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MAASTRICHT, The Netherlands, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — dsm-firmenich (AMS: DSFIR; OTCQX: DSFIY) based in Kaiseraugst, Switzerland and focused on nutrition, health and beauty, today announced that Anna Morello, Director Investor Relations at dsm-firmenich will present at the dbVIC – Deutsche Bank American Depositary Receipt (ADR) Virtual Investor Conference on September 25. This virtual investor conference is aimed exclusively at introducing global companies with ADR programs to investors.

    DATE: September 25, 2024
    TIME: 11:30 AM ET
    LINK: https://bit.ly/47xPcjS

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time – both in the presentation hall as well as the organization’s “virtual trade booth.” If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Participation is free of charge.

    https://investors.dsm-firmenich.com/en/investors/dsm-firmenich-at-a-glance.html

    About dsm-firmenich

    As innovators in nutrition, health, and beauty, dsm-firmenich reinvents, manufactures, and combines vital nutrients, flavors, and fragrances for the world’s growing population to thrive. With our comprehensive range of solutions, with natural and renewable ingredients and renowned science and technology capabilities, we work to create what is essential for life, desirable for consumers, and more sustainable for the planet. dsm-firmenich is a Swiss-Dutch company, listed on the Euronext Amsterdam, with operations in almost 60 countries and revenues of more than €12 billion. With a diverse, worldwide team of nearly 30,000 employees, we bring progress to life™ every day, everywhere, for billions of people.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    Contacts
    dsm-firmenich
    Investor Relations
    T: +31 (0)45 578 2864
    E: investors@dsm-firmenich.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: InspireSemi Announces C$10M Convertible Loan Agreement, Proposed Delisting from TSXV and Date for a Business Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia and AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inspire Semiconductor Holdings Inc. (TSXV: INSP) (“InspireSemi” or the “Company”), a chip design company that provides revolutionary high-performance, energy-efficient accelerated computing solutions for High Performance Computing (HPC), AI, graph analytics, and other compute-intensive workloads, today announced that it has entered into a convertible loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) dated September 23, 2024 with Humanitario Capital LLC (the “Lender”) in the principal amount of C$10,000,000 (the “Loan”).

    The Loan is unsecured, bears interest of 10% per annum, compounded monthly, and is repayable on September 23, 2025, subject to the penalty clause discussed below.

    The Loan Agreement provides that if a delisting of all classes of shares of the Company from the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV”) occurs, the Loan shall automatically convert to units (each a “Unit”) at a price per Unit of C$13.50 and all accrued and unpaid interest thereon will be forgiven.

    Each Unit will consist of one proportionate voting share in the capital of the Company (each an “PV Share”) and one PV Share purchase warrant of the Company (a “PVS Warrant”).

    Each PVS Warrant shall be exercisable to acquire one PV Share until September 23, 2029 at an exercise price of C$13.50.

    In addition the Lender has been granted:

    (i) the right of first refusal (the “ROFR”) to purchase additional Units on the same terms as described above should the Company request additional funding from the Lender;
    (ii) a pre-emptive right to participate in all future financings conducted by the Company on a pro-rata basis as it relates to the Lender’s then interest in the Company;
    (iii) the right to nominate a person for election to the board of directors of the Company immediately and at each subsequent shareholders meeting; and
    (iv) the right to nominate an additional person to attend all meetings of the Board in a non-voting observer capacity.

    The ROFR will expire upon the Company achieving a positive EBDITA for a one month period. All other rights set out above will exist for so long as the Lender’s pro rata interest in the Company is more than 5%.

    A copy of the Loan Agreement has been posted on the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    The Loan is subject to the approval of the TSXV.

    Delisting from TSXV

    The Loan Agreement provides that the Company will make its best efforts to delist its subordinate voting shares from the TSXV as soon as is reasonably practicable. If a delisting of the Company’s subordinate voting shares from the TSXV is not achieved by January 31, 2025, the Company will be deemed in default, and the Loan, all accrued interest thereon and a penalty of an additional 25% of the amount of the Loan, being C$2,500,000 will be due and payable immediately.

    Therefore, the Company announces its intention to voluntarily delist (the “Delisting“) its subordinate voting shares from the TSXV. The Delisting will be subject to, among other things, TSXV and majority of the minority shareholder approval.

    The Company will ask and encourages its shareholders to approve of the Delisting as described above at an annual general and special shareholder meeting (the “Meeting”) that will be scheduled in due course. More information regarding the Delisting, the Loan and the reasons therefore will be available in a management information circular to be prepared and mailed to shareholders and posted on the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca in connection with the Meeting.

    The Company is not paying any bonus, commission or finder’s fees in respect of the Loan. The proceeds from the Loan will be used to prepare the Company’s Thunderbird Chip for delivery to customers, support the Company’s commercialization drive and for general working capital requirements.

    Nasdaq Listing Update

    The Company has currently paused its work on a proposed up list to a major U.S. Stock Exchange as announced by press release dated June 18, 2024. The Company has decided it is in its best interests to focus on commercializing its Thunderbird chip and achieving its aim of reaching profitability in 2025 prior to embarking on a further stock exchange listing.

    The Company is still interested in exploring such a listing in future and has made valuable progress in working with its various counsel and advisors to better prepare it for such an eventuality in future.

    Business Update

    The Company announces it will be holding a business update call on September 30, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The Company will press release any new material information prior to the Business Update.

    To join the Business Update please use the following Zoom link:

    https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85079936546

    Webinar ID: 850 7993 6546

    Or One tap mobile :
        +16469313860,,85079936546# US
        +19292056099,,85079936546# US (New York)
    Or Telephone:
        Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        +1 646 931 3860 US
        +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
        +1 309 205 3325 US
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
        +1 305 224 1968 US
        +1 253 205 0468 US
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
        +1 360 209 5623 US
        +1 386 347 5053 US
        +1 507 473 4847 US
        +1 564 217 2000 US
        +1 669 444 9171 US
        +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
        +1 689 278 1000 US
        +1 719 359 4580 US

        International numbers available: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kfZXmuhg6

    About InspireSemi

    InspireSemi (TSXV: INSP) provides revolutionary high-performance, energy-efficient accelerated computing solutions for High-Performance Computing (HPC), AI, graph analytics, and other compute-intensive workloads. The Thunderbird ‘supercomputer-cluster-on-a-chip’ is a disruptive, next-generation datacenter accelerator designed to address multiple underserved and diversified industries, including financial services, computer-aided engineering, energy, climate modeling, cybersecurity, and life sciences & drug discovery. Based on the open standard RISC-V instruction set architecture, InspireSemi’s solutions set new standards of performance, energy efficiency, and ease of programming. InspireSemi is headquartered in Austin, TX.

    For more information visit    https://inspiresemi.com  
    Follow InspireSemi on LinkedIn

    Company Contact
    John B. Kennedy, CFO
    (737) 471-3230
    invest@inspiresemi.com

    Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information
    This press release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). Statements concerning InspireSemi’s objectives, goals, strategies, priorities, intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and the business, operations, financial performance and condition of InspireSemi are forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” (or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or come to pass.

    Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information regarding: (i) the business plans and expectations of the Company including expectations with respect to production and development; and (ii) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors (iii) expectations as to the use of funds in respect of the Loan, the Delisting and any potential future up list to a U.S. Stock Exchange. Forward-looking information is based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans, strategies or beliefs as of the date of this presentation, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of InspireSemi, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors may be based on information currently available to the Company including information obtained from third-party industry analysts and other third-party sources and are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs. Any and all forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect management’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Forward-looking information reflects management’s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to them and on assumptions they believe to be not unreasonable in light of all of the circumstances. In some instances, material factors or assumptions are discussed in this news release in connection with statements containing forward-looking information. Such material factors and assumptions include, but are not limited to: (i) statements relating to the business and future activities of, and developments related to, the Company after the date of this press release; (ii) expected completion of or satisfaction of all closing conditions in connection with the Loan and Delisting including receipt of final approval from the Exchange; (iii) expectations for other economic, business, regulatory and/or competitive factors related to the Company or the technology industry generally; (iv) the risk factors referenced in this news release and as described from time to time in documents filed by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca; and (v) other events or conditions that may occur in the future. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release and, other than as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information 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 forward-looking information.

    Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

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

    THIS PRESS RELEASE SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE OR JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH STATE OR JURISDICTION.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Repsol to present at the dbVIC – Deutsche Bank ADR Virtual Investor Conference on September 25 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MADRID, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Repsol (REP), based in Madrid, is a global multi-energy company that creates value through innovation, efficiency, and respect to drive progress in society and achieve a profitable energy transition, today announced that Repsol Senior Investor Relations Officer Álvaro Visús will present at the dbVIC – Deutsche Bank American Depositary Receipt (ADR) Virtual Investor Conference on September 25th. This virtual investor conference is aimed exclusively at introducing global companies with ADR programs to investors.

    DATE: September 25, 2024
    TIME: 10:30 AM ET
    LINK: https://bit.ly/47xPcjS

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time – both in the presentation hall as well as the organization’s “virtual trade booth.” If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

    Participation is free of charge.

    Recent Company Highlights

    • Strategic Update 24-27 (Link) focus on achieving a profitable energy transition, which prioritizes investments with Repsol’s current integrated portfolio of quality assets and low-carbon initiatives, attractive shareholder remuneration, and the maintenance of financial strength.

    About Repsol

    Repsol is a global multi-energy company that is capable of meeting all its customers’ needs, whether at home or on the move. It employs 25,000 people in more than twenty countries and serves twenty-four million customers.

    Its extensive network of 4,500 service stations across Spain, Portugal, Peru and Mexico offers fuels and is incorporating alternatives such as 100% renewable fuels, electric recharging, AutoGas, and natural gas for vehicles. In addition, Repsol has 2.4 million electricity and gas customers in Spain and Portugal and is the fourth largest operator in this market in Spain. The company is building a diversified renewable generation portfolio, with an installed capacity of 3.118 MW, mainly in Spain, the United States and Chile.

    Producing an average of 599,000 barrels of oil per day, Repsol boasts one of Europe’s most efficient refining systems. Repsol is transforming its six industrial complexes in the Iberian Peninsula into multi-energy hubs, capable of turning a wide variety of raw materials and waste into products with a low carbon footprint such as 100% renewable fuels, which will be key to achieving its goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®

    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    Contacts
    REPSOL
    Investor Relations: investor.relations@repsol.com

    Virtual Investor Conferences

    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford’s Shadow Wolves Improvement Act Clears Homeland Security Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously approved the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act, which was introduced by Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Ranking Member and Chair of the Border Management Subcommittee, along with Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ). The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act would provide additional career mobility opportunities for Shadow Wolves law enforcement officers, making it easier to recruit and retain Shadow Wolves agents and to improve border security. 

    “ICE Shadow Wolves agents—a Native American tactical patrol unit—use their unique expertise and personal knowledge to stop drug traffickers and human smugglers from coming across the southern border. Giving these critical law enforcement officers access to expanded career mobility and opportunity not only supports their work to secure the border but also strengthens recruiting and retention for agents,” said Lankford.

    “Our bill ensures the Tohono O’Oodham Nation’s Shadow Wolves have the resources needed to continue combating drug smuggling, human trafficking, and other illicit activity on the Southwest border. I’m proud my legislation earned strong bipartisan support, and I look forward to getting it passed into law,” said Sinema.

    “Our legislation builds upon the success of the Shadow Wolves initiative, giving these agents the career mobility they deserve while expanding the program, including along the northern border,” said Hoeven. “Doing so comes as part of our broader efforts to deploy the personnel, infrastructure and technology needed to ensure the security of our nation’s borders, get the illegal immigration crisis under control and protect against human and drug trafficking.” 

    “The Shadow Wolves are a critical asset of our nation’s border security efforts, using their unique skills and knowledge to stop dangerous drug and human trafficking operations on tribal lands,” said Kelly. “By enhancing recruitment and retention, we are not only protecting the Tohono O’odham Nation, but strengthening security along our entire southern border. I’m proud to see our bill advance with strong bipartisan support, and I look forward to seeing it through to final passage.” 

    “The Shadow Wolves are an elite, all-Native American tracking and investigative unit with decades of experience, who use both technology and traditional tracking methods to interdict human and drug smuggling on the Tohono O’odham reservation. The Tohono O’odham Nation strongly supports the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act, which will further enhance the effectiveness of the Shadow Wolves program by improving retention and recruitment and expanding the program. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee has done great work incorporating feedback from the Nation into this bill. Its passage will ensure that this group of Native American agents can continue to grow and provide their uniquely important capabilities to protect the Tohono O’odham and the US homeland,” said Verlon Jose, Chairman of Tohono O’odham Nation.

    “Public Safety, particularly drug and human trafficking, continue to be a priority for Indian Country. These issues are uniquely difficult for tribal communities, like the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, who are located along the US border. The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act is an additional tool within the law enforcement toolbox that will help. The Tribe appreciate Senators Sinema and Hoeven introducing this legislation and urge its swift passage in the Senate,” said Jamie Azure, Chairman of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.

    “The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act is a necessary step forward to provide appropriate guidance and options to a group of Native American law enforcement agents which will permit them to receive the same compensation, benefits, and opportunities as their non-native brothers and sisters,” said President Mat Silverman of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA). “FLEOA recognizes the value and expertise the Shadow Wolves provide and support the expansion of this program. Our country and Native American border communities will benefit from the increased opportunities, increased safety, and equality this Act will bring to the Tohono O’odham Nation and other tribes across this great nation.”

    Shadow Wolves are members of the Tohono O’odham Nation who patrol the 76-mile stretch of land that the Tohono O’odham Nation shares with Mexico. They are known for their ability to track drug smugglers as they attempt to smuggle illegal commodities across Tribal land, thanks to their unique geographical and cultural knowledge. They also help improve the relationship between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Tribal communities. The Shadow Wolves unit is classified as special agents allowed to patrol, investigate, interdict, and secure the border. Shadow Wolves were previously classified as tactical officers under ICE Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), making them unable to access the same career opportunities, pay, and job mobility afforded to HSI special agents. However, Shadow Wolves still lack the same career opportunities as other HSI special agents because of how they were originally hired.

    The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act solves this by providing ICE with the authority to convert Shadow Wolves from the excepted to the competitive service upon completion of three years of satisfactory service—affording them career mobility and compensation parity with other HSI special agents. This update will enhance career opportunities for Shadow Wolves agents, strengthen recruitment efforts, and improve border security. Additionally, the legislation codifies GAO’s recommendations to improve and expand the Shadow Wolves program.

    MIL OSI USA News –