Friday, April 30, 2021

IDEMIA and Razer Fintech’s LED-enabled Razer Card wins Technology Excellence Award for FinTech Payment Cards

 Singapore’s first LED-enabled Razer Card is the first of its kind which lights up on payment


SINGAPORE-Thursday 29 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Razer Fintech and IDEMIA clinched the Singapore Business Review (SBR) Technology Excellence Award for ‘FinTech Payment Cards’ for its LED-enabled Razer Card, the first of its kind in Singapore. The physical prepaid card can be used to make payments at any VISA-accepting merchants and is linked to Razer Fintech’s e-wallet platform to also allow for seamless virtual payments.


The Razer Card, aimed at the e-wallet’s gamer-centric customer segment, absorbs power from the electric payment terminals when tapped, which would then power the LED embedded in the card to light up for several seconds while the payment is being processed - making a battery-powered card a thing of the past.


Each card is linked to the respective customer’s Razer Pay mobile app and can be used to make contactless payments at credit card terminals, after which the appropriate amount will be debited from the e-wallet balance.


“IDEMIA is dedicated to quality and innovation, which is reflected in our creation of one-of-a-kind products and solutions customised to suit our clients’ unique profile and needs. As Razer Fintech is synonymous with innovation and excellence – whether within the gaming ecosystem or the fast-growing FinTech market – we worked closely with them to provide their end-users with a unique and attractive payment, one that distinguishes themselves as e-wallet users in terms of status and technology,” said Romain Zanolo, Managing Director of APAC Financial Institutions, IDEMIA.


As part of the Razer Card’s initial roll-out, the Razer Card was opened to 1337 select beta users from October 2020 till January 2021. As with all IDEMIA cards, the Razer Pay card also incorporates advanced contact and contactless transaction technology for payment convenience. It also adheres to all typical credit card requirements, including meeting ISO specifications and schemes, and maintaining compliance with EMV chips and standard magnetic stripes.


“As many of our users are part of the high-end gaming segment, they have exacting standards and would settle for no less when it comes to product and solution excellence. Our Razer Card offers them just that and we have received great feedback on it from our customers thus far. IDEMIA has an unmatched track record in card production and security; with their technology, we are offering our discerning customers a product that helps them enjoy more value from our financial services via both style and substance,” said Lee Li Meng, CEO of Razer Fintech.


 


About IDEMIA


IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, provides a trusted environment enabling citizens and consumers alike to perform their daily critical activities (such as pay, connect and travel), in the physical as well as digital space.


Securing our identity has become mission critical in the world we live in today. By standing for Augmented Identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust and guarantees secure, authenticated and verifiable transactions, we reinvent the way we think, produce, use and protect one of our greatest assets – our identity – whether for individuals or for objects, whenever and wherever security matters. We provide Augmented Identity for international clients from Financial, Telecom, Identity, Public Security and IoT sectors. With close to 15,000 employees around the world, IDEMIA serves clients in 180 countries.


For more information, visit www.idemia.com / Follow @IdemiaGroup on Twitter


About Razer Fintech


Backed by the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers synonymous with the youth and millennials, Razer Fintech is the financial technology arm of Razer Inc (1337: Hong Kong). Established in April 2018, Razer Fintech has grown to become one of the largest O2O (offline to online) digital payment networks in emerging markets and has processed over billions of dollars in total payment value. Razer Fintech operates two verticals, Razer Merchant Services (“RMS”) and Razer Pay.


Razer Merchant Services is a leading B2B (business-to-business) solution encompassing:


RMS Online: Card processing gateway supporting global scheme cards and over 110 payment methods, powering online payments for global blue-chip merchants in SEA.


RMS Offline: SEA’s largest offline payment network of over 1 million physical acceptance points across SEA. RMS Offline also extends point-of-sale services (such as bill payments and telco reloads), cash-over-counter services (including Razer Pay top-ups and fulfilment of e-commerce purchases), distribution of third-party point-of-sale activation (POSA) cards, and merchant acquiring services for Razer Pay and other third-party e-wallets.


Razer Pay is a B2C (business-to-consumer) solution comprising an all-encompassing e-wallet focused on offering a plethora of compelling use cases targeted at the youths, millennials.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005856/en/


Contacts

Media Contact

Redhill Communications

Felicia Chiriac

Email: felicia.chiriac@redhill.asia


 


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Vifor Pharma and Angion announce completion of enrollment in phase-II study of ANG-3777 for cardiac-surgery associated acute kidney injury

 Topline data expected in the second half of 2021



ST. GALLEN, Switzerland & UNIONDALE, NY-Thursday 29 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:


This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005922/en/


Vifor Pharma and Angion Biomedica Corp. (NASDAQ: ANGN), today announced completion of enrollment for Angion’s AKI-002-15 study, a phase-II trial of ANG-3777 in patients at risk of cardiac-surgery associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI). This indication is part of the ANG-3777 license agreement both parties signed in November 2020.


“CSA-AKI is a frequent complication of cardiac bypass surgery seen in about one third of patients and is associated with prolonged hospitalization, progressive kidney failure, and an increased risk of death,” commented Dr. John Neylan, Angion’s Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “Currently, there are no approved therapies to prevent this serious condition. This phase-II prevention trial was designed to generate data on ANG-3777 in CSA-AKI patients to help guide future development of ANG-3777 in a phase-III registration trial for CSA-AKI. We are planning to start the confirmatory trial early in 2022, subject to the results of this phase-II trial as well as discussions with the FDA and other relevant health authorities.”


Dr. Klaus Henning Jensen, Chief Medical Officer of Vifor Pharma Group commented: “We are excited that enrollment in the AKI-002-15 phase-II trial has completed. This is an important milestone in a comprehensive clinical program to advance ANG-3777as a potential treatment option to prevent acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery, an indication with a high unmet medical need. Together with our partner Angion, we now look forward to assessing the results from the trial.”


The fully enrolled phase-II trial is a randomized, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with trial sites in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Georgia. Patients at risk for CSA-AKI were randomized one-to-one to receive four intravenous doses of 2.0 mg/kg of ANG-3777 or placebo over four days. The first dose was given within four hours of the completion of surgery with subsequent doses given at 24-hour intervals. The primary endpoint is mean area under the curve of the percent increase in serum creatinine above baseline, starting from 24 hours after the end of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery through day six. An additional important endpoint is the occurrence of Major Adverse Kidney Events at 90 days (MAKE 90), which has previously been agreed by the FDA as a suitable primary endpoint for a registration trial in this indication. A MAKE 90 "event" is death, initiation of renal replacement therapy or a greater than 25% decline in eGFR present 90 days after the surgery. The AKI-002-15 phase-II trial was designed as a signal-finding trial with the strategic objective to obtain sufficient evidence of efficacy of ANG-3777 to appropriately power and evaluate potential enrichment strategies for a phase-III registration trial.


About ANG-3777


ANG-3777 is an investigational small molecule designed to mimic the biological activity of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which activates the c-Met cascade of pathways involved in tissue and organ repair. ANG-3777 has demonstrated a substantially longer half-life than HGF and Angion believes ANG‑3777 has the potential to be a first-in-class therapeutic addressing acute organ injury. Enrollment is complete in a phase-III registration trial in transplant-associated acute kidney injury, also known as delayed graft function, a phase-II exploratory trial in cardiac-surgery associated acute kidney injury, and a phase-II exploratory trial in patients with acute lung injury associated with COVID-19 pneumonia. In November 2020, Vifor Pharma and Angion signed a license agreement for global rights excluding Greater China to commercialize ANG-3777 in renal indications with up to $1.925 billion in development, commercial, and sales milestones plus royalties on net sales of up to 40%. Sinovant Sciences and Angion signed a development and licensing agreement for ANG-3777 in Greater China in 2018.


About Vifor Pharma Group


Vifor Pharma Group is a global pharmaceutical company. It aims to become the global leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies. The company is a partner of choice for pharmaceuticals and innovative patient-focused solutions. Vifor Pharma Group strives to help patients around the world with severe and chronic diseases lead better, healthier lives. The company develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products for precision patient care. Vifor Pharma Group holds a leading position in all its core business activities and consists of the following companies: Vifor Pharma and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (a joint company with Fresenius Medical Care). Vifor Pharma Group is headquartered in Switzerland, and listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX Swiss Exchange, VIFN, ISIN: CH0364749348).


For more information, please visit viforpharma.com.


About Angion


Angion is committed to transforming the treatment paradigm for patients suffering from acute organ injuries and fibrotic diseases for which there are no approved medicines or where existing approved medicines have limitations. Angion’s lead product candidate, ANG-3777, is a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mimetic currently being evaluating in a Phase 3 registration trial for delayed graft function in patients undergoing deceased donor kidney transplantation, a Phase 2 trial in cardiac-surgery associated acute kidney injury, and a Phase 2 trial in patients with COVID-19 related pneumonia at high risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Angion is also currently evaluating ANG-3070, a tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor for the treatment of fibrotic disease, in Phase 1. Additionally, Angion has preclinical programs for a rho kinase 2 (ROCK2) inhibitor and a CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) inhibitor. For more information, please visit www.angion.com.


Angion Forward Looking Statements


Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that may occur in the future are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to statements in this press release regarding Angion’s expectations regarding the potential safety and efficacy of ANG-3777, the potential results and outcomes of the AKI-002-15 study, and other studies involving ANG-3777 or other product candidates, the timing of the commencement of future clinical trials and the timing of availability of and Angion’s disclosure of topline data from such studies. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In particular, the following factors, among others, could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: Angion’s ability to demonstrate sufficient evidence of efficacy and safety in its clinical trials of ANG-3777 and its other product candidates; the accuracy of Angion’s estimates relating to its ability to initiate and/or complete clinical trials; the results of preclinical studies may not be predictive of future results; the unpredictability of the regulatory process; regulatory developments in the United States, and other foreign countries; the costs of clinical trials may exceed expectations; Angion’s ability to raise additional capital; the effects of COVID-19 on Angion’s clinical programs and business operations. For a description of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in forward-looking statements, see Angion’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2021, as well as other documents that may be filed by Angion from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Angion undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by law.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005922/en/


Contacts

Media Relations

Nathalie Ponnier

Global Head Corporate Communications

+41 79 957 96 73

media@viforpharma.com


Investor Relations

Julien Vignot

Head of Investor Relations

+41 58 851 66 90

investors@viforpharma.com


For Angion:

Daniel Ferry

LifeSci Advisors

617-430-7576

daniel@lifesciadvisors.com



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Visa and Airbnb Partner To Get Hosts Paid Faster With Visa Direct

 SAN FRANCISCO-Thursday 29 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Visa (NYSE:V), the world’s leader in digital payments, and Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB), a leading online marketplace for lodging and experiences, today announced Airbnb Hosts in select markets will be able to access their earnings more quickly. Through Airbnb’s use of Visa Direct[1], Visa’s real-time[2] push payments platform, Hosts will have an option to move money from Airbnb to a bank account associated with an eligible Visa debit card.


This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005375/en/


“Giving people access to money they’ve earned when they earn it is a powerful driver to support communities and the recovery of the global economy,” said Ruben Salazar, SVP and Global Head of Visa Direct. “Visa Direct capabilities on the Airbnb platform can help improve cashflow for Hosts, allowing them to focus on welcoming travelers eager to explore the world again.”


Despite a challenging year, the future is looking brighter as people plan safe getaways in the months and years to come. In fact, more than 60% of US consumers say they’re now ready to travel[3]. The enhanced payouts experience with Visa Direct can help give hosts better control of their finances so they can continue providing more guests with unique and memorable experiences.


“As one of the first travel platforms to enable Visa Direct, this new functionality will help our Host community access their earnings more quickly,” said Sam Shrauger, Vice President of Payments at Airbnb. “We are always listening to our Hosts and seeking ways to better meet their needs, and Visa Direct can play an important role in providing faster payouts for Hosts,” continued Shrauger.


This collaboration is the latest in a series of Visa initiatives to help its financial-institution clients enable buyers and sellers access to tools and resources they need to build stronger business operations and move money around the world at a time when real time payments have never been more important. The new solution for Airbnb Hosts is expected to be available over the course of the next year. Visit Visa Direct to learn more about how Visa can help unlock new ways to move money.


About Visa Inc.


Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of digital commerce on any device, for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa, visa.com/blog and @VisaNews.


About Airbnb


Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to 4 million Hosts who have welcomed over 800 million guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, Hosts offer one-of-a-kind stays and unique Experiences that make it possible for guests to experience the world in a more authentic, connected way.


[1] Visa Direct capability enabled through Airbnb’s financial institution partners.

[2] Actual fund availability depends on receiving financial institution and region.

[3] Visa Business and Economic Insights: American Mood Trend. April 2021.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005375/en/

Contacts


Visa

Caylah Novak

cnovak@visa.com

831-431-3454


Airbnb

Charlie Urbancic

charlie.urbancic@airbnb.com

330-697-3269


Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/visa-and-airbnb-partner-to-get-hosts-paid-faster-with-visa-direct/en

C.H. Robinson Recognized as a Challenger in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms

  Positioning based on Navisphere Vision’s completeness of vision and ability to execute



EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -Thursday 29 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Global logistics company C.H. Robinson announced its recognition as a Challenger in the new Gartner Magic Quadrant for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms* (RTTVP). Faced with multiple disruptions from the global pandemic, trade and tariff disputes, severe weather, capacity shortages, and a trade lane blockage, shippers are prioritizing and investing in RTTVP solutions like C.H. Robinson’s Navisphere Vision to improve their resiliency, connectivity, and performance.

Gartner, the world’s leading research and advisory company that publishes the annual series of market data known as Magic Quadrant, reports “the RTTVP market doubled in size in North American in 2020. This growth was accelerated due to the supply chain disruptions created by the pandemic.”

Navisphere Vision, delivered by TMC, a division of C.H. Robinson, helps shippers track, monitor, and respond to supply chain disruptions on a global scale. As a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, Navisphere Vision connects and pulls data from shippers’ third-party providers, carriers, and suppliers—plus weather, traffic, and geopolitical monitoring sources—to deliver real-time visibility and insights to inventory at-rest or in-motion, across all modes and regions. With Navisphere Vision’s Internet of Things (IoT) device integrations, customers can monitor and immediately mitigate issues when shipments are impacted by shock, tilt, humidity, light, temperature, or pressure.

“Several major events over the past year have emphasized the vital importance of supply chains, but also highlighted their fragility in some cases,” said Jordan Kass, president of TMC. “The companies who will excel in the years to come will be those with real-time visibility into their supply chains. The ability to consume, combine and analyze data from growing number of integrations and data points will be essential for building a resilient, competitive, and profitable supply chain.”

C.H. Robinson (TMC) was also recognized as a Challenger in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Transportation Management Systems.

“We believe these recognitions reinforce the power of our innovative technology, built by and for supply chain experts, backed by the experience and scale of one of the world’s most-connected platforms,” said Kass.

To expand on these capabilities, the company previously announced a commitment to invest $1 billion in technology over the next five years, doubling its previous investment.

A complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms is available here.

* Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms, Bart De Muynck, Carly West, 14 April 2021

Gartner Disclaimer

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advice technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About C.H. Robinson

C.H. Robinson solves logistics problems for companies across the globe and across industries, from the simple to the most complex. With $21 billion in freight under management and 19 million shipments annually, we are one of the world’s largest logistics platforms. Our global suite of services accelerates trade to seamlessly deliver the products and goods that drive the world’s economy. With the combination of our multi-modal transportation management system and expertise, we use our information advantage to deliver smarter solutions for our more than 105,000 customers and 73,000 contract carriers. Our technology is built by and for supply chain experts to bring faster, more meaningful improvements to our customers’ businesses. As a responsible global citizen, we are also proud to contribute millions of dollars to support causes that matter to our company, our Foundation and our employees. For more information, visit www.chrobinson.com (Nasdaq: CHRW).

About TMC, a division of C.H. Robinson

Global supply chains are growing increasingly complex. Businesses need the latest technology and industry expertise to advance and stay ahead of the competition. At TMC, a division of C.H. Robinson, we understand what makes supply chains faster, stronger, and more efficient. As a leader in global logistics management, we combine industry expertise with our global technology platform, Navisphere®, to support the world’s most complex supply chains. Our logistics experts are located in Control Tower® locations around the world: Amsterdam, Chicago, Monterrey, São Paulo, Seattle, Shanghai, and Wrocław. This Control Tower® network, supported by our technology platform, connects our customers to their suppliers and supply chain partners. Our customers leverage these capabilities to manage their logistics in over 170 countries across all modes of transportation. For more information, visit www.mytmc.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005194/en/

Contacts

Kylie Crull
612-719-1723
kylie.crull@chrobinson.com


Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/ch-robinson-recognized-as-a-challenger-in-the-2021-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-real-time-transportation-visibility-platforms/en

Takeda Manufacturing Facilities in Japan and Ireland Recognized With Category Awards for 2021 Facilities of the Year

 OSAKA, Japan-Thursday 29 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]

Both Awards, Issued by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), Underscore Takeda’s Leadership in Digital and Innovative Technologies
New Solid Pharmaceutical Packaging Building With Automatic Line Clearance in Hikari, Japan, Wins Process Intelligence and Innovation Award
End-to-End High Potent Drug Facility in Grange Castle, Ireland, Is Recognized as Category Winner for Facility Integration
 

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) (“Takeda”) today announced that it was awarded by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) for the 2021 Facility Of the Year Awards (FOYA) in two categories. Takeda’s new solid pharmaceutical packaging building in Hikari, Japan, was recognized with the 2021 “Process Intelligence and Innovation” category award. Additionally, the end-to-end high potent drug facility in Grange Castle, Ireland, was selected as “Facility Integration” category winner.

“I am honored that Takeda receives two awards for the production and packaging of small molecule solid dosage form products,” said Thomas Wozniewski, global manufacturing & supply officer of Takeda. “In 2018, the Los Angeles plasma facility received two FOYA awards, now, two of our sites in Japan and in Europe got awarded in the categories ‘Process intelligence and innovation’ as well as ‘Facility integration’. This illustrates that Takeda is constantly investing into state of the art facilities applying best in class process as well as digital standards. Both projects in Hikari and in Grange Castle also demonstrate that significant technology improvements for small molecule modalities are still achievable, both in a cost as well as in a time efficient manner.”

Takeda’s Hikari plant is located in the south of Japan in the Yamaguchi prefecture. One of Takeda`s largest plants, it features advanced production systems for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), drug formulation, biological products, and others offering a stable supply of high-quality pharmaceutical products throughout the world. The project at the Hikari site is a four-story building designed to elevate pharmaceutical packaging operations to a new industrial standard. The facility features highly automated end-to-end packaging equipment, including “end of line” case packers, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and robots to feed the automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS). Additionally, the site developed and introduced an automatic line clearance system (ALC) with 360° cameras and laser sensors utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to help significantly increase efficiency in the pharmaceutical packaging process. Takeda’s Hikari plant exemplifies how novel application of commercially available and custom developed process manufacturing tools leads to superior results and advanced process understanding.

The Grange Castle site in Ireland is located in the Dublin area, and it includes three manufacturing facilities. The production facility which now got awarded by the ISPE is a standalone, high containment, cutting-edge production facility dedicated to manufacturing Takeda’s treatment for multiple myeloma. The application of good design practices and superior conceptual planning led to the excellent integration of facility and process. The innovative design as an ‘all-in-one’ facility incorporates the entire end-to-end production process from active pharmaceutical ingredients to drug product and packaging under one roof. This significantly simplifies the supply chain for one of Takeda´s global oncology products to ensure unconstrained availability to patients worldwide.

“The design teams have implemented best-in-class digital technologies to guarantee the facilities use the latest developments in paperless automation, robotics and augmented reality. This strategic use of digital and automated systems has led to a state-of-the-art facility design that positions Takeda as a frontrunner in our industry,” added Gunter Baumgartner, head of Global Engineering at Takeda.

An official ceremony of all winning projects and awards is planned at this year’s ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo in Boston, MA, in November.

About the ISPE Facility of the Year Awards Program
Established in 2004, the Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) recognizes state-of-the-art projects utilizing new, innovative technologies to improve the quality of products, reduce the cost of producing high-quality medicines, and demonstrate advances in project delivery. The FOYA program provides a platform for the pharmaceutical science and manufacturing industry to showcase its accomplishments in facility design, construction, and operations, while sharing the development of new applications of technology and cutting-edge approaches. For more information, visit https://ispe.org/facility-year-awards.

About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE: 4502/NYSE: TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments, guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Genetics and Hematology, Neuroscience, and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people’s lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries. For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005099/en/

Contacts
Japanese Media
Ryoko Matsumoto
ryoko.matsumoto@takeda.com
+81 (0) 3-3278-3414

Irish Media
Freeha Rafiq
freeha.rafiq@takeda.com
+44 (0) 7500953471

Other Media
Holly Campbell
holly.campbell@takeda.com
+1 617-588-9013



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Tigo Dismisses Patent Infringement Lawsuit as Tigo and APsystems Sign License Agreement

 Settlement validates Tigo IP while reinforcing customer choice in the marketplace


CAMPBELL, Calif.-Thursday 29 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tigo Energy, Inc., the solar industry worldwide leader in Flex-MLPE (Module Level Power Electronics), announced that it has reached a settlement with Altenergy Power Systems (“APsystems”) over a lawsuit regarding the infringement of Tigo’s intellectual property by APsystems. As part of the settlement, APsystems obtain a license to use Tigo’s rapid shutdown technology.


“Ultimately, we believe this arrangement is a win for PV customers everywhere,” stated Zvi Alon, Chairman and CEO of Tigo. “I want to thank APsystems for recognizing our intellectual property and arriving at an outcome that works for all parties involved.”


Tigo endorses the need to provide customers alternative solutions and will cooperate with APsystems to continue the development of leading edge solutions. Tigo’s complaint included six patents related to various systems and methods used in the PV module rapid shutdown unit applicable to both the Rapid Shutdown device as well as the Rapid Shutdown transmitter. These are the same patents that Tigo disclosed to the Sunspec Alliance in 2017.


Terms of the license agreement are not disclosed and include APsystems legal entities in the US as well as in China. Inquiries are welcome and can be sent to marketing@tigoenergy.com.


About Tigo


Tigo is the worldwide leader in flexible module level power electronics (MLPE) with innovative solutions that significantly increase energy production, decrease operating costs, and enhance safety of photovoltaic (PV) systems. Tigo’s TS4 platform maximizes the benefit of PV systems and provides customers with the most scalable, versatile, and reliable MLPE solution available. Tigo was founded in Silicon Valley in 2007 to accelerate the adoption of solar energy worldwide. Tigo systems operate on 7 continents and produce gigawatt hours of reliable, clean, affordable and safe solar energy daily. Tigo's global team is dedicated to making the best MLPE on earth so more people can enjoy the benefits of solar. Visit us at www.tigoenergy.com.


 


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005367/en/


Contacts

John Lerch

408.402.0802 x430

marketing@tigoenergy.com



Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/tigo-dismisses-patent-infringement-lawsuit-as-tigo-and-apsystems-sign-license-agreement/en


Hikma and Melinta Therapeutics sign exclusive licensing agreement for two novel anti-infectives for the Middle East and North Africa region

 London, United Kingdom-Thursday 29 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma) and Melinta Therapeutics (Melinta) today announced they have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for Vabomere® (meropenem and vaborbactam) and Orbactiv® (oritavancin), two novel anti-infective injectable products, for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.


In the United States, Orbactiv® is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections due to designated susceptible Gram-positive pathogens and Vabomere® is indicated for the treatment of patients 18 years of age and older with complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, caused by designated susceptible Gram-negative pathogens.


Under the terms of the agreement, Hikma is responsible for the registration and commercialisation of these two products across its 18 MENA markets. This extends Hikma’s existing partnership with Melinta for their intravenous and oral formulations of Baxdela® (delafloxacin), a novel antibiotic product. The addition of these two innovative products to Hikma’s portfolio builds on its hospital anti-infective franchise and provides healthcare professionals with more treatment options.


“We are excited to be extending our partnership with Melinta and bring Vabomere® and Orbactiv® to our patients in MENA,” said Mazen Darwazah, Hikma’s Executive Vice Chairman and President of MENA. “As one of the leading suppliers in the region, it is our responsibility to equip doctors with the latest and most innovative developments to treat their patients. This agreement supports our strategy of establishing a global network of partners to strengthen our portfolio and improve availability of treatment options in the MENA region.”


“Hikma shares our commitment to ensure that all patients who need our life-saving therapies can get them,” said Christine Ann Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer of Melinta. “We’re thrilled to extend our partnership to reach patients in need in the MENA region with Vabomere® and Orbactiv®.”


Contacts

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC


Susan Ringdal


EVP, Strategic Planning and Global Affairs    


+44 (0)20 7399 2760/ +44 7776 477050


uk-investors@hikma.uk.com


 


Dana Alhusseini


Communication Manager        


+962 6 580 2900


Dalhusseini@hikma.com 


Melinta Therapeutics


Susan Blum


Interim Chief Financial Officer


+1 312 767 0296


info@melinta.com




Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/hikma-and-melinta-therapeutics-sign-exclusive-licensing-agreement-for-two-novel-anti-infectives-for-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-region/en



Thursday, April 29, 2021

NielsenIQ and J.D. Power Enter Strategic Alliance to Bring Unparalleled Automotive Research to Major Growth Markets

 Data-driven insights will inform automotive sector recovery post COVID-19


SINGAPORE-Thursday 29 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NielsenIQ, an industry leader in global measurement, and J.D. Power, a global leader in data analytics and consumer intelligence, today announced their intent to launch a multinational strategic alliance to bring benchmark automotive customer experience studies and deep auto industry data analysis to major growth markets such as India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.


This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210418005017/en/


Drawing on the strong market presence of NielsenIQ and the deep industry expertise of J.D. Power, the alliance will feature J.D. Power benchmark automotive studies, recognized as the gold standard in the automotive industry, complemented by NielsenIQ’s new digital and technology-based platforms and value-added services like social listening analysis.


Combining NielsenIQ and J.D. Power capabilities will allow automotive sector clients to strategize for the future based on data-driven tools and insights. As the global economy recovers from the pandemic, data-driven decision-making will become more important than ever before. Access to accurate data, analytics and trends in consumer behavior will help decision-makers understand consumers’ wants and needs, and produce vehicles that are proven to be in demand.


“In today’s agile world, a key vision of NielsenIQ is to create the best alliances that deliver an unmatched value proposition to clients by combining our unique offerings with the best the external world has to offer,” said Prasun Basu, Global Head, Strategic Alliances and New Verticals. “We are thrilled that NielsenIQ and J.D. Power, two best-in-class trusted global leaders, have come together to offer that outstanding combination of client advisory and market understanding with expertise in the automotive sector through syndication.”


“J.D. Power data, analytics and benchmark studies are the industry standard for much of the world, and this alliance will allow global OEMs to use one structure for benchmarking and apply it to all the markets where they operate,” said Doug Betts, President of Global Automotive at J.D. Power. “This will drive efficiency to the structure and organization for improvement of product and service for their customers. NielsenIQ’s strong presence makes it the best possible teammate to bring this service into these markets.”


The NielsenIQ Consumer Insights team, led by Joe Ellis, Global Head of the Automotive, Tech, Telco and Finance verticals, will manage in-market activities, including sales, servicing, data collection and quality control. The integration of NielsenIQ’s local presence, impeccable servicing, and robust on the ground processes with the ingenuity of J.D. Power’s global approach of benchmarking automotive quality, service and sales will provide transformative data and insights to future-proof clients.


ABOUT NIELSENIQ


NielsenIQ is the leader in providing the most complete, unbiased view of consumer behavior, globally. Powered by a ground-breaking consumer data platform and fueled by rich analytic capabilities, NielsenIQ enables bold, confident decision-making for the world’s leading consumer goods companies and retailers.


Using comprehensive data sets and measuring all transactions equally, NielsenIQ gives clients a forward-looking view into consumer behavior in order to optimize performance across all retail platforms. Our open philosophy on data integration enables the most influential consumer data sets on the planet. NielsenIQ delivers the complete truth.


NielsenIQ, an Advent International portfolio company, has operations in nearly 100 markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit www.nielseniq.com


ABOUT J.D. POWER


J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.


J.D. Power is headquartered in Troy, Mich., and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210418005017/en/

Contacts


Media Relations

Gillian Mosher, gillian.mosher@nielseniq.com, +1-647-282-9714

Melina Mammidou, melina.mammidou@nielseniq.com, +357-99422160

Geno Effler, media.relations@jdpa.com, +1-714-621-6224


Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/nielseniq-and-jd-power-enter-strategic-alliance-to-bring-unparalleled-automotive-research-to-major-growth-markets/en 

ZeroFOX Embraces Partner-First Strategy to Further Accelerate Rapid Growth, Launches New Global Partner Program

 External Threat Intelligence and Protection leader strengthens commitment to partner ecosystem, accelerating new capabilities and benefits


BALTIMORE-Thursday 29 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ZeroFOX, leader in External Threat Intelligence and Protection, today announced the launch of the ZeroFOX Global Partner Program, a strategic pivot to a partner-first strategy. This move significantly increases ZeroFOX’s investment in partner enablement and commitment to conducting all business with and through their full partner ecosystem.


Another leap forward following the company’s significant expansion of cyber threat intelligence capabilities and addition of three 24/7 global security operations centers (SOCs), ZeroFOX’s partner-first strategy will accelerate capabilities for new and existing customers. Supported by a three-tier structure with escalating benefits, including graduating sales incentives, white glove support and marketing development funds, the Global Partner Program also offers a comprehensive go-to-market toolbox to meet the on-demand needs of a global salesforce. Specialized, entrepreneurial partner organizations with access to strategic geographic and vertical markets will be supported through an incubator program that incentivizes successful marketing initiatives, achieving training goals and overall business velocity.


Gartner forecasts that worldwide IT spending will increase 6.2% this year compared to last, reaching $3.9 trillion. Amid this tech growth, businesses are re-examining their cybersecurity approach. In fact, over half (55%) of tech and security executives plan to increase their cyber budgets this year, according to a recent PwC survey. With remote work and digital dependency – including an influx in social media use driven by the pandemic – contributing directly to this rise in attacks, it’s essential that the cybersecurity industry works to drive resiliency across markets.


“Our partners rely on ZeroFOX’s unmatched pace of innovation and commitment to delivering the world’s strongest external threat intelligence service. Together, we have put ourselves in a position to deliver unrivaled protection, intelligence, and disruption capabilities to all of our customers,” said James C. Foster, CEO of ZeroFOX. “Furthermore, our customers appreciate that as a partner-first organization, we invest in differentiated partner solutions. Our AI platform is a true difference maker for our partners and customers alike.”


With ZeroFOX’s Global Partner Program, partners and MSSPs seeking to increase customer value will be provided a rich set of professional services capabilities that ultimately enrich their core offering. To lead the charge, ZeroFOX has hired a full global partnerships team of channel veterans, including a dedicated team of channel partner directors, solution engineers and marketing experts, led by ZeroFOX Vice President of Global Partnerships, Brian Costello.


“ZeroFOX’s investment in enabling partners through sales, marketing, and technical expertise means that our partners can go-to-market faster, drive more demand, and secure more sustainable sources of revenue,” said Brian Costello, Vice President of Global Partnerships at ZeroFOX. “Both on-demand and white glove programs mean partners can confidently project the value that ZeroFOX brings to their portfolio.”


ZeroFOX expects to double partner contribution to the business this year, already acquiring the company’s largest customer in company history through a partner-based contract. Partners continue to broaden ZeroFOX’s capabilities into several verticals targeted widely by cyber criminals, including healthcare and financial services, and extend the company’s geographic footprint and expansion in EMEA, APAC and LATAM.


“ZeroFOX’s ability to bridge social, mobile, surface, and deep and dark web environments delivers a powerful digital risk protection solution in line with Exclusive Networks UK’s ethos of enabling our Partners to differentiate themselves through innovation and addressing the new challenges faced by end users,” said Mark Parr, Director of Strategic Vendors at Exclusive Networks UK. “Our partnership with ZeroFOX has helped drive growth and uncover new opportunities alongside our diverse range of partners. Furthermore, ZeroFOX's integrations with several of our existing technologies results in the creation of comprehensive and scalable solutions to be adopted by our broad partner base. The synergy between Exclusive Networks UK and ZeroFOX extends beyond technology with both organizations leading with a ‘can do’ approach and continually striving to innovate. This makes working together a natural choice.”


To find out more information about ZeroFOX, please visit our website at www.zerofox.com.


About ZeroFOX – ZeroFOX provides enterprises protection, intelligence and disruption to dismantle external threats to brands, people, assets and data across the public attack surface in one, comprehensive platform. With complete global coverage across the surface, deep and dark web and an Intel-backed artificial intelligence-based analysis engine, the ZeroFOX Platform identifies and remediates targeted phishing attacks, credential compromise, data exfiltration, brand hijacking, executive and location threats and more. The patented ZeroFOX Platform technology processes and protects millions of posts, messages and accounts daily across the social and digital landscape, spanning LinkedIn, Facebook, Slack, Instagram, Pastebin, YouTube, mobile app stores, domains, cloud-based email and more.


 


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210426005428/en/


Contacts

ZeroFOX

Contact Press at ZeroFOX


PAN Communications

Kristen Hyle

401-219-9494

ZeroFOX@pancomm.com



Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/zerofox-embraces-partner-first-strategy-to-further-accelerate-rapid-growth-launches-new-global-partner-program/en


First patient enrolled in CARE-HK in HF to evaluate role of Veltassa® (patiromer) in enabling RAASi treatment

 ST. GALLEN, Switzerland -Wednesday 28 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]

  • CARE-HK in heart failure (HF) is the first global registry of around 5,000 patients with chronic HF who have or are at high risk for hyperkalemia (HK), in Europe and the US
  • CARE-HK in HF is designed to evaluate the use of Veltassa® in enabling patients to remain on RAASi therapy in HF patients with or at high risk for HK
  • Topline results are anticipated in 2024

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Vifor Pharma today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in the large scale registry CARE-HK in HF (cardiovascular and renal treatment in HF patients with or at high risk for HK). This non-interventional clinical study aims to better understand renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) treatment decisions in clinical practice, potential barriers to achieving optimal guideline-directed care in HF patients with or at high risk for HK, and to assess how Veltassa® may be used in the management of this patient population.

“One of the most pressing issues in management of chronic heart failure is that therapies that have proven to reduce the risk of death and hospitalizations, and are thus strongly recommended by the guidelines, are not optimally used in clinical practice. This is certainly the case with RAASi, which are under-used in many patients, especially those with or at high risk of hyperkalemia,” said Dr. Mikhail Kosiborod, cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Vice President of Research at Saint Luke’s Health System and Professor of Medicine at University of Missouri-Kansas City. “CARE-HK in HF will investigate the patterns of RAASi use, and barriers to treatment optimization, and examine whether adherence to guidelines is associated with improved real-world outcomes. This data from a large, international, prospective registry – the first of its kind to focus on this vulnerable patient group – will be very useful in future efforts to optimize the quality of care.”

Dr. Stefan Anker, Professor at Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany, added: “Hyperkalemia is frequent in HF patients and when a patient experienced it for the first time, there is a high likelihood to experience it again. Hyperkalemia is too rarely managed effectively. Taking care of hyperkalemia chronically may be the key to increase our ability to treat more patients with guideline recommended therapies such as RAASi and MRAs to meet the therapeutic goals. By learning from the CARE-HK in HF registry about the RAASi treatment patterns and the management of hyperkalemia, we may improve the current clinical practice for our HF patients with or at high risk of HK.”

Dr. Klaus Henning Jensen, Chief Medical Officer Vifor Pharma commented: “I am very pleased about the enrollment of the first patient in the CARE-HK in HF registry, which to date is the most important commitment in real-world evidence to evaluate RAASi therapy in combination with the use of Veltassa®. CARE-HK in HF will help the medical community to better understand the potential value of Veltassa® in treating hyperkalemia. We are looking forward to quickly ramping up enrollment to meet interest from participating hospitals and physicians.”

About CARE-HK in HF
This non-interventional, international, multi-center registry includes approximately 5,000 patients in 11 countries and 185 sites in Europe and the US. As a primary objective, CARE-HK in HF sets out to describe RAASi treatment patterns, specifically in the context of HK management, and to evaluate the potential role of Veltassa® in HF patients using RAASi therapy in clinical practice by comparing patients treated and not treated with Veltassa®. Patients with chronic heart failure diagnosed at least three months prior to enrollment and with or at greater risk of HK are eligible. They will be receiving renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors and either receiving, or be candidates for, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) treatment per a relevant treatment guideline. Data will be collected two years retrospectively or from the onset of HF, and each patient will follow routine clinical care prospectively for two to four years. First results on the baseline data and retrospective analyses are expected in 2022, with topline results anticipated for 2024.

About Vifor Pharma Group
Vifor Pharma Group is a global pharmaceuticals company. It aims to become the global leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies. The company is a partner of choice for pharmaceuticals and innovative patient-focused solutions. Vifor Pharma Group strives to help patients around the world with severe and chronic diseases lead better, healthier lives. The company develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products for precision patient care. Vifor Pharma Group holds a leading position in all its core business activities and consists of the following companies: Vifor Pharma and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (a joint company with Fresenius Medical Care). Vifor Pharma Group is headquartered in Switzerland, and listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX Swiss Exchange, VIFN, ISIN: CH0364749348).

For more information, please visit viforpharma.com.

About Veltassa®
Veltassa® is a sodium-free potassium binder approved for the treatment of hyperkalaemia. Veltassa® should not replace emergency treatment for life-threatening hyperkalaemia. Made in powder form consisting of smooth, spherical beads, Veltassa® is mixed with water and taken once a day with food. Veltassa® is not absorbed and acts within the gastrointestinal tract. It binds to potassium in exchange for calcium, primarily in the colon. The potassium is then excreted from the body through the normal excretion process.

About hyperkalemia
HK can cause life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm and even sudden death1. There are often no warning symptoms, meaning patients can unknowingly experience recurring spikes in potassium levels and be at risk of cardiac events.

References:

1 Desai AS, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2007;50:1959–66.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210427005946/en/


Contacts

Media Relations
Nathalie Ponnier
Global Head Corporate Communications
+41 79 957 96 73
media@viforpharma.com

Investor Relations
Julien Vignot
Head of Investor Relations
+41 58 851 66 90
investors@viforpharma.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/first-patient-enrolled-in-care-hk-in-hf-to-evaluate-role-of-veltassareg-patiromer-in-enabling-raasi-treatment/en

Apruve Expands Automated Credit & Accounts Receivable Platform in China

 Apruve’s long-tail automation simplifies and accelerates high-volume transactions


MINNEAPOLIS-Wednesday 28 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Apruve, a U.S.-based pioneer in long-tail credit and accounts receivable automation for global enterprises, announced today that it has expanded its solutions to the China market.


Apruve enables organizations to reduce the time and resources needed to manage their high-volume smaller accounts. With the expansion of Apruve’s Global Credit Network and the internationalization of the Apruve Payment Platform, global enterprises can now offer customers in China a simplified digital transaction experience while bringing days sales outstanding (DSO) to one day by paying out invoices nightly.


“This past year we’ve seen a significant increase in enterprise customers needing an automated digital payment solution for international markets,” stated Michael Noble, CEO of Apruve. “They’re trying to balance the challenges of intensified business risk and complexity, the transition to managing highly distributed A/R operations and achieving their goals for international growth. By expanding our customizable solutions into China, we’re enabling process efficiencies that help remove some of the primary barriers to doing business in that market.”


The platform enhancements build on Apruve’s credit and A/R capabilities including offering transactions in both Chinese Yen and U.S. dollars, multi-lingual invoices and buyer portals, enhanced control over exchange rates and timing, and localizing invoicing. Apruve’s business process automation programs are deployed in more than 40 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.


“Apruve gives companies with international direct sales channels and high-volume, repetitive payments a way to streamline those long-tail transactions, allowing them to recapture their time to focus on high-value customers,” said Noble. “Our flexible currency control, DSO reduction to one day through invoice financing, and multinational capabilities ensure customers quickly see ROI on Apruve solutions.”


About Apruve


Apruve enables large enterprises to automate long-tail credit and A/R so organizations can stop spending 80% of their time and resources on 20% of their revenue. Enterprises that have integrated Apruve are able to decrease DSO to one day, improve customer service, and increase cash flow. To recapture your teams’ time to focus on higher-value driving activities, visit https://apruve.com.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210427005474/en/

Contacts


Kimberly Baldwin

920.246.1541

kimberly@apruve.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/apruve-expands-automated-credit-amp-accounts-receivable-platform-in-china/en


Conor Mcgregor and Proximo Reach Long-Term Agreement to Continue Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey Collaboration

 DUBLIN-Wednesday 28 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey founding team, led by global icon Conor McGregor, and Proximo Spirits, Inc. (“Proximo”), are pleased to announce that they have reached a long-term agreement to continue their record-breaking collaboration on the Proper No. Twelve brand. Mr. McGregor will retain an interest in Proper No. Twelve and will remain actively engaged in the promotion of the brand.


“I founded Proper No. Twelve less than three years ago and today it has become a shining star in the spirits industry,” McGregor said. “This agreement is exciting for my partners and me, and the potential is limitless! Our vision is for Proper No. Twelve to continue its incredible growth worldwide and to keep bringing new consumers to the now-reinvigorated Irish whiskey market.”


The Proper No. Twelve founding team consists of McGregor, his manager and business partner Audie Attar, and spirits industry entrepreneur Ken Austin. In just two and a half years since its launch, Proximo and this team have built Proper No. Twelve into a highly recognized, record-breaking growth brand. Proper No. Twelve’s Instagram handle, @properwhiskey, has amassed nearly a million followers and is the most-followed social media account in the spirits industry.


“Conor McGregor, Proximo and our partners have taken the spirits world by storm,” said Mike Keyes, President & CEO of Proximo. “When we launched, the Irish whiskey market was dominated by one brand. Now, Proper No. Twelve has disrupted the category and has become a leading brand in the industry. We are thrilled with what we and our partners have achieved in growing Proper No. Twelve to this point, and we look forward to continued success together. This agreement also demonstrates Proximo’s commitment to expand its presence in the fastest-growing segments of the spirits industry.”


Ken Austin, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Proper No. Twelve added, “We launched Proper No. Twelve just a few years ago and our efforts have been magical. I am proud of our team and even more proud that we have been able to use this business as a platform to give back by donating millions of dollars to first responders around the world.”


The brand has shipped more than 500,000 nine-liter cases (over 6 million bottles) in eight distinct international markets in the first two and a half years of business, with additional territories on the horizon. McGregor, Attar and Austin will continue to work closely with Proximo in building the brand to even greater heights.


“Conor and I started to dream about building our own brands and companies from the beginning of our journey together, which was roughly a decade ago. We brought that dream to reality,” said Audie Attar, CEO of Paradigm Sports, and Co-Founder of the brand. “We could not be prouder of our team and the success we’ve all built together. We are excited for the next phase of this incredible brand: making Proper No. Twelve the leading Irish whiskey in the world.”


“It is rare to see a celebrity impact a brand the way Conor McGregor has Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, and I have not seen many brands in the spirits industry catapult to this level of success in such a short period of time. This agreement is a vote of confidence in the incredible potential of this brand and a testament to the incredible work of Conor, Audie, Ken and the Proper No. Twelve team, as well as the efforts of Proximo and its distributors, who have all made this success possible,” said Mr. Keyes.


The terms of the agreement are confidential.


About Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey


Numerous Irish whiskey makers sought McGregor’s endorsement over the years, but as a true born and bred Irishman, he did not want to simply endorse an Irish whiskey. Inspired by his pride for Ireland and his love of Irish whiskey, McGregor’s entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit drove him to create his own whiskey that would match his high standards and make his country and the world proud. McGregor, his manager and business partner Audie Attar, and spirits industry entrepreneur Ken Austin developed the whiskey under the project name “Notorious,” which eventually became Proper No. Twelve. “We took the time to develop an incredible whiskey, made at the oldest and most respected whiskey distillery in the world, and the world has responded with unprecedented demand,” said McGregor. Visit www.properwhiskey.com and follow on Instagram @properwhiskey.


About Proximo


Proximo is a global innovator of quality spirits that create excitement with every sip. Its unique portfolio of brands includes the world’s best-selling tequila, Jose Cuervo®, the most-awarded tequila in the world, 1800® Tequila, Mexico’s best-selling premium tequila, Gran Centenario® Tequila, Bushmills® Irish Whiskey, Stranahan’s Rocky Mountain Single Malt Whiskey, The Kraken® Black Spiced Rum, TINCUP® American Whiskey and Boodles® British Gin. www.proximospirits.com


This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210427005861/en/


Contacts

Kate Laufer Gorenstein

prpr@properwhiskey.com


 


Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/conor-mcgregor-and-proximo-reach-long-term-agreement-to-continue-proper-no-twelve-irish-whiskey-collaboration/en


8 Companies Earned the Best Places To Work Certification in Morocco for 2021

 Casablanca, Morocco-Wednesday 28 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Comdata, BSH Electroménager, Société Général Africa Technology Services, ChaabiLLD, Teleperformance, Schindler, Pfizer, MSD Animal Health were certified recently as the Best Places To Work in Morocco for 2021 according to the annual workplace research program. These companies received outstanding scores as being mission-driven organisations with great leadership and career development opportunities but also made employee health and safety a main priority.


Best Places to Work program is an international certification program providing employers in different regions the opportunity to assess their HR practices and learn more about the engagement and satisfaction of their employees and honor those who deliver an outstanding work experience. Despite the global context marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the results illustrated the various initiatives taken by several employers in Morocco to engage and retain their employees and support them remotely. The assessment covered this year a number of topics covering how the companies’ responded to COVID-19 crisis and how well they succeeded in offering flexibility to their employees.


In the ranking, Comdata, the global leader in outsourced call center and customer relations services along with BSH Morocco, part of the international group specialized in the production, sale and installation of household appliances, maintained their first position in the list as the best employers for the year.


According to Didier Manzari, CEO of Comdata Maroc and Barcelona, ​​“This is an award that honors and obliges us. This year has been very complicated for our employees, for our industry, for the world. Even if we are, like all companies, customer and business oriented.”


In a joint statement by Luis Alvarez Gomez de Salazar, Managing Director of BSH Morocco along with Mehdi El Boury, Deputy Managing Director, “At BSH we are on a mission to constantly improve the working lives of our colleagues. The foundation of our organization is our people. The professional and personal development of all of the team is very important to us, and we make every effort to ensure that everyone working for us feels supported and respected in everything they do.”


ABOUT THE BEST PLACES TO WORK PROGRAM


Best Places To Work is the most definitive ‘Employer of Choice’ certification that organizations aspire to achieve. Join our community on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.


For more information www.meilleuremployeuraumaroc.com


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210427005983/en/


Contacts

Sabah Haitof

media@meilleuremployeuraumaroc.com




Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/8-companies-earned-the-best-places-to-work-certification-in-morocco-for-2021/en


WINDTRE Launches Breakthrough Digital Brand with MATRIXX Software

 FOSTER CITY, Calif.-Wednesday 28 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]


(BUSINESS WIRE) -- MATRIXX Software, a global leader in 5G monetization for the communications industry, today announced it has extended its partnership with Italy’s WINDTRE to power its digital mobile brand, Very Mobile. As the first-to-market in Italy with an app-based mobile service, Very Mobile has used the agility and flexibility enabled by MATRIXX to disrupt the market. Benefiting from strong growth at launch, Very Mobile is one of the nation’s fastest-growing mobile brands. MATRIXX and WINDTRE have recently completed a seven-year extension of their partnership.


“For Very Mobile to fulfill its mission and disrupt the market, we had to do better than just offering simple pricing and great customer experience on day one,” said Benoit Hanssen, CTO for WINDTRE. “As we embrace the future of mobile services and customer experience, we need a monetization partner with a product built for modern commerce and digital enablement. MATRIXX is that partner.”


Officially launched in February 2020, Very Mobile is WINDTRE’s truly omnichannel brand; whether a customer joins via e-SIM or a traditional retail channel, the app-powered service delivers a consistently simple and rich customer experience across every touchpoint. Very Mobile’s market-leading features include support across the entire customer lifecycle, including e-SIM, fully digital onboarding and customer care, automatic recharge, bundle restart function and 1-click top-ups.


“We are proud to be the monetization partner powering Very Mobile’s market disruptive offering,” said Glo Gordon, MATRIXX CEO. “Witnessing how the team has leveraged our product-first solution to deliver flexible, real-time experiences is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a service provider embraces the possibilities of digital.”


As the monetization engine at the heart of Very Mobile’s new digital stack, MATRIXX Digital Commerce enables customers with full visibility into their account balances, services and spending at all times. Built with an API-first design, MATRIXX empowered Very Mobile to simplify its technology infrastructure to reduce complexity and costs. As an industry-leading cloud native solution, MATRIXX Digital Commerce is 5G-ready to support emerging charging use cases such as enhanced gaming and V/R experiences that will come for digitally savvy, Very Mobile customers.


About MATRIXX Software


MATRIXX Software is the global leader in 5G monetization for the communications industry. Serving many of the world’s largest operator groups, regional carriers, and emerging digital service providers, MATRIXX delivers a cloud native digital commerce solution that enables unmatched commercial and operational agility. Unifying IT & networks, MATRIXX delivers a network-grade converged charging system (CCS), enabling efficient hyper-scaling of infrastructure to support consumer services, wholesale and enterprise marketplaces. Through its relentless commitment to product excellence and customer success, MATRIXX empowers businesses to harness network assets and business agility to succeed at web scale.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005081/en/

Contacts


Media Contact

Jennifer Kyriakakis

mediainquiry@matrixx.com


Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/windtre-launches-breakthrough-digital-brand-with-matrixx-software/en


Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Global Survey Reveals CFOs Prioritizing Digital Transformation Investments

CFOs refuse to waste precious dollars on IT investments that don’t “move the needle”; Want to cut spending on non-essential IT investments, including major ERP reimplementation and migration projects that lack clear value and strong ROI; Want to see their CIOs optimize existing technology investments 

LAS VEGAS-Wednesday 28 April 2021 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), a global provider of enterprise software products and services, the leading third-party support provider for Oracle and SAP software products and a Salesforce partner, today revealed findings from a recent global survey of more than 1,500 CFOs and senior financial leaders across 13 markets covering most industries. The survey was conducted to identify CFO’s perceptions of digital transformation, their IT spending priorities, how they measure the ROI on technology investments and their viewpoints on the CFO-CIO partnership. According to the survey report, when it comes to digital transformation and its significance amongst other corporate priorities, 80% of CFOs globally cite it is within the top-five of their list of priorities, 71% of CFOs surveyed believe that digital transformation investments are key to their company’s success and 77% said they would help the CIO find a way to fund a new digital transformation project if the initiative delivered strong ROI. In addition, 67% of CFOs say they “refuse to waste precious dollars on IT investments that don’t move the needle.”

CFOs Are Bullish About Digital Transformation

Today’s modern CFO’s level of understanding of technology and its potential for delivering returns is higher than ever. When it comes to digital transformation, it is more than a buzzword for CFOs and definitely on their priority list. In addition to the large majority who cite digital transformation as a top-five priority compared to other corporate initiatives, 59% cite it is actually in their top three priorities. In addition, of the 80% of CFOs who expect their technology spending to increase in 2021, almost half (46%) say this growth in spending is being driven by new digital transformation investments.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers shifted dramatically to online channels and businesses responded by increasing digital investments. Although digital transformation was on the roadmap for many companies prior to 2020, the global pandemic removed internal barriers, aligned corporate teams and accelerated the adoption of technology to support new business critical requirements, from remote work to digital customer interactions to supply chain resourcing. Almost three of every four (73%) CFOs indicated that the global pandemic increased their digital transformation investment, and the vast majority of survey respondents (95%) agree that technology investments are key to recovering from the business impacts of the pandemic.

CFOs See Clear Business Value and ROI from Optimizing Existing Technology Investments

CFOs expect their CIOs to present technology investment proposals that demonstrate business value and strong ROI. When asked about the type of IT projects they personally want to see more of from their CIO because they see clear business value and strong ROI, “optimizing existing technology investments” topped the list with 44% of survey respondents. CFOs also cited “revenue-generating technology initiatives” (40%) and “process improvements and employee efficiency” (39%) as their second and third choices respectively.

CIOs that continually optimize their IT operations are in a strong position to create and secure new funding for strategic IT investments that are aligned with business priorities. As a result, IT resources – including time, money and personnel – can be reallocated to critical new revenue generating initiatives that create competitive advantage and growth for their organization.

CFOs Refuse to Waste Precious IT Resources on Low Value Projects

One of the CFOs’ primary considerations for IT spending is prioritizing those projects that yield positive business outcomes – 67% of CFOs surveyed agree that they “refuse to waste precious dollars on IT investments that don’t move the needle.” In addition, 70% of respondents say they want to cut spending on non-essential IT investments. When asked about the type of IT projects they personally prefer to cancel when they don’t see clear business value or strong ROI, responses included “next-generation disruptive technology initiatives” and “major ERP reimplementation and migration projects.” When there is not a strong ROI, technology for technology’s sake or forced by major ERP vendors does not satisfy CFOs that want to see strong business value for IT investments.

Large technology investments that may not have a clear business case, such as some vendor-forced ERP migrations and upgrades, may be better deferred or avoided and instead ERP systems can be optimized through strategies like third-party support, enabling the CIO to free up IT resources to help accelerate digital transformation programs.

“The CFO has an expanded role today and should always be part of the technology agenda decisions including how digital transformation initiatives can improve and impact the business moving forward. As CFO for Usina Coruripe, I am always looking at our technology investments through the lens of ‘will this project move the needle for our business and provide competitive advantage and growth.’ And the innovation we need will not come from any ERP, but from business-driven applications. As the CFO survey respondents emphasized in the report, I needed a solution that could better optimize what we had and improve operational efficiency,” said Thierry Soret, chief financial officer, Usina Coruripe. “Partnering with Rimini Street to take on ERP support is a great lever for both the CFO and CIO to enable their organization to free up time, money and resources and to help achieve those strategic innovation goals while maximizing their current software investments.”

CFOs Expect Short ROI Timelines for Technology Investments

In addition to providing a clear business case on new transformation projects, CFOs also expect the ROI on technology spending to be swift, with 46% of CFOs expecting to see ROI on their technology investment within two years, and the vast majority (82%) within 3-5 years.

Timing is also very important in terms of when the CIO should engage the CFO on a major new IT initiative. Most CFOs (88%) prefer that the CIO involves them before the business plan is fully crafted. In particular, 47% of CFO respondents would rather have the CIO engage as the business plan is being developed, and 41% want IT to partner with finance when the idea is fully formed but before the business plan is completed.

The CFOs growing acceptance of digital transformation initiatives, coupled with their willingness to support projects that have clear business outcomes means that they are increasingly willing to lead funding efforts for projects that demonstrate business value. When asked how they would respond to their CIOs digital transformation proposal requiring additional investment that would likely deliver a strong ROI, 77% of CFOs said they would help the CIO find a way to fund the project, and 28% of CFOs would even go to bat with the board to help the CIO secure needed funding.

A Strong CFO-CIO Partnership is Critical to Success

Technology is expanding the role that CFOs and CIOs play in an organization, as well as the need for a close collaboration between IT and Finance. Today’s CFO and CIO must have a solid understanding of customers and markets and technology’s role is connecting them. If both roles collaborate, they can be a productive, powerful team for the business – 92% of CFOs agree that “a successful CFO has a great relationship with their CIO counterpart.” The survey also revealed that 69% of CFOs have a favorable view of their CIOs, with 47% stating that their CIO is a partner “that helps connect the dots between technology and business decisions” and 22% stating that their CIO is an “innovative change-agent that drives business strategy.”

In addition, more than three in four CFOs (77%) shared that last year’s challenging business landscape served to strengthen their relationship with their CIO. CFOs primarily attribute this change due to an increased focus on security, compliance and risk (52%), the urgent need to collaborate to make nimble technology decisions (50%) and the CIOs proactive engagement with them (42%).

For those CFOs who noted a worsening relationship with their CIO last year, a few reasons cited include the CIOs lack of flexibility on identifying ways to cut costs (32%), the CIOs plans did not demonstrate adequate ROI (31%) and the CIO did not welcome attempts to engage proactively (28%).

While the CFO/CIO relationship is interconnected, sometimes these roles can be divided as both may speak different “languages” about the same topic. According to the research, 92% of CFOs say that the CIO needs to be more business savvy now than they were two years ago, and 94% agree that CFOs need to be more technology savvy than they were two years ago.

“This report highlights the heightened importance of digital transformation for CFOs but reinforces that IT investments must have clear business value to receive CFO support. It’s not surprising that CFOs want to cancel IT projects that lack a strong ROI, like many software vendor-forced ERP reimplementations and migrations, given that resources can be liberated for new technology investments that accelerate achieving the businesses digital goals,” said Seth A. Ravin, Rimini Street CEO. “By switching to Rimini Street Support, our clients are uniquely enabled to take back the control of their IT roadmaps, maximize the lifespan and value of current ERP investments and free up significant funding and internal resources to help fund those critical digital transformation initiatives that create competitive advantage and growth.”

The report is based on a global online survey conducted by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Rimini Street. More than 1,500 CFOs or equivalent top finance professionals from 13 countries, representing companies with at least $200 million (US$) in annual revenue, participated in the survey.

To download a copy of the report, “CFO Peer Insights: Digital Transformation and IT Spending Priorities,” click here.

About Rimini Street, Inc.

Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI) is a global provider of enterprise software products and services, the leading third-party support provider for Oracle and SAP software products and a Salesforce partner. The Company offers premium, ultra-responsive and integrated application management and support services that enable enterprise software licensees to save significant costs, free up resources for innovation and achieve better business outcomes. To date, more than 4,000 Fortune 500, Fortune Global 100, midmarket, public sector and other organizations from a broad range of industries have relied on Rimini Street as their trusted application enterprise software products and services provider. To learn more, please visit http://www.riministreet.com, follow @riministreet on Twitter and find Rimini Street on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

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Contacts

Michelle McGlocklin
Rimini Street, Inc.
+1 925 523-8414
mmcglocklin@riministreet.com


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