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Now is Your Moment: Huawei Unlocks New Possibilities for Every Moment Through All-Scenario Innovation

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:52:00 +0700

HUAWEI Pura 90s Series Headlines a Line-up Designed for Expression, Style and Creativity

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 15 July 2026 - On July 14, 2026, Huawei held its Flagship Product Global Launch Event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where it officially unveiled the HUAWEI Pura 90s Series, HUAWEI FreeClip 2 S and HUAWEI MatePad Air. Led by the HUAWEI Pura 90s Series and its upgraded imaging technologies, these new devices seamlessly extend users' all-scenario experiences, empowering them to capture, express, and create more effortlessly in everyday life.

Advanced Imaging, Designed for Expression, Capturing Every Meaningful Moment

As a key highlight of the launch, the HUAWEI Pura 90s Series delivers flagship imaging, empowering expression. Guided by the Rhythm of Colour design philosophy, the series combines clean design lines with a layered colour palette to create a distinctive and cohesive visual identity, while the Dual-Tone Gradient Mid-Frame[1] further enhances its aesthetic. The HUAWEI Pura 90s Series also introduces comprehensive imaging upgrades.

Equipped with 200MP Ultra Large Sensor Telephoto Camera[2], True-to-Colour Camera 2.0 and a range of industry-leading imaging technologies, it delivers clear, stable, and consistent results across long-range, macro, and challenging lighting scenarios. Enhanced by AI-powered composition and image optimisation, users can move efficiently from capture to refinement, resulting in more expressive and refined visual outcomes.

Luminous Aesthetics, Designed for Style, Balancing Fashion and Comfort

Designed for personal style and everyday wear, the HUAWEI FreeClip 2 S introduces Huawei's Luminous Aesthetics design philosophy, combining metallic lustre with organic tones in two new colourways - Deepsea Blue and Space Silver - to support individual style expression.

The all-new Luminous Charging Case, crafted through over 100 precision manufacturing steps, features a refined rounded silhouette while expanding usable interior space by 20%[3], providing room for both earbuds and small accessories. Complementing the design, the upgraded Airy C-bridge blends skin-friendly liquid silicone with a luminous texture-spraying process to create a distinctive metallic finish. Refined through 22 paint-mixing and spraying processes, it balances visual elegance with a soft and comfortable fit, delivering both style and all-day wearability. Combined with Huawei's open-ear listening experience, the HUAWEI FreeClip 2 S delivers clear listening and calling performance for everyday use.

Lightweight Design, Designed for Inspiration and Productivity

Designed for inspiration and productivity, the HUAWEI MatePad Air features a slim 5.3 mm[4] profile while delivering flagship-level performance. Equipped with the Ultra-clear OLED PaperMatte Display, it delivers vibrant visuals and exceptional clarity, empowering users to create with greater ease.

Maintaining its sleek and lightweight design, the device offers accurate colour reproduction and exceptional clarity, delivering an immersive viewing experience across work, learning, content creation and entertainment scenarios.

With powerful PC-level productivity and an integrated suite of AI tools, the HUAWEI MatePad Air helps users work more efficiently, transform ideas into content, and present complete solutions with ease. Together, these capabilities enable a seamless creative workflow and bring PC-level productivity into a lightweight form factor.

Together, the HUAWEI Pura 90s Series, HUAWEI FreeClip 2 S, and HUAWEI MatePad Air showcase Huawei's all-scenario ecosystem. From capturing meaningful moments and expressing personal style to supporting creativity, they deliver a more connected and cohesive user experience across everyday scenarios.

Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to evolve its ecosystem to support diverse user needs, delivering a smarter and more efficient connected experience.

[1] Only available in the Orange Ocean model.

[2] The 200 MP high-resolution mode is only available at the 4x focal length and requires a HOTA update. Optical zoom ratios are approximate.

[3] Data is a comparison with HUAWEI FreeClip 2 and comes from Huawei lab tests.

[4] Data comes from Huawei laboratories. Actual weight and thickness may vary depending on product configuration, manufacturing processes, and measurement methods.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #Huawei

CyCraft Named a Sample Provider in the Gartner Latest AI Reasoning Models Report-The Only Taiwan-Based Cybersecurity Provider Listed

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:48:00 +0700

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 July 2026 - CyCraft (Stock Code: 7823) has been recognized by the global business and technology insights organization Gartner in its latest report, "Emerging Tech: AI Vendor Race: Reasoning Models Reshape Providers' Approaches to AI Pricing." In this report focusing on AI Reasoning Models, CyCraft is named as a Sample Provider, making it the only Taiwan-based cybersecurity company included in the full list.

Dr. Benson Wu, CEO and Co-Founder of CyCraft, stated: "We believe, being listed as a Sample Providerin the Gartner report demonstrates that the global market now views AI security as the next battlefield for AI commercialization. From day one, CyCraft has developed proprietary models, simultaneously deploying AI reasoning capabilities across three core pillars: cybersecurity defense, AI governance, and unmanned vehicle reconnaissance. Technical leadership is our starting point, not the destination. Our goal is to translate this leadership into rapid growth driven by strategic deployment and disciplined execution. Launched this year, our AI Red Teaming and AI Guardrail solutions have already been productized and commercially shipped, seeing active deployment in sectors like semiconductors and sovereign AI."

AI Reasoning Models Drive Up Operating Costs, Restructuring Profit Logic

As AI transitions from "training models" to "reasoning models," the industry officially moves from the research and development phase into commercial application. Reasoning models possess logical deduction, self-reflection, and complex problem-solving capabilities. However, these advanced capabilities have caused AI operational costs to skyrocket, forcing the tech industry to redefine its expectations of AI as a tool for massive cost reduction and profit maximization.

CyCraft's XCockpit Threat Exposure Management Platform features built-in AI reasoning models that triage thousands of alerts in real time, automatically providing mitigation recommendations and effectively eliminating alert fatigue. From overall security posture scoring to specific actionable tickets for individual alerts, XCockpit transforms defensive benefits-which were historically difficult to define-into concrete, quantifiable technical metrics. This embodies CyCraft's pragmatic philosophy: the value of defense must be visible, and it must be measurable.

Standing at the Frontier of AI Security, CyCraft Advances Commercial Implementation with Profound R&D Momentum

Deeply integrating AI with cybersecurity, CyCraft has launched XecGuard and XecART-two major AI security products deployable across both cloud and on-premises environments, both featured on the OWASP AI Security Map. These solutions directly address the core pain points of Agentic AI, LLM, and GenAI applications. XecART utilizes Agentic Red Teaming to run multi-round stress tests on models, identifying risks and generating compliance reports that adhere to international standards. Meanwhile, XecGuard acts as a real-time Guardrail for LLMs and AI Agents, intercepting anomalous inputs and outputs. One solves "how to stress-test AI," while the other solves "how to protect AI," providing the fundamental AI governance for enterprises.

CyCraft's research achievements are equally outstanding. The CyCraft research team recently presented at the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), one of the world's top three prestigious academic conferences for AI and machine learning. The research focused on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Data Poisoning. Utilizing their self-developed "Eyes-on-Me" attack framework, the team proved that attacks can simultaneously breach both the retrieval and generation phases. The end-to-end average attack success rate surged from 21.9% to 57.8%. This breakthrough exposed a long-neglected vulnerable attack surface existing between "attention focus" and "model output."

In 2025, the CyCraft research team was also selected for NeurIPS, one of the most iconic academic sanctuaries in the AI field. The team proposed an innovative "unified supervision framework" that embeds verifiable checkers into synthesized instruction-conflict instances, enabling self-supervised learning without requiring oracle labels or reasoning traces. This framework not only applies to different models but also significantly enhances both safety robustness and instruction adherence.

CyCraft believes that as AI moves from R&D to commercial deployment, the barrier for enterprises is no longer "whether they can use AI," but "whether they can use AI responsibly." Once Agentic AI enters financial transactions, government services, or critical infrastructure, every autonomous decision must leave a traceable path, accept auditing, and allow for real-time human intervention when necessary. This is true AI governance. It is not a compliance document, but a complete control chain stretching from pre-launch to runtime, and onto post-incident traceability.

CyCraft deconstructs this control chain into three actionable phases: XecART stress-tests model risks before deployment; XecGuard safeguards inputs and outputs during runtime; XCockpit quantifies the overall risk posture into traceable metrics. Interlocking these three components ensures that every step AI takes is visible, manageable, and auditable. CyCraft's objective is clear: make AI behavior measurable before its value can be priced. Ultimate technical leadership must be converted into commercial resilience that is governable, auditable, and open to investor scrutiny.

The technological revolution of AI Reasoning Models and Agentic AI is an undeniable reality. The ultimate challenge lies in whether enterprises can implement "controllable, auditable, and highly transparent" AI governance within real-world commercial environments. From being recognized in international research reports to taking the stage at top-tier academic conferences, CyCraft continues to prove that from visionary R&D to product commercialization, Taiwan's AI cybersecurity prowess helps herald the future of a secure, trusted, and prosperous AI era.

Reports

Gartner, Emerging Tech: AI Vendor Race: Reasoning Models Reshape Providers' Approaches to AI Pricing, 5 June 2026.

Disclaimer

Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and its affiliates.

About CyCraft

CyCraft Technology (7823.TW) is a Taiwan-listed cybersecurity company, dedicated to automating cybersecurity with AI technology and safeguarding AI models. CyCraft's product suite encompasses XecART, the AI Red Teaming, and XecGuard, the Guardrail API for LLMs and AI Agents. The XCockpit AI platform integrates EASM, IASM, and Endpoint protection, providing preemptive and real-time defense-in-depth. With a proven track record in the government, finance, and semiconductor sectors, and recognition from international institutions, CyCraft continues to safeguard enterprise digital resilience.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #CyCraftTechnology

Yacht Club de Monaco accelerates transition to more responsible yachting

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:44:00 +0700

MONACO, July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Yacht Club de Monaco is accelerating the transition towards more responsible yachting through a wide range of initiatives, from solar panels and electric boat charging stations to water recycling systems. "Yachting is an ecosystem, and if you want to have a smart boat, you also need to have a smart marina.

If you have an eco-responsible boat, you need to find a place where you can berth it that is equally eco-responsible. It is not only about the boat. The entire ecosystem has to be aligned, including the shipyards, which are making a great effort to build new facilities with greater respect for the planet and the environment.

The same applies to marinas. We have to integrate all these elements into our thinking when we design and prepare the marinas of the future", said Bernard d'Alessandri General Secretary and Managing Director of the Yacht Club de Monaco.

Driven by the forward-looking vision of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, under the aegis of its Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting initiative, these actions are based on one simple conviction: the future of the sector depends on concrete, measurable and collective solutions. "It's very important for us, and also for the philosophy of the Yacht Club. We are actors and players of the sea, so we need to protect the environment in order to keep sailing and continue discovering the sea. For that reason, we use a technology called thalassothermia, which uses seawater to cool the air-conditioning system through heat exchangers. We also reuse water from the swimming pool, as well as water collected from the sinks and showers at the sailing school, to reduce overall water consumption. Most of this recycled water is used in the Yacht Club's laundry facilities, while part of it is also reused for the pool," explained Nicolas Milanesio, Director of Operations and Security at the Yacht Club de Monaco.

"Another important improvement has been the replacement of the solar panels. The ones originally installed when the building was constructed had become less efficient than today's technologies, so we replaced them with a more advanced system," he added.

Among the many systems integrated into the building to reduce its environmental footprint are low-energy LED lighting, while the YCM Marina features a range of initiatives aimed at protecting the marine environment, including charging stations for electric boats, wastewater recovery systems, Biohuts to support biodiversity, dynamic mooring buoys that limit the impact on the seabed, and a robot designed to collect floating waste.

The YCM Marina also operates a fleet of electric boats as part of the Yacht Club de Monaco's commitment to sustainable yachting. The charging facilities installed along the pontoons serve both the Club's own electric fleet and members who use electric tenders.

"Here at the Yacht Club de Monaco, we have two DC fast chargers of up to 200 kW equipped with CCS2 connectors. Further along the pontoon, we also have several slower chargers to ensure compatibility with all types of electric boats. Our presence here at the Yacht Club de Monaco and at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge reflects our commitment to supporting the transition towards electric boating by providing the charging infrastructure needed for the event and for the growing number of electric vessels," said Michele Bolpagni, Director of Commercial Strategy at Aqua superPower, which operates the world's first global marine charging network.

Also contributing to the Yacht Club de Monaco's sustainability strategy is the Italian company ESA NanoTech, which specializes in graphene-based solutions and products. "Our technology finds a very interesting environment here at the Yacht Club de Monaco because we share the same vision, one that is focused on innovation, sustainability and energy efficiency. Here at the Yacht Club de Monaco, you can already see some of our solutions in use, ranging from graphene-enhanced carpets in the offices to radiant heating panels installed throughout the Club. These technologies improve comfort while significantly reducing energy consumption," the company said.

Edgar Zvinis, founder of Solandor, has spent the past five years planning and building eco-solar boats, catamarans and other sustainable vessels that align closely with the Yacht Club de Monaco's vision. "The whole concept is about creating an ecosystem that works both at sea and on land, looking at how energy is produced, stored, charged and used. It is a pleasure to be at the Yacht Club de Monaco and hopefully become part of what it is trying to achieve," he said, adding that the company's next step is to open the first Solandor Eco Lounge in Monaco.

Building on this vision, the Yacht Club de Monaco will host the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous 2026 on 20-21 September. Organized by M3 Monaco, the event will bring together entrepreneurs, start-ups, scale-ups, industrial groups, investors, marina developers and architects to promote innovative solutions for the development of smarter and more sustainable marinas.

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d8368c4-bd46-4dcc-8ff7-1b8a7689e154

VCI Global Reports FY2025 Results, Highlighting Strategic Restructuring and Positioning for Long-Term Growth

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:33:00 +0700

Transformation Year Marked by the Successful Spin-off of VCCG, Strategic Investment in AI Infrastructure and Next-Generation Technologies, and the Completion of a Comprehensive Corporate Restructuring to Position the Company for its Next Phase of Growth

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VCI Global Limited (NASDAQ: VCIG) ("VCI Global" or the "Company"), an AI-native operating platform focused on AI infrastructure, digital assets, renewable energy, and enterprise technologies, today announced its financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (the "Financial Results"), a transformational year during which the Company completed a comprehensive corporate restructuring, streamlined its business portfolio, and repositioned itself as an AI-native operating platform focused on scalable, technology-driven growth.

Completed a major strategic transformation, including the spin-off of V Capital Consulting Group Limited ("VCCG"), enabling the Company to sharpen its focus on AI infrastructure, enterprise technology, digital assets, and renewable energy.
Reported revenue of US$26.1 million in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, compared to US$27.8 million in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.
Revenue from technology development, solutions and consultancy increased 13.3% year-over-year (YoY) to US$12.9 million, demonstrating continued momentum in the Company's technology-driven businesses.
Other income increased to US$9.4 million, increased to US$9.3 million, primarily attributable to a US$5.9 million foreign exchange gain and US$2.5 million in non-recurring settlement compensation.
Reported a net loss of US$30.2 million, primarily reflecting non-cash valuation adjustments, restructuring-related expenses, losses on the disposal of core subsidiaries, and strategic investments in AI infrastructure.
Entered fiscal year 2026 with a streamlined corporate structure designed to accelerate the commercialization of the Company's AI-native operating platform.

"FY2025 was a deliberate transition year for VCI Global. We made the strategic decision to prioritize long-term value creation over short-term earnings by streamlining our portfolio, spinning off VCCG, investing aggressively in AI infrastructure, and repositioning the Group around scalable technology businesses," said VCI Global management team.

"While these actions resulted in significant non-recurring accounting charges and near-term earnings pressure, they also established a stronger operating platform with greater strategic focus. We believe the investments and restructuring undertaken during the year have positioned VCI Global to capitalize on emerging opportunities across artificial intelligence, digital assets, renewable energy and enterprise technologies."

FINANCIAL RESULTS

Revenue for fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 was US$26.1 million, a 6% decrease from US$27.8 million in fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

VCI Global's revenue generated from the business strategy consultancy segment fee decreased by 29% to US$10.5 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, compared to US$14.8 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. The YoY decrease was primarily attributable to the timing of project execution and revenue recognition, as several large engagements reached key completion milestones in the prior year, while newly secured mandates remained in earlier phases of execution during fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. In December 2025, the Company completed the spin-off of this segment through the separation of VCCG, allowing VCI Global to sharpen its strategic focus on AI infrastructure, enterprise technology, digital assets, and renewable energy while enabling VCCG to pursue its growth strategy as a dedicated capital markets advisory business.
The Company's revenue generated from technology development, solutions and consultancy increased by 13.3% to US$12.9 million for fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, compared to US$11.4 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. The growth was driven by the successful commercialization and delivery of several high-value technology projects, including an AI-powered livestreaming platform, digital marketing solutions, and a gaming platform aggregation project. The segment continued to demonstrate strong execution capabilities and growing market demand for the Company's AI-driven and digital transformation solutions, reinforcing technology as a key growth engine and an increasingly important contributor to VCI Global's long-term growth strategy.
Revenue generated from interest income increased significantly by US$1.1 million, from US$1.2 million in fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, to US$2.3 million in fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, marking an 88% growth. The growth was primarily driven by the continued expansion of the Company's fintech subsidiary, Credilab, which increased its customer loan portfolio, resulting in a larger base of income-generating loans and higher recurring interest income during the year.
VCI Global's revenue generated from other services increased over 2% to US$380.3 thousand for fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, compared to US$373.0 thousand for fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

	For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31
	2025	2024	Change
	USD	USD	%
Revenue from Business Strategy Consultancy	10,486,348	14,824,502	-29.3	%
Revenue from Technology Development, Solutions and Consultancy	12,935,361	11,412,582	13.3	%
Interest Income	2,285,415	1,214,842	88.1	%
Others	380,298	372,965	2.0	%
Total Revenue	26,087,422	27,824,891	-6.2	%

Other Income for fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 was US$9.3 million, representing a surge of 3,776%, compared to US$241.6 thousand in fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily driven by a foreign exchange gain of US$5.9 million, reflecting favourable currency movements during the year, and compensation of US$2.5 million received in connection with the decline in share value under a commercial settlement arrangement with a third party.

EBITDA for fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 was negative US$27.5 million.

Net loss attributable to shareholders was US$30.3 million in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, primarily reflecting non-cash unrealized valuation adjustments, restructuring-related expenses associated with the Company's strategic reorganization, losses on the disposal of core subsidiaries, and investments made to expand its AI infrastructure and technology capabilities.

Cost of Service was US$6.8 million for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, representing an increase of 37% from US$4.9 million for the financial year ended December 31, 2024.

Consultant fee costs declined by 50% year-over-year to US$1.1 million, reflecting the successful completion of several major consulting engagements in fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and the Company's transition toward technology-led businesses requiring a different operating model.
IT expenses increased to US$5.7 million as the Company accelerated investments in AI infrastructure, generative AI capabilities, AI digital human technologies, enterprise software platforms and cloud computing resources. These investments are expected to support future product commercialization and long-term scalability.
Subscription fee was US$8.1 thousand for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, compared to US$10.9 thousand for the fiscal year ended December 3, 2024.
Other cost of service only incurred US$304 due to the disposal of the Company's education business which resulted in the absence of training expenses and staff-related costs.

	2025	2024	Change
	USD	USD	%
Consultant Fee	1,087,392	2,194,536	-50.5	%
IT Expenses	5,660,899	2,408,554	135.0	%
Subscription Fee	8,116	10,892	-25.5	%
Referral Fee	0	181,139	-100	%
Others	304	153,072	-99.8	%
Total	6,756,711	4,948,193	36.6	%

Depreciation expense increased to US$536 thousand, reflecting significant capital investments made during the year, including the expansion of office and campus facilities, technology infrastructure, enterprise software and equipment required to support the Company's strategic transformation.

Employee benefit expenses increased to US$17.3 million as the Company expanded its workforce across technology, engineering, artificial intelligence and corporate functions to support the execution of its long-term growth strategy.

Other operating expenses primarily consist of marketing expenses, staff welfare, office expenses, travel expenses, secretarial fees and other miscellaneous operating expenses. Other operating expenses increased by US$22.4 million, from US$4.4 million in fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 to US$26.7 million in fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. The increase was primarily attributable to non-recurring charges associated with the Company's strategic transformation, including losses recognized on the disposal of subsidiaries as part of its portfolio optimization initiatives, higher provisions for receivables following prudent management assessments, and investment losses arising from the rationalization of certain investment holdings. In addition, the Company increased investments in customer engagement, brand building, and business development initiatives to support the commercialization of its AI-native operating platform and strengthen its long-term growth prospects.

Basic and diluted earnings per share was negative US$463.01 for the financial year ended December 31, 2025.

CASH POSITION AND CAPITAL ALLOCATION

Net cash generated operating activities was US$2.6 million in fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, from US$22.3 million in the previous fiscal year.

Net cash used in investing activities was US$73.0 million as of December 31, 2025, a significant increase from US$48.6 million as of December 21, 2024.

Net cash generated from financing activities in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 was US$66.2 million, primarily reflecting proceeds of convertible notes at US$14.0 million, repayment of finance lease liabilities at US$1.6 million, and proceeds from issuance of shares at US$53.7 million.

Cash and cash equivalents were recorded at US$940 thousand as of December 31, 2025, compared to the US$8.1 million as of December 31, 2024.

About VCI Global Limited

VCI Global Limited (NASDAQ: VCIG) is an AI-native operating platform designed to scale and optimize businesses through centralized intelligence, data, and capital discipline.

The Company operates a platform-based model in which subsidiaries, affiliates, and portfolio companies plug into VCI Global's centralized AI, data, governance, and capital allocation systems, enabling faster execution, improved capital efficiency, and scalable growth across multiple industries.

VCI Global's platform centralizes AI-enabled execution, standardized KPI frameworks, financial and governance controls, and strategic capital allocation, while operating businesses focus on revenue generation, customer relationships, and local execution.

The Company maintains exposure across advisory, AI, and digital infrastructure, digital assets, energy, automotive, and consumer sectors, and continuously evaluates opportunities to scale, spin off, divest, or discontinue businesses based on performance, scalability, and return on capital.

VCI Global's platform-centric approach is designed to enhance productivity, improve IPO readiness, and unlock long-term value through disciplined growth and selective capital deployment.

For more information on the Company, please log on to https://v-capital.co/.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company's ability to grow its business and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words "intends," "may," "will," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "predicts," "estimates," "aims," "believes," "hopes," "potential" or similar words. These forward-looking statements are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, 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. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including without limitation, the Company's ability to achieve profitable operations, customer acceptance of new products, the effects of the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and future measures taken by authorities in the countries wherein the Company has supply chain partners, the demand for the Company's products and the Company's customers' economic condition, the impact of competitive products and pricing, successfully managing and, general economic conditions and other risk factors detailed in the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release, except in accordance with applicable law.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For media queries, please contact:
VCI GLOBAL LIMITED
enquiries@v-capital.co

Financial Tables

VCI Global Limited and Its Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Financial Position As of December 31, 2024 and 2025

	December 31, 2025	December 31, 202
	USD	USD
ASSETS

Non-current assets
Financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income	17,513,555	28,547,482
Investment in associates	2	-
Property and equipment	1,061,170	573,084
Right-of-use assets	734,696	120,670
Intangible assets	4,050,583	7,288,633
Amount due from related parties	62,833,133	-
Loan receivables	-	6,562,292
Total non-current assets	86,193,139	43,092,161

Current assets
Trade and other receivables	29,512,675	30,009,175
Inventories	257,485	-
Loan receivables	-	10,283,529
Tax recoverable	-	73,976
Cash and bank balances	940,963	8,100,899
Total current assets	30,711,123	48,467,579

Total assets	116,904,262	91,559,740

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables	13,237,049	4,415,133
Lease liabilities	399,858	82,431
Bank and other borrowings	-	160,455
Warrant liabilities	2,625,440	33,305
Convertible note liabilities	2,930,281	-
Amount due to related parties	-	487,111
Income tax payable	692,322	-
Total current liabilities	19,884,950	5,178,435

Non-current liabilities
Lease liabilities	346,754	37,553
Bank and borrowings	-	21,936
Amount due to related parties	456,084	-
Deferred tax liabilities	5,382	-
Total non-current liabilities	808.220	59,489

Total liabilities	20,639,170	5,237,924

VCI Global Limited and Its Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Financial Position As of December 31, 2024 and 2025

	December 31, 2025		December 31, 2024
	USD		USD
Capital and reserves
Share capital	150,490,803		76,395,175
Capital reserve	1,609,623		1,461,292
Fair value reserve	(32,709,812	)	(480,596	)
Translation reserves	(2,873,505	)	(981,534	)
(Accumulated losses)/Retained earnings	(20,304,578	)	9,928,734
Attributable to equity owners of the Company	96,212,531		86,323,071
Non-controlling interests	(1,439	)	(1,255	)
Total equity	96,211,092		86,321,816

Total liabilities and equity	116,904,262		91,559,740

VCI Global Limited and Its Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss) For The Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2025

	December 31, 2025		December 31, 2024
	USD		USD
Revenue	26,087,422		27,824,891
Revenue - related party	-		-
Total revenue	26,087,422		27,824,891

Other income	9,364,628		241,591

Cost of services	(6,756,711	)	(4,948,193	)

Depreciation	(536,519	)	(238,058	)

Amortisation of Intangible Assets	(955,970	)	(207,989	)

Employee benefit expense	(17,345,345	)	(6,811,397	)

Provision for allowance for expected credit losses on loan receivables	(8,424,085	)	(919,271	)

Provision for allowance for expected credit losses on trade and other receivables	(31,867	)	(53,252	)

Rental expenses	(112,726	)	(100,530	)

Legal and professional fees	(3,546,333	)	(2,608,458	)

Finance cost	(619,994	)	(131,912	)

Other operating expenses	(26,744,020	)	(4,362,179	)

Profit before income tax	(29,621,520	)	7,685,243

Income tax expense	(638,107	)	(108,416	)

Profit for the year	(30,259,627	)	7,576,827

Other comprehensive income/(loss): Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:
Fair value adjustment on financial assets, at fair value through other comprehensive income	(32,476,445	)	(10,196,302	)
Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:
Exchange differences on translating foreign operation	(2,873,505	)	(1,584,687	)
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	(35,349,950	)	(11,780,989	)

Total comprehensive income/(loss) for the year	(65,609,577	)	(4,204,162	)

VCI Global Limited and Its Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss) For The Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2025

	December 31, 2025		December 31, 2024
	USD		USD
Profit attributable to:
Equity owners of the Company	(30,259,560	)	7,874,203
Non-controlling interests	(67	)	(297,376	)
Total	(30,259,627	)	7,576,827

Total comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to:
Equity owners of the Company	(65,609,510	)	(3,906,786	)
Non-controlling interests	(67	)	(297,376	)
Total	(65,609,577	)	(4,204,162	)

VCI Global Limited and Its Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows For The Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2025

	December 31, 2025	December 31, 2024
	USD	USD
Operating activities
Profit/loss before income tax	-29,621,520	7,685,243
Adjustment for:
Impairment loss on intangible assets	918,324
Provision for allowance for expected credit losses on trade and other receivables	5,155,117	549,924
Provision for allowance for expected credit losses on other receivables	3,268,968	369,347
Provision for allowance for expected credit losses on loan receivables	31,867	53,252
Non-cash revenue	-4,476,756	-
Acquisition of financial assets in shares	-31,974,000	-
Reversal on impairment allowance of trade receivable	-60,808	-
Reversal on impairment allowance of other receivables	-265,920	-
Reversal on impairment allowance of loan receivables	-5,780	-
Loss on investment	868,346	-
Fair value loss on financial assets, at fair value through profit or loss	-	14,407
Share-based compensation awards	6,651,698	1,890,495
Share option expenses	308,878	-
Director fee paid in shares	4,487,613	-
Share-based payment - consultancy fees	4,511,659	2,900,939
Fair value loss on derivative liabilities through profit and loss	1,067,076	-
Write-off on intangible assets	45,765	4,251
Depreciation of property and equipment	130,652	89,414
Depreciation of right-of-use assets	405,866	148,644
Amortisation of intangible assets	955,970	207,989
Change in working capital, net of effects from acquisition and disposal of subsidiaries	42,108,520	399,540
Bad debt written off	4,271,583	-
Conversion of convertible notes	-	-
Issuance of warrant liabilities	503,709	-
Loss on dissolve of subsidiaries	-	1,033
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities	-	33,977
Interest expenses	619,994	131,912
Interest income	-4,908	-4,140
Operating cash flows before movements in working capital	9,901,913	14,476,227

Trade and other receivables	-15,982,127	11,989,387
Inventories	-257,485	-
Loan receivables	-	-8,717,135
Trade and other payables	8,821,916	4,693,637

Cash generated from/(used in) operations	2,484,217	22,442,116
Income tax (paid)/refund	133,573	-162,609
Net cash from/(used in) operating activities	2,617,790	22,279,507

Investing activities
Acquisition of property and equipment	-953,191	-327,077
Acquisition of intangible assets	-5,920,209	-2,290,423
Interest received	4,908	4,140
Acquisition of financial assets, at fair value through other comprehensive income	-7,515,616	-47,710,805
Proceeds from disposal of financial assets measured at fair value through other comprehensive income	4,248,592	1,678,000
Proceeds from disposal of financial assets, net cash and cash equivalents disposed of	-62,833,133	-
Proceed from disposal of financial assets, at fair value through profit and loss	-	1,785
Net cash (used in)/from investing activities	-72,968,649	-48,644,380

Financing activities
Proceed from issuance of ordinary shares	53,681,106	35,013,797
Proceeds from lease liabilities	1,159,035	-
Repayment of other borrowings	-	-
Repayment from bank borrowings	-9,673	-23,989
Interest paid - Lease obligation	-	-9,491
Interest paid - convertible notes	-	-
Interest paid	-619,994	-
Proceeds from initial public offering, net of transaction cost	-	-
Payment for initial public offering expense	-	-
Payment for lease liabilities	-1,585,022	-160,827
Repayment of advances made from related parties	-439,048	-290,882
Proceeds from issuance of convertible notes	14,000,000	-
Dividend paid		-
Net cash (used in)/from financing activities	66,186,404	34,528,608
Net increase/decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-4,164,455	8,163,735
Foreign exchange effect	-2,995,481	-1,073,291
Cash and bank balances at beginning of year	8,100,899	1,010,455
Cash and bank balances at end of year	940,963	8,100,899

North-East-Based Turntide Receives Initial Battery Production Order from Hitachi Rail for Arriva's Grand Central Intercity UK Battery Trains

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:24:00 +0700

New batteries to enable greener train operations to remove over 600 engines on existing trains, offering lower cost of operations, more range, and path to zero-emissions travel.

Gateshead, U.K., July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Turntide Technologies (Turntide), a global leader in electrification and hybridisation solutions and a long-standing North East manufacturer, received its first order from Hitachi Rail to begin production of its next-generation modular battery system for the first U.K.-manufactured battery trains for Arriva's Grand Central.

First announced on July 2, 2025, this partnership involved an R&D component and has officially moved into production with the potential to support either new battery trains or retrofitting over 600 engines on existing Hitachi Rail U.K. fleets.

This new battery system will allow for lower cost of operations, extended range, and a path to zero-emission travel, while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and improving air quality and noise pollution. Turntide's bespoke batteries are designed to deliver even greater power density in the same footprint of a diesel engine. This battery production is an advanced manufacturing milestone for Arriva's Grand Central new fleet, which is being built in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham by Hitachi Rail.

This latest advancement in battery train technology follows a successful intercity trial which exceeded expectations in 2024. In a U.K.-first, the trial proved that Turntide's battery system can be installed on Hitachi Rail trains to reduce fuel costs by 30% to 50% or deliver zero-emission travel in battery mode. This is especially important for improving air quality in and around stations that are not yet electrified.

"Following several years of close collaboration, we are now moving into production with Hitachi Rail to deliver quieter, more fuel-efficient, and environmentally friendly rail transport in the U.K.," said Steve Hornyak, CEO of Turntide Technologies. "As operators and customers want to be less reliant on fossil fuels, we see growing global demand for hybrid and electric solutions in passenger rail."

With roughly half of the global rail network still relying on diesel, tri-mode systems offer a faster and more cost-effective alternative to installing new electrification infrastructure, which can require significant time and investment.

Koji Agatsuma, Chief Technology Officer Vehicles, Hitachi Rail said, "This milestone shows that the UK does not need to wait for battery train manufacturing capability - it already exists in the North East. Our ?30 million investment, proven trials, the skilled workforce at Newton Aycliffe, and our partnership with Turntide have moved battery trains from concept to reality.

"Combined with our HMAX for Rail digital platform, this technology will reduce energy consumption and optimise battery charging to make greater use of renewable energy when it is most available and grid demand is lower.

"This battery and digital innovation are part of Hitachi Rail's preparation for the next phase of train manufacturing, where battery power will deliver greener and more reliable journeys, while supporting the Government's Northern Growth Strategy."

Paul Hutchings, Arriva's Managing Director for Rail Services, commented, "We're proud to be the very first adopters of this battery technology following our collaboration with Turntide and Hitachi to deliver our new tri-mode trains, which enter the Grand Central fleet from 2028. Our ?300 million investment in a completely new fleet will mean best-in-class, low emission trains delivering more comfortable and sustainable journeys as well as additional capacity on our network."

About Turntide Technologies

Turntide Technologies designs and manufactures best-in-class electric motors, power electronics, energy storage, and thermal equipment for anything that moves.

Turntide Technologies operates in North America, the U.K., and India and serves customers in global markets and industries including off-highway equipment, commercial vehicles, rail, marine, light vehicles, and premium automotive.

#####

Contact Info

Lori Ditoro

Lori.ditoro@turntide.com

+44 191 497 9000

Attachments

High-voltage batteries

High-voltage batteries 2

Recover and Unteks Group Partner to Scale Recycled Cotton in Knitwear

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:16:00 +0700

Madrid, July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recover, a global producer of low‑impact, high‑quality recycled cotton fiber, announces a new partnership with Unteks Group, a vertically integrated textile manufacturer based in Turkey.

The collaboration focuses on the development of circular knit fabrics and garments, combining Recover's recycled cotton fiber with ?nteks Group's integrated capabilities across knitting, dyeing, printing, and garment production.

Designed for high-volume, everyday applications, the collection currently features a range of versatile circular knit constructions, including single jersey (RFCS134 and RFCS110), fleece (RFCS100), interlock (RFCS106), terry (RFCS101), rib 2?1 (RFCS135), and pique, with additional constructions to be introduced as the collection expands. All fabrics will incorporate a minimum of 20% Recover recycled cotton, offering a balance of performance, consistency, reduced environmental impact, and increased transparency across the value chain.

With more than 30 years of textile expertise, Unteks Group brings a strong manufacturing foundation and an integrated production model that enables reliable quality at scale. Its production capacity, reaching up to 1.5 thousand tons of fabric and 1 million garments per month, supports efficient execution and fast time‑to‑market for global brands. Its Turkey‑based manufacturing footprint also provides strategic proximity to Europe, enabling greater flexibility and responsiveness to regional market needs.

"One of the key strengths of Unteks is their ability to take circular knit fabrics through to finished garments with a high level of consistency," said Matthew Neville, Chief Commercial Officer of Recover. "That makes them a strong partner for our collection, where the focus is on translating recycled cotton into everyday products that brands can rely on at scale."

-----

"In circular knits, small variations can impact how a fabric behaves in production," said Hakan Kılı?, CEO of Unteks Group. "A big part of our work with Recover has been adjusting and refining each step so the material runs consistently, from knitting through to the finished garment."

By combining material innovation with industrial‑scale manufacturing, Recover and Unteks Group are expanding the role of recycled cotton in circular knitwear, bringing sustainable materials into everyday product categories.

About Unteks Group

?nteks Group is a vertically integrated textile manufacturer based in Turkey, with more than 30 years of industry expertise. The company specializes in circular knit fabric and garment production, with capabilities spanning knitting, dyeing, printing, and garment manufacturing.

With a strong production footprint across Turkey and advanced manufacturing infrastructure, Unteks delivers high‑quality, scalable textile solutions to global brands. Its integrated operations enable efficient production processes, consistent quality standards, and reliable speed‑to‑market across a wide range of applications.

About Recover

Recover is a leading materials science company and global producer of low-impact, high-quality recycled cotton fiber and cotton blends at scale. Its premium, environmentally friendly, and cost-competitive products are developed in close partnership with the supply chain for global retailers and brands, providing a sustainable solution that drives large-scale change in fashion through business value and inspiration.    

Backed by investment from STORY3 Capital and Goldman Sachs, Recover is on a mission to scale its proprietary technology, create lasting positive environmental impact, and collaborate with brands, retailers, and other change-makers to meet the industry's sustainability targets.

For more information, contact us at press@recoverfiber.com, visit www.recoverfiber.com and follow @recoverfiber on social media.

Contact: press@recoverfiber.com

Contact Info

Recover

press@recoverfiber.com

+34 966 56 80 44

Attachment

Recover x Unteks Press Release

Boehringer Ingelheim reports first-half 2026 sales growth, driven by JARDIANCE and new product launches in the U.S.

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:10:00 +0700

*Strong U.S. demand and new product launches drive first-half sales in Human Pharma

*Net sales reach EUR 15.8 billion, led by JARDIANCE and successful U.S. launches

*Positive Phase III data for survodutide and pipeline progress strengthen long-term outlook

Boehringer Ingelheim reported continued sales growth in the first half of 2026, driven by strong growth in the U.S. due to increased demand for JARDIANCE (empagliflozin) and successful new launches. Group net sales increased by 16.2%* to EUR 15.8 billion, with Human Pharma contributing EUR 13.1 billion and Animal Health EUR 2.6 billion.

Shashank Deshpande, Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors and Head of Human Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim said: "The strong uptake of our new products JASCAYD and HERNEXEOS show the value of the scientific innovation behind these medicines for patients, bringing real progress in areas with significant unmet medical need. In an era of accelerated medical discovery, where the boundaries of what is possible are continuously expanding, innovation-friendly environments such as the United States play a critical role in ensuring new therapies reach patients more rapidly."

Frank H?bler, Member of the Board of Managing Directors responsible for Finance, added: "Our business results show that, in Human Pharma and Animal Health, we successfully navigated a challenging macroeconomic environment and political uncertainties. We remain focused on delivering innovative medicines to patients and animals worldwide. Looking ahead, we need to direct our long-term investments to where they are closest to our growth markets and where they can create the best possible impact for patients. This also includes engaging with governments around the globe to create an environment that appropriately recognizes the value of innovative medicines and ensures patient access."

Human Pharma: Growth supported by key launches

Human Pharma sales grew 20.1%* to EUR 13.1 billion, supported by the new product launches. Established products such as JARDIANCE for the treatment of chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and heart failure remained major growth drivers, contributing EUR 5.7 billion in net sales in the first half of the year. The positive development of JARDIANCE was supported by a large and growing patient base, as well as changes in the U.S. pricing and reimbursement environment, which drove significant volume growth. This trend is in line with Boehringer's commitment to ensuring continued patient access and affordability. Without the JARDIANCE volume effect, the growth of the Human Pharma Business Unit in the first six months would have been in line with the overall pharma market.

The company also saw a successful uptake of its most recent product launches, JASCAYD (nerandomilast) and HERNEXEOS (zongertinib), particularly in the U.S., as both medicines were able to gain significant traction thanks to the innovation-friendly climate in the U.S. but also in China and Japan. Streamlined processes as well as stronger incentives for innovation in these geographies paved the way for swiftly making these breakthrough medicines available to patients.

JASCAYD, for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), saw a strong uptake reflecting the urgent need for new treatment options in a disease area that has seen limited therapeutic progress for many years. Following approvals in the United States, China and Japan, as well as Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and Brazil, JASCAYD is awaiting EU approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

HERNEXEOS, an oral treatment for HER2-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer, marked the company's successful re-entry into oncology after ten years with launches in the U.S., China and Japan. The company expects that HERNEXEOS will be available for European patients only from 2028 after Phase III data becomes available.

Boehringer continued to advance its late-stage pipeline programs during the first half of 2026, realizing significant progress in oncology and cardio-renal-metabolic diseases. Positive Phase III data for survodutide demonstrated the medicine's potential to address metabolic and liver health in addition to overweight and obesity. Progress with a next-generation triple agonist underlines Boehringer's ambition to build a broad obesity and metabolic health portfolio.

At the same time, Boehringer Ingelheim initiated three Phase III oncology trials, reinforcing its goal to expand precision cancer care. The company also advanced key assets such as obrixtamig, an experimental cancer immunotherapy, and apecotrep, an investigational drug targeting kidney disease. Research momentum also continued to be strong, with five new compounds entering clinical trials. The Boehringer Human Pharma R&D pipeline spans around 80 projects.

Animal Health: Focus on new launches and emerging disease outbreaks response

The Animal Health business reported net sales of EUR 2.6 billion in the first six months of 2026, a 0.4%* increase compared to the previous year. The performance reflected a modestly growing animal health market, with increased consumer price sensitivity and fewer veterinary visits in several countries.

The company continues to execute its 2026 launch plan, including LENZELTA, a new vaccine that advances mastitis prevention in dairy cows and has launched in several EU countries, and Eko Vet+ | CANINEBEAT AI, an AI-based solution that helps detect heart murmurs in dogs and has already launched in the U.S., the UK and Germany. Boehringer Ingelheim also continues to support responses to emerging animal disease outbreaks, including New World screwworm in the U.S., after receiving Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) earlier this year from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The company continues to progress its R&D pipeline in Animal Health, with strong candidates across infectious and non-infectious diseases as well as parasiticides, building a solid innovation foundation for the future in pets, equine, and livestock animals.

Outlook

Looking ahead, Boehringer expects that uptake of recent launches, upcoming pipeline milestones, and ongoing investments in innovation will support performance for the remainder of the year and beyond. At the same time, the company will remain focused on navigating a dynamic external environment while maintaining a balanced and disciplined approach to growth.

Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry's top investors in research and development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies that can improve and extend lives in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. Our approximately 54,300 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier and more sustainable tomorrow. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

National Productivity Master Plan Sets Nepal on a Decade-long Path toward Higher Productivity, Competitiveness, and Inclusive Growth

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:05:00 +0700

TOKYO, July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On 14 July 2026, the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) formally handed over the National Productivity Master Plan for Nepal 2026-2036 to the Government of Nepal during an online ceremony jointly organized with the National Productivity and Economic Development Centre (NPEDC) and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies.

The handover marks a significant milestone in Nepal's efforts to place productivity at the heart of national development and strengthen its long-term competitiveness as it transitions from least developed country status.

The 10-year master plan provides Nepal's first comprehensive roadmap for systematically raising productivity across the economy through coordinated reforms, strategic investments, and stronger institutional collaboration. Aligned with Nepal's Sixteenth Plan and Smooth Transition Strategy, it translates national policy priorities into an implementation-oriented agenda supported by clear institutional responsibilities, implementation sequencing, monitoring and evaluation, and a national productivity scorecard.

Covering 2026-36, the master plan identifies the structural constraints limiting productivity growth, including infrastructure bottlenecks, logistical inefficiencies, skill mismatches, limited innovation, financing constraints, policy uncertainty, and uneven technology adoption. It proposes integrated solutions under four strategic goals: improving the business-enabling environment, accelerating innovation-led modernization, building competitiveness and economic complexity, and increasing productivity through climate resilience and inclusion.

"Nepal has an opportunity to demonstrate that productivity is not merely a technocratic exercise but a national pathway to stronger competitiveness, greater economic resilience, and shared prosperity. By translating this master plan into concrete action, Nepal can build a more productive, innovative, and inclusive future for generations to come," said APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata, emphasizing that productivity is fundamental to achieving sustainable economic transformation.

In his remarks, the APO Director for Nepal and Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Krishna Bahadur Raut, reaffirmed the Government of Nepal's strong commitment to implement the master plan: "The Government of Nepal views this document not merely as a report to be archived but as an agenda for national economic reform. We are fully committed to institutionalizing these recommendations given here. The Ministry, alongside the NPEDC, will spearhead the coordination, cross-governmental collaboration, and monitoring mechanisms required to bring these strategic thrusts to life."

Unlike many strategic documents, the master plan provides a practical implementation pathway that sequences reforms from establishing institutional and policy foundations to scaling successful initiatives and ultimately mainstreaming productivity-enhancing measures through federal, provincial, and local government systems. The framework also establishes mechanisms for monitoring progress, strengthening accountability, and supporting evidence-based policy adjustments throughout implementation.

The APO developed the master plan in close collaboration with the Government of Nepal, with technical support from DevTech Systems Inc. through analytical research, international benchmarking, and stakeholder consultations. The APO remains committed to supporting Nepal during implementation by sharing international experience, strengthening institutional capacity, and promoting continuous learning in productivity policy and practice.

The handover of the master plan marks the beginning of Nepal's long-term productivity transformation. Through sustained implementation, strong institutional coordination, and continued public-private collaboration, the master plan is expected to strengthen competitiveness, improve enterprise performance, generate higher-quality employment, and enhance the well-being of the Nepalese people over the coming decade.

About the APO

The APO is a regional intergovernmental organization dedicated to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region through mutual cooperation. Established in 1961, the APO supports its member economies through policy advisory services, capacity building, and knowledge sharing to promote sustainable socioeconomic development.

Contact: pr@apo-tokyo.org

Website: https://www.apo-tokyo.org

Monaco Energy Boat Challenge expands with the launch of the World Series

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:02:00 +0700

MONACO, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After four intense days of action, the curtain falls on the 13th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. Organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco, the event brought together 54 teams from 21 countries, ranging from France, Italy and Switzerland to countries as far away as India, Puerto Rico and China, alongside researchers, shipyards, companies and universities.

One of the major announcements was the launch of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge World Series. The international competition, stretching from Italy to Australia, will create a more competitive pathway for future editions (the 2027 edition is scheduled to take place from 29 June to 3 July).

The first qualifying event will take place on Lake Como, Italy, in April 2027, with the support of Volta27 and Alessandro Volta Foundation, primarily serving European countries with multiple Energy Class entries. A second qualifying event will be launched in Darwin, Australia, providing universities and teams from Asia-Pacific with a direct route to Monaco. Scheduled to debut in 2027, it will serve as the qualifying event for the 2028 Monaco Energy Boat Challenge World Final.

"We started the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge with just two boats in the first year. It wasn't much, but every year we have continued to grow, with more boats and more participants joining the event. Every year we see young people bringing new ideas. In my opinion, there is no other place where so many young people work on yachting projects while presenting genuine innovations. That is something truly unique," explained Bernard d'Alessandri, General Secretary and Managing Director of the Yacht Club de Monaco. "We talk about innovation on boats, but we also talk about the conferences. We have built a high-level conference program that brings together people thinking about the future of yachting," he added.

An all-Italian podium marked the Energy Class at the prize-giving ceremony. Once again, first place went to the University of Bologna Argonauts Team (Italy), followed by Politecnico di Milano and UniGenova. "I'm very happy about the result because we won both the Slalom race and the Championship race. The first one we won for two tenths of a second so it was really close with Milan and for the Championship we won against Croatia for half of a meter. Both were very close," said Massimiliano Scalzulli, pilot for the team. The Swiss Solar Boat Team was crowned overall champion. In the AI Class, first place went to the Adria Autonomous Boat Team (Croatia), while the SeaLab Class was won by Red Wave (Italy).

Among the newcomers this year was Hainan University from China, which designed and built its prototype in less than two months. "We developed this boat with only six students," explained Professor Yijun Shen, Dean of the School of Marine Technology and Equipment. "Its carbon-fibre tubular structure is completely different from most of the boats here. I discovered the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge only last year and immediately decided to create a team because it is a unique opportunity to showcase our research internationally."

One of this year's major innovations was the introduction of e-methanol, showcased by the SURGE Methanol Foiling Team Twente (University of Twente). As J?r?mie Lagarrigue, President of the Challenge's International Jury, explained: "Today, e-methanol is produced by combining green hydrogen with captured CO₂. This allows us to achieve a neutral CO₂ emissions balance."

Lionel Beffre, Minister of the Interior for the Principality of Monaco, visited the teams on the final day of competition, praising the event as another example of Monaco's commitment to innovation, research and environmental transition. In his view, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has become a true laboratory where students, researchers and industry work together to develop tomorrow's maritime solutions. "It is by bringing together different cultures and ideas that we will collectively move forward," he said.

Organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco with the support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, UBS, BMW, SBM Offshore, Monaco City Hall, NatPower H and ESA NanoTech, the event brought together more than 600 students, alongside researchers, industry leaders and shipyards including Safe Harbor, Oceanco, Ferretti Group, Azimut | Benetti Group and L?rssen, all united by a common goal: accelerating the energy transition of the maritime sector.

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

Rodney Strong Vineyards Unveils Bold New Packaging That Honors Heritage While Elevating Modern Appeal

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:57:00 +0700

Healdsburg, California, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rodney Strong Vineyards, one of Sonoma County's pioneering wineries, has unveiled a striking new packaging refresh designed to honor its heritage while connecting with today's wine consumer through modern design and timeless craftsmanship.

More than a design update, the new label marks a strategic evolution for the winery. Rooted in Rodney Strong's legacy as a trailblazing Sonoma winery, the refreshed look introduces a clean, elevated aesthetic that stands out on the shelf and performs across digital platforms-while staying true to the authenticity that has defined the winery for decades.

"This new design is a fresh take on Rodney Strong," said Erica Odden, Vice President of Marketing. "It celebrates where we came from while positioning us for the future-built for both shelf and scroll without compromising the legacy we've built."

The updated label architecture strengthens Rodney Strong's identity across the portfolio, with refined typography, clearer tiering, and bold color cues that increase brand recognition and visual impact. The result is a modern, sophisticated look that signals quality and approachability while making the wines more engaging in both retail and social settings.

The refresh also elevates the winery's Estate tier with a luxe palette of black, gold, and cream accented by foil detailing. The design creates a clear visual bridge to the Reserve tier, reinforcing Rodney Strong's "ladder to luxury" and making trade-up intuitive for consumers.

The new packaging is already hitting shelves and will continue rolling out across Rodney Strong's portfolio throughout the year in retail, restaurant, and online channels nationwide.

About Rodney Strong Vineyards

Founded in 1959 by California wine pioneer Rod Strong as the county's 13th bonded winery, Rodney Strong Vineyards is a family-owned estate winery dedicated to crafting premium wines from Sonoma County's finest appellations, including Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Chalk Hill. For more than 36 years, the winery has flourished under the leadership of the Klein family, fourth-generation California farmers, who are deeply committed to environmental stewardship and innovation. Rodney Strong Vineyards sustainably farms 11 estate vineyards spanning 1,115 acres, producing expressive wines that reflect the character and diversity of Sonoma County. Guided by a passion for quality, hospitality, and long-term sustainability, Rodney Strong Vineyards continues to set the standard for excellence in California winemaking.

Learn more at RodneyStrong.com, or follow on Instagram @rsvineyards.

Attachments

Rodney Strong Vineyards Unveils New Packaging Design

New Look, Same Exceptional Sonoma County Cabernet

Christopher O'Gorman

Rodney Strong Wine Estates

707-433-0998

chrisog@rodneystrong.com

Bipsync and AlphaSense integrate to put clients' institutional knowledge inside market intelligence workflows

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:48:00 +0700

Investment teams can now query their institutional knowledge from Bipsync's system of record directly within AlphaSense

NEW YORK, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bipsync, the AI-powered investment workspace for institutional investors, and AlphaSense, the AI platform redefining market intelligence for the business and financial world, today announced a strategic integration connecting AlphaSense's AI market intelligence capabilities with the structured investment workflows firms maintain in Bipsync.

Investment decisions are shaped by two bodies of knowledge: the market intelligence drawn from earnings calls, company filings, expert transcripts, and broker research, and the institutional knowledge a firm builds through years of research, diligence, and portfolio decisions. AI tools operating on market data alone produce output available to every analyst. The firms that close that gap, combining external intelligence with a governed internal record, give their AI analysis a foundation that reflects how they invest.

The AlphaSense AI market intelligence platform is used by over 7,000 of the world's leading companies - including all the world's top investment banks ? to make better decisions, faster, and with more confidence by putting the right information at their fingertips. It provides a full-stack platform by combining data from its proprietary library of 500 million business documents, synthesizing and analyzing that information in seconds from natural language queries, and delivering integrated research directly into workflow outputs like memos, investment theses, and Excel worksheets.

Bipsync serves as the system-of-record and workflow engine where institutional knowledge is captured, structured, and governed, with each stage of the investment process contributing to a consistent record with tagging, permissions, and version history built in.

The integration makes Bipsync's governed investment record queryable within AlphaSense, so analysts can draw on firm-specific context alongside external market intelligence within a connected environment.

Integration Capabilities

Firm knowledge in context: Query your investment record from Bipsync, including meeting notes, deal records, diligence materials, and client history - directly within AlphaSense with source attribution and permissions preserved.

Workflow continuity: Incorporate Bipsync's research and workflow history into AlphaSense workflows spanning deal evaluation, company analysis, and portfolio monitoring, without switching between platforms.

AI analysis grounded in complete data: With Bipsync's auditable record accessible through AlphaSense, AI-assisted analysis draws on both market signals and internal knowledge within the same permissioned environment.

"Bipsync is where firms structure and govern their institutional knowledge: the research, deal history, and portfolio context that reflects how they think," said Graeme Faulds, Bipsync CEO. "Integrating with AlphaSense means that foundation now informs everything analysts do with external market intelligence. Firms get the best of both: their own IP accessible where it matters most, within the workflows where decisions are being made."

"AlphaSense is where firms bring the market's signal together: filings, transcripts, broker research, and expert calls, alongside the proprietary insights they've created within their walls," said Emma Griffin, Head of Product, Enterprise Intelligence at AlphaSense. "With the Bipsync integration, that now includes a firm's research and deal history. Analysts get the full picture in one workflow, so they can make every decision with clarity and conviction."

The integration is available to mutual clients of AlphaSense and Bipsync. To learn more or request a demo, visit bipsync.com/book-a-demo.

About Bipsync

Bipsync is an AI-powered investment workspace purpose-built for institutional investors. We help teams capture, structure, and leverage collective intelligence at scale - bringing research, decisions, and workflows into a structured system-of-record. Trusted by the world's largest asset owners and fund managers, Bipsync supports customizable, intelligent workflows that power unique investment processes and drive operational excellence. Bring research within reach of every investment decision at www.bipsync.com.

Media Contact:

Chau Mai

cmai@bipsync.com

Articul8 AI and ASME Announce Industry-First Domain-Specific GenAI Model for Engineering Standards

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:43:00 +0700

NEW YORK and SAN JOSE, Calif., July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), one of the world's most respected and longstanding engineering organizations, is collaborating with Articul8 AI, an enterprise domain-specific generative AI company, to announce a first-of-its-kind domain-specific GenAI model for engineering standards.

This announcement represents a major milestone in the modernization of engineering knowledge and demonstrates how AI can be responsibly deployed in high-stakes industrial environments where accuracy, repeatability, auditability, and trust are essential.

The new model transforms how engineers, designers, and technicians interact with ASME's vast library of engineering codes and standards, documents that underpin the safe design and efficient operation of critical infrastructure across aerospace, energy and power, manufacturing, nuclear, petrochemical, oil & gas, and utilities industries worldwide. The GenAI model and collaboration have already drawn strong industry interest and early validation from leading industrial and manufacturing organizations, including several Fortune 500 companies. The response reflects growing demand for AI systems purpose-built for the precision and accuracy that engineering standards require.

ASME: Leading the Responsible and Scalable Adoption of AI in Engineering

Founded in 1880, ASME has played a foundational role in advancing engineering safety, reliability, and innovation for nearly 150 years. With more than 72,000 members across 130 countries, and approximately 600 codes and standards, including the globally adopted Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, ASME helps define the safety and performance benchmarks for critical systems used by millions of engineers worldwide.

By collaborating with Articul8 to develop a domain-specific AI model for its standards, ASME is taking a leadership role in demonstrating how AI can be responsibly deployed in high-stakes engineering contexts; not as a replacement for human expertise, but as a force multiplier that makes decades of accumulated engineering knowledge more accessible, searchable, and actionable for frontline product and systems designers, builders and implementers across industry sectors and engineering disciplines.

Scaling Domain-Specific AI Across Critical Industries

This announcement marks the latest milestone in Articul8's mission to build domain-specific GenAI models for the world's most demanding industries.

The model leverages Articul8's proprietary data perception product that autonomously builds a knowledge graph using domain-specific models along with unique domain-alignment methodologies to create a purpose-built system that understands the language, structure, and technical nuance of engineering standards. While the domain-specific model serves as a primary interface for interacting with engineering standards, organizations will also be able to access the underlying engineering knowledge through application programming interfaces (APIs), model context protocol (MCP) interfaces, and knowledge graph services. This broader architecture enables customers to incorporate ASME standards intelligence into digital engineering tools, enterprise systems, and agentic AI workflows using the access model that best fits their environment. The platform is designed to operate across cloud and on-premises environments, enabling organizations to deploy AI within highly regulated and security-sensitive operational environments.

The collaboration also demonstrates how domain-specific AI systems can help organizations move beyond experimentation with general-purpose AI tools toward production-grade systems built for high-stakes decision-making and operational workflows.

Quotes

Tom Costabile, Executive Director/CEO, ASME:

"For nearly 150 years, ASME has been at the forefront of engineering innovation. As the industrial sector enters a new era of AI-driven transformation, we have a responsibility to lead in demonstrating how AI can be applied safely and effectively in engineering. Our collaboration with Articul8 will help transform ASME's engineering standards into trusted digital intelligence that can be accessed through AI applications, enterprise integrations, knowledge graph services, and emerging agentic workflows, making decades of engineering expertise more accessible while preserving the rigor and trust that define ASME standards. This is how we make nearly 150 years of accumulated engineering knowledge work harder for the next generation."

Dr. Arun Subramaniyan, Founder and CEO, Articul8 AI:

"Industrial AI requires far greater precision, context, and accountability than general-purpose systems were designed to provide. ASME's codes and standards are the safety backbone of industries ranging from nuclear energy to aerospace, and represent some of the most valuable and trusted knowledge systems in the world. By collaborating with ASME, we are helping transform decades of engineering expertise into operational intelligence that can support the next generation of industrial AI applications. This is how enterprise AI scales, through systems that are purpose-built for the realities of specific domains."

Setting the Stage for GenAI in the Industrial Sector

The Articul8-ASME collaboration signals a broader inflection point for AI adoption in the industrial sector, as well as for standards developers and solutions providers. As organizations move beyond experimentation with general-purpose AI chatbots, the demand for domain-specific models trained on proprietary, expert-curated data and purpose-built for high-stakes decision-making, is rapidly accelerating.

Articul8's growing portfolio of domain-specific models, spanning industries such as energy (A8-Energy), semiconductors (A8-Semicon), supply chain (A8-SupplyChain), financial services (A8-Fin), and now engineering standards, demonstrates a repeatable, scalable approach to enterprise GenAI that prioritizes accuracy, traceability, and domain expertise over model size.

For additional information from ASME, please contact shovlinm@asme.org or request additional information from Articul8 at pradeep@articul8.ai.

About Articul8 AI

Articul8 AI is the enterprise domain-specific generative AI company. Launched in January 2024, Articul8 builds domain-specific GenAI platform for mission-critical, regulated industries including energy, manufacturing, aerospace and defense, financial services, semiconductors, and telecommunications. The company's proprietary technology including its ModelMesh autonomous reasoning engine, domain-specific model library, and Data Perception and Asset Performance Management Suites, enables enterprises to unlock value from complex proprietary data with enterprise-grade accuracy, security, and compliance. Articul8 is SOC 2 Type II certified and available on AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Databricks marketplaces. For more information, visit articul8.ai.

About ASME

ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real-world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education, and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. In 2020, ASME formed the International Society of Interdisciplinary Engineers (ISIE) II & III LLC, a new for-profit subsidiary to house business ventures that will bring new and innovative products, services, and technologies to the engineering community. For more information, visit www.asme.org.

Media Contacts:

Articul8 AI Pradeep Salapakkam, pradeep@articul8.ai, +1 513-402-0493

ASME Monica Shovlin, shovlinm@asme.org, +1 541-554-3796

Cloudera and VAST Data Announce Strategic Partnership to Deliver AI Data Platform Anywhere

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:36:00 +0700

Combining Cloudera's next-generation lakehouse data services with VAST's AI Operating System, leveraging the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design, this joint solution eliminates GPU starvation and accelerates enterprise AI

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cloudera, the only company bringing AI to data anywhere, today

announced a strategic partnership with VAST Data, the AI Operating System company, to deliver a unified AI factory, a scalable production environment where data is continuously ingested, refined, governed, and delivered to AI models for training and inference. This infrastructure is available for enterprises operating across on-premises environments and public clouds, enabling a consistent AI operating model while allowing organizations to deploy AI services wherever performance, compliance and cost requirements are best met. The collaboration integrates Cloudera's next-generation containerized data services with the VAST AI Operating System - which unifies high-performance storage, database, and global namespace capabilities to power large-scale AI, analytics, and mission-critical data workloads. This data-platform layer, based on the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design, turns latent enterprise data into AI-ready data that fuels the AI factory.

As organizations race to deploy generative and agentic AI, many are discovering that traditional architectures were not designed to support continuous AI pipelines spanning data preparation, training, inference, and analytics. One consequence is GPU starvation, where expensive accelerator clusters sit idle waiting for data. The joint solution addresses this challenge by ensuring data can move efficiently through the AI lifecycle while keeping GPUs continuously fed with high-throughput, low-latency data, dramatically improving utilization, performance, and return on investment.

Building the Enterprise AI Factory

Cloudera's lakehouse architecture provides portable, containerized data services, including data engineering, streaming, analytics, machine learning, and AI, all deployable consistently across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. VAST's Disaggregated Shared Everything architecture serves as the foundation of the VAST AI Operating System, delivering exabyte-scale data infrastructure, integrating vector database services with NVIDIA cuVS for GPU-accelerated vector indexing and search, and high-performance storage optimized for modern GPU clusters and AI workloads. Together, VAST's AI OS leveraging the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design, with NVIDIA-accelerated computing, transforms latent enterprise data into activated AI-ready data, while Cloudera delivers data engineering, analytics, governance, and AI services on top.

Together, the companies deliver:

*A unified AI factory architecture from raw data ingestion to model deployment

*Consistent operations anywhere across data centers, private cloud, and public cloud

*Elimination of GPU starvation through ultra-high-bandwidth, low-latency data pipelines

*Significantly improved compute efficiency by ensuring GPUs operate at sustained utilization levels

*Superior storage performance at scale for structured, unstructured, and multimodal datasets

*Secure private AI environments with enterprise governance and compliance

This architecture enables organizations to move from isolated AI experiments to production-grade AI systems that continuously transform enterprise data into actionable intelligence for training, inference, analytics, and agentic applications.

This partnership also furthers solutions that create private AI factories by combining NVIDIA AI infrastructure, NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, the VAST AI OS as the foundational data platform and enterprise data and AI services from Cloudera into an optimized solution for private and sovereign AI. The Cloudera AI Inference Service, as one of the solutions, accelerated by NVIDIA NIM microservices, enables organizations to bring AI to their data where they can deploy and scale any model, including the latest NVIDIA Nemotron open models.

Customers will be able to accelerate Apache Spark workloads with NVIDIA cuDF to transparently accelerate Cloudera Data Engineering workloads by allowing Spark jobs to leverage VAST's high-throughput data services via GPU-accelerated processing, supporting even more AI workload optimization.

For large enterprises, especially those in highly regulated industries, this represents a full "silicon-to-application" solution for building production-grade AI systems, anywhere.

Driving Significant Mutual Growth

The partnership combines 60 exabytes worth of customer-managed data, unlocking substantial new opportunities for both companies and their customers. This is coupled with an increasing enterprise demand for private AI infrastructure, creating a significant pipeline and future revenue growth opportunities.

"Enterprises are investing billions in GPUs, yet many struggle to achieve full utilization due to data bottlenecks," said Abhas Ricky, Chief Business Officer & GM, Applied AI at Cloudera. "Our partnership with VAST eliminates GPU starvation and enables customers to build true AI factories-where data flows seamlessly from ingestion to insight."

"Most enterprises already have the data they need for AI. The challenge is unlocking the value in data to create a continuous pipeline of AI inference, fine-tuning, and data analysis to build the next generation of intelligent applications," said Jeff Denworth, Co-Founder at VAST Data. "Together, Cloudera and VAST are helping customers build AI factories that connect data, intelligence, and infrastructure into a single operational platform for AI across hybrid environments."

The joint Cloudera?VAST AI factory solution is available immediately through both companies' enterprise sales teams and partner ecosystems. Reference architectures, validated deployment patterns, and industry-specific solutions will continue to expand throughout 2026.

To learn more, visit our VAST partnership page or register for our upcoming global event series, EVOLVE26 to learn how enterprises are unlocking greater value from their data, analytics, and AI initiatives.

About Cloudera

Cloudera is the only hybrid data and AI platform company that large organizations trust to bring AI to their data anywhere it lives. Unlike other providers, Cloudera delivers a consistent cloud experience that converges public clouds, on-prem data centers, and the edge, leveraging a proven open-source foundation. As the pioneer in big data, Cloudera empowers businesses to apply AI and assert control over 100% of their data, in all forms, improving security, governance, and real-time and predictive insights. The world's largest brands across all industries rely on Cloudera to transform decision-making and ultimately boost bottom lines, safeguard against threats, and save lives.

To learn more, visit Cloudera.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. c2026 Cloudera and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cloudera, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About VAST Data

VAST Data is the AI Operating System company - powering the next generation of intelligent systems with a unified software infrastructure stack that was purpose-built to unlock the full potential of AI. The VAST AI OS consolidates foundational data and compute services and agentic execution into one scalable platform, enabling organizations to deploy and facilitate communication between AI agents, reason over real-time data, and automate complex workflows at global scale. Built on VAST's breakthrough DASE architecture ? the world's first true parallel distributed system architecture that eliminates tradeoffs between performance, scale, simplicity, and resilience ? VAST has transformed its modern infrastructure into a global fabric for reasoning AI. Learn more at vastdata.com and follow VAST Data on LinkedIn, YouTube and X.

Contact

Jess Hohn-Cabana

cloudera@v2comms.com

SoftServe Acquires NewVision Software, Adding India-Based Expertise Including Agentic Assurance and Intelligent Managed Services

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:28:00 +0700

Acquisition strengthens SoftServe's ability to support complex technology transformation programs across regions.

AUSTIN, Texas, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SoftServe, an AI and technology services company, today announced its acquisition of NewVision Software, an India-based technology services firm specializing in agentic assurance, product engineering and intelligent managed services. The acquisition strengthens SoftServe's ability to support clients across complex transformation initiatives globally.

NewVision brings capabilities that meet growing demand for a delivery network aligned to where clients operate - including a growing number of SoftServe clients with Global Capability Centers in India.

"NewVision's acquisition is a strategic step in our effort to be closer to clients in every region where they operate and to deliver value across the full lifecycle of their technological transformations," said Harry Propper, CEO of SoftServe. "Together, NewVision's leadership, our shared culture, and our commitment to engineering excellence are broadening our ability to help organizations turn technology into a force for growth and lasting impact."

The combined organization will help clients deploy and integrate transformation initiatives more effectively into day-to-day operations and long-term business strategies. Through closer alignment with clients' global operating models, SoftServe and NewVision will bring greater responsiveness, continuity and delivery capacity to large-scale programs.

"We have always believed that when the potential of talented people converges with the power of technology, infinite possibilities emerge," said Kapil Godani, CEO of NewVision. "In SoftServe, we found a partner who shares this belief and brings world-class engineering excellence and a deep commitment to client success. Together, we can offer clients broader capabilities, greater scale and the ability to accelerate AI initiatives with confidence, while continuing to provide the collaborative, hands-on partnership our teams are known for."

CEO Kapil Godani, COO Balan Ramaswamy and the leadership team will continue leading the NewVision organization, providing continuity for clients, employees and partners.

SoftServe currently employs more than 10,000 people across 15 countries. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition reflects SoftServe's strategy to deepen its global capabilities while moving closer to clients, strengthening its capacity to deliver enterprise solutions with greater speed and operational excellence.

NewVision will operate under its current name and brand as a wholly owned SoftServe company.

To learn more about SoftServe's strategic growth with NewVision, please visit softserveinc.com/en-us/about-us/softserve-acquires-newvision

ABOUT SOFTSERVE

SoftServe is a technology services company specializing in autonomous enterprises with capabilities in AI-native applications, physical and agentic AI, cloud and data solutions. We believe technology should do more than work?it can elevate anything. We decode complexity to unlock its full potential, combining creative thinking, deep sector expertise, and precision engineering to imagine and build what's next. From strategy to execution, we turn technology into a force for growth and lasting impact.

Our global reputation is gained from more than 30 years of experience delivering superior digital solutions at exceptional speed by top-tier engineering talent to enterprise industries, including high tech, financial services, healthcare, life sciences, retail, energy, and manufacturing. Visit our website, blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (Twitter) pages for more information.

ABOUT NEWVISION SOFTWARE

NewVision Software is a global IT consulting and services leader, driving digital transformation through cutting-edge software product engineering, intelligent managed services, robust agentic assurance, and cloud-enabled modernization. Anchored in AI technologies, we empower businesses with intelligent, data-driven solutions that accelerate agility, foster innovation, and ensure adaptability in an evolving market.

With a global presence spanning the U.S., Middle East, and India, NewVision partners with leading technology providers to deliver AI-augmented solutions that maximize cost efficiency and operational excellence across industries. Our deep technical expertise combined with industry insights enables us to co-create transformative via dedicated centers of excellence, accelerators, and industry best practices helping organizations to continuously innovate and ensure impactful outcomes.

MEDIA CONTACT

SoftServe Communications Team

PR@softserveinc.com

First Energy Africa Oil Corp. Strengthens Board with Appointment of Industry Veterans Simon Akit and Frederick Kozak

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:24:00 +0700

New directors bring 60 years of combined capital markets and resource industry expertise

CALGARY, ALBERTA - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 July 2026 - First Energy Africa Oil Corp. ("First Energy Africa" or the "Corporation"), a Calgary-based energy corporation , today announced the appointment of Simon Akit and Frederick Kozak to its Board of Directors, effective July 13th, 2026.

Mr. Akit is founder and managing partner of a resource advisory firm, bringing more than 25 years of experience in Canadian and U.S. capital markets and seven years of engineering and operations experience in the resource industry. He has held senior capital markets and leadership roles at Ventum Financial, Canaccord Genuity, among others and has raised over $5 billion in equity and debt financing for resource companies from institutional investors across Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia. He holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, is a Professional Engineer (APEGA) and currently serves on the boards of several public and private companies.

A Canaccord Genuity former oil and gas research analyst, Kozak is an award winning financial analyst and corporate executive. He brings more than 40 years of experience in the resource and capital markets sector with a focus in Africa and South America. Mr. Kozak holds an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. He is a Professional Engineer (APEGA) with Lifetime status in Alberta and currently serves on the boards of one public company and one private company.

"Simon and Fred are bringing complementary technical and capital markets seniority required for our complex business. We are confident their contributions will set the right approach on our strategic priorities," said Jeff Ruskowsky, President, First Energy Africa

The Corporation remains committed to upholding the highest standards of governance and sustainability as it continues to responsibly unlock value across its resource portfolio.

About First Energy Africa Oil

First Energy Africa Oil Corp. is a privately held Canadian corporation pursuing exploration and block acquisitions in sub-Saharan Africa. The Company is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #FirstEnergyAfricaOil

ConnectOne Bank is Building the Future of Commercial Lending on nCino's Agentic Operating System

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:20:00 +0700

Already ranked in the nation's top 1% in efficiency, the Bank is building a suite of AI agents on nCino with a goal to make every frontline commercial banker 50% more productive

WILMINGTON, N.C., July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- nCino, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCNO), the platform for agentic AI banking, today announced that ConnectOne Bank is actively deploying nCino's embedded AI capabilities across its commercial lending operations. Through a combination of nCino Banking Advisor capabilities now live in production and two custom AI agents built on the nCino Agentic Operating System (AOS), ConnectOne is expanding what its bankers can do and laying the foundation for a new level of operational performance.

"When we adopted nCino, we needed a tool that could strengthen our efficient operating model as we scaled, while supporting our speed to market," said Frank Sorrentino III, Chairman and CEO at ConnectOne Bank. "In this next chapter, we are working with nCino to reimagine how our teams work. By leveraging nCino's investments in AI, we can remove friction & administrative burden from our workflows, and double down on ConnectOne's competitive advantage - our ability to serve our clients at the pace of their business."

Early Results

Banking Advisor's Knowledge Base capability is live in the nCino Commercial Banking Solution at the Bank, and the results are already clear. Document search, a task that previously took bankers 20 minutes, now takes as little as 30 seconds, a 97.5% reduction in time spent searching credit policy and job aid documentation. Adoption has followed, with active users growing 41% in just 10 weeks.

The AOS enables financial institutions to deploy nCino's native Banking Advisor capabilities out of the box, then build on top of them using their own workflows, data and institutional knowledge, all governed within the same trust infrastructure that underlies nCino's own Digital Partners, role-based agents, ensuring every AI-assisted action is auditable, explainable and under the institution's control.

ConnectOne has started with two agents targeting the high-friction, time-consuming tasks that have long defined commercial lending, comprising 16 unique skills with additional capabilities rolling out over the coming months. One agent, which uses Document Intelligence to update individual and business relationships, has already reduced task time by 60%.

nCino's forward deployed engineering team worked alongside ConnectOne Bank team members to design, build and refine the agent suite directly within the institution's environment, compressing what would traditionally be a multi-year transformation into an active, iterative deployment measured in weeks.

Building Toward 50%

At nSight, nCino's annual industry conference, Sorrentino shared how the deployment fits into ConnectOne's broader ambition: "We are one of the most efficient banks in the country. I believe with the things we're working on today together with nCino, we are going to be able to make every single one of our frontline people 50 percent more efficient. Fifty percent means our bankers will work a thousand hours less on things that don't matter and a thousand hours more on the things that do."

"Frank had the same questions about AI every banking leader has right now; the same board conversations, the same concerns," said Sean Desmond, CEO at nCino. "The difference is he made a choice to focus on outcomes over checking a box. And the results speak to what that looks like when you build the right foundation and actually commit to it. Frank and his team have turned AI into a measurable operational advantage across the entire lending lifecycle, and the work they're doing on the AOS puts them ahead of where most of the industry is even trying to get to."

About ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc.

ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc., is a modern financial services company that operates, through its subsidiary, ConnectOne Bank, and the Bank's fintech subsidiary, BoeFly, Inc. ConnectOne Bank is a high-performing commercial bank offering a full suite of banking & lending products and services that focus on small to middle-market businesses. BoeFly, Inc. is a fintech marketplace that connects borrowers in the franchise space with funding solutions through a network of partner banks. ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. is traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the trading symbol "CNOB," and information about ConnectOne may be found at https://www.connectonebank.com.

About nCino

nCino (NASDAQ: NCNO) is the platform for agentic AI banking. With over 2,700 customers worldwide - including community banks, credit unions, independent mortgage banks, and the largest financial entities globally - nCino offers a trusted, agentic platform purpose-built for financial services and regulated industries. By deploying AI agents alongside human teams, nCino's dual workforce enables institutions to eliminate inefficiencies, sharpen decision-making and deliver better outcomes for the customers they serve. For more information, visit www.ncino.com.

Media Contact

Riley Keyzer

press@ncino.com

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements about nCino's financial and operating results, which include statements regarding nCino's future performance, outlook, guidance, the benefits from the use of nCino's solutions, our strategies, and general business conditions. Forward-looking statements generally include actions, events, results, strategies and expectations and are often identifiable by use of the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "could," "might," or "continues" or similar expressions and the negatives thereof. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon nCino's historical performance and its current plans, estimates, and expectations and are not a representation that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These forward-looking statements represent nCino's expectations as of the date of this press release. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change and, except as may be required by law, nCino does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to risks associated with (i) adverse changes in the financial services industry, including as a result of customer consolidation or bank failures; (ii) adverse changes in economic, regulatory, or market conditions, including as a direct or indirect consequence of higher interest rates; (iii) risks associated with acquisitions we undertake, (iv) breaches in our security measures or unauthorized access to our customers' or their clients' data; (v) the accuracy of management's assumptions and estimates; (vi) our ability to attract new customers and succeed in having current customers expand their use of our solution, including in connection with our migration to an asset-based pricing model; (vii) competitive factors, including pricing pressures and migration to asset-based pricing, consolidation among competitors, entry of new competitors, the launch of new products and marketing initiatives by our competitors, and difficulty securing rights to access or integrate with third party products or data used by our customers; (viii) the rate of adoption of our newer solutions and the results of our efforts to sustain or expand the use and adoption of our more established solutions; (ix) fluctuation of our results of operations, which may make period-to-period comparisons less meaningful; (x) our ability to manage our growth effectively including expanding outside of the United States; (xi) adverse changes in our relationship with Salesforce; (xii) our ability to successfully acquire new companies and/or integrate acquisitions into our existing organization; (xiii) the loss of one or more customers, particularly any of our larger customers, or a reduction in the number of users our customers purchase access and use rights for; (xiv) system unavailability, system performance problems, or loss of data due to disruptions or other problems with our computing infrastructure or the infrastructure we rely on that is operated by third parties; (xv) our ability to maintain our corporate culture and attract and retain highly skilled employees; and (xvi) the outcome and impact of legal proceedings and related fees and expenses. **

Octave to Report Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results on August 12

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:16:00 +0700

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Octave Intelligence plc (Nasdaq New York: OCTV and Nasdaq Stockholm: OCTV SDB), a global leader in software for the world's mission-critical facilities and infrastructure, will release its second quarter 2026 financial results on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, before the U.S. financial market open.

The company will host a conference call that same day to discuss its results and business outlook at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. To register for the live event, please visit: https://octave-q2-earnings-call-2026.open-exchange.net/

A live webcast of the conference call and the financial results press release will be accessible from the Octave investor relations website at investors.octave.com. A webcast replay of the call will be available at investors.octave.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Octave Investor Contact: Elizabeth Chwalk, VP, Investor Relations, elizabeth.chwalk@octave.com

Media Contact: media@octave.com

About Octave:

Octave provides mission-critical software that empowers organizations to make informed decisions across every stage of the asset lifecycle - Design, Build, Operate and Protect - where performance, safety and reliability are non-negotiable and failure is not an option.

Turning complex operational data into actionable intelligence, Octave connects expertise, real-world conditions and enterprise-scale insight to improve performance, resilience and incident response where it matters most.

Octave has approximately 7,200 employees in 45 countries. Learn more at octave.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

HKUST dan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, Sains, dan Teknologi Indonesia Memperkuat Kemitraan melalui Kerangka Kerja Beasiswa Garuda untuk Mencetak Talenta Unggul

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:06:00 +0700

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 Juli 2026 - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) dan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, Sains, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia telah menandatangani Nota Kesepahaman baru untuk menegakkan pelaksanaan kerangka kerja beasiswa yang didanai oleh Pemerintah Indonesia dan ditujukan untuk mencetak talenta masa depan yang unggul.

Salah satu pilar utama kolaborasi ini adalah integrasi Beasiswa Garuda yang baru diluncurkan oleh Pemerintah Indonesia guna mendukung lebih banyak mahasiswa berprestasi dalam menempuh pendidikan sarjana di HKUST. Melanjutkan perjanjian kerja sama yang ditetapkan pada Mei 2024, Nota Kesepahaman yang baru ini memperkuat kerangka kerja beasiswa secara resmi sekaligus membuka peluang bagi kedua belah pihak untuk menjajaki berbagai sinergi lebih lanjut dalam program magang mahasiswa, pertukaran akademik, dan inisiatif penelitian bersama guna mendorong inovasi di bidang pendidikan tinggi.

Perjanjian tersebut baru-baru ini ditandatangani oleh Prof. Badri Munir SUKOCO, Pelaksana Tugas Sekretaris Jenderal Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, Sains, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia, dan Dr. Alison LLOYD, Associate Provost (Strategi Akademik dan Analitik Data) HKUST. Melalui pelaksanaan perjanjian ini, HKUST akan menyambut angkatan kelima mahasiswa sarjana asal Indonesia yang memperoleh beasiswa dari pemerintah pada tahun akademik mendatang yang dimulai pada September tahun ini.

Selain memberikan dukungan beasiswa bagi mahasiswa sarjana, HKUST dan pemerintah Indonesia juga secara aktif membahas perluasan cakupan kerja sama pada masa mendatang dalam pertemuan terbaru mereka. Kedua belah pihak berkomitmen untuk menjajaki berbagai peluang inisiatif penelitian bersama, pertukaran pengetahuan akademik, program mobilitas mahasiswa dan dosen, serta penyelenggaraan program magang yang diakui sebagai bagian dari perolehan kredit akademik. Berbagai upaya tersebut bertujuan memperluas wawasan global mahasiswa, membekali mereka dengan pengalaman kerja praktis, serta mempersiapkan mereka secara lebih baik untuk meraih kesuksesan karier pada masa depan.

Dr. Alison LLOYD, Associate Provost (Strategi Akademik dan Analitik Data) HKUST, mengatakan, "HKUST merupakan institusi pendidikan tinggi pertama di Hong Kong yang menjalin kemitraan dengan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, Sains, dan Teknologi Indonesia dalam membina mahasiswa sarjana Indonesia yang berprestasi. Kami merasa sangat terhormat atas kepercayaan dan dukungan berkelanjutan dari Pemerintah Indonesia terhadap keunggulan akademik HKUST. Mahasiswa Indonesia merupakan bagian yang tidak terpisahkan dari komunitas internasional kami, yang memperkaya kehidupan kampus melalui bakat, perspektif, dan prestasi mereka yang konsisten di berbagai bidang ilmu. Penandatanganan perjanjian baru ini merupakan tonggak penting dalam kemitraan kami. Di masa mendatang, HKUST akan memanfaatkan keunggulannya sepenuhnya di bidang pendidikan, penelitian terdepan, dan alih pengetahuan untuk mewujudkan tujuan bersama dengan Indonesia di berbagai bidang, seperti transformasi digital, energi hijau, dan inovasi bisnis. Bersama-sama, kami bertekad mencetak para pemimpin masa depan yang memiliki wawasan global, pola pikir inovatif, dan rasa tanggung jawab sosial yang kuat guna memberikan dorongan baru bagi pembangunan berkelanjutan di Indonesia, kawasan ASEAN, dan dunia."

Prof. Ardi FINDYARTINI, Direktur Strategi dan Sistem Pembelajaran Transformatif di Direktorat Jenderal Sains dan Teknologi, Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, Sains, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia, mengatakan, "Kemitraan ini merupakan tonggak penting dalam komitmen kami untuk mengembangkan para pemimpin masa depan Indonesia melalui inisiatif Beasiswa Garuda. Dengan menempatkan mahasiswa sarjana berbakat kami dalam ekosistem akademik dan penelitian berkelas dunia, kami tidak hanya memperluas wawasan global mereka, tetapi juga membekali mereka dengan kompetensi penting untuk masa depan. Kami sangat menghargai kepercayaan dan kerja sama jangka panjang HKUST, dan kami yakin sinergi ini akan memberikan kontribusi besar bagi ekosistem Garuda.

Saat ini, mahasiswa Indonesia merupakan kelompok mahasiswa sarjana internasional terbesar kedua di HKUST. Berdasarkan kemitraan yang kuat ini, kini HKUST menjadi perguruan tinggi di Hong Kong dengan jumlah mahasiswa sarjana penerima beasiswa Pemerintah Indonesia terbanyak. Para mahasiswa tersebut dipilih melalui proses seleksi yang ketat dari sekolah menengah terbaik di seluruh Indonesia dan mewakili talenta muda paling menjanjikan di Indonesia.

Perjanjian ini akan semakin mengoptimalkan kemampuan HKUST dalam pengajaran dan penelitian berkelas dunia untuk mencetak talenta unggul yang sejalan dengan prioritas pembangunan nasional Indonesia. Saat ini, sebagian besar mahasiswa Indonesia penerima beasiswa menempuh pendidikan pada program Teknik, Bisnis dan Manajemen, Sains, serta Bioteknologi. Di masa yang akan datang, kedua belah pihak berencana menjajaki peluang untuk memperluas kerja sama dalam penelitian mutakhir serta berbagai inisiatif pendidikan dan pengembangan talenta yang berdampak besar, sehingga memberikan dorongan baru bagi pembangunan sosial dan ekonomi di Hong Kong maupun Indonesia.

Hashtag: #HKUST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Xebia Axis Now Available: An Agentic Data Foundation That Prepares Enterprise Data for AI

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:59:00 +0700

AI agents paired with expert human engineers to transform enterprise data, a crucial step toward becoming an Agentic Enterprise

ATLANTA, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xebia, a global AI-first, digital transformation, and engineering leader, announced Xebia Axis: Agentic Data Foundation, a solution that gets enterprise data ready for AI with the speed of automation and the discipline of governed engineering.

It combines proprietary AI agents with human data engineering teams to assess, migrate, monitor, and operate enterprise data platforms, completing migrations roughly three times faster than conventional, human-led delivery without trading away governance or data quality.

The solution addresses a change in how enterprise data is consumed. Data platforms were designed for people who can work around inconsistencies. Autonomous AI agents act on data as they find it. Xebia Axis makes the data, governance, and controls that those agents rely on consistent, auditable, and production-ready. Human teams set strategy and govern quality, while agents execute with roughly 10 times the leverage of a purely human-led team.

At a Glance

*What it is: A single solution that assesses, builds, migrates, monitors, and operates enterprise data platforms, providing the foundation for an Agentic Enterprise.

*How it works: Human teams set strategy and govern quality throughout the lifecycle. Proprietary AI agents perform assessment, migration, monitoring, and remediation tasks.

*Six modules: Readiness, Platform, Knowledge, Migration, Observability, and Operations.

*Timeline: Organizations move from data sprawl to a production-ready, self-healing data platform in weeks rather than the months legacy approaches require.

*Governance: Access control, audit logging, data residency, and bias controls are part of the platform rather than added afterward.

*Interoperability: Works across major cloud platforms and large language models; no single-vendor requirement.

"Enterprises have spent years moving data to the cloud, but many still cannot put AI into production because the underlying data and governance are not ready," said Anand Sahay, Chief Executive Officer, Xebia. "Xebia Axis closes that gap, so our clients can move to an Agentic Enterprise faster than competitors still wrestling with legacy data platforms."

How Xebia Axis Works

Xebia Axis covers the full data lifecycle in one solution rather than the separate tools enterprises typically assemble for each stage. Six modules run from initial assessment through ongoing operations: Readiness maps the data estate and produces a prioritized migration blueprint; Platform generates governed, policy-validated infrastructure as code; Knowledge converts content held in documents, email, and disconnected systems into a governed data layer for AI; Migration automates data and pipeline conversion with parity checks before cutover; Observability monitors data quality, service levels, and agent activity; and Operations performs root-cause analysis after go-live and submits fixes as pull requests for human review.

Agents operate within controls for access, audit logging, and data residency, and data remains within the client's environment. Xebia Axis works across major cloud platforms, including Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, Databricks, Snowflake, and Microsoft Fabric, and major large language models, including Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, and Mistral AI.

"The same agent technology that makes data debt urgent also makes it faster to resolve," said Niels Zeilemaker, Xebia's Global CTO Data & AI. "Xebia Axis puts purpose-built agents alongside senior engineers to build and run data platforms in production, with governance built into the platform itself."

Built on Partner Platforms

Xebia Axis is built to run on the platforms enterprises already rely on. As a partner of Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Databricks, and Snowflake, Xebia deploys it natively on each. It provisions governed environments, migrates workloads, and operates pipelines within the customer's chosen stack. Because the solution is platform- and model-agnostic, organizations can integrate these clouds and data platforms with their preferred large language models and adapt as their architecture evolves.

Early Xebia Axis Engagements Across Industries

*A global bank used the solution to consolidate fraud and credit data from separate batch systems into one governed platform with real-time access for its detection models. Cloud data-platform modernizations for banks of this size and medium complexity typically reduce infrastructure costs by 30 to 50 percent within the first two years.

*A global airline applied Xebia Axis to modernize fragmented operational and customer data. By automating estate discovery, code conversion, and validation, Axis completes migrations roughly three times faster than conventional means. It brings traditional migrations, which usually last 12 to 18 months, down to a few months.

*A global retailer used the solution to consolidate duplicate pipelines into a single, governed, continuously monitored platform to address data-quality failures. The retailer has benefited from more consistent, trustworthy data across its reporting and operations, with issues caught and resolved before they reach downstream systems.

Availability

Xebia Axis is available globally today. Organizations can begin with Xebia Axis for Readiness as a standalone assessment, which produces a data readiness score, estate inventory, and migration roadmap in two to four weeks; assessment fees are credited toward a subsequent migration. More information is available at: www.Xebia.AI/Axis

Recently, Xebia launched Xebia Ace, an AI-Native Engineering solution. It is an AI-Native software engineering framework designed for pragmatic, outcome-driven modernization and digital transformation, which embeds AI across the entire SDLC to accelerate delivery by up to 40%.

About Xebia

Xebia is a global AI-first, digital transformation, and engineering partner. With over 25 years of experience and a team of 4,500+ professionals across 16 countries, Xebia specializes in artificial intelligence, data and cloud, intelligent automation, and digital products and platforms. With a strong focus on engineering excellence and a people-first culture, it equips organizations to apply emerging technologies that accelerate business innovation and drive sustainable competitive advantage. Xebia leads with a responsible and human-centric approach to AI, ensuring organizations shape a better tomorrow for all.

Media Contact

Maureen Elsberry

Global VP of Communications at Xebia

maureen.elsberry@xebia.com

DITP Launches THAI SELECT Festival 2026 in New York to Strengthen U.S. Market Opportunities for Thailand's Food Industry

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:56:00 +0700

NEW YORK, USA - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 July 2026 - Thailand's Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), under the Ministry of Commerce, will present the THAI SELECT Festival 2026 on 21 July 2026 at Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, New York City. The festival is designed to strengthen the presence of authentic Thai cuisine in the United States, expand international recognition of the THAI SELECT certification, and create new commercial opportunities for Thai restaurants, food producers, and exporters.

DITP Launches THAI SELECT Festival 2026 in New York to Strengthen U.S. Market Opportunities for Thailand's Food Industry

As one of Thailand's largest export markets for food products, the United States plays a strategic role in supporting the continued growth of Thailand's food industry. Through the THAI SELECT Festival 2026, DITP aims to connect American consumers with authentic Thai cuisine while reinforcing the competitiveness of Thai restaurants and promoting greater demand for premium Thai ingredients and food products.

The Ministry of Commerce is deeply honoured that Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi has graciously accepted the invitation to preside over the festival's opening ceremony. Her participation underscores Thailand's continued commitment to promoting authentic Thai cuisine and the THAI SELECT certification on the international stage.

Held under the theme "Thai SELECT Playground - Play with Thai Flavors," the festival offers an immersive culinary experience where visitors can explore Thailand's rich food culture through authentic flavours, regional specialties, cooking demonstrations, cultural showcases, and interactive activities. Inspired by the concept of a playground, the event encourages guests to discover the diversity, creativity, and craftsmanship that define Thai cuisine.

A major highlight of the festival will be signature dishes prepared by 15 THAI SELECT-certified restaurants from across New York, showcasing both traditional favourites and contemporary interpretations of authentic Thai cuisine. Visitors will also have opportunities to engage with Thai culinary traditions through hands-on cultural experiences and interactive exhibitions celebrating Thailand's culinary heritage.

Internationally acclaimed Thai actors Mile Phakphum Romsaithong and Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat will make special appearances throughout the festival, participating in exclusive fan activities while helping introduce authentic Thai cuisine to broader international audiences. Their participation reflects Thailand's integrated approach to promoting culture, entertainment, and gastronomy as complementary drivers of the country's global soft power and creative economy.

The festival forms part of DITP's broader strategy to strengthen the international competitiveness of Thailand's food industry by increasing global awareness of the THAI SELECT certification, encouraging wider adoption of Thai ingredients by restaurants overseas, and creating new opportunities for Thai food exporters. By strengthening the international profile of authentic Thai cuisine, DITP continues to support sustainable growth across Thailand's food value chain while reinforcing the country's long-standing position as one of the world's leading culinary destinations.

THAI SELECT is Thailand's official certification mark awarded by the Ministry of Commerce to restaurants and food products that meet recognized standards of authentic Thai taste, quality, and culinary excellence. The certification serves as a trusted guide for consumers worldwide seeking genuine Thai dining experiences while supporting Thai businesses in international markets.

As Thailand continues to expand the global presence of its food industry, THAI SELECT Festival 2026 demonstrates how culinary diplomacy can generate tangible economic value by strengthening international consumer confidence, supporting Thai entrepreneurs overseas, and creating new opportunities for trade, investment, tourism, and long-term business partnerships between Thailand and the United States.

Hashtag: #DITP

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.