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Pencil partners with Shopify & Meta to bring AI-generated ads to ecommerce merchants

Pencil

Creative AI company Pencil has partnered with the No. 1 ecommerce platform for businesses Shopify to provide their merchants with the latest innovation in online advertising for ecommerce, AI-generated ads. Rather than spending hours in video editing software or engaging expensive professional agencies, Shopify merchants can now generate original video ads to pitch their businesses in just a few clicks. Furthermore, AI-generated ads trained using 1st-party data from advertisers’ Meta ad accounts via the Meta Marketing API have been shown to consistently double return on ad spend for brands and halve customer acquisition costs. Shopify merchants using Pencil’s AI-generated ads will be able to discover new audiences on Meta’s platforms and grow their businesses faster. Pencil’s AI-generated ads work because they prioritize both creativity and data. When a merchant connects their Shopify store, Pencil analyzes their brand and product information and generates a wide variety of ad ideas to pitch their products. When a merchant then connects their Meta advertising data, Pencil compares the newly generated ideas to what’s worked well in the past. Those ideas similar to past winners are highlighted to the merchant. In this way Pencil helps merchants learn what works while continuously exploring fresh new creative ideas that might resonate with audiences. Rob Carliner, Co-founder/COO of Angela Caglia Skincare commented: “Pencil is by far the best way to create winning ads at scale by combining editing software with AI learning algorithms to effectively eliminate guesswork of making winning ad creatives… as you’re no longer dependent on agencies, Pencil gives you all the tools you need to level the playing field. The interface is easy, the results are impressive. Lots of companies claim to have built a better mousetrap, Pencil has actually done it!” Pencil analyzed over 100 ecommerce campaigns that used AI-generated ads and found the best ads delivered an average return on ad spend (ROAS) 2x that of other ads the brands were running. One brand’s AI-generated ad campaign delivered 7x higher ROAS. Will Hanschell, CEO and co-founder of Pencil commented: “We’re beyond excited to make our creative AI software available to the almost 2,000,000 merchants on Shopify. This direct integration makes creating content for business owners and marketers as simple as clicking a button. When up to 70% of stores’ revenues come from ads, winning with ads is incredibly important. Pencil puts the creative and analytical power of a professional agency into the hands of anyone looking to start and scale a business online.” This partnership announcement comes hot on the heels of Pencil joining Meta’s Business Partners, a program that connects businesses to an ecosystem of advertising specialists. More than 200 million businesses worldwide use Meta’s apps to connect with customers and grow, and over 10 million of them run advertising campaigns each month. Pencil leverages proprietary technology to generate video, derive insights and make predictions, as well as integrating the OpenAI API to generate ad copy. The OpenAI API provides access to GPT-3, one of the world’s most powerful language models. Pencil is among the companies approved to use it commercially. This approval requires strict criteria in AI safety and ethics. About Pencil Pencil is a Creative AI company on a mission to generate unexpected ideas that get results. Pencil generates ads that learn to perform, delivering the return on ad spend that helps brands scale their businesses. Pencil’s AI-generated ads are a new way of making ads that algorithmically optimise for creative novelty, brand relevance and return on advertising spend. It always starts from a human brief and it always involves total human editorial control. Pencil’s Creative AI platform generates ads in minutes and has been shown to double returns for brands. Pencil was founded in 2018 with a team from Google, Meta and Uber and is backed by Sequoia Capital India’s Surge, Wavemaker Partners, Singapore Innovate and Entrepreneur First. For further information visit: https://www.trypencil.com About Shopify Shopify is an all-in-one commerce platform to start, run, and grow a business. Shopify offers online retailers a suite of services that includes payments, marketing, shipping, and customer engagement tools to simplify the process of running an online store for small merchants. For more information visit: https://www.shopify.com About Meta Business Partners Meta Business Partners are companies Meta has vetted for their expertise. They have the experience to help grow advertisers’ business – from running ads, to selling products, to engaging with customers. For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/business/marketing-partners Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.trypencil.com/

April 29, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Top Tips for Returning to the Office

YourUpdateTV

With pandemic restrictions being lifted around the country, people are returning to a work environment that looks familiar but feels much different. Recently, Dr. Dana Sumpter, a Professor of Organization Theory and Management at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss tips for employees, especially working moms, returning to the office and what organizations can do to help facilitate the process. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/vdw5gcwfEuI Employees are facing many challenges as they return to the office, especially working parents and caregivers. The first is how returning to the office can impact scheduling. Going back to the office means creating new routines, which can impact an entire household. There is also the challenge of uncertainty. The continued uncertainty around childcare, schooling, health protocols, and more, can completely disrupt a work routine and make it difficult to integrate back into the office. One suggestion from Dr. Sumpter? Be very clear about your availability. During the pandemic, many employees became accustomed to being “constantly available,” which is unsustainable in an office environment. It’s important to be proactive in regard to what you want your work hours to be and be clear with co-workers about when you need to take some time for yourself. Companies and organizations can also take the lead in helping their employees successfully return to the office. The first thing they can do, is keep their finger on the pulse of how employee re-entry is going, which means listening and paying attention to how their employees are feeling. It’s also important to consider employees’ holistic needs. Employers can demonstrate they care about employees holistically by upping their support policies and structure opportunities for people to connect. One potential way to jumpstart or revitalize your work life? Dr. Sumpter suggests earning a higher degree, such as an MBA or aMasters in Leadership, can be an experience and credential to help employees reach their career goals. For more information, visit bschool.pepperdine.edu About Dr. Dana Sumpter: Dana Sumpter is an Associate Professor of Organization Theory and Management at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Her research employs a cross-cultural lens in understanding social behavior at work, studying topics including energy, mindfulness, power, work/family systems, people management, and work relationships. She has published in numerous academic journals, and her recent award-winning international management case focused on a woman’s human resource management expatriate role in Oman. In addition to her teaching and scholarship, Professor Sumpter enjoys consulting, giving presentations and talks, and running professional workshops. She gave a popular TEDx talk in 2018 titled "Don't Underestimate Working Mothers." Previously, she was a Vice President of Human Resources at Citigroup, based in New York and Singapore. Across 10 Asia-Pacific nations, Dr. Sumpter has led live executive training and coached executives on people management skills. She is an avid traveler, who has spent time in more than 30 countries, and counting! Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

April 28, 2022 06:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Volatus Aerospace Corp. Announces Record Fourth Quarter and Record 2021 Annual Sales

Volatus Aerospace Corp.

Volatus Aerospace Corp. (TSXV: VOL) (OTCQB: VLTTF) ("Volatus" or "the Company"), a leading drone solutions provider, is pleased to announce record sales for Q4 2021 and financial year 2021. The financial year 2021 was a tremendous year of expansion and growth for the Company. The revenue witnessed a growth of 161x, and gross margins grew by 271%. Key Financial Highlights for 2021: Total reported revenue increased by $9,852,723 in 2021. The company reported total annual audited revenue of $9,913,953 in 2021 (proforma revenue in 2021 was $16,723,432). The growth was driven by expansion across Canada and the United States, new strategic partnerships and acquisitions completed in 2021. The blended gross margin of the Company was 26% in 2021 compared to 7% in 2020. The Company reported a total gross margin of $2,528,710. The increase in gross margin is due to scale in product and service activities. The Company recorded a comprehensive loss of $3,678,734, including non-cash items like impairment of goodwill of $1,399,029 recognized due to the reverse acquisition of Partner Jet Corp. in 2021. On December 31, 2021, the Company's cash balance was $8,806,836 compared to $189,973 in 2020. The cash balance increased due to two successful funding activities in 2021. Key Financial Highlights for Q4 2021: The revenue for the fourth quarter increased by $2,870,462 compared to Q4 2020. The growth was due to acquisitions and scale in operational activities across Canada, the US, and parts of Latin America. The gross margin increased by $672,931 compared to Q4 2020. The increase was due to accelerated sales activities in the product and service segment. The total comprehensive loss in Q4 2021 was $2,744,770, including non-cash items like impairment of goodwill of $1,399,029 recognized due to the reverse acquisition of Partner Jet Corp. in 2021; otherwise, it would be $1,345,741. Operational Highlights: The Company achieved significant milestones in 2021. Vertical Integration enables the Company to serve the drone industry in various forms: selling drone technologies, providing drones-as-a-service, drone training, customized solutions, and integrations. This strategy has enabled the Company to capture a larger market share and provide complete solutions to our customers with strong repeat business potential. Volatus has created a network of drone pilots. This enables the Company to keep costs low and increase the speed of executing the missions with minimum overhead costs. With 1,200+ drone pilots spread across the Americas, the Company can serve significant market segments in various geographical locations. The Company has entered numerous strategic partnerships with drone technology companies across the globe that provide unique capabilities in different sectors. The partnerships vary from being an exclusive global distributor to a manufacturing partner. These partnerships enhance the capabilities for service inspections, surveillance, and cargo operations. Volatus entered into a joint venture agreement with Orijinative Holding Ltd. to provide RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft system) services to Canadian First Nations communities and formed Indigenous Aerospace. The Company intends to create sustainable growth, gainful employment, and a national appreciation of how Indigenous-owned and operated businesses and employees can contribute to the economy through this partnership. In Q4 2021, Volatus invited technology companies from Israel, Canada, and the US to participate in an open technological discussion and enabled the creation of its UAV technology hub at its Simcoe Centre of Excellence. This initiative enabled the Company to lay the groundwork for creating drone technology bundled solutions. In October of 2021, Volatus successfully demonstrated the delivery of a defibrillator using drone technology. This test was conducted to improve the emergency response time by the County of Simcoe Paramedics. The delivery demonstrated the ability of drones to save lives and the capabilities of Volatus and its technology. The company also launched its Industrial and Defence sales team. In November 2021, the company announced its exclusive global distribution of Avidrone sophisticated fleet of autonomous cargo drones. On December 22, 2021, Volatus completed the reverse takeover of Partner Jet Corp. This transaction provided Volatus with operating licenses and certificates to carry out commercial operations in manned aviation and established the base to evolve in unmanned aircraft operations. The audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, and associated management discussion and analysis, are made available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. CONFERENCE CALL AND PRESENTATION In conjunction with this release, Volatus will host a conference call tomorrow at 11 AM ET that will be a webcast live. Glen Lynch, Chief Executive Officer and Abhinav Singhvi, Chief Financial Officer and Investor Relations, will host the call. Investors are invited to register for the webinar tomorrow, April 29, 2022, at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Edcz8-_nQCOqh1gEorIn8Q After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Investors with Internet access may listen to the webcast live via the Investor Relations page of the Volatus Aerospace Corp. website. Please allow 15 minutes before the call to download and install any necessary audio software. Audio Replay Options An audio replay of the event will be archived on the Investor Relations page of the company's website. About Volatus Aerospace: Volatus Aerospace Corp. is a leading provider of integrated drone solutions throughout Canada, the United States, and Latin America. Operating a vast pilot network, Volatus serves commercial and defense markets with imaging and inspection, security and surveillance, equipment sales and support, training, and design, manufacturing, and R&D. Through its subsidiary Volatus Aviation, Volatus carries on the business of aircraft management, charter sales, and cargo services using piloted, remotely piloted, and autonomous aircraft. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statement This news release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Corporation with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” (or other variations of the foregoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or come to pass. Forward-looking information includes information regarding (i) the business plans and expectations of the Corporation; and (ii) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Forward-looking information is based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans, strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors may be based on information currently available to the Corporation, including information obtained from third-party industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs. Any and all forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Forward-looking information reflects the Corporation’s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to it and on assumptions it believes to be not unreasonable in light of all of the circumstances. In some instances, material factors or assumptions are discussed in this news release in connection with statements containing forward-looking information. Such material factors and assumptions include, but are not limited to: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Corporation; meeting the continued listing requirements of the TSXV; and anticipated and unanticipated costs and other factors referenced in this news release and the Circular, including, but not limited to, those set forth in the Circular under the caption “Risk Factors”. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release and, other than as required by law, the Corporation disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Source: Volatus Aerospace Corp. TSXV: VOL Contact Details Rob Walker +1 514-447-7986 rob.walker@volatusaerospace.com Company Website https://volatusaerospace.com

April 28, 2022 05:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Comodo Named Top Performer in Managed Detection and Response Software by FeaturedCustomer

Comodo

Comodo Security Solutions, a leading provider of endpoint protection, is pleased to announce its inclusion as a Top Performer in the FeaturedCustomers Spring 2022 Managed Detection and Responses Software Customer Success Report. The evaluation is based on more than 3,500 pieces of verified customer reference content and recognizes vendors with significant market presence, a validated vision, and high customer ratings. Comodo Advanced Endpoint Protection (AEP) combines zero-trust security with an integrated endpoint management console and Comodo ’ s cloud-based malware analysis platform, Valkyrie, creating a security platform that is applicable to enterprises of any size. It is the only solution on the market that prevents 100% of ransomware and other malware attacks. “ Our customer reviews speak for themselves. We ’ re proud to offer continually affordable and scalable security solutions to our mid-market and SMB enterprise customers to protect them against cyber threats,” said Ken Levine, CEO of Comodo. “ As we continue to develop forward-thinking products, customer experience is always top of mind and we are committed to continuing to lead the way in endpoint protection.” For more information, visit www.comodo.com. About Comodo Headquartered in Bloomfield, NJ, Comodo ’ s mission is to help customers avoid breaches with groundbreaking isolation technology that fully neutralizes ransomware, zero-day malware, and cyber-attacks that other security providers can ’ t do. We deliver active breach prevention with patented auto containment technology. Our Unified Endpoint integrates this technology with critical components like our highly rated advanced endpoint protection, endpoint detection and response, and endpoint management to offer a single cloud-accessible Active Breach Protection solution. Comodo ’ s SOC-as-a-Service team makes the solution a frictionless, high-security implementation. For more information, visit https://www.comodo.com/. About FeaturedCustomers FeaturedCustomers, the world ’ s only customer reference platform for B2B business software and services, helps potential B2B buyers research and discover business software and services through vendor validated customer reference content such as customer testimonials, success stories, case studies, and customer videos. Every day our platform helps influence the purchasing decisions of thousands of B2B buyers in the final stages of their buying cycle from Fortune 500 companies to SMB ’ s. For more information, visit their website. About Comodo Headquartered in Bloomfield, NJ, Comodo’s mission is to help customers avoid breaches with groundbreaking isolation technology that fully neutralizes ransomware, zero-day malware, and cyber-attacks that other security providers can’t do. We deliver active breach prevention with patented auto containment technology. Our Unified Endpoint integrates this technology with critical components like our highly rated advanced endpoint protection, endpoint detection and response, and endpoint management to offer a single cloud-accessible Active Breach Protection solution. Comodo’s SOC-as-a-Service team makes the solution a frictionless, high-security implementation. For more information, visit https://www.comodo.com/. Contact Details Ashley Pontius Public Relations LLC Ashley L Pontius +1 813-409-4091 ashley@ashleypontiuspr.com Company Website http://www.comodo.com

April 28, 2022 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Axiom Consulting Partners’ Study of Law Firms Reveals 89% of Clients Are Seeking Specialized Legal Talent

Axiom Consulting Partners

· 63% of law firms rank “highly specialized legal talent and capabilities” as top Staffing & Expertise strategic priority · 70% of respondents rated productized offerings as lowest ‘Service Offerings & Positioning’ priority · 68% of respondents say their clients are likely to look for legal technology development and/or distribution solutions from their legal advisor A new research study looking into law firm capabilities was released today by Axiom Consulting Partners (“Axiom”), an advisory firm integrating strategy, artificial intelligence (AI) and behavioral science to help clients grow and transform their businesses. The report, Staying Relevant: Specialized Talent and Technology Move Front and Center, found that law firms have significant gaps in fulfilling constantly changing client needs. In particular, clients are looking for more specialized talent for their most critical matters, along with legal-centric technology solutions. Firms have made some progress with talent and leveraging data for insights, but most have more work to do in order to meet client needs. “According to leaders from the top U.S. and global law firms that we surveyed, firms are increasingly asked to provide very specialized legal talent and capabilities, adding to the pressures they already face from their highly demanding clients,” said Axiom partner and study leader Mark Masson, who heads the firm’s Professional Services practice. “Amid that, we are seeing that they face a clear challenge to find and retain the right talent required to address these needs.” Axiom’s analysis suggests that there are three ways that firms can address the challenges they face: 1. Develop improved strategies to acquire specialized talent 2. Devote meaningful resources to developing and deploying the specialization that the market requires 3. Optimize teams to maximize the impact of specialist talent 4. Develop a holistic strategy around technology and data-based offerings The research further showed a dichotomy in the industry’s approach to legal technology development and so-called ‘productized’ services, that is, more automated or remotely available offerings, with 70 percent ranking productized services lowest in their priorities while 68 percent admit that clients are likely to look for data-backed solutions. “To succeed, firms will need to combine a thoughtful, consistent investments in talent acquisition and development while also developing more full-view, data-supported technology offerings,” Masson noted. “Better data utilization can also help them improve the staffing model so they can make better use of their existing in-house expertise.” Firms that stay close to clients, show an understanding of their evolving needs, and take the initiative to change their approach to the client experience will succeed and continue to serve clients the right way, at the right time, and for the foreseeable future, suggests Axiom’s research. To access the Axiom Consulting Partners Law Survey report, please visit: https://axiomcp.com/idea/staying-relevant-specialized-talent-and-technology-move-front-center/ Methodology The researchers asked a series of questions focused on the most salient industry trends in client needs, their strategic focus, and the challenges to making change and progress. Particular focus was placed on questions related to Service Offerings and Positioning, Digital Transformation, Pricing and Contracting, and Staffing and Expertise priorities. Chiefs and heads of functional areas from 27 firms of the AmLaw and Global Top 100 responded. The survey was fielded in Q1, 2022. Axiom Consulting Partners help clients accelerate growth and transform their organization and workforce to improve execution. We leverage expertise in behavioral and data science to establish strategic direction and improve organizations alignment and execution. We measure our value by the impact we create, evidenced in our clients’ sustained results. Unique to our solutions, we combine deep analytical capabilities, technology-based tools, and practical experience, helping clients to determine priorities and then focusing our work on developing and sustaining excellence in those areas. Contact Details Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com Company Website https://axiomcp.com

April 28, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Velocity Global adds Lina Szaks to lead Employer of Record Operations

Velocity Global

Szaks joins Velocity Global from ADP Over 15 years of in-depth expertise in global payroll Will be scaling the company’s Employer of Record, Contingent Workforce and Employee Experience organizations Velocity Global, the leading provider of global talent solutions to work with anyone, anywhere, anyhow announced today it welcomed Lina Szaks as senior vice president of Employer of Record. Szaks brings over 15 years of in-depth industry expertise in global payroll to apply to her new role. “We already are in a market-leading position as the largest Employer of Record and just came off a year of triple-digit growth,” said Eric Schroeder, Velocity Global chief operating officer. “Lina has a proven ability to lead large high-performing teams and serve global clients in a complex industry at the highest level. I’m thrilled she joined our leadership team to take the business to new heights during these transformative times.” Prior to joining Velocity Global, Szaks held various senior leadership positions with industry powerhouses ADP and Celergo where she led large teams and oversaw every aspect of the product and service life cycle including technology releases, migrations and creating new services, always with a focus on providing exceptional support to customers. In her new position, she will focus on scaling and further developing Velocity Global’s Employer of Record, Contingent Workforce, and Employee Experience organizations. She leads a growing distributed team to ensure that clients receive best-in-class service. “I personally love contributing to transformation and change and this industry is currently driving a paradigm shift in how we work and live,” said Szaks. “Enabling a reality of work where businesses can both expand internationally and hire the best talent anywhere in the world is an exciting opportunity. I look forward to working with a passionate, talented, and fast growing team that’s always eager to deliver an exceptional customer experience.” Velocity Global is the largest global Employer of Record in 185 countries and all 50 United States. Clients use its solutions to onboard, manage, and pay talent with in-country and in-state compliance, payroll, and benefits without the need for businesses to set up their own legal entities or state registrations. Szaks is based in Illinois as part of Velocity Global’s work anywhere policy with hundreds of team members in approximately 50 countries across the globe. Szaks and her team are actively hiring to further build out and scale her organization across the globe based on customer footprint and needs. The organization is looking for dynamic, agile, tech-focused team members that are passionate about customers and their supported employees. Positions are posted with other Velocity Global opportunities at https://velocityglobal.com/about-us/careers/. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work for anyone, anywhere, anyhow. Its Global Work PlatformTM simplifies the employer and talent experience through its proprietary cloud-based talent management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global scale. The platform offers a full suite of talent solutions, including global Employer of Record and Contractor Management, to help companies onboard, manage, and pay talent in more than 185 countries and all 50 United States. Thousands of brands rely on Velocity Global to build international teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. Velocity Global was named a "Leader" in Global Employer of Record Services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees across six continents. For more information, visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details Velocity Global Anja Koltes +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

April 28, 2022 07:01 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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Oware raises $3.3M to offer businesses flexible warehousing and distribution across Pakistan

Oware

Oware, a Pakistan-based B2B warehousing and distribution start-up, has raised $3.3 million in pre-seed funding. The round is backed by Silicon Valley investors including Flexport Fund and Ratio Ventures, along with strong global investors Seedstars International Ventures, The Osiris Group, Swiss Founders Fund, Reflect Ventures, +92 Ventures, Walled City Co, and other strategic angel investors. Co-founded in June 2021 by Maersk and Careem alumni Raza Kazmi and Adil Nisar, respectively, Oware empowers companies to grow through flexible warehousing and intelligent distribution, ensuring flexible response to demand fluctuations and faster and more affordable delivery of goods. Oware offers businesses scalable and tech-driven warehousing and distribution for B2B and retail through its connected fulfillment centers and third-party logistics providers. Companies can quickly start operations from more locations to reach more customers, unhindered by operationally intense and complex logistics planning and capital investment restricting business growth. Raza Kazmi, co-founder at Oware, commented: "There is a huge opportunity in the B2B movement of goods across the region, but it remains immensely underserved. Local businesses remain trapped in an archaic and opaque environment dealing with antiquated supply chain systems that are no longer fit for purpose and remain slow, limited, and capital intensive. The time to set up operations is too long, there is limited visibility or tracking of orders and the execution of processes is inefficient in terms of speed and cost, which we are on a mission to solve". Pakistan’s logistics industry represents a $35 billion+ market opportunity and provides approximately 6% of total employment. Lack of warehouse flexibility and insights leads to overspending on warehousing and inventory, which results in expensive and late deliveries with poor visibility into operations. These inefficiencies exist due to hyper fragmentation in the market, resulting in a painful and outdated process. Further, the shift in customer expectations and service requirements has caused immense pressure on the fulfillment and distribution industry, which Oware aims to tackle. Oware continues to build momentum and is growing their customer base working with a healthy mix of start-ups, manufacturers, traders, and retailers. They are using Oware to affordably store inventory close to their customers, along with picking, packing, and shipping to give them a one platform solution. They also get real-time visibility on stock levels and order statuses with visibility into the entire network. Over time, the technology transformation has revolutionized the last mile delivery space to consumers. However, B2B movement of goods is still done through manual, unintelligent, and antiquated processes. Oware has built a FedEx equivalent for B2B. This is a game changer for B2B warehousing and distribution. Co-founder Adil Nisar added. "To get to its end destination, a product has to move between several warehouses, fulfillment centers, and trucks. This complex ballet is managed by multiple businesses without interconnected systems. Our vision is to build a large scale connected world of distribution that enables a faster route to market for our customers.” Oware has grown its network to 5 cities that provide distribution to 75% of Pakistan’s population with same-day delivery and 85% of the population with next day delivery. Oware is opening additional fulfilment centers to meet demand and increase coverage. “Most warehouses in Pakistan today are run on paper or Excel. Companies must lease or buy a property, hire staff, and manage them. Expansion into new territories or capacity increases to support inventory fluctuations are slow and costly. This increases businesses’ cost of entry and cost of expansion. Oware solves this problem for Pakistani businesses. It brings a huge archaic industry straight into the 21 st century world of on-demand flexibility and management visibility and insight. This is a big opportunity for Oware and an important part of the rapid ongoing modernization of Pakistan’s economy. We are excited to be among Oware’s investors and expect great success.” said Michel Friedman, partner at Reflect Ventures. As Oware scales operations to more geographies, its recent funding will further fuel product development and talent acquisition to innovate and simplify supply chains across Pakistan and beyond. "Pakistan has a massive opportunity in logistics presented by the 2 million SMEs and the rise of e-commerce in the region. We believe that Oware has a solid position to be an integral layer to an ecosystem that's becoming digitally enabled. We are proud to have been Adil's and Raza's early backers and thrilled for the journey ahead," said Charlie Graham-Brown, CIO & Partner at Seedstars. Founders Adil Nisar, 28, and Raza Kazmi, 39, met after Adil had left Careem to start his own company, sourcing, manufacturing, and distributing lights in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Raza was Group CFO at a large multinational distribution house and an advisor to another regional tech start-up. About Oware Oware is a Supply Chain tech start-up that helps businesses with on-demand warehousing, intelligent distribution, and fulfillment with better transparency, flexibility, and minimal capital costs. For more information please visit https://oware.co/ or follow the company on LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact Details Oware Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://oware.co/

April 28, 2022 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Innovate London: Symphony launches its embedded collaboration platform and introduces a Microsoft Teams integration

Symphony Communication Services

Symphony - the leading markets’ infrastructure and technology platform - revealed financial firms will now be able to embed its technology in other platforms in order to successfully complete their workflows without context switching or adding friction. The company launched its embedded collaboration platform (ECP) on Tuesday as part of Symphony’s flagship conference Innovate, which took place in London. ECP enables firms to pull Symphony’s communication stack into other platforms allowing for a smoother and more efficient user experience, bridging silos across the industry. This innovation was demonstrated on stage with recent partner smartTrade, a leading global technology provider that seamlessly integrates with multi-asset electronic trading platforms, helping customers achieve business growth through its cost-efficient, technologically advanced secure private SaaS end-to-end solution. In one remarkable demonstration of production level applications, the audience saw the technology of Symphony, Cloud9 and StreetLinx working together seamlessly with the configuration to serve unique workflows between a market maker and a market taker. CEO Brad Levy highlighted the current volatility in the markets and Symphony’s ability to provide financial firms with the critical tools to adapt and expand, creating a secure environment for collaboration and communication, enabling and building integrated and interoperable workflows. Also making customer preferred communication channels such as WhatsApp and WeChat compliant for institutional users. “In an increasingly complex and volatile world, where so much is in motion, Symphony helps you simplify and navigate through the fog in the middle, under and around,” said Levy. Symphony also announced a Microsoft Teams integration that will allow users to start Teams video-calls from their Symphony chats. This integration is the latest in a compliant communications enterprise solutions offering that includes Zoom, Salesforce, WhatsApp, WeChat and SMS. A lively fireside chat focused on market challenges with the participation of UK International Data Transfers Expert Council member, board advisor and NED Vivienne Artz OBE, Cajetan Group’s co-founder and managing director, C-suite coach and trusted adviser Georgie Dickins and Symphony’s general counsel Corinna Mitchell took place. Also buyside leaders from Pictet Asset Management, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, HSBC Asset Management and BNP Paribas Asset Management discussed remote work, volatility in the market and automation. Innovate London was focused on how customers leverage the Symphony platform to create and materialize innovation. The audience learned about use cases and customer wins from live demonstrations, including Sphere, Finsemble, ChartIQ, Tradefeedr, Imbotiqa and Symphony Groups. HSBC Asset Management demoed a primary issuance trading workflow management tool, where they leveraged Symphony and Genesis, to detect, discuss and implement collectively as a truly global virtual team, while BNP Securities Services demonstrated an integration built between internal query management solution Hobart and chosen collaboration platform Symphony, providing efficiency and oversight to client service teams and clients, respectively. Over 200 leaders attended Innovate London in-person while over 400 financial professionals from around the world were able to watch live online. To view the Innovate London sessions please visit: https://innovate.symphony.com/. The next edition of Innovate will take place in New York on October 20, 2022. About Symphony Symphony is the most secure and compliance-enabling markets’ infrastructure and technology platform, where solutions are built or integrated to standardize, automate and innovate financial services workflows. It is a vibrant community of over half a million financial professionals with a trusted directory and serves over 1,000 institutions. Symphony is powering over 2,000 community built applications and bots. For more information, visit www.symphony.com. Contact Details Symphony Communication Services Odette Maher, Global Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs +44 7747 420807 odette.maher@symphony.com Company Website https://symphony.com/

April 28, 2022 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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State of Texas Selects Comcast Business to Offer High-Speed Networking Solutions Throughout the State

Comcast Houston

The State of Texas’ Department of Information Resources (DIR) has selected Comcast Business as one of its providers in delivering high-capacity, fiber and broadband services to state agencies and public sector entities throughout the state. This new agreement provides agencies an additional set of diverse network solutions statewide. “We understand how critical it is for Texas’ agencies and educational institutions to stay up-to-date on, and connected to, some of the latest network solutions, particularly as reliance on them has increased exponentially in recent years,” said David Cross, Vice President of Public Sector Sales for Comcast Business. “We are proud to be able to offer a convenient and quick path to network connectivity for the State of Texas. We look forward to future partnerships, and to building the future of Texas’ network.” About Comcast Business: Comcast Business offers a suite of Connectivity, Communications, Networking, Cybersecurity, Wireless, and Managed Solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Comcast Business offers an expansive portfolio of services through the TEX-AN Program, including offerings such as Metro Ethernet, Dedicated Internet Access, SDN, software-defined wide-area-network (SD-WAN), network function virtualization, and network virtualization. Comcast Business has also been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest-growing providers of Ethernet services. Contact Details Comcast Houston Foti Kallergis +1 832-986-0196 foti_kallergis@comcast.com Company Website https://houston.comcast.com/

April 27, 2022 02:22 PM Central Daylight Time