March 1 sees Regulations of Guangdong Province on China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 -- The Standing Committee of Guangdong Provincial People's Congress held a media conference on the ‘Regulations of Guangdong Province on China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City’ on Feb 23, with relevant officials answering questions from reporters.

The Regulations, adopted at the 39th session of the 13th Standing Committee of Guangdong Provincial People's Congress on Jan 16, will come into force on March 1, according to a statement.

They will provide strong guidance and guarantee for the accelerated construction and development of the Knowledge City, strengthening the legalised business environment, and exerting its advantages and roles in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Located in the northern part of Huangpu District, Guangzhou city, the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City has a total planned area of 232 square kilometres and is a national-level bilateral cooperation project between China and Singapore and a high-level science and innovation carrier in the Greater Bay Area.

The foundation of the Knowledge City project was officially laid in June 2010. And in July 2016, the Knowledge City became the only comprehensive reform pilot area for the utilisation and protection of intellectual property rights approved by the State Council.

High-level research institutes such as Xidian University and top talent teams led by 24 academicians including Shi Yigong and Wang Xiaodong were introduced, high-end scientific and technological innovation platforms such as China-Singapore International Joint Research Institute, gathered, and a free port of international talents, put into operation.

The construction of high-end technology innovation platforms such as the National University of Singapore Innovation Research Institute and major technological infrastructure such as the large-scale scientific device for aircraft tire dynamics were accelerated, and the brand of Singapore enterprises' first choice in China, ever more famous.

According to the ‘Overall Development Plan (2020-2035) of China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City’ approved by the State Council in August 2020, the Regulations make provisions for technological innovation and intellectual property rights protection, knowledge-intensive industry development and talent support, opening-up and cooperation and other aspects.

-- BERNAMA

CLOUDFLARE AGREES TO AREA 1 SECURITY ACQUISITION

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- Cloudflare Inc, the security, performance, and reliability company helping to build a better Internet, announced it has agreed to acquire Area 1 Security.

Area 1 Security’s cloud-native platform, which works seamlessly with any email offering, stops phishing attacks by preemptively discovering and eliminating them before they can inflict damage in a corporate environment.

According to a statement, in 2021 alone, the company blocked more than 40 million malicious phishing campaigns spanning business email compromise, malware, ransomware, and other advanced threats.

“Email is the largest cyber attack vector on the Internet, which makes integrated email security critical to any true Zero Trust network. That’s why today we’re welcoming Area 1 Security to help make Cloudflare’s platform the clear leader in Zero Trust,” said co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Cloudflare, Matthew Prince.

Meanwhile, CEO and President of Area 1 Security, Patrick Sweeney said: “By combining our leading phishing protection and threat intelligence capabilities with Cloudflare’s global network, data capabilities, and Zero Trust platform, we truly believe that together we can help companies of any size better secure their entire network infrastructure and better protect against the most destructive cyber risks.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Cloudflare will acquire Area 1 Security for approximately US$162 million, subject to customary adjustments, with 40-50 per cent of the price payable in shares of Cloudflare’s Class A common stock and the remainder payable in cash. (US$1 = RM4.188)

The acquisition is expected to close early in the second quarter of 2022 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

Cloudflare entered the email security market in 2021 with the launch of its Advanced Email Security Suite and additional tools to create custom email addresses, manage incoming email routing, and prevent email spoofing and phishing on outgoing emails.

By combining Area 1 Security’s highly scalable technology and years of experience in email protection with Cloudflare’s global network, the two companies will provide a holistic Zero Trust solution that customers can enable through Cloudflare’s global edge.

More details at www.cloudflare.com.

-- BERNAMA

Digital advertising spend lost to fraud reaches US$68 billion in 2022 - Juniper Research

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- A new Juniper Research study has found that the value of digital advertising spend lost to fraud will reach US$68 billion globally in 2022; rising from US$59 billion in 2021. (US$1 = RM4.183)

According to a statement, the comprehensive research identified the top five countries most impacted by advertising fraud, which together account for 60 per cent of global losses, namely the US, Japan, China, South Korea and the UK.

The new study, Digital Advertising Fraud: Key Trends, Competitor Landscape & Market Forecasts 2022-2026, found that those advertising in the US will potentially suffer the most in financial loss due to fraudulent activity, with total losses in the US expected to surpass US$23 billion in 2022.

The US represents the largest market for digital advertising spend, with high levels of Internet penetration and elevated mobile app and browser usage presenting strong opportunities for the display of promotional content.

According to Research author Scarlett Woodford, with the US representing such a significant market in terms of advertising spend, campaigns in North America will undoubtedly attract the attention of fraudulent players, leading to unprecedented innovation in fraud tactics within the US, with advertisers demonstrating a greater requirement for fraud detection and mitigation services.

In response to the rising threat of ad fraud, the report urges digital advertisers targeting these five markets to form strategic partnerships with ad fraud detection and prevention vendors capable of distinguishing between valid and fraudulent advertising traffic that provides no return on ad spend.

It found that the most successful ad fraud detection tools will harness machine learning algorithms to compare advertising traffic with previously observed, verifiable baseline data.

As a result, the report urges advertisers to adopt fraud and mitigation solutions to maximise return on ad spend through earlier detection of new fraud tactics.

-- BERNAMA

UNIPLAT-Group Of Nations collaboration provides more exposure for researchers, entrepreneurs

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- UNIPLAT and Group of Nations have announced a business alliance by launching UNIPLAT exclusive page inside Group of Nations' publication platform.

UNIPLAT is the world's first online platform for researchers and entrepreneurs that has been opened since September 2021, while Group of Nations is the authorised longest-standing publisher of global summits (G7, G20, B20, W20, G20 YEA, and APEC summits).

The UNIPLAT exclusive page is featured to introduce researchers and entrepreneurs worldwide, not only to universities or companies but also to governments and governmental institutions of the member countries of the global summits, according to a statement.

The UNIPLAT exclusive page is like a sneak peek of the UNIPLAT website's front page. Visitors can view the thumbnail and the description of content uploaded on UNIPLAT, the monthly researchers ranking, and the companies who are currently participating on UNIPLAT.

“With this alliance, we strongly believe that we could create great value to provide a fair place and ecosystem where entrepreneurs and researchers can play an active role on a worldwide scale,” said the co-founder, CFO, and COO of Unify Platform AG, the management company of UNIPLAT, Takahisa Karita.

“The partnership between UNIPLAT and Group of Nations is about the living embodiment of SDGs which not only support them but also save the world from various crises like climate change and the pandemic of COVID-19.”

Meanwhile, the founder and chief executive officer of Group of Nations, Christopher Atkins said: “We believe that the collaboration between Group of Nations and UNIPLAT will enable our clients, many of which are major corporations and governments, to support many entrepreneurs and researchers around the world and help them realise their dreams.”

With an average of four million page views from 64 countries per summit report published on Group of Nations' publication platform, the UNIPLAT exclusive page will be able to openly exhibit many possibly underexposed research and studies to the world.

Developed and managed by Unify Platform AG which is based in Switzerland, UNIPLAT's mission is to accelerate the success of the SDGs.

More details at https://www.uniplat.social/

-- BERNAMA

TACONIC BIOSCIENCES® LAUNCHES CAGE+™, REDEFINING COLONY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR THE MODERN LABORATORY

 Stewardship Approach Safeguards All Elements of Contract Breeding Services


RENSSELAER, N.Y., Feb 22 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in providing drug discovery animal model solutions, launched Cage+, a holistic, innovative approach to murine contract breeding services. Cage+ delivers complete stewardship of projects from start to finish, allowing investigators to focus on research with confidence that animal model supply is reliable, at the highest quality, and on budget. 

Biomedical and pharmaceutical research has profoundly changed over the past two decades. Studies are more advanced and rapid-paced, compressing the time to produce experimental data required to support well-informed decisions. The novel animal models generated to support these advanced studies have become more complex and precise. Yet, while the contract research service industry has kept pace with biomedical research advancements, the contract breeding industry has remained largely unchanged since the early 1990s. Most providers continue to place the project planning and management burden on investigators, who have neither the time nor expertise to direct service providers on how best to design and manage scaled production of complex animal models.

Taconic’s Cage+ Colony Management Solutions closes the gap between biomedical research program demands and the antiquated approach offered by many contract breeding services. Cage+ employs a holistic approach, combining standard animal breeding and husbandry elements with comprehensive breeding design expertise, project-specific methodology to reduce animal welfare concerns, budget monitoring, and proactive project management and communication. Additionally, this all-encompassing program rapidly expands breeding production through expert-led embryology methods, delivers internationally harmonized animal health standards, and includes the eTACONIC^® web-based project management tool, providing users access to colony information 24/7.

Cage+ allows investigators to fully leverage proven expertise in complex model design and breeding to advance research programs. When coupled with Taconic’s Custom Model Generation Solutions, Cage+ Colony Management Solutions brings a comprehensive and seamless “design to management” service, allowing clients to leverage the most complex genetically engineered models from initial design through to scaled production of study cohorts.

“Researchers should demand better from contract breeding service providers, and this view is the driving factor behind our Cage+ stewardship-based approach to colony management solutions,” said Dr. John Couse, vice president, scientific services. “With Cage+, researchers will view Taconic as an extension of their team, leveraging the collaboration of scientists and experts. Our approach allows investigators to focus their time, energy, and resources on research while trusting their custom model animal development and production to Taconic.”

To learn more about how Cage+ can improve your colony management experience and outcomes, please call 1-888-TACONIC (1-888-822-6642) in the US, +45 70 23 04 05 in Europe, or email info@taconic.com. 

About Taconic Biosciences, Inc. 

Taconic Biosciences is a fully-licensed, global leader in genetically engineered rodent models and services. Founded in 1952, Taconic provides the best animal solutions so that customers can acquire, custom-generate, breed, precondition, test, and distribute valuable research models worldwide. Specialists in genetically engineered mouse and rat models, microbiome, immuno-oncology mouse models, and integrated model design and breeding services, Taconic operates laboratories and breeding facilities in the US and Europe, maintains distributor relationships in Asia, and has global shipping capabilities to provide animal models almost anywhere in the world. 

Media Contact: 
Aidan Bouchelle
Associate Director, Marketing Operations
1-518-949-7598
Aidan.Bouchelle@taconic.com 


SOURCE : Taconic Biosciences

AERA VC RAISES $US30 MILLION FOR CLIMATE BREAKTHROUGHS

 SINGAPORE, Feb 22 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Climate tech venture firm Aera VC is today announcing a $US30 million first close of its new fund investing in startups accelerating the planet toward a sustainable future.

The new climate-focused fund is launching with a portfolio of global climate stars including Houston-based chemical decarbonisation firm Solugen - now valued at $US1.8 billion - as well as Shiok Meats (Singapore), Carbon Chain (London), Noya and Twelve (San Francisco); and Fable Foods (Australia).

Contributors to the fund include purpose-driven investor families from around the world who are leveraging their resources to decarbonise industries deeply in need of climate solutions.

Aera is also today launching an investment DAO (Distributed Autonomous Organization) called Aera Force, with 2000 ETH (approx $US6 million) earmarked specifically for pre-seed projects harnessing the power of blockchain to conquer climate and carbon related challenges.

Established in partnership with the creators of Dream DAO, the Aera Force DAO will expand the global community of innovators, scientists and founders formed in the past five years by Aera VC.

“The entire world needs to be rebuilt and decarbonised,” says Aera VC Founding Partner Derek Handley, who has been investing in environmental and social-impact ventures since serving as the Founding CEO of Richard Branson’s B Team sustainability collective in 2013.

“At Aera, our long-term vision is about investing across the sustainability spectrum, by backing breakthrough technologies that reverse climate change, whether they spawn from blockchain innovations or through scientific discoveries. Every industry needs to be reimagined, from finance, food and fashion, through to chemicals, cement and construction. And we are backing the very best founders hell bent on making this happen.”

Derek points to the example of carbon negative chemical maker Solugen, which Aera VC invested in five years ago when it was a two-person startup, as a company setting out to transform a high emission industry to net zero. The Texan-based Solugen recently received investment from Singapore's Temasek and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), joining a list of 45 climate tech unicorns compiled by a global market intelligence platform Holon IQ.

The new Aera fund expects to make up to 30 new seed investments over the next two years and will also contribute to follow-on rounds. The fund is continuing to accept further subscriptions up to $US100m from institutional investors in 2022 who will join the international community of family offices.

The company’s new headquarters in Singapore positions Aera VC as one of the first global climate funds based out of the Asia-Pacific region. Aera VC portfolio companies have gone on to raise over a billion dollars since receiving Aera’s backing.

Aera VC was formed in 2016 when Derek joined forces with fellow New Zealander Nick Winstone to launch the globally distributed venture firm from their bases in New Zealand and New York. A seasoned team of geographically dispersed partners have since joined the company, now one of the prominent climate funds based out of the Asia Pacific region, including Alex Andre de la Porte in Australia (Sydney); Guneet Banga in Hong Kong, Milena Nikolova in Singapore, and Dream DAO co-founder Josh Thompson in New York.

About Aera VC
Aera VC invests at the frontier of deep technology and sustainability to accelerate the world to a better future. Since launching in late 2016 the company has pioneered investments into transformational technologies to reverse climate change and advance new breakthroughs for humanity. See aera.vc and aeraforce.xyz

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220221005042/en/

Contact
Julie Landry, julie@connectpr.co.nz, +64 21 895 098

Source : Aera VC

Prestige BioPharma's manufacturing facility for Herceptin biosimilar, Tuznue®, receives EU-GMP certification

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 -- Prestige BioPharma Limited, a Singapore-based biopharmaceutical with operations in USA and South Korea, announced that the manufacturing facility for its Herceptin® biosimilar, Tuznue®, in Prestige Biologics Co Ltd, has received European Union Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification.

According to a statement, EU-GMP certification is one of the highest standards of pharmaceutical production in the world, and it provides pharmaceuticals with the foundation to start selling their products into European markets.

Chief Executive Officer of Prestige BioPharma, Lisa S. Park commented: “EU GMP certification of our manufacturing arm in Korea demonstrated our global standard biomanufacturing facility and system that are applied to all of our products.

“By achieving one of the key requirements for product registration, we are one step closer to global launch of Tuznue that can enhance affordability of trastuzumab to the patients in need.”

Tuznue, HD201, is a proposed biosimilar to Roche’s Herceptin and can be prescribed for the treatment of HER2 positive breast and metastatic gastric cancer.

Tuznue’s equivalence to the originator has been demonstrated in 2 Phase 1 trials conducted in Europe and Australia and a global Phase 3 trial, which has been published in scientific journals and conferences.

Tuznue has secured global distribution partnerships in major markets, and is currently under Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) review in EU EMA, Canada and South Korea.

More details at www.prestigebiopharma.com

-- BERNAMA

IDG Communications rebranded as Foundry

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 -- After playing a key role in every major milestone, announcement, and development in modern technology since 1964, IDG Communications Inc has announced that the company has rebranded as Foundry.

According to a statement, the announcement marks the company’s transformation from legacy media network to integrated marketing technology (MarTech) and data provider.

As Foundry, the company will pair large-scale first-party data from its leading portfolio of editorial brands with a combination of acquired and home-grown marketing technologies.

“We set out to deliver on a strategy that re-invents our business for a new era in technology marketing where data and martech are engineered to work seamlessly together, powered by our global ecosystem of editorial brands,” said President of the newly named Foundry, Kumaran Ramanathan.

“With the rebrand of IDG as Foundry we are establishing ourselves as a company that generates and innovates with data. While the new brand marks the completion of a major milestone in our corporate transformation, we will not stop innovating and building upon our recent success.”

The company has historically been recognised as the technology sector’s most international, credible, trustworthy, and relevant publisher, featuring award-winning brands such as CIO, ChannelWorld, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, MacWorld, Network World, PCWorld and TechHive.

Its award-winning editorial content is recognised worldwide by millions of business and technology executives and enthusiasts as a trusted resource of technical insights, thought leadership, product reviews and more.

Foundry represents an interconnected ecosystem of media, technology and data. By leveraging its first-party data, Foundry will help navigate the entire tech buyer journey – everything from driving awareness and understanding intent signals, to increasing engagement and conversion.

The company will also help technology marketers and agencies drive awareness and achieve their objectives by engineering the right combination of media solutions – whether that involves advertising, demand generation, content, research, or events.

More details at www.foundryco.com

-- BERNAMA

CSOP Metaverse Concept ETF to list on HKEX

CSOP Metaverse Concept ETF(3034.HK) (Graphic: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 -- CSOP Asset Management Limited (CSOP) is honoured to announce the listing of CSOP Metaverse Concept ETF (stock ticker: 3034.HK) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX).

As Hong Kong’s first Metaverse ETF, 3034.HK will adopt an active management strategy mainly investing in U.S. listed companies, relating to the Metaverse business, to achieve its investment objective.

With listing price at around HKD 7.8 per unit, trading lot of 100 shares and annual management fee of 0.99 per cent, CSOP Metaverse Concept ETF will start to trade on Feb 21, 2022.

According to a statement, upon inception, CSOP Metaverse Concept ETF (stock ticker: 3034.HK) has received around US$9 million initial investment. (US$1 = RM4.184)

Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Melody He said: “As the latest and one of the most important members of the CSOP thematic ETF series, CSOP Metaverse Concept ETF is our bold attempt at something new and futuristic, providing our investors with state-of-the-art investment opportunities.

“We are optimistic about future thematic investments and firmly believe that adding CSOP Metaverse Concept ETF to our product line will further fulfill all of our investors’ investment needs.”

The Metaverse is best understood as the next iteration of the Internet. Technology giants are investing massive resources into the Metaverse industry.

Adopting an actively managed investment strategy, 3034.HK primarily invests in companies, which are directly or indirectly involved in the use of innovative technology to offer products or services which contribute to the development of the Metaverse.

CSOP has been a pioneer in portraying a smarter, healthier and greener future by bringing a series of future-themed ETFs to global investors. The launch of CSOP Metaverse Concept ETF will further broaden the CSOP thematic ETF spectrum, bringing it to the next level.

-- BERNAMA

ALLVUE SYSTEMS CHOSEN BY DO VENTURES FOR INVESTOR COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- Allvue Systems (Allvue), a leading alternative investment technology solutions provider announced Do Ventures has selected the firm’s Investor Portal solution to support its LP management.

Do Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund that serves as a strategic partner for startups in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Allvue’s Investor Portal solution will provide Do Ventures with transparent, timely and efficient communication with its LPs. Do Ventures will have access to intuitive, highly configurable dashboards allowing it to securely share information with investors and streamline operations as its number of funds, investments, and clients grow globally.

“With the rapidly growing venture capital sector in Southeast Asia, Do Ventures recognised the need for superior investor management workflows to capitalise on these investment opportunities and manage its growing investor base,” said Edward Bee, Region Head for APAC at Allvue in a statement.

“Our Investor Portal solution will enable Do Ventures to up-scale their LP communications and thus strengthen relationships with current and prospective investors.”

Allvue’s Investor Portal provides limited partners with customisable, feature-rich dashboards combining portfolio company data management, cash flow analysis, and secure document sharing into one solution.

With this agreement, Do Ventures became Allvue’s first client in Vietnam and the ASEAN region just six months after it launched its APAC business in June 2021 with the opening of its Singapore office.

“As our business grows, it is critical to find a technology partner that shares our pioneer spirit of continuously innovating to improve operational efficiency and best serve our clients,” said Vy Le, Co-founder & General Partner of Do Ventures.

“Allvue’s data-driven tech solution, combined with its deep experience in alternatives, will enable us to enhance investor communications through a comprehensive reporting infrastructure.”

Allvue is based in Miami, FL with locations throughout North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. 

-- BERNAMA

Parse Biosciences secures US$41.5 million in Series B funding

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 -- Parse Biosciences, a company dedicated to providing scalable single-cell sequencing solutions, has announced US$41.5 million in Series B funding co-led by Marshall Wace and Janus Henderson Investors. (US$1 = RM4.183)

According to  a statement, Soleus Capital, Logos Capital and Bioeconomy Capital also participated in the round, bringing Parse Biosciences’ total funding to date to over US$50 million.

The funding will be used to expand commercialisation of Parse’s Evercode Whole Transcriptome products, which empower researchers to profile cells at various levels of scale which they’re able to tailor to their unique experiment needs.

Evercode leverages a patented technique of combinatorial barcoding that improves sample resolution, increases transcript sensitivity, and simplifies workflow.

Parse’s product portfolio includes the Evercode Whole Transcriptome Mega, which can profile up to 1,000,000 cells in parallel, and the Evercode Whole Transcriptome Mini, a kit used to profile up to 10,000 cells in parallel for studies of smaller scale.

Following their fundraise, Parse will expand the Evercode platform beyond transcriptomics, enabling researchers to elevate single cell multi-omic measurements to unprecedented scale.

“Understanding the transcriptome is pivotal, but our expansion into multi-omics is a natural progression. We’re excited to begin expanding our product portfolio, starting later this year,” said Parse Biosciences chief executive officer and co-founder, Alex Rosenberg.

Following the raise of their US$7 million Series A round in January 2021, Parse Biosciences extended its reach on a global scale. In October 2021, Parse partnered with Decode Sciences to provide its single-cell sequencing solution to Australia and New Zealand. 

Shortly afterwards, Parse announced a distribution agreement with Research Instruments Pte Ltd to expand its availability to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

More details at https://www.parsebiosciences.com/.

-- BERNAMA

Barilla chooses Kyriba for treasury, risk management, supply chain finance operation support

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 -- San Diego-headquartered Kyriba (the Company), a global leader in cloud treasury, payments and finance solutions, has announced that Barilla, a leading global food company, has selected the Company's Enterprise Liquidity Management platform to support its treasury, risk management and supply chain finance operations.

The integration will centralise Barilla’s multiple supply chain finance programmes into a single Dynamic Discounting solution that better supports its suppliers, shortens the cash conversion cycle and improves liquidity for the company.

According to a statement, Barilla also selected Kyriba to increase cash visibility, improve cash forecasting, and digitise FX, interest rate, and commodities risk management.

“We are happy to welcome Barilla to our family of Enterprise Liquidity Management Platform users and to support their finance transformation project.

“This integration demonstrates Kyriba's ability to meet the requirements of an international player in terms of optimising enterprise liquidity and protecting against operational and financial risk,” said Andrea Delvò, Managing Director, Italy, at Kyriba.

Meanwhile, Giangaddo Prati, Group Chief Financial and Information Technology Officer at The Barilla Group said: “Kyriba’s platform completely meets our treasury’s requirements in automation, control, and connectivity with ERPs and banks.

“We appreciate Kyriba’s interface, functionality and its high standards of security and data management. Kyriba is the only provider to bundle treasury management and supply chain finance in a unique solution.”

Kyriba’s Enterprise Liquidity Management Platform delivers treasury, payments, connectivity, working capital, and risk management across the enterprise through a ‘liquidity-centric’ approach.

Kyriba has offices in Milan, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, Minsk, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Warsaw, among others. 

-- BERNAMA

ASIA PACIFIC ENERGY VENTURES DECLARES CARVE OUT OF SUBSIDIARY TWENTY20 ENERGY SYSTEMS

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- Asia Pacific Energy Ventures Pte (APEV) announced it will carve out subsidiary Twenty20 Energy Systems with plans to take it public on the Nasdaq in the second quarter of 2022.

Singapore-based Twenty20 Energy was formed in 2014 as a subsidiary to APEV, and has emerged as a leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and operations and maintenance (O&M) service provider.

Based on a statement, the company specialises in providing innovative energy technology solutions to remote and coastal communities with reliable, cost-effective and sustainable power in ways that minimise environmental impact.

Geoff Lawrence, previously the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of APEV, has been named CEO of Twenty20 Energy, responsible for pursuit of its public listing, while Steve Newman has been named CEO at Asia Pacific Energy Ventures.

“Twenty20 is poised to help our customers liberate themselves from inefficient and environmentally unstable energy approaches and to open up new avenues for growth in many emerging markets,” said Lawrence.

“In particular, we are committed to freeing coastal and remote communities around the world from dependence on coal and diesel fuel as they move toward more efficient, environmentally friendly power generation solutions that will improve their economic, social and environmental health.”

Since 2014, Twenty20 Energy’s management has focused on Papua New Guinea, where it has successfully delivered 16 nationally significant energy and construction projects. During this period, the company established two reliable revenue streams: EPC project work and long-term operations and maintenance contracts.

Asia Pacific Energy Ventures, along with its PNG subsidiary Pacific Energy Consulting (PEC), will continue to be a construction and contracting services execution partner for Twenty20 Energy on its Papua New Guinea projects. 

Twenty20 Energy is a leading EPC and operations and maintenance provider focused solely on the energy sector – leading the transition toward low carbon energy.

-- BERNAMA

A THING OF BEAUTY: MARY KAY INC. GARNERS FIVE TOP EMPLOYER AWARDS IN EARLY 2022 THROUGHOUT U.S., EUROPE, AND MALAYSIA

 

^{Melinda Foster Sellers, Chief People Officer at Mary Kay Inc. (Photo: Mary Kay Inc.)}


DALLAS, Feb 16 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Pink collar workers around the world have spoken: Mary Kay Inc., the iconic beauty and entrepreneurship development company, has again been voted a top place to work. In the first 60 days of 2022, the brand has garnered five prestigious employer awards through Forbes and Kincentric in the United States, Europe, Czech Republic, Spain, and Malaysia. The recognition comes on the heels of several other employment honors earned throughout the past three years.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220215005276/en/

 

Forbes Best Employers of 2022 were identified in an independent survey taken by approximately 60,000 American employees working for companies with more than 1,000 workers in the United States. In total, 1,000 employers were recognized across 25 different industry sectors. This isn’t the first time Mary Kay has landed a coveted Forbes employer list—recently, Forbes has also named Mary Kay a Best Mid-Size Employer, Best Employer for Diversity, and Best Employer for Women.

Mary Kay’s Kincentric employer awards in Europe, Czech Republic, Spain and Malaysia are a result of a robust assessment that measures and identifies organizations who have transformed their people practices to drive better business results. According to Kincentric, almost 8 of 10 participating Mary Kay employees responded “yes” when asked: “Mary Kay inspires me to do my best work every day,” and 87% of employees responded affirmatively to the statement: “This organization’s mission provides meaningful direction to me.” That’s 19 points higher than the Kincentric global average.

“Mary Kay is honored to once again be recognized for industry-leading employee practices and engagement scores,” said Melinda Foster Sellers, Chief People Officer at Mary Kay Inc. “Our people are the foundation of the incredible work we do around the world and are the reason we’ve remained a top beauty brand nearly 60 years after our founding. We have a simple employment philosophy at Mary Kay: if our employees come to work every day convinced they’re helping make the world a better place, then we’re on the right track.”

That philosophy has informed every internal employee decision over six decades. As a result, 41% of Mary Kay employees globally have been with the company for over ten years, 75% of new roles are promoted from within, and the brand offers several programs aimed at professional development, innovative thinking, and employee well-being. Mary Kay offers employees a robust menu of affordable medical, dental and vision benefits, life insurance, savings accounts for healthcare and dependent care, accidental death and dismemberment coverage, and a retirement savings plan that includes both a 401k and a generous profit-sharing program. This commitment to sharing success is a cornerstone of Mary Kay’s commitment to the people who enable it.

“I’m perhaps most proud of our diversity efforts,” added Sellers. “As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, more than 1,000 of our leaders have taken unconscious bias training with more on the way. We also enlist the help of third-party business verification and diversity data vendors to assess our supply chain to ensure we’re appropriately representing women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses.”

As of March 2021, 61% of Mary Kay’s global workforce is female and 64% of market leaders are female.

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company 57 years ago with three goals: develop rewarding opportunities for women, offer irresistible products, and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements and fragrances. Mary Kay is committed to empowering women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Mary Kay Ash’s original vision continues to shine—one lipstick at a time. Learn more at MaryKay.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220215005276/en/

Contact

Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications
marykay.com/newsroom
(+1) 972.687.5332 or media@mkcorp.com

Source : Mary Kay Inc.

AM Best assigns Himalayan Reinsurance Limited Credit Ratings

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of B (Fair) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bb+’ (Fair) to Himalayan Reinsurance Limited (Himalayan Re) Nepal.

The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable, based on a statement.

The ratings reflect Himalayan Re’s balance sheet strength, which United States-based AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

Himalayan Re’s balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalisation that is expected to remain at the strongest level for its first five years of operations, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR).

AM Best views the company’s initial capitalisation of NPR 7 billion (US$59 million) in paid-up capital to be supportive of the company’s planned growth over its five-year start up phase (US$1 = RM4 189).

Additionally, financial flexibility is expected to be enhanced by the company’s plan for public listing over the near to medium term. AM Best expects the company to maintain a low-risk investment portfolio, with a majority allocation to cash and term deposits, and the remainder mostly in fixed income securities. Offsetting balance sheet considerations include the company’s exposure to severe catastrophe events, albeit the risk is mitigated in part through the use of retrocession.

AM Best views the company’s operating performance as adequate. As a start-up reinsurer, operating performance is exposed to potential volatility arising from elevated operational risk and business execution risk. Himalayan Re’s underwriting performance is projected to face negative pressure in the early years, in part driven by high initial expenses and a lack of business scale, although a gradual improvement is expected.

Himalayan Re’s business profile is assessed as limited. As a new domestic reinsurer, the second in the Nepal’s market, Himalayan Re lacks an established market position and is expected to face increasing competition as it grows its market share.

AM Best expects the company’s business growth to benefit from regulatory developments, including a first right of refusal to domestic reinsurance business that has been provided to domestic reinsurers, including Himalayan Re. The underwriting portfolio is expected to show line of business concentration toward property and engineering risks.

For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

EMQ PROVIDES REAL-TIME CROSS-BORDER PAYMENTS ACROSS SOUTH ASIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- Global payments network EMQ announced it has significantly augmented its real-time cross-border payments across South Asia, including direct access to Nepal and India’s Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and additional markets in the pipeline.

According to a statement, these major enhancements provide a more transparent and cost-efficient payments solution for its customers worldwide, while enabling them to capture new opportunities across the emerging markets.

“At EMQ, we actively listen to our customers and these service enhancements reflect our continuous efforts to provide value-added solutions that meet their business needs,” said Global Head of Networks and Expansion, EMQ, Steven Liu.

“In the coming months, we will continue to expand our network with more global market touch points across the fastest growing economic corridors.”

Powered by EMQ’s real-time payment network, its enhanced payment capabilities to Nepal and India are now available across all EMQ global markets.

With a single EMQ Connect API integration, customers can now send a maximum of 500,000 INR (increased from 200,000 INR) directly into local banks in real-time under IMPS and higher amounts via same-day fund transfers to India.

Meanwhile in Nepal, customers will also have direct access to real-time bank transfer of up to 1,000,000 NPR with additional same-day payment options available in the country. These extended service offerings enable enterprises to focus on growing their business without the need to manage complex network infrastructure.

With a network footprint touching billions of people, EMQ continues to expand its product suite with real-time payment capabilities across Europe (Sepa Zone), Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and 19 markets in Africa, with expansion underway in the United States, Canada and Latin America.

The company is currently licensed in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and registered as a Money Service Business in Canada.

More details at www.emq.com.

-- BERNAMA