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WonderFi Becomes First TSX-Listed Company To Receive Approval to Offer Crypto Staking

MarketJar

WonderFi Technologies Inc ( TSX:WNDR ) ( OTCQB:WONDF ) is a technology company focused on creating better access to digital assets through centralized and decentralized platforms. The company provides unified access to digital assets, including crypto, DeFi, gaming, and NFTs. Under its brands, Bitbuy, Coinberry and UniiFi, WonderFi provides access to the best that the crypto ecosystem has to offer. WonderFi Announces Upcoming Launch of Bitbuy Staking WonderFi Technologies just announced that, through its subsidiary Bitbuy, it is now the first TSX-listed digital currency trading platform to receive approval from Canadian securities regulators to offer staking to Canadian investors. Recent metrics show that due to the ongoing cryptocurrency and stock market downturn, investors are now holding onto their crypto at an increasing rate. Until recently, Canadians primary option for access to cryptocurrency staking was through unregistered platforms. Bitbuy Staking, which is expected to launch November 28, will allow users to leverage their crypto balances to earn crypto rewards through on-chain staking. Crypto assets associated with proof-of-stake blockchains like Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH) may be bonded to the protocol to help validate transactions and secure the network, in exchange for receiving additional crypto assets as a reward. “Until recently, Canadian investors only had the option to stake on unregistered platforms, ” said WonderFi President and Interim CEO, Dean Skurka. “As a result, this placed undue risk on Canadian investors, and provided limited oversight in the event that things went wrong. By working with our regulators, and utilizing our external custodian, BitGo, and our institutional staking provider, Figment, we are focused on reducing counterparty risk for our clients. We are excited to offer Canadians the option to stake their crypto in a regulated and transparent environment.” At launch, WonderFi estimates that Bitbuy users will have the ability to stake Solana (SOL) for an annualized reward rate of 5-7%. The company expects Ethereum (ETH) staking and other proof-of-stake supported assets to be added in the near term. Bitbuy plans to pay earned rewards weekly, calculated from the protocol reward rate which is variable and different for each network. Incoming CEO Dean Skurka to Lead Organizational Change WonderFi Technologies also recently announced that it is turning its focus on four regulated business segments meant to help it optimize the revenue potential of its more than 600,000 Canadian clients thanks to rising user demand, the lifting of gaming restrictions, and current market trends. The four areas include traditional equities, digital assets, staking plus yield products, and regulated products like gaming and sports betting. Dean Skurka, the incoming CEO of WonderFi, will lead the organizational change. Skurka, who previously held the position of President at Bitbuy, played a crucial role in helping the company grow its registered customer base from around 2,600 in 2018 to more than 400,000 last year. He also helped Bitbuy grow yearly revenue from $1 million to more than $32 million over that period. As a result, he made Bitbuy the first authorized cryptocurrency platform in Canada through the CSA and OSC's exemptive relief scheme and facilitated around $4 billion in trading volume in 2021. Skurka outlines WonderFi' s diverse commercial objectives under his new position: “Revenue growth and profitability are WonderFi’s top priority and by including the trading of equities, staking and yield products, access to sports betting and gaming, and other regulated offerings, we will dramatically bolster our average revenue per user, while simultaneously developing a comprehensive ecosystem for users like ours to generate wealth in the most modern of ways.” Diversification Of Investments Critical In Wealth Creation Explaining the diversification, WonderF ’s strategic investor Kevin O’Leary said: "The key to wealth generation is diversification. There is a direct correlation between those who buy and sell crypto, and stocks, and seek out other wealth-generating products. It makes perfect sense to deliver that to WonderFi’s 600,000 customers within one fully regulated, Canadian-operated ecosystem.” Ben Samaroo shall continue to serve on WonderFi's board of directors to maintain sustainability for the company's relationships with its major shareholders, authorities, and the financial markets. As CEO and co-founder of WonderFi, Samaroo led the historic acquisition of Coinberry for $38 million, the purchase of Bitbuy for $206 million, raising approximately $100 million, and turned the company into the only licensed cryptocurrency firm to be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. “I fully endorse Dean Skurka as the next CEO of WonderFi. We are doubling down on offering a wide array of regulated products to our users and Dean, as a proven operational leader, is best suited to lead these efforts,” said Samaroo. “I look forward to continuing our excellent working relationship as he steps into the CEO role.” Dean Skurka and Ben Samaroo have engaged in new consensual lockup agreements barring any transfer or sale of their stock to show all shareholders their dedication to the future success of WonderFi. WonderFi is a top tech company with the goal of unifying and improving digital asset access through decentralized and centralized platforms. The company's board of directors and management team has a proven experience in crypto and finance. For more information on WonderFi Technologies Inc (TSX:WNDR) (OTCQB:WONDF), please visit this link. Disclaimer 1) The author of the Article, or members of the author's immediate household or family, do not own any securities of the companies set forth in this Article. The author determined which companies would be included in this article based on research and understanding of the sector. 2) The Article was issued on behalf of and sponsored by, WonderFi Technologies Inc. Market Jar Media Inc. has or expects to receive from WonderFi Technologies Inc.'s Digital Marketing Agency of Record (Native Ads Inc.) seventy six thousand Canadian dollars for 17 days (12 business days). 3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not Market Jar Media Inc., its directors or officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Market Jar Media Inc. for this Article. Market Jar Media Inc. was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this Article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Market Jar Media Inc. requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Market Jar Media Inc. relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Market Jar Media Inc. has no means of verifying its accuracy. 4) The Article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of the information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Market Jar Media Inc's terms of use and full legal disclaimer as set forth here. This Article is not a solicitation for investment. Market Jar Media Inc. does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on PressReach.com should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Market Jar Media Inc. does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on PressReach.com. 5) Market Jar Media Inc. and its respective directors, officers and employees hold no shares for any company mentioned in the Article. 6) This document contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, (collectively, “forward-looking statements”), which reflect management’s expectations regarding WonderFi Technologies Inc’s future growth, future business plans and opportunities, expected activities, and other statements about future events, results or performance. Wherever possible, words such as “predicts”, “projects”, “targets”, “plans”, “expects”, “does not expect”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “anticipate” or “does not anticipate”, “believe”, “intend” and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative or grammatical variation thereof or other variations thereof, or comparable terminology have been used to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements relating to: (a) revenue generating potential with respect to WonderFi Technologies Inc’s industry; (b) market opportunity; (c) WonderFi Technologies Inc.’s business plans and strategies; (d) services that WonderFi Technologies Inc. intends to offer; (e) WonderFi Technologies Inc’s milestone projections and targets; (f) WonderFi Technologies Inc’s expectations regarding receipt of approval for regulatory applications; (g) WonderFi Technologies Inc’s intentions to expand into other jurisdictions including the timeline expectations relating to those expansion plans; and (h) WonderFi Technologies Inc’s expectations with regarding its ability to deliver shareholder value. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this document including, without limitation, assumptions about: (a) the ability to raise any necessary additional capital on reasonable terms to execute WonderFi Technologies Inc’s business plan; (b) that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; (c) WonderFi Technologies Inc’s ability to procure equipment and operating supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; (d) WonderFi Technologies Inc’s ability to enter into contractual arrangements with additional Pharmacies; (e) the accuracy of budgeted costs and expenditures; (f) WonderFi Technologies Inc’s ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; (g) political and regulatory stability; (h) the receipt of governmental, regulatory and third-party approvals, licenses and permits on favorable terms; (i) changes in applicable legislation; (j) stability in financial and capital markets; and (k) expectations regarding the level of disruption to as a result of CV-19. Such forward-looking information involves a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of WonderFi Technologies Inc. to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation: (a) WonderFi Technologies Inc’s operations could be adversely affected by possible future government legislation, policies and controls or by changes in applicable laws and regulations; (b) public health crises such as CV-19 may adversely impact WonderFi Technologies Inc’s business; (c) the volatility of global capital markets; (d) political instability and changes to the regulations governing WonderFi Technologies Inc’s business operations (e) WonderFi Technologies Inc. may be unable to implement its growth strategy; and (f) increased competition. Except as required by law, WonderFi Technologies Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future event or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Neither does WonderFi Technologies Inc. nor any of its representatives make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of the information in this document. Neither WonderFi Technologies Inc. nor any of its representatives shall have any liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to you or any person resulting from the use of the information in this document by you or any of your representatives or for omissions from the information in this document. 7) Any graphs, tables or other information demonstrating the historical performance or current or historical attributes of WonderFi Technologies Inc. or any other entity contained in this document are intended only to illustrate historical performance or current or historical attributes of WonderFi Technologies Inc. or such entities and are not necessarily indicative of future performance of WonderFi Technologies Inc. or such entities. Contact Details PressReach James Young +1 800-340-9767 campaigns@pressreach.com Company Website https://pressreach.com

November 04, 2022 06:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Could This Regulatory Data Company Attract More Interest As The Midterm Elections Approach?

Benzinga

What is the role of information in changing the world? For companies like FiscalNote Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NOTE), this consideration is the cornerstone of its business. As an agency specialized in collecting data on the regulatory processes in the U.S. and abroad, FiscalNote’s existence is a testament to the power of quality information. FiscalNote belongs to a growing library of companies specializing in the timely acquisition and creative distillation of information. These companies have molded information to offer a variety of services ranging from automating finances such as Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK) to consumer behavioral analysis like Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK). For FiscalNote, regulatory data is the foundation of the work. Policies can have a radical impact on how businesses operate. Take the Roe versus Wade case, which in 1973 created a whole new industry for abortion-seeking individuals. FiscalNote is dedicated to collecting valuable regulatory information and detailing how it would affect its customers’ businesses and operations. As the U.S. midterm elections creep closer, FiscalNote’s work may be more valuable than ever. Fortunately, the company has reportedly prepared for this moment. In an episode on SPACInsider, FiscalNote CEO Tim Hwang outlines the company’s recent acquisitions, its cash-rich position and the favorability of market valuations as driving forces in the company’s quest for market share. Leveraging Market Conditions The past two years have seen shifts in the requirement for large-scale data. Brewing market uncertainty and the COVID-19 pandemic provide some of the strongest catalysts for this growing demand for data. As discussed in the podcast episode, Hwang believes the pandemic increased the number of touchpoints governments at every level have on business operations. Additionally, poor market conditions and whipsawing currency valuations are posing significant risks for businesses worldwide. FiscalNote provides services that help businesses tackle and understand their issues through data. The company says it has undergone significant growth to improve its service, including prioritizing key conditions in getting the right SPAC deal for it, and that it is already taking advantage of being a publicly-listed company. Specifically, Hwang highlighted the following developments: The acquisition of DT-Global Business Consulting, an Austria-based market intelligence company, that expands FiscalNote's existing Geopolitical & Market Intelligence solutions business, shortly after its initial public offering (IPO). The expansion into alternative data — financial information covering the economic activity that isn’t covered by equities and traditional markets. Labor, wage and credit card expenditure data are some examples. The acquisition of Aicel, a South Korea-based alternative data solutions and software company that enhances FiscalNote’s Data-as-a-Service offerings on a global scale. Commenting on the business’s merger and acquisition (M&A) strategy, Hwang said, “We are expanding the scope of our products and services to be able to drive continued organic growth well into the future.” Hwang sees the M&A process as simple product development — finding companies that would enrich FiscalNote’s data collection and analysis and acquiring them is a clear-cut way to improve the business’s database and reach. Hwang says that current market conditions, which have sent business valuations well below book and cash values, represent an incredible opportunity for FiscalNote, one that the company is taking advantage of via its acquisitions. Armed with $90 million in cash and a flexible credit facility driven by the company’s annual recurring revenue, Hwang believes the company has both the right management team and the right financials to take FiscalNote to the next level. As midterm elections creep around the corner, the importance of regulatory data and information may reach new heights. Hear more about how FiscalNote is tackling the situation here. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

November 04, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Snapbar Introduces Category-Defining Platform to Drastically Streamline Professional Headshots for Companies With Remote and Hybrid Employees

Snapbar

Snapbar, a software company innovating in the world of virtual events and remote work introduced Snapbar Studio in 2022 after multiple pandemic-driven pivots. With over a decade of experience in designing premium photo and video engagements for some of the world’s largest brands, Snapbar has developed a category-defining corporate headshots solution, making ‘virtual headshots’ a standard term for teams of 50 to 10k+ employees. “We had a lightbulb moment after some of our existing corporate clients asked if our virtual photo booth app, Snapshot, could be used for capturing business headshots at events” recalled founder and CEO, Sam Eitzen. “Of course it can - the underlying technology was the same. Less than two months later, Studio was born and has quickly become our fastest growing product.” Snapbar’s Studio product for ‘virtual headshots’ is not only saving companies immediate time and money, but becoming an integral part of employee onboarding for growing teams: The intuitive, web-based interface along with the power of modern smartphone cameras gives employees the freedom to take their own headshots from wherever they are AI-powered editing coupled with user-assisted fine-tuning produces high quality results for the most common business use cases like web, social, email, badges, and more Pre-defined, automatically generated outputs give businesses every crop, edit, and output they need from only one picture, populated in an admin dashboard with moderation control, auto file naming, and easy exports Custom-branded Studios give businesses the flexibility they need to scale their current and future onboarding needs, whether by team, office, or region Studio replaces the need for location-dependent photography and hand-edited photos, and as a result it minimizes turn-around time and brings down per-headshot cost dramatically resulting in significant savings at scale It’s been a no-brainer for many of Snapbar’s existing clients like FedEx, FIFA and Gusto, who became early adopters and have now integrated Studio headshots into their organizational onboarding. “One of the beautiful things about being a nimble, bootstrapped business is that we can actively listen to our customers and quickly design new products and features around their pain points and specific use cases, which gives all customers a more valuable experience with Snapbar” said Joe Eitzen, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Snapbar. Snapbar continues to roll out new features, improving quality with the latest AI technologies, adding security features for sensitive industries, and adding new administrative features to enhance scalability. “We’re excited to be at the forefront of this new business solution category and will continue innovating to serve the broader demand - from individuals to the largest global organizations” said Patrick Ellis, CTO. “We’ve also recognized a need for smaller teams and individuals that we’re currently not an ideal solution for, but keep an eye on us - we’ll have something for that very soon.” Learn more about Snapbar Studio on their website, or view some of their provided resources to see how it’s used. About Snapbar Snapbar develops intuitive, web-based products that leverage user devices to create on-brand content for teams, events, and marketing. Customers can choose one or combine multiple Snapbar apps to streamline onboarding, connect teams, engage audiences, and drive content creation. They work with companies of all sizes and have built custom solutions for events, marketing, education, teams, live sports, and more. Aside from Studio, Snapbar also offers their Snapshot photo booth and Story video booth products. Both are fully customizable and embeddable UGC apps that work seamlessly across all devices to increase and enhance content creation for nearly any use case you can come up with. Their underlying focus is leveraging user smartphones for creativity and content creation while giving organizations and brands a new way to reach and engage their most important audiences in an increasingly hybrid business world. Access Snapbar Studio assets for additional distribution here. Contact Details Snapbar Ben LoBue +1 833-476-2722 ben@thesnapbar.com Company Website https://snapbar.com/studio

November 03, 2022 10:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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PA Media and Agility partnership brings PRs closer to journalists driving news agenda

PA Media

PR and communications professionals can now monitor the news agenda and seamlessly reach the most relevant journalists for their stories through a new partnership between PA Media and Agility. PA Media’s Mediapoint enables customers to both understand and make the news by following breaking stories and then distributing their press releases on the newswire used by journalists. Agility, Innodata Inc.’s (NASDAQ:INOD) AI-enabled public relations platform, has an industry-leading media database with unparalleled data accuracy. The technology partnership will allow PR and comms professionals to seamlessly go from reading a story on Mediapoint to using the new Media Outreach tools to target relevant journalists with their insights, quotes or complementary story through Agility’s media database. PR and comms professionals will then be able to understand the success of their campaign in granular detail by reviewing the number of journalists reached through the wire, email open rates and clickthrough numbers from their release. The partnership will allow them to target journalists from specific industries or locations while knowing they are working with an accurate database. “Our partnership with Agility will allow PRs to respond to the news agenda and get their press releases in front of the right journalists faster and easier than ever before,” said Alan Marshall, Managing Director of Business Information Services at PA Media. “We’re working with Agility because a high-quality media database is essential for our customers to earn press coverage. The Media Outreach launch forms part of a series of enhancements we’re making to Mediapoint over the coming months.” “We believe combining PA Media’s illustrious history in the media and publishing space with Agility’s innovative technology will result in successful, outcome-driven experiences for PR and comms professionals,” said Martin Lyster, CEO of Agility. “We see these types of technology partnerships as key enablers of innovation both now and in the future, contributing to the dynamic and exciting nature of our industry.” The Agility database provides a top-rated user experience and impeccable data confidence due to its in-house media research team that makes up to 2 million manual updates to journalist and outlet contact information every year. “We are delighted to be working with PA Media, renowned for its multimedia and content delivery,” said Allison Murphy, UK Managing Director at Agility. “PA Media Group’s dedication to providing excellent service to their customers aligns perfectly with our values at Agility. We’re honoured to have been chosen as the technology provider to power targeted news distribution on behalf of PA Media.” Notes to editors Learn more about the powerful business ally that is PA Mediapoint. About PA Media Group PA Media Group comprises a diverse portfolio of specialist media companies, spanning news & information, technology and communications services. Its flagship brand, PA Media, is the UK and Ireland’s leading news agency. Alongside PA Media, the Group is also the parent company of content library Alamy, broadcast tech firm Globelynx, strategic marketing consultancy Sticky Content, video streaming business StreamAMG, PA Betting Services, PA Training and PA TV Metadata. PA Media Group has 20 shareholders, made up mainly of UK news and media businesses. The largest shareholders include DMGT plc, Informa plc, News UK plc and Reach plc. http://www.pamediagroup.com About Agility Agility PR Solutions, INNODATA INC.’s (NASDAQ: INOD) AI-enabled industry platform for public relations and media analysis, streamlines media monitoring, outreach, and media intelligence in one intuitive platform for public relations professionals. Global organizations rely on Agility to help them achieve ambitious business goals using an outcome-based approach. Software backed by deep expertise offers high-performance results and PR insights for brands with advanced requirements in a shifting media landscape. Providing innovative technology, outstanding data quality, and high-caliber support, Agility enables success for today’s communicators. https://www.agilitypr.com/ Contact Details PA Media Oyinda Bishi oyinda.bishi@pamediagroup.com Agility PR Solutions Jeffrey Mack jeffrey.mack@agilitypr.com

November 03, 2022 12:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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SHIFTKEY AWARDED TOP HONOR AT ANNUAL DALLAS 100 AWARDS

ShiftKey

ShiftKey, a leading technology platform bringing critical workforce solutions, was named the No. 1 fastest-growing privately held company in Dallas at the annual Dallas 100 Awards Gala, presented by Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business. The Dallas 100 recognizes the fastest-growing small, independent, privately held companies in North Texas based on three years of continuous revenue growth. To qualify for the Dallas 100, organizations must be headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and have revenue earnings of between $500,000 to $100 million dollars. “ShiftKey was born out of a vision to transform the workforce, creating opportunities for healthcare professionals to pursue independent, flexible opportunities while addressing serious workforce gaps to keep up with increased patient demand,” said Tom Ellis, CEO, ShiftKey. “We’re proud of our Dallas roots, so this honor means a lot to our team as we continue to position Dallas as a leading technology hub that brings real solutions to our workforce, healthcare systems and economy.” ShiftKey was founded in 2016 in Dallas by technology entrepreneur and innovator Tom Ellis. The company has experienced rapid growth, starting with 25 employees in 2016 and growing to 200 employees today. Since ShiftKey launched, more than 50 million hours in open shifts have been posted to its marketplace platform. The company has a network of 200,000 independent healthcare providers and partners with more than 3,000 healthcare facilities across 30+ states. Today, ShiftKey is the largest technology platform for connecting independent licensed healthcare professionals with open shifts at healthcare facilities across the United States. The company takes a marketplace approach, empowering the provider to determine when, where and how much they want to work, while giving healthcare facilities access to a vast network of professionals with diverse expertise and specializations to meet unique staffing needs in the moment. To learn more about ShiftKey’s exciting growth journey and opportunities for facilities and independent providers, follow ShiftKey on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/myshiftkey/. About ShiftKey Founded in 2016, Dallas-based ShiftKey is the largest technology platform for connecting independent licensed healthcare professionals with open shifts at healthcare facilities across the United States. Leveraging marketplace dynamics and deep industry knowledge, the company is playing a vital role in mitigating America’s healthcare staffing shortages, empowering providers to choose when, where and how much to work, while facilitating direct connections with healthcare facilities. Since its inception, healthcare facilities have posted more than 50 million hours of shifts on ShiftKey, gaining access to a vast talent network of licensed independent healthcare professionals with diverse expertise and specializations to meet their unique staffing needs in the moment. For more information, visit www.ShiftKey.com. Contact Details Curley Company for ShiftKey Lorianne Walker +1 410-688-1330 lorianne@curleycompany.com Company Website https://www.shiftkey.com/

November 03, 2022 10:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Venture Capital and Private Equity Continue to Have a Taste for HR and HCM Tech Opportunities

Benzinga

The Surprise: While recession risks have led VCs to press pause on many pandemic favorites, the Human Capital Management (HCM) niche has proven to be the exception. It is a crowded space - over 400 HCM companies set up shop at the 2022 HR Technology Conference in Las Vegas. There's a reason for all the competition. The need for a scientific approach to managing a company's workforce gained steam during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading HR Tech to receive a record amount of VC attention in 2021. Despite all the hype over the past two years, this trend shows signs of staying power. The global HR Tech space is projected to expand at a CAGR of 9.1% through 2029 to $46.85B, which dwarfs the current size of $25.53B. Let’s provide some perspective on Human Capital Management’s dramatic rise in relevancy. HR Tech companies received a 250% increase in VC funding in Q4 2021 compared to Q4 2020. In that final quarter of 2021, VCs poured $11.2B into 212 unique HR Tech startups, which equates to an average deal size of $58.3M. In H1 2022, HR Tech was the beneficiary of $14.2B in funding across 387 deals, which equates to an average deal size of $41M. While the 2022 numbers thus far aren't nearly as eye-popping, context is everything. Recession fears in the U.S. and around the world kicked in during Q4 2021. Officials admitted inflation wasn't transitory. The public accepted the inevitability of higher borrowing costs. The stock market, being a forward-looking indicator, peaked in October of 2021. It's no surprise then that funding slowed from its peak. In fact, as of September 2022, overall VC investment has hit a two-year low. But not all industries feel the effects equally - flows into HR tech are holding up much better than the overall market. The Problem: Stubborn inflation and a fractured employer/employee relationship has put many small to midsize businesses at a crossroads. An American Express survey revealed that while the average small to midsize business enjoyed an 87% increase in revenue from July 2021 to July 2022, that same average also saw profits decrease by 4%. That’s the equivalent of running faster while falling even more behind. It’s easy to settle for top-line growth during a bull market, but downturns are when metrics like profitability and free cash flow become king. While expenses creep up, the expectations gap between employers and employees is also growing wider. As the gap expands, employee productivity, morale, & retention fall. The disconnect between both parties has become so widespread that it led to the coining of the term ‘quiet quitting’, which is an employee consciously doing just enough not to get fired. So while simply cutting costs through a reduced headcount would put a dent in the first problem, it would only exacerbate the second. A more comprehensive approach is needed to ensure a workforce is both happy and efficient. The Solution: Asure allows a small to midsize business to adopt a scientific attitude towards the management of its workforce. Asure Software’s (NASDAQ: ASUR) platform helps small and midsize businesses attract, manage, & retain the right people by automating the boring essentials - payroll, HR, & taxes. By removing administrative tasks from the equation, you free up the team’s day to do what they were hired to do. This streamlined approach saves employers money by reducing unnecessary headcount, and it ensures team members have the time to work on the business rather than just in the business. Let’s share a few examples of how the software is relevant in this climate. The tax laws in this country are more complex than ever. Under the CARES act, the Employee Retention Credit provision incentivized small and midsize businesses to keep employees on the payroll. For every employee spared, the business could receive a tax refund of up to $26,000. While the savings are significant, owners that looked to leverage this provision manually wasted hours navigating the application process. Do I fill out Form 941-X or Form 5884-A? How do I know if my business even qualifies? Am I compliant? Asure's clients didn't have to ask these questions because the company’s in-house experts and streamlining technology help to make the entire filing process smooth and without any time burden or confusion for the business owner. Asure recently integrated Equifax’s (NYSE: EFX) The Work Number technology with its platform to allow for instant verification of employment & income. Before this partnership, employees would have to fill out a verification request ahead of big applications like a mortgage or a car loan. Employers would then manually respond to each one. This Equifax integration eliminates all that back & forth at no extra cost to Asure’s clients. It's easy to miss the latest integrations or to only use a fraction of a software's capabilities. While Asure emphasizes efficiency for its clients, it's a company that believes in a personal touch. Upon subscribing, each client is assigned a dedicated team of Asure specialists in the local area. The implementation and maximization of the platform become significantly easier when help isn't outsourced to a call center. Asure offers its B2B cloud-based software via a subscription model. The company has a laundry list of individual solutions - Performance Tracking, Electronic Onboarding, Workers’ Compensation, you name it. But for small and midsize businesses that want to move beyond the a la carte approach, Asure offers comprehensive payroll & HR plans that bundle a host of services together. Asure has been around since 1985. Over those decades, Asure has earned the trust of 80,000 clients - 95% of which are SMBs. So despite being a company with vast resources, Asure markets itself to the business with say 100 employees. And as that business grows its market share, the software can scale and grow right along with it to serve 1000+ employees without expensive upgrades. As it is publicly traded, Asure is not a target for VC funding. However, VC and PE firms have certainly been active in acquiring HR tech and HCM companies during the recent market downturn. Thoma Bravo is one private equity software firm that has been on an acquisition spree recently. In October 2022 alone, the PE firm acquired ForgeRock (NYSE: FORG), Ping Identity, UserTesting (NYSE: USER) and completed a strategic investment into SMA Technologies. In addition, the strong activity in the industry by institutional investors highlights the underscoring demand is represents an overall “bullish” signal for the industry. Retail investors who believe in the secular shift to Human Capital Management would be wise to do further due diligence into the ticker symbol ASUR. Disclaimer: Spotlight Growth is compensated, either directly or via a third party, to provide investor relations services for its clients. Spotlight Growth creates exposure for companies through a customized marketing strategy, including design of promotional material, the drafting and editing of press releases and media placement. All information on featured companies is provided by the companies profiled, or is available from public sources. Spotlight Growth and its employees are not a Registered Investment Advisor, Broker Dealer or a member of any association for other research providers in any jurisdiction whatsoever and we are not qualified to give financial advice. The information contained herein is based on external sources that Spotlight Growth believes to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. Spotlight Growth may create reports and content that has been compensated by a company or third-parties, or for purposes of self-marketing. Spotlight Growth was compensated five thousand dollars cash for the creation and dissemination of this content by the company. This material does not represent a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Certain statements contained herein constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company’s plans and objectives, projections, expectations and intentions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. The above communication, the attachments and external Internet links provided are intended for informational purposes only and are not to be interpreted by the recipient as a solicitation to participate in securities offerings. Investments referenced may not be suitable for all investors and may not be permissible in certain jurisdictions. Spotlight Growth and its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees may have bought or sold or may buy or sell shares in the companies discussed herein, which may be acquired prior, during or after the publication of these marketing materials. Spotlight Growth, its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees may sell the stock of said companies at any time and may profit in the event those shares rise in value. For more information on our disclosures, please visit: https://spotlightgrowth.com/disclosures/ The article “ Venture Capital and Private Equity Continue to Have a Taste for HR and HCM Tech Opportunities ” first appeared on Spotlight Growth. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

November 03, 2022 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

SIGMA America Introduces New Website Redesigned for Streamlined Browsing Experience on Any Platform

SIGMA CORPORATION OF AMERICA

SIGMA Corporation of America, the US subsidiary of SIGMA Corporation (CEO: Kazuto Yamaki; headquarters: Asao-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan), a leading lens and camera manufacturer for both still and cinema applications, is pleased to announce the debut of its new website. Rebuilt from the ground up, www.sigmaphoto.com is optimized for an informative, enjoyable, and visually compelling experience on screens of all sizes, from phones to studio monitors. A core goal of the new site was to improve the experience for all site visitors, wherever they are, and on whatever device they may be using. This started with a new foundation, built on Magento Cloud Commerce 2, that significantly reduced load times. Combined with rethinking the product organization structure and modernizing the user experience for a mobile-first approach, this enabled a robust and easy-to-navigate site that is performant on all devices. "Our new design modernizes our online experience, allowing customers to easily find and compare the depth and breadth of SIGMA lens and camera offerings in a visually engaging format," says Mark Amir-Hamzeh, SIGMA America President. "From hobbyist photographers to Hollywood filmmakers, the site has been crafted to inform and inspire while guiding the user to the right gear for their purposes." The e-commerce and dealer-finder focus is complemented by a wealth of educational content from SIGMA's talented team of contributors on the redesigned blog. The site itself also delivers on the product promise. SIGMA is a leader in crafting tools for creative visual content and, as such, the site is richly illustrated with imagery captured with its products. Most of the photography comes from SIGMA America Ambassadors, a group of elite working professionals who have chosen SIGMA photographic and cinematic gear for their work, including Global Vision lenses in the Art, Sports, Contemporary and Cine lines, and often incorporating the innovative fp and fp L full-frame mirrorless cameras. The website was designed and developed in partnership with Blue Collar Agency, Hood River, Oregon, SIGMA America's digital agency of record, under the direction of managing partners Rob McCready and Tom Lehman. Key updates include: Revamped homepage displays new announcements and information in a visually stunning way Improved product search functionality via new taxonomies "Build Your Own Kit" Cine lens bundle pricing tool Implementation of a real-time, dynamic "find a product" data exchange with authorized dealers' stock Streamlined customer experience and full purchase functionality on all platforms Educational discount programs for students and educators Streamlined product registration Improved online warranty support services Redesigned blog and workshops/events pages New Press Room for company news, product images, and media inquiries Experience the new website at www.sigmaphoto.com. Screenshot of the new SIGMA America website Screenshot of the new SIGMA America website Screenshot of the new SIGMA America website About SIGMA Corporation Craftsmanship. Precision. Dedication. Since 1961, SIGMA has been devoted to the pursuit of advancing photographic technology. Unique to the industry, the family-owned business produces its high-quality, award-winning still photo and cinema camera lenses, DSLR and mirrorless cameras, flashes, filters and accessories from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Aizu, Japan. In 2012, the company introduced SIGMA Global Vision with three distinct lens lines: Art, Contemporary and Sports. Designed for industry camera mount systems including Canon, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and SIGMA, each lens is handcrafted and tested in Japan to ensure a high-performance, premium product that is purpose-built to last. In 2016, the SIGMA Cine lens lineup was launched, further cementing SIGMA as an innovator in imaging engineering. Embodying the core optical DNA that has defined the SIGMA benchmark of excellence, SIGMA Cine lenses meet the needs of advanced 6k and 8k cinema production. Forming the landmark L-Mount alliance alongside Leica and Panasonic in 2018, SIGMA continues its storied tradition of imaging excellence through groundbreaking innovations such as the native L-mount SIGMA fp and fp L full-frame mirrorless digital cameras, announced in July 2019 and March 2021 respectively. These products, along with over 30 award-winning SIGMA Global Vision lenses available in native L-Mount format, demonstrate SIGMA's continued commitment to the creative community through expanded product offerings. With the fp, fp L and these lenses, even more users can now leverage SIGMA's renowned optical formula to achieve their creative vision with ease. ### For information about SIGMA America, please visit sigmaphoto.com and SIGMA Blog for helpful information about our products. Follow SIGMA America on social media! SIGMA Photo: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram SIGMA Cine: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Contact Details SIGMA Corporation of America Jack Howard +1 631-201-7381 sigma.pr@sigmaphoto.com Company Website https://www.sigma-global.com/en/

November 03, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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SparkPlug Secures $8M in Series A Funding to Help Frontline Workers Earn Like Owners

SparkPlug

SparkPlug, the leading incentive management and wage supplementation platform for frontline workers, today announced an $8 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Lightbank, with participation from Industry Ventures, as well as existing investors TenOneTen Ventures and Jason Calacanis, bringing the company’s total investment raised to $11.5 million. The new capital will be used to fuel SparkPlug’s aggressive growth plans which include key executive hires and investments into data, development, and behavioral science expertise to continue expanding its category-defining platform. “We’re excited and energized to be closing this round in the most tumultuous fundraising and macroeconomic environment in recent memory,” said Andrew Duffy, CEO and Co-Founder of SparkPlug. “It's evidence of the critical inflection point brands find themselves in post-pandemic – to survive and thrive they need to re-invest in the resurgence of the physical retail channel. We’re en route to becoming as ubiquitous and essential for influencing brick-and-mortar customer acquisition as Google Ads is for influencing digital customer acquisition.” Since its inception in 2020, SparkPlug has been on a mission to disrupt the hourly labor market by empowering frontline workers with the ability to earn a portion of the revenue they generate when making trusted, personalized recommendations to customers. As brick-and-mortar retail and in-person dining have bounced back from the pandemic, SparkPlug has scaled rapidly to meet increasing demand for its services, with a 2,310% growth in revenue since closing its initial seed round in February 2021. “Coming out of the pandemic we’ve seen direct-to-consumer brands hit a major roadblock in expansion, and many leaders are coming to terms with the fact that a physical retail presence is necessary for the long-term health of a brand,” said Jake Levin, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of SparkPlug. “With SparkPlug, these brands are able to harness the power of people to recreate the same curated, personalized customer experience in-store that made them stand out from legacy brands in the first place.” Working with more than 1,000 US retailers and over 200 brand partners, SparkPlug helps businesses harness the power of frontline employees and influence buying decisions at the point of sale. Using SparkPlug’s platform, retail and restaurant management teams, as well as brands themselves, can create a profit-sharing incentive program or sales contest that integrates directly into an organization’s POS system. From there, employees can enroll into the program via text message and automatically begin earning on every qualifying sale they make. “To be successful in today’s complex retail landscape, retailers and brands need to have not only a strong omnichannel selling strategy, but also powerful tools that help train, motivate, and retain the people that are essential to the functions of these organizations,” said Matt Sacks, Co-Managing Partner at Lightbank. “The SparkPlug team has created a rare win-win situation for operators and employees: a proven, scalable method for driving revenue at the local level, while fairly rewarding the employees that drive that growth.” SparkPlug continues to see exponential growth across all the board since its February 2021 seed round as brands and retailers continue to re-invest in physical sales environments. The company has grown its customer base of brands by 930% and retailers by 1,040% in the same time period. During the same time period, SparkPlug has seen a 1,930% increase in monthly supplemental wages distributed to frontline employees, helping properly reward, incentivize, and retain top-performing teams for their influential role in driving brand and retailer revenue. “The retail landscape continues to evolve rapidly but one thing that has become evident in recent years is the importance of having a powerful physical retail presence from the perspective of customer acquisition and product discoverability,” said Minnie Ingersoll, Partner at TenOneTen Ventures. “SparkPlug has given digitally native brands an economically feasible tool for expansion that doesn’t sacrifice fair compensation for the workers that make that growth possible. We’re proud to be partnering with SparkPlug once again to help solve some of retail’s most pressing issues.” Earlier this year SparkPlug announced an integration with Square, making it the first sales incentive tool for frontline workers in the Square App Marketplace. Visit www.sparkplug.app to learn more and https://squareup.com/us/en/app-marketplace/app/sparkplug for a 30 day free trial of the SparkPlug platform. About SparkPlug SparkPlug is the leading incentive management and wage supplementation platform for brick-and-mortar retailers, restaurants, and consumer goods companies. SparkPlug’s first-of-its-kind platform gives frontline workers the ability to earn like owners by rewarding them with cash for every sale they make. SparkPlug’s fully customizable incentive software also empowers brands and retailers to drive sales by mobilizing in-store employees to serve as influencers, while delivering real-time campaign data to track and manage efficacy. Launched in March 2020, SparkPlug has delivered more than $2M in supplemental income to frontline hourly employees, sponsored by the consumer brands whose products those in-store workers put directly into consumers' hands. Visit www.sparkplug.app to learn more. Contact Details N6A for SparkPlug Kevin Pryor +1 203-518-2348 sparkplug@n6a.com Company Website https://sparkplug.app/

November 03, 2022 08:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time

MySize Acquires Naiz Fit To Consolidate Apparel Sizing Solutions And Position Company As A Potential Leader Helping Serve $1 Trillion Global Fashion Industry

MySize, Inc.

The nearly $1 trillion global fashion industry is no stranger to innovation. Thanks to technological advancements in the e-commerce fashion industry, apparel, footwear and accessories sales ballooned in 2021, hitting $180.5 billion in the U.S. alone. The sector is expected to grow by 13% this year, with consumers set to spend $204.9 billion on fashion items online. But while the industry looks promising, there are some disadvantages to shopping online — such as receiving an ill-fitting garment — that could affect the consumer experience and, ultimately, the sector’s growth. With returns being a commonly potentially huge blow to retailers’ bottom lines, MySize Inc. (NASDAQ: MYSZ) has developed solutions that could benefit both sides of the shopping experience. Measurement Solutions Founded in 2014, the company is an omnichannel e-commerce platform and provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven measurement solutions to drive revenue growth and reduce costs for its business clients. MySize ’s MySizeID is based on sophisticated algorithms and cutting-edge technology with broad applications for apparel sales in e-commerce and hybrid settings. The company recently launched FirstLook Smart Mirror, a mirrorlike touch display that provides in-store customers an enhanced shopping experience and contactless checkout. MySize says Orgad, its online retail platform, has expertise in e-commerce, supply chain and technology, operating as a third-party seller on Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) and other sites. To expand its portfolio and offerings, MySize announced on Oct. 12 that it acquired Spain-based Naiz Fit, a software as a service (SaaS) technology solutions provider that solves size and fit issues for fashion e-commerce companies. Naiz Fit’s SaaS Technology Naiz Fit’s SaaS technology acts as a digital tailor. It gathers more than 20 body measurements without asking customers to measure themselves by using its proprietary AI and computer vision capabilities to transform simple images into body measurements. For customers who do not want to use photos, Naiz Fit implements statistical modeling algorithms to determine the size and fit based on height, weight, age, gender and fit preference. MySize reports that Naiz Fit’s latest product — Smart Catalogue — will be launched following the acquisition. Smart Catalogue is designed to help retail products and design teams make the most informed decisions for their collections based on real-time customer data. With over 40 clients in Spain, Italy, Germany and France, Naiz Fit brings MySize a substantial customer base, including Desigual, Moschino, El Ganso, Philosophy, Alberta Ferretti, Silbon and Boglioli Milano. Financials Naiz Fit’s revenue and financial results will be fully integrated into MySize’s consolidated results for the fourth quarter of 2022, according to the company. As a result of the acquisition, Naiz Fit’s customers “will reap the benefits of a broader portfolio of products and solutions delivered by an unparalleled combined team of industry leaders with a deep understanding of the fashion e-commerce retail landscape,” the company said. Naiz Fit expects an estimated $400,000 in 2022 revenue, with substantial increases anticipated for 2023. MySize also anticipates its combined Naiz Fit and MySizeID sizing solution revenue to contribute an additional $1 million in revenues in 2023. “Combining the MySizeID and Naiz Fit sizing solutions, we expect to gain significant economies in sales and marketing and to deliver unparalleled sizing technology to fashion retailers,” MySize Founder and CEO Ronen Luzon said. “We believe the acquisition will be highly accretive in the near and long term as well as being a strategic play. By leading the consolidation of sizing solutions, MySize is positioning to build greater and broader offerings and become the leading technology provider in the industry.” The acquisition of Naiz Fit could position MySize as a leading company in measurement solution technologies for retail, helping the company boost revenue and grow its customer base. MySize, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYSZ) (TASE: MYSZ.TA) is an omnichannel e-commerce platform and provider of AI-driven measurement solutions to drive revenue growth and reduce costs for its business clients. Orgad, its online retailer platform, has expertise in e-commerce, supply chain, and technology operating as a third-party seller on Amazon.com and other sites. MySize recently launched FirstLook Smart Mirror, a mirror-like touch display that provides in-store customers an enhanced shopping experience and contactless checkout. FirstLook Smart Mirror extends MySize's reach into physical stores and is expected to contribute to revenues through unit sales and recurring service fees.MySize has developed a unique measurement technology based on sophisticated algorithms and cutting-edge technology with broad applications, including the apparel, e-commerce, DIY, shipping, and parcel delivery industries. This proprietary measurement technology is driven by several algorithms that are able to calculate and record measurements in a variety of novel ways. To learn more about MySize, please visit our website: www.mysizeid.com. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Or Kles, CFO ir@mysizeid.com Company Website https://mysizeid.com

November 03, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time