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A2Z Smart Technologies Announces Corporate Update

A2Z Smart Technologies Corp.

A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. ("A2Z") ("Company"), (NASDAQ: AZ ) (TSXV: AZ ), today announced a corporate update: General A2Z is focused on its transition from a research and development company to a full-to-market product company, delivering cutting-edge solutions to clients worldwide. With our recent achievements, including mass manufacturing capabilities and a strong leadership team led by Guy Mordoch CEO of its Cust2mate smart cart business, A2Z is experiencing increasing growth in the number of smart carts ordered and in the number of chains ordering our smart carts. Update re Yochananof: A2Z recently announced that further to the existing purchase of 1,300 Smart Carts from the leading grocery chain Yochananof for aggregate revenues of approximately NIS 35 million (~USD$ 12.0 million; ~CAD $13.8 million), Yochananof informed the Company of its intention to purchase up to an additional 1,700 of the Company's new generation smart carts. This expansion is a testament to the success and effectiveness of the Cust2Mate smart cart solution, which has significantly improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, and revenue for Yochananof. The increased order reflects Yochananof's confidence in the technology and its commitment to enhancing the shopping experience for its customers. Update re New Client Hastock: HaStok Concept Ltd. (“Hastok”), one of Israel’s leading home design and household essentials chain with 40 stores across the country, has partnered with Cust2mate for the order of 1,000 smart carts. The partnership marks a significant expansion for A2Z’s smart cart solution into a new vertical outside of grocery retail. The order is comprised of an upfront payment, a guaranteed monthly payment, and a revenue share agreement on added value solutions, such as advertising. The collaboration with Hastok demonstrates the growing demand and value of the Cust2Mate smart cart solution. Business Model: A2Z Smart Technologies Corp is undergoing a significant shift in its business model to enhance flexibility and provide greater value to clients. While the outright purchase of smart carts has been the traditional approach, we are introducing a subscription-based model to offer clients a more cost-effective and customizable solution. Under this model, clients will have access to our smart carts on a multiyear subscription basis, paying a one-time upfront fee along with monthly charges which will also cover hardware and software maintenance, service, and updates. The length of the subscription period will be tailored to each client's unique requirements. This transition allows us to retain ownership of the smart carts, lower manufacturing costs, and generate steady revenue growth as the installed base expands. Furthermore, our smart carts serve as a digital services platform, acting as a marketplace for retail-directed apps and services. With integrated touch screens and real-time data, our Cust2Mate smart carts can provide shoppers with valuable information, including purchase details, ingredient listings, allergy information, and in-store navigation. Simultaneously, stakeholders such as retailers, manufacturers, advertisers, and third-party service providers can leverage this platform to deliver personalized promotions, advertisements, e-coupons, and other digital services directly to shoppers at the point of decision-making. By sharing revenues with these stakeholders, we create a win-win situation, fostering increased revenue streams for all parties involved. We anticipate that digital revenues from the Smart Cart Marketplace will grow substantially, enabling us to reduce the net cost of our smart carts for retailers while delivering added value to shoppers, retailers, and manufacturers. In addition, in many instances the retailer presently has limited information regarding the actions and decisions of the shopper until the actual time of payment. We are developing software for our smart carts to generate a wealth of data on such shopping behavior which can be mined, analyzed and monetized through data as a service or product offerings tailored to each of the stakeholders in the retail industry. Pilot Updates Cust2Mate has successfully initiated working pilots across multiple continents, showcasing the global reach and versatility of our smart cart solution. These pilots have been deployed in various locations, including the US, Mexico, the middle east and leading retailers in Europe. These pilots have demonstrated impressive performance and achieved notable successes. Outlook: Bentsur Joseph, CEO of A2Z sated "we believe that several of these pilots will turn into roll-outs and that we are poised for continued growth and success as a leading provider of smart cart solutions in the retail industry. With our innovative technology, new generation carts, expanding customer base, and strong market presence, the company is well-positioned to meet the increasing demand for seamless and personalized shopping experiences. A2Z remains committed to driving further expansion, delivering exceptional value to its clients, and generating sustainable long-term growth and profitability." Growth and Financial Results: "We are thrilled to have turned the corner from being primarily a research and development company to becoming a full-to-market product company," said Bentsur Joseph, CEO of A2Z. "Our growth and recent achievements are a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, as well as the tremendous market potential for our Cust2Mate smart cart solution. We are proud to deliver innovative technology and hardware solutions to clients worldwide, transforming the retail industry and enhancing the shopping experience." He continued to state: ”Our financial results are growing significantly, we are pleased to report strong financial performance for the first quarter of 2023. Q1 Revenues reached $4,608,000, representing a 318% increase from $1,446,000 during the same period the previous year. Gross profit for Q1 amounted to $1,021,000, a significant 370% increase from $276,000 during the same period of the previous year.” Leadership Leading the charge at Cust2Mate is CEO Guy Mordoch, a highly accomplished leader with a prestigious resume in operational growth. With over 25 years of experience in multi-industry and global leadership roles, Guy has a proven track record of building and transforming businesses, creating scalable infrastructure, developing innovative products and solutions, and penetrating new markets. Commenting on his role, Mordoch stated, "My objective as CEO of Cust2Mate is to lead the company as the dominant provider of smart cart, digital and data solutions to the global retail industry. I am excited about the tremendous growth opportunities ahead of us and the positive impact our solutions have on both retailers and consumers." Recent $AZ Press Releases: A2Z Smart Technologies Launches Next Generation V2.8 Light Smart Cart - READ MORE A2Z Smart Technologies Launches Revolutionary Modular Smart Cart for Global Retail - READ MORE Cust2Mate, A2Z Smart Technologies Subsidiary, Appoints Guy Mordoch as CEO - READ MORE A2z Cust2mart, A Leader In Smart Cart Technology Announces Successful Trial Of Computer Vision Product Recognition Solution READ MORE A2Z Partners with HaStok to Deploy 1,000 Smart Carts to their 40 Locations Nationwide READ MORE A2Z Smart Technologies Continues Rollout of Cust2Mate Smart Carts to Yochananof Supermarkets READ MORE This Week on MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon WATCH A2Z Cust2Mate announces efforts to reduce food waste and increase sustainability in the retail grocery supply chain READ MORE About A2Z A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. creates innovative solutions for complex challenges. A2Z's flagship product is an advanced proven-in-use mobile self-checkout shopping chart. With its user-friendly smart algorithm, touch screen, and computer-vision system, Cust2Mate streamlines the retail shopping experience by scanning purchased products and enabling in-cart payment so that customers can simply "pick & go", and bypass long cashier checkout lines. This results in a more efficient shopping experience for customers, less unused shelf-space and manpower requirements, and advanced command and control capabilities for store managers. Contact Information: Hanover International Inc. Jh@hanoverintlinc.com (1) 760 564 7400 Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors - including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts and the risks relating to our business -- that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com ) and with the Securities and Exchange Commission (see www.sec.gov ). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities described herein in the United States or elsewhere. SOURCE: A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. Contact Details Hanover International Inc. +1 760-564-7400 Jh@hanoverintlinc.com Company Website https://a2zas.com/

May 16, 2023 12:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Radius boosts Scientific Advisory Board with the introduction of nine world-class advisors

Radius

Radius XR ®, the wearable digital healthcare technology brand, has added nine leading physicians and thought leaders to its Scientific Advisory Board to provide strategic scientific guidance and an insightful, hands-on perspective on the challenges eyecare professionals face. “The members of our Scientific Advisory Board are the industry’s brightest and most innovative researchers and practitioners,” said Radius CEO Ammad Khan, “and they share a passion for using technology to provide unsurpassed eye care. Their world-class expertise and insights fuel our continued drive to help professionals provide unsurpassed glaucoma care with innovative products that deliver the highest level of clinical accuracy.” Nine medical professionals at the leading edge of research and treatment Iqbal "Ike" K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, directs the Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation and oversees its surgical therapeutics initiative. A glaucoma, cataract, and anterior segment surgeon, Dr. Ahmed has since been recognized as one of the world’s top surgeons for complex eye conditions, repeatedly named among the most influential ophthalmologists worldwide by The Ophthalmologist magazine. He is renowned for conducting groundbreaking research and device development that has advanced the surgical treatment of diseases, including glaucoma and surgical complications. A pioneer in innovative glaucoma therapeutics who coined the term “micro-invasive glaucoma surgery” (MIGS), Dr. Ahmed has been the principal investigator for numerous research studies and served as a medical monitor for many pivotal clinical trials, including the first long-term outcomes study of a MIGS device. He has published over 170 peer-reviewed papers and several books and made over 1,000 scientific presentations, including 40 visiting professor lectures worldwide. He sits on the editorial boards of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology-Glaucoma, Journal of Glaucoma, Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, EyeNet, Ocular Surgery News, Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today, and is a reviewer for numerous journals. In 2018, Glaucoma Today appointed him as Chief Medical Editor. Dr. Ahmed has received multiple awards, including the prestigious American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery's Binkhorst medal. Jason Bacharach, MD, a glaucoma consultant since 1993, is Director of Research at North Bay Eye Associates, a multi-subspecialty eyecare practice. He is also co-chair of the Department of Glaucoma at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Dr. Bacharach has served as Principal Investigator in more than 200 phase I through IV clinical trials in ophthalmology, including pharmacology and device studies related to glaucoma management and numerous other ocular diseases. A Fellow of the American Glaucoma Society and Past Chair of the American Academy’s Ophthalmic Knowledge-Based Panel for Glaucoma, Dr. Bacharach has twice been honored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, receiving the Achievement Award in 2005 and the Secretariat Award in 2013. He travels the world extensively to lecture and has authored many articles in peer-reviewed literature and book chapters. Howard Barnebey, MD, founder of Specialty Eyecarè Centre, is one of only a few ophthalmologists in the northwest U.S. who is a cataract surgeon trained in the subspecialty of interventional ophthalmology. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to education, advancing medical innovation, and to expanding biomedical eye research. Dr. Barnebey served as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Washington, teaching residents for over 20 years, and has been a leading contributor to ophthalmology since the early 1980s, publishing articles in major medical journals. Mile Brujic, OD, FAAO, is a 2002 New England College of Optometry graduate. He is a partner of Premier Vision Group, a successful four-location optometric practice in Northwest Ohio. He practices full-scope optometry, emphasizing ocular disease management of the anterior segment, specialty contact lenses, and glaucoma. He is active at all levels of organized optometry. Dr. Brujic is on the editorial board for several optometric publications. He has published over 400 articles and given over 2000 lectures nationally and internationally on contemporary topics in eye care. April Jasper, OD, owns Advanced Eyecare Specialists, a group optometry practice in West Palm Beach, Florida. Dr. Jasper is the Chief Optometric Editor of Optometric Management magazine. She is the Director of Education for Optometric Management Education, where she shares her passion for practice management, customer service, ocular disease, and using new technology to enhance patient care and personal growth. She has experience in almost every mode of optometric practice from her VAMC residency, teaching ocular disease at NEWNCO and Benedict Professor of practice management at Houston College of Optometry, and as a 6-year leaseholder with Walmart. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and Past-President of the Florida Optometric Association. Stephen M. Montaquila, OD, FAAO, is the owner of West Bay Eye Associates in Warwick, RI. In addition to clinical practice, he is active in research for ocular therapeutics and medical devices and lectures nationally on topics relating to eye health, contact lenses, and practice management. Dr. Montaquila is a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. He is the past president of the Rhode Island Optometric Association. He has served as a clinical examiner for the National Board of Examiners in Optometry and as adjunct faculty at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Additionally, he serves as Chair of Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation Eye Care Group. He is the immediate past Chair of the American Optometric Association Third Party Executive Committee and currently serves on the AOA Federal Relations Committee, where he works nationally with eye care coverage, reimbursement, and policy issues. Nathan M. Radcliffe, MD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is an educator, enthusiast, and early adopter of interventional glaucoma approaches, including laser, drug delivery, and micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). He is the Director of the Glaucoma Clinical Committee of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and is the Glaucoma Day course co-director. He has published extensively in the peer-reviewed literature and is the Chief Medical Editor of the Glaucoma Physician publication. He has treated glaucoma patients in New York City and the Bronx for 14 years. I. Paul Singh, MD, President of The Eye Centers of Racine & Kenosha, Ltd., was named America’s Best Eye Doctor in 2021 by Newsweek. Dr. Singh is passionate about new technology and maintains a full-time research facility where he researches glaucoma, cataract, ocular surface disease, and retina. He was the first surgeon in Wisconsin to perform many MIGS, and the first to use newer in-office YAG lasers to perform YAG Vireolysis. He was instrumental in bringing laser-assisted cataract surgery to the area. He has been published in several ophthalmology journals and presented his research at national meetings and universities worldwide. Dagny Zhu, MD, is a nationally acclaimed, board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained cornea, cataract, and laser refractive surgery specialist. As a key opinion leader in laser vision correction and premium cataract surgery, Dr. Zhu serves on the editorial board of major ophthalmology publications, lectures to peers worldwide, and leads cutting-edge clinical research studies on the latest presbyopia treatments. She holds leadership positions in the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. She is a member of the prestigious AECOS and Cedars Aspens societies. Dr. Zhu was most recently named a “Top Doctor” by Castle Connolly, “Rising Star in Ophthalmology” by Super Doctors, “Top 50 Global KOL” by MediaMice, “Top 40 under 40” by Ophthalmology Management, and “Outstanding Female Leader” by Millennial Eye. The Radius XR diagnostics platform, which brings together medical-grade diagnostics, business management, and patient education tools in a single wearable device, was named a CES® 2023 Innovation Awards Honoree in both the Digital Health and Virtual & Augmented Reality categories. The entire Radius Scientific Advisory Board is listed on the company’s website at radiusxr.com/science. ### About Radius XR ( www.RadiusXR.com ) The Radius XR platform is a portable vision diagnostic and patient engagement system that combines medical-grade diagnostics, business management, and patient education tools in a wearable XR device. The RadiusExam® and proprietary algorithms provide diagnostic testing results equivalent to current exam gold standards, with the clinical science validated by Deming regression. As the algorithm presents stimuli to patients, it adapts to responses to maximize the algorithm's speed. The total hardware and software system helps medical professionals diagnose patients with accuracy, grow their eyecare practices, enhance patient engagement, and reduce staff workload by enabling patients to perform self-guided vision exams with minimal supervision. Radius builds on the therapeutic legacy of IrisVision, the first clinically validated wearable low-vision solution. IrisVision was backed by a research grant from the National Eye Institute and developed in collaboration with researchers from top ophthalmology centers at Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and UPMC Pittsburg. Contact Details Radius John Trefethen, Chief of Product and Marketing +1 800-607-6222 media@radiusxr.com Company Website https://www.radiusxr.com

May 16, 2023 08:04 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Vertical IQ Acquires Localized Data Intelligence Experts Local Market Monitor

Vertical IQ

Industry Intelligence leader Vertical IQ has announced the acquisition of Local Market Monitor, which provides timely assessments and forecasts of more than 300 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), 2,000 counties, and 20,000 ZIP codes across the U.S. The asset purchase will include Local Market Monitor’s current employees and customers. Local Market Monitor founder and president Ingo Winzer has won four Pulsenomics Crystal Ball Awards, which honors the most accurate and reliable forecasters for residential real estate prices. He is a recognized expert on real estate markets and economies, and his views are frequently cited in national publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Think Realty, and Housing Wire. This strategic purchase will enable Vertical IQ to provide its Industry Intelligence customers with deeper, more granular data at the local level, explains Bobby Martin, CEO and cofounder of Vertical IQ. “Vertical IQ has long relied upon the exceptional local economic data provided by Local Market Monitor,” Martin notes. “This acquisition will allow us to better showcase the local economic conditions that drive success for a particular industry at the MSA and even the county level – key drivers such as wages, housing prices, construction, and employment.” The addition of Local Market Monitor to Vertical IQ’s portfolio also will add to the firm’s product offerings, notes Vertical IQ president David Buffaloe. “While Vertical IQ will continue to enhance our Industry Intelligence product using their outstanding data, Local Market Monitor will remain a standalone offering as well,” Buffaloe explains. “We are thrilled to be able to provide this new product that enables bankers and investors to better analyze real estate values using Local Market Monitor’s award-winning Equilibrium Home Prices.” Winzer also welcomes the advantages to the company’s existing clients that will come from the acquisition by Vertical IQ. “When I founded Local Market Monitor in 1990 as a quarterly publication, I never could have imagined the reach our data could achieve,” says Winzer. “Now, by joining forces with Vertical IQ, I’m thrilled that we will be able to extend our product offering to an even wider array of users and use our expertise to enhance their Industry Intelligence platform.” To learn more about Vertical IQ or to request a demo, visit www.verticaliq.com. For more information on Local Market Monitor, visit www.localmarketmonitor.com. ABOUT VERTICAL IQ Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., Vertical IQ is a nationally recognized leader in Industry Intelligence. Whether they’re pitching a local brewery or a national biotech company, successful sales, marketing and customer success teams use Vertical IQ to better understand a prospect’s or client’s business challenges before, during and after meetings. Covering more than 97 percent of the economic revenue in the U.S. and Canada through more than 920 Industry Profiles and 3,400 local economic reports, Vertical IQ equips users with the confidence and credibility to make memorable first impressions and sustain enduring relationships. ABOUT LOCAL MARKET MONITOR Local Market Monitor provides award-winning national real estate economic analysis and forecasting tools, offering investors in homes and home mortgages the local market risk intelligence they need to make informed decisions. Using a proprietary formula called the Equilibrium Home Price, Local Market Monitor determines if markets are currently over- or under-valued, equipping users with a long-term risk and investment perspective. Local Market covers more than 300 local markets across the U.S. and offers real estate investors reporting tools such as Home Price Valuation, Mortgage Portfolio Valuation, Mortgage Portfolio Stress Test, Home Price and Rent Forecasts, Local Market Reviews and Business Growth Reports. ### Contact Details Kelsey Surmacz +1 919-787-4600 ksurmacz@verticaliq.com Company Website https://verticaliq.com/

May 16, 2023 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Decentralized Web3 Threat Detection Network Forta Approves New Fee Model

Forta

The community behind real-time Web3 threat monitoring network Forta has voted to approve a new fee model that will strengthen the network and add a host of new features and reward opportunities for participants in the coming months. The new fees will require subscribers to pay for alerts, findings, and labels generated by the Forta network, which will in turn reward network participants for generating the data. The proposal passed with 96% community approval, the highest rate yet, indicating overwhelming support from network participants. The massive community support for the proposal stands as an unambiguous validation of Forta Network’s business model. The newly approved tiered pricing structure will enable users to choose from several different 30-day plans, which each provide access to different sets of data. Plan options will include: General Plan - Includes paid access to Forta data generated by the majority of bots in the network. Special Plans - Provide paid access to specialized data feeds, each purchasable separately at tailored pricing. Free Plan - Offers free access to certain Forta data considered by the network to be in the interest of the public good. Fees will be denominated in FORT as well as USDC, and users will be free to decide which token they prefer to pay with. The new fee structure will ensure the Forta Network’s long-term sustainability, enabling Forta to compensate network participants for their valuable efforts in securing the network through activities like deploying helpful bots, properly running nodes, and delegating stake for security. As the Web3 ecosystem continues to flourish and grow, scam and attack detecting bots like those on Forta Network will continue to gain traction and new capabilities. About Forta Network The Forta Network is a real-time, decentralized network providing detection services and security monitoring across seven blockchains. Forta detects threats and anomalies on DeFi, NFT, governance, bridges, and other Web3 systems in real time, enabling wallets, protocols and investors to react quickly and proactively neutralize threats to prevent or minimize the loss of funds. Launched in 2021 and backed by a16z, Forta protects the critical infrastructure of Web3 through a decentralized and community-run network, which serves as an early warning system across the ecosystem. Contact Details Forta Network Colin Landers colin@energentmedia.net Company Website https://forta.org/

May 16, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Trust & Will Announces Strategic Partnership with Carson Group

Trust & Will

Trust & Will, the leading digital estate planning and settlement platform in the U.S., announced today a strategic partnership with Carson Group, one of the fastest-growing financial services firms in the country, as the estate planning and probate provider for their advisory network. Through this partnership, Carson advisors can streamline their clients' estate plan and probate needs, creating ready-to-execute documents in all 50 states. Offering wills, trusts, and probate solutions, Trust & Will can help advisors develop a customized estate plan to accommodate individual and family needs. The Trust & Will Advisor dashboard helps financial planners easily implement estate planning into their practice and secures sensitive financial information with bank-level encryption and SOC 2 Type II compliance. Since launching in 2017, Trust & Will has helped nearly 500,000 families set up an estate plan to create a legacy. “We are excited to join forces with Trust & Will to enhance our range of services and deliver an expanded estate planning offering and better experience to our clients,” said Jamie Hopkins, Managing Partner of Wealth Solutions at Carson Group. “We understand that to earn the reputation of being the most reliable source of financial guidance and support, it's crucial to provide our clients with a modern trust and estate planning solution. In today's ever-changing financial landscape, our clients rely on us to assist them in securing, expanding, and overseeing their assets, and our partnership with Trust & Will enables us to do precisely that. The future of financial planning will include creating a one-stop shop for estate, trust, and tax services for clients. Our shared commitment to exceptional client service allows us to collaborate and achieve our clients' financial objectives.” Carson Group manages $21 billion in assets and serves more than 46,000 families through its advisory network of more than 460 advisors in 190 offices in 36 states. “Carson Group has set high standards on how advisors deliver financial planning — we’re thrilled to be partnering with their team. We look forward to this network joining more than 9,000 advisors who are actively helping families secure their legacy through our platform,” said Andres Mazabel, Head of Advisor Sales at Trust & Will. ABOUT TRUST & WILL Trust & Will is simplifying estate planning and settlement with attorney-approved, legally valid documents and processes designed to adhere to individual state guidelines. Since 2017, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of Trust & Will members leave their legacy with an affordable way to create an estate plan or settle the estate of a loved one. Our platform uses bank-level encryption that protects customer data and complies with the highest security standards, including SOC 2 and HIPAA. Trust & Will is the official estate planning benefit provider for AARP members, along with several leading financial institutions, who all believe in our mission of helping every family leave their legacy. ABOUT CARSON GROUP Founded in 1983 by Ron Carson and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Carson Group serves financial advisors and investors through its three businesses – Carson Wealth, Carson Coaching, and Carson Partners. Carson Group has created an ecosystem dedicated to helping financial advisors unleash the full potential of their firms by providing marketing, compliance, technology, investment strategies, succession planning, M&A support, and coaching. The company currently manages $21 billion in assets and serves more than 46,000 families through its advisory network of more than 460 advisors in 190+ offices located in 36 states. For more information, visit www.carsongroup.com. Carson Partners offers investment advisory services through CWM, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Carson Coaching and CWM, LLC are separate but affiliated companies and wholly-owned subsidiaries of Carson Group Holdings, LLC. Carson Coaching does not provide advisory services. Contact Details Trust & Will Danielle Nuzzo +1 631-807-7772 danielle@trustandwill.com Company Website https://trustandwill.com

May 16, 2023 07:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Show me the money: RevenueHero boosts sales pipelines as it raises $5.1M to scale globally

RevenueHero

Companies are taking too long to engage sales leads or not responding at all leading to marketing spend wastage and a stuttering sales pipeline. Helping businesses take back control of their growth, sales pipeline acceleration platform RevenueHero, is today announcing a $5.1 million Pre-Series A funding round led by Stellaris Venture Partners with participation from existing investor Together Fund. The funds raised will be utilised to scale the business across the North American market and to strengthen the team. Founded in 2021, RevenueHero aims to help businesses achieve their revenue goals by significantly increasing their sales pipeline. Through instant lead qualification, enrichment, routing, and scheduling, the platform connects qualified buyers with the right sales representatives directly, offering a superior experience to buyers as well as increasing revenue for their customers. RevenueHero was founded by Sudharshan Karthik, Aaditya S, Charanyan Venkataraghavan, Hariharan R, Krupesh Muthukumar, and Pranav R. Today, 42% of the companies take at least 5 days to respond to a prospect who wants to buy from them. The remaining 58% don't even respond, resulting in wasted $11B of ad spend annually. “The sophistication, effort and money spent in getting a buyer's attention is coming to an anti-climatic end as soon as they request a demo. In most B2B companies today the first sales experience that prospects see is a faceless thank you for visiting us page. Presenting high-intent buyers with an experience that matches their urgency shouldn't be one that involves email ping-ponging and inbox-watching. We've seen this process at a scale where painfully long sales cycles lead to frustrating buying experiences that hurt the business bottom line. At RevenueHero, we make it easy for a customer to buy from a business by ensuring a frictionless experience throughout the B2B buyer journey.” said Sudharshan Karthik, co-founder and CEO of RevenueHero. Built with marketers and sales teams in mind, RevenueHero manages the complexities of scaled marketing and sales workflow in B2B companies. With RevenueHero, any B2B company can enable its prospects to book a meeting with the right sales rep directly from the website. RevenueHero has enabled businesses to increase their booked meetings by 50% and reduce junk meetings by 45%. “In 2007, the benchmark for responding to a prospect was less than 5 minutes. Today, we live in a world where we get a cab at a click of a button. 5 minutes is too little too late now. B2B buyers have way more information at their disposal to do their research, compare, and evaluate before they make a purchasing decision. When they finally come knocking on the door, they’ve mostly made up their mind and are only looking for answers to a few critical questions before completing the purchase. At this stage, winning the customer is really about how well and quickly can the company respond to the prospect" added Sudharshan Karthik. Alok Goyal, Partner, Stellaris Venture Partners, said, “We believe the workflow of lead conversion needs to be reimagined. Losing high-intent prospects can be a significant setback for businesses leading to a loss of opportunities, time, and money. With a deep understanding of the problem statement and razor-sharp focus on the B2B buyer journey, the team has built a solution that demonstrates value to its customers. We’re thrilled to back this passionate team and are excited about their journey ahead.” Manav Garg, Founding Partner, Together Fund said "We're thrilled to partner with the RevenueHero team as they continue to scale their platform globally and transform the B2B buyer journey. At Together Fund, we believe that a quick response time and a seamless buyer journey are critical to converting leads and winning customers. RevenueHero's platform excels in both areas, enabling businesses to connect qualified buyers with the right sales representatives and reducing junk meetings. We're excited about the journey ahead and look forward to supporting RevenueHero's continued growth and success.” About RevenueHero RevenueHero is a pipeline acceleration software, driving top B2B companies' growth today. Through instant qualification, scheduling, routing, and handoff, RevenueHero helps companies match their potential customers' buying intent with the urgency and experience that they deserve, instead of a bland boilerplate experience. Top marketing teams like Okendo, Inflection, Rocketlane, and Traefik use RevenueHero to increase qualified booked meetings without burning their budget. About Stellaris Venture Partners Stellaris is an early-stage tech-focused VC firm that partners with fearless founders who dream big, think differently, and have an unstoppable desire to challenge the status quo. The fund works with these teams at nascent stages to help transform their ideas into resilient businesses. Stellaris does so with a team of seasoned, diverse operators and entrepreneurs who bring significant experience in building businesses, and by providing access to some of the most successful founders and professionals in India and the US. Since its inception in 2017, Stellaris has backed many market leaders such as Mamaearth, Whatfix, Propelld, Turno, Rigi, and others. For more information on Stellaris Venture Partners, visit https://www.stellarisvp.com About Together Fund Together Fund is India’s first enterprise software-focused, Operator-led fund started by Girish Mathrubootham (Founder, Freshworks), Manav Garg (Founder, Eka) and Shubham Gupta (ex Matrix Partners). Together invests in Seed and Series A opportunities across AI, Devtools, Cloud Infra, Security, Horizontal & Vertical SaaS applications. With a “for-founders, by-founders” DNA, Together is joined by 150+ global founders & operators in this endeavour to help build global products from India. Contact Details RevenueHero Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.revenuehero.io/

May 16, 2023 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Taipei Computer Association: The Best Stage for Semiconductor and Clean-Tech Startups

Taipei Computer Association

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 16 May 2023 - The deadline for applications for the 2nd Tech Innovation Excellence Award (TIE Award) is approaching. This prestigious national-level award aims to recognize startups that have achieved outstanding accomplishments in the field of technological innovation. Organized by the National Science and Technology Council, the TIE Award is a highly authoritative competition for business and technology. The 2nd edition TIE award will provide substantial cash prizes and excellent opportunities for business collaboration, encouraging international tech startups to establish their presence in Taiwan. Winners will receive a range of generous rewards and honors, including abundant industry resources, business matching opportunities, international exposure, and increased visibility. Recap of the Success of the Tech Innovation Excellence Award: Global Innovation, Value Creation, and Connections Looking back at the 1st TIE Award, it was an astounding success. It attracted applications from nearly 120 teams representing 25 countries worldwide, showcasing the interest in the semiconductor and related tech industries. Winners stood out based on criteria such as innovation, value creation, and local connections. In addition to cash prizes, they gained marketing resources at the TIE Expo both domestically and internationally. Winning teams from countries such as the UK, Germany, Japan, the United States, Chile, and more, have since engaged with many corporate partners, with the German team NanoWired establishing an R&D center in Taiwan after connecting with over 50 companies. Integration of Semiconductors and Zero Emissions as Evaluation Criteria: Winners to Receive Abundant Business Resources To align with the national goals of technological development, this year's edition incorporates the globally significant environmental issue of "zero-emissions" alongside the renowned "semiconductor" industry as the theme. The winners of the 2nd Tech Innovation Excellence Award will not only receive a top prize of USD 30,000,but also gain access to numerous valuable resources. They will receive an allowance to visit Taiwan and have the opportunity to interact and collaborate with global academic institutions and major corporations at international platforms like the TIE Expo. Additionally, they will have the chance to join Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) and theTaiwan Semiconductor Research Institute ( TSRI), making full use of the resources and opportunities provided by these platforms to foster collaborative technology exchanges. Taiwan warmly welcomes all qualified tech startups to participate in the 2nd TIE Award, showcasing and exchanging their innovative projects. This award will provide participants with a stage to exhibit and promote their excellent projects, helping companies achieve commercialization and market expansion in Asia. The application period for the TIE Award will soon conclude at the end of May. Register TIE Award now! Tech Innovation Excellence Award (TIE Award) Application Information: - Application deadline: May 31, 2023 - TIE Award website: https://www.futuretech.org.tw/futuretech/index.php?action=tieaward&web_lang=en-us?utm_source=media_outreach&utm_medium=press_release&utm_campaign=tie_award Taipei Computer Association The Taipei Computer Association (TCA) is a leading industry organization dedicated to promoting the development and advancement of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Taipei, Taiwan. With a rich history spanning several decades, TCA serves as a vital platform for fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and facilitating business opportunities within the technology industry. Contact Details Taipei Computer Association Annett Wu, +866-2-2577-4249 #312 annett@mail.tca.org.tw

May 16, 2023 05:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise and 14 European Partners Collaborate on Extended Reality Sharespace Project to Create Future Social Hybrid Spaces

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, a leading provider of network, communications and cloud solutions, is taking part in the SHARESPACE consortium, a 6m€ initiative funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. The vision of SHARESPACE is to create future Social Hybrid Spaces (SHS) shared by humans (wearing XR glasses and mocap ) and avatars, where both are engaged in embodied collaborative tasks which model body movements and create interactions between the participants. This is made possible by capturing social sensorimotor primitives (actions involving both sensory and motor functions or pathways) through mobile connected innovative sensors. The environment is then reconstructed using novel extended reality (XR) technology. Through cognitive architecture, virtual avatars will facilitate joint-action, distance-based learning and social cohesion in the hybrid societies of the future. The aim of the programme is to expand interaction in a virtual world, with XR technology enriching key social features of communication tailored to the participants’ personal characteristics. With future deployment in sectors such as health, learning, entertainment, sport and in the workplace, the technology has the potential to revolutionise hybrid working and learning. With its ability to connect in real time any person, device, process or application, RainbowTM CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service) provided by ALE and tailored for the project will allow the onboarding of avatars as a new type of endpoint, enriching the remote collaborative experience. This will bring an entirely new approach to the metaverse paradigm where real-time social interaction, ethics, sustainability are key. Sylvain Rivier, SHARESPACE coordinator for Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, commented: "We are delighted to take part in this amazing project that will put Extended Reality at European users’ fingertips. With SHARESPACE, we have developed open human-centric virtual worlds with new real-time remote interactions and capabilities into Rainbow’s collaborative space. The capability to integrate human-driven or full-virtual avatars will improve the performance of human-avatar and human-robot motor coordination in complex scenarios.” The SHARESPACE consortium comprises 14 organisations across seven countries that will work together for three years. In delivering this vision, three scenarios will be developed by leading researchers and deep-tech companies with unique expertise in health, sport, and art. SHARESPACE will provide logistical, administrative and technical preparation of these real-world use cases with relevant institutions. Some examples include: • The Hospital Vall d'Hebron pain unit will provide remote assistance to people suffering from chronic back pain. Public demonstrations featuring the engagement of users and communities, utilising virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), will be presented during the World Pain Conference 2024 and 2025. • The “ peloton cycling challenge ” sport use case aims to open up new perspectives in sport training, sport entertainment and augmented virtuality in sport. Using personal, autonomous, and semi-autonomous avatars for optimised perceptual motor skills, amateur cyclists can learn how to ride in a virtual peloton. This will be showcased at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and the Tour de France 2025. • The “ shared creativity improvisation ” use case will allow artistic co-creation of an aesthetic environment intuitively produced from dancers' movements using AI avatars. This will be demonstrated at the Ars Electronica Festival 2024 and 2025. The participating academic groups, industry and clinical partners have cutting-edge expertise in all disciplines required for the successful implementation of the SHARESPACE platform, including AI, XR, mathematics and control, research ethics, psychosocial factors and technology, health psychology and cyberpsychology, and cognitive neuroscience and movement science. This also extends to expertise in wearables and mobile technologies, as well as the deployment of digital technologies in healthcare, sports, and the arts. Notes to the editor The participating academic groups, industry and clinical partners have cutting-edge expertise in all disciplines required for the successful implementation of the SHARESPACE platform. In particular, the consortium will combine expertise and research approaches from AI and XR ( DFKI, CYENS, Golaem, INRIA ), mathematics and control ( CRdC ), research ethics ( De Montfort University ), psychosocial factors and technology, health psychology and cyberpsychology ( Universitat Jaume I De Castellon ), cognitive neuroscience and movement science ( University of Montpellier, UKE ) with expertise in wearables ( LST, Ricoh ) and mobile technologies ( Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise ), as well as in the deployment of digital technologies in healthcare ( VHIR ), sports ( INRIA ), and the arts ( Ars Electronica ). SHARESPACE is a 6 Million-euro initiative funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. The consortium is composed of 14 organisations across seven countries that will work together for 3 years. About Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise delivers the customised technology experiences enterprises need to make everything connect. ALE provides digital-age networking, communications and cloud solutions with services tailored to ensure customers’ success, with flexible business models in the cloud, on premises, and hybrid. All solutions have built-in security and limited environmental impact. Over 100 years of innovation have made Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise a trusted advisor to more than a million customers all over the world. With headquarters in France and 3,400 business partners worldwide, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise achieves an effective global reach with a local focus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mocap: Motion capture is the process of recording the movement of objects or people German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence in Cyprus National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology Regional Competence Centre for new technologies University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf SIA Lightspace Technologies Vall d’Hébron Research Institute Contact Details Fox Agency Katherine Skidmore +44 20 3750 6688 katherine@fox.agency Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Carine Bowen press@al-enterprise.com Company Website https://www.al-enterprise.com/

May 16, 2023 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Africa Region Galvanizes Efforts to End Mercury Lighting

Clean Lighting Coalition

The Zero Mercury Working Group and the Clean Lighting Coalition commend the Africa Region for proposing an amendment to phase out all the remaining fluorescent lamps at the Fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5) of the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Geneva. This amendment complements the unanimous decision at Minamata COP4 to phase out compact fluorescent lamps (CLFs) by 2025. If adopted in November, the COP5 Amendment will effectively end the manufacture and trade of all fluorescent bulbs globally by 2026. Phasing out the proposed categories of fluorescent lamps in the timeline proposed in the amendment will cumulatively: avoid 3.00 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide; save US $1.26 trillion in electricity costs, and; prevent 176 metric tonnes of mercury pollution – including both mercury used in lamps, and the mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants that would be avoided through lower electricity use for lighting. “The COP5 African Lighting Amendment is the most effective strategy we have to limiting the dangerous health and environmental impacts of mercury-containing fluorescent lighting,” said Elena Lymberidi-Settimo, International Co-coordinator of the Zero Mercury Working Group. “The Africa region, and most regions around the world, do not have the recycling capacity and resources to properly manage the mercury contents of end-of-life fluorescent bulbs. Widely available LED alternatives mean these exemptions are no longer necessary – there is no justifiable reason to continue manufacturing, importing or exporting harmful fluorescent technologies.” All fluorescent lamps contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause harmful and long-term health effects. Mercury is on the World Health Organization’s list of the 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern, as it affects the nervous, digestive and immune system. Pregnant people and children are at heightened risk for these health impacts. When a fluorescent lamp is broken or improperly disposed of, the mercury from the lamp contaminates the atmosphere, land and water – posing a risk to workers and the local environment. "We applaud the Africa Region for their continued leadership in the transition to more efficient mercury-free lighting,” said Rachel Kamande, Campaign Lead of the Clean Lighting Coalition. “The economic case to phase-out fluorescent lamps is even stronger today because the mercury-free LEDs have become less expensive and energy prices have increased leading to even shorter payback periods.” LEDs are the most efficient lighting option on today’s market, consuming only half as much energy as fluorescent bulbs and have a lifespan up to three times longer. Due to the reduced energy demand, LEDs bulbs ease strain on the electric grid and have a rapid payback period for consumers. LED retrofits for fluorescents are widely available around the globe, with lamps to fit nearly every need and ballast. Although some of the world’s largest lighting manufacturers already have plans to fully transition to LEDs in the next decade, many continue to export fluorescents – often to less regulated markets. The Africa region’s Amendment will prime the global LED market for an equitable and economically beneficial transition away from toxic lighting. About the Clean Lighting Coalition The Clean Lighting Coalition is a global partnership coordinated by CLASP to capture the health and environmental benefits of eliminating mercury-based lighting. To learn more, visit www.cleanlightingcoalition.org and follow the Coalition on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. About The Zero Mercury Working Group: The Zero Mercury Working Group is a coalition of more than 110 environmental and health non-governmental organizations from over 55 countries, which strives for zero supply, demand, and emissions of mercury from anthropogenic sources. www.zeromercury.org Contact Details Clean Lighting Coalition Alexia Ross +1 339-222-4311 aross@clasp.ngo Zero Mercury Working Group Elena Lymberidi-Settimo +32 496 53 28 18 elena.lymberidi@eeb.org Clean Lighting Coalition Ana Maria Carreño +1 202-999-2886 acarreno@clasp.ngo Company Website https://www.cleanlightingcoalition.org

May 16, 2023 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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