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Young Entrepreneurs Make $4 Million In 3 Months While Helping Change Lives Through Education and Newest Tech, NFTs

HolyVerse Inc.

If you’ve heard of NFT’s recently, then you already know they are all the new craze. These two young entrepreneurs are taking advantage of it while setting the example and paying it forward. Sonny Fazio and Sam Elfarra have made around $4 million dollars in the NFT space so far and have already donated around $50,000 to a non profit organization, Cents-Ability. They have plans to grow the company this year to reach 100’s of thousands of new users, while also donating over $100,000 dollars to charity to give back. These two entrepreneurs met online and quickly became friends and next thing they knew they found themselves working on their very own project, HolyVerse. The first three NFT collections they created together are called Holy Heroes, Holy Villains, and Holy Pets. All three of these collections successfully sold out near instantly, which totaled up to 13,332 NFTs. One big key to their success was helping educate others by sharing what they learned. They learned to utilize their Tik Tok account, @holynft, and now boast over 460 thousand followers on their account. They provide educational and entertaining content to keep teenagers engaged while having fun and learning. Many of their members originated from there and were some of the first buyers of these NFT collections. Their first collection they launched, Holy Heroes, was a winged and haloed collection of 3,333 main characters that were created to defend the HolyVerse. Next came the Holy Villains which would give their online world a more competitive aspect while continuing to build out this online world. Then of course, both of these main characters all needed a companion animal as well, so Holy Pets was born. They have also created a crypto currency which all their current NFT collections can earn through their staking system; which means members earn crypto just from owning one. Over the Summer they will be releasing their play to earn video games as well. Players can earn what they call one of their utility cryptos, $HVP, just from playing the game. All while competing with others around the world for a top spot on the global leaderboard. The two friends didn’t start the HolyVerse just because they were entrepreneurs and loved gaming though, they also wanted to start a scalable company that could generate revenue so they could not only give, but give often. Quickly after the first NFT collection drop, Holy Heroes, they partnered with Cents-Ability. One of the founders, Sonny Fazio said, “we believe our community is more like a family, and giving to Cents-Ability is one way we keep our members united for the cause.” HolyVerse chose to donate to Cents-Ability because it not only is impacting our younger generations in a positive way, but because it struck a chord with them personally. Cents-Ability’s goal is to help educate high-schoolers on important life skills such as budgeting, saving and investing with a geographical focus on marginalized communities of the US. The team has been able to not only donate, but participate in the live events where they focus on educating high schoolers about financial literacy. They have already helped with these events multiple times in Chicago and New York and will continue to expand their efforts and outreach throughout the expansion of their company, HolyVerse. HolyVerse Inc was founded in 2021 by Sonny Fazio and Sam Elfarra. This was originally a NFT Project which later on expanded to a C-Corp. HolyVerse creates digital assets in the form of NFTs within an expanding online ecosystem where their native crypto currencies can be used in multiple ways while working to improve the lives of marginalized communities through financial literacy education. Learn more at holynft.io. Cents Ability is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity dedicated to empowering high school students by educating them about financial management and providing the financial literacy resources necessary to achieve their goals. Learn more at cents-ability.org TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@holynft?lang=en https://www.tiktok.com/@sonnyfaz?lang=en https://www.tiktok.com/@melfarra123?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnyfaz/ https://www.instagram.com/melfarra123/ Contact Details HolyVerse Inc. Sonny Fazio and Sam Elfarra +1 949-419-5072 sam@holynft.io Company Website https://holynft.io/

June 17, 2022 11:20 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Modern Weight Loss: What is Personalized Weight Care and Why You Should Try It

YourUpdateTV

According to the CDC, overweight and obesity are risk factors for many serious diseases and health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, all of which are among the leading causes of preventable death. Recently Dr. Rekha Kumar from Found conducted a satellite media tour to talk about personalized weight loss and its benefits. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/ZEx5tcYjrlQ It is time we push back against harmful and outdated weight loss culture and start thinking about our overall health and weight care. A poll of 2,000 adults conducted by weight care platform, Found, revealed that 91% have tried at least one strategy for weight loss, with half revealing that they’ve tried 11 different methods of weight loss. According to that same poll: ● 25% of people even confessed to doing up to 16 diets in their lifetime! ● But only 15% described their weight loss experience as “rewarding” ● Respondents felt that losing weight required more sacrifice than having kids ( 33% )! ● 9 in 10 Americans have tried at least one weight loss strategy ● 33% wished they had access to prescription weight loss medications ● Almost four in five (79%) want to be healthier, not skinnier. Found is an evidence-based weight care solution that combines the best of modern medicine with personalized coaching and community. Centered around clinical care and lasting behavior change, Found provides its members with a comprehensive weight loss program that delivers long term, sustainable results. Found designs personalized treatments around every factor that makes people unique — from biology, medical history, mental health, existent lifestyle, goals, and more. Found’s members are supported by the best of consumer technology, and a team that includes doctors to prescribe safe medication, and coaches to guide them on nutrition, movement, sleep, and emotional health. They call this weight care. When diet and exercise don’t lead to effective weight loss, sometimes it’s our biology that’s holding us back. Much of how your body loses, gains, and maintains weight is predetermined by your biology. This means no amount of working out, eating healthy, or sheer willpower can sustain weight loss if your biology’s not set up for it. Medication can, which is why Found offers more medication options than any other program. Online weight loss means Found took the doctor's office out of the equation. The telehealth platform provides one-on-one medical, nutritional, and movement guidance from their experts, through an app that can be accessed anywhere and at any time. Found’s proprietary weight care platform is available via the App Store, Google Play, as well as on joinfound.com Rekha Kumar bio: Dr. Rekha Kumar is recognized as an international leader in the field of Obesity Medicine. She is Chief Medical Officer at weight care platform Found, as well as a practicing endocrinologist at an academic medical center in New York City. She also served as the former medical director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Dr. Kumar has lectured internationally on the topic of the medical assessment and treatment of obesity. She has published several papers and textbook chapters in her field and serves as an Associate Editor of the journal Obesity. She is frequently quoted in the media on topics ranging from the diabetes epidemic in the United States to discussing fad diets, exercise trends, and the complications of Covid-19 in patients with obesity. Dr. Kumar’s areas of expertise include the clinical assessment of patients obesity and metabolic syndrome, the effect of obesity on reproductive health and fertility, as well as thyroid disease. Dr. Kumar completed her undergraduate studies at Duke University then received her master’s degree in Physiology from Georgetown University. She continued on to receive her M.D. from New York Medical College and completed her residency training in Internal Medicine at the New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill-Cornell Medical College. Dr. Kumar obtained her clinical fellowship in the combined Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism program at the Weill-Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Kumar has traveled abroad to India, China, and Tanzania to understand the scope of metabolic disease globally. She serves on the board of advisors of the Duke Global Health Institute. Dr. Kumar is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism, and Obesity Medicine. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 17, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Upgrading the Decaying US Energy Grid with Renewables. Interview with Jim O’Neil Vice Chairman and CEO, Orbital Energy Group, Inc.

Orbital Energy Group, Inc.

Contact Details Orbital Energy Group Investor Relations +1 832-467-1420 investors@orbitalenergygroup.com TraDigital IR Kevin McGrath +1 646-418-7002 kevin@tradigitalir.com Company Website https://www.orbitalenergygroup.com

June 17, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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No. 1? What Is Making This Grocery Delivery App A Preferred Choice In Southeast Asia?

Society Pass Incorporated

Society Pass (NASDAQ: SOPA) E-commerce, made possible by the internet, is still booming. Businesses like Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY), and Shopify Inc. (NYSE: SHOP) are soaring, with more people ordering products online than buying them in stores. While most businesses nose-dived during the COVID-19 pandemic, movement restrictions induced by the pandemic fueled online retail sales. Online sales grew from 16% to 19% in 2020, with Southeast Asian countries significantly contributing to the growth, according to numbers in a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report. Southeast Asia, which includes countries like Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, is home to more than 681 million people — 47% of whom prefer online shopping, with about 144 million people regularly purchasing online. E-Grocery Boom Consumers can shop online from anywhere and choose from a wide array of products such as groceries to be delivered directly to them. Online grocery, or e-grocery, shopping has also been gaining momentum for some time. The e-grocery market is quickly expanding throughout the world, with players like Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER), Instacart, Amazon Fresh and Fresh Direct serving customers in North America and Europe. Southeast Asia is also seeing significant growth in the e-grocery market. A breakdown of the market by IGD Asia indicated: Asia, the largest regional grocery market in the world, is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6% between 2018 and 2023. The grocery market will be worth $4.2 trillion by 2023, up from $3.1 trillion in 2018. Its share of global grocery spending will be 37% in 2023, adding around $1.1 trillion to the worldwide grocery market. China, India and Indonesia will be the biggest contributors to the region’s top-line growth, accounting for 74% of new sales added by 2023. A Convenient Grocery Delivery App? That level of growth could be a boon for a company like Pushkart.ph, an online grocery service started in 2017 that delivers fresh goods to consumers who use its feature-packed app. Pushkart’s platform was developed by a group of young Filipino millennials whose goal was to ensure fast, convenient and safe grocery delivery to customers’ doors. From Day One, Pushkart.ph — available on the web, Google Play Store and the Apple Store — said that in addition to serving consumers, it wants to be the platform of choice for retailers and help them sell their products quickly without learning the technicalities of running a digital platform or managing a logistics fleet. From a single flagship fulfillment center at Fisher Supermarket, which has been operating since 2017, the platform is now supported by three additional hubs: Market! Market!, Ayala Malls Feliz, and AllDay Supermarket — Global South. What Makes Pushkart.ph Say It’s Confident It Stands Out From The Rest? Consumers — The company wants to bring value to consumers by allowing them to shop for their basic needs anytime from anywhere they want while sparing them from heavy city traffic or the hassle of carrying heavy bags of groceries. Companies — The company wants to make it easy for corporate clients to purchase every office pantry supply they need from a single source and with the convenience of having flexible payment schemes. Merchants — The company plans to empower retailers to reach the online market by giving them the means to easily transform their shops to include digital sales. Society — The company wants to bring more jobs through online commerce. Pushkart.ph is a division of the Society Pass Inc. ( NASDAQ: SOPA ), a Southeast Asian acquisitions-focused e-commerce holding company. Currently operating six subsidiaries, SoPa plans to expand to more than 10 more subsidiaries in eight verticals — loyalty, merchant software, lifestyle, food and beverage delivery, travel, digital advertising and telecoms — by the end of 2022. Since its inception in 2018, SoPa has amassed over 1.6 million registered consumers and over 5,500 registered merchants and brands on its platform. Apart from Pushkart.ph, SoPa provides merchants with #HOTTAB Biz, lifestyle e-commerce through Leflair.com and Handycart.vn, a leading online restaurant delivery service based in Hanoi, Vietnam. In addition, SoPa operates Gorilla Networks, a Singapore-based, blockchain/web3-enabled mobile virtual network operator. About Society Pass (NASDAQ: SOPA ) As a loyalty and data marketing ecosystem, Society Pass operates multiple e-commerce platforms across its key markets in SEA. Its business model focuses on analysing user data through the expected launch of its Society Pass loyalty platform and circulation of its universal loyalty points, which seamlessly connects consumers and merchants across multiple product and service categories to foster organic loyalty. Since its inception, SoPa has amassed over 1.6 million registered consumers and over 5,500 registered merchants/brands on its platform. It has invested 2+ years building proprietary IT architecture with cutting edge components to effectively scale and support its consumers, merchants, and acquisitions.Society Pass provides merchants with #HOTTAB Biz and #HOTTAB POS – a specialized POS technology solution, a comprehensive system for payment, loyal customer management, user profile analytics, and convenient financial support packages for small and medium-sized enterprises.In addition, SoPa operates Leflair.com, Vietnam’s leading lifestyle e-commerce platform, Pushkart.ph, a popular grocery delivery company in Philippines, and Handycart.vn, a leading online restaurant delivery service based in Hanoi, Vietnam. For more information, please check out: http://thesocietypass.com/. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga.com Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website https://thesocietypass.com

June 17, 2022 08:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time

OPPO Teams Up with Ericsson and Qualcomm to Accelerate 5G Enterprise Network Slicing Deployment

OPPO

OPPO collaborated with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to realize industry leading milestone of deploying 5G Enterprise Network Slicing Solution for Commercially Available Android 12 Devices Based on an OPPO Find X5 Pro powered by Snapdragon® 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform with Snapdragon X65 Modem-RF System, running Android 12, the 5G enterprise network slicing solution, created with the support of Ericsson Dynamic Network Slicing Selection and 5G RAN Slicing solution, is capable of partitioning mobile apps and network traffic according to different network slices facilitating User Equipment route selection and policy control (URSP) Capable of end-to-end transmission, the 5G enterprise network slicing solution can be deployed by network operators worldwide SHENZHEN, CHINA - Media OutReach - 16 June 2022 - Global smart device company OPPO today announced the successful testing of a pre-commercial 5G enterprise network slicing solution in collaboration with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies. The creation of the solution marks an important step in realizing practical 5G enterprise network slicing deployment and is designed to be implementable by network operators worldwide. The three compnaiesrecently demonstrated the pre-commercial 5G enterprise network slicing solution at OPPO’s 5G Communications Lab. During this first demonstration of the solution, OPPO worked closely with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies to achieve connection between the core network, wireless network, and chip module. Using an OPPO Find X5 Propowered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform with Snapdragon X65 Modem-RF System, running a highly customized system based on Android 12 - ColorOS 12, Dynamic Network Slicing Selection capability from Ericsson 5G Core to support User Equipment Route selection and Policy control (URSP) and 5G RAN Slicing solution, the joint team demonstrated application and network traffic partitioning using the pre-commercial 5G enterprise network slicing solution. This enables the steering of applications and enterprise services with specific requirements to defined slices without switching devices. Under the new solution, apps which are able to access the dedicated network slice are easily identifiable via a small icon displayed next to the main mobile app icon. "5G enterprise network slicing is the key to realizing 5G-differentiated applications," said Xia Yang, Senior Director of Carrier Product Line, OPPO, "Based on our company mission of ‘Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World’, OPPO will leverage our strengths in innovation and collaboration across the tech ecosystem to advance the commercialization of 5G enterprise slicing technology. Together with our partners, we will enable a wide range of OPPO product users to be the first to enjoy a customized 5G connectivity experience." Monica Zethzon, Head of Solution Area Packet Core at Business Area Cloud Software and Services, Ericsson said: "5G network slicing enables enterprises to meet their network security, reliability and flexibility needs. This solution, created in partnership with OPPO and Qualcomm Technologies and underpinned by Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core and 5G RAN Slicing technologies, provides a foundation for CSPs to deliver more tailored 5G services for enterprises.” "Demonstration of commercial 5G enterprise network slicing is an important step in fulfilling the promise of 5G standalone (SA)," said, Sunil Patil, vice president, product management at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Commercialization of slicingwill provide 5G networks tools to customize 5G capabilities as per the needs of the application." By partitioning a physical network into multiple virtual end-to-end networks, 5G network slicing can provide independent, customized network resources based on specific needs and use cases, ultimately unlocking a greater number of 5G resources to provide more flexible and effective 5G networks. The conpanies will now step up efforts to finalize ecosystem, device, and network details with a view to commercial deployment. Commercial network slicing is set to spur new areas of growth in technology 5G network slicing allows independent virtual network ‘slices’ to be created with different network properties — for example latency, bandwidth, security and reliability — based on the needs of those connecting to the network. For example, a dedicated network with large bandwidth and low latency can be created for automatic driving applications, providing a higher guarantee that vehicles will receive the level of data accuracy and computing throughput they need to remain safe on the road. Network slices could even be created for specific games or platforms, providing users with more responsive and immersive connectivity that is independent of other traffic on the network. In IoT applications such as smart factories, network slices set up for low latency and high reliability with a large number of connected devices will also help to provide the foundation for smarter operations. OPPO has been conducting R&D in 5G network slicing together with network operators and other partners for a number of years now. OPPO previously partnered with Vodafone and Ericsson to build the first 5G SA network in the UK at Coventry University, where it also demonstrated the first 5G SA network slicing technology. OPPO has also worked with China Mobile to complete testing and verification of 5G terminal slicing. In the future, OPPO will continue to work with global operator partners to promote the application and implementation of 5G enterprise network slicing, bringing more secure, reliable, and flexible 5G communications to commercial partners and end users. About OPPO OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone - “Smiley Face” - in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find X and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO also provides its users with ColorOS operating system and internet services such as OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO has footprints in more than 60 countries and regions, with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world. Contact Details Media Contact press@oppo.com

June 16, 2022 10:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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SensorView Participating in International Microwave Symposium

SensorView

SensorView, a provider of creative and competitive solutions for the next generation of 5G, announced its participation at the 2022 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IME) in Denver, Colorado June 21-23, 2022. At the event, SensorView will be showcasing its cutting-edge 5G solutions as it continues its entry into the United States marketplace. Founded in South Korea, SensorView, a top 5g company, is increasing its presence in the United States’ commercial, defense, and aerospace markets. SensorView’s portfolio of products includes cables, connectors, antennas, and testing devices. Among the products SensorView will display at IME includes its advanced in-building transparent 5G antenna. “We are excited to participate in IME this year. Industry leaders are always impressed when they experience our transparent antenna. With its transparency, low latency and high gain, our product is revolutionizing antenna design,” said Sabahattin (Sebi) Karakus, SensorView’s North American Sales Director. “Our transparent antennas can be integrated into any signage, such as exit or restroom signs, and uses almost 60% less non-recyclable material than traditional antennas.” SensorView’s strong management team, patented technology, and vertically integrated operations create competitively priced products that are lower weight with greater flexibility, low latency, low loss, and feature superior EMI shielding. Jaeseon Kim, Global Sales Director at SensorView, added, “At SensorView, we design products with thoughtful integration into a client’s systems. Our high quality and advanced technology allow us to support key industry leaders and partners like Samsung and Qualcomm.” SensorView’s strong management team, patented technology, and vertically integrated operations create competitively priced products that are lower weight, with greater flexibility, low latency, low loss, and EMI shielding. Gary Sumihiro, founder of Sumihiro Investments and its affiliate MPG Ventures and the Honorable Betsy Markey, advises SensorView on its US strategies. ### About SensorView SensorView Korea was established in 2015 and operates in the verticals of cables, antennas, connectors, testing devices, and materials, all critical components in the 5g commercial, defense, and aerospace industries. In 2019, the Korean Ministry recognized SensorView as one of the country’s most innovative 5G companies. SensorView US launched in 2020 to focus on the North American markets. Please visit http://www.sensor-view.com/. For more information or to schedule an interview with a SensorView spokesperson, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or media@sensor-view.com Contact Details SensorView Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 media@sensor-view.com

June 16, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

BUCK Announces Successful Merge With VTProDesign

BUCK

BUCK (" BUCK " or the " Company "), a global creative company that brings brands, stories, and experiences to life through art, design, and technology, today announced it will be joining forces with VTProDesign (“ VTProDesign ”), the LA-based interactive design studio. The move is the first-of-its-kind network expansion for BUCK and an organic next step for both companies as they continue to create innovative experiences for their clients including Meta, Nike, Microsoft, Google, Airbnb, and Netflix, to name a few. While both companies stand to benefit from integration at the operational level, the driving force for the merger is attracting, retaining, and growing world-class talent. As the creative services industry continues to evolve, BUCK and VTProDesign are staking their success on how they work—not just what they create —putting sustainable creative culture and a commitment to craft front and center. Jeff Ellermeyer, Co-Founder and CEO of BUCK stated, “Our goal is really quite simple: to deliver incredible work by incredible people while fostering a strong culture. BUCK and VTProDesign is a partnership of exactly that. BUCK’s superpowers intersect design and technology, while VTProDesign has advanced their storytelling to experiences that blur the line between digital and physical. The partnership allows us to expand and grow with a network of like-minded talent and entrepreneurs across diverse offerings, regions and clients. We couldn’t think of a better group of masterminds than VTProDesign to join the BUCK family.” With digital revenue growth in the advertising industry 28%, the demand for immersive experiential marketing is also on the rise. 81% of both B2B and B2C marketers are currently planning in-person events, with or without a virtual component. BUCK’s merger with VTProDesign will boost the company’s talent pool in this crucial area, folding in expertise in physical experiences, interactive technologies, and bespoke tools to solve never-before-seen problems. “VTProDesign has always been about growth and advancements in innovation, reflecting our values and evolution as creators. BUCK is a natural fit for us, as we continue to grow our footprint, partnering with best-in-class creatives that are committed to craft, culture and people. The merge will ultimately result in tremendous growth for VTProDesign, unparalleled opportunity for our employees, and a really impressive mix of creatives all at one table. It’s a 5+5=11 situation, and we can’t wait to see what kind of groundbreaking work we come up with together,” said Vartan Tchekmedyian, CEO of VTProDesign. VTProDesign is no stranger to creating full 360 experiences regardless of medium, connecting people to brands, products and innovation through crafted experiences, using technology as a tool. The group names Netflix, Google, Ray-Ban, and Heineken as part of their client roster. Highlights of The Merge The network expansion is accretive to BUCK and VTProDesign, establishing a unique creative talent pool and positioning them for scaled business growth. BUCK Brand Leadership: The BUCK team has the track record and abilities to quickly amass a significant presence in the design, tech, and digital creative markets, along with the necessary expertise to integrate and incorporate new creatives across a diverse group of verticals and platforms. VTProDesign Brand Leadership: BUCK will be positioned with a best-in-class creative team, along with a management team composed of highly successful and experienced professionals across design, creative technology, and integrated production across four offices in Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, and Amsterdam. Focused Creative Market: BUCK believes it to be best suited for a network expansion as an influential and established creative company with eight straight years of high double-digit revenue growth. For 2022, BUCK will be managing in excess of 600 headcount globally with physical presences in LA, NY, Sydney, and Amsterdam. The 2022 forecast equates to 100% growth in trailing three years—all while managing the pandemic period. Merging in VTProDesign equates to an additional 50% of the 2021 hired headcount servicing a diversified client offering. VTProDesign, also a high growth company, is forecasted to add an additional 20% EBITDA to BUCK’s financials and double-digit revenue growth. BUCK entered an exclusive letter of intent with VTProDesign, officially closing on June 6th,, 2022 pursuant to which the two have merged. VTProDesign will retain its identity, and Vartan Tchekmedyian and Michael Fullman will both retain their positions at VTProDesign. Management Team Jeff Ellermeyer, Founder, and CEO of BUCK Jeff Ellermeyer has worked for nearly three decades at the intersection of technology and design, culminating in his current role as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BUCK. In 1996, Jeff founded Fullerene, a pioneering creative services company that worked with early web and music clients. In the early 2000s, when Jeff discovered motion design, he recognized it as the future of experience. He founded BUCK in 2003 on this belief and folded in Ryan Honey and Orion Tait as partners. Drawing on his education in Computer Science and Film, Jeff’s enthusiasm for innovation and culture-shifting creativity has guided him throughout his time at BUCK. His passion is to foster a scalable, sustainable creative culture that attracts, retains, and grows the world’s best talent. Ryan Honey, Founder, Co-Chief Creative Officer of BUCK With over two decades of experience building and leading teams through ground-breaking design and content production, Ryan Honey is Co-Founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer of BUCK. Starting in 1999 at the dawn of the broadband content revolution, Ryan served as Creative Director for Heavy.com, where he and his teams pushed the boundaries of what was possible within the browser. His experience in live-action and animation combined with his background in design led him to build an early motion graphics division heavily focused on commercial production and network packaging. In 2003, Ryan left Heavy and moved to Los Angeles, where he subsequently co-founded BUCK alongside Jeff Ellermeyer and Orion Tait. Since then Ryan has led numerous projects with world-famous clients such as Google, Apple, Meta, Coca-Cola, Nike, McDonald’s, Toyota, and Honda, earning numerous awards, including an Emmy, multiple gold Cannes Lions, Clios, and over 150 additional awards from the most prestigious industry competitions in the world. Today, he continues to innovate, developing new capabilities at BUCK while fostering global growth. Wade Milne, Chief Financial Officer of BUCK Wade Milne brings over 20 years of finance and global capital market experience to his role as the Chief Financial Officer for BUCK. Graduating with a degree in accounting, Wade began his career in small business tax advising before working across multiple creative service brands, including the APAC region at parent holding company, IPG, where he successfully earned his CPA. After moving his base to the US market, Wade spent 5 years reshaping R/GA’s finance department on behalf of new leadership, partnering with the industry's best in retooling offerings and opening new locations. Following this, Wade spent time with Private Equity, strengthening his capital market muscle whilst strategically managing business operations for marketing and sales to global capital markets, before finding his long-term home at BUCK. Since joining BUCK in early 2020, Wade has successfully built its finance, FP&A, accounting function, has overseen its first external audit, led the debt raise, and has become a critical factor to BUCK’s M&A division and strategy. Vartan Tchekmedyian CEO of VTProDesign Vartan Tchekmedyian has been VTProDesign’s Chief Executive Officer since its inception, leading a team of artists, designers, and producers by providing high-level business strategy across all projects that run through the interactive L.A. design studio. Following his graduation from USC in 2010 - where he offered turnkey event production for both campus and corporate events - he founded VTProDesign as a team of one, with a simple goal of engaging with audiences through innovative mediums. Over the course of several years, Vartan successfully grew a small team focused on conceptualizing digital campaigns, expanding to the creation of full 360 experiences. Regardless of medium, Vartan’s vision is to connect people to brands, products and innovation through crafted experiences, using technology as a tool. Since then, the group has worked with household names such as Netflix, Google, Ray-Ban, and Heineken, building an honorable client roster. Michael Fullman, Chief Creative Officer of VTProDesign Michael is Chief Creative Officer at VTProDesign. He’s been progressing VT’s vision for 10 years, overseeing and pushing its creative growth and developing the organization to be a leader in interactive innovation. Michael graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a BA degree in theater and started working in music touring design shortly after. After joining VTPro, Michael dove into a combination of different projects, ranging from touring design for some wild acts to experiential designs for brands like Google. Michael has a deep understanding of design and production and has collaborated with countless brands and artists to bring their most complicated and technologically challenging ideas to life. About BUCK With offices in New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, and Amsterdam, BUCK is a global creative company pushing boundaries of art, design, technology, and digital experiences. Founded in 2004, the company has built a reputation for outstanding craftsmanship and innovation by finding creative opportunities in every challenge. BUCK has successfully created one-of-a-kind experiences for top clients across the cultural and technology spheres, including Meta, Nike, Google, Twitter, Airbnb, and Netflix, to name a few. Recognized as an industry leader within design and technology, BUCK’s awards include an Emmy, multiple gold Cannes Lions, Clios, pencils, cubes, and over 150 additional accolades from the most prestigious competitions in the world. Instagram: @buck_design Twitter: @buck_tv Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/buck About VTProDesign Building unique worlds to help brands connect audiences to radical experiences, VTProDesign is here to evoke emotion and create interactive journeys others are simply too scared to take on. The immersive design company leads with an innovative yet authentic foot forward, curating a team of trailblazers that push the boundaries on how an audience connects with an experience. Taking the immersive storytelling industry by storm, VTProDesign successfully merges art, design, and interactive visual & audio installations into one powerhouse, creating one-of-a-kind experiences. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vtprodesign/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vtprodesign References: AdAge: Agency Report 2022 Revenue Growth, 2022 Agency EA: The 2022 State of Experiential Research Study Findings, 2022 For investor inquiries, please contact: Wade Milne, Chief Financial Officer, wade@buck.co Contact Details Jive PR + Digital Jalila Singerff +1 613-614-6777 jalila@jiveprdigital.com Company Website https://buck.co/

June 16, 2022 09:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Webio secures $4m to scale conversational AI in the collections and payments industry

Webio

Irish start-up Webio, a leader in Conversational AI in the credit, collections and payments industry, has today announced a series A funding round led by Finch Capital. Webio is primed to scale-up following the digital shift during the pandemic and the uncertain economic climate to make difficult conversations about payments easy through their Conversation AI. Webio’s technology has enabled leading UK and European companies to communicate conversationally with customers throughout their credit and collections journey. Customers can ask questions, change payment dates, or organise a new repayment schedule, all tailored to their circumstances, all done through Conversational AI and automation. Customers experience the assurance that they have been engaged with, listened to, and interacted with fairly and appropriately and in turn, are more likely to be able to keep to their repayment schedules. The jewel in the crown is Webio’s ability to ‘move the needle’ in predicting conversation outcomes by analysing what is said and how it is said. Identifying characteristics such as a person’s potential vulnerability early and accurately, and then guiding that customer conversations through a range of best next steps dynamically is an example of a critical capability in this market. Webio clients can manage their collections conversations on a level like never before. They can know faster, act sooner, and do so with confidence. “Conversations about money are stressful and difficult, not only for the customer but also for agents tasked with having these conversations. Going digital means companies can create a whole new set of digital experiences that help customers feel more confident in having those difficult conversations and ultimately, stop them from falling into unnecessary and significant financial difficulty. And we are excited that Webio’s conversational AI is enabling companies to engage with customers in a more empathetic manner, at scale”, says Cormac O’Neill, Co-Founder and CEO at Webio. “We are growing at more than 100% year on year, and we are targeted to double our headcount with this investment in the next 6 months. I am confident that Webio will maintain its rate of growth and may look to raise additional capital to enter new markets. There are very exciting times ahead for us. We are certainly in the right market and at the right time. All I can say is watch this space” added Cormac O’Neill. Historically, the credit and collections functions have not received much technology attention, but now digital transformation is a necessity. During the pandemic, companies had to sell services online and provide customer service entirely digitally. Taking a call at the kitchen table was not practical where sensitive financial conversations were involved, so companies moved to digital messaging over WhatsApp, SMS, and Webchat. A recent Deloitte study states that 60% of organisations reported progress on connecting service channels during this time, with 11% reporting that they can transition customers across channels and experiences seamlessly. The number of financial services organisations implementing conversational AI and digital assistants doubled over the pandemic and the privacy-first custom assistant model provided by Webio is finding resonance in the collection’s world. As customers move their spending online there has been a corresponding growth in the consumer appetite for alternative payment options such as open banking facilitated payments, digital wallets such as Apple Pay, and buy now pay later (BNPL) offers. The BNPL market is worth $23bn today and is projected to grow to $91bn by 2028. Even the mighty Apple has announced the availability of Apple Pay Later, so most analysts expect even further growth in this sector. However, BNPL Companies such as Klarna and Afterpay, with other alternative consumer finance companies, are now coming under pressure from customer past due payment behaviours, and this is leading to increased levels of bad debt. The economic environment continues to undergo a seismic shift. Inflation is running between 8 to 10% and significant interest rate rises are predicted by the end of the year. ONS Data finds that almost half of adults find difficulty in paying for electricity and gas, and by October 2022 over 1.5 million UK households will struggle to pay food and energy bills. Paying every creditor on time, and in full, will stretch many to breaking point. All companies will experience more late payments, bad debt, and resultant pressure on cash flows. Companies are now seeing that they need a plan to service these customers with care and empathy, not only because this is mandated, but if treated well, these customers will continue to buy from the brand in the longer term. Webio will use the new funds to deepen their capabilities in conversational AI and additional digital offerings. They plan to triple the company’s R&D team, expand the sales and marketing teams, and expand its customer success teams to address the market demand in the UK and European markets. “Webio is reimagining the way customer credit conversations take place in the collections industry. This sector is ripe for disruption, its approach to its customers is outdated and it’s an extremely large market which is set for significant growth. Webio has established itself as an award-winning provider with triple digit growth in this market and is well positioned to help the sector overcome key challenges around digital transformation and the adoption of AI. Finch Capital is delighted to continue to support this experienced team with its ambitious plans for rapid growth and expansion”, says Mike Brennan of Finch Capital. About Webio Webio makes having difficult customer conversations easier for Credit, Collections and Payment businesses with trusted Conversational AI. Leading UK and Irish brands like The Very Group, Studio Retail, Hoist Finance, DCBL, NCO Europe, Anglian Water use our conversational platform to orchestrate millions of customer conversations at scale and have convenient and highly personalized conversations. The no-code platform allows Webio customers and partners to get up and running with conversational AI over SMS, WhatsApp, Webchat and other channels in hours, not months. Webio’s AI is predicting the seemingly unpredictable in digital collections conversations.Founded in 2016, Webio’s platform enables the credit industry to positively and empathetically engage with their in-debt and vulnerable customers. Webio is on a mission to rebalance the Credit, Collections and Payment ecosystem by reimagining the way lenders engage and converse with customers. Webio was ranked #2 and #8 in the 2020/2021 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards and is the founder of one of Europe’s leading conversational interface conferences – ConverCon. For more information, please visit https://www.webio.com. About Finch Capital Founded in 2013, Finch Capital is a Thematic Growth Investor in European technology companies in Finance, Real Estate and Health run by exceptional entrepreneurs. Our mission is to fund and support the best entrepreneurs creating products that will shape the future of these themes. We have a track record of backing future industry champions including AccountsIQ, Fourthline, Goodlord, Hiber, Symmetrical, Lantum and NomuPay. Finch Capital consists of a team of 12 investment professionals with wide entrepreneurial experience (e.g., Adyen), prior investment experience (e.g., Accel) and industry backgrounds (e.g., Facebook, McKinsey), located across offices in Amsterdam and London. Finch Capital is an active producer of original research on the State of European Fintech and its other themes. For more information see www.finchcapital.com. Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.webio.com/

June 16, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Logitix Expands Performing Arts Division to Help Theaters and Arts Events Optimize Ticket Sales

Logitix

Logitix, the leader in live event ticketing technology and analytics, announced they are expanding their performing arts division to help theaters optimize pricing, distribution, and inventory management of tickets. As part of their growth in performing arts, Logitix named longtime industry executive Jack Rubin as their strategic advisor. As the Co-Founder and former CEO of Tessitura Network, Rubin is one of the preeminent leaders in enterprise CRM, ticketing, marketing, fundraising, and analytics for theaters, arts centers, operas, festivals, dance companies, and orchestras. “Jack is an absolute icon in our industry and will be an essential part of our continued growth in the performing arts,” said Logitix President Greg Nortman. “As the most trusted solution for optimizing ticket sales, we look forward to helping even more live events within the performing arts industry.” Logitix optimizes ticket sale outcomes for all of its partners through proprietary dynamic pricing and ticket sales distribution through multiple channels. Its unique platform analyzes millions of real-time data points, providing up-to-the-minute insights within the live event marketplace. “I recognize that Logitix has the technology, data, and analytics expertise tied to sales distribution channels that can produce considerable revenue for the performing arts sector,” said Rubin “What they bring are new sales channels for these organizations. They are clearly building something special in the world of ticketing and I’m thrilled to be part of the journey.” Rubin was Co-Founder and CEO of Tessitura Network from the company's inception in 2001 until he stepped down during a long-planned transition in 2021. He guided the company from an initial two-person organization with two license holders, to over 725 organizations in ten countries using Tessitura. Rubin’s prior experience includes the position of Chief Financial and Strategic Officer of Hotels.com, where he assisted in a successful IPO for the company in 2000. Jack has an M.B.A. from the Wharton Graduate School and a B.B.A from the University of Texas. About Logitix Logitix is the preeminent monetization engine and ticketing platform for the live event industry, combining optimized pricing, distribution, and inventory management with real-time insights to help sellers and buyers respond to a rapidly changing market environment. The Logitix vision is to automate the entire ticket life cycle and provide data-driven insights to serve the diverse needs of its clients. The company is backed by ZMC and is privately held. For more information about Logitix, visit Logitix.com or find them on LinkedIn. Contact Details Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://logitix.com/

June 15, 2022 08:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time