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SIGMA Updates fp & fp L Cameras Appealing to Cinematographers by Adding New Color Mode, 4TB SSD Compatibility, Atomos Cloud Support and More

SIGMA CORPORATION OF AMERICA

SIGMA Corporation of America, the US subsidiary of SIGMA Corporation (CEO: Kazuto Yamaki. Headquarters: Asao-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan) is pleased to announce major firmware updates for the SIGMA fp series cameras: Version 5.0 for the 24-megapixel SIGMA fp, and Version 3.0 for the 61-megapixel fp L. Key updates include the addition of a "Warm Gold" color mode, support for 4TB SSDs, and Atomos Cloud support. With these firmware updates, the fp and fp L are also now the first mirrorless still/cine cameras to incorporate the EL ZONE metering system created by cinematographer Ed Lachman, ASC. EL ZONE is a false-color exposure tool where standard exposure (18% reflectivity) is displayed in gray, with up to six steps of both highlights and shadows displayed in an intuitive, standardized, color-coded format to allow creators to utilize the dynamic range of the cameras to its fullest. Additionally, Open Gate with Anamorphic Desqueeze for the ARRI ALEXA LF / ALEXA Mini LF has been added to the camera and settings registered in Director’s Viewfinder Mode; which will be a benefit to high-end filmmakers utilizing the popular ARRI line of cine products. "The introduction of the EL ZONE metering system, along with the full roster of additional features and functions provided in the latest firmware, demonstrates SIGMA's commitment to the fp camera series." reports Mark Amir-Hamzeh, SIGMA America President. "With each major firmware update, the fp cameras become ever more important tools catering to the needs of the creative community." The firmware updates for both cameras will be available on February 8, 2023, on the sigma-global.com website. The full description of the firmware update follows below. ##### Major firmware update for the SIGMA fp for Ver. 5.00 and fp L for Ver. 3.00 The SIGMA fp and fp L cameras both gain added functionality with the new major firmware update Thank you for purchasing and using our products. We are pleased to announce that firmware update Ver. 5.00 is now available for the SIGMA fp and Ver. 3.00 is available for the SIGMA fp L full-frame mirrorless camera. #SIGMfp #SIGMAfpL #SIGMA [Applicable product] SIGMA fp / SIGMA fp L [Benefits of the update] SIGMA fp Ver. 5.00 / SIGMA fp L Ver. 3.00 A new color mode "Warm Gold" is added. This Color mode creates a mellow atmosphere with subdued tones and warm colors. The "EL ZONE" option has been added to the "False Color" function, which displays the exposure status of any part of the screen in a color-coded manner, allowing you to monitor the exposure status of any part of the screen. "Focus frame only" *has been added to the information display menu in the |▢| (Display) mode setting * "Focus Frame Only" appears in the menu only when the shooting style in STILL mode or CINE mode is set to STILL-like. The camera can now be switched off even during long exposures. The camera is now compatible with a 4TB (terabyte) external SSD. Open Gate (x1.25 / x1.3 / x1.5 / x1.65 / x1.8 / x2) for ARRI ALEXA LF / ALEXA Mini LF has been added to the camera and setting information registered in the Director's Viewfinder. ATOMOS Cloud is now supported. * * Firmware update of ATOMOS devices is required to use the cloud solution provided by ATOMOS. Please wait for the announcement from ATOMOS for information on compatible devices and the release date of the firmware. To update the firmware, please refer to the following links: SIGMA fp Ver. 5.00 https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fp/?tab=support&local=firmware SIGMA fp L Ver. 3.00 https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fpl/?tab=support&local=firmware [Learn more] About SIGMA fp: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fp-series/ About SIGMA fp Ver. 5.00 / SIGMA fp L Ver. 3.00: https://www.youtube.com/user/sigmaglobalvision About SIGMA's color modes: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/magazine/m_series/cameras/sigma_color_mode_library/ [About instruction manual] The latest versions of the instruction manuals (PDF format) that support this firmware update can be downloaded from the following URLs: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fp/#catalog https://www.sigma-global.com/en/cameras/fpl/#catalog [Contact] For further information, please contact your local authorized SIGMA Service Station listed at the link below: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/world-network/ We appreciate your continued support for SIGMA products. About SIGMA Corporation Craftsmanship. Precision. Dedication. Since 1961, SIGMA has been devoted to the pursuit of advancing photographic technology. Unique to the industry, the family-owned business produces its high-quality, award-winning still photo and cinema camera lenses, DSLR and mirrorless cameras, flashes, filters and accessories from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Aizu, Japan. In 2012, the company introduced SIGMA Global Vision with three distinct lens lines: Art, Contemporary and Sports. Designed for industry camera mount systems including Canon, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and SIGMA, each lens is handcrafted and tested in Japan to ensure a high-performance, premium product that is purpose-built to last. In 2016, the SIGMA Cine lens lineup was launched, further cementing SIGMA as an innovator in imaging engineering. Embodying the core optical DNA that has defined the SIGMA benchmark of excellence, SIGMA Cine lenses meet the needs of advanced 6k and 8k cinema production. Forming the landmark L-Mount alliance alongside Leica and Panasonic in 2018, SIGMA continues its storied tradition of imaging excellence through groundbreaking innovations such as the native L-mount SIGMA fp and fp L full-frame mirrorless digital cameras, announced in July 2019 and March 2021 respectively. These products, along with over 30 award-winning SIGMA Global Vision lenses available in native L-Mount format, demonstrate SIGMA's continued commitment to the creative community through expanded product offerings. With the fp, fp L and these lenses, even more users can now leverage SIGMA's renowned optical formula to achieve their creative vision with ease. ### For information about SIGMA America, please visit sigmaphoto.com and SIGMA Blog for helpful information about our products. Follow SIGMA America on social media! SIGMA Photo: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram SIGMA Cine: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Contact Details SIGMA Corporation of America Jack Howard +1 631-201-7381 sigma.pr@sigmaphoto.com Company Website https://www.sigma-global.com/en/

February 07, 2023 07:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

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LAST MINUTE PROCRASTINATORS RULE VALENTINE’S DAY

Getir

Don’t find yourself in the doghouse this Valentine’s Day! According to 2022 proprietary sales data from Getir, the pioneer in ultrafast grocery, customers wait until the very last minute to plan for Valentine’s Day. Last year, chocolate, flowers and condom sales significantly increased in the days leading up to and on Valentine’s Day. For all of those last minute planners, Getir comes to the rescue with a chance to win a Valentine’s Day dinner reservation for two. In addition, Getir customers can order – and receive in minutes – roses, chocolates and themed bundles such as, “The Coupled,” “The Netflix & Chill,” and “The Family” — everything you need to celebrate the holiday with loved ones. “Procrastinators, take heart: we’ve got you covered on Valentine’s Day!,” said Ilay Karateke, head of marketing, Getir U.S. “Whether you are planning to stay in, cook dinner and need groceries, forgot the roses, or need a Valentine’s Day dinner reservation, we’ve got last minute solutions to make a memorable evening for you and your loved ones.” Getir’s U.S. sales data from February 2022 in New York City, Boston and Chicago shows that red roses, chocolate bon bons and condoms had their biggest increase in demand during the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. Red rose sales had a 200% increase on Valentine’s Day compared to the week before. Chocolate bon bon sales saw a threefold jump, increasing upwards of 300% on Valentine’s Day. And, condom sales jumped 40% on this day compared to the rest of February 2022. Last minute planning for Valentine’s Day is not only happening in the U.S.. According to Getir’s European data, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and the U.K. collectively saw rose deliveries increase by 700% on Valentine’s Day 2022 compared to the previous week. Valentine’s Day chocolate sales jumped 82% on February 14, 2022 in France, Italy, U.K., and Spain. Valentine’s Day Bundles To minimize the time spent, and stress of planning, for the holiday, Getir has done the thinking for customers with the release of new Valentine’s Day bundles (products vary based on market availability). Customers can choose from: “The Coupled-Up” One Dozen Roses Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut Chocolates Tuscany Candle 10" Taper White Unscented Candles Roberta's Margherita Pizza “The Galentines” SkinnyPop Original Popcorn Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate Nestle Toll House Edible Cookie Dough Funfetti Roberta's Margherita Pizza “Netflix & Chill” Trojan Magnum Thin Lubricated Condoms K-Y Natural Feeling Liquid Personal Lube Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn Ben & Jerry's The Tonight Dough Ice Cream “The Aphrodisiac” Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut Chocolates Strawberries Farmland Fresh Dairies Real Light Whipped Cream “The Family” M&M's Valentine's Day Milk Chocolate Swiss Miss Indulgent Dark Chocolate Sensation Hot Cocoa Mix Breyer's Vanilla Ice Cream DiGiorno Four Cheese Frozen Pizza with Rising Crust Diet Coke “The I can buy myself flowers” One Dozen Roses Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut Chocolates Roberta's Margherita Pizza Dinner Reservations for Two Sweepstakes Last minute planners, rejoice! Win one of five Valentine’s Day prime-time dinner reservations for two at a local restaurant in New York City, Boston or Chicago on Valentine’s Day (valued up to $250 each). No purchase necessary and eligible participants can enter to win the sweepstakes via the Getir App. The sweepstakes runs from February 6 - February 12, 2023. Full terms, conditions, and rules for the Getir U.S. Valentine’s Day Dinner Sweepstakes can be reviewed here. New York City: Charlie Bird: Located on the border of Soho and the West Village, Charlie Bird serves fresh and local American food with Italian influences. Place des Fêtes: The Michelin-starred Oxalis team’s second restaurant, located in Clinton Hill, features Spanish wines and seafood. Choco Cortés: From its rich hot chocolates and elevated Dominican and Puerto Rican comfort foods to exotic cocktails and luscious desserts - everything is made with chocolate! The restaurant brand of 93-year old Chocolate Cortés, the largest Caribbean chocolate manufacturer, brings to the Bronx a vibrant dining and cultural experience celebrating chocolate traditions and Caribbean flavors. Boston: Brassica Kitchen: Founded by the Whisk pop-up team, Brassica brings creative and comfortable locally sourced and seasonal ingredients to Jamaica Plain. Chicago: Girl & The Goat: One of the most well-known hot spots of Chicago’s culinary scene, Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat, located in the West Loop, serves bold, global flavors with Eastern and Western influences. About Getir: Getir is the pioneer of ultrafast grocery delivery. The tech company, based in Istanbul, has revolutionized last-mile delivery with its “groceries in minutes” delivery proposition, offering approximately 2,000 everyday items to its customers. Getir has operations in all 81 cities of Turkey, and launched operations in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and the United States in 2021. Getir is, first and foremost, a technology company that operates in retail and logistics. It was founded in 2015 by Nazim Salur (founder of BiTaksi, Turkey’s leading taxi app), Serkan Borancili (founder of GittiGidiyor, acquired by eBay in 2011), and Tuncay Tutek (ex-PepsiCo and P&G executive in Europe and the Middle East.) Learn more at www.getir.com/us. Contact Details Arielle Goren +1 212-717-5863 getir@kivvit.com Company Website http://www.getir.com/us

February 06, 2023 11:47 AM Eastern Standard Time

Alan Schneider Celebrates 15 Years as Owner of Minuteman Press Franchise in Northvale, NJ

Minuteman Press International Inc

The Minuteman Press franchise in Northvale, NJ has been operating for over 40 years. Alan Schneider and his wife Nadine are celebrating 15 years as owners and share their insights and reflections. Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. Congrats on 15 years! What does this milestone mean to you and what are the keys to your success and longevity? Nadine and Alan: “This is a tremendous milestone for us. Although we have hit this milestone in our tenure, the shop has been in business for over 40 years in this community. We are well known and very involved in the town. For years, people were saying the printing industry was dying. Then the pandemic hit and I think everyone feared a little bit for the future. However, I have to say that I never expected the bounce back from the pandemic to be such a boon for business. I think people realized that community is important, supporting local business is important, and although online marketing has a place, it’s not the only game in town. Print is still king. The keys to our success and longevity are: providing a warm and friendly place to do business; being knowledgeable about our products and services; letting our clients know that their success is important to us and we are here to help them; caring about our clients as people—not just as customers; and, most importantly, reliability and integrity.” What are some of the key ways you’ve grown your business? Nadine and Alan: “Believe it or not, the pandemic was a blessing for our business. It forced us to take critical look at how we were operating. We took a hard look at our numbers, and strategized on what we could do better in both operations and marketing. On the operational side, we cut out some of the fat and streamlined things where needed.” Alan: “My wife, Nadine, has an MBA in marketing and has owned a marketing and graphic design business for 15+ years. She joined me in our Northvale, NJ location and is providing all the graphic design services. Not only was this a strategic financial/operational move, it was the best marketing move we could have made. We are now truly a marketing, design and printing company – a one-stop shop!” Nadine and Alan: “Our clients are provided with a free consultation on the best ways to market their business. We do the strategy, design and printing. When the clients see the results, they come back for additional products and services—and they tell their friends! The savings we realized from our reduction in payroll was also reinvested in the business by increasing our participation in the SEO/Internet marketing program. We are starting to see an uptick in our internet leads! A couple of other cool things… Last year, we expanded our marketing strategy by promoting ourselves as a local family business. Our holiday cards now feature our family photo – myself, Nadine, and our 4 grown children. The theme is, Family is everything. We appreciate you being part of ours. I can’t tell you how many compliments we received on that card. People feel like they know our family, and always ask how our kids are doing. This year, we will be planning a marketing program to celebrate my birthday on October 26 th. Why? Because we found out that it’s also National Printing Day! We are going to have a lot of fun with that. We also do a lot of in-person networking by being active in our home and business communities. We are BNI members and directors, are involved with many not-for-profits, serve on the boards of the local Chambers of Commerce, and are Auxiliary Police Officers in our hometown. We are always visible helping the community in whatever way we can.” What are your high-demand products and services? Nadine and Alan: “We do a ton of direct mail, particularly EDDM. Although the program has been around for years, it’s really been gaining traction since the pandemic. Once our clients see how well direct mail works for them, they either expand their reach or frequency…or both. We help them build their customer lists as a result of their EDDM efforts, then assist them with targeted direct mail programs to these new customers. We are proud to say that many of our clients credit us with helping them build their businesses through direct mail. They refer to us as the direct mail experts! We also began heavily promoting branded apparel. It’s featured in the front of our store, and we make a point of mentioning it to our clients when they come into the shop. Once we learn about their business, we suggest what types of apparel and promotional items they may want to consider to boost their brand awareness.” What are your key growth areas? Nadine and Alan: “Again, direct mail and apparel are huge for us. Design as well. Our previous graphic designer was more of a layout/production person. Nadine is a true creative. Everything we do for a client now has a marketing strategy behind it, and a creative, eye-catching design. Clients who come in with their ideas are truly blown away by how we bring their visions to life. One successful campaign for a client usually snowballs into more business—and more referrals! But our true measure of success is knowing how we are helping our clients grow their businesses.” How would you best describe your community? Nadine and Alan: “Northvale, NJ is one square mile in area, right on the New York State border. The community is comprised of mostly residential homes, a small downtown with shopping and a handful of light industrial/manufacturing. Since it’s a small-town area, we focus on serving the local trades, retail stores, restaurants, professional services and industrial businesses. We have also built a client list outside of our small regional area by creating relationships with professionals that can provide us with ongoing business.” Why do you think printing remains so vital to businesses today? What are the benefits of print? Nadine and Alan: “Several years ago, email marketing became extremely popular because it was free. Today, in-boxes are flooded with messages that are deleted before they are even opened. A wasted marketing effort, even though it is ‘free.’ With print, your message is tangible. A direct mail piece in someone’s mailbox is handled – even if it is eventually discarded. Someone saw it, and handled it. Print is the ultimate conversation-starter. Hand someone a brochure, mail them a postcard, or even embroider your company name on your polo – and you are now visible to them. The most successful businesses rely on print for the majority of their marketing, so it is definitely here to stay.” What was your background before franchising? Alan: “I owned a food distribution company prior to owning a Minuteman Press. I wanted something new, but I still wanted to be a business owner. I chose Minuteman Press because of the company’s reputation for training and support of its franchisees. Also, printing is a consumable business which means repeat business.” What has the support from Minuteman Press International been like for you? Nadine and Alan: “Pick up the phone, send an email, and someone is there to help. The conventions are invaluable. We always come back learning something new, whether it’s from corporate or fellow owners. We look forward to seeing everyone, and meeting new people. It’s like a family reunion! We’ve also come back with new vendors to try which really had an impact on our business.” What are the biggest rewards of owning your business? Nadine and Alan: “Being an integral part of other people’s businesses and helping them achieve their goals. Also, being part of the community.” What advice would you give to others? Nadine and Alan: “Be professional and be persistent!” Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. For more information, visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/nj/northvale/ Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

February 06, 2023 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Hypemachine launches a PR subscription platform with a powerhouse network of top PR executives from bluechip agencies such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, and Ogilvy

Hypemachine

New York-based company Hypemachine today announced the launch of their platform and bluechip PR network ( www.hypemachine.io ). The company has attracted early-stage to publicly traded firms globally as clients and replaced what mid-sized PR agencies used to do with its technology and business model. Hypemachine offers à la carte PR subscriptions that can be scaled up or down quickly based on client needs. The company provides bluechip PR agency quality results at a fraction of "big agency” fees. How Hypemachine is different: Hypemachine Match – Hypemachine identifies what media relationships PR executives have, the sectors they worked in, and what they enjoy doing most in PR and matches senior PR teams to clients in tech, consumer, venture capital, and other sectors. Hypemachine Intuitive Dashboard – Hypemachine’s intuitive dashboard provides PR data and recommendations from Hypemachine's executives. The next stage of the dashboard will use artificial intelligence combined with executives' personalized insights. Hypemachine’s dashboard also streamlines the administrative and account management work that junior staffers typically do. Hypemachine Story Strength Score – The company has also created a ‘Hypemachine story strength score’, which assesses clients' announcements and story assets and offers recommendations on how to make them more compelling for reporters. “As a two-time startup founder and former agency SVP at a leading PR agency in New York City, I saw that the agency model was broken for most brands and founders,” says Hypemachine Founder and CEO Olga Orda. "A big part of why we’ve attracted so much incredible A-list, senior talent at Hypemachine is that they feel their work and senior counsel is valued, both in our network and by our clients," Orda said. “Contrary to what many may assume about public relations, we get paid to think, and public relations is more than just who you know. Even if I’m best friends with a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, no reporter will put their career on the line for a terrible or boring story. That’s why we hire the best talent in the industry from leading brands and agencies. We're passionate about helping clients strengthen their storylines and get media coverage.” “Adapting to the changing public relations industry, Hypemachine has created a powerful model for clients to capture tomorrow's audiences," says Andrew Graham, Founder and Head of Strategy at Bread & Law and 2021 PRSA-NY president. About Hypemachine Launched in 2023, Hypemachine ( www.hypemachine.io ) offers a PR subscription platform and powerhouse network of former PR executives from bluechip firms such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, Ogilvy, and other leading agencies. Hypemachine’s senior associates have advised brands and organizations such as Google, GE, Samsung, Unilever, Netflix, Salesforce, and Amazon. The company offers bluechip PR agency capabilities at a fraction of “big agency” fees and an intuitive Hypemachine PR dashboard for clients. Based in New York City, Hypemachine’s clients include early-stage to publicly traded companies globally. Contact Details Hypemachine Media Relations info@hypemachine.io Company Website https://www.hypemachine.io

February 06, 2023 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Decentralized, Not Deregulated — The Future Of DeFi Is Changing Following Onslaught Of Lawsuits And Criminal Investigations

Ink Finance

By Rachael Green, Benzinga A slew of lawsuits and investigations have brought crypto platforms and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) under increasingly intensifying scrutiny over the past few months. For all the innovation that DAOs allow, the organizational structure is also being used by some to evade regulation. They do this primarily by classifying their tokens as utility tokens, which are not subject to regulation, rather than as security tokens, which are subject to regulation. But the decentralized and autonomous nature is also being used in some lawsuits to evade accountability for illegal activities. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the latest legal developments that are testing the definitions and regulatory status of DAOs and what it means for financially sensitive protocols, especially in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. DAOs Have Been Used As A Loophole For Avoiding Existing Market Regulations Take the recent case of bZeroX, later Ooki DAO, which was a platform where users could trade and lend crypto tokens on margin. With any other commodity or security, this kind of leveraged trading platform would have had to be registered as a designated contract market as well as a futures commission merchant. Part of that registration process would have included implementing a know-your-customer (KYC) procedure to verify the identity of participants. Said KYC could have prevented or at least reduced the collateral damage that occurred when the platform was hacked in November 2021, allegedly resulting in over $50 million in losses for crypto investors. When a traditional trading platform like E-Trade (NYSE: MS) or Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) sustains losses, it has no effect on the account balances of individual traders on their platforms. Even if the platform an investor traded stocks or commodities on went under, that investor would still be entitled to withdraw the balance of their account. When an unregistered DAO goes under, though, investors on the platform are at risk of being left in the lurch. In the bZeroX case, for example, DAO participants are in the midst of a legal battle over whether or not they are entitled to repayment for their losses and, if so, from whom. Though the failure appears to be exactly the same as those of the centralized exchanges, the DAO formation made things even worse. In buying the governance token, the defendants allege that investors were equal partners in the DAO and, therefore, equally liable for the security gaps that made the platform vulnerable to hacking. But investors argue that they bought the tokens for the purpose of trading and the tokens didn’t give them sufficient control over how the DAO operates. In a statement on a similar case, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Genesis Global Capital with selling unregistered securities to investors on its Gemini Earn crypto lending platform, Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement said that the recent collapse of the platform underscored “the critical need for platforms offering securities to retail investors to comply with the federal securities laws. As we’ve seen time and again, the failure to do so denies investors the basic information they need to make informed investment decisions.” Though Genesis is arguably clearly an centralized entity, what should be particularly alarming to DeFi lending protocols is the categorization of security assigned to crypto lending products. The thorny issue then becomes whether a decentralized organization can evade security law. Recent cases like these are venturing into uncharted territory over how best to regulate crypto markets broadly and financial DAOs specifically. As the contrasting bZeroX and Genesis cases show, there are no easy answers. A tactic called “legislation by litigation” might be used heavily by regulators to curb what they believe as abuses while awaiting legislative actions, i.e., “shoot first and ask questions later”. Regulation Is Coming, But What It Will Look Like Remains Unclear While clear and unified legislation might still be some way off, what seems clear is that some kind of regulation will be necessary to better protect investors, clarify the parameters and risks of their investments, and generally restore trust in crypto. Commenting on the Genesis case, Former Chief of the SEC’s Office of Internet Enforcement, John Reed Stark, said, “The perilous crypto-ecosystem is a mammoth, opaque and incestuous clandestine marketplace with no transparency, no meaningful regulatory oversight and no consumer protections.” Stark noted that an “SEC enforcement sweep” was looming which would bring more trading platforms and lending protocols under scrutiny. “Expect more crypto-runs to trigger, more crypto-defendants to be charged and more crypto-story to be told,” Stark said in a tweet earlier this month. As this unfolds, DAOs, especially in the DeFi space, will likely need to take steps now to prepare for new and varied compliance requirements. Different jurisdictions are likely to implement different requirements and regulations may vary depending on the nature of the DAO’s activities. That means readiness, flexibility, and adaptability could be vital so that the organization can pivot with as little disruption as possible along the path where new regulations form and take effect. DAO toolkits like Ink Finance offer a realistic plug-and-play solution for maximum flexibility in adaptation, the much needed integrity components for KYB/KYC, and greatly enhanced security & accountability features that can better protect against hacking while helping compliance. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Ink Finance is a DAO governance toolset, enabling all kinds of ecosystems to establish governance economy, manage internal finance, and connect with DeFi investors everywhere, through a no-code user experience. As a Financial SaaS built on blockchain, Ink Finance has the most comprehensive financial engineering tools to support on-chain issuance, settlement, clearing, and analysis of Non-Fungible Financial Products.Ink Finance is backed by heavy weight eco builders such as Republic Crypto and DeFi Alliance, partnered with cutting-edge solution providers such as Humanode, Astra, SolvFinance, Polytrade and deBridge, etc. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Camille Zhang camille.zhang@ufit.live

February 06, 2023 09:55 AM Eastern Standard Time

LASE Bounces Back: Microcap Sees Over 215% Stock Price Increase In Last Month, Passes IPO Value

Laser Photonics Corporation

By David Willey, Benzinga Laser Photonics Corp (NASDAQ: LASE) has soared past its initial public offering (IPO) price. In the last month, Laser’s stock value has increased by over 215% at time of writing, to cap off a year when other microcaps have been suffering. There are several features that traders and investors often pay attention to when looking for microcap companies that perform well, including whether the company trades on a major exchange, if it indicates significant and continued growth over time and reports positive earnings data. Laser Photonics - which trades on the NASDAQ stock exchange - has seen robust stock value increase, and closed out the first month of 2023 at $5.23. The company, which produces a variety of photonic-based industrial products, has a market cap of over $42 million. The vertically-integrated laser company has a special focus on laser cleaning technology and works with both private and public companies. Its laser technologies range from 3D printing and engraving to laser-blasting brand CleanTech. Its clients include Fortune 1000 leaders and the U.S. military. LASE Showing Resilience In Photonics Industry The company made its IPO at $5 in September 2022, with an offering of 3 million shares. Within two weeks of its IPO, Laser first saw a sharp dip and then a sudden rise. The stock got a lift from several key announcements in 2022. The company got an order with the U.S. Navy for its hand-held, industrial-grade LPC-1000CTH CleanTech Laser Blasting System. This was followed by the announcement that Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) started using the CleanTech Handheld LPC-50CTH Laser at its manufacturing facilities — news that saw another increase in stock. It also received a major order from North America’s largest glass manufacturer, Vitro Architectural Glass, in mid-December. Vitro made an order for Laser Photonics’ CleanTech laser systems as a cost-effective solution for cleaning their products - an announcement that received a positive reaction in the market. Since the New Year Laser Photonics has seen a steady climb in stock value. This was boosted by the board of directors announcing a $2 million share buy back in mid-January. The company raised $12 million at the original IPO, and has seen improvement in its finances and bottom line since then. Wayne Tupuola, chief executive officer, said, “With approximately $1.50 per share in cash, no debt and profits, we believe the stock is significantly undervalued. Given this gap in perception, our board of directors has approved a 2 million share buyback.” The company's ability to generate such a significant increase in stock value over a short period of time could be seen as an indicator of company health. It may suggest a bright future for the company as it sets the standard for laser products in the industrial cleaning industry. Other companies involved in the laser-technology market include Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LITE), CyberOptics Corp. (NASDAQ: CYBE) and IPG Photonics Corp. (NASDAQ: IPGP). To learn more about Laser Photonics, visit its website. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Laser Photonics is a vertically-integrated manufacturer and R&D Center of Excellence for industrial laser technologies and systems. LPC seeks to disrupt the $46 billion, centuries old, sand and abrasives blasting markets, focusing on surface cleaning, rust removal, corrosion control, de-painting and other laser-based industrial applications. LPC's new generation of leading-edge laser blasting technologies and equipment also addresses the numerous health, safety, environmental, and regulatory issues associated with the old methods. As a result, LPC has quickly gained a reputation as an industry leader for industrial laser systems with a brand that stands for quality, technology and product innovation. Currently, world-renowned and Fortune 1000 manufacturers in the aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, industrial, maritime, space exploration and shipbuilding industries are using LPC's "unique-to-industry" systems. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Brian Siegel, IRC®, M.B.A. Senior Managing Director Hayden IR brian@haydenir.com Company Website https://www.laserphotonics.com/

February 06, 2023 09:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

Inkle raises $1.5M to power tax & accounting for US cross-border companies

Inkle

Almost half of the 20,000 US companies created on Stripe’s Atlas incorporation platform alone (of which almost 10,000 were formed in the year leading up to June 2021) were created by non-US-based founders. In helping these founders (and those based in the US) navigate the US regulatory environment, human chat-based US CPA SaaS product Inkle is today announcing a $1.5 million pre-seed funding round to help these companies handle bookkeeping, tax, and compliance filings through its software solution for US cross-border companies. Picus Capital, Saison Capital and Force Ventures participated in the funding round. Cross-border companies with a US parent holding company often struggle with back-office administration. The Big Four are too expensive, and smaller CPA firms are not able to cover everything or use the legacy solutions and rely on email, Google Drives and third-party generic tools to meet the growing regulatory demands. As a result, small cross-border companies are left in a grossly underserved market with slow, expensive, disorganized, often unresponsive and unaffordable service providers. It also leaves gaps, requiring customers to patch together several consultants and solutions. Add multiple entities and time-zone issues, and it quickly becomes chaotic, resulting in missed deadlines and an unnecessary management burden. Inkle was co-founded in late 2021 by British entrepreneur Anand Krishna after experiencing the tedious headache of managing tax and bookkeeping for several US entities which he had launched, and Ranvir Singh joined him in 2022. In creating an efficient approach to regulatory demands, Anand felt human chat was the need of the day. Inkle is an asynchronous human chat platform that combines a strong accounting outsourcing industry (based in India), with an English-speaking workforce, cost arbitrage, and SaaS engineering know-how - creating the perfect ingredients to address a major pain point. Anand was most recently the Co-Founder & CEO of Index, a personal finance mobile app company which was acquired in 2021 by Tencent-backed Niyo. Prior to this, he co-founded a Y Combinator-backed fintech company having spent a decade at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Vedanta Resources Group. Ranvir Singh was the first employee at Inkle and has recently been appointed Co-Founder & CTO, having architected the Inkle tech stack. Previously he was at Paytm where he helped build and scale Paytm Chat to tens of millions of users. Inkle CEO and Co-Founder, Anand Krishna commented: “Just over a year into our journey, and despite us starting during the pandemic and a global recession, hundreds of US companies onboarded and are now happier with our human chat-based approach to handling their back-office headaches; our CPA teams are delighted with 10x new business volumes without a need to hire extra staff or put any effort into acquiring customers; and we’ve built a dominant position in one focused corridor with solid revenue growth. And yet the customer now gets to pay less than ever before. It’s a win-win-win situation. Software will revolutionise this massive space, which is perfect for disruption by Inkle - building and delivering from right here in Bengaluru for the world. We’re delighted to partner with our first investors to prove we can do the same in other corridors now. Inkle’s full-stack software and collaborative features creates a scalable, on-demand and affordable back office for global companies. It is powered by highly experienced independent US-licensed, India-based CPA teams with decades of global accounting and tax experience. These are independent practitioner-led outsourced teams who are able to rapidly scale up on demand. Customers can manage and track their filings from anywhere. The platform offers asynchronous human chat with bookkeepers and CPAs and clear dashboards with deadline alerts, team collaboration, secure corporate document vault, and transparent billing. Inkle’s newly launched bookkeeping ledger - Inkle Books - fills a glaring gap by synching to bank feeds on one side and recognised accounting softwares on the other. This gap frustrates bookkeepers and Inkle solves this by introducing transaction-level clarification human chat, merchant recognition and categorisation, attachment automation, transaction-level tax monitoring, a global compliance rule engine and more. The majority of Inkle customers have multiple group entities in various countries, Inkle Books tracks the various intercompany money movements inside the group: transfer pricing, foreign direct investment and royalty, as well as handling complex group consolidation. Inkle also facilitates compliances such as registered agent, mailroom, and state, federal and cross-border regulatory reporting. For its independent CPA team partners on the backend, Inkle superpowers them with advanced practice management and workflow solutions, replacing their reliance on Google Sheets and email. Both the customer and CPA softwares are constantly evolving their modern fresh SaaS interface to seamlessly connect all three sides. Inkle, which was bootstrapped and in stealth until now, has grown revenues 7x in the last year to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Inkle has quietly built a strong leadership position in the US-India corridor (half of all YC companies in India, 3% of all YC companies globally and hundreds of US companies overall use Inkle today). Inkle is now expanding into new corridors such as US-Canada, US-LATAM and new sectors such as crypto taxes. Customers include leading tech companies such as Salesken, Mailmodo, Zoko and DriveTrain. Florian Reichert (Partner and Managing Director at Picus Capital), added, “Given the obligatory nature and zero default requirements in accounting, tax and compliance software tooling is a major customer need and hence also in the current economic climate indispensable. With its full-stack SaaS offering Inkle sits at the intersection of customers, CPAs, accounting tools and authorities clearly making workflows more efficient and less error-prone. We are impressed by what Anand and the team has built in a very lean manner and are thrilled to be supporting Anand on his journey to revolutionize how cross-border companies manage their accounting, taxes and compliance." About Inkle Inkle is a global tax and accounting SaaS startup based in Bengaluru, India and headquartered in Delaware, USA. Inkle provides software to enable US companies created by overseas founders to easily and affordably handle tax, accounting and compliance. About Picus Capital Picus Capital is an international, privately financed venture capital company with headquarters in Munich and offices in New York, Beijing, Berlin, London, Bangalore, Stockholm and São Paulo. Picus predominantly invests in Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A rounds and focuses on technology companies in financial services, HR, energy & climate, healthcare, logistics & mobility, real estate & construction, crypto & web3, deeptech and e-commerce. As an entrepreneurial sparring partner, Picus Capital pursues a long-term investment philosophy and supports founders from the ideation phase to the IPO and beyond. For further information please visit www.picuscap.com and LinkedIn. Contact Details Inkle Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.inkle.io/

February 06, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Frontera In Discussions with STX Border Finance Partners in Connection With Pending Acquisition of Texas Money Exchange

Frontera Group Inc.

McapMediaWire -- Frontera Group, Inc. (OTC: FRTG ) (“Frontera,” “Frontera Group” or “the Company”), a technology-focused strategic acquirer of revenue-generating companies and intellectual property (IP), today announced it has entered into financing discussions with Rio Grande Valley-based STX Border Finance Partners (“STX”). As previously reported, Frontera recently signed a term sheet to acquire 24.9% of the total issued and outstanding shares of common stock of McAllen, Texas-based Texas G & S Investments, Inc. d/b/a Texas Money Exchange (“TME”)( www.texasgsinv.com ) from a joint venture controlled by members of the Solis family of McAllen, Texas. The term sheet also provides an option for Frontera to acquire the remaining 75.1% of TME over time. Frontera stated the discussions with STX Border Finance Partners relates to exploring various financing opportunities that exist related to the TME acquisition and its expansion plans from Brownsville to San Diego. In addition, STX is considering making an investment in FRTG’s current SEC approved $9 million stock offering. Luis Manuel Gonzalez & Associates, a prominent Mexican attorney and private equity investor is in a strategic alliance with STX relating to its Frontera financing discussions and Mexican affairs. About STX Border Finance Partners STX Border Finance Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm in the Rio Grande Valley associated with the McAllen, Texas-based Solis family. About Texas Money Exchange TME is believed to be the largest foreign exchange and international payment specialist in the Texas Rio Grande Valley (RGV). In business over 27 years, TME is an emerging Fintech and critical cog in the supply chain between the United States and Mexico. On behalf of its customers TME conducts business foreign exchange USD-MXN (Dollars/Pesos), business payments USD-MXN, payment of vendors in Mexico, receiver of payments from Mexico and makes authorized freight voucher payments. TME customers include importers and exporters of a wide range of products such as Americans use and consume on a daily basis. About Frontera Frontera Group is a strategic acquirer of intellectual property and revenue-generating companies in the technology and human capital markets. It is developing and executing an aggressive, four-tier acquisition and implementation strategy intended to provide substantial increases in profitability to its acquisitions in industries with traditionally low and stagnant EBITDA multiples. The Company has identified and is currently pursuing several revenue-generating acquisition targets. For further information, please visit Frontera’s website at www.frtgtech.com. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 The statements contained in this news release which are not historical facts may be “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. For example, statements that describe FRTG’s hopes, plans, objectives, goals, intentions, or expectations are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are only made as of the date of this news release. Numerous factors, many of which are beyond FRTG’s control, will affect actual results. FRTG undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. This news release should be read in conjunction with FRTG’s most recent financial reports and other filings posted with the OTC Markets and/or the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission by FRTG. Frontera Group Contact K. Bryce Toussaint, Board Director invest@frtgtech.com Investor Relations Contact Lindsey Harasta lindsey@frtgtech.com Contact Details Frontera Group Lindsey Harasta lindsey@frtgtech.com K. Bryce Toussaint, Board Director invest@frtgtech.com

February 03, 2023 03:21 PM Eastern Standard Time

News Release

Quantum eMotion launches Sentry-Q quantum-safe messenger platform

Quantum eMotion Corp

Quantum eMotion CEO Francis Bellido joined Proactive's Natalie Stoberman to discuss the launch of the company's Sentry-Q quantum-safe messenger platform. Bellido explained that the quantum-safe messenger platform is designed for the secure communication of large and complex messages, including entire database structures. Sentry-Q will initially function as a cloud-based solution and will be progressively applied and evolved with hardware-based modules, such as PCI Express cards, mini-HSM devices and embedded processors, he added. Contact Details Proactive USA +1 347-449-0879 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

February 03, 2023 12:18 PM Eastern Standard Time

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