Nxtra by Airtel’s 44MW sustainable data centre starts construction

TATU CITY, Kenya, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Home to Nxtra by Airtel’s 44MW sustainable data centre, Tatu City Special Economic Zone has established itself as East Africa’s data centre hub. Nxtra is supported by Tatu City’s provision of 95% renewable energy, making the location one of the greenest on earth for data centre investors and clients.

Executives from Airtel, Rendeavour, and Government representatives at the official groundbreaking ceremony of the Nxtra by Airtel Africa 44MW Data Centre at Tatu City SEZ, Kenya.

The Nxtra Data Center facility will deliver 44MW of IT power capacity in phases, and house new generation of servers as well as high-density GPU-ready racks with 99.999% uptime, multiple redundant fibre paths, and advanced security systems.

Tatu City has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in world-class infrastructure to become East Africa’s data centre hub. The city’s utilities include a 135MVA power substation and distribution network with 99.7% uptime, the country’s only location with 24/7 water supply for industries, comprehensive storm water management, 70km of international-standard roads, and more than 120km of secure underground fibre.

Stephen Jennings, Founder & CEO of Rendeavour, the owner and developer of Tatu City, said:  “For more than a decade, we have invested in world-class infrastructure and sustainable energy at Tatu City to make it the natural home for data centres in East Africa. Airtel’s decision to locate Nxtra here is a powerful endorsement of this vision. As Nxtra joins over 100 global and local companies already thriving at Tatu City, we are confident that many more data centres will follow. Together, we are building the secure, scalable, and sustainable digital backbone that Africa needs for its economic transformation.”

Yashnath Issur, CEO, Data Centre, Airtel Africa, said: “By building the largest data centre in East Africa, we are laying the groundwork for a thriving digital ecosystem that empowers businesses, supports governments, and unlocks new opportunities for communities across the region. Nxtra by Airtel will be built to the highest global standards, ensuring reliability, scalability, and energy efficiency. Beyond capacity, our focus is on sustainability and resilience, enabling customers to fully leverage next-generation technologies in a secure environment.”

Tatu City delivers more than 95% renewable energy, making it one of the most sustainable locations for data centres worldwide. One-third of its demand is met directly by solar power. Combined with Kenya’s predominantly renewable national grid, Tatu City offers one of the cleanest and most reliable power supplies for digital infrastructure in the world.

Every day, more than 25,000 people live, work, and study at Tatu City. The city is home to 4,500 completed homes, 6,000 students, and businesses representing over KES 400 billion in investment. Businesses operating at Tatu City include Emirates Logistics, Heineken, Cold Solutions, FullCare Medical, Hounen, CCI Global, Dormans, Kärcher, Naivas, NCBA, Grit Real Estate Income Group, Hewatele, Freight Forwarders Solutions, Tamarind Group, ADvTECH, Friendship Group, Bakels, Novis, and Davis & Shirtliff.

Companies within the Tatu City SEZ enjoy significant incentives, including a 10% corporate tax rate for the first 10 years and 15% for the following 10 years, compared to the standard 30%. Businesses also benefit from VAT zero-rating on goods and services, as well as exemptions on import duty and stamp duty.

About Tatu City

Tatu City is a 5,000-acre new city on Nairobi’s doorstep featuring homes, schools, businesses, a shopping district, a medical clinic, nature areas, and recreation for more than 250,000 residents and tens of thousands of daily visitors. Its schools educate thousands of students daily, and its homes cater to all income levels. Tatu City is Kenya’s first operational Special Economic Zone, designed for businesses to thrive. Located just 30 minutes from Nairobi, it offers a live, work, and play environment free from traffic congestion and long commutes.

For more information about Tatu City, visit: www.tatucity.com
For more information about Rendeavour, visit: www.rendeavour.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ARC Group Securities LLC is pleased to announce that Roger Salazar, Jr. has joined the firm as Managing Director, Head of Global Capital Markets based in New York.

Mr. Salazar is an experienced investment banker with a robust and diverse background in capital markets, recognized as a go-to advisor delivering impactful results. He brings more than 12 years of experience advising corporates and financial sponsors on equity financing alternatives across a broad range of products, including IPOs, SPACs, follow-ons, block trades, tax-efficient monetizations, convertible debt, and M&A financing. His primary focus has been on growth equity, particularly within the technology and healthcare sectors.

He has built trusted relationships with financial sponsors, boards, and corporate leadership teams across sectors, and has led some of the most high-profile transactions in the public markets. Over the course of his career, he has raised over 125 SPAC IPOs totaling $55 billion+, completed over 60 de-SPAC mergers exceeding $180 billion in enterprise value, and executed more than 100 bookrun equity transactions raising over $50 billion in proceeds.

Most recently, Mr. Salazar served as Senior Managing Director and Head of SPACs at SVB Securities. Prior to that, he held roles at Citigroup, RBC Capital Markets, and Société Générale.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the NYU Stern School of Business.

Ian Hanna, CEO of ARC Group Securities LLC, commented:

“Roger’s appointment reflects our ongoing investment in deepening ARC’s capital markets expertise. His transaction leadership, sector focus, and long-standing client relationships will be instrumental in supporting our next phase of growth.”

Roger Salazar, Jr, Head of Global Capital Markets for ARC Group Securities LLC, commented:

“I am thrilled to lead ARC’s Global Capital Markets business. It is fascinating to build on the success of ARC in the past 10 years. I look forward to contributing my expertise to drive the firm to many more successes.”

About ARC Securities

ARC Group Securities LLC is a FINRA-registered broker-dealer. The firm specializes in providing comprehensive capital markets and investment banking services to emerging growth and mid-market companies globally, with a focus on bridging Asia and Western markets.

ARC Group Securities LLC (“ARC Securities”), a wholly owned subsidiary of ARC Group, please visit ARC Group here.

DEAUVILLE, France, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Valerion, a leading specialist in home cinema projectors and the premium sub-brand of AWOL Vision, proudly announces its role as a supporting partner of the 2025 Deauville American Film Festival. At this year’s festival, Valerion will showcase its most advanced long-throw projector, the VisionMaster Max, offering film lovers a glimpse of true theater-quality visuals reimagined for home entertainment.

Reviving Classics with True Cinematic Fidelity

Valerion believes that cinema is defined by sensation, not specifications. The VisionMaster Max, built with advanced RGB laser technology, delivers unprecedented black levels and color fidelity faithful to a director’s vision: a level of precision ideal for bringing classic films back to life on the home screen, even when they are no longer available in theaters. This is an experience filmmakers and actors deeply value: seeing their work presented as it was truly meant to be seen.

Red Dot Design Award winner and beloved by an Emmy-winning director, the VisionMaster Max embodies a unique blend of performance and artistry. More than a projector, it is a statement of lifestyle and cultural appreciation.

Experience Valerion Inside the Festival Tent

Throughout the 51st edition of the Deauville American Film Festival, visitors can explore the VisionMaster Max at the Festival tent, open to the public during scheduled hours. This space will allow festival attendees to experience firsthand the brightness, color fidelity, and immersive depth that define Valerion’s home cinema excellence.

Bringing Hollywood Standards to Everyday Life

The Deauville American Film Festival is a cultural crossroads for cinephiles, critics, and creators. By supporting the event, Valerion reinforces its mission to bring the same Hollywood-level standards of visual storytelling into home theaters around the world. VisionMaster Max transforms everyday spaces into true screening rooms, ensuring that every viewing, whether of timeless classics or modern masterpieces, feels like a premiere.

About Valerion

Valerion is a leading specialist in home cinema projectors, delivering the ultimate cinematic experience with advanced RGB laser technology and precision-engineered lens systems. Its VisionMaster long-throw projector series sets new benchmarks for home theater innovation. Valerion is the premium sub-brand of AWOL Vision. For more information, please visit www.valerion.com.

CONTACT: Sindy Liu
sindy@awolvision.com 

Optical communications will form the nervous systems of AI factories of the future, and
makers of optical transceivers like FICG stand to play a lead role.

TAIPEI, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the global economy, the underlying infrastructure enabling its growth is drawing increasing attention. At the heart of this transformation is a little-known but critical component — optical transceivers — and FIC Global Inc. (TWSE: 3701; FICG), a leading expert in packaging and installing semiconductors on optical modules, is drawing on over 16 years of expertise to take the lead in this space.

“We believe the future of AI will be shaped not by algorithms themselves but by infrastructure that allows data to move efficiently among nodes,” commented Mr. Leo Chien, Chairman of FICG. “The focus on AI is often centered on models or chips, but without the ability to move data at speed and scale, AI grinds to a halt. For over 16 years, FICG has been perfecting the key parts for creating the high-performance optical nervous systems that enable AI to think quickly.”

Infrastructure as key to speed and energy efficiency

To power next-generation AI factories, the AI infrastructure industry has increasingly embraced silicon photonics for networking layers. Due to slower speeds and less energy efficiency, electrical connections are expected to be phased out in the coming years. In their stead, optical communications via silicon photonics will deliver:

• Unparalleled speed and reduction of latency
• Significant gains in energy efficiency
• Greater scalability as AI infrastructure

As the key component, optical transceivers convert electrical signals into light data for transmission over fiber optic cables, significantly accelerating data movement between compute nodes. This year, the new benchmark for data transmission speeds is now 1.6 terabits (T) per second, and companies like FICG are innovating to double speeds in the future.

FICG: Advancing beyond 1.6T

FICG brings more than 16 years of expertise in process leadership and manufacturing technology, delivering optical transceivers for telecommunications, enterprise networks, data centers, and cloud computing since 2008. With an early lead in optical communications, the company is positioned to play a key role in powering the coming generation of AI data centers.

Since 2020, when it began including chips-on-board, FICG has made significant technological advancements:

• 2020 to 2022: To power the significant data requirements for data centers and high-performance computing (HPC), FICG introduced cutting-edge octal small form-factor pluggable (OSFP) and 800G modules.
• 2023: Officially started development and commercialization for 1.6T OSFP Siph (flip chip) modules; launched advanced 800G OSFP flip chips with linear receive optics (LRO) and transmit retimed optics (TRO).
• 2024: Set a new milestone in the industry for technological capabilities and strategic deployment by introducing the leading-edge 1.6T OSFP TRO Siph and 1.6T OSFP Siph (Normal) series.

These achievements come from FICG’s competitive vertically integrated model and process leadership. It focuses on joint design manufacturing (JDM) and high-performance, high-precision printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), and then packages PCBs with semiconductors. Specifically, FICG integrates higher-tech manufacturing processes like 2.5D and 3D semiconductor packaging and bare-die flip chip installation with the more mainstream surface mount technology for the rest of a PCB, enabling customers to consolidate their optical module supply chains.

The company also mastered ultra-miniaturization manufacturing techniques early on, including the installation of component sizes such as 008004 (0.25×0.125 mm), 01005 (0.4×0.2 mm), and 0201 (0.6×0.3 mm) — almost as small as a hair’s breadth.

Today, FICG supplies major players worldwide and collaborates closely with semiconductor manufacturers. It represents 20% of global market share in 400G, 18% in 800G, and is establishing a lead in the latest 1.6T segment while innovating for 3.2T.

About FIC Global Inc.
FIC Global Inc. (TWSE: 3701) is a leading provider of optical transceivers, specializing in the semiconductor packaging and advanced printed circuit board (PCB) assembly. Formed by the integration of FIC, Ubiqconn and 3cems, FICG leverages a strong foundation of expertise to deliver innovative solutions. With expertise in optical modules since 2008, FICG has rapidly grown into a key player in the global supply chain, collaborating with major industry leaders worldwide and standing out for cutting-edge, high-yield manufacturing capabilities.

https://www.ficg.com.tw/en/

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and MILAN, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Picarro Inc., a global leader in methane emission management and reduction solutions, today announced that Italgas, following its recent acquisition of 2i Rete Gas, will extend the deployment of Picarro’s Network Intelligence technology and solutions to cover its newly expanded infrastructure. Italgas now serves approximately 13 million customers with more than 150,000 kilometers of distribution main pipes in Italy and Greece, making it Europe’s largest gas distribution system operator (DSO). Deploying Picarro’s data-driven solutions will further strengthen its leadership in digital transformation of gas network operations.

Italgas, Europe’s largest gas distribution system operator (DSO), will deploy Picarro Network Intelligence Solutions to its 150,000+ kilometers of distribution main pipes in Italy and Greece.

Through its partnership with Picarro, Italgas has been firmly at the forefront of Network Intelligence. Picarro’s advanced data and analytics solutions enable the DSO to manage its network operations—including leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, methane emissions abatement and predictive asset maintenance—with unmatched accuracy. These capabilities support Italgas in enhancing safety, reducing methane emissions in line with the highest industry standard (OGMP 2.0 Gold Standard), and extending the lifespan of critical gas assets.

“Picarro’s Network Intelligence is central to the realization of our growth strategy, supporting the digitization and AI-driven transformation of our networks,” said Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas. “With the actionable insights provided by Picarro technology, we can boost efficiency, safety, environmental protection, and service quality for all of the more than 4,000 towns in which we operate and the 13 million customers we serve in Italy and Greece.”

“Italgas’s commitment to making its energy infrastructures increasingly resilient and safe is unmatched in Europe,” said Alex Balkanski, President and CEO of Picarro Inc. “By expanding its adoption of Picarro’s Network Intelligence, Italgas is setting a new standard for operational excellence, efficiency, and sustainability at an impressive scale.”

From Leak Detection to Network Intelligence

Picarro’s integrated solution combines advanced hardware, cutting-edge analytics, and robust software to deliver unparalleled insights into methane emissions, network safety, and operational efficiency. Operators leverage Advanced Mobile Leak Detection (AMLD) technology to create a data-driven, GIS-centric representation of a gas network and its emissions. They tap into this holistic and consolidated view to strategically plan maintenance activities, deploy resources and maximize asset value. By embracing Network Intelligence, operators can enhance safety, meet regulatory demands, and lead the way in environmental stewardship.

Scaling Network Intelligence Across the Globe

Picarro technology and solutions are now employed by more than 50 DSOs worldwide, serving over 50 million customers. Over the past decade, our DSO partners have cumulatively collected actionable data on more than 1.5 million kilometers of gas mains, are on pace to cover 800,000 kilometers of mains in 2025 and expect to accelerate their coverage even more in the years ahead.

About Italgas

Italgas is the leading gas distribution system operator in Italy and, following the acquisition of 2i Rete Gas, the largest in Europe. With approximately 13 million customers and over 150,000 kilometers of pipeline, Italgas is committed to advancing innovation, safety, and sustainability in the energy transition. For more information, visit www.italgas.it/en.

About Picarro

Picarro is a global leader in leak management and emissions reduction, providing operators with tools to revolutionize risk management. The enterprise solution helps lower emissions, optimize asset management, and reduce costs within a unified framework. With Picarro Network Intelligence technology and analytics, operators can proactively manage leaks, prioritize critical issues, and assess gas system health and performance continuously. For more information, visit www.picarro.com/gas.

Media Contact:
Monica Marmie
Senior Marketing Manager
Picarro
mmarmie@picarro.com