Leaders from Southeast Asian countries have begun their annual summit without the presence Myanmar, whose military refused to send a representative.
Laos Confirms 733 New Cases of Covid-19 and Three Deaths
Laos has recorded 733 new cases of Covid-19 across the country today, with three people succumbing to the virus.
Tremor International Signs Exclusive Global Partnership with VIDAA for ACR Data
Smart operating system & content platform preinstalled on most Hisense TVs and integrated with premium global OEMs
Agreement makes Tremor International the only open end-to-end platform with direct access to global OEM ACR data for targeting
TOYKO, JAPAN – Media OutReach – 27 October 2021 – Tremor International Ltd. (AIM/NASDAQ: TRMR) (“Tremor” or the “Company”), a global leader in video and Connected TV (“CTV”) advertising, offering an end-to-end technology platform that enables advertisers to reach relevant audiences and publishers to maximize yield on their digital advertising inventory, today announced a global and exclusive strategic partnership with VIDAA, a smart TV operating system and content platform preinstalled on most TVs manufactured by Hisense, considered one of the top TV manufacturers in the world, and also integrated into a number of premium original equipment manufacturers (OEM) including Toshiba. The agreement sees Tremor International’s technology platform gain exclusive access to VIDAA’s automatic content recognition (ACR) data, both in the US and internationally.
The agreement provides access to VIDAA’s distribution, reaching approximately 20 million smart TVs worldwide and expected to grow to more than 40 million in coming years. Tremor International will bring VIDAA’s ACR data into its TV Intelligence solution starting May 1, 2022, which will make Tremor International the only end-to-end technology platform with direct access to OEM ACR data for targeting purposes, outside the walled gardens. Following the integration into its TV Intelligence solution, Tremor International will have exclusive rights to the VIDAA ACR data in all global markets, and Tremor will activate in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Australia and Japan.
The data will be available for activation by both advertiser and publisher clients, through the two pillars of Tremor International’s end-to-end platform: Tremor Video and Unruly. In addition to targeting, Tremor Video and Unruly will offer proprietary measurement capabilities for TV Intelligence campaigns.
Ofer Druker, Chief Executive Officer at Tremor International, commented: “This is an important milestone in Tremor International’s trajectory as a leader in CTV and video, and underscores an important pillar in our strategy. The partnership with VIDAA bolsters the availability of highly desirable data sets that will live exclusively within the Tremor International end-to-end platform, opening new advertising horizons for customers across the globe and accelerating Tremor’s growth around CTV.”
In 2020, VIDAA introduced a completely new and revamped user interface named U4, which puts users and their way of consuming content at the core of the design. As of May 2021, the most advanced version on the market is VIDAA U5. VIDAA’s aggregated platform has already grown to encompass a range of CTV services — including all the top content providers.
Guy Edri, EVP at VIDAA, said: “The idea behind VIDAA was to put the customer at the center of the CTV experience. Our mission is to bring the finest content, both global and local, to our customers, who are today overwhelmed by an endless array of options and choices in viewing services. Creating one easy place for user management ensures they have a direct way to view the content they enjoy, and aligning ads with their needs and preferences is an important part of that. Teaming up with Tremor International, with impressive capabilities on both the commercial and CTV technology sides of its business, will enable an even better experience for our customers, as we are committed to bringing best-in-class content to consumers all over the globe.”
About Tremor International
Tremor is a global company offering an end-to-end technology advertising platform, operating across three core capabilities – Video, Data and CTV. Tremor International’s unique approach is centered on offering a full stack of end-to-end solutions which provides it with a major competitive advantage within the video advertising ecosystem.
Tremor Video helps advertisers deliver impactful brand stories across all screens through the power of innovative video technology combined with advanced audience data and captivating creative content. Tremor Video’s innovative video advertising technology has offerings in CTV, in-stream, out-stream and in-app.
The media side of Tremor International, Unruly, drives real business outcomes in multiscreen advertising. Its programmatic platform efficiently and effectively delivers performance, quality, and actionable data to demand and supply-focused clients and partners. Tremor International has a meaningful number of direct integrations with publishers, unique demand relationships with a variety of advertisers and privileged access to News Corp inventory. Unruly connects to the world’s largest DSPs and is compatible with most Ad Age top 100 brands.
Tremor International is headquartered in Israel and maintains offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Australia and is traded on the London Stock Exchange (AIM: TRMR) and NASDAQ (TRMR).
For more information visit: https://www.tremorinternational.com/
#TremorInternational
About VIDAA
VIDAA Smart OS is a Linux-based open smart TV operating system. The independent company VIDAA USA was established in 2019, and it has – in just two years – become a strong global contender in the smart TV platform space. In 2020, VIDAA introduced a completely new and revamped user interface named U4, which puts users and their way of consuming content at the core of the design. As of May 2021, the most advanced version on the market is VIDAA U5, which saw further improvements in user experience by implementing Google Assistant capabilities, its voice service, the new VIDAA remote control smartphone application, as well as advertising and billing services in select markets.
For more information, visit www.vidaa.com and follow VIDAA on
Facebook.com/vidaatv, Twitter, and Instagram at @vidaatv.
Cambodia Officially Begins Issuing Tourist Visas
Cambodia has begun to issue tourist visas after closing its borders to general tourists since March last year.
GEODIS Expands Road Network Across Southeast Asia
GEODIS upgrades road network capabilities, connects Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 27 October 2021 – GEODIS, a global leading transport and logistics services provider, has expanded its road network in Southeast Asia to Vietnam; another step towards its ambition to develop a scheduled road service connecting Singapore to China. GEODIS’ own fleet of vehicles and expanded network of partners enables full and partial loads to be carried by road along the Singapore, Malaysia, Thaïland axis, and now Vietnam. The addition of the service to Vietnam will serve businesses driving the manufacturing boom in that country over recent years, helping the region become a vital supply chain node for many high-tech, retail, and FMCG businesses.
GEODIS Expands Road Network Across Southeast Asia
Launched in November 2019, the Road Transport service of GEODIS in Southeast Asia was created to meet the needs of companies looking for a day-definite road transportation solution for their cargo, in the range of 30 to 1000 kilos per shipment.
The expanded road network for Full Truck Load (FTL) and Less than Truck Load (LTL) service provide freight management from first to last mile and offers additional options for existing GEODIS customers, in addition to air and ocean transport modes. The door-to-door road option has the advantage of loading space flexibility, with benefits of lower rates than air freight, shorter transit times than ocean freight, and on-the-ground expertise for customs clearance.
Since March 2021, GEODIS has expanded its road network capabilities by offering both standard and personalized solutions including its RoadDirect, RoadFast, and RoadSave services. With these differing levels of service, GEODIS balances transit time and costs to ensure customers can tailor the solution that best fits their needs; to include door-to-door service, customs brokerage and onward distribution.
Accompanying the new expansion of the Road Transport service of GEODIS is a dedicated access to a rate calculator and automated quotation system, which will be available towards the end of 2021.
“Our expanded service aims to give our customers greater flexibility and reliability of service in the context of current supply chain disruptions affecting air and sea cargo flows,” said Lakshmanan Venkateswaran, Sub-Regional Managing Director – South East Asia. “The service refinements come at a pivotal time as ASEAN’s manufacturing productivity and market expansion are gaining momentum due to the confluence of events that is motivating global companies to diversify their supply chain options”.
GEODIS – www.geodis.com
GEODIS is a global leading transport and logistics services provider recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport) coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, translates in top business rankings, #1 in France and #7 worldwide. In 2020, GEODIS accounted for over 41,000 employees globally and generated €8.4 billion in sales.
#GEODIS
Sentient.io Secures Real Tech Fund as Lead Investor in its Series B1 Round
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 27 October 2021 – Singapore-based AI startup, Sentient.io, announced today that Real Tech Fund has invested in its Series B1 funding round. Real Tech Fund is managed by Real Tech Holdings Co., Ltd out of Japan. Its investment in Sentient.io is the Fund’s third invested company. Sentient.io is also backed by A*ccelerate Technologies, the commercialising and venture arm of Singapore’s leading Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), global technology venture capital team from BEENEXT and several Japanese companies such as, Digital Garage Group together with ABC Dream Ventures which is a corporate venture capital firm of Asahi Broadcasting Group Holdings Corporation. To date, the Company has raised more than USD$6 million in investment since its inception in May 2017.
Sentient.io has built a unique AI and Data platform of over 60 AI functions that software developers can “assemble like Lego blocks”. This will empower software developers to pick from its pre-trained AI microservices that can help them to create smart applications that are powered by AI and for big data owners like government and multinational companies to generate new values from their data assets.
The new fundraising is used for scaling the platform and business into Asia-Pacific markets, especially to fulfil the surging demand for Digital Transformation from Japanese corporations.
Mr Christopher Yeo, Founder and CEO of Sentient.io, said: “We are pleased to welcome Real Tech Fund in our Series B1 funding round. Real Tech Holdings understands that building AI applications require a high level of expertise and a long period to master the technology. We believe that our collaboration with them will accelerate innovative solutions and bring these to the market at a quicker pace. This will also help to fulfil our vision of benefiting humanity with augmented intelligence.”
The size of the AI market for voice and image recognition is expected to reach US$98.8 billion by 2025. Despite this expected growth in AI demand, the challenges for companies to adopt AI include the lack of AI knowledge and building capabilities, the lack of algorithms that can be applied to the user’s industry domain, or the high cost of implementing AI solutions.
Daiki Kumamoto, Global Fund Leader and Growth Manager of Real Tech Holdings Co., Ltd. said: “Sentient.io has developed an easy to use platform and UI/UX that allows pre-trained microservices to be integrated into business applications via Application Programming Interface (API), and is particularly popular in Southeast Asia. One particular popular technology has algorithms that can process and hone in on voice activities from training data in order to recognise the unique English “accent” of Southeast Asia countries such as ‘Singlish” in Singapore. As a strategic partner and investor, we will support Sentient i.o’s entry into the Japanese market and will continue to accelerate collaboration with Japanese companies”.
About Sentient.io
Sentient.io is a Singapore artificial intelligence (AI) company founded in 2017 by Mr. Christopher Yeo who has a strong Computer Science and Mathematics background and is also an experienced technology entrepreneur. Its aim is to enable software developers to build AI and Data-driven solutions quickly and easily by offering domain-targeted AI and Data as API services.
Sentient.io’s value proposition to enterprises is to speed up business innovation, reduce IT complexity as well as protect existing AI investments. It also enhances existing applications and is highly scalable. The early backers of the team are A*ccelerate, the commercialising arm of A*STAR, Origgin and BEENEXT. For more information, please click: https://sentient.io/en/
About Real Tech Fund
Real Tech Fund is a venture capital fund managed by Real Tech Holdings and its subsidiary Real Tech Japan. It solely invests in deep-tech start-ups solving societal and environmental issues. For more information, please click: https://www.realtech.fund
About Real Tech Holdings Co., Ltd.
Real Tech Holdings support change-makers who give their heart and soul to solve societal and environmental challenges. Real Tech Holdings is a joint venture between euglena Co., Ltd (https://www.euglena.jp/) and Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. (
https://lne.st/). For more information, please click:
https://www.realtech.holdings
Laos Considers Reopening of Borders to Group Tours
The government of Laos has begun to consider opening its borders to certain groups if the right conditions can be met and vaccination rates continue to rise.
VavaCars raises $50 million in Series B to build presence in Turkey and Pakistan
ISTANBUL, TURKEY – G MEDYA – 26 October 2021 – VavaCars, a Turkey-based online trading platform for buying and selling used cars has raised $50 million to expand its operations in Turkey and Pakistan.
Duquesne Family Office LLC (founded by Stanley F. Druckenmiller), founding investor, Vitol, plus one other new investor participated in the round.
Since VavaCars’ launch in April 2019 in Turkey, where it operates in close partnership with the leading fuel retailer, Petrol Ofisi, the Company has traded more than 10,000 cars, and has grown to 300 employees. The Company has been growing GMV by an average of 30 percent month-on-month serving the wholesale and retail market with the very best selection of consumer sourced cars.
VavaCars aims to bring trust, transparency, and convenience to the pre-owned car market. Customers can sell their cars instantly for cash by using VavaCars online valuation tool combined with a physical inspection at one of its Customer Centres, typically located on a Petrol Ofisi forecourt in Turkey.
VavaCars recently launched its direct-to-consumer offering to complement its high frequency online auction sales to dealers, where consumers can buy cars fully online without ever setting foot in a dealership; every car is fully inspected, reconditioned and delivered to the consumer’s home for free. Consumers benefit from a 14-day money-back guarantee and a 3-month warranty, for complete peace of mind. VavaCars is reinventing the car buying experience, and the new funds will be used to accelerate the buildout of VavaCars’ technology platform, physical infrastructure and brand.
In the future, VavaCars intends to expand into new markets leveraging the fuel station networks of its founding investor, Vitol.
Lawrence Merritt, CEO & Co-founder: “We intend to build the world’s most trusted used car trading platform and to make it easy for anyone to buy or sell a car without the worry. This funding round allows us to keep disrupting, keep inventing and keep simplifying on behalf of our customers. In the two and half years since launch we’ve become the number one trader of consumer sourced cars in Turkey accounting for 90% of all fully online sales. This demonstrates the power of our model and the huge market opportunity.”