WUHU, China, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — LEPAS landed its first overseas orders for L8 at its debut at Indonesia’s Jakarta International Auto Show (GIIAS), where it staged an exquisite life runway show.

Recently, LEPAS kicked off its overseas debut at GIIAS, with its all-star product matrix L8, L6, and L4 officially debuting — covering user groups with fashion personalities. With “exquisite travel” as its core, LEPAS is elevating the industry from “functional satisfaction” to “life aesthetics”.

At the show, LEPAS continued its “Leopard Aesthetics” in brand experience. Its booth, designed as a runway-style space integrated with lifestyle aesthetics, created an immersive user experience — interpreting the brand philosophy that automobiles are an extension of life. Globally, LEPAS will expand via “design + technology + service”, offering a closed-loop “elegant driving” experience across regions.

As a newest energy model, L8 embodies LEPAS’ “Leopard Aesthetics”. Its sleek outline, paired with highly recognizable light groups and detailed craftsmanship, reflects LEPAS’ understanding that “elegance is power”. The cockpit, with a skyline-inspired layout and natural texture design, focuses on comfort and intelligence — meeting the quality needs of global urban elites. L8 may later adopt Chery Group’s Super Hybrid system (CSH), further satisfying global users’ diverse demands.

Chery Group supports LEPAS’ rapid global rise. In the era of smart electric vehicles, Chery has grown in new energy and intelligence. With its R&D strategy of ‘mass-produce one, develop one, pre-research one’, Chery has made forward-looking layouts, built first-mover advantages, and driven full-cycle tech innovation, offering unique products to users. By July 2025, Chery’s cumulative exports exceeded 5 million units, ranking No.1 in Chinese brand passenger car exports for years. Additionally, Chery made the 2025 Fortune Global 500 this year, leaping 152 spots from last year.

As a core part of Chery’s globalization strategy, LEPAS is deeply integrated into the group’s global resource in R&D, manufacturing, supply chains, and sales networks. Using Chery’s global R&D centers, LEPAS has full-link development capabilities, ensuring quality and quick user response.

LEPAS’ global debut is more than a showcase; it’s the first practice of its “exquisite travel” concept. Indonesian officials, media, core dealers, attended the showcase, with the announcing of sponsorship with Miss Universe Indonesia. What can be seen is, LEPAS is driving into the global spotlight.

YOKOHAMA, Japan, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — aiMotive, a provider of cutting-edge software and hardware IP for Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS), has entered into a license agreement with Socionext, a global leader in advanced custom SoCs. This agreement grants Socionext access to aiMotive’s aiWare IP and development tools to support the development, including tape-out of next-generation custom SoCs based on chiplet technology for automotive ADAS applications.

The collaboration is expected to accelerate the adoption of aiMotive’s technologies while enabling Socionext to broaden its portfolio of automotive solutions. By integrating aiWare’s low-power, high-efficiency neural network accelerator, Socionext aims to deliver highly optimized SoCs tailored to the evolving demands of ADAS.

“This is a pivotal moment for aiWare,” said Márton Fehér, SVP of Semiconductor Engineering at aiMotive. “Socionext is the latest major customer to embrace our vision with a clear focus on mass production. Their deep expertise in automotive Custom SoC design and strong industry relationships make them an ideal partner to bring our scalable, power-efficient AI acceleration technology to the next level.”

Socionext has a long-standing track record of delivering advanced custom SoCs across various industries. In the automotive sector, the company continues to focus on developing high-performance, energy-efficient solutions, such as neural network accelerators and SDKs, in close collaboration with customers.

“Collaborating with aiMotive and utilizing aiWare will allow us to expand the scope of our Custom SoC proposals,” said Takehiro Kamada, EVP and Head of Sales and Business Group. “This partnership addresses the growing demand in the automotive sector for Custom SoC development, where customers seek not only high-efficiency AI solutions but also comprehensive support including SDKs and toolchains.”

This agreement marks a significant step forward in both companies’ missions to drive innovation in automotive AI, paving a way for enhanced safety and intelligence on the road.

About Socionext Inc.
Socionext Inc., a leading global System-on-Chip (SoC) supplier, is a pioneer of the ‘Solution SoC’ business model. This innovative approach encompasses Socionext’s ‘Entire Design’ capabilities and offering of ‘Complete Service’. As a trusted silicon partner, Socionext fuels global innovation, providing superior features, performance, and quality that set its customers’ products and services apart in diverse domains ranging from automotive and data centers to networking, smart devices, and industrial equipment.

Socionext Inc., based in Yokohama, operates offices across Japan, Asia, the United States, and Europe for development and sales. For more information, visit https://www.socionext.com/en/

About aiMotive
aiMotive is a global leader in automated driving technologies, offering a modular portfolio of software, simulation, and hardware IP solutions. Its aiWare hardware IP is designed to deliver scalable, power-efficient AI acceleration for automotive-grade SoCs.

Contact:

Bence Boda
Marketing & Communications Director
bence.boda@aimotive.com

All company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.

Key Takeaways

• Participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may help protect against age-related cognitive decline, suggests an analysis of a national study.
• Compared to non-participants, SNAP participants had a slower decline in cognitive function during the 10-year study period, effectively maintaining an average of two to three additional years of cognitive health.
• Food insecurity can negatively impact cognitive function, and participating in SNAP may improve participants’ diets and nutrition intake.

TORONTO, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — People who participated in the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) had slower cognitive decline over 10 years than those who didn’t participate, according to new research being reported today at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference^® 2025 (AAIC^®), in Toronto and online.

The findings highlight the potential of food assistance programs to support cognitive health in the aging population and point to the need for additional efforts to reduce disparities in cognitive aging across different racial and ethnic groups, the researchers said. They also underscore the need for public health policies that ensure equitable access to programs like SNAP, which helps low-income individuals and families buy food, particularly for populations that may face additional barriers to enrollment.

Using the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS), researchers compared participants in SNAP to those who were eligible for the program but didn’t participate. They determined that SNAP participants had a 0.10% slower decline in overall cognitive function, or two to three additional years of cognitive health over the 10-year period.

“Research has shown that food insecurity can negatively impact cognitive function, and this is one of the first long-term studies to show that food assistance programs can positively impact cognition,” said Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association chief science officer and medical affairs lead. “Simple, everyday actions can make a difference in brain health and may even lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to helping all people build these habits into their daily lives, including eating right, one of our 10 Healthy Habits for Your Brain.”

Researchers analyzed a racially and ethnically representative group of people age 50 and older comparing 1,131 (average age ~63 years) who were enrolled in SNAP in 2010 to 1,216 who were eligible for SNAP but did not participate (average age ~66 years). Memory and executive function — the ability to plan and carry out tasks — were assessed every two years between 2010 and 2020 via telephone or web-based interviews. People with an initial cognition summary score indicating cognitive impairment or dementia (11 or less out of 27 points) were excluded from the analysis.

While a 0.10-point difference in annual cognitive decline may seem small, the researchers note that its long-term impact is significant. “For someone starting at a healthy cognitive score, this slower decline could delay reaching the threshold for mild cognitive impairment by nearly a decade,” said Linlin Da, MPH, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. candidate in health services research at the University of Georgia, Athens.

“This suggests SNAP participation, or another similar nutrition support program, could significantly delay the onset of cognitive impairment or dementia, allowing people to preserve their ability to manage medications, finances and daily tasks longer,” said Da. “This ultimately supports greater independence and higher quality of life in older adulthood.”

“At the same time, we discovered that this protective effect is not the same for everyone: non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic older adults did not benefit as much in cognitive functions compared to non-Hispanic white participants,” Da added.

Comparing the cognitive findings for White, Black and Hispanic SNAP participants in the study to their peers who didn’t participate in SNAP, the researchers found all three groups benefitted, but observed much stronger benefits and slower decline for the White SNAP participants.

“We hope health care providers will see that potentially delaying cognitive impairment is another reason to help their patients-in-need secure access to food assistance,” said Suhang Song, Ph.D., corresponding author of the study and assistant professor in the department of health policy and management at the University of Georgia College of Public Health.   

About the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference^® (AAIC^®)
The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world’s largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.
AAIC 2025 home page: www.alz.org/aaic/
AAIC 2025 newsroom: www.alz.org/aaic/pressroom.asp
AAIC 2025 hashtag: #AAIC25

About the Alzheimer’s Association^®
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia^®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

• Linlin Da, MPH, et al. The association between Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation and cognitive decline by racial/ethnic groups: a 10-year longitudinal study. (Funding: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health UL1TR002378)

BANGKOK, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Thailand’s National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee (EV Board), today approved adjustments to the so-called EV3 and EV3.5 incentive packages to encourage the manufacturers of battery electric vehicles (BEV) to use the country as an export base.

The two incentive schemes require manufacturers to produce locally to compensate for the vehicles they imported since the start of the EV subsidies program in 2022 before they started local production. Under the new adjustments, 1 vehicle produced for export will be accounted as 1.5 vehicle, making it easier for carmakers to meet their production commitments. This approach, proposed by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), is expected to increase the number of electric vehicle exports to approximately 12,500 units in 2025 and approximately 52,000 units in 2026.

The board also approved a proposal to extend by one month the registration period for vehicles produced for the domestic market and strengthen subsidy payments to enhance the effectiveness of the measures.

The board, chaired by Mr. Pichai Chunhavajira, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, also acknowledged a report showing the progress seen in the sector and demonstrating the policy’s success, including the total amount of investment in the local EV supply chain which has reached 137.7 billion baht (ca. USD 4.2 billion) as of end-June 2025. On the consumer side, a total of 175,064 BEV cars and 34,559 electric motorcycles have so far been granted subsidies totaling over 12 billion baht under the EV 3.0 and EV 3.5 schemes.

“The EV Board acknowledged the continued expansion of the EV sector in Thailand and took steps to allow further growth and encourage manufacturers to export more,” Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), who is also the secretary of the EV Board, told reporters at a press conference held after the EV Board meeting at the Ministry of Finance in Bangkok. “The revisions approved today will allow greater flexibility and help Thailand, which is already the leader in the region’s automotive manufacturing industry, to become a key EV production base.”

In the first half of 2025, a total of 57,289 new BEV passenger cars were registered in Thailand, a 52.4% increase compared to the same period of last year, accounting for 15% of all new passenger car registrations.  For the whole of 2024, a total of 70,582 BEV passenger cars were registered. A total of 203,000 BEV passenger cars is on the road in the country, along with 71,900 electric motorcycles, 3,800 electric buses and trucks, and 1,000 three-wheeled electric tuk tuks.

Regarding the charging network, a key infrastructure for the EV sector, a total of 3,720 charging stations were in operation around the country as of March 2025. Out of the 11,622 installed chargers, 6,524 were DC fast chargers, some 48% more than the 4,400 that had been expected for this year in the initial EV sector development plan. The plan expects the number of DC fast chargers to total 12,000 by 2030. Under the “30@30” policy, Thailand aims for at least 30% of vehicles produced in Thailand to be electric vehicles by 2030.

Currently, 27 companies are participating in the EV3 scheme, including 16 electric passenger car and pickup truck manufacturers, and 11 electric motorcycle manufacturers. Ten companies are participating in the EV3.5 measure, all of which are passenger car manufacturers already participating in EV3.

Rising Investments in the EV Supply Chain

Cumulative approved investments in the manufacturing of electric vehicles, key components, charging systems, and battery swapping services total 137.7 billion baht, comprising:

• BEV production: 21 projects representing total investment of 41.08 billion baht and a combined production capacity of 386,000 units per year
• Battery electric motorcycle production: 16 projects representing total investment of 990 million baht and a combined production capacity of 810,000 units per year
• Battery electric bus and truck production: 3 projects representing total investment of 2.21 billion baht and a combined production capacity of 4,800 units per year
• Battery production: 53 projects, including both battery module production and the manufacturing of battery cells, representing total investment of 80.1 billion baht
• Production of other key parts, such as traction motors, BMS, DCU, on-board chargers: 42 projects representing total investment of 6.52 billion baht
• EV charging stations: 29 projects representing total investment of 5.56 billion baht, to install a total of 20,080 charging stations, including 7,360 DC chargers.
• Battery swapping station: 5 projects representing total investment of 1.28 billion baht, to set up 555 stations for motorcycle batteries, 7 stations for large commercial vehicles, and 6 stations for passenger cars.

Details of the Adjustments and Extension Measures

As proposed by the Excise Department to facilitate the registration of the high number of BEV cars usually sold around year-end in the domestic market, the registration period for cars under the EV3 and EV3.5 measures has been extended by one month. The EV3 measure requirement that specified the cars had to be “registered by December 31, 2025” has been changed to “sold by December 31, 2025, and registered by January 31, 2026.” For the EV3.5 measure, the timeframe has been extended from “registered by December 31, 2027,” to “sold by December 31, 2027, and registered by January 31, 2028.”

The EV Board also approved revised criteria to be used in overseeing the Excise Department’s subsidy disbursement under the EV3 and EV3.5 measures to ensure prudent, efficient, and flexible implementation as follows:

1) EV3 participating companies that do not extend the compensatory production period must prepare a compensatory production forecast and report the results monthly. The Excise Department will withhold subsidy payments until they have accumulated at least 50% of the total compensatory production and meet the projected production plan. As for EV3 participants who wish to extend the compensatory production period, or EV3.5 participants, they must prepare a compensatory production forecast. For EV3 participants who wish to extend the compensatory production period, they must provide a bank guarantee of 20 million baht for companies with registered capital of 5 billion baht or more and 40 million baht for companies with registered capital below 5 billion baht. The Excise Department will withhold subsidy disbursement if the eligible recipient’s accumulated compensatory production falls below the specified proportion.

2) EV3 participants wishing to extend the compensatory production period are allowed to procure additional production plants to enable the compensatory production to be completed within the specified timeframe.

3) Participants in the EV3 and EV3.5 measures can revise their application for incentives and the number of cars imported for compensatory production. For vehicles that have been imported and registered but have not yet received subsidies, companies can choose to repay the excise tax difference, along with penalties and surcharges, so that these vehicles will not require compensatory production.

For more information, please contact:
Thailand Board of Investment
Tel. +66 (0) 2553 8111
Website: www.boi.go.th
YouTube: Think Asia, Invest Thailand

SINGAPORE, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MetaOptics Ltd (the “Company“, together with its subsidiary, the “Group“) is a cutting-edge semiconductor optics company pioneering glass-based metalenses with AI-enhanced imaging. The Group is a vertically integrated frontrunner in metalens technology headquartered in Singapore, and has lodged its preliminary offer document for its upcoming initial public offering (the “IPO“) on the Catalist Board (“Catalist“) of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (“SGX-ST“). With full-stack capabilities spanning metalens design, nanoscale fabrication, and product integration, the Group is among the earliest globally to bring cutting-edge metalens technology to customers.

Established in 2021, the Group is the first pure-play metalens company to seek a public listing globally, underscoring its readiness to redefine the next-generation optical supply chain for the leading technology companies across a wide range of industries. Positioned at the intersection of emerging trends in photonics and nanofabrication, the Group designs and manufactures metalenses and related products, including metalens camera modules, metalens manufacturing equipment, and Internet of Things (“IoT“) devices such as infrared cameras, pico projectors and colour cameras. These metalenses are designed for integration into smartphones, laptops, contactless three-dimensional (“3D“) biometrics modules, projectors, augmented reality / virtual reality (“AR/VR“) devices, and industrial systems such as IoT devices, Light detection and ranging (“LiDAR“) systems, and heads-up display for aircraft and autonomous vehicles.

Metalenses enable next generation of high-speed optical interconnects. They are a key enabler of co-packaged optics, improving coupling efficiency, reducing system footprint, and enhancing thermal performance, which are all critical for scaling telecommunications infrastructure. By leveraging on its cutting-edge metalens technology, the Company is capable of mass producing colour metalens through semiconductor processes and by integrating several million circular pillars in the Group’s metalens, making the Group’s technology difficult to replicate.

The Group maintains a distinct competitive edge in the rapidly expanding optical metalens industry, driven by a combination of technological depth, vertically integrated capabilities, and scalable production ability:

(i) Full-stack capabilities from design to delivery: The Company is among the most vertically integrated players in the industry that offers end-to-end solutions—from optical design and fabrication to module integration, IoT product manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence (“AI“) based algorithm image optimisation, and commercial distribution.

(ii) Proprietary AI-enhanced optical technologies: The Company has developed proprietary AI algorithms that significantly enhance the performance of metalens-based imaging systems. These capabilities include sharpening image resolution, reconstructing high-fidelity colour images from monochromatic inputs, etc.

(iii) Strong research and development (“R&D”) capabilities in optical metalens technology: The Company possesses strong R&D strength in optical metalens innovation, underpinned by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in nano-photonics, computational optics, and advanced materials.

(iv) Scalable and flexible fabrication platforms: The Company leverages on both its 12-inch Deep Ultra-Violet (“DUV“) immersion lithography and its 4-inch Direct Laser Writing (“DLW“) technologies in its fabrication process. DUV immersion enables patterning of nanostructures suitable for mass production of high-precision colour metalens, while DLW offers a versatile and maskless process for rapid design iterations and lower-volume runs.

(v) Robust intellectual property portfolio: The Company pioneered the development of capabilities to direct-write metasurface on a 12-inch glass wafer, enabling large-scale production of optical metalenses through semiconductor processes. The Company also holds intellectual property in direct etching on glass substrates, presenting a breakthrough compared to traditional fabrication with silicon-based substrates.

The Group intends to use the gross proceeds from the issue of Placement Shares primarily as follows: (i) product development, research & development, and strategic partnerships (including expanding the Group’s R&D team and deployment of funding into the development of rectangular metalenses); (ii) business expansion through organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and/or strategic partnerships and (iii) working capital and general corporate purposes.

Mr. Mark Thng, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MetaOptics Ltd commented, “the global metalens market is poised for exponential growth from 2024 to 2029, boasting a projected CAGR of approximately 74.8%. Building on this momentum, our Group will leverage its core strengths to expand both our product portfolio and fabrication capabilities. Central to our plan is the miniaturisation of devices and the integration of metalenses across a broad spectrum of smart device applications, including optical sensors, camera, AI/smart glasses, autonomous vehicles, and augmented reality/mixed–reality displays, enabling slimmer, more intelligent, and energy-efficient solutions.”

“To meet the evolving demands of our strategic clients and support further growth, we are expanding into key overseas markets, deploying our metalens offerings to penetrate the global smart device industry. At the same time, we will strengthen and diversify our supplier base, reinforcing existing partnerships and onboarding new suppliers who share our commitment to excellence. We are confident that these strategic actions will reinforce our position at the forefront of innovation and ensure long-term success.”

About MetaOptics Ltd

Established in 2021 and headquartered in Singapore, the Group designs and manufactures meta optics components and products including metalens, metalens camera modules, metalens manufacturing equipment, and metalens IoT products, such as infrared metalens cameras, pico projectors and IoT metalens colour cameras. The metalenses are integrated into a wide range of applications by its customers, especially for smartphones, contactless 3D biometrics modules, projectors, and industrial uses such as IoT, LiDAR and HUDs for planes and self-driving cars, and AR/VR devices. According to the CIC Report, the Company ranks 3^rd globally among metalens companies with mass production possibilities and shipments in terms of revenue by the end of 2024, and 5^th globally in 2024 in terms of revenue among all metalens companies.

This press release is issued by DLK Advisory Limited on behalf of MetaOptics Ltd.

For any enquiries, please contact:

DLK Advisory 金通策略
Telephone: +852 2857 7101
Fax: +852 2857 7103
pr@dlkadvisory.com / ir@metaoptics.sg  

Inclusion in the Magic Quadrant report is based on Mitto’s Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision.

ZURICH, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Mitto, a leading provider of global omnichannel communications solutions, today announced its inclusion in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) report.

Mitto Positioned in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for CPaaS

Gartner defines CPaaS as “a cloud-based platform used by developers, the IT team and other nontechnical business roles to build an array of communications-related capabilities using APIs, SDKs, documentation and no-code/low-code visual builders. The CPaaS tools facilitate access to multiple communications channels spanning voice, SMS, email, messaging apps, video and conversational capabilities, along with security.”

In our view, Mitto’s recognition in this year’s Magic Quadrant reflects the company’s continued investment in secure, high-performance communications — tailored for enterprise scalability, regional compliance, and deep customer engagement.

Mitto serves a wide range of global enterprises across industries including finance, retail, insurance, logistics, and technology, offering access to over 800+ direct carrier connections and global access to every region of the world, intelligent AI-powered routing, AIT fraud detection, and rich messaging capabilities across SMS, Voice, WhatsApp, Viber, RCS, Telegram, and more.

Mitto’s platform also provides prebuilt tools such as Campaigns and Conversations, mobile intelligence APIs, and seamless integrations with CRMs, ERPs, and eCommerce platforms. Its partner portal continues to expand with co-branded enablement kits, self-serve onboarding, and vertical-specific assets.

“We are honored to be recognized once again in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for CPaaS,” said Andrea Giacomini, CEO of Mitto. “This recognition, in our opinion, reflects our focused approach to enterprise communications — where performance, compliance, and flexibility matter most. We remain committed to helping global brands deliver reliable, real-time customer experiences at scale.”

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Communications Platform as a Service, By Lisa Unden-Farboud, Daniel O’Connell, Brian Doherty, Ajit Patankar, July 15, 2025

GARTNER and MAGIC QUADRANT are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Mitto
Mitto is a leading provider of global, omnichannel communications solutions, supporting business growth with advanced customer engagement technology and messaging enablement. Offering easy-to-integrate SMS, Voice, and Chat App APIs, next-generation business messaging, and end-to-end phone number intelligence, Mitto’s platform ensures the world’s largest brands and MNOs are ready for what’s next.

www.mitto.ch
Twitter/X: @mittoglobal
LinkedIn: Mitto

Contact:

Darinka Kukrika
Marketing Manager at Mitto
darinka@mitto.ch