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MyRepublic Announces ‘Card Con 2’ – Singapore’s Premier Trading Card Convention Returns Bigger in 2026


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 March 2026 – Following the success of its inaugural event, MyRepublic today announced the return of Card Con 2, Singapore’s premier trading card convention dedicated to celebrating the rapidly growing world of Trading Card Games (TCGs), collectibles, and geek culture.

Card Con 2 by MyRepublic returns in March 2026
Card Con 2 by MyRepublic returns in March 2026

Taking place from 28 – 29 March 2026, at Suntec City Convention Centre, Hall 405 from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, Card Con 2 will bring together collectors, players, retailers, and enthusiasts from across the region for two days of tournaments, on-stage events, TCG activities, and collectible discovery.

After welcoming more than 50 exhibitors and thousands of attendees during its inaugural event, Card Con 2 returns on a significantly larger scale this year with over 120 exhibitors. The exhibition hall will be organised into dedicated vendor zones based on TCG speciality, featuring popular titles such as Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, sports, and more.

“As we saw from the overwhelming response to the first Card Con, the trading card community in Singapore is vibrant, passionate, and rapidly growing.
Card Con 2 is bigger than ever, with many more exhibitors this year, and with several new, unique activities at the event, we believe we’re creating an even richer space for collectors, players, retailers, and creators to come together for discovery and celebration.”
— Lawrence Chan, Managing Director, MyRepublic

A Celebration of the TCG community

Attendees at Card Con 2, Singapore’s premier TCG convention, can expect a vibrant mix of activities that celebrate every aspect of the Trading Card Game (TCG) community, from competitive gameplay to collectible discovery and fan experiences.

With dedicated vendor zones organised by game title, including Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Sports, and more, it’s easier for fans to explore their favourite TCG titles.

Card Con 2 will host dedicated tournaments and play areas where both competitive and casual players can participate in matches across popular TCG titles, creating a constant buzz of activity throughout the convention. Players of all skill levels will have the opportunity to participate, test their decks, challenge opponents, and showcase their skills.

At the heart of Card Con 2 is Jank Mountain, a free feature where attendees can browse a 20k+ pool of Pokémon, MTG, One Piece, and other cards to uncover useful additions for their collections. It offers opportunities to find unexpected value as well as specific cards needed to complete decks, adding another discovery-driven element to the event experience.

Attendees can also take part in a treasure hunt, dubbed ‘Scruffy’s Asteroid Hunt’, an interactive online and offline experience where they scan QR codes placed around the venue for a chance to spin for great prizes. Each QR code can only be scanned once, encouraging exploration across different areas of Card Con 2.

Strengthening Singapore’s TCG community

Card Con is part of MyRepublic’s broader commitment to supporting geek culture and building meaningful connections within enthusiast communities. By creating a dedicated platform for trading card fans, MyRepublic contributes to the continued growth of Singapore’s collectibles and Trading Card Game (TCG) ecosystem, welcoming both seasoned collectors and newcomers alike.

Event details & registration

Card Con 2 will take place from 28 – 29 March 2026 at Suntec City Convention Centre, Hall 405, from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm daily. Admission is free (ticketed event), with registration now open at https://cardcon.asia/.

Due to limited venue capacity, attendees are encouraged to register early to secure their spot. For more information, including event updates and announcements, please visit https://cardcon.asia/.

Hashtag: #CardCon2026 #CardCon2 #MyRepublic #GeeksUseUs #TradingCardGames #CollectiblesCulture #TCGCommunity #GeekCulture #CardCollectors #TCGTournaments





The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

MyRepublic Broadband Pte Ltd

MyRepublic is a next-generation digital lifestyle brand delivering high-speed broadband, mobile, and digital services across Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region. As a brand deeply rooted in gaming and digital culture, MyRepublic champions communities and experiences that matter to its customers.

Visa Working Capital Index: Asia Pacific CFOs Call for Flexible, Digital Finance Solutions

High-performing Asia Pacific CFOs are turning working capital into a growth lever, with digital payment tools reducing late-payment losses by around 10%

SINGAPORE, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Findings from the recently released 2025–2026 Visa Growth Corporates Working Capital Index (WCI) reveal a significant gap between Asia Pacific companies’ working capital needs and the financial tools available to them.

Amid rising inflation, interest rates, and liquidity pressures, Asia Pacific Growth Corporates (mid-sized firms with annual revenues between $50 million and $1 billion) increasingly view efficient cash flow management as essential, with working capital becoming a more strategic tool for driving growth and resilience. Yet, nearly half of the region’s Growth Corporates are not utilising any working capital solutions, even as companies need more flexible access to cash.

Visa has identified three key themes from the WCI report that are relevant to businesses in Asia Pacific:

Misalignment Between Financial Products and Operational Needs

Mid-sized businesses across Asia Pacific face shifting working capital realities, including longer cash cycles, more structural payment delays and growing pressure to free up cross-border liquidity faster. However, most financial solutions have not kept up, with many remaining too rigid or generic for Asia Pacific’s diverse industries and fast-moving markets.

This growing disconnect between traditional financial product design and the real-world needs of businesses is driving CFOs to call for faster, more flexible and fully digital tools that align with real cash cycles and deliver capital at the speed of business.

Key insights include:

  • 47% of Growth Corporates do not utilise working capital tools, often because existing solutions do not align with their operational models.
  • 41% of firms want simplified digital tools for credit and account management, while 38% seek on-demand financing aligned with cash flow cycles, signalling demand for more flexible financial solutions.

Financial institutions that create offerings around real business cycles, while rethinking underwriting, approval speed and flexibility, will be better positioned to support the evolving needs of Growth Corporates.

Working Capital as a Strategic Growth Lever

While many firms lack suitable tools, leading finance teams in Asia Pacific are treating working capital as a strategic lever rather than a last resort, using early supplier payments, virtual cards and flexible funding to strengthen liquidity and respond more quickly to market opportunities. As a result, cards are evolving from transactional tools into working capital levers.

Key insights include:

  • Late customer payments can cost companies an average of $15.7 million annually, but those using card payments to speed up collections have reduced late-payment losses by around 10%.
  • Firms using working capital solutions can realise an average of $17.7 million in annual bottom-line benefits, equivalent to a 4.3% revenue boost.
  • 9% of firms used working capital solutions to fund unplanned growth, up from 5.6% in 2024-25.

By improving cash flow visibility and accelerating receivables, these finance leaders can unlock additional capital within their operating cycles, turning liquidity management into a competitive advantage with direct improvements to the bottom line.

Shifting Demands on Banks

Across regions, CFOs rank fast, on-demand access to capital and simplified digital credit management among their top priorities, but these needs are especially pronounced in Asia Pacific, where companies operate in fast-moving and often volatile markets.

Key insights include:

  • 61% of Asia Pacific Growth Corporates now use AI or machine learning for working capital optimisation, including forecasting, risk scoring and automated approvals, as demand grows for embedded analytics and simpler digital credit management within banking platforms.
  • CFOs expect fast, on-demand access to liquidity through digital rails, including tools such as virtual cards, automated approvals and digital platforms that enable businesses to respond quickly to time-sensitive opportunities.
  • Finance leaders prioritise industry-specific expertise from banking partners, seeking relationship managers who understand sector-specific business cycles, supplier relationships and capital expenditure needs.

These trends signal a shift in how CFOs expect to access and manage liquidity. As demand grows for faster, more flexible financing and digitally enabled finance management, banks and financial institutions will need to move beyond generic products by integrating AI-driven insights, streamlining approval processes and pairing digital capabilities with deeper industry expertise to better support the evolving expectations of Asia Pacific CFOs.

“CFOs across Asia Pacific want flexible, sector-specific tools that match their operational realities,” said Chavi Jafa, Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa. “Our data shows that agile, digital-first strategies and smarter forecasting are helping companies stay resilient and reinvest freed-up capital into growth. The Working Capital Index continues to spotlight how Growth Corporates are turning volatility into opportunity. At Visa, we are partnering across the ecosystem to deliver tailored, digital-first commercial solutions, like virtual cards integrated in ERP and digital enabler platforms, that help unlock working capital, accelerate approvals, and turn liquidity into a strategic growth lever.”

For more information on the Growth Corporates Working Capital Index, visit: https://workingcapitalindex.visa.com

About the Index

Visa’s Working Capital Index tracks financial behaviour among mid-sized firms, defined as companies with annual revenues between $50 million and $1 billion. The 2025-2026 edition is based on survey responses from over 1,300 CFOs and Treasurers across 23 countries and territories and 8 industry segments, with 298 respondents surveyed across Asia Pacific. The Index provides fresh insights into strategy trends, efficiency gains and the evolving behavioural profiles shaping corporate finance, including the emergence of strategic and adaptable working capital users.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com. 

Orbbec and LionsBot Strengthen Partnership to Advance Robotics Deployment

SINGAPORE, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LionsBot International, a Singapore-founded robotics company specializing in autonomous cleaning solutions, today announced the strengthening of its strategic partnership with Orbbec, a leading provider of robotics and AI vision, to further enhance perception capabilities across LionsBot’s autonomous robots.

Strategic partnership signing ceremony between Orbbec and LionsBot in Shenzhen, China, on March 20, 2026
Strategic partnership signing ceremony between Orbbec and LionsBot in Shenzhen, China, on March 20, 2026

Under the partnership, Orbbec will serve as a preferred vision technology partner, providing 3D cameras, RGB cameras and LiDAR solutions to strengthen navigation, obstacle detection and robot reliability. The companies will also collaborate across engineering, supply chain coordination and joint market initiatives.

The collaboration also strengthens LionsBot’s R5 autonomous cleaning robot, designed to deliver professional cleaning power in a nimble robot that excels in tight corners, complex layouts and high-traffic environments where mobility and manoeuvrability are critical.

“Reliable robots need world-class perception. We’ve built a trusted partnership with Orbbec over the years, and we’re proud to make them the main 3D depth camera partner across our next generation lineup — strengthening R5 and delivering the kind of consistency customers can count on,” said Dylan Ng, CEO and Co-Founder of LionsBot International.

“This partnership goes beyond technology integration. LionsBot’s engineering discipline and global commercial reach are exceptional, and by combining their platform with Orbbec’s full-stack perception portfolio — from stereo vision to our new Pulsar ME450 LiDAR — we aim to raise the standard for what autonomous cleaning robots can perceive and navigate in real-world environments.” said Howard Huang, CEO of Orbbec.

Founded in Singapore, LionsBot designs and engineers its robots locally, with software developed by its Singapore R&D team. The company focuses on practical innovation, strong data security and responsible AI deployment, supporting enterprise customers that require reliable and trusted automation.

The partnership reflects both companies’ commitment to advancing robotics adoption through closer technology collaboration.

About LionsBot International

Established in 2018, LionsBot is one of the leading providers of AI-powered smart cleaning solutions to the commercial cleaning sector. Headquartered in Singapore, LionsBot has revolutionized the industry with a series of autonomous floor cleaning robots.

The company has won prestigious awards including the Interclean Innovation Award 2020, iF Design Award 2023, Red Dot Award 2024, Forbes Asia’s 100 to Watch 2023, the Financial Times’ High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2024, and Singapore’s Fastest Growing Companies 2026.

With over 5,000 robots deployed across 30 countries, LionsBot continues its global expansion with subsidiaries in the United States (Dallas), the Netherlands (Amsterdam), and India (Chennai).

About Orbbec

Founded in 2013, Orbbec is a leading provider of robotics and AI Vision. The company delivers full-stack 3D vision solutions spanning structured light, stereo vision, ToF, and LiDAR technologies, serving over 3,000 customers across nearly 100 countries and regions. Orbbec is a publicly listed company. The company continues to sharpen its focus on robotic “eye” core technology in the AI era, advancing “hand-eye-brain” integration and multi-sensor fusion perception to empower the robotics industry toward more intelligent, versatile horizons.

CONTACT:
Jaime Li
jaime.li@lionsbot.com
6595 4565

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony Room “Sho-fu-an” within Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo to Resume Operations from Monday, April 6, 2026

– Certified Japanese Tea Ceremony Master to Provide Tea Ceremony and “Tencha” Tea Preparation Experiences with English Commentary for Small Groups of Guests –

TOKYO, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Keio Plaza Hotel Co., Ltd. will resume operation of its Japanese tea ceremony room “Sho-fu-an” on the 10th floor of its Main Tower from Monday, April 6, 2026. The tea ceremony room had been closed since May 2024 for floor renovation work.

Experience image: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000115/202603175812/_prw_PI1fl_2hyIxBnh.jpg 

Special website: https://www.keioplaza.co.jp/en/guide/shofuan/ 

“Sho-fu-an” is a traditional Japanese tea ceremony room established when the Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo first opened in 1971. To commemorate the room’s reopening, the Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo will offer two types of Japanese cultural experiences for small groups of guests, including the “Tea Ceremony Experience” and “Tencha Tea Preparation Experience,” both featuring English commentary and performed by a tea ceremony master. During the “Tea Ceremony Experience,” guests will enjoy matcha tea and Japanese sweets while a tea ceremony master offers an introduction to the tearoom. In the “Tencha Tea Preparation Experience,” guests will personally prepare matcha themselves.

Located in Tokyo’s new central business district in Shinjuku, the Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo offers exceptional convenience as a base for both tourism and business. Given that 80% to 90% of the hotel’s guests are inbound travelers, the hotel has developed various Japanese cultural experiences and workshops to enrich their stays. The reopening of “Sho-fu-an” will further enhance the value of guests’ stay at the hotel.

Experience overview
– Venue: 10th Floor, Main Tower / Japanese Tea Ceremony Room “Sho-fu-an”
– Operating period: Monday, April 6 to Sunday, August 30, 2026
– Days of operation:
Mondays and Sundays in April, May and June
Wednesdays and Sundays in July and August

About More Experience Details: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202603175812-O1-6b25FPSu.pdf 

About Keio Plaza Hotel: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202603175812-O3-LFKz0otj.pdf 

Yadea Showcases World-Class Innovation at Chongqing Smart Manufacturing Base, Strengthening Engagement with Thai Dealers

BANGKOK, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Yadea, the world’s No.1 electric two-wheeler brand for nine consecutive years, continues to accelerate its expansion in Southeast Asia. Recently, the company hosted a delegation of Thai investors and business partners at its Chongqing Smart Manufacturing Base—one of the most advanced production and integrated R&D facilities globally.

Group photo of dealer partners at Yadea's Chongqing base.
Group photo of dealer partners at Yadea’s Chongqing base.

The visit offered a comprehensive view of Yadea’s end-to-end manufacturing capabilities, from precision assembly and stringent quality control to real-world performance testing. Delegates also participated in test rides, gaining firsthand experience of product performance and reinforcing confidence in Yadea’s global standards.

With an annual production capacity of up to 3 million units, the facility demonstrated testing protocols exceeding international benchmarks, including a 16-degree slope climbing test tailored to Thailand’s diverse terrain. Visitors also experienced Yadea’s proprietary TTFAR technology—an advanced motor and battery system designed to deliver enhanced power, speed, and range.

Yadea currently offers five electric motorcycle models fully eligible for registration in Thailand. These models are engineered with waterproofing and durability features suited to the country’s hot and rainy climate, ensuring reliable performance in real-world conditions.

During the visit, Yadea highlighted three key strengths underpinning its business potential. First, its global leadership, with operations in over 100 countries and 10 manufacturing bases worldwide, including a facility in Thailand’s Samut Prakan Free Trade Zone. This is supported by its “1+4+N” strategy, integrating global R&D with product, channel, brand, and service excellence.

Second, continuous investment in innovation remains central to Yadea’s growth. In 2025, the company allocated approximately THB 4.5 billion to R&D, advancing battery systems, powertrains, and smart features to enhance user experience and competitiveness.

Third, Yadea’s commitment to talent development was demonstrated through visits to Chongqing Modern Manufacturing Vocational College and its Lean Training Center, both focused on building technical expertise and elevating service standards.

“By experiencing our full industrial ecosystem, partners can see that Yadea’s vision extends beyond product sales—we are building a sustainable mobility ecosystem through innovation and talent development,” said Mr. Yang Xiaofei, General Manager of Yadea Thailand.

Yadea plans to expand its dealer network nationwide, supported by comprehensive solutions across products, technology, and marketing to drive sustainable growth.

 

Kulicke & Soffa Expands Memory Solutions Portfolio

Introducing New Solutions to Address Emerging Assembly Challenges

SINGAPORE, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (“K&S”, “Company”) today announced an expanded portfolio of memory–focused interconnect solutions, reinforcing its leadership across Ball, Vertical Wire, Advanced Thermo–Compression and Hybrid Bonding technologies.

As memory assembly evolves to support higher bandwidth, greater power efficiency, and tighter integration for AI-driven workloads, manufacturers are increasingly constrained by transistor scaling and traditional interconnect density limitations. K&S is relentlessly focused on addressing this growing set of challenges, while also providing new innovative solutions to address the challenges of tomorrow. The company is pleased to highlight its extensive and growing portfolio of leading memory solutions.

Introducing the ProMEM Suite of Dedicated Memory Solutions
K&S continues to advance Ball Bonding technology to meet the performance, precision, and productivity requirements of modern high-volume memory devices, where throughput, consistency, placement accuracy, and yield stability are critical. Building on its longstanding leadership in high volume stacked NAND assembly, the Company today introduces the ProMEM suite of memory focused process enhancements, which deliver higher productivity and improved process control across advanced memory packaging applications.

The latest capabilities offered by ProMEM span first bond, second bond, bumping, and looping processes, and when combined, enables up to a 20% higher throughput while improving bond quality, supporting higher density DRAM and NAND architectures.

Together, these enhancements allow memory manufacturers to extend performance of wire bonding to directly support increased interconnect density and bandwidth requirements of emerging memory architectures.

Vertical Wire: A Scalable Path to Higher Density Memory Architectures
K&S’s Vertical Wire innovations, deployed on the ATP MEM PLUS and Ball Bonder platforms, provide a practical and cost-effective approach to increasing interconnect density in stacked memory designs. By extending wire bonding into the vertical dimension, K&S is enabling both higher interconnect density and reduced package footprint, which supports stacked DRAM and other next generation memory formats in high-volume production environments.

Directly leveraging decades of proven leadership and wire bonding process knowledge, K&S is best prepared to support the industry’s emerging three-dimensional memory requirements. With broadening customer engagement, the Company’s vertical wire solutions offer a scalable pathway which leverages cost-effective bonding technologies to effectively support higher-density memory architectures, enabling manufacturers to significantly advance performance while maintaining proven process economics.

Advanced ThermoCompression and Hybrid Technology Leadership Support the Highest Performance Memory Applications
The proven capabilities of the Company’s highly precise and configurable APTURA™ platform have already enabled production of the most advanced heterogeneous logic applications and are now being offered to support the most advanced, high-performance memory applications.

K&S’s Fluxless Thermo-Compression (FTC) innovations include best–in–class positioning accuracy and support both atmospheric plasma and the production–proven, in–situ, formic acid vapor oxide–reduction capabilities, which can be used in combination or individually customizable depending on the application requirements. These unique fluxless capabilities, combined with an array of material handling configurations, have driven share gains in leading–edge logic and are now being offered for leading-edge memory applications. These innovations enable advanced memory assembly by supporting near zero die–gap heights, low–resistance direct copper–to–copper interconnects, and industry–leading throughput and yields.

The Company is investing in capital expenditures to expand TCB production and continues to anticipate its TCB business will grow approximately 70% sequentially in fiscal year 2026. K&S anticipates TCB demand will continue to aggressively grow in following years supporting advanced packaging trends in both logic and memory markets.

K&S has also accelerated its Hybrid Bonding development program since 2024 and has actively developed several innovative capabilities which are driving early customer interest and engagements. K&S welcomes collaboration opportunities with customers and technology partners to address this potential industry opportunity.

As emerging memory architectures such as high–bandwidth memory (HBM), high–bandwidth flash (HBF), and other forms of high-density DRAM become more prevalent, K&S FTC and Hybrid solutions are well positioned to provide a compelling value proposition.

A Unified Strategy for the Next Era of Memory Packaging
Together, K&S’s Ball Bonding, Vertical Wire, Advanced TCB and future Hybrid Bonding solutions form a cohesive memory interconnect roadmap, enabling customers to optimize current–generation memory production, introduce new stacking and interconnect approaches and prepare for future advanced memory architectures.

By aligning incremental innovation with advanced packaging leadership, K&S continues to expand its served market and reinforce its position as a long–term technology partner to the global memory industry.

Visit K&S at SEMICON China 2026
Together with a broad portfolio of K&S solutions, the Company will be available at the SEMICON China Trade Show in Shanghai, from March 25, 2026 through March 27, 2026 in booth #3431 of Hall N3. Please contact your regional K&S sales team for additional information.

For more information, visit www.kns.com.

About Kulicke & Soffa
Kulicke & Soffa is a global leader in semiconductor assembly technology, advancing device performance across automotive, compute, industrial, memory and communications markets. Founded on innovation in 1951, K&S is uniquely positioned to overcome increasingly dynamic process challenges – creating and delivering long-term value by aligning technology with opportunity.

Caution Concerning Results, Forward-Looking Statements and Certain Risks Related to our Business

In addition to historical statements, this press release contains statements relating to future events and our future results. These statements are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these forward-looking statements represent our judgments and future expectations concerning our business, including the importance and competitiveness of our products and other emerging technology transitions, a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors could cause actual developments and results to differ materially from our expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to, the persistent macroeconomic headwinds on our business, our ability to compete successfully in a highly competitive semiconductor equipment industry,, falling customer sentiment, or economic recession caused directly or indirectly by geopolitical tensions, our ability to develop, manufacture and gain market acceptance of new and enhanced products, our ability to operate our business in accordance with our business plan, and the other factors listed or discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 4, 2025, filed on November 20, 2025, and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:

Kulicke & Soffa
Marilyn Sim
Public Relations
P: +65-6880-9309
msim@kns.com

Kulicke & Soffa
Joseph Elgindy
Finance
P: +1-215-784-7500
investor@kns.com

 

Connecting the World, Driving Apex Growth: Apexmind Summit 2026 Successfully Held in HongKong


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 March 2026 – The Apexmind Summit 2026 was grandly held in Hong Kong today. The summit brought together leading global strategists, scholars, and business and policy leaders to engage in high-level dialog on how strategic opportunities are reshaping the competitive landscape. During the event, the Apexmind Consulting Hong Kong Office Inauguration was officially announced, and Founder & Chairman, Apexmind Consulting, Mr. Yao Rongjun was honored as an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants Hong Kong (IMCHK). These dual milestones mark that the Chinese strategic consulting force, represented by Apexmind, is actively achieving a “cultural handshake” with global business through Hong Kong. Under the vision of “Strategic Co-evolution”, it advances the global expansion in a meaningful and tangible way.

Official Launch of Apexmind Consulting Hong Kong Office
Official Launch of Apexmind Consulting Hong Kong Office

Redefining the Logic of Competition and Interpreting the Essence of Strategy in the New Era

Mr. Yao, Founder & Chairman of Apexmind Consulting, delivered a keynote, offering a profound analysis of how competitive dynamics are evolving in the new era. He emphasized: “Competition is not about meeting demand, but about winning the mind. The purpose of business is not to create customers, but to occupy a position in the mind. Business is not about improving efficiency, but about winning people’s hearts. Decisions should not be made from the inside out, but from the outside in. Strategy is not the sum of parts, but an integrated system.” In his view, as Chinese enterprises transition from product globalization to brand and model globalization, the global market urgently requires a strategic language that is both universally applicable and capable of engaging in dialog with the world.

Gaining Recognition from International Professional Forces, Co-building a New Global Consulting Ecosystem

Nicholas Warn, Chair of the International Council of Management Consulting Institute, delivered a keynote and expressed his vision for deep cooperation with Apexmind to collaboratively build a global business ecosystem and drive industry evolution. He stated, “What Chinese consultancies can bring to us, particularly consultancies like Apexmind, is an enrichment of what we have already.” This recognition from a global authoritative consulting organization, combined with Mr. Yao’s same-day honor as the IMCHK Honorary Fellow, signals a pivotal shift that Chinese strategy consulting is evolving from a recipient of global business wisdom into a co-creator of original strategic thought systems.

Identifying Seven Strategic Opportunities, Mapping the Growth Blueprint for Chinese Enterprises

Co-President, Apexmind Consulting, Mr. Chen Ji released “Seven Strategic Opportunities for Chinese Enterprises” on site, presenting a structured strategic methodology that provides companies with clear, actionable growth pathways and breakthrough directions. Each opportunity reflects insights refined through real-world strategic engagements with 62 enterprises. These frameworks enable companies to transform external uncertainty into sustainable growth certainty.

From Hong Kong to the World: Powering Shared Growth Across the Greater Bay Area

Distinguished speakers from academia, industry associations, and business communities contributed further insights. Professor Shi Weilei of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, from a global perspective, proposed that the transnational strategy of Chinese enterprises must anchor a balanced core between localization and global collaboration. Mr. Yang Yang, Professor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Director of HKUST Shanghai Center, illustrated the value driven by disruptive innovation scenarios in smart cities, noting that data and algorithms in the AI era are opening entirely new competitive tracks for global entrepreneurs.

Daniel Chan, President of the Institute of Management Consultants Hong Kong (IMCHK), stated that Hong Kong is upgrading from a “Super Connector” to a “Super Value-Chain Enhancer”. By building a strategic bridge for Chinese enterprises going global and international firms entering the market through two-way empowerment, Hong Kong demonstrates its unique value as a hub. Dr. Huang Weihong, Vice President of The Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, shared a Hong Kong perspective, interpreting the pathways for brands to achieve strategic breakthroughs in the new consumer wave by leveraging regional advantages and strategic wisdom.

The establishment of Apexmind Consulting Hong Kong Office and the successful conclusion of this summit are a small step in Apexmind’s global journey, but a significant leap for Chinese strategy consulting toward “Cultural Handshake, Strategic Co-evolution”. With a proven track record of enabling 62 enterprises to achieve billion-level growth at scale, Apexmind Consulting continues to drive the industry forward from setting local benchmarks to contributing to global standards. Moving ahead, Apexmind will remain committed to an open vision, bringing strategy frameworks rooted in China and validated through real-world practice to the international stage. In the evolving landscape of global business, Apexmind Consulting is poised to elevate the Chinese consulting industry to new global heights.
Hashtag: #ApexmindConsulting

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Umoney Partners with LOCA to Enable Mobile Payments for Taxis, EV Charging

Umoney partners with LOCA to enable seamless mobile payments for taxi rides and EV charging, all in one app. 23 March 2026

Two Lao tech companies signed an agreement that allows users to pay for taxi rides and electric vehicle charging through a single mobile app.

On 23 March, Star Fintech, operator of the Umoney mobile payment platform, and LOCA, which runs a ride-hailing and EV charging network, signed a cooperation agreement in Vientiane that will allow LOCA users to pay for taxi rides and charging sessions directly through the Umoney app, without handling cash or switching between platforms.

The partnership comes as rising global fuel prices continue to squeeze drivers and transport operators across the region. For many, the shift to electric vehicles is increasingly an economic decision rather than an environmental one, and LOCA has been steadily expanding its EV charging infrastructure to meet that demand. 

Suliyo Vongdala, Executive of LOCA Co., Ltd (left) and Ha Jiang Thang, Director of Star Fintech Sole Co., Ltd (right).

By integrating Umoney into its payment flow, the company hopes to reduce one of the remaining practical hurdles to EV adoption in Laos.

Umoney currently offers a broad suite of financial services, including money transfers, utility bill payments covering electricity, water and home internet, mobile top-ups, data packages, loans, insurance, and Lao Airlines ticket bookings, all without transaction fees.

To mark the launch, both companies plan to roll out promotional offers and discounts for customers who pay via Umoney on the LOCA platform, though specific terms have not yet been disclosed.