Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana will bring together elite teams from across the globe, all competing for the final spots at the world’s most innovative sporting event where physical sport meets competitive gaming.

DUBAI, UAE, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The race to the Games of the Future 2026 is entering its final stage, as Phygital International has announced the full line-up of teams and athletes set to compete at Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana, bringing together some of the best phygital talent from across Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.

Phygital Football athletes competing at GOTF 2025

Taking place from 10–15 June 2026, the tournament will feature leading teams across Phygital Football, Phygital Basketball and Phygital Dancing, all aiming to secure qualification to the Games of the Future 2026 (GOTF 2026), where they will compete for global glory and a share of over US$4 million prize pool.

With qualification on the line and only a limited number of slots available, Astana will host some of the most intense and competitive matchups seen across the phygital calendar to date. Teams arriving have already proven themselves across the Phygital Origins and Phygital Rivals regional circuits, but only a select few will progress to compete on the global stage at the Games of the Future 2026 this summer, raising the stakes across every match and performance.

Across all three disciplines, teams will compete in the Games of the Future’s signature phygital format, combining digital gameplay with live physical performance into a single competitive structure.

In Phygital Football, one of the most popular disciplines, a strong international field will take to the stage, with teams such as KMF Titograd from Montenegro returning with unfinished business after narrowly missing out on a place at GOTF 2025 last year, alongside teams including Lahore Athletics, coming all the way from Pakistan for the first time, and one of the most successful Liga Fut7 teams in Brazil, OEASTE SP, all set to compete for qualification in what promises to be a thrilling showdown.

In Phygital Basketball, Valencia Basket 3×3, winners of Phygital Rivals Spain, arrive as one of the new phygital teams to watch. Representing the city’s professional 3×3 team, they will face strong opponents including Boca, the official 3×3 team of Boca Juniors from Argentina, and Serbia’s 2025 3×3 champions, Vozdovac, as they look to secure their place at the Games.

Meanwhile, blending rhythm, precision and physical endurance, Phygital Dancing will bring together a truly international line-up of performers from across the globe, featuring established names such as Brazil-based GOTF 2025 runner-up Tiago Silva and Netherlands-based Dion Visser, alongside emerging talents including Armenia-based Lala Geborgyan and Jose Campos from Peru, all competing for the final places on the global stage later this summer.

“This second edition of Phygital Contenders reflects the strength of the pathway we have built,” said John Hewitt, International Marketing & Communications Director at Phygital International. “Seeing such a competitive and diverse line-up, with both returning teams and new challengers, is a strong indication that we are moving in the right direction. As teams compete for their place at the Games of the Future in Astana this summer, it is clear that the ecosystem is not only growing, but also becoming more competitive with each season.”

With Astana preparing to host the Games of the Future 2026, the qualifiers provide an early opportunity to showcase the city’s role at the centre of the global phygital calendar.

Alibek Khassenov, Head of the Directorate of the Games of the Future 2026 said: “Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana represents a key milestone on the road to this summer’s Games of the Future, and an opportunity to showcase Kazakhstan’s ambition to be at the forefront of innovation in sport. Together with our partners, we are proud to welcome the world’s top phygital athletes and support the continued growth of this dynamic format.”

In parallel to the announcement of the lineup for Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana, the first teams for the Games of the Future 2026 in Phygital Shooter have also been revealed. Among them are new challengers such as South Africa’s Hybrids and Spain-based Klan Pedrajas, who will join reigning champions xGoat as part of an eight-team line-up in Astana.

The Games of the Future 2026 (July 29 – August 9) will bring together multiple phygital and esports disciplines, including Phygital Football, Phygital Basketball, Phygital Dancing, Phygital Shooter and Phygital Fighting, alongside thrilling esports competitions including MOBA on both PC and mobile, as well as Battle Royale.

As the pinnacle event of the global phygital calendar, GOTF 2026 is expected to bring together more than 900 participants from over 50 countries, continuing to define the future of sport by integrating digital competition with physical performance under a single competitive framework.

The full list of participants at Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana, along with the rankings overview across all phygital disciplines, is available here.

To keep up to date with the latest news on Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana and the Games of the Future 2026, visit the official website.  Fans can catch all the action from Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana live (and relive the action from GOTF 2025) via the official OTT platform: tv.gofuture.games. 

Notes to Editors:    

Looking forward to covering our upcoming phygital sport events?

Media interested in covering Phygital Contenders 2026 Astana and/or the Games of the Future 2026 will soon be able to apply for accreditation please visit the Media Centre at GOTF2026 website for the latest updates.

About the Games of the Future (GOTF):   

The Games of the Future is an annual international event that fuses the worlds of physical and digital and is the pinnacle of phygital sport. The tournament brings together the next generation of phygital sporting heroes from all over the world to compete in a diverse range of phygital disciplines and challenges. The Games of the Future 2025 were held in Abu Dhabi while the Games of the Future 2026, will be held in Astana.

For more information please visit: https://gofuture.games/ 

About Phygital International (PI):  

Phygital International is the promoter of phygital sports globally and is focused on innovating and redefining sports. It is the custodian and rights holder of the Games of the Future and oversees the bidding process for each host city.  

For further information please visit https://Phygitalinternational.com or contact us at: press@phygitalinternational.com

Phygital Basketball athletes competing at GOTF 2025

As Legacy Tools Continue to Fail Mobility Teams, Horizon Arrives as the First AI-Native Platform Built Around How Programs Actually Work, Not the Other Way Around

DENVER, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Topia, the global leader in workforce mobility technology, today announced the launch of Horizon, the first agentic AI platform purpose-built for global mobility. Horizon doesn’t just manage employee movement — it actively works alongside mobility teams to build, run, and continuously optimize their programs through embedded AI agents, a natural-language policy builder, and deep integration into existing tools and workflows.

For decades, global mobility has been underserved by software designed for a different era. Legacy tools forced programs into rigid structures, generated compliance risk through manual processes, and left HR and mobility teams buried in administrative work. Horizon was built in direct response to that failure.

“The mobility software market has been broken for a long time, and the people who have suffered most are the teams trying to do right by their employees,” said Dave Walters, CEO of Topia. “Horizon is our answer to that — an AI-native platform that meets mobility teams where they are, thinks with them, and does the heavy lifting so they can focus on what actually matters: getting people where they need to go, compliantly and confidently.”

Agentic AI That Works the Way Mobility Teams Do

Horizon introduces a new paradigm for mobility operations: agentic AI embedded throughout the platform that proactively surfaces insights, automates complex tasks, and suggests actions without requiring teams to leave their workflow. Built natively into leading MCP (Model Context Protocol) environments, Horizon’s agents operate inside the tools companies already use — eliminating context-switching and bringing intelligent mobility management into existing HR ecosystems.

Every interaction is enterprise-compliant with zero data retention, grounded in deep enterprise context, and runs on your data and your infrastructure. No implementation consultants. No months-long setup.

“We architected Horizon from the ground up to be AI-native, not AI-bolted-on,” said Mark Lemmons, CTO of Topia. “Every agent shares a unified data layer, so they reason across the full mobility lifecycle. When a new assignment is initiated, Horizon’s agents are already assessing risk, modeling cost, flagging compliance requirements, and drafting policy recommendations before a mobility manager has to ask.”

What Horizon Delivers

• Agentic AI Across the Full Mobility Lifecycle — Proactive agents that surface insights, automate compliance checks, and recommend actions from pre-move planning through repatriation.
• AI Policy Builder — Describe your program in natural language; Horizon generates fully configured, audit-ready policies instantly.
• Real-Time Compliance Intelligence — Country-by-country tracking with proactive alerts, risk scoring, and audit-ready documentation.
• Cost Modeling & Scenario Planning — AI-assisted estimation across compensation, tax, housing, and relocation before a move is approved.
• Employee-First Experience — Clear guidance, real-time status, and AI-assisted support throughout the employee journey.

To learn more or request a demo, visit topia.com/horizon/capabilities.

IRVINE, Calif., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Boston Aesthetics today announced the appointment of Brandon Nye as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Nye will lead the company’s strategic growth initiatives, commercial expansion, and operating execution as Boston Aesthetics enters its next phase of market development in the global medical aesthetics sector. For more information, visit https://bostonaesthetics.com/en-US/.

The medical aesthetics market continues to evolve as providers increasingly seek solutions that deliver both strong clinical outcomes and sustainable practice economics. At the same time, the market is becoming more complex, shaped by shifting patient demand, the rise of medical weight-loss therapies, tighter capital conditions, and a growing focus on utilization and return on investment. Boston Aesthetics is positioning its business to meet these dynamics through differentiated technologies, flexible commercialization pathways, and long-term provider partnerships.

Boston Aesthetics is powered by Peninsula Medical Group’s engineering, innovation, and manufacturing capabilities, supported by a global platform in energy-based medical aesthetic technologies. Peninsula Medical Group has a research and development team of more than 400 engineers dedicated to rapid innovation, engineering excellence, and the development of next-generation aesthetic technologies.

“At Boston Aesthetics, we believe the future of aesthetics must be built on more than clinical outcomes alone. It must also create lasting value for providers, reduce friction in adoption and use, and deliver a better experience for patients,” said Shawn Ho, Chief of Staff for Peninsula Medical Group and Head of Business Development for Boston Aesthetics. “We do not believe meaningful aesthetic results should come at the cost of pain, inefficiency, or unnecessary burden. Our belief in ‘Beauty With No Boundaries’ reflects a deeper commitment to redefining the balance between treatment experience and clinical outcome. Brandon shares that conviction at a fundamental level. He understands our long-term vision, our partnership-driven approach, and our belief that the future of this industry belongs to companies that can create meaningful outcomes for both providers and patients.”

“Boston Aesthetics is uniquely positioned at the intersection of innovation, scale, and market insight,” said Brandon Nye, Chief Executive Officer of Boston Aesthetics. “As the aesthetics market evolves, providers increasingly need solutions that combine strong clinical outcomes with sustainable economics and a better treatment experience. Our focus is to build differentiated technologies and commercial models that support long-term utilization, strong customer partnerships, and durable value creation.”

“We are building a model designed to support customers across the full lifecycle of adoption and use,” Nye added. “Through flexible go-to-market pathways and a long-term partnership approach, we aim to help providers grow their practices while delivering consistent value to patients.”

“Peninsula Medical Group’s strategy has always been grounded in clinical outcomes, scalable innovation, and long-term partnership models,” Ho added. “Our investment in Boston Aesthetics reflects a strong belief that success in the U.S. market requires both local commercial agility and deep global capabilities in engineering, manufacturing, and innovation.”

Brandon Nye is a 15-year medtech industry veteran who most recently served as Vice President of Sales at InMode. Prior to his appointment as CEO of Boston Aesthetics, Nye led high-performing growth teams and built commercialization capabilities across capital equipment markets.

Boston Aesthetics will continue to operate from its headquarters in Irvine, California, leveraging Peninsula Medical Group’s global research, development, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities to accelerate innovation, commercialization, and strategic partnerships across the medical aesthetics market.

About Boston Aesthetics

Boston Aesthetics is a medical aesthetics company headquartered in Irvine, California, focused on delivering advanced energy-based aesthetic solutions to physicians and practitioners worldwide. Guided by its mission, Beauty With No Boundaries, the company is committed to advancing technologies that combine strong clinical outcomes, a better treatment experience, and lasting value for providers and patients. To learn more, visit https://bostonaesthetics.com/en-US/.

About Peninsula Medical Group

Peninsula Medical Group, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, is a global platform in energy-based medical aesthetic technologies, distinguished by its sustained investment in research and development, engineering depth, and manufacturing scale. Rooted in a core medical belief that advanced technology should benefit more people, the company is committed to developing and commercializing innovative aesthetic solutions that make high-quality care more accessible worldwide.

Media Contact
Shawn Ho,
Chief of Staff, Peninsula Medical Group; Head of Business Development, Boston Aesthetics
Email: shawn.h@bostonaesthetics.com
Website: https://bostonaesthetics.com/en-US/

HONG KONG, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hosted by the World Internet Conference (WIC), organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and co-organised by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the 2026 WIC Asia‑Pacific Summit officially began today (April 13) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Building on its successful debut last year, Hong Kong is once again organising this international Internet flagship event, further reinforcing the city’s role as an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre. Themed “Digital and Intelligent Empowerment for Innovative Development – Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace”, the two-day Summit is expected to gather around 1 000 government and business leaders, representatives of international organisations, experts and scholars from over 50 countries and regions to jointly deepen regional digital collaboration, and create new momentum and advantages towards the development of the Asia-Pacific region.

The WIC once again has designated Hong Kong to host the Asia-Pacific Summit, affirming Hong Kong’s pivotal role as an important bridge and two-way platform connecting the country and the world. At the opening ceremony this morning, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and the Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Chairman of the WIC, Mr Zhuang Rongwen, delivered their remarks respectively. Distinguished speakers including the Minister of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic, Mr Samuel Migal’; the Chief Executive Officer of GSMA Ltd, Mr John Hoffman; and the Chairman of the International AI Governance Association, Mr John Higgins, were invited to share their insights.

 After the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, and the Secretary-General of the WIC, Mr Ren Xianliang, cohosted the Government-Enterprise Dialogue, engaging in a comprehensive exchange on government-enterprise collaboration to empower business development. The Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung, also attended and delivered a speech.

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and Professor Sun delivered their remarks at the Main Forum and Distinguished Contributors Gala in the afternoon, outlining Hong Kong’s advantages for digital economy and I&T development. The newly introduced Gala featured international I&T dignitaries, including the Chairman of ZTE Corporation, Ms Fang Rong; the Chairman of Ant Misuan, Mr Wei Tao; Founder, Chairman, and General Manager of MetaX, Mr Chen Weiliang; and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BrainCo from Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons”, Mr Han Bicheng, to share their outstanding contributions to spearheading global Internet development. A Hong Kong Dialogue was also staged to feature emerging technology enterprises to engage in an extensive exchange on frontier I&T trends, jointly envisioning the future directions and opportunities for I&T developments.

A first-ever ministerial meeting was convened and co-hosted by Professor Sun and Mr Ren, providing a premier platform for ministerial officials and representatives of international organisations from across the globe to facilitate high-level exchanges and dialogue. I&T ministers from Samoa, Madagascar, Turkmenistan, Burundi and others conducted rigorous discussions on topics such as how AI promotes high-quality economic growth.

The Summit will feature six sub-forums tomorrow (April 14), with each focusing on the latest developments of “Innovation and Application of AI Agents”, “Digital Finance”, “AI Security and Governance”, “AI for a Better Life”, “Digital and Intelligent Health”, and “Digital Transformation and Dissemination of Classical Texts”. Mr Cheung will deliver a speech at the AI Security and Governance forum. The Summit will also be complemented by a series of affiliated activities, including capacity-building events to be hosted by the WIC Digital Academy and a new technology exhibition zone. Details of the Summit are available on the event website (www.wicinternet.org/2026-04/07/c_1173500.htm).
 
Alongside the Summit, Hong Kong’s annual I&T mega event, the Business of Innovation and Technology Week (BIT Week), is taking place concurrently in April. The InnoEX, themed “Innovate • Automate • Elevate” this year, brings together I&T enterprises, industry elites and buyers from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas to jointly promote the application of cutting-edge technology solutions in five key areas, namely AI+, robotics, the low-altitude economy, property technology and retail technology, while exploring global collaboration opportunities. The series of exciting I&T activities elevates Hong Kong’s I&T atmosphere to new heights and accelerates the city’s development into an international I&T centre.

XIAMEN, China, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Milesight, a leading provider of innovative IoT products, today announces the official launch of its new industrial networking division, Milesight Networks, marking a strategic expansion of its industrial connectivity capabilities.

Backed by years of IoT expertise, Milesight Networks leverages the consolidated resources of Milesight to enhance product quality, accelerate service responsiveness, and deepen technical specialization.

Beyond products, Milesight Networks upgrades its value proposition to offer stronger service support and a more sustainable competitive edge. With high-quality, value-driven solutions, it brings advanced capabilities within reach of a wider range of industries.

Addressing Industrial Connectivity Challenges

Industrial environments today face persistent challenges, including unreliable connections, data security risks, harsh operating conditions, limited interface compatibility, and rising bandwidth demands. These issues often result in service interruptions, data loss, device damage, and operational inefficiencies.

Milesight Networks addresses these challenges with a comprehensive set of capabilities:

• Always Online: Dual SIM redundancy, auto-failover, and watchdog mechanisms ensure continuous connectivity.
• Advanced Security: VPN, firewall, and authentication mechanisms protect data integrity.
• Seamless Integration: Rich interfaces and protocol support enable flexible system integration.
• Industrial-Grade Reliability: Rugged design supports operation in extreme environments.
• Cloud-Based Management: Centralized monitoring and management via Milesight platforms.
• High Performance: Large RAM & ROM capacity, 5G and Wi-Fi 6 support fast and stable connectivity.

Comprehensive Product Portfolio for Broad Applications

Milesight Networks’ lineup includes:

1. 4G Industrial Cellular Routers: UR41 & UR41L (Mini), UR32L & UR32S (Lite), UR32 (Pro), UR35 (Pro)
2. 5G Devices: UR75 Industrial Cellular Router, UF51 CPE

The lineup delivers reliable 4G and 5G connectivity to meet diverse needs across industries such as surveillance, energy, banking, transportation, industrial automation, smart retail, and more.

Availability

For more information, visit https://www.milesight.com/iot/product/router or contact iot.marketing@milesight.com 

About Milesight Networks

Milesight Networks is the industrial networking division of Milesight, delivering secure, high-performing connectivity solutions for mission-critical applications. We make resilient industrial routers more accessible to surveillance, energy, banking, and smart industries. With high-quality hardware, optimized channel operations, and market-oriented product strategy, we enable partners to compete with better reliability and cost performance. Milesight Networks is committed to strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure and supporting the continuous evolution of industrial digital transformation.

Media Contact
iot.marketing@milesight.com