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Vingroup Rises Nearly 500 Places To Rank Among The World’s Top 350 Companies


HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 September 2026 – Vingroup has been ranked 340th in TIME’s World’s Best Companies 2026, placing the Group among the world’s Top 400 companies. Compared with 2025, Vingroup has risen nearly 500 places and remains the only Vietnamese company to be recognized on the prestigious ranking.

Vingroup remains the only Vietnamese company to be named among TIME's World's Best Companies for two consecutive years.
Vingroup remains the only Vietnamese company to be named among TIME’s World’s Best Companies for two consecutive years.

The World’s Best Companies 2026 ranking is jointly conducted by TIME, a globally recognized magazine, and Statista, a leading global data and market research company.

Companies are evaluated across three comprehensive dimensions: revenue growth, employee satisfaction, and sustainability transparency, supported by in-depth analysis of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors.

As the first and only Vietnamese company to be included in the ranking for two consecutive years, Vingroup achieved positive results across all three dimensions, receiving an overall score of 81 and ranking 340th among the Top 1,000 companies worldwide, up 477 places from its 817th ranking last year.

In terms of Revenue Growth, Vingroup received an “Outstanding” rating. In the first half of 2026, the Group recorded consolidated net revenue of VND 222.9 trillion, up 72% year on year from the same period in 2025, driven by strong growth in industrial manufacturing and real estate businesses. Consolidated profit after tax reached VND 20.904 trillion, 4.6 times higher than the same period last year and equivalent to 60% of the full-year target.

In terms of Employee Satisfaction, Vingroup ranked 398th globally, up 496 places from 2025. The Group has developed a dynamic working environment that encourages dedication, innovation and employee engagement, while placing a strong focus on individual development.

Over more than three decades of development, Vingroup has continuously expanded into new areas, established new growth drivers and progressively expanded its ecosystem into international markets. Today, companies across the Vingroup ecosystem operate in 12 countries, creating employment for approximately 400,000 people worldwide.

In terms of Sustainability Transparency, Vingroup continues to make important contributions through green transition initiatives, infrastructure development and the development of sustainable urban and living ecosystems. Alongside economic growth, the Group focuses on creating long-term value for society.

VinFast, the all-electric vehicle brand within the Vingroup ecosystem, has become the leading automotive brand by sales volume in Vietnam, while setting a target of delivering 300,000 cars and 1 million electric motorcycles globally in 2026. Meanwhile, Vinhomes has pioneered the development of the ESG++ urban model, adding Regeneration and Resilience to the three core ESG pillars of E – Environment, S – Social and G – Governance, thereby raising the standard for sustainable development across large-scale urban developments spanning thousands of hectares.

In particular, in 2025, Vingroup officially expanded into two new strategic areas: Infrastructure and Green Energy. Through VinSpeed, with the Ben Thanh – Can Gio (Ho Chi Minh City) and Hanoi – Quang Ninh high-speed railway projects now under construction, as well as energy projects developed by VinEnergo across multiple localities, Vingroup is progressively contributing to stronger regional connectivity, the expansion of economic space and the acceleration of the green transition.

Previously, Vingroup became the first and only Vietnamese company to qualify for and be included in the World’s Best Companies 2025 ranking. Brands across the Vingroup ecosystem have also received recognition from numerous international organizations. VinFast was previously recognized by TIME in two prestigious rankings: the TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2024 and Asia-Pacific’s Best Companies of 2025. In the latter ranking, VinFast was recognized among the companies shaping the region’s position on the global economic map.

TIME is a leading global magazine headquartered in New York, the United States, with a history spanning 101 years. With a global presence and in-depth, independent analysis of political, economic, cultural and scientific developments, TIME has established a strong voice and influence capable of shaping public discourse. Its rankings are widely recognized for their value and credibility worldwide.

Hashtag: #Vingroup

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

Alpha Ladder WealthX Among Asia’s First to Bring xStocks US Tokenised Equities to Institutional and Accredited Investors

Alpha Ladder WealthX, Asia’s leading Web2.5 wealth management platform, expands into tokenised global equities, building on the group’s Memorandum of Understanding with Payward, developer of xStocks framework and parent company of Kraken

SINGAPORE, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Alpha Ladder Finance Pte. Ltd. (Alpha Ladder), through Alpha Ladder WealthX, Asia’s leading Web2.5 wealth management platform, today launched access to Payward’s xStocks tokenised equities for institutional and accredited investors in selected markets in the region, making Alpha Ladder one of the first licensed wealth management firms in Asia to offer such access.


The launch follows the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Alpha Ladder, MetaComp and Payward to advance tokenised capital markets across APAC. Under the collaboration, Alpha Ladder will serve as a distribution partner for  xStocks offering in selected regional markets.

Through Alpha Ladder WealthX, Alpha Ladder will distribute xStocks to institutional and accredited investors in the region, subject to applicable eligibility, onboarding and compliance requirements.

The launch extends Alpha Ladder’s WealthX beyond traditional investment products into one of the fastest-growing areas of digital capital markets, giving eligible investors access to tokenised global equities through an established wealth management relationship.

xStocks brings publicly listed equities onto blockchain infrastructure through fully collateralised, 1:1-backed tokens, combining exposure to global equities with round-the-clock availability and digital-native settlement. According to Dune analytics data[1], xStocks lists over 700 assets, and have processed more than US$40 billion in combined transaction volume, with more than 200,000 unique holders globally.

The launch comes as tokenised securities gain increasing traction among institutional investors. Tokenised equities are among the fastest-growing segments of the broader Real-World Asset (RWA) market, with on-chain RWA value reaching approximately US$19.3 billion as of end-March 2026, up from approximately US$5.4 billion in January 2025, according to Coin Gecko[2].

Institutional interest in tokenised assets is also rising. According to the 2026 EY and Coinbase Institutional Investor Survey[3], 63% of institutional investors globally said their firms were very interested in tokenised assets, up from 57% a year earlier. McKinsey also estimates that total tokenised market capitalisation could reach approximately US$2 trillion by 2030, excluding cryptocurrencies and stablecoins[4].

As tokenisation moves further into mainstream capital markets, the focus is increasingly shifting from whether financial assets can be brought on-chain to how they can be accessed through financial channels that meet institutional expectations around governance, onboarding and compliance.

The launch of xStocks through Alpha Ladder WealthX marks a further expansion of Alpha Ladder’s RWA offering, broadening access to tokenised global equities for institutional and accredited investors across APAC.

Alpha Ladder, MetaComp and Payward will continue to explore further tokenisation opportunities in the region, including additional products, counterparties and use cases, drawing on their respective capabilities across capital markets, digital asset infrastructure and institutional distribution.

About Alpha Ladder Finance (Alpha Ladder)

Alpha Ladder Finance Pte Ltd (Alpha Ladder) is Singapore’s leading Real-World Asset (RWA) exchange, brokerage, and custody platform, licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) as a Capital Markets Services (CMS) licensee. With its patented NFDT® (Non-Fungible Digital Twin) framework, multi-cloud MPC wallets, and a rigorous on-chain KYT engine, Alpha Ladder provides institutional-grade infrastructure for tokenisation, trading, and liquidity—bridging traditional finance with digital innovation.

For more information about Alpha Ladder, please visit https://www.alphaladderfin.com, or follow Alpha Ladder on LinkedIn @AlphaLadderFinance and X @AlphaLadderFin

About MetaComp

MetaComp Pte Ltd (“MetaComp”) is a Singapore-headquartered payments company building an interoperable financial platform for global payments. As a Major Payment Institution licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, we make payments easier and more resilient, connecting fiat and stablecoin rails, so when SWIFT is not viable, stablecoins provide an alternative

Compliant and agentic by design, MetaComp’s StableX Network enables institutions and businesses to move, convert, and manage capital across fiat and stablecoin rails within one compliant Web2.5 financial architecture, handling payments and collections alongside treasury and investment* access across traditional and digital asset classes. Since its launch in November 2025, StableX Network has grown to more than 1,000 members and partners, reaching more than 100,000 users.

Proprietary FX infrastructure evaluates every transaction and selects the optimal settlement pathway by rate and speed in real time. VisionX, MetaComp’s compliance intelligence engine, screens both fiat transactions and on-chain digital asset activity in one pass to support AML/CFT compliance and transaction monitoring. MetaComp’s StableX Know Your Agent (KYA) framework extends this governance to the agents themselves, ensuring every AI agent operating on the platform is identifiable, authorised, monitored and accountable across its lifecycle.

This foundation extends into our wealth* solution, with compliance intelligence built in from the start, accessible via AI agents, app, web, or API, and built for institutions and businesses alike.

These services are delivered under MetaComp’s licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) as a Major Payment Institution, covering Digital Payment Token Services and Cross-border Money Transfer Services. Treasury and investment services are provided through Alpha Ladder Finance Pte. Ltd., MetaComp’s MAS-regulated affiliate, which holds a Capital Markets Services licence.

For more information about MetaComp, please visit www.mce.sg, or follow MetaComp on LinkedIn MetaCompSG and X @MetaCompHQ.

*All products and/or services in relation to securities and capital market products are offered and operated solely by Alpha Ladder Finance Pte. Ltd.

Disclaimer: 

*xStocks and any securities or capital markets services relating to xStocks are offered and provided by Alpha Ladder Finance Pte. Ltd. under its applicable Capital Markets Services licence. Where applicable, payment, stablecoin conversion or other Digital Payment Token-related services used in connection with access to xStocks may be provided separately by MetaComp Pte. Ltd. under its Major Payment Institution licence, subject to applicable laws and regulatory requirements.

This press release is for general information only and has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. MetaComp Pte. Ltd. holds a Major Payment Institution licence. Alpha Ladder Finance Pte. Ltd. holds a Capital Markets Services licence to deal in capital markets products and provide custodial services.

xStocks are not registered under the U.S. Securities Act and are not available in the United States or to U.S. persons. Other geographic restrictions may apply.

Payward is not licensed, authorised, regulated, supervised, or otherwise approved by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and does not hold any licence, exemption, registration, or other permission under the laws of Singapore to provide regulated financial services in Singapore. xStocks are issued by Backed Assets (JE) Limited and provide economic exposure to the relevant underlying securities. Holding an xStock does not give an investor ownership of, or legal title to, the underlying shares, or voting or other direct shareholder rights. The value of xStocks may rise or fall and investors may lose all of the amount invested.

 

AiMOGA Debuts Intelligent Security Robot and Robotic Nurse Overseas at IFA 2026, Signalling Robotics Ambitions for Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AiMOGA Robotics, the intelligent robotics brand in the Chery ecosystem, is showing its latest robots at IFA 2026 in Berlin from September 4 to 8. The Intelligent Security Robot and Robotic Nurse are appearing overseas for the first time, joined by the humanoid robot Mornine and the quadruped Argos X2. For Malaysians, it previews technologies that could soon serve local smart city projects and hospitals.


The timing matters for Malaysia. Chery Corporate Malaysia is building a multi-brand line-up covering the Chery master brand, OMODA & JAECOO, the all-electric iCAUR and the premium marque Lepas. AiMOGA’s robots take that ecosystem beyond cars, positioning the group as a broader technology provider for Malaysian consumers and businesses.

Both debut robots come with working track records. The Intelligent Security Robot is deployed in more than 30 cities across China, handling safety patrols and visitor guidance. That experience maps neatly onto Malaysia’s shopping malls, airports and industrial parks, where demand for smarter security keeps growing.

The Robotic Nurse targets healthcare: guiding and consulting patients, answering questions and assisting with in-hospital services. Malaysian hospitals, short on staff and keen to improve the patient experience, are exactly the kind of setting AiMOGA has in mind. It has already drawn interest from potential European partners.

The two products share one design philosophy. AiMOGA does not build a robot around a demo and then hunt for a use case. It starts with a task that already exists, puts the machine to work, and lets daily operation drive the next round of development.

Beyond the professional machines, Mornine is appearing in IFA’s official “Robots on the Runway” program, introducing itself to the crowd in its own voice, while Argos X2 holds its own on the exhibition floor. Together, the four products cover hospitals, public spaces and human-robot interaction.

AiMOGA has delivered more than 3,000 robots, reaching over 60 countries and regions and upwards of 100 application scenarios. Its machines have moved from Chinese city streets to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and now to one of Europe’s biggest consumer technology stages.

Malaysians will not have to wait long for a closer look. AiMOGA plans to bring its robots to upcoming local exhibition events, where the public can meet the machines in person.

Ant International’s Agentic Mobile Protocol Rolls Out Globally with Wallets and Acquirers; Initiating Collaboration on KYA Interoperability Framework with Mastercard and Visa

  • With payment leaders accelerating adoption, the Alipay+ ecosystem — with 50+ mobile payment partners, over 10 national QR schemes and serving over 2 billion consumer accounts — is evolving into the world’s largest agentic payment network for mobile commerce.
  • During Phase I in 2026, AMP partners up with 10 leading Alipay+ digital wallets that together serve 1.5 billion user accounts, as well as 7 leading acquiring partners including Adyen, Allinpay, Checkout.com, Fiserv, Global Payments, Nuvei, and Worldline.
  • Ant International, Mastercard, and Visa have begun collaboration on a Know-Your-Agent (KYA) interoperability framework, designed to help card networks, digital wallet ecosystems, agent platforms and marketplaces streamline agent onboarding and identification across networks, based on shared principles while preserving each network’s own verification and decisioning processes.

SHANGHAI and SINGAPORE, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As Ant International builds out its Agentic Mobile Protocol (AMP) with deeper interoperability and open-source initiatives, fintech and payment leaders are deploying the protocol globally at an accelerated pace, to enable trusted agentic transactions in large-scale commercial scenarios. 

Towards building the World’s Largest Agentic Payment Network

The AI economy is built on the ability of the financial industry to ensure AI agents interact to make decisions and execute transactions end-to-end for consumers and businesses, securely, smoothly and with full authorisation across all payment rails, especially in prevalent mobile payment scenarios through QR scans, card swipes or phone taps.

Launched in April 2026, the AMP is an open payment protocol built by Ant International for digital wallets, super apps, smart devices, and other mobile interfaces to enable payments executed by AI agents. Today, adoption is rolling out across Ant International’s Alipay+ ecosystem, a mobile payment network serving 50+ mobile payment partners and over 10 national QR networks, connecting 150 million merchants to 2 billion consumer accounts globally.

In Phase I, the following partners will work with AMP to advance their own agentic commerce strategies:

Phase I Wallet partners:

10 Alipay+ mobile wallet partners will support AMP in their own agent security architecture in Phase I. They are:

Alipay (China), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), DANA (Indonesia), GCash (Philippines), KakaoPay (South Korea), MPay (Macao SAR, China), TNG eWallet (Malaysia), TrueMoney (Thailand), Toss (South Korea), and Starryblu (Singapore)

Phase I Acquiring partners:

Adyen, Allinpay, Checkout.com, Fiserv, Global Payments, Nuvei, and Worldline 

Ant International's Agentic Mobile Protocol is rolling out across the global mobile payment ecosystem
Ant International’s Agentic Mobile Protocol is rolling out across the global mobile payment ecosystem

Cross-Sector Partnership on Trust with Card Networks, Monetary Authority of Singapore

Building a truly global, inclusive infrastructure for agentic commerce calls for cross-sector and public-private collaboration on trust and governance mechanisms.

Ant International, Mastercard, and Visa have begun collaboration on a Know-Your-Agent (KYA) interoperability framework, designed to help card networks, digital wallet ecosystems, agent platforms and marketplaces streamline agent onboarding and identification across networks, based on shared principles while preserving each network’s own verification and decisioning processes.

Building on the Safeguards for Agentic Finance at Runtime (SAFR) framework, Ant International, Mastercard and Visa will collaborate through BuildFin.ai to advance common approaches for AI agent verification, accountability and risk management across payment ecosystems in Singapore. BuildFin.ai is an industry platform convened by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to bring together financial institutions, technology providers and researchers to develop and scale responsible AI solutions for financial services.

The effort aims to support secure and scalable agentic commerce, enabling AI agents to operate safely and reliably across payment ecosystems while maintaining strong safeguards for consumers, merchants and financial institutions.

To maximise industry co-building, AMP is now officially open-sourced on GitHub, with source code, developer SDKs, and related technical documentation available to global developers, AI platforms, wallets, acquirers, and financial institutions.

Agents as Trusted Actors across Markets and Payment Rails

“AMP has been created to enable agents to enter existing mobile payment systems as trusted actors. We are inspired to see how, a few months into its launch, more and more wallets and payment partners are accelerating their AI strategy by bringing this exciting capability to users in the real world,” said Jiang-Ming Yang, Chief Innovation Officer at Ant International.

Key features of the Agentic Mobile Protocol include:

  • End-to-end agentic transactions across devices: No need to switch apps or change payment habits across mobile interfaces like smartphones and AR glasses.
  • Faster agent integration cuts steps required to link a payment agent to a wallet by 50%.
  • Clear boundaries of permissions for users to authorise the task, not hand over the account, with real-time visibility and control of agents.
  • Full-spectrum Know-Your-Agent (KYA) Framework establishes an agent’s digital identity and certifies its authorised capabilities, with Agent Trust Rating controlling levels of autonomy for agents.
  • AgentSafePay provides money-back guarantee for merchants against agentic-specific risks.
  • A high-frequency nano-grade agent-to-agent (A2A) settlement mechanism enables automated, ultra-small transactions as tiny as $0.000001 between AI agents.

“Meanwhile, agentic commerce will only have a real path to mass adoption when supported with a deep foundation of trust. While AMP continues to invest in our own security solutions like AgentSafePay, we are also committed more than ever to strengthening collaboration with card networks, policy leaders like MAS and other stakeholders on new accountability mechanisms, to ensure all agentic transactions are protected by our collaborative agent identity and authorisation capabilities across markets and rails,” said Yang.

Partner quotes 

Adyen: “The promise of agentic commerce relies on open, interoperable systems that allow trusted agents to move seamlessly across networks. Adyen is pleased to collaborate with Ant International in building this foundation, helping our enterprise customers experiment and scale as the global agentic ecosystem takes shape.” – Karan Katyal, Global Head of Agentic Commerce at Adyen.

Checkout.com: “Agentic commerce is a channel expansion, similar to how mobile was, and to date it’s been largely card-based. AMP extends this to the wallets where billions of consumers already transact, across many more markets. At Checkout.com we’re supporting that expansion for our merchants, allowing a consumer buying through an AI surface like Gemini or ChatGPT to pay with Alipay+ just as they would anywhere else.” – Brian Sze, General Manager of Asia Pacific at Checkout.com.

DANA: “Agentic commerce could make buying feel almost effortless — where users express intent and intelligent agents handle the complexity. But the more autonomy we give machines, the more intentional we must be about trust, guardrails, and accountability.” – Darrick Rochili, Chief Innovation Officer at DANA.

Fiserv: “The next chapter of commerce will be defined by how seamlessly AI agents can connect consumers, merchants, financial institutions and platforms. That opportunity requires open standards that help foster trust, interoperability and greater consumer choice and control across the ecosystem. We believe initiatives like AMP can help accelerate innovation while allowing businesses to leverage the payment and banking relationships consumers already rely on every day.” – Lia Cao, Chief Revenue Officer, Enterprise and Platform Clients, Merchant Solutions, at Fiserv.

Global Payments: “The success of agentic commerce will depend on trust, interoperability and ease of adoption. With our scale and deep relationships across the commerce ecosystem, Global Payments is helping merchants embrace the next generation of digital commerce, including supporting initiatives like AMP that advance agentic commerce and bring the promise of this technology into the mainstream.” – Cindy Turner, Chief Product Officer at Global Payments.

MPay: “MPay is honored to be among the first digital wallets around the world to support Ant International’s AMP. AI agents are changing how users access services and complete transactions, and payments are a key link in bringing AI into real-world business environments. As an international city of tourism, Macao has a unique advantage in its ability to unite local life, cross-border consumption, and global services. Macau Pass will continue to embrace pioneering technologies and steer the deep integration of AI, payments, and local businesses to bring more innovative services to Macao first, helping Macao’s digital lifestyle, smart city development, and commercial services connect with the broader international ecosystem.” – Gavin Zhao, President and Chief Product & Technology Officer at Macau Pass Group.

Nuvei: “Nuvei connects businesses to payment methods and consumers across more than 200 markets through a single platform. As commerce shifts towards agentic purchasing, Nuvei is extending that connectivity to help merchants engage with AI agents across an open and interoperable ecosystem. Merchants don’t need another payment silo, they need one connection to every agent that comes to them. That’s what we’re building with Nuvei Agentic, and supporting open protocols like AMP is how it connects merchants to the preferred ways consumers choose to pay.” — Phil Fayer, Chair and CEO of Nuvei.

Starryblu: “As an AI‑powered payment offering under Alipay+, AMP effectively addresses user pain points and supports integration with major Agent platforms. It stands out as the world‑leading solution in terms of payment capabilities, security and user‑friendliness. Starryblu has a large base of AI‑driven paying users, making our two sides a highly aligned match. We look forward to jointly delivering real‑world value and an optimal experience for end users.” – Eric Zeng, Cofounder and President at Starryblu.

TNG eWallet: “Agentic commerce has the potential to make everyday transactions simpler by helping users move from intent to payment with fewer steps. Through our participation in AMP, TNG Digital is exploring how this technology could support more convenient experiences within TNG eWallet. Our priority is that any future capability is introduced responsibly, with clear user authorisation, strong safeguards and transparency throughout the journey. This reflects our open platform strategy and our ambition for TNG eWallet to be a trusted everyday digital companion for Malaysians,” said Alan Ni, Chief Executive Officer of TNG Digital, the operator of TNG eWallet.

TrueMoney: “Digital payments are already deeply embedded in the everyday lives of Thai consumers. The next step is to make these experiences even more seamless and intelligent. Through our partnership with Ant International, we see an opportunity to explore how agentic AI could simplify the entire purchase journey, from discovering and comparing options to completing payment through the payment methods consumers already know and trust. Importantly, users should remain in control of what the agent is authorised to do. We look forward to exploring how technologies such as AMP could make digital commerce simpler, smarter, and more accessible in everyday life.” – Koravut Pavitpok, Group Head of Strategy & Transformation at TrueMoney.

Worldline: “Agent-initiated payments need two things to work at scale: infrastructure that can verify who is paying and what they are authorised to do, and merchants who can accept those payments without rebuilding everything. Worldline does both. By supporting Ant International’s Agentic Mobile Protocol (AMP) across our Alipay+ integration, Worldline enables merchants to accept agent-initiated transactions seamlessly through the mobile wallets their customers already use. That means merchants can capture new agentic commerce flows securely and simply — without added operational complexity and without the need to integrate separate systems.” – Gertjan Dewaele, VP Product & Technology at Worldline.

About Ant International

Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and FinAI solutions provider. Through collaboration across the private and public sectors, our unified techfin platform supports financial institutions and merchants of all sizes to achieve inclusive growth through a comprehensive range of cutting-edge digital payment and financial services solutions. To learn more, please visit https://www.ant-intl.com/.

BACKGROUNDER

AMP: An Open Payment Protocol for the Agentic Commerce Era

How should agents pay? From “find it for me” to “buy it for me” in end-to-end task

From search, comparison, and decision-making to payment, users no longer need to switch repeatedly between AI, wallets, and merchant apps.

A traveler shares necessary information with an AI assistant for a hotel booking — specifying the destination, dates, budget, and preferences. Then the agent automatically searches for hotels, compares options, makes recommendations, and, once authorized by the user, completes payment through the user’s existing wallet.

AMP enables AI to move from finding the right product to closing the purchase in an end-to-end closed cycle. Users continue with their familiar digital wallets and payment accounts, without having to create new accounts, re-link bank cards, or learning new payment methods. AMP reduces the steps needed for agent-wallet linkage by up to 50%, reducing the back-and-forth switching between AI and payment interfaces. Once authorized, the AI agent directly invokes existing payment capabilities to complete the transaction.

What is the agent permitted to do? Users authorize a task, Not hand over the account

Traditional payment set-up focuses on “can this payment go through?”  With agentic payment, what exactly the agent is permitted to do becomes critical.

The choice is not between “doing everything themselves” and “handing their account entirely to the AI.”

Under AMP, users retain ultimate control with agent delegation. The simple payment authorization is extended to full task authorization. Users set clear boundaries for a task, they specify what the agent is to accomplish, what the budget is, and which conditions must be met — with the ability to review, modify, or revoke the task at any time.

For example, a hotel booking budgeted for US$300 or less, specific dates only, a rating of 4.5 or above, only a designated wallet, with re-confirmation if the final price goes over. These conditions follow the task into the execution and payment process, ensuring the agent’s behavior consistently aligns with the user’s original intent.

Who Is paying on my behalf?: KYA and interoperable trust frameworks

As more AI agents can act on behalf of users, confirming account identity alone is no longer enough. Users also need to know: who is the agent executing this payment on my behalf? Who authorized it? Does it have the appropriate identity and capabilities to complete this task? AMP uses the Know-Your-Agent (KYA) framework to provide agents with verifiable identity and related capability information.

For users, the value of KYA is not adding a new identity verification step. Rather, it enables different AI services and payment systems to consistently answer several key questions: Who is this agent? Who authorized it? What is it permitted to do on behalf of the user? This is also a critical foundation for agent payments to earn user trust and achieve scaled adoption.

AgentSafePay with money-back guarantee against agent-specific risks

Even when an agent has verified identity and user authorization, agent payments can still introduce new risks unfamiliar to traditional payment. LLMs may experience hallucinations or misinterpret user requirements. Intent deviation might disrupt multi-step task execution, when the agent’s final transaction diverges from what the user originally authorized.

To address new risks arising from autonomous agent execution, Ant International provides AgentSafePay protection for all AMP-based transactions with money-back guarantee. With integrated identity verification, task authorization, and transaction protection, users may enjoy the convenience of automated AI task completion without additional transaction risks.

Settlement mechanism designed for high-frequency, nano-scale A2A transactions

The AMP’s high-frequency agent-to-agent (A2A) settlement mechanism is capable of handling nano-transactions as small as $0.000001 between agents with real-time accounting and clearing. A2A settlement is crucial to agentic economy, which requires the capacity to process high-frequency, sub-cent agent transactions that traditional payment rails cannot support.

An Open Protocol — Expanding Collaboration on Agent Trust Ecosystem

AMP was designed from the start as an open protocol. It is now open-sourced on GitHub, with source code, developer SDKs, and related technical documentation available to global developers, AI platforms, wallets, acquirers, and financial institutions.

Ant International welcomes global developers and industry partners to work together on the AMP and contribute technology, use cases, and standards practices — advancing agent payments from a single-platform capability toward a cross-ecosystem, interoperable industry infrastructure.

PITAKA Introduces iPhone 18 Case Collection Featuring Advanced Protection and Refined Design

The Edge and Guard series combine lightweight aramid fiber with enhanced protection, innovative craftsmanship, and an expanded palette of nature-inspired patterns.

HONG KONG, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Following the successful debut of its “Signals in the Wind” brand event in Berlin on September 4, where PITAKA presented its latest designs inspired by nature, the brand today introduced its latest case collection for the iPhone 18 series. The recognition comes on the heels of PITAKA’s NYPDA Gold Award win, with the brand earning an IFA Innovation Award Honoree 2026 designation during IFA 2026, where its product was showcased, as well as a Best of IFA award from Yanko Design. Featuring two distinct lines — Edge and Guard — the collection combines premium aramid fiber with enhanced drop protection and a broader range of woven patterns, bringing PITAKA’s signature material approach to Apple’s latest lineup.

PITAKA iPhone 18 Series Cases Collection
PITAKA iPhone 18 Series Cases Collection

“With this collection, we wanted every material decision to say something — not just protect the phone, but change how it feels in your hand,” said James Zheng, Founder of PITAKA. “Edge and Guard represent two different answers to the same question: how do you add protection without losing the thing that made aramid fiber worth using in the first place — the way it feels, moves, and ages with you.”

Edge Series: Lightweight and Close-Fitting Protection

The Edge Series emphasizes a minimal profile, utilizing woven aramid fiber to provide everyday scratch and drop protection without adding bulk. Its textured surface offers natural friction for an ergonomic, non-slip grip.

The case integrates PitaTap™, PITAKA’s proprietary capacitive camera button, built by seamlessly embedding a sensor into less than 1mm of aramid fiber through a one-piece molding process. To boost impact absorption without compromising weight, the case incorporates Mammoth Resin™ — a proprietary compound developed over 14 months through 300 formulation iterations and more than 400 drop tests, delivering up to twice the drop resistance of PITAKA’s previous resin. A subtle P-angle corner design further simplifies installation and removal.

Guard Series: Enhanced Impact Resistance and Seamless Craftsmanship

The Guard Series introduces two distinct models — Cairn and Summa — tailored for users seeking higher levels of defense:

  • Cairn Case: Combines woven aramid fiber with impact-resistant TPU and an upgraded Bow-Arc Corner Buffer 2.0. Inspired by outdoor gear structures, this design reinforces corner protection against severe drops while giving the case a rugged aesthetic.
  • Summa Case: Leverages 3D thermoforming technology to wrap aramid fiber smoothly around the edges, resulting in a continuous woven surface with virtually no visible seams. It features a high-toughness resin core and a built-in lanyard anchor for added everyday security.

Expanded Color Palette and Nature-Inspired Patterns

The collection expands PITAKA’s woven lineup with new design categories:

  • Wind Over Wheat Series: Available in Golden Drift, Surging Awn, and Berlin Nocturne.
  • Argyle Finishes: Offered in Lava Black, Abyss Blue, Burgundy, and Blue’s Red.
  • Moment Series: Featuring updated iterations of classic weaves alongside new seasonal patterns.

Stay tuned for even more series and patterns coming soon.

Each pattern draws inspiration from elements in nature — light, movement, and natural textures — woven directly into the structural aramid fibers.

Beyond Phone Cases: Expanding the Ecosystem

Under the design motif “What Else Can It Be?” the iPhone 18 launch also marks an expansion of PITAKA’s broader product ecosystem. The brand is applying its aramid and carbon-fiber craftsmanship to everyday tech essentials, including carbon-fiber watch bands, bi-fold wallets, and MacBook protective cases.

Pricing and Availability

The iPhone 18 case collection starts at $59.99 and is available today on the official PITAKA’s Official Website and Amazon. Cases for Apple’s first foldable device, the iPhone Ultra — including front covers, back covers, and full combination sets — range from $54.99 to $109.99.

About PITAKA

PITAKA is a material technology and lifestyle brand exploring how materials, craftsmanship, and design can transform interaction with everyday technology. Guided by its philosophy of Material & Sense, PITAKA crafts aramid-fiber cases, MagSafe accessories, and ecosystem solutions for Apple and Samsung devices.

Ramco Systems Marks Three Decades in Malaysia at Ramco Now & Next Celebration, Previews New AI-Native Platform

The third rebuild of Ramco’s platform in thirty years, moving enterprise software from a system of record towards a system of intelligence and action

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 September 2026 – Ramco Systems, a global enterprise software company offering next-generation SaaS-enabled platform and products, celebrated three decades of powering enterprise transformation in Malaysia. To mark this milestone, Ramco hosted Ramco Now & Next, an event that traced its regional journey, showcased its vision for the future of enterprise software, and brought customers and industry leaders together for forward-looking discussions.

From left to right: Tarun Devasia, Chief Marketing Officer, Subbaraman Ramaswamy, Chief Customer Success Officer (Global Enterprise), Sandesh Bilagi, Chief Executive Officer, Rohit Mathur, Executive VP & SBU Head (Global Payroll & HR, Ramco Systems)
From left to right: Tarun Devasia, Chief Marketing Officer, Subbaraman Ramaswamy, Chief Customer Success Officer (Global Enterprise), Sandesh Bilagi, Chief Executive Officer, Rohit Mathur, Executive VP & SBU Head (Global Payroll & HR, Ramco Systems)

At the event, the company provided a preview of its upcoming AI-native enterprise platform, built to move enterprise software from a system of record to a system of intelligence, and ultimately a system of action. The first two shifts in Ramco’s platform changed how enterprise software was delivered; this one changes what the software is.

The new platform is designed to move away from software that people must log into and interpret, towards a system that surfaces what needs attention and drafts the resulting action for a human to approve. A walkthrough during the keynote showed how the platform would identify a projected stock shortfall across multiple warehouses and prepare the corresponding replenishment requests for approval.

Abinav Raja, Managing Director, Ramco Systems, said, “Nobody running a business today is short of information. They are short of the time to go and assemble it into something they can act on. What we are building is meant to do that assembly for them, and bring the next step with it, while leaving the judgement where it belongs.”

Payroll offers one example of what this looks like in practice: a monthly processing cycle gives way to continuous validation, with anomalies flagged as they arise rather than surfacing at the end of the period. The AI and Machine Learning technology carries out the processing while payroll teams retain the review and the sign-off.

Ramco has operated in Malaysia since 1996 and today processes payroll for more than 100,000 employees every month across more than 50 Malaysian organisations in over 15 industries. Kuala Lumpur serves as one of Ramco’s regional support hubs for HR and Global Payroll, with Singapore as its Asia headquarters.

Sandesh Bilagi, Chief Executive Officer, Ramco Systems, said, “We have spent thirty years in Malaysia solving problems our customers could not afford to get wrong. Some of the organisations we recognised today started with us decades ago. They have been part of our journey and been with us as our platform transformed and modernized over the years. Thirty years is not the achievement. Those relationships are.”

At the event, Ramco recognised its Malaysian clientele, including:

  • Valiram Group, the Kuala Lumpur headquartered luxury retail specialist with more than 600 stores across Southeast Asia and Oceania, was Ramco’s first retail customer in the region. Ramco provided an integrated solution that could replace the disparate HRIS systems in each country, which were working in silos.
  • Hitachi Energy used Ramco to build a unified payroll model spanning 20 countries and 8,000 employees. Ramco enabled Hitachi Energy to supplement and empower its retained payroll resources and amplify its expertise across countries.
  • Aurecon, an Asia Pacific engineering consultancy, went live on Ramco Payce this year, replacing legacy payroll processes across seven Asian markets, including Malaysia, with a single consolidated service. The service covers gross and net pay calculations, retroactive pay and increments, and payslip generation, alongside country-specific statutory compliance. The shift improved payroll accuracy and timeliness and delivered cost efficiencies across payroll and other teams.

Ramco expects the domain knowledge and experience built over three decades in Malaysia to reinforce how the new platform reaches customers across the region.
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Ramco Systems

Ramco Systems is a world-class enterprise software product/ platform provider disrupting the market with its multi-tenant cloud and mobile-based enterprise software, successfully driving innovation for over 30 years. Over the years, Ramco has maintained a consistent track record of serving 800+ customers globally with 2 million+ users, and delivering tangible business value in Global Payroll, Aviation, Aerospace & Defense, and ERP. Ramco’s key differentiator is its innovative approach to develop products through its revolutionary enterprise application assembly and delivery platform. On the innovation front, Ramco is leveraging cutting edge technologies around Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, RPA and Blockchain, amongst the others, to help organizations embrace digital transformation.

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“BOCHK Green Forum 2026 & Sharing Workshop on Good Practices of Green Finance in Southeast Asia” Promotes Cross-border Collaboration to Advance Regional Green Transition

HONG KONG, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On September 8, Bank of China (Hong Kong) (“BOCHK”) and World Wide Fund for Nature (“WWF”) jointly organised the “BOCHK Green Forum 2026 & Sharing Workshop on Good Practices of Green Finance in Southeast Asia”. Themed “Together for Green: Empowering Corporates and Individuals across Hong Kong and Southeast Asia”, this flagship event of Hong Kong Green Week 2026 attracted over 200 policymakers, representatives of international organisations, experts, scholars and industry leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region to exchange insights on green finance innovation, low-carbon transition and sustainable development, and explore innovative practices in green finance. The forum also provided a practical and efficient platform for green finance cooperation among the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, promoting cross-border collaboration and experience sharing to accelerate the region’s green transition.

Bank of China (Hong Kong) and World Wide Fund for Nature jointly organise the "BOCHK Green Forum 2026 & Sharing Workshop on Good Practices of Green Finance in Southeast Asia"
Bank of China (Hong Kong) and World Wide Fund for Nature jointly organise the “BOCHK Green Forum 2026 & Sharing Workshop on Good Practices of Green Finance in Southeast Asia”

The forum commenced with welcome remarks by Wang Huabin, Deputy Chief Executive of BOCHK, followed by keynote speeches by Li Xia, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China; Li Xiaowen, Director of Women Workers Committee at National Committee of Chinese Financial Workers’ Union; Arthur Yuen, Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (“HKMA”); Matteo Marinelli, Asia Pacific Lead of Sustainable Finance at WWF International; and Shane Edwards, Head of APAC Client Coverage at MSCI, on a wide range of topics covering green finance development trends, opportunities for regional cooperation and pathways for sustainable transition.

Wang Huabin, Deputy Chief Executive of BOCHK, delivering welcome remarks
Wang Huabin, Deputy Chief Executive of BOCHK, delivering welcome remarks

During the forum, two research reports were unveiled, namely The Asian Way: Sustainable Finance Market Outlook in Southeast Asia and the Role of Hong Kong (Second Edition), jointly released by the Hong Kong Financial Research Institute of Bank of China, MSCI Institute and HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute; and Hong Kong Climate Awareness: Public Understanding, Risk Perception and Readiness for a Low-Carbon Future, published in collaboration between BOCHK and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (“PolyU”). The two research reports focus respectively on the latest trend in green development across Southeast Asia and the Greater Bay Area, and on Hong Kong residents’ understanding of climate change and preferences for green financial products. Together, they provide valuable insights to support green finance and sustainable development. Professor Lin Chen, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Business) of the University of Hong Kong, and Professor Wong Wing-tak, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, attended the respective research report launch sessions as guest speakers.

The forum also featured a Sharing Workshop on Good Practices of Green Finance in Southeast Asia, where industry leaders from major Southeast Asian banks shared case studies on green finance initiatives. This was followed by an exchange session involving experts from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, the HKMA and the Asian Development Bank, as well as scholars from local and overseas tertiary institutions, who shed valuable insights on the cases presented.

Wang Huabin, Deputy Chief Executive of BOCHK, said, “Climate change remains one of the most pressing challenges of our time, and no country or region can tackle it alone. We must work together through regional cooperation to address this challenge. As cooperation on sustainable development continues to deepen among the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, as a pioneer in sustainable finance, is well positioned to support its Asian partners with mature solutions and contribute to advancing green finance across Asia. At BOCHK, sustainable development lies at the heart of our strategy. Leveraging our extensive network across nine ASEAN countries, we actively connect regional green projects with international capital, helping to channel financial resources to where they are most needed. We will continue to bring together the efforts of corporates and individuals across the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia to advance sustainable development. Together, we can chart the way forward in the global green transition and support climate action in the region and beyond through the power of finance.”

Li Xia, Deputy Director General of Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center at Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, said, “Green finance is a critical pillar in achieving global climate goals and advancing sustainable development. Under the theme ‘Together for Green’, today’s forum is not only a timely response to one of the defining challenges of our time for regional green growth, but also a powerful declaration of collective action. Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, possesses unique strengths in green finance and is well positioned to become a leading green finance hub in Asia and beyond, playing an indispensable role in channelling domestic and international capital towards green projects. Looking ahead, the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will continue to work with partners, including BOCHK, to support Hong Kong’s development as an international green finance centre and to guide more private capital towards projects and initiatives that generate genuine green value.”

Li Xiaowen, Director of Women Workers Committee at National Committee of Chinese Financial Workers’ Union, said, “Green finance in the new era has evolved beyond the traditional focus on green lending. Drawing on the experience of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a number of scalable and replicable green finance models have emerged, demonstrating the value of cross-sector collaboration. A notable example is the alignment of green standards across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, which leverages Hong Kong’s strengths as an international green finance hub to align with international standards and facilitate the mutual recognition of green projects between the Chinese Mainland and international markets. These efforts provide valuable experience for the development of green finance nationwide.”

Matteo Marinelli, Asia Pacific Lead of Sustainable Finance at WWF International, said, “We live in a nature-based economy – our economies, well-being and prosperity all depend on our most precious asset: nature. To support the acceleration of science-based landscape conservation in places where WWF works, WWF leverages a full set of complementary financial tools and solutions. For instance, applying the Landscape Finance Approach, combining both greening finance and financing green, will require funding for implementation across key landscapes. Unlocking private capital is essential to closing the nature finance gap. Looking ahead, WWF sees strong potential to collaborate with Chinese and ASEAN financial institutions — strengthening dialogue among regulators, promoting financial flows towards climate and nature through innovative facilities, and working with partners such as BOCHK to help companies navigate ESG and compliance requirements in the region. Together, our joint efforts to redirect finance towards nature would ensure a thriving planet for generations to come.”

Shane Edwards, Head of APAC Client Coverage at MSCI, said, “Sustainable finance in Asia is entering its next phase. Investors are becoming more selective about where they deploy capital, while climate and sustainability ambitions are becoming more deeply embedded in investment and financing decisions. The complementary strengths and needs of markets across Asia create significant opportunities for greater regional cooperation. Hong Kong is well placed to connect these opportunities with capital and expertise. At MSCI, our indexes, data and risk models help institutional investors better understand the opportunities and risks involved, supporting more informed investment decisions towards the transition.”

Laos Exempts Residential Electricity Use Up to 300 kWh from VAT

A picture used for illustration purpose only.

Residential electricity users in Laos will be exempt from the 10 percent Value-Added Tax (VAT) on monthly consumption of up to 300 kilowatt-hours (kWh) under a new notice issued by state utility Electricité du Laos (EDL) on September 14.

Households using between 0 and 300 kWh per month will not pay the 10 percent VAT normally applied to residential electricity. VAT will continue to apply to maintenance fees under existing regulations.

The exemption is part of a government subsidy policy aimed at easing electricity costs for low-income households amid continued economic pressure. It will apply nationwide from the September 2026 billing cycle, which covers August electricity consumption, through December 2029.

The measure follows earlier government efforts to use VAT policy to reduce pressure on household electricity costs.

The government previously cut the VAT rate from 10 percent to 7 percent in January 2022 as part of pandemic relief measures, before restoring it to 10 percent in March 2024.

Unlike those broader tax changes, the latest measure specifically exempts residential electricity consumption below a set threshold rather than reducing the VAT rate across the economy.

Electricity Costs Remain High

The measure comes after electricity prices recorded one of their sharpest increases in recent years.

Electricity prices were 91.5 percent higher in July than a year earlier and rose 27.6 percent from the previous month. The increase contributed to a rise in Laos’ inflation rate from 7.6 percent in July to 7.7 percent in August.

Under the government’s 2025–2029 electricity tariff roadmap, household electricity rates are scheduled to continue rising gradually through 2029 as EDL seeks to strengthen its financial position.