PRAGUE, Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BTL Group, a global leader in medical technologies, today announced the successful resolution of multiple patent infringement proceedings against Lexter Microelectronic Engineering Systems S.L. (“Lexter”), the manufacturer of the WonderFace device.

The settlement follows patent infringement litigation initiated by BTL in multiple jurisdictions to protect its proprietary EMFACE® technology. As a result of the settlement, Lexter has agreed to cease the manufacture, global marketing and distribution, and use of facial treatment technologies and associated disposables that simultaneously combine radiofrequency and electrical muscle stimulation.

As a leader in medical innovation, BTL owns a robust international patent portfolio protecting fundamental aspects of energy-based technologies.

“The global and definitive impact of this settlement testifies to our dedication to defending BTL’s intellectual property and protecting the investments of our customers,” said Tomas Schwarz, CEO of the BTL Group.

For more information about EMFACE®, visit www.emface.com.

About BTL
Founded in 1993, BTL is a global leader in medical device innovation, providing advanced solutions across aesthetic medicine, dermatology, plastic surgery, rehabilitation, orthopaedics, joint and spine care, dentistry, primary care, and OB/GYN. With more than 200 patents and over 600 in-house engineers, BTL leverages science and technology to advance non-invasive and therapeutic medical treatments worldwide. Its product portfolio includes EMFACE®, EXION®, EMSCULPT NEO®, EXOMIND®, EMSELLA®, EMVITAL®, and others.

Clarivate Nexus integrates academic content and services into the AI tools increasingly used by students and researchers, helping libraries and institutions remain central to trusted scholarship.

LONDON, Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Clarivate Plc (NYSE: CLVT), a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today announced Clarivate Nexus, the first academic assistant designed to reconnect students and researchers with library content and services directly in the AI tools they use. Its development represents the next step in the Clarivate Academic AI portfolio, extending Clarivate gold-standard intelligence across the AI ecosystem.

AI tools have become a common part of research and learning workflows, often in place of library or institutional systems. These environments offer speed and convenience but lack the depth, accuracy and authoritative grounding of the trusted resources that libraries provide. As a result, users miss critical scholarly resources, valuable library collections go underused, and academic work is less firmly grounded in authoritative sources.

Oren Beit-Arie, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, Academia & Government at Clarivate said: “While AI might change academic work and research practices, our goal is to ensure it doesn’t change the rigor of research and learning. We’re excited to collaborate with our customers to shape a new path for academic AI. Nexus will help students and researchers benefit from trusted sources and services, wherever they are and enable libraries and institutions to bring their expertise into the environments where users work.”

Meeting users where they are

Clarivate Nexus acts as a bridge between the convenience of AI and the rigor of academic libraries, embedding institutional resources and services into AI tools, web environments, and campus systems where research and learning often takes place.

Evan Simpson, Associate Dean, Experiential Learning and Academic Engagement, Northeastern University Library said: “Our students and researchers are already working in AI environments. That’s not going to change. What we can influence is whether they’re working with confidence, grounded in trusted sources. We need solutions that meet users where they are and help ensure the materials they rely on are sound, keeping the library central to their research.”

Core capabilities include:

• Library front door: Clarivate Nexus provides a unified entry point to library resources across collections and products, based on their entitlements
• Full text access: Identifies scholarly references and academic context within AI-generated responses and web environments, and provides easy access to library-curated content.
• Source verification: Verifies academic references in AI outputs and enables users to cite them with confidence.
• Recommendations: Suggests relevant scholarly literature based on the user’s research context and institutional sources.
• Library visibility: Surfaces library services and information, such as research guides, expert support and opening hours, as well as other information deemed relevant by the library.

Clarivate Nexus is powered by industry-leading indexes and content collections, including the Primo and Summon Central Discovery Index, Web of Science citation index and ProQuest collections. It is developed as a flexible connecting layer that can be implemented across multiple environments. It will first be available as a browser extension, allowing it to operate directly within AI and research tools. A future release will support direct integration into campus systems, including learning management systems and library portals.

Customizable and library-branded

Libraries and institutions can use Clarivate Nexus to extend reach into AI-driven research and learning workflows without compromising academic standards. Libraries can also configure Nexus to reflect their unique priorities and branding, making it a seamless extension of the library experience.

The academic assistant is designed to protect user privacy and respect institutional access rights, ensuring secure, entitlement-aware access to content and services.

Continuing a long tradition of community-led development, Clarivate partners with leading libraries to guide and inform product development and future vision.

Clarivate Nexus will be released for early access in Q3, 2026.

Sign up for updates to stay informed about early access and partnership opportunities.

About Clarivate
Clarivate™ is a leading global provider of transformative intelligence. We offer enriched data, insights & analytics, workflow solutions and expert services in the areas of Academia & Government, Intellectual Property and Life Sciences & Healthcare. For more information, please visit www.clarivate.com

Media contact:
newsroom@clarivate.com

DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mantle, the high-performance distribution layer bridging traditional finance (TradFi), real-world assets (RWAs) and on-chain liquidity, today announced a pivotal protocol transition to utilize Ethereum blobs as its primary data availability (DA) layer. This shift marks a significant milestone in Mantle’s evolution toward a full Ethereum ZK rollup architecture, further aligning its infrastructure with Ethereum’s long-term scaling roadmap.

This strategic move follows the successful implementation of the Fusaka upgrade on the Ethereum mainnet. Fusaka has revolutionized Ethereum’s data capacity, offering up to an eightfold increase in theoretical blob throughput. By leveraging this enhanced infrastructure, Mantle is now able to provide the highest level of security guarantees while maintaining the low-latency, low-fee environment its users expect.

From Validium to Ethereum ZK Rollup: A Security Evolution
Mantle’s transition represents a shift from a Validium-based configuration to a ZK rollup architecture secured directly by Ethereum. By settling rollup data on Ethereum blobs, Mantle ensures that its transaction data is fully available and verifiable on the world’s most secure settlement layer.

“This evolution is a natural progression for Mantle,” said Joshua Cheong, Head of Product of Mantle. “As Ethereum’s blob infrastructure matures through milestones like the Fusaka upgrade, we are now able to support production-scale applications with the full security of Ethereum’s data availability, without compromising on performance.”

Synergizing with EigenLayer and the EigenCloud Ecosystem
While Mantle is adopting Ethereum blobs for its core DA needs, the project remains deeply committed to its partnership with EigenLayer. Mantle will continue to utilize EigenCloud for specialized use cases where verifiable compute and crypto-economic security provides a competitive edge.

Mantle remains a key collaborator in the EigenLayer ecosystem, focusing on high-performance sectors including:

• Perpetuals: Leveraging specialized execution environments.
• Prediction Markets: Utilizing high-fidelity data feeds.
• AI Agent Infrastructure: Building on the intersection of decentralized compute and restaking.
• Ecosystem Shared Security: Deepening integrations with the mETH protocol to reinforce Ethereum’s economic model.

Strengthening Ethereum’s Scaling Vision
By adopting Ethereum blobs, Mantle reinforces its dedication to an Ethereum-native future. This transition demonstrates how Layer 2 (L2) solutions can dynamically adapt to Ethereum’s base-layer improvements to deliver the best possible experience for developers and end-users.

Mantle’s commitment to this ZK rollup architecture ensures a resilient and scalable foundation for the next generation of decentralized applications (dApps). As the ecosystem grows, Mantle will continue to work alongside Ethereum core contributors and modular partners to push the boundaries of what is possible in the Web3 space.

About Mantle

Mantle positions itself as the premier distribution layer and gateway for institutions and TradFi to connect with on-chain liquidity and access real-world assets, powering how real-world finance flows.

With over $4B+ in community-owned assets, Mantle combines credibility, liquidity and scalability with institutional-grade infrastructure to support large-scale adoption. The ecosystem is anchored by $MNT within Bybit, and built out through core ecosystem projects like mETH, fBTC, MI4 and more. This is complemented by Mantle Network’s partnerships with leading issuers and protocols such as Ethena USDe, Ondo USDY, and OP-Succinct.

For more information about Mantle, please visit: mantle.xyz
For more social updates, please follow: Mantle Official X & Mantle Community Channel  
For media enquiries, please contact: contact@mantle.xyz

ISTANBUL, Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Beko, the leading global home appliance company, today unveiled its proprietary Smart Living Index (SLI). The study revealed that financial pressures are now the biggest driver of adoption of sustainable household behaviours worldwide.

Beko Smart Living Index

One of the largest studies of its kind, the Smart Living Index tracks how consumers’ views of sustainability and energy use are evolving. The study also looks at how consumers are using smart appliances within their own homes.

For the Smart Living Index, Beko surveyed a representative sample of 6,000 consumers across 12 markets – the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Pakistan and South Africa.

Consumers in every market reported changes in their approach to buying appliances in the past 12 months, with long-term affordability and sustainability increasing in importance as considerations.

In markets where consumers are actively tracking the running costs of appliances, adoption of smart features was higher. Conversely, markets that do not track energy usage so closely are slower to adopt smart features and instead turn to other energy-saving activities such as drying laundry on a washing line, or hand-washing dishes.

Key findings:

• Cost as catalyst: 8 out of 12 markets cite energy costs as the environmental concern with the greatest impact on their daily lives, reflecting how climate and sustainability challenges are most acutely felt through household energy bills.
• Global South leads the way: In western markets such as the UK, Germany, and France, consumers place less value on smart living compared to emerging markets like Egypt, Thailand and Pakistan.
• Trust gap in technology: Fewer than 20% of consumers in key European markets (France, Spain, UK, Germany) trust AI-powered appliances, despite widespread recognition that smart appliances benefit the environment.
• Going analogue: A huge proportion of the public engage in appliance substituting behaviour to save energy at home – for example, in many countries around two-thirds of respondents signaled that they dry laundry on a line.
• The age vs. income paradox: Energy-saving activity increases with age, but decreases with income, defying conventional assumptions about environmental engagement. The over-54 age group leads across all energy-saving behaviours.
• Demand for government support: Over 50% of respondents from all markets agreed that government policy should support consumers as they switch to more resource-efficient home appliances rather than leaving the transition entirely to households.
• The future is smart: Thailand (81%), Pakistan (86%) and Turkey (80%) show most enthusiasm for appliances to become even smarter, with Germany (39%), the UK (40%) and France (43%) placing less focus on smart innovation. However, countries are united in being most excited by innovations that are self-cleaning or energy-generating.

Commenting on the launch of the Smart Living Index, Hakan Bulgurlu, Chief Executive Officer at Beko, said: “The Smart Living Index highlights the urgent need to bridge the trust gap in smart technology and its benefits to unlock its full potential for smarter, more sustainable living in every household. The findings also show how small, individual changes – when adopted at scale – can create significant collective impact. At Beko, we believe that consumers should have access to options designed to reduce environmental impact, regardless of financial pressures. By understanding global energy-saving trends and perceptions of smart appliances, we are even more equipped to meet the needs of our customers and support the shift toward more sustainable living.”

About Beko

Beko is an international home appliance company with a strong global presence, operating through subsidiaries in more than 55 countries with a workforce of over 50,000 employees and production facilities spanning multiple regions — including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Beko has 22 brands owned or used with a limited license (Arçelik, Beko, Whirlpool*, Grundig, Hotpoint, Arctic, Ariston*, Leisure, Indesit, Blomberg, Defy, Dawlance, Hitachi*, Voltas Beko, Singer*, ElektraBregenz, Flavel, Bauknecht, Privileg, Altus, Ignis, Polar). Beko became the largest white goods company in Europe with its market share (based on volumes) and reached a consolidated turnover of 10.6 billion Euros in 2024. Beko’s 28 R&D and Design Centers & Offices across the globe are home to over 2,300 researchers and hold more than 4,500 international registered patent applications to date. The company has achieved the highest score in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) in the DHP Household Durables industry for the seventh consecutive year (based on the results dated 16 October 2025).** The company has been recognized as the 17th most sustainable company on TIME Magazine and Statista’s 2025 list of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies. Beko’s vision is ‘Respecting the World, Respected Worldwide.’ 

www.bekocorporate.com

*Licensee limited to certain jurisdictions. 

 **The data presented belongs to Arçelik A.Ş., a parent company of Beko.

About Beko’s Smart Living Index

The Beko Smart Living Index (SLI) is the first of its kind — a comprehensive global study examining how consumers view and adopt sustainable home living and smart appliance technology. Developed to provide actionable insights for industry, policymakers, and media, the Smart Living Index explores how financial pressures, generational shifts, and cultural differences are shaping household behaviours worldwide.

The study surveyed 6,000 respondents across 12 markets — the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Pakistan, and South Africa. Representative demographic quotas for age, gender, geography, and education were applied to ensure each market accurately reflects its population’s views.

The research assessed multiple dimensions of smart living, including appliance usage, smart tech preferences, energy consumption awareness, sustainability priorities, trust in AI, and expectations of government policy.

The research was conducted by JL Partners, an independent research and insights agency, ensuring methodological rigor and representativeness.

About J.L. Partners

J.L. Partners is a global research and strategy consultancy specialising in understanding public opinion, consumer behaviour, and market dynamics. Founded by the team behind the research programme for 10 Downing Street in 2019, J.L. Partners combines deep political insight with commercial expertise to deliver meaningful, actionable intelligence. Using a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, we uncover how people think and why—whether targeting the general public, specific voter segments, product consumers, or emerging markets. More than just delivering data, we offer strategic guidance to help clients interpret insights and shape impactful campaigns in an increasingly uncertain and volatile world. We operate at a global scale with research capabilities across every major region.

Hakan Bulgurlu, Beko, CEO