A Private Estate Setting New Standards in Ultra-Luxury Living

DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Shamal Holding, the Dubai-based diversified investment firm, today unveils Naïa Island Dubai – a landmark private estate set to redefine ultra-luxury living in the region.

Naïa Island Dubai Location

At its heart, the island will host the region’s first Cheval Blanc maison, a defining moment for hospitality in the region. The maison will feature an intimate collection of suites and private villas, designed in Cheval Blanc’s distinctive style: contemporary, serene, and emotional luxury. A limited number of branded beachfront residences and estate plots will be available, each with private beach access offering a rare opportunity to reside on an island where design, nature, and lifestyle exist together perfectly.

Located just off Jumeirah’s coastline and seamlessly connected to Dubai’s principal roadways, Naïa Island Dubai has been designed as a resort masterplan shaped around open green spaces and coastal terrain. Its low-lying architecture offers unparalleled views of Dubai’s iconic landmarks, beautifully framed by the open sea. It is intended to provide residents and guests with the ultimate sense of exclusivity, privacy, and natural beauty.

Every amenity is designed to foster a connection with nature and a strong sense of place. From dining experiences to spa and wellness offerings, and a private marina, each element is thoughtfully integrated to flow with the island’s rhythm, grounding residents and guests in the surrounding landscape.

“This marks a defining chapter in our vision to create meaningful experiences, and an exciting step forward for Shamal as we continue to curate pioneering firsts that reinforce Dubai’s position as a global benchmark for exceptional, world-class living” said Abdulla Binhabtoor, CEO of Shamal Holding, “Naïa Island Dubai offers an enduring address, one that invites presence and lives beautifully overtime.”

With early works now underway, Naïa Island Dubai is poised to become one of the region’s most exclusive coastal addresses, a timeless setting reserved for a discerning few.

About Shamal

Born in Dubai, Shamal is a diversified investment firm that cultivates the extraordinary, through a unique portfolio of investments, experiences and assets. The investments we make are strategically chosen and thoughtfully nurtured, mirroring Dubai’s ambition, spirit, and energy.

Our real estate portfolio spans master communities, districts, residences, retail hubs and commercial spaces, we help realise potential, delivering unique developments such as Dubai Harbour and Nad Al Sheba Gardens. We invest in a range of properties, franchises and operations across the hospitality sector from luxury, premium and affordable experiences, with extraordinary domestic and international brands as diverse as Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Hart Shoreditch Hotel London, Baccarat Hotel & Residences Dubai, SUSHISAMBA and Five Guys. As the owning company of some of Dubai’s most unique and iconic leisure and entertainment destinations, we curate extraordinary experiences every day. We also partner with best-in-class asset managers to manage a globally diversified investment portfolio.

For more information visit www.shamal.com
Shamal LinkedIn: @shamalholding 
Shamal IG: @shamalholding

Shamal Holding Unveils Naïa Island Dubai

Shamal Holding Unveils Naïa Island Dubai

MAKATI CITY, Philippines , Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ACEN, the listed renewable energy platform of the Ayala Group, continues to demonstrate ESG leadership, securing recognition from two of the world’s leading Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating agencies: FTSE Russell and MSCI. These recognitions reflect ACEN’s ongoing commitment to embed sustainability at the heart of its strategy, anchored on environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and sound corporate governance.

ACEN has once again retained its place in the FTSE4Good Index Series for the third year in a row, underscoring the company’s consistent performance in implementing best-in-class ESG practices.

Created by the global index and data provider FTSE Russell, the FTSE4Good Index Series is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. The FTSE4Good indexes are used by a wide variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products.

FTSE Russell evaluations are based on performance in areas such as Corporate Governance, Health & Safety, Anti-Corruption and Climate Change.  Businesses included in the FTSE4Good Index Series meet a variety of environmental, social and governance criteria.

ACEN joins fellow Ayala companies in the 2025 FTSE4Good list—Ayala Corporation (since 2016), Globe and Ayala Land (since 2015), and BPI (since 2020)—reaffirming the Ayala Group’s long-standing commitment to global sustainability standards.

In 2025, ACEN also received a rating of A (on a scale of AAA-CCC) in the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment, recognizing the company’s improved management of financially material sustainability risks and opportunities, especially within the energy sector.

MSCI ESG Ratings evaluate a company’s exposure to ESG risks and how well it manages them relative to industry peers. Ratings range from AAA (leader) to CCC (laggard), using a rules-based methodology to identify ESG leaders within each sector.

At ACEN, sustainability is more than a responsibility, it’s a strategic lever for growth. The company believes that sustainability delivers real business outcomes, driving performance across its operations and partnerships.

Jonathan Back, ACEN Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, said:  “ESG is embedded in how we invest, operate and grow. These upgraded ratings reflect the strength of our decarbonization strategy and our ability to manage sustainability risks while creating long-term value. As we expand across the region, ESG remains central to building capital efficiency, investor confidence and resilient growth.”

About ACEN

ACEN (PSE:ACEN), the Ayala group’s listed energy platform, is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy platforms in Asia Pacific, with the Philippines as its core and largest market. It also has a significant presence in Australia, Vietnam, India, and Lao PDR, along with strategic investments in Indonesia and other markets. The company currently has ~7 GW of attributable renewable energy capacity spanning operational, under-construction, and committed projects.

As a developer, builder, and operator, ACEN leverages its agility and collaborative approach to accelerate the energy transition. Committed to unlocking access to clean, reliable, and affordable renewable energy, the company is on track to achieve 100% renewable energy generation by 2025 and reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050—turning bold ambitions into real impact for businesses, communities, and indigenous groups.

www.acenrenewables.com

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — XCENA™, a South Korea–based startup, unveiled its first product, MX1 computational memory, this week at the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) event. XCENA is displaying MX1 at FMS (booth #734) and will be offering working samples to select partners starting in October 2025. A production-ready version is planned for 2026.

CXL, The Foundation of MX1’s Architecture 

MX1 is the world’s first computational memory product supporting PCIe® 6.0 and Compute Express Link® (CXL®) 3.2, the latest version of CXL, an open standard enabling high-speed, low-latency communication between CPUs, memory, and accelerators. MX1 brings compute capabilities closer to the memory layer to overcome the limitations of traditional memory hierarchies. This reduces the overhead of moving large volumes of data between memory and the CPU and allows data to be processed near where it resides — an architectural shift that improves overall system performance and reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) in data centers. 

CXL introduces a more dynamic and flexible approach to system design. By supporting memory expansion, cache coherency, and direct memory access, the standard allows more efficient coordination across heterogeneous components. These capabilities form the foundation that MX1 builds on in order to scale data processing and reduce latency in demanding workloads. 

Under the Hood: How MX1 Works 

MX1 utilizes near-data processing, incorporating thousands of in-house RISC-V cores within the chip to handle computation near memory. This approach minimizes CPU involvement in data movement, accelerating tasks such as vector database operations, data analytics, and memory-intensive queries. 

MX1 provides SSD-backed memory expansion, delivering petabyte-scale capacity with minimal latency overhead. It also incorporates advanced reliability features and hardware-assisted compression to maximize usable capacity.

Software Support and Developer Integration 

To maximize the benefits of MX1, software support is essential. XCENA provides a fully-integrated software development kit (SDK) comprised of low-level drivers, runtime libraries, and supporting tools to help developers evaluate, prototype, and deploy MX1 with minimal integration effort.  

The software stack ensures compatibility with standard system environments and development workflows, enabling seamless adoption across data-intensive applications, from in-memory analytics to AI inference acceleration. 

As MX1 enters its proof-of-concept phase, XCENA invites developers, system architects, and partners to explore the new possibilities enabled by computational memory.  Together, the industry is moving one step closer to a more flexible and efficient performance computing paradigm. 

XCENA Wins Memory Innovation Award at FMS 2025 

This week, XCENA was awarded the “Most Innovative Memory Technology” award at FMS for its breakthrough innovation that addresses the “memory wall” in modern computing systems. The award marks the company’s second consecutive recognition at the event, following its selection as “Most Innovative Startup” in 2024. 

“Computational Memory represents an emerging architectural approach that aims to accelerate performance and efficiency, particularly for data-intensive tasks. It does this by minimizing data movement between processing and memory components,” said Jay Kramer, Chair of the Awards Program and President of Network Storage Advisors, Inc. “We are proud to recognize XCENA with MX1, the world’s first computational memory controller supporting CXL 3.X and enabling high-throughput acceleration for data intensive workloads like AI and analytics.”

FMS 2025 is currently taking place in Santa Clara, California, from August 5-7, bringing together global leaders in memory and storage technology. As an exhibitor, XCENA is showcasing MX1 in booth #734 and engaging with prospective partners, customers, and developers. 

About XCENA 
Founded in 2022, XCENA is a fabless semiconductor company developing intelligent memory solutions and data-centric computing architecture with a foundation built on Compute Express Link® (CXL®), an open coherent interconnect technology. The company focuses on improving performance and efficiency in data-intensive systems by pushing the boundaries of memory technology. To learn more about XCENA or its products, visit www.xcena.com and follow us on LinkedIn. 

Compute Express Link and CXL are trademarks of the CXL Consortium. 

Media Contact 
contact@xcena.com

VANCOUVER, Wash., Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Xencelabs, the brand dedicated to empowering artists with premium, best-in-class digital drawing tools, announced the Xencelabs Pen Display 24+ launch today. Designed as “A New Choice for Studio Creatives,” this groundbreaking display has Calman Ready color calibration technology built-in. This industry-first feature for pen displays will deliver unparalleled color accuracy and hardware-level calibration that enhances workflow efficiency in professional industries such as photography, illustration, animation, visual effects, filming, gaming, industrial design, and other color accuracy-critical creative fields.

An Industry First from Xencelabs
To address the need for color accuracy in the digital age, and requests from Xencelabs users, the Pen Display 24+ prioritizes color management for creative professionals who use drawing displays. Developed in collaboration with Portrait Displays, the built-in Calman Ready solution enables hardware-level calibration directly on the display. By storing calibration data (e.g., LUTs) on-device, artists achieve consistent, Hollywood-grade color fidelity across devices and workflows at all times.

Studio-Grade Color Precision, Simplified 
The color calibration process is streamlined with automatic features: users connect a Portrait Display C6 HDR5000 or compatible colorimeter to Calman^® Professional^[1] software which can bypass complex OS-level adjustments and software interferences, ensuring true-to-life colors meeting standard such as Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, Rec. 709, Rec. 2020 and sRGB. In addition to the above color space support, the Pen Display 24+ also supports the Pantone^®-validated palettes and SkinTone™-certified realism. With this newly updated compatibility, Xencelabs Pen Display 24+ makes a critical step forward for professional creators working at film studios, streaming giants, and design firms worldwide.

Beyond Color: A World-class, Premium Drawing Experience
The Pen Display 24 series provide thoughtful design and experience for every aspect of the creative journey:

• Pen-on-Paper Feel: The Super AG Etching™ glass surface provides optimal tooth, mimicking paper texture while eliminating glare and reflections, even under bright studio lights.
• Finely Tuned Pressure Curve: Developed with the feedback of 100+ professional artists, the finely tuned pressure curve (8,192 levels, 3g initial activation) captures nuances from delicate strokes to bold lines. Two included pens, the 3 Button Pen + Eraser v2 and Thin Pen + Eraser v2, offer customizable shortcuts and Felt and Standard nibs for tactile versatility. They are also compatible with Xencelabs’ v2 Pen Tablet Series.
• 4K UHD Visual Immersion: A 23.8-inch 4K display (3840×2160) renders over 1.07 billion colors with 99% Adobe RGB, 93% DCI-P3, and 99% sRGB coverage.
• Remote Work Flexibility: Support for HP Anyware^® (Windows Only) and Parsec^[2] enables secure remote workflows, ideal for teams working across town and across the globe.

Engineered for Productivity and Comfort
The Pen Display 24+ prioritizes uninterrupted creativity with a detail-oriented, ergonomic workflow:

• Quick Keys Remote: The Quick Keys shortcut remote has an OLED screen and offers up to 44 application-specific shortcuts (8 keys × 5 sets + 4 dial modes), auto-switching between software like Photoshop and ZBrush.
• Virtual Tablet Mode™: Control multiple monitors/displays as one seamless canvas using just the pen. Draw, drag, and interact across screens effortlessly. Customize overlay color, transparency, size, and position to perfectly fit different software workspaces, delivering a smarter, more personalized workflow.
• Silent, Fanless Design: With a fanless design and high-conductivity metal backplate, the Pen Display 24+ stays cool to the touch while remaining virtually silent, so you can stay focused on creation.
• Ergonomic Versatility: The included Tilt Stand (16°–72°) supports one-handed adjustments, while the optional Multi-Axis Stand enables rotation and positioning on the edge of the desk with Off-the-Desk Mode.

Everything You Need, Included
Every Pen Display 24+ includes two v2 Pens, Quick Keys remote, Tilt Stand, Pen Case, Bluetooth dongle, nibs, drawing glove, cleaning cloth, and all cables, eliminating the need to purchase additional accessories. Kensington MicroSaver^® 2.0 Lock Slot on the Pen Display and Kensington NANO^® Security Slot™ on the Quick Keys remote for extra protection against theft or loss.

Pricing and Availability
The Xencelabs Pen Display 24+ is available now for $1,899 USD. For specifications and regional purchasing, visit www.xencelabs.com

About Xencelabs
Founded in 2019 by industry veterans from animation, illustration, and industrial design, Xencelabs creates premium digital drawing tools for professionals worldwide. Sold in over 40 countries, its products empower artists to “Create What You Dream” through relentless innovation and artist-driven design. Subscribe to Xencelabs social account on social media and explore the advanced experiences that your creative work deserves. Visit to know more www.xencelabs.com

BRADENTON, Fla., Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Continuity Biosciences, a company pioneering next-generation combination product drug delivery, today announced the appointment of two highly distinguished leaders to its Board of Directors: Josephine M. Torrente, Director at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C., and Dr. Joseph M. DeSimone, serial entrepreneur and professor at Stanford University. These appointments mark a significant step forward in Continuity’s mission to advance transformative drug delivery technologies, supported by world-class regulatory expertise and materials science innovation.

Josephine M. Torrente

• Current Role: Director, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C., the largest dedicated FDA regulatory law firm in the U.S.
• Experience: Over 30 years advising pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on FDA regulatory strategy, product development, and lifecycle management
• Strategic Contribution: Ms. Torrente’s deep regulatory insight will guide Continuity’s clinical development and FDA engagement strategies as the company scales its pipeline

Dr. Joseph M. DeSimone

• Current Role: Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Professor of Translational Medicine and Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
• Honors and Recognition: National Medal of Technology and Innovation recipient; inventor on 200+ patents; author of 350+ scientific publications; One of only 25 people elected into all three US National Academies- Science, Engineering and Medicine
• Entrepreneurial Leadership: Co-founder of Carbon (developer of CLIP 3D printing); founder of Focal Medical (acquired by Continuity) and PinPrint, a 3D microdispensing platform in which Continuity has made a strategic investment
• Strategic Contribution: Dr. DeSimone’s expertise in materials science, digital manufacturing, and drug delivery perfectly aligns with Continuity’s platform focus on localized, precision therapeutics

Executive Commentary

“We are honored to welcome Josephine and Joe to our Board,” said Bob Whitehead, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Continuity Biosciences. “Josephine’s regulatory acumen and clear-eyed judgment are second to none. Joe is not only a visionary in drug delivery but also a trusted partner in our efforts through Focal Medical and PinPrint. Their expertise will be instrumental as we continue to scale our programs and build long-term value.”

Torrente and DeSimone join Continuity’s existing Board of Directors, which includes Bob Whitehead and Ramakrishna Venugopalan, PhD, MBA (Continuity’s co-founders), Monica Reed, MD, Mike Fowler, and Allen Weiss.

• Krishna Venugopalan formerly led combination product development at AbbVie, contributing to flagship therapies Skyrizi and the newly launched Vyalev—both high-impact combination products
• Mike Fowler is CEO of Affordable Housing Partners, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway
• Allen Weiss served as the President of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (now known as Disney Parks, Experiences and Products)
• Monica Reed is CEO of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth, where she oversees the strategic development and growth of the health system’s Great Lakes Region, including four hospitals and more than 50 sites of care

About Continuity Biosciences

Founded in 2024, Continuity Biosciences is developing advanced delivery platforms for biologics and complex therapeutics, with a focus on precision targeting and tunable release. Operating in Houston (TX), Raleigh (NC), Bradenton (FL), and Torino (Italy), Continuity’s pipeline spans oncology, metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, and women’s health. Through strategic acquisitions—including Focal Medical—and targeted investments like PinPrint, Continuity is building a differentiated platform to transform the delivery of challenging therapeutics.