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Australian Business Archistar Powers LA Wildfire Rebuild with Groundbreaking AI Technology

SYDNEY, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Sydney-based property technology company Archistar has officially launched its award-winning eCheck platform in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, LA County and City of Malibu, delivering a cutting-edge AI solution to fast-track rebuilding efforts in the wake of California’s devastating wildfires. This milestone comes on the heels of a strategic partnership with the International Code Council (ICC), reinforcing eCheck’s role as a trusted global solution for modernizing building approvals.

Archistar eCheck is helping to accelerate rebuilding efforts in the wake of the LA wildfires
Archistar eCheck is helping to accelerate rebuilding efforts in the wake of the LA wildfires

This landmark collaboration with Los Angeles – unveiled by Governor Gavin Newsom – sees Archistar join forces with LA’s city and county governments to deploy artificial intelligence at scale for the first time in California’s disaster recovery history.

“The current pace of issuing permits locally is not meeting the magnitude of the challenge we face,” said Governor Newsom. “To help boost local progress, California is partnering with the tech sector and community leaders to give local governments more tools to rebuild faster and more effectively.”

A California First with Global Impact

With thousands of homes and structures lost across Los Angeles, the eCheck platform is enabling homeowners, builders, and architects to pre-validate building designs against local codes before submission – ensuring faster, more accurate, and less error-prone applications.

Using generative AI, computer vision, and machine learning, Archistar’s technology reduces the need for manual assessments, eliminating delays caused by incomplete or non-compliant plans. By automating code compliance, local governments can now process permits with unprecedented speed and confidence.

“We are proud to be at the forefront of California’s wildfire recovery,” said Dr. Benjamin Coorey, Founder & CEO of Archistar. “This partnership with Los Angeles demonstrates what’s possible when governments embrace smart technology to serve their communities better. eCheck helps cut through red tape and gets families rebuilding faster — when they need it most.”

Transforming Cities Across the Globe

The City of Los Angeles, LA County and City of Malibu now join a network of over 30 global municipalities and local governments using Archistar’s AI solutions to streamline compliance and building approvals. These include Vancouver, Austin, New York, and state departments across Colorado and British Columbia.

Strengthening this global footprint, Archistar recently announced a strategic partnership with the International Code Council (ICC). Through this collaboration, eCheck is now seamlessly integrated with ICC’s Code Connect API®, allowing cities to automate code compliance checks with greater speed, consistency, and trust. The move follows a successful pilot with 11 U.S. jurisdictions and reinforces Archistar’s role as a leader in the next generation of digital permitting.

By embracing innovative tools like eCheck, these governments are creating smarter, more transparent approval systems that deliver better outcomes for residents, planners, and city staff – and help address urgent housing supply and resilience challenges worldwide.

Built in Australia, Built for the World

Headquartered in Sydney, Archistar is a world leader in AI-driven planning and compliance solutions. The company’s eCheck technology is trusted by city governments, planning departments, and property professionals to digitize complex codes, accelerate approvals, and power smarter development.

The LA launch was made possible through the combined efforts of Archistar, Autodesk, Amazon, Steadfast LA, and the LA Rises initiative — showcasing how public and private sectors can collaborate to deliver real-world impact.

www.archistar.ai/echeck 

Cyble Introduces Cost-Effective Support Package to Help Financial Services in Australia Implement ACSC Essential 8

MELBOURNE, Australia, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Cyble, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions and a trusted Threat Intelligence Provider in Australia, has unveiled a dedicated support package designed to help Australian financial services organizations—including fintech and SMBs—implement the ACSC Essential 8 controls in a cost-effective and scalable manner.

Endorsed by APRA, the ACSC Essential 8 outlines key cybersecurity strategies to reduce cyber risks. Yet, smaller financial firms often face cost and complexity barriers. Addressing this, Cyble offers a tailored solution that enhances cyber resilience—particularly in areas like Endpoint Security—while minimizing operational strain, making cybersecurity more accessible for fintechs and SMBs.

“At Cyble, we have made a strategic commitment to the Australian market, recognizing its critical role in the Asia-Pacific region’s financial landscape,” said Beenu Arora, CEO and Co-Founder of Cyble. He further added, “Our continued investment in tailored cybersecurity solutions demonstrates our dedication to supporting fintechs, SMBs, and financial institutions across Australia as they navigate increasingly complex threats and regulatory requirements.”

The Cyble Essential 8 Support Package maps directly to each of the eight controls, offering:

  1. Real-time vulnerability scans for timely patching of applications (Cyble Offers: Vulnerability Intelligence)
  2. EASM scans to detect OS vulnerabilities and unpatched systems (Cyble Offers: Attack Surface Management)
  3. Identify compromised endpoints and leaked credentials with MFA guidance (Cyble Offers: Dark Web Monitoring)
  4. Monitor leaked credentials and pastes across GitHub, Discord, etc., to limit admin access (Cyble Offers: Data Leak)
  5. Weekly scans of applications to support robust application control (Cyble Offers: Webscan Apps)
  6. Detect leaked scripts or code in cloud buckets to restrict Office macros (Cyble Offers: EASM and Data Leak)
  7. Hardening Assessment Tools to ensure user application hardening (Cyble Offers: EASM and Cloud Security Posture Management)
  8. Monitor cloud buckets for exposed backups and misconfigurations (Cyble Offers: Data Leak)

“At Cyble, we are deeply committed to supporting Australia’s financial services sector through tailored, locally informed cybersecurity solutions,” said Dipesh Ranjan, SVP at Cyble. “Our Essential 8 Support Package reflects substantial investment in the Australian market, enabling fintechs and SMBs to access enterprise-grade security aligned with APRA’s standards. We aim to empower organizations of all sizes to build cyber resilience cost-effectively, removing barriers imposed by traditional complexity and cost.”

Each component is powered by Cyble’s advanced threat intelligence and digital risk monitoring capabilities, ensuring proactive identification and mitigation of cyber risks before they escalate.

With this initiative, Cyble reaffirms its commitment to supporting Australia’s financial sector in building a cyber-resilient future—one that doesn’t compromise between security and affordability.

About Cyble

Cyble, a leading Threat Intelligence provider in Australia, delivers real-time threat intelligence, digital risk monitoring, and AI-powered cyber defense. With platforms like Cyble Vision, Hawk, TIP, and Titan, it helps organizations reduce risk, anticipate threats, and strengthen cyber resilience across a dynamic digital landscape.

For more information, visit www.cyble.com 

 

CoAsia SEMI and Rebellions Join Forces to Jointly Develop Next-Generation AI Chiplet Based on REBEL

  • Collaboration on Development and Supply of Next-Generation AI Chiplet and Server Software
  • Development and Verification by 2026; Large-Scale Mass Production Expected

SEOUL, South Korea, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CoAsia SEMI (CEO DS, Shin), a system semiconductor design specialist subsidiary of CoAsia, is supporting the development of AI chiplet and software solutions for data centers by providing its advanced packaging technologies to Rebellions (CEO Sung hyun, Park), a Korean AI semiconductor unicorn.

CoAsia SEMI and Rebellions Join Forces to Jointly Develop Next-Generation AI Chiplet Based on REBEL
CoAsia SEMI and Rebellions Join Forces to Jointly Develop Next-Generation AI Chiplet Based on REBEL

On July 22, Rebellions and CoAsia SEMI held a signing ceremony at Rebellions’ headquarters to finalize an agreement for the development of new chiplet package based on REBEL, Rebellions’ next-generation AI chiplets. The event was attended by the CEOs of both companies and CoAsia Group Chairman Lee Hee-jun, and the two companies agreed to form a partnership to cooperate in building a global AI ecosystem.

The two companies first collaborated in April by jointly securing a national project to develop a multi-petaflops PIM server chiplet. The new joint development agreement marks a deeper level of collaboration aimed at commercializing data center products, and will incorporate CoAsia SEMI’s expertise in 2.5D silicon interposer, advanced package development, and manufacturing technologies. Compared to conventional single SoC architectures, chiplet-based design offers superior design flexibility, yield, and optimization in power and performance, making it a core technology for AI and HPC servers in data centers.

The companies expect to complete development and verification by the end of 2026 and plan to supply large-scale production volumes to domestic and global AI data centers.

This collaboration also includes participation from global OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) and IP leaders. It is expected to establish a full ecosystem for addressing the global AI semiconductor market. With the completion of a comprehensive global semiconductor value chain encompassing fabless design, packaging, OSAT, and IP, the companies aim to lay the foundation for expansion into major AI/HPC markets including the United States, Europe, and Japan.

This collaboration with CoAsia SEMI involves the joint development of an expanded heterogeneous chiplet-based product that builds upon the REBEL architecture and incorporates I/O dies and HBM3E. The joint project is expected to expand the REBEL product roadmap.

“This collaboration is part of Rebellions’ strategy to diversify its AI semiconductor product lineup in response to the rapidly evolving AI market,” said Sung hyun, Park CEO and Co-founder of Rebellions.

“It signals the full-scale application of REBEL’s chiplet architecture and CoAsia SEMI’s advanced packaging capabilities. Through strategic collaboration with key partners like CoAsia SEMI, we will build a the next-generation packaging ecosystem that goes beyond development and leads all the way to mass production and commercialization.”

DS Shin, CEO of CoAsia SEMI, stated,

“The strategic technical collaboration between CoAsia SEMI and Rebellions — which brings together design, packaging, and software technologies — will play a pivotal role in shaping the AI semiconductor ecosystem.

Following this agreement, we plan to expand development and mass production supply with a Tier-1 AI customer in the United States soon, and will continue to secure our technological leadership in the fast-growing global AI semiconductor market.”

About CoAsia SEMI

CoAsia SEMI is a Samsung Foundry Design Solution Partner. The company specializes in advanced semiconductor design, silicon interposer development, and 2.5D/3D packaging technologies for AI and HPC markets.

About Rebellions

Rebellions is a South Korea-based AI semiconductor company focused on developing high-performance, energy-efficient accelerators for enterprise AI infrastructure and hyperscale data centers.

Synagistics Launches Digital Finance Group to Pioneer Asia’s Interoperable Multi-currency Stablecoins and Real-World Asset Tokenization Solutions Ecosystem

HONG KONG, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Synagistics Limited (HKEX: 2562), Southeast Asia’s leading AI-powered digital commerce platform, today announced the launch of Synagistics Digital Finance Group (SDFG), a strategic initiative aimed at building interoperable, multi-currency stablecoins and real-world asset tokenization solutions to power Asia’s digital finance infrastructure.

This milestone marks Synagistics’ official entry into the programmable finance sector, with SDFG positioned to bridge traditional financial systems and blockchain infrastructure. The new initiative will enable the tokenized settlement of real-world assets (such as trade receivables, inventory, and future cash flows) using stablecoins pegged to multiple fiat currencies, including the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), offshore Renminbi (CNY-H), Singapore Dollar (SGD), and others. This business expansion aims to deliver efficient, programmable settlements, greater liquidity, and seamless interoperability across Asia’s increasingly complex and fragmented financial ecosystems.

Strategic Financial Infrastructure for Asia

The new venture will be led by Ms. Katherine Tsang, former Chairperson of Greater China at Standard Chartered and Founder of Max Giant Capital. Ms. Tsang currently serves as Independent Non-Executive Director (INED) at China CITIC Bank International and Fidelity Emerging Markets (LSE), together with a team of seasoned financial and payments industry veterans. With decades of experience in asset management, banking, risk governance, and regional financial integration, Ms. Tsang brings exceptional credibility and execution capability to spearhead this initiative.

“As Asia accelerates toward digital integration, the financial rails that power trade must evolve. Stablecoins and real-world asset tokenization will redefine how capital flows across borders,” said Olive Tai, CEO of Synagistics Limited. “Through SDFG, we’re building critical infrastructure to unlock efficiencies and financial inclusion across Asia’s fast-growing trade corridors.”

“I’m excited to join forces with Synagistics, a company at the forefront of digital transformation. Its digital commerce platform and ecosystem offer an ideal foundation to deliver compliant, interoperable digital payment and institutional-grade tokenization,” added Katherine Tsang. “Our goal is to create a trusted, scalable solution that supports sovereign currencies, enhances regional liquidity, and empowers businesses with 24/7 programmable money.”

Embedded Use Cases Accelerate Real-World Adoption

A key strength of SDFG lies in its ability to leverage Synagistics’ existing infrastructure and commercial partnerships to fast-track adoption:

  • In partnership with China Post Hong Kong, Synagistics is co-developing an AI-driven digital trade platform to support China brand internationalization and enable seamless two-way e-commerce flows between China, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.
  • Working with Jiangsu Soho, a major Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) state-owned enterprise, Synagistics is rolling out a pan-regional AI-powered trade corridor across 11 countries — now integrating logistics, commerce, and programmable financial infrastructure.

These established platforms create a ready-made user base for SDFG’s tokenized payment and settlement capabilities, particularly among SMEs and exporters. In sectors where traditional finance is often slow, opaque, and costly, SDFG’s embedded use cases will significantly shorten time-to-scale while supporting regional policy efforts to boost BRI trade connectivity and digital finance innovation.

Tapping into a Trillion-Dollar Digital Trade Boom

Asia-Pacific is rapidly emerging as the global focal point for digital trade and programmable money. Southeast Asia’s e-commerce GMV is expected to surpass USD 295 billion by 2025, while intra-Asia trade—particularly among China, Central Asia, and ASEAN—is projected to exceed USD 700 billion. As regional economies seek alternatives to legacy financial networks, the market demand for regulatory-compliant, interoperable stablecoins and tokenized assets is expected to surge.

About Synagistics Limited (HKEX: 2562.HK)

Synagistics Limited is a Singapore-based AI and big data company listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company made history by completing Hong Kong’s first-ever De-SPAC transaction and is backed by strategic shareholders including Alibaba, Gobi Partners, and Hong Kong Telecom. Synagistics is at the forefront of innovation, driving the digital transformation of Asia’s rapidly evolving economy.

As a leading provider of digital solutions in Southeast Asia, Synagistics empowers more than 600 enterprises and global brands through its flagship data-driven commerce platform, Synagie. With the launch of Geene, its enterprise-grade generative AI platform, Synagistics has significantly expanded its AI capabilities—accelerating intelligent technology adoption across industries. Building on its strong technological foundation and commercial infrastructure, the company is also advancing into digital finance and asset tokenization delivering scalable, compliant solutions that connect commerce, data, and programmable financial services. Synagistics continues to strengthen its footprint across Greater China and key international markets, enabling businesses to thrive in an AI-powered digital future.

Skimlinks Partners with ChineseAN to expand revenue opportunities across Greater China and Global Markets

HONG KONG, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Skimlinks, a Taboola Company, today announces a commercial partnership with ChineseAN, a leading Affiliate Network in Greater China and South East Asia. This collaboration brings together Skimlinks’ powerful publisher network and ChineseAN’s extensive network of regionally focused advertisers to unlock new revenue opportunities and drive market growth.

Skimlinks publishers in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan now have access to leading global and local brands represented by ChineseAN, including Hyatt Hotels, Diane von Furstenberg, Philips, Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger, YSL Beauty, Kiehl’s, Kerastase, POLO Ralph Lauren and PUMA.

“We are excited to partner with ChineseAN to bring even more advertiser partnerships to our publishers in the region. The new brands in our network will enable publishers to create commerce content closely aligned with consumers’ local needs,” says Gaurav Arora, Global Partnerships Director at Skimlinks.

By leveraging Skimlinks’ network, including Yahoo Hong Kong, South China Morning Post, Conde Nast Taiwan, Hearst Taiwan, and Marie Claire Taiwan, ChineseAN advertisers can broaden their reach and drive incremental revenue.

Arora continues, “Skimlinks is delighted to take the next step in our journey in Greater China and Southeast Asia together with ChineseAN. Our partners in the region are already scaling commerce content into a meaningful source of revenue for their business and the additional advertiser partners available through ChineseAN represent a significant growth opportunity for publishers.”

“At ChineseAN, we believe the future of digital marketing lies in building authentic, scalable connections between brands and promotion channels. ChineseAN embodies this vision by combining advanced tracking technologies, intelligent optimisation tools, and a trusted network of quality publishers to deliver qualified leads and real conversions.” Says Joseph Lam, Founder & CEO ChineseAN, “Our expertise allows us to create tailored solutions that help advertisers reach customers with precision and efficiency, while empowering publishers to monetise their content effectively.”

The integration also provides transparency, giving ChineseAN’s brands access to comprehensive data on the specific publishers driving traffic and sales. Brands will be able to make more data-driven decisions and refine their affiliate strategies with detailed information broken down by publisher, including data on clicks, conversions, average order value, and conversion rates.

Lam adds, “In the past 18 years, ChineseAN has built up a very extensive network of brands and promotion channels in the Greater China and South East Asia region. Building win-win partnership, with strong mutual support and seamless data integration, has been our belief. We are happy to collaborate with Skimlinks, and believe this will help to expand our publisher channels to more international publishers, especially those which also operates in the region.”

About ChineseAN

ChineseAN is a leading affiliate platform operated under Ignite Vision Limited, a marketing technology company founded in Hong Kong in 2007. As the world’s first affiliate network covering Chinese and English websites globally, ChineseAN remains the only network offering comprehensive coverage across the Greater China region and South East Asia. Recognised as a pioneer of performance marketing in the region, ChineseAN leverages innovative advertising technology to deliver effective marketing solutions for brands expanding into China and Southeast Asia.

ChineseAN forms close partnership with various publishers and enhance results through adoption of the latest technologies. Among its thousands of publisher partners are top news and media portals, mobile apps, influencers, bloggers and individual affiliates. ChineseAN also works closely with loyalty partners across the Asia-Pacific region, including frequent flyer programs, retail and telecommunication companies and credit cards. These numerous partnerships offer brands extensive exposure and strong customer engagement, besides orders and revenue.

As part of Ignite Vision Limited, ChineseAN benefits from a robust regional infrastructure with teams in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei. Together with its sister platform Starry, an AI-powered influencer marketing platform, Ignite Vision empowers brands to achieve various marketing objectives through advanced technology and data-driven strategies.

About Skimlinks

Skimlinks is the leading commerce content monetization platform. Its technology automatically monetizes product links in commerce-related content to earn publishers a share of sales they drive. Its platform is a one stop solution providing the technology and the data to start and scale content commerce strategies across desktop and mobile.

Skimlinks is a Taboola company. Learn more at skimlinks.com.

New ETC report demonstrates that wind and solar-dominant power systems are competitive, reliable, and technically and economically feasible

LONDON, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) has today published a landmark report, Power Systems Transformation: Delivering Competitive, Resilient Electricity in High-Renewable Systems. The report sets out that global power systems dominated by wind and solar generation can reliably deliver electricity at costs comparable to or lower than today’s fossil fuel-based power systems in most parts of the world.

Electricity is projected to provide up to 70% of global final energy consumption in a decarbonised energy system, growing from around 20% today. Total global electricity demand could potentially triple, reaching 90,000 TWh by 2050 compared to 30,000 TWh today, and be met with new generation predominantly from wind and solar.

A Global Opportunity

The report shows that many countries can operate power systems with 70% or more electricity from wind and solar, using proven technologies available today, like battery storage, other energy storage, long-distance transmission, and flexible energy use. It highlights significant regional opportunities:

  • “Sun belt” countries – including India, Mexico, and much of Africa – are best-positioned to cut power system costs by transitioning to low-cost, solar-led systems, which mainly require day-night balancing.
  • In contrast, “wind belt” countries – such as the UK, Germany, and Canada – that rely on higher shares of wind face higher balancing costs, but can still achieve affordable, stable systems through smart policy and innovation.
  • In many regions, long-distance transmission lines can be one of the most cost-effective solutions to balancing supply and demand, and should be maximised where feasible.

Rapid electrification of buildings, transport and industries and decarbonisation of power systems must advance together to keep costs per kilowatt-hour affordable for consumers and businesses.

“Multiple technologies, including nuclear and geothermal, may play a role in zero-carbon power systems. But wind and solar will be the dominant source of power in most countries, providing 70% or more of electricity at costs at or below today’s fossil-based systems. In particular, in the global sun belt, the collapsing cost of solar PV and batteries makes possible far cheaper and more rapid growth in green electricity supply than seemed feasible 10 years ago. But wind belt countries can also achieve cost-effective decarbonisation by leading in offshore wind, long-duration storage, and grid innovation.” said Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission.

Key Findings:

  • It is technically possible for wind- and solar-dominant systems to be stable and resilient with the right mix of balancing and grid technologies. These systems are no more likely to experience blackouts than thermal generation-dominated systems.
  • High wind and solar systems can be competitive with today’s wholesale prices and grid costs. Sun belt countries could see costs more than halve to $30$40/MWh by 2050. Wind-dependent country costs (e.g., UK) are higher, but in the future could be comparable to current levels.
  • The “last mile” of decarbonisation will be the most expensive, particularly in countries which need ultra-long duration balancing to meet seasonal variations in supply and demand. Once countries have reached very low levels of carbon intensity (e.g., less than 50g per kWh), electrification is more important than rapid last-mile decarbonisation.
  • Up to 30% of all global power demand could be time-shifted through demand-side flexibility. This requires the development of dynamic pricing and the use of smart management technologies.
  • Grid costs per kWh can be kept stable. Total global grid length will need to more than double by 2050, reaching around 150–200 million km. Annual grid investment could rise from $370 billion in 2024, peaking at $870 billion in the 2030s. However, ~35% of grid expansion costs (equivalent to $1.3 trillion in Europe1) could be avoided between now and 2050 through the usage of innovative grid technologies.
  • Delivering low-cost, high variable renewable energy power systems will require strategic vision and planning, including market reform to put all technologies on a level playing field, grid modernisation enabled by innovative technologies, supply chain development strategies and customer engagement.

“Clean electricity is essential for climate action and is the most affordable way to power economic development. Countries can build resilient economies fit for the future by investing in renewables, grids, and flexibility now. Indeed it is their obligation to do so, according to the recent ICJ advisory opinion. Low-cost, clean power is what people, industry and businesses want. Countries must deliver it now, and this report shows that they can.” said Christiana Figueres, Founding Partner, Global Optimism.

Policymakers, the power industry, and financial institutions should collaborate to ensure:

  • Appropriate planning of high wind/solar systems to expedite planning approvals and minimise deployment bottlenecks.
  • Electrification of demand that keeps pace with generation and grid build-out to avoid the cost per kWh increasing for consumers.
  • Accelerate power market reforms to unlock investment in critical technologies.
  • Address workforce and supply chain bottlenecks to enable delivery at scale.

“Renewables are the core of the global energy transition, delivering clean, reliable, and affordable power. Wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, storage and modern grids are transforming electricity systems and opening new opportunities for growth, investment, and energy security.

To keep this momentum, deployment must advance alongside grid expansion, market reform, and investment. Together, these build competitive, resilient systems that support jobs and economic progress. With governments leading and the private sector supporting, renewables will deliver a clean, secure, and just energy future.” said Bruce Douglas, CEO at Global Renewables Alliance.

The ETC also published a supplementary briefing, Connecting the World: Long-Distance Transmission as a Key Enabler of a Zero-Carbon Economy, focused on the role of cross-border interconnectors and long-distance transmission in accelerating the energy transition.

Additional Quotes

Additional quotes from Ausgrid, Iberdrola, Mission Possible Partnership, Octopus Energy, Schneider Electric, SSE, Ember, and Transition Zero are available here.

About the ETC:
Power Systems Transformation: Delivering Competitive, Resilient Electricity in High-Renewable Systems was developed in collaboration with ETC members from across industry, financial institutions, and civil society. The Energy Transitions Commission is a global coalition of leaders from across the energy landscape committed to achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century. This report constitutes a collective view of the ETC; however, it should not be taken as members agreeing with every finding or recommendation.

Download the report: https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/HXpOC14zlTp3o0nsXs4iV1vhC?domain=energy-transitions.org/

For further information on the ETC, please visit: https://www.energy-transitions.org

1 BNEF (2024), New Energy Outlook.

SM nurtures next generation of entrepreneurs

PASAY CITY, Philippines, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Anchored on an inclusive supply chain network, the SM group’s partner-MSMEs (micro, small, medium enterprises) have grown alongside the group.

Home to the largest MSME community, SM is supporting over 100,000 MSMEs to date. Within the hundred thousand MSMEs are next generation entrepreneurs – Gen Zs (ages 13 to 28) and Millennials (ages 29-44).

From providing a marketplace to showcase their products, marketing support to financial access, the SM group continues to enable the growth of these young entrepreneurs.

Launchpad and marketplace for dreamers

Close to 70% SM Supermalls tenants are MSMEs.

Championing the next generation of Filipino business leaders, Mr. Joaquin L. San Agustin, Executive Vice President for Marketing, SM Supermalls shared, “We’ve seen a growing presence of Gen Z and Millennial entrepreneurs across our MSME programs. These young, up-and-coming business owners have been actively joining our fairs and leasing spaces. Many are first-time entrepreneurs, creatives, or former online sellers who now see the value of connecting with customers face-to-face. SM is here to be the launchpad and marketplace of their dreams.”

Aspiring entrepreneurs often discover the possibility of being a tenant through SM Supermalls MSME application portal, ongoing pop-up markets like the Viyline MSME Caravan, Artisan, Souk Fair and the Art Market to name a few.

“Working with these young entrepreneurs is always refreshing. We’ve seen firsthand how their energy and innovation breathe new life into our malls, turning booths into mini experiences and side hustles into real businesses,” Mr. San Agustin added.

Strong advocate for small businesses

Kultura, a retail brand of the SM group, was always a dream platform for Hannah Garcia, founder of Pamanna Jewelry. She was 28 years old when she started her business which began as a passion project – brewed by early exposure to retail and craftsmanship.

Kultura has around 15 to 20 Gen Z and Millennial partner-suppliers who, like Ms. Garcia, had the courage to start on their own.

“We choose our suppliers based on their understanding of the market and if they can develop the products we need. We also assess their willingness to grow with Kultura and if their values align with ours,” shared Sheila Tan, Senior Assistant Vice President for Operations, Kultura.

About SM Investments Corporation

SM Investments Corporation is one of the leading Philippine companies that is invested in market-leading businesses in retail, banking, and property. It also invests in ventures that capture high growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.

SM’s retail operations are the country’s largest and most diversified, consisting of grocery stores, department stores and specialty retail stores. SM’s property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is the largest integrated property developer in the Philippines with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels, and convention centers as well as tourism-related property developments. SM’s interests in banking are in BDO Unibank, Inc., the country’s largest bank, and China Banking Corporation, the fourth largest private domestic bank.

For more information, please visit www.sminvestments.com

BlackLine Appoints Greg Hughes to Board of Directors, Expanding Enterprise Software and Strategic Growth Expertise

LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — BlackLine, Inc. (Nasdaq: BL), the future-ready financial operations platform for the Office of the CFO, today announced the appointment of Greg Hughes to its Board of Directors effective July 25, 2025. A seasoned enterprise software executive, Hughes brings decades of experience leading strategic transformation at scale.

Hughes most recently served as CEO of Veritas, a global leader in data protection and other mission-critical software. Under his leadership, Veritas re-ignited ARR growth, successfully transitioned to a new subscription pricing model, and created and scaled a cloud business. The transformation of Veritas culminated in a merger of the data protection business with Cohesity, an AI-powered data security and management company. Hughes continues to serve on the board of the merged entity.

In addition to his executive roles, Hughes brings significant public board experience, having served on the board of LogMeIn, a publicly traded collaboration software company, from 2011 to 2017.

Hughes’ appointment follows the addition of Sam Balaji, former CEO of Deloitte Consulting, to BlackLine’s board in June 2025. Together, Hughes and Balaji bring decades of executive leadership across enterprise software, consulting, cybersecurity, and digital transformation—adding to an already experienced and engaged board that continues to play a vital role in guiding BlackLine’s growth and innovation strategy.

“We are thrilled to welcome Greg to BlackLine’s Board of Directors,” said Owen Ryan, Co-CEO and Chairman of the Board of BlackLine. “With Greg and Sam joining an already strong and strategic board, we are deepening our bench of expertise in enterprise technology, global operations, and transformation at scale. The collective leadership and experience of our board is a powerful asset as we continue executing our strategy and delivering long-term value to our customers and shareholders.”

“Greg’s track record of scaling companies and leading through inflection points makes him a natural fit for BlackLine,” added Therese Tucker, Co-CEO and Founder of BlackLine. “He understands what it takes to build and grow category-defining platforms, and I’m excited to welcome him as we continue to innovate for the Office of the CFO.”

“BlackLine has built a differentiated platform with significant opportunities ahead,” said Greg Hughes. “I’m honored to join the board and look forward to working with the other board members and leadership team to help advance the company’s strategy and support its continued momentum as a category leader in financial operations.”

About BlackLine
BlackLine (Nasdaq: BL), the future-ready platform for the Office of the CFO, drives digital finance transformation by empowering organizations with accurate, efficient, and intelligent financial operations.

BlackLine’s comprehensive platform addresses mission-critical processes, including record-to-report and invoice-to-cash, enabling unified and accurate data, streamlined and optimized processes, and real-time insight through visibility, automation, and AI. BlackLine’s proven, collaborative approach ensures continuous transformation, delivering immediate impact and sustained value. With a proven track record of innovation, industry-leading R&D investment, and world-class security practices, more than 4,400 customers across multiple industries partner with BlackLine to lead their organizations into the future.

For more information, please visit blackline.com.

 Media Contact

Samantha Darilek
VP, Communications,
samantha.darilek@blackline.com

Investor Contact:

Matt Humphries
SVP, Investor Relations,
matt.humphries@blackline.com

Safe Harbor

This document contains forward-looking statements. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, expectations of future operating results or financial performance of BlackLine, Inc. (“BlackLine” or the “Company”), the calculation of certain key financial and operating metrics, capital expenditures, introduction of new solutions or products, expansion into new markets, regulatory compliance, plans for growth and future operations, technological capabilities, and strategic relationships, as well as assumptions relating to the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “intend,” “potential,” “would,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all.

Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management’s good faith beliefs and assumptions as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward looking statements. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this presentation may not occur and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors” in the filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) from time to time, which are available on our website at http://investors.BlackLine.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as required by law, BlackLine does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. 

In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this presentation, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.

In addition to U.S. GAAP financials, this document includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, including non-GAAP revenue, gross profit, gross margin, free cash flow, sales and marketing expense, research and development expense, general and administrative expense, loss from operations and operating margin (loss). These non-GAAP measures are in addition to, not a substitute for or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures we use may differ from the non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.

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