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NeuralFin adds strategic investors, DLH accelerates AI Agent push

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 04 April 2025 – DL Holdings Group, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Main Board (stock code: 1709.HK) announced the strategic restructuring of DL Digital Family Office (DLDFO). In this transaction, DLDFO introduced three new strategic investors at a valuation of $35 million and launched an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) to bolster the technological R&D and market expansion of its wholly-owned subsidiary, NeuralFin, in the AI Agent sector.

NeuralFin has pioneered the integration of neuroscience and artificial intelligence, transforming AI Agents from passive responders to proactive service providers. In practical applications, NeuralFin’s AI Agents have developed multiple specialized service modules. The Intelligent Investment Advisor Agent offers 24/7 asset allocation services, while the Behavioral Prediction Agent leverages behavioral economics and neuroscience to build investor behavior models, effectively identifying and warning against irrational trading tendencies.

“Traditional fintech only addresses expressed client needs, but our AI Agents can uncover unspoken demands, truly achieving ‘autonomous learning and service during sleep,'” said Andy Chen, Chairman and CEO of DL Holdings. “NeuralFin’s AI Agent system is redefining the standards and experience of wealth management services.”

Regarding strategic investments, DL Holdings transferred 28% equity of DLDFO to three professional investment institutions at a price of $9.8 million. This round of financing reflects a 15% valuation increase compared to the previous round, underscoring market confidence in NeuralFin.

The newly introduced investors are industry leaders in their respective sectors. GPTX Tech-Driven LPF, a Hong Kong-based tech investment firm, specializes in AI and digital technologies and will enhance NeuralFin’s technical upgrades with its robust AI algorithm expertise. C Capital AI Limited, part of the asset management platform under Youngtimers AG (a Swiss-listed company), brings extensive industry connections and investment experience, having backed projects like XPeng Motors and Lalamove. Shuren Education Limited, a key player in education, will drive innovative applications of NeuralFin in the education sector.

For talent retention, DL Holdings launched an ESOP, transferring 25% of DLDFO’s equity to an ESOP platform free of charge, covering executives and core technical teams. This move highlights DL Holdings’ commitment to retaining top talent amid fierce competition in fintech.

Andy Chen stated, “The core competitiveness of tech finance lies in talent. This plan allows our team to directly share in the company’s growth, fostering innovation and cohesion. We look forward to more employees becoming long-term partners as we advance together.”

Moving forward, DL Holdings will deepen its exploration of AI-driven fintech, leveraging the synergy of “technology + capital + talent” to enhance NeuralFin’s service capabilities and market share. The group aims to sustain a virtuous cycle of innovation and commercialization, delivering greater value to investors and leading the next wave of intelligent financial services.

Hashtag: #DLHoldingsGroup

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

indent and Red Seven Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Creative IP-Works

  • This collaboration will leverage Nola’s Creative Writing Platform to enhance webtoon development and drive innovation in IP creation.

TOKYO, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — indent, Inc., the developer of Nola, a creative Writing platform[*1] that connects over 500,000 writers with more than 30 publishing labels, has entered into a strategic partnership with Red Seven Inc., led by CEO Lee Hyun-seok, a group company of Red Ice Studio, known for producing “Tomb Raider King”.tom

On March 1, 2025, both companies agreed to strengthen the corporate “IP Development Total Package,” leveraging Nola’s extensive database of over 2 million Japanese “gensaku” – original IP-works –  by Providing comprehensive support for businesses, from sourcing and discovering original IP-works to developing them into full-fledged multimedia content, including webtoons, comics, and novels.

indent and Red Seven Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Creative IP-Works
indent and Red Seven Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Creative IP-Works

Purpose of the Partnership

This alliance aims to contribute to the growth and revitalization of the global webtoon market, with a particular focus on Japan and South Korea. It does so by leveraging Red Seven’s production expertise, which has resulted in numerous high-quality global hit webtoons such as “The Great Mage Who Returned After 4000 Years” and “Tomb Raider King”, along with Nola – Creative Writing Platform, indent’s creative platform that connects writers and companies. 

Background and Vision of the Partnership

With the widespread adoption of digital devices, the webtoon market has firmly established itself in South Korea as a platform optimized for multimedia storytelling. This market is experiencing rapid global expansion, including in Japan, and is projected to reach 3.85 trillion yen by 2028[*2]. However, as the industry grows at an unprecedented pace, ensuring a sustainable production system and maintaining quality remain pressing challenges.

Until now, indent has supported businesses seeking to develop media-mixable IPs originating from novels, manga, and webtoons through its IP Development Total Package, leveraging a database of over 2 million Japanese “gensaku” (original IP-works) created by 500,000 writers. With this new partnership, Red Seven will take the lead in overseeing and providing comprehensive support for the webtoon sector within this package.

By utilizing Red Seven’s specialized expertise in establishing and expanding production systems, this collaboration will drive business growth for participating companies while also helping to build a sustainable ecosystem for the long-term success and innovation of the webtoon industry.

Statements from Company Representatives

Red Seven Inc, CEO ,  Lee Hyun-seok
Red Seven Inc, CEO , Lee Hyun-seok

Red Seven Inc, CEO,  Lee Hyun-seok

“As of 2024, Japan’s manga industry has reached a historic high, surpassing 700 billion yen. In light of this industry milestone, Red Seven and indent have formed a business alliance to foster meaningful collaboration in the webtoon market.

Amid this period of growth driven by digital innovation, both our companies recognize the critical importance of developing high-quality IP and productions and are committed to ensuring the sustainable development of the webtoon industry.

Our partnership aims to discover talented creators and nurture original works that captivate both Japanese and global audiences. Both companies will work to create an environment where creators can fully realize their potential.

By combining indent’s expertise in operating Nola – Creative Writing Platform with Red Seven’s extensive experience in webtoon production, this collaboration will enable a mutually complementary partnership. Through these efforts, both our companies seek to contribute to the healthy growth of the webtoon industry and deliver valuable content to readers worldwide.”

indent, Inc., CEO Yuki Kamagata
indent, Inc., CEO Yuki Kamagata

indent, Inc., CEO Yuki Kamagata

“This alliance is a major step toward creating new value in the rapidly expanding webtoon market by maximizing the strengths of both companies.

With demand for Japanese original works increasing around the world, our company envisions to contribute to the development of the industry as a whole by establishing a consistent support system for the creation of media-mixable IP starting from webtoons through this alliance.

indent, Inc. will combine the expertise and resources of both companies to explore new possibilities for webtoon. The goal is to create an environment where writers using the Nola – Creative Writing Platform can focus more on their craft, while also fostering a dynamic ecosystem where businesses and emerging talent connect, leading to the creation of inspiring content.

What is  “IP Development Total Package”?

Target Audience: Companies aiming to create media-mixable IP, starting from webtoons, novels, and manga.
Package Contents: Comprehensive support is provided, covering everything from identifying and acquiring original works to full-scale production.

Recruitment of Japanese “gensaku” (original IP works)

Example: Utilizing the “Editorial Board” Feature

A corporate-exclusive feature within Nola – Creative Writing Platform Novel, a novel submission site where works written on Nola – Creative Writing Platform can be posted directly. This function allows companies to list the types of works they seek and specify key criteria, enabling them to identify and acquire submissions from writers tailored to their needs.

Example: Japanese “gensaku” (original IP works) identify and acquire Contest

Taking advantage of the fact that more than 60,000 new works are created each month on Nola – Creative Writing Platform, the contest facilitates connections between companies and emerging authors. Companies receive support in designing contest requirements to align with the type of works they seek.

Comprehensive assistance is provided for all aspects of contest operations, including contest page design and development, management, and expanding awareness among writers.

Discovery of Japanese “gensaku” (original IP works)

Red Seven, which has produced multiple global hit webtoons, and Yui Tsutsumi, the outside director of indent, recognized for discovering and editing numerous successful works in the isekai (otherworldly) genre, lead IP discovery efforts. A specialized discovery team with expertise in content selection, along with proprietary systems, is used to identify promising original works.

Co-production of works

In the webtoon sector, support is provided for the adaptation of promising Japanese “gensaku” (original works) into webtoons. This process maximizes Indent’s editorial resources while leveraging Red Seven’s expertise and production know-how.

Please feel free to contact us at the following link.
For inquiries, please contact: https://indent.co.jp/en/contact

(*1) What is “Nola – Creative Writing Platform”?

Nola – Creative Writing Platform is a creative platform operated by indent, Inc., that connects authors and companies, with over 500,000 registered authors. In addition to supporting data synchronization across both PC and mobile devices, the platform offers various tools to facilitate structured storytelling, including plot creation, character management, and setting material organization. Features such as manuscript writing, setting management, and plotting functions have been developed to support authors in their creative endeavors.

Nola – Creative Writing Platform Service HP:
https://nola-novel.com/ 

App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/id1468307521

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nola.app&hl=ja&gl=US 

(*2) QYResearch <2023> “Global Webtoon Market Report 2023-2029”.

Red Seven Co.

Company name: Red Seven Co.
Location: Victoria Center 7F, 4-6-10 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
CEO: Lee Hyun-seok
Establishment: January 11, 2019 (Established on September 14, 2020 by reorganizing L7, a limited liability company)
Business: Production, import, export and distribution of comics, etc., and production, import, export and distribution of animation and movies, etc.
Company URL: https://redseven.jp/  

indent, inc. Company Profile

Company name: indent, Inc.
Location: 4F Kanda Misaki-cho Building, 3-6-12 Kanda Misaki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
CEO Yuki Kamagata
Establishment: October 8, 2019
Business: Planning, development, and operation of Internet services
Company URL: https://indent.co.jp/en   

Trading in 2025: Octa Broker on Market Accessibility and Smart Investment Strategies


KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 April 2025 – Financial trading has undergone a major change in the past decade. Global financial markets are being accessed more and more, with technology empowering individual traders. Access that was previously in the hands of big financial institutions is now available for retail investors, thanks to advanced trading systems, real-time access to data, and automated analysis tools.

Octa

Southeast Asia has seen extremely high growth in trade participation, and retail investors are increasingly gravitating towards financial platforms that provide analytics, education, and trading technology. As financial markets become increasingly more accessible, so is interest in making trade more strategic, educated, and risk-aware.

The Expansion of Global Financial Markets
The trading world has expanded significantly in recent years. The combined market capitalisation of financial trading reached nearly $800 billion in 2024 and is projected to increase to more than $1.4 trillion by 2030. The expansion is caused not only by institutional investment but also by individual traders’ easy access to trading platforms.

One of the key forces driving this growth is the financial services technology revolution. Internet-based platforms now allow investors to trade multiple asset classes other than traditional investments, including currencies, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies. Unlike a decade ago, when trading in finances was specialised and had massive capital reserves, current platforms allow one to invest with lower entry points and improved market transparency.

Enhanced Accessibility of Financial Markets And Its Drivers
Advancements in financial technology (FinTech) have revolutionised the way traders interact with global markets. Modern trading platforms provide:

  • real-time market data and analysis
  • automated trading tools to execute strategies efficiently
  • access to multiple asset classes from a single interface.

This transformation has made trading more efficient, allowing investors to diversify their portfolios while managing risks through enhanced analytical tools.

One of the key changes in recent years has been the shift towards financial education. Traders no longer rely on speculation but are going out of their way to learn from market analysis, professional advice, and financial education courses. Websites that offer market insights, webinars, and instructional materials are helping traders formulate well-researched strategies.

Choosing a Reliable Financial Service Provider
For those looking to engage in financial markets, selecting a trustworthy platform is crucial. Solid financial platforms value openness, offering clear trading terms, secure trades, and access to expert market research. A quality provider should also focus on financial education, offering the information and tools traders need to make informed decisions.

When evaluating financial services, traders should look for:

  • transparency in pricing and conditions
  • secure and quick fund withdrawals
  • comprehensive analytical tools and educational support.

Platforms that integrate these features enable traders to navigate the complexities of financial markets more effectively.

Technology’s Impact on Trading Strategies

1. Automation and Data-Driven Decision-Making
Existing trading methods highly rely on automation and AI-based analysis. Powerful algorithms now guide traders to ascertain market direction, predict price swings, and initiate trades automatically. This reduces errors and improves efficiency.

As an illustration, automated risk management systems such as stop-loss and take-profit orders allow traders to manage likely losses by setting pre-agreed trade exit points. Traders can minimise risk without having to monitor the market continuously through the use of such tools.

2. The Rise of Mobile Trading
With mobile-first trading platforms, investors can now trade anywhere with real-time alerts, mobile-optimised analytics, and immediate order execution. Mobile trading offers enhanced accessibility, further bringing financial markets within reach and making them more inclusive and dynamic.

Adapting to the Evolving Financial Landscape
With further developments in global markets, the need for traders to keep pace also arises through their education and exposure to the platforms with appropriate tools and study material available. These include:

  • following market trends and using analytical insights
  • choosing financial platforms that provide transparent conditions and risk management tools
  • leveraging financial education to refine trading strategies.

Financial markets have transformed, and trading is more accessible than ever before. By creating advanced trading platforms, education, and automated tools, retail traders are now more capable of addressing financial markets confidently and with strategic insight. Platforms like Octa are facilitating this evolution by offering market insights, educational tools, and transparent trading services to allow traders to make more informed choices in an ever-evolving financial landscape.

___

Disclaimer: Trading involves risks and may not be suitable for all investors. Use your expertise wisely and evaluate all associated risks before making an investment decision.
Hashtag: #Octa

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

Octa

is an international CFD broker that has been providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers commission-free access to financial markets and various services used by clients from 180 countries who have opened more than 52 million trading accounts. To help its clients reach their investment goals, Octa offers free educational webinars, articles, and analytical tools.

The company is involved in a comprehensive network of charitable and humanitarian initiatives, including the improvement of educational infrastructure and short-notice relief projects supporting local communities.

In Southeast Asia, Octa received the ‘Best Trading Platform Malaysia 2024’ and the ‘Most Reliable Broker Asia 2023’ awards from Brands and Business Magazine and International Global Forex Awards, respectively.

OH!SOME Opens its First Store in Vietnam : A One-stop Destination for Global Selected Products


HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 April 2025 – On April 4, 2025, OH!SOME officially enters the Vietnam market, with its very first store opening at Crescent Mall in Ho Chi Minh City.

OH!SOME
OH!SOME

OH!SOME, as a one-stop trendy retail brand, benefits from primary business focus on fashion retail, IP, advanced technology and expanding into diverse family entertainment centers, powered by and efficient global supply chain and a wide selection of high-quality items at competitive prices. The brand values and appreciates local cultures, continuously innovating with new retail concepts and adapting product selections and marketing strategies to align with local tastes and to foster deeper connections.

OH!SOME offers an extensive range of products to ensure customers have plenty of choices tailored to their needs, including beauty and skincare from Korea, food and beverage, daily essentials, electronic goods, fashion toys from around the world. With eye-catching decor, gachapon machines, claw machines and vibrant photo check-in spots in stores, it aims to offer a seamless shopping experience.

The brand works closely with Disney on IP collections. The latest collaborative products featuring classic character Winnie the Pooh are currently available in Crecent Mall OH!SOME store. With exclusive offerings that include plush toys, accessories, picnic mats, outdoor accessories, bento boxes, and plush bags, customers can shop according to their preferences.

In addition, by following OH!SOME’s official accounts @ohsome.vn on Instagram, customers are welcome to join OH!SOME membership to foster customer engagement, enjoy privileges on Meet and Greet events, community gatherings, birthday treats and special deals and promotions through rewarding programs.

OH!SOME had launched 110 stores across countries by the end of March. OH!SOME values Vietnam as a priority market. To strengthen its presence and immense growth potential, OH!SOME’s first store in Hanoi will open in early April and it will expand into more unique stores in other Vietnam major cities. By the end of the first half of 2025, OH!SOME will open up to 8 stores in Vietnam.

Store Address: BF1-02B Floor B1, Crescent Mall, Ton Dat Tien Avenue, Tan Phu Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City.

For more information, follow OH!SOME’s official Instagram: @ohsome.vn.

Hashtag: #OH!SOME

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

Cathay United Bank Takes Home 6 Awards From the Retail Banker International for Digital Excellence

TAIPEI, April 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Cathay United Bank once again dazzled international audiences, sweeping six awards from the Retail Banker International, a leading global finance publication: “Excellence in App Security Implementation”, “Best App for Customer Experience”, “Best in Customer Relationship Management”, “Best Use of Big Data in Customer Strategy”, “Cloud Migration Advances – Strategy & Planning for Mastering Cloud Strategies & Planning Transformation Blueprints”, and “Cloud Migration Advances – Completed Deployment for AWS Data Migration Landing Zone”.

Caption: Cathay United Bank took home six awards from the Retail Banker International.
Caption: Cathay United Bank took home six awards from the Retail Banker International.

Dedicated to enhancing customers’ digital security, Cathay United Bank has not only implemented strict identity verification measures and 2-step verification, but also employed machine learning to proactively monitor the security of every transaction. Notifications will instantly appear for any high-risk transactions, ensuring that each transaction is conducted by the customer personally. Furthermore, the CUBE App’s advanced security health check enables customers to review their digital security at all times. These efforts to strengthen digital security earned the Bank the “Excellence in App Security Implementation” award.

With its sights set on the Southeast Asian market, Cathay United Bank launched the “CUBE Vietnam App”, a loan application specifically designed for Vietnam. By aligning with the needs of the State Bank of Vietnam’s digital transformation policies and drawing on Taiwan’s own experience, the Bank successfully introduced cloud-native tools, data-driven risk models, and international-standard identity verification systems, offering customers in Vietnam a streamlined online loan experience. Aside from winning Vietnam’s National Digital Transformation Award, the Bank’s outstanding performance earned itself the “Best App for Customer Experience” award.

Cathay United Bank has always valued its relationship with sustainable customers, even establishing a department dedicated to managing customer relationships in 2024. To boost customer satisfaction and loyalty, the Bank adopted groundbreaking management models, including using innovative data to identify customer wealth management needs and employing data-driven models to match the best-suited financial advisor for each customer. Recognizing the Bank’s commitment to strengthening customer relationships, the Retail Banker International awarded the Bank with the “Best in Customer Relationship Management” award. In addition, the Bank introduced a new management tool, “PBG”, which stands for “Precision Diagnose”, “Better Support”, and “Great Customer Experience”. PBG assists branch supervisors in improving customer experiences through data-driven solutions. Chief Data and Analytics Officer Joe Liang remarked that PBG is able to successfully transform customer management data into customer insights, thereby enabling financial advisors to provide better services to wealth management customers. Such innovation rightly earned the Bank the “Best Use of Big Data in Customer Strategy” award.

Cathay United Bank has also made remarkable progress in cloud technology, creating the first AWS data migration landing zone in Taiwan’s financial industry. Acknowledging the Bank’s achievements in creating a secure and scalable framework that can be extended to data migration and AI applications, the Bank was awarded the “Cloud Migration Advances – Strategy & Planning for Mastering Cloud Strategies & Planning Transformation Blueprints”, and “Cloud Migration Advances – Completed Deployment for AWS Data Migration Landing Zone” awards for the second year running. Deeply committed to providing quality financial services, the Bank declared that it would persist with its customer-centric approach, leveraging innovative technology to optimize digital financial services.

Don’t Miss an AI-driven Future at Beijing InfoComm China 2025 (16-18 April)

APAC’s premier Pro AV show set to feature over 400 new-to-market products and renowned industry tech trailblazers

BEIJING, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The future of AI integration in professional audiovisual (Pro AV) takes center stage as Beijing InfoComm China 2025 prepares to open its door from April 16-18 at China National Convention Center (CNCC). Themed “Where China is Shaping the Digital-Forward Future”, the annual show brings together 400 leading global technology brands, presenting APAC’s premier platform for showcasing advanced AI and AV integrations and innovations.

Don’t Miss an AI-driven Future at Beijing InfoComm China 2025 (April 16-18)
Don’t Miss an AI-driven Future at Beijing InfoComm China 2025 (April 16-18)

All-new “AI Tech Application Zone” Debuts with Baidu’s Ernie Bot and PaddlePaddle

Beijing InfoComm China reinforces its position of delivering the latest AI trends, introducing the all-new “AI Tech Application Zone”, in Hall P, Level 4 of CNCC. This dedicated area brings together leading and emerging AI innovators, including Baidu (showcasing its Ernie Bot and PaddlePaddle deep learning platform), Shanghai Vanadium, IDMA, LynkSoul AI, Hanhao Technology, Weshop Al, CCW Technology and Dream Portal, offering visitors a unique glimpse into the future of AI+AV integrated intelligence and creative solutions.

Highlights at AI Tech Application Zone include:

AI Empowerment, Reshaping Experience: From AI digital humans to AI gaming companions, or from AI content capture to AI one-stop movie-grade video generation, come experience how AI technology subverts traditions in creating immersive, intelligent and personalized experiences.

Scenario-driven, Future-powered: Focusing on core application scenarios such as advertising, cultural tourism, e-commerce, conferencing collaboration, education and entertainment, explore how AI technology can empower industry upgrades and open up new future formats.

Direct Access to Innovators & Trends: Connect one-on-one with industry leaders, gain in-depth understanding of the latest AI technology achievements and successful use cases, and stay ahead of the competition with the latest industry trend knowledge.

Over 400 New Products Showcasing AI+AV Integration Trends at Beijing InfoComm China

This year’s show reflects the explosive growth in AI+AV integration and reveals three major trends. First, AI technology has advanced from conceptual stages to widespread practical applications. Second, there is a significant trend of cross-vertical integration, with Pro AV technology becoming deeply interspersed with AI, cloud computing, big data, IoT and other technologies. Third, AI application scenarios are becoming more diversified and innovative.

As such, over 400 global brands, including BARCO, BOSE, Christie, Philips (TPV Group), Shure, Sony, Audio-Technica, Unilumin, Leyard, Absen, AVCIT, DIGIBIRD and Hisense, are set to demonstrate these trends in action, with a collective more than 400 new products and AI technologies debuts.

Over 400 New Products Showcasing AI+AV Integration Trends at Beijing InfoComm China 2025
Over 400 New Products Showcasing AI+AV Integration Trends at Beijing InfoComm China 2025

Game-changers in Cultural Tourism, Enterprises and Sports Events
Leveraging Tech to Disrupt Experiences

The landscapes of cultural tourism, enterprises, and sports events have experienced rapid transformations. Related organizations must focus on user needs, creating differentiated experiences through cross-vertical innovations. Beijing InfoComm China brings together the latest advanced display solutions, AR/VR/MR technologies, holographic immersive projection, and AI digital humans, to create different application scenarios that push creative boundaries. Visitors can look forward to seeing first-hand practical showcases from leading innovators including: Unilumin (transparent displays for commercial spaces); Christie (high-fidelity projection for theme parks, museums, art galleries and science and technology museums); Telycam (highly efficient XR production for live sports events and concerts).

Visitor Show Floor Tours, Networking Session & Awards to Enhance Visitors’ Show Experience

A bevvy of engaging show floor activities is planned to enhance the Beijing InfoComm China experience! Expert-led guided tours offer visitors opportunities to discover the latest new products and technologies, including those by Baidu, Ocean Engine, HIKVISION, Jabra, and more; as well as dedicated intelligent solutions for smart workplaces and classrooms.

Additionally, visitors can participate in pre-show voting for the ‘Most Anticipated New Product’, and the ‘Most Anticipated New Solution’ awards. Voting is conducted via the show’s official WeChat channel and will end on 14 April at 1400 hours. Be among the first to see the industry’s latest advancements unveiled!

Register Now to Explore the Future of AI+AV Technology

Beijing InfoComm China offers overseas buyers unparalleled access to suppliers and partners and within the high-potential markets in China. The event has attracted significant international interest, with industry professionals and buyers from over 38 countries and regions already registered to visit, including Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada.

Visit www.infocomm-china.com for the latest show information and pre-register at https://bit.ly/4iUEdGl for a free admission badge, applicable to all industry and trade professionals.

About InfoCommAsia

InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd. extends its influence through three marquee shows: InfoComm Asia; InfoComm China, Beijing; and InfoComm India. Each show features an exhibition that showcases the world’s most cutting-edge and in-demand professional audiovisual and integrated experience technology solutions and a summit that presents learning opportunities. The shows bring together professional audiovisual industry players and top-level decision-makers from across different markets to tap into the vast potential presented by pro AV solutions.

For more information, visit infocomm-asia.com; infocomm-china.com; infocomm-india.com

For media enquiries:

Ms Angie Eng, Marketing Director
InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd
T: +65 8163 2091
E: angieeng@infocommasia.com 

Hong Kong, China; Macao, China;
Taiwan, China & Others
Ms Vivian Yu
T: +852 3520 3638
E: vivian.yu@baobab-tree-event.com

Mainland China
Ms Coris Liang
T: +86 20 3758 3765 Ext. 8013
E: coris.liang@baobab-tree-event.com

 

L’Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program 2025: Innovating for a Smarter, More Sustainable Future

Regional Synergy for Shared Success
Mainland China Challenge Now Open for Applications

SHANGHAI, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — At L’Oréal China’s 2024/2025 Annual Results Press Meeting, 2025 L’Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program (“BIG BANG”) was unveiled, centered around the theme of “Elevate the Innovation Game For the Future”. The program, which has now broadened its reach throughout North Asia, continues to encourage startups and SMEs to accelerate their innovative efforts, aiming to catalyze significant advancements in beauty technology solutions and reshape the future of beauty.

Vincent Boinay, President of L’Oréal North Asia and CEO of L’Oréal China, emphasized: “We are enhancing and unlocking the full potential of China’s open innovation ecosystem. BIG BANG, a pioneering platform born in China, exemplifies this vision—harnessing innovation to transform our industry.”

Vincent Boinay, President of L'Oréal North Asia and CEO of L'Oréal China, delivering a speech
Vincent Boinay, President of L’Oréal North Asia and CEO of L’Oréal China, delivering a speech

As the first beauty tech open innovation challenge in North Asia, BIG BANG was launched in China in 2020 and has since been expanded to include five markets across the North Asia region. By 2024, the program, had engaged over 2,200 startups and SMEs over the past five years, incubating over 60 market-ready projects. In the 2025 Mainland China challenge that opens today, BIG BANG continues to collaborate with the Oriental Beauty Valley, Business France, and Shanghai Meicifang Investment Co., Ltd (L’Oréal China first regional market venture capital company) with the aim of empowering tech startups and SMEs to harness the transformative power of beauty tech.

Katia Lan, Sustainability Director of L'Oréal North Asia & China, sharing BIG BANG's five-year achievements
Katia Lan, Sustainability Director of L’Oréal North Asia & China, sharing BIG BANG’s five-year achievements

 

Milestones of L'Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program
Milestones of L’Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program

BIG BANG 2025 Upgraded: Defining the Future of Beauty

1.  Accelerating Sustainability With Innovation

Beauty is one of the most consumer-facing industries, and BIG BANG has been driving beauty technology innovation in digitalization, operations, and R&I to help consumers move towards a better life and sustainable future. To further accelerate to sustainable consumption in beauty, BIG BANG has added the “Sustainability” as the fourth independent track for the first time this year, hoping to lead the future of sustainable beauty with innovative and upgraded beauty technology solutions.

2. Synergizing Regional Collaboration: Transcending Traditional Localized Evaluation Mechanism

Building on its success in Mainland China, BIG BANG has been expanded to cover all five markets of L’Oréal North Asia, unlocking powerful regional synergies in beauty tech. This year, the competition introduces groundbreaking innovations to its format by moving beyond traditional localized evaluating mechanisms, taking regional collaboration to new heights. First, through the new “Sustainability” track, BIG BANG will showcase breakthrough solutions from beauty pioneers across China, Japan, and South Korea, leveraging the synergistic power of North Asia’s beauty ecosystem. Meanwhile, the “Phygital Consumers Experience” track will bring together innovators from Mainland China and Hong Kong SAR for the first time, jointly unleashing the beauty tech potential of the Greater Bay Area. Additionally, Hong Kong SAR has deepened its tie-up with Business France to establish a dedicated French track, creating a gateway for more French enterprises to enter the Chinese market.

3. AI-Powered Transformation Across Four Tracks

After five years of continuous refinement and deep insights into industry trends, technological advancements, and market demands, BIG BANG has defined its strategic priorities. 2025 BIG BANG will sharpen its evaluation focus across four tracks, with AI integration as the core enabler:

  • Phygital Consumers Experience: AI-driven content creation and consumer engagement.
  • Future Science: Breakthroughs in AI-powered biotech, longevity science, and other fields.
  • Operation 4.0: AI-optimized production safety and intelligent supply chain operations for higher efficiency in order fulfillment.
  • Sustainability: Localized environmentally responsible business models enhanced by AI for beauty sustainability.

BIG BANGER Community Forum: Empowering Entrepreneurs and Expanding the Open

Innovation Ecosystem

Beyond the competition itself, BIG BANG remains committed to empowering startup entrepreneurs, jointly advancing beauty technology, and fostering an open innovation ecosystem that connects the entire industry value chain.

At today’s “‘Elevate the Innovation Game For the Future’ BIG BANGER Community Forum”, representatives from past BIG BANG participants, the L’Oréal China BIG BANG team and ecosystem partners, including the Oriental Beauty Valley, Business France, government agencies, and VC/PE firms, gathered under one roof. Guided by the concept of “Elevate the Innovation Game For the Future”, they engaged in discussions on key industry opportunities and trends, including sustainable beauty, the rise of China’s biotech sector, and a 2030 outlook for the beauty landscape.

Laurence Ma, Deputy CEO of L’Oréal China, shared her leadership insights based on personal experience: “Expertise is our foundation, especially in beauty tech, we must play to our strengths. Stay resilient, optimistic, and authentic to build a brighter future with like-minded partners.”

Laurence Ma, Deputy CEO of L'Oréal China, delivering a speech
Laurence Ma, Deputy CEO of L’Oréal China, delivering a speech

As the driving force behind this ecosystem, Zhenzhen Lan, President of Public Affairs of L’Oréal North Asia and China, highlighted the significance of open innovation and win-win collaboration: “BIG BANG is not a solo performance, but a symphony of beauty innovators. Together with our partners, L’Oréal aims to stay ahead of emerging trends and make decisive moves, channeling the potential of beauty tech into a thriving destination for high-quality living.'”

Zhenzhen Lan, President of Public Affairs of L'Oréal North Asia and China, delivering a speech
Zhenzhen Lan, President of Public Affairs of L’Oréal North Asia and China, delivering a speech

For the first time, media partners were invited to join the BIG BANGER Community Forum, reflecting the Big Bang’s commitment to expanding the ecosystem backed by a growing number of partners.

Group photo at the "Elevate the Innovation Game For the Future" BIG BANGER Community Forum
Group photo at the “Elevate the Innovation Game For the Future” BIG BANGER Community Forum

L’Oréal BIG BANG 2025 – Mainland China Competition Now Opens for Applications, calling all startups with groundbreaking technologies to co-create the future of beauty with innovations.

Four Challenge Topics:

  • Phygital Consumers Experience: Fueling the future of content creation
  • Future Science: New ingredients or solutions, sensors or technologies, diagnostics tools or in-vitro models, and sustainable manufacturing processes
  • Operation 4.0: Innovative and safe production, package design simulation, enhanced operations with RAG, robotic technology in factory and fulfillment center
  • Sustainability: Business models, products, brands with innovative technology to solve sustainability challenges in beauty industry

Four Key Selection Criteria: Solution Innovativeness (25%), Technology Frontier (25%), Scalability in L’Oréal (25%) and Business Impact (25%)

Timeline:

  • As from today – 31 May: Online application
  • 1 June – 31 July: Shortlist and mentor
  • 15 August – 15 September: Grand Finale
  • November onward: Pilot, incubation project and award ceremony

Winning Perks: Media exposure + co-created project testing and implementation.

For registration and more information, please click the link: https://bigbang.lorealchina.com/

About L’Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program:

L’Oréal BIG BANG Beauty Tech Innovation Program (BIG BANG) is the first regional initiative focused on driving open innovation, inspiration and co-creation of innovative beauty products and experiences. The program discovers, supports and nurtures promising start-ups and companies with innovative technology that can be scaled regionally and globally.

About L’Oréal Group

For 116 years, L’Oréal, the world’s leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose, to create the beauty that moves the world, defines our approach to beauty as essential, inclusive, ethical, generous and committed to social and environmental sustainability. With our broad portfolio of 37 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our L’Oréal for the Future programme, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality. 

With more than 90,000 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, perfumeries, hair salons, branded and travel retail), in 2024 the Group generated sales amounting to 43.48 billion euros. With 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world and a dedicated Research and Innovation team of over 4,000 scientists and 6,400 Digital talents, L’Oréal is focused on inventing the future of beauty and becoming a Beauty Tech powerhouse.

More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom 

About L’Oréal China

L’Oréal, the world’s largest beauty company, entered Chinese mainland in 1997. L’Oréal China is headquartered in Shanghai and has five offices across the country. L’Oréal China currently has 32 brands and one R&I center in China, as well as two factories in Suzhou and Yichang, owning more than 15,000 employees. After 28 years of high-quality, steady and sustainable growth, China has become the second-largest market in the world, the headquarter of the North Asia “Beauty Triangle”, and one of three Beauty Tech Hubs worldwide. L’Oréal founded the Group’s first venture capital firm of regional markets in China, “Shanghai Meicifang Investment Co., Ltd”. L’Oréal Group’s first self-build smart fulfillment center has been officially opened in Suzhou.. As one of the best corporate citizens in China, L’Oréal China has always implemented and kept the “L’Oréal for the Future Sustainable Development Commitment 2030” in mind. China is L’Oréal’s first market to reach 100% renewable energies for its sites, and L’Oréal China actively contributes to the good development of Chinese society through CSR programs.

Akamai Supports Devsisters in Strengthening Its Global Game Services Infrastructure

Akamai’s cloud infrastructure contributes to improving the satisfaction of users of the CookieRun game around the world

SEOUL, South Korea, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Akamai Technologies, Inc., the cybersecurity and cloud company that powers and protects businesses online, announced today that Devsisters Inc., the developer of the globally popular CookieRun series, has adopted Akamai Cloud to strengthen its global game services infrastructure.

The adoption of Akamai Cloud is a decision by Devsisters to ensure stable service operations amid its rapid global market expansion. Devsisters is adding new items, stages, and features; improving its system; and hosting events for its games CookieRun: Kingdom and CookieRun: OvenBreak to improve user satisfaction while increasing the influx of new users. Thanks to these efforts, Devsisters’ CookieRun series is rapidly expanding its user base around the world.

Key features

  • Global performance improvements: Compared with conventional public clouds, Akamai Cloud features a more distributed edge and a wider range of points of presence, which enable the infrastructure to automatically scale up and down to deliver the same game experience to users around the world, even when traffic is concentrated in certain regions.
  • Cost optimization: When there are periods of peak user traffic, the system automatically allocates more server resources. In off-peak periods, it scales them back, preventing unnecessary operational costs.
  • Scalability: During new game launches, large-scale updates, or other events when hundreds of thousands to millions of users connect simultaneously, the system detects traffic surges in real time and automatically allocates the necessary resources, minimizing server downtime and service delays.

Devsisters expects that the adoption of Akamai Cloud will enable the swift deployment and scaling of new game launches, large-scale updates, and events so that users around the world can enjoy the same game experience anytime, anywhere.

“In mobile gaming, latency is a critical factor in determining the quality of service that users experience,” said KJ Lee, Regional Vice President and Managing Director of Akamai Korea. “With Akamai Cloud, a global gaming company like Devsisters can grow their global user base in a stable manner by providing services that are closer to users wherever they access the game in the world,” he added.

About Akamai
Akamai is the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online. Our market-leading security solutions, superior threat intelligence, and global operations team provide defense-in-depth to safeguard critical data and applications at every touchpoint. Akamai’s full-stack cloud computing solutions deliver superior performance and affordability on the world’s most distributed platform. Global enterprises trust Akamai to provide the industry-leading reliability, scale, and expertise they need to grow their business with confidence. Learn more at akamai.com and akamai.com/blog, or follow Akamai Technologies on X and LinkedIn.

About Devsisters
Founded in 2007, Devsisters is a Korea-based game developer and creator of the popular CookieRun series with more than 200 million users worldwide. The company provides entertainment to users while building a unique universe centered around captivating characters and storytelling through various games across different platforms and genres, including CookieRun: OvenBreak and CookieRun: Kingdom. The company is also increasing its brand awareness through various IP-based businesses and is quickly becoming a global game company through continuous growth.

CONTACT: Akamai PR, akamaiPR@akamai.com