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Bracell Advances Sustainable Industrial Practices and Air Quality Management in Bahia

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The Company has reduced carbon emissions intensity by 47% since 2020 and strengthened environmental monitoring, renewable energy use and conservation initiatives

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 October 2026 – As Brazil marks National Day for Industrial Pollution Control in August, Bracell is highlighting its continued efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its industrial operations while advancing operational efficiency and sustainable development in Bahia.

Between 2020 and 2025, Bracell reduced its carbon emissions intensity by 47% per ton of pulp produced, reaching 0.257 tons of CO₂ equivalent per ton of product (tCO₂e/adt) across its operations in Bahia, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.

The progress is part of Bracell 2030, the company’s long-term sustainability strategy, which is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The strategy comprises 14 targets across four pillars: Climate Action, Sustainable Landscapes and Biodiversity, Sustainable Growth, and Empowering Lives.

Under its Climate Action pillar, Bracell aims to achieve a 75% reduction in carbon emissions per ton of product by 2030, reaching 0.122 tCO₂e/adt. At Bracell’s industrial unit in Camaçari, one of the key advances has been the modernisation of a pulp production line. A new cooking line, which began operating in October 2025, has improved process efficiency by reducing the amount of steam required during pulp manufacturing.

“As part of our goals, we seek to increase operational efficiency through continuous investments in innovation and technology in our processes, making us more sustainable, competitive, and aligned with our commitment to reducing carbon emissions,” said Angela Ribeiro, Sustainability Manager at Bracell Bahia.

Bracell also conducts an annual corporate inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. In 2025, the inventory covered the company’s pulp and paper value chain, including industrial operations in Bahia and São Paulo, forestry activities in Bahia, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul, and logistics operations.

Environmental controls at Bracell’s Camaçari industrial unit include continuous and isokinetic monitoring of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), particulate matter and reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs). According to the company, monitoring results consistently remain below applicable legal emission limits.

“Environmental control includes continuous and isokinetic monitoring of parameters such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), particulate matter, and reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs). The results consistently remain below legal emission limits, reinforcing the efficiency of the environmental control systems implemented at the factory,” said Angela.

The monitoring is conducted in accordance with Brazilian environmental legislation and forms part of the company’s broader approach to continuous environmental management. Bracell’s work in measuring, managing and transparently disclosing GHG emissions has also been recognised with the Gold Seal of the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program for four consecutive years. The programme is developed by the Centre for Sustainability Studies at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), in partnership with institutions including Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Bracell also participates in the Air Quality Monitoring Program of the Camaçari Industrial Complex, conducted by Cetrel. The Air Monitoring Network has operated continuously since May 1994 and is nationally recognised for the quality and technical reliability of the data generated.

Beyond reducing emissions from its industrial operations, Bracell has set a target to remove 25 million tons of CO₂ equivalent from the atmosphere between 2020 and 2030. Over the first five years of the programme, the company removed approximately 6 million tons of CO₂ equivalent. In 2025 alone, 3.4 million tCO₂e were removed, including 1.8 million tons from planted forests and 1.6 million tons from preserved native vegetation.

The results reflect the balance between emissions from operations, carbon sequestration in eucalyptus plantations and the conservation of native vegetation managed by the company, as well as areas conserved in partnership with governments in the states where Bracell operates.

“One of the most relevant milestones in our sustainability agenda is the progress of the One for One Commitment, through which we support the conservation of one hectare of native forest for every hectare of eucalyptus planted,” said Meryellen Baldim, Environment and Certifications Manager at Bracell Bahia.

By 2025, Bracell, a member of the RGE group of companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto, had contributed to the protection of approximately 301,000 hectares of native vegetation across the states where it operates, achieving its established goal ahead of schedule.

In Bahia, the company owns four Private Natural Heritage Reserves (RPPNs). One of these is Lontra, located on the North Coast, which protects 1,377 hectares of Atlantic Forest, a biome of strategic importance for water and climate security. The reserve is recognised as an Advanced Post of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve (RBMA) by UNESCO.

Bracell’s climate strategy also focuses on increasing the efficiency of its industrial operations and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. At its industrial unit, approximately 90% of the energy consumed comes from renewable sources, supporting the company’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and the environmental impacts associated with industrial activity.

Together, investments in process efficiency, emissions monitoring, renewable energy, carbon removal and native vegetation conservation form part of Bracell’s broader commitment to developing more sustainable industrial practices while contributing to economic development and environmental responsibility.

Hashtag: #RGE #Bracell #Bracell2030 #Sustainability #Carbon #Environment #Renewable #Emissions

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

About Bracell

Bracell is a global leader in the production of dissolving pulp and specialty cellulose with two main mill operations in Brazil in Bahia and São Paulo. In addition to its operations in Brazil, Bracell has a management office in Singapore and sales offices in Asia, Europe and the U.S.

Please visit Bracell’s for more information.

Farewell Funerals Expands Singapore Funeral Services with New Online Tribute Option

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The Singapore funeral provider has added online memorial tributes to its funeral services, allowing families to share funeral information and preserve memories of loved ones online.


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 October 2026 – Farewell Funerals Pte. Ltd. has announced an expansion of its funeral services in Singapore with the introduction of an online tribute option for bereaved families.

The new service connects traditional funeral arrangements with a dedicated online memorial. Families can now arrange funeral services while also creating an online tribute where relatives and friends can view funeral details, photographs and memories of the person who has passed away.

The addition is part of Farewell Funerals’ move to extend support beyond the physical wake and funeral. It gives families another way to communicate important arrangements while creating a lasting record of the person being remembered.

Families can access the new online tribute service through the Farewell Funerals website.

A New Option Alongside Funeral Arrangements

The online tribute has been introduced as an optional addition to Farewell Funerals’ existing funeral services rather than as a separate replacement for traditional arrangements.

When planning a funeral, families typically need to coordinate the wake, religious or non-religious rites, transportation, cremation or burial, and communication with relatives and friends.

Farewell Funerals funeral packages in Singapore cover different arrangements based on a family’s religious traditions and practical requirements.

With the new tribute option, families can also create an online space connected to those arrangements.

The memorial can provide people with the wake location, visiting hours, funeral date and other relevant details without requiring the family to repeatedly distribute the same information to different groups.

For relatives and friends who cannot attend the wake, particularly those living overseas, the page also provides a way to learn about the arrangements and remember the deceased remotely.

More Than a Standard Funeral Notice

Farewell Funerals has designed the tribute option to accommodate different levels of personalisation.

A family may use it primarily to communicate funeral information or build a more detailed memorial around the person’s life.

Basic information can include the person’s name, photograph, date of birth and date of passing.

Families who want a more personal tribute can add a written life story and significant milestones. This gives them space to document memories, experiences and important moments that would normally not appear in a short funeral notice.

A separate family message can also be included, allowing relatives to contribute their own words of remembrance.

Photographs form another part of the service. Families can submit a gallery of up to eight images, providing an opportunity to show different stages and memories from the person’s life.

Information about surviving family members can also be included where the family considers it appropriate.

Funeral Information Included Alongside the Tribute

The tribute also serves a practical function for sharing funeral-related information.

This can include the wake location, dates and visiting hours, as well as cortege arrangements and details of the cremation or burial.

Where a service involves a church or other venue, the relevant time and location can also be noted, along with any dress code considerations shared by the family.

Having this information alongside the tribute provides a single reference point for those planning to attend.

Guidance for Guests Paying Respects

The memorial can also include guidance on condolences, if the family wishes to provide it.

This may include information about condolence contributions or floral tributes, depending on what the family considers appropriate.

These elements are optional and can be included or omitted based on family preference.

Memorials Are Reviewed Before Going Live

Online tribute submissions are reviewed before publication.

Families provide the memorial information through the submission process, after which Farewell Funerals reviews the details and can contact the submitter if clarification is required.

This process allows funeral information, names and other submitted details to be checked before the memorial becomes publicly available.

The contact details of the person making the submission are used for administrative communication and are not intended to appear as part of the public tribute.

Extending Funeral Support Beyond the Wake

The introduction of online tributes reflects a broader extension of Farewell Funerals’ funeral services.

The company coordinates Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, Catholic, Free Thinker and Soka funeral arrangements in Singapore, together with direct cremation and international repatriation services.

While the physical funeral remains at the centre of these arrangements, the online tribute provides an additional option for how families communicate and preserve memories.

It can be particularly relevant when a person’s relatives, friends or former colleagues are spread across different countries and cannot all attend the wake.

The memorial remains focused on the deceased, bringing together the person’s story, family memories, photographs and relevant funeral information in one place.Hashtag: #FarewellFunerals

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

About Farewell Funerals

Farewell Funerals Pte. Ltd. provides funeral planning and coordination services in Singapore for families with different religious and non-religious requirements. Services include wake and funeral arrangements, ceremonial coordination, transportation, cremation and burial-related arrangements, and online memorial tributes.

Further information is available at

LAC and Absolute Pilates Invite Singaporeans to Find Wellness in Motion This October

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Singapore’s trusted wellness supplement brand brings a week-long restorative experience to Absolute Pilates studios across Singapore, inviting Singaporeans to move with purpose, recharge, and reconnect with their wellbeing from the inside out.


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 October 2026 – In a world that rarely slows down, finding time to pause can feel like another item on the to-do list. This October, LAC, one of Asia’s largest specialty retailers in nutritional supplements, invites Singaporeans to do exactly that with Respite with LAC, a week-long experience curated in partnership with Absolute Pilates, centred on movement and meaningful restoration.

Absolute LAC 2

Running from 26 October to 1 November 2026 across all five Absolute studios in Singapore, the programme brings together the restorative practice of Reformer Pilates with LAC’s science-based approach to everyday wellbeing, encouraging participants to pause, recharge, and reconnect with themselves.

“Wellness has often been framed around performance, but rest and restoration are just as essential to a healthy life. For Respite with LAC, we wanted to offer Singaporeans something different, a week to slow down, move with intention, and nourish themselves from within. LAC Masquelier’s® French Pine Bark Extract, backed by decades of rigorous science, is central to that story. It represents everything we stand for at LAC – formulations that work at the deepest level, so that Singaporeans can feel their best for the long term,” says Evelyn Teo, Chief Marketing Officer of LAC Global

A Week Designed to Help Singapore Slow Down
Throughout the week, Absolute’s existing members can book into participating Reformer Pilates classes using their existing class packages. As part of the collaboration, participants will receive a curated LAC Mobility Trial Kit, featuring selected product samples and promotional incentives designed to help them continue their wellness journey beyond the studio. The product trial kit can be redeemed via a dedicated QR code available at the front desks, making it easy to discover and experience LAC products after their session.

For those new to LAC and Absolute Pilates, Respite with LAC offers an exclusive opportunity to experience both brands through a 2-for-1 package at $55, which includes two classes. LAC members can purchase the package in person at any Absolute studio by presenting proof of membership including physical mailers, SMS, eDM or email communications. For non-members, the same offer can be unlocked by signing up for LAC’s e-newsletter at LAC.sg

Available from 26 October to 1 November 2026, the class credits are valid for one month from the date of credit, giving participants the flexibility to experience the classes at their own pace.

From Movement to Recovery
Anchored in LAC’s belief that true wellness is built from within, Respite with LAC brings together movement and science-backed nutrition in a single, intentional experience. In partnership with Absolute, one of Asia’s largest boutique fitness operators, LAC is creating a space where Singaporeans can move with purpose and nourish themselves at the same time.

Together, the two brands are offering something less commonly seen in wellness programming – a deliberate pause. Respite with LAC is where movement meets restoration, designed to support the body and mind in equal measure.

Every workout, stressful commute, and hour spent under blue light or city pollution generates free radicals in the body that are left unchecked, can wear down collagen, affect skin and vascular health and speed up cellular ageing. It is something most Singaporeans are experiencing daily, often without realising it.

This is where LAC Masquelier’s® French Pine Bark Extract comes in. Powered by Masquelier’s® Original OPCs, an antioxidant complex backed by independent peer reviewed studies spanning four decades of research, it works by binding directly to collagen and elastin, the structural proteins that keep skin, joints, and blood vessels resilient. Rather than simply neutralising damage after it occurs, OPCs reinforce the body’s own architecture, so it starts to string from the inside out. Rather than positioning wellness as a quick fix, LAC takes an intentional approach to supporting the body’s natural defences and resilience as part of an everyday wellness routine.

Hashtag: #LACSingapore


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

LAC

Headquartered in Singapore, LAC Global is one of Asia’s largest specialty retailers in nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, herbal, and other specialty supplements across Anti-ageing and Beauty, Immunity, Weight Management, Sports Nutrition, and Energy. The Company owns the LAC brand, short for Leader in Antioxidative Control™, a leading health and wellness supplement brand with a global presence. Since its founding, LAC has developed scientifically based formulas harnessing the best of eastern wisdom and western technology to support you in looking, feeling, and functioning at your best.

LG Energy Solution Partners With indiGOtech to Explore 46-Series Cylindrical Battery Supply for U.S. Commercial Electric Vans

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SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LG Energy Solution today announced that it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with U.S.-based commercial electric vehicle (EV) startup indiGOtech to explore battery supply and technological collaboration.

indiGOtech is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts, and specializes in electrifying commercial van platforms for the North American market. The company is developing an ecosystem that integrates vehicles, charging infrastructure, and digital services. 

Under the MoU, the partners will work toward a final agreement for LG Energy Solution to supply 46-series NCM cylindrical battery cells from 2027 to 2030 for indiGOtech’s upcoming Flow Ride and Flow Cargo EVs.

The partners will support joint business development through vehicle-battery integration and performance verification efforts. To maximize vehicle performance, both companies intend to review opportunities to extend driving range and reduce charging times.

“Urban ride hail and delivery must electrify and automate at scale, but today’s electric vehicles are not designed for purpose, and are severely limited by the local charging infrastructure – that’s why vast majority of rides and deliveries are still driven by gas vehicles.” said Will Graylin, Chairman and CEO of indiGOtech. “Working toward a long-term relationship with LG Energy Solution brings together advanced battery technology for durable economic advantage for vehicles, drivers and fleet operators.”

“Based on LG Energy Solution’s 46-series NCM cylindrical battery technology that boasts high energy density and rapid charging capabilities, we will closely collaborate with indiGOtech, which is successfully building the Transportation-as-a-Service (TaaS) ecosystem in the U.S.,” said Sunghwan Oh, Mobility & IT Battery Marketing Group Leader of LG Energy Solution. “Leveraging this partnership, we plan to enter the diverse commercial vehicle market in the U.S., including logistics, last-mile delivery, and ride-hailing.”

LG Energy Solution is also strengthening its competitiveness by securing additional customers for its 46-series cylindrical batteries. The company reported that cylindrical battery shipments increased by 1.5 times year on year as of Q2, supported by stable mass production and expanded deliveries of its 46-series batteries.

About LG Energy Solution

LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220) is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With more than 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 100,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, and Asia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers. Committed to building sustainable battery ecosystem, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutrality across its value chain by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution’s ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.

About indiGOtech

indiGOtech is building the intelligent mobility platform for the next era of sustainable local transport and commerce. Headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts, the company develops an integrated ecosystem that combines smart electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and mobility services—engineered to reduce cost per mile and maximize fleet performance. Through its connected platform, indiGOtech aims to accelerate the electrification of commercial fleets across logistics, last-mile delivery, and ride-hailing segments in North America.

Expenditure Watch 2.0 launch: improved expenditure compliance across tenement portfolios

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BRISBANE, Australia, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Datamine has announced the launch of Expenditure Watch 2.0, a redesigned expenditure compliance and reporting platform for mining and exploration companies managing mineral title obligations across tenement portfolios.


Originally developed to address expenditure reporting requirements in Western Australia, Expenditure Watch 2.0 has been redesigned as a web-based platform that can support different jurisdictions and operating environments. The release introduces multi-user access, centralised data management and portfolio-wide visibility of expenditure commitments.

The platform connects accounting data, exploration activity and mineral title obligations in one system. It enables teams to track required, actual and committed expenditure, monitor compliance status, forecast future requirements and prepare reporting information with less manual reconciliation between spreadsheets, accounting systems and tenement records.

“This launch marks an important step in expanding Expenditure Watch beyond its original desktop and jurisdictional scope,” said John Shippick, VP Exploration at Datamine. “The web-based platform supports our broader direction for connected exploration workflows by bringing expenditure information, exploration activity and tenure obligations together. This gives organisations a more consistent and scalable way to manage compliance across complex tenement portfolios.”

Expenditure Watch 2.0 provides land, tenure, exploration and finance teams with a shared view of commitments and reporting requirements. This helps users identify tenements that may require attention, review expenditure allocation and prepare for reporting deadlines.

The platform forms part of Datamine’s wider Exploration portfolio, alongside Discover, Fusion, PA Explorer and LandTrack Systems, supporting connected workflows from field activity and exploration data through to tenure and expenditure compliance.

Learn more about Expenditure Watch 2.0:  https://dataminesoftware.com/expenditure-watch-by-datamine 

For press enquiries:
Clara Ferrari, Global Marketing lead
Clara.ferrari@dataminesoftware.com 

THE HEADLINER PROJECT launched today with Will Smith, bringing the genuine artistry of a Hollywood icon to ambitious companies across six markets.

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Put a Hollywood Star in Your Company’s Advertising

TOKYO, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eclairer Inc. today officially launched THE HEADLINER PROJECT, a corporate advertising program featuring award-winning actor, musician, and producer Will Smith with applications open in six markets: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan (China), Australia, India, and Indonesia.


Background 
In an age where generative AI enables anyone to produce information and content, trust in who delivers the message has become more valuable than ever.

That is precisely why authenticity has never been more valuable. Now that synthetic faces and generated voices can be produced with ease, this project deals in the real and nothing else: authentic photography and film of a genuine, acclaimed actor, captured with Hollywood’s production craft. What elevates a brand is not imitation, but authenticity itself. Meanwhile, countless companies with outstanding products and services remain unable to deliver their value to the market, held back by barriers of brand power and recognition. Through Smith’s reach and expressive power, the program communicates the true value of companies to the world and supports the creation of new business opportunities.

About THE HEADLINER PROJECT 
THE HEADLINER PROJECT is a corporate advertising service that enables companies to deploy advertising creative featuring Will Smith. Engaging a global star typically requires substantial upfront investment ̶ contract fees, shooting, and production costs. Under this program, those initial costs are covered by the project, allowing companies to use official Will Smith assets for a usage fee.

The service provides curated official creative ̶ cinematic, story-driven photo and video assets ̶ that companies can feature as their own main visuals. All assets are designed for advanced adaptation, including background removal and tone adjustment, enabling seamless integration into each brand’s visual world. Creative can be deployed across both online and offline media, from web advertising, social media, and landing pages to large-scale OOH, transit advertising, and in-store visuals.

The six selected markets span Asia and Oceania ̶ all regions where economic growth and the digitalization of advertising are advancing rapidly, yet where global-star endorsements have long been within reach of only a handful of major corporations. Smith’s work has been widely loved across these regions for decades, and his rare power as a “universal language” that transcends countries and languages will support companies taking on these markets.

Key Features
1. World-class brand value, remarkably seamless ̶ The program eliminates the complexity of direct Hollywood negotiations, intricate international licensing contracts, and the risk of heavy upfront investment. Companies can feature Smith’s official creative as their own main visual, instantly elevating brand credibility and scale to a global standard. Hollywood talent contracts ̶ once within reach of only major corporations ̶ are now accessible to far more companies.

2. Curated creative assets that tell a story ̶ A quality-first selection of cinematic, emotionally rich photo and video assets, spanning business scenes to evocative storytelling moments, delivers commanding presence as a corporate asset. All assets are real photography and film; no synthetic or AI-generated likeness is used. This protects Smith’s own image and the cinematic quality that underpins it. Voice-over assets recorded by Smith are also available, enabling creative that builds deep emotional resonance.

3. Advanced customization, fully integrated into your brand world ̶ The program provides curated official photo and video assets formally licensed by Smith’s team. Cinematic, finely crafted creative can be used as your main visual with all rights already cleared. Assets are designed for advanced adaptation ̶ background removal, tone curve adjustment, and layout integration ̶ enabling full alignment with your brand’s visual world.

4. Omnichannel presence across online and offline ̶ Deploy seamlessly across digital channels (web advertising, social media, landing pages) and physical media (large-scale OOH, transit advertising, in-store main visuals), with usage across six markets.

Comment from the Project Lead (Itsuo Teruya) 
“No matter how exceptional a business is, if no one knows about it, it may as well not exist. THE HEADLINER PROJECT is a platform designed to amplify the value of ambitious companies with world-class reach ̶ turning value the world hasn’t discovered into value the world knows. We look forward to writing new growth stories together with companies ready for their next stage.” 

Profile : Will Smith

Will Smith is one of the defining entertainers of his generation: an Academy Award–winning actor, multi-platinum recording artist, best-selling author, and producer whose work moves effortlessly between blockbuster spectacle and genuine heart. He made history as the winner of the first-ever Grammy for rap, going on to earn four in total, before launching hip-hop further into the mainstream and headlining era-defining films like Independence Day, Men in Black, and Bad Boys – culminating in a Best Actor win for King Richard.


In recent years he’s carried that same curiosity into the real world with National Geographic, venturing across all seven continents in Pole to Pole with Will Smith and exploring the planet’s wonders in Welcome to Earth; pushing his own limits while inviting audiences along for the discovery. Beyond the screen, he’s a dedicated entrepreneur and philanthropist, building businesses and backing causes with the same ambition he brings to his art. With new films on the horizon, Smith remains what he’s always been: a storyteller who keeps finding bigger worlds to explore.

Service Overview

  • Name: THE HEADLINER PROJECT
  • Launch: October 1st 2026, 8:00 AM JST
  • Markets: Japan / South Korea / Taiwan (China) / Australia / India / Indonesia
  • How to Apply: https://headliner-project.com/

*All applicants are subject to a corporate review by the project office.

Operating Company

Media Contact 
Momo Takase / E-mail: contact@headliner-project.com

Leading Korean Brokerage Connects to Bruce Markets’ U.S. Equities Data Feed, Reducing Risks of Blind Trading

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Toss Securities joins Meritz Securities on Bruce ATS as demand for greater resilience grows in South Korea following market data outages 

CHICAGO and SEOUL, South Korea, Oct, 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bruce Markets, which operates the overnight U.S. equities trading venue Bruce ATS, today announced that Toss Securities, a licensed Korean brokerage and the investing service within Toss, Korea’s No.1 financial superapp, has connected to Bruce ATS’ market data feed for overnight U.S. equities, reducing the risk of blind trading for customers.

The integration follows Meritz Securities becoming Bruce Markets’ first market-data client in South Korea, as demand grows for increased market structure resilience following recent market data outages.

“Korean investors are a critical force in the U.S. overnight market. They shouldn’t face needless data blackouts from a single ATS outage, especially when other venues have available liquidity,” said Jason Wallach, CEO of Bruce Markets. “By integrating Bruce Markets’ data for U.S. equities, Toss Securities is providing better resilience for its customers, who will no longer need to resort to blind trading if one venue goes down.”

This comes amid the continued expansion of overnight U.S. equity trading activity. Across the three leading overnight ATSs, Q2 2026 activity reached 11.14 billion shares and $391.2 billion in notional value, increases of 34% and 59% from Q1, respectively, according to the Bruce Q2 Overnight Market Review. Bruce ATS outpaced that broader growth in Q2, with executed volume increasing 144% to 1.16 billion shares and executed notional rising 105% to $49.03 billion.

Meeting Korean investors’ growing demand for U.S. equities calls for a competitive, multi-venue ecosystem that strengthens market resilience and gives brokers, traders and liquidity providers multiple pathways to see and reach liquidity across changing market conditions.

About Bruce Markets

Bruce Markets operates Bruce ATS™, a U.S. equities alternative trading system enabling overnight trading from 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM ET. Underpinned by exchange-grade technology and market rules, led by industry veterans and backed by leading firms from across the trading ecosystem, Bruce provides a high-performance, resilient venue that bridges the U.S. after-hours and pre-market sessions. By providing a credible source of after-hours liquidity for brokers and investors and leading the evolution of always-available markets, Bruce brings needed competition to the ecosystem and is redefining after-hours trading worldwide. To learn more, visit www.brucemarkets.com.

Media Contact

Forefront Communications for Bruce Markets
bruce@forefrontcomms.com 

Project Tapestry Gains Momentum for Sovereign AI During UN General Assembly Week

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First Technical Milestones Achieved Alongside Expanded Collaborations with Vietnam and India

Project Tapestry leadership meets with Vietnam's President and General Secretary, senior government ministers, and Vietnam’s US ambassador.
Project Tapestry leadership meets with Vietnam’s President and General Secretary, senior government ministers, and Vietnam’s US ambassador.

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The AI Alliance today announced significant progress for Project Tapestry, combining completion of its first technical milestone with expanded sovereign AI collaborations with Vietnam and India during United Nations General Assembly Week in New York.

Project Tapestry is building an open, global consortium to develop advanced AI, enabling nations and institutions to collaborate on increasingly capable foundation models while retaining control of their data, sovereign models, and deployments.

First Technical Milestone Demonstrates New “Consortium Training” Approach

Project Tapestry recently completed its first major technical milestone, demonstrating key building blocks that let organizations across different countries, infrastructure, and jurisdictions collaboratively train and adapt AI models.

Two proofs of concept coordinated model training across four geographically distributed sites, while keeping the underlying training data local to participating sites. Teams also demonstrated cultural alignment – modifying a large language model to better understand the unique social and linguistic aspects of Indian and Vietnamese cultures.

The milestone provides an initial demonstration of one of Project Tapestry’s central premises: organizations do not need to centralize their compute or data under a single institution in order to collaboratively build increasingly capable AI models.

Vietnam Advances Sovereign AI Collaboration

During UN General Assembly Week, AI Alliance and Project Tapestry leaders met in New York with Vietnam’s General Secretary and senior government ministers to advance collaboration on the development of sovereign AI capabilities for Vietnam.

The discussions affirmed an intention to collaborate on a sovereign AI model aligned with Vietnam’s national AI strategy and priorities, including Vietnamese language, culture, knowledge, and national use cases.

Vietnam has participated in Project Tapestry since its early stages, and the expanded collaboration represents an important step toward translating the consortium model into national-scale sovereign AI development.

“Project Tapestry gives Viet Nam an opportunity to turn international collaboration into lasting national capability—developing AI that understands our language, culture, knowledge, and priorities, while building the engineers and institutions to operate, adapt, and advance the technology,” said Ambassador Hoang Anh Tuan, Consul General of Viet Nam in San Francisco.

“Our meeting with General Secretary and President Tô Lâm, and his strong support for this direction, underscores the broader vision for Tapestry,” said Christopher Nguyen, Chief Architect of Project Tapestry. “Across Viet Nam, India, Japan, Bhutan, and beyond, we are building a model for nations to shape the frontier together while preserving sovereignty over their data and technological future.”

India Expands Its Role in Project Tapestry

During UN General Assembly Week, Consul General Binaya Srikanta Pradhan hosted Project Tapestry leaders at the Consulate General of India in New York. Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan of BharatGen, Prof. Ritwik Banerjee of Stony Brook University in the United States, and Kaushik Bhatta, Partner, Director, AI Alliance, briefed the Consul General on consortium-driven AI development, Tapestry’s approach, and Stony Brook’s recent addition to the consortium.

“India is a microcosm of the world. AI built for its languages and cultures preserves agency,” said Pradhan.

Caption: (L to R) Kaushik Bhatta, Partner, AI Alliance, Consul General Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Founding Director, BharatGen, and Ritwik Banerjee at the Consulate General of India in New York.
Caption: (L to R) Kaushik Bhatta, Partner, AI Alliance, Consul General Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Founding Director, BharatGen, and Ritwik Banerjee at the Consulate General of India in New York.

India has been an early contributor to the project. BharatGen, India’s government-backed, open-source foundation model stack, ran one of the two proofs of concept under the guidance of Dr Maneesh Singh, VP Machine Learning, in Tapestry’s first technical milestone, training jointly with Monash University across India and Australia while each institution’s data remained in its home country.

The same week, the Gates Foundation named Prof. Ramakrishnan a 2026 Goalkeepers Champion, recognizing him at Goalkeepers New York for his leadership of BharatGen.

Caption: (L to R) Martin Blomberg, Founder and CEO, Root Bio, Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Founding Director, Bharatgen, Bill Gates, Chair, Gates Foundation, and Hon. Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at Goalkeepers New York. Photo courtesy of the Gates Foundation.
Caption: (L to R) Martin Blomberg, Founder and CEO, Root Bio, Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Founding Director, Bharatgen, Bill Gates, Chair, Gates Foundation, and Hon. Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at Goalkeepers New York. Photo courtesy of the Gates Foundation.

The meeting comes ahead of a Project Tapestry workshop in Mumbai on October 15, hosted by BharatGen, which will bring together technical and institutional leaders to plan the next phases of India’s participation.

From Technical Proof to Global Collaboration

With momentum from its first technical accomplishments and national-scale collaborations, Project Tapestry is moving into its next phase, expanding work in consortium training, cultural alignment, and data governance, with growing participation from countries and institutions worldwide.

Tapestry contributors also presented “Sovereignty Through Interdependence: Epistemic Agency, Intelligent Action, and Federated AI” at the First Workshop on Sovereign AI for Collaborative and Pluralistic AI Ecosystems, co-located with ACM HCOMP 2026 in Washington, D.C., and organized by researchers at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica. The paper, by Dr. Maneesh Singh, Ritwik Banerjee, Lav R. Varshney, and Kaushik Bhatta, examines how federated approaches like Tapestry’s can support AI sovereignty through collaboration.

“Our first milestone and growing global collaborations demonstrate that Tapestry is moving from architecture to working technology,” said Anthony Annunziata, co-founder and chair of the board of the AI Alliance. “Organizations operating across countries and infrastructure have now trained models together while maintaining control of their own data. It is an important first step toward building advanced AI collaboratively, openly, and sovereign by design.”

About Project Tapestry

Project Tapestry is an AI Alliance initiative developing an open consortium approach to building advanced foundation models and sovereign AI systems. Its architecture enables distributed organizations to contribute data, compute, expertise, and model improvements while maintaining control over their underlying data.

About the AI Alliance

The AI Alliance is a global nonprofit research and technology organization dedicated to advancing open, safe, and responsible AI through innovation, collaboration, and advocacy. The Alliance brings together more than 200 organizations across 29 countries spanning industry, academia, startups, research, and government.

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