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Laos Orders Hydropower Plants to Boost Dam Safety Ahead of Rainy Season

Nam Ngum 1 Hydropower Plant, Vientiane Province, Laos. (Photo: EDL-Gen)

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) has ordered all hydropower projects nationwide to strengthen dam safety measures and emergency preparedness plans ahead of the 2026 rainy season.

According to the notice dated 15 May, the directive requires operators to inspect all structures, spillway gates, electrical systems, backup power, and emergency equipment to ensure full operational readiness under both normal and emergency conditions. 

Operators must also finalize emergency response plans, conduct community drills, and improve warning systems to ensure villages and local authorities in flood-risk areas are informed and prepared.

On water management, operators must keep reservoir levels low before the rainy season and appoint hydrological teams to monitor storm formation and manage reservoir inflows and outflows. During high-water conditions, discharge volume must exceed inflow volume. 

Before opening any spillway gates, operators must obtain written approval from the Department of Energy at least seven days in advance and coordinate with disaster management committees at all levels to notify downstream and upstream communities. 

In an emergency, operators must activate their response plan immediately and report to the department without delay. Senior officials are available for 24-hour coordination.

Operators must also submit daily water data by 9:00 AM, increasing to hourly reporting during high-water situations.

The directive comes amid public frustration over dam operations.

In late September 2025, residents blamed water releases from the Nam Ngum 1 dam for flooding in parts of Vientiane Province and Vientiane Capital. EDL-Gen defended its operations, saying the dam follows strictly government-approved procedures and plays a role in reducing flood risks rather than causing them.

Rezonate Raises US$5 Million and Unveils New Brand Identity to Accelerate U.S. Expansion

Singapore-founded AI company scales enterprise AI agents across new industries and global markets

SINGAPORE, June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rezonate, the Singapore-founded AI engagement company, today announced a US$5 million fundraise to support its expansion into the United States and accelerate the next phase of its global growth in enterprise AI.

The announcement marks a significant milestone in the company’s evolution, alongside the launch of its new brand identity, Rezonate, reflecting its broader mission to help enterprises across industries transform customer and workforce engagement through AI agents. The new name marks a deeper shift – a belief that the next leap in enterprise AI isn’t just about responding faster, but about connecting in a way that’s felt, understood, and remembered.

Founded in Singapore, Rezonate has built and deployed AI solutions across healthcare, insurance, financial services, sports and other enterprise sectors across Asia. The company specializes in AI agents for customer engagement, enabling organizations to move beyond AI experimentation into scalable deployment, helping automate engagement workflows, improve service delivery, automate seamless customer support, drive conversions with personalized outreach, cut operating costs, and scale operational efficiency across regulated and complex environments.

“The rebrand to Rezonate reflects how the company has evolved,” said Peiru Teo, CEO of Rezonate. “We were forged over a decade in healthcare – one of the most human and high‑stakes industries there is – but what we are seeing globally is that enterprises across every industry face the same engagement and operational challenges. Rezonate represents our ambition to help organizations deploy AI agents for customer engagement that are intelligent, scalable, and human-centered globally.”

The US$5 million fundraise will support Rezonate’s expansion into the United States, strengthen commercial partnerships, and accelerate the development of its AI agent platform.

Rezonate’s evolution reflects a broader shift in the market: enterprises are increasingly adopting AI systems that transform conversations and existing data into actionable outcomes, enabling revenue growth, stronger customer retention, and improved service delivery at scale.

About Rezonate

Rezonate is a Singapore-founded AI company building AI agents for customer engagement across healthcare, insurance, financial services, sports and other enterprise sectors. Its platform enables organizations to automate engagement workflows, improve service delivery, drive revenue growth through more effective customer engagement, and scale operational efficiency across regulated and complex environments. Learn more at https://getrezonate.com/.

Trip.com Kicks Off Winter Travel Season with EOFY Mega Sale and Massive Flight Perks

SYDNEY, June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trip.com, the global travel service provider, has officially launched its End of Financial Year (EOFY) Mega Sale, kicking off the winter travel season in style. From the week commencing 9 June 2026, Aussie travellers can access weekly rolling discounts, flash sales, and coupon drops designed to turn dream holidays into an affordable reality.


The EOFY Mega Sale is a chance to save big across flights, hotels, and travel essentials—with four big weekly drops starting from 9 June.

EOFY Mega Sale Calendar:

  • Week 1 (9 June) — Travel Essentials Launch: Up to 50% off coupons for attractions and eSIMs, a free eSIM coupon (valued up to $2), 30% off car hire coupon, plus Buy 1 Get 1 Free offers on selected attractions
  • Week 2 (16 June) — Hotel Mega Deals: Up to 70% off hotel coupons in addition to flash sales on accommodation from $9 per night
  • Week 3 (23 June) — Flight Frenzy:
    • $29 domestic flights between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Adelaide
    • $109 flights from Perth to Bali
    • $149 flights from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane to Bali and Ho Chi Minh City
    • Up to 50% off flight coupons
  • Week 4 (30 June) — Last Chance Deals: Final opportunity to secure the month’s best travel bargains before the financial year closes.

Even Bigger Savings – Partner Airlines & Airports

Alongside the EOFY Mega Sale, Trip.com has teamed up with leading airlines and airports to deliver significant direct savings for Australians travelling overseas.


  • This Is China: From today to 27 July, snag up to $100 off on flights from Sydney to China, valid across premium carriers including China Southern, China Eastern, Air China, and more. Flash sales are also available for flights from Sydney to Shanghai at $189 on 9 June and 7 July, and the same price also applies for flights from Sydney to Beijing on 23 June and 21 July.
  • Brisbane Airport – Take Off To Asia: Queenslanders can score $50 off flights heading into Asia’s popular hubs from today until 14 June.
  • Fly with Batik Air: Discover Southeast Asia with up to $100 off flights from Sydney to destinations across Indonesia and Malaysia.
  • Premium Global Airline Savings:Enjoy an instant $100 off for bookings with Malaysia Airlines with more airline partner discounts to be announced in due course.

Don’t Miss Out – Get Ready Now

Download the Trip.com app now to grab these limited-time offers.

Terms and Conditions apply. All promotional offers are available on a first-come, first-served basis within the specified period and while stocks last. Please note that all deals are in AEST time.

For more information, please visit https://au.trip.com/.

About Trip.com

Trip.com is an international one-stop travel service provider, available in 27 languages across 48 countries and regions in 44 local currencies. Offering an extensive hotel and flight network of more than 1.7 million hotels and flights from over 680 airlines, along with over 350,000 in-destination activities, Trip.com covers 3,500 airports in 220 countries and regions. Trip.com‘s world-class 24/7 multilingual customer service helps to ‘create the best travel experience’ for its millions of customers worldwide. To book your next trip, visit Trip.com.

Mabwell’s 9MW5211 Receives IND Clearance from NMPA for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

SHANGHAI, June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mabwell (688062.SH, 02493.HK), an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company with a fully integrated industry chain, announced that its independently developed innovative antibody drug 9MW5211 has received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to conduct clinical trials for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). 9MW5211 is the first candidate drug for its target to enter clinical stage globally.

9MW5211 is a highly specific, depleting, and innovative antibody independently developed by Mabwell, designed to precisely intervene in the key pathological mechanisms mediated by abnormal immune cells in autoimmune diseases. The abnormal activation and tissue infiltration of immune cells act as the core driving factors in the occurrence and development of various autoimmune diseases. The target molecule of 9MW5211 is specifically expressed on the surface of pathogenic immune cells and serves as a vital biological marker of their abnormal activation. By selectively recognizing and depleting this population of pathogenic cells, 9MW5211 can effectively block the immune cascade, thereby delaying disease progression and ameliorating clinical symptoms.

Through multiple rounds of molecular engineering optimization, 9MW5211 has demonstrated excellent target selectivity. While achieving efficient blockade, it significantly mitigates the risk of non-specific binding, ensuring deep depletion of pathogenic cells highly expressing the target protein. Such a unique mechanism of action is expected to not only bring deeper disease remission but also potentially support an extended dosing interval, thereby enhancing patient compliance and quality of life.

Preclinical study results have demonstrated that 9MW5211 exhibits significant therapeutic potential in various mouse models of autoimmune diseases, suggesting its future clinical application may cover multiple major indications. Safety evaluations conducted in cynomolgus monkey models have shown a favorable safety profile.

Previously, 9MW5211 has received clearance from FDA to conduct clinical trials for IBD in the US. Its clinical trial applications for multiple indications, including multiple sclerosis (MS), have been accepted by the NMPA. Clinical trial applications for more indications are also being actively advanced.

About Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic, relapsing, immune-mediated disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, which primarily includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The number of IBD cases globally has been steadily increasing. Epidemiological studies indicate that the number of newly diagnosed IBD patients worldwide rose from 5.90 million in 2019 to 7.00 million in 2023, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4%. The number of newly diagnosed IBD patients globally is projected to reach 11.50 million by 2032, with a CAGR of 5.6% from 2023 to 2032

About Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory damage to the protective myelin sheaths surrounding the nerves of the brain and spinal cord. The number of MS patients globally increased from 2.80 million cases in 2020 to 3.00 million cases in 2024, and is projected to reach approximately 3.50 million cases by 2035. In China, the number of MS patients increased from 32,800 cases in 2020 to 33,900 cases in 2024, and is expected to reach 35,500 cases by 2035.

About Mabwell

Mabwell (688062.SH, 02493.HK) is an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company with capabilities spanning the entire pharmaceutical value chain. The company is committed to providing more effective and accessible therapies to meet global medical needs, with a focus on oncology and aging-related diseases. Mabwell’s mission is “Explore Life, Benefit Health” and its vision is “Innovation, from Ideas to Reality.” For more information, please visit www.mabwell.com/en.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, the potential safety, efficacy, regulatory review or approval and commercial success of our product candidates and those relating to the Company’s product development, clinical studies, clinical and regulatory milestones and timelines, market opportunity, competitive position, possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, potential growth opportunities and other statements that are predictive in nature. “Forward-looking statements” are statements that are not historical facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would,” and similar expressions and the negatives of those terms.

Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, including, but not limited to: environment; politic; economy; society; legislation; our dependence on our product candidates, most of which are still in preclinical or various stages of clinical development; our reliance on third-party vendors, such as contract research organizations and contract manufacturing organizations; the uncertainties inherent in clinical testing; our ability to complete required clinical trials for our product candidates and obtain approval from regulatory authorities for our product candidates; our ability to protect our intellectual property; the loss of any executive officers or key personnel. In case one or more of these risks or uncertainties deteriorate, or any assumptions are incorrect, the actual results may be seriously inconsistent with the stated results.

The Company cautions all the persons not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speaks only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any obligation, except as specifically required by law and the rules of the applicable Stock authority to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking descriptions, figures and assumptions in this press release are applicable to this statement.

SEMI Reports Global Semiconductor Equipment Billings Increased 14% Year-Over-Year in Q1 2026

Record Quarterly Equipment Billings Reflect Continued AI-Driven Investment

MILPITAS, Calif., June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SEMI, the industry association serving the global semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, today announced in its Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) report that global semiconductor equipment billings increased 14% year-over-year to US$36.55 billion in the first quarter of 2026. First quarter 2026 billings registered a 1% quarter-over-quarter growth.

Record quarterly billings were driven by continued AI-related investment, including capacity expansion and technology upgrades supporting leading-edge logic, DRAM, and advanced packaging.

“The strong start to 2026 reflects continued industry investment in the capacity and infrastructure needed to support AI-driven semiconductor growth,” said Ajit Manocha, SEMI President and CEO. “Record first-quarter billings highlight ongoing momentum in leading-edge manufacturing and advanced packaging.”

Compiled from data submitted by members of SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ), the WWSEMS report is a summary of the monthly billings figures for the global semiconductor equipment industry. 

The following are quarterly billings data in billions of U.S. dollars, with quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year changes by region:

About SEMI Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS)

The Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) from SEMI provides comprehensive market data for the global semiconductor equipment market. A subscription includes three reports:

  • Monthly SEMI North American Billings Report, an early perspective of equipment market trends
  • Monthly Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics(WWSEMS), a detailed report of semiconductor equipment billings for seven regions and more than 22 market segments
  • Bi-annual Total Semiconductor Equipment Forecast – OEM Perspective, an outlook for the semiconductor equipment market

Download a sample EMDS report.

For more information about the report or to subscribe, please contact the SEMI Market Intelligence Team at mktstats@semi.org. More details are also available on the SEMI Market Data webpage.

Follow SEMI Market Intelligence

Follow SEMI 

About SEMI

SEMI® is the global industry association connecting over 4,000 companies and 1.5 million professionals worldwide across the semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain. We accelerate member collaboration on solutions to top industry challenges through Advocacy, Workforce Development, Sustainability, Supply Chain Management and other programs. Our SEMICON® expositions and events, technology communities, standards and market intelligence help advance our members’ business growth and innovations in design, devices, equipment, materials, services and software, enabling smarter, faster, more secure electronics. Visit www.semi.org, contact a regional office, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and X to learn more.

Association Contacts
Sherrie Gutierrez/SEMI
Phone: 1-831-889-3800
Email: sgutierrez@semi.org

Stephanie Quinn/Bodewell Group (Media Inquiries)
Phone: 1-480-316-8370
Email: squinn@bodewellgroup.com

Semiconductor Equipment Billings By Region
Semiconductor Equipment Billings By Region

Semiconductor Equipment Market Revenue by Region
Semiconductor Equipment Market Revenue by Region

Optellum Celebrates Accelerating Impact in Lung Cancer Care; Now at Over 250 Sites and Growing

OXFORD, United Kingdom and HOUSTON, June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Optellum, a leader in AI-enabled lung cancer diagnostics, today announced that it has surpassed 250 clinical sites and analyzed more than 3 million cases to date. This milestone underscores Optellum’s commitment to empowering health systems and clinical care teams with the tools needed to identify, prioritize, and manage high-risk lung nodules more effectively. This commercial momentum is supported by first-of-their-kind partnerships across major markets, including with Bristol Myers Squibb in the US, and with the NHS and Intuitive Surgical to support end-to-end AI & robot lung cancer pathways in the UK. It is also reflected in established and new customer deployments at leading health systems, including the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Oxford University Hospitals.

Optellum's impact in numbers
Optellum’s impact in numbers

The scale of Optellum’s impact is accelerating rapidly, and the company is now helping one patient every 14 seconds. Optellum pioneered the world’s first FDA-cleared, CE-marked, and Medicare-reimbursed AI solution for image-based lung cancer risk stratification – Lung Cancer Prediction (LCP) AI, under the CPT codes 0721T and 0722T. LCP AI is helping to reduce the uncertainty associated with indeterminate lung nodules, ensuring that no nodule patient is left behind. Further, the wraparound Virtual Nodule Clinic (VNC) solution supports guideline-aligned decisions and has been shown to improve clinicians’ efficiency while reducing time to recommended treatment.[1]

This growth reflects a broader shift toward the adoption of evidence-based innovation in thoracic care. Optellum continues to expand LungOSⓇ, its end-to-end AI-powered lung health platform, powered by the world’s first Thorax CT Foundation Model built for real-world precision lung care. This foundation model is the only model in the world to leverage DART, the world’s largest lung cancer CT dataset. LungOSⓇ brings VNC together with modules for triage and detection,[2] diagnostic support,[3] and therapy guidance.[4] Looking ahead, Optellum is poised to expand its clinical suite with the upcoming European launch of LungDetect, an exciting addition designed to simplify and accelerate nodule identification and characterization.

“Optellum is incredibly proud to be helping more health systems and clinicians provide timely, life-saving care to a growing number of patients,” said Dr. Johnathan Watkins, Optellum’s CEO. “Reaching 250 sites and analyzing millions of cases each year is a testament to the dedication of our team and the trust of our clinical partners. However, we are just getting started; we continue to build LungOSⓇ into the must-have “operating system” for lung cancer and thoracic care more broadly. We invite the global healthcare community to join us on our mission to help solve lung cancer by ensuring early diagnosis and early intervention become the standard for everyone everywhere.”

Results from Optellum’s continued growth and real-world clinical use will continue to be shared with clinicians, healthcare leaders, and policymakers to reach the broader goal of improving outcomes for every thoracic care team, in every hospital, for every patient.

About Optellum

Optellum is a commercial-stage AI healthcare company dedicated to revolutionizing early diagnosis and treatment of lung disease, starting with one of the deadliest, lung cancer.

Optellum is building LungOSⓇ, the end-to-end AI-powered platform for thoracic care. Its flagship product, Virtual Nodule Clinic (VNC) with Lung Cancer Prediction AI (LCP), is the world’s first FDA-cleared and reimbursed software-as-a-medical-device (SaMD) solution for AI-powered lung cancer prioritization and diagnostic support. Clinicians trust the Optellum solution to aid them in making the most appropriate life-saving treatment decisions for their patients. Backed by real-world clinical evidence, Optellum’s solution accelerates the diagnostic care pathway by enabling early patient identification, enhancing prioritization, and improving clinicians’ efficiency, reducing time to guideline-recommended treatment. Optellum VNC is FDA cleared, CE-MDR marked, UKCA marked, and TGA-approved.

Optellum is headquartered in Oxford, UK, and has an office in Houston, Texas, US.

[1] Hill NR et al. Employment of artificial intelligence for early lung cancer diagnosis: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open Respiratory Research. 2025;12: e003225. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2025-003225

[2] Both text-based detection with Patient Discovery and Patient Safety Net as well as image-based detection. Product availability depends on your region, please contact Optellum for more information.

[3] Commercially available in the US, EU/UK, and Australia.

[4] Pending; for research use only

Media Contact

marketing@optellum.com

Kiwi-Born Legal AI Company Ivo Partners with New Zealand Football as Global Expansion Accelerates

The partnership unites two organizations with New Zealand roots and growing global profiles at a moment when both are expanding their presence on the international stage

SAN FRANCISCO and AUCKLAND, New Zealand, June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ivo, the leading platform for AI contract intelligence, today announced a partnership with New Zealand Football to become the Official Legal AI Partner of the All Whites, New Zealand’s men’s national team.

The collaboration reflects Ivo’s continued connection to its New Zealand origins as the company expands its global footprint. Founded in Auckland and now headquartered in San Francisco, Ivo helps global enterprises, including Meta, Uber, IBM, Shopify, and Mitsubishi Electric, accelerate contract workflows and surface critical business intelligence locked inside their contract portfolios.

As part of the partnership, Ivo branding will appear on the front of the All Whites’ training and press kit as the team prepares to compete on the sport’s biggest international stage, as well as across select New Zealand Football initiatives. New Zealand Football will exclusively use Ivo’s contract intelligence platform to draft, review, and analyze all their teams’ agreements.

The announcement arrives alongside a wave of global momentum for Ivo, which has grown ARR sixfold in the last 12 months and has recently opened offices in London and New York.

“As a New Zealand-founded company, we know what it takes to build something and take it to the world stage,” said Min-Kyu Jung, CEO and co-founder of Ivo. “Standing with the All Whites as they prepare for one of the most significant moments in the program’s history is something we’re really proud of.”

Andrew Pragnell, Chief Executive of New Zealand Football, said: “Ivo is a real Kiwi success story of a company taking on the world, and that’s exactly what we strive to do every time our national teams step onto the field. It’s exciting to partner with a New Zealand-founded company experiencing strong global growth while remaining connected to its roots. We look forward to working together and supporting each other’s continued success.”

About Ivo
Ivo is an enterprise-grade AI-powered contract intelligence platform that enables legal and business teams to move faster, reduce risk, and unlock revenue by turning contracts into actionable business intelligence. Founded in New Zealand and headquartered in San Francisco, Ivo helps organizations surface risk instantly, accelerate negotiation cycles, and remove bottlenecks across the contract lifecycle. Customers include leading global enterprises and high-growth companies across multiple industries.

About New Zealand Football
New Zealand Football oversees the beautiful game in Aotearoa New Zealand. From a player’s first experience of football at a young age through the development pathway to national competitions, refereeing, coaching, administration, and ultimately representing New Zealand on the international stage, New Zealand Football supports every level of the game.

Football is the largest team participation sport in the country, with more than 180,000 registered players in 2025.

New Zealand Football manages national men’s and women’s football, futsal, and eFootball leagues and cup competitions.

As the highest-ranked member association in the Oceania Football Confederation, New Zealand Football runs 10 national team programmes, including the men’s national team, the All Whites, and the women’s national team, the Ford Football Ferns.

Members of the All Whites wearing training kit featuring Ivo branding following the announcement of a new partnership between Ivo and New Zealand Football.
Members of the All Whites wearing training kit featuring Ivo branding following the announcement of a new partnership between Ivo and New Zealand Football.

Logo – https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ivo_logo_full_ivy_2x_logo.jpg
Photo – https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/tim_payne_nzf_3a.jpg

AIP Capital Announces Matt Stevens as Managing Director, Americas

STAMFORD, Conn. and SINGAPORE and DUBLIN and NEW YORK, June 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AIP Capital, an alternative investment manager focused on opportunities in asset-based finance today announced that it has expanded its team appointing Matt Stevens as Managing Director to lead AIP’s commercial efforts in the Americas.

“We are excited to formally announce Matt joining to bolster AIP’s commercial efforts and AIP’s ability to serve regional and global industry clients across the firm’s client base” said Jared Ailstock, Managing Partner at AIP Capital. “Matt brings deep experience and a track record in aircraft financing, sales, leasing and partnering with airline customers over more than 15 years.”

Matt Stevens commented, “I’m honored to join AIP Capital and look forward to serving our valued airline customers across the Americas, strengthening our partnerships, and delivering bespoke fleet and financing solutions that support their long-term success.”

Prior to joining AIP Capital, Matt served as Vice President, Marketing for Air Lease Corporation where he was responsible for leading origination with airlines across the Americas and Spain. Matt received a Bachelor of Arts from The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a Master of Business Administration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and is a FAA licensed pilot.

About AIP Capital

AIP Capital (AIP) is a global alternative investment manager focused on opportunities in asset-based finance including aviation and equipment finance. AIP, together with its affiliates, manages approximately $7.5 billion of assets on behalf of a diversified global investor base. The AIP team is comprised of over 70 experienced professionals across AIP’s offices in Stamford, New York City, Dublin, Singapore, Seoul & Tokyo.

For more information about AIP Capital or to speak with company executives, please contact investor.relations@aipcapital.com.

Media Contacts
AIP Capital
Geoffrey Bayers
investor.relations@aipcapital.com