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Minuteman Press Franchise in Swindon, England Reopens Doors After Flooding and Fire

Minuteman Press International Inc

Minuteman Press in Swindon, England has reopened its physical location at 19-21 Newport Street (Ground Floor – Newport House). After suffering water damage from flooding in July of 2021 and electrical fire damage in October of 2021, owner James Beckwith and his team continued to operate and serve clients as repairs were being made. James shares, “The community has been fantastic, we officially remained open the whole time taking orders from the website and emails, as well as keeping our phone lines open. We have had nothing but positive comments and folks telling us they are so happy we are back open. Some customers have commented that though they had to go elsewhere for a time, the quality of the print and the quality of the service just didn’t compare to what they received when working with us.” During this critical time and leading to the reopening of their facility, James was grateful to be part of the Minuteman Press franchise family, who stepped in and provided crucial support in many areas. James says, “Mark Jones (UK South Regional VP) and Richard Myers (local field rep) and Duncan Diesel (at MPIHQ) have been invaluable to us. I routinely spoke with Duncan on equipment decisions when ours was being replaced as well as marketing ideas and technical help with Minuteman Press FLEX software and the new website. Richard has been out to see us during the time we had no premises to work up a plan once we were back open and he has been out since opening to assist with production processes and marketing ideas. Mark Jones was always at the end of the phone if we needed advice on anything. He was very key in us making the decision to stay in our current premises when we were investigating moving locations.” Being part of the Minuteman Press system also enabled James to receive vital support from choice vendors like Xerox. James states, “I want to particularly give a shout out to Xerox. They were amazing throughout the entire process. The Xerox kit was always the most expensive shop item and there were lots of negotiations on price to replace the two Versants that were damaged. They ultimately gave us the opportunity to acquire the Xerox Iridesse and offline booklet maker to match the requirements from the two previous Versants while keeping the insurance company happy on cost. Xerox also gave me near free reign of their Uxbridge HQ where I was allowed to run one particular job on their presses every month for six or seven months.” Today, with the repairs finished, new equipment in place and new signage installed, James is excited about the upgrades that have been made to the business. He says, “Our offices and production area have been refurbished, and we can now provide more services than before.” James continues, “We now have totally new kit, and because it is so versatile, we can offer more options than before, with an even faster turnaround. The new Xerox Iridesse is a full production press allowing us more and faster capabilities as well as improved image quality over our previous presses.” He adds, “Even our booklet-making capacity has improved. Whereas before, making a large number of booklets could take several hours, we can now produce up to 3,000 booklets in an hour.” James further explains the benefits of the new equipment installed at Minuteman Press in Swindon: “The Iridesse is absolutely amazing. The image quality is second to none. The job that I would run at Xerox HQ was a monthly magazine run for a local village. 1050 copies, ranging from 20 – 32 pages each month. On our Versants, the job would take 6 – 8 hours. Now the entire job takes us about 2 hours!” We were able to update our Duplo 615 to the 618 and that piece of kit is a dream. Touch screen, easy to configure and very dependable. We replaced our SureColour T5200 with the same model, however now we have the large format scanner which was one area we were sorely lacking. Customers would routinely come in with paper plans looking to get copies or scans and we would have to turn them away, now we can handle the full job for them. We replaced our HP Latex 330 with the Latex 335 that has the Print & Cut feature. We couldn’t be happier with the decision. We are still getting our feet wet with the Print & Cut, but so far we are producing work on all the new kit.” Minuteman Press in Swindon also plans to re-add dye sublimation and add a self-service area for walk-in customers who need a simple print job. James says, “This is really ideal if someone wants a return label printed, for example. We always offered this kind of service for customers, but soon they will be able to do it on a DIY basis.” James concludes, “We are happy to be back in our new and improved facility, and we are excited to continue to welcome back our clients. We are so thankful for them and all of the help we’ve received from our community and MPIHQ, and now we are ready to serve our clients better than ever before.” For more information about Minuteman Press in Swindon, visit https://minuteman.com/uk/locations/england/swindon/ To learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and to see Minuteman Press franchise reviews, visit https://minutemanpressfranchise.co.uk or https://minutemanpressfranchise.com Contact Details Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

August 26, 2022 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Direct Help for Mass Shootings Families and the Communities that Experience Them

YourUpdateTV

Mass shootings seem like a weekly event but what hasn’t changed is the need to support victims and their families after the attention fades while helping provide help to the communities experiencing the unthinkable. Those who comprise VictimsFirst know this personally as they all have been directly impacted by mass shootings. After her cousin was killed in the Aurora theater shooting in 2012, VictimsFirst CEO Anita Busch learned firsthand of the challenges faced by survivors and families and has put that knowledge to work directly helping in the aftermath of 37 shootings so far. Another family member survived the Las Vegas concert during that attack. Busch then led families of the deceased from previous mass shootings from Columbine, VA Tech, NIU, Aurora, Oak Creek Sikh Temple and Newtown to help create a new model for charitable giving – one that ensures public intent so that 100% of donations collected for victims of mass casualty crime actually go directly to those victims. They helped launch the National Compassion Fund. Now some of those same families comprise VictimsFirst. It was for these worthy reasons that D S Simon Media decided to partner with VictimsFirst to conduct a pro bono media tour to raise awareness for the work that they do. “Victims First is an incredible organization. They’re passionate about their important mission, helping people during a time in which their lives have been changed forever” said D S Simon Media, CEO, Doug Simon. “And my hope is that everyone who learns about them, decides to support them.” VictimsFirst responds immediately to mass casualty crimes by helping the community organize in the best interests of the victims/survivors themselves and providing resources, including immediate financial resources to the victim base. They work pro bono and 100% collected into their Victims’ Fund goes directly to victims/survivors. The resulting media tour resulted in 28 interviews across the country, an expected audience reach of over 60 million, and immediate donations in markets where the media tour interviews took place. For more information, visit VictimsFirst.org Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

August 25, 2022 05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Giving Metabolism A Boost? BioRestorative Uses Science Surrounding Brown Fat Cells To Provide A Possible Breakthrough In Metabolic Disorders

BioRestorative Therapies, Inc.

In 2017, 41.9% of Americans experienced some level of obesity. Adults experiencing obesity in 2019 spent an average of $1,861 more on medical expenses than people with a healthy weight. For people who experience obesity, the presence of excess fat is a legitimate concern that can cost money, cause additional health problems and be associated with psychological problems such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Some of the health concerns associated with obesity include high blood pressure, high bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease and osteoarthritis. Research has found that extreme obesity is associated with suicidal behavior and suicide attempts in adults. With growing data on the impacts of obesity, researchers at organizations like the National Institute of Health and Harvard Medical School have devoted resources to understanding new methods for combatting metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Both the National Institute of Health and Harvard Medical School reportedly made an exciting discovery. While fat has often been villainized, what many people may not know is that there are two types of fat cells — brown fat cells and white fat cells. Excessive amounts of white fat can be concerning and may lead to an increased risk for health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and numerous other metabolic diseases. On the other hand, brown fat cells have been found to potentially be an important tool for combating different metabolic diseases. When people with high brown fat activity are exposed to a relatively cold temperature, a protein (SLC25A44) is produced and used as energy in cells to generate heat, which results in burned calories and increased metabolism. When researchers blocked the production of this protein in mice, it was found to increase levels of obesity and signs of diabetes. Researchers found that boosting SLC25A44 activity is a promising strategy for potentially treating conditions such as obesity and diabetes. Companies such as Ember Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: EMBT), Adipo Therapeutics LLC and BioRestorative Therapies Inc. (NASDAQ: BRTX) are actively working to use these scientific studies to combat metabolic diseases. Promising New Treatments One of the treatments developed by BioRestorative Therapies designed to potentially target obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders is ThermoStem. BioRestorative says that the ThermoStem program uses brown adipose-derived (otherwise known as brown fat) stem cells to help increase metabolic activity. Previously published studies by BioRestorative have demonstrated that transplanting brown fat can increase metabolic activity and regulate metabolic dysfunction in diet-induced obese mice. BioRestorative Therapies reports it is working on Investigational New Drug Application (IND)-enabling studies to enter into first-in-man clinical studies. Using a cell-based approach to target metabolic disorders may potentially provide a disruptive solution to address a multi-billion market opportunity. While the fight against metabolic disorders such as obesity is far from over, it is hopeful that therapies based on the findings surrounding brown fat, such as ThermoStem may provide relief for many currently struggling. BioRestorative Therapies was founded by scientists and researchers committed to developing stem cell therapies to address unmet needs in patients with highly prevalent conditions.Our advances in stem cell biology and delivery protocols harbor great promise in conditioning our bodies’ own regenerative potential to treat major diseases more effectively than current interventions.Today, BioRestorative is actively developing programs that aim to dramatically increase quality of care for both (i) chronic back pain caused by disc degeneration, as well as (ii) metabolic disorders including obesity and diabetes. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Investor Relations ir@biorestorative.com Company Website https://www.biorestorative.com/

August 25, 2022 03:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Splash Beverage Group’s Pulpoloco Sangria Chosen By 7-Eleven’s Brands With Heart Campaign

Splash Beverage Group

Learn More about Splash Beverage Group by gaining access to the latest research report 7-Eleven Inc.'s Brands with Heart event is returning for the fourth time. The program is designed to give brands the opportunity to enter one of the leading retail channels in the country and introduce their products to 7-Eleven®, Speedway® and Stripes® customers throughout the U.S. Competition is stiff, and only a few emerging brands are selected. Splash Beverage Group Inc. (NYSE: SBEV) was proud to announce that its sangria beverage brand Pulpoloco was selected for 7-Eleven’s Brands with Heart event. The company reports that Pulpoloco is made in Spain using the freshest, most authentic ingredients and recipes — also with a modern, sustainable twist on a traditional sangria through earth-friendly innovation like its low-carbon footprint paper can. Splash Beverage Group looks to be an innovator in the beverage industry that manages and presents a variety of natural and healthy beverages. It owns a growing portfolio of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage brands, including Copa di Vino wine by the glass, SALT tequilas, and TapouT performance hydration and recovery drink. Very similar to Celsius Holdings(NASDAQ: CELH) in its early stages. Splash’s latest focus is on Qplash, a new brand that it says provides beverages and coffee to businesses that are underserved by the traditional beverage distribution model. According to Splash Beverage Group, “As the premier leader in convenience, 7-Eleven is uniquely positioned to make a meaningful difference in our communities and for the planet. Our philosophy to lead through service fuels our commitment to create positive change both in our stores and in our communities. 7-Eleven is proud to set the standard for sustainable retailing in the convenience industry." Other brands that have been selected include Kellogg Co. ’s (NYSE: K) RXBAR, Hershey Co. ’s (NYSE: HSY) SkinnyPop, Chunk Nibbles, wildwonder, Better Bites Bakery, BeeFree Gluten-Free Bakery, and Agua Bonita. About Splash Beverage Group Splash says its strategy is concentrated on rapidly developing early-stage brands already in its portfolio and acquiring and accelerating brands that have high visibility or innovators within their respective categories. Splash is also rapidly expanding its brand portfolio and global distribution. The company says it leverages operational efficiencies to manage potential risks arising from its numerous beverage brands. Splash reports being led by a management team that has built and managed some of the top brands in the beverage industry and is driving sales from product launch into the billions. Other top players in the specialty food and beverage market include giants such as Ambev S.A. (NYSE: ABEV), Monster Beverage ( NASDAQ: MNST ), Amtech Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ASYS) Vita Coco (NASDAQ: COCO). Splash Beverage Group, an innovator in the beverage industry, owns a growing portfolio of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage brands including Copa di Vino wine by the glass, SALT flavored tequilas, Pulpoloco sangria, and TapouT performance hydration and recovery drink. Splash’s strategy is to rapidly develop early-stage brands already in its portfolio as well as acquire and then accelerate brands that have high visibility or are innovators in their categories. Led by a management team that has built and managed some of the top brands in the beverage industry and led sales from product launch into the billions, Splash is rapidly expanding its brand portfolio and global distribution. For more information visit: www.SplashBeverageGroup.com www.copadivino.com www.drinksalttequila.com www.pulpo-loco.com www.tapoutdrinks.com This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details TraDigital IR- John C. McNamara +1 954-745-5815 john@tradigitalir.com Company Website https://splashbeveragegroup.com/

August 25, 2022 03:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time

The Legacy Group Joins Forces with AmeriLife’s Senior Market Advisors

AmeriLife

Senior Market Advisors (SMA), one of the fastest growing field marketing organizations (FMO) in the insurance space and an affiliate of AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), announced today that it has partnered with The Legacy Group, a St. Louis-based insurance advisory firm that specializes in distributing Medicare Advantage and retirement solutions to beneficiaries nationwide. Alongside longstanding relationships with some of the nation’s top carriers, the partnership expands SMA’s geographical footprint in the midwestern United States while affording The Legacy Group access to the combined scale, resources and support of SMA and AmeriLife’s industry-leading distribution network. Per the agreement, terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Senior Market Advisors is excited to partner with The Legacy Group to further strengthen its footprint as a leader in the Medicare market across the nation,” said Jeff Pitta, founder and CEO of Senior Market Advisors. “The Legacy Group’s growth sits on a strong foundation of innovation and technology that has proven to simplify the agent sales experience and maximize long-term customer retention. We’re excited to combine our resources and capabilities to continue adding value to our distribution partners across the country.” The Legacy Group took shape with AmeriLife a decade ago, and over the last few years expanded as it forged a close relationship with SMA. Since then, both partnerships have contributed significant value to the firm. The formal merger with SMA, under the umbrella of AmeriLife’s leading, national distribution network, will help expand The Legacy Group’s scope of business, drive cross-company synergies, and create increased business efficiencies. “Successful mergers exploit the opportunity to exponentiate sustainable growth, and sustainability is accomplished by focusing on the main competitive advantage in any business: culture,” said Jason Buchheit, president and CEO of The Legacy Group. “Our company’s culture is its foundation – it fuels our innovation and growth. We’re excited to expand upon our culture with partners that promote both professional and personal growth while continuing to focus on excellence and empowering our people.” “The best partnerships often grow from longstanding relationships with shared values,” added AmeriLife Chief Distribution Officer Mike Vietri. “The addition of The Legacy Group, under the leadership of Jeff and SMA, is a testament to the care that AmeriLife takes to building its industry-leading distribution network the right way. We couldn’t be more excited to have Jason and his team officially join ours and look forward to helping them accelerate their growth.” The Legacy Group will continue to operate as a stand-alone organization out of its St. Louis headquarters and under the leadership of Buchheit, who will report to SMA’s head of finance and M&A Vincent (Vinny) Cardi. ### About Senior Market Advisors Senior Market Advisors (SMA) has been people over profits since 2007, by hard work and a commitment to “doing right” by the consumer. We have certainly knocked on our fair share of doors. We know the grit and determination involved in becoming a career agent. And as a result, we have become one of the fastest growing FMOs, doubling our business each year for the past five years. For more information, visit us online at SeniorMarketAdvisors.com. About The Legacy Group The Legacy Group is a leading insurance advisory firm established to provide an unmet need in the healthcare and capital markets. Our purpose is to help our customers navigate the constant changes in these markets, providing relevant, customize solutions that enable them to secure their legacy and protect future generations. For more information, visit LG-3.org. About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as the leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and advisors and more than 100 marketing organizations and insurance agency locations nationwide. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details AmeriLife - Public Relations Jeff Maldonado +1 321-297-1112 jmaldonado@amerilife.com AmeriLife - Partnership Inquiries Patrick Nichols +1 727-726-0726 pnichols@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

August 25, 2022 10:54 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Nutramax Laboratories Files Lawsuit Against Zesty Paws Alleging E. coli Contamination, Undetectable Active Ingredients in Pet Products

Nutramax Laboratories

Nutramax Laboratories (“Nutramax”) recently brought legal action against Zesty Paws LLC (“Zesty Paws”) and its Hong Kong-based owner, H&H Group (1). The action is for false advertising regarding the ingredients, quality, third-party rankings and recommendations, and market performance of their products, as well as for making false or misleading comparisons to Nutramax’s DASUQUIN® products. Third-party testing of Zesty Paws’ products indicates that at least some of their products contain inconsistent, and sometimes undetectable, amounts of key active ingredients, and in some instances contaminants, including E. coli and high aerobic microbial counts. For more than 30 years, Nutramax has placed its valued customers first. We are committed to providing innovative products that are backed by science and held to the highest quality standards. Our dedication to science and quality has been recognized by customers and earned us the distinction as the #1 veterinarian-recommended supplement company. We take the responsibility as the industry leader seriously and prioritize protecting customers and their pets from low-quality pet supplements and protecting the overall reputation of the industry. We believe that pets deserve supplements of the absolute highest quality and pet parents should feel confident that what they give their pets meets label claims and is contaminant free. We invite you to learn more about our dedication to quality at nutramaxlabs.com/our-quality or by contacting our knowledgeable customer service team at (888) 886-6442. Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences, Inc. develops, and markets supplements backed by research for companion animals to help support their quality of life. Small animal products include Cosequin®, the #1 Veterinarian Recommended Retail Joint Health Supplement Brand*,**; Dasuquin®, the #1 veterinarian-recommended joint health supplement brand*; the #1 veterinarian-recommended liver support brand Denamarin®***; and products supporting urinary tract health, digestive health, and skin/coat health plus overall wellness. To learn more, call (888) 886-6442 or visit nutramaxlabs.com. *Source: Among retail brands. Survey conducted among small animal veterinarians who recommend oral joint health supplements. **Source: Among veterinary brands. Survey conducted among small animal veterinarians who recommended oral joint health supplements. ***Source: Survey conducted among small animal veterinarians who recommended liver support brands. (1) Nutramax Laboratories Inc. et al. v. Zesty Paws LLC et al., Civil Action No. 6:22-cv-00626-CEM-LHP (U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida) Contact Details Erika Dyer +1 703-906-6368 erika@curleycompany.com Company Website https://www.nutramaxlabs.com/

August 22, 2022 07:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time

AmeriLife Expands Career Agency Distribution with Openings of New Offices in Texas and Rhode Island

AmeriLife

AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), a national leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions, announced today that it has opened two new Career Agency offices in Mansfield, Texas, and Cranston, R.I., expanding its presence in two strategically important regions and bringing its total number of Career Agency locations to 52 offices nationwide. “AmeriLife is excited to welcome two new agency office locations into the AmeriLife family,” said Frank Tebyani, president of AmeriLife’s Career Agency. “The Career Agency model is a critical component of AmeriLife’s distribution strategy, and today’s announcement reflects our continued pursuit of expanding to where our beneficiaries are living to help our agents deliver the solutions to meet their total health and retirement needs.” AmeriLife of Texas – Mansfield will operate under the leadership of Market Leader David Rainwater and the day-to-day management of Agency Manager Anthony “Tony” Burnley, representing the fourth AmeriLife office in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As one of the fastest growing states in the country, Texas continues to be a priority market for AmeriLife, and the opening of the Mansfield office signals the company’s commitment to serving its high-growth and diverse communities. “Texas is becoming one of the largest retirement markets in the United States, and seniors here need quality representation to help them understand their Medicare options” said Rainwater. “I’m excited for Tony to deliver quality service to the Mansfield community and build a team of representatives that serve the senior population and help them with all their retirement planning needs.” AmeriLife of Rhode Island will operate under the leadership of Market Leader Michael Coombs, while Agency Leader Alice Supinski will provide day-to-day management of the office. Alongside its sister office, AmeriLife of the Northeast in Marlborough, Mass., the Cranston office represents AmeriLife’s ongoing push into the Northeast and New England as AmeriLife’s Career Agency distribution continues to expand its map nationwide. “The Medicare boom has hit our region hard, and new providers with direct relationships with some of the best hospital networks in the area have begun to take shape,” said Coombs. “We’re working hand-in-hand with these partners to get the message out to Medicare beneficiaries, and our new Cranston office – under the leadership of longtime Rhode Island resident Alice Supinski – will accelerate our efforts to help agents deliver the health and retirement options our growing community demands.” ### About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as the leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and advisors and more than 100 marketing organizations and insurance agency locations nationwide. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details AmeriLife Jeff Maldonado +1 321-297-1112 jmaldonado@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

August 22, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Dukkantek seals $10m funding round as it scales digital ecosystem for SMB retail sector in MENA

Dukkantek

Store management platform Dukkantek has quickly scaled across the MENA region as SMB retailers adopted their tech for customer services, business processes and faster growth. In supporting this growth, Dukkantek is today announcing an oversubscribed $10m pre-series A funding round as it powers the digital ecosystem for 13 million SMB retailers across the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Turkey and Saudi Arabia as it looks for more opportunities in North Africa. The funding round was led by BECO with significant participation from Rocketship and Colle Capital. Other strategic investors in the round included Comma Capital, AMK Investment Office, Chaos Ventures, and Wamda Capital. The funding round follows their $5.2m seed round in October 2021, taking their total funds raised to $15.2m. Dukkantek was founded in January 2021 by Ali Al Sayegh, Sanad Yaghi and Shadi Joulani. Originally conceived as a service aimed at retailers in the grocery sector, the merchants on the platform now span 70 different verticals, with clothing and electricals particularly prominent alongside food and drink. It has already attracted more than thousands of customers for its suite of services empowering traditional merchants with end-to-end digital technology that improves all business processes. It enables these retailers to run their bricks and mortar stores more efficiently and productively and to make the leap into ecommerce. Dukkantek co-founder Sanad Yaghi commented: “For too long, the owners of small and medium-sized businesses have been left on the margins of the technology shift; now we are serving their unmet needs. We bring a technology platform consisting of three different value propositions that enable these merchants to compete in a digital world” “This includes a set of tools that enables merchants to run their businesses more effectively. Payments options ensure merchants can offer customers more choice about how to settle their bills. And an e-commerce offering which gives merchants everything they need to start selling online for the first time and to manage that operation in tandem with the brick-and-mortar business. Many merchants struggle to keep track of inventory when selling both online and in physical stores, so having one system that incorporates both parts of the business is very important”. The coronavirus pandemic hastened digital adoption in the MENA region, leading to an increase in online shopping, in particular. The region's e-commerce market is expected to reach $49 billion in 2025, up almost 55 per cent from 2021, a report by EZDubai, an e-commerce zone in Dubai, and Euromonitor International showed earlier this year. The UAE’s e-commerce market alone is forecast to grow 60 per cent to more than $8bn by 2025 from 2021. Community retailers in the UAE without a digital presence, who were unable to accept online payments during the pandemic, were severely affected due to the drop in customer footfall. Dukkantek believes that traditional merchants and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) remain the backbone of the global economy, and their transactions should be digitized to keep pace with market developments. And to this end they platform provides: Cloud POS: The Cloud POS is a Point-of-Sales system that can be accessed online, from anywhere. It allows businesses to keep track of transactions & sales, calculate VAT, generate reports and calculate profit margin. Inventory Management: The Cloud IM is an online software that helps businesses track, manage & organize the inventory. It allows users to keep track of stock, measure stock value, manage fast-moving products and generate reports for analysis. Payment Options: The platform offers a variety of payment options including cash, card payments or credit payments. Reports can be generated to track payments. E-Commerce: The e-commerce functionality allows stores to sell their goods online or through an app. One of its features includes live inventory, as it’s linked to the IM & POS software. Another feature is that stores can choose what items to put online and their corresponding prices. Moreover, it sends push notifications to customers. Companion App: The companion app is a mobile application that helps manage the store online. Its features include: Automated Inventory Reconciliation, live store data, linked to IM & POS, ability to track daily sales on the dashboard, ability to review all transactions, and track cash movements and payment methods. "It's very rare to come across a business and team that have been able to execute the way in which Dukkantek has done so far. Launching 7 countries in 18 short months since founding is no easy feat, yet the Dukkantek team has managed to do it in such a seamless and capital efficient manner. We are very excited to partner with Sanad, Ali and the wider team as they look to build on their exciting traction and overall vision of digitizing merchants." said Abdulaziz Shikh Al Sagha from BECO Capital Having met its geographical expansion goals, Dukkantek’s focus will now turn to adding new services. In particular, exploring working capital solutions and building its data analytics capabilities for users. “We have seen an increase in users accessing analytics tools on the platform which, for example, help them understand which products will sell best. Three-quarters of the businesses on the platform are now trading in this way. Also, many merchants are keen to expand the number of stores they operate, but are held back by the lack of finance available in the region which we can look to explore” added Sanad Yaghi. About Dukkantek Founded in January 2021, Dukkantek is the UAE’s first and only revolutionary store management platform that enables traditional merchants to compete equally in an evolving digital world, and further empower their retail capacity. Redefining the conventional way of managing tasks and sales, the innovative platform aims to strengthen local community stores and power digital transformations with end-to-end technology that enhances and streamlines all business processes, enabling them to compete with dark stores and delivery players. Dukkantek is the technology partner for all local community stores in the region. For more information please visit https://www.dukkantek.com Contact Details Dukkantek Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.dukkantek.com/

August 19, 2022 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Urban Health creates world’s smartest wellness assistant as it secures $3.4m funding round

Urban Health

Digital wellness company Urban Health which helps people sleep better, relax and de-stress is today announcing a $3.4m seed funding round as they scale operations globally. Having grown quickly in the US with wide acclaim (4.8 star app rating) they will launch a more personalized service for users. The funding round was led by 3one4 Capital with participation from Venture Highway, Founder Bank Capital and Disney’s Ajay Arora. The Urban Health app smart wellness assistant tracks sleep, steps and mindful minutes while using psychology, personal text-based health coaching and premium recorded audio sessions, to create personalized wellness plans for users to de-stress, relax, improve sleep quality and overall well-being. Meditation and sleep sessions offer guided mindfulness, daily motivation, guided sleep meditations and coaching by world-renowned experts, personalized for the way users live their life. In 2020, Urban raised a $400K pre-seed led by Venture Highway, taking their total funds raised to $3.8M. Co-founders Kshitij Jaggi, Rishabh Sahu and Shivang were IIT Kanpur class fellows and established Urban in 2018 upon graduating. Kshitij was a keen user of fitness and wellness apps on his way to losing 20 kgs and Rishabh had been meditating since his teenage years. While Shivang was already coding tech for consumer products in less than a day, at record speeds. Their personal experiences led them to the problem of plenty: screen time, stress, information overdose, sugar, food, weight gain. The pandemic and customer feedback made them focus on stress, sleep and insomnia use cases and landed on wellness as a broader addressable market because it linked all the problems to each other. Urban operates in an estimated $1.5 Trillion wellness market. Addressing burning consumer wellness issues of anxiety, sleep and lack of mental health infrastructure. National Institutes of Health says nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder. Nearly half of the world’s population does not get enough sleep. In addition to the detrimental effect on health, sleep deprivation carries high economic costs, estimated at $680 billion a year in five OECD countries including $400 billion for the United States and $60 billion for Germany. Moreover, to better understand US mental health infrastructure: 40% of the US population live in a limited access area to such services and 60% of US counties have no psychiatrist. Demand outstrips supply by 25 times. Kshitij Jaggi, co-founder at Urban commented: “We made a deep dive into this space and realized every customer's journey is different and everyone needs different kinds of assistance. This is at the heart of what we’ve built until now and where we will continue to innovate. Addressing different customer wellness needs and assisting members based on goals is key to what we do. We assist with deep insights, nudging our members to take the right actions at the right time.” Urban Health analyzed user outcomes over a 4-week usage period and found 85% reported improvement in over well-being. Outcomes included better sleep, less stress and more relaxed state of mind in members. The company plans to further invest in efficacy and support clinical studies in this direction. “Just five minutes of mindfulness and meditation per day can improve your life through stress relief and improved sleep. By helping users stay calm and relaxed, it has increased self-awareness and their sense of perspective. Urban Health brings wellness to your pocket and on the go” added Kshitij Jaggi. Company became revenue generating in January 2021 having launched an annual membership service. Demand surged in the US and revenues have grown 20x since then. Urban will use the funds raised to scale its member base and to provide one-to-one professional help via audio and video calls from health coaches. In addition to this, the company plans to provide health and wellness plans for larger communities through partnerships with schools and companies globally. Anurag Ramdasan, Partner at 3one4 capital commented: “Urban health's adoption has taken off. Downloads are up and consumer spend is taking off. We're seeing a sentiment shift: globally people are prioritising their health and are open to invest in their personal wellness needs. Urban health has successfully scaled their reach globally and we are delighted to support the next phase of growth.” Neeraj Arora, Founding Partner at Venture Highway commented: “Proud to be associated with the team since day zero, true product builders at heart. We’re committed to solving the most urgent global health problem of our times with Urban Health.” About Urban Health Urban Health is the world's smartest wellness assistant. Members globally use it to stress less, relax more and sleep better. Platform offers personalized wellness plans for mind, body and sleep. It uses wellness tacking, psychology, personal text based health coaching and premium recorded sessions to help people lead a healthy life.For more information please visit https://urban.health/ Contact Details Urban Health Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://urban.health/

August 17, 2022 11:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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