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Four Fintech Stocks For 2023

Fintech Payment Stocks

Financial technology, or fintech, is a broad category of companies that use technology to improve or automate financial services. Companies that develop new digital payment-processing solutions are considered fintech, as are companies that build and operate person-to-person payment applications. Many fintech stocks were hit hard in 2022 with the stock market downturn; however, 2023 has started off strong for the sector, and analysts and investors are taking notice. On January 20th, shares of Block, Inc. (NYSE:SQ) jumped over seven percent after Truist increased its price target for the digital payments company from $85 per share to $105 per share. Truist analyst Andrew Jeffrey lifted the price target as a part of broader research coverage on fintech stocks. The fintech market was valued at USD 112.5 billion in 2021, and the sector is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 19.8% to USD 332.5 billion by the year 2028. With plenty of room to grow, there’s a ton of long-term potential in the fintech industry, so it can be an opportune time to look for solid companies to hold for the long term. Here are four fintech companies every investor should keep an eye on: AppTech Payments Corp. (NASDAQ: APCX), Block, Inc. (NYSE: SQ), PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL), and Sofi Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFI). AppTech Payments Corp. (NASDAQ: APCX) is an innovative fintech company whose mission is to deliver a better way for businesses to provide their customers with customizable, immersive commerce experiences. AppTech’s all-new, patent-backed fintech platform, known as Commerse, is powering their "Commerce Experiences-as-a-Service," designed to fundamentally change the way digital banking, mobile payments, and merchant services are facilitated. Commerse provides digital banking, text-to-pay, crypto payments, and merchant services altogether from a single, unified platform that drives operational efficiencies and growth for businesses while providing the economic convenience that their customers demand from today’s commerce experiences. The platform incorporates Payments as a Service, Banking as a Service, data, AI/ML, MarTech, and other features to create flexible, rich, and personalized payment and banking experiences for their end users. Commerse provides seamless digital banking and digital payment acceptance, including credit card issuance of physical and virtual cards from credit card and alternative payment processing services such as text-to-pay, to cross-border payment capabilities, all housed within a single ecosystem. AppTech’s Commerse fintech platform is making waves and getting noticed. APCX received a shout out from Slatestone Wealth Chief Market Strategist Kenny Polari on Fox Business, regarding the stock's potential in the 2023 year. One of the key features found in the Commerse platform is the ability to "text-to-pay." Digital payments are quickly displacing other payment methods; in 2020, digital payments overtook cash as the top transaction method for offline commerce and accounted for about 50% of global online commerce volume in 2021. APCX is revolutionizing the industry with its ground-breaking, patented ‘Text-to-Pay’ technology for contactless transactions. Customers of AppTech have access to pre-built, API-driven features that make it simple to create and send invoices via text message and let customers make payments via text message, the most popular method of digital communication. APCX’s upward trajectory doesn't stop there, in fact—the company currently owns 17 different patents. In a recent interview, Luke D'Angelo, Executive Chairman, CEO & Chief Investment Officer at APCX, commented on their patents, stating: “First and foremost, our intellectual property is bar none. Obviously, big companies have good patent portfolios, but the key to intellectual property and patents is being first. I can say that we have been first on a lot of fronts. We wanted to make sure that when we came to market that we're not looking back. We're not looking to the left or right, we're just charging straight forward. Our due diligence and study of the fintech market for the last seven years is paramount." The company has a strong portfolio of intellectual property, ground breaking technology with all time high adoption rates, and a comprehensive platform that enables small businesses. Put APCX on your radar for stocks to keep an eye on in 2023. Block, Inc. (NYSE: SQ) is a global technology company with a focus on financial services. Made up of Square, Cash App, Spiral, TIDAL, and TBD, Block builds tools to help more people access the economy. One of Block's successes, Cash App, enables users to send, spend, or invest money in Bitcoin or stocks with ease. Spiral creates and funds open-source Bitcoin projects that are free to use. TIDAL is used by artists to help them succeed as entrepreneurs and connect with their fans more deeply. TBD is creating an open developer platform to make it easier to gain access to Bitcoin and other blockchain technologies without going through a financial institution. Recently, Truist analyst Andrew Jeffret adjusted his price target for the digital payments company from $85 per share to $105 per share. As part of broader research coverage on fintech stocks, the Truist analyst raised the price target. With the stock already performing well in 2023, it is one to keep an eye on. PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) is a pioneer in the fintech space, and with 432 million active accounts, it's also one of the biggest players. PYPL operates a technology platform that enables digital payments on behalf of merchants and consumers worldwide. In a conference call to discuss financial results for the third quarter of 2022, PayPal Chief Financial Officer Gabrielle Rabinovitch discussed the company's plans for 2023, stating, "Returning capital to our shareholders continues to be our single biggest priority from a capital allocation standpoint, and I think it will continue to be." Even though PayPal isn't the high-growth opportunity it once was, with only 7% year-over-year revenue growth anticipated for the current quarter, it is still possible for PayPal to increase revenue per share by a double-digit percentage, which should be sufficient to outperform the market in 2023 and beyond. SoFi Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFI) operates through three segments: lending, technology platforms, and financial services. SoFi's lending and financial services and products allow its members to borrow, save, spend, invest, and protect their money. It offers student loans, personal loans for debt consolidation and home improvement projects, and home loans. The company also provides cash management, investment, and technology services. While 2022 was not the strongest year for the stock, the past month has proven to be different, with shares of the company having gained 27.33% over the time period. It is also worth noting the recent changes in analyst estimates for SoFi Technologies, Inc. These most recent changes typically reflect how quickly short-term business trends change. Because of this, we can view favorable estimate revisions as a sign that the company's business outlook is improving. Razorpitch Inc. is a marketing communications and investor relations firm serving private, pre-IPO, and public companies. RazorPitch specializes in corporate, investor, and stakeholder communications, with a primary focus on sponsored media. Our goal is to raise visibility, expand awareness, and increase value. To learn more, visit RazorPitch.com. Disclaimers: This article contains sponsored content. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides investors a safe harbor in regard to forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, assumptions, objectives, goals, assumptions of future events or performance are not statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. Forward looking statements in this action may be identified through use of words such as projects, foresee, expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, understands, or that by statements, indicating certain actions & quotes; may, could or might occur Understand there is no guarantee past performance is indicative of future results. Investing in micro-cap or growth securities is highly speculative and carries an extremely high degrees of risk. It is possible that an investors investment may be lost or due to the speculative nature of of the companies profiled. RazorPitch Inc responsible for the production and distributions of this content. RazorPitch is not operated by a licensed broker, a dealer, or a registered investment advisor. It should be expressly understood that under no circumstances does any information published herein represent a recommendation to buy or sell a security. RazorPitch authors, contributors, or its agents, may be compensated for preparing research, video graphics, and editorial content. RazorPitch is compensated by Rich Keys Capital to produce and syndicate content related to APCX. As part of that content, readers, subscribers, and webs are expected to read the full disclaimers and financial disclosures statement that can be found on our website. Contact Details Mark McKelvie +1 585-301-7700 markrmckelvie@gmail.com Company Website http://razorpitch.com

January 26, 2023 05:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

EPAL Redefines Gamers' Dream Job And Unveils A Complimentary Training Camp

EPAL, Inc

EPAL, the revolutionary platform that connects gamers with each other for an enhanced gaming experience, has set a new standard for its freelance profession for gamers by introducing the ePal Training Camp. The ePal Training Camp provides a comprehensive array of services that are tailored to enhance the skills and expertise of ePals, the service providers on the EPAL platform. The ePal Training Camp offers a range of services that include courses, effect testing, 1V1 coaching, and advice on building a successful career as an ePal. The camp also provides assistance in establishing personal IP and 3rd party collaborations for outstanding ePals. All of these services are available to ePals on the platform, with no cost to the participants. The only requirement to participate in the ePal Training Camp is a "love for the ePal career and a desire to provide clients with quality services." EPAL believes that by investing in the development and growth of its ePals, the platform can provide its users with the best possible gaming experience. The instructor of the ePal Training Camp courses, who is also the Co-Founder and CEO of EPAL, Brian Xiong, claims: "The purpose of the ePal Training Camp is to help every ePal gain the comprehensive service ability to convert clients and continue to make them repurchase. In the history of EPAL, only about 1% of merchants have achieved comprehensive service quality, but they have completed half of the orders on the entire website." Before announcing the ePal Training Camp, the EPAL team spent two months analyzing internal data points and interviewing both ePals and clients in order to find the secret of what "good ePal services" really stand for. As a pioneer in a new industry, EPAL is known for cultivating a new profession for gamers worldwide to earn extra income while playing video games with others. It may sound too good to be true, but in less than three years, EPAL has shown its business model is viable and has grown to one of the largest gaming freelancer platforms in the world with more than 1.5 million registered users and 150,000 verified ePals. The top 25% of ePals now make $500 a month, while the top 1% make $4,700+ a month, a sizable income that even beats many conventional jobs. In January 2023, the team believes it is now the time to unveil the ePal Training Camp as a channel to teach ePals how they can provide clients with better experiences and services as well as gain ideal earnings and benefits. Along with the ePal Training Camp, EPAL will also revamp its Store Rating, ePal levels, and exposure algorithm at the end of January. These changes aim to use metrics for clients to better predict the ePals’ overall service qualities. The new store rating system will add service quality to the existing profile completeness, responsiveness, and more exposure, and service quality will be the most important part of the new store rating system. EPAL will also strengthen the screening of users and the handling of violators this year. According to Brian, the Co-Founder and CEO of EPAL, “I am also a gamer myself, and I am happy to create a great industry and a respectable career with all the ePals. The vision of EPAL is to build a bridge of sharing and companionship for gamers all over the world, and ePals as sharers are the most critical part of this vision.” Brian believes these recent new changes are necessary for the business in the long run. “We must improve the quality of our overall services so that more people can have fun and have a really good experience here. This will improve our reputation and attract more clients for our ePals. We know it is not simple, but we will make it through this, together.” The ePal Training Camp sets a new benchmark for the freelance profession for gamers, offering a one-of-a-kind chance for ePals to acquire new abilities and improve their services, resulting in a mutually beneficial outcome for both ePals and clients. Additionally, by introducing this training camp, EPAL positions itself as a leader in the gaming freelancer industry, dedicated to equipping its ePals with the necessary tools and resources to excel in this rapidly expanding field. EPAL is truly revolutionizing the notion of a "gamers' dream job" and establishing a respected, viable career path for gamers worldwide. To learn more about EPAL, please visit EPAL.gg. ### Contact Details EPAL, INC Leo Li, Director of Public Relations leoli@epal.gg

January 25, 2023 06:49 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Signeasy hits 100 million contract milestone

Signeasy

Businesses worldwide seek operational efficiency and improved team productivity. Getting contracts signed, tracked, and managed efficiently can save time and effort for any team in the organization. Helping businesses achieve this goal, leading eSignature and contract workflow platform Signeasy is today announcing its milestone of processing 100 million business contracts. Signeasy’s easy-to-use, modern, and secure platform has helped businesses like Icelandair, Rappi, Sono Motors, Carta, Angellist, Truepill, Accor Hotels, and Airmeet streamline and automate their contract workflows. It offers intuitive and advanced signing workflows, centralized dashboards for provisioning and visibility across teams, robust integrations, easy-to-integrate APIs, and world-class mobile apps. Sunil Patro, Founder and CEO at Signeasy, commented: “Over the last few years, our platform has matured significantly to help businesses beyond their eSignature requirements. Signeasy automates and streamlines contract workflows across various functions like HR, sales, operations, and finance. The journey from an eSignature tool to becoming an eSignature and Contract Workflow platform has been phenomenal.” According to IDC, the worldwide eSignature software market is expected to grow from $2.3 billion in 2020 to $6.4 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.6%. Many business document workflows include reviewing, approving, and signing contracts. This is especially true in HR, sales, finance, and operations departments, where contracts and other agreements are frequently used. Signeasy helps businesses achieve end-to-end digitally transformed business processes by replacing traditional paper-based workflows. This results in greater operational efficiencies, improved customer experience, and reduced transaction times. “Every contract has a story. It is either the beginning of a new relationship or an important milestone for a business to make progress in its chosen direction. The fact that Signeasy is now 100 million contracts strong makes us incredibly proud of the millions of customer stories we have been part of. We thank all our customers, partners, investors, and employees who have helped us achieve this milestone. We have just begun and are more excited than ever on the rewarding journey to 1 billion contracts, hopefully, sooner.” concluded Sunil Patro. Company highlights (last 12 months) Signeasy made it to Google Workspace’s 2022 ‘recommended apps ’ list. This puts them in the top 1% of 5000+ third-party apps in the global marketplace. Signeasy was positioned as a “leader” for two years consecutively alongside DocuSign, Dropbox Sign, and Adobe and was featured in the Aragon Globe for four years in a row. Postman featured Signeasy’s eSignature APIs in their ‘ New and Noteworthy ’ list as an easy-to-use, modern, and secure platform for developers to integrate eSignatures into their applications. IDC, the premier global market intelligence firm, collaborated with them to understand their vision and published a vendor profile titled “ eSignature and Document Transaction Management with Signeasy.” About Signeasy Signeasy is a leading eSignature and contract workflow platform to sign, send, and manage critical business documents. 48,000 companies in over 100 countries use Signeasy to simplify paperwork and increase efficiency across departments like Sales, HR, Finance, Operations, etc. Signeasy is a recommended 2022 Google Workspace App and integrates seamlessly with Office 365, Salesforce, Dropbox, and Box. Signeasy is highly rated on customer satisfaction and product innovation by independent software review sites and industry analysts, and its mobile apps consistently rank among the top 100 business apps on App Stores. Contact Details Signeasy Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://signeasy.com/

January 25, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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AgriFORCE Signs MoU With The Government Of Barbados To Conduct Feasibility Study And Deploy Proprietary Agricultural Facilities In The Caribbean

AgriFORCE Growing Systems

By David Willey, Benzinga Click here to download the latest research report on AgriFORCE. AgriFORCE Growing Systems Ltd., (NASDAQ: AGRI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of the Caribbean island, Barbados, that will have the company providing a market evaluation and potentially developing its proprietary facilities to strengthen the island’s food supply. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) faces chronic food shortages, with food imports making up 20% of its imported merchandise – a percentage double that of the European Union. The tropical climate has traditionally presented challenges to local agricultural efforts, making food security a major concern, and with over half the CARICOM population currently facing moderate to severe food shortage. This underscores the urgency of agricultural technology (AgTech) company AgriFORCE’s mission to bring controlled environment agriculture (CEA) to Barbados and the wider Caribbean region. The company hopes to improve food security in Barbados through the introduction of controlled environment agriculture. CEA harnesses tools like micropropagation, fertigation, and artificial intelligence to grow produce within monitored settings, meaning it can harvest more produce using less resources. AgriFORCE, set to be a leading company in the AgTech industry, has a robust intellectual property (IP) portfolio and proprietary facilities that it hopes this MOU will leverage for long-term solutions in Caribbean agriculture. Harnessing Agri’s Expertise With The MOU AgriFORCE will be working with Delphy, a scheduled acquisition of a premier agricultural consultancy, to conduct a feasibility and technical study by the summer of 2023 that will investigate CEA capabilities for fruit and vegetable growth in the region. After the study, it is expected that AgriFORCE will enter into a definitive agreement to establish its proprietary facilities for the growth of agricultural produce in the region. This agreement is in addition to an earlier announced collaboration with Caribbean company Humboldt Bliss Ltd. to supply its proprietary design as well as its growth facility, the AgriFORCE “Grow House”. These combined announcements signal AgriFORCE’s international capabilities for providing modern agricultural solutions based on its IP specialty and sophisticated CEA facilities. AgriFORCE believes it is well-equipped to bring CEA to Barbados and the wider Caribbean. The CEA solutions it will provide to Barbados are powered by its four pillars of facility and lighting design, automation and artificial intelligence, nutrients, micropropagation, and genetics. These pillars are built on firm IP foundations and a sophisticated strategy that has invested in research and development (R&D) and cutting-edge AgTech knowledge. “We look forward to commencing this important feasibility and technical study with the Government of Barbados for CEA food production facilities,” said AgriFORCE CEO Ingo Mueller. “This collaboration is another significant step in what we hope to be a meaningful and long-term opportunity in Barbados. We look forward to working closely with the Government of Barbados and its agencies to address the challenges of nutrition, wellness, and food security in the region.” Other companies in the AgTech space include FMC Corp. (NYSE: FMC), GP Solutions, Inc. (OTC: GWPD), and Hydrofarm Holdings Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HYFM). Interested in learning more? Visit the company’s website for more info. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. AgriFORCE Growing Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: AGRI; AGRIW) is an agtech company focused on building an integrated agtech platform that combines the best technology, intellectual property and knowledge to solve an urgent problem – providing the best solutions to help drive sustainable crops and nutritious food for people around the world. Looking to serve the global market, the Company’s current focus is on North America, Europe and Asia. The AgriFORCE vision is to be a leader in delivering plant-based foods and products through an advanced and sustainable agtech platform that makes positive change in the world—from seed to table. 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 - Malaika Temu malaika@tradigitalir.com Company Website https://agriforcegs.com/

January 25, 2023 09:25 AM Eastern Standard Time

Data Privacy Day: Privado flags data privacy challenges in 2023 as it hails industry stars

Privado

In 2023 there will be a global increase in data privacy regulation enforcement, new regulations in the United States leading to further fragmentation, investment in privacy-enhancing technologies, and hopes for agreement on a data transfer mechanism between the EU and US, among other developments. In light of Data Privacy Day 2023, data privacy technology Privado is today announcing Data Privacy All-Stars and Rising Stars, recognising the efforts of these individuals within their industry as they share their insights on the challenges that lie ahead in 2023. Privado received over 2,000 nominations for its inaugural Data Privacy Stars listing. The list recognizes All-Star and Rising Star recipients for the exceptional work done by individuals who are taking privacy and security to the next level within their organization and beyond by spreading awareness of data privacy across the world. The All-Stars 2023 list celebrates those who have considerable data privacy related achievements to show over the years. The Rising Stars 2023 list commends those who are passionately driving data privacy initiatives. Data Privacy Stars shared their insights, tips and predictions for 2023. 2023 top data privacy challenges: More fines and enforcement that holds leadership (CEOs, CISOs) accountable. New regulations leading to more complexity and fragmentation. Focus on protecting children and healthcare data including more direct guidance from the FTC and the HSS. AI will bring new risks we haven’t seen before as it finds and exploits loopholes. Skepticism on an agreement for a data transfer mechanism between EU and US. User demand for more visibility and controls over consent. 2023 data privacy top tips: Data mapping as the undisputed foundation of any privacy program. Make privacy second nature by embedding privacy processes into stakeholder teams’ existing processes. Implement Privacy by Design practices. Having leadership acknowledge and champion how important data privacy is to make a difference. Rightsizing privacy strategy for the current stage of your organization. Step away from making privacy a policing role. Engage developer teams by bringing empathy, some social intelligence but most of all understanding business needs. Proactive scanning capabilities and data lineage capabilities will be important. January 28, 2023 marks Data Privacy Day, an international effort to create awareness about the importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust. Initiated in 2007 by the Council of Europe and adopted in 2009 by the United States, Data Privacy Day is now observed by over 50 countries around the world. Vaibhav Antil, CEO of Privado commented: “Ahead of Data Privacy Day, we wanted to recognize individuals doing exceptional and innovative privacy work within their organizations. We want to highlight their accomplishments and share their insights with peers across the world.” “Data Privacy Day gives us all an opportunity to take a second and think about what we share about ourselves, when and where we share it, and who we are sharing it with. Organizations are taking the challenge of safeguarding our data head-on while continuing to deliver value to consumers, and so today is also a good opportunity to raise awareness of the magnitude this effort represents for every company and how every individual must be solving for privacy.” Founded in 2020, Privado was created to address the privacy issues facing businesses around the world. Privado offers open-source and enterprise code scanning solutions purpose-built for privacy that identifies data usage, discovers data flows & flags privacy issues like excessive user permissions or data leakages to logs. About Privado Privado is the privacy code scanner for privacy & security teams who want unparalleled visibility into data flows from applications & helps developers fix privacy vulnerabilities like personal data leakages to logs or third parties. Founded in 2020, Privado has enabled Headspace, Zego, Thrasio, TrendyOl & many more enterprises to embed privacy checks in their Software Development Life Cycle. Contact Details Privado Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.privado.ai/

January 25, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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UNiDAYS Appoints Michelle Wheeler as Managing Director, Identity

UNiDAYS

UNiDAYS, the world’s leading Student Affinity Network, today announces the appointment of Michelle Wheeler as Managing Director, Identity. UNiDAYS enables brands to instantly verify and connect with over 200 million students across 115 markets worldwide. With three decades of experience in the identity business, Michelle has seen time and again the need and challenge facing businesses in establishing the digital trust necessary to facilitate meaningful interactions with consumers online. In her new role, Michelle will be focused on strengthening UNiDAYS brand partners’ access to the valuable but hard-to-reach student audience while extending best-in-class benefits and services to students. This appointment marks another milestone in UNiDAYS commitment to expanding their influence in the space of consumer identity, while accelerating growth in the student market. As an industry leader, Michelle will help UNiDAYS to continue to push the boundaries of identity, delivering exciting new propositions for students and brand partners alike. Michelle will work alongside the senior leadership team at UNiDAYS including Josh Rathour, CEO and Founder, Alex Gallagher, Chief Strategy Officer, and Jon Hawley, Chief Identity Officer. She will also have responsibility for overseeing and developing a global team of sales and marketing professionals to accelerate market development and growth. Based in Miami, Florida, Michelle’s previous roles have included Business Leader & Co-Founder of XOR Data Exchange, and Vice President of Business Development at ID Analytics. She was most recently Senior Vice President at identity, verification and authentication solutions company Prove – working alongside a variety of roles and functions. Jon Hawley, CIO and Co-Founder at UNiDAYS, says, “We’re delighted to welcome Michelle to our global leadership team as we build on our position as a world leader in digital identity and the instant verification of student consumers. Her wealth of cross-sector experience will support UNiDAYS’ ambitious growth plans, leveraging digital identity to add value to students’ lives through greater convenience, service and reward, while empowering brand partners with rich consumer permissioned data.” Michelle says, “I love that UNiDAYS is an impact solution for young people’s lives – helping them to prepare for the future, while making the most of today. It is motivating to join the company at a time when brands are understanding the integral role verification, and digital identity more broadly, plays in effectively connecting with this audience. I’m looking forward to creating more possibilities for students and brands – offering more services, more access, and enabling greater trust between the two.” To learn more about student verification with UNiDAYS iD visit https://corporate.myunidays.com/student-verification About UNiDAYS: UNiDAYS is the world’s leading Student Identity Platform, with a verified global membership of over 27 million members and an addressable audience of 200+ million students across 115 markets. UNiDAYS works with 800+ of the world’s biggest brands globally, taking their products and services into the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s professionals, by inspiring Gen Z to discover and connect with the brands and services they need. Its global members have spent more than $5 billion through the UNiDAYS marketplace since 2018. With the ability to instantly and securely verify and connect with millions of students worldwide through its identity platform and marketing solutions, UNiDAYS delivers reach and engagement for brand partners, maximising sales and building long-term affinity, at scale and speed across a full range of channels. The company has over 300 staff, with headquarters in Nottingham, UK, and with offices in London, New York and Sydney. For further information on UNiDAYS, visit www.myunidays.com. Contact Details UNiDAYS Alan Duncan +44 115 985 3070 alan.duncan@myunidays.com Company Website https://www.myunidays.com/PH/en-GB

January 25, 2023 08:20 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Half Of Consumers Wish Banks Were More Proactive About Delivering Relevant Advice and Products—Blend Says Its Cloud Banking Software Makes That Possible

Blend Labs Inc.

By Rachael Green, Benzinga Amid the highest inflation since 1981, consumers across the United States are not only struggling to keep up with their savings goals, many are falling deeper into debt to cover the rising cost of living. One study by LendingTree last year found that 43% of Americans were likely to resort to credit cards and loans to pay for necessities or emergencies in the six months following the survey. This situation has caused many to look to banks to do more to promote financial wellness and education to help their customers navigate these challenges while staying on track to meet their financial goals. Blend Labs, Inc. (NYSE: BLND) is one player helping banks to empower their customers with greater access to resources and providing an easier/simplified method for entry with a more streamlined digital experience and manage their financial well-being. Here’s how the cloud banking software developer’s platform is enabling financial institutions like PNC (NYSE: PNC) and US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) to deliver more personalized, proactive service to their customers. Consumers Want Financial Institutions To Do More For Their Financial Well-being A Forrester Consulting survey of over 2,000 banking consumers and over 100 lending strategy leaders found that 72% of customers want to see offers that are tailored to their personal needs and 71% are open to switching to a new bank if presented with a relevant product offer. As a result, two-thirds already have financial products from multiple different financial institutions. Despite that fragmented banking landscape, the survey found that more than 50% of consumers would rather stick to one primary bank for all their needs if they could. However, they expect their banks to do more to make that possible. 52% said they rely on alerts from the bank about important changes to their financial health and half of all respondents wished their bank took a more proactive approach to deliver relevant information and advice about their financial well-being. How Blend’s Cloud Banking Platform Makes Proactive, Personalized Service Possible Blend’s cloud banking software leverages consumers’ application information, credit score and other third-party data that banks have access to in order to help banks present personalized offers for financial products to help customers meet their goals. A consumer whose application for an unsecured credit card was denied could be presented with an offer for a secured credit card, for example. Similarly, a mortgage lender could send an offer for a home equity loan to a consumer who’s shown interest in remodeling their home. Automation is one of the key advantages of Blend’s software, not just for banks but also for consumers. Key features like single sign-on (SSO) authentication allow customers to fill out applications in a fraction of the time by pre-filling them with information that the bank already has. For example, consumers who already have a credit card with the bank have already provided a lot of the information that would be needed in an auto loan application when they applied for the card. Blend’s SSO authentication would save them the hassle of filling out all that same information over again. In addition to pre-filled information, banks can use Blend’s instant income verification to process applications faster. For example, this and other automation tools eliminate 11.9 hours of work per loan on average and shorten the overall loan cycle by 7.3 days for banks that are using Blend’s mortgage technology, according to a Blend-commissioned survey by MarketWise. These and many other digital tools could help banks develop a more proactive, customer-focused approach amidst the current economic uncertainty –- helping build deeper relationships with customers while empowering those same customers to make more informed decisions about their financial well-being. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Powering the Future of Banking Blend is the infrastructure powering the future of banking. Financial providers—from the largest banks, fintechs, and credit unions to community and independent mortgage banks—use Blend’s platform to transform banking experiences for their customers. Blend powers billions of dollars in financial transactions every day. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. This article contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements generally relate to future events, future performance or expectations and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this article may include, but are not limited to, our expectations regarding our product roadmap, future products/features, the timing of new product/feature introductions, market size and growth opportunities, macroeconomics and industry conditions, capital expenditures, plans for future operations, competitive position, technological capabilities and strategic relationships. The forward-looking statements contained in this article are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from the outcomes predicted. Further information on these risks and uncertainties are set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this article are based on information available to Blend and assumptions and beliefs as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, Blend does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise. Contact Details Investor Relations IR@blend.com Company Website https://blend.com/

January 25, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Cisco’s Cybersecurity Resolutions Everyone Needs to Make

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/0zh5C-cLOgk While cybersecurity has become a top concern among consumers, especially as scammers and hackers have grown more creative, many struggle with how to practically protect themselves – what can they do to protect their identities, savings and credit? The security team at Cisco is on the cutting edge of cybersecurity – battling hackers, uncovering the latest scams and seeking out the weaknesses that leave people and businesses vulnerable. The team at Cisco has revealed its first-ever list of cybersecurity resolutions – the top hacks they expect to see targeting consumers and what the average person can do to protect themselves. In conjunction with the release of the cybersecurity resolutions J. Wolfgang Goerlich conducted a nationwide media tour providing expert insights and shared the top tips and tricks to help anyone create their own cybersecurity resolutions. Topics that Wolfgang discussed included: What do individuals need to know about current cybersecurity threats? What are the most persistent cyber threats for individuals? Unveiling of Cisco’s first-ever list of cybersecurity resolutions How the average person can protect themselves Top cybersecurity tips included: You Need to be Diligent Don’t click links from unknown sources - including text messages which have become a leading attack vector. No longer are suspicious links primarily sent through phishing emails If you get a suspicious text message or phone call, look for where it’s coming from. The way hackers have adapted - we must as well Consider Your Privacy Don’t connect to public networks or access sensitive data on your mobile devices. Do you need to grant an app access to your contacts, location or photos? Know what companies are asking of you - major companies, like Apple and Google, tell you the permissions upfront what they need; however, if the company doesn’t clarify what it can do with your data, don’t just click the agree to terms and conditions box; read it. Consider The Apps You and Your Kids Use Look at the news around TikTok - with local governments putting bans/restrictions in place, the future of the platform for all users remains up in the air Stay informed - have conversations with your kids around what you say and do online Consider the Security Efforts of the Apps you Use When you download an app, you’ve likely been asked, “Allow ‘app’ to track activity across other companies’ apps and websites?” notification from Apple - be mindful of what this means about your personal data before making a decision For example - does your banking app require multi-factor authentication? What about other apps that have access to your most private info? Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

January 25, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Video

DevZero Raises $26M, Launches Platform Enabling Developers to Code in the Cloud

DevZero

DevZero today announced it raised $26M in funding, with a Series A round led by Anthos Capital and a Seed round led by Foundation Capital. Fika Ventures, Foundation Capital, and Madrona Venture Group participated in the Series A round. DevZero also announced the general availability of its Developer Environment Platform, which empowers software developers to ship applications better and faster by writing and testing code in environments that are exactly like production. DevZero will use the funding to develop the platform by building out their growing engineering and go-to-market teams. DevZero was founded by Debo Ray and Rob Fletcher, who worked on Uber's infrastructure and security teams before starting DevZero. Ray and Fletcher built a team with extensive experience developing advanced DevOps tools for the most innovative companies of the last decade including Uber, Meta, Carta and Twilio. With the massive growth of microservices, Ray and Fletcher saw first-hand the productivity and product delivery boost that strong internal developer tooling offers, as well as the gaps between in-house tools and the tools available to the larger enterprise market. "Developers have reached peak microservices, Kubernetes, serverless and general cloud-native development pain,” said Debo Ray, co-founder and CEO of DevZero. “The developer experience has deteriorated due to cloud programming models which outpace the capacity of today’s development tools. And bloated integrated development environments (IDEs) overload developers’ laptop resources, slowing the computers to a crawl. Recent advances in IDE technologies and cloud availability make it possible to have a seamless experience of developing and testing by pairing local tooling with cloud-based compute.” “I saw the magic of Developer Environment Platforms first-hand when I joined Meta,” said co-founder and COO, Rob Fletcher. “I could get a fully functional environment up and running within an hour of starting at the company. Centralized environments like these make it easier for engineers to roll out core infrastructure changes while causing minimal engineer downtime.” DevZero also addresses the fundamental security concerns of enterprise customers. In addition to various infrastructure platforms, the founders were in charge of DevOps security at Uber, a company that conducts $30B in transactions annually. Since every developer has their laptop - and the enterprise is responsible for ensuring they are all locked down - security risks are substantial. As microservice architectures are being increasingly adopted, the local developer experience suffers quite drastically. DevZero’s platform also enables teams that have embraced Kubernetes or serverless architectures to give their developers production-like environments to write and test code. "Serverless infrastructure is the direction the industry is moving in, but solutions for making it easy to develop are almost nonexistent," said Matthew Schrepel, Senior Manager of Developer Experience at Extend. "DevZero is giving our developers tools to make cutting-edge development easy again - serverless can't go mainstream without tools like these." "Spinning up ephemeral developer environments where engineers can perform end-to-end testing is a game-changer," said Nitant Vaidya, Senior Director of Engineering at Turing.com. "DevZero lets us onboard new engineers, globally, in minutes, giving each their own standalone environment that they continue to use with their local tools.” In the current market climate, software teams must focus on revenue-generating activities to serve their users best. Existing development tooling and processes are stifling creativity and increasing developer toil. Time that could be spent collaborating and innovating on products is instead spent making the development environment consistent with production environments. “In an increasingly hybrid work environment, the likelihood that an engineer will continue to use a laptop that is bulky, powerful, and in need of constant updates to code seems slim,” said Bryan Kelly, Managing Partner at Anthos Capital. “The future will be one of cloud-based development environments, and we believe DevZero will drive this vision." "Developer productivity and collaboration is a critical area for most companies, and as infrastructure moves to the cloud, so too will the engineering pipeline,” said Sid Trivedi, Partner at Foundation Capital. “CTOs have consistently shared with us that today it takes 90 days to onboard a new engineer. This is a top 3 problem impacting the engineering pipeline. DevZero gives developers this ramp time back so that they can focus on building innovative revenue-generating products that create happy customers." About DevZero: DevZero's mission is to make engineers happier and more productive than they've ever been. They do this by letting engineers ship better products by writing code in environments that are exactly like production. DevZero was founded by former engineers at some of the most disruptive companies of the last decade. DevZero redefines various stages of the software development lifecycle, allowing engineers to focus on revenue-generating products while simplifying the workflows for DevOps and Platform Engineering teams. Contact Details Owen Media Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://www.devzero.io/

January 24, 2023 09:00 AM Pacific Standard Time

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