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News Release Digital Asset Direct

The Diverse Holdings of the Industrial ETF XLI

Select Sector SPDR

The Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLI ) offers an investment opportunity within the dynamics of the industrial sector. XLI follows an index of industrial sector stocks within the S&P 500, weighted by modified market capitalization. With assets under management exceeding $18 billion, it boasts a low annual expense ratio of 0.09%*, offering an efficient and accessible route to the industrial sector. The top 10 holdings & weightings** for XLI: Starting with GE Aerospace at 4.75%, followed by Caterpillar at 4.55%, RTX Corporation at 3.78%, Union Pacific at 3.75%, Honeywell International at 3.52%, Eaton at 3.51%, Uber Technologies at 3.51%, Boeing at 2.69%, Lockheed Martin at 2.67%, and Automatic Data Processing at 2.66%. XLI ETF Industry and Sector Overview The variety of related industries are represented in the burgeoning industrial sector. Aerospace & Defense: The XLI ETF includes prominent companies within the aerospace and defense sector, positioning investors to have access to companies in this industry. Electrical Equipment Manufacturers: The fund's holdings feature leading electrical equipment manufacturers with their technological advancements and innovations within this sector. Construction & Engineering Firms: XLI provides exposure to renowned construction and engineering firms, allowing investors to tap into the ongoing infrastructure development and urbanization trends. Industrial Machinery Companies: The ETF also encompasses key players in the industrial machinery segment, enabling investors to participate in the machinery and equipment manufacturing landscape. Building Products: XLI encompasses a diverse range of building product companies, offering exposure to the construction and real estate market dynamics. As the industrial landscape continues to evolve, XLI emerges as a compelling choice for investors seeking exposure to the dynamic industrial sector. DISCLAIMER: This is a work of research and should not be taken as investment or financial advice. Therefore, Select Sector SPDRs or the publisher is not liable for any decision made based on the publication. About the Company: Select Sector SPDR ETFs offer flexibility and customization opportunities. Many investors have similar outlooks, but no two are exactly alike. Select Sector SPDR ETFs let investors select the sectors that best meet their investment goals. *Ordinary brokerage fees apply **Holdings, Weightings & Assets as of 5/31/24 subject to change DISCLOSURES The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks that is generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market. The index is heavily weighted toward stocks with large market capitalizations and represents approximately two-thirds of the total market value of all domestic common stocks. The S&P 500 Index figures do not reflect any fees, expenses or taxes. An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, fees and expenses before investing. One may not invest directly in an index. Transparent ETFs provide daily disclosure of portfolio holdings and weightings All ETFs are subject to risk, including loss of principal. Sector ETF products are also subject to sector risk and non-diversification risk, which generally will result in greater price fluctuations than the overall market. Diversification does not eliminate risk. An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus, which contains this and other information, call 1-866-SECTOR-ETF (732-8673) or visit www.sectorspdrs.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing. ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., a registered broker-dealer, is distributor for the Select Sector SPDR Trust. Media Contact: Company: Select Sector SPDRs Contact: Dan Dolan* Address: 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, CO 80203 Country: United States Email: dan.dolan@sectorspdrs.com Website: https://www.sectorspdrs.com/ *Dan Dolan is a Registered Representative of ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., a registered broker-dealer, is the distributor for the Select Sector SPDR Trust. SEL007585 EXP 8/31/24 Contact Details Dan Dolan +1 203-935-8103 dan.dolan@sectorspdrs.com Company Website https://www.sectorspdrs.com/

June 12, 2024 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Saint Paul Public Housing Agency and Comcast Announce Technology Partnership

Comcast Twin Cities

The Saint Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) and Comcast today announced they have partnered to provide a WiFi connection to Xfinity's advanced network in all 16 of PHA’s buildings in Saint Paul. The partnership is Comcast’s first collaboration with a Minnesota-based housing agency to provide pre-installed, already on connectivity to the Xfinity network for their residents. More than 2,500 units will be equipped with Xfinity’s fast and reliable network and wall-to-wall WiFi coverage. With Xfinity’s network readily available, residents will not need to schedule a technician to set up services, wait for their modem to arrive or go to an Xfinity Store to collect their equipment. To activate service, residents will only need to call or use the Xfinity App. “Internet access provides connectivity to 21st century infrastructure, equipping our residents with the tools vital to enhancing opportunities for education, employment, and quality of life," said Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. "The collaboration between Saint Paul Public Housing Agency and Comcast empowers our neighbors to realize a brighter future.” Current residents and new residents moving into WiFi ready units can connect to the Internet within five minutes of collecting their keys—making it that much easier to get all their devices up and running. “Access to WiFi isn’t just about connecting devices; for us it’s about connecting PHA residents to opportunity,” said PHA Board Chair Missy Staples Thompson. “Making PHA-owned high-rises WiFi-ready can help residents cross the digital divide and open doors to education, employment, and empowerment. We appreciate this partnership with Comcast that will benefit residents and their communities.” The Xfinity network will be installed in phases. Completion of the first two buildings just occurred, and 14 additional buildings will have WiFi ready units residents can connect to by the end of 2024. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. About the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) The PHA administers federal rent subsidies that provide safe, affordable housing to more than 22,000 Saint Paul residents. Almost half of those residents live in the 4,273 affordable homes and apartments that the PHA owns and manages. The PHA also administers the federal rent subsidy program called “Housing Choice Vouchers”, previously known as Section 8. The rental vouchers help 5,243 households pay affordable rents in privately-owned apartments and rental homes. Contact Details Jill Hornbacher +1 651-425-1695 Jill_Hornbacher@comcast.com Company Website https://midwest.comcast.com

June 11, 2024 01:00 PM Central Daylight Time

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News Release

Rising Bond Yield A Threat For Bitcoin, Investors Pouring Millions To GFOX

RoundHouse Media

The rising bond yields in the USA could impact investments in alternative assets like Bitcoin. Interest rates in 2024 range just over 5%, an increase from the average for most of the last decade. Investors are exploring alternative assets like $GFOX that offer more upside. Rising bond yields in the USA could dampen the appetite for alternative investments like Bitcoin. The Federal Reserve has kept the interest rates at a fairly high level since the Covid-19 Pandemic, which means better returns for bond investors. Bitcoin is still on a historic tear after a solid start to the year. A combination of the halving event and positive regulatory developments have added wind to the sails of the pioneer crypto. Investors keen on untapped potential are looking into exciting new projects like Galaxy Fox ($GFOX) for more upside. This project has strong momentum after listing on Uniswap in April and looks to be the next $1 crypto. Rising Bond Yields Could Affect Bitcoin US treasury bond yields have hit a four-month high, increasing the attractiveness of this investment. Bonds are some of the most stable investments in the financial markets and the higher return consolidates this advantage. The high level of yield could be to the detriment of other equities and alternative assets. Stock markets continue to operate at record highs making notable stocks expensive for traders. The possibility of getting excellent returns for bonds makes them a more attractive proposition. Bitcoin could also feel some of the aftershocks. Competing against high yield from the most stable investment in the financial sector is a tall order. That said, Bitcoin prices are a unique phenomenon and may not have the predicted symmetry with traditional financial markets. $GFOX Offers A Rising Alternative To BTC Bitcoin continues to hold steady but appears headed for a period of consolidation. Investors looking for assets with more upside potential are looking at growing altcoin projects for alternatives. One such proposition is Galaxy Fox ($GFOX). This utility meme coin continues to draw plaudits after launching its play-to-earn game (P2E) game in May. $GFOX is an ERC-20 and, therefore, broadly compatible with Ethereum wallets. Galaxy Fox’s gaming ecosystem involves players raising digital fox characters to engage in epic battles within the game. The players earn various rewards within the game in crypto tokens, making gameplay lucrative. This game also has NFT collectibles for players to improve their portfolios. The NFTs are unique and allow the player to track ownership effectively, which is useful for gaming items. Having NFTs ensures that players can leverage their gameplay for value within the ecosystem. The possibility of staking $GFOX adds more opportunities for users. This ecosystem looks to elevate the meme coin experience and create sustainability. Newer memecoins that purely rely on meme notoriety have not challenged Dogecoin significantly. Therefore, investors are looking at this project keenly as one of the credible alternatives in a transitioning market. For Info about $GFOX, visit Galaxyfox.io Conclusion Competing with treasury bonds is a tall order for any other asset class. After all, an investment with the backing of the government of the world’s largest economy having high yield is very endearing. Nonetheless, the crypto market has proven its resilience in varying market conditions. Bitcoin will likely consolidate, with emerging assets that have strong upside likely to gain some tailwinds. $GFOX fits the bill as a strong new asset with incredible potential. Its strong launch is a testament to the belief in this project and should continue as it continues to gain more dimension. Visit the Galaxy Fox website today to learn more about the project. Learn more about $GFOX here: Galaxyfox.io | Join the Community Contact Details Roundhouse Media media@galaxyfox.io

June 11, 2024 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

TRON DAO Announces HackaTRON Season 6 Qualifiers

TRON DAO

Geneva, Switzerland, June 11, 2024 – With HackaTRON Season 6 coming to a close, the TRON DAO team, alongside HTX DAO, BitTorrent Chain (BTTC), and JustLend DAO hosted a series of innovations that has taken the blockchain landscape by storm. This season, participants redefined the digital landscape across multiple tracks. Web3, DeFi, Artistry, Builder, and Integration tracks produced unique projects that helped push the needle forward in the blockchain space. HackaTRON Season 6 attracted over 1,100 participants, each developing their own distinct project on TRON’s interface. The prize pool featured up to $650,000*, including $500,000 in TRX, TRON network’s native utility token, and $150,000 in energy, which can be used to subsidize transactions and smart contract interactions on the TRON network. Alongside hundreds of new participants, Season 6 boasted a lineup of prestigious sponsors. The sponsors consisted of ChainGPT, Solidus AI Tech, and Ankr as the diamond sponsors, with Kima Finance as the platinum sponsor, GT-Protocol as the gold sponsor, and Router Protocol as the silver sponsor. We’d like to thank our sponsors for sustaining a safe and productive environment for TRONics to grow. This HackaTRON inspired productive competition and led to the selection of winners by both judges and the community, as listed below. *All prizes are issued in TRX or TRON network Energy, not USD, restrictions applied. All contest rules can be viewed here: https://trons6.devpost.com/rules Judge-Selected Winners The top contenders in each judge-evaluated category will be awarded as follows: the champion will receive $25,000; the runner-up, $15,000; the third-place finisher, $10,000; and those in fourth and fifth places will take home $8,000 and $6,000, respectively. Web3 Track: The Web3 category aims to honor teams that usher along the transition of Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 by introducing next-gen DAO tools, SocialFi, blockchain/web infrastructure, SDKs, and other Dapps. The winners of the Web3 track are as follows: BlinkAI by Blink Transatron by Transatron Toqen Factory by Decentra CIROTRX by Brutus Finance SaveWallet by TronSave DeFi Track: Showcasing projects that transform finance through decentralization, empowering individuals with transparent, accessible, and inclusive protocols for asset management. The winners of the DeFi track are as follows: HandShake by HandShakers GuessThePrice by GuessThePrice ChickenSwap/Bot by Coconut Chicken Staqe Protocol by Decentra TronEnergize by TronEnergize Artistry Track: Where entertainment meets blockchain technology. The artistry track spotlights creative prowess in visual projects that embrace GameFi, NFTs, assets, and ventures related to the Metaverse. The winners of the Artistry track are as follows: Unclaimed: Fall of Mankind by Unclaimed TOBA by TOBA Projects STAR-EX by Theras-Labs Decentralised Character AI by PixelCrafter Tronquility by Arcane Oracle Builder Track: Acknowledging teams who have previously participated in TRON hackathons and have a working project that they would like to improve upon and update with new features. The winners of the Builder track are as follows: Block Fabric by BlockFabric Solide by Solide Project USTX BOND by USTX Monetizado by Monetizado Pravahini by Pravahini Integration Track: The Integration track, previously coined as the A.I. track, prompts participants to integrate advanced protocols into the TRON ecosystem, urging them to incorporate existing protocols, Dapps, or services on TRON/BTTC into their applications. Participants create impactful features/tools for enhancing applications within the TRON/BTTC ecosystems. The winners of the Integration track are as follows: JustMoney Explorer by JustMoney CodeHive by HiveTeam AnkerPay Tron by AnkerPay File-Wallet by AmphibianDev BttTipBot by onchaindev Community Forum Selected Winners For the winners chosen by the vibrant TRON community forum, the prize distribution is equally exciting: the first-place victor will secure $7,000; the second-place winner will be granted $6,000; the third-place will receive $5,000; and the fourth and fifth-place winners will be rewarded with $4,000 and $3,000, respectively. Web3 Track: SaveWallet by TronSave ClaimFreeTRX by Stian uDawgBot by uDawgDAO CIROTRX by Brutus Finance Promptron by 0xmad DeFi Track: TronEnergize by TronEnergize GuessThePrice by GuessThePrice ChickenSwap/Bot by Coconut Chicken HandShake by HandShakers Nobles by Nobles Artistry Track: Unclaimed: Fall of Mankind by Unclaimed Decentralised Character AI by PixelCrafter STAR-EX by Theras-Labs Strongcoin by Strongteam Cricket Clash by Cricket Clash Builder Track: JustMoney Swap by JustMoney Pravahini by Pravahini World Craft by World Craft’ers OnChainVision by onchaindev AwpSwap by AwpSwap Integration Track: JustMoney Explorer by JustMoney BttTipBot by onchaindev IntegraTRON by Decon File-Wallet by AmphibianDev CodeHive by HiveTeam Spotlight on Community Champions At the heart of HackaTRON's success lies the commendable efforts of the 'Top 10 Community Contributors', a testament to the power of active participation. These individuals are acknowledged for their unwavering commitment, each meriting a reward of $500: Andreaxino Chukseucharia Fabsltsa Gordian HODL Ines_valerie Manfred_jr Nweke-nature1 Prince-Onscolo Youngyuppie Key Dates to Remember Upon being recognized in the top five of their respective tracks, the community-selected qualifiers will have 100% of their prize amount distributed while judge-selected qualifiers will initially have 30% of their prize amounts allocated. Upon their respective projects launching on the TRON mainnet, the other 70% will be rewarded. The deadline to complete this requirement is June 28th. As HackaTRON Season 6 wraps up, the excitement for Season 7 is already building. Stay tuned for more updates on the HackaTRON competition and other initiatives within the TRON ecosystem. About TRON DAO TRON DAO is a community-governed DAO dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet via blockchain technology and dApps. Founded in September 2017 by H.E. Justin Sun, the TRON network has continued to deliver impressive achievements since MainNet launch in May 2018. July 2018 also marked the ecosystem integration of BitTorrent, a pioneer in decentralized Web3 services boasting over 100 million monthly active users. The TRON network has gained incredible traction in recent years. As of June 2024, it has over 233.71 million total user accounts on the blockchain, more than 7.75 billion total transactions, and over $21.82 billion in total value locked (TVL), as reported on TRONSCAN. In addition, TRON hosts the largest circulating supply of USD Tether (USDT) stablecoin across the globe, overtaking USDT on Ethereum since April 2021. The TRON network completed full decentralization in December 2021 and is now a community-governed DAO. Most recently in October 2022, TRON was designated as the national blockchain for the Commonwealth of Dominica, which marks the first time a major public blockchain partnered with a sovereign nation to develop its national blockchain infrastructure. On top of the government’s endorsement to issue Dominica Coin (“DMC”), a blockchain-based fan token to help promote Dominica’s global fanfare, seven existing TRON-based tokens - TRX, BTT, NFT, JST, USDD, USDT, TUSD, have been granted statutory status as authorized digital currency and medium of exchange in the country. TRONNetwork | TRONDAO | Twitter | YouTube | Telegram | Discord | Reddit | GitHub | Medium | Forum Media Contact Hayward Wong press@tron.network Contact Details Hayward Wong press@tron.network Company Website https://trondao.org/

June 11, 2024 09:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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NOVUS INK Advisors and Solidus Capital Group Team-up to Serve Growing Transatlantic Commercial Interests of Mid-Market Enterprises

NOVUS INK Advisors

NOVUS INK Advisors and Solidus Capital Group signed a services agreement today to provide integrated senior advisory and execution services to small-and mid-market enterprises amid thriving commercial interests between the United States and Europe. The two firms aim to accelerate client services by combining expertise and resources to support growth into new markets, encompassing management counsel, valuation, performance tracking, board advisory, marketing, communication, public and government affairs. The collaboration will enable NOVUS INK Advisors and Solidus Capital Group to meet the unique needs of global small-and mid-market enterprise clients operating across business-to-consumer, business-to-business, and business-to-government segments. The transatlantic economy is proving remarkably robust in the face of global economic and geopolitical disruptions. No two other regions in the world are as deeply integrated as the United States and Europe, according to the 2024 Transatlantic Economy Report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AmCham EU, Johns Hopkins SAIS and the Transatlantic Leadership Network. The report states: "the $8.7 trillion transatlantic economy employs more than 16 million workers in mutually onshored jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. It is the largest and wealthiest market in the world, accounting for half of total global personal consumption and close to one-third of world GDP in purchasing power. Ties are solid in foreign direct investment, portfolio investment, banking claims, trade and affiliate sales in goods and services, digital links, energy, mutual R&D investment, patent cooperation, technology flows, and sales of knowledge-intensive services." The services agreement will be overseen by a committee chaired by Pia De Lima and Daniel Diaz, NOVUS INK Advisors' Managing Partners, and Andreas Dal Santo, Solidus Capital Group's Managing Director. NOVUS INK Advisors is based in Miami. Solidus Capital Group, affiliated with Atlantic Business Labs, is based in New York. NOVUS INK Advisors is a communication, public and government affairs lobbying firm. NOVUS INK Advisors' practice areas include Corporate, Band and Product Reputation, Business Strategy, Crisis and Reputation Risk, Financial Services, Investor Relations, Mergers & Acquisitions, Brand and Product Marketing Communications Strategy, and Public and Government Affairs. NOVUS INK Advisors is a registered lobbying firm. To learn more, visit: www.NovusInk.com. Solidus Capital Group specializes in management consulting, business valuation, and board advisory services for firms expanding into North America, Latin America, and Europe. It is spearheading an ecosystem of companies, consultants, and subject matter experts with experience from different industries and regions to support corporate and institutional clients' global strategies and growth into new markets. To learn more, visit www.solidus-capital.com. CONTACTS: NOVUS INK Advisors: client.services@NovusInk.com Solidus Capital Group: client.services@Solidus-Capital.com Contact Details NOVUS INK Advisors Client Services client.services@NovusInk.com Company Website https://www.novusink.com/about

June 11, 2024 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

How IZEA Worldwide (NASDAQ: IZEA) Is Leading The World Into The Creator Economy Era

Benzinga

By James Blacker, Benzinga As the influence of social media platforms has grown and technological advancements have lowered barriers to content creation, individuals have been leveraging their talent to connect directly with audiences and make money on their own terms – ushering in the age of the creator economy. According to Goldman Sachs Research, some 50 million global creators – from gamers to musicians, artists, podcasters and vloggers – make up the creator economy. This figure is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10-20% between 2023-2028, growing to $480 billion from $250 billion in 2023, and driven by monetization of short-form video platforms via advertising. The rise of the creator economy has had an immense impact on marketing strategies across sectors and industries. Brands are spending more and more on creators and less on traditional advertising. Tech firms such as IZEA Worldwide (NASDAQ: IZEA), Aspire IQ and Upfluence offer tools to support creators and help bridge the gap with their clients, increasing profitability while helping brands garner eyeballs. IZEA: The Creator Economy Trailblazer MarTech firm and industry pioneer IZEA have been instrumental in shaping the creator economy, having created the first ever influencer marketing platform back in 2006. Even before then, founder and CEO Ted Murphy was one of the first to use the influence of bloggers and social media stars to promote brands. IZEA’s award-winning influencer marketing platform, IZEA Flex, connects creators with brands to facilitate collaborations. Its suite of tools allows companies to find influencers, manage campaigns and analyze performance. How IZEA Has Helped Creators Over The Years What sets IZEA apart is its commitment to making opportunities available to all creators, both big and small. Its marketplace allows influencers of all sizes to connect with brands, ensuring that even niche creators can find lucrative partnerships. Among IZEA’s software offerings is FormAI, a suite of AI tools for both brands and creators to create high-quality images, text and video. Within FormAI, both brands and creators can use ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion and other AI tools to generate content for Instagram posts, TikTok captions, blog posts and more. In a recent interview with Benzinga, Murphy said that more and more brands are starting to invest in user-generated content. Capitalizing on this trend, in Dec. 2023, IZEA acquired advocate marketing platform Zuberance, which allows companies to recruit their own customers as ambassador content creators to grow brand awareness organically. Award-Winning Tech And Campaigns IZEA’s innovations have earned it numerous accolades, including the Best Influencer Marketing Company at the 2023 MarTech Breakthrough Awards. The company’s full-service influencer marketing campaigns have also earned industry recognition, with awards for its campaigns carried out with Warner Bros (NASDAQ: WBD), the US Marines, Acer, Toyota (NYSE: TM), among many others. For investors, the creator economy represents a dynamic and evolving sector with continuing growth potential. IZEA’s innovative platform and proven track record potentially make it a company to watch in this new era of digital creativity. Featured photo by Adem AY on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 11, 2024 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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AI's Promise On Display: BEN Collaborates With SAIL, Of Weill Cornell Medical Center, To Explore AI For Training Doctors, Improving Patient Outcomes

Benzinga

By Meg Flippin, Benzinga AI is taking off and that’s not lost on Brand Engagement Network Inc. (NASDAQ: BNAI) investors. The maker of AI assistants and avatars just closed a private placement, raising $4.95 million from a group of existing investors. That gives BEN the firepower to continue to develop its AI assistants in-house and through buys. With its human-like AI assistants, BEN is improving businesses’ customer service, productivity and performance, going after markets with a massive workforce gap and an opportunity to transform how consumers engage with networks, providers and brands. The company’s secret sauce is a broad portfolio of conversational AI applications that drive better customer experience, increased automation and operational efficiencies. Take its virtual adherence assistant for the healthcare industry as one example. BEN says its conversational AI can improve patient experiences and medication understanding, leading to better outcomes. Or its “Remember Me” technology which syncs digital and physical interactions for an integrated, personalized customer experience. Investor Show Of Confidence Those advances and many others the company has made since launching its U.S. business in 2018 underpin the why of the recent deal with its existing investors. “The private placement represents a powerful vote of confidence in our strategy from our board, executive team and our existing investors,” said Chairman Chris Gaertner. “This investment will allow BEN to continue to fund its business plan as it seeks to execute on its growth and revenue strategies.” The investment comes as the AI market is taking off, as new use cases validate this transformational technology. The AI market is forecast to soar to $1.3 trillion in the years to come, growing at a CAGR of 42% over the next decade. Rising demand for generative AI products could add about $280 billion of new software revenue, driven by specialized assistants, new infrastructure products and copilots that accelerate coding. Not only did the investors double down on BEN, but they were willing to do so at a premium, purchasing warrants and stock at $2.50 a share – materially above where shares were trading at the time. Some of the investors agreed to provide BEN with additional capital through the exercise of their warrants if the company is unable to raise an additional $3.25 million by October 31, bringing the total investment to $8.25 million. That gives BEN a lot of capital to use to strike up partnerships and make buys. Deep Management Bench It's an area that Michael Zacharski, now co-CEO of BEN after the promotion of Paul Chang to the newly created role of co-CEO, will head up. Zacharski has more than 15 years of experience in the tech industry, making a name for himself for his ability to drive growth, optimize operations and spearhead M&A. “This is a pivotal time for the AI industry, and we’re excited about the prospect of partnering with organizations that complement our vision and capabilities,” said Zacharski. “I am excited to focus on furthering the company’s M&A strategy, which we believe will be core to our business strategy moving forward.” Chang, who has been global president since May 2023, will oversee commercial operations as co-CEO, focusing on validating the market and growing the business commercially. Chang spent 18 years at IBM (NYSE: IBM) creating new markets for emerging technologies as well as several start-ups. “I am thrilled to take on the role of co-CEO,” said Chang. “As we transition into delivering value to our customers by commercializing our safe and comprehensive Gen AI Platform, BEN is well positioned both financially and technologically to execute our plans. With our unique design and architecture as well as portfolio of patents, we hope to demonstrate to the market that our AI Assistants are ready to contribute to businesses in areas that can increase CX, help to complete tasks and fuel their growth.” Rounding out the C-Suite at BEN is Chief Financial Officer Bill Willams. Williams brings over twenty years of experience in corporate finance, legal, technology and management consulting to BEN. He is an expert in driving growth, innovation and value creation for emerging growth companies. AI is taking off, and BEN wants to be a leader in helping businesses streamline operations and enhance customer service with this transformational technology. With fresh cash in its coffers and the backing of a supportive board and investors, BEN seems like an AI story to follow. Featured photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 10, 2024 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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In A Show Of Confidence For OneMeta's AI Technology, Microsoft Adds Verbum For Teams To Its App Stores

Benzinga

By Meg Flippin, Benzinga OneMeta Inc. (OTCQB: ONEI), the AI-powered translation and transcription services company, is making strides in removing language barriers for businesses and consumers. The company recently announced its Verbum for Microsoft Teams was added to all of Microsoft Corp.’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) app stores, including Teams Store, Microsoft AppSource and directly via the Azure Marketplace. That’s a big deal for Bountiful, Utah-based OneMeta, which is busy churning out advanced technology that translates and transcribes spoken and written words in seconds across multiple languages. Being added to the Microsoft app stores validates OneMeta’s technology and gives it access to a larger potential customer base. After all, over one million businesses use Teams, including 91% of Fortune 100 companies. “Since OneMeta achieved Microsoft co-sell-ready status, we have seen significant interest from customers who want to apply the Verbum software to their usage of Microsoft Teams in the 140+ languages we offer,” said Saul Leal, CEO of OneMeta. “The certification by Microsoft brings confidence to our clients and to the great work that OneMeta is pioneering in the space. We can bring our AI for translation and transcription to all enterprises without compromising privacy, compliance, and data security.” Crashing Language Barriers Thanks to the internet, businesses big and small are increasingly global. Whether customers are based around the globe or employees are living in far-flung corners of the world, being able to communicate regardless of their language is key to growing and thriving. It's why the AI translation and transcription industry is growing. In 2023, the global natural language processing market was valued at $24.10 billion. By 2032, it is expected to reach $158.04 billion, growing at a CAGR of 23.2% during the forecast period. OneMeta wants to be a leading player in the space, translating in near real-time whether users are attending a live event, participating in an online meeting, or talking on the phone. Thanks to its proprietary NLP technology, the company specializes in breaking down linguistic barriers in a multilingual world. It ensures fast and accurate translations and transcriptions. OneMeta recently reduced the translation and transcription speed of over 150 languages and dialects to less than 200 milliseconds. Augmenting Microsoft Teams While Microsoft Teams provides live captioning capabilities in various languages, OneMeta said Verbum enhances that by delivering simultaneous interpretation across over 140 languages by harnessing state-of-the-art AI. With Verbum for Teams, multilingual groups can truly come together in meetings. Each attendee chooses the language they are speaking in and the language they want to see captions and chat in. As each person speaks in their preferred language from a list of 95+ languages, it is translated in near real-time for the rest of the group. OneMeta says Verbum for Teams is meticulously designed for seamless integration with Microsoft Teams to ensure all participants in video conferences and collaborative engagements can interact smoothly, transcending language barriers. That can empower organizations to cultivate more inclusive and engaging interactions, augmenting the inherent functionalities of Microsoft Teams and expanding the scope of communication possibilities while maintaining an optimal user experience, said OneMeta. "Now that Verbum for Teams is available on the Teams store, AppSource Marketplace, the Azure Marketplace, and the Microsoft Certification has been published, we expect to see Verbum's adoption and growth by organizations that need multi-language translation and transcription,” Alessandro Balzarelli, Director at Microsoft Industry Solutions Engineering, said. “Verbum empowers Microsoft Teams users to be more efficient and more inclusive within their own organizations and with their own customers." Communications are the backbone of businesses, whether they are local or operating internationally. OneMeta recognizes that and is developing products to help people do that regardless of their language or platform. Verbum for Teams is a perfect example of that effort. Being part of the Microsoft family goes a long way in showcasing OneMeta’s AI prowess. Featured photo by Dimitri Karastelev on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 10, 2024 08:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Italian Founders Fund raises inaugural €50m for seed and pre-seed startups

Italian Founders Fund

Italian Founders Fund (IFF), the first-ever Italian Venture Capital fund created by founders, for founders is today announcing the launch of its debut €50m fund. Backed by a diverse group of Italian entrepreneurs covering a range of generations and sectors, IFF is driven by a shared goal: empowering Italy’s next generation of exceptional talent and digital innovation. With over €50 million of entirely private capital raised, the fund was born as a direct response to the Italian founders community's desire to put Italy on the map of the best spots in Europe to open a company. Italian Founders Fund’s investment strategy focuses on being the lead investor in the pre-seed and seed rounds of innovative startups led by Italian founders, whether operating in Italy or abroad, while also being able to target foreign startups interested in entering the Italian market. IFF is led by Lorenzo Franzi, former partner at Global Founders Capital. Lorenzo brings a remarkable international professional background, ranging from investment banking to experience as the founder of a digital startup. After many years abroad, Lorenzo has returned to Italy to launch the fund by partnering with a group of the best Italian founders. Lorenzo Franzi, founding partner at Italian Founders Fund commented: “A new chapter has begun for the Italian Venture Capital ecosystem. We’ve brought over 100 founders onboard, including key figures from Italy’s entrepreneurial and innovation sector, and we also have representatives from the firmly established business owner/investor community. This positions us to set up a truly integrated system that can promote and support Italy’s promising ecosystem both at home and on the global map. We are convinced that by unifying the country's ambitions and talents, we’ll help shape our future economy for the better. “Thanks to the background and network of our founder-investors, we aim to enable promising projects to emerge and grow, transforming untapped potential into companies capable of generating value, change, and jobs. I believe this is a significant sign of maturity for the Italian digital ecosystem, as seen in other countries where the presence of VC funds fueled by private capital and the experience of successful founders is a clear indication of a maturing and growing ecosystem.” The fund, housed within the management company Koinos Capital SGR, stands out on the peninsula for its uniquely collaborative community approach. In addition to funding, IFF offers its portfolio companies the expertise, experience, time, and network of a diverse and highly qualified investor base. Within the IFF, founder investors also actively participate in the process of identifying investment opportunities and analyzing them, allowing the investment team to gain an even deeper understanding of the sector and the challenges faced by target companies. By becoming the top investment network for ambitious Italian founders, IFF will serve as a privileged gateway for international funds looking to invest in Italy, facilitating co-investment from the earliest stages. IFF aims to complete 25 transactions over its investment period, with initial investments ranging from €500,000 to €1.5 million and the possibility of accessing an additional €2.5 million in subsequent rounds. From the very beginning of its fundraising stage, the initiative has registered remarkable interest, allowing the fund to quickly finalize its first two investments. The first announced investment is in Jet HR, a tech company focused on removing the pain of HR management bureaucracy. This investment marked the largest pre-seed round in Italy, with IFF co-investing alongside Exor Ventures. And it’s paying off: in just a few months since its official launch, JetHR has already achieved €1 million in annual recurring revenue, positioning itself among the top 10% of Software as a Service startups in the world when comparing rapid growth. IFF’s second investment has been made in Glaut, aiming to improve the market research and surveys sector using artificial intelligence. Glaut's round involved the participation of various international funds and angels. Beyond these completed deals, three new transactions are currently in the finalization stage. Marco Ogliengo, founder and CEO at Jet HR added: “So many VCs claim there's more value than just the money but, too often, founders are left shortchanged on value. IFF is unique, however, as it's backed by basically every successful Italian founder, and the partners are founders themselves. It's a very powerful network, giving you better access than any other VC in Italy can today." Marco Morgese, CEO of the management company KOINOS Capital SGR commented: "This type of founder-led fund is already prevalent in markets where innovation is at the forefront of industrial development policies. We see them in the USA with Founders Fund, which has been around for almost 20 years, as well as in Europe where 10x founders operates in Germany, Galion.exe in France, ByFounders in Scandinavia, and Dutch Founders Fund in the Netherlands. Given the crucial role of innovation in the country's industrial development, the IFF project represents the natural evolution of Koinos. We have been transitioningfrom a private equity fund supporting small and medium-sized Italian businesses to a multi-asset platform encompassing both private equity and venture capital, all while maintaining a strong entrepreneurial spirit.” About Italian Founders Fund Italian Founders Fund (IFF) is the first-ever Italian Venture Capital fund created by founders, for founders. Backed by a diverse group of Italian entrepreneurs covering a range of generations and sectors, the fund was born in direct response to the Italian founders community's desire to put Italy on the map of the best spots in Europe to open a company. IFF is driven by a shared goal: to invest in and empower Italy’s next generation of exceptional talent and digital innovation. For more information please visit https://italianfoundersfund.com/ or follow via LinkedIn. Contact Details Italian Founders Fund Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://italianfoundersfund.com/

June 10, 2024 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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