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This Company Is Using AI To Establish Trust In A Digitally Connected World

Benzinga

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga In today's increasingly digital world, the prevalence of fraud is a growing concern. The rapid advancement of technology and the widespread use of the internet have created new opportunities for unscrupulous individuals to exploit unsuspecting individuals and organizations. With the convenience and anonymity offered by the digital space, scammers can carry out illegal activities from anywhere in the world with greater ease than ever before. From online identity theft to phishing scams, digital fraud has become more sophisticated, making it harder for people to detect and protect themselves. The sheer volume of personal and financial information being shared online also increases the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access. Trust Stamp (NASDAQ: IDAI) is a company looking to revolutionize digital security and increase its penetration. The company is a global provider of AI-powered, privacy-first trust and identity services used across multiple sectors – such as banking and finance, real estate, communications, regulatory compliance and government. Trust Stamp offers a range of innovative services. Their biometric capture and analysis technology enables secure and convenient identity verification, allowing businesses to streamline onboarding processes. By integrating advanced document verification, Trust Stamp helps verify the authenticity of important documents, reducing the risk of fraud. In the face of increasing threats, Trust Stamp also provides cryptocurrency security and compliance solutions. Their expertise in this area assists businesses in safeguarding their digital assets, ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks and protecting against unauthorized access or misuse. By facilitating accurate and reliable identity verification, Trust Stamp helps build trust between parties engaging in digital transactions, fostering secure interactions in a digital world. Unlike other companies that may enable AI to make complex decisions regarding users' authentication and identification, Trust Stamp has constructed a process that uses ML and various metric and statistical methods to audit the AI system. Their AI is used to extract information needed for identity verification but does not make the final decision, which helps to ensure that all decisions made using their systems are transparent and auditable. While Trust Stamp’s mission is similar to companies like Mitek (NASDAQ: MITK) and Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN), Trust Stamp has developed a proprietary process for tokenizing identity using an irreversible transformation via a convolutional neural network, creating an identity token known as IT2. The IT2 is generated by these AI processes, and data is removed and destroyed, making the token safe to store and reuse in the future. This process allows Trust Stamp to offer two unique value propositions to its customers: reauthentication and deduplication. Reauthentication enables users to reauthenticate using biometrics with ease, and deduplication allows for deduplication at scale to prevent synthetic identity fraud. Additionally, Trust Stamp is utilizing AI to improve the capture process and enhance users' experience. Its work focuses on using AI and language models to dynamically instruct users on how to take a quality picture, guiding them on the necessary changes to phone position, lighting and head position, among other parameters. This technology not only makes facial matching accessible to those with special needs but also vastly reduces bias in outcomes from AI-powered decision processes. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, Trust Stamp's emphasis on privacy and data protection is aimed at ensuring that users’ personal information is safeguarded at all times. By providing secure and trusted identity services, Trust Stamp positions itself as a crucial ally in the ongoing battle against fraud and identity-related issues, supporting a safer and more secure digital environment for all stakeholders. 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

September 28, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Shopistry Launches White-Label eCommerce Platform Enabling Banks, Merchant Acquirers, and Payment Processors

Shopistry

Toronto, Ontario -- Shopistry, a leading commerce solution provider powering local merchants to leading brands, today announced the launch of Private Label Commerce, the industry’s first white-label eCommerce solution. Banks, merchant service providers, payment providers, and software companies can now offer merchants a modern, no-code online store and omni-channel solution, integrated with their existing offerings, growing client value, gaining revenue, and reducing churn. The innovative approach is designed to empower traditional fintechs to deepen client relationships and compete with software providers that are increasingly offering payments and financial products to business owners as a catalyst for growth. “Owning the customer relationship is critical and the more indispensable you become to your merchant’s business the better. This why eCommerce software companies have increasingly moved into payments, loans, and more, putting pressure on traditional fintech companies. Shopistry’s Private Label Commerce levels the playing field; it’s a game changer to offer your clients a Shopify-like solution without the work,” said Jaafer Haidar, CEO at Shopistry. Private Label Commerce is the latest from Shopistry and introduces a focus on small/medium businesses to compliment the company's existing products for leading brands and media and entertainment that powered growth at Oura Ring, Black Rifle Coffee, NEON and other leading brands. “We’re focused on running our business and needed a solution that’s easy and integrated with our payments and banking so we can manage everything in one place. We tried others but Shopistry is easy to use and has a lot of features. The fact that it’s offered by our payments company means we only have one place to go for anything we need,” said Matt Boom, partner at Boomerz Boxing & Fitness.” Shopistry has partnered with major merchant service providers and is now open for additional partners. Key benefits include: White-Label & Supported: End-to-End software, videos, managed support by Shopistry Sales Enablement Program: Sales support and training to enable your sales effort Turn-key Mobile & Web Stores: Merchants quickly start selling online Dynamic Checkout: Single-page checkout, integrated payments, BOPIS, Shipping more Simplified Operations: Automatic product, inventory, order, and payment integration enables seamless operations without changes to business processes Seamless Omni-channel: Integration with in-store terminals and systems to deliver a seamless omni-channel solution Continuous Innovation with AI, Social and more: Ongoing product innovation drive further value to clients, keeping partners ahead of the game without costs To learn more about how Shopistry Private Label Commerce can benefit your organization, please visit shopistry.com contact partners@shopistry.com. For press inquiries please contact press@shopistry.com. About Shopistry Shopistry commerce software and solutions empower partners and merchants of all sizes to innovate and grow their business online hassle-free. Shopistry powers SMBs to leading growth brands like Oura Ring, Honed, NEON Studios, and more with modern functionality, simplicity, performance, and flexibility to adapt and grow as commerce continues to evolve. To learn more visit shopistry.com. Shopistry® is a registered trademark of Shopistry Inc. Third-party trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Contact Details Bryanne Baker press@shopistry.com Company Website https://www.shopistry.com

September 27, 2023 11:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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WagerWire Announces Partnership with Sportsbook Platform Provider SB22

WagerWire

WagerWire, a marketplace technology and media company serving sportsbooks and bettors, announced today it has signed a technology integration partnership with innovative sportsbook platform provider SB22. As part of the deal, WagerWire’s proprietary marketplace technology will be integrated into the sports betting products that SB22 builds for its customers. With WagerWire, SB22’s customers will have the option to have bets be tradeable inside their own applications via an in-sportsbook marketplace as well as on the WagerWire app. “WagerWire’s mission is to improve the betting experience through advanced betting capabilities, open market efficiency, and engaging content and media,” said Zach Doctor, Co-founder and CEO of WagerWire. “It’s refreshing to work with the forward-thinkers at SB22. WagerWire fits like a glove into their focus on building innovative, high-tech and industry-changing platforms for gaming operators. By unlocking secondary market activity for sports bets, and the social engagement that happens on top of this marketplace, WagerWire is an engine for leveraging an operator’s audience into the most active, engaged and passionate customer base in the industry.” SB22 joins WagerWire’s growing roster of companies in its flagship partnership group that are looking forward to bringing bet trading to a mass audience. This announcement comes on the heels of WagerWire’s recent partnership with industry innovator Betr, founded by Joey Levy and Jake Paul. Earlier this year, an independent survey of sports bettors commissioned by WagerWire found that 90% of bettors would prefer to sign up for a sportsbook with a secondary marketplace, signaling the strong consumer demand for this product. The survey also found that 76% of bettors would place more bets and 72% would place larger bets if a secondary market was offered, demonstrating the value to sportsbook operators of adding this functionality. “During our discussions with the WagerWire team, it was abundantly clear that integrating WagerWire’s technology into our business offering is not only an incredible value add for our customers, but also puts us miles ahead of other platform providers,” said Vik Shrestha, Chief Commercial Officer of SB22. “Our mission is to offer the best possible experience for sports bettors. Integrating WagerWire into our products does that.” WagerWire first came onto the scene when it announced its seed round in 2022 with backing from the likes of Miami Marlins co-owner Roger Ehrenberg (IA Sports Ventures and Eberg Capital), Joey Levy’s 305 Ventures, NBA All-Star Richard Jefferson, and SimpleBet co-founder Scott Marshall, among others. About WagerWire WagerWire empowers bettors to take control of their action and treat their bets as assets that can be bought and sold at any time. WagerWire’s proprietary marketplace technology can be directly embedded into sportsbook apps, and also powers the WagerWire app that serves as an aggregated marketplace of bets across partner sportsbooks. WagerWire also has a Media Network that generates daily content “By Fans, For Fans”. You can find WagerWire @WagerWire on Twitter and LinkedIn, or @WagerWireLive on TikTok and at WagerWire.com. WagerWire is dedicated to providing users with a responsible gaming environment. If you think you or someone you know may have a gambling problem, resources are available. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. About SB22 SB22 has created the definitive next generation sports betting platform certified for GLI-33 and designed for the US market. It is modern, scalable, and modular, with all its functionality, including its proprietary PAM, completely integrated from the ground up. SB22 is the first mobile-centric, fully automated, cloud capable, and VR/AR-ready tech platform in the sports betting industry. For more information on Product: www.sb22.com Contact Details Bailey Irelan birelan@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.wagerwire.com/

September 27, 2023 09:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time

How Altius Minerals Is Building An ESG-Compliant Portfolio With The Potential To Deliver Sustainable Royalties For The Next 100 Years

Benzinga

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga As the United Nations wraps up its 78th General Assembly in New York City, the most pressing issue at hand has been putting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track and aligning political agendas with the ever-important environmental goals. While governments will shape policy, companies have substantial sway in affecting the economy and direction of environmental action. ESG investing has been one of the fastest growing investment classes, even after public pressure around green-washing that occurred in 2022. This backlash has caused asset managers and regulators to be more cautious about what styles of investing get classified as ESG investments. This caution around using the term ESG more deliberately likely contributed to a report issued in 2022 by the US SIF, which classified $8.4 trillion in U.S. investment assets at the beginning of 2022 held by firms that factor ESG into their decision-making. Although this is a huge number, it’s less than half the $17.1 trillion assets that were classified as ESG assets under management in 2020. Altius Minerals (OTCQX: ATUSF) (TSX: ALS) has built an ESG-friendly royalty portfolio. Altius is part of the broader mining sector, an industry that has been under criticism for its long history of causing significant harm to the environment, from deforestation and habitat destruction to water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. But materials that go into electronics, electricity generation, transportation and virtually all 21st-century lifestyle infrastructure are dependent on the mining industry. Altius is a royalty company that, unlike most of its competitors, has very little gold royalty exposure. Although gold has properties that make it uniquely adaptable for uses including medical and technology applications, its main demand source is jewellery and coins. Contrast that with copper, which along with potash, are Altius’s main exposures. Altius is working towards creating a portfolio that is sustainable. The company is targeting potash, electrification battery metals and iron ore for green steel, along with their core holding in subsidiary Altius Renewable Royalties (OTCQX: ATRWF) (TSX: ARR). These markets align with multiple UN sustainable development goals, such as eradicating poverty, ensuring renewable energy, responsible procurement and more. This strategic focus aligns with the values of stakeholders who believe in these goals. One significant aspect of Altius Minerals' sustainable portfolio is the emphasis on long mine lives. Unlike typical gold mines that run for 10-15 years, potash mines, for instance, are expected to have a lifespan of up to 100 years or more. This longevity ensures employment opportunities for entire careers or even generations. Long resource lives are also the best predictors of expansion opportunities. While potash mine lives can be long at 100+ years, renewable energy resources are potentially infinite, making the business of ARR unique in that the resource is never subject to depletion. That is a significant contrast to other energy forms, like shale wells. Revenue from Altius Renewable Royalties is accelerating, with new project royalties expected to be operational by 2024 from investments already made. Their commitment to renewable energy aims to align with the global transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. Altius claims it doesn’t avoid industries where emissions are considered “hard to abate” like steel-making. Altius wants its investments to fall on the side of steel-making that is sourcing high-purity iron ore for electric arc furnace steel making, aiming to eliminate the use of metallurgical coal inputs. Altius’s iron ore exposure is Labrador Trough iron ore, considered to be among the highest grade and lowest impurity sources globally. One of the most significant ESG transitions in the world, along with the energy transition, is the transition from internal combustion engine transport to electric vehicles. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), electric car markets have witnessed exponential growth, with sales exceeding 10 million in 2022; 14% of all new car sales in 2022 were electric, a notable increase from around 9% in 2021 and less than 5% in 2020. The IEA further projects that the global market value of electricity for EV charging is set to grow significantly, reaching approximately $190 billion by 2030. The Climate Action Tracker report suggests that to align with the 1.5 degrees Celsius pathway, fully electric vehicles will need to account for 75-95% of global annual passenger vehicle sales by 2030 and 100% by 2035. This growth demonstrates the increasing demand for EVs and the need for the materials and infrastructure to support this growth. As an example, an electric vehicle uses almost 2.5 times the copper of a car with an internal combustion engine, and S&P Global forecasts that copper demand will nearly double between 2022 to 50 million metric tons and 2035 to 50 million metric tons. By 2050, demand will reach more than 53 million metric tons. To illustrate just how strong the demand growth is, S&P Global noted that that’s “more than all the copper consumed in the world between 1900 and 2021.” EV demand is similarly driving the need for mining of other materials such as lithium, which is commonly used in EV batteries. Copper is one of Altius’s largest royalty exposures. Mining producers of these critical materials will need financing partners who support the impact they’re making and their sustainability goals. Altius Minerals aims to position itself as a leading diversified royalty player with positive impacts on climate, electrification and food security, as well as a front-runner in the ESG space – an ideal financing partner for sustainable miners. 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

September 27, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

With Cancer Immunotherapy Market Set To Grow At Double-Digit CAGR Till 2032, This Company Plans To Ride The Wave Through Treatments For Complex Cancers

Benzinga

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga Oncotelic Therapeutics Inc. (OTCQB: OTLC) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. Its primary focus is on developing innovative drugs for the treatment of orphan oncology indications, with an emphasis on rare and underserved cancer types including pancreatic cancer, glioma and glioblastoma. Oncotelic's pipeline includes several promising drug candidates. One of their key products is OT-101, a targeted immunotherapy designed to inhibit the production of a specific protein critical for cancer evasion of host immunity. By targeting immune evasion specifically, OT-101 aims to reduce the effectiveness of traditional immunooncology (IO) drugs and improve patient survival. This drug has also been shown to be successful in helping treat immune evasion by COVID-19. Oncotelic is undertaking combination trials with IO drugs such as PD-1, PDL-1 and CTLA4, among others. Over the next 12 months, it is expected there will be reports available on these combination trials. In August, the company announced a collaboration between their joint venture partner, Sapu Bioscience, LLC (wholly owned by GMP Biotechnology Limited), and Cromos Pharma, LLC. This collaboration’s goal is to conduct a registrational trial for OT-101 in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The company is expecting to report interim analyses in the near future. This trial leverages the ability of OT-101 to counteract chemoresistance that frequently arises during the treatment of cancers with chemotherapies. In many ways, OT-101 was designed to improve existing cancer treatments, such as Keytruda. Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) Keytruda – also known as pembrolizumab – is an immunotherapy used to treat various types of cancer, including lung cancer, melanoma and triple-negative breast cancer. It blocks the PD-1 pathway, allowing the immune system to detect and fight cancer cells. What makes Oncotelic an industry innovator is its embrace of AI in its workflow. By leveraging AI, the company is mining its existing database to design the optimal clinical pathway for each of its drugs. Through their dedication to incorporating cutting-edge science and engineering, Oncotelic is positioning itself at the forefront of advancing novel drugs in oncology. In addition to OT-101, Oncotelic is advancing other drug candidates, as well, including CA4P and Oxi4503. These drugs utilize different mechanisms of action to target blood vessels feeding the tumors and disrupt their growth. This diversified pipeline strategy allows Oncotelic to explore multiple approaches to cancer treatment and increase the likelihood of success in addressing different types of cancer. By leveraging AI, Oncotelic's drug candidates can overcome the limitations of conventional clinical trials, avoiding unintended confounding factors that plague traditional clinical trials. Long before a clinical trial is initiated, extensive in silico modeling would have been completed at Oncotelic, derisking every aspect of the clinical trial and optimizing it for success. Oncotelic Therapeutics is an innovative player in the cancer immunotherapy market, which is expected to reach a value of $647 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 13.8% over 2022-2032. The company has completed promising phase 2 trials in pancreatic cancer and melanoma, as well as in glioblastoma, achieving robust efficacy and safety in all three cases. With the company’s cutting-edge research and impressive track record, Oncotelic is setting the bar high for innovation in cancer treatments. 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

September 27, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Analysts Predict Net Zero Energy Transition Will Push Most Battery Metals Into Shortage By 2030 – How Investors Can Potentially Get Exposure

Benzinga

By Rachael Green, Benzinga Shares of Sprott Energy Transition Material ETF (NASDAQ: SETM) could be positioned for growth as the quest for new supplies of key battery metals like lithium and nickel intensifies. Sprott Asset Management launched the ETF at the beginning of the year as a way to give investors pure-play access to critical minerals that will be key to the global clean energy transition currently underway. Battery Metals Are Quickly Approaching Extreme Shortages According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), lithium demand has tripled since 2017, and it’s forecast to increase tenfold from 2022 to 2040 in order to meet the battery and electricity storage needs of countries aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The soaring demand for lithium is almost entirely tied to the net zero transition. The mineral is a key component of EV batteries and clean energy storage platforms. About 56% of the demand for lithium in 2022 came from EV batteries exclusively. That’s only expected to get higher in the decades ahead as the typical battery contains about 8 kilograms (17.5 pounds) of lithium and about 2 billion electric vehicles (EVs) will need to be on the road by 2050 in order to meet the net zero emissions target. Meanwhile, while EV batteries and storage only represent about 11% of the current demand for nickel, the IEA estimates that it’ll account for over half of total nickel demand by 2040. A similar trajectory is forecast for cobalt and other minerals that are used to make various kinds of EV batteries and other storage units. To meet that demand, McKinsey & Company estimates that over 380 new mines would need to be added on top of the approximately 500 mines currently operating today. The Sprott Energy Transition Materials ETF (SETM) Gives Investors Broad Upstream Exposure to Critical Minerals SETM tracks the Nasdaq Sprott Energy Transition Materials TM Index, which is composed of over 100 global companies directly involved in energy transition materials including copper, lithium, nickel, uranium, cobalt, graphite, manganese, rare earths and silver. Currently, the index is heavily weighted toward lithium-, uranium-, and copper-related stocks, with each group accounting for about a quarter of the portfolio’s weight. With an even mix of large, medium and small-cap stocks all over the world, this gives investors broad exposure to the companies poised to benefit most from the net zero transition. It’s also concentrated on upstream companies – including producers, developers, explorers, refiners, recyclers and other companies involved in providing raw materials to EV makers, power plants and other downstream companies that will need those critical materials. With a supply shortage looming, upstream exposure might not only give investors a way to capture returns from surging battery metal prices but also to limit exposure to downstream companies that might not be able to keep up with competitors as costs increase. While the need for clean energy is clear and policymakers are enacting increasingly stricter emissions standards, it still remains to be seen which companies will come out on top and exactly what the clean energy mix will look like in the future. But what is fairly certain is that these critical minerals will be key to building the infrastructure to store and distribute that clean energy. 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

September 27, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

New Advertising Partnerships Will Help Sekur Reach Wider Business Audience As It Rolls Out More Enterprise Cybersecurity and Privacy Solutions

Benzinga

By Rachael Green, Benzinga This month, Sekur Private Data Ltd. (OTCQX: SWISF) (CSE: SKUR) (FRA: GDT0) signed an advertising partnership and distribution agreement with VYRE Network, a global news-based streaming channel and website with over 1 million viewers worldwide. “The VBNGtv partnership is part of… strategy to launch our SMB and Enterprise solutions in the USA to the 30 million+ small businesses in the USA,” said Sekur CEO Alain Ghiai in a statement on the new agreement. The cybersecurity and internet privacy provider offers a suite of secure and private communication services aimed at eliminating the kind of data mining concerns and vulnerabilities that many of the existing solutions in this space have. Advertising Partnership Agreement With VYRE Will Help Sekur Reach Larger Global Enterprise And Investor Audiences The VYRE network deal will place Sekur commercials and banner ads throughout the streaming news website in exchange for a revenue share of all Sekur signups, primarily targeting its enterprise and investor audiences. The deal is part of Sekur’s plans for a global rollout of its enterprise communication services, including the SekurMessenger app, SekurMail and SekurVPN along with new products slated to launch in the coming months. In Morocco, for example, Sekur is partnering with the IT services consulting company Digital Smart Solution Sarl (DSS) to distribute SekurMessenger to some of the nation’s leading companies in the telecommunications and banking industries. “According to market research, approximately 90% of African businesses are operating without cybersecurity protocols in place, making them vulnerable to cyber threats, such as hacking, phishing, and malware attacks,” said Ghiai. “The economic consequences of digital insecurity are already substantial.” SekurMessenger can help provide a stronger line of defense against data breaches and other cybersecurity threats. The app is available on all Android and iOS devices and offers end-to-end encryption along with a number of other advanced security features like VirtualVaults and Helix Tech for storing data on encrypted Swiss-hosted servers and a customizable self-destruct timer that automatically deletes messages after a certain time frame or trigger. So nothing is stored unless users want to store it and when data is stored, the app defaults to a highly secure encrypted storage option. SekurMessenger is also one of the only apps that doesn’t ask for a phone number when signing up. Instead, users get a Sekur username and number that can be used to contact them through the app without disclosing any personal information. Thanks to the recent launch of the proprietary “chat-by-invite” feature, Sekur users can enjoy that same level of security and privacy even when chatting with people who don’t have the app. After receiving an invite via text or email, the non-Sekur recipient simply clicks on the link to go to a secure messaging channel where they can chat with the Sekur user who invited them. There’s no need for the non-Sekur user to download the app or give out personal information to register. This makes it an ideal option for keeping internal conversations within a company private and secure and also offers a way to keep sensitive data safe when communicating with customers. Unlike other messenger apps which either don’t offer advanced encryption or require all participants to download the app in order for the conversation to be fully encrypted, SekurMessenger can maintain maximum privacy and security even when the recipient isn’t a Sekur user. “The entire communication only happens in our Swiss encrypted server environment as opposed to sending encryption keys back and forth over the internet,” explained Ghiai in an interview. So, a conversation with non-Sekur users doesn’t expose the messages to non-encrypted environments. Meanwhile, SekurMail offers similar security and privacy for email communications, while using SekurVPN can add an additional layer of security to protect businesses from hacking and malware attacks. Looking ahead, the company has plans to add innovative products like SekurVoice, which is slated for this Q1 2024, and, according to Ghiai, will let users make “encrypted calls to anyone in the world without having to dial their phone number.” The Sekur CEO also mentioned plans for a video conferencing product as well as a portfolio of other enterprise communication solutions. 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

September 27, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

VPN Trust Initiative: VPN Trust Seal Accreditation Program Launch

VPN Trust Initiative

The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) launched the VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) in 2020 to establish a baseline for how virtual private network (VPN) providers should operate. The goal is to help avoid oversights, misunderstandings, or vague legislation that could invite abuses of power and short-sighted legislation of helpful technology. As a result of collaborative efforts, the VTI Principles serve as a comprehensive set of best practices for VPN providers that bolster consumer confidence and provider accountability, promoting wider VPN adoption and access to the technology’s benefits. Today VTI is announcing the launch of the VPN Trust Seal accreditation program, which provides a clear public indicator that a participating VPN provider follows established best practices for delivering service in the following five areas: Security: VPNs will use the necessary security measures, including strong encryption and authentication protocols, to appropriately address the risks. Advertising Practices: Given the complexity and different use cases for VPNs, claims must not mislead. Privacy: VPNs should keep as little data as they deem necessary to provide the service and only produce data to law enforcement when legally required. Disclosure and Transparency: To foster trust, member companies must take steps toward informing users and the public about their actions and procedures. Social Responsibility: VPN providers will promote VPN technology to support access to the global Internet and freedom of expression. Principles guiding VPN Trust Seal accreditation are informed by input from businesses, legislators, free speech advocates, and other outside experts to protect the privacy and security of VPN users; offer practical policy guidelines for VPN providers; and ensure policymakers, regulators, and the wider market have access to clear criteria for evaluating these technologies. The inaugural group of VPN providers that have earned accreditation includes Certida, FastVPN, IvacyVPN, NordVPN, PureVPN, Surfshark, Texas.net, IPVanish, StrongVPN, eVenture Ltd, and ExpressVPN. “Now when VPN customers try to determine which providers align with their ethics, they can look for the VPN Trust Seal and gain some assurances about the commitments behind the products they are looking to purchase,” said Christian Dawson, Co-Founder & Executive Director, i2Coalition. For more detailed information on each of these principles and how to get the VPN Trust Seal, please visit the VTI website. About i2Coalition’s VPN Trust Initiative i2Coalition’s VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) is an industry-led consortium that promotes consumer safety and privacy online by increasing understanding of VPNs and strengthening business practices in an industry that already protects millions of Internet users. The VTI leverages first-hand knowledge to advocate, create, vet, and validate guidelines that strengthen trust and transparency and mitigate risk for users. To learn more about the VTI, please visit vpntrust.net. About the i2Coalition The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (“i2Coalition”) ensures that those who build the infrastructure of the Internet have a voice in public policy. We are a leading voice for web hosting companies, data centers, domain registrars and registries, cloud infrastructure providers, managed services providers, and related tech. We protect innovation and the continued growth of the Internet’s infrastructure which is essential to the global economy. Our coalition launched at a significant time in our industry’s history. The genesis of the organization began in 2011 when many of the i2Coalition founding and charter members joined forces during the successful effort to prevent SOPA and PIPA from becoming United States law. After mobilizing to ensure the Internet’s free flow of information and commerce, we realized the ongoing need for an industry voice, founding formally in 2012. To learn more about the i2Coalition and explore membership, please visit i2Coalition.com. Contact Details Aaron Alberico +1 202-744-0786 aalberico@raynoravenue.com Company Website https://vpntrust.net/

September 26, 2023 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

After $6.4 Million IPO, Inspire Veterinary Partners Shifts Into Next Phase Of Acquisition-Driven Growth Strategy

Benzinga

By Rachael Green, Benzinga With more Americans owning pets and those pet owners increasingly prioritizing the health and well-being of those new pets, the market is ripe for veterinary hospitals everywhere. So the closing of Inspire Veterinary Partners Inc.’s (NASDAQ: IVP) Initial Public Offering (IPO) last month, marking the introduction of the first publicly traded vet services company is a great opportunity for investors who want to gain exposure to that $61 billion vet services market. Inspire generated $6.4 million in gross proceeds from the IPO which will fund its ongoing growth strategy as it works on finalizing a series of new acquisition deals. The owner and operator of a growing network of acquired veterinary hospitals has set a goal of 10 new acquisitions per year over the next five years, giving investors plenty to look forward to with this new entry on the NASDAQ. Vet Hospitals Are Poised For Growth As Pet Owners Take Greater Interest In Pet Health And Wellbeing Unlike other pandemic-era booms that went bust soon after quarantines lifted, the pet boom began decades before COVID and shows every sign of being here to stay. Today, 62% of Americans own at least one pet (about half of those pet owners have two or more). As pet ownership increases, so does the amount owners spend on their pets. Even as inflation strains household budgets, nearly half of pet owners say they haven’t made cuts to their monthly spending on their pets. Inspire Is A Vet Hospital Consolidator With A Flexible, Long-Term Approach To Acquisitions Inspire’s approach to consolidation is unique. Rather than an exit-driven strategy, the vet hospital owner structures acquisitions with the goal of owning that hospital for the long term and helping it improve its operations, costs and revenue along the way. Adding a personal touch, the company’s CEO personally visits each potential acquisition to interact with the staff and address any concerns. Additionally, Inspire allows each hospital to maintain its unique practice methods and identity, thereby appealing to sellers who are wary of the centralized models of larger competitors. This differentiates the vet hospital owner from most players in the game. “The overwhelming majority of organizations that buy and open veterinary clinics in the United States are owned by private equity investors and managers,” said Inspire President and CEO in a recent blog post. “Funds are put in, a company is grown, and down the line those investors sell the company to new investors, take profit as a result and then look for another company or industry in which to invest.” In most cases, Carr says that process is happening in the span of about two to five years. Not only is that not enough time to understand the business, it also incentivizes those investors to focus on short-term growth strategies that may or may not make sense for the long-term potential of that hospital. Instead, Inspire looks for hospitals and clinics that it can own for the long haul, not just opportunities to flip in two or three years for a quick profit. Then, it works closely with each one of those acquisitions to help it achieve sustainable long-term growth—an investment of time, talent, and resources that benefits everyone involved. For shareholders, that approach has the potential to generate more sustainable long-term growth as the hospitals already under the Inspire umbrella continue to grow their revenue while later acquisitions help Inspire expand that revenue base. It also puts Inspire in a unique position to create additional revenue opportunities by expanding existing hospitals, adding on new services, and building a network for case referrals by connecting nearby hospitals and clinics in Inspire’s expanding network. For the stakeholders in the hospitals themselves, that acquisition approach alleviates the stress of dealing with new owners who have no intention of sticking around for more than a couple of years and may have little interest in the long-term health of the business. It also gives them access to training and consultation from an experienced team of medical and operational coaches with a deep well of vetted experience. This approach can help improve margins as Inspire consolidates purchasing relationships and provides on-the-ground consulting and training to improve overall operations and identify the best growth strategy for each location. In its current phase of growth, Inspire is focused on buying existing businesses that are already profitable. As soon as the deal is closed, a growth strategy tailored to that location is implemented. To date, it successfully applied this approach to 13 locations across nine states for a combined annual revenue run-rate estimated at approximately $19 million for 2023. With multiple acquisition agreements in progress that would add significant future revenue, Inspire expects to see an improvement to its bottom-line performance as well. Looking ahead, the company plans to acquire 10 locations per year over the next several years using a tried and tested assessment process and a team with functional expertise. This approach is intended to help the company to efficiently scale its acquisition strategy without sacrificing the flexibility needed to bring in locations across any state or demographic market while providing the tailored support each location needs to grow. As with the past couple of years, Inspire will continue to focus on general practice veterinary hospitals that already have a track record of profitability while diversifying into new clinic types in the years to come. As each new acquisition allows the company to further scale and bring more of its operations in-house, it plans to expand into emergency care clinics and earlier-stage practices as well. Acknowledging the vast market opportunity, Inspire Veterinary Partners notes that less than 30% of the over 28,000 veterinary hospitals in the U.S. have been consolidated, signaling a large upside potential for further acquisitions. 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

September 26, 2023 09:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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