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Fear of Children Falling Behind Pushes Worried Parents To Seek New At-Home Supplemental Learning In Key Subjects

Osmo

With quarantine continuing to keep many of the nation’s children at home through the fall semester, many parents worry about their child falling behind in key subjects, even if their kids are engaged in some form of distance learning. To prevent delayed learning in subjects like math, some parents are hiring private tutors, others are homeschooling , and many are seeking more affordable supplemental learning options. Osmo’s new curriculum-inspired Math Wizard series is such an option--it allows kids 6-8 years to experience math through fun, hands-on, narrative- and adventure-driven games, where kids actually learn math, by touching, manipulating, and experimenting how it is used everyday. These self-paced games help kids build confidence and understanding in what they are learning, and are perfect for digital learning at home. ( Video ) “Exhaustive research shows that using manipulatives help children learn math, especially in the areas of counting, place value, computation, problem-solving, fractions, and more,” says Pramod Sharma , CEO of award-winning STEAM brand Osmo . “Rather than teach kids to memorize formulas and processes, Osmo Math Wizard games offer a hands-on approach, combined with digital learning, to allow kids to think creatively and solve problems on their own--a hallmark of all Osmo games, while compelling narratives and adventures keep them continuously engaged without their realizing they are learning.” Games Help Alleviate Math Anxiety In addition, the pressure to learn math creates anxiety for students, parents, and even teachers, according to research , where almost 50% of elementary school students , 20% of U.S. adults, and 25% of teachers face math anxiety, which may start as early as kindergarten. Math Wizard games help to alleviate some of this commonly-felt anxiety, by allowing children to learn in a self-paced environment. Targeted hints are built into game play to help struggling learners, nudging them in a way to discover a correct answer, so they do not disengage. “ Math Wizard makes adding and subtracting numbers, along with measuring, so fun, approachable, and un-intimidating, which makes a huge difference for a child who may feel apprehensive about math, while lessening anxiety for parents who feel obligated to teach their child math,” adds Sharma . “The games are not perceived as a task or test that puts students in direct competition with peers, too.” The first two titles in the Math Wizard series, which launch Oct. 1, 2020, are Magical Workshop and Secrets of the Dragons . The series is intended for Grades 1-2 (ages 6-8 ). Magical Workshop (available for iPad and Fire; retail $59.99 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com ), is an addition and subtraction adventure, where kids brew potions with dragon claws and sparkle dust to master place value, and they continue their quest by counting balloons to help dragons fly! Magical Workshop contains a collection of 4 games and the box contains: 1 Mixing Mat; 2 Sticker Sheets; 1 Spell Book; 28 Counting Cubes; 6 Counting Rods. The 4 games are: Potions! - Learn addition and subtraction while mixing up potions with your trusty mixing mat, rods and cubes. Dragon Drop - Use a vertical number line to attach balloons to dragons for flight. Magical Flight - Travel on a magic broom to rebuild castles all over Wyverndell. A construction crew will help out, but double-check the count of materials. Wyverndell Express - Operate your own dragon courier business! Solve math word problems at every train station to unlock new routes. Kids will learn: Addition and subtraction within 120 Counting and place value Comparing numbers Next, Secrets of the Dragons (available for iPad and Fire; retail $59.99 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com ) allows kids to learn and master measurement at their own pace, where they explore the Dragon Reserve and its outlying biomes. As dragon scouts, they discover new dragons, measure, and feed them based on their size. They can earn merit badges to become a master scout. The box contains: 1 Dragon Guidebook; 2 Rulers; 62 Food Tokens. Kids will learn: How to use non-standard units to measure How to use ruler to measure Estimating length Adding lengths The next two releases in the series will debut in March 2021. The Math Wizard series will be available in Canada in January, 2021. About Osmo Osmo is an award-winning STEAM brand whose products are used in over 30,000 classrooms and 2.5 million homes. It is building a universe of hands-on play experiences that nourish the minds of children by unleashing the power of imagination. The company brings physical tools into the digital world through augmented reality and its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence. Founded in 2013 by ex-Google engineers Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, the Osmo Play System fuses digital gameplay and physical interaction to create fun and nutritious play experiences designed for all kids. Osmo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Learn more at playosmo.com . Contact Details Karen O'Dell +1 310-251-0550 karen@playosmo.com Company Website http://www.playosmo.com

October 01, 2020 04:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Homegrown: UK premium CBD brand, Infused Amphora launches

Infused Amphora

British premium CBD wellness brand Infused Amphora launches today. Their product range includes a variety of vape cartridges designed to address and capture the needs and moods of society. Everything from tackling anxiety, muscular aches and stress to helping inspire, calm and focus minds. The cartridges were designed in collaboration with Vessel Brand, an industry leading California-based vape hardware company. The launch features four premium CBD-infused cartridges: INSPIRE : delivers an earthy and herbal vibe with lilac undertones, and a lemon-pepper nose. Allowing you to brainstorm, be unique, think differently or create a masterpiece. PEACE : combines a sweet woody flavour with a tickle of green peppercorn and a clean grapefruit finish. You will feel the embrace of a warm hug that removes the edge off stress. MEND : allows you to slip into a relaxing bath of sweet stone fruits, savoury herbs and a pine finish. Find relief from tension and release muscular aches and pains. ZZZ : offers the sensation of walking through a forest after the rain. Like the perfect cup of tea to be taken at bedtime - hints of juniper and lemon. Infused Amphora’s CBD products enhance health, wellness and help achieve personal lifestyle goals through their pesticide-free, non-intoxicating and THC-free CBD cartridges. All products contain two simple ingredients, 100% organic CBD distillate and plant-sourced terpenes. Products retail at £35 and are launching with a 20% discount at £28 each, for a limited time. All Infused Amphora products are rigorously third-party lab-tested* for content and purity. Angus Taylor, CEO of parent company, Infused Products International LTD, commented: “Infused Amphora is about creating an unmatched customer experience by offering easy to understand products that deliver a specific and predictable experience such as athletic recovery, sleep, inspiration, and tranquility. We are aiming to grow this international brand to 24 exciting products in 2021. We’re on track to build our own supply chain and will be able to quickly move high quality products to market that meet the needs of our customers. We will use the UK as a launch pad to expand and enter additional international markets, such as Brazil and India, next year”. On the partnership with Vessel Brand, Angus Taylor added: “As Infused Amphora thoughtfully considered its entry into the UK market, we intentionally sought out the best-in-class market partner, Vessel Brand, a company with complimentary visions of supporting mental and physical health through an exceptional customer journey. Premium CBD is at the core of our customer experience, it’s a crucial step of many that also includes third-party testing to guarantee compliance, education, premium hardware technology and unparalleled customer service.” James Choe, CEO and Co-Founder Vessel Brand, Inc. commented: "We are honoured to partner with Infused Amphora because of their dedication to quality product and their willingness to challenge the industry status quo by designing a better experience for every customer. We’re seeing countless CBD-related brands hitting the market but majority of them are battling for the customer’s attention with the same commodity offering, or in some cases, a step up with fancy packaging. “The customer experience needs to push well beyond this. ‘Premium’ in our eyes, has little to do with a price point and everything to do with delivering on a brand promise - the customer experience doesn’t end at the point of quality consumable product, that is just the beginning. The thoughtfulness to extend the experience to the battery that powers your oil, the control you have over your consumption, the way you charge and store your oil, and how you feel when you interact with their support team - that is what makes their offering compelling and that shared philosophy is what makes our partnership so strong” added James Choe . * Each product comes with a Certificate of Analysis from an accredited testing lab. Notes to the Editor For further information please contact the Amphora press office: Bilal Mahmood on b.mahmood@marketfinance.com or +44 (0) 20 3640 7759 and +44 (0) 771 400 7257. About Infused Amphora Infused Amphora is a premium CBD wellness brand formulated in the UK. It is owned by Infused Products International LTD, a global health-and-wellness product business. Infused Amphora is dedicated to providing all-natural, symptom-targeting and high-quality CBD products. Elevating users on their wellness journeys, each product is designed with a specific purpose, whether it’s sparking creativity, relieving stress, calming their thoughts before bed, or soothing muscle aches & pains. With only two simple ingredients (CBD distillate sourced from 100% organically grown hemp and plant-based terpenes to supply that beneficial entourage effect) we keep our customer’s health as our top priority. All of our products have zero harmful additives & solvents, are nicotine-free, pesticide-free, and THC-free to ensure no intoxicating effects, just pure bliss in every breath. Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@marketfinance.com Company Website https://www.infusedamphora.com/

September 30, 2020 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Sutro Connect and Sani Marc Group Announce Strategic Partnership

Sutro Connect

Sutro Connect, a leader in smart water monitoring technology, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with Sani Marc Group, the experts in sanitation solutions. The strategic partnership will support Sutro’s North American rollout, first in the US, and then in Canada. This partnership is the critical next step in Sutro Connect’s rollout of their Smart Water Ecosystem which includes: Smart Pool Monitor, Spin Dock-tor, and Treatment Recommendation Engine (TRE). “The Sani Marc Group is a leader in water treatment products,” said Ravi Kurani, CEO of Sutro. “To have them as a strategic partner is an honor. Their support over the last year has made it possible for us to launch the Smart Monitor, build our Smart Water Ecosystem, and now widely rollout our award-winning products to eager customers and partners.” Smart Water Ecosystem The biggest challenge in enjoying your pool (or spa) is to make sure that the water is safe and clean. It can be a complex process to ensure that everything is taken care of. With the Sutro’s Smart Water Ecosystem, pool owners, retailers, and pool professionals can all have access to water testing data. This allows everyone to solve water issues before they get out of hand and become expensive. “We are excited to partner with Sutro Connect,” said Pierre Goudreault, CEO of Sani Marc Group. “Clean water is essential to enjoying life and we are committed to making safe and clean water a reality for everyone. Technologies like Sutro’s Smart Water Monitor are the types of projects we love and are looking forward to helping Sutro roll out their products in North American and beyond.” Beyond Just Pools Water is a precious resource that is becoming harder and harder to keep safe and clean. The Sutro Smart Water Ecosystem is the first step in managing this precious resource. Pools and spas are the perfect microcosms in which to build a comprehensive database about water. With this knowledge, the best practices of pool water management can be applied to the rest of the world’s water -- thus making it safe. About Sutro At Sutro , we want to radically shift the way that humans consume, treat, and analyze water through sensors, data, and applications which allow us to sustainably ensure the safety of water for generations to come. Our Smart Water Ecosystem for pools (and spas) is the first step to realizing our vision of a world with safe water for everyone. About Sani Marc Group In addition to manufacturing cleaning products, distributing equipment and accessories, the Sani Marc Group supports you in optimizing your cleaning and sanitation operations in these markets: food & beverage, commercial, institutional, industrial, pool, and spa. Contact Details Jarie Bolander +1 415-480-3663 jarie@jsypr.com Company Website https://mysutro.com

September 29, 2020 08:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Steve N. Economou Joins G-Squared Partners to Launch Investment Banking Practice

G-Squared Partners, LLC

G-Squared Partners, LLC announced today that Steve Economou has joined the firm as a Managing Director, M&A to establish an investment banking practice. The new practice – a natural extension of G-Squared’s outsourced CFO, finance, and accounting work – is dedicated to offering skilled investment banking services to middle market companies that are often underserved by national investment banking practices. The effort will focus on M&A advisory services, capital raising, recapitalizations, and evaluating strategic alternatives for these businesses. Steve brings more than 35 years of corporate finance experience to G-Squared, including investment banking, venture capital, private equity, capital raising, and mergers and acquisitions. He began his career with one of the leading investment banking boutiques in Philadelphia and subsequently worked in the investment banking subsidiaries of a global commercial bank and two large CPA firms. Steve has advised on more than $2 billion of transaction value and completed more than 100 board and strategic advisory engagements. With his expertise, G-Squared is now capable of advising firms throughout the entire financial lifecycle from start-up to exit. This includes outsource CFO, capital formation, recapitalization, efforts, preparing for a sale, assessing buyout offers, and initiating a sales process. Gene S. Godick, CEO of G-Squared, said, “Steve is a great fit for G-Squared, our team, and our clients. We have been receiving more requests from clients to assist them with M&A and raising capital. Adding Steve to the team to spearhead our investment banking practice complements our work in accounting, finance, and operations. We now are able to offer a full array of services that provide family-owned and entrepreneur-owned businesses with strategic financial expertise. Said Steve: “I am excited to join a rapidly growing entrepreneurial firm truly dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and investors. Gene and I have known each other for twenty years, and I could not pass up the opportunity to join the team at G-Squared.” G-Squared Partners is a leading outsourced CFO, finance, and accounting team. G-Squared has been a member of the INC 5000 company list for the past four years. The firm provides strategic financial, accounting, operational, and investment banking expertise to CEOs and investors who recognize that an outsourced finance team can accelerate their success. G-Squared has a demonstrated track record of success in improving financial reporting, enhancing profitability and working capital, securing funding, and supporting transactions. G Squared clients are national and focused in SaaS, technology enabled services, professional services, and growing consumer products companies. Securities Products and Investment Banking Services are offered through BA Securities, LLC. Four Tower Bridge, 200 Barr Harbor Drive, Suite 400, W. Conshohocken, PA 19428. (P) 877-738-5841. Member FINRA SIPC . G-Squared Partners, LLC and BA Securities, LLC are separate, unaffiliated entities. Contact Details Gene Godick +1 215-284-4903 ggodick@gsquaredcfo.com Company Website https://www.gsquaredcfo.com/

September 28, 2020 07:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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MSC Cruises, Port Everglades, Matson, International Chamber of Shipping and Ocean Voyages Institute Among 2020 NAMEPA Marine Environment Protection Awards Recipients

North American Marine Environment Protection Association

Carleen Lyden Walker , Co-Founder and Executive Director of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), announced that MSC Cruises, Port Everglades, the International Chamber of Shipping for its Seafarer Welfare work, and Matson for Environmental Innovation are among the eight recipients of NAMEPA’s 2020 Marine Environment Protection Awards. Other recipients are: Ocean Voyages Institute, Sea Education Association, the U.S. Arctic Research Council and the Business Network for Offshore Wind’s Liz Burdock for the category of Individual. The Awards Program will be held virtually in conjunction with NAMEPA's Annual Conference on November 5th, which will focus on looking ahead to 2023 and preparing for the future. “Particularly in these turbulent times, it is uplifting to celebrate the accomplishments and positive actions of our maritime community,” stated Carleen Lyden Walker, Co-Founder and Executive Director of NAMEPA. “The marine industry works tirelessly to deliver more than 90% of the world’s goods and energy safely and with a keen eye to reducing its environmental impact. It is NAMEPA’s honor to highlight their efforts, along with community partners who share our values to “Save our Seas”. NAMEPA’s Marine Environment Protection Awards are given in recognition of an individual or organization’s innovative and extraordinary efforts to commit themselves to preserving the marine environment as exemplified by a commitment to programs which have specific objectives set for environmental performance and improvement. Eligible candidates include members of the commercial maritime industry, government agencies, educational organizations, innovation providers, ports, associations and individuals. Submissions are judged by the organization’s Board of Directors against the criteria behind the award. MSC Cruises is being recognized for its multifaceted environmental work throughout its fleet and organization. MSC Cruises has begun construction on up to 9 LNG powered ships which are being designed to be compatible with low carbon bio and synthetic fuels as they become available. Additionally, they completed the $200 million+ restoration of Ocean Cay in the Bahamas to its original, pristine state; and took meaningful steps to eliminate single-use plastics from their fleet. Matson is receiving the Environmental Innovation Award for the breadth, scope and investment in its entire environmental program, which includes innovative new technology, modernization of its fleet and terminals, participation in grants and clean-up programs, and detailed planning for long term future goals. In 2020 their vessel new build, vessel retrofit, and terminal improvement programs have all come to fruition, bringing Matson’s environmental program to its industry-leading position. Ocean Voyages Institute recently conducted two voyages into the Pacific Gyre (often referred to as the “Pacific Garbage Patch”) with a record setting haul of abandoned nets, fishing gear, and other plastic debris which collects in the gyre. The non-profit organization seeks to expand its program by partnering with the marine industry to increase the capture of these harmful pollutants. The first NAMEPA Marine Environment Protection Award was presented 13 years ago posthumously to the founder of the MEPA movement, George P. Livanos who created HELMEPA over 30 years ago due to his interest and concern for the marine environment. Since then, award recipients have included Maersk, Euronav, CLIA, Joe Cox, the Port of Los Angeles, International Seaways, the Port of Montreal, the OAS-CIP, American Salvage Association, NOAA and the New York Harbor School among others. The NAMEPA Annual Conference including a Leadership Roundtable panel will precede the Awards Program, consisting of senior leadership individuals from many of the of the award recipients. For more information on attending, contact NAMEPA . There is a charge to attend, but students, active mariners and government personnel are guests. Admittance is by reservation only and is limited. The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) was officially launched in 2007. NAMEPA is a marine industry-led organization of environmental stewards preserving the marine environment by promoting sustainable marine industry best practices and educating seafarers, students and the public about the need and strategies for protecting global ocean, lake and river resources. For more information, go to www.namepa.net. Contact Details Carleen Lyden Walker +1 203-255-4686 executivedirector@namepa.net Company Website https://namepa.net/

September 22, 2020 04:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Forcepoint Announces Launch of Forcepoint Data Diode to Safeguard One-Way Data Flow

Forcepoint

Global cybersecurity leader Forcepoint today announced the launch of Forcepoint Data Diode , a hardware solution that provides uni-directional data flow to enable rapid, automated data transfer while ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines. Configurable for simplified operations and maintenance, Forcepoint Data Diodes help protect networks, devices and other digital assets from external cyber threats within a flexible, easy-to-use and cost-efficient design. Data diodes are designed to control the flow of information between two networks with different levels of security. Diodes can also be used to connect a secured network to external systems or the cloud making them an ideal component of hybrid IT and telework environments. Regulations such as Raise The Bar (RTB) in the U.S. and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU mandate hardware-based data separation and require a solution that provides one-directional data flow. Data diodes check this regulatory box. But while they control the direction of data transfer and also offer some security assurances, they don’t inspect the content. To address both enterprise security and information-sharing requirements, a comprehensive security posture must also incorporate cross domain guards, which ensure that only permissible data is moved—and only in the prescribed manner. Forcepoint’s Data Diodes are designed to work with Forcepoint’s Data Guards to not only prevent data from flowing in the wrong direction but also to perform deep inspection on that information. “In the same way that airports have taken a layered approach to passenger security, Forcepoint’s security portfolio supports a defense-in-depth strategy,” said George Kamis, Chief Technology Officer for Global Governments and Critical Infrastructure at Forcepoint. “Think of Forcepoint’s firewall as comparable to the airport check-in; it provides basic verifications and checks. The cross domain guard, similar to airport security checks, provides a deeper inspection and can validate and modify information, and the diode locks down the flow of information, similar to the one-way path travelers take when departing the airport.” To learn more about Forcepoint Data Diode and Cross Domain Solutions for U.S. government, visit: https://www.forcepoint.com/solutions/need/cross-domain . Additional resources Whitepaper: Ensuring Secure Data Transfer: Diodes and Guards Event: Government at the Edge: Forcepoint Summit September 24, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30p ET Featuring Forcepoint, government and industry executive speakers sharing insights on how to securely enable today’s remote workforce and strengthen organizations’ cybersecurity posture for an unknown future. To register: https://forcepointcybersummit.com/register/ About Forcepoint Forcepoint is the global cybersecurity leader for user and data protection. Forcepoint’s behavior-based solutions adapt to risk in real-time and are delivered through a converged security platform that protects network users and cloud access, prevents confidential data from leaving the corporate network, and eliminates breaches caused by insiders. Based in Austin, Texas, Forcepoint creates safe, trusted environments for thousands of enterprise and government customers and their employees in more than 150 countries. Contact Details Rachael Lyon +1 512-498-8821 rachael.lyon@forcepoint.com Company Website https://www.forcepoint.com/

September 21, 2020 03:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time

VTS NAMED TO THE 2020 FORBES CLOUD 100 LIST

VTS

VTS , the commercial real estate industry's leading leasing, marketing, and asset management platform, has been named to the Forbes 2020 Cloud 100, the definitive ranking of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world, published by Forbes in partnership with Bessemer Venture Partners & Salesforce Ventures. “We’re thrilled to be recognized on the Forbes Cloud 100 list for the second year in a row,” said Nick Romito, CEO and Co-Founder of VTS. “2020 has undoubtedly been a year filled with uncertainty, however, these unprecedented times have underscored the critical need for online leasing and marketing software. Our entire team across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. has worked tirelessly to provide our customers with the support and resources they need to navigate the pandemic. This recognition is testament to their dedication and commitment.” Since its founding in 2012, VTS has revolutionized commercial real estate – one of the world’s largest and least tech-enabled asset classes. VTS established the technology category of leasing and asset management and enables landlords and brokers to manage the end-to-end leasing process and tenants from any device. VTS offers solutions for owners of office, retail, and industrial space, and is driving the industry-wide shift towards using real-time data to make portfolio decisions. Today, more than 12 billion square feet of commercial real estate–an amount equivalent to roughly 20 New York Cities in size–is managed on VTS, including one in every three office buildings in the U.S. More than 45,000 users across more than 40 countries use VTS to convert leads to leases 41-percent faster and build data-led asset strategies, transforming their leasing and asset management processes. VTS has eight out of 10 of the world’s largest property owners as clients, boasting an impressive roster of global leaders including Blackstone, Brookfield, LaSalle Investment Management, Hines, Boston Properties, Oxford Properties Group, JLL, and CBRE. As part of the rigorous selection process for the Forbes 2020 Cloud 100, Bessemer Venture Partners received submissions from hundreds of cloud startups. The Cloud 100 Judging Panel, made up of public cloud company CEOs, reviewed the data to select, score, and rank the top 100 private cloud companies from all over the world. The evaluation process involved ranking companies across four factors: market leadership (35%), estimated valuation (30%), operating metrics (20%), and people & culture (15%). “The private cloud ecosystem continues to mature in light of rapid digital transformations, making the competition to land one of the coveted spots on the Cloud 100 list steeper than ever,” said Byron Deeter, a top cloud investor, and partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. “Private cloud valuations are getting bigger as the market’s appetite for cloud continues to grow. Over the past five years, the average Cloud 100 valuation has grown by a tremendous 2.5x, from $1 billion in 2016 to $2.7 billion in 2020. In fact, our 2020 Cloud 100 includes over 87 private cloud unicorns! These founders represent the absolute best in cloud computing today, and they will most certainly follow in the footsteps of our esteemed Cloud 100 alumni. More than a third of the companies of the Cloud 100 have exited either via strategic M&A, financial M&A or Initial Public Offering. Congratulations to these cloud leaders!” VTS’ ranking as #90 on the 2020 Cloud 100 list follows a multitude of noteworthy milestones. The company hit the ground-running in 2020, launching VTS Retail—software built specifically for retail landlords to solve complex problems in their leasing process—in January. In response to the pandemic, in June 2020 the company accelerated the release of VTS Market —the CRE industry’s first integrated, online marketing platform that enables landlords and their agency teams to market and lease their available spaces remotely for the first time ever. “In the face of this unprecedented time, digital is an urgent imperative, and the pace of innovation is accelerating. Companies around the globe, across all industries must adopt cloud technologies to enable their digital transformation,” said Matt Garratt, Managing Partner, Salesforce Ventures. “The opportunity is massive for the cloud -- there are now more than 25 public SaaS companies valued at over $10 billion whereas even five years ago there were only three. Sectors from collaboration and security to retail and healthcare, are being disrupted and becoming more digital. Salesforce Ventures is excited to be partnering with Bessemer Venture Partners and Forbes for the fifth year in a row to recognize those who are not just predicting what’s coming but working to create the future.” “For five years now, we have ranked the best and brightest emerging companies in the cloud sector,” said Alex Konrad, Forbes editor of The Cloud 100. “With so many businesses growing fast in the cloud, from data infrastructure to marketing, it’s harder than ever to make the Cloud 100 list – but with more elite company if you do. Congratulations to each of the 2020 Cloud 100 honorees and the 20 Rising Stars honorees poised to join their ranks!” The Forbes 2020 Cloud 100 and 20 Rising Stars lists are published online at www.forbes.com/cloud100 and will appear in the September 2020 issue of Forbes magazine. The Cloud 100 and the 20 Rising Stars companies are publicly recognized at this year’s first-ever virtual Cloud 100 with memorable discussions from top cloud CEOs at thecloud100.com on September 16th from 9:00am PT - 12:00pm PT hosted by Bessemer Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures, and Forbes. A special thank you to our virtual event sponsors Amazon Web Services (AWS), Bank of America, Cooley, FuelxMcKinsey, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Nasdaq, Qatalyst Partners, Silicon Valley Bank, Simon-Kucher & Partners, and WisdomTree. About VTS: VTS is commercial real estate’s leading leasing, marketing and asset management platform where the industry comes to make deals happen and real-time data come to life. VTS is powered by the largest single source data network in the industry, which delivers real-time data and insights that fuel faster, more informed decision making and connections throughout the deal lifecycle. Our MarketView™ offering, the industry’s first market benchmarking product, and VTS Market and Marketplace, the industry’s first integrated online marketing solution, gives landlords, brokers, and tenants unparalleled visibility into real-time market information and the direct connectivity to execute deals with greater speed at each point in the planning, marketing, leasing & asset management cycle. More than 60% of Class A commercial space in the US and 12B square feet of commercial real estate globally is managed on the VTS platform. Our user base includes over 45,000 CRE professionals including respected industry leaders like Blackstone, Brookfield Properties, LaSalle Investment Management, Hines, Boston Properties, Oxford Properties, JLL, and CBRE. To learn more about VTS, and to see our open roles, visit www.vts.com. About Bessemer Venture Partners: Bessemer Venture Partners is the world's most experienced early-stage venture capital firm. With a portfolio of more than 200 companies, Bessemer helps visionary entrepreneurs lay strong foundations to create companies that matter, and supports them through every stage of their growth. The firm has backed more than 120 IPOs, including Pinterest, Shopify, Yelp, LinkedIn, Skype, LifeLock, Twilio, SendGrid, PagerDuty, DocuSign, Wix, and MindBody. Bessemer's 15 partners operate from offices in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Israel, and India. For more information, please visit www.bvp.com. About Forbes : The defining voice of entrepreneurial capitalism, Forbes champions success by celebrating those who have made it, and those who aspire to make it. Forbes convenes and curates the most influential leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving change, transforming business and making a significant impact on the world. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 160 million people worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature LIVE and Forbes Virtual events, custom marketing programs and 40 licensed local editions in 70 countries. Forbes Media’s brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements. For more information, visit the Forbes News Hub or Forbes Connect. About Salesforce Ventures : Salesforce is the global leader in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), bringing companies closer to their customers in the digital age. Salesforce Ventures, the global investment arm of Salesforce, invests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Platform. Salesforce Ventures is building the world's largest ecosystem of enterprise cloud companies and extending that technology to customers. Portfolio companies receive funding, strategic advisory, and operating support, and can easily join Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 400 companies, including DocuSign, GoCardless, Guild Education, nCino, Twilio, Zoom, and others across 22 countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures. Contact Details Elise Szwajkowski +1 212-402-3495 eszwajkowski@marinopr.com Company Website https://www.vts.com/

September 21, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

The Truth About How 5G Will Impact Your Industry (and Your Marketing)

Merritt Group

5G will change how we live; in practice, it may look like the advanced Internet of Things (IoT) devices we use at home such as a smart refrigerator, the security systems to protect our loved ones like our Ring doorbell or the robotic surgery done from across the world in an emergency room. As 5G improves the way we live and work, opportunity for communications increases on a global level. The storytelling that PR and marketing professionals will be tasked with will help educate the masses about the impact of 5G technology across industries. It’s a big job, but someone has to do it! As communicators, we are responsible for highlighting how increased data, low latency and faster edge computing is going to make a tangible difference. Merritt Group put out a recent infographic detailing this topic and I'm here to dive deeper today. Edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT continue to be at the forefront of 2020’s technology trends and headlines, specifically around how 5G-enables new technologies and existing use cases. 5G technology enables a list of possibilities for explosive data since 1.4 billion devices will be connected to 5G by 2025, according to GSMA . While the 5G conversation has been heavily focused on autonomous vehicles and telecom capabilities, the truth is that there is more beyond improving our mobile connectivity with this emerging technology. To drill down, the rate of technology innovation will increase because of 5G and it will enable AI and machine learning (ML) at the edge and bring with it new companies and tech capabilities like we’ve never seen. As these devices and technology are being developed across industries, what used to take years or months to go to market, will now be done at record speeds. Bill Menezes, a senior principal analyst at Gartner Inc. said in the Wall Street Journal , “5G in the field, in real-world deployments, enhances the value of all these other technologies.” While the rate of advancement is clear, the speed and quality of data processing will also be greatly enhanced and bring new and reliable products. 5G should be seen and positioned as a technology enabler that will up-level most of what we already do and take us to where we’ve always wanted to go. The edge brings speed...and opportunities for marketers 5G will enable large amounts of data to be processed at the edge, driving new capabilities such as real-time notifications of available parking locations or smart pills with miniature chips that doctors can use to manage patient health. IoT will be empowered with the needed connectivity and processing ability that will bring us new devices that we’ve only imagined, including wearables with preventative and proactive decision-making capabilities based on your body’s temperature. Gartner predicts that the 5G IoT endpoint installed base will approach 49 million units by 2023 and within that, the largest market for 5G IoT solutions is outdoor surveillance cameras. These cameras will represent 70 percent of the 5G IoT endpoint installed base in 2020, before contracting to 32 percent by the end of 2023. By increasing the amount of data and speed processed at the edge in real-time, surveillance cameras will be able to not only visually see a situation on video, but, using AI, can analyze the data and proactively generate a response or predictive warning. Data processing speeds will increase at the edge because of 5G, but more importantly, is the data that it’s pulling. This will be a new opportunity for marketers to highlight how 5G takes company data to the next level, empowering existing technologies and enabling new products. Addressing the customer data narrative in 5G communications The speed and processing ability from 5G and edge computing will bring in more data than we’ve ever known what to do with. How IoT, telecom and medical companies use and organize their data will become even more crucial because it can either strengthen a product or weaken it. Likewise, how marketing and communication professionals express their brand’s story about how they use or protect their customer’s data will be incredibly valuable. For example, pharmaceutical development will take on an entirely new pace and a medicine or vaccination that once took years to test will be sped up as 5G speeds and data processing meets data science modeling. Finding the right formula and testing various outcomes will be so directly impacted that it will make the speed of vaccination creation prior to 5G look like the stone age. The pace of launching new products into the market will increase, along with their marketing and PR campaigns, calling for new strategies and processes to be quickly implemented. If processed data is coming in at a higher speed in real-time, remote patient monitoring, robotic surgeries guided from a doctor across the world or equipment maintenance for assisted living facilities or those with chronic illness and special needs become realities. Machines will become smarter, make better decisions and will be designed to assist humans within the medical world at an increasing rate. According to Samsung , virtual reality, at-home monitoring, rehabilitation, virtual doctor visits and more will be enhanced by 5G, reducing overall healthcare costs and bringing access to rural areas. Highlighting use cases, educating consumers and promoting the data inspired by the benefits of these technologies will be a marketer’s bread and butter. Once 5G becomes the standard level of connectivity, medical accessibility will be possible in regions that were once isolated and the hospital will meet your living room. A recent report from Market Research Future predicts that the telemedicine industry will experience a 16.5 percent compound annual growth rate from 2017 to 2023, due to an increased need for medical services in rural and underserved areas. But, the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans, and the use of telemedicine, or virtual doctor appointments, may reach one billion by the end of 2020 . This is just the beginning and with the help of 5G, more new life saving capabilities will be coming to our doorsteps. It will take time before many of these examples are implemented, however it’s important to note that they are on the horizon and the future with 5G will make the 2000’s look archaic. The speed, low latency and other capabilities that come with 5G are going to optimize most of life as we know it - from healthcare, government, IoT, supply chain and more. So what does this all ultimately mean for PR and marketing pros? Since there are many industries expected to be impacted, marketing and communications professionals need to be prepared to evolve their message and communicate the results of 5G clearly to key influencers and stakeholders. Here’s how: Embrace Thought Leadership: The potential of 5G — with everything from high-power edge computing to lightning-fast speed — is an opportunity for consumers and businesses alike. Brands should position themselves as visionaries and discuss trends and predictions while highlighting the evolution of their business, building interest and excitement around the positive impact of 5G. Validate Your Approach to 5G: Like many other emerging technologies over the years, brands associated with 5G oftentimes overstate or overhype their 5G story. From a market and media perspective, be sure to validate your story with partnerships, analyst references, tangible solutions that solve real-world problems and, of course, customer case studies (always easier said than done). Prioritize Your Data And What It’s Telling You: Because 5G-enabled technologies are in their infancy, validation can prove difficult for the players and the space will be crowded. Invest time and resources in the data that validates your business’ solution is an answer to a major market problem. Data about how the technology can address your customer’s pain points will help frame your story, which in turns amplifies your external communications, marketing and PR efforts. For more information and to create a marketing and communication plan fit for what 5G will bring, email Suzanne Block and block@merrittgrp.com . For more on how to create differentiated 5G messaging, read our blog here . Contact Details Katie Pesek +1 703-390-1505 pesek@merrittgrp.com Company Website https://www.merrittgrp.com/

September 16, 2020 12:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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US companies spending billions each month to return staff back to work

Huma

Getting businesses back up and running and employees back to work is critical to the US economic recovery. However, there’s confusion between employers and anxiety for workers returning to work. Digital health and therapeutics company Huma asked 5,000 US employees and 2,000 US employers about their views on returning to work. Only one in five businesses feel suitably informed on the specific policies/procedures they need to ensure a safe working environment for their employees. Yet employers are spending loads of money to reopen workplaces safely. Employers estimate that they will spend $3.4 billion per month overall, and $61.23 per employee each month to ensure employee health and safety. Nearly 9 in 10 employers (86%) have instituted new hygiene protocols, updated workplace layouts, and have a smaller workforce. While employers are readying the workplace, they have not planned for managing COVID-19 cases. Few employers have made accommodations for managing COVID-19 exposure. Only one-fifth of employers have updated sick leave policies (22%) or communications policies for exposure (19%). Economic realities are scaring employees more than health and safety risks Shockingly, two-thirds of employees believe their health and safety could be compromised in the workplace. Despite these fears, most employees are eager to get back to work, with over half of workers (52%) ready to get back to work today. Of those employees who have already returned to their workplace, only one in four (27%) employees are confident in the measures in place to ensure their safety and wellbeing. What’s driving employees’ concerns are interactions with other people, with respondents citing their co-workers’ hygiene (17%) and commuters (25%) as two of the three factors they were worried about, along with the workplace environment (21%). What causes the greatest fear for nearly three-quarters (72%) of employees is their coworker’s hygiene, which they rank as the single most significant factor in COVID-19 transmission at the workplace. Managing employee health for a safe workplace Employers have invested in the physical workplace, but have not put systems in place to manage employee health and COVID-19 case communications to ensure safer workplaces. Overwhelmingly, two-thirds (67%) of employees would be willing to do a daily symptom check-in with their employers, and the majority (75%) would be comfortable with employers tracking their symptoms. Moreover, nine in ten businesses (87%) are comfortable monitoring their employees' symptoms. This research shows that there’s a willingness on both sides to manage employee health, yet few are doing so. Dan Vahdat, founder and CEO of Huma, commented : “What this research identifies are the concerns of employers and employees in managing health and safety at the workplace during the COVID-19 era. Employers are spending millions to create a safe work environment, but not on solutions to manage employee health.” “Employers need new solutions and guidance on how to manage their health and wellbeing of their employees and provide assurance that they are prepared for COVID-19. Without new solutions to help manage workplace safety, businesses and the economy are going to take longer to recover.” Digital health and therapeutics company Huma is helping businesses and employees return to work safely. Huma Health Shield gives employees an easy-to-use mobile app to confidentially self-report their symptoms, track vital signs, and see their exposure risk. Employers have access to a secure web-based portal to see their workforce’s overall health while still protecting employee privacy. Ends Notes the editor Research findings based on a survey of 5,000 US employees and 2,000 US companies conducted in September 2020. About Huma Huma partners with scientists, technologists, and healthcare professionals to understand, treat, and ultimately prevent ill health. Giving knowledge and power to those with medical conditions, while saving clinicians time, energy, and valuable resources. Because, by collectively benefiting from the data we individually generate, we can all live our longest, fullest lives. www.huma.com Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 bilal.mahmood@huma.com Company Website https://huma.com/

September 16, 2020 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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