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Tech cross-border M&A on record pace in First Half of 2021 according to data from Velocity Global and PitchBook

Velocity Global

Deal multiples return to 2019 levels Cross-border software deals skyrocket Cross-Border M&A Monitor: Tech Sector released today Cross-border tech merger and acquisition deals accelerated in the first half of 2021, on a record pace in transactional volume. That data from PitchBook was released today in the Cross-Border M&A Monitor: Tech Sector published by Velocity Global, the leading provider of global employment solutions. The late surge of activity in 2020 continued through the first half of this year with approximately 1,000 cross-border tech deals closed, for an aggregate of $139.9 billion. “The deal multiple increased in the first half of this year and returned to 2019 levels, which indicates investor confidence in global economic recovery,” said Rob Wellner, Velocity Global chief revenue officer. “Increased multiples drive an even greater need for pre-deal preparation and successful integration after close.” Software value already tops 2020 The value of cross-border M&A deals for Software companies in the first six months of 2021 already topped full-year values for 2020 at over $100 billion. “The pandemic accelerated digital transformations, funneling budgets to build or buy the necessary tools,” added Wellner. “The acquirers are tech and non-tech alike, with tech adding to their stack, and non-tech adding to their in-house capabilities.” Pandemic Operations Drive Cross-Border M&A Interest As evidenced by the increase in median deal size in cross-border tech M&A, dealmakers paid up with confidence. Cross-border acquisitions require businesses to navigate a distributed workforce, and the global pandemic prompted companies of all sizes to invest in the proper resources. “Integration will always have complexities like country-specific labor laws and regulations, but companies are more willing than ever to invest in cross-border diversification and leverage tools to manage a distributed workforce,” said Wellner. “Work from home is really no different than work from another country as it relates to workflow and employee engagement.” Download the Cross-Border M&A Monitor: Tech Sector here. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience through proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, personalized expertise, and unmatched scale. As the largest global Employer of Record (also known as International PEO) in 185 countries and all 50 United States, more than 1,000 brands rely on Velocity Global to build global teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. The company offers additional services including Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors. Velocity Global was named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees across five continents. For more information visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details John Hall +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

August 24, 2021 07:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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CSG Systems International Approves Quarterly Dividend

CSG

CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced that its Board of Directors approved the Company’s quarterly cash dividend payment of $0.25 per share of common stock to be paid on Sept. 28, 2021 for shareholders of record as of the close of business on Sept. 15, 2021. About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage, and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contact Details CSG John Rea +1 210-687-4409 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

August 24, 2021 06:30 AM Mountain Daylight Time

Juicy Juice Celebrates the Return of the Lunchbox this Back-to-School Season

YourUpdateTV

It’s finally here – the day parents and kids have been yearning for: a fresh start to a new school year and new beginnings. Parents and kids will be celebrating a back-to-school season unlike any other and experiencing a spectrum of emotions along with it. So, what can parents do to navigate both the excitement and nervousness of this back-to-school season and set their kids and themselves up for success? To help parents prepare themselves and their littles ones for the return to school, Juicy Juice is partnering with host of Disney Family Sundays on Disney+, child psychologist and founder of Yay Day Paper Co., Amber Kemp-Gerstel. Crafting expert Amber created custom-designed lunchbox notes for kids to discover at lunchtime to provide a connection to mom and dad. In addition, her tips and suggestions will help alleviate any back-to-school jitters kids may be feeling. The notes, along with other helpful advice from Amber on how to ease the transition of back to school, will be available on Juicy Juice’s website. Additionally, Juicy Juice is hosting a 100% YAY! Sweepstakes to celebrate mom, dad and the caretakers who were handling and coordinating all things virtually this past school year and get them excited and ready for back to school. Each day, ten $100 gift cards will be given away! Through September 22, parents can visit JuicyJuice.com and follow the instructions to complete and submit the online entry form. Entrants can also enter this sweepstakes every day receive a bonus entry for playing the 100% YAY! Lunchbox Game for more chances to win. Visit www.Juicyjuice.com/yay to enter and read the full rules. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

August 23, 2021 11:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Cloud Conventions Introduces SafetyNet to Create a Virtual Backup Plan for Live Events

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions today introduced SafetyNet ™, a new program to provide a virtual event backup options for associations, tradeshows, event managers or trade groups that have a live event scheduled now or in the near future. SafetyNet provides a standby virtual event platform that can be activated if needed when attendance for a live event declines or if there is a requirement to pivot to an all-virtual program. A SafetyNet platform can be brought online in a matter of days without technical support or programming. Cloud Conventions is a sophisticated event management platform that redefines the attendee and exhibitor experience with a strong focus on delivering virtual and hybrid events, regardless of size or budget. “It seems like a repeat of 2020 as event managers, associations and other trade groups are struggling to decide if they should cancel their live event, shift to virtual or hybrid, or take other precautions to make attendees and exhibitors feel safe,” said Carolyn Bradfield, CEO of Cloud Conventions. “Any group hosting live events today needs a virtual backup plan that can be activated to ensure attendees and sponsors can participate in industry sessions, continuing education and still make connections that they would miss when they can’t attend in person.” SafetyNet maintains a low-cost Cloud Conventions virtual platform on standby behind a private login until required. It is hosted on a custom URL, is fully branded, customized and organized to host live or on-demand sessions, exhibitor and sponsor booths or provide a resource center for all event-related content. Attendees can be imported from a live event registration system and have their record transferred to SafetyNet including demographics and event access permissions. Sponsors are assigned a virtual booth template and configured to go live without technical assistance, in a matter of hours. “Now that live events have partially returned, many groups ask themselves if virtual events are worth it, so they only focus on their in-person event, often to their detriment,” added Bradfield. “A 2020 study of 1,000 respondents, ‘ Association Trends: From Disruption to Opportunity’ produced by Community Brands, details that having a virtual option for membership participation has changed from a nice-to-have to a must have. Some live events scheduled for the fall of 2021 are being abruptly cancelled due to on-going COVID risks. This is clearly an indicator that the pandemic is far from over. A SafetyNet option is the best insurance that the show will go on, no matter what.” SafetyNet is offered for a low, setup fee to create a fully branded and configured virtual environment. If the organizer chooses to go live with a hybrid or all-virtual event, the setup fee applies to the event package. Show managers can choose as much or as little assistance from Cloud Conventions to bring their event online quickly with all the features needed to educate and engage attendees. Having a virtual option guarantees a rewarding experience for attendees, better ROI for sponsors and ensures smoother event operation for organizers. Explore SafetyNet at: https://cloudconventions.com/page/139455/safetynet. About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions from Convey Services is Cloud Conventions is an enterprise virtual/hybrid event management platform that redefines the exhibitor and attendee experience to allow companies to provide easy access to in-depth product information, showcase their brands with graphics and videos, create calls to action and generate immediate sales leads. Used around the world for large managed events and smaller self-directed meetings, conferences and corporate kickoffs, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, continuing education, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Cloud Conventions supports multiple languages and currencies, internal, external and single-sign on registration, and supports all conferencing carriers and platforms. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Community™, SafetyNet™, Cloud Kickoffs™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

August 19, 2021 10:29 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Mental Health Advocate and Everything Athletes Founder Kim Carducci Releases Debut Book, The I of the Tiger

Everything Athletes

“I was nothing and no one without sports,” writes Kimberly Carducci in her debut book, The I of the Tiger: The Athlete Identity and Remedying Sport’s Greatest Conflicts. Carducci continues, “For the first time since I was five years old, it felt as if gravity, the commonality that kept all beings rooted on Earth, suddenly stopped and I had no idea what was up, down, or sideways. So much free time and nothing to do. It was paralyzing. It almost drowned me.” Fortunately, Carducci was able to rise above her darkest moments after retiring as a D1 swimmer at the University of North Carolina but many top sports competitors don’t. In The I of the Tiger, Carducci uncovers the many layers, fears, insecurities, and complexities the athlete identity produces. She offers insights on how this identity negatively impacts mental health and the ways athletes can navigate pivotal transitions. “When life hits us hardest, it’s important to understand the biological and psychological effects of pain to shed light on how we can best process our emotions.” offers Carducci. “With this understanding, we can move past the shock of a situation, grow stronger with a refreshed identity, and adopt a framework for life that encourages strength, clarity, and light.” Kim Carducci’s deftly written book combines heartfelt personal anecdotes with references to several historical and prominent athlete figures in our world today, such as Tonya Harding and Michael Phelps aimed at discovering: How competition influences athletes and their mental health Why athletes build an inflated sense of ego, based on physical capabilities How injury and retirement deflate athlete’s sense of worth Daily implications of being a fierce competitor Daily guiding principles for athletes on their transition journey The art of letting go of things athletes once leaned on that wasn’t sturdy enough to support them beyond sports The I of the Tiger: The Athlete Identity and Remedying Sport’s Greatest Conflicts is available September 21, 2021, everywhere books are sold. Learn more at www.everythingathletes.com. About Kimberly Carducci Kimberly is a former DI swimmer, mental health advocate, podcaster, and Founder of Everything Athletes. In her athletic career, Kim struggled with depression and has since dedicated herself to helping other athletes cope with the realities of the sports world. Kim founded Everything Athletes, an online refuge for competitors, where she offers the resources and tools needed to thrive in sports. Kim resides in Atlanta, GA. Learn More About Kim & Everything Athletes: Instagram: @everythingathletesdotcom Website: EverythingAthletes.com Facebook: Everything Athletes Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introduction-to-kim-carducci/id1541556960?i=1000499841965 Contact Details Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.everythingathletes.com/

August 19, 2021 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Akeneo Named PIM Provider for Thrasio’s 125+ Brands

Akeneo

Product experience management (PXM) leader Akeneo today announced its selection by Thrasio, the world’s largest acquirer of Amazon sellers, to help manage product information across its brands. Akeneo’s best-in-class product information management (PIM) solution will ensure accurate, consistent, and relevant product information across millions of SKUs and sales channels, including Amazon, DTC websites, social shopping channels, and other marketplaces, helping Thrasio build a next-generation eCommerce stack capable of driving omnichannel success for its fast-growing portfolio. Akeneo will support Thrasio as it manages a growing portfolio of more than 125 high-value companies with more than 16,000 SKUs. With the ability to seamlessly coordinate information and content for thousands of Thrasio products across hundreds of brands, in multiple languages and across dozens of channels worldwide, Akeneo will enable Thrasio to sell faster, better, and everywhere. Supporting Thrasio’s evolution into a major, next-generation CPG company, the right PIM partner is a key component to managing its multichannel growth. Akeneo prides itself on its flexibility, which provides the capability to manage catalogs for a wide variety of products; its openness, which ensures ease of integration across evolving eCommerce stacks; and its scalability, offering a future-proof solution capable of keeping pace with growth. Akeneo will integrate with other critical components of Thrasio’s eCommerce infrastructure, including its best-in-class Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Digital Asset Management (DAM) tools, to support the company’s ongoing growth. “As we’ve built out the eCommerce infrastructure for our successful Amazon sellers, we quickly realized that product information management is an essential component to success at scale,” said Carlos Cashman, Thrasio co-CEO and co-founder. “Providing a consistently excellent omnichannel experience requires accurate and standardized product information that empowers customers to make smart, informed choices. Failing to do so will cause customers to abandon their purchase and grow frustrated with the brand. Akeneo is simple to use yet powerfully customizable, which means it integrates easily with our existing platforms and streamlines our operations as we expand channels and move to new markets.” “Product information is the lifeblood of commerce and the driving force behind digital transformation,” said Fred de Gombert, CEO and co-founder of Akeneo. “As Thrasio finds more ways to bring beloved products to consumers whenever and wherever they are, they recognize that a powerful and effective PXM solution is a must-have to accelerate growth and drive scalable productivity gains across their fast-growing portfolio. We’re obsessed with delivering best-in-class PXM for market-leading companies, and we’re delighted to be joining Thrasio on their continuing mission to revolutionize eCommerce.” About Akeneo Akeneo is a global leader in Product Experience Management (PXM), helping businesses to unlock growth opportunities by delivering a consistent and compelling product experience across all channels, including eCommerce, mobile, print, points of sale, and beyond. With its open platform, leading PIM, add-ons, connectors, and marketplace, Akeneo PXM Studio dramatically improves product data quality and accuracy, simplifies catalog management, and accelerates the sharing of product information across channels and locales. Leading global brands, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, including Staples Canada, Fossil, Air Liquide, and Myer, trust Akeneo to scale and customize their omnichannel commerce initiatives. Using Akeneo, brands and retailers can improve customer experience, increase sales, reduce time to market, go global, and boost team productivity. More information at https://www.akeneo.com. About Thrasio Thrasio is the consumer goods company reimagining omnichannel commerce and consumer products, and boasts an innovation engine that brings high-quality products to market across digital marketplaces, channels, and retailers globally. With the experience of evaluating 6,000 Amazon companies, data on consumer preferences from more than 125 brands, and the operational scale of more than 16,000 SKUs, Thrasio is the largest acquirer of Amazon FBA brands. Thrasio builds these brands to compete with top household names, offering consumers more choice and exceptional value. For more information, visit https://thrasio.com. Contact Details Akeneo Ran Xu +1 213-309-2373 ran@rosebudpr.io Company Website https://www.akeneo.com

August 19, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Agora Data to Present at NIADA Convention

Agora

Agora Data’s SVP of Sales, Chris Barry, will present " Groundbreaking Changes in Auto Financing" at the National Independent Auto Dealers Association (NIADA) Convention and Expo being held August 23-26 in San Antonio, Texas. Barry will present on August 25 at 2:15 p.m. A revolution is happening in the auto finance industry. New funding options are giving Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) dealers and small to mid-size finance companies the same financial advantages large dealerships and finance companies have always enjoyed. Chris Barry is uniquely qualified to highlight and detail the advantages these industry-changing financial solutions offer and what they mean for the underserved and underbanked BHPH industry. “Timing is perfect for dealers to take advantage of financial solutions that create access to endless capital to help increase inventory,” said Agora Data’s Chris Barry. “Agora’s innovative approach represents a monumental shift that enables dealers by providing the cash needed to buy more inventory and exponentially expand their businesses. By Agora’s delivering lower interest rates to the dealers, dealers can offer their customers more affordable loans.” In addition to funding advantages from Agora, any size of dealer immediately benefits from Agora’s platform by connecting their portfolio to obtain customized analytics and analysis of their portfolios – free of charge. In addition, members can explore a multitude of capital-rich options based on growth goals such as selling loans, borrowing, or refinancing at low-interest rates. Recognizing the challenges that have traditionally hobbled BHPH dealers and small-to-mid-size finance companies, Agora Data is on a mission to empower the industry. Agora Data will be in booth #422 at the 2021 NIADA Convention. Representatives will be ready to discuss all the tools, analysis, and new developments in auto financing that Agora Data brings and how Agora can generate increased successes for dealers, finance companies, and their customers. About Agora Data, Inc: Agora Data is a platform built to deliver a suite of tools to empower buy-here-pay-here dealers and finance companies to maximize their success. Agora is disrupting and influencing the industry by connecting its dealer and finance company members to Wall Street and other capital resources that were previously only available to large dealer groups. Agora Data’s family of auto finance products provides a wide range of critical funding paths so originators can obtain the cash they need to fuel growth. Powered by Agora’s proprietary, radical, AI-infused technology platform, originators now have access to robust data analytics and planning resources to help optimize the performance of their portfolio. Agora Data made history by closing the first-ever Crowdsourced Subprime Auto Securitization in 2020 and followed that up with its second transaction in early 2021. For more information, visit agoradata.com and become a member or contact us at 877-592-4672. Contact Details Shelly Vandeven +1 682-282-4130 media@agoradata.com Company Website https://agoradata.com/

August 18, 2021 10:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Velocity Global Wins Company of the Year in Best in Biz Awards 2021 International

Velocity Global

Company wins top award in Business to Business category Independent global business awards judged by prominent media including Bloomberg News, Huffington Post, TechRadar, and others Velocity Global is the gold winner in the Company of the Year business-to-business category in Best in Biz Awards 2021 International, the only independent global business awards program judged each year by prominent editors and reporters from top-tier publications from around the world. “This award recognizes the hard work of our team in a year that forever changed the work landscape,” said Ben Wright, Velocity Global founder and CEO. “Living our ‘People-First’ brand, we prioritized the jobs and safety of our teammates and supported employees for our clients. We achieved significant growth in a difficult year for many. That momentum paved the way for us to make two acquisitions this year as we build upon our leading global work platform.” The company’s global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience through proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, personalized expertise, and unmatched global scale. Users access a streamlined technology interface as well as partner with a dedicated experienced team for individualized solutions and expertise. Winners in the 9th annual program were determined based on scoring from an independent panel of judges from a wide spectrum of top-tier publications and media outlets from 10 countries. Each year, only editors, writers, and contributors to business, consumer, financial, trade, and technology publications, as well as broadcast outlets and analyst firms, serve as judges in Best in Biz Awards. The program’s uniqueness stems, in part, from this distinct composition of its judging panels, enabling it to best leverage the judges’ unparalleled expertise, experience, and objectivity to determine award winners. This year’s judging panel included writers and contributors to such publications as Bloomberg News, Data Breach Today, HTMAG (Israel), Huffington Post, NDR (Germany), Panorama Magazine (United Arab Emirates), Small Business IT (Canada), TechRadar (UK), as well as other outlets from Brazil, Canada, India, United Kingdom and more. For a full list of gold, silver, and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2021 International, visit http://intl.bestinbizawards.com/intl-2021-winners. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience through proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, personalized expertise, and unmatched scale. As the largest global Employer of Record (also known as International PEO) in 185 countries and all 50 United States, more than 1,000 brands rely on Velocity Global to build global teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. The company offers additional services including Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors. Velocity Global was named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees across five continents. For more information visit velocityglobal.com. About Best in Biz Awards Since 2011, Best in Biz Awards has made its mark as the only independent business awards program judged each year by a who’s who of prominent reporters and editors from top-tier publications from North America and around the world. Best in Biz Awards honors are conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in more than 90 categories, including company, team, executive, product, and CSR, media, PR, and other categories. For more information about the International program, see: http://intl.bestinbizawards.com. Contact Details Velocity Global John Hall +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

August 18, 2021 07:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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BEE Hits 10K Subscribers for BEE Pro, Company Poised to Accelerate Growth in H2

BEE

BEE, a business unit of Growens and premier digital content design platform, has announced it recently reached a milestone of 10K paid subscribers for its BEE Pro product. BEE Pro is the fastest, no-code email and landing page design suite on the market, appealing to freelancers, teams and agencies that need to design digital content faster and more independently. BEE is poised to grow substantially over the next three years, focusing on expansion within its user base and acquisitions. According to Adobe, there will be 4.7 billion people designing digital content by 2023. As the volume of digital content increases, marketers and content creators look for new ways to produce it quickly and efficiently. BEE Pro exists precisely to satisfy that growing demand, giving everyone the tools they need to design beautiful, mobile-ready, high-converting campaigns without compromising brand identity or team bandwidth. “This growth is a direct result of our product-led model. Since day one, people have been able to click on ‘Start designing’ on beefree.io and create emails and landing pages in two clicks. As they experience the value of the free product, many opt to stay, and that’s how we passed 10,000 paying customers last month.” said Massimo Arrigoni, CEO of BEE and a big believer in product-led growth for many years. “We’re certainly not stopping here: we continue to invest into the product, with smart features like Mobile Design Mode - which allows people to design directly in mobile view - better collaboration features like commenting and real-time co-editing, and higher productivity features, like being able to go from email to landing page (and vice versa) in just a few clicks. People love BEE Pro (NPS is a very high 56 so far this year), and the addressable market of those that need no-code, fast, easy design tools is huge: so we truly believe that we’re just getting started.” BEE as a tool can help facilitate collaboration on newsletters, transactional emails, product launch pages, custom home pages for newsletters, and more. Individuals in all types of work environments can design everything in one place helping to keep projects easily organized and ready to be used anywhere. To learn more about BEE Pro please visit our website at beefree.io. About BEE: BEE provides no-code design tools that empower everyone to quickly create content that resonates. BEEâs visual builders are used to design emails, landing pages, one-page sites and more. They deliver fantastic design flexibility and a great user experience, combining granular control on design elements with handy features like editing content directly in mobile view. BEE is building on its vision to help democratize content design, with millions of monthly users in over 20 languages and from over 150 countries. BEEâs design tools are available online at beefree.io and embedded in 600+ SaaS applications. Contact Details Angelina Kaliszak angelina@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://beefree.io/

August 18, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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