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Instant Grocery Startup VOLY raises one of the largest seed rounds in Australia at $18m

VOLY

Australia's first instant online grocery supermarket, VOLY, has raised AU$18M in one of the nation’s largest ever seed rounds led by Sequoia Capital India, with increased backing from Global Founders Capital (GFC) and Australian-based Artesian Capital. This funding round will enable VOLY to continue to scale, expand the team, rapidly increase operations across key urban centres and start the national rollout. Following its launch in July 2021, VOLY has been preparing to take on the rapid food delivery market by delivering groceries to customers at incredible speed. It aims to make ordering groceries as easy and engaging as browsing Instagram and get them to you faster than you could do a trip to the supermarket yourself. Employing its own riders, delivery centre and store staff, VOLY does away with the need for customers to spend time in physical retail environments by giving people the power to order and receive their groceries in minutes. With a delivery promise of 15 minutes or less; VOLY is set to disrupt the +$122bn local grocery industry. Mark Heath, Co-CEO and Co-founder of VOLY, said: “VOLY is here to completely change the way people shop for groceries by giving Australians back their most precious resource, time. Our model, from a fully employed delivery and dispatch team to the way we use electric bikes to deliver, is designed around the way people live. We firmly believe that our customers have a better experience when our riders and other staff are part of the company, working with us.” VOLY retails most key household products available at any major supermarket - from fresh produce to baby formula and cleaning products - everything you could possibly need, available online seven days a week from 8am-10pm. The winning recipe is instant and free delivery, together with the best quality fresh produce; all sold at retail prices. “We’re doing away with the need to do a weekly grocery shop by providing convenience alongside reliability in a market that offers some of the slowest delivery times in the world. By owning our own supply chain, VOLY delivers at blazing fast speed without compromising on price, quality or availability. We source directly from suppliers, store in our own micro-fulfilment centres and deliver using fully employed and mostly full-time staff. VOLY is the supermarket of the future that is built around our customers, not the other way around,” said Thibault Henry, Co-CEO and Co-Founder. The seed funding announcement sets a new record for a food delivery company in Australia with support from Sequoia Capital India, a renowned venture capital firm. The interest in VOLY follows a new wave of investment in Aussie startups seen as world-class tech companies with potential to scale globally. "Australia's grocery market, which sees $90B in annual spends, is a large and profitable space that continues to be dominated by offline retail. The Sequoia Capital India team was impressed by the strong consumer love for VOLY, their compelling value proposition, and an impressive team of repeat founders that has blitzscaled businesses in Australia before. With on-demand models traditionally scaling very successfully in the country, the decision to lead their seed round and help them scale their business across Australia was an easy one to make," said Abheek Anand, Managing Director, Sequoia India. VOLY was co-founded by Mark Heath and Thibault Henry, who are also co-CEOs of the company and have experience working with on-demand technology brands across the food supply and logistics industries. Mark Heath helped launch Uber in Australia after a career at Goldman Sachs and Thibault Henry built, scaled and sold Balto which was a B2B last-mile business with clients such as HelloFresh, Marley Spoon and YouFoodz. VOLY’s management team includes Chief Technology Officer, Anthony Rey, Head of Procurement Lyana Labrode and Head of Marketing, Josh Peacock. VOLY has been an early hit with customers flocking to the app, spiking a rise of new users and incredibly strong week-on-week growth in sales. While currently available in Sydney across 42 suburbs - VOLY has plans to rapidly expand its offering from January 2022 to reach millions more Australians around the country in the coming months and year ahead. The VOLY application is available on both iOS and Android and at https://www.getvoly.com/ Ends Additional media images can be found here. About VOLY VOLY is an online supermarket and delivery service committed to disrupting the Australian grocery market by offering instant grocery delivery to millions of Australians through its mobile app. Setting new standards in the delivery industry, VOLY employs its own people and riders across micro fulfillment centres around Australia, offering household items to its customers in less than 15 minutes of placing an order. The move to employ riders full-time together with a strategy of vertical integration sets VOLY apart from the ‘gig economy’ and enables it to offer speed and quality without compromising on price. For more visit: https://www.getvoly.com/ About Sequoia Capital India Sequoia helps daring founders build legendary companies, from idea to IPO and beyond. Sequoia India operates in Southeast Asia and India where we actively partner with founders from a wide range of companies, across categories, including BYJUs, Carousell, Druva, Gojek, OYO Rooms, Tokopedia, Truecaller, Zilingo, Zomato and more. We spur founders to push the boundaries of what’s possible. In partnering with Sequoia, startups benefit from over 49 years of tribal knowledge and lessons learned working with companies like Airbnb, Alibaba, Apple, Dropbox, Google, LinkedIn and Stripe early on. From the beginning, universities, endowments and other non-profits have been the backbone of our investor base, which means founders’ accomplishments make a meaningful difference. For more information on Sequoia’s work in India and SE Asia, visit sequoiacap.com/india Contact Details VOLY Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.getvoly.com/

December 16, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Brevvie Chosen by Albertsons as In-Store Value Add Amenity

Brevvie

Earning acclaim for its ease of access, affordability, and its mission to be a leader in sustainability, Brevvie has forged a pivotal partnership with the nation’s second-largest supermarket chain, Albertsons Companies, Inc. Brevvie kiosks are now available in four stores in Southern California within Orange County and San Diego County. The kiosks offer everyday items such as Dyson vacuums, power washers, ladders, moving dollies, beach chairs, coolers, kayaks and more, for rent via the Brevvie mobile app. This partnership will further enhance each customer’s shopping experience as they now have access to even more in-demand items through one destination. From renting items to enjoy on an adventure or for entertainment, to practical items for completing chores, Brevvie allows consumers to have on demand access to these items without the hassle of storing them afterwards or a large upfront investment. Brevvie kiosks are currently located at these Albertsons locations: Albertsons at UCI: 4541 Campus Dr, Irvine, CA 92612, 14201 Jeffrey Rd, Irvine, CA 92620, 655 14th St, San Diego, CA 92101 and 8920 Fletcher Pkwy, La Mesa, CA 91942. Consumers simply need to download the Brevvie App, and then they are ready to start renting. A list of FAQs can be found here. In addition to a surge in sales through its product rental kiosks– which have experienced 51% year over year growth – Brevvie has received widespread customer and media interest in its business philosophy and industry-first retail rental lockers which are ideal for storing items for customers with limited space. “Imagine a life less confined, where all of the items you need are nearby to simply rent and return. No need to store them. No need for a costly upfront investment. No maintenance. This is the way of the future where exceptional quality of living goes hand in hand with sustainable living.” –Kristine Everly Smith, Co-Founder, Brevvie About Brevvie: Brevvie is a leading provider of consumer product rental management solutions for multi-family communities, commercial office buildings, city and state beaches, retailers and universities throughout North America. Brevvie’s mission is to reduce waste and free up storage space for consumers who value sustainable living. Brevvie combines renting consumer goods, electronic lockers and mobile applications to create a seamless customer experience, while increasing available amenities and property revenue for each retailer/location. Interested parties may contact Brevvie directly to learn more: (657) 204-5944 or via Brevvie.com. Contact Details Sterling Public Relations Paula Steurer +1 949-200-6566 concierge@sterlingpublicrelationsoc.com Company Website https://www.brevvie.com

December 15, 2021 03:20 PM Pacific Standard Time

OUT OF OFFICE ALERT: Work Anywhere in the World Courtesy of Velocity Global

Velocity Global

Nationwide contest sends three winners to live anywhere in the world for a full year and keep their current job Velocity Global to showcase the positive impact of remote work by supporting the winners at no cost to their employers Velocity Global, the leading provider of global talent solutions, today announced its Out of Office Year TM contest, which provides three winners the ability to work remotely in their current jobs from anywhere in the world, paid for by Velocity Global. "In this new world of work, you can be the CEO of your own career. Talent can move across the country or across the world on their own terms and their employer can benefit,” said Ben Wright, Velocity Global founder, and CEO. “The ‘Out of Office Year’ demonstrates to employers and employees how simple it is to work from anywhere, all while gaining new life experiences and a broader world view.” Workplace flexibility remains top of mind for workers. According to an August 2021 survey from FlexJobs, 58% of employees reported they wanted to be full-time remote post-pandemic. It’s a desire among business leaders as well. In the 2022 Velocity Global Work in Progress report, 63% of the more than 1,000 tech leaders surveyed said they would prefer to work from a new location such as closer to family or overseas. As employers continue to institute policies around different workplace concepts – remote, in-office, or hybrid – employees are evaluating if those policies align with their priorities. “The ability to work remotely is one of the most important conversations employers can have with their current and potential employees,” said Robert Herjavec, founder and CEO of Herjavec Group and Velocity Global brand ambassador. “I grew a leading cybersecurity company by committing to hire top talent from anywhere. I know the benefits that ‘work anywhere’ brings to a business, but now employees know the benefits it brings to their lives. There’s no turning back and Velocity Global’s Out of Office Year sheds light on how simple it can be to make this benefit a reality.” Out of Office Year Contest Details The contest is open to all U.S. residents interested in moving to another location while keeping their current job. At OOOyear.com, applicants submit up to a 60-second video explaining where and why they want to work remotely. Velocity Global will select three applicants and fulfill their dreams of working anywhere. Velocity Global will facilitate the conversation between the employees and their employers regarding worry-free compliance, payroll, and employee support. Velocity Global will support that employee through its global work platform in any of more than 185 countries for one year at no cost to the employer. The employer simply continues to pay the salary, benefits, and other regulatory requirements just as they do now for that employee. The winners and their stories will be chronicled through Velocity Global’s social media channels to inspire other employees and employers to enter the future of work. For more information about the contest or to submit an entry, please visit OOOyear.com. Applications are now open until January 31, 2022. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience to employ any talent anywhere with just a click through its proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global 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 six continents. For more information visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details Velocity Global Eli Rice +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

December 15, 2021 07:01 AM Mountain Standard Time

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NEST Nurtures Donates $100,000 to Impact Communities Across United States in 2021

NEST

NEST, the leading national integrated facilities management company, announced that more than 15 charities and counting will benefit from over $100,000 in cash donations in 2021. Organized by NEST’s philanthropic division NEST Nurtures, the recipients were selected by NEST’s retail partners to support nonprofits making an impact in local communities and through nationwide programs. Beneficiaries of the initiative include The Little Bit Foundation (selected by Build-A-Bear Workshop), Toys for Tots (selected by Five Below), St. Jude (selected by Hot Topic), and American Cancer Society (selected by Sleep Number). “Through NEST Nurtures, we want to make a lasting impact that goes beyond just the donation,” said Rob Almond, CEO of NEST. “Philanthropy has been part of our mission at NEST for 27 years. I’m proud that we’ve been able to support and network with even more charities through this program.” On Tuesday, Dec. 21, NEST Nurtures will host a networking event with representatives from each of the nonprofit recipients. The keynote speaker for the evening will be former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski, who co-founded his own 501(c)(3) Jaws Youth Playbook. NEST Nurtures included Jaworski’s nonprofit as one of the donation recipients in 2021, and NEST employees assembled bikes at Jaworski’s annual bike drive this month. The following is a list of nonprofits and charitable programs that received a donation from NEST Nurtures in 2021: Akron Children’s Hospital American Cancer Society ASI Swing Classic Boys & Girls Club of America Dress for Success Epilepsy Foundation First Book Jaws Youth Playbook Make a Wish Foundation National Multiple Sclerosis Society Project Sunshine Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey Spirit of Children St. Jude The Little Bit Foundation Toys for Tots In July of 2020, NEST established NEST Nurtures as a new division of their company that focuses on supporting nonprofits and improving communities around the country. NEST Nurtures’ mission is to expand on philanthropic endeavors that NEST has prioritized since they were founded in 1994. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Ronald McDonald House Charities have been longtime beneficiaries of NEST. NEST continues to play an essential role in the retail industry’s response to COVID-19. Almond and his team develop leading facility management strategies for more than 40 retail clients, from decreasing facility management expenses to streamlining operations. NEST manages over 60,000 individual retail locations in North America. About NEST NEST is the pioneer of the Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) industry in the United States and Canada since 1994. NEST’s IFM solution pairs financial acumen and business analytics with a strategic consultative approach. Real-time data, reporting, and analytics technology empower business leaders and facility management teams with informed insights to make smarter decisions. To learn more about NEST, visit enterNEST.com or follow NEST on LinkedIn. Contact Details Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.enternest.com/

December 14, 2021 07:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Omdia tech analysts to judge Innovation Awards at ShowStoppers @ CES 2022

ShowStoppers

Omdia, the global research leader, today announced that its analysts will return to host and judge the Innovation Awards at ShowStoppers® at CES, the press event during the CES tradeshow in Las Vegas. The judges will evaluate new consumer electronics, smart home and robotics, mobility, fitness and health, and productivity products introduced during ShowStoppers, to be held January 5, 2022, 6-10 p.m. at the Wynn Hotel & Casino. “The ShowStoppers event marks an important occasion for Omdia analysts as the first time they will evaluate new technology hitting the market for several years,” said Paul Gagnon, Senior Director of Research for Consumer Electronics and ProAV at Omdia. “We look forward now to seeing how tech has evolved to meet the challenges of Covid – which has been a significant catalyst for change -- and the new products for work, home and play that industry leaders and startups will introduce at ShowStoppers for delivery to consumers and business users.” About the awards The Omdia Technology Innovation Awards distinguishes ingenuity and innovation exhibited by companies and products at ShowStoppers @ CES. This year’s awards will recognize the most innovative products in these categories: Home Entertainment (includes AR, VR & gaming) Smart Home & Robotics (includes drones and smart appliances) Mobility (includes mobile accessories and mobile computing) Fitness, health and wellbeing (includes air quality sensors/sanitizers) Productivity (includes work from home) The judges are renowned Omdia analysts, including: Paul Gagnon, Senior Research Director | Consumer Electronics & ProAV Paul Gray, Senior Research Manager | Home Devices Ken Park, Senior Research Manager | TV & ProAV Nina Rao, Research Analyst | Consumer Electronics Gerrit Schneemann, Principal Analyst | Smart Phone “We are delighted to welcome back the world-class experts at Omdia to weigh in on a new generation of products and services emerging from the pandemic to change how we use tech in daily life and business,” said Dave Leon, partner, ShowStoppers. Award application process Companies exhibiting at ShowStoppers can apply for an award and obtain more detailed information by visiting http://awards.showstoppers.com/ Companies may submit up to three candidate products, technologies or services for the Omdia Technology Innovation Awards. Omdia and ShowStoppers have agreed to an embargo on any announcements that should not be made public prior to the awards. About Omdia Omdia is a leading research and advisory group focused on the technology industry. With clients operating in over 120 countries, Omdia provides market-critical data, analysis, advice and custom consulting. Omdia was formed in 2020 following the merger of IHS Markit, Tractica, Ovum and Heavy Reading. Sitting at the heart of the Informa Tech portfolio, Omdia reaches over four million technology decision makers, influencers and practitioners that form part of the wider Informa Tech community and has specialist research practices focusing on Enterprise IT, AI, Internet of Things, Communications Service Providers, Cybersecurity, Components & Devices, Media & Entertainment and Government & Manufacturing. For more information about Omdia, please visit https://omdia.tech.informa.com/ Stay connected with Omdia on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. About ShowStoppers Now in its 26th year, ShowStoppers, https://www.showstoppers.com/, is the global leader in producing press and business events spanning the U.S., Europe and Asia. Each event organizes product launches, sneak previews and demonstrations for selected journalists, bloggers, industry and financial analysts, venture capitalists and business executives. Industry leaders, innovators and startups exhibit to generate news coverage and product reviews, make new connections, promote brand and open new markets. ShowStoppers produces official press events at CE Week, IFA and NAB; partners with CTA, IFA, GSMA and CEATEC; and produces events during CES, IFA, MWC, NAB, CE Week, CEATEC and other tradeshows. ShowStoppers TV streams online, broadcasting live press events and conferences, month after month. To learn more about how you and your company can meet the press at ShowStoppers press events in person and online at ShowStoppers TV, contact Lauren Merel, mailto:lauren@showstoppers.com, +1 908-692-6068, or Dave Leon, mailto:dave@showstoppers.com, +1 845-821-6123. For press registration, please contact Steve Leon, mailto:sl@showstoppers.com, +1 310-936-8530. Contact Details Andy Reese Director, Marketing at Informa Tech | Omdia +1 408-220-9601 andy.reese@omdia.com Steve Leon Principal, ShowStoppers +1 310-936-8530 sl@showstoppers.com Company Website https://showstoppers.com

December 13, 2021 09:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Velocity Global hires Colin McDonagh from Facebook to expand contractor management expertise

Velocity Global

Velocity Global, the leading provider of global talent solutions, today announced it welcomed Colin McDonagh as its vice president of Emerging Business. McDonagh applies more than a decade of experience innovating programs to source top contractor talent for global companies. McDonagh is a frequent expert speaker and contributor on the Future of Work and was the architect for Meta’s (formerly Facebook) highly respected Direct Source program. “We help companies work with anyone, anywhere, anyhow. Colin is an expert on all three,” said Eric Schroeder, Velocity Global chief operating officer. “Colin built a world-class contractor program at one of the largest companies on the planet and solved the complexities that stand between flexible talent and getting work done. He’ll apply that knowledge for our clients and our own triple-digit growth.” Velocity Global’s work platform combines the company’s proprietary cloud-based talent management technology, personalized expertise, and unmatched global scale to build globally distributed teams. More than 1,000 clients rely on Velocity Global’s platform in 185 countries and all 50 United States without the need to set up their own legal entities or state registrations. “There’s no such thing as a company that relies solely on internal employees. Companies like Meta can’t execute big ideas without a diverse workforce from every corner of the globe,” said McDonagh. “I chose to join Velocity Global to contribute proven methods to simplify the process to work with anyone, anywhere, anyhow and honestly change the future of work at incredible scale,” said McDonagh. McDonagh is based in Dublin, Ireland, and is building a global team to deliver products and solutions for contractors and freelancers. Those positions are posted with other Velocity Global opportunities at https://velocityglobal.com/about-us/careers/. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience to employ any talent anywhere with just a click through its proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global 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 Velocity Global John Hall +1 720-650-4348 johnhall@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

December 13, 2021 07:01 AM Mountain Standard Time

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StoryTap Partners with NRF 2022 to Become Retail’s Big Show’s Video Story Platform

StoryTap Technologies Inc.

For the second year, StoryTap has partnered with the National Retail Federation (NRF) to produce authentic video stories at scale. StoryTap is the patented video platform that enables leading organizations to easily create and share authentic storytelling experiences from speakers, exhibitors, and attendees. NRF will be leveraging StoryTap’s innovative technology to secure pre-show videos from attendees and speakers and will be on-site from January 16th to 18th, 2022, to produce over 250 videos throughout Retail’s Big Show. In 2020, StoryTap partnered with NRF to collect and distribute 252 authentic video reviews and rank on the first page of Google through video SEO resulting in a 3x increase in brand engagement on the NRF’s Exhibitor Testimonials webpage. “StoryTap has been an amazing addition to Retail’s Big Show,” shared Paul Kriebs, Senior Director, Brand Marketing at the National Retail Federation. “It has been so easy to collect videos, sort through them and arm them with SEO tags that we can host on our website. It has been phenomenal to get so much extra feedback and content thanks to StoryTap, and we are excited to see what NRF 2022 will bring.” StoryTap is a video story platform that simplifies video creation, curation, and distribution. The easy-to-use platform offers enterprise brands the opportunity to create brand-directed high-value and high-volume video content at a fraction of the cost of traditional video production. Our white-glove curation meets brand criteria for quality, messaging, SEO optimization, and social distribution. After submitting the videos, attendees can socially share their videos with their audiences with a single click— driving engagement and awareness about NRF 2022. “We’re thrilled to partner with Retail’s Big Show again,” shares Bernadette Butler, co-founder and CEO of StoryTap. “This conference will be our return to in-person events, and I’m certain this year will be more special than ever. I’m excited that StoryTap will capture the tradeshow with video stories from those attending, exhibiting, and speaking at NRF 2022.” As a special offer, attendees at NRF 2022 are eligible to receive an extra 20 free videos with a one-year license with StoryTap. For more information, interview opportunities or to schedule a demo, please contact: Caleigh Alleyne Public Relations Manager caleigh@storytap.com (416) 271-6196 About StoryTap StoryTap is the patented video story platform that enables you to easily create and distribute authentic experiences from real customers and employees at scale. Using our platform, you can create compelling and highly searchable video content for your organization—all without the high production costs. And by doing so, you can increase conversion rates, brand awareness, connect with more customers and prospects, and boost bottom-line results. See how Fortune 500 brands like UCLA, Danone, Enfamil and Veet are using StoryTap to build trust, loyalty and triple engagement at www.storytap.com. About NRF The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. Contact Details StoryTap Caleigh Alleyne +1 416-271-6196 caleigh@storytap.com Company Website https://storytap.com/

December 09, 2021 11:55 AM Eastern Standard Time

Holiday Season Survival Guide

YourUpdateTV

With the holiday season well underway, it’s time to talk holiday gifting, decorating, entertaining, personalization, home styling, and more. And with in-person gatherings resuming, time spent with family and friends this holiday season is more precious than ever before. Recently, Lifestyle Expert and Star of Netflix’s Queer Eye, Bobby Berk, teamed with Shutterfly on a nationwide SMT to discuss his tips on gifting, decorating, and more. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/hjidEp0O0Zs More than two thirds of consumers are planning in-person gatherings, more holiday parties, and bigger celebrations this year and Shutterfly makes it easy to unleash your creativity after a year of being apart. According to Bobby, it’s all about giving something a bit more personal rather than something generic or store bought. It’s more meaningful and is such a great way to connect with friends and family after being apart. Shutterfly has so many good options that for people to customize. For example, if your friends love a good game night, create personalized playing cards, pencils and notebooks to really elevate game play. Not only is a personalized gift more meaningful to the recipient, it’s also easy to make whether you’re adding a photo, name, monogram, or unique saying. From custom blankets and candles to coffee mugs and wall art, Shutterfly has something for everyone. Some of Bobby’s favorite ways to add the perfect personal touches to holiday entertaining and decorating include color. Choose a color pallet of 2-3 colors and use them throughout your home. Lighting is also so important. Keep the lighting simple by using white lights and candles that are great for any space and candles can add a nice personal touch as well. Additionally, photos are a great way to decorate for the holidays. Whether that’s adding temporary photo tiles with your favorite holiday memories or decorating your tree with customized ornaments. Or finding the best photos of your party guests and using them as name tags or place cards. For more information, visit Shutterfly.com About Bobby Berk: Berk is best known as the design guru on Netflix’s Queer Eye, but his rise to fame didn’t happen overnight. After years in the creative and design field, he took the leap to start his own brand. Epitomizing hip, urban luxury, Berk’s designs reflect a stylish and youthful spirit that perfectly fits any lifestyle. 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

December 08, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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WhatsApp customer engagement tool WATI.io raises $10m

WATI

WATI.io (WhatsApp Team Inbox), a comprehensive WhatsApp customer engagement tool for small businesses, has raised $8.3Mn in Series A led by Sequoia Capital India with participation from Surge, Base Partners and several prominent angels including Gokul Rajaram, a member of the DoorDash executive team and and board member at Coinbase and Pinterest. WATI.io has over 3,000 customers across 54 countries including India, Indonesia and Brazil. Over the last 6 months, WATI’s customer base has seen a 4x growth, revenue has grown 5x and 100 million messages have been processed. They are now a 41 member team across seven countries. With this fundraise, they have raised a total of $10M in the last six months. The funds raised will be used to bolster technology and product development by expanding product integrations. It will also be used to double the team size and improve their presence in Latin America. Messaging is the most pervasive way humans connect today. COVID-19 has shifted our lives online. Customers expect brands to serve them on channels they are most comfortable with. So, when customers are able to reach out to brands on platforms like WhatsApp that they are already familiar with, it builds a higher level of trust for the brand. While many solutions for enterprises to achieve this shift exist, tens of millions of SMBs globally are left underserved. To meet customer expectations, SMBs resort to using WhatsApp on their personal phones. This leads to bottlenecks with relevance of the support and the inability to scale. WATI.io, launched by Ken Yeung and Bianca Ho in late 2020, addresses this gap. Built on WhatsApp’s API, it helps small businesses personalize conversations with customers at scale. WATI.io helps customer support, marketing and sales teams engage with customers using a single WhatsApp number. Since brands are able to get a holistic view of customer conversations across teams, they are also able to provide a better user experience. WATI.io solely focuses on building tailored experiences on WhatsApp enabling them to quickly iterate on new features on the platform as well. “WATI’s mission is to help businesses do more with less. Our one-click integration with the most commonly used tools like Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. enables businesses to provide holistic customer experience at scale. We look to use this funding to attract world class talent to help us build this.” Ken Yeung, CEO Businesses love WATI.io because it helps improve customer satisfaction without additional workforce and in turn helps improve revenue. This is possible with automation through WATI’s low-code workflow builder without being dependent on developers. Through WATI’s API, SMBs can send programmatic personalised notifications from their system. Especially in the case of ecommerce businesses, WATI’s one-click integrations with tools like Shopify, reduces abandoned cart rate and helps increase revenues. Marketers also rely heavily on sending targeted notifications to drive sales. High growth startups are able to derive value with WATI’s suite of tools which empower them to collaborate and move fast. In addition to thousands of SMBs, WATI’s clients include Dukaan, Oppo, VU TV, Gojek, Grab, Aerostreet. “WATI is on a mission to help hundreds of millions of SMBs across the world communicate more effectively with their customers on one of the most ubiquitous messaging platforms - WhatsApp. They’ve achieved terrific growth rates this past year while breaking even, but what is more exciting is the expansive set of product possibilities in front of the company as they capitalise on the market opportunity. Sequoia Capital India is excited to deepen the partnership with Ken and Bianca in the next stage of their journey of building WATI.” Abheek Anand, MD, Sequoia India About WATI Founded in 2020 in Hong Kong, WATI.io helps companies have personalised conversations with customers at scale. Built on WhatsApp’s Business API, it is an easy-to-use customer engagement software that focuses on automation and one-click integrations to help businesses do more with less. WATI.io has been an official partner of WhatsApp since 2019, and was part of Surge 05, Sequoia India’s rapid scale up program for early stage startups. Contact Details WATI Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.wati.io/

December 08, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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