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After $8.8 Million IPO, Hanryu Rolls Out Multiple Revenue-Generating Upgrades To FANTOO, The Fandom App Connecting The Growing Global Audience Of K-Culture Fans

Benzinga

By Rachael Green, Benzinga Hanryu Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HRYU) has had an eventful few weeks after its IPO closed last month, generating about $8.8 million in gross proceeds. In total, the company has raised approximately $53million over multiple fundraising rounds to date as its popular fandom social media app FANTOO grows to a user base of over 26 million and the company unveils a series of upgrades and new features slated to roll out in the coming months. Here’s a look at some of the milestones from the past month and how Hanryu is leveraging those to add new revenue potential to its popular fandom app. What Is FANTOO? Hanryu first launched FANTOO in 2021 as an all-in-one social media platform for K-culture fans worldwide. As K-pop, K-dramas and other forms of entertainment from South Korea continue to gain a growing international audience, there still hasn’t been a single dedicated destination so far where fans could go for any and all fandoms they are part of. Moreover, language barriers were a major hurdle preventing people with a shared fandom from connecting over the music, show or film that they love. FANTOO – with its real-time translation technology across 17 languages and features that allow users to create or join clubs built around any fandom – finally created a way to unify this global audience in one platform. For fans, it’s a way to find community and friendship even if they live somewhere with few other K-culture fans nearby. For Hanryu, it’s an exciting revenue opportunity with the massive advertising potential of a site with millions of dedicated fans. But advertising is just one of the revenue channels Hanryu is building through the platform. It also generates revenue from ticket sales to live shows and transaction fees on the buying and selling that happen in the eBay -like (NASDAQ: EBAY) shop section of FANTOO. The Future Of FANTOO Just days after the closing of its IPO, Hanryu announced the launch of version 2.0 of FANTOO. The upgraded app adds powerful data analytics to help deliver personalized content based on interest settings and the communities in which a user is engaged. It also makes a few updates to the interface to make it more user-friendly and intuitive. “Version 2.0 is also a more robust platform for revenue generation through multiple streams,” said Hanryu CEO Kang Chang Hyeok. “We look forward to releasing additional features and system improvements in the future." One of those future improvements is an AI-powered conversational virtual assistant. Later in August, Hanryu announced that it had partnered with Saltlux Inc. (KOSDAQ: 304100), the company behind Talkbot, an intelligent chatbot. Together, the companies will develop a virtual assistant for FANTOO built on technology similar to Talkbot that can guide users through the platform, make recommendations based on users’ interests and deliver personalized news and updates about their fandom. Slated to launch before the end of this year, the FANTOO virtual assistant is just the beginning. Later, Hanryu plans to use AI voice synthesis and deep learning tech to let users customize the voice of their virtual assistant to sound like their favorite artist or actor – or even themselves. Earlier this month, Hanryu teased even more new chat features coming to the app soon, including emoji purchasing, friend recommendations and club chat rooms where members can join in on club-wide conversations with like-minded fans from around the world – all with the convenience of real-time multilingual translation. A similar open chat room will give users a way to connect with users from other fandoms as well. Alongside the new chat room features, FANTOO will also soon have enhanced private chats where users can talk over an encrypted channel as well as video call functionality so fans who connect through the app can have “face-to-face” conversations with each other. “FANTOO is not just a space for fandom, but it is a place for fans with the same interests to meet and form relationships through chatting,” Hyeok said. “We expect these additional new features, including both the current and planned future upgrades, will increase revenue generation through FANTOO." This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

September 20, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

The Most Important Things Everyone Should Know Before Investing In Gold IRAs

Benzinga

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga When it comes to planning for a secure retirement, it is essential to explore all available avenues. Traditional investment options like stocks and bonds have their merits, but there is another store of value that often goes overlooked – gold Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). A gold IRA is a type of self-directed retirement account where the holder invests in physical gold instead of conventional assets such as stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Here are five things you need to know about gold IRAs. Harnessing Tax Advantages For Optimal Gains One of the most significant advantages of gold IRAs lies in the attractive tax benefits they offer. Depending on the type of gold IRA you open, you can enjoy favorable tax treatment either during the contribution phase or when you eventually withdraw your funds. For traditional IRAs and Simple Employee Pension (SEP) IRAs, contributions are not taxed, providing an immediate advantage for investors. In contrast, Roth IRAs tax contributions but offer the promise of tax-free withdrawals. Additionally, traditional and SEP IRA contributions are tax-deductible, further enhancing their appeal to investors seeking to maximize their gains. Shielding Your Assets From The Ravages of Inflation In times of economic uncertainty, where the value of the dollar can fluctuate unpredictably, gold presents a historically reliable hedge against inflation. History has shown that gold prices tend to rise when the dollar's value declines, making it an attractive long-term investment. Gold values have proven resilient against interest rate fluctuations, offering stability and solid returns. By incorporating gold into your retirement portfolio through a gold IRA, you can shield your portfolio from the erosive effects of inflation, ensuring that your wealth retains its value over time. A Safe Harbor Amidst Market Turmoil? In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, financial markets are prone to sudden swings and unexpected turbulence. Stock and bond investments can be particularly vulnerable, experiencing significant volatility during economic downturns. However, gold prices have historically displayed a tendency to hold steady during periods of economic turmoil, making gold IRAs an oasis of stability in an uncertain landscape. Strategic Diversification For Sustainable Returns Many experts say the key to successful investing lies in building a well-diversified portfolio, leveraging the strengths and advantages of different asset classes. While high-risk, high-reward investments have their place, a prudent and balanced approach is essential. Gold, as a more conservative asset, plays a crucial role in creating a diversified investment portfolio. While gold very often won’t witness rapid appreciation, the metal is effective at mitigating risk and enhancing stability – preventing extreme losses during turbulent market conditions. By incorporating gold IRAs into your investment strategy, you can strike the optimal balance between growth and security, multiplying the potential for sustainable returns. Choosing The Right Gold IRA Firm – An Option To Consider One leading IRA worth considering is offered by Preserve Gold, a U.S.-based precious metals firm with 0 BBB complaints and excellent reviews. The company specializes in helping individuals and families diversify and protect their wealth through tangible precious metals. The firm provides a selection of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars. Preserve Gold distinguishes itself through its focus on three core principles: integrity, transparency and consistency. These principles serve as the company’s foundation for long-lasting customer relationships and reinforce the company's commitment to providing trustworthy and reliable services. To ensure a smooth and secure purchasing process, Preserve Gold offers an informed and easy way to acquire precious metals. The company's knowledgeable team assists clients in making educated purchasing decisions while prioritizing security and ease of transaction. A gold IRA can be an excellent addition to a retirement portfolio. It offers numerous benefits that can help you protect and grow your savings over time. When deciding to invest in a gold IRA, having a trusted partner like Preserve Gold is key to achieving your financial goals. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

September 20, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Has ARKK Been Oversold? Traders Are Doubling Down On A Potential Innovation Recovery With This Leveraged ETF

Benzinga

By Rachael Green, Benzinga ARK Innovation ETF (NYSEARCA: ARKK) was an investor darling in the first year of the pandemic with its robust portfolio of COVID-era winners like Zoom (NASDAQ: ZM). But the disruptive tech ETF took a beating in 2022, falling more than 67% throughout the year. However, this year, ARKK seems to have begun a slow and arduous recovery, gaining over 40% year-to-date despite a widespread selloff this summer. Still, it’s far from its 2020 peak of over $150 per share, and some bullish investors believe the partial recovery this year is a sign that the ETF is ready to regain its former glory. Here’s what’s behind that bullish outlook. A Potential Upcoming Pause In Rate Hikes As Economic Data Gives Cause For Optimism Investors remain optimistic that the Federal Reserve will pause interest rate hikes at its upcoming meeting on September 20. In August, key economic indicators were largely mixed but still suggested that inflation was cooling overall. While consumer prices rose from 3% in June to 3.2% in July, core inflation – consumer prices with food and energy prices stripped out– declined slightly from 4.8% in June to 4.7%. And it’s that core inflation that the Federal Reserve wants to see come down to its 2% target. If interest rate hikes are paused, the macroeconomic tailwind this month could add more lift to ARKK which has already begun recovering some of its August losses. Despite Investor Exodus, ARKK Still Has A Potentially Promising Growth Portfolio ARKK may have missed the explosive AI-generated growth of Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), but the top 10 holdings are dotted with underdog growth stocks. For example, the app and game developer platform Unity Software (NYSE: U) just landed a deal this summer to use Unity’s gaming software in Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) upcoming virtual reality headset, Apple Vision Pro. Zoom, the video communications platform that’s been relatively neglected by investors after its pandemic-era boom, has been building up a stockpile of cash that now sits at about $6 billion. It’s planning to use that to grow its enterprise vertical, one of its most successful segments. It’s also spending some of that on new AI-enhanced features, like the new AI Companion, a built-in AI-powered assistant that can catch you up on meetings if you’re late, auto-generate meeting summaries, and even give you feedback on your conversational and presenting skills. You Can Potentially Magnify Your Bullish ARKK Views With the AXS 2X Innovation ETF For investors who see the summer tumble as a hiccup in ARKK’s overall upward trajectory, AXS Investments has designed a unique leveraged ETF just for you. The AXS 2X Innovation ETF (TARK) seeks 200% of the daily performance of the ARK Innovation ETF. That 2x leverage gives investors a chance to turn the ETF’s slow and rocky recovery into more substantial gains. That added leverage does increase the risk of using TARK, so it’s important to use it for short-term trades, such as the potential upswing following the Fed’s upcoming meeting. But when used carefully, TARK is a useful tool for traders who are staunchly bullish on disruptive tech and see the periodic panicked selloffs as an opportunity to find yield. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

September 20, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

News Direct Announces SYNTHESIS, a Bundled Offering of its Expanding Suite of News and Content Amplification Tools

News Direct

News Direct today announced the launch of News Direct Synthesis, a unique bundling of its evolving suite of digital news and content distribution and amplification services that has expanded from a state-of-the-art newswire offering to include sponsored content posting as well as podcast and streaming TV interview opportunities. Synthesis represents News Direct’s transformation into a single source, multichannel message amplification provider for public relations, investor relations and content marketing professionals. The offering combines its newswire distribution – which includes the ability to distribute standalone digital formats such as video – with sponsored content guest posting via its Idea Marketplace product, along with guest appearance opportunities on News Directly with Steve Hutt, a podcast series that is part of its recently launched News Direct Podcast Channel and News Direct Insights, a joint partnership with Fintech.TV in which senior executives can be interviewed on the streaming channel from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The services can be purchased in multiple combinations, providing an opportunity for companies to communicate unified messages using a variety of both “push” and “pull” media and audience targeting strategies and technologies. Gregg Castano, News Direct founder and CEO stated, “Since our launch in 2020, News Direct has consistently been focused on becoming a single destination platform from which PR, IR and marketing professionals could communicate with target audiences via a multitude of digitally enabled engagement tools. Synthesis helps us realize that vision by giving communicators numerous options to engage those audiences via their information technologies of choice. But this is not the end of the journey, rather only the beginning of it. Stay tuned.” About News Direct News Direct is a technology-driven content distribution and amplification platform for PR, IR, corporate communications and marketing professionals. Our automated platform delivers a completely reimagined, modernized user experience for newswire users that has reshaped the industry landscape. Additionally, the company has expanded its offerings to include an array of technology- enhanced message amplification tools ranging from sponsored content to podcasting products, all from one online destination. Contact Details Media Relations +1 203-295-7566 media@newsdirect.com Company Website http://www.newsdirect.com

September 20, 2023 08:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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HUMAN Security and Locality Partner to Help Local CTV Advertisers Reach Quality Consumers

Locality

HUMAN Security, Inc. — the global cybersecurity leader in protecting enterprises by disrupting bot attacks, digital fraud and abuse with modern defense, today announced a new strategic partnership with Locality, the industry’s preeminent local television solutions provider. The partnership leverages HUMAN’s Ad Fraud Defense solution, MediaGuard, and Locality’s direct access to premium ad inventory to allow brands to unlock superior value through their streaming advertising efforts by ensuring ads are reaching and connecting with their target consumers. HUMAN observes over 85% of global programmatic impressions, providing unmatched scale for accurate decisioning with deep technical analysis verifying ads seen by real humans. HUMAN uses superior detection techniques to mitigate ad fraud and protect its clients’ digital advertising solutions with unmatched scale, speed, and precision. The result for brands and publishers is maximized ROI and increased trust throughout the digital advertising supply chain. "Locality is respected for offering brands access to premium local ad inventory for both broadcast and streaming, so we always seek the best possible protections for both content owners and marketers,” said Keith Kazerman, President of Streaming at Locality. “We are excited to work with HUMAN to safeguard our customers from anything that would negatively impact advertisers or our content partners.” "Our collaboration with Locality is focused on protecting its customers from cybercriminals who seek to defraud the digital advertising ecosystem,” said Jay Benach, GM of Media at HUMAN Security. “HUMAN’s MediaGuard is designed to identify fraud with unmatched speed, scale and precision while making advertising fraud unprofitable for these threat actors.” Locality’s goal is to unlock the full power of local TV advertising for brands seeking authentic connections with viewers, at scale. The company brings together the best players, tech and premium inventory in broadcast and streaming to help brand advertisers navigate both under one roof. Locality’s partnership with HUMAN enables the company to protect brand advertisers from CTV fraud while helping them grow by offering targeted, efficient, and attributable results. To learn more about MediaGuard and how it protects digital investments, visit here. About Locality Locality is the industry’s preeminent local television solutions provider, committed to addressing the evolving needs of advertisers by unlocking the power of local and driving dollars to the local video marketplace. Formed through the union of CoxReps and Gamut, Locality brings together the best talent in both broadcast and streaming. With more than 11 locations in the US, Locality helps brands tap into the mindset of the local consumer and precisely reach optimal markets, nationally. Having served more than 1,500 ad agencies and 4,500 advertisers, to date, Locality offers the best premium inventory that the industry has to offer to help brands optimize their spend and target audiences at scale. For more information, please visit www.locality.com About HUMAN HUMAN is a cybersecurity company that protects organizations by disrupting bot attacks, digital fraud and abuse. We leverage modern defense to disrupt the economics of cybercrime by increasing the cost to cybercriminals while simultaneously reducing the cost of collective defense. Today we verify the humanity of more than 20 trillion digital interactions per week across advertising, marketing, e-commerce, government, education and enterprise security, putting us in a position to win against cybercriminals. Protect your digital business with HUMAN. To Know Who’s Real, visit www.humansecurity.com.. Contact Details Kite Hill PR for Locality Kerriann Becker +1 631-235-7796 kerriann@kitehillpr.com HUMAN Security Masha Krylova masha.krylova@humansecurity.com

September 20, 2023 08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Bango reports strong first half and expects "spike in profitability" during H2

Bango PLC

Bango PLC (AIM:BGO, OTCQX:BGOPF) chief executive Paul Larbey speaks to Thomas Warner from Proactive after the global platform for data-driven commerce released its interim results for the six months to 30 June 2023. Larbey reports a robust first half with an impressive 88% revenue growth, bolstered by the acquisition of Docomo digital and a strategic agreement with NTT Docomo. Noteworthy is Bango's successful partnership with three out of the top five US telcos, positioning them strongly in a lucrative market. He also highlights the flourishing pipeline for what Bango calls the Digital Vending Machine (DVM), and provides an update on the new integrations launched with Amazon during 2023. Bango's technology has been used by telcos and wallet providers to offer Amazon's digital services, including Prime, Prime Video, Amazon Music Unlimited, Audible, and Kindle Unlimited to their customers via the Amazon Fuse partner program, as a bundle with their own first-party services, for over six years. The company also welcomes Darcy Antonellis, an accomplished figure in the entertainment industry, to its board of directors. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

September 20, 2023 06:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Bloomsbury Publishing says latest Rundell book a work of "astonishing excellence"

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (LSE:BMY) Group Finance Director Penny Scott-Bayfield speaks to Thomas Warner from Proactive following the launch in the first of a new trilogy of books, for which Bloomsbury has exceptionally high hopes. Katherine Rundell's new book "Impossible Creatures" was released on 14 September and Scott-Bayfield describes its as a work of "astonishing excellence" and "an extraordinary book about a boy who enters this absolutely magical world and there's an element of danger and love and loss and extraordinary excitement and extraordinary originality." She highlights Rundell's track record of delivering much-loved and successful stories, noting that Rundell's work has already garnered critical acclaim, including the prestigious Costa Prize. Bloomsbury is known for being the publisher of the Harry Potter books, and Scott-Bayfield says that the company's broader strategy focuses on nurturing remarkable authors. "Part of our strategy is to develop amazing authors coming through, and we [also] benefit hugely from the success of Sarah J. Maas" whose upcoming release is highly anticipated. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

September 20, 2023 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

First Human Clinical Trials Of A Potentially “Game-Changing Broad Spectrum Antiviral” Are Progressing Successfully – Drug Could Treat COVID, RSV And Many Other Respiratory Viruses

Benzinga

By Rachael Green, Benzinga As COVID cases begin to rise again, heralding the beginning of another COVID wave, new variants have appeared leading this wave. EG.5 (“Eris”) is currently in the majority in the U.S.A, but a very different variant, BA.2.86 (“Pirola”) is already rising in the number of cases. BA.2.86 carries more than 30 changes in its spike protein, as well as changes in other proteins. Scientists believe it is questionable whether the newest booster vaccine shots would be effective for this one. The newest vaccines are “single-agent” targeting the XBB variant. It is not known how effective the approved drugs (mainly Paxlovid - Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE)) would be against this new variant, and further on, as the virus keeps changing. It is now clear that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to stay, and that it will keep changing as it continues to learn to avoid vaccines and antibodies and our own immune systems and continues to learn to resist existing old-fashioned drugs. Even without new variants, for clinically vulnerable patients COVID has always continued to be a terrifying reality. In light of this, the broad-spectrum antiviral that is based on a novel nanomedicines platform being developed by one emerging drug company could be promising. NanoViricides, Inc (NYSE American: NNVC ) announced that it has made progress on its Phase 1a/1b clinical trial of NV-CoV-2, a novel antiviral drug candidate that has the potential to treat all strains of the coronavirus. The clinical-stage biotech reported that the safety and tolerability parts of the trial testing the antiviral in healthy subjects is nearly complete and it’s now preparing for the efficacy and dose optimization part of the trial with COVID patients. NanoViricides Broad Spectrum Antiviral Could Change How We Treat Viral Infections So far, NanoViricides has built a robust foundation of promising preclinical research that demonstrates the unique antiviral platform’s potential to treat not just COVID-19 but a wide range of other common and hard-to-treat viral diseases like other coronaviruses, RSV, shingles, herpes, rabies and the flu. The reason it could have such broad applicability is because the NanoViricides platform was specifically designed to target a particular binding site that’s common across many viruses and doesn’t change even as a virus mutates. Essentially, the nanoviricide platform mimics the binding site on a human cell that a virus would normally target in order to infect that cell. Then it seeks out the virus and when the virus binds to the nanoviricide instead, the drug candidate immediately engulfs the virus, where it’s unable to infect the patient’s cells or reproduce. The First Of These Drugs Is Now In Human Phase 1a And 1b Clinical Trials The Phase 1a/1b clinical trial includes single-ascending dose (SAD) and multiple-ascending dose (MAD) safety and tolerability studies in healthy subjects. NanoViricides reported that 26 of the 36 volunteers in the SAD study and 17 of the 36 volunteers in the MAD study have already completed the program. And so far, the early data looks promising. Neither adverse events nor serious adverse events have been found to date in either study. "The excellent safety and tolerability of NV-CoV-2 in both formulations in the clinical trials is consistent with the results of pre-clinical animal studies, giving us confidence that our preclinical animal studies can be expected to be predictive of human clinical trials,” said NanoViricides Executive Chairman and President, Anil R. Diwan, Ph.D. Ongoing Phase 1a And 1b Clinical Trials Will Give First Indication Of Nanoviricides Efficacy In Humans With that baseline of safety and tolerability, the next part of the trial is to enroll COVID patients in the trial and start evaluating whether the positive preclinical effectiveness results for the drug will translate to human trials. Once this trial is finished, NanoViricides plans to seek permission to move into phase 2 clinical trials from multiple regulatory agencies worldwide. Of note, the same drug was found to be effective in pre-clinical studies against another important respiratory virus, RSV. Such a broad spectrum antiviral effectiveness is reminiscent of the development of antibiotics against bacteria. This could be a game-changing development in antiviral therapeutics. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

September 19, 2023 09:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time

B2B Video Visibility & Monetization Platform VideoXRM’s Beta Launch Surpasses 5,000 Video Uploads; Expands Content Sourcing and Audience Engagement with Launch of “Company Advocate”

VideoXRM

VideoXRM, the pioneering B2B video platform that utilizes precise subject indexing and granular search capabilities to drive greater return on investment from video assets, announced today that its Beta launch has surpassed 5,000 video uploads to its platform from a growing base of companies. VideoXRM also announced the launch of its “Company Advocate” functionality to accelerate the growth of its video library through expanded audience engagement. There is no cost to upload or search for content on VideoXRM. The VideoXRM platform provides 75 search parameters including 25 different video/audio characteristics to identify and index the unique attributes of each video, including subject, industry, specialty, participants, roles, geography, corporate status, management, etc. “Company Advocate” VideoXRM’s new “Company Advocate” functionality enables business content creators, customers, partners, media outlets or fans to upload content on behalf of a company. This new feature is designed to expand the reach, engagement, and growth of content on the VideoXRM platform. David Baker, VideoXRM’s Founder and CEO, commented, “We are excited by the growing engagement and constructive customer comments and suggestions we have gained through our Beta launch. This feedback loop has already contributed to new features such as the ‘Company Advocate’ functionality that substantially expands potential content sources and value for our platform.” VideoXRM brings the “X factor” to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) by expanding it ALL stakeholders including partners, constituents, employees, analysts, suppliers, researchers, recruiters, marketers, journalists, investors, citizens, bankers, etc. Given the growing user preference for video and rich media, VideoXRM provides a powerful new medium for exposure and precise searches. About VideoXRM ( VideoXRM.com ) VideoXRM is a global, searchable video and audio sharing and networking platform connecting corporate rich media content with all potential stakeholders. The platform and smart search technology creates value and knowledge from mountains of unstructured digital media, delivering greater ROI from content investments. VideoXRMâs mission is harnessing the enhanced communicative power of rich media through a new distribution and discovery paradigm. VideoXRM was Co-founded by David N. Baker, who formed Revere Data LLC (Sectorbase) which was acquired by FactSet Data Systems, Inc. His Co-founders are Vadim A. Tarasov, Byron Kwok, and David Guzy. Connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter and Facebook. Contact Details Catalyst IR David C. Collins +1 212-924-9800 videoxrm@catalyst-ir.com Company Website https://videoxrm.com

September 19, 2023 08:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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