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Traveling on a Budget in 2023

YourUpdateTV

While prices for flights, hotels and rental cars are all up across the board, demand for travel isn’t slowing. A recent survey from pay over time provider, Affirm, revealed that despite record-high costs, the average person plans to take three trips this year and spend over $3,000 on travel. Furthermore, 3 in 4 of Millennial and Gen-Z respondents plan to take up to 6 trips this year, with over half planning to spend up to $5,000 on travel. Traveling on a budget can help ensure that people are spending responsibly while also providing ways to make their money go further. Affirm SVP and Financial Health Expert, Katrina Holt, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour, offering her top tips for financially-conscious travelers in 2023: Don’t forget to set a budget. The recent Affirm survey found that nearly 1 in 5 plan to travel this year without setting a budget beforehand, which can easily lead to overspending. When creating a budget, be sure to consider expenses across accommodation, meals, transportation and shopping. Use a transparent, flexible pay over time option like Affirm to spread out your costs and stick to your budget. By selecting Affirm at checkout, approved travelers can split travel costs into biweekly or monthly payments. Travelers will see the total cost of their purchase and will never pay more than they agree to upfront Affirm does not charge late or hidden fees. Watch out for gimmicks that come with travel credit cards. Early sign up bonuses might be enticing, but can easily lead to overspending as you try to hit the minimum. 0% APR credit card promotions can come with deferred interest and surprise you with balloon payments down the line. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/2ZCQtGXL7y8 Affirm is helping travelers by offering a smarter way to pay at some of the largest travel merchants in the US and Canada, including American Airlines, Expedia, Hotels.com, KAYAK, Vrbo, Priceline, and more. For more information, visit Affirm.com About Katrina Holt Katrina Holt is the SVP, Operations and Financial Health Expert at Affirm. Affirm is a new kind of payment network — one based on trust, transparency and putting people first. As a technology and financial services executive, Katrina brings more than 27 years of financial services, operations, and risk management leadership. Prior to Affirm, she was the Chief Compliance Officer at GE Capital Bank and WebBank, respectively. Earlier in her career, Katrina served as the Audit Director for GE Capital, as well as a commissioned bank examiner with the FDIC. She holds an Executive MBA from the University of Utah and a BS in Accounting from Weber State University. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

March 21, 2023 02:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Accel backs Appbrew as it drives retention and conversion for ecommerce sellers with native mobile apps

Appbrew

More than 66% of Shopify orders were placed via mobile devices and online sellers with a mobile app are 3 times more likely to generate a sale. Helping merchants benefit from these tailwinds, mobile app platform Appbrew is today announcing a $2m seed funding led by Accel with participation from Riversde Ventures and prominent angels to scale their app building platform. Appbrew is promising an unrivaled mobile shopping experience for customers through their very own native app. Appbrew is a no-code ecommerce mobile app platform that enables any ecommerce brand to quickly create native mobile apps for iOS and Android mobile devices. This replaces the current uncertain, unreliable and expensive means of using third parties or building tech resources. Appbrew prioritizes giving freedom and control to its users with a drag-and-drop interface that empowers brands to create and iterate their apps in a self-serve way. Appbrew also supports an unlimited number of custom pages & complete layout customization. This enables apps to serve as authentic brand extensions. All of these features emphasize a creative and organic approach to app development. It discourages frameworks and unnecessary restrictions. Launched in 2022, mobile apps made via Appbrew offer a true extension of the online sellers website retaining brand identity and customer journey flow. The Appbrew platform offers consistent UX across the web store and the app by supporting third-party integrations. It also generates app-specific promotions (discounts and offers) on their online stores for transactions completed via the app which encourage higher conversions. Appbrew founders Abhijeet Singh (CEO), Mayank Agarwal (CTO) and Sharat Chandra (CPO) have a long and deep background in building ecommerce tech stacks for Fortune 500 companies and hyper-growth startups at Walmart, United Health Group, Samsung, and Zopsmart, Zupee, Udaan and Otipy.com, In setting up Appbrew, the team interviewed 150 DTC founders, CMOs and their growth leads and learned that they are overcoming their customer retention and conversion-to-sales rates using mobile apps. The reported conversion was up 3x and the average order value increased up to 50% through apps vs mobile website. With these learnings, Appbrew is solving mobile apps capabilities for all ecommerce brands. Abhijeet Singh, CEO and Co-Founder at Appbrew, commented: “With the rise of mobile commerce and the shift to digital shopping, shopping apps have become a part of consumers’ daily lives. Appbrew empowers direct-to-consumer marketing teams to easily create configurable native mobile apps to achieve higher conversion and retention. With Appbrew, ecommerce brands can supercharge their content, commerce and community to drive conversion, retention, and growth.” Smart phones contributed more than 74% of retail traffic in Q’4 2022. “This statistic should encourage any ecommerce business owner to start thinking about a mobile app. Otherwise, they may miss a prime opportunity to capitalize on online shoppers who use their mobile devices to make purchases” added Abhijeet Singh. Pratik Agarwal, Principal at Accel commented: “Excited to partner with Appbrew, as they help brands in building stronger connections with their valued customers. In the current environment of expensive performance marketing, Appbrew increases brand profitability by improving conversion rates and retaining loyal customers. Their emphasis on enhancing mobile shopping experience piqued our interest, and we are pleased to be part of their mission.” Alex Pattis, General Partner at Riverside Ventures added: "We're very excited to have met and invested in Appbrew at this stage. With so much commerce done on mobile, it's imperative to allow brands to deliver an optimal shopping experience. It's great to see appbrew already making it easier for DTC brands to scale through their no-code mobile app platform. Abhijeet's understanding of the problem and background in scaling companies certainly got us excited to partner at this stage." About Appbrew Appbrew is a headless no-code platform that enables global brands to build and scale high-conversion-rate mobile apps. Appbrew is venture backed by Accel (Backers of Shopify, Klaviyo, etc) and Riverside Venture (Backers of Bonobos, Eight Sleep, Slack, DocuSign, etc). For more information please visit https://appbrew.tech/ About Accel Accel is a global venture capital firm that aims to be the first partner to exceptional teams everywhere, from inception through all phases of private company growth. We help ambitious entrepreneurs build iconic global businesses. For more, visit www.accel.com About Riverside Ventures Riverside Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund founded by high-level and experienced operators with an untraditional path into venture. Contact Details Appbrew Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://appbrew.tech/

March 21, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Greene Concepts Secures New Retail Distribution to Five Hundred Grocery Stores

Greene Concepts, Inc.

McapMediaWire - - Greene Concepts, Inc. (OTC: INKW) is pleased to announce it has finalized a retail and distribution agreement with Merchants Distributors (MDI) and Lowes Foods. Both entities will shelf and carry BE WATER’s TM new six-pack configurations throughout the Eastern U.S. with a reach of nearly 500 grocery outlets. Distribution to the new retailers occurs March through late-April. The agreement includes 400 independent stores covered by MDI and 80+ Lowes Foods Stores throughout the region. 380 of the 650 MDI stores will utilize BE WATER planograms, a schematic tool used to plan a retail store layout. Planograms place special attention on product placement and displays, as well as point-of-sale locations. Brian Adkins, Greene Concepts Sales Consultant, notes, “We have worked aggressively to achieve the first large-scale grocery distribution deal for BE WATER. MDI and Lowes Foods are fantastic partners and I am very pleased that they see the value in bringing on our BE WATER six-packs. It takes time to secure retail relationships and share with distributors and retailers the benefits of BE WATER and its appeal to consumers. We have been able to secure both accounts resulting in the aggressive movement of BE WATER production and distribution. This is a significant step forward for us all.” Brian Adkins continues, “We have almost tripled Greene Concepts’ footprint of BE WATER throughout the country to bring the total store count of BE WATER to over 800 stores nationally. The availability of six-packs increases the entry point for consumers to purchase BE WATER at a reduced cost. Because of MDI and Lowes Foods, BE WATER will be seen and purchased by a larger audience before the end of April and I could not be happier for the company, our customers, and especially for Greene Concepts shareholders. Thank you for continuing to believe in us and in our progression together.” Lenny Greene, CEO of Greene Concepts, states, “The timing of these new distribution and retail deals coincides with the release of our new six-pack configuration which passed our sample tests and will come off the line in full production and begin reaching MDI and Lowes Foods stores in March with availability at each of their locations by the end of April. We are thrilled to have our BE WATER product line reach new audiences while vastly increasing our revenues and product reach. I would like to give a special thanks to Brian for making this happen and am blessed to have him as part of the Greene Concepts team. I also thank MDI, Lowes Foods, and their parent company Alex Lee for trusting us as a premium beverage supplier.” Follow Greene Concepts Inc. on Twitter as well as BE WATER TM Submit investor questions to IR@greeneconcepts.com About Merchants Distributors (MDI), LLC Merchants Distributors (MDI) is a privately-owned wholesale grocery store distributor headquartered in Hickory, NC. MDI supplies over 600 retail food stores with food and non-food items in 12 Eastern states to include NC, SC, GA, TN, VA, AL, WV, OH, FL, PA, MD, and KY. MDI has been supplying retail supermarkets for over 90 years. In addition to full-service distribution to supermarkets in 12 East Coast states, MDI offers cold storage to manufacturers, provides digital services for retail, has a large format print facility, and exports to over 30 countries. The company has a strong customer focus and offers a variety of services to help their customers succeed. https://www.mdi.com/ About Lowes Foods, LLC Founded in 1954, Lowes Foods employs nearly 9,000 people and operates more than 80 full-service supermarkets in the Carolinas with an annual revenue of $1.6 billion. Locally owned and operated, Lowes Foods is truly a homegrown company committed to bringing community back to the table, by providing customers with the freshest and most innovative local products from local suppliers. Lowes Foods operates independently while purchasing through MDI for their distribution. This also includes several Just$ave stores. To learn more, visit https://www.lowesfoods.com / or follow Lowes Foods on Facebook or Twitter. Lowes Foods, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alex Lee, Inc. About Alex Lee, Inc. Founded in 1931, Alex Lee is a family-owned and operated company that employs nearly 10,000 people. It serves as the parent company of Merchants Distributors, LLC, which provides full-service, wholesale distribution to supermarkets across the Southeastern United States. In addition, Alex Lee is the parent company of Lowes Foods as well as Just$ave food stores in North Carolina. Alex Lee, Inc. is based in Hickory, NC. For more information, please visit https://www.alexlee.com. About Greene Concepts, Inc. Greene Concepts, Inc. ( http://www.greeneconcepts.com ) is a publicly traded company whose purpose is to provide the world with high-quality, healthy and enhanced beverage choices that meet the nutritional needs of its consumers while refreshing their mind, body and spirit. The Company’s flagship product, BE WATER, is a premium artesian bottled water that supports total body health and wellness. Greene Concepts’ beverage and bottling plant is located in Marion, North Carolina, and their water is ethically sourced from seven spring and artesian wells that are fed from a natural aquifer located deep beneath the Blue Ridge Mountains. Greene Concepts continues to develop and market premium beverage brands designed to enhance the daily lives of consumers. Safe Harbor: This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a few uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the company's business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission and OTC Markets, Inc. OTC Disclosure and News Service. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, because of new information, future events or otherwise. CONTACT: Greene Concepts, Inc. Investor Relations IR@greeneconcepts.com Contact Details Greene Concepts, Inc. IR@greeneconcepts.com Company Website https://greeneconcepts.com/

March 21, 2023 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Wingtra lands $22M funding round as their commercial drones take off to new heights

Wingtra

The business use case and appetite for drone technology is growing rapidly, a marketplace that was worth $29.8B in 2022 is growing 38.6% annually. Serving this demand, the world’s largest producer of commercial vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones Wingtra is today announcing a $22M series B funding round as they accelerate their operations globally. The funding round included DiamondStream Partners, EquityPitcher Ventures, Verve Ventures, the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund), ACE & Company, John L. Steffens (founder of Spring Mountain Capital) and some of the most successful Swiss Entrepreneurs. Wingtra manufactures professional mapping drones, develops the software for fully autonomous flights and the WingtraPilot app operates the combined solution for reliable, fast and accurate collection and processing of aerial survey data. The drones are making it easier for surveying professionals in industries like construction and infrastructure, mining, environmental monitoring, agriculture and urban planning and land management to digitize their surrounding world. Their signature drone, the WingtraOne VTOL commercial drone has emerged as a formidable aerial data solution on the market. The VTOL design means the WingtraOne can take-off and land almost anywhere, even in confined spaces or on rough terrain enabling widespread data collection It is being used by hundreds of businesses and organizations including CEMEX, Rio Tinto, Army Corps of Engineers and Kenya Red Cross spread across 96 countries. The drones conduct over 100,000 flights annually, having mapped 18 million acres of land and sea (the equivalent of 13.6M football fields). The team successfully released their second generation drone in 2021, the WingtraOne Gen II drone which offers superior survey grade 2D and 3D maps to help users of the data make better decisions. It integrates the highest quality sensors in top-end RGB cameras to create 3D models, helping make digital twins at scale such that a single flight covering over 100 hectares can be digitized at 0.5 in/px. Compared to terrestrial surveying this is up to 30 times faster and 90% cheaper. Wingtra is delivering on the promise of the drone industry to offer effective and reliable means to achieve their needs. Wingtra is the brainchild of four young entrepreneurs Maximilian Boosfeld (CEO), Basil Weibel (VP Growth), Elias Kleimann (CFO) and Sebastian Verling (lead engineer) which was created in the Autonomous Systems Lab of ETH Zurich, one of the world's leading tech universities. Its notable graduate luminaries include Albert Einstein and Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss, who financed the Wyss Zurich Translational Center and is also an investor in Wingtra. Wingtra started life as a thesis paper for the university and became a startup at the Wyss Zurich accelerator to an internationally expanding scale-up business and, today, the world's largest producer of commercial VTOL drones. Wingtra employs close to 200 people, has offices in Zurich (Headquarters in Switzerland), Fort Lauderdale (US) and Zagreb (Croatia). Maximilian Boosfeld, CEO and co-founder of Wingtra commented: “Our vision at Wingtra is to create a world where drones help people make the management of large parts of our planet more sustainable and efficient. We reduced the cost of adopting drone assets and increased the data quality. This will help industry to plan better and, fundamentally, improve safety for humans and the environment. We have built the best tool for accurate data collection and have created solutions together with our partners for a variety of use cases our customers face: As an example, our solution is used in all stages of the construction life cycle: from the concept phase (feasibility & right-of-way studies), over the design phase (bidding process, detailed design & site planning), the construction phase (progress tracking to built survey all the way to maintenance, repair and operations. And the same holds true for use cases in agriculture, land management and environmental protection. We will continue to innovate and solve the problems of the future with easy to use solutions.” Wingtra has reinforced its senior leadership with 5 new industry veteran appointments as it scales the company: Marcos Bayuelo joins as VP Product from Hexagon AB where he directed product and innovation at the mining division of Hexagon AB, driving business growth from $12m to $60m in a single product portfolio Aleksandar Kostadinov joins as VP Sales and Customer Success and brings two decades of experience building international sales alliances and introducing Leica and Hexagon products to untapped markets. Alberto Toledo joins as GM in the US from Citrix where revenue lept from $4m to $25m in just three years. Corinna de Maddalena joins as VP People having led HR functions in leading tech companies over 15 years. Marco Schicker joins as COO from Hilti AG where he handled the transformation of global teams and brings insights and strengths as a 3x founder. “Every one of these leaders has the right experience to take Wingtra forward” said Maximilian Boosfeld. “They have all successfully grown several organizations to the next level. With this funding round, the right people and market leading product we are well set to accelerate the company growth.” DiamondStream Partners Dean Donovan: “We are very excited about partnering with Wingtra. The product’s simplicity of use, its high reliability engineering, and the company’s global network of value-added resellers and service providers have positioned it to expand its leadership in the $83+ Billion mapping segment of the aerial intelligence market globally. We look forward to helping the company in the United States and Latin America, which will be increasingly important geographies as Wingtra continues to expand." Wingtra's works to revolutionize the mapping workflow for surveying and mapping professionals to help them execute their work better and faster. Significant new features, camera integrations and product launches can be expected in the upcoming years. About Wingtra Headquartered in Switzerland, Wingtra is the world’s leading VTOL drone solution provider for construction, infrastructure and mining, and urban planning and land management professionals. Since its market entry in early 2017, Wingtra has partnered with the biggest equipment dealers on all continents and has been selling mapping drones globally ever since. In the summer of 2021, Wingtra released the second generation of its WingtraOne drone, the WingtraOne GEN II. The system demonstrates the leading edge of reliability, versatility, efficiency and ease-of-use. To learn more about Wingtra, visit: www.wingtra.com About DiamondStream Partners A thematic aerial mobility fund investing in the next generation aviation and aerospace technologies and services. The Fund’s partners bring strong insight into the economics of aerospace and aviation and a deep commitment to developing the industry based on their experiences as co-founders of Volaris and Eos, Seabury Consulting, British Airways, and Bain & Company’s airline practice. For more information, please visit www.diamondstream.com About EquityPitcher Ventures EquityPitcher is an early-growth Venture Capital firm that supports promising startups from the DACH region. Through close cooperation with renowned industry experts, investors and exit partners, we pave the way for entrepreneurs to attain the three decisive success factors: capital, know-how and network. For more information, please visit www.equitypitcher.com About the EIC Fund The European Innovation Council Fund from the European Commission is an agnostic Fund: it invests across all technologies and verticals, and all EU countries and countries associated to Horizon Europe. It provides the investment component of the EIC Accelerator blended finance. The EIC Fund aims to fill a critical financing gap and its main purpose is to support companies in the development and commercialisation of disruptive technologies, bridging with and crowding in market players, and further sharing risk by building a large network of capital providers and strategic partners suitable for co-investments and follow-on funding. The Fund pays particular attention to the empowerment and support of female founders as well as the ambition to reduce the innovation divide among EU countries. www.eic.ec.europa.eu About Verve Ventures Verve Ventures is a network and technology-driven venture capital firm based in Switzerland. Verve Ventures invests in startups across Europe from Seed stage onward, in software, hardware and healthcare. With a portfolio of more than 150 startups and around 20-30 new investors investments per year, Verve Ventures is one of Europe’s most active startup investors and has been listed among Europe's top 5 deeptech investors. Verve Ventures has grown to around 50 team members in Zurich, Berlin and Paris. www.verve.vc About ACE & Company ACE & Company is a leading global private equity and venture capital firm with over $1.6 billion in total assets. Since its inception, ACE Ventures has invested $400 million in more than 150 startups across various sectors and geographies. With offices in Geneva, London, New York, and Cairo, ACE & Company has a global network of partners and advisers, providing unparalleled support to portfolio companies Contact Details Wingtra Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://wingtra.com/

March 21, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Angie Avers Shares Why She Left Corporate World to Buy & Grow Minuteman Press Franchise in Phoenix, AZ

Minuteman Press International Inc

Angie Avers has owned her Minuteman Press franchise in Phoenix, Arizona since July of 2021. In this interview, Angie shares how she no longer felt valued as an employee working for others, why she felt comfortable taking the leap into business ownership with Minuteman Press, and how she has successfully grown her business. Angie’s Minuteman Press center is located at 2432 W. Peoria Ave., Suite 1023, Phoenix, AZ 85029. What does it mean to you to be a business owner? Why did you choose Minuteman Press? Angie Avers: “I left the corporate environment after nearly 30 years because I was tired of working for someone else and not feeling valued as an employee. I also struggled with finding a new job for over 2 years as well. One day on LinkedIn, the Minuteman Press opportunity presented itself and I inquired about it. I thought to myself, I have nothing to lose at this point so why not? I was later contacted by Brady Rockwell from the Minuteman Press Int’l team and it all started to become real. I started to panic and almost walked away from this opportunity, but after looking at what Minuteman Press International has accomplished and what they were about, I was sold! I knew they wouldn’t judge me for my age or my background and the key part of it all was ‘we’ll train you.’ My background is in marketing and communications, and why wouldn’t I want to help other business owners build their business with print and promotional products? I thought “this is a no brainer!” What has the support from Minuteman Press International been like for you? Angie Avers: “Minuteman support has been great. Whenever I have a problem with FLEX the team always helps me and if I have other issues, I’m always directed to the correct person. There is so much information in FLEX that I still would like to learn even more. Jack Panzer, my local RVP in Arizona, and Sky Hittle, our Field Rep, are always there to help and be there for when I need help or they direct me to where I need to be.” What do you think sets you apart from the competition? Angie Avers: “I describe my business as a ‘full-service print and marketing design company exclusively ran by women.’ We have a plethora of resources at our fingertips and if we can’t do it in-house, we always have resources to help. I believe what sets us apart is our strong work ethic, our honesty with our customers, and our customer service.” What are your high-demand products and key growth areas? Angie Avers: “It’s really hard to say what our high-demand products are. Our core is still paper products, but we are growing other areas. One area we have grown substantially is our design services. New business owners come into our shop all the time. We discuss what their initial needs are and we start with their logo and colors. From there, we build upon what their other needs are and help them brand other products they may need for their business. One customer comes to mind, where we started from scratch with their logo, then brochures and flyers, labels, and now trade show equipment and promotional products. It’s been super fun helping them build their brand and grow their business.” What are some of the key ways you’ve grown your business? Angie Avers: “One of the biggest ways I grew my business was through an acquisition and it doubled my business last year. I also network with BNI and other organizations when I have a chance. I have started doing more email marketing now that my learning curve has minimized some. Our foot traffic into the shop has also grown. When I took over the business, we put up all new window graphics and added two 14-ft. flags in front of the shop which is located on a main road. We have customers tell us all the time they saw our flags outside.” Why do you think printing remains so vital to businesses today? Angie Avers: “Print is vital because without it, everything would just be shapes and images. A world cannot go without print. We wouldn’t even know how to read if we didn’t have print. So, it is vital for sure.” What are the biggest personal and professional rewards of owning your business? Angie Avers: “Personally, I like answering to myself and making myself accountable for what is happening in my business. I thrive on giving my all to our customers and having a team that gets the job done without me chasing after them all the time. My goal is to be a million-dollar shop before I retire and professionally speaking, I just love helping businesses in my community come alive and building those relationships to sell other products.” What advice would you give to other business owners right now? Angie Avers: “Do your research, put together your pros and cons on being a business owner, and while it’s scary to take the plunge, you’ll never know unless you try. Change is hard for a lot of people, but you don’t grow staying in the same place where you are unhappy. Challenge yourself to be the best you. I did and it was the best decision I ever made. I love what I’m doing, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Angie Avers’ Minuteman Press franchise is located at 2432 W. Peoria Ave., Suite 1023, Phoenix, AZ 85029. For more information, call or visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/az/phoenix20/ Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

March 20, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Pixyle AI recognized as a 2023 Top 100 Retail Tech Company by CB Insights

Pixyle

Pixyle AI, a leading provider of artificial intelligence-powered product attribution and automatic tagging solutions, has been recognized as a 2023 Top 100 Retail Tech Company by market intelligence platform CB Insights. The CB Insights Retail Tech 100 is an annual list of the most promising retail technology companies around the world. The companies on the list are selected based on several factors, including business momentum, market potential, and investor quality. Founded in 2018 by Svetlana Kordumova, a PhD in AI and Computer vision from the University of Amsterdam, Pixyle AI helps fashion retailers with image recognition solutions, enabling them to deliver a better online shopping experience, boost e-commerce sales, and improve efficiency in catalogue management with smart product data entry. The company's technology is used by leading retailers around the world, including Sephora, Macy's, and L'Oreal. Svetlana Kordumova, founder and CEO of Pixyle AI commented: "We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the top 100 retail tech companies by CB Insights. This underlines our success in making online shopping as frictionless as possible, and hopefully a bit more fun and enjoyable by letting people easily find what they are really looking for. Having the right metadata associated with product images helps retailers capture everyday popular search queries as well as long-tail searches. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team in delivering innovative AI-powered visual search and recommendation solutions to retailers around the world." Pixyle’s visual AI finds the location of fashion items in images, determines the category of the item i.e dress, sneaker etc and then Pixyle AI digs deeper into the image to classify attributes i.e. colour, pattern etc in language that shoppers use. This enhances the product data and improves the relevancy in search results for product discoverability, leading to higher conversion rates. The tags generated by Pixyle AI can be easily absorbed into a retailer’s existing e-commerce stack, making their search and discovery platform run seamlessly and faster. The premise behind Pixyle AI is that search engines and site search are failing shoppers owing to inconsistent, incomplete and inaccurate data quality linked to products that isn’t helping them find what they are looking for. Research shows that 94% of searches deliver irrelevant results and 72% of sites completely fall short of search expectations. As a result, the majority of shoppers abandon their search and they’re not coming back. Google has estimated (in the US alone) the cost of such bad search experiences is $300B in lost revenue each year ( source ). Svetlana Kordumova added: “Retail footfall has increased post pandemic but online shopping for clothes will continue to grow. We are also encouraged by the growth of the fast-growing fashion resale market, which presents a significant first-mover opportunity for Pixyle AI to help the circular economy take off. We have built algorithms specifically for user-generated images, allowing the AI to detect and recognize fashion items even in blurry, homemade selfies.” Pixyle AI, with offices in Amsterdam and North-Macedonia, helps brands and retailers all over the world including Tendam (Spain), Otrium (Netherlands) and Miinto (Denmark). Since going live in 2019, Pixyle AI has worked with retailers having tagged over 250M images, improving the relevance and accuracy of product attributes with 95% accuracy and increasing conversions by 10% on average. About Pixyle AI Pixyle AI is on a mission to transform the way people discover products online by helping retailers build better search with visual AI. Pixyle AI provides image recognition solutions for fashion retailers, enabling them to improve efficiency in catalogue management, deliver a better online shopping experience and boost e-commerce sales. The team is based between offices in Amsterdam and North-Macedonia and works with retailers all over the world including Depop (UK), Otrium (Netherlands) and Miinto (Denmark). For more information please visit https://www.pixyle.ai/ About CB Insights CB Insights builds software that enables the world's best companies to discover, understand, and make technology decisions with confidence. By marrying data, expert insights, and work management tools, clients manage their end-to-end technology decision-making process on CB Insights. To learn more, please visit https://www.cbinsights.com/ Contact Details Pixyle Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.pixyle.ai/

March 17, 2023 07:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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With ToolsGroup Demand Planning Software, DAB Pumps Streamlines Forecasting Processes for an Improved Customer Experience

ToolsGroup

ToolsGroup, a global leader in retail and supply chain planning and optimization software, has been selected by DAB Pumps, a leading manufacturer of water management equipment, to enhance its forecasting processes and increase planning efficiency for a better understanding of customer demand, higher service levels, and improved profitability. With six production sites across Italy, Hungary, and China, 12 sales offices worldwide, 1,700 employees, and a constantly growing business, DAB Pumps has established itself as one of the sector’s market leaders, thanks to the wide range of technological solutions aimed at optimizing energy consumption in domestic, residential, civil, and commercial applications, as well as in agricultural irrigation systems. “Our flexible, customer-oriented approach helps us set the standard for service and innovation in the water technology industry,” said Ilaria Mercanzin, Group Demand & Resources Planning Manager. We knew we could maintain and raise this level of service, limit waste, and improve profitability by adopting a solution that applies this innovative drive to our planning processes, streamlines collaboration, and increases forecast accuracy.” DAB Pumps selected ToolsGroup Demand Planning software, initially focusing on the demand planning and modeling process that would support all supply chain operations and planning phases. ToolsGroup’s unique forecasting approach generates statistical forecasts on a granular level, calculating demand for each item at each location for a finite understanding of customer needs. It also provides greater demand insights, accounting for seasonality, supporting forecast adjustments, managing product life cycles, and accelerating the forecast consensus process. This empowers the company to better manage inventory and increase customer satisfaction and service levels, all while improving profit margins. “Supply chains will be the most important part of prosperous and sustainable business practices in the future,” says ToolsGroup CEO, Inna Kuznetsova. “That’s why ToolsGroup is at the vanguard of automated, AI-driven supply chain planning that helps customers improve productivity, anticipate and counter uncertainty, and minimize their environmental impact. We’re excited that with the help of our solutions, DAB Pump’s planning processes will complement the company's existing sustainability initiatives.” What makes ToolsGroup’s forecasting approach the most accurate? Click here to find out in sixty seconds. About DAB Pumps Six production sites, four in Italy (with headquarters in Mestrino) and two abroad in Hungary and China, 12 sales offices and six representative offices worldwide, 1,700 employees, a turnover of 430 million euros. These are the numbers of DAB Pumps, a company born in Padua in 1975 specialized in the field of technologies for the movement and management of water. A success story, daughter of the continuous ability to adapt to change and to build one's own path in the belief that people and ideas come before products. The constant commitment to guaranteeing high standards of performance, the declared orientation towards sustainability and transparency, the flexible and customer-focused approach, the enhancement of human resources, the forward-looking but concrete entrepreneurial vision, which embraces the new challenges of digital and that offers its customers simple and effective solutions thanks to the know-how and talent of its professionals: these are the distinctive features of the company philosophy that have made DAB Pumps one of the big reference players in the sector at an international level. For more information visit www.dabpumps.com, or follow DAB Pumps on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook. ToolsGroup’s innovative AI-powered solutions enable retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to navigate through supply chain uncertainty. Our retail and supply chain planning suites empower a new level of intelligent decision making and unlock powerful business improvements in forecast accuracy, service levels, and inventory – delighting customers and achieving financial and ESG KPIs. Stay in touch with ToolsGroup on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, or visit www.toolsgroup.com. Contact Details Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com Company Website https://www.toolsgroup.com

March 16, 2023 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Starbucks Shareholder Seeks Removal of Howard Schultz as Director; Urges Company to Be Transparent About China Risks

National Legal & Policy Center

Ahead of Starbucks Corporation ’s annual meeting on March 23, National Legal and Policy Center is calling upon its fellow shareholders to support its proposal to provide greater transparency about the company’s risks of doing business in China, and to join NLPC in opposition to the reelection of outgoing CEO Howard Schultz to the board of directors. NLPC is sponsoring an “Annual Report on Company Operations in China” resolution at the meeting, which seeks transparency for shareholders that addresses “the nature and extent to which corporate operations depend on, and are vulnerable to, communist China….” The item is Proposal No. 7, found on page 79 of Starbucks’s proxy statement. NLPC’s response to the Starbucks board’s opposition to its proposal was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week. NLPC also is asking shareholders, in a memo filed with the SEC, to oppose the reelection of longtime (and soon former) CEO Howard Schultz to the company’s board of directors. An excerpt from NLPC’s filing on Schultz says: We believe that Mr. Schultz being removed from all leadership and advisory roles within the company would be the most effective transition. Additionally, given Mr. Schultz’s insistence on exponential growth in risk-laden communist China; his dubious and likely illegal anti-union tactics; and his harmful politicization of the Company, we believe that his complete removal would be beneficial for the development of Mr. Narasimhan and growth of Starbucks. “In the past – even when Howard Schultz had no formal title with Starbucks – he always lurked in the shadows, and seemed to intervene when he saw problems that he arrogantly believed only he could solve,” said Paul Chesser, director of NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project. “Disney had a similar situation last year with Bob Iger, who just couldn’t let the company go and undermined his successor before he returned, which led to the company’s worst year financially and image-wise in decades. Now Schultz may be doing the same with his aggressive union-busting efforts, which a federal judge has ruled are illegal.” On NLPC’s China proposal, Chesser said, “Mr. Schultz has built Starbucks’s presence in the communist nation beyond 6,000 stores, and has plans for thousands more, at a time of increasing geopolitical risk with U.S.-China relations approaching a critical point in hostilities. Shareholders must be thoroughly informed about the unique risks to the company that China’s aggression presents.” Finally, NLPC has also asked, in a memo filed with the SEC, for fellow Starbucks shareholders to support Proposal No. 9 on the proxy statement, which is sponsored by the Free Enterprise Project. The proposal asks the Company to create a special board committee to review the impacts of policies like its “Third Place Policy,” which opened its stores to anyone for the use of its restrooms and seating areas, regardless of whether they purchased anything. The practice has led to increased crime and unsafe environments around some stores, causing the closure of many of them. Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

March 14, 2023 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

ID-Pal expands into the United States with identity verification solution

ID-Pal

· Unique market offering simplifies identity verification for SMEs · Integrates seamlessly with global enterprises via API/SDK · Strategic expansion follows a successful launch in the UK in 2022 · Invited to join business and political leaders as part of Enterprise Ireland’s St. Patrick’s week program in New York Leading global identity verification solution firm ID-Pal, today introduced its offerings into the US market to meet demand for its platform across the United States. Championed by Enterprise Ireland, the US launch is building on ID-Pal’s success in serving both SMEs and enterprises across 30-plus industries with simple, secure, and convenient identity verification. Offering global coverage of more than 6000 identity documents across 200 jurisdictions and countries, clients now include payments and gift cards provider Blackhawk Network (BHN), leading procurement and compliance platform Certa, global payments company and a subsidiary of US Bancorp Elavon and the recent J.P. Morgan-acquired Global Shares. ID-Pal’s presence in the US is further bolstered by recent partnerships with financial service providers such as Spirit of Alaska Credit Union and award-winning lending and deposit account opening platform CreditSnap. The company also has an impressive network of strategic partners in the United States, that includes Salesforce, Corporate One and Melissa. Colum Lyons, CEO and founder of ID-Pal, said: “The standard of security, fast deployment, and digital transformation we provide organizations sets us apart. We work with industry leaders from across 30 sectors, which is evidence that our technology-first approach to identity verification makes it simple, secure, and convenient for any organization.” ID-Pal offers businesses an easy way to verify the identity of an individual. Using a unique blend of biometric, document, and database checks to verify identities in real time, the solution leverages automated decisioning and smart workflows to deliver industry-leading accuracy, and better outcomes, with data protection compliance built in. Available off-the-shelf to go live in minutes, ID-Pal also integrates seamlessly with existing processes via an API or SDK. It can be deployed same day and is fully customizable thus reducing lengthy development time and demands on in-house resources. Expansion into the United States allows ID-Pal to support financially regulated organizations struggling to balance compliance and fraud prevention with a friction-free user experience. The identity verification solution streamlines anti-money laundering (AML) and Know your Customer (KYC) compliance while offering a robust audit trail. Knowledge-based authentication (KBA) and database-focused solutions also struggle to match the sophistication of modern-day fraud, for which a multi-layered approach to verification via a platform like ID-Pal is needed. Karen Cohalan, Department Manager for Fintech, Financial & Business Services at Enterprise Ireland “Enterprise Ireland warmly welcomes ID-Pal’s launch in the US market. Supporting Irish-owned companies to achieve greater scale and expand their global footprint is an ongoing priority for Enterprise Ireland. Enterprise Ireland looks forward to working with the ID-Pal team to continue to support their growth ambitions as they expand their customer base in the US whilst continuing to create jobs here in Ireland.” The regtech’s official entrance into the US market comes less than a year after its successful launch in the UK and a Series A funding round. Today, UK businesses now account for over 30% of ID-Pal’s revenue and, following continued market traction there, 15% of their revenue is now from the US. Industry-approved and offering an award-winning user experience, the solution is ISO 27001 certified, which is the global SOC 2 equivalent. ID-Pal joined the prestigious 2022 AIFinTech 100 and 2023 RegTech100 lists of the world’s 100 most pioneering businesses in AI and regulatory technology, as well as ranking sixth in the Deloitte Fast 50 2022. In addition to the backing of the Irish government organization Enterprise Ireland, ID-Pal has received investment from European Inspire Investments, Act Venture Capital and US investors FA Ventures Fund, LTD, all of which have endorsed ID-Pal’s impressive expansion into new markets. Colum Lyons, CEO and founder of ID-Pal, added: "2022 was a landmark year for ID-Pal. In just nine months we launched in the UK, secured Series A funding, and now, with the support of Enterprise Ireland, our US and European investors, and our strategic partners, we are officially launching into the US in 2023.” Founded in 2016, ID-Pal is an award-winning ISO 27001 certified identity verification solution that enables businesses to verify identities and addresses in real-time. Offering a unique blend of industry-leading biometric, document and database checks to streamline AML and KYC in one GDPR compliant solution, it is available off-the-shelf and also integrates seamlessly with existing processes via an API or SDK. ID-Pal’s technology is also certified for the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework (UKDIATF). Headquartered in Dublin and backed by Enterprise Ireland, ID-Pal offers global identity verification coverage of more than 6000 identity documents and 200 verified address data sources to enterprise clients and SMEs across 200 countries and jurisdictions. Ranked sixth in the 2022 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards, ID-Pal is also a member of the global AIFintech100 2022 and listed in the RegTech100 2023. ID-Pal is a previous winner of Best Customer Facing Experience in the PAY360 Awards and the IT & Fintech Irish Times Innovation Award in 2022. For more information visit: www.id-pal.com Contact Details MKPR Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com

March 13, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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