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Cloudrise Closes Seed Round of Funding

Cloudrise

Cloudrise accelerates growth in 2021 by closing out their seed round of funding, recruiting new talent to their board of directors, fostering core partnerships, and delivering best-in-class data protection and automation services to their customers. Since launching the company in October of 2019, Cloudrise has delivered 100+ data protection services projects to over 60 customers globally, including several Fortune 50 enterprises. As they continue to exceed revenue targets and the momentum builds, Cloudrise is investing significantly to expand their service delivery and research and development teams, raising the bar for data protection and automation. In May, Cloudrise secured additional capital to help to fund further growth and innovation. Stormbreaker Ventures is a key investor that helped enable Cloudrise to close the seed round of investment funding. Said Mia, Managing Partner at Stormbreaker, commented: “Cloudrise’s vision of redefining data protection through automation is unmatched in this space and we are confident their innovative drive, coupled with Stormbreaker’s investment, will propel the team into their next phase of growth. We look to partner with high-velocity companies that build effectively and efficiently, and Cloudrise's approach to date has been the best of both." With success comes the need to add more talent to the Board of Directors. A Partner at Greater Colorado Venture Fund, Marc Nager also co-founded Startup Weekend, was CEO of UP Global, and Chief Community Officer at Techstars. Marc not only brings a wealth of experience to the board, but his passions for the Western Slope of Colorado align with Cloudrise’s drive to provide opportunities within their community. “I am honored and excited to join such a passionate and innovative team. I feel strongly that this team is at the right place, at the right time in the cyber security space, and we know the Western Slope startup community is going to rally behind the amazing team they're building in Grand Junction,” said Marc Nager. Cloudrise is committed to delivering high-value, innovative solutions to their customers. “We are extremely excited to welcome Marc to the board and Stormbreaker to our investment portfolio. These partnerships will enable Cloudrise to continue to innovate and provide world-class services to our customers. We founded Cloudrise on the premise that we want to provide value to our customers every day – and for us that means maintaining genuine culture, partnering with our customers, and driving innovation based on business needs”, said Rob Eggebrecht, CEO and co-founder at Cloudrise. About Stormbreaker Ventures Stormbreaker Ventures is an early-stage fund focused on capital efficient startups. The firm believes in a future where venture capital is more equitable, more efficient, and more genuine. Stormbreaker sees an opportunity within venture capital to be a true partner to its founders, not just a check that bides time until the next round. With a portfolio of more than 30 companies, Stormbreaker's partners operate from Silicon Valley, Denver, and Houston. About Marc Nager Marc is a Partner at the Greater Colorado Venture Fund and since 2009, Marc has been a leader of the startup movement around the world. He has built and scaled programs that have served more than 500,000 entrepreneurs in over 700 cities and 142 countries around the world. At UP Global he managed a team of nearly 75 people with offices in 5 international locations and oversaw Startup Weekend, Startup Next, Startup Digest, Startup Week, and Startup America. He's worked with grassroots and political leaders from around the world as well as executives at many FT500 companies around innovation and entrepreneurship. Originally from the small town of Mammoth Lakes, CA, Marc now lives in Telluride where he served as the Managing Director for the Telluride Venture Accelerator. When he is not working to change the state of rural economies, he can be found out in the mountains. About Cloudrise Cloudrise was founded by business and security entrepreneurs with experience in global markets, successful start-ups, and Fortune 500 companies. Combining decades of data protection expertise with automation, Cloudrise focuses on securing data wherever it resides. They assist organizations by assessing, enabling, automating, and managing their data protection and privacy programs. At Cloudrise, they are redefining data protection. Cloudrise can be found at www.cloudrise.com or on LinkedIn. Contact Details CLoudrise, Inc. Jodi Lewis +1 800-917-7619 sales@cloudrise.com Company Website https://cloudrise.com/

June 22, 2021 11:11 AM Central Daylight Time

Timber Exchange urges exporters to Egypt to prepare for July transition to new customs platform

Centersource

While Egypt’s new advanced cargo information (ACI) system is expected to streamline regulatory requirements for importers, the new system represents a significant departure from the current customs system. B2B supply chain platform with marketplace and market data Timber Exchange by Centersource is reminding timber exporters and other companies shipping to Egypt to prepare for the transition. Effective July 1st, Egypt’s unified registration system, called NAFEZA, will become the only means of processing maritime imports into the country. The new regulation will require exporters to submit all cargo data and documents (commercial invoices, packing lists, and final or initial bills of lading) with 3 additional unique elements: ACID number representing the shipment, Importer taxation ID, Exporter registration number upon vessel’s sailing from Port of Loading. If documents indicate wrong or mismatched numbers, cargo will be banned from being loaded on board. Furthermore, all exporters must be registered on CargoX’s blockchain-document-submission platform. Other processes that exporters should be aware of include: Exporters are responsible for providing importers with accurate information: Exporter’s company cargo ID. Exporter’s type ( whether it is a factory, branch, etc..) Correct details of the contact person. Clear details of Proforma Invoice including GS1 code or part/item number & HS code. Create and verify a CargoX account. Ensure that verified ACID 3 elements are added on required documents. Create an ACI filing envelope & submit it to Customs authorities in Egypt through CargoX or through one of its integrated partners such as Timber Exchange by Centersource Technologies. In addition, exporters should be aware of the Importer's responsibilities, which include: Importers will have to register an account on the electronic portal, NAFEZA. Importers must register primary and detailed information about the shipment in order to apply for the issuance of ACID number. Failure to meet ACI requirements could cost exporters. In a scenario where the cargo is loaded onto the ship, but the documents were not submitted in time or one or more of the three elements are missing or miss-matched, the cargo will not be discharged in Egypt, and all re-export costs will be borne by the carrier. In the final weeks before the mandatory operation phase of NAFEZA, Centersource is working to bring the timber industry up to speed to avoid any disruption. Centersource’s founder and CEO Amir Rashad is available to talk about what exporters to Egypt can do to prepare for the next phase of NAFEZA. Amir and his team of 30 logistics professionals are also available to discuss the ways in which Timber Exchange is creating trading opportunities across challenging markets, and helping exporters overcome language and regulatory barriers. To speak with the Timber Exchange team, contact Mai Taha at mai@centersource.io or Jéssica Sanduta at jessica@centersource.io. About Timber Exchange Timber Exchange is a supply chain and risk management cloud-based system by Centersource Technologies offering supply chain tools, market data and marketplace. The platform is built specifically for the unique needs of the forestry industry to drastically improve overall performance and coordination. 80 smart tools in 5 languages cover all steps from inquiry of cargo until it arrives at destination. This allows stakeholders to manage sales, logistics and legal obligations from a central workspace that automatically creates tasks and warnings. 40% of the work can be automated, which reduces delays and helps avoid deviations in responsibilities. The Swedish company is on a mission to automate global trade. Today the company employs 30 full-time staff with extensive, solid, and international experience in technology, forestry, trade finance, and business intelligence. Contact Details Charlie Pesti +1 267-439-4355 charlie@pesti.io Company Website https://www.centersource.io/

June 22, 2021 12:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Utah Community Credit Union Signs on to Participate in Mobile Driver’s License Pilot

GET Group North America

GET Group North America and The Utah Driver License Division (DLD) jointly announced today that Utah Community Credit Union (UCCU) will be the state’s first financial institution equipped to accept mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) as a legal form of identification for all banking transactions. UCCU is a pioneer of Utah’s recently launched mDL pilot program, providing Contactless ID banking transactions that ensure safety, security, and accuracy with a quick tap or scan – never requiring the phone to change hands. Utah is the first state in the U.S. to pilot an mDL that is fully compliant with international standards that ensure citizens can use it globally as a legal form of identification. The Utah DLD is using GET Mobile Administrator to issue optional mobile driver’s licenses to the state’s mDL pilot participants. The citizen has complete control of the data they choose to share -- limiting it to what is needed to complete their banking transaction. UCCU is one of the largest Utah-based financial institutions, and provides financial services including mortgage, commercial and consumer loans, checking accounts, credit and debit cards, and other banking technologies and services. They are the premier financial instituion to accept mDLs in the state of Utah, continuing their tradition of technology leadership. During the pilot, UCCU will use GET Mobile Verify. Mobile driver’s licenses are verified contactlessly by any standardized equipment at point-of-service, providing verification of identity information while preserving the privacy of Utah residents. Cryptographic proof of ID allows UCCU to unequivocally confirm the identity has not been tampered with, eliminating the subjectivity of visually checking an ID. IDs verified only by visual inspection cannot be trusted. “We are excited to be a pioneer in Utah’s mDL pilot, as we believe standardized mobile IDs provide a more convenient, safe and secure means for our members to entrust their identity information to us,” said Justin Olson, CIO, UCCU. “It has long seemed logical for driver’s licenses and IDs to follow the path of credit cards, and so many other parts of life, by going mobile. The pandemic has really accelerated our pursuit of ways to enable contactless exchanges of information and improve our customer service.” “UCCU jumped to the front of the pack to accept Utah mDL, and we’re thrilled to announce UCCU as the first of a series of pioneers to accept mDL and help us realize the vision of trusted mobile identities accepted across our great state,” said Chris Caras, Director of the Driver License Division for the State of Utah Department of Public Safety. The pilot will initially include 100 select Utah residents and expand to 10,000 participants including the broader public this year. To mark the launch of UCCU’s participation, the press, and new and existing UCCU customers are invited to become among the first pilot participants by signing up for an mDL at events held on Tuesday, June 29 th at UCCU’s Draper branch (112 E 12300 S) and Wednesday, June 30th at the Lehi branch (3333 Digital Dr, Lehi) from 10am-2pm. These will be the first two locations to accept mDLs. A valid Utah driver’s license is required for mDL registration. About GET Group North America GET Group North America and its partners develop, manufacture, and implement end-to-end solutions for secure physical and mobile credentials that enable government agencies, motor vehicle departments, municipalities law enforcement organizations, and other entities to leverage the latest in secure identity management technologies. From photo ID cards, driver’s licenses and passports, to mDLs and mIDs, GET Group NA delivers advanced issuance, verification and personalization capabilities that prevent identification fraud, accommodate diversified customer needs, and support the future of ID use cases. About Utah Community Credit Union (UCCU) Founded in 1955, Utah Community Credit Union (UCCU) is an organization rooted in the credit union philosophy of "people helping people" and built on traditional values of commitment to outstanding service, respect for others, and fiscal responsibility. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of honesty, professionalism, and integrity and are committed to achieving excellence in operations, products, and member service. With consistent and reliable service delivery, we create trusting relationships with our members. We are a member-centric organization. Our decisions at all levels are based on what is in the best interest of the member, while maintaining a financially strong and stable organization. Contact Details SVM Public Relations Jordan Bouclin +1 401-490-9700 jordan.bouclin@svmpr.com Company Website https://getgroupna.com/

June 22, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation partners with NEST to Bring Hands-On Construction Camp for Girls this Summer

NEST

Middle school and high school-age girls from the Philadelphia area will attend a complimentary in-person construction camp this summer to provide real-world experience, mentorship, and education about the opportunities that exist in the construction industry, regardless of gender. The camp is called MyWIC, which stands for Mentoring young Women In Construction, and will take place two days per week in Philadelphia between July 12 and Aug. 17, 2021. MyWIC is run by the NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation, which partnered with companies like NEST, a leading national facilities management company to make it a reality. “Many girls are unaware that a career in construction can be extremely fun and financially rewarding,” said Mary Gaffney, NAWIC Phila. Foundation Treasurer. “Through the MyWIC camp, we work to promote construction awareness as well as leadership and team-building skills, build self-confidence, self-esteem, and boost their overall self-image.” “We can give these girls an incredible experience thanks to the support of companies like NEST, who is providing resources and expertise through their network of major retail partners here in Philadelphia and across the country,” added Gaffney. “Supporting the next generation of women in the construction industry is extremely important to us at NEST,” said Rob Almond, CEO of NEST. “We have a shortage of skilled men and women across the industry and the attendance in trade schools has seen a downward trend. Helping build up the profession of working in the trades has been a passion of mine for years.” The day camps will take place at several locations throughout the Philadelphia area during the months of July (12 th, 13 th, 19 th, 20 th, 26 th, 27 th ) and August (2 nd, 3 rd, 9 th, 10 th, 16 th, and 17 th ). About Mentoring Young Women In Construction Mentoring young Women In Construction (MyWIC) is a free, construction industry, day camp for 7 th through 12 th -grade girls in the Philadelphia region. MyWIC is organized and run by the NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation, a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, and sponsored by various organizations throughout the Philadelphia region. About National Association of Women in Construction With more than 115 chapters across the country, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) offers its members education, support, and networking to help advance women’s careers in construction, build their technical skills, and become leaders. NAWIC’s core purpose is to strengthen and amplify the success of women in the construction industry from tradeswomen to business owners. The Philadelphia Chapter of NAWIC and the NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation are volunteer organizations. About NEST NEST is the pioneer of the Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) industry in the United States and Canada since 1994. NEST’s Integrated Facilities Management 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 the informed insights that enable them 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/

June 22, 2021 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Quarter4 Closes $1.6M Seed Funding Round

Quarter4

Quarter4, an easy-to-use, AI-driven predictive sports data and analytics provider for sports, media and betting companies, today announced the closure of its seed funding round, raising $1.6 million (USD). The round will be used to acquire strategic talent to expand Quarter4’s technical and sales teams. The company plans to double its headcount by the end of 2021. Quarter4 is currently using deep learning neural networks to grow their proprietary AI technology. In addition to acquiring talent, the funding from this round will aid in the technological expansion of Quarter4’s business-to-business services, including doubling its industry-leading predictions to two million predictions-per-day by September 2021, which will incorporate NFL forecasts. Quarter4’s technology team is also expanding its data reporting capabilities to include predictive probabilities for live in-play betting and odds and market analysis. The round was led by Shore Capital Sports & Entertainment, an advisory and investment firm with offices in Toronto and New York. As part of its strategic investment, Shore Capital Sports & Entertainment will also take an active role assisting Quarter4 with business development, strategic partnerships as well as financial advisory services. Scott Secord, Managing Partner, will also join the Board of Directors for Quarter4. Mr. Secord is the former President/CEO of Gaming Nation Inc., a publicly traded company on the TSXV, which was acquired in 2018 by a private equity firm. Prior to Gaming Nation, Mr. Secord held the position of President/CEO of Pointstreak Sports Technologies Inc. from 2009 until 2015. “Quarter4’s technology is exciting because it spans across the sports landscape providing incredible data and rich insights for sports betting, sports media and sports broadcasting companies,” said Scott Secord. “The opportunities in the sports and gaming industry seem limitless, but we understand that the strength of this market lies in the quality of the data powering the industry. Our investment in Quarter4 shows our commitment to continually improving how data is delivered to sports companies across the globe.” Terry McInally, Chief Compliance Officer of Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, will join Secord on the Quarter4 Board of Directors. He previously served as Partner and National Gaming Practice Leader at Richter Advisory Group, the National Gaming Practice Leader for PwC and an executive at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). “We’ve seen exceptional demand for our market-leading analytics in the past year. Sportsbooks and gaming companies, sports leagues, technology and data providers as well as broadcast and media partners need valuable data to make smarter decisions and create richer content for their respective audiences,” said Kelly Brooks, co-founder and CEO of Quarter4. “This investment allows us to scale our capabilities and work directly with leading partners like Scott and Terry to create cutting edge technology solutions to continue to shape the global gaming industry.” For more information please visit Quarter4.io. ABOUT QUARTER4 Quarter4 is a revolutionary artificial intelligence platform that generates thousands of daily predictions called 4Qasts. The easy-to-use sports technology delivers proprietary insights, related to team and player performance, in just seconds. Quarter4 provides sportsbooks, data providers, media agencies and sports bettors with predictive data that is unique, personalized and non-biased. Contact Details Michael Adorno +1 212-931-6143 madorno@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://quarter4.io/

June 22, 2021 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Exchange Listing LLC Advises and Facilitates Logiq, Inc’s Listing on the NEO Exchange

Exchange Listing

Exchange Listing, LLC assisted with the listing of Logiq, Inc. (“Logiq” or the “Company”), a global provider of eCommerce and fintech solutions, on the NEO Exchange in Canada yesterday. Logiq closed its initial public offering of 1,976,434 units of securities of the Company (the “Units”) at a price of C$3.00 per unit for aggregate gross proceeds of C$5,929,302 (the “Offering”). Each Unit consists of one share of common stock of Logiq (a “Unit Share”) and one purchase warrant (each, a “Warrant”). Each Warrant is exercisable to acquire one share of common stock of Logiq (a “Warrant Share”) at a price of C$3.50 per Warrant Share for a period of 36 months. Logiq, which is based in New York, will trade on the NEO Exchange under the symbol LGIQ. Its common stock will continue to be traded in the U.S. on the OTCQX Market as LGIQ. The IPO was led by Research Capital Corporation as the sole agent and bookrunner. “ Exchange Listing efficiently guided us all the way through the listing process, including introducing us to the right people at NEO, connecting us with the investment banker, advising us on strategy, coordinating the entire team, and assisting with corporate governance,” said Brent Suen, Logiq ’s executive chairman and president. “As a U.S. company, filing in Canada can be complex, but Exchange Listing ’s hands-on approach facilitated a smooth listing. We consider Exchange Listing to be a trusted partner, one that we’ve relied on not only for the NEO listing but also as a strategic business consultant.” Logiq provides eCommerce marketing solutions for major brands using a variety of innovative technologies including a data engine and artificial intelligence-powered machine learning that enable deep consumer insights and user engagement analytics. “With the explosion of eCommerce showing no signs of abating, we think the Canadian market represents a great opportunity for Logiq,” said Peter Goldstein, Chief Executive Officer of Exchange Listing. “Today’s listing on the NEO Exchange will raise Logiq ’s visibility, open doors to future funding and help it continue on its growth path. We were thrilled to work closely with Logiq ’s management, investment banker and attorneys to help launch the company on the NEO Exchange.” Exchange Listing enables emerging growth companies to list on senior stock exchanges such as NYSE, NASDAQ and NEO. With extensive experience in investment banking, securities law, corporate governance and business management, Exchange Listing and its strategic partners facilitate its clients’ listing and capital markets objectives. Exchange Listing is designated as a Trusted Service Provider by the NEO Exchange, a listing of leading experts committed to meeting the needs of capital raising companies. About Exchange Listing Exchange Listing provides growth companies with direct access to a one-stop solution in the strategic planning and implementation of listing on a senior exchange such as NASDAQ or NYSE in a cost effective and efficient process. We assist clients in going public whether through an initial public offering, listing from another marketplace, merger or direct offering. We serve as the primary point of contact with the exchange, investment bankers, lawyers and other service providers. Our founders, strategic partners and advisors are entrepreneurs with backgrounds in investment banking, securities law, corporate governance and business management and have served as officers and directors of public and private companies. We pride ourselves in taking a hands-on role with our clients throughout the listing process. For more information, please visit: www.exchangelistingllc.com or contact info@exchangelistingllc.com. Contact Details WantLeverage Communications David Coleman +1 860-794-5520 dlccoleman@comcast.net WantLeverage Communications Julie Livingston +13472390249 julie@wantleverage.com Company Website https://exchangelistingllc.com/

June 22, 2021 08:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Lightbits Labs Appoints Gil Sasson to Chief R&D Officer

Lightbits Labs

Lightbits Labs™, the pioneer and leader in NVMe™ over TCP (NVMe/TCP) cloud-native storage, announced it has hired Gil Sasson as its Chief Research & Development Officer. Sasson, a multiple patent holder, has vast experience in both R&D and cloud-native applications. At Lightbits, he will be responsible for leading all the product development engineering efforts and directing the design and deployment efforts for the company’s private and edge cloud solutions offerings. Prior to joining Lightbits, Sasson served as vice president of R&D at N2WS (a former Veeam company) and managed R&D and customer support teams in the US and Israel. In that role, he successfully decreased N2WS’ release cycles from 6 months to 2.5 months while growing its R&D productivity by more than 25 percent. Before his time at N2WS, Sasson, an expert in agile development, served as chief technology officer at HUAWEI where, among other activities, he established the company’s Storage and Data Protection Competence Center at Israel and filed multiple patent applications on storage and data deduplication. He also has held R&D and software development leadership positions at IBM, FilesX Data Protection (acquired by IBM in early 2008), IR Solutions and TopIO. “Gil’s mastery of R&D and expertise in cloud-native applications and container environments orchestrated with Kubernetes will further fuel our global growth,” said Eran Kirzner, CEO of Lightbits. “With Gil’s extensive insights into customer needs and his proven track record in managing R&D teams to meet those needs, we are confident he will be instrumental in helping us build upon our solutions showcasing the value, efficiency and scalability of software-defined, cloud-native storage.” Lightbits continues to fill key leadership roles this year fueled by a rapid increase in the customer base of their flagship product, LightOS™, and a 5X increase in revenue in 2020. LightOS provides disaggregated, NVMe-based software-defined storage that enables easily scalable capacity, enterprise-class data services, flash-optimized efficiency, and independent scaling of compute and storage resources. It runs on commodity storage servers over standard Ethernet networks and requires zero modification to the application servers to achieve hyperscale deployments at lower cost, greater scalability, and better performance than DAS or other software-defined storage solutions based on Ceph or iSCSI. The company is on a mission to democratize hyperscale storage, making it available to enterprise IT organizations supporting high-performance databases (both SQL and NoSQL-based), big data analytics, and web-scale environments using either virtual or container-based architectures. For more information on the Lightbits leadership team, go to: https://www.lightbitslabs.com/company/ Additional resources: Lightbits Grows Revenues by Over 5X in 2020 While Driving Innovation Through Technology Advancements and Patents Cloud-Native Storage Innovator Lightbits Labs Announces Carol Platz as Vice President of Marketing Lightbits Labs Named Digital Innovator 2021 Customer Success Story: Finanz Informatik Technologie Service About Lightbits Labs Lightbits Labs’ mission is to lead the cloud-native data center transformation by delivering scalable and efficient software defined storage that is easy to consume. Founded in 2016, Lightbits brings the agility of hyperscale storage to private clouds and edge clouds. The company pioneered NVMe/TCP so the solution is easy to deploy at scale, while delivering performance that is similar to local flash. Lightbits Labs is backed by strategic investors including Cisco Investments, Dell Technologies Capital, Intel Capital, and Micron, as well as top investors and VCs including Avigdor Willenz, Lip-Bu Tan, Marius Nacht, SquarePeg Capital, and Celesta Capital. Visit www.lightbitslabs.com or contact us at info@lightbitslabs.com. Follow Lightbits Labs: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook Lightbits, Lightbits Labs, LightOS, and Lightbits SuperSSD are trademarks of Lightbits Labs, Ltd. ### Contact Details Lightbits Labs Carol Platz pr@lightbitslabs.com Company Website https://www.lightbitslabs.com/

June 22, 2021 08:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Agora Data Announces Commercial Real Estate Lending Program

Agora

Agora Data, dedicated to providing robust financing options to help meet the capital needs of Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) dealers and smaller finance companies, today announced the company’s launch of AgoraPoint. AgoraPoint offers financing for commercial real estate and facilities and is another step to providing a holistic one-stop funding solution for dealers. Steve Burke, CEO of Agora Data, Inc. stated, “AgoraCapital provides more capital capacity than traditional lenders and enables BHPH dealers to grow their portfolio to two, three or four times their current size. Many dealers need to open new locations to handle that growth and Agora wants to make that funding easy for the dealer through AgoraPoint.” Offering a new funding source for subprime dealers to efficiently and effectively obtain capital to grow their dealership’s footprint reinforces Agora’s commitment to make available to the BHPH industry innovation and resources to fuel business. Members that connect their portfolios to the Agora platform, immediately start to realize the benefits of Agora’s proprietary modeling that outlines their business potential and the keys to maximize growth. Chris Barry, SVP of Sales at Agora stated, “When I talk to a dealer and let them know they qualify for $20 million in capital when their current lender has them capped at $5 million, the dealer asks how they can use the $20 million with only one car lot. AgoraPoint helps make the purchase of more lots possible.” AgoraPoint is the latest product added to Agora’s family of products all powered by radical AI and machine learning. Agora is dedicated to enabling BHPH dealers and small to mid-tier finance companies grow safely and have available abundant and affordable capital. About Agora Data, Inc: Founded in 2017, Agora Data’s mission is to provide access to capital for Buy Here Pay Here dealers and small to mid-sized finance companies. Pioneered by Agora Data, AgoraCapital, AgoraCredit and now AgoraPoint all provide critical funding so small- to mid-sized dealers can obtain all the cash they need to fuel growth. Agora’s proprietary, radical, AI-infused technology connects dealers and finance companies with the capital markets. Agora Data made history by closing the first-ever Crowdsourced Subprime Auto Securitization in 2020 and followed that up with its second transaction in early 2021. For more information, visit agoradata.com or contact us at 877-592-4672. Contact Details Shelly Vandeven +1 682-282-4130 media@agoradata.com Company Website https://agoradata.com/

June 21, 2021 11:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Minuteman Press Franchise in Bellingham Helps Buzzing Local Economy Recover from Pandemic

Minuteman Press International Inc

For Michael Tilley and his team at Minuteman Press in Bellingham, the COVID-19 pandemic brought forth unprecedented challenges but also new opportunities for growth as an essential printing business. Michael says, “Early on, a lot of our clients asked us if we were open. They were happy to know we were still operating and able to help them communicate to their customers that they were open as well. We put renewed emphasis on fast turnaround and timely delivery, which really set us apart since they knew they could rely on us.” By remaining open and operating, Minuteman Press in Bellingham supported a wide range of businesses and groups that relied on print and marketing to keep the community informed. Michael says, “The way we kept growing during the pandemic was that we offered products and services for other essential businesses. We worked with local restaurants, fire departments, police departments, hospitals, schools, and other vital organizations. They all needed signage and direct mail campaigns to promote updated guidelines for employees, customers, patients, and students. We were glad to be able to help spread the word.” Today, as more businesses reopen, Minuteman Press is ready to help them ramp up their advertising and marketing efforts. Michael explains, “As businesses come back, we are helping them by providing fresh banners, window graphics, flags, and full-color photos on windows. We’ve also been printing packaging materials such as labels, tags, boxes, and information sheets. Another popular service we provide is dye sublimation, which enables us to produce custom mugs and branded apparel.” Another way that local businesses can engage and connect with customers right now is by utilizing direct mail campaigns. Michael says, “Direct mail was and is getting more popular because it allows businesses and groups to reach out to their target audiences and reinforce operational updates. We’ve produced a combination of newsletters, postcards, and letters for local governments, local tribes, non-profit groups, and for-profit businesses.” “It’s been really great to see more businesses reopen and recover, especially those that were impacted. The local economy is buzzing again and we are getting even busier.” -Michael Tilley, owner, Minuteman Press franchise, Bellingham, Washington As a local small business owner himself, Michael can empathize with his clients and share his own insights from the past year. He says, “The most important thing to do is reach out to your current and former customers. Let them know you are there and engage with them. We have developed a multi-faceted marketing plan that includes phone calls, emails, direct mail, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Because we’ve done it ourselves and have found success, we know it can work for our clients and other local businesses.” Print is a vital marketing channel that can be used in conjunction with digital to deliver tangible results. Michael explains, “I think one aspect of this is that the pandemic jogged us back into a physical reality. We are physical beings and we are not cyber creatures. It made people pay more attention to print and how it’s all around us. Our ability to produce tangible printed items that people can see, feel, and connect with is a real benefit to my business. The printing industry in general makes sure business customers get what they need. It’s great to be able to rely on something when the world’s a little bit sideways.” Michael has owned Minuteman Press in Bellingham since September 2014. He shares, “Previously, I was a biology professor and I have a PhD in molecular genetics. I lived in Missouri and I moved to Bellingham to be closer to my children, which was the driving force behind switching careers. I was new to owning a business so I wanted to go into something with a framework in place. I bought an established Minuteman Press franchise and liked the potential to build on the existing customer base.” By providing ongoing local support, Minuteman Press International helped Michael transition from his prior career to becoming a business owner in a totally new industry. He says, “The support has been really solid all the way around. My Regional Vice President Chris Jutt and Area Manager Jayson Kraus have been great. I can call them anytime and they have been a great resource. I also enjoy the fact that we are provided with marketing strategies, content, and product ideas that we are free to use but that we also have enough freedom to run our franchise the way we see fit. Minuteman Press offers a solid system with a lot of knowledge behind it.” Michael reflects on his time as a business owner, saying, “I enjoy the fact that the work I do has a direct impact on how the company performs. I feel it’s important to have the right staff in place and to also manage the team properly. I have a staff of seven and I know that happy employees do a great job. The satisfaction I get from running my business the right way and growing a successful company is the ultimate reward.” As for what advice he would give to other local business right now, Michael shares, “Things are opening up, and business is going to start getting much busier for everyone. Act now so you don’t fall behind the curve. Have you worked out what your marketing plan is going to be when things do ramp up? Be prepared organizationally and develop a coherent marketing strategy across all different touchpoints. From web to print, be consistent with your branding and your messaging.” Minuteman Press in Bellingham is located at 4025 Iron Gate Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226. For more information, call 360-738-3539 or visit https://www.bellingham.minutemanpress.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

June 21, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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