Category: ASEAN

iROO raises funds for Rare Disorders Society Singapore

CARRY HOPE WITH iROO

Taiwanese fashion label iROO International Pte Ltd (iROO) reunites with Rare Disorders Society Singapore (RDSS) for their third annual charity campaign, specially fronted by Taiwanese celebrity Carolyn Chen. Furthermore, anybody who wants to show their support can download the iROO mobile app and bring home Hope, RDSS’s sloth mascot.

Hope represents the many dreams and wishes that RDSS beneficiaries with a rare condition have. Despite their conditions, these children have the same hopes, dreams, and wishes, any children may have. Carrying Hope shows RDSS beneficiaries how much Singaporeans care and supports them.

Anybody in Singapore and Malaysia who wants to support RDSS can get a Hope plushie from iROO. All they need to do is download iROO’s mobile application available on iOS and Google Playstore here (https://iroo.onelink.me/lGAb) and purchase Hope for just $49 each. A pair of both plushies can be purchased at $77. Each Hope plushie will come in a limited edition iROO boy’s or girl’s outfit, making Hope a collectable item. Taiwanese celebrity, Carolyn Chen, known for her roles in “The Bold, The Corrupt, and The Beautiful” and “In the Family”, will be hosting a Facebook Live to give away a pair of autographed plushies. https://www.facebook.com/carolyncatfansclub1/

Chief Operating Officer of iROO International Pte Ltd, Emily Huang says, “This is the third year iROO is working with RDSS and every year, we are increasingly proud and inspired by the work RDSS has done. 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and especially so for RDSS and their beneficiaries. As such, I hope Singaporeans will join iROO in our efforts in providing relief to these families by helping them improve the quality of life of children suffering from rare disorders.”

iROO is located at #01-131/132 Great World, #01-179-182 Vivo City, #B2-36 Takashimaya S.C Ngee Ann City, #01-11 Raffles City Shopping Centre and #01-248 Jewel Changi Airport.

About iROO

Taiwanese fashion label iROO was founded in 1999 with the concept of “weekly collections”, launching new designs in sync with runway fashion trends each week. With over 80 stores in Taiwan and Singapore, the label aims to deliver an array of high-quality products infused with aesthetically innovative designs at affordable prices. iROO houses a full collection of style wardrobe catering to the needs of every woman with its Black & White Collection, Feminine City Collection, Party Collection, Casual Weekend Collection, and the “Accessory” Collection.

iROO Outlets: Great World, Vivo City, Takashimaya S.C Ngee Ann City, Raffles City Shopping Centre & Jewel Changi Airport.

– Facebook: www.facebook.com/iroosingapore
– Instagram: @iroosg
– Website: www.rdss.org.sg
– Hashtags: #carryhope2020 #carryhoperdss #iROORDSS
– App: https://iroo.onelink.me/lGAb

For more information, please contact:
Danielle Chow
Fresh Communications
T: +65 97277766
E: danielle@freshcomms.sg

Southeast Asian Film Financing Project Market 2020 Finalists Announced

SAFF Project Market and SAFF Forum go fully virtual at ATF Online+

ScreenSingapore today announced finalists for the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market 2020.

Ten projects from China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were selected based on the project’s co-production viabilities and the strength of the filmmaking team.

This year’s SAFF Project Market sees entries coming in from 14 countries and regions across Asia, Europe and North America, including first-timers from Finland, France, and Iran.

Taking Asian Storytelling to the World

Since its launch in 2015, the SAFF Project Market has emerged as a recognised regional platform for established and upcoming content creators to come together and present their projects to the international marketplace.

Finalists will be able to meet with financiers, commissioners, and investors – albeit virtually this year – who will be able to bridge them with the resources needed to take their projects to a global audience.

Selected projects will join the ranks of SAFF Project Market alumni who have seen their projects produced, undergo production, or acquire financing.

“The SAFF Project Market funnels expertise and resource from people all-over the world and brings them ‘to-the-table’ with filmmakers for projects that have the potential for a world-wide audience. Their input gave me different perspectives that have been beneficial to the projects that we have in-development,” said Anne Prado-Magadia, President, Atom & Anne Mediaworks, and a previous participant.

“SAFF Project Market creates concrete linkages between creators and buyers. The network is definitely getting bigger every year and we’re always building new relationships with producers, financiers and distributors from the region and beyond,” said Micah Tadena, Producer, Quantum Run, and also a previous participant.

Finalists for Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market 2020:
http://www.acnnewswire.com/clientreports/598/Annex.pdf
Image download: https://we.tl/t-FIkQdXO1hk

Enabling Southeast Asia Partnerships in Media

Held alongside the SAFF Project Market is ScreenSingapore’s SAFF Forum. The theme for this year’s SAFF Forum – Southeast Asian Partnerships in Media: Content, Connectivity & Capability – will be centred on the changing landscape of content buying to discussing concepts that will lend fresh perspectives in Southeast Asian co-productions.

The fixed-timing afternoon sessions across all four days during ATF Online+ 2020 is not only a new format but will also be live streamed while meetings take place during the closed door SAFF Project Market Speed Dating sessions. Participants can attend the conference sessions while waiting for their meeting time slot.

Initial line-up of speakers and panellists for the SAFF Forum include:
– Abhi Rastogi, CEO, 108 Media
– Himanshu Shah, Owner, AV8 Media Pte Ltd
– Jeremy Chua, Founder, Potocol
– Rashid Karim, CEO, Iskandar Malaysia Studios
– Anthony Tulloch, General Manager, Iskandar Malaysia Studios
– Elliot Renton, Senior Director & Head of Asia-Pacific, Grabyo

Bridging Asian and European Producers

TIES THAT BIND (TTB), a workshop programme which combines producer training, project development and co-production meetings focusing on co-operation between European and Asian producers, returns this year as part of the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore’s line-up of events.

Five Asian and five European producers with their projects under development, have been selected to be part of the workshop which will take place online from 16 to 30 November 2020.

The selected producers will also have the opportunity to meet decision-makers at the ATF Online+ platform from 1 to 4 December 2020.

The line-up of decision-makers they stand to meet are:
– Alexis Hofmann of BAC Films (France)
– Bugno Vincenzo of World Cinema Fund (Germany)
– Carole Baraton of Charades (France)
– Charles Tesson of Aide aux cinemas du monde & Semaine de la critique Cannes (France)
– Emilie Serres of Orange Studio (France)
– Georges Goldenstern of Cinefondation (France)
– Keiko Funato of Alpha Violet (France)
– Per-Eirik Gilsvik of Sorfond (Norway)

Justin Deimen, Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), which coorganises the SAFF Project Market and Forum, said, “SAAVA is excited to present these films to the market as year on year, we continue to have an eclectic and electric mix of projects from established and emerging voices in the region, even while the industry pivots to new ways of connecting to each other and keeping business lines open.”

Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director of ATF and ScreenSingapore, said, “Our digital platform facilitates a smooth exchange of ideas and expertise between Asian producers and decision makers from the rest of the world. This is a great opportunity for Asian storytelling to go the distance, and we are encouraged by the level of support and participation received for our new format this year”.

ScreenSingapore’s SAFF Project Market and Forum, and TTB meetings will take place virtually at ATF Online+ from 1 – 4 December 2020. TTB workshops begin earlier on 16 November. ScreenSingapore is part of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF).

About ScreenSingapore 2020

ScreenSingapore – Southeast Asia’s definitive marketplace for filmmakers, producers, distributors, financiers and film buyers to explore co-production opportunities, seek financing, make deals and learn about the changing film landscape.

In 2020, ScreenSingapore will once again host the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market and Conference, in partnership with the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) and Ties That Bind: Asia/Europe Producers Workshop (TTB) to connect promising filmmakers and producers from Southeast Asia and Europe with international co-producing partners, festival programmers, distributors, commissioners, and financiers. For more information, please visit www.screensingapore.com.sg

About Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020

Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) – the region’s leading entertainment content event – is the platform of calibre to acquire knowledge, network, buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce across all platforms. It is the premier stage in Asia to engage with the entertainment industry’s top players from around the world. It’s where the best minds meet and the future of Asia’s content is shaped.

ATF facilitates opportunities to discover vital trends, crucial statistics and significant foresight particularly in TV’s digital, kids and formats arenas. Its business match-making programme open doors to new connections in the region. With over 5,700 international buyers and sellers from more than 60 countries and regions, ATF presents valuable business prospects for topof-the-line benefits. For more information, please visit www.asiatvforum.com

About Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA)

The Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), a non-profit association that seeks to unify media producers and media financiers in the region. The association’s mission is to advance creative development across the region, promote Southeast Asian audio-visual content and capabilities internationally, as well as stimulate business collaborations between its members. SAAVA’s current board of directors include Teo Yi-Ling, Justin Deimen, and Yeo Kok Siew.

About Reed Exhibitions (RX)

Reed Exhibitions is a leading global event organiser, with more than 500 events in 30 countries. In 2019, Reed Exhibitions brought together more than 7m event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed Exhibitions’ events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 38 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit www.reedexpo.com

About the Singapore Media Festival (SMF)

The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, is one of Asia’s leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia for film, TV and digital media. Taking place from 26 November to 6 December 2020, the Singapore Media Festival brings together the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore, and Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). SuperGamerFest will also be held in conjunction with SMF. For more information about the Singapore Media Festival, please visit www.imda.gov.sg/sgmediafest.

Press Contact
Ninemer Public Relations
Danielle Loh
Senior Account Manager
T: +65 9176 7502
E: danielleloh@ninemer.com

Janice Chew
Account Manager
T: +65 9685 7508
E: janicechew@ninemer.com

Building Environmental Awareness through Religious Leaders Training on Peatland and Conservation

In this modern world, all humankind has been affected by the impact of the global climate crisis. Not only facing the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we also have to deal with floods and forest fires currently occurring in our region.

Scientists have given extensive warning regarding the effects of climate change on our planet, however collective action to hinder the climate crisis is largely considered to be too slow.

At the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Project, we have made concerted efforts to play a leading role in mitigating the damage done to the environment in our region through the introduction of various initiatives, including a spiritual approach to change community behaviour and to engage them by encouraging active involvement and inclusion in all efforts taken to preserve the environment and to minimize damage.

Rimba Raya empowers local community members to play a role in protecting and conserving the peat forest with a long-term philosophy of ‘community for healthy forests and climate’. The project aims to consistently work towards achieving the UN’s SDGs, both within the project area and the bordering villages. In September 2020, Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve became the world’s first forest conservation project to independently verify its contributions to the environment, biodiversity and social SDGs under the newly created Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta), and has managed to target all the 17 SDGs goal.

In collaboration with the National Peatland Agency (BRG), Seruyan District Government, Rimba Raya conducted “Dai Gambut” Training on the 6-7 October 2020. The training was aimed at promoting capacity building efforts, help increase knowledge regarding peatland restoration and to raise awareness in the importance of being environmentally friendly in our daily activities.

The training was conducted combination between online and offline in Kuala Pembuang. There were 28 (twenty-eight) participants from 14 villages. The speakers; Kyai Cholil Nafis and Kyai Sholahuddin Al Aiyub (Wasekjen Field MUI Fatwa) used zoom to convey “environmental fiqh” (Muslim jurisprudence). The in-person meetings were presented by Dr. Fachruddin Mangunjaya or well known as Ustad Rudi. Topics included; Fusing Faith, Education and Environmentalism.

“Taking care of the environment is about making action and behavioural changes that are controlled by the human heart and mind. A religious approach can contribute to highlighting the importance of caring for our environment,” said Ustad Rudi during a training session.

After training, the Da’i will share their knowledge through religious preaching about the importance of having healthy peatland, healthy forests and the need to practice conservation and land clearing without the traditional ‘slash and burn’ technique.

“This collaboration with BRG is very beneficial for the Rimba Raya project. The hope is to encourage a change in behaviour and increase public awareness to the importance of preserving the peatland ecosystem,” said Sylviana Andhella, Executive Director of Rimba Raya Conservation.

Rimba Raya has established a partnership agreement with the National Peatland Agency (BRG) from June to December 2020 under the Deputy of Education, Socialization, Participation and Partnership. This includes 5 activities namely; peatland restoration socialization, Da’i training and/or Peat Care Pastor, Sustainable Farmer Field School, peatland restoration literature (for students); understanding value added commodities (Non-Timber products) in the 14 villages that are within the RRC working areas.

The project area acts as a vital buffer zone for TN Tanjung Puting National Park and focuses on Ecosystem Restoration. It aims to restore and preserve the tropical peat swamp forest which is essential habitat for orangutans and is managed under the principles of ecology and economic & social management. Initiatives implemented positively impact 14 villages in two sub-districts (Seruyan Hilir and Danau Sembuluh), in the Seruyan Regency, Central Kalimantan.

Rimba Raya initiatives are developed by InfiniteEARTH with a focus on assisting local communities to improve their economic status and embrace the positive impacts of being a REDD+ project.

Contacts:
Frita Junita
Communication Officer Rimba Raya Conservation
Email: rimbarayajakarta@gmail.com
Hp: +62 857-1743-7001

Endowus launches Fund Smart for Singapore investors: Build customisable portfolios with direct access to curated institutional best-in-class funds from the world’s leading asset managers

Endowus.com, Singapore’s leading MAS-licensed digital wealth management platform and the first and only digital advisor for the Central Provident Fund (CPF), has announced the launch of their new investment solution – Fund Smart. Singapore investors can now build investment portfolios from a selection of institutional share-class and trailer-fee free funds curated by the Endowus Investment Office, led by Samuel Rhee, Chairman & Chief Investment Officer at Endowus. This new solution gives investors the ability to customise their fund allocations, analyse the historical and projected performance, as well as look-through the underlying exposure and total costs across the selected funds. It also provides real time advice to investors on the suitability of the portfolio they have created against their financial needs. Similar to existing Endowus investment offerings, Fund Smart has no sales fees, no transaction fees, no lock-ups and 100% trailer fee rebates. Endowus has also built in automated rebalancing and regular savings plans capabilities to improve the client investment experience.

Endowus launched a market survey to better understand Singaporeans’ investment preferences and needs prior to designing Fund Smart. The majority of respondents indicated a strong preference for the flexibility to customise their own investment portfolios, with exposure to specific geographies or sectors (74.5%) and lower costs (84%) as key considerations. Endowus Investment Office sought to design a differentiated investment solution to take into consideration Singaporeans’ investment needs and also provide quality advice in the form of curated fund selection and model portfolios.

Samuel Rhee, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer at Endowus, said: “Fund Smart’s value proposition is clear. People struggle with too many options – a growing array of platforms, and far too many funds to choose from with confusing fee structures. Transparency is important to us as it should be to our clients. We want our clients to experience the same quality of advice we have provided with our core portfolio products, but now with greater flexibility as we introduce a new way of investing through Fund Smart. Stick to our advised and new model portfolios, or make the tweaks you need. It’s that simple. And at the same low and aligned fees you can’t get elsewhere.”

The curated model portfolios include an ultra-defensive fixed income portfolio to prioritise capital preservation to weather volatility in markets and also flexible cash management solutions, as well as thematic and sector-focused portfolios such as ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) or SRI (Socially Responsible Investing) funds, Shariah-compliant funds, and thematic funds.

Funds available on Fund Smart include those managed by Dimensional Fund Advisors, PIMCO, Vanguard, Schroders, First Sentier, Franklin Templeton, Eastspring, Fidelity, PineBridge, Legg Mason, Fullerton, Lion Global, Nikko, and UOB Asset Management.

Endowus’ no sales fee and 100% trailer fee rebate policy not only lowers the total cost of investment, but also ensures alignment of interests with the investors. As a fee-only advisory firm, Endowus is not incentivised by product providers paying them hidden sales kickbacks. The average net cost of managing portfolios with Endowus is 65% cheaper than trying to replicate the portfolios on popular platforms and private banks in the market.

Kimberley Stafford, Managing Director and Head of PIMCO Asia Pacific said, “PIMCO has had the pleasure to collaborate with Endowus since their launch. With its unique solution offerings and the launch of the new innovative Fund Smart solution, we believe Endowus, as an industry leading digital wealth management platform, will help broaden PIMCO’s outreach to retail investors in Singapore and provide them with the access to our fuller range of global fixed income investment solutions.”

Gregory Van, Founding Partner at Endowus, said “Fund Smart provides transparency and flexibility for clients to express their investment views through access to best-in-class funds, all on a secure wealth platform that is home to all their money – Cash, CPF and SRS. We will continue to help clients cut through the clutter, keep fees low and aligned, and improve everyone’s investment experience.”

Joel Kim, CEO of Dimensional Asia ex-Japan, said “Dimensional is pleased to have worked with Endowus since they started serving Singaporean investors. They are one of the pioneers of fee-based independent advice in Singapore with a strong focus on low cost, transparent and systematic approach to investing. Endowus’ launch of the Fund Smart solution is a significant evolution in their advice offering for Singaporeans wishing to invest more of their savings with Dimensional through Endowus.”

Safety and Security together with Ease of Use Are Still Important

According to the investor survey conducted, the safety and security of the platform (83.9%) are crucial deciding factors in determining where Singaporeans invest. Through Endowus’ partnership with Singapore’s largest broker UOB Kay Hian, all client assets and investments are safely held in trust under the client’s own name. As with all of the Fintech company’s product offerings, Endowus Fund Smart gives users a fully digital, fuss-free onboarding experience using MyInfo within minutes from the comfort of their own homes.

About Endowus
Endowus.com is a MAS-licensed financial technology company and the first-and-only digital investment advisor for the Central Provident Fund (CPF), Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS), and cash.

Endowus offers access to superior investment products, personalised advice, and lower costs on a seamless digital investment platform for all investors. Partnered with UOB Kay Hian, Singapore’s largest broker, client assets and positions are safely held in the client’s own name. For more info, please visit www.endowus.com/

For media queries, please contact:
PRecious Communications for Endowus
E: endowus@preciouscomms.com
T: +65 6303 0567 / +65 9644 2930

The Executive Centre launches the “Welcome Back to The Office” campaign

The COVID-19 outbreak has led to businesses and employees re-evaluating what the workplace means to them. Today, The Executive Centre (TEC), the leading premium flexible workspace provider across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, launches the “Welcome Back to The Office” video campaign, where characters find ways to adapt to the new working environment.

The campaign is a take on the work-from-home phenomenon, and while the characters in the videos are fictional, their triumphs and struggles are drawn from real experiences of TEC’s 1000+ global team.

What’s clear is that while homeworking arrangements are becoming normalised and people are enjoying less commuting, not having to dress to impress and spending more time with their families; on the flip side, there are also irreplaceable benefits of working in an office such as proper coffee in a proper coffee cup, chatting to colleagues and collaborating on projects, IT that works, comfortable ergonomic furniture, admin support, and a highly-productive environment that boosts concentration and minimises distractions.

“After an extended period of time working from home, we are inspired to explore how the typical workday has changed, and is continuing to change,” said Paul Salnikow, TEC Founder and CEO. “We believe the future of the workplace hinges on its relationship with the people who truly make it work. As the pandemic has accelerated the shift to flexible workspaces, we are certain that the office, rather than becoming obsolete, will become an increasingly valuable asset facilitating collaboration and driving business growth. Our clients are telling us that their offices of the future will need solutions that are tailored to their success, limit current challenges, give their staff maximum flexibility and provide the best office environment that they can find.”

Welcome Back to the Office – Good to leave, even better to come back.

The videos can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGzLjfneslE&list=PLfHtsCPeKvS_hVeEC_AUxLGDvlLWzFhTB

For more details, please visit https://www.backtotheoffice.executivecentre.com

About The Executive Centre
The Executive Centre (TEC) opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1994 and today boasts over 135+ Centres in 32 cities and 14 countries.

The Executive Centre caters to ambitious professionals and industry leaders looking for more than just an office space – they are looking for a place for their organisation to thrive. TEC has cultivated an environment designed for success with a global network spanning Greater China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia, with sights to go further and grow faster. Each Executive Centre offers a prestigious address with the advanced infrastructure to pre-empt, meet, and exceed the needs of its Members. Walking with Members through every milestone and achievement, The Executive Centre empowers ambitious professionals and organisations to succeed.

Privately owned and headquartered in Hong Kong, TEC provides first class Private and Shared Workspaces, Business Concierge Services, and Meeting & Conference facilities to suit any business’ needs.

For more information please visit www.executivecentre.com

Press Enquiries

Finsbury
Sheena Shah / Crystal Chow
Sheena.Shah@Finsbury.com / +852 3166 9855
Crystal.Chow@Finsbury.com / +852 3166 9838

Olympus to Support Endoscopic AI Diagnosis Education for Doctors in India and to Launch AI Diagnostic Support Application

Participating in Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications project: “Survey Study for International Expansion of AI Diagnosis Support System Using Ultra-High Magnifying Endoscopes in India”

Olympus Corporation took part in a ground-breaking project as a business promoter, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), entitled, “Survey Study for International Expansion of AI Diagnosis Support System Using Ultra-High Magnifying Endoscopes in India.” The project aims to develop advanced endoscopy diagnostics in India, where there are relatively few endoscopists.

In collaboration with CYBERNET SYSTEMS CO,. LTD., Olympus has established an AI diagnostic support system at a major medical institution, the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) based in Hyderabad, India. Specialist lecturers and physicians from Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital provided expert guidance to AIG doctors. In addition to training AIG doctors in techniques for detecting diseases and differential diagnosis by colonoscope, they also trained the doctors on how to instruct the next generation of endoscopists.

The project started on October 12. At the kick-off meeting, Satoshi Hemmi, Deputy Director-General of the Information and Communications Bureau, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications commented, “We hope to contribute to the spread of AI endoscopy systems and the development of medical care in India through training future leaders in AI endoscopy systems in India. We also hope that the cooperation between India and Japan in the field of healthcare ICT will continue to develop.”

In addition to the ultra-magnifying scope Endocyto(*1) released last year, Olympus will release endoscopic diagnostic support software equipped with AI in India from December. The endoscopic diagnostic support software EndoBRAIN(*2) and EndoBRAIN-EYE(*3) will be utilized for physician training in India. Olympus intends to assist in the development of physicians and promote the use of endoscopic diagnostics.

(*1) An endoscope that enables observation at the cellular level in real time with up to 520 times optical magnification.
(*2) AI real-time in-vivo analysis of colon lesions taken with ultra-high magnifying endoscopes, numerically indicating the possibility of neoplastic and non-neoplastic polyps to assist physicians in the differentiation and detection of polyps through figures.
(*3) AI endoscopic diagnostic imaging support software that assists physicians in diagnosing lesions by alerting if a polyp or other lesion is detected using regular colonoscope images.

Background of Olympus’ Participation

In India, the rate of cancer morbidity is expected to increase as the economy grows. On the other hand, there is a severe shortage of doctors who can conduct precision diagnostics with endoscopes, which are essential for early detection and treatment of cancer. Olympus participated in this project to support trained AIG specialists to train doctors in India and neighboring countries and to contribute to the popularization and development of endoscope diagnostics using the latest AI technology.

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Project

– Purpose:
The MIC aims to realize the sustainable development goal and SDG pledges to ensure “no one will be left behind.” To this end, the MIC aims to realize a model that contributes to SDG through digitization and to disseminate and promote an SDG + ICT model domestically and overseas between both public and private sectors. This project aims to contribute to the introduction and dissemination of Japan’s endoscopic AI diagnostic support system to India and neighboring countries in response to the social issue of increasing cancer prevalence in India.

– Projects:
1) Survey on the Current Status of Policies in the Medical Health Sector in India and the Current Status of the Introduction of Medical ICT in India:
Collecting information from major medical institutions and external research institutions and investigating the spread of medical systems, including endoscopic systems.

2) Verification through proof-of-concept tests in India:
Physicians from the Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital will train AIG physicians, from the detection of disease utilizing a colonoscope to discriminatory diagnosis, and train them as lecturers to train instructors. MIC provided equipment and training courses.

For questions or additional information, please contact:
Yuka Horimoto
+81-90-2490-1071
yuka.horimoto@olympus.com

CITIC Telecom CPC and ASTRI Transform Customer Experience with AR-based Operations and Maintenance Solution

HONG KONG, Sept 24, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (CITIC Telecom CPC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883) and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) have introduced a jointly developed Augmented Reality (AR) solution designed to transform field engineers’ operations and maintenance processes. Branded DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand Service (AR Remote Hand), the solution leverages wearable Augmented Reality (AR) technology and brings CITIC Telecom CPC’s field engineers and its customers to a new era, enabling them to slash the time and cost of troubleshooting and maintenance for achieving better results.

The AR Remote Hand Service employs AR glasses to stream real-time intelligence, troubleshooting logs, graphics and encrypted data from back-end systems to on-site engineers and maintenance staff, boosting field productivity by up to 50%. By wearing the glasses, field engineers do not have to stop their work to communicate with back-end support teams via a laptop or phone, nor to refer to a paper manual. The AR Remote Hand provides field engineers with a heads-up display for remote visualisation in real time as they install, maintain or troubleshoot equipment, thus speeding up the whole process.

Global-Local Service Enabler

CITIC Telecom CPC and ASTRI share the same vision in driving innovation and enhancing customer experience. Through the partnership, both companies not only take the latest AR technology to the next level, but also bring those benefits to a wide range of industries.

The new DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand Service meets the growing customer demand for support in managing the increasing complexity and diversity of equipment used today in data centres via the state-of-the-art solution. AR Remote Hand enables field engineers across multiple locations to overcome the challenges of multiple languages and skillsets in multi-technology environments; as well as to manage installation and maintenance issues more efficiently and cost effectively, resulting in improved customer satisfaction.

With the DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand Service, remote support teams share the same view as on-site engineers which reduces the need for and expense of travel time. This ability to work effectively from remote locations is also helping CITIC Telecom CPC’s customers and staff stay safe in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure safe operations and maintain service infrastructure availability by the global remote service support teams, CITIC Telecom CPC is using DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand Service in its China Data Center operations to assure regional customers’ business operations continuity.

“We are delighted to see the results of our strategic partnership with ASTRI in the launch of AR Remote Hand Service,” said Mr. Esmond Li, CEO of CITIC Telecom CPC. “The partnership has provided us with a solution that significantly strengthens our managed services offerings, greatly enhances the customer experience and is revolutionising the industry’s operations and maintenance capabilities. DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand is an innovative remote maintenance service adopted in data centre scenarios, which leverages AR intelligent operations and maintenance technologies. This is only the first step and we will not stop here. Through collaborating more innovative thinking, we expect to enhance the service to cope with more scenarios and bring more value and better customer experience to enterprises.”

“Our strategic collaboration with CITIC Telecom CPC has demonstrated the success in leveraging next generation technology in real-life applications that benefit our people and society, in this case smart industrial applications and field service management solutions for Hong Kong enterprises,” said Mr. Hugh Chow, CEO of ASTRI. “We are delighted that our applied research has proven effective in enhancing CITIC Telecom CPC’s customer experience, improving operational efficiency and boosting business resilience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. ASTRI, as a bridge of innovation and technology, will continue to strive to create economic value and societal impact via technology transfer and commercialisation in building a smarter and safer Hong Kong.”

In their collaboration, ASTRI focused on developing the software platform and customisation, while CITIC Telecom CPC provided related information and opinions based on its experience with business cases in various scenarios and applications. This ensured the solution could effectively address enterprise customers’ needs across a range of industries. The result is a solution that offers a wide array of benefits in service provisioning and remote location visualization and communication capabilities:

Intelligent Service Provisioning without Boundaries

Field engineers managing complex equipment and procedures for on-site service previously required significant time and effort which reduced efficiency. Thanks to the innovative wearable AR technology, the AR Remote Hand service now substantially reduces the time and cost for field service provisioning while boosting capabilities. Customers can solve problems faster while minimising downtime and expense.

1.) Intuitive AR-Guided Installation, Troubleshooting and Maintenance: With AR Remote Hand, field engineers recognise any device with a designated QR code and access real-time intelligence, graphics, and encrypted data from back-end systems streamed on-site. Field staff can access virtual step-by-step guides or even 3D manuals via AR glasses, without the need to interrupt work to check information on a laptop or in a manual.

2.) Historical Records Analysis: Using a pre-set routine (e.g. gestures), on-site engineers can review a device’s historical record (e.g. customers’ network traffic or cloud CPU history), to speed up data analysis and troubleshooting, while cutting downtime and cost.

3.) Seamless Communication and Collaboration with Back-end Support: Field engineers previously communicated with back-end support via email or phone, making it difficult to describe a troubleshooting situation. Removing distance and language barriers, back-end engineers now view real-time images streamed via AR glasses through an AR operations console, improving operational speed and quality. Its powerful video conferencing feature also offers engineers instant support and fosters off-site collaboration between global operations and maintenance teams. In addition, back-end engineers can give field engineers clear instructions via 3D AR labelling.

AR-Enabler Acts as Customers’ Remote Hands

While enterprises promote cross-regional operations and continuously develop businesses, the kinds of IT equipment used are diversified with fast upgrades, making daily IT operation and maintenance management difficult. In the past, maintenance of IT equipment was done by on-site professionals who would need to investigate and analyse the issues on-site in order to identify the solutions. However, the experience and capability of IT staff can vary. When an enterprise’s IT and maintenance staff face situations they cannot fix or when its professional engineers are not able to go for on-site support, urgent maintenance can be delayed, compromising the enterprise’s efficiency and putting it at risk.

In exceptional circumstances, such as the current pandemic, it’s difficult for enterprises’ IT staff to travel to data centres and manage their equipment. Equipped with the latest AR glasses development, CITIC Telecom CPC’s DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand serves as customers’ remote hands. It not only shows the status of on-site equipment as customers watch in real time from offices or other locations, but also lets customers to provide live instructions to CITIC Telecom CPC’s on-site engineers as they troubleshoot equipment issues without physically being in the data centre.

“At CITIC Telecom CPC, we are constantly innovating to improve the customer experience,” said Mr. Daniel Kwong, Chief Information and Innovation Officer of CITIC Telecom CPC. “We plan to extend the AR Remote Hand service for further customer use and will enlarge the list of equipment support. Adding AI applications for the AR glasses will be the next milestone as we work to deliver even more intelligent diagnoses. For example, when a field engineer sees the status of the target-fixing equipment through the AR glasses, they will be shown a number of possible causes for the problem, with each cause ranked with a percentage according to how likely it is to be the source of the problem.”

Game-Changing Innovation in Algorithm Design

Innovation Never Stops. The innovative AR Remote Hand solution is the result of the hard work of CITIC Telecom CPC’s data scientists and R&D experts based in Chengdu, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. In addition to developing the solution using AR technology, CITIC Telecom CPC’s innovation team recently received an award that highlights its engineers’ expertise in data science and algorithm design.

CITIC Telecom CPC’s Data Science professionals won the “Tianchi Big Data Competition” organised by Alibaba Group in a fierce competition with over 900 teams from industry leading companies and top universities. The team helped ELEME Inc., an online food delivery platform, to optimise their food ordering and delivery with better algorithms to provide the best routes for their riders with full consideration of the location of food stores, the time needed for food preparation, traffic on the rider’s route, service coverage in delivery areas, peak hours for food ordering, and customer waiting times.

The judges expressed their impression of the team’s innovative thinking and algorithm calculation results, not only to achieve the fastest delivery time but also the shortest extra waiting time for customers. In the future, we expect the algorithm developed by the team will continue to add value for businesses of different industries and for the social community in a range of scenarios, such as optimising traffic flow or improving plane flight paths.

About CITIC Telecom CPC

We are CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (“CITIC Telecom CPC”), a wholly owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883), serving multinational enterprises the world over by addressing their specific ICT requirements with highly scalable tailored solutions built upon our flagship technology suites, comprising TrueCONNECT(TM) private network solutions, TrustCSI(TM) information security solutions, DataHOUSE(TM) cloud data center solutions, and SmartCLOUD(TM) cloud computing solutions.

As a leading Global Local ICT Solutions Partner with worldwide footprint across East to West and native presence, we truly live our motto, “Innovation Never Stops.” Being a preferred Digital Society Enabler, we lead our key markets at the forefront of pioneering ICT development, embracing AI, AR, Big Data, IoT, and other cutting-edge emerging technologies to transform technical potential into real-world value for our customers, helping them achieve higher productivity, agility, cost-efficiency, and ultimately, Digital Globalization.

As one of the first managed service providers in Hong Kong to achieve ISO 9001, 14001, 20000, 27001, and 27017 ICT-related certifications, CITIC Telecom CPC delivers on our superior quality commitment through a broad global self-managed infrastructure encompassing some of the highest growth markets in Asia, Europe and America, with over 140 points of presence, 18 Cloud service centers, 30+ data centers, and two dedicated 24×7 Security Operations Centers.

For more information please visit www.citictel-cpc.com

About ASTRI

The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research.

ASTRI’s research and development strategic focus covers five areas of applications: Smart City; Financial Technologies; Intelligent Manufacturing; Health Technologies; and Application Specific Integrated Circuits through its mandate as the Hong Kong branch of the Chinese National Engineering Research Centre.

Our core competence in various areas is grouped under five technology divisions, namely Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics; Communications Technologies; Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies; Integrated Circuits and Systems, and IoT and Sensors.

ASTRI seeks to develop technologies that address the needs of industries, institutions and communities in Hong Kong; as well as nurture talent to create economic value and societal impact. To date, ASTRI has transferred more than 750 technologies to the industry and owns more than 850 patents in the Mainland, the US and other countries.

For further information, please visit www.astri.org.

Media Contacts:

Rowena Leung

CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited

(852) 2170 7536

Email: rowena.leung@citictel-cpc.com

Jeanette Kwok

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute

(852) 9103 0633

Email: jeanettekwok@astri.org

Hong Kong Investor Relations Association Announces Winners of the 6th IR Awards 2020

HONG KONG, Sept 24, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Hong Kong Investor Relations Association (“HKIRA”) today announced the winners of the 6th Investor Relations Awards 2020 (the “IR Awards” or the “Awards”).

Now in its sixth consecutive year, the Awards has been recognising and honouring investor relations (“IR”) excellence and best practices among Hong Kong-listed companies and IR professionals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s IR Awards Conference and Awards Presentation Ceremony was held online for the first time, where experts and professionals were invited to conduct discussions with regard to strategies, leading changes, effective processes and best practices of investor relations from different perspectives. HKIRA is particularly honoured to have Mr. Christopher HUI, JP, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, HKSAR, as the guest of honour and keynote speaker at the Awards Presentation Ceremony.

The 6th IR Awards 2020 has gained strong support from listed companies and the investment sector. The number of participating companies increased to 168 compared to last year, reflecting higher market attention to investor relations. Just like previous years, the award winners were first nominated by the public and then selected by eligible voters from buy-side and sell-side investors via online polling. Over 670 investors took part in the voting for award winners this year. The active participation of the investment community also demonstrated the wide recognition that IR Awards enjoy in the industry.

With environment, social and governance becoming increasingly important factors that affect the strategies and operation of listed companies, the 6th IR Awards added “Best ESG (E), Best ESG (S)” and “Best ESG (G)” awards as well as the “Grand ESG Award” selected by the judging panel comprising representatives from the academic field, professional associations and investment community to honour companies demonstrating excellent in all 3 areas of ESG. Apart from the awards selected by public online voting and the judging panel, the new “My Favourite Listed Company” award was added this year to make the event more exciting, as all participants of the online conference were given a chance during the event to cast the vote for their favourite company among the winning list of companies this year.

Of all the award categories, “Overall Best IR Company” is the most prestigious since the judging panel makes their selection from the winners of all the award categories – honouring companies that have demonstrated exemplary and all-round excellence in investor relations. This year, the winners of Overall Best IR Company by company size – Large Cap, Mid Cap, and Small Cap – are Xiaomi Corporation (stock code: 1810); Fortune Real Estate Investment Trust (stock code: 0778); and Sa Sa International Holdings Limited (stock code: 0178) respectively.

Dr Eva Chan, Founding Chairman of HKIRA, said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed brought challenges to the preparation of HKIRA IR Awards this year, but thanks to the support and assistance of our partners including listed companies, IROs, advisors, regulators and sponsors, and the efforts of our team, the conference and award presentation ceremony managed to go off without a hitch via live broadcast. I really want to express my gratitude to the participation of various parties and their assistance provided during the preparation. We are glad to witness the growing recognition of IR profession in Hong Kong, as well as the enlarging scale and rising standards, making IR an essential part for the corporate governance of listed companies in Hong Kong.”

She added, “Despite the uncertain situation of pandemic that forced us to postpone the event, HKIRA has maintained close communications with our members and industry since the initial outbreak in Hong Kong. In February, we announced the ‘IR Guidance amid Coronavirus Outbreak’, providing IROs with practical information and guidance, and also helping maintain communications with investors and stakeholders during the pandemic. Webinars were also held regularly, in which the industrial peers were invited to share how to overcome challenges brought by COVID-19, so as to maintain service quality of IR during pandemic through exchanging experience. Looking ahead, we will strive to maintain the excellent IR standards in Hong Kong, so as to reinforce Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre and capital market.”

Winners of the 6th IR Awards include the following companies (in sequential order of tickers):

Tickers Company

0001 CK Hutchison Holdings Limited

0014 Hysan Development Company Limited

0016 Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited

0017 New World Development Company Limited

0035 Far East Consortium International Limited

0135 Kunlun Energy Company Limited

0178 Sa Sa International Holdings Limited

0291 China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited

0435 Sunlight Real Estate Investment Trust

0551 Yue Yuen Industrial (Holdings) Limited

0659 NWS Holdings Limited

0700 Tencent Holdings Limited

0763 ZTE Corporation

0778 Fortune Real Estate Investment Trust

0799 IGG Inc

0823 Link Real Estate Investment Trust

0832 Central China Real Estate Limited

0839 China Education Group Holdings Limited

0868 Xinyi Glass Holdings Limited

0887 Emperor Watch & Jewellery Limited

0968 Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited

1044 Hengan International Group Company Limited

1119 iDreamSky Technology Holdings Limited

1200 Midland Holdings Limited

1205 CITIC Resources Holdings Limited

1361 361 Degrees International Limited

1368 Xtep International Holdings Limited

1383 Suncity Group Holdings Limited

1608 VPower Group International Holdings Limited

1756 Huali University Group Limited

1797 Koolearn Technology Holding Limited

1810 Xiaomi Corporation

1929 Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited

2020 ANTA Sports Products Limited

2103 Sinic Holdings (Group) Company Limited

2199 Regina Miracle International (Holdings) Limited

2313 Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited

2343 Pacific Basin Shipping Limited

2778 Champion Real Estate Investment Trust

3331 Vinda International Holdings Limited

3998 Bosideng International Holdings Limited

6068 Wisdom Education International Holdings Company Limited

6158 Zhenro Properties Group Limited

For the complete list of winners, please visit: http://hkira.com/awards/ehall2020.php

Strategic Public Relations Group is once again proud to be the Official Public Relations Partner and Diamond Sponsor of HKIRA IR Awards 2020.

Judging Panel

– Professor Louis Cheng (Chairman of Judging Panel)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University – Director, Centre for Economic Sustainability and Entrepreneurial Finance

– Mrs. Amy Donati

EDICO Holdings Limited – Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

– Mr. William Fung

AMTD Group – Group Vice President

– Ms. Ashley Khoo, CFA, CPA

The Hong Kong Society of Financial Analysts – Director

– Mr. Bruno Lee

Hong Kong Investment Funds Association – Chairman

– Mr. Andrew Look

CITIC Resources Holdings Limited – Independent Non-Executive Director

– Ms. Victoria Mio, CFA, CPA (US), FRM

FIL Investment Management (Hong Kong) Limited – Director, Asia Equity Investment

– Ms. Helen Zee

The Chamber of Hong Kong Listed Companies – Vice Chairman

About HKIRA

Founded in 2008 with over 900 members mostly working for companies primarily listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Investor Relations Association (HKIRA) is a non-profit professional association in investor relations (IR), comprising IR practitioners and corporate officers, who are responsible for communications between corporate management and the investment community. HKIRA is dedicated to advocating the setting of international standards in IR education, advancing the best IR practices and catering for the professional development needs of those who are interested in pursuing a professional career in IR. HKIRA’s members are from a wide spectrum of professions including IR, finance, accounting and company secretarial to corporate investment and hold positions at different corporate levels, including top executives responsible for IR and management of listed companies. For more information about HKIRA details, please visit our website http://www.hkira.com

About the IR Awards

Inaugurated in 2015, the Investor Relations Awards (IR Awards) celebrates excellence in the local IR industry through the annual presentation of awards to the many diverse professionals that make up the dynamic IR and finance industries in Hong Kong. HKIRA aims to initiate the IR Awards as the industry benchmark for high standard of excellence in IR by individuals and companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

The Awards ceremony is a significant gathering of IR specialists and industry professionals that applauds and publicises the year’s most outstanding achievements in the dynamic IR field in Hong Kong. For details of the Awards and online nominations, please visit http://www.hkira.com/awards.

Media enquiries:

Strategic Public Relations Group

Cindy Lung Tel: +852 2864 4867 Email: cindy.lung@sprg.com.hk

Angela Wong Tel: +852 2114 4953 Email: angela.wong@sprg.com.hk

Rachel Ko Tel: +852 2114 2370 Email: rachel.ko@sprg.com.hk

Website: www.sprg.asia

Hong Kong Investor Relations Association

Bowie Chan Tel: (852) 2117 1846 Email: irawards@hkira.com

Website: www.hkira.com

ZALL Smart Commerce Group To Expand Its Singapore Operations

Looks to help local SMEs navigate regional trade through ASEAN-China supply chain networks

Asia’s leading B2B e-commerce group, ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL), announced that it will be expanding the scale of its operations and investments in Singapore. ZALL will invest in its Singapore business, including Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), a Joint Venture between ZALL, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and Global eTrade Services (GeTS). It has increased its recruitment efforts, with a number of open roles for its operations and trading teams in Singapore. ZALL is also investing into technology to further enable Singapore SMEs to trade more freely across Asia.

ZALL is one of the nine bidders who made the shortlist for the Singapore wholesale digital banking license with only three licenses will be awarded by end-2020. The digital bank foray will mark ZALL’s fourth major project in Singapore as it aims to bridge the funding gap and support the expansion of local SMEs and micro-SMEs into Asia.

ZALL’s Chairman, Yan Zhi believes that the pandemic has highlighted the importance of leveraging cross-border growth opportunities, especially between ASEAN and China to build more resilient supply chains. Mr. Yan’s comments were shared at the recent FutureChina Global Forum 2020 (FCGF) that was attended by over 1,300 regional delegates who discussed the latest development trends and growth opportunities between China and ASEAN. From Singapore, the event was graced by Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Chan Chun Sing.

“While it is business as usual in China now, the rest of the world is still affected by the pandemic that has disrupted supply chains, cratering economies. Today, most of the trading and transactions have to be done online, creating an urgency for traditional businesses to leverage on digital platforms and digitally transform as soon as possible in order to survive,” emphasized Mr. Yan Zhi, Chairman of ZALL.

“With confidence, we will eventually go through the difficulties, through the epidemic and fog before us, and the world in three years will only be better,” said Mr Yan.

The pandemic has amplified Singapore’s importance in driving ASEAN-China trade, a valuable proof point around ZALL’s decision to establish its international headquarters in Singapore by launching Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) two years ago (2018). CIC is Singapore’s first B2B e-trading platform for physical commodities powered by blockchain technology. It offers a global intelligent trading platform to more than a dozen countries, helping companies to reduce transaction costs, optimise the efficiency of their supply chains across cross-border trading, financing, logistics, compliance and risk management; and achieve greater trading synergies globally.

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, CIC has seen sales revenues at approximately US$1 billion (S$1.36 billion) during the first half of this year (2020), which exceeded the total revenue throughout last year. Moreover, the number of customers on the CIC platform increased by 20 per cent as compared to 2019, resulting in a surge in the level of activity on the entire platform.

Mr Peter Yu, CEO of Commodities Intelligence Centre, shared, “Singapore has the ideal geographical location when it comes to commodities trading, playing a critical role in supporting regional trade. Singapore’s nation-wide push for digitalisation has created the necessary environment to groom digital-savvy talents, and we look forward to inviting ideal candidates to join our growing team in Singapore.”

“Be it COVID-19 or the recent spike in dengue cases, CIC offers opportunities for businesses of all sizes to mitigate crises by diversifying revenue sources and extending their global reach of their supply chains. In doing so, we are building business resilience against current and future pandemics,” added Mr Yu.

About ZALL Smart Commerce Group

ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL) is a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group (ranked 139th of Fortune China 500 companies in 2020) with a global footprint across the world and is listed on four exchanges on HKSE, NYSE, SSE and SZSE. ZALL develops and operates Asia’s largest B2B offline-to-online trade ecosystem in China and Southeast Asia, including Singapore, with more than 30 B2B platforms in China, US and Singapore, and a GFA of more than 10 million sqm of wholesale trade centres in China. In 2018, ZALL Group achieved a GMV of more than RMB 600 billion (US$85.2 bn), serving over 1 million SME customers worldwide.

ZALL has also obtained a virtual banking licence and currently operates Z-Bank in China since 2017, one of China’s top 5 digital banks that has supported more than 5.5 million SMEs and individual customers. For more information, please visit http://en.zallcn.com/

About Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC)

The Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) is a global trading platform for physical commodities including Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals, Chemicals & Plastics, Oil & Petroleum, and Agri Commodities. Officially launched in Singapore on 12 Oct 2018, CIC is a Joint Venture between China-based ZALL Smart Commerce Group, Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) to build trade connectivity through digital marketplaces and to grow a vibrant trading ecosystem in Singapore.

CIC aims to revolutionise commodity trading and facilitate cross-border trade through deal matching, trade finance, supply chain logistics, track and trace and global trade compliance. Since its establishment in October 2018, CIC has achieved a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of more than US$13.1 billion (S$17.9 billion), with over 5,000 registered users covering markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, amongst other countries in Asia. For more information, please visit www.cic-tp.com.

For media queries
PRecious Communications for ZALL
ZALL@preciouscomms.com

Tiger Brokers adds ASX to its Online Trading & Mobile App

Tiger Brokers, the NASDAQ-listed, Xiaomi-backed online brokerage focused on global trading across the world’s top markets, announced the addition of the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) to its mobile and online trading application, Tiger Trade. This brings the current number of exchanges available to regional investors to 6; the US, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and Australia: the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ, Shanghai/Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX), and since Monday, the ASX.

The addition of ASX to Tiger Trade’s offering addresses regional investors’ increasing appetite for equities, even during the current COVID-19 pandemic: Tiger Brokers witnessed a surge in account openings especially during June to August, with an increase of 43% y-o-y following the addition of SGX to the platform on June 8. With the ASX seeing an average daily on-market trading volume of AU$5.4 billion (S$5.36 billion) in July, up 21% y-o-y, it was natural that Tiger Brokers would want to provide access to ASX trading on its platform and to expand its offerings to potential ASX investors.

Mr Eng Thiam Choon, CEO of Tiger Brokers Singapore, said, “Tiger Brokers believes that technology is a strong enabler to providing convenient access for retail investors to meet their investing needs. The access to another popular stock exchange like the Australian Securities Exchange will allow investors to further diversify their investment portfolio.”

Demand for Overseas Exchanges

The top 10 stocks traded on the Tiger Trade platform included Tesla, Alibaba, Apple and Netflix from US exchanges, Tencent and Alibaba from Hong Kong, rounded out by banking stocks, glove makers and Singapore Airlines (SIA) in Singapore. Across exchanges, the sectors most traded were ihealthcare, followed by the technology sector.

“Industries like healthcare and technology have seen tremendous interest from retail investors, and surging stock prices. Tiger Trade has also seen an increased number of transactions in these stocks. We are also seeing retail investors more comfortable using online trading platforms such as ours, similar to the financial industry as a whole, which is rapidly digitizing. With more people at home, the consumption of technology has risen, and Tiger Brokers is well placed to meet that rising trend,” said Mr Eng.

Mr Wu Tianhua, CEO of Tiger Brokers, commented, “A major increase in new customers in Q2 2020 as well as a strong growth momentum in total client assets is indicative of the appeal of our service offerings to both retail and institutional clients. The improvement of these key business metrics showed strength in the business amidst the COVID-19 induced market volatility.”

Tiger Brokers Singapore is able to tap the expertise and insight of its parent UPFintech Holdings (NASDAQ: TIGR) in helping drive fintech innovation in Singapore and Southeast Asia. UPFintech Holdings focus is on global Chinese investors. UPFintech’s Q2 earnings shared positive momentum with revenue growth of 121.8% y-o-y to US$30.1 million, on trading volume of US$46.8 billion. Client assets hit a high of US$8.3 billion as of June 30, an increase of 132.9% from a year earlier. UPFintech led the rankings of underwriters among brokerages for US IPOs during H1 2020. Despite COVID-19, UPFintech assisted many firms in settling sizable orders, showing the group’s capability to serve its 500+ institutional and corporate clients. Earlier this month, it received approval for five new Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) licences in the United States.

The Tiger Trade mobile app is available for download at Apple App Store and Google Play store.
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/sg/app/id1023600494
Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tigerbrokers.stock

For media enquiries, please contact:
PRecious Communications for Tiger Brokers (Singapore)
Email: Tiger@preciouscomms.com / media@tigerbrokers.com.sg
Phone: +65 9667 3157 or +65 9152 0086