Category: Digitalization

NextPlay Technologies Enters into Agreement to Acquire Crypto Technology from Token IQ to Enhance Fintech and ICO Portal Offerings

NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP), a digital business ecosystem for digital advertisers, consumers, video gamers and travelers, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the assets of Token IQ, a leading innovator in digital asset management with its smart compliant token technology. Token IQ has many unique capabilities, but its greatest attributes are its ability to afford cryptocurrency owners a solution to replace their assets should they lose access to, or control of, their assets and its handling of “Know Your Customer” (KYC) issues — solving many key regulatory requirements. NextPlay will not only look to license the IP, but also plans to integrate the service into its wholly owned Bank — NextBank International to better serve its cryptocurrency customers.

Mark Vange, CTO of NextPlay and founder and CEO of Token IQ, stated, “Token IQ was built upon the early recognition that many digital assets may in the future be treated as securities. I’m excited that we can now make Token IQ part of NextPlay, given the many synergies that have developed around digital asset management across NextPlay’s ecosystem.”

One of the primary issues associated with crypto investing is the existential custody risk associated with the loss of passwords or wallet seeds, resulting in the inability to access assets. A critical function of Token IQ is the ability to allow issuers to manage this risk across public distributed ledgers — a key solution needed by any cryptocurrency owner, and a technology that we anticipate will become a cornerstone for all of our NextBank and Longroot coin offerings. This patent-pending technology also allows issuers to control the flow of tokens. The Token IQ technology can be invaluable in the enforcement of “Know Your Customer” (KYC) and other regulatory requirements which is a sensitive area that regulators around the world are increasingly focused on. The platform also supports vesting, lockups and asset freezing, which can enhance market making and liquidity while also reducing risks around custodianship, inheritance, and other legal circumstances related to proper asset disposition. We plan to pursue patents for this proprietary technology in key markets around the world.

The Token IQ foundational IP is designed to reconcile legal and regulatory requirements around digital assets, including KYC, Anti-money laundering (AML) and shareholder rights enforcement, all common pain points within the crypto markets today. It has been designed to do so across a distributed ledger, including Ethereum and Stellar.

According to NextPlay co-Chairman, J. Todd Bonner: “We see Token IQ technology becoming core to all our fintech-related activities, from Longroot’s cryptocurrency portal and HotPlay’s in-game tokens, to powering our NextBank fintech and planned NextTrip medical tourism offerings. We also expect the Token IQ acquisition to bring valuable technology and software development talent which is expected to support rapid integration with our platform and those of our partners, as well as further IP development.”

To learn more about Token IQ, visit tokeniq.io.

The acquisition of Token IQ is subject to certain closing conditions, including the approval of NextPlay’s shareholders. Future details of the acquisition can be found in NextPlay’s Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.sec.gov or the investor relations section at NextPlayTechnologies.com.

About NextPlay Technologies

NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP) is a technology solutions company offering games, in-game advertising, crypto-banking, connected TV and travel booking services to consumers and corporations within a growing worldwide digital ecosystem. NextPlay’s engaging products and services utilize innovative AdTech, Artificial Intelligence and Fintech solutions to leverage the strengths and channels of our existing and acquired technologies. For more information about NextPlay Technologies, visit nextplaytechnologies.com and follow us on Twitter @NextPlayTech and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of, and within the safe harbor provided by the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations, opinions, beliefs or forecasts of future events and performance. A statement identified by the use of forward-looking words including “will,” “may,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimate,” “should,” and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release. Factors that may cause such a difference include risks and uncertainties related to our need for additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all, which raises questions about our ability to continue as a going concern; the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant material adverse impact on the travel industry and our business, operating results and liquidity; amounts owed to us by third parties which may not be paid timely, if at all; certain amounts we owe under outstanding indebtedness which are secured by substantially all of our assets and penalties we may incur in connection therewith; the fact that we have significant indebtedness, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition; uncertainty and illiquidity in credit and capital markets which may impair our ability to obtain credit and financing on acceptable terms and may adversely affect the financial strength of our business partners; our ability to close, timely, or at all, the acquisitions of certain intellectual property assets from Fighter Base and Token IQ, as previously disclosed; that the officers and directors of the Company have the ability to exercise significant influence and voting control over the Company; stockholders may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing, satisfy obligations and complete acquisitions through the issuance of additional shares of our common or preferred stock; if we are unable to adapt to changes in technology, our business could be harmed; our travel business depends substantially on property owners and managers renewing their listings; if we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, our ability to compete could be impaired; our long-term success depends, in part, on our ability to expand our property owner, manager and traveler bases outside of the United States and, as a result, our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations; unfavorable changes in, or interpretations of, government regulations or taxation of the evolving ALR, Internet and e-commerce industries which could harm our operating results; risks associated with the operations of, the business of, and the regulation of our recent acquisitions of Longroot Holding (Thailand) Company Limited (Longroot), HotPlay Enterprise Limited (HotPlay) and NextBank International (formerly IFEB); the market in which we participate being highly competitive, and because of that we may be unable to compete successfully with our current or future competitors; our potential inability to adapt to changes in technology, which could harm our business; the volatility of our stock price; risks associated with the integration of the operations of HotPlay, Longroot and IFEB, which acquisitions we recently competed; the fact that we may be subject to liability for the activities of our property owners and managers, which could harm our reputation and increase our operating costs; and that we have incurred significant losses to date and require additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by NextPlay are detailed from time to time in NextPlay’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings “Risk Factors”. These reports are available at www.sec.gov. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on the Company’s future results and/or could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. The Company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: NextPlay Technologies, Inc

Company Contact:
NextPlay Technologies
Richard Marshall
Director of Corporate Development
Tel (954) 888-9779
Richard.Marshall@NextPlayTechnologies.com

NextPlay Technologies Enters into Agreement to Acquire AI-Powered Video Game Development Technology from Fighter Base Publishing, Inc.

NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP), a digital business ecosystem for digital advertisers, consumers, video gamers and travelers, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire from Fighter Base Publishing, Inc.

(FBP), the assets and AI-powered video game development platform of FBP’s wholly-owned division, Make It Games(TM).

Make It Games (MIG) enables developers to create video games powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Its technology supports the training of virtual characters to be more lifelike in appearance and behavior. Proprietary AI animation tools help program game or film characters to fully animate themselves, saving as much as 70 percent of the typical time and cost of animation.

Fighter Base Publishing was founded by Mark Vange, NextPlay’s recently appointed chief technology officer. Formerly a chief technology officer at Electronic Arts, Vange has authored over 41 granted patents in the US for innovative technologies that have defined the industry. This acquisition by NextPlay will include pending patents that cover Make it Games’ proprietary AI game development technology.

Tony Harman, Make It Games president, is also expected to join the NextPlay technology team. He had previously helped lead Nintendo America and has numerous game credits that include Donkey Kong Country and Grand Theft Auto.

“We see our AI technology enabling NextPlay to power everything from rapid game and ad creation to advertising optimization, travel recommendation and richer virtual experiences,” said Mr. Harman, “This can mean faster product time-to-market along with higher-margin digital asset monetization and product sales across the NextPlay digital ecosystem. We also believe that licensing the technology to other game and film studios, ad agencies and other content creators could become a significant revenue driver for NextPlay.”

NextPlay co-CEO Nithinan ‘Jessie’ Boonyawattanapisut, commented, “We believe that the addition of Make It Games technology and its leadership will help accelerate our global initiatives and transform NextPlay into a powerhouse in online advertising, interactive digital media, gaming, fintech and travel, and serve as a bridge for us to expand into the metaverse. They are expected to greatly augment our growing global technology group that is focused on developing and implementing innovative consumer-engaging assets across multiple media channels.”

Additional details of the acquisition can be found in NextPlay’s Current Report on Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which is available at sec.gov or the investor relations section at NextPlayTechnologies.com.

About NextPlay Technologies
NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP) is a technology solutions company offering gaming, in-game advertising, crypto-banking, connected TV and travel booking services to consumers and corporations within a growing worldwide digital ecosystem. NextPlay’s engaging products and services utilize innovative AdTech, Artificial Intelligence and Fintech solutions to leverage the strengths and channels of our existing and acquired technologies. For more information about NextPlay Technologies, visit NextPlayTechnologies.com. Follow us on Twitter @NextPlayTech and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of, and within the safe harbor provided by the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations, opinions, beliefs or forecasts of future events and performance. A statement identified by the use of forward-looking words including “will,” “may,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimate,” “should,” and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release. Factors that may cause such a difference include risks and uncertainties related to our need for additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all, which raises questions about our ability to continue as a going concern; the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant material adverse impact on the travel industry and our business, operating results and liquidity; amounts owed to us by third parties which may not be paid timely, if at all; certain amounts we owe under outstanding indebtedness which are secured by substantially all of our assets and penalties we may incur in connection therewith; the fact that we have significant indebtedness, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition; uncertainty and illiquidity in credit and capital markets which may impair our ability to obtain credit and financing on acceptable terms and may adversely affect the financial strength of our business partners; the officers and directors of the Company have the ability to exercise significant influence and voting control over the Company; stockholders may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing, satisfy obligations and complete acquisitions through the issuance of additional shares of our common or preferred stock; if we are unable to adapt to changes in technology, our business could be harmed; our travel business depends substantially on property owners and managers renewing their listings; if we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, our ability to compete could be impaired; our long-term success depends, in part, on our ability to expand our property owner, manager and traveler bases outside of the United States and, as a result, our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations; unfavorable changes in, or interpretations of, government regulations or taxation of the evolving ALR, Internet and e-commerce industries which could harm our operating results; risks associated with the operations of, the business of, and the regulation of our recent acquisitions of Longroot Holding (Thailand) Company Limited (Longroot), HotPlay Enterprise Limited (HotPlay) and NextBank International (formerly IFEB); the market in which we participate being highly competitive, and because of that we may be unable to compete successfully with our current or future competitors; our potential inability to adapt to changes in technology, which could harm our business; the volatility of our stock price; risks associated with the integration of the operations of HotPlay, Longroot and IFEB, which acquisitions we recently competed; the fact that we may be subject to liability for the activities of our property owners and managers, which could harm our reputation and increase our operating costs; and that we have incurred significant losses to date and require additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by NextPlay are detailed from time to time in NextPlay’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings “Risk Factors”. These reports are available at www.sec.gov. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on the Company’s future results and/or could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. The Company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: NextPlay Technologies, Inc
Company Contact:
NextPlay Technologies, Inc.
Richard Marshall
Director of Corporate Development
Tel (954) 888-9779
richard.marshall@nextplaytechnologies.com

SEEK Invests in JobKorea, Korea’s Largest Recruitment Platform, as part of a Strategic Path to be the Best Digital Career Platform in Asia

SEEK Limited (SEEK), the Australian listed tech company which owns two leading online employment marketplaces JobStreet and JobsDB in Southeast Asia, today announced a USD48M investment in JobKorea, Korea’s largest online employment platform. SEEK will own a 10% stake, and Peter Bithos, CEO of SEEK Asia, will join JobKorea’s Board.

Peter Bithos, CEO of SEEK Asia (left) and Yoon Byung-joon, CEO of JobKorea (right)

Commenting on the investment, Peter said: “This partnership is a big win not only for SEEK and JobKorea, but more importantly for all jobseekers and employers in Asia. With JobKorea, the leading job marketplace in Korea, we can now touch the lives of an additional 25 million jobseekers and 5 million employers in one of the largest economies in the world.”

“Through this investment, we look forward to helping JobKorea with our market-leading insights into big data, how to leverage AI, and our commercial and technical experience building the leading jobs and career marketplaces across APAC,” he added. “We also look forward to learning from JobKorea as it continues to build on its leadership in one of Asia’s most dynamic, sophisticated markets.”

This investment will provide an opportunity for SEEK to add value to JobKorea’s market leading position, while SEEK focuses on its operations, fast-tracking its ongoing transformation and growth of its existing Asia businesses. SEEK’s digital teams continue to make major inroads in building products and solutions driven by AI and market data, which combined with SEEK’s deep local insights and resources in each location, differentiate it from other international players.

For JobKorea, this partnership will provide an opportunity to leverage SEEK’s experienced management team and their significant expertise in operating global online employment and human capital management platforms.

Yoon Byung-joon, CEO of JobKorea, said “We are delighted to have a partnership with SEEK, a company with a wealth of experience in the global online employment market. We believe that this relationship will be an opportunity for JobKorea to make a quantum leap to the next level. With competition becoming ever fiercer to hire talented people such as good managers, developers or tech specialists, JobKorea will move toward a global HR platform that connects the Korean employment marketplace internationally.”

The remaining 90% of JobKorea is owned by Affinity Equity Partners (AEP), a leading global private equity player and the largest in Korea. AEP acquired 100% of JobKorea in May 2021.

About SEEK

SEEK is a diverse group of companies, comprised of a strong portfolio of online employment, educational, commercial and volunteer businesses. SEEK has a global presence (including Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, South-East Asia, Brazil and Mexico), with exposure to over 2.9 billion people and approximately 27 per cent of global GDP. SEEK makes a positive contribution to people’s lives on a global scale. SEEK is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, where it is a top 100 company and has been listed in the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies by Forbes.

SEEK operates leading online employment marketplaces across Asia through JobStreet (https://www.jobstreet.com.sg/) and JobsDB (https://sg.jobsdb.com/), with presence in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Shenzhen, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. The business has a strong brand and a significant presence in the South East Asia region, attracting 400 million visits a year. https://www.seek.com.au/about/

About JobKorea

JobKorea, established in 1996, is the largest online employment marketplace platform operator in Korea. The Company operates two online employment marketplaces, JobKorea (full-time) and Albamon (part-time), where employers place their job postings and candidates search through the platforms to find suitable positions. JobKorea is the only employment marketplace platform in Korea that services both full time and part time markets.

As the #1 player, JobKorea has 25 million jobseekers and 5 million employers with 11 million unique visitors and 110 million job postings in as of yearend 2020. https://www.jobkorea.co.kr/

Loop Media, Inc. Launches The Wiggles Channel Exclusively First On The Roku Channel Beginning August 19th

  • Expands Loop Media’s Content and Growing Roku Presence with its First Program Offering Specifically for Children

Loop Media, Inc. (Loop) (OTC: LPTV), a leading multichannel streaming platform that provides curated music video and branded entertainment channels for businesses and consumers, today announced a significant expansion of its existing partnership with Roku, Inc. Loop will bring its fully-dedicated The Wiggles Channel exclusively, initially to Roku(R) beginning August 19th.

Now, through Loop Media, The Roku Channel will be the home for 24/7 availability of one of the world’s most popular children’s entertainment groups. Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home for free entertainment on America’s No. 1 TV streaming platform based on hours streamed (Hypothesis Group, April 2021).

Today’s announcement and launch follows closely on the heels of the companies’ recent partnership announcements in both the U.S. and Canada that bring several customized Loop Media music video channels to Roku customers, thereby expanding Roku’s entertainment line-up.

The Wiggles are one of the most successful global children’s franchises of all time. For the past thirty years, The Wiggles have educated, entertained and enriched the lives of millions of pre-schoolers (and their parents) all over the globe. Today, generations of fans that grew up watching are sharing their love of The Wiggles with their own children. Loop’s dedicated streaming and broadcast channel for The Wiggles, first available on Roku, will initially air content from the original Wiggles, featuring Greg, Anthony, Murray and Jeff. It will include series such as “Wiggle TV” and “The Wiggles Show,” as well as specials such as “Wiggle Time!”, “Yummy, Yummy” and “Baby Antonio’s Circus.”

“The Wiggles brand has established itself as a global powerhouse for decades in the children’s world, delighting kids and parents alike through song and dance,” said Ashley Hovey, Director, The Roku Channel AVOD. “We are thrilled to bring this family-friendly, sought-after content to the millions of engaged users on The Roku Channel just in time for Kids & Family’s second anniversary. It’s a great way to celebrate this milestone!”

“Loop’s partnership with Roku will finally allow our fans continuous access to some of the most popular Wiggles content of all-time,” says Anthony Field, Blue Wiggle and founding member of The Wiggles. “In today’s age of cord-cutting and streaming preference, it is important that we give our fans as many options as possible to enjoy The Wiggles.”

“Roku has been a fantastic partner to Loop Media for our streaming music video channels, so we are pleased that they are our inaugural partner for this channel launch,” said Jon Niermann, CEO & Co-founder of Loop Media. “The Wiggles Channel is something that we are very excited about and grateful to have the opportunity to produce and distribute. This is another fantastic, curated revenue-generating channel for Loop Media, and is one that will entertain kids and families globally like few other kids branded channels can.”

About Loop Media
Loop Media, Inc. (“Loop Media”) (OTC: LPTV) is a leading multichannel streaming platform that provides curated music video and branded entertainment channels for businesses and consumers. Through its proprietary “Loop Player” for businesses and interactive mobile and TV apps for consumers, Loop Media is the only company in the U.S. licensed to stream music videos directly to consumers and venues out-of-home (“OOH”).

Loop Media’s digital video content reaches thousands of OOH locations including hotels, bars/restaurants, office buildings, and retail businesses, as well as millions of consumers in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America through its apps for iOS, Android, and Huawei, as well as connected TVs and Smart TVs. These TV platforms include Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, AT&T TV, Hisense, JVC, LG, Philips, Roku, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, VIZIO, and free ad-supported TV platforms TIVO+, Plex, DistroTV, and GSTV.

Loop is fueled by one of the largest and most important libraries that includes music videos, movie trailers and live performances. Loop Media’s non-music channels cover a multitude of genres and moods and include movie trailers, sports highlights, lifestyle and travel videos, viral videos, and more. The Loop Media consumer apps allow users to create their own playlists, or “Loops,” and share them live with interactive watch parties. Loop Media’s streaming services generate revenue from advertising, sponsorships, integrated marketing, and branded content from free-ad-supported-television (“FAST”) and from subscription offerings.

Download the Loop Media app by searching “Loop Media” on your Smart TV’s app store or opening loop.tv/app on your mobile device. To learn more about Loop Media products and applications, please visit us online at Loop.tv

Follow us on social:
Instagram – @looptvofficial (consumer), @looptvbiz (business)
Twitter – @looptvofficial (consumer), @looptvbiz (business)
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/looptv/

About The Wiggles
For three decades, The Wiggles have educated, entertained and enriched the lives of millions of pre-schoolers (and their parents) all over the globe. Today, generations of fans that grew up watching are sharing their love of The Wiggles with their own children. Having sold over 30 million albums and DVDs, 8 million books globally, as well as accumulating over one billion music streams and 2 billion views on YouTube, The Wiggles are a dominant player in the preschool entertainment scene. Their live shows annually sell out to audiences on three separate continents, and their videos are seen in over 190 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.thewiggles.com.

Safe Harbor Statement and Disclaimer
This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, but not limited to, Loop Media’s ability to compete in the highly competitive markets in which it operates, statements regarding Loop Media’s ability to develop talent and attract future talent, the success of strategic actions Loop Media is taking, and the impact of strategic transactions. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations, opinion, belief or forecasts of future events and performance. A statement identified by the use of forward-looking words including “will,” “may,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimate,” “should,” and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements. Although Loop Media believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof. Loop Media takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by Loop Media. Loop Media’s SEC filings are available at http://www.sec.gov.

Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.

Loop Media, Inc. Press:
Justis Kao
Loop Media, Inc.
justis@loop.tv

Boku launches M1ST, the world’s largest mobile payments network, connecting Southeast Asia Digital Consumers to global merchants

Boku Inc. (AIM: BOKU) today announced the launch of the M1ST (aka Mobile First), the world’s largest mobile payments network. The M1ST Payments Network features an unrivalled 330+ mobile payment methods, including mobile wallets, direct carrier billing, and real-time payments schemes, reaching 5.7 billion mobile payment accounts in 90 countries – all through a single integration.

By 2022, middle class in Southeast Asia is expected to wield over US$300 billion in disposable income. The region’s middle class is expected to double to 51 per cent in 2030 from 24 per cent in 2020 – or from 135 million people to 334 million people. According to the World Bank, 45% of consumers globally use mobile wallets vs. just 18% that use credit cards for payments. In Boku’s 2021 Mobile Wallets Report showed that Southeast Asia will become the fastest growing mobile wallet region in the world: the number of mobile wallets in use by SEA consumers is projected to increase by nearly 25.5% to reach 439.7 million mobile wallets in use by the end of 2025.

“In a Confidence Index survey, 52 per cent of the merchants in SEA experienced a high level of growth during H1 2021 and 70 per cent of these merchants are expecting additional growth of more than 10 per cent in Q3 2021. This shows that despite the challenging times, digital consumers continue to make purchases digitally. The launch of M1ST will not only allow SEA merchants and digital consumers to connect within the region, but also to global markets seamlessly, with a payment method that is useful and convenient to them,” said Loke Hwee Wong, Vice President and General Manager, APAC at Boku.

However, mobile payment acceptance for global merchants is highly complex, especially due to the extreme fragmentation of mobile payment methods. M1ST solves a number of these challenges so that merchants can easily accept mobile payments, globally, and at scale, including:

– Standardization – M1ST removes the complexity of disparate technical, legal and contractual considerations, simplifying 330+ payment methods into a single, scheme-like network.
– Digitally Native – M1ST enabled payments are built to support the 0-tap subscriptions and 1-tap checkout transactions that enable new, online business models.
– Future-Proofed – By 2025, nearly 60% of consumers globally are projected to be using mobile wallets; the M1ST Network follows market demand to maximize merchant acceptance.
– Global Settlement – M1ST delivers merchants a single, global settlement, eliminating the complexity of local taxes, foreign exchange, and cash repatriation.
– Local Legal Infrastructure – Through payment licenses and local entities, M1ST is capable of accepting regulated payments in nearly 50 countries.

M1ST is designed to eliminate the difficulty of mobile payment acceptance so that merchants can accept mobile payments more quickly, at lower cost, and focus on building world-class user experiences that drive long-term, valuable relationships with their customers.

“We’ve seen a fundamental shift of consumer purchasing power from west to east, from established to emerging markets, and from credit cards to mobile payments. Today, we’re launching the M1ST Network to enable global merchants to acquire, monetize, and retain mobile-first consumers,” said Jon Prideaux, CEO of Boku. “For merchants to capitalize on the massive potential of mobile-first consumers, they need to accept the payment methods they have and prefer, which are increasingly behind glass screens, not rectangular pieces of plastic. We’ve spent the past decade delivering new customers to our merchants through mobile payments. Now that mobile payments have overtaken credit cards globally, merchant acceptance has moved from a competitive advantage to a strategic imperative.”

About Boku

Boku Inc. (AIM: BOKU) is the fintech powering the world’s largest mobile payments network, M1ST (Mobile First). With 45% of global consumers using mobile payment methods to buy goods online, compared to 18% using credit cards, the future of commerce is mobile-first. Boku’s technology platform helps the world’s most demanding merchants attract, convert, and retain customers using mobile payments. By turning payments infrastructure into a source of sustainable competitive advantage, Boku safely activates a range of new merchant business models – from bundling to subscriptions.

Boku’s platform is used in 90 countries with more than a billion verified transactions in 2020, contributing more than $8 billion to the digital economy. Customers that trust Boku to simplify sign-up, acquire new paying users and prevent fraud include global leaders such as Apple, DAZN, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Sony, Spotify and Tencent.

Boku Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in London, UK, with offices in Brazil, China, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the US. To learn more about Boku please visit: https://www.boku.com

Boku in Asia

In Asia, Boku’s payment partners for Mobile Wallets include: AliPay, Dana, GCash, GoPay, GrabPay, KakaoPay, LINE Pay, Ovo, PayMaya, PayPay, Toss, Touch ‘n Go, Truemoney
Boku also partners with payment partners to offer Direct Carrier Billing: AIS, BSNL, Celcom, Digi, dtac, Globe, Indosat Ooredoo, Jio, Korea Telecom, KDDI, LG U+, Maxis, M1, NTT Docomo, StarHub, Singtel, Softbank, SK Telecom, Smart, Smartfren, Tata Docomo, Telkomsel, Three, TrueMove, Vodafone, XL (amongst others)

Enquiries:
PRecious Communications for Boku, Inc.
Singapore/Asia Pacific: Clarence Lim, boku@preciouscomms.com

KGiSL wins Common infrastructure for Brokers Back Office Project from Stock Exchange of Thailand

KGiSL, a global IT Products, Solutions, and Services provider, today announced the landmark contract that was won by KGiSL against significant competition from one of the largest stock exchanges in the ASEAN, The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). KGiSL will rollout Dolphin – a state of the art, cutting-edge technology back-office (BO) platform for brokers in Thailand. The platform will be hosted by SET and will be made available to brokers. The implementation is expected to be completed in the next 16 months.

KGiSL’s flagship product for Capital Markets – Dolphin, caters to 60% of the leading institutional brokers in India by supporting their back-office clearing and settlement operations. The new platform is set to become the one-stop-shop solution to the brokers of Thailand with its ability to handle multiple asset classes including Equities, Bonds, and Offshore Trading, for both retail and institutional brokers. The next generation technology platform has been tested for handling 5 million trades/ day and has the potential capability to scale vertically and horizontally, to support any increase in business volumes. Dolphin was chosen over the other leading global platforms, because it had a better fit to the requirements and also for the robustness, scalability, and automation capabilities, it offers.

Dr. Pakorn Peetathawatchai, President, The Stock Exchange of Thailand said, “This is one of our most ambitious and challenging projects to establish a common, streamlined infrastructure that will open up new possibilities for Thai brokers to revolutionize their back office business models. We strongly believe that continued support from participating brokers in providing valuable insights, along with KGiSL’s delivery capability are key ingredients to contribute the project’s success.”

On the association with SET, Prassadh Shanmugam, Director & Chief Executive Officer KGiSL said, “This is a huge win for KGiSL. Dolphin has been the undisputed market leader in India so far, but we have had limited successes in other markets. This order opens up the entire ASEAN & APAC market to create similar success stories like how we have done in India. KGiSL is poised to invest more in Dolphin’s capabilities by adding Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Business Intelligence (BI) and Analytics. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Pakorn Peetathawatchai, President of The Stock Exchange of Thailand and the rest of the management in placing their trust in KGiSL and Dolphin.”

About The Stock Exchange of Thailand: www.set.or.th

SET is the most liquid stock market in ASEAN with end-to-end services to empower seamless journey for all investors, securities brokerage companies and market participants. SET has transformed toward partnership platform by harnessing world-class technology and digital innovation to enable all parties to benefit from the Thai capital market in line with vision “To Make the Capital Market Work for Everyone”. A number of open architecture and interoperable platforms have been developed with aims at building ecosystem crucial for fundraising, wealth creation and the country’s development; widening business opportunities for operators in securities industry while offering investors convenient access to investment data, products and services.

About KGiSL: www.KGISL.com/gss

KGiSL is a global IT Products, Solutions, and Services provider in the BFSI space. KGiSL offers Software Products, Solutions and Services, Intelligent Automation, ERP (SAP), CRM, Business Intelligence and Analytics, Quality Engineering, IT Infrastructure Management and Custom Application Development. KGiSL has offices in India, US, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Thailand.

KGiSL is part of the $750 million business conglomerate KG Group with interest in Textiles, Engineering, Healthcare, Education, Real Estate, Entertainment, Software and Business Support Services. The Group employs over 25000 people and is known for its philanthropic services to the community for over 8 decades.
For further information, please contact:

KGiSL: Sampathkumar S | sampathkumar.s@KGISL.com | +91 9940069884

Adfactors PR (India):
Bhargav TS | bhargav.ts@adfactorspr.com | +91 9884883350
Shamitha Hegde | shamitha.hegde@adfactorspr.com | +91 9003107361
Adfactors PR (Singapore):
Namrata Sharma | namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com | +65 8138 3034

Gaming platform Zupee closes Series B at over $500 Million valuation

Zupee, a leading innovator in India’s online skill-based gaming industry, has announced that it has raised $30 million at a pre-money valuation of $500 million in Series B funding round. This round of funding has been co-led by Silicon Valley based WestCap Group and Tomales Bay Capital, with participation from Matrix Partners India & Orios Venture Partners.

Dilsher Singh

This round comes within 6 months after its Series A round at a $100 million valuation, which is more than 5x increase in the company’s valuation. With total funds raised now at $49 million, Zupee is backed by some of the best in the industry – WestCap Group, Matrix Partners India, Smile Group and Orios Partners. The company has an existing user base of over 10 million users. This new round of funding will be used to enable scaling efforts through expanded product portfolio, deepening market reach and hiring global talent.

Founded in 2018 by graduates of India’s leading institution IIT Kanpur, Dilsher Singh and Siddhant Saurabh, and incubated with funding from Smile Group, Zupee innovates by reengineering time-tested games and enabling them to enhance skill, joy and hope. The company’s portfolio has innovative gaming formats of multiple popular board games. The flagship gaming app hosts live trivia quiz tournaments and has seen over 250 million gameplays.

Dilsher Singh, Founder and CEO, Zupee said, “Games inherently celebrate the journey and nurture self-expression. That’s what I am committed to building with Zupee – an organization which enables people anywhere in the world to enhance their intrinsic happiness through games. We innovate to ensure our games provide an intersection between skill and entertainment, enabling our users to earn while they play. We thank our investors for believing in our purpose and enabling us to progress on our journey to transforming it to reality. Our journey has just begun; 10 million happy users in India, billions more globally we want to touch through our innovative games.”

“WestCap remains a key strategic investor and operating advisor to Zupee and we are increasing our interest again as part of this most recent funding round,” commented Laurence A. Tosi, Founder and Managing Partner of WestCap and early investor in Zupee. “Dilsher and his world class team have innovated some of the most compelling and widely used mobile games of skill in India. The enduring appeal of the Zupee games brings engagement, enjoyment and empowerment to the widest audience of any gaming platform in the market. This funding will enable the Zupee team to invest further in innovation, expand its suite of games and aggressively pursue international expansion. Zupee has exponentially accelerated its growth over the last 12 months, making them one of the largest and fastest growing game companies globally.”

According to industry reports, the global online gaming industry is estimated to grow from $98 billion in 2020 to $272 billion in 2030. In 2020, the industry saw over 53 billion mobile gaming downloads worldwide, of which 17% came from India. By the end of this year itself, there will be 2.9 billion players worldwide.

About Zupee

Zupee is an online skill-based gaming platform startup based in India that is focused on innovating and creating games that engage, entertain and empower users.
More information about the company and its founder is available at https://www.zupee.global/

For further information, please contact:
Vikas Kumar – 9811054648; vikas.kumar@zupee.in
Himani Rautela – 9711306576; himani.rautela@zupee.in

The Glimpse Group Announces the Acquisition of its 10th Subsidiary Company: Auggd, an Augmented Reality Software and Services Company, and the Establishment of Glimpse Australia

  • Asset Acquisition ushers Glimpse into the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) segment and entrance into the Australian enterprise markets

The Glimpse Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRAR) (Glimpse or the Company), a diversified Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) platform company providing enterprise-focused VR and AR software & services solutions, announced today that on August 13, 2021, it acquired the assets of Augmented Reality Investments Pty Ltd, an Australia based company (Auggd).

Auggd (https://auggd.com/) provides AR software and services to the AEC industry in Australia, Europe, and the US, creating experiences that visualize buildings, bridges, roads and underground services at true scale in their real-world environments. These can result in improved building, lower construction costs, clearer planning and impactful marketing. Since its inception approximately eight years ago, Auggd has generated over $2MM in aggregate revenue and has successfully deployed hundreds of mobile AR apps across a broad range of industry sectors.

Video Link: https://player.vimeo.com/video/586889339

The acquisition was structured as an asset acquisition and no liabilities were assumed by Glimpse. The transaction is equity based only (no cash consideration) and includes an initial nominally dilutive issuance of common shares, with the majority of future equity based acquisition payments subject to the achievement of significant Auggd revenue growth milestones over the next three years. Auggd has historically been cash flow neutral-to-positive and the acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to Glimpse.

Matthias Krampe, Co-Founder and Head of Business Development at Auggd, is expected to move to the US to lead it as its General Manager under Glimpse. His focus will be to expand Auggd’s presence in the US, while simultaneously supporting and growing the existing Australian and European base.

Mr. Krampe commented, “We are thrilled to join Glimpse’s diverse and robust ecosystem of VR & AR companies. We expect to leverage Glimpse’s diverse base of top tier customers and relationships across industries to propel our growth in the AEC markets in the US. In parallel, our proprietary software and services will be integrated with Glimpse’s technology platforms, further strengthening it to the benefit of all Glimpse companies. In addition, our existing operations in Australia and customer base will form the initial base of Glimpse’s operations in Australia (“Glimpse Australia”).

Lyron Bentovim, President & CEO of The Glimpse Group said: “The AEC market represents a significant strategic market opportunity for Glimpse. We believe that Auggd is well positioned to capture an increasing share and drive adoption of these novel technologies. We welcome Matthias and his team to Glimpse and look forward to his leadership in building out Glimpse’s AEC client pipeline in the US as well as Australia and Europe.

Mr. Bentovim continued: “In addition, Auggd has built a respected reputation in Australia with clients across industries that also include automotive, consumer goods and technology, sales and marketing, and education. The acquisition represents a unique opportunity for Glimpse to enter the continent. The establishment of Glimpse Australia will allow us to introduce our plethora of enterprise focused VR/AR companies and solutions to the Australian market, which we believe is often overlooked by US companies yet has tremendous growth potential. With a base of operations in place locally, we may also seek to add other Australian VR/AR companies to Glimpse Australia over time, thereby creating a true Glimpse hub.”

About Auggd
Auggd is a specialized AR software development and services company based in Sydney, Australia. Since its inception in 2014, Auggd has been focused on developing and delivering enterprise solutions, products and services tailored specifically for the Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) sector to visualize design intent to all stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle in order to reduce the costs associated with rework. For more information on Auggd, please visit https://auggd.com/

About The Glimpse Group, Inc.
The Glimpse Group (NASDAQ:VRAR) is a diversified Virtual and Augmented Reality platform company, comprised of multiple VR and AR software & services companies, and designed with the specific purpose of cultivating companies in the emerging VR/AR industry. Glimpse’s unique business model simplifies challenges faced by VR/AR companies and creates a robust ecosystem, while simultaneously providing investors an opportunity to invest directly into the emerging VR/AR industry via a diversified platform. For more information on The Glimpse Group, please visit www.theglimpsegroup.com

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to buy any securities of any entity. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof. Our actual results may differ materially from those stated or implied in such forward-looking statements, due to risks and uncertainties associated with our business. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” and “would” or similar words. All forecasts are provided by management in this release are based on information available at this time and management expects that internal projections and expectations may change over time. In addition, the forecasts are entirely on management’s best estimate of our future financial performance given our current contracts, current backlog of opportunities and conversations with new and existing customers about our products and services. We assume no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Company Contact:
Maydan Rothblum
CFO & COO
The Glimpse Group, Inc.
(917) 292-2685
maydan@theglimpsegroup.com

Investor Relations:
Mark Schwalenberg, CFA
Director
MZ Group – North America
312-261-6430
Glimpse@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us

Top tech leaders to discuss key opportunities & challenges in Asia’s SD-WAN & SASE ecosystem

Multifunctionality businesses rely on a strong network infrastructure that can support heavy data usage. With the quality of internet connectivity and broadband speed improving drastically, enterprises are seeking to shift from legacy MPLS to SD-WAN and SASE services.

The shift in trend to cloud-based solutions combined with certain demographical advantages that APAC’s geographical positioning provides the potential for huge demand for SD-WAN and SASE services.

The inaugural edition of SD-WAN and SASE Summit will digitally converge key players and experts to help Asian countries digitize at speed and scale, on 19 August 2021.
The summit will feature eye-opening keynotes, government and enterprise use-case presentations, exciting product showcase, panel discussions and tech talk to discuss the latest challenges and explore the latest applications in SD-WAN and SASE powered solutions.

The event will focus on topics such as: Outlining possible pathways for SD-WAN evolution; Understanding SASE: The Why, What and How; Key architectural requirements of SASE; Key architectural requirements of SD-WAN; How Machine Learning changes SD-WAN; Main characteristics of the new era; and much more.

The summit will feature a groundbreaking collaboration of experts such as:
– Dr IR Ismail, Director General of Spectrum Management and Standardisation of Post and ICT, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) of Republic of Indonesia
– Vladik Arshanski, IT Communication & Infrastructure Director, NVIDIA Networking BU
– Zeus Kerravala, Founder and Principal Analyst, ZK Research
– Boaz Avigad, Director of Product Marketing, Cato Networks
– Shashi Kiran, Chief Marketing and Product Officer, Aryaka Networks, a Cloud-First WAN company
– Vikram Dua, Sr. Director, Head of Enterprise IT Security, Philips India Ltd
– Marlon P Sorongon, CISO, Maybank
– Mel Migrino, Chairperson & President, Women in Security Alliance(WiSAP)
– Samuel NG, Director of Cybersecurity & Analytics, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI)
– Gabriel David, CIO, LCC Group of companies
– Bijender Mishra, CISO, Alkem Laboratories Limited
– Balram Choudhary, VP Head (IT Infra & Infosec Operation), Bob Financial Solution Ltd
– Renne Barcelona, Director and Head of IT, Global University Systems
– Subrat Kumar Kanungo, Principal Consulting Architect, Cloud, and Networking, Kyndryl; to name a few.

“In the aftermath of the pandemic, organizations are looking for effective approaches to manage hybrid work models. The need to provide consistent access and security for employees connecting from the office, home or the road is requiring solutions which are wider than just VPN or ZTNA. SASE offers a comprehensive approach which addresses these needs and offers a simpler, consistent and more secure approach to work from anywhere,” states Boaz Avigad, Director, Product Marketing at Cato Networks.

“In the era of all the challenges during the M&A process, there is a common & major question: how can companies prepare and manage the integration of IT networks in M&A to enable the combined business process and achieve the expected M&A goals’ Software-defined WAN manage services can be an efficient way to blend networks without compromising security, service degradation & time losing,” states Vladik Arshanski, IT Communication & Infrastructure Director at NVIDIA Networking BU.

Zeus Kerravala, Founder and Principal Analyst at ZK Research stated, “SD-WANs and SASE are at an inflection point as they are moving out of the early adopter phase and into the mainstream. The primary catalyst for the acceleration of the technologies has been the pandemic as IT and business leaders are looking to modernize the network to accommodate the shift to hybrid work. The World SD-WAN Summit Asia provides an excellent forum for people to get some practical advice on how to adopt SD-WAN and SASE without putting their businesses at risk.”

“The pandemic’s disruptions have driven firms to explore SD-WAN & SASE solutions as a means of identifying major technology trends and prioritizing those that have the greatest influence on their competitive advantage. The World SD-WAN & SASE Summit is a great place to discuss and learn about the newest strategies, challenges, and trends that are driving Asia’s SD-WAN and SASE services,” stated Mithun Shetty – CEO, Trescon.

The summit will be hosted on the virtual events platform Vmeets to help participants network and conduct business in an interactive and immersive virtual environment. Participants can also engage with the speakers during Q&A sessions and network with solution providers/sponsors at their virtual exhibition booths, private consultation rooms and meeting tables.

World SD-WAN & SASE Summit is officially sponsored by Premium Gold Sponsor – CATO Networks; Gold Sponsor – Aryaka; Bronze Sponsor – Telin.

To get your complimentary passes, visit World SD-WAN & SASE Summit (bit.ly/3AEsUvf).

About World SD-WAN & SASE Summit

World SD-WAN & SASE Summit is a thought-leadership-driven, business-focused, global series of events that takes place in strategic locations across the world.

As part of the world tour, this Asian edition is virtually gathering pre-qualified C-Suite IT Leaders, Data Heads, Heads of Research, Industry Practitioners, IT Decision Makers and Expert service providers in SD-WAN and SASE Technology among others from cross-industry verticals across Asia.

About Trescon

Trescon is a global business events and consulting firm that provides wide range of business services to a diversified client base that includes corporations, governments and individuals. Trescon is specialised in producing highly focused B2B events that connect businesses with opportunities through conferences, road shows, expos, demand generation, investor connect and consulting services.

For further details about the announcement, please contact:
Media, PR & Corporate Communications
+91 81059 75937
media@tresconglobal.com