Category: Local Business

Avantor Acquires RIM Bio; Expands Bioproduction Footprint into China

Avantor, Inc. (NYSE: AVTR), a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the life sciences and advanced technologies & applied materials industries, announced today that it has acquired RIM Bio, a leading China-based manufacturer of single-use bioprocess bags and assemblies for biopharmaceutical manufacturing applications.

RIM Bio’s Changzhou, China facility is Avantor’s first single-use production plant in the AMEA region, building on the company’s existing global single-use manufacturing network in the Americas and Europe and greatly increasing capacity to meet growing global demand in bioprocessing. Avantor will leverage RIM Bio’s proprietary technologies and best-in-class lead times to provide single-use customers with a differentiated offering.

Dr. Ger Brophy, Executive Vice President, Biopharma Production at Avantor, said, “Adding RIM Bio enables Avantor to better serve our customers by expanding our single-use manufacturing, distribution, and cleanroom capabilities to the AMEA region. RIM serves as an anchor for us to build our presence in this key region, as we better position Avantor to capture long-term opportunities in the growing, global Bioproduction space.”Established in 2009, RIM Bio provides a complete range of single-use 2D bags, 3D bags, tank liners, bag assemblies and multi-bag manifolds used in the manufacturing of biologics including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), vaccines, cell and gene therapies, and recombinant proteins.

This acquisition marks another major investment in China. In December 2019, the company opened its Shanghai Innovation & Customer Support center, a dedicated bioprocessing facility focused on research, application development and process optimization solutions for biopharma companies across AMEA.

About Avantor

Avantor, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the biopharma, healthcare, education & government, and advanced technologies & applied materials industries. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities in the industries we serve. Our global footprint enables us to serve more than 225,000 customer locations and gives us extensive access to research laboratories and scientists in more than 180 countries. We set science in motion to create a better world. For more information, please visit www.avantorsciences.com.

Forward-looking statementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements discuss our current expectations and projections relating to our announced transaction with Ritter as well as our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “likely,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “projection,” “seek,” “can,” “could,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “will,” the negatives thereof and other words and terms of similar meaning.

Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions; they are not guarantees of performance. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. Although we believe that our assumptions made in connection with the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that the assumptions and expectations will prove to be correct. Factors that could contribute to these risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, the factors described in “Risk Factors” in our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and available in the “Investors” section of Avantor’s website, ir.avantorsciences.com, under the heading “SEC Filings,” and in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents Avantor files with the SEC.All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. In addition, all forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligations to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise other than as required under the federal securities laws.

Media Contact

Christina Koh

Director Communications – AMEA

+65 9720 0169

christina.koh@avantorsciences.com

Investor Relations Contact

Tommy Thomas

Vice President, Investor Relations

+1 781 375-8051

Tommy.Thomas@avantorsciences.com

SOURCE: Avantor and Financial News

Moglix raises $120 million, joins Unicorn Club as valuation jumps to $1 billion

Moglix has reached an important milestone by becoming the first industrial B2B commerce platform, in the manufacturing space, to become a unicorn. The company is said to be valued at $1 billion in its latest $120 million Series E funding round. The latest investment was led by Falcon Edge Capital and Harvard Management Company (HMC). This round of funding also saw participation from its existing investors, Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital India and Venture Highway.

Moglix is India’s largest and fastest growing B2B commerce platform in the industrial & MRO procurement space with a clear first-mover advantage. The Company is building an operating system for manufacturing that provides its customers a full stack service covering procurement, packaging, supply chain financing and highly integrated software.

Rahul Garg, Founder & CEO, Moglix, said:

“We started six years ago with a firm belief in the untapped potential of the Indian manufacturing sector. We had the trust of stalwarts like Ratan Tata, and a mission to enable the creation of a $1 trillion manufacturing economy in India. Today, as we enter the next stage of our evolution, we feel this financing milestone is a testimony to our journey of innovation and disruption.

In these unprecedented times, we have pledged our support and disruptive thinking to help solve the challe nge of effective distribution and sharing of oxygen concentrators covering 1M+ people in the country. Globally, we have also been instrumental, in this and the last year, in streamlining the PPE supply-chain and distribution across 20+ countries.

We are glad that Falcon Edge Capital and Harvard Management Company (HMC) have partnered with us in this journey. Falcon Edge, with its deep roots in the Middle East and Europe and an understanding of public companies will guide us through the next phase of our journey.”

Speaking on the occasion, Navroz D. Udwadia, Co-Founder of Falcon Edge Capital said, “We have studied and tracked Moglix for years, driven by our global experience in investing in online MRO platforms. We are strong believers in Rahul, his first mover advantage, his full-stack solution for under-serviced customers and his ability to drive robust unit economics. Moglix’s distinctive customer value proposition and ROI are visible in its outstanding customer and revenue retention numbers. We believe Moglix is now well poised to scale and we are thrilled to back the Company in the next phase of its growth.”

Tiger Global, which participated in the Series D round in 2019, has also invested in the latest round. Scott Shleifer, partner, Tiger Global Management, said, “We remain excited about the team, market opportunity, and continued innovation. Moglix is a market leader and we expect they will grow rapidly with high returns on capital.”

Moglix was founded in 2015, by IIT Kanpur and ISB alumnus Rahul Garg. Moglix provides solutions to more than 500,000 SMEs and 3,000 manufacturing plants across India, Singapore, the UK and the UAE. Several manufacturing majors such as Hero MotoCorp, Vedanta, Tata Steel, Unilever and PSUs such as Air India and NTPC procure indirect material through the Moglix platform. Moglix has a supply chain network of 16,000+ suppliers, 35+ warehouses and logistics infrastructure. With close to 500,000+ SKUs, its marketplace, www.moglix.com is the largest e-commerce platform in the industrial goods category in India.

Moglix also has an award-winning suite of software products for contract management and B2B Commerce. Global FMCG giant Unilever uses the platform for ~$30 billion of material spend annually in 70+countries. Moglix recently launched Credlix, a supply chain financing platform for suppliers and manufacturers and expects to power INR 1000 crore of financing in the coming year.

This latest round of funding takes the total funds raised by Moglix to $220 Million. Accel Partners, Jungle Ventures and Venture Highway have been the earliest investors in the company. Moglix has in-subsequent rounds received investments from leading global venture capital funds such as Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital India, International Finance Corporation and Composite Capital among others. Mr. Ratan Tata, Chairman emeritus, Tata Sons had invested in the start-up in 2016. Leaders from the start-up and manufacturing communities such as Mr. Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO Flipkart, Mr. Vikrampati Singhania, MD, JK Fenner and Mr. Shailesh Rao, Ex-Google have been investors in Moglix.

NutryFarm Ventures Into Singapore’s Durian Market with Established Singapore E-Commerce Company, Ebuy

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of NutryFarm International Limited (the “Company’, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) wishes to announce that Global Agricapital Holdings Pte. Ltd. (“Global Agricapital”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, had on 11 May 2021 entered into a memorandum of understanding with EBuy Pte Ltd (“Ebuy”) to expand its durian business activities in Singapore (the “MOU”).

Under the MOU, Ebuy will import and distribute pre-packaged durians into Singapore from Malaysia and Thailand on behalf of Global Agricapital, and from the suppliers of Global Agricapital. Global Agricapital will ensure the consistent supply, quality and authenticity of the pre-packaged durians from its suppliers.

The parties expect to start the first shipment by 1 June 2021.

Established as an e-commerce company in Singapore since 2013, Ebuy is a leading distributor of fresh produce in Singapore, including daily fresh vegetables and fruits, to food service providers, retailers, restaurants and hotels. Ebuy has 13 refrigerated warehouses in 3 locations with 16 trucks.

Since December 2020, Nutryfarm has announced various agreements to sell a total of 1,480 containers of fresh durians from Thailand to major Chinese fruit importers. The total contract value of these agreements is estimated at approximately RMB 962.0 million as announced on 13 February 2021.

The Company would like to refer to the announcements on 28 December 2020 and 8, 18 and 29 January 2021, and 5 February 2021 (“Previous Announcements”), in respect of the wholesale trading of fruits through Global Agricapital. The affected risks involved under this MOU are substantially less than that of the contracts disclosed under the Previous Announcements, and are not anticipated to be significant.

The Company is intending to seek shareholders’ approval for a proposed diversification of the Group’s core business in view of the Group’s intention to build these capabilities. The Company has submitted the circular for SGX approval on 16 February 2021 and is intending to convene a general meeting to seek shareholders’ approval as soon as practicable.

The Place Holdings’ Land Site at Mount Yuntai Tourism Township Revalued at RMB 481 Million, a Substantial Increment in Value of 329%

The Place Holdings Limited (“The Place Holdings”, the “Company” and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), an SGX mainboard-listed company with a primary focus on integrating traditional businesses and new growth opportunities in the digital economy, is pleased to announce that the land site, held by its subsidiary Tianjie Yuntai Wanrun (Xiuwu) Property Development Co., Ltd. (“Tianjie Yuntai Wanrun”), has been assessed and revalued at RMB 481 million by one of China’s leading valuation companies, WorldUnion Property Assessment Co., Ltd.

Compared to the valuation of the land site of RMB 112 million as at 30 September 2020, the revaluation of RMB 481 million after the change in zoning represents a substantial increment in value of RMB 369 million, which is an increase of 329% from RMB 112 million.

The size of the land site is approximately 270,500.64 square metres. It is strategically located within Mount Yuntai Tourist Township, where hospitality properties, wellness resorts, integrated retail and commercial developments and theme parks are been planned and some are currently under development.

The revaluation of RMB 481 million of the land site is primarily based on the change in zoning from commercial to residential and it also take into consideration the increase in land-use rights assigned to the land from its existing 40 years to 70 years, larger buyer group and as well as the current developments and completed infrastructure surrounding the area.

Mount Yuntai Tourist Township is located at the entrance of Mount Yuntai, which is approximately 70km from Zhengzhou City, the provincial capital of Henan Province in the PRC.

Highly accessible and connected via various transportation networks, Mount Yuntai Tourist Township is just a 20 minutes ride from Jiaozuo high-speed rail station and a 45 minutes drive from Zhengzhou International Airport.

Mount Yuntai is a tourist site with the highest “AAAAA” rating under the Tourism Attraction Rating Categories of China. Mount Yuntai is also listed as one of the National Parks of China and as a geological park in the Global Geoparks by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In 2019, approximately 6 million visitors visited Mount Yuntai.(1)

Tourism has become an essential contributor to China’s domestic economy and it is a cornerstone of the government’s long-term goal to create a consumption-driven economy. The emergence of an affluent middle class and an easing of movement restrictions for locals and foreign visitors are both supporting this domestic travel boom.

According to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, travelers made 102 million domestic trips during the annual holiday (over an extended three-day weekend) in April 2021. The figure was 94.5% of the number of trips made during the holiday in 2019, the year before COVID-19 hit.(2)

Under the leadership of Executive Chairman, Mr Ji Zenghe and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Fan Xianyong and combined with their deep property development experience and long-standing business track record, The Place Holdings has established a business model that integrates omni-channel strategies and innovative business concepts (such as “new-retail” solutions, last mile logistics, immersive virtual reality technology, enterprise intelligent connectivity) within its 3 core business pillars that include property, cultural tourism and integrated media-related businesses to create new value propositions.

Mr Ji Zenghe, Executive Chairman of The Place Holdings, said, “While China’s giant middle-class continue to grow rapidly, the hectic lifestyles of Chinese consumers have spurred significant opportunities in the tourism and wellness industries.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has created pent-up demand for travel and cultural immersion activities in China.

With Mount Yuntai’s strategic location that is within an hour’s drive from a catchment zone of nearly 40 million people, the substantial increment in value of our land site from the revaluation highlights the underlying value and strong prospects of Mount Yuntai Tourist Township.

Integrating new digital solutions with traditional property development approach, there is strong potential for us to create new value propositions with our land site that caters to the demand for quality accommodations at Mount Yuntai.”

(1) http://travel.ce.cn/gdtj/202011/03/t20201103_7290941.shtml
(2) s.nikkei.com/2QYfAk7

This document is to be read in conjunction with The Place Holdings’ exchange filings on 5 May 2021, which can be downloaded via www.sgx.com.

About The Place Holdings Limited (SGX Code: E27)

Listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange, The Place Holdings Limited (“The Place Holdings”, the “Company” and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), focuses on integrating traditional businesses with omni-channel strategies and digital solutions (such as “new-retail” solutions, last mile logistics, immersive virtual reality technology, enterprise intelligent connectivity) to harness new growth opportunities in the digital economy.

The Group has established a strong business platform to create new value propositions within its 3 core business pillars:

1. Property development and property management activities
2. Cultural tourism and related “new retail” businesses
3. Integrated media-related businesses with management & operation rights

The Group is backed by the key management team of The Place Investment Group, a multi-billion PRC conglomerate that has a strong track record for its extensive business portfolio in tourism, media, property management, biomedical technology investments and international trade.

Embolden with a new business approach and forward-looking corporate culture, The Place Holdings is expanding its business presence with high growth businesses in Singapore and China through organic and inorganic initiatives.

For additional information, please visit www.theplaceholdings.com

Issued on behalf of The Place Holdings Limited by 8PR Asia Pte Ltd.

For further information, please contact the following:

Mr. Alex TAN
Mobile: +65 9451 5252
Email: alex.tan@8prasia.com

Mr. Zhang Wei
IR Director
The Place Holdings Limited
Tel: (65) 6781 8156
Fax: (65) 6781 8159
Email: zhangwei@theplaceholdings.com

“IN MOMS WE TRUST” Global Virtual Summit

You are cordially invited to join us for this Global Virtual Summit celebrating the voices of women & girls around the world as we discuss new paradigms in reshaping the global digital economy and celebrate the launch of The State of Women Podcast Network in partnership with The State of Women Institute, SHEQONOMI, and Women Investing in Women DIGITAL.

Inviting all global partners & leaders committed to the economic empowerment of women to join us for various strategic opportunities

Our 3-day event will engage women entrepreneurs & women owned enterprises build bridges for global international trade & commerce

Join us in setting a new global standard for the economic empowerment of women, especially small and large scale women entrepreneurs from leading economies, emerging markets, and industry thought leaders and mavericks leading Post-Pandemic Recovery.

Register Here: https://hopin.com/events/inmomswetrust

Global investment into women led companies has reached an all-time low during 2020. We are seeing many innovative ideas come out of developing nations across the globe that deserve more visibility and connectivity with qualified investors and partners who can help them grow and scale. Amplifying Her Voice will serve as a global platform that will bring such stakeholders together from within Women Investing in Women Digital’s virtual tribe to a broader global community of women entrepreneurs, investors, technologies, and industry professionals to accelerate both communication and unprecedented digital connectivity. This Roundtable will be the beginning of a series of conversations where professionals from within the global innovation ecosystem may listen, learn, and share best practices with the global women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem where our global network of women investors and philanthropists will be invited. Your will have the opportunity to share your Call’s to Action from local, regional, and global standpoints that will hopefully be a starting for deeper conversations and partnerships leading to change, investment, impact, and transformation.

About Amplifying Her Voice (May 11-13, 2021): (https://hopin.com/events/inmomswetrust)

For three days starting this International Women’s Day, we held the first Amplifying Her Voice Global Summit. From Fiji to France, Bermuda to Bhutan, South Africa to Sweden; women and men around the world came together as one to celebrate what we’ve overcome together and to discuss how to keep moving the needle. With more than 1,600 attendees and 250 speakers from over 100 countries, we were inspired by the turnout–and the conversation. We hope you’ll join us again this May as we meet to honor mothers and discuss motherhood at our May, “In Moms We Trust” Summit.

From investors and philanthropists to media moguls and CEOs, women are driving change–and then driving home to raise families, as they always have. On May 11, 12, and 13, in celebration of Mother’s Day and mothers worldwide, we’re inviting you to join us for the Amplifying Her Voice Mother’s Day “In Moms We Trust” Summit as we listen to, learn from, and lift up the voices of the women raising the next generation.

Hear from experts on finance, psychology, climate activism, health, entrepreneurship, podcasting, investing, and more.

EVERY PAYING IT FORWARD: “Investing in Women” ticket will support 500 women to attend for FREE! We have 100+ countries represented so far and looking forward to having a truly INCLUSIVE event, where we can all learn and grow together. Digital gifts and giveaways be announced to all registrants over the next few weeks! Men are welcome to join us! We never want cost to be prohibitive for any of our events or initiatives. Free tickets will be announced starting May 1. All sessions will be recorded and shared free of charge post event.

About Anu Bhardwaj

Founder Anu Bhardwaj is a serial social entrepreneur and philanthropist, listed on the 2020 Inc Magazine Global Top 100 Female Founders and one of 7 female Award Recipients of the 2020 Transform Fund from the Islamic Development Bank (from a pool of 5,000 applicants worldwide). Anu also co-chaired the 2nd Annual Blockchain for Impact Summit at the United Nations HQ in 2019, and is the founder of Women Investing in Women Digital with over 1M international followers, The State of Women Institute, and SHEQONOMI which has produced a suite of women-led and women focused podcast APPS on Android, iOS, and KaiOS.

About The State Of Women Institute

The State of Women Institute is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of women and girls through programs and initiatives that support the creation of various forms of digital media (including podcasts, video documentary, social media related, print, AR and VR). The State of Women Podcast Network, launching Spring 2021 on GooglePlay, Android, and KaiOS, encompassing 300 women podcasters from across five continents. The State of Women Institute will be partnering with Women Investing in Women DIGITAL, SHEQONOMI, and a long list of reputable global non-profits and change makers across 100+ countries worldwide in leading “Amplifying Her Voice” Global Virtual Summit in honor of Mother’s Day 2021.

About SHEQONOMI

SHEQONOMI is on a mission to bring women’s voices to the main stage, and that alone has the power to change the trajectory of our entire planet. SHEQONOMI is a highly unique podcast platform – built organically by millennial women to serve 2 billion women globally, where content creation and listening are rewarded.

Contact: ANU Bhardwaj
Mobile: +18587367460 Email: Anu@womeninvesting.in

Source: Plato Data Intelligence: https://zephyrnet.com/

Futu SG’s New Referral Programme “Share leh!” Rewards Users for Sharing

Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. (“Futu SG”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Limited (Nasdaq:FUTU) announced the launch of its new “Share leh!” campaign on its latest one-stop investment platform, moomoo, which aims to further boost the idea of inclusivity and connectivity within the investing community. The campaign, which runs from 1 May to 31 May 2021, will provide benefits to both new and seasoned users.

In line with the company’s mission to “make investing easier and not alone”, Futu SG has come up with an enhanced referral programme where new users and their friends are able to earn up to 20 Twitter (TWTR) shares*, which have a net worth doubling more than what was offered during the last campaign (one was previously able to earn up to S$600 cash coupon). In addition, users who had opened an account prior to the campaign can still enjoy benefits from the new referral programme as their list of referrers gets reset back to zero.

Under the “Share leh!” campaign, new users will now receive 1 free Apple (AAPL) share, along with 180 days commission-free trading for US, HK & SG markets, free level 2 market data for US stocks and free level 1 real-time market data for SGX securities per new account opening with a minimum deposit of either S$2,700, US$2,000 or HK$16,000 before 1500 hrs on 31 May 2021*.

The key motivation behind Futu SG’s new campaign is the results from its previous survey on investing trends amongst Gen Z and Millennials, which found that many young investors have developed a greater interest in investing and have begun taking greater ownership of their finances. As “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) is highly undesired among these demographics, Futu SG hopes that its campaign would bring about an engaging social community that promotes a sense of inclusivity and culture to all users.

As highlighted by the campaign name, Futu SG hopes to show users how they will be rewarded by sharing offers, insights, profits graphs, and investment ideas to their peers. In addition, moomoo app provides an open forum known as the moo community which allows its users and clients to share investment ideas, ask questions and exchange insights through posts and live-streams. Features that are available in the community include digital content, tasks & missions and analytical guides for both new and seasoned investors. The moo community was created to boost the idea of making investing “not alone”, and seeks to help investors enrich their investing knowledge and establish rapport with other investors. Futu SG hopes that these initiatives will highlight how investment is never a lonely journey for users and that they will always have the backing of moo community.

Since its launch in Singapore this March, moomoo powered by Futu has received much success to date, having seen robust growth momentum and encouraging user feedback. The platform currently has more than 13 million users worldwide and possesses one of the fastest growing investor communities in the region which enables users to stay up-to-date of the latest investment trends.

Another testament to Futu Holdings Limited’s success is its achievement of the Fintech Award under the Trading Services category in the Singapore Business Review Awards 2021 for the launch and creation of moomoo.

Recognising the importance in having both user-friendly designs and advanced product features, Futu Holdings Limited designed moomoo with a slick interface which provides wide product offerings of market accessibility, data options, low commissions and user fees to reduce friction in accessing global investable products. moomoo app also includes AI-driven data screeners and easy-to-analyse trading charts, facilitating the convenience of trading across multiple markets with its multi-currency facility.

“We are very thankful to have received the SBR Awards and are confident that this is a positive sign of the success from our digitalisation efforts. Since establishing in 2012, we have always been on a mission to improve the investing experience of users through product upgrading and have dedicated over 70% of our employees to research and development. We also recognised that investing should not be a difficult and lonesome process and have therefore placed great emphasis on social elements. We believe that our latest campaign of rewarding users for sharing will show our commitment in being there for them along every step of the way,” says Leaf Li, Founder & CEO of Futu.

*Terms and conditions apply. The full terms and conditions and disclaimer can be found at https://j.moomoo.com/003U7L. This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. In Singapore, capital market products and services in moomoo are offered by Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd.

About moomoo

moomoo Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Ltd, which is an advanced technology company transforming the investing experience by offering a fully digitised trading and wealth management platform. moomoo’s mission is to provide any level of investors with an intuitive and powerful investing platform by using technology. We keep improving customer’s experience and driving industrial innovation backed by independent technological research and development (R&D) capabilities on the whole trading process and our creative internet operating model. Capital markets products and services on moomoo are offered by Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. to persons in Singapore, or to persons in jurisdiction where such offers are permitted. Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Limited.

About Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd

Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Limited. Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. (www.futusg.com) is a capital markets services licence holder regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Licence No. CMS101000).

About Futu Holdings Limited

Futu Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: FUTU) is an advanced technology company transforming the investing experience by offering a fully digitised trading and wealth management platform. Pursuing a massive opportunity to facilitate a once-in-a-generation shift in the wealth management industry and build a digital gateway into broader financial services. The organisation’s primary fee-generating services include trade execution and margin financing which allow its clients to trade securities, such as stocks, warrants, options, futures and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, across different markets. Futu enhances the user and client experience with market data and news, research, as well as powerful analytical tools, providing them with a data rich foundation to simplify the investing decision-making process. Futu has also embedded social media tools to create a network centered around its users and provide connectivity to users, investors, companies, analysts, media and key opinion leaders.

For all media queries, please contact:
Ashley Tan
FPR
T: 6438-2990
E: FUTU-SG@financialpr.com.sg

Moomoo Inc. clinches Title Sponsorship for Yahoo Finance’s Exclusive Livestream of the 2021 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting

Moomoo Inc, an all-in-one digitalised stock trading and wealth management platform and a wholly owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Ltd (Nasdaq: FUTU), announced today that it has been selected as the title sponsor of the 2021 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting live stream event. Yahoo Finance is the exclusive live stream host for the event which will be held on Saturday, 1 May 2021 beginning at 12:30 pm ET.

Berkshire Hathaway’s Annual Shareholders Meeting, known as the “Woodstock for Capitalists”, is one of the most well attended shareholder meetings in the world. In the new normal, the event will be broadcast remotely. Yahoo Finance will connect moomoo’s 13 million users to the only destination for investors and professionals to hear directly from billionaire investor Warren Buffett.

Millions of people around the world are expected to tune in to hear Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett, Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman of Non-Insurance Operations Greg Abel and Vice Chairman of Insurance Operations Ajit Jain share their insights on economic recovery, today’s markets, the company, and more.

Mr. Leaf Hua Li, Founder & CEO of FUTU, said: “We are honoured to be selected as the Title Sponsor for Yahoo Finance’s live stream of Berkshire Hathaway’s Shareholder Meeting. The walls of access are tumbling down in this digital world and it is our privilege to provide our users with this opportunity.

There is always so much to learn from Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett, one of the greatest investors of our times. We look forward to seeing a lively discussion on our moo community platform, with industry experts commenting and interpreting these nuggets of wisdom for our users.”

Created with the intention of fulfilling its mission in making investing “not alone”, the moo community serves as a platform for users to post investment ideas and trading history as well as interact directly with over 700 companies, fund managers, media and key opinion leaders through posts and live-streaming. On a daily basis, it has more than 1 million active users, over 310,000 user-generated content and over 3,000 posts. FUTU will be streaming the show live on its moomoo app, which is available in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

As an incentive to download the app for first time users, Futu Singapore is offering the following with a SGD 2,700 deposit for every account opening*:

– 1 Free Apple (AAPL) Share
– Cash coupon of SGD 30
– 90 days unlimited commission-free trading for US, HK & SG markets
– Free level 2 market data for US Stocks

The schedule of the live coverage is below, with special guests and interviews for the pre and post shows to be announced at a later date.

Yahoo Finance Livestream Programming Schedule:

· 12:30pm ET Yahoo Finance pre-show

· 1:30pm ET Shareholder Q&A with Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Ajit Jain, and Greg Abel

· 5:00pm ET Berkshire Hathaway business meeting

· 5:30pm ET Yahoo Finance post-show

· 6:00pm ET Livestream ends

The programme will also be broadcasted live on Yahoo Finance.

*Terms and conditions apply. The full terms and conditions and disclaimer can be found at https://j.moomoo.com/003U7L . This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. In Singapore, capital market products and services in moomoo are offered by Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd.

About Futu Holdings Limited

Futu Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: FUTU) is an advanced technology company transforming the investing experience by offering a fully digitised brokerage and wealth management platform. Pursuing a massive opportunity to facilitate a once-in-a-generation shift in the wealth management industry and build a digital gateway into broader financial services. The organisation’s primary fee-generating services include trade execution and margin financing which allow its clients to trade securities, such as stocks, warrants, options, futures and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, across different markets. Futu enhances the user and client experience with market data and news, research, as well as powerful analytical tools, providing them with a data rich foundation to simplify the investing decision-making process. Futu has also embedded social media tools to create a network centered around its users and provide connectivity to users, investors, companies, analysts, media and key opinion leaders.

About Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd

Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Limited.Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. (www.futusg.com) is a capital markets services licence holder regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Licence No. CMS101000).

About moomoo

moomoo Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Ltd, which is an advanced technology company transforming the investing experience by offering a fully digitised brokerage and wealth management platform. moomoo’s mission is to provide any level of investors with an intuitive and powerful investing platform by using technology. We keep improving customer’s experience and driving industrial innovation backed by independent technological research and development (R&D) capabilities on the whole trading process and our creative internet operating model. Capital markets products and services on moomoo are offered by Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. to persons in Singapore, or to persons in jurisdiction where such offers are permitted.

For all media queries, please contact:

Ashley Tan / Jass Lim
FPR
T: 6438-2990
E: FUTU-SG@financialpr.com.sg

CropLife Asia’s ‘Drone for Pesticide Application’ Online Forum draws Asian Policymakers and Global Experts

A first-of-its-kind virtual conference on drone use for pesticide application in Asia concluded this week after three days of dialogue and discussion among stakeholders from across the food supply chain. The event focused on perspectives ranging from those of regional governments, manufacturers as well as commercial adopters, and experts in the field forecasting future innovations.

“OUR INDUSTRY TAKES SERIOUSLY ITS COMMITMENT TO ENSURE RESPONSIBLE USE OF PLANT SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES. DRONES ARE A NEW TOOL THAT CAN SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN THAT EFFORT – AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PLAY A TRANSFORMATIVE ROLE IN ASIAN AGRICULTURE,” SAID MR. GUSTAVO PALEROSI-CARNERIO, CROPLIFE ASIA PRESIDENT.

“As with any innovation, the most critical components are the best practices that reflect responsible use and the policies that underpin them. Through this week’s conference, we’ve heard vital insights from agricultural drone use experts in these areas and what the future may hold. We look forward to continuing these constructive conversations, and working with regulators and other key stakeholders across the food supply chain to help deliver drone use for pesticide application in Asia that is conducted responsibly.”

Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly being used by large and small-scale farmers globally. This includes use for mapping, crop surveillance and scouting, pesticide application, and monitoring both irrigation as well as grazing livestock. According to a recent Industry ARC report, “Agricultural Drones Market – Forecast (2021-2026)”, the market for agricultural drones is projected to reach more than $5.8 billion by 2026.

In Asia, the use of drones for pesticide application is rapidly growing in popularity due to the advantages it provides, namely: efficiency with use of inputs; enhanced spray precision; reduced water consumption; and less dependence on labor, resulting in lower associated costs.

“As food and agricultural stakeholders, we all have a duty to ensure our region’s farmers are enabled and empowered to grow the nutritious crops on which we depend – and help deliver a food supply for Asia that is safe, secure and sustainable,” commented Dr. Siang Hee Tan, CropLife Asia Executive Director.

“When used responsibly, drone technology can be a game-changer for Asia’s smallholder farmers. However, it’s critical that the growth in agricultural drone use in our region is matched by an expansion of sound and science-based regulations to support their responsible use. By bringing together a broad array of government and private sector stakeholders, this week’s forum was a substantial step forward on that front.”

Asia is home to the smallest-sized farms and the largest number of smallholder farmers in the world. It’s estimated that 85% of the world’s 525 million smallholder farmers live and work within our continent. These growers face unique challenges in comparison with larger commercial farmers – landholder rights, access to finance, labor shortages, and availability of technology among them. With COVID-19 having an exacerbating effect on many of these and other obstacles Asia’s smallholders face, drone use with pesticide application has the potential to benefit these growers by helping drive production and sustainability at the same time.

CropLife Asia’s Drone for Pesticide Application Online Forum was conducted 8-10 March and brought together virtually technology experts and sector stakeholders from across Asia and around the globe. The three-day conference was structured to convey and grow: common understanding of drone benefits to sustainability as well as farmers’ safety and productivity; strong cross-sector partnership between government and industry; and an open exchange of knowledge and best practices to manage risks and concerns.

A total of seven sessions were conducted during the forum to guide the discussion on a range of topics. From the “government” perspective, this included sessions on: Digital transformation and its impact on government agricultural policies; Regulatory frameworks for pesticide application by drone around Asia Pacific; and Safety Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pesticide application by drone. Sessions focusing on the “field” perspective included: R&D – Technology enablers for pesticide application by drone; and Commercial adoption of drone for pesticide application in APAC. Lastly, capturing the “future” perspective were sessions on: Emerging technological advancements in drone for pesticide application; and Roundtable – Future collaborations to drive best practices in the region.

For additional details regarding the Forum, including a full roster of moderators and panelists who participated, please consult the Events section of the CropLife Asia website.

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

For more information please contact:
Duke Hipp
Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships
CropLife Asia
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org

HouseAfrica Announces Partnership With Domineum

HouseAfrica, furthering its dedication to making African real estate transactions seamless and transparent, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Domineum, an enterprise blockchain technology and back-end services provider.

HouseAfrica’s PropVat.com, Africa’s largest property technology platform, connects real estate stakeholders, property developers, home buyers, financial institutions, valuers and government regulators, to verify and validate property authenticity before purchase or credit application.

“We are particularly excited about our partnership with Domineum, as it helps us toward our goal of unlocking trapped real estate value in Nigeria, estimated at $300-900 billion dollars. We believe in collaboration. PropVat, our cutting-edge solution for unlocking Nigeria’s and Africa’s huge dead asset pool, is built on blockchain and collaboration,” says Uba Nnamdi, Co-Founder and CEO HouseAfrica.

“Domineum is excited to partner with HouseAfrica to deliver its bespoke products and services to the government sector, land departments and other agencies, and the services sector, to real estate and financial businesses. Real estate investment is a real deal and blockchain can be seen as the game changer,” says Mohammed Ibrahim Jega, Co-founder, Domineum.

PropVat works in partnership with key stakeholders in the real estate sector, including the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Nigerian Bar Association and Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC), building a data-driven ecosystem for fast and easy means of processing interactive and transparent real estate transactions.

About PropVat
Using PropVat.com for verification helps to reduce the risk of fraudulent misrepresentation of ownership and valuation information. The PropVat platform generates a PVN (Property Verification Number) for quick access to a Verification Report, E-deed (powered by blockchain), and detailed property quality analysis. Major Financial Institutions are already using PropVat for their verification needs. Visit https://propvat.com, twitter.com/propvat, linkedin.com/company/propvat/ and facebook.com/propvat.

About HouseAfrica
HouseAfrica is building the largest African property platform using technology to connect real estate stakeholders to verify and validate property authenticity before purchase or credit application, helping to make convenient, secured, fast, transparent, and affordable property transactions. In 2019, HouseAfrica won the Best African Blockchain Startup at the AfricArena Conference Fantom Blockchain Challenge. Visit https://houseafrica.io.

About Domineum
Domineum is a software development company and consultant that aims to disrupt several sectors in the emerging markets, and leap-frog the current infrastructure with distributed ledger (blockchain) technology and Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) solutions for governments and businesses. Domineum provides efficient back-end solutions to verify and authenticate Land and Property Registry, Mortgage, Identity Management, Cargo Tracking and Supply Chain systems. Visit https://www.domineum.io.

Contact: hello@houseafrica.io

AppsFlyer Promotes Sanjay Trisal As New General Manager of India, Southeast Asia, and Australia, New Zealand, To Strengthen Regional Collaboration

Today, AppsFlyer, the global attribution and marketing analytics leader, appoints Sanjay Trisal as General Manager of INSEA/ANZ (India, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand). Prior to this promotion, Sanjay was AppsFlyer India’s country manager for almost 6 years, and has grown AppsFlyer’s presence in India across all verticals and domains. During the shift to Work From Home in early 2020, Sanjay has set up a successful strategy that ensured productivity results soared, and backend processes remained intact for the team in India.

In this newly created role, Sanjay will be responsible for AppsFlyer’s regional growth over multiple markets across India, Southeast Asia, and Australia and New Zealand, and improve cross-border collaboration and ensure smoother efficiencies across teams. Based out of India for the time being, Sanjay will also oversee, plan, and coordinate operational strategies in INSEA/ANZ. With AppsFlyer having expanded into Australia and New Zealand in November 2020, Sanjay will also play a critical role in strengthening AppsFlyer’s commitment to the ANZ region.

Sanjay Trisal, General Manager, AppsFlyer INSEA/ANZ, says: “Going forward, regional collaboration will continue to be the key to our success, and I am excited to be in a position to work across core markets to drive business objectives and grow to meet the demands of the region alongside a high-performing team. AppsFlyer’s solutions help marketers to work smarter and fuel data-driven initiatives in a market that is constantly evolving. I look forward to tapping into the numerous opportunities INSEA/ANZ offers.”

The INSEA/ANZ regions have shown great potential in the mobile attribution industry and provides many opportunities for mobile marketers to maximise results. According to an eConomy report, the Southeast Asian internet economy has grown by 33% each year since 2015, showcasing the immense opportunities in the region. Similarly, the Australia and New Zealand industry is becoming a hub for mobile app development in the region with apps like Canva being a global phenomenon.

AppsFlyer’s 2020 growth has been exponential, reporting over USD200 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), as well as a late-stage extension of its existing USD210 million series D round. AppsFlyer now has over 1,000 employees, spread across 19 offices globally.

Sanjay brings over 20 plus years of strong sales, new business development, and management experience in the IT, High Tech and Consulting sectors. Before joining AppsFlyer in 2015, Sanjay spent almost 3 years at InMobi, a multinational technology company that specializes in mobile advertising and mobile marketing and was responsible for expanding the LATAM market.

“We are very pleased that Sanjay is taking on a broader role at AppsFlyer. We have been growing exponentially over the last year, opening our latest APAC office in Sydney at the end of 2020, and with Sanjay’s remarkable talents aim to bring cohesive collaboration across our core markets. Sanjay’s notable accomplishments in India make him a perfect fit for this new role and we have full confidence that he will play a critical role in spearheading a successful collaboration between regions,” stated, Ronen Mense, President & Managing Director, AppsFlyer, APAC.

About AppsFlyer

AppsFlyer, the global attribution leader, empowers marketers to grow their business and innovate with a suite of comprehensive measurement and analytics solutions. Built around privacy by design, AppsFlyer takes a customer-centric approach to help 12,000+ brands and 7,000+ technology partners make better business decisions every day. To learn more, visit www.appsflyer.com

Media Contacts
Debbie Beins
PRecious Communications on behalf of AppsFlyer
appsflyer@preciouscomms.com

Press Contact For AppsFlyer in APAC:
Nico Marco
nico.marco@appsflyer.com