Category: PE, VC & Alternatives

1982 Ventures invests in Lista, the MSME book-keeping app for the Philippines

Lista is a bookkeeping app for MSMEs based in the Philippines. Through its financial inclusion app, they offer Filipinos a free and secure way of managing finances such as tracking debts, recording transactions, and even issuing invoices.

Lista raised an oversubscribed round from 1982 Ventures, East Ventures, Saison Capital, Alternate Ventures, Monde Nissin Family Ventures’ Willy Arifin and prominent angel investors such as former Grab Philippines President and co-founder Brian Cu, Pinelabs CEO Amrish Rau, CRED Founder Kunal Shah, Jupiter Bank Chief Executive Officer Jitendra Gupta and Google APAC Senior Execs Aurelien Pichon, Alap Bharadwaj.

Lista was founded by Aaron Villegas, an experienced entrepreneur with product experience, and Khriz Lim, a former Grab executive that led GrabFood’s expansion into the region. Since its launch in September, Lista has helped collect close to US$1.5 million in receivables of MSMEs all over the Philippines.

Aaron Villegas, co-founder of Lista, stated, “Helping Philippine MSMEs was an advocacy close to my heart. Growing up, I saw the challenges my family endured in running a sari-sari store (community store).” Continuing, “I spent almost a year just talking to various MSMEs in the province and trying different ideas to help them grow. And that’s when I realized that the first thing to do to really help them grow is through digitization and replacing pen and paper with easy-to-use tech.”

As the pandemic struck early last year, digitization of business processes proved to be pivotal in ensuring the continuity of business operations. Micro, small and medium enterprises or MSMEs were among the most affected during the prolonged quarantines – 74% of these businesses halted operations due to the lockdowns according to the country’s Department of Trade and Industry. MSMEs are vital to the Philippine economy as they comprise about 99.51% of business establishments in the country and employ around 63% of the country’s workforce, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Khriz Lim, former Grab executive and co-founder of Lista stated, “MSMEs are the backbone of the Philippine economy and it’s time we stop leaving them behind. Through this app, we want to revolutionize the way MSMEs operate and provide them with a reliable digital partner for small businesses in the country.”

Using digital tools can help fill this gap and allow them to record transactions and track their growth more easily. Lista aims to help MSMEs, including freelancers, logistics operators and riders, and other small businesses, digitize their business and provide a free and secure way of easily managing their finances.

Herston Elton Powers, Managing Partner of 1982 Ventures stated, “Lista is empowering millions of MSME businesses in the Philippines move from pen and paper to digital. The bookkeeping app space in the Philippines is wide open and Aaron and Khriz are the right founders to capture the opportunity. Lista’s product and strong traction have put them in pole position to win the market.”

Lista will use the funds to grow their team and expand their product offering to reach more MSMEs in the country.

About Lista
Lista is a bookkeeping app for small businesses, enabling them to digitize their business and provide a free and secure way of easily managing their finances. For more information visit: https://www.lista.com.ph.

About 1982 Ventures
1982 Ventures is the leading seed fund investing in fintech startups in Southeast Asia. Our focus makes us the first port of call for fintech founders and the first money in. Our investments include Southeast Asian Open Banking API Platform Brick, Vietnam’s leading Buy Now, Pay Later Fundiin, Vietnam’s Rent-to-Own Home Financing app Homebase (YC W21), Indonesia’s first Earned Wage Access platform Wagely. 1982 Ventures is investing in and supporting the best founders to positively impact the future of financial services in Southeast Asia. Visit https://1982.vc, or follow us on LinkedIn.

For media enquiries:
khriz@lista.com.ph

1982 Ventures Portfolio:
— Bluesheets seamlessly connects and automates all your financial data in one place. (Singapore)
— Brick is a financial API platform that allows startups and financial institutions to build innovative solutions with a single line of code. (Indonesia)
— Fundiin is a buy now pay later that offers customer friendly instalment payments at the point of sale and allows merchants to expand their customer base. (Vietnam)
— Go Zayaan is an online travel agency (OTA) focused on digital booking of flights, hotels, tours and other transportation. (Bangladesh)
— Homebase (YC W21) is Vietnam based real estate technology company that provides innovative home ownership and financing solutions across Southeast Asia. (Vietnam)
— Hugo is Singapore’s first Wealthcare app that helps users develop healthy saving and investing habits that make financial security accessible to everyone. (Singapore)
— Infina is an investing platform that allows Vietnamese to buy + sell stocks, ETFs and mutual funds. (Vietnam)
— NextPay (YC W21) is a SME digital bank in The Philippines. They use us to send invoices, collect payments, do payroll, and pay their bills. (Philippines)
— PINA is a personal finance app which helps people to manage and grow their money by providing automated money management and investing solutions in a single app. (Indonesia)
— Wagely is a platform that provides financial wellness and earned wage access to millions of low and middle-income workers. (Indonesia)

Hatten Land Forms Renewable Energy JV with Nestcon Berhad; Solar Panels at Melaka’s Largest Mall will provide Solar Power for Digital and Blockchain Activities

  • Joint venture will expand the Group’s business presence in renewable energy market to jointly secure, supply, construct, develop and manage solar panel facilities in Malaysia
  • In first project more than 6,000 solar panels, capable of generating 3.19MWp, will be installed on the roof of Melaka’s largest mall, Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall, which is managed by Hatten Group conglomerate
  • JVC will enter into power purchase agreement with majority owner of the mall and manage rooftop project for 21 years
  • Hatten Land expects green energy generated from project will reduce approximately 72,248 tons of carbon dioxide over project lifespan, equivalent to planting more than 137,000 trees

Hatten Land Limited announced today it will form a joint-venture company (JV”) with Bursa-listed Nestcon Berhad (Nestcon) to pursue renewable energy activities including installing over 6,000 solar panels on the roof of Melaka’s largest mall.

SGX Catalist-listed Hatten Land (the Company, and together with its subsidiaries, the Group)’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Hatten Renewable Energy Sdn. Bhd. (Hatten Renewable Energy) has signed a joint-venture agreement (JVA) with Nestcon Sustainable Solutions Sdn. Bhd. (NSS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nestcon.

The JVA follows the Group’s announcement in September 2021 that it had formed a strategic partnership with Nestcon for solar energy activities. The JVA is part of a strategic pivot undertaken by Hatten Land to re-purpose its malls in Malaysia for digital and blockchain activities including cryptocurrency mining enabled by renewable energy.

The JVC’s first project is to develop a 3.19MWp solar photovoltaic plant and facility (“SPPF”) involving more than 6,000 solar panels to be installed on the rooftop of Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall and to manage it for 21 years. The mall – the largest mall in the historical city – is managed by the Hatten Group conglomerate, which has a mall footprint with a combined floor area of more than six million square feet.

Upon completion of the project in 2022, the project will generate approximately 3,900 MWh per year, the equivalent of powering more than 1,100 three-room flats for an entire year. The green energy generated over the lifetime of the project will reduce approximately 72,248 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to planting more than 137,000 trees.

The Company and Nestcon will also collaborate with other potential partners to jointly secure, supply, construct and manage large-scale solar photovoltaic (“LSSPV”) facilities, targeting 100 MWp, in Malaysia.

Enhancing Synergies for Hatten Land’s “Green” Technology and Digital Initiatives

Aligning its business model with the growth trends of the digital economy, Hatten Land is re-purposing its malls in Melaka and has announced various plans that include the following:
– Installation and operation of 3,000 crypto mining rigs with two partners;
– Creating a ‘metaverse’ digital twin of historical Malaysian city and to develop a dedicated token system, create digital assets, including nonfungible tokens (“NFTs”); and
– Setting up a joint venture with Hydra X to develop and operate cryptocurrency exchanges focused on “green” and “clean” cryptocurrencies and tokens, which are believed to be the first such exchanges worldwide.

Adopting a sustainability approach for its technology and digital initiatives, the JVC will allow the Group to reduce Hatten Land’s net carbon footprint, enhance ‘green’ cryptocurrency mining capacity, lower energy costs and improve business synergies among its operations.

Significant Opportunities in Renewable Energy Market under the Reforms of Malaysia Electricity Supply Industry 2.0
Malaysia has an encouraging future in renewable energy adoption, complemented by a broadly attractive investment environment. Renewables currently contribute 23% to Malaysia’s energy mix, dominated by hydropower technologies.

Solar energy, supported by mechanisms to promote affordability, has by far the highest technical potential in Malaysia which allows installation of panels for self-consumption. Its Net Energy Metering Programme provides a pathway to self-generation with excess energy sold to the grid. The nation’s large-scale solar projects offer a successful pathway to utility-scale solar adoption.

Dato’ Colin Tan, Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Hatten Land, said: “The joint-venture marks a significant milestone in our strategic pivot. Apart from re-purposing our malls for digital economic activities, our sustainability efforts are being implemented amid increasing environmental concerns worldwide. This joint venture with Nestcon will create new business opportunities and synergies towards the emerging ESG trends.”

Datuk Ir. Dr. Lim Jee Gin, Group Managing Director of Nestcon, said: “The joint venture with Hatten Land marks a promising enhancement of the expansion of our building and infrastructure construction business into the renewable energy segment. This joint initiative will generate sustainable revenue to our group while reducing carbon emissions by generating electricity through a greener method.”

Note: This media release is to be read in conjunction with the SGX announcement released on the same date.

About Hatten Land Limited
Hatten Land Limited is one of the leading property developers in Malaysia specialising in integrated residential, hotel and commercial developments. Headquartered in Melaka, it is the property development arm of the conglomerate Hatten Group, which is a leading brand in Malaysia with core businesses in property development, property investment, hospitality, retail and education.

Hatten Land Limited began trading on the Catalist board of SGX-ST on 28 February 2017 after the completion of the reverse takeover of VGO Corporation Limited. For more information, visit: www.hattenland.com.sg.

For Hatten Land share information, please refer to SGX: PH0; RIC: HATT.
For Nestcon Berhad share Information, please refer to KLSE: 0235; RIC: NESTCON.

Issued on behalf of Hatten Land Limited by WeR1 Consultants Pte Ltd.
Media & Investor Contacts:
Mr Isaac Tang
Mobile: +65 9178 0269
Email: hatten@wer1.net

Society Pass (SoPa) Announces Pricing of US$26 Million Initial Public Offering

  • Common Shares to Trade on NASDAQ under Ticker “SOPA”

Society Pass Incorporated (Nasdaq: SOPA) (SoPa or the Company), a leading Southeast Asian data-driven loyalty platform, today announced the pricing of its US$26 million initial public offering, offering 2,888,889 shares of common stock (the Shares) at a price of $9.00 per share. The shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (Nasdaq) and will trade under the ticker symbol SOPA beginning November 9, 2021.

The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 433,333 additional shares at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any. The offering is expected to close on November 12, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

Maxim Group LLC is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering.
“We are immensely proud to be the first Vietnam-based company to complete a traditional IPO on a stock market outside of Vietnam. As an acquisition-led technology company, this milestone marks the beginning of our next phase of growth as we expand beyond Vietnam into other parts of Southeast Asia with particular focuses on Philippines and Indonesia. Our Nasdaq IPO and access to public markets allow us to connect investors to some of the fastest growing retail e-commerce opportunities in the world,” said Dennis Nguyen, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Society Pass.

A registration statement relating to the Shares was declared effective by the SEC on November 8, 2021. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Maxim Group LLC, 300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10022. Copies of the registration statement can be accessed through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Society Pass
SoPa’s customer loyalty and analytics platform has onboarded hundreds of thousands of registered consumers. SoPa provides merchants with SoPa.asia – an online commerce platform for users, alongside with #HOTTAB Biz – a convenient order management app for business partners on SoPa.asia, and #HOTTAB POS – a specialized POS technology solution, a comprehensive system for payment, loyal customer management, user’s profile analytics, and convenient financial support packages for small and medium-sized enterprises. All tools offered above will allow businesses to attract and retain customers through personalized interaction based on analytics with a high profit margin. SoPa also operates www.leflair.com, Vietnam’s leading lifestyle e-commerce platform. For more information, please check out: http://thesocietypass.com/

Forward Looking Statements
The information contained herein may contain “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements reflect the current view about future events. When used in this press release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements contained in this press release relating to the view of management of the Company concerning its business strategy, future operating results and liquidity and capital resources outlook. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions regarding its business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. The Company’s actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees of assurance of future performance. We caution you therefore against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Factors or events that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. The Company cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

Media Contacts:
PRecious Communications
sopa@preciouscomms.com

SoPa:
Raynauld Liang, CFO
ray@thesocietypass.com

Investor Relations Asia:
Daniel Tan
PRecious Communications
daniel@preciouscomms.com
+65 9651 5292

CrowdEngine Launches the Most Customizable Investor Management Solution in the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Industry

CrowdEngine, the leading private-label JOBS Act investment crowdfunding platform, announced it’s launching a new customization service so CRE firms can have a custom investment website with personalized dashboards and brand specific front-ends. In addition, CRE firms will also benefit from CrowdEngine’s ability to support capital raises under any U.S. regulations, including Reg. D, Reg. S, Reg. A, and Reg CF.

“Offering investors online dashboards and reports, as well as being able to raise capital online, has become a ‘must’ for CRE firms who want to stay competitive in light of the pandemic, but current solutions are not customizable, so we’ve launched a CRE specific solution to take advantage of our unmatched customization capabilities and proven fundraising technology,” said Jim Borzilleri, CEO of CrowdEngine.

“Unlike other investor management software, CrowdEngine clients can customize 98% of the front-end, or if you don’t have those capabilities, we can do it for you – and if you need specific reporting or dashboards, we can do that too,” said Justin Turner, CTO. CrowdEngine can also build custom integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, or most other CRMs so clients can have a single “source of truth” for all their investor sales and marketing data.

CrowdEngine also offers the Compliance Engine, the most advanced investment technology on the market that has been used by 100’s of clients to date. Its ability to support multiple offering types under any U.S. regulation is supported by the ability for investors to invest using multiple profiles, so they can invest personally, or use any LLC or entity.

By leveraging this new offering, CRE firms will be able to avoid a common “cookie-cutter” website with a completely custom design, custom dashboards, and be able to raise capital using any U.S. regulation faster and at a fraction of the cost of building themselves.

“Focusing on the $16 trillion commercial real estate market is an exciting growth opportunity for the company,” said Boon Saysavanh, Vice-President of Sales. “This will help us expand the benefits of our core technology into a new market that is just beginning to modernize their processes.”

Companies interested in learning more can find more information here http://www.crowdengine.com/real-estate

About CrowdEngine

CrowdEngine was founded in 2013 to provide JOBS Act crowdfunding software and has worked with 100’s of clients. Our proprietary Compliance Engine technology enables our clients to launch their own investor management and fundraising website that supports all offering types in the U.S. including Reg. D, Reg. S, Reg. A+, and Reg. CF. For more information, visit www.crowdengine.com or call us at 888-645-7018.

Source: Plato Data Intelligence: zephyrnet.com (bit.ly/3k6pH1W)

ZEUUS Inc. Announces Filing of Offering Statement on Form 1-A Pursuant to Regulation A With Securities And Exchange Commission (SEC) to raise $75,000,000

ZEUUS Inc. (OTC:ZUUS), (ZEUUS or the Company), a diversified data centric company, announced that it has filed an Offering Statement on Form 1-A pursuant to Regulation A with the SEC seeking to raise up to $75,000,000.

Mr. Bassam Al Mutawa, Chief Executive Officer and President of ZEUUS, commented:
“We believe that our success to date is just the catalyst for further growth. We believe that the Regulation A Offering Statement filed with the SEC, if qualified, can assist the company on its next planned leg of expansion and growth. One behalf of my board of directors, we welcome your support”.

If the Company’s planned Regulation A Offering is successful, the Company plans to use the funds raised therein as follows:
(i) the acquisition and refurbishment of 3 data centers,
(ii) the construction of new data centers,
(iii) acquisition and/or construction of a new manufacturing facility for our Wind Turbine technology;
(iv) possible strategic acquisition of green technology opportunities, and
(v) working capital and general corporate purposes. agreements.

About ZEUUS Inc.
ZEUUS has 4 key divisions intended to synergistically address key market opportunities, which are as follows:
– ZEUUS Data Centers, a division focused on building and operating hyperscale and edge data centers in many countries to provide customers with access to latest technologies in data centers and related data center services such as co-location, cloud hosting, and blockchain services, including crypto mining.

– ZEUUS Energy, a division dedicated for the development of wind energy products. We are seeking to commercialize 2 unique Patent Pending technologies that offer an innovative solution for powering the home, right up to data centers with green energy.

– ZEUUS Cyber Security, a division focused on cybersecurity and securing customer data hosted in Zeuus data centers ensuring customers can securely access their hosted data that are fully protected in Zeuus data centers. ZEUUS Cyber Security delivers scalable cloud identity management services, blockchain services to protect data and a comprehensive set of integrated security devices to protect customers data at their own premises: filtering, virtual private networks (VPN), security email, content management, firewall, IDS and IPS services.

– ZEUUS SOLAAS, a division specialized in digital services and enabling customers to enjoy turnkey solutions for cloud-based applications.

By combining the power of its four division ZEUUS believes that it can delivery cost effective sustainable solutions with ongoing growth.

For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.zeuus.com Information on our website does not constitute a part of this press release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release contains forward-looking statements and information. The words “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that we make.

The forward-looking statements are applicable only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this document are made based on our current expectations, forecasts, estimates and assumptions, and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results or events to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. In evaluating these statements, you should specifically consider various factors, uncertainties and risks that could affect our future results or operations.

These factors, uncertainties and risks may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement set forth in the reports we file with or furnish to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). You should carefully consider these risk and uncertainties described and other information contained in the reports we file with or furnish to the SEC before making any investment decision with respect to our securities. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Legal Notice
No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified by the SEC, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date. A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind. The Form 1-A is available to be viewed at the following link: https://bit.ly/3wfxf7f

Contact
For further information please contact:
Mr. Bassam Al Mutawa
ZEUUS Inc.
Email: info@zeuus.com

SOURCE: ZEUUS INC.

Blockchain-based Memorial Platform Enables Users to Preserve Cherished Memories

A soft spot in the digital revolution: Stonses launches platform preserving digital memories of loved ones

Stonses, a Dubai-based startup, has launched a blockchain-powered platform which allows for preserving the memories of our loved ones in a digital format. Stonses’ platform, which enables users to create unique digital identities with real-world objects, is built on a blockchain-powered asset management and NFT platform from UAE-based Verofax.

Wassim Merheby, CEO of Verofax, and Miha Balek, CEO of Stonses, together in Dubai. [Photo: Verofax]

In today’s digital era, our memories of people exist in the physical as well as the digital world. However, these memories may be scattered across devices or locations, some lost and others discarded, while the memories are also lost. Stonses aims to bring a permanence to those memories, through digital replicas of real-world objects linked to NFTs created by family friends and colleagues.

To make this happen, Stonses’ platform leverages NFT technology with QR codes as physical interactions, which the user can attach to any object that reminds them of their loved ones. A digital replica of the object is then built, and a unique identity is assigned to the object. This data is loaded onto an immutable blockchain, which enables the user to preserve the object and its associated memories forever, with control of the data to decide what is made public and what remains private, defining who has the right to create memories and who has only read access. By scanning the QR tag that connects the object to its digital replica, the user can instantly bring it, and the memories associated with that object, back to life. Thus, the QR tag serves as the bridge between a person’s memories and objects associated with them, and sharing with the public, amongst close family or a friends network securely, with Blockchain.

Stonses CEO Miha Balek says “The gift industry will reach $43.3 bn by 2027; objects are increasingly associated with people who own, use or gift them. Digital and physical objects create digital tokens, backed by Blockchain technology. Our memorial platform is the first to help preserve and exchange personal belongings across generations with technology, treasured assets to be transferred with ownership based on smart contracts.”

Wassim Merheby, CEO of Verofax, adds “When an object is replicated or digitally combined with certified content, its replica is called a digital twin or non-fungible Token. The first NFT project launched in 2015 on the Ethereum blockchain, but today assets and belongings can be tokenized digitally by making use of blockchain technology, which helps establish ownership and identity and seamless conditional transfer among user wallets.

While our blockchain-based asset management shoulders the Stonses memorial platform, it is also leveraged for other use-cases across industries. Retailers are using Verofax’ solution to render digital identities to their products along with information around origin, composition, and environmental sustainability. Verofax is a Microsoft co-selling gold partner whose solutions are also published to the Azure AppSource marketplace.

The ability to interface stakeholders securely and enable easy asset transfer and content access opens up new possibilities for organizations like Stonses, which is leveraging the direct-to-consumer interface to consolidate memories and assets of significance value. Stonses business model adds value to our personal lives, value that goes beyond the realm of monetary measures and efficiencies to that of meaningfulness.”

Please visit Stonses at www.stonses.com, or email info@stonses.com for details. Visit Verofax at www.verofax.com for technical matters, or email info@verofax.com.

About Stonses
We are the first and only memorial platform for the global market. The future is fast approaching, and a new era of digital innovation and disruption is here. At GITEX, we presented the most innovative digital identity solution this year, soon extending to the population: The Stonses Revolution officially launches at Burj Khalifa, Dubai on December 21. https://youtu.be/VKPDR2IthUc.

About Verofax
Verofax is a blockchain-enabled Asset Digitization and Traceability solution provider, with presence across North America, Europe, Asia and MEA. The Verofax solution is available across multiple cloud environments, helping businesses transform physical into digitally-enabled products, and engaging meaningful interactions with customized user interfaces. https://youtu.be/YRhh04hkaTY.

Blockchain-based Memorial Platform will Enable Users to Preserve Memories of Loved Ones

Soft spot in the digital revolution: Dubai-based startup Stonses launches platform that enables users to preserve memories of loved ones

Earlier this year, Microsoft patented conversational AI technology that can preserve personas of the deceased through chatbots, in an effort that appeals to the softer side of human beings. Stonses, a Dubai-based startup, has similarly launched a blockchain-powered platform, one that will enable users to preserve memories of their loved ones in a digital format. Stonses’ platform, which enables its users to create unique digital identities of real-world objects, is based on Verofax’s blockchain-powered asset management and NFT platform.

In today’s digital era, memories associated with people exist in the physical as well as the digital world. Pictures may contain real-world objects that hold emotional significance, while many people associate key events’ with objects like physical locations, family videos, wedding gifts, or even household items, which can carry priceless memories of a person we were close to. However, these memories may be scattered on phones and across locations, some are lost and others are discarded, while memories associated with them are also lost. Stonses aims to bring a permanence to those memories, through digital replicas of real-world objects linked to NFTs created by family friends and colleagues.

To make this happen, Stonses’ memorial platform leverages NFT technology with QR codes as Physical interactions, which the user can attach to any object that reminds them of their loved ones. A digital replica of the object is then built, and a unique identity is assigned to the object. This data is loaded onto an immutable blockchain, which enables the user to preserve the object and its associated memories forever. The user, however, retains complete control over the data, and decides which is made public and what remains private, defining who has the right to create memories and who has only read access. By scanning the QR tag that connects the object to its digital replica, the user can instantly bring it, and the memories associated with that object, back to life. Thus, the QR tag serves as the bridge between a person’s memories and objects associated with them, for sharing with the public, amongst close family or a friends network securely, with Blockchain.

Stonses’ memorial platform is built on top of Verofax’s immutable blockchain application, which brings decentralized trust and verifiability to digital objects. The QR code is a unique identifier that represents the digital object. As smartphone penetration levels go higher each year, such nimble technologies carry the potential for mainstream adoption. The shift from hardcopies to digital copies of images, books, and music is a clear signal that points to the appeal of digital objects over physical ones.

Chief executive officer of Stonses, Miha Balek says “The personalized gifts industry is expected to reach $43.3 bn by 2027 while objects are increasingly associated with people who own, use, or gift them. Digital and physical objects make up digital tokens, protected by Blockchain technology. Stonses’ memorial platform is the first to help people preserve and exchange their personal belongings across generations with technology. Expect other functionalities to include treasured assets to be transferred, with ownership based on smart contracts.”

Wassim Merheby, CEO of Verofax, adds “When an object is replicated or digitally combined with certified content, its replica is called a digital twin or non-fungible Token. The first NFT project was launched in 2015 on the Ethereum blockchain, but today assets and belongings can be tokenized digitally by making use of blockchain technology, which helps establish ownership and identity and seamless conditional transfer among user wallets.

Verofax’s blockchain-based asset management platform, which shoulders Stonses’ memorial platform, is also being leveraged for other use-cases across industries. For example, retailers are using Verofax’s solution to render digital identities to their products along with information around their origin, composition, and environmental sustainability.

The ability to interface stakeholders securely and enable easy asset transfer and content access opens up new possibilities for organizations like Stonses, which is leveraging the direct-to-consumer interface to consolidate memories and assets of significance value. Stonses business model adds value to our personal lives, value that goes beyond the realm of monetary measures and efficiencies to that of meaningfulness.”

Please visit Stonses at www.stonses.com, or contact info@stonses.com for more details.

For technical matters visit Verofax at www.verofax.com, or contact through info@verofax.com.

About Stonses
We are the first and only memorial platform for the global market. The future is fast approaching, and a new era of digital innovation and disruption is here. At Gitex, we presented the most innovative digital identity solution this year, which will soon cover the entire population. We proudly announce launching our solution at Burj Khalifa, Dubai on December 21. Prepare to lift off as the Stonses Revolution arrives! https://youtu.be/VKPDR2IthUc.

About Verofax
Verofax is a blockchain-enabled, Asset Digitization and Traceability solution provider with a presence across North America, Europe, Asia and MEA. Verofax’s solution is available across multiple cloud environments, and is helping businesses transform physical products to digitally-enabled goods, and enable meaningful interactions with customized user interfaces. https://youtu.be/YRhh04hkaTY.

AppsFlyer Launches SKAdNetwork Ranking for the New Privacy Era in Latest Performance Index; Xiaomi is Fastest-growing Media Source in Southeast Asia

The first index following Apple’s ATT enforcement shows that mobile media sources are still adapting to the new privacy reality

AppsFlyer, the marketing measurement and experience platform, today released the 13th edition of its Performance Index, ranking the top media sources in mobile advertising. In its edition, AppsFlyer is pioneering the SKAN Index, a SKAdNetwork ranking that reflects the new reality of privacy generated by the enforcement of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework.

Apple’s ATT impact on the mobile industry has been substantial. While Facebook dominated AppsFlyer’s pre-SKAdNetwork iOS rankings, TikTok for Business claimed the number one spot in the first SKAN Index. Facebook dropped to second and also lost the top spot to Apple Search Ads (ASA) in the Retention Index among consenting users. Google, on the other hand, in line with AppsFlyer’s previous rankings, continues to dominate in Android and drive the largest number of installs in app marketing.

The Growth index found that Xiaomi took top spot as the fastest-growing media source for Android mobile advertising in Southeast Asia — beating out Adjoe and Adfly. However, Adjoe still ranked as the fastest-growing media source globally, with its 60% increase in clients and 2.5% rise in non-organic installs largely driven by success in Southeast Asia.

TikTok for Business leads power ranking in industry-first SKAN Index
TikTok For Business has adapted the best to SKAdNetwork six months after Apple’s ATT enforcement, capturing first in the power ranking with good quality at scale, and reaching fifth place in the volume ranking. Facebook took the second spot in the power ranking, losing ground since the enforcement of ATT, but took first place in the volume ranking due to its scale.

AppLovin ranked third in both the power and volume rankings, with Google Ads coming in fourth in the power ranking. While traditionally not the most dominant media source in iOS, Google did place second in the volume ranking.

“The impact of ATT on the mobile app industry has been substantial, and AppsFlyer’s goal was to provide advertisers with the most accurate scorecard based on the media sources that can, ultimately, drive the most value in this new era of privacy,” said Sam Chiu, Senior Director of Marketing, APAC, AppsFlyer. “While it’s clear that we are still in a transition phase, and that media sources have to adapt to a completely different measurement framework that requires significant changes to their existing technologies, we wanted to provide marketers with a direction with which partners to work with in this new reality.”

Google continues to dominate Android, widening its lead from the rest
Google is continuing to exponentially drive the largest number of installs in app marketing, further increasing its lead over Facebook in Android devices. The search giant ranked first in the Retention Index’s power and volume rankings in all Gaming and non-gaming categories, with the exception of racing games. Most of its growth came from Gaming, where it increased its share in global app installs by 5% comparing H1 2021 to H2 2020.

Google enjoys the biggest reach in every region, but most of its growth comes from Android-dominated countries, particularly in India, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Google’s unrivaled reach in Android is also the main reason why it is ranked number two in the In-App Purchases (IAP) Index power ranking with a score that was only slightly lower than Facebook’s. However, it did claim the first spot in the power ranking in non-gaming as well as in the Casual gaming group.

The remarketing Index shows that although Facebook still dominates this category, Google is closing the gap and has even claimed the top spot in Europe and among Finance apps, globally. In fact, Google increased its share of the app remarketing conversion pie by 33% comparing H1 2021 and H2 2020.

Apple Search Ads overtakes Facebook among consented users in iOS

AppsFlyer found that among consenting users, Apple Search Ads (ASA) ranked first in both the Retention Index’s global power and volume rankings. In fact, iOS marketers flocked to ASA following the enforcement of ATT, with ASA reaching almost 60% of its traffic from the previous index which covered the entire second half of 2020 in only seven weeks.

ASA is the only media source in iOS that functions independently of SKAdNetwork and deterministically attributes users. While ASA is not a lateral comparison to other media sources in the rankings, AppsFlyer applied the same methodology for ASA and its competitors despite the differences in which they operate due to ASA’s volume of users with full data granularity, which is ultimately what marketers seek.

ASA’s success was driven by non-gaming apps where it ranked first, thanks to the top spot it secured in the Life & Culture group in seven regions across the globe: Eastern Europe, Greater China, Japan & Korea, Latin America, Middle East, North America, and Western Europe. In Gaming, ASA ended up third in the power ranking and fourth in the volume ranking. Its performance in Gaming was largely driven by its first-placed power rankings in the Casual Gaming group in Japan & Korea, the Middle East, Western Europe, and North America.

ASA’s advantage was also evident in the IAP Index, overcoming Facebook to take the number one global power and volume ranking, driving quality users at scale, with a first place showing in non-gaming and second place result in Gaming.

Methodology:
AppsFlyer’s Performance Index analyzed a total of 623 media sources, 33 billion installs, and over 17,000 apps. From this, the SKAN Index covered 150 million postbacks from over 3,000 apps. To ensure the accuracy of data during this transition phase, AppsFlyer utilized SKAN data from August 1st to September 30th, 2021.

To access the full version of the latest AppsFlyer Performance Index, please visit:
https://www.appsflyer.com/resources/reports/performance-index/

About AppsFlyer
AppsFlyer helps brands make good choices for their business and their customers through innovative, privacy-preserving measurement, analytics, fraud protection, and engagement technologies. Built on the idea that brands can increase customer privacy while providing exceptional experiences, AppsFlyer empowers thousands of creators and 8,000+ technology partners to create better, more meaningful customer relationships. To learn more, visit www.appsflyer.com.

Loh Boon Chye, CEO of SGX: Strengthen market connectivity and capital flows, and support China’s internationalisation

To achieve its Five-Year Plan – including its dual circulation and new development strategies, China has continued to promote innovation, digital trade, and sustainable development, making a significant difference in the global landscape.On 13 October, Loh Boon Chye, Vice Chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges (WEF) and CEO of the Singapore Exchange (SGX), delivered his video speech at the Digital Trade and Technology thematic event during the 2021 Global Digital Trade Conference and the Wuhan (Hankoubei) Commodities Fair.

Loh Boon Chye, Vice Chairman of WEF and CEO of SGX delivering his speech at the 2021 Global Digital Trade Conference and Wuhan (Hankoubei) Commodities Fair thematic event “Digital Trade and Technology”

As an international multi-asset exchange, SGX is a strong supporter of China’s internationalisation efforts across equities, fixed income, currencies, and commodities, and ultimately its economic growth, as capital flows and trade flows are inseparably linked. Loh says that the defining trends of our time, whether in digitalisation or sustainability, are borderless, and collaboration is essential to harness their fullest benefits.

At the same time, SGX continues to look for ways to strengthen market connectivity between Singapore and China, and Southeast Asia. SGX’s Loh feels that Southeast Asia is fast leapfrogging in digitalisation, as reflected in an increasing number of technology unicorns. Technology is another means to enhance greater connectivity across borders and across multiple asset classes. “Digitalisation has the potential to transform the efficiency of capital markets and advance Asia’s capital markets infrastructure,” says Loh.

Loh Boon Chye shared that Singapore has recently announced a range of initiatives to serve as Asia’s leading enterprise financing hub, including establishing an investment fund, a Growth IPO Fund, and enhancing its Grant for Equity Market Singapore scheme. “We are continuing to build a more conducive ecosystem that enables growth capital for companies across their different stages of development, supporting Chinese enterprises as they expand globally.

With the unique position at the centre of the market ecosystem, Exchanges play an important role in their countries’ economic development and sustainable society. In closing, Loh reiterated SGX’s commitment to support China in its internationalisation journey and look forward to greater collaboration opportunities and mutual success.

Driving the Digital Economy – The 2021 Global Digital Trade Conference and Wuhan (Hankoubei) Commodities Fair thematic event “Digital Trade and Technology” held in Wuhan, Hubei

The 2021 Global Digital Trade Conference and Wuhan (Hankoubei) Commodities Fair held the thematic event “Digital Trade and Technology” in Wuhan, Hubei. More than 300 distinguished guests, including leading experts and scholars in digital trade and economy, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders attended the conference. They shared new insights into digital trade and technology under China’s new “dual circulation” development strategy and the future development of the global digital economy.

Conference area of the 2021 Global Digital Trade Conference and Wuhan (Hankoubei) Commodities Fair thematic event “Digital Trade and Technology”
Speech by Jiang Wei, Standing Committee member of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor of Wuhan
Panel Discussion: Industrial Development Path in the Digital Economy era

Powered by informatization, digitization, and intelligent connectivity, the new technological revolution and industrial transformation have brought about digital trade, which significantly impacts the trading sector, fostering new business models and trading patterns among counterparties. This has reshaped the global industrial chain, supply chain, value chain, and innovation chain, becoming a major driving force for economic globalization. As one of the key highlights of the 2021 Global Digital Trade Conference, the “Digital Trade and Technology” event aims to become the leading platform that facilitates discussions, exchanges, and conversations around global digital trade.

Jiang Wei, Standing Committee member of the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor of Wuhan, delivered a speech. He shared that Wuhan’s geographic location and transportation advantages, vibrant commercial hub, and quality modern logistics infrastructure have laid the foundation to advance the development of Wuhan’s digital trade and economy. In recent years, the largest city in Central China has introduced a series of policies to promote the development of the digital economy and has achieved much success. He welcomed the visitors to take advantage of the digital trade development opportunities and invest in Wuhan for their new businesses and technological innovation.

Internationally renowned experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs, including Dr Finn E. Kydland, Norwegian economist and winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Economics; Yoshinori Ogawa, Executive Director of Marubeni Corporation, and Managing Director for Marubeni China; Wu Ying, Chairman of the Digital China Federation; Liang Rubo, CEO of Bytedance; Jiang Guofei, Vice President of Ant Group and president of advanced technology business group; Loh Boon Chye, Vice Chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and the CEO of SGX; Tian Ning, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Panshi Group delivered keynote addresses and shared new insights into the development trends of the global digital economy, the integration of digital trade and technology, and industrial supply chain innovation and transformation.

Host organizer Qi Zhiping, CEO of ZALL Smart Commerce Group, also joined four entrepreneurs – Qian Xiaojun, CEO of Beijing United Information Technology, Mu Xiaohai, Vice President of JD Cloud Business Group; Sun Wei, CEO of Shenzhen Sinoagri; and Huang Jianwen, Chairman of pao400, during the panel discussion. They had in-depth discussions around the development path and transformation of traditional industries in the digital economy era.

iResearch Consulting, China’s leading data research organization, released a white paper on Global Digital Trade during the event. Li Chao, a Chief Analyst at iResearch and Executive Dean of iResearch Institute, presented their findings. The white paper shares the current development of digital trade from the existing digital infrastructure, policies, technologies, and capital. It also analyzes in-depth how digital trade has redefined traditional trade across production, transaction and supply chain.

The whitepaper also looked at five major industries in agriculture, steel, plastics, wholesale and cross-border trade, along with the development and business models of renowned Chinese and global digital trading companies. It also analyzes the profound changes digital technologies and supply chain services have brought to the global trade industry, highlighting the growth momentum of digital trading companies and their promising prospects by financial markets. In addition, the paper believes that with continued industry upgrading and business segmentation, there would be good opportunities for digital trade services and ecosystem-based platforms to create a new form of industrial supply-demand relationship and ecological synergy.

Themed “Intelligent Connectivity . Global Trading”, the 2021 Global Digital Trade Conference is organised by the Hubei Provincial People’s Government; supported by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce; co-organised by the Wuhan Municipal People’s Government and the Department of Commerce of Hubei Province; and executed by the Wuhan Huangpi District Government, Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Commerce, ZALL Smart Commerce Group and Hankoubei Group. At the same time, the Wuhan (Hankoubei) Commodities Fair is concurrently organized and would feature hundreds of procurement fairs and thousands of livestreaming activities, pushing the global industrial chain and supply chain towards digitalization and intelligent connectivity, and promote the high-quality development of global economy and trade.