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UNFCC Climate Report delivers a message of hope stating 1.5 is within reach if immediate action is taken

North American Marine Environment Protection Association

The Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association (ZESTAs) sees the UNFCC Climate report as a message of hope and believes the authors have made it abundantly clear that it is possible to avert climate catastrophe by pursuing the “very low emissions scenario” within the next two decades. As reported, there are no other options; it is global society’s obligation to act now with “drastic, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gases to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees”, because it can. ZESTAs is nailing their colours to the mast by starting at true zero with their unprecedented “SHIP ZERO – Charging to True Zero” workshop 1-3 November coinciding with COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland. ZESTAs’ SHIP ZERO workshop will be the first ever shipping event to align with the IPCC “very low emissions scenario”, by not contemplating the use of fossil fuels or any GHG emitting fuel or technology. “The simple truth is the time for discussion is past – nothing remains but for us to act. Whatever your beliefs, whatever your passions, whatever your politics, insuring that we, as a society are no longer contributing to the end of life as we know it is imperative. This century is about reckoning – the morals, purpose and goals of society must align with the common good in every aspect of life. Sustainability is not just a goal but a social imperative that transcends our societies and presents us with both opportunities and obligations – future societies will either praise us or damn us for our actions today” observed Brent Perry, CEO, Sterling PlanB, Chair of ZESTAs Board of Directors. Only truly zero GHG emissions systems, solutions and technologies will be considered at this workshop. ZESTAs states that the technology to achieve true zero in all sectors of shipping exists today but that weak or misaligned policies and lack of finance are preventing these technologies from upscaling, achieving economies of scale and penetrating the wider market. “We need to stop throwing the ball out to 2050 and investing in half measures that won’t get us where we need to be. We need to invest in true zero now, upscale and shoot for 2030. If we don’t, we have no chance of stopping warming anywhere near 1.5. The IPCC report clearly states we’ve got a shot. We need to take that shot and act now to change policy and finance, allowing zero emissions ship technologies to get to market before 2030” said Madadh MacLaine, ZESTAs Secretary General The SHIP ZERO workshop will feature highly technical presentations, followed by discussions and brainstorming sessions, bringing together shipping stakeholders from; innovation, policy, finance, infrastructure, energy, and the wider shipping sector to combine solutions into an actionable road map. “Our intention is that the outcome of SHIP ZERO is an action plan, a navigational chart to true zero with waypoints based on realizable actions, available technologies, and implementable policies that will keep warming below 1.5 degrees” MacLaine continued. The SHIP ZERO workshop will demonstrate that marinized battery and hydrogen systems are market ready at multi megawatt scales, and that wind propulsion is being installed across the world fleet to delivers significant emissions reductions today. “Wind propulsion uses the power of the wind as a direct renewable energy source and is available everywhere at sea. Any energy taken from wind directly on ships by modern sail technology does not burden the infrastructure that ultimately will be powered by wave, sun and wind, reducing the renewable energy required to produce clean fuels. Wind assisted technology therefore makes all other technologies more feasible. ‘The answer my friends, is blowing in the wind’!” stated Frank Nieuwenhuis, eConowind, ZESTAs Board of Directors, Advisor More good news is that renewable energy and green hydrogen production infrastructure are being rolled out across the globe. From Scotland to Chile, from the United Arab Emirates to Monaco, governments are creating strategies that will achieve a price for green hydrogen that can compete with fossil fuels by the end of the decade. “If shipping is looking for that silver bullet, ZESTAs has a fully loaded chamber and we’re ready to fire” said MacLaine. In light of the "code red for humanity", declared by United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres in his response to the IPCC report, ZESTAs calls on governments and regulators to acknowledge that fully developed market ready zero emissions ship technologies exist by creating the policy frameworks necessary for these technologies to have a fighting chance of competing against incumbent fossil fuel technologies and achieve market availability before 2030. “I urge the governments of the world and each person living today to go “all in” – shift away from polluting activities and scale up climate solutions that deliver as close to zero emissions as possible. We still have the opportunity to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Governments can change policies to support this goal. As individuals we can make changes in our lives directly and speak with our votes to ensure our governments are not watered down by misrepresentative interests that are not focussed on climate management.” Brent Perry, CEO, Sterling PlanB For additional information on SHIP ZERO 26, go to https://zestas.org/ship-zero/. Contact Details NAMEPA Carleen Lyden Walker +1 203-255-4686 executivedirector@namepa.net Company Website https://zestas.org/ship-zero/

August 15, 2021 10:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Roberto Clemente VIP Experience Sponsored By AARP

Atlantino LLC

Organizers of the virtual Roberto Clemente VIP Experience, slated for Thursday, August 26th at 7 pm ET, announced today that AARP will be the presenting sponsor for the Roberto Clemente VIP Experience. Much of what is known about Roberto Clemente is centered on his Hall of Fame baseball career, his ethnicity, or his untimely passing while engaged in philanthropic activities. However, little attention is given to the man behind the game. Drawing from the behind-the-scenes book Clemente: The True Legacy of an Undying Hero, authored by Roberto’s late wife Vera alongside his family, this VIP Experience will showcase a conversation with several key individuals in Roberto Clemente’s life, including his sons, Luis and Roberto Jr., as well as Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda and Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. Bestselling Author & Motivational Speaker, Maria Marin, will also make an appearance to give a voice to Vera Clemente, who passed in 2019. Immediately following the conversation, virtual attendees will have a chance to have their questions answered by Luis Clemente during a live Q & A session from the Discover Puerto Rico offices in Old San Juan. The event will take place on August 26 th, 2021, between 7:00 and 8:00 pm ET. Registration is required to access the event. Event producers, Atlantino, will utilize the Run The World virtual gathering platform, which will allow up to 20,000 attendees to participate in this live once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each attendee will receive a special digital insignia created to commemorate the life of Roberto Clemente in time for Hispanic Heritage Month. To register for this free event, please click HERE. “This is an exciting opportunity to share with thousands of Roberto Clemente fans the life of my father, Roberto Clemente, his dreams, his goals, his passion both on and off the field. By focusing this experience on the book written by my mother and the family, it gives the family great pride to participate in this momentous occasion,” stated Luis Clemente, son of Roberto Clemente. “Roberto Clemente’s legacy is one of service, integrity, and grace. AARP is proud to sponsor the Roberto Clemente VIP Experience. He inspires us all to continue to fight so that all Latinos can live their lives with possibility.” - Yvette Peña, VP of Hispanic/Latino Audience Strategy, AARP Strategic partners, producers, and media allies for this event include Run The World, FizzyLabs, and Discover Puerto Rico. About AARP AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability, and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media. About Atlantino LLC Over the past 36 years, Ralph and Joseph Paniagua have built Atlantino into a powerhouse sponsorship and activations platform for Latino sports, entertainment, experiential, and digital. Through Atlantino and the company’s Latino Baseball and Latino Boxing media properties, Ralph has spearheaded Fortune 100 brand activations with more than 18 Major League Baseball teams, the Roberto Clemente Foundation, and more recently Golden Boy. Contact Details Atlantino LLC Ralph Paniagua +1 917-446-3346 ralph@atlantino.com Company Website https://www.runtheworld.today/app/c/clementevipexperience

August 13, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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2021 PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL, PRESENTED BY COMCAST, GOES VIRTUAL WITH 250+ INDEPENDENT FILMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD OCTOBER 6 – NOVEMBER 8

Comcast Oregon / SW Washington

Named “one of the coolest film festivals in the world,” by MovieMaker Magazine, the 2021 Portland Film Festival presented by Comcast for the fifth year, is going virtual again this year and packing its program with hundreds of independent film screenings, director’s chats, networking events as well as educational workshops and panels. As one of Oregon’slargest film festivals, The Portland Film Festival will be available around the world online this fall from Wed., Oct. 6 through Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. Comcast’s Xfinity customers with Xfinity X1 or Xfinity Flex will have easy and free access to a collection of films and livestream events. “Independent voices are vital to our culture and in more need of support than ever. It’s our festival’s mission to bring a broad diversity of independent voices together in one place and we’re proud to be able to do that again this year,” said Josh Leake, Portland Film Festival’s Founder and Executive Director. “It was a tough decision to go solely virtual, but we feel that it’s the best decision for everyone’s health and well-being. And, thanks to our partnership with Comcast, we are able to present more independent voices to a larger audience through Xfinity X1 and Flex than we’ve ever reached before.” The 2021 Portland Film Festival will feature stories by and about women, the Asian community, the Black community, the Indigenous community, the Latinx community, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, veterans, among many other important and compelling stories. Programming will be announced in the coming weeks. “It’s important that we represent diversity and independent voices on screen and behind the camera at our festival,” said Joe Stevens, Portland Film Festival’s Director of Programming. “As an Afro-Indigenous programmer, my goal is to share a collection of diverse voices through our festival and bring more awareness to the importance of diversity in the film industry. The people who tell and shape the story behind the camera are just as important as those who portray the characters on screen.” Tickets and passes for the 2021 Portland Film Festival go on sale today here. Currently, all films and events will be accessible virtually and prices range from $10 for one film to $100 for an all-access pass. Xfinity X1 and Flex customers across the nation will have free access to a collection of films and livestream events by simply saying “Portland Film Festival” into the Xfinity Voice Remote for the duration of the festival. “This year, Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex customers will be able to access free, curated films created by a diverse array of talented, independent filmmakers from home via our award-winning Xfinity Voice Remote,” said David Tashjian, Regional Senior Vice President of Comcast Oregon/SW Washington. “We support and applaud the Portland Film Festival for their commitment to amplifying independent voices.” ABOUT COMCAST CORPORATION: Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. AVOUT THE PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL: The Portland Film Festival is one of Oregon’s largest film festivals, and was named “one of the coolest film festivals in the world,” by MovieMaker Magazine. It is a non-profit, year round organization dedicated to nurturing filmmakers and audiences, and to celebrating the power of a good story. The Festival focuses on the people, ideas, technology, skills and artistry behind filmmaking, and provides both entertaining and educational opportunities for the public. Supporting sponsors in addition to the Festival’s presenting sponsor, Comcast, include Koerner Camera Systems, Gearhead Production Rentals, Oregon Governor’s Office of Film & Television, City of Portland Film Office, Boys & Girls Club of Portland, Ryan Artists, SAG- AFTRA, Portland Mortgage and Pepsi, among many others. Contact Details Comcast Amy Keiter +1 503-310-3879 amy_keiter@comcast.com Portland Film Festival Heather Villanueva +1 503-753-9193 heather@portlandfilm.org Company Website https://corporate.comcast.com/

August 12, 2021 01:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time

Edison Interactive’s Nick Stanitz-Harper Wins Denver Business Journal Award

Edison Interactive

Edison Interactive (EI), a leading provider of enterprise software for connected device networks across the globe, is thrilled to celebrate Nick Stanitz-Harper as a winner of the Denver Business Journal 2021 C-Suite Award. The Denver Business Journal C-Suite Award honors leaders who have not only demonstrated essential leadership in their organizations but have also made invaluable contributions to the Denver region. As a vital leader at EI since 2016, Stanitz-Harper has been an integral part of driving innovative technology while simultaneously creating an unmatched company culture through his role as CRO & Co-founder. “I am ecstatic to be a recipient of this year’s Denver Business Journal C-Suite Award. It is such an honor to be recognized alongside so many other incredible leaders,” said Nick Stanitz-Harper. “I believe a key component of building a successful organization is to surround yourself with talented individuals who you can trust and empower to get the job done. This award is a testament to the team and partnerships we have built at Edison.” With a predominantly Fortune 500 client base, Stanitz-Harper worked tirelessly to understand the unique challenges faced by partners during the pandemic. As a result, EI built and launched new products that ultimately drove additional revenue streams and created more opportunities for its clients. Not only did these efforts further cement Edison’s partnerships, but they also contributed to roughly 4000% revenue growth over the past three years including 110% year-over-year revenue growth and a 30% increase in headcount in 2020. Stanitz-Harper continues to focus on driving revenue and bringing strategic partners to the table at EI. His ability to foster relationships and understand the unique circumstances of individual businesses has opened the door for countless opportunities. Currently, EI is focused on investing in premium content partnerships, monetization tools and enhancing its offerings through bring your own device (BYOD) solutions that will unlock new income opportunities for clients. Nick has also been recognized as a two-time recipient of the prestigious Titan 100 award in 2020 and 2021 and is a member of the Business Journal Leadership Trust. Edison Interactive is a leading provider of enterprise software for connected devices. Focused on digitally transforming the customer experience, EI is known for its vast network of premium displays, digital signage and infotainment solutions in a variety of industries including transportation, recreation and hospitality. The company’s end-to-end solution combines premium content, functional feature sets and monetization tools that enable brands to connect with their customers in more meaningful ways. Millions of consumers across the globe engage with the Edison platform on a monthly basis. The company was founded in 2016 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Visit www.edisoninteractive.com for more information. Contact Details Edison Interactive Ali Peters +1 330-608-7419 ali@edisoninteractive.com Company Website http://www.edisoninteractive.com

August 12, 2021 11:57 AM Mountain Daylight Time

Phil Steele Releases 2021 College Football Preview -- The Most Accurate College Football Magazine For 23 Years

Phil Steele

Proven as the most accurate college football magazine for the last 23 years, Phil Steele’s 2021 College Football Preview has become one of the top-selling books at Barnes & Noble in 2021. Steele spoke to 110 head coaches out of the 130 FBS schools to compile 352 pages of analysis, predictions, and unmatched information for every team. “The season officially starts, every year, when I get my copy of Phil Steele’s preseason magazine,” said ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit. “Really appreciate the hard work and relevant material.” Steele is a member of the Heisman Voting Committee and 14 other prestigious award committees in college football. His loyal readers and over 133,000 Twitter followers anticipate his preseason predictions. Here are a few highlights and excerpts from the 2021 edition: National Champion: Oklahoma Sooners Most improved team: Penn State Nittany Lions Heisman Trophy winner: Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler Surprise team of the year: Washington Huskies Largest margin of victory per game: Alabama Crimson Tide (+28.6 PPG differential) Team projected to lose games by the largest amount: Bowling Green (-25.8 PPG differential) Largest yards per game differential: Clemson Tigers (+257.1 YPG differential) Worst yards per game differential: UMass Minutemen (-241.2 YPG differential) Steele’s analysis and predictions go well beyond the Power Five conferences. He projects the Cincinnati Bearcats will be the top non-Power Five team in 2021, followed by the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, and the UCF Knights. He believes the Minnesota Golden Gophers have the 11 th best offensive line unit and the Wyoming Cowboys have the 59 th best linebacking crew. The magazine boasts hundreds of predictions across all conferences and player groupings. “The magazine has come a long way from the 1995 black and white first edition that covered just 86 FBS teams,” said Steele. “I appreciate all of my followers and readers who look forward to my magazine every year. It’s not only for the diehard fans but also the casual fans. With the legalization of sports betting in states across the country, many fans are looking to increase their knowledge of the teams and access to data across college football.” On Friday, Aug. 27, Steele and his team will update their projected stats and forecasts after factoring in injuries, suspensions, and transfers that have taken place since the book went to print. Updates are available via the digital version of the magazine at https://philsteele.com/digital-magazine-links/. This year, Steele tapped LEARFIELD to assist with production and distribution for the magazine, as well as sales promotion for both the print and digital formats. Once the season is underway, Steele’s work continues through Phil Steele Plus, a digital platform where Steele and his staff pour in countless hours to revise stats, analysis, power ratings, and individual team grades for all 130 teams after every game. Phil Steele Plus provides full access to his innovative color-coded stats system that is not available anywhere else. According to Chris Stassen (Stassen.com), Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is the most accurate preseason college football magazine over the last 23 years. Stassen uses simple, judgment-free mathematical scoring systems to assess the accuracy of the leading college football preseason magazines. About Phil Steele Phil Steele is nationally known as one of the best football analysts in the entire country. His superior knowledge of the game has landed him on the voting committee for every major post-season award including the prestigious Heisman Trophy. Phil is known for his preseason magazine, which has been dubbed “the college football bible” by many experts in the industry. The magazine gives a complete breakdown of every team in the country and predicts how they will do in the upcoming season. Find more information about Phil at PhilSteele.com and follow him on Twitter. Contact Details Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://philsteele.com/

August 12, 2021 10:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Channel Factory Targets APAC Growth with Key Hire

Channel Factory

Channel Factory, the global brand suitability and YouTube measurement programme partner has appointed Alex Littlejohn as Managing Director to manage its existing operations and to spearhead it’s growth in the APAC region. Alex will be responsible for growing the Channel Factory’s existing operations in Singapore, and will be tasked with launching the business into the broader APAC Region with local offices across SEA and Australia slated for launch in Q4 2021. Alex has extensive experience in scaling AdTech Businesses having held the position of President International for Adconion Media Group for 8 years where he was responsible for growing the team from a standing start to over 250 employees across 8 European and 4 APAC Markets. Following Adconion’s acquisition by Singtel (SGX), Alex held the position of Senior Vice President APAC for Amobee where he managed the post merger integration of 3 Business Units and was responsible for the groups Regional Finance, Marketing, HR, Product, Sales and Operations Teams. He has been recognised in the 40 most influential people under 40 years in the media and marketing twice, on two continents and has been awarded multiple times in multiple markets for his contributions to the industry. “I am excited to be joining Channel Factory at such a pivotal time for the business. Our Mission is to build a better Video ecosystem that connects creators, brands, and consumers, and as one of only 7 accredited YouTube Measurement Partners globally am excited to further develop the existing Channel Factory operations in the region”, said Alex Littlejohn. “Alex clearly brings years of incredibly valuable experience to Channel Factory and we could not be more excited to welcome him to the team,” said Tony Chen, Founder & CEO of Channel Factory. “His impressive record and successful wins speak for themselves and we have full confidence in him to lead our business growth across the APAC region in each local market as we increase our global footprint and push the ad industry to be more conscious while we approach a new decade of recovery and regeneration.” About Channel Factory Channel Factory is a global technology and data platform that maximizes both performance efficiency and contextual suitability, turning YouTube’s 5 billion videos and 500 hours per minute of new content into brand-suitable, efficient advertising opportunities. Channel Factory’s mission is to create a suitable video ecosystem that connects creators, brands, and consumers - by enabling advertisers access to the most relevant videos, channels, and creators. Through their proprietary platform that harnesses the power of the deepest YouTube dataset in the industry, Channel Factory has enabled advanced brand suitability, customized content targeting, and maximum performance for the world’s biggest brands. Channel Factory’s algorithm ensures not only that advertisers run against content that aligns with their brand but also delivers outcomes by optimizing campaigns using active and historical campaign performance data.Channel Factory has offices across the USA and is present in over 30 countries worldwide including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Contact Details Kite Hill PR Kerriann Becker +1 631-235-7796 kerriann@kitehillpr.com

August 11, 2021 09:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time

VBox ATSC 3.0 TestBed

VBox Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jonathan Rind VBox Communications Ltd +972-9-9502821 Marketing@vboxcomm.com VBOX ATSC 3.0 Testbed New Enhanced Version of TV Gateway for NextGenTV Developers & System Integrators HERZLIYA, ISRAEL August 11 th 2021 – VBox Communications, a pioneering specialist in broadcast TV streaming, recording and digital datacasting, announced the availability of its new ATSC 3.0 Testbed – an enhanced version of the company’s original ATSC 3.0 Android TV Gateway product released earlier this year. The VBox ATSC 3.0 Testbed is designed for TV stations, broadcast engineers, video system integrators, digital app developers, and others in the emerging NextGenTV technology development ecosystem looking to test “real-world” ATSC 3.0 features and functionality. As US deployments of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard approach 50% market penetration later this summer – and more than 70% by the end of 2021 – a priority shift towards commercial productization and monetization of potential NextGenTV capabilities is quickly coming into focus. VBox’s ATSC 3.0 Testbed provides an ideal, ready-made toolkit for monitoring service performance and ascertaining technical viability for product field trials and market launches. The VBox ATSC 3.0 Testbed offers the ability to analyze both linear and “beyond-TV” ATSC 3.0 signal provision through features such as: ATSC 3.0 Signal Reception: Ensuring signals arrive as expected, via ROUTE and DASH protocols; Advanced Emergency Alerts Reception: Enabling AEA-standard weather and storm information as well as localized emergency messaging; Electronic Service Guide Reception and Visualization: Monitoring of broadcaster/3 rd -party programming information for accuracy and timeliness; SDK Provision and Testing Documentation: Enabling oversight of 3 rd -party application development, deployment and compliance testing. AEA Advanced Emergency Alerts example: As an official member of the Advanced Television Systems Committee VBox Communications is committed to implementing ATSC 3.0 VBox’s ATSC 3.0 Testbed offers a unique approach to addressing the advanced features and benefits of the new ATSC 3.0 standard in addition to the video and audio features enhancements it provides. ESG Electronic Service Guide in ATSC 3.0 example: About VBox Communications: VBox Communications ( https://vboxcomm.com/ ) is an expert in Digital TV, offering products that deliver live TV broadcasts (e.g., DVB-T/T2, DVB-C, DVB-S2, ISDB-T/ATSC) to IP combined with OTT video streaming services, for home and business use. VBox’s innovative, end-to-end firmware, software, and hardware solutions empower telcos, STB/streamer OEMs, and integrators to harness the benefits of converged live broadcast and IP- based TV – while helping grow revenues, streamlining communications and reducing costs. The company is also an active contributor and participant in the evolving 5G Broadcast standard, with planned products in the pipeline. For more details about the ATSC 3.0 Testbed, please contact us at: marketing@vboxcomm.com. More information about the VBox ATSC 3.0 TV Gateway can be found at: https://vboxcomm.com/landing/landing-atsc3/ About VBox: VBox Communications is an expert in digital TV and new media, combining Live TV broadcast to IP and OTT. Our solutions empower Telco's, STB/streamer OEMs and integrators to harness the benefits of converged live broadcast TV and OTT services. VBox enables outstanding viewing experience (watch, stream and record at home and on the go) encompassing Live TV broadcast with OTT, supporting a variety of worldwide TV Sources. Contact Details VBox Communications Jonathan Rind +972 9-950-2821 jonathanr@vboxcomm.com Company Website https://vboxcomm.com/

August 11, 2021 09:12 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Enter Africa: Versus Africa seals fundraise as it paves the way for companies to access markets with ease

Versus Africa

Africa presents a $2.1 trillion consumer spending market for businesses seeking to explore new opportunities for their products and services. Enabling businesses to enter the continent is Versus Africa, a consumer insights platform, that has today announced a $850k pre-seed capital fundraise as it scales operations to support companies in Africa and around the world as they launch their products and services across Africa. A Techstars 2019 cohort start-up, Versus Africa helps brands get closer to their consumers by obtaining key insights and helping them make better business decisions. Versus combines online and offline consumer data to give brands actionable and competitive insights for the African market. Versus counts brands such as Pizza Hut, Vodacom among others and has partnered with several global agencies including R/GA to support their campaigns. The Versus Africa platform improves the go-to market strategy and approach of businesses selling in the continent. Through their unique African language sentiment analysis, the technology captures consumer insights using online (social listening and online brand tracking) and offline data trends (conducting in-person surveys through several thousand local scouts) to help brands inform, engage and adapt their product and service strategies. They ‘listen’ (for sentiment, trends and feedback) and then ‘ask’ (for opinions, about behaviours and motivations) to offer a complete insights package for businesses. Kemdi Ebi, CEO and Co-Founder of Versus commented: “We’ve purposely built our tool to help businesses “'listen” and ''ask” the African consumer to get true engagement and actionable insights. We’re helping them make sense of the thoughts and opinions of African consumers from varying backgrounds. For those who speak in different African languages and slang, we're able to accurately identify sentiment, trends and opportunities when we “listen” online. With real-time market research and unique patented tools that translate the complexity of local languages and cultures, Versus offers actionable insights to businesses that want to make their African market entry or continuing existence a success.” The complex nature of the continent with multiple languages, varying socio-political communities and cultural nuances means it has long been difficult for companies to be successful across multiple countries. Versus Africa offers a fresh lens into the market opportunity with their unique and dynamic research approach. “We have blended technology with boots on the ground to offer the purest insights to companies using Versus Africa. For the first time, businesses near and far are able to make better decisions on their product strategy in the continent. We are particularly excited because as we scale further, we are in pole position to be the go-to homegrown solution for easy, flexible and accurate research for the plethora of new local businesses cropping up across the continent” added Kemdi Ebi. Commenting on investing in Versus Africa, the MD of Techstars London Eamonn Carey said: "For the longest time, it’s been apparent that there is huge potential in markets throughout Africa - but one of the big challenges has always been getting real, detailed, granular data about users, habits, opinions and more. The Versus Africa platform helps local, regional and global brands get real, meaningful answers to their questions - helping them launch, grow and scale more effectively across the continent. I was incredibly impressed by the team, the tech and the vision they had to use a combo of tech and people to gather an incredible dataset for their customers." Various global research businesses have reported on Africa’s macro trends and geo-political events. Before Versus, there have been few that have achieved true regional and local market insights for businesses to make informed decisions. “How many Africans own and operate research in Africa? Not many. Africa deserves a local intelligence research edge born from within. There have been international research agencies and insights tools that have tried to explore Africa but only from a distant and macro lens, now, for the first time businesses will get true local insights to help them enter key markets across the continent. I hope our launch and growth propels more like-minded tech-focussed Africans to help grow this research industry” concluded Kemdi Ebi. About Versus Africa Versus Africa helps brands get closer to their consumers by obtaining insights and helping them make better business decisions. Versus combines online and offline consumer data to give brands actionable and competitive insights for the African market. Versus has served brands such as Pizza Hut, Vodacom among others and have partnered with several global agencies including R/GA.Versus Africa, a 2019 Techstars cohort startup, was recognised by Cannes Lion Festival for Innovation and it was the first African company to showcase at Slush Tokyo 2019. Contact Details Versus Africa Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com

August 11, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Comcast Launching WiFi-Connected “Lift Zone” at Salvation Army Veterans and Family Center

Comcast Oregon / SW Washington

As part of its ongoing commitment to help connect low-income families and individuals to the internet so they can fully participate in distance-learning and the digital economy, Comcast today announced that the Salvation Army Veterans and Family Center in Beaverton is now a Lift Zone in Oregon/SW Washington. Working with its network of community-based organizations, Comcast is providing high-capacity WiFi access in safe spaces designed to help lift the experience for students – and in this case, veterans – in getting online, engaging in distance learning, accessing virtual support programs, and conducting job searches. This initiative provides free connectivity inside various partner community centers over the next three years. The Lift Zones feature free gig-speed WiFi provided by Comcast, which allows dozens of students/individuals to work on laptops simultaneously. "Our veterans and their families are very appreciative of our housing complex becoming a Lift Zone,” said Major Rhonda Lloyd of the Salvation Army Veterans and Family Center. “This will allow the children who live here to use the computer lab for schooling, and our veterans to access virtual training, and conduct job searches." Several more Lift Zone sites are currently under construction across Comcast’s Oregon/SW Washington service territory, with the goal of more than 30 by year’s end. There are already 20 Lift Zones in operation, primarily located at Boys and Girls Clubs. ABOUT COMCAST CORPORATION:Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Amy Keiter +1 503-407-9109 amy_keiter@comcast.com Company Website https://corporate.comcast.com/

August 10, 2021 08:35 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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