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Agora Data Announces Commercial Real Estate Lending Program

Agora

Agora Data, dedicated to providing robust financing options to help meet the capital needs of Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) dealers and smaller finance companies, today announced the company’s launch of AgoraPoint. AgoraPoint offers financing for commercial real estate and facilities and is another step to providing a holistic one-stop funding solution for dealers. Steve Burke, CEO of Agora Data, Inc. stated, “AgoraCapital provides more capital capacity than traditional lenders and enables BHPH dealers to grow their portfolio to two, three or four times their current size. Many dealers need to open new locations to handle that growth and Agora wants to make that funding easy for the dealer through AgoraPoint.” Offering a new funding source for subprime dealers to efficiently and effectively obtain capital to grow their dealership’s footprint reinforces Agora’s commitment to make available to the BHPH industry innovation and resources to fuel business. Members that connect their portfolios to the Agora platform, immediately start to realize the benefits of Agora’s proprietary modeling that outlines their business potential and the keys to maximize growth. Chris Barry, SVP of Sales at Agora stated, “When I talk to a dealer and let them know they qualify for $20 million in capital when their current lender has them capped at $5 million, the dealer asks how they can use the $20 million with only one car lot. AgoraPoint helps make the purchase of more lots possible.” AgoraPoint is the latest product added to Agora’s family of products all powered by radical AI and machine learning. Agora is dedicated to enabling BHPH dealers and small to mid-tier finance companies grow safely and have available abundant and affordable capital. About Agora Data, Inc: Founded in 2017, Agora Data’s mission is to provide access to capital for Buy Here Pay Here dealers and small to mid-sized finance companies. Pioneered by Agora Data, AgoraCapital, AgoraCredit and now AgoraPoint all provide critical funding so small- to mid-sized dealers can obtain all the cash they need to fuel growth. Agora’s proprietary, radical, AI-infused technology connects dealers and finance companies with the capital markets. Agora Data made history by closing the first-ever Crowdsourced Subprime Auto Securitization in 2020 and followed that up with its second transaction in early 2021. For more information, visit agoradata.com or contact us at 877-592-4672. Contact Details Shelly Vandeven +1 682-282-4130 media@agoradata.com Company Website https://agoradata.com/

June 21, 2021 11:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time

SUPER73® debuts versatile, affordable SUPER73-ZX

SUPER73

SUPER73® – the American lifestyle adventure brand specializing in electric motorbikes – is a world leader on the e-bike scene, captivating a loyal riding community with its fun, affordable, versatile and environmentally friendly products. While the company expanded its range in 2020 with flagship models crammed with the latest technology, it hasn’t forgotten its roots. In fact, the SUPER73 design team went back to the drawing board to re-imagine and re-engineer one of its original products, the SUPER73-Z1. The result is the brand new SUPER73-ZX. Picking from a checklist of popular features, the SUPER73 team ensured the ZX will meet the demands of a broad range of existing fans and new customers. These features include a lighter aluminum-alloy frame, allowing for greater range from the now removable battery. Additionally, the new ZX frame is larger, providing comfort for taller riders and making it easier to pedal. Like its other new generation of models that launched in 2020, the ZX offers Pedal Assist Modes: the SUPER73-ZX has four Riding Modes, including Class 1 and 2 (up to 20mph) plus Class 3 and Unlimited (up to 28+ mph). Battery range is estimated at 25-50 miles depending on the pedal assist mode, but this can vary depending upon conditions such as rider weight, speed, temperature, wind, tire pressure, terrain, incline, etc. The Riding Modes are identified as Eco, Tour, Sport and Super. They are accessed via the SUPER73 smartphone app (compatible with IOS and Android devices) and confirmed on the compact ZX Transflective Monochrome LCD display. The same technology also allows over-the-air software updates, ensuring the power supply is always running at its most efficient. The versatile SUPER73-ZX has been designed to cater to the most popular riding groups, many of which came to prominence during the global pandemic. Not only did the lockdown create a huge surge in the popularity of e-bike transportation, but also an expansion in what customers expect from their vehicles. As a result, the features of the ZX make it ideal for everybody from week-day commuters to weekend warriors, urban adventurers, and even parents with young families; the longer seat makes it more practical to carry precious cargo. Purchase price is an important consideration in this consumer category and the SUPER73-ZX will launch with a price of only $1995. All models will ship with the standard 615 watt-hours battery pack, four Riding Modes, smartphone connectivity, extended comfort seat, 31” seat height, 180mm disc brakes, and much more. As a bonus for early adopters, the Moon Rock Launch Edition will have red wheel liners on the 20”x100mm wheels, while the Storm Gray models will have white liners inside the wheel rims for easy identification. The Launch Edition will be shipped with 20x4.5” LZRD Street tires that have a tire tread pattern biased towards street use but provides riders with the ability to explore almost any environment. The SUPER73-ZX is available now, with first deliveries scheduled for Mid-July. A full range of accessories are also available, allowing customers to tailor the bike to their needs. This includes items such as a Saddleman seat, Crank Brothers bags and pedals, 1 Up Car Rack, Oury Grips, and SUPER73 custom handlebars and molle panels. For full product details and to order the SUPER73-ZX, please visit super73.com EDITOR’S NOTE A selection of high-resolution images is available here: dropbox.com/sh/bfc42mv19gjxnt2/AAD5jKyebOxevaZIiSlpqvoMa?dl=0 Editor’s wishing to review the SUPER73-ZX for editorial purposes should use the Media Contacts below. ABOUT SUPER73® SUPER73® is an American lifestyle adventure brand based in Orange County, CA that develops products to help fuse motorcycle heritage with youth culture. Founded in 2016, SUPER73 has quickly grown into one of the most recognizable electric vehicle brands in the world with a passionate customer base including A-list celebrities, professional athletes, and many more. For more information, visit super73.com or @super73 on social media. Contact Details Christiana Mullen +1 714-659-4883 christiana@super73.com Greg Emmerson greg@theidagency.com Company Website https://super73.com

June 17, 2021 10:05 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Cyvatar Raises an Additional $9 Million in Series A Round

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced that it has raised $9 million as part of its Series A financing to help scale and serve its rapidly growing customer base and continue to drive the adoption of its innovative cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) model. Escalating cybersecurity breaches and the need to address vulnerabilities across systems, networks, and apps fuel the security services market, expected to reach $193 billion by 2028. Additionally, the growth in hybrid and remote workers coupled with unsecured and unpatched BYOD devices further underscores the need for on-demand cybersecurity resources that include human talent, proven processes, and best-of-breed technology delivered from a single intuitive platform. Cyvatar has grown more than 200% since its debut in October. ATX Venture Partners led the round with additional participation from existing customer CORTEC and longtime Cyvatar investor Bill Wood Ventures. Cyvatar closed a $3 million seed round late last year, bringing the total amount raised over the last eight months to $12 million. “We’ve seen fundraising explode in the security space, in part as a result of the raft of ransomware, email compromise, and phishing attacks that have made people more aware of the problem and increased the need to fix it quickly and effectively,” said Chris Shonk, partner at ATX Venture Partners. “Cyvatar is an exciting addition to our dynamic portfolio and a natural fit alongside our other rapidly growing organizations. No other company we evaluated solves the problems of cybersecurity like Cyvatar. With Cyvatar CSaaS, security becomes as effortless as turning on the lights. There’s no better value for customers.” Cyvatar CSaaS offers security in a box for organizations of any size and any level of cybersecurity expertise--already more than 150 platform members have started the security journey with Cyvatar. Its mature sales and marketing engine makes it easy for new members to join and offers ongoing education and support for existing customers to continuously remediate evolving threats, safeguard critical systems, and boost compliance scores. "I can tell you that after implementing just three Cyvatar solutions, our security confidence is a lot stronger than it was before and our company as a whole is far more secure,” said Brent Fanguy, vice president of technology at CORTEC. “We applaud Cyvatar for pricing by employee count because it’s so easy to calculate and fit into our budget -- no counting servers or workstations, which is a nightmare. Cyvatar has delivered consistent value from our security spend, and we look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with them.” Whether customers need to speed their sales cycles, remediate after a breach, prevent future incursions, or respond to a third-party risk assessment, Cyvatar helps them achieve superior business outcomes every day. Click HERE to get started free and learn more about how Cyvatar is making cybersecurity effortless for every business. About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to effortless cybersecurity for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is a global organization with operations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at cyvatar.ai and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. About ATX Venture Partners ATX Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in the South-Central US. The firm’s seed and Series A investments focus on software-as-a-service, IoT, e-commerce, AI, frontier commercial technologies and mobile applications. ATX Venture Partners brings institutional-grade funding, process and rigor to early-stage venture capital investments, and is the partner to propel portfolio companies forward to larger growth capital. The firm was founded in 2014 and is based in Austin, Texas. Visit www.atxventurepartners.com, and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai ATX Ventures Meg Brigman +15127666462 meg@atxventurepartners.com Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

June 17, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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NHS Test and Trace strengthen their cyber defences with Risk Ledger

Stockwood Strategy

NHS Test and Trace has selected British cyber security company Risk Ledger to manage cyber security risks in their supply chain as a proactive measure to mitigate the increasing risks the NHS and other critical national infrastructure organisations face from supply chain cyber-attacks. The Risk Ledger platform will give the UK government funded service all the tools they need to manage cyber security risks in their supply chain at speed for a low per-supplier cost - at least 60% cheaper than traditional solutions. Cyber security risks in the supply chain can include third parties failing to encrypt sensitive data when it is being transferred. NHS Test and Trace, established to track and help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in England, will take advantage of Risk Ledger's key innovation which is its secure 'social network' allowing organisations to connect and share risk data securely, quickly, and easily. This gives organisations like NHS Test and Trace unparalleled visibility of their supply chain and a comprehensive set of data to identify, measure and mitigate supply chain security risks at scale. Major supply chain cyber security breaches at Solarwinds and Microsoft in recent months have put the challenge of securing supply chains at the top of the agenda for organisations around the world. Minister for Digital Infrastructure, Matt Warman MP said: “The government is working tirelessly to secure the nation online and grow the UK's £8.9 billion cyber security industry as we build back better from the pandemic. We're helping SMEs develop innovative products and services and it's great to see Risk Ledger, one of the firms we've supported, win this contract to protect the Test and Trace system and support the national effort against coronavirus.” Risk Ledger's client base includes organisations like BAE AI, City of London Police, Telenor, Schroder's Personal Wealth and ASOS. Risk Ledger CEO and Co-Founder Haydn Brooks said: "NHS Test and Trace is essentially the biggest new start-up in the UK healthcare market so we are delighted they have chosen to take advantage of our ability to provide enhanced visibility of their supply chain risks. I am proud we will be part of the effort to secure this incredibly important supply chain. "Healthcare organisations and their supply chains handle lots of highly sensitive data and have a high rate of data breaches. We have already seen during the COVID-19 pandemic that bad actors are actively targeting supply chains to access data and cause disruption” added Haydn Brooks. Risk Ledger is a rising star of the UK's growing cyber security scene having won competitions run by the UK Government's National Cyber Security Centre, the tech industry body TechUK and most recently a winner in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport’s ‘Most Innovative UK Cyber SME of the Year’ competition in May. The company is also a member of the UK Government backed LORCA programme (London Office of Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement). About Risk Ledger Risk Ledger is a British company that manages cyber security risks in supply chains. Th process of supply chain security risk management ensures third parties who deliver critical services, have access to data, corporate networks, or any other status of business trust, maintain a good base level of cyber security controls to prevent bad actors using the third party as an attack vector. In 2019, Risk Ledger won the ‘Cyber Den’ competition at the 2019 CyberUK event run by the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). At the time, Ian Levy, Technical Director at the NCSC said: ‘Our mission is to make the UK the safest place to do business online. We run the Cyber Den competition with DCMS to identify and provide a springboard for the most promising cyber security start-ups in the UK. Risk Ledger beat some excellent competition at this year’s Cyber Den event because their platform approaches supply chain security in a novel way that could revolutionise the way organisations understand the cybersecurity of their supply chains which is at the root of so many security incidents.’ Notable achievements - Risk Ledger was a finalist in the 'Most Innovative New Technology Award' category at the 2021 Water Industry Awards. - In March 2021, Risk Ledger won the South Summit Industry 4.0 innovation competition. - In May 2021, Risk Ledger was announced as a runner up in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport’s ‘Most Innovative UK Cyber SME of the Year’ competition. Contact Details Risk Ledger Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://riskledger.com/

June 16, 2021 05:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Secta Finance innovates the £10b private school fees model, making affordable finance options for parents

Stockwood Strategy

Fintech business Secta Finance has launched today to transform how private school fees are paid. Families are spending circa £10b every year to pay school fees for over 620,000 children and over the years there has been no innovation on the termly bill payments. Secta Finance has set out to change this and become an enabler for many more families considering private schooling but feel it is currently unaffordable. In collaboration with a number of financial institutions, Secta Finance has created a range of flexible and highly competitive finance plans that enable parents (and would-be parents) to spread the cost of private school fees over many years in a simple affordable way. The Secta Flexiplan enables parents to use the equity in their home to secure a facility that allows parents to draw funds flexibly within the first 5 years. Parents only pay interest on the amount they actually drawdown. If they don’t need to draw funds there is no cost. Parents can decide how much they draw; their monthly repayment amounts (subject to a minimum) and the term they repay over (up to 30 years). Also, there are no early repayment fees if they choose to repay in full. Below is an example* of how a Secta Flexiplan could be used to finance 5 years of private education. This example is based on one child, annual school fees of £15,000 per year and with the Secta Flexiplan being repaid over a period of 10 or 20 years. However, the amount borrowed, the term over which it is repaid and the monthly repayments can be adjusted to suit individual circumstances and preferences. Secta Finance has made it quick and simple for parents to get indicative quotes from their online platform. Thereafter they can engage with a qualified advisor to discuss their options and tailor a plan to suit their needs. Joe Hill, founder and CEO of Secta Finance commented: “How parents pay for private school fees is no longer fit for purpose. They are still paying large lump sums, sometimes, with expensive and inflexible means using credit cards or unsecured loans, that simply is not sustainable. Secta has set out to challenge this approach with a fresh lens and a clear pathway for parents to handle this significant expense. We want to create manageable and affordable finance solutions for school fees, much like the financial products people consider when buying a house or a car.” Contrary to popular belief, private education is not confined to the wealthy, but many middle class parents place a very high value on it and want to provide the benefits of a private education for their children. However, the costs can be prohibitive, especially for families with more than one child. Annual average school fees are in excess of £15,000 for day schools and in excess of £30,000 for boarding schools. Factoring in additional costs, a private education can cost an average of £325,600 per child for day school and £469,700 for boarders starting their schooling in 2019. Unsurprisingly, many parents find this a struggle. Research completed by Killik and Co suggests that private day school fees have increased by 403% since 1990. “Many parents make significant sacrifices to give their children a private school education. But it doesn’t have to be that way. It makes sense to have a solution whereby parents can spread the cost over a longer period of time if they wish (up to 30 years), to reduce the strain on their finances, but still be able to give their children a private education,” added Joe Hill. There are more than 2,500 independent schools in the UK catering for approximately 620,000 pupils. This represents about 7% of all UK school children and 18% of pupils over aged 16 years and older. The estimated school fee market value is approximately £11 billion. Secta Finance is working closely with schools who are keen to offer meaningful finance options for their parents. The company is also collaborating with independent financial advisors who are seeking flexible, efficient options for their clients. Parents are also directly engaging with the online platform to find out more about the options available to them. Looking ahead Joe Hill added: “We are creating opportunities for parents, for schools and for children. By offering finance solutions which are affordable, simple to understand, we will create a sustainable path for better outcomes. Our strategic aim is to expand the opportunity of private education to many more families and enable a sustainable relationship for parents and schools through the products that we offer”. ENDS *This is an indicative quote and does not constitute an offer or advice. Interest rate and solution terms will depend on your circumstances and the amount of the loan. Before you make a loan application, we will carry out a full review to establish your needs and preferences and if you meet the criteria, we will give advice and make a recommendation to you. All loans are subject to status. Please note that our product calculators show an indicative rate only and may not be suitable for you. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up with your repayments. About Secta Finance Our mission is to relieve the pressure of private school fees by providing innovative, affordable finance solutions to parents. In doing so, we bring the outstanding benefits of private education within the reach of many more families, everywhere. Secta Finance Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Contact Details Secta Finance Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.sectafinance.co.uk/

June 15, 2021 04:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Lawsuit Brought by Car Owner Against Honda Over Alleged Defect that Leads to Premature Battery Failure and Safety Risks

FeganScott

On May 18, 2021, a Honda CR-V owner filed a putative class action lawsuit on behalf of Honda vehicle owners and lessees, alleging that the automobile manufacturer sold more than 2 million vehicles with a serious defect that can cause the car battery to prematurely drain, leading to the failure of safety functions. Filed in federal court in Iowa, the lawsuit seeks to represent all U.S. consumers who purchased or leased a 2017 – 2019 Honda CR-V or a 2016 – 2019 Honda Accord. According to the lawsuit, the Honda vehicles fail to shut down properly after the car is parked and turned off, draining the battery. Left unrepaired, this defect results in the permanent destruction of the vehicle’s battery and other safety component failures, such as emergency hazard lights. According to Elizabeth A. Fegan, founder and managing member of consumer-rights law firm FeganScott, Honda knew about the defect and did not offer a reliable solution or issue a recall of the affected vehicles. The complaint alleges that despite sharing internal Service Bulletins to its authorized dealerships concerning the defect, Honda merely instructed its dealers to update internal software and replace dead batteries in certain vehicles. But, according to the complaint, Honda already knew that these “corrective” actions would not solve the parasitic draining defect nor make the vehicles any more dependable for their owners. “Honda claims that they manufacture high-quality cars that keep drivers safe, but by continually hiding this information, they’ve endangered consumers and have forced them to make costly repairs,” said Fegan. “This manufacturer has failed to fulfill even the most basic responsibilities required by law, and we intend to hold them accountable through this suit.” The lawsuit cites more than 120 public complaints from the scores that were filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), all of which reference various issues related to the battery draining or engine stalling. Another complaint posted on carcomplaints.com details how a driver reported that her CR-V “completely stalled out again” while driving, “leaving [her] in danger of” getting hit by other vehicles. The lawsuit alleges that Honda drivers believed the manufacturer’s claims of the vehicles being safe in the design and dependable. According to the complaint, “[h]ad the Plaintiff and other class members known of the defect at the time of purchase or lease, they would not have bought or leased the class vehicles or would have paid substantially less for them.” “Honda has been a trusted and popular car brand in the United States for decades, and consumers have relied on these vehicles to safely get them from point A to B, only to have Honda recklessly put drivers in harm’s way,” Fegan noted. “Betraying this trust isn’t just about the inconvenience of a dead battery – Honda has actually endangered the lives of the consumers that they claim to protect.” Consumers who are interested in learning more about this class-action suit are urged to send their contact information to info@feganscott.com. Case No. Case 4:21-cv-00148-JAJ-CFB About FeganScott FeganScott is a national class action law firm dedicated to helping victims of consumer fraud, sexual abuse, and discrimination. The firm is championed by acclaimed veteran attorneys who have successfully recovered $1 billion for victims nationwide. FeganScott is committed to pursuing successful outcomes with integrity and excellence while holding the responsible parties accountable. Contact Details Firmani + Associates Mark Firmani +1 206-466-2700 feganscottpr@firmani.com Company Website https://feganscott.com

June 10, 2021 08:05 AM Central Daylight Time

NEXT Trucking Unveils Customizable Reports to Enable Real-Time Automated Container Tracking For Shippers and Carriers

Next Trucking

NEXT Trucking, a FreightTech pioneer that connects shippers and carriers through a digital marketplace, today announced the launch of its Customizable Reports tool for freight tracking. A new feature within the company’s recently launched Shipper Portal, Customizable Reports offers a faster and more efficient way to receive, download, and share container information across the supply chain. With a comprehensive range of filters and data fields, Customizable Reports provides an unrivaled level of transparency and visibility. Customers have immediate access to an intuitive and fully customizable reporting tool, with options to create, edit, distribute, and schedule recurring reports on NEXT’s secure, proprietary platform. “The most common question asked of us by operations managers in our network is, ‘How do I know where my container or shipment is?'" said Lidia Yan, CEO and co-founder of NEXT Trucking. “With Customizable Reports, we are answering that critical question. In the post-pandemic economy, transparency in the movement of freight throughout the supply chain will be the difference between full and empty shelves - whether virtual, or physical.” Prior to the introduction of the Shipper Portal, container and shipment information was traditionally accessible through legacy methods such as spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls. Now, shippers can communicate and track the real-time status of their freight quickly and efficiently in a streamlined digital format. Customizable Reports is the next step in the evolution of NEXT’s best-in-class container and shipment tracking technology. With automated scheduling features, Customizable Reports allows Shipper Portal users to: Download fully-customized reports as CSVs Share reports within a secure, digital platform Freely edit data fields, time ranges, and filters for each report Automate and schedule distribution via email Adjust reporting frequency and delivery method “Before the Shipper Portal, getting information about my containers and sharing that with stakeholders took a big chunk of my day,” said an Operations Manager with a top US retailer. “With Customizable Reports, once I select the information I need, I can just receive all my container status updates via email everyday. It has saved me at least an hour a day.” “With Customizable Reports, I feel more informed than ever about the whereabouts and details of all my containers,” said the Director of Operations at a top global furniture retailer. “By automating these reports, I’m able to focus more on problem-solving and less on getting basic information about my containers.” Users can access Customizable Reports directly within the Shipper Portal. Future iterations of the Shipper Portal will include expanded automation capabilities, AI-driven delivery order submission processes, and improved invoice management. For more, please visit www.nexttrucking.com. About NEXT Trucking NEXT Trucking, a FreightTech pioneer and drayage leader, offers premium shipping experiences to many of the world’s best-known companies. NEXT’s platform connects shippers with freight capacity across drayage, transload, and OTR. Headquartered in El Segundo, CA, NEXT is venture-backed by leaders such as Brookfield Ventures, GLP, and Sequoia Capital. For more information, visit www.nexttrucking.com. Contact Details Veronica Yip +1 347-870-9402 nexttrucking@trustrelations.agency Company Website https://www.nexttrucking.com/

June 08, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

The Summer Travel Rebound is Here: How Airbnb Is Making Travel Easier

YourUpdateTV

As pandemic restrictions gradually lift, travel is looking different. A recent report by Airbnb indicates this travel rebound is not a temporary reaction to these many months of restrictions and isolation. Recently, Communications Leads for North America at Airbnb, Liz DeBold Fusco, teamed with YourUpdateTV on a satellite media tour to discuss major shifts in how people are traveling and how Airbnb is meeting travelers’ new needs. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/aR4n93mrwzk “We believe this will be the biggest travel rebound in a century,” said Brian Chesky, Co-Founder and CEO of Airbnb. According to Airbnb’s recent Report on Travel & Living, the lines between traveling, living and working are blurring in three key ways: first, people are more flexible over when they can travel, especially as remote working upends traditional seasonality. Second, they are traveling to much more diverse destinations, including small towns and rural areas. And third, they are staying longer in places, if they can work anywhere. Airbnb has introduced more than 100 upgrades across every aspect of their service to meet the coming demand and the fundamental shift in travel. It is one of the biggest top-to-bottom upgrades of the Airbnb service in years. Users will have a better guest experience built around Flexibility. The new Flexible Matching feature will show guests listings that lie outside a specified search, so that they don’t miss out on homes just outside their price range or missing an amenity. These new product upgrades also cater to Hosts. Airbnb is launching a brand new, simplified onboarding process where users can become hosts in just 10 easy steps. Aspiring hosts can even sign up for an “Intro to Hosting” online class or directly message an experienced Host with onboarding questions. Airbnb also redesigned the Welcome to Hosting page for new Hosts to make it easier for new and existing Hosts to manage their listings. If you are looking to share your space this summer and want to learn how to become an Airbnb host yourself, check out Airbnb.com/host About Liz DeBold Fusco: Liz DeBold Fusco is a Communications Leads for North America for Airbnb. Prior to that, she was a Vice President at SKDKnickerbocker, a national public affairs firm, where she provided strategic communications guidance to organizations ranging from the NAACP and Demos to The Rockefeller Foundation and AT&T. Liz has also worked for Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray as well as the New York State Attorney General. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 07, 2021 03:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Haystack Analytics attracts investment, powering tech teams globally and addresses developer burnout

Stockwood Strategy

Engineering insights tool Haystack Analytics, backed by Y Combinator, today announced it has secured a US$1.2m funding round which included participation from Founders Club, Y Combinator, Soma Capital, Entrepreneur First and investors Dan Siroker and Blaine Vess. Founded in 2020 by Julian Colina and Kan Yilmaz, Haystack helps build elite developer teams by providing engineering metrics and alerts proven to drive performance. Haystack improves developer productivity and software quality. Through their integration with GitHub, Haystack is able to provide live data insights that illustrate the entire delivery process from commit to deploy, being able to highlight bottlenecks like code review and team productivity. Using this feedback loop, Haystack users have increased production deployments by 58% and achieved 70% faster cycle times on average. In less than 12 months since launch, Haystack is being used by more than 7,000 developers at tech teams in GoDaddy, Microsoft, The Economist, Indiegogo and Truebill among others as revenues have increased by an average of 36% month on month. Julian Colina, CEO and co-founder of Haystack Analytics commented: “Tech teams and engineers around the world are key assets to any company and shipping software is the heartbeat and competitive advantage they seek. The efforts of developers are at the heart of processes, products and, effectively, the bottom line. Until now, it was difficult for CTOs and engineering managers to objectively know what their roadblocks are or have insights into resourcing levels. Haystack gives visibility by providing metrics and alerts to make sure nothing continues to be stuck. We are helping developers to ship faster and improve their satisfaction”. Research 1 has shown that elite performing engineering organisations are twice as likely to achieve their organisational goals and achieve a 50% higher growth rate over 3 years. It isn't just business objectives that do better, employees of elite performers are almost twice as likely to recommend their team as a great place to work. “Companies with strong technology teams are outperforming those which don't. Technology teams which follow DevOps best practice are less likely to see developers being burnt out, whilst allowing new product ideas to be experimented faster and shipping business value more reliably” added Julian Colina. The funding advances Haystack’s commitment to building intuitive one-click dashboards and alerts using GitHub data. Haystack plans to expand its offering to a greater range of data sources whilst providing an ever greater variety of user-friendly alerts and insights. As companies move to hybrid office/home working environments, Haystack provides insights that teams need to experiment with their workflows to prevent developer burnout whilst shipping faster. “Our mission is to bring the competitive advantage data-driven engineering teams like Google have to everyone. We help teams track their delivery process and optimization opportunities instead of relying solely on gut feelings - resulting in 70% faster delivery on average. It’s been an incredible 12 months and we are well set to achieve much more in the next year” concluded Julian Colina. Ends 1 DevOps Research and Assessment, State of DevOps report About Haystack Analytics Haystack was founded in 2020 by Julian Colin and Kan Yilmaz for tech teams to learn more about roadblocks to their work, improve productivity and importantly identify burnout issues with developers. Haystack helps build elite developer teams by providing engineering metrics and alerts proven to drive performance, improve developer productivity and software quality. Through their integration with GitHub, Haystack is able to provide live data insights that illustrate the entire delivery process from commit to deploy, being able to highlight bottlenecks like code review and team productivity. Using this feedback loop, Haystack users have increased production deployments by 58% and achieved 70% faster cycle times on average. Contact Details Haystack Analytics Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 bilal@usehaystack.io Company Website https://www.usehaystack.io/

June 07, 2021 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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