Technology

Artificial Intelligence Big Data Cloud Computing Cyber Security Data Management Electronics Enterprise & Network Technology Financial Technology Hardware Mobile & Wireless Nanotechnology Semiconductor Software Telecommunications
News Release Digital Asset Direct

LiveChat Helps Brands Get their Customer Service Ready for Younger Customers

LiveChat

LiveChat, a customer service platform with a 20-year presence on the market, witnessed plenty of changes in business communication first-hand. This time, the company took a closer look at younger customers’ needs and offers suggestions on how businesses can meet them. According to the forecast report released today by LiveChat, companies should continue to invest their resources in modern technology solutions for customer communication to gain more traction in their chat. Following the market observations, younger customers demand easy, effective service providing them with personalized experiences that are in line with their needs and values. The predictions presented in the report are based on the LiveChat usage data gathered over two years between July 2020 and June 2022. The team has analyzed 1.7 billion chats from 59,558 businesses worldwide and combined them with global trends. The Generation Z Trends Forecast Report focuses on people who were born between 1997 and 2012, so now their ages range from 10 to 25. Many of them already have a job or two on their resumes and disposable income to spend on products and services. They value immediate feedback while looking for recommendations and immediate answers while looking for support. “When communicating with Gen Z, it’s all about their convenience, availability and simplicity. Omnipresence is a must as most of the communication happens on the go. That also means the solution is expected to be provided right away, so make sure you have the right tools for the job,” says Szymon Klimczak, CMO at LiveChat. The current state of live chat shows that companies understand the high importance of this tool in their communication processes. A business chat application is a key engagement channel and an integral part of any business’s digital strategy. It helps to fulfill the expectations of convenient, fast, and meaningful service. Yet, simply having the tool implemented on a website is not enough to improve customer experience, especially among younger customers. Key takeaways: In December 2022, businesses can expect twice as many monthly chats compared to the same period in 2021, with more and more Gen Zers doing their holiday shopping online. To get ahead of the curve, companies should keep their first response time between 35-40 seconds because that’s the range businesses will be working in by midway 2023. Support agents should not force a change in their writing style with more and more emojis. The predictions suggest that customers do not need them to communicate their message. LiveChat’s data presents that businesses can expect a 38% increase in the number of bot chats between June 2022 to June 2023. That means that this is the right time for companies to invest in chatbot technology as it is getting out of the adoption phase in customer communication. To download "The Generation Z Trends Forecast Report," visit the website: https://www.livechat.com/gen-z-communication/. About LiveChat LiveChat is a complete customer service solution that offers several ways for businesses to communicate with buyers. Our industry-leading portfolio of products includes LiveChat, ChatBot, HelpDesk, and KnowledgeBase – all designed to enable contact with companies at any time and through a variety of communication channels. A wide range of business customers use the platform because of its customization capabilities and limitless integrations. LiveChat encourages tech firms and developers to build their own solutions on the platform’s back-end, allowing organizations to configure the application to fit their specific needs. It also integrates with all popular messaging channels and hundreds of other tools such as Shopify, Hubspot, and Google Analytics. Founded in 2002 with offices in both Poland and the United States, LiveChat is actively used by more than 36,000 companies worldwide and supports over 75 million chats monthly. Learn more at www.livechat.com. Contact Details LiveChat, Inc. Patrycja Bilińska p.bilinska@livechat.com Company Website https://www.livechat.com/

September 22, 2022 02:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Is Screen Time Affecting Your Eye Health?

YourUpdateTV

A new partnership with the American Optometric Association (AOA), the leading authority on quality eye care and the gaming industry is underway to address the effects of prolonged screen time and its impact on eye health. AOA launched the first-of-its kind Screen Time Alliance with Nerd Street Gamers, a national network of e-sports facilities, events, and content, and Playcrafting, a game development company, to encourage Americans to get their eyes checked offline by a doctor of optometry so they can do more of what they love online. There are more than 227 million Americans who play video games1 and with gaming and screen time on the rise, so is the risk for long-term implications for people’s eye health. AOA’s 2022 Gamer Survey results revealed, the average gamer spends more than 8 hours a day on screens and has experienced various eye-related symptoms from gaming, including eye strain, headaches, dry eyes, and blurred vision. Further, many gamers are aware of the eye health implications for long-term screen time usage, but less than half (46%) visit a health care professional for a comprehensive eye exam every year. In-person eye exams by doctors of optometry are critical to identify vision and health issues as well as early signs of systemic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, and cancers. As part of this year’s Eye Deserve More campaign, AOA is collaborating with optometrist Dr. Jason Compton, AOA member and gamer himself to encourage people to practice healthier screen time habits and be mindful of symptoms such as dry eyes and headaches. “It’s my job as an optometrist to get to know my patients’ habits and behaviors to create tailored recommendations to keep their eyes and overall body healthy, especially since comprehensive eye health is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” says Dr. Compton. “Whether you’re a pro gamer, Twitch streamer, casual scroller, or someone who spends all day working at the computer – it’s critical to see a doctor of optometry in person every year and adapt healthy gaming and screen time habits, like taking regular screen breaks and stopping any gaming activity at least one hour before bedtime.” To find Eye Health Guidance for Screen Time and to book an appointment with a local AOA doctor of optometry, visit AOA.org/EyeDeserveMore. About The American Optometric Association (AOA) The American Optometric Association (AOA) is the leading authority on and advocate for quality eye health care, representing more than 44,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students and optometric professionals. As the sole primary eye care provider in many communities across America, doctors of optometry are often a patient's first entry point into the health care system, and have extensive, ongoing training to examine, diagnose, treat and manage disorders, diseases, and injuries that affect the eye and visual system. Through a nationwide public health initiative, AOA's Eye Deserve More campaign is fostering awareness of the importance of eye health and vision care and the overall health benefits of in-person, comprehensive eye examinations with AOA doctors of optometry for all Americans. References: 1. Entertainment Software Association. February 2022. “2021 Essential Facts About the Video Game Industry.” https://www.theesa.com/resource/2021-essential-facts-about-the-video-game-industry/ Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

September 22, 2022 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Hear What Analysts At CNN Business Are Saying About Sound Tech Developer WiSA

WiSA Technologies

The second quarter of 2022 may have been good for WiSA Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: WISA). Revenue for the developer of spatial, wireless sound technology for smart devices and next-generation home entertainment systems increased by 67% from the first quarter of 2021. The company also reported revenue growth from $600,000 in the first quarter of this year to $900,000 in the second quarter, and the company expects this growth to continue even into the first quarter of next year, according to CEO Brett Moyer. “As anticipated, Q2 2022 revenue rebounded 67% from Q1 2022, and we expect an additional sequential revenue boost in Q3 2022,” Moyer said. “While it is difficult to predict end-market consumer spending in the all-important fall season, we expect sequential revenue growth for the remainder of 2022.” CNN Reports Positive Outlook For WiSA WiSA is looking to tap into the home theater industry— an industry projected to grow from $22.7 billion in 2021 to $27.24 billion in 2022 with further growth to reach $54.78 billion in 2026, according to a report by ReportLinker. This growth is likely due to the booming video streaming market which experienced an exponential increase in demand due to the pandemic. CNN Business’s analysis of WiSA stock predicts it will reach a median price of $4.50 and a high price of $5.50 in the next 12 months. The median price forecast would be an increase of over 600% through the forecast period. The analysis also predicts that third-quarter sales will reach between $1.2 million and $1.6 million, and sales for 2023 are expected to be between $10.5 million and $15 million. While the company’s earnings per share (EPS) for the third quarter this year is forecast at negative 22 cents, analysts at CNN Business remain optimistic - the consensus among three investment analysts polled by CNN Business is to buy the stock. WiSA attributes its revenue growth to module sales, audio systems sales, and licensing for its proprietary intellectual property (IP) and high definition television (HDTV) and other audio sources. The company's Wi-Fi-compatible modules are specifically designed for soundbars and are sold to leading speaker brands, including LG. In the third quarter, WiSA is planning a massive market expansion by partnering with more television makers. Just recently, the company announced the certification of two of Hisense’s smart TVs - the Hisense 2022 U7H and U8H series. WiSA also expects the integration of its WiSA discrete system (DS) technology by two partner companies to roll out in the fourth quarter of this year. WiSA’s Patents and Technologies WiSA boasts strong intellectual property in wireless multichannel audio. By the end of the second quarter, the company reported having a total of 25 issued patents, pending patent applications or patent filings. The company prides itself on having a number of technologies in its portfolio, including WiSA DS and WiSA HT technologies. WiSA says its DS technology features the Discovery transceiver, which delivers uncompressed 16-bit 48 kilohertz (kHz) - this definitely exceeds the sound quality offered by compact discs (CDs). WiSA DS technology seems to be performing strongly in independent testing and evaluation. The technology, which is specifically designed for soundbars, outperformed leading 5 GHz modules in an independent test performed by Novus Labs. Currently, 12 companies have 15 WiSA DS projects under consideration, with two planned to go into production in the fourth quarter. WiSA HT technology is eight channels of high-definition audio capable of transmitting and receiving uncompressed 24-bit 48/96 kHz sound over its dedicated wireless network. Its core applications include high-performance, multichannel home-cinema systems, speakers and speaker systems, and universal wireless audio transmitters using a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) or HDMI-enhanced audio return channel (eARC). Through its subsidiary WiSA LLC, WiSA also provides a wireless audio transmitter called The WiSA SoundSend that can seamlessly integrate with smart TVs. The SoundSend decodes Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and Dolby Atmos audio formats from Dolby Laboratories Inc (NYSE: DBL) and supports up to eight channels of wireless audio. SoundSend also transmits uncompressed 24-bit 48/96 kHz sound with a 5.2-millisecond signal latency and one microsecond of synchronization. The audio transmitter was named the 2022 Top New Technology award winner in the Wireless A/V Solutions category. Member Brands More than 70 top manufacturers of consumer electronics have joined the WiSA Association. Many of them have launched products using WiSA’s technology including LG Electronics Inc., Hisense, TCL, Bang & Olufsen, JBL and Harman International, which are part of the tech giant Samsung Group. As a group, they have the opportunity to challenge Sonos ’ (NASDAQ: SONO) strong position in the marketplace. It gets even better. WiSA says its top-tier premium technology can address mass-market audio systems with a software roadmap to address a total market of more than 1 billion units - this is possible because the technology has been ported to more affordable low-cost internet-connected modules through the Internet of Things (IoT). For more information about WiSA, visit its website. WiSA Technologies (Nasdaq: WISA) develops, markets, and sells spatial audio wireless technology for smart devices and next-generation home entertainment systems. Its consortium the WiSA Association works with leading consumer electronics companies, technology providers, retailers, and industry partners to make spatial audio an experience that everyone can enjoy. The Company is headquartered in Beaverton, OR. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Camille Baptiste - TraDigital IR camille@tradigitalir.com Company Website https://www.wisatechnologies.com/

September 22, 2022 08:56 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Inery Blockchain Closes Strategic Partnership and Investment with Truth Ventures Fund

Inery

Inery, a Decentralized Data System, has announced a partnership and an investment coming from Truth Ventures, uniting two companies on their path to streamline decentralized database adoption. Inery takes a different approach to decentralizing data and data management for both Web2 and Web3 companies, while streamlining the shift to the decentralized web. Its security, scalability features, and high throughput capabilities provide support to use cases across different industries. These include the healthcare sector, enterprises and governments, gaming, real estate, aviation, and any other business anywhere where data is an asset. “Inery’s real-world utility is what got us on the same page with Truth Ventures in the first place,” stated Inery Co-founder and CEO, Dr. Naveen Singh. “Truth Ventures firmly believes that Inery has the potential to revolutionize the way data is handled, both online and offline. This partnership will be an important factor in helping Inery reach its full potential and will help the push for mass adoption of decentralized databases in the conventional and Web3 spaces.” Inery’s layer 1 blockchain, and an elegant DB solution on top of it have attracted the attention of the blockchain industry from its inception, showing interest in database decentralization and security. The project rolled out its first public testnet on August 10, 2022, preceding its upcoming launch, and is also scheduled for listing at the end of the third quarter of 2022. “Truth Ventures saw and agreed with the vision and real-world utility of Inery and believes that it has great potential for mass adoption. The mutual goal of this partnership is aimed at making decentralized database management a standard instead of an outlier,” as per Mr. Varun Datta Founder & CEO of Truth Ventures. Truth Ventures had previously invested in and partnered with Bet Neo–a pioneering gaming hub, Gordium Healthcare, Moneto Sports, and many other new companies. About Inery Inery is a proprietary layer-1 blockchain and decentralized data management solution. The network enables a decentralized, secure, and trusted foundation for database management by leveraging blockchain technology. It integrates blockchain functionalities and distributed database properties to create a paradigm shift in data access, storage, and management. About Truth Ventures Truth Ventures is an international investment fund dedicated to bringing market-defining innovations and ideas into light by financing and mentoring them. The international venture capital firm finances companies at their seed stage, developing stage, or startups exhibiting potential for growth in the Entertainment, Blockchain Technology, Healthcare, and holistic wellness sectors. Contact Details TreeBee Communication Akhlaq Ahmad +91 98109 05699 akhlaq@treebeepr.com Company Website https://inery.io/

September 22, 2022 07:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Crypto tax reporting app Binocs nets $4M funding round as it adds institutional investors to retail base

Binocs

Over 300 million people around the world have crypto assets in their investment portfolio, a number that is set to double by 2025. Helping them stay on top of their regulatory responsibilities, crypto tax reporting app Binocs is today announcing a $4M fundraise. With this new funding round, they plan to cater to institutional crypto investors and enter geographies like the US, UK, Australia etc. The seed funding round was led by BEENEXT and Arkam with participation from Accel, Saison Capital, Premji Invest, Blume and Better Capital. Founded in May 2022 by Tonmoy Shingal and Pankaj Garg, Binocs help retail crypto investors there to adapt and evolve to the ever-changing dynamics of the crypto market by simplifying their accounting, taxation, compliances and helping them stay on top of their portfolios. The app is able to compute crypto taxes in less than 30 minutes and already has over 1,000 active users. Binocs also offers the portfolio tracking features wherein users can get an overview for their entire distributed crypto portfolio which offers a consolidated report on ROI, P&L, capital gains across all exchanges. This includes a wide range of cryptocurrencies, tokens, protocols, and smart contracts. Co-Founder and CEO Tonmoy Shingal commented: “Compliance related to crypto trades and investments can be tricky, error-prone and time-consuming. Binocs is mitigating these pain points for retail users and institutions to have a seamless crypto experience. Moreover, the lack of information around crypto tax regulations is a hurdle to investing in the asset class. Using state-of-the-art technology, we ease the crypto taxation journey of our users. In essence Crypto is a web3 currency but has to comply with a web2 world of accounting principles and compliance. We are bridging this gap. Our software is compliant with the latest regulations, ensuring our users can calculate their taxes efficiently.” The total market cap of the crypto industry has risen sharply from ~325B US$ in Sep 2020 to ~1T US$ in Sep 2022. Assuming equal split between short term and long term capital gains in the numbers above and a blended tax rate of ~20% the overall tax liability it imposes on the investors is of the tune of ~70B US$. By 2026 this tax outlay corpus can become of the order of 300B US$ ( assuming 20% user growth and 15% asset price growth annually). The portfolio aggregation and understanding technology can be expanded to include new use cases in future like building financial identity for retail users to forensics and risk management for institutional investors etc. The market is huge and is rapidly growing. The primary purpose of Binocs is to ensure accurate tax computation is executed while maintaining compliance with the latest local laws and regulations for all its users. Binocs caters to an array of transactions right from Buy / Sell trades, Staking, P2P transactions, Airdrops and even transactions across wallets. They have recently launched features to track complex trades like Derivatives, Lending & Borrowing across CeFi and DeFi (like AAVE-v2 and more) platforms which sets them apart from the rest. With complete transparency, the algorithm breaks down the transaction fee and TDS already paid on the transactions and then calculates tax on the net amount. Users can link their crypto portfolios via multiple sources centralised exchanges, decentralised exchanges, wallets, and on chains directly. They can track daily portfolio movements and portfolio value (enabled by intelligent analytics), as well as download quarterly and annual tax computation and account statements. Binocs also reconciles transactions, since inception, from multiple accounts with zero errors. Binocs is tax compliant in the US, UK, Australia, South Africa, India. Other major markets will be added in the coming month. This funding round will help Binocs to launch in countries where tax regulations are defined and expand the team. Anirudh Garg, Investor at BEENEXT, commented: “As the Web3 world grows, crypto native organisations will need solutions like Binocs to help them with their compliances, accounting and bookkeeping. 20 countries currently have tax regulations and compliances in place for cryptocurrency and there are another 50 that will implement such policies in the near future. This is a great market opportunity to build an easy-to-use, yet powerful, system early on.” About Binocs Binocs is a venture-backed startup in the crypto space. It has built the latest compliance (accounting and taxes) and portfolio tracking software for crypto transactions for retail and institutional investors. The Binocs team comprises people from software engineering and corporate backgrounds at companies like Google, Amex, GE Finance, Yodlee, The Big Four companies, JP Morgan, and Goldman Sachs. Binocs uses OAuth Integration systems that provide state-of-the-art security and protect all its users' data. Binocs is backed by VC investors including: BEENEXT, Arkam, Accel, Saison Capital, Premji Invest, Blume and Better Capital. For more information, please visit https://binocs.co/ About BEENEXT BEENEXT is a Venture Capital fund managed by serial entrepreneurs that focuses on assisting founders with their operational experience, network, trust, unique perspectives, and capital. The team invests in early-stage tech start-ups that are focused on building the new digital platforms driven by the data network. BEENEXT is a platform of founders, by the founders and for the founders across the globe, primarily in South East Asia, India and Japan. Since its establishment in 2015, the team has invested in over 200 companies globally. For more information, please visit www.beenext.com About Arkam Arkam is an early stage multi sector technology investor. We invest in audacious entrepreneurs with groundbreaking ideas for a better India. We back digital category creators targeting the Middle India consumer as well as digital enablers (SaaS) focused on small businesses and enterprises. Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://binocs.co/

September 22, 2022 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

OPPO joins the FIDO Alliance, accelerating the arrival of a new era of passwordless sign-ins

OPPO

SHENZHEN, CHINA - Media OutReach - 22 September 2022 - OPPO announced today that it had joined the FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance, an open industry association with a mission to develop authentication standards that reduce the world's over-reliance on passwords. As a member of the Alliance, OPPO will support the development and implementation of the latest FIDO standards for passwordless logins, utilizing basic public passkey cryptography and the protocols defined by FIDO to provide users with a fast, user-friendly, and secure sign-in experiences across services. OPPO will also work closely with other members of the Alliance to develop and promote FIDO Authentication certifications to mitigate the overreliance on password-only logins within different services. Today's average internet user has dozens of online accounts, making managing large numbers of passwords a very time-consuming and frustrating task for both users and organizations. At the same time, password-only authentication methods suffer a few severe setbacks. These range from the high administration costs involved in changing and resetting user passwords to the considerable security risks from weak passwords and password reuse across multiple accounts. As such, there have been calls across the technology industry to move towards a sign-in mechanism that can mitigate the reliance on passwords or even replace them entirely. Founded in 2012 to help reduce the world's over-reliance on passwords, the FIDO Alliance works to develop standards for password-free identity authentication and login for websites, services, and applications worldwide. The Alliance's latest authentication specification, FIDO2, provides a secure and convenient technical framework supported by companies including Google, Microsoft, and Qualcomm. Following its entry into the FIDO Alliance, OPPO will actively use FIDO standards on its smart devices and work on optimizing user experiences and improving authentication security. In the future, users can use OPPO smartphones to work as a "passkey" to log in to different services across browsers, apps, and platforms, which helps to create a seamless connected experience. When using multiple smart devices, including new devices and nearby devices belonging to others, users can automatically access their FIDO credentials on the core OPPO device without re-enrolling every account on other OS platforms or browsers. As a member of the FIDO Alliance, OPPO will also join the different technical and regional FIDO working groups, through which OPPO will make technical contributions to bringing password-free login technology to more use cases and services. In the digital world, greater information flows lead to greater security challenges. Through its brand proposition of "Inspiration Ahead," OPPO will work with partners across the industry to create more secure and convenient password-free connected experiences that enable new intelligent experiences for more users. Contact Details OPPO Media Contact press@oppo.com

September 21, 2022 11:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

This Japanese Tech Company Just Boosted Its Capabilities As It Expands Into The US Market

HeartCore Enterprises

Learn More about HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. by gaining access to the latest research report Technology solutions company HeartCore Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: HTCR) recently agreed to acquire a majority stake in information technology (IT) solutions provider Sigmaways. An aspiring leader in its industry, HeartCore offers software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology solutions to businesses, primarily through its platform that facilitates marketing, sales and customer service. Under the terms of the agreement, HeartCore will acquire a 51% share in California-based Sigmaways in an effort to expand its offerings — particularly in the United States. HeartCore will most likely integrate Sigmaways as its software solutions provider with the goal of improving customer experience and satisfaction. The deal is expected to reduce HeartCore’s outsourcing costs, as the company will now be able to use Sigmaways’s in-house IT specialists. Both companies anticipate an expansion in their customer bases through upselling and cross-selling to their complementary markets. HeartCore says it was drawn to acquiring Sigmaways because of the company’s similar workplace philosophy and ethos. Both companies pride themselves on premier customer service. This acquisition represents what HeartCore hopes will be its strong entry into the U.S. market. HeartCore also collaborates with International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM), distributing its myInvenio mining process technology in Japan. The vertical integration of technology services gained through acquiring Sigmaways will allow HeartCore to enter the same markets as Seattle-based software engineering companies like Qualtrics International Inc. (NASDAQ: XM) and Infobird Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: IFBD). At The Heart Of An Industry “Sigmaways is a well-respected organization that has successfully proven its ability to utilize technology to help customers reach their business goals, which is on brand with our corporate philosophy and culture,” HeartCore CEO Sumitaka Kanno Yamamoto said. “Our team is thrilled to continue its work at the intersection of machine learning, language and sales, and we look forward to the closing of this acquisition, as we intend to fully capitalize on all the synergies hand in hand with the Sigmaways team.” Sigmaways Founder and CEO Prakash Sadasivam said, “Our deep expertise as a system integrator in product engineering and technology solutions has helped clients turn IT into strategic assets through our digital advisory services. This collaboration will bring a network of IT professionals to clients across multiple industries.” HeartCore recently closed an initial public offering in the U.S. at $15 million. As the industry continues to grow, with its compound annual growth rate (CAGR) predicted to be 11.3% per year, HeartCore hopes to become a leader in the field. Meanwhile, Sigmaways generated almost $9 million in revenue in 2021. Learn more about HeartCore at its website. Learn more about Sigmaways at its website. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. is a leading software development company offering Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to enterprise customers in Japan and worldwide. The Company also provides data analytics to create tailored web experiences for their enterprise clients. HeartCore’s customer experience management platform (CXM Platform) includes marketing, sales, service, and content management systems, as well as other tools and integrations, which enable companies to enhance the customer experience and drive engagement. HeartCore also operates a digital transformation business that provides customers with robotics process automation, process mining, and task mining to accelerate the digital transformation of enterprises. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details TraDigital IR - Malaika Temu malaika@tradigitalir.com Company Website https://heartcore-enterprises.com/

September 21, 2022 02:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Synthetic speech startup Murf AI raises $10Mn Series A to help your words find a voice

Murf

Murf AI, a fast-growing synthetic speech technology startup that is transforming the way voiceovers are created, is today announcing a $10M Series A funding round led by Matrix Partners India with participation from existing investor Elevation Capital, as well as prominent angel investors such as Ajay Arora - SVP Product, Disney Streaming, Ankit Bhati - Founder, Ola, Ashwini Asokan - Founder, Mad Street Den, Pushkar Mukewar - Founder, Drip Capital and Yamini Bhat - Founder, Vymo. Murf plans to use these funds to drive further product innovation, accelerate R&D, and scale its presence in focused geographies. Founded in October 2020 by IIT-Kharagpur class mates Sneha Roy, Ankur Edkie, and Divyanshu Pandey, Murf provides an AI-enabled SaaS tool that allows users to generate “human-like” voice overs for videos and presentations—without the need for complex recording equipment or hiring a voice artist. In May of 2021, the company raised a $1.5M Seed funding round led by Elevation Capital and a few angel investors which helped them recruit talent, invest in product innovation, and user acquisition. Since then, Murf has grown 22x in ARR and synthesised 1 million+ voice over projects. According to market reports, the global text to speech market is expected to reach $7.06B by 2028, growing at a 14.7% CAGR. In addition, the voiceover and the dubbing market is predicted to generate a total of $8B annually by 2027. Tapping into this unparalleled opportunity, Murf aims to make high-quality voice overs accessible to all by placing a simple yet powerful online voice studio in the hands of every content creator. From conversational to aspirational, casual to authoritative, excited to sad, cheerful to angry, Murf’s AI voices can simulate a variety of speaking styles and tones. The firm has a high-quality AI voice for every use case, including eLearning, advertising, podcasting, L&D, and audiobooks. While text to speech has been around for years, limitations in quality restricted the usage of the technology to primarily IVR and chat bots. Recent advances in AI and deep learning have however made it possible to build synthetic voices that mimic the natural prosody and pronunciation of human speech. Murf’s AI engine has been trained on hours of actual human speech to produce high-fidelity synthetic AI voices that mimic the nuances and subtleties, including the likeness, style, and uniqueness of the human voice. The 120+ human-parity AI voices offered by Murf Studio across 20+ languages are rich with emotion and intonation. The startup is also working towards bridging the diversity gap that exists in traditional text to speech platforms by ensuring the inclusion of voices across varied accents like African American, British, and Australian English. “Synthetic media is poised to become omnipresent in the near future and voice is at the core of it. At Murf, we continue to make advances in our speech technology to bring the diverse abilities of talented voice actors at our customers’ fingertips through AI. This Series A investment would further bolster our commitment towards simplifying and scaling voiceovers,” said Ankur Edkie, Co-Founder and CEO, Murf AI. Akin to the human brain, Murf’s AI-powered TTS can track and learn from a vast amount of contextual information to return a relevant response. Serving as an all-in-one voice solution, its simple-to-use AI voice generator enables users to add images, videos, and background music and sync the voiceover with the visuals and music. The platform also offers key features for smart pronunciations using IPA, voice customizations that enable users to change pitch, pause, emphasis, and speed, and ability to clone a voice. "AI-driven, life-like voiceovers are the next frontier in the text to speech market. Murf, with their stellar founding team and unique IP, is perfectly poised to gain a leadership position in this space. Their execution prowess and tech-first focus is evident in the solid traction and growth that they've demonstrated so far. We are really excited to double down on our partnership with Murf.", commented Mukul Arora, Co Managing Partner, Elevation Capital. “We’re big believers that AI will reinvent every market and Murf is reinventing a multi-billion dollar category with their AI-voiceover technology. Creating voiceovers is hard, and Murf’s unique IP makes it easy for every individual to create emotional and theatrical voices—faster, better, and cheaper. With phenomenal customer love and international traction, Murf is an early category leader and we’re excited to partner with Ankur, Sneha, and Divyanshu on their next phase of growth,” commented Pranay Desai, Principal, Matrix India. About Murf AI Murf helps businesses simplify the process of creating natural-sounding voiceovers using AI. The firm’s AI-powered Saas tool enables users to create lifelike voices for their content in a matter of minutes. From L&D, educators, authors, and podcasters to animators, product developers, YouTubers, freelancers, and corporate coaches, the platform has a voice for every creator across all industries. Murf’s curated voice library of 120+ realistic sounding AI voices in 20+ languages, is ideal for those on a tight budget who want to create voiceovers at scale. Murf’s geographic footprint spans worldwide, with 80 percent of its customers coming in from the US, Canada, and EU regions. For more information please visit https://murf.ai/ About Elevation Capital Elevation Capital is a leading venture capital firm which provides seed and early stage capital for emerging companies in India. Elevation Capital has been investing in India since 2002 deploying almost $2 billion of capital in over 150 companies. The firm announced its eighth pool of capital of $670 million in April 2022. The firm is led by Co-Managing Partners Ravi Adusumalli and Mukul Arora, along with three Managing Directors Mridul Arora, Deepak Gaur and Mayank Khanduja. The firm has invested in over 150 companies across Consumer Internet, SaaS, Fintech, Consumer Brands, Edtech, Healthtech and Web3/Crypto, and has offices in Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Salt Lake City. About Matrix Partners India Founded in 2006, the firm invests in Indian companies targeting the consumer and enterprise market at seed, early, and early growth stages. Matrix India has invested in several market-leading companies such as Ola (mobility), Dailyhunt (mobile local language platform), Razorpay (payments), OfBusiness (B2B Commerce, fintech), Five Star Business Finance (SME lending), Ola Electric (electric vehicles), DealShare (social commerce platform), Stanza Living (tech-enabled student housing platform), OneCard (mobile-first credit card), Country Delight (D2C dairy & fresh foods brand), GoKwik (e-commerce enablement platform), Captain Fresh (seafood marketplace), Bijnis (B2B platform for factories), MoEngage (intelligent marketing cloud platform), Superops (MSP software), Zupee (skill-based gaming app), Rocketlane (customer onboarding software), 100ms (live video infrastucture startup) and Itilite (corporate travel SaaS platform) among others. Matrix India has advisory offices in Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai. Further information is available at www.matrixpartners.in. To know more about our investment philosophy & ideologies, check out the #MatrixMoments podcast. Contact Details Murf Ai Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://murf.ai/

September 21, 2022 12:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Shareholder Group Recommends Nominee for ExxonMobil Board Who Supports Fossil Fuel Extraction

National Legal & Policy Center

As the Securities and Exchange Commission enters the first month under a new rule that eases proxy access for shareholders’ corporate director nominations, National Legal and Policy Center is announcing its first recommendation for a seat on a corporate board. The government and corporate ethics watchdog, which owns shares in dozens of major companies, has proposed the nomination of Donald van der Vaart to the board of the Exxon Mobil Corporation. NLPC delivered its recommendation to the multinational energy giant in mid-August, detailing Dr. van der Vaart’s outstanding qualifications in a five-page letter to the company’s Board Affairs Committee. Should the three-member panel vote favorably for him, his candidacy would be in the hands of the full board, which would then decide whether to endorse Dr. van der Vaart for a shareholder vote at the 2023 Annual Meeting. “Don van der Vaart’s professional accomplishments and experience meet all the criteria articulated by Exxon’s board for what they seek in directors,” said Paul Chesser, director of NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project. “He is an eminently qualified scientist, engineer and lawyer. His candidacy should be a no-brainer.” Dr. van der Vaart is the former Secretary for the Department of Environmental Quality for the State of North Carolina, serving in that role from 2015 to 2017. He rose to that position after serving in several roles under various permutations of the agency through multiple gubernatorial administrations, starting in 1993 – with a brief two-year detour to serve in environmental compliance in the mid-1990s for a large investor-owned utility in the Tar Heel State. He currently is Chief Administrative Law Judge and Director of the Office of Administrative Hearings for North Carolina. Dr. van der Vaart holds a Ph.D in chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge in England, and a law degree from the North Carolina Central University School of Law. “Don checks all the boxes for desired qualities in an Exxon board member: He’s a scientist, a lawyer, a top judge, a former energy and environment regulator, a leader, and a manager of large administrative agencies,” Chesser added. “The company has no one like him, with his deep and broad expertise, that can advise on the many areas of policy and operations where it is involved.” Dr. van der Vaart was also North Carolina’s Energy Policy Director, and served on the EPA’s Scientific Advisory Board. A principled and practical environmentalist, he has written articles that address pollution from solar panels and from electric vehicles; Russian collusion with environmental groups to protect its natural gas industry; and the risks of ESG investment priorities for pensioners. He recognizes the need for responsible fossil fuel development to sustain and expand the economic flourishing of the human race, while protecting the environment and its resources. NLPC’s board recommendation comes just as the SEC implemented a new rule on Sept. 1 that dramatically eases the process by which shareholders can nominate candidates for corporate boards on proxy voting cards. This would hypothetically increase activity at annual meetings in which slates of director nominees are proposed by shareholders, in competition with companies’ recommended candidates. NLPC, with its proposal of Dr. van der Vaart, seeks to have him placed on the proxy card with the endorsement of Exxon’s board of directors. NLPC sponsored shareholder resolutions at more than two dozen annual meetings during the most recent proxy season, which ended in the spring. Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Contact Details Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

September 21, 2022 11:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

1 ... 341 342 343 344 345 ... 562