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After Two Seasons Of Netflix Show, Kartoon Studios (AMEX: TOON) Continues To Expand 'Llama Llama' Franchise Through Partnership With Penguin Young Readers

Benzinga

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga Every parent knows the importance of a nighttime routine for young children. Oftentimes, this routine will enlist the help of trusted stuffed animals and books that transport us to faraway places with cuddly characters. With over 30 million copies in print worldwide, Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama books have captured the hearts of families. The series has been translated into eight languages and provides soothing tales of first childhood experiences and adventures to preschoolers. In 2018, Llama Llama’s success translated to the screen when Kartoon Studios (AMEX: TOON) adapted the stories to a Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) Original preschool series. The show stars Jennifer Garner, who voices the lead role of Mama Llama. Seasons one and two of the series are available to stream. Kartoon Studios is a global company specializing in creating, producing, distributing, marketing and licensing entertainment brands. With a diverse portfolio of original animated content, including popular shows such as Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten, Shaq's Garage, Rainbow Rangers and Llama Llama, Kartoon Studios seems to have established itself as a prominent player in the entertainment industry. Expanding the Llama Llama franchise, Kartoon Studios has partnered with Penguin Young Readers and KOHL’s (NYSE: KSS) to launch new back-to-back nationwide retail promotions featuring books and plush products from the series. This product line will be part of the popular Kohl’s Cares program, which uses 100% of Kohl’s net profit to benefit non-profit organizations. Kartoon Studios has enlisted two new plush toy licensing partners, Spirit and YOTTOY, to its growing roster, expanding the company’s presence in the merchandise space. Starting February 1, customers can look forward to a charming plush toy and book set. This set features the book Llama Llama Easter Egg from Penguin Young Readers, paired with a plush toy from Spirit. Available for a limited time while supplies last, this set will be priced at $9.00. On April 12, a second release will be introduced. Fans can discover the book Llama Llama Red Pajama from Penguin Young Readers, accompanied by a plush toy from YOTTOY. These items will be available for purchase separately, priced at $5.00 each, for a limited time while supplies last. Both promotions will be accessible to customers at stores nationwide and can also be found online at Kohls.com. “We began our collaboration with Kohl’s and Penguin in 2020 with our introduction of ‘Llama Llama’ into the Kohl’s Cares initiative, and we extended the partnership in 2022 as we continue to steadily grow the brand. Launching two more promotions in 2024 offers us a tremendous opportunity to continue to honor Anna Dewdney with delivering the heartwarming stories she created, along with new quality products from our recently added licensing partners Spirit and YOTTOY,” shared Lloyd Mintz, SVP Global Consumer Products at Kartoon Studios. Kartoon Studios reports that it has a track record of success with licensed manufacturers – Kids Preferred and Books To Bed, plush and pajama partners, respectively, continue to perform well both in-store and online. Kartoon Studios has also expanded Llama Llama’s reach with audio storytelling from Tonies. Speaking on the partnership, Margaret Anastas, VP & Publisher at Flamingo Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, added, “We are thrilled to have ‘Llama Llama’ included in the Kohl’s Cares program twice in 2024. Their promotions do such good charitable work while giving young readers more ways to connect with their favorite character, ‘Llama Llama’.” Kartoon Studio's ability to tap various markets highlights its commitment to being a dynamic company that is dedicated to delivering engaging and diverse entertainment experiences to audiences around the world. Featured photo by Jernej Graj on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

February 13, 2024 08:20 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Crypto Whales Shift Focus to the Emerging Meme Powerhouse Meme Moguls (MGLS), Decreasing Interest in Tron (TRX) and Polygon (MATIC)

Meme Moguls

As market growth slowed in January, crypto whales are shifting their focus to an emerging new project, Meme Moguls. Meme Moguls experienced significant gains over the last few months and is now attracting TRON and Polygon investors, who are selling their tokens due to recent poor performances. Will Meme Moguls Hit 100x Returns In 2024? Since its presale started, Meme Moguls increased in value by 90%. This rapidly expanding P2E project is now expected to take the market by storm. After its presale ends on February 28, Meme Moguls will be listed on Uniswap and several other exchanges that will be announced over the upcoming weeks. This significant milestone is expected to take Meme Moguls to new heights. Meme Moguls is a play-to-earn (P2E) platform that lets players build their investing knowledge. The platform showcases several game modes and includes a virtual stock market where investors will be able to trade meme assets. During each game mode, players will have the opportunity to win prizes, most of which can be redeemed for cryptocurrency. The Meme Moguls development team will showcase a game preview over the next week, which will give investors further insights into different game modes, features, and more. As the Meme Moguls presale starts to sell out, experts predict that it will soon enter the 6th stage of its presale. After hitting this milestone, $MGLS tokens will increase from $0.0036 to $0.0042, its final price before being listed later this month. Investors who buy tokens before the Meme Moguls presale ends will still get a 30% buy bonus. Furthermore, active investors could potentially win giveaways, which have been awarded throughout each presale round. Visit Meme Moguls TRON Rallies 18% In January TRON was one of the best-performing stablecoins in January. Its value surged by 18.76%, and as a result, thousands of investors diversified their portfolios with TRON. This was a much-needed boost for the TRON ecosystem, which has faced several declines over the last few months following controversies with the project's founder. Last year, TRON founder Justin Sun faced several charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. While these allegations don’t directly impact TRON, they have created legal uncertainty around the project, thus slowing its growth. Nonetheless, TRON continues to expand. The developers are currently working on a new partnership with ChainGPT, which could be a great addition to the TRON ecosystem. TRON is currently trading at $0.1229, and its price increased by 4.97% over the last week. Crypto Whales Sell Polygon Polygon (MATIC) has faced several challenges in 2024. After its poor price performance, Polygon's daily transaction volume has dropped by 31.7% in a month, and Polygon has dropped out of the top 15 most traded cryptocurrencies. Whales are now losing confidence in Polygon’s following its poor user activity. As a result, record amounts of MATIC tokens have been removed from exchanges. This has caused some experts to question Polygon’s future, with some suggesting that the project may be losing its investors to competitors. According to Polygon’s network data, bridging activity also fell over the last month, which has further shaken whale confidence. Having increased by just 3.5% in 30 days, investors could start to diversify their portfolios and sell their Polygon holdings if the project fails to gain momentum. For more information about the Meme Moguls (MGLS) Presale: Visit Meme Moguls | Join the Community Meme Moguls and all cryptocurrencies are subject to significant price fluctuations and volatility. Investing in or holding Meme Moguls tokens carries substantial risks, including the potential for total loss. Past performance should not be considered indicative of future results. Volatility and Risks: Meme Moguls and all cryptocurrencies are subject to significant price fluctuations and volatility. Investing in or holding Meme Moguls tokens carries substantial risks, including the potential for total loss. Past performance should not be considered indicative of future results. Contact Details Meme Moguls contact@mememoguls.com Company Website https://mememoguls.com/

February 12, 2024 09:05 AM Central Standard Time

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Nextech3D.ai announces preliminary results showing 56% increase in revenue

Nextech3D.AI

Nextech3D.ai CEO Evan Gappelberg joined Steve Darling from Proactive to unveil the company's preliminary unaudited financial and operating results for the full year 2023. These results paint a picture of robust growth and strategic evolution for Nextech3D.ai, with annual revenue soaring by an impressive 56% to $5 million compared to $3.2 million in 2022. Moreover, the company's annual gross profit margin for 2024 is estimated at 30%, signaling a significant uptick, particularly following the company's pivot to India in Q4, 2023, and enhancements in its AI capabilities. Gappelberg elaborated during the interview, expressing satisfaction with the solid performance in 2023 but also hinting at even stronger gains anticipated in 2024. With the increasing traction of 3D modeling and the company's continued pursuit of economies of scale, Nextech3D.ai is poised for further expansion and profitability. Central to the company's success is the strategic decision to shift operations to India, a move that has significantly bolstered production capabilities and, most notably, profit margins. Gappelberg emphasized that Nextech3D.ai is now experiencing consistent profit margins exceeding 50% across its businesses, marking an impressive 80% improvement over 2023. The impressive financial results and strategic initiatives underscore Nextech3D.ai's commitment to innovation and growth in the burgeoning field of 3D modeling. With a solid foundation and a clear roadmap for the future, Nextech3D.ai is well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities and deliver sustained value to its stakeholders. Stay tuned for further updates as the company continues its upward trajectory in the dynamic world of technology and AI. Contact Details Proactive United States +1 347-449-0879 action@proactiveinvestors.com

February 12, 2024 09:43 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Crypto Analysis Platform yPredict Completes All 8 Rounds of Presale Successfully, Expands Team to Accelerate Growth

Spark Metro PR

yPredict, an AI-powered crypto analysis platform, today announced it has completed all its presale rounds to develop its platform further. The additional capital will support yPredict's continued growth as it evolves into a fully-fledged asset analysis platform. "We are thrilled to complete this last presale round, which demonstrates strong investor confidence in our vision," said Raj Sharma, CEO of yPredict. "These funds will enable us to accelerate the development of our AI-driven platform as we scale our capabilities to empower crypto & stocks investors with actionable, data-backed insights." With the presale complete, yPredict is expanding its team by hiring for several key roles, including Product Manager, Digital Marketing Specialist, Technical Stock Chart Analysis Content Writer, and Crypto Content Writer. These hires will be instrumental as yPredict cements itself as an industry-leading crypto analysis solution. yPredict leverages advanced AI and machine learning to analyze financial market data and identify profitable trading and investment opportunities. The platform delivers personalized, easy-to-understand analytics to help traders of all skill levels make smarter investment decisions. "We are at the forefront of leveraging AI to democratize access to sophisticated crypto market analysis. Our technology enables anyone, not just seasoned professionals, to trade with confidence," continued Raj Sharma. "With our strong funding base and expanded team, we are poised to take yPredict to new heights in 2024 and beyond." For more information on yPredict and its AI-powered crypto investing platform, visit ypredict.ai. About yPredict yPredict provides AI-powered crypto market analysis platform designed to uncover predictive insights and enable high-probability trading. Built by a team of AI and finance experts, yPredict helps crypto investors of all experience levels make smarter trading decisions through advanced analytics and machine learning. The company is based in Wilmington, DE. Contact Details yPredict Ankit Singh +1 302-597-6768 team@ypredict.ai Company Website https://ypredict.ai/

February 11, 2024 05:25 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Geoff Reiss, Former GM of Yahoo Sports, Named Chairman of StreamLayer

StreamLayer

StreamLayer, a leader in the monetization of live OTT sports content, has appointed Geoff Reiss, the former GM of Yahoo Sports, as the company’s new chairman. Reiss, who also served as Head of Sports at Twitter and CEO of the Professional Bowlers Association, has an extensive record of leading groundbreaking sports media businesses, including his role in launching ESPN.com and ESPN's fantasy platform. As StreamLayer experiences a surge in demand for its video monetization technology, Reiss's timing couldn't be more opportune. The company's technology is increasingly sought after for its ability to unlock new revenue sources and attract younger audiences, a necessity as the industry undergoes a difficult transition from linear TV to streaming. StreamLayer is also planning to unveil a groundbreaking event-triggered, in-game advertising solution later this year, and Reiss will play a key role in its introduction to the market. "We're honored to have Geoff on board,” said John Ganschow, StreamLayer CEO. “His expertise in commercialization and partnership development will be invaluable as we tap into these new opportunities and expand our global reach across the sports media sector." “StreamLayer is at the forefront of developing new and incredibly exciting ways for fans to engage with live sports, and I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to help them become a fixture within the industry,” said Reiss. About StreamLayer: StreamLayer is revolutionizing the economic model for OTT providers around the globe. The Company’s proprietary Video Engagement Operating System (VEOS) enables content programmers and broadcast rights holders to transform linear streaming video feeds into highly monetizable interactive viewing experiences, seamlessly integrated into their own native app environments to facilitate valuable first-party data collection. StreamLayer is headquartered in Chicago, IL. Contact Details StreamLayer John Ganschow +1 312-543-0488 john@streamlayer.io Company Website https://www.streamlayer.io/

February 09, 2024 07:00 AM Central Standard Time

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Toggle3D.ai reports new Toggle3D platform increasing artist productivity by 100%

Toggle3D.ai Inc

Toggle3D.ai CEO Evan Gappelberg joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discuss how Toggle3D.ai's platform is revolutionizing the 3D modeling and texturing process, increasing artists' productivity by 100% and providing substantial cost and time savings. Gappelberg explained that Toggle3D.ai's internal artists have been testing the platform, comparing it to other 3D painting applications. They found that what typically takes 30-45 minutes to texture in other applications can be completed in just 15 minutes with Toggle3D, showcasing a remarkable increase in speed and productivity. This increased speed is attributed to Toggle3D's web-based platform, intuitive user interface, and an extensive library of textures and materials. The application features a pre-built material library with over 1000 4K PBR materials, including metals, woods, plastics, marble, and more. This vast collection empowers users to create rich, photorealistic 3D product experiences quickly and effortlessly. Contact Details Proactive Canada Proactive Canada +1 604-688-8158 action@proactiveinvestors.com

February 08, 2024 10:19 AM Eastern Standard Time

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WagerWire Launches First Ever DFS Marketplace with RealTime Fantasy Sports

WagerWire

WagerWire, a marketplace technology and media company servicing sportsbooks and fantasy operators, has made history by launching the first DFS Pickem trading marketplace with fantasy sports operator RealTime Fantasy Sports. The launch makes RealTime Sports the first fantasy platform to offer their players the ability to sell and buy Pickem entries while in progress, including during the actual game, and is available to play in 27 states and the District of Columbia. WagerWire is making waves with this expansion, as its product will now be offered to fantasy operators in addition to its online sports betting clientele. The company was recently recognized for its achievements with a nomination for Best Innovation by the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association (FSGA). Until now, there have been no options offered to fantasy sports players after placing a pick. The WageWire marketplace creates a way for users to take control of their action to lock in a profit, hedge, or jump in and out of plays while the games are in progress. “The success of our launch with RealTime Fantasy Sports is proof that fantasy players and sports bettors are both searching for this functionality in their gaming experience,” said Zach Doctor, WagerWire CEO. “This implementation is particularly exciting for RT’s users, because it provides a live gaming solution to buy and sell action on the marketplace after pre-match entries and contests close once games begin. This is only the beginning of making every gaming asset tradeable.” “Our players are already obsessed with WagerWire, and so are we. It’s taken our Pickem product to a whole new level,” said Tim Jensen, COO of RealTime Fantasy Sports. Braiden Payne, one of many RT Sports users who have taken to the marketplace during the NFL playoffs agrees: “I am really enjoying the improvements to the RealTime Fantasy Sports experience. If my slips lose right out of the gate, I still have a chance to buy back in.” RealTime Fantasy Sports saw extremely high adoption and engagement in its secondary marketplace powered by WagerWire during the first weekend it was live. Players that use the marketplace are placing more overall action on Pickems, spend increased time on-site to browse for deals and manage listings, and show a higher likelihood of sticking around to play other games and contests. “The WagerWire engineering team is world-class and it was such an easy lift to work with them. We went from signing the Letter of Intent on December 17 to being live for the start of the NFL Playoffs just a few weeks later.” added Tim Jensen, COO of RealTime Fantasy Sports. WagerWire is coming off a rapid release of innovative products, including free-to-play bet trading with Stations’ Casino STN Play App (Red Rock Resorts: $RRR) in Q4 of 2023, in addition to releasing its Bet Value Graph generator to the public in January 2024, which follows on the heels of its heavily visited Bet Value Calculator. The company previously announced a media and technology partnership with Jake Paul and Joey Levy’s challenger platform Betr, and has plans to integrate with both Betr Picks and the highly anticipated Betr OSB in 2024. WagerWire and RealTime Fantasy Sports will also collaborate on original daily content and media around Pickem markets including contests, watch parties, and live entry auctions. About WagerWire WagerWire empowers bettors to take control of their action and treat their bets and fantasy entries as assets that can be bought and sold at any time. WagerWire’s proprietary GLI-33 certified marketplace technology can be directly embedded into sportsbook apps, and also powers the WagerWire app that serves as an aggregated marketplace of bets across partner sportsbooks. WagerWire also has a Media Network that generates engaging daily sports and betting content “By Fans, For Fans.” You can download WagerWire in the Apple App Store and Google Play, and find them @WagerWire on Twitter and LinkedIn, or @WagerWireLive on TikTok and Instagram. WagerWire is dedicated to providing users with a responsible gaming environment. If you think you or someone you know may have a gambling problem, resources are available. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. About Real Time Sports RealTime Fantasy Sports is a leader in the fantasy sports league management and cash games industry, providing some of the top DFS and DFS Pickem contests in the industry. As the home of The Fantasy Championship, RealTime Fantasy Sports has the most innovative fantasy games for many sports, including football, baseball and basketball. RealTime Fantasy Sports is your one-stop shop for all your fantasy needs. Serving fantasy players online since 1996. Contact Details Bailey Irelan birelan@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.wagerwire.com/

February 08, 2024 09:01 AM Eastern Standard Time

Goodway Group Selects FreeWheel As First Video-Only Ad Partner

Goodway Group

Today, Goodway Group, a leading, data-driven and technology-enabled digital media and marketing services firm, announced its first, video-only partnership for premium video ad inventory with FreeWheel, a global technology platform for the television advertising industry. The two companies are teaming up to help further scale and open up access to premium, connected television ad inventory for marketers. They are doing so to help tackle some of today’s most pressing industry challenges: access to premium, brand-safe ad inventory, a need for greater transparency into the ad buying process, as well as greater media efficiencies. This partnership aims to address several of those challenges by offering publishers working with Goodway Group many key benefits: First, they can tap into FreeWheel’s direct connection – and access – to a large array of premium video ad inventory. Secondly, publishers will now have greater transparency into the ad buying process, as FreeWheel has one of the industry’s most direct, efficient and simplest paths to premium video ad inventory. Lastly, per the partnership, Goodway Group has first access to test out new betas and innovations, so that its clients can stay differentiated and nimble in today’s complex ad marketplace. “As the TV advertising ecosystem continues to fragment and evolve, we sought a partner with a steady commitment to infusing simplicity, transparency and innovation and FreeWheel clearly stood out,” said Andrea Kwiatek, Director, Partnerships, Goodway Group. “FreeWheel has consistently driven greater innovation and better business results for their clients, and this is fueled by a deep understanding of the challenges that the industry faces today. We look forward to working together with them to help raise the bar for TV advertising for our clients and across the ecosystem.” The partnership comes at a time when, as more video investments shift toward programmatic activation, marketers want even greater transparency on advertising ROI. This partnership aims to address that demand by providing a more enhanced way to streamline marketers’ workflow, thereby allowing greater insight into where and how media dollars are being spent. The savings that are derived from that improved workflow, in turn, are invested back into the TV ad marketplace, allowing marketers to drive even more ad results. “At FreeWheel, we are challenging ourselves, our clients, and the broader marketplace to treat professionally produced commercial break ad inventory different from standard banner ads. This means we need to find innovative ways to make the TV ad buying process simpler and more direct, predictable and effective to buy programmatically,” said Jon Mansell, VP, Head of U.S. Programmatic Demand, FreeWheel. “These are the same guiding principles that are powering our partnership with Goodway and our goal is to help better improve the industry, on all of these pillars, by teaming up with them.” About Goodway Group Goodway Group is a leading data-driven and technology-enabled digital media and marketing services firm with teams in the U.S. and the U.K. Our diverse team of digital strategists, media practitioners, technologists and data scientists have won the most prestigious awards for innovative marketing technology, impactful work and inclusive remote-first places to work including being honored as a multiyear Ad Age Best Places to Work, AdExchanger’s Best Use of Technology by an Agency Award and three MarTech Breakthrough Awards. The firm deploys deep expertise across both consumer and B2B marketing, including brand-performance advertising, retail media and commerce, and advanced analytics using proprietary digital programmatic technologies, data, analytics methodologies, and consultation. Goodway Group is an independent and remote-first media and marketing services firm with a 90+ year history. Find Goodway Group online at Goodwaygroup.com. About FreeWheel FreeWheel empowers all segments of The New TV Ecosystem. We are structured to provide the full breadth of solutions the advertising industry needs to achieve their goals. We provide the technology, data enablement and convergent marketplaces required to ensure buyers and sellers can transact across all screens, across all data types, and all sales channels, in order to ensure the ultimate goal – results for marketers. With offices in New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Beijing, and across the globe, FreeWheel, A Comcast Company, stands to advocate for the entire industry through the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video. For more information, please visit https://www.freewheel.com/, and follow us on X and LinkedIn. Contact Details Alexandra Morrison +1 214-604-9658 alexandra@kitehillpr.com FreeWheel FreeWheel elaine_wong@comcast.com Company Website https://www.goodwaygroup.com/

February 08, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Airship AI begins delivery of major U.S. Government contracts with video and sensor management

Airship AI Holdings

Airship AI President Paul Allen joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news regarding the company's recent accomplishments. Airship Industries has embarked on the delivery of multiple firm fixed-price contracts valued at over $10 million. These contracts have been secured in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, and they aim to provide advanced integrated solutions to support real-time intelligence collection operations along the United States' borders. Central to these contracts is the utilization of Airship Industries' cutting-edge edge IoT appliance, Outpost AI. Outpost AI is a transformative technology that plays a pivotal role in these contracts. It serves as a highly efficient edge analytic processing and secure data transmission system, encapsulated within a compact edge computer device designed to withstand even the most rugged operational environments. Outpost AI leverages an on-board deep learning accelerator, allowing it to process substantial volumes of data at the edge, in real-time. This enables the extraction of actionable intelligence through a range of hot-swappable, custom-trained inference engines. The applications of Outpost AI are diverse and comprehensive. In the context of the contracts with the Department of Homeland Security, Outpost AI solutions will be instrumental in facilitating real-time intelligence collection operations along the United States' borders. They offer local high-definition recording capabilities along with customizable low-bit-rate video stream encoding. Furthermore, Outpost AI is equipped with on-board edge analytic capabilities, enabling advanced object detection and recognition. Airship Industries' successful procurement of these contracts underscores their commitment to innovation in the realm of real-time intelligence gathering and border security. The incorporation of Outpost AI technology positions the company as a pioneer in the field, offering highly effective and efficient solutions that enhance the security and surveillance capabilities along the nation's borders. In summary, Airship Industries' recent achievements in securing these substantial contracts and the deployment of their cutting-edge technology, Outpost AI, highlight their dedication to providing advanced solutions that contribute significantly to border security and intelligence operations. The combination of innovation, efficiency, and adaptability positions Airship Industries as a key player in the field of real-time data analytics and border protection. Contact Details Proactive Canada Proactive Canada +1 604-688-8158 action@proactiveinvestors.com

February 08, 2024 06:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

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