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How Super League Enterprise Is Helping Shape The Future Of Web 3.0 With 3D Engagement

Benzinga

By Austin DeNoce, Benzinga Immersive experiences are everywhere around us. The lines between reality and virtual reality are blurrier and more valuable with each passing year, and more and more companies are diving into the digital world headfirst. Super League Enterprise (NASDAQ: SLE) is one of those companies as a leader in crafting engaging virtual experiences. The company leverages its substantial user base to forge connections between global brands and the Web 3.0 and gaming community by harnessing the power of immersive technologies to captivate and connect with a generation that increasingly can only be found in a digital world. The buzz around creating immersive online experiences may be lost on older generations that have been relatively slower entering new digital frontiers, but younger generations have fully embraced 3D engagement. Super League Enterprise’s Immersive Media Expansion The pioneer in immersive web activations and user engagement today boasts over a billion monthly impressions and over 120 million active players. The company’s mission is to help brands embrace 3D engagement as a fundamental component of Web 3.0, which it believes is the inevitable way digital advertising dollars will be directed in the future for deeper engagement with new audiences. During 2023, the company was a leader in building immersive 3D experiences across major digital platforms, including Roblox (NASDAQ: RBLX), Minecraft which is owned by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Fortnite, Sandbox and Decentraland. The company's strategy focuses on helping brands connect with large audiences in those established 3D environments. Its creator-friendly tools also help transform owned web domains through custom 3D experiences. Tools For 3D Engagement As brands shift digital advertising to make Web 3.0 connections with Generation Z and Alpha, Super League provides creators with a content development platform packed with enough proprietary IP to be an end-to-end operating system for the 3D Web. Super League reports that last year turned out to be a year of strong momentum for the company, highlighted by accelerated growth, streamlined operations and the largest contract in the company’s history – leading to record annual revenues of approximately $25 million. This highlights their growing role in the metaverse and digital engagement strategies. The company has partnered with brands like Barbie from Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT), Patrick Star (NASDAQ: PARA) and Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) to connect brands with gaming communities through immersive experiences. Heading into 2024, the company reports more global brands are navigating into Web 3.0 with a planned ramp-up of ad spending in the nascent marketing channel. “Super League is uniquely positioned to be the omni-channel solution for 3D engagement in the arena where brands in the near future will likely spend the majority of their digital advertising,” said Ann Hand, CEO of Super League. “Our capabilities as a platform for short-term advertising campaigns are evolving and our deals are getting much larger as customers discover the value in deeply immersive experiences that deliver revenues that are more recurring and forecastable.” As an example, Super League in 2023 launched the Hamilton Simulator, a Web 3.0 experience that attracted an audience of 6.5 billion for an interactive discovery of the epic Broadway saga’s groundbreaking music. The company reports that the experience went viral with over 1 million visits in the first two weeks, surpassing the top session time of Roblox experiences at an average of 21 minutes. Pioneering Immersive Media The landscape of media is quickly changing, forcing brands and creators to adopt new strategies to engage with a younger audience that increasingly socializes online. Industry giants like Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) have already begun making investments in immersive experiences, and as the shift into the digital world increases with innovations in the metaverse or other similar technologies, immersive media is becoming critical for brands seeking to capture the attention of the next generation. Super League believes it is on track to be a gold standard for creating multi-layered, persistent 3D Web solutions in a market it expects will reach $56 billion this year. The company has pioneered immersive activations and player engagement for close to a decade simply responding to the demand for a scalable, integrated publishing platform for immersive web experiences. Platforms to help brands leverage their IP in new and creative ways constitute a growing sector of the media industry. In this new landscape, Super League's approach is clear: equip brands with the knowledge and tools to create engaging digital experiences that drive higher audience engagement and more effective advertising campaigns. Super League Is Upping Its Game Last year, the company integrated generative AI technologies into its creative process tools for significant improvements in content development, color inspiration, image adjustments, audio generation and script refinement. It was an evolution for the company’s already robust content visualization and production solutions capabilities that it believes increases internal efficiencies and opportunities for continued, sustained new business and revenue growth. Super League Enterprise is capitalizing on the shift toward immersive digital environments. In 2023, it reduced its operating costs by 33% while serving some 100 brands and IP owners to successfully raise gross proceeds of $24.8 million and secure $4 million in accounts receivable. It last announced preliminary revenue for the fourth quarter that showed it grew 32% year over year to a company record of approximately $9.4 million. With additional cash from recently secured financings, it’s confident it is now more than ever in a position to drive significant revenue growth leading to profitability. The company's proprietary creator tools and vertically integrated publishing engine could position it as a promising player in the transition to a more interactive and immersive online world. Ultimately, Super League's growing list of partnerships and commitment to innovation in connecting brands with Web 3.0 and gaming communities highlight their strategic approach to audience engagement and advertising in the new dawn of immersive media. 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 is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

January 26, 2024 08:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

How Laser Photonics Helps Drive Safety And Efficiency In Maritime, Aerospace And Nuclear Industries With Cleaning And Marking Lasers

Benzinga

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga The global laser cleaning market is projected to grow to $12 billion by 20 25, and the global laser marking market to grow to more than $5 billion by 2030. As technology continues to advance, demand climbs for better and more efficient industrial lasers across a wide range of industries. The aviation, aerospace, defense, shipbuilding and nuclear power sectors are particularly forward-looking in pursuit of improvements. The United States government and the Department of Homeland Security recently approved multiple programs regarding industrial laser use, signaling their current and future value in aerospace and military manufacturing. A pioneer in responding to such needs, Laser Photonics Corporation (NASDAQ: LASE) is a leading global developer of industrial laser systems, specializing in integrated laser cleaning solutions and laser marking and engraving. Their high-powered CleanTech laser systems eliminate surface corrosion and coatings from a wide variety of materials without causing harm to the surface beneath. In addition to surface cleaning and conditioning, other applications include pre-welding preparation and post-welding treatment. Technology that qualifies as CleanTech uses no harmful chemicals or substances while achieving fast and accurate cleaning results. Their advanced productivity and safety features serve to secure their reputation as a safer, more efficient option while ensuring operators are protected from the hazards of traditional systems. In global manufacturing, Laser Photonics reports that the value of its MarkStar direct parts marking, UID engraving and deep engraving technology is continuously expanding. Such practices pay for themselves quickly as they streamline traceability, production flow control, inventory control and renewal, service marking, product quality validation as well as long-term product liability and reliability monitoring. In the aviation and aerospace industry, Laser Photonics' maintenance-free laser equipment and systems play a significant role in streamlining manufacturing and repair processes from MarkStar direct parts marking, UID and deep engraving to their newest CleanTech laser cleaning systems. On top of corrosion and coating removal, cutting-edge CleanTech laser cleaning technology can be utilized by professionals in the aerospace industry to clean fixtures, perform selective paint removal on rivets, clean landing gears, clean landing strips and more. Laser Photonics’ solutions are also valuable to the maritime industry, shipbuilding and ship maintenance and repair processes. Its revolutionary CleanTech cleaning technology offers a safer alternative to environmentally harmful practices like sandblasting, chemical cleaning, and abrasive blasting. By also eliminating the health risks of traditional methods, laser cleaning has become a disruptive solution in these industries. The global maritime industry is expected to grow from $2.6 billion in 2023 to $3.7 billion by 2028. Nuclear decontamination and decommissioning is another domain where Laser Photonics’ laser CleanTech and MarkStar systems provide cost-effective, time-efficient, environmentally friendly and safe industrial cleaning and marking methods. Principally based on waste elimination, eco-friendliness is another major benefit of CleanTech laser cleaning. Unlike traditional cleaning and marking methods, there is no secondary waste generated during use. Furthermore, laser cleaning eliminates the need for hazardous consumables, ensuring the safety of operators who would otherwise be exposed to harmful substances. Laser Photonics’ laser cleaning and marking technologies can be customized to the unique needs of operators in any industry or application, providing a tailored solution for anything from nuclear facility maintenance to battery manufacturing. The company’s CleanTech and MarkStar technologies offer safe, effective, eco- and operator-friendly solutions to challenges posed to manufacturing professionals worldwide. Laser Photonics continues to innovate in each sector and on each application, helping high-demand industries grow more profitably and safely. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

January 26, 2024 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

NexWafe Expands to the US to Reshore Solar Wafer Production

NexWafe

NexWafe GmbH (NexWafe) has established a U.S. subsidiary to evaluate the development of multi-gigawatt-scale solar wafer production in the U.S. with an initial target production volume of six gigawatts (GW). The North American operation will leverage NexWafe’s EpiNex™ production technology from the company’s 250 megawatt (MW) first commercial facility, which is under construction in Bitterfeld, Germany. As part of this expansion, NexWafe appointed solar industry veteran Jonathan Pickering as Vice President of Business Development for North America to spearhead U.S. operations. The U.S. solar industry has tremendous growth potential. 2023 was the nation’s largest year of solar installations, reaching 33 GW of solar installations. Average annual growth of solar installation of 14 percent is expected between 2023 and 2028. In line with the goals of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), NexWafe’s U.S. expansion is a strategic move to reduce vulnerabilities in the solar-wafer supply chain, which remains subject to China’s market dominance and potential geopolitical disruption. The company is actively working on securing strategic partnerships, assessing potential manufacturing locations and the associated regional incentives, and securing offtake agreements for domestic wafer supply. Along with other solar supply chain manufacturers, NexWafe will work with the Administration to leverage IRA incentives to realize the company’s vision of gigawatt-scale wafer manufacturing in North America. As a front runner in bringing solar wafer production to the U.S., NexWafe further demonstrates its commitment to the energy transition. “Silicon wafers are critical materials for the energy transition, and Jonathan’s leadership will be key as we embark on establishing gigawatt-scale wafer manufacturing in the U.S.,” said Davor Sutija, CEO, NexWafe. “His extensive experience and proven expertise in solar technology complement the strength of our established leadership team.” Pickering was previously President of JA Solar Americas, and a former Vice President at Applied Materials. His experience spans the solar value chain from solar wafer and solar cell processing equipment to solar module manufacturing and commercial solar project development. “Multiple top-tier solar companies have committed to advanced PV cell and module manufacturing at a multi-gigawatt scale across the U.S. But now we see a significant bottleneck in the supply chain for a domestic source of silicon wafers,” said Jonathan Pickering, VP of Business Development, North America, NexWafe. “Our breakthrough EpiNex direct ‘gas-to-wafer’ manufacturing process targets this exact opportunity. We are developing a gigawatt-scale facility to manufacture high-performance. American-made, thin silicon wafers to serve our U.S. customers, and we can do so while achieving a 60 percent reduction in the carbon footprint compared to today’s technology.” About NexWafe GmbH NexWafe GmbH designs, develops and is ramping into production a proprietary process to produce ultra-thin, high-efficiency, monocrystalline, low carbon footprint solar wafers to make photovoltaics more sustainable and efficient. Fully compatible with conventional solar cell manufacturing, NexWafe offers a 60 percent reduction in energy consumption during manufacturing. NexWafe’s continuous, direct gas-to-wafer manufacturing process also minimizes waste, resulting in wafers that are less expensive than conventional wafers. NexWafe’s in-line, ultra-scalable process leapfrogs current barriers in the cost reduction roadmap and inherently supports the industry’s extraordinary growth as the transition to solar power accelerates worldwide. The company was spun out from Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in 2015 and is a member of the Ultra Low-Carbon Solar Alliance, Solar Power Europe, and the European Solar Manufacturing Council. For more information, please visit https://www.nexwafe.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn. Contact Details Jenna Beaucage +1 508-340-6851 nexwafe@rainierco.com Company Website https://www.nexwafe.com

January 26, 2024 08:10 AM Eastern Standard Time

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TeamViewer adopts Almer AR headsets to take remote support from desktop to reality

Almer

The popular global leader in remote IT support TeamViewer has signaled its shift to augmented reality (AR) having struck a strategic partnership with AR startup Almer. This news comes hot on the heels of Apple’s entry into the AR market with the launch of their Vision Pro headset next month. The Almer Arc headset enables collaboration with remote individuals as if they were physically present and augmentation of the wearer's environment with relevant information for pointing out objects in reality. Almer is also announcing the launch of Arc 2, it’s latest headset which features a 25MP camera, beamforming microphones, built-in speakers, and a holographic see-through screen with 8-hours battery life. As opposed to Apple’s Vision Pro, the Almer Arc 2 is a mere 138 grams, 4 times lighter. Thanks to the completely transparent display of the Arc 2, it can be employed in mission critical task and changing environment, while the Vision Pro is for a static interior environment. This partnership will enable TeamViewer to expand into untapped opportunities with industrial companies. Meanwhile, Almer will be able to scale its operations and advance AR adoption. Mei Dent, Chief Product & Technology Officer at TeamViewer: “Approximately 80 percent of the global workforce does not work at a desk but at a company’s frontline, and most of them currently benefit very little from digital transformation. There is immense potential for efficiency and productivity gains by enhancing the frontline work with digital tools and connecting this huge part of the global workforce to their companies' backend system. Our joint offering with Almer allows companies to explore how Augmented Reality opens new opportunities for business and operations and massively increases the speed of their digitalization efforts.” Almer was founded in 2021 by Sebastian Beetschen and Timon Binder. Sebastian was working on the Hololens 2 at Microsoft Research and felt the AR opportunity extended beyond clunky helmet-like apparatus. He felt he could make a more compact, comfortable, and affordable AR device and teamed up with Timon, a former jet fighter pilot, who recognized the potential. Timon brought his experience with AR jet fighter helmets that led to the creation of the Almer Arc headset. Sebastian Beetschen, CEO and co-founder of Almer commented: “Our headset is much like a jet fighter visor, mounted directly in front of your eyes, featuring a transparent, see-through screen. The Almer Arc is a lightweight, compact, and easy-to-use AR headset. When a problem arises, the frontline worker takes the Almer Arc and contacts a remote expert, who can see and hear what the worker experiences. The expert identifies the issue, highlights objects, and displays documentation in the worker's view, simulating a collaborative, in-person experience.” Today, Almer has 21 customers, including Switzerland's largest defense contractor, which uses the Almer Arc to service fighter jets remotely in the US, as well as several international machine manufacturers. Almer is venture backed startup having raised $7.6m to date from strategic investors including engineering giant Stena and manufacturing leaders Helbling among others. The Almer team consists of top talent from the fields of computer vision and microtechnology, from renowned Swiss institutes of technology, ETH and EPFL. On the launch of Arc 2, Sebastian Beetschen commented: “We have learned a lot on how to make the headset super adaptable and users can set their preferences on how they wear it. Something new entrants like Apple still have to learn. Not only this, Arc 2 comes with an improved wide angle 25MP camera that can see and understand everything that you see and zoom into tiny details as never before. This makes it possible to understand the environment and assist, enabling superhuman capabilities”. The global augmented reality market* is projected to grow from $62.75 billion in 2023 to $1,1 trillion 2030, at a CAGR of 50.7%. Within this trend, the market for AR headsets is exponentially increasing over the next few years and is set to hit $120 billion in 2026. Initially, Almer is focusing on the Swiss industry and will soon expand into the neighboring DACH region before going global. Sebastian Beetschen added: “The cost saving potential of using AR to service all installed machines for the 10 largest tooling-machine manufacturers in DACH alone accounts for £7.9 billion per year**. So, the opportunity is very real”. * Fortune Business Insights, Technology / Augmented Reality (AR) Market and Grand View Research, Augmented Reality Headsets Market, Industry Report ** According to Acceliox, a machine hour in the sheet metal industry costs approx. 150 CHF/h and has downtimes (machine malfunction, adjustment, waiting for pre-material,...) of about 100 hours per month. This results in approx. 15'000 CHF downtime costs / month (180’000 CHF / year). According to Acceliox, approx. 5% of the planned and unplanned downtime can be eliminated with the Almer remote support, resulting in cost savings of approx. 9’000 CHF / machine and year. About Almer Almer Technologies is a Swiss startup that develops, reality augmenting (augmented reality) glasses that can display information to the user in reality. Thanks to this digitalization, industrial companies, laboratories, and logistics centers can make better use of technology and thus massively increase their efficiency. About TeamViewer TeamViewer is a leading global technology company that provides a connectivity platform to remotely access, control, manage, monitor, and repair devices of any kind – from laptops and mobile phones to industrial machines and robots. Although TeamViewer is free of charge for private use, it has more than 630,000 subscribers and enables companies of all sizes and from all industries to digitize their business-critical processes through seamless connectivity. Against the backdrop of global megatrends like device proliferation, automation and new work, TeamViewer proactively shapes digital transformation and continuously innovates in the fields of Augmented Reality, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. Since the company's foundation in 2005, TeamViewer's software has been installed on more than 2.5 billion devices around the world. The company is headquartered in Goppingen, Germany, and employs more than 1,400 people globally. In 2022, TeamViewer achieved a revenue of around EUR 566 million. TeamViewer SE (TMV) is listed at Frankfurt Stock Exchange and belongs to the MDAX. Further information can be found at www.teamviewer.com. Contact Details Almer Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://almer.com/

January 26, 2024 06:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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HTX's Annual Crypto Gala Concludes: Presenting 9 Major Awards and Bestowing 35,000 USDT to Honor Crypto Trailblazers

HTX

On January 24, 2024, the Award Ceremony for the 2024 HTX Crypto Ecosystem Annual Gala took place to honor the most influential individuals, projects, and events that made a lasting impact on the crypto industry throughout the year 2023. HTX takes the spotlight as the host, backed by the support of media partners including Jinse Finance, Foresight News, PANews, MarsBit, and TechFlow. The event is graced by a significant presence of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs). Besides, HTX Live orchestrated a live stream of the entire grand ceremony, with the broadcast being transmitted through various media platforms such as MarsBit, CF Blockchain, and iCloser. The live stream attracted an impressive audience, amassing over 150,000 views. Justin Sun, a member of the HTX Global Advisory Board, was invited to attend the event and deliver a speech. He emphasized that HTX has successfully hosted award ceremonies for the crypto ecosystem for two consecutive years. These events not only serve to honor crypto elites but also stand as a testament to the collective dedication of the industry as a whole. He added that the year 2023 marked his first full year with HTX, a period filled with various challenges and hardships. Looking ahead to 2024, he aspires to lead HTX on a distinctive path within the crypto space. According to Sun's analysis, although exchanges such as HTX and Binance have implemented Merkle Tree PoR, many others still exhibit lower transparency and higher centralization in their operations. The establishment of HTX DAO aims to enable users to believe that they are the true owners of HTX. In the future, efforts will be directed at refining the representative election process and welcoming more ecological users and community members to actively participate in the governance of HTX DAO. Furthermore, Sun believes that decentralization is an inevitable trend in the crypto industry. With the launch and successful operation of HTX DAO, it is expected that more exchanges will embark on the journey towards decentralization. In the live stream of the ceremony, a total prize amount equivalent to nearly 35,000 USDT in $HTX has been distributed, and nine major awards were presented. These awards include the Most Influential Event Award (Top 10), Concepts with the Greatest Market Potential Award (Top 10), the Most Influential Web3 Media Award (Top 10), the Most Popular Content Creator (Affiliate) Award (Top 100), the Most Popular Web 3 Social Media Influencer Award (Top 200), the Best Community Partner Collaboration Award, the Best Partner Award, Top Client Excellence Award, and the Top Trending Crypto Among Users Award (Top 10). Additionally, HTX distributed 1,000 Red Packets, each worth 10 USDT in $HTX, and 100,000 Gift Packs, each worth 88 USDT, to users watching the live stream on HTX Live. Click the link to learn more: https://www.htx.com/en-us/live/community/dynamic/h5?uidUnique=233427705&invite_code=dbkt7223&inviter_id=11346540 As per reports, the awards nomination saw robust engagement, drawing active participation from nearly 20,000 users in the voting process. The final winners were chosen through a blend of user votes and HTX's official evaluation. The overarching goal of these awards is to recognize influencers contributing to positive changes in the crypto ecosystem and to express gratitude to HTX's loyal users and esteemed partners. According to HTX, the cryptocurrency market exhibited a positive trend throughout 2023, attributed to a combination of internal and external factors. HTX closely follows the market pace, actively exploring new assets and projects. The wealth effect of newly listed assets has significantly improved, and there have even been rare instances of assets multiplying their value by hundreds of times. In the meantime, HTX has undergone a rebranding, breathing new life into the exchange with a new international brand image. Thanks to the support and trust of the community, HTX has garnered the confidence to confront an uncertain future, ultimately achieving this impressive accomplishment. During the transition from a bear market to a bull market, there has been an observed enhancement in the overall economic situation and emerging innovations within the crypto sphere. These trends suggest an anticipation for the imminent arrival of a new bullish market cycle. Narratives surrounding cryptocurrencies have become increasingly diverse and enriched, fueled by a confluence of favorable factors. These include the anticipation of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs, the Bitcoin halving, Ethereum's Cancun upgrade, and the emergence of numerous new sectors and concepts within the crypto space. HTX wishes to take this opportunity to express gratitude and recognition to creators, live streamers, KOLs, and partners for their remarkable contributions to the platform's development, encouraging them to keep creating more compelling content. Furthermore, HTX warmly invites them to join the HTX DAO, uniting efforts to collectively build HTX into the people's exchange. About HTX Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved over a decade from a simple cryptocurrency exchange to a comprehensive blockchain business ecosystem. This expansion covers a wide range of services including digital asset trading, financial derivatives, wallets, research, investments, incubation, and more. As a world-leading portal to Web 3.0, HTX is committed to a growth strategy focused on global expansion, ecological prosperity, wealth effect, and safety and compliance. This approach enables us to offer comprehensive, safe, and reliable services and value to virtual currency enthusiasts around the world, reinforcing our position as a global gateway to Web3. Contact Details Michael Wang glo-media@htx-inc.com Company Website https://www.htx.com/

January 25, 2024 02:02 PM Eastern Standard Time

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The best generative AI solutions of 2024

AIport

January 25, 2024 — Ever since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in the fall of 2022, generative AI (GenAI) solutions have continued to disrupt industries with their surprising and never-before-seen features. Many of the generative AI solutions we hear about today are based on large language models (LLM), which allow them to successfully communicate with end users. Every such model has to be pre-trained on vast amounts of data and then fine-tuned using a variety of different methods. As we’re approaching the end of January, let’s look at the list of the most noteworthy of these models and explore the generative AI solutions they power. Compiled by the AIport newsletter team, this list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a review of what we believe are the LLM-based generative AI solutions and tools that are likely to make headlines this year. GPT (OpenAI and Microsoft) Expectedly, the first LLM on our list with some of the highest expectations this year is at the core of ChatGPT from OpenAI. GPT wasn’t the first LLM out there (there had been others like BERT ), but it was certainly the first one that resulted in a market-ready GenAI product. The original GPT model (Generative Pretrained Transformers) had 170 billion parameters, while the latest version, GPT-4, boasts over 1.75 trillion. The model’s applications are far and wide, being the basis not only for ChatGPT, but also Microsoft’s Bing Chat, which is now part of the Copilot infrastructure. While ChatGPT remains arguably the most impressive text-producing GenAI tool, Bing Chat (unlike ChatGPT) has internet access, making it ideal for web browsing. In addition, the same core GPT model is being utilized by other entities — from Panasonic Connect in Japan, OCBC Bank’s ChatGPT in Singapore, and KPMG’s KaiChat in Germany to the UK government’s upcoming GOV.UK chat. Notably, GPT is also a vital part of OpenAI’s DALL-E suite — a solution that generates images based on descriptions from text. PaLM and Gemini (Google) The next one on our list is Google’s PaLM (Pathways Language Model). The model, boasting 540 billion parameters, was first successfully tested in the spring of 2022. A year later, PaLM 2 was announced and subsequently integrated into Bard — Google’s GenAI chatbot — becoming available to test users around the world. Bard is considered among the finest solutions for productivity, having internet access like Bing Chat, but being less about navigating the web and more about answering burning questions. Bard was seriously bolstered at the end of last year with Google’s highly anticipated launch of the multimodal LLM, Gemini, which had been trained on images and audio/video files, not just text. The jury is still out on how far this update will take Bard, but the expectations are very high indeed. LLaMA (Meta, Microsoft, and Hugging Face) LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI) from Meta was released in February last year. However, the 65-billion-parameter model was leaked online as a downloadable torrent only a week later. While the model did not lead to any ChatGPT-like products at Meta, another AI company — Hugging Face — picked it up and released Hugging Chat. Offering internet access, this GenAI solution has been praised as “the first open source alternative to ChatGPT” with a snarky sense of humor. Not to be outdone, Meta partnered with Microsoft to produce LLaMA 2 in July of last year. Following that, the company announced a beta release of Meta AI at the end of September — a GenAI chatbot, currently available in the US, that can “provide real-time information and generate photorealistic images” from text prompts. This solution is expected to reach Meta users across the rest of the globe later in the year. Claude (Anthropic) Our next LLM is made by Anthropic, and it’s named Claude. Founded in 2021, the company along with its language model may be a less familiar name to most non-geeks. But this is likely to change in 2024. That’s the case not only because the latest version of the namesake GenAI chatbot released last year can now process long PDF files of up to 75,000 words, taking moments to summarize entire books. But also because this has already caught the attention of both Google and Amazon who are keen to invest $2 and $4 billion respectively. While Claude doesn’t offer internet access, its processing power, namely input character memory, outpowers every competitor by a wide margin, including ChatGPT. And the company is said to be working on yet more handy features as we speak. HyperCLOVA X (Naver) HyperCLOVA X is both the LLM and the namesake GenAI chatbot released by the South Korean search engine giant, Naver, last August. Boasting over 200 billion parameters, the LLM is being used mainly for AI-assisted web browsing, much like Bing Chat. While HyperCLOVA X doesn’t speak English, the chatbot’s proficiency in Korean is impressive, having learned 6,500 more Korean words than ChatGPT. In addition to answering user queries, HyperCLOVA X has been designed to offer AI assistance to businesses across numerous sectors — from finance to gaming. Naver is also presently working to make HyperCLOVA X multimodal, following in the footsteps of Google’s Gemini, so another big international headline is likely on the way. Pangu (Huawei) Last spring, Huawei, one of the global tech leaders, unveiled Pangu — an LLM with 1.085 trillion parameters in over 40 natural and programming languages. This LLM now powers the Chinese company’s GenAI assistant called Celia, which resides within Huawei’s HarmonyOS 4 operating system. Supposedly, Celia has already outperformed both Siri and Google Assistant as a phone-based virtual assistant in terms of prompt execution accuracy, such as finding specific photos and documents stored on a device. And as more Huawei smartphones are being churned out, Celia is expected to reach more global users this year with further refinements to the Pangu model. In addition, Pangu is available through Huawei Cloud for commercial use. According to a statement from the company’s leadership, the newest Pangu 3.0 utilizes hierarchical architecture, allowing it to be quickly fine-tuned for a wide range of downstream applications (including Huawei’s autonomous vehicle solutions ), which we’ll surely see more of in 2024. MiLM-6B (Xiaomi) Next up is another Chinese company, Xiaomi — one of the largest phone manufacturers in the world. The company made an entry into the LLM race last summer with its MiLM-6B, a lightweight model created for mobile devices. Boasting 6.4 billion parameters, MiLM-6B has reportedly outperformed rivals in its category and achieved notable scores from evaluation platforms like C-Eval and CMMLU. Xiaomi’s leadership has been vocal for some time about integrating LLMs into its smartphones. It appears that the company’s virtual assistant, Xiao AI, has now finally become a fully fledged GenAI chatbot, generating over 11 words per second. By this metric, despite operating locally on the phone, Xiao AI has matched the performance of some LLMs running on cloud computing services. It’ll be interesting to see whether Xiao AI gets assimilated into the company’s other products, as the rumors suggest, including the recently announced Xiaomi SU7, an autonomous-enabled electric sedan. YandexGPT (Yandex) The final entry on our list is an LLM named YandexGPT from the Russian search engine Yandex. The namesake GenAI solution with 100 billion parameters was beta-released in May last year. The more recent release of YandexGPT2 has demonstrated a 65% improvement in response quality, with a 1.5-fold increase in training data. Interestingly, this GenAI solution was tested and scored enough points to enter a Russian university. YandexGPT was also integrated into Yandex’s flagship virtual assistant named Alice, as well as the company’s smart speakers. Furthermore, the LLM has allowed the company’s e-shoppers to view summarized customer reviews in one place. With YandexGPT at the core, the company now also offers visual GenAI solutions, YandexART and Shedevrum, that can generate images from text, much like Open AI’s DALL-E. Currently, the LLM is also being merged with Yandex Search to offer the end user something similar to Bing Chat and HyperCLOVA X. It’s likely that we’ll see a new announcement pertaining to this development later in the year. New kids on the block Apart from the above entries on our list, several brand new LLMs along with their GenAI solutions are expected to arrive any day from other big players. Among them are Samsung from South Korea, Tencent from China, as well as Amazon and Apple. In fact, Apple already has an internal AI chatbot for employees, but its much-talked-about AppleGPT based on the company’s LLM, Ajax, is said to be around the corner. Amazon began to offer a service for building AI chatbots called Lex a while ago, but more notably, the company recently announced its upcoming GenAI solution tailored for commercial use. Japan doesn’t intend to be left behind either — at least three major LLM initiatives are currently being played out. Among them is a joint project between Fujitsu, RIKEN, Tokyo Tech, and Tohoku University who are developing a series of LLMs using one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, Fugaku. In addition, both NTT and SoftBank are reportedly in the final stages of developing their “homegrown” LLMs. While much remains unclear and covered in mist (or is it gray goo 😉), one thing is certain — 2024 is going to be the most AI-intense year we have seen yet! If you enjoyed this listicle, visit AIport for more exclusive insights into the latest tech trends, with a focus on the global ML landscape. All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. Contact Details NettResults PR Nick Leighton +1 949-478-5880 nick.leighton@nettresultsllc.com Company Website https://aiport.substack.com/

January 25, 2024 09:53 AM Pacific Standard Time

IMA Financial Group and Vouch Establish Strategic Partnership To Offer Specialized Insurance to Tech Enterprises at Every Growth Stage

IMA Financial

IMA Financial Group and Vouch, leaders in insurance for technology, life sciences and web3, have today announced the formation of a strategic alliance, merging IMA's brokerage expertise with Vouch's innovative coverage. The alliance disrupts the landscape for innovative tech companies underserved by legacy insurance products. Until now, Vouch has operated exclusively as a managing general agent (MGA), distinguished by its proprietary coverages and direct-to-startup distribution model. IMA is its first retail brokerage partner. To merge its expertise with Vouch’s proprietary insurance products, IMA launched IMA Next.Gen, a new program offering specialized insurance products crafted for venture-backed startups in technology, life sciences and web3. This program fills a crucial market gap, offering unique coverage enhancements and access to 10 exclusive Vouch coverages designed to meet these sectors' rapid innovation and growth needs. Through this partnership, IMA broadens its insurance solutions, providing comprehensive, tailored coverage for the specific challenges tech enterprises face. IMA clients gain exclusive access to Vouch's specialized tech industry products, with preferred pricing and custom coverage options combining standard and specialized insurance products. Mark Ware, EVP at IMA, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: "Partnering with Vouch enables us to enhance our insurance offerings significantly, ensuring our clients, from startups to IPO-ready companies, have access to the best possible solutions." Sam Hodges, Co-Founder & CEO of Vouch, also remarked on the synergy: "IMA's recognized technology practice and track record with innovation economy clients make them an ideal partner. This collaboration is focused on delivering purpose-built insurance products and experiences for tech businesses." The IMA-Vouch partnership represents a holistic approach to insurance management, catering to companies across their development spectrum. It provides startups with essential insurance products at competitive rates and evolves with them to offer a more comprehensive suite of services as companies grow. The IMA Next.Gen program allows clients to leverage Vouch's proprietary insurance and benefits, including exclusive coverage enhancements developed by IMA, as well as the Vouch technology platform. This digital brokerage tool streamlines the insurance process, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience for managing coverage. As clients grow, the program supports their expanding risk management needs, ensuring continuous, tailored insurance support. "We aim to provide founders with products and services uniquely designed for their specific risks," said Hodges. "Our partnership with IMA is a testament to our commitment to serving technology businesses at every stage of their growth." About IMA Financial Group IMA Financial Group is an independent broker defining the future of insurance through comprehensive and consultative risk and wealth management services. A majority employee-owned and managed company, its 2,300-plus associates in offices across the country are empowered by a shared mission to manage risk, protect assets and make a difference. Learn more at https://www.imacorp.com. About Vouch Vouch is a US-based provider of business insurance to thousands of high-growth companies that has raised $160 million from top-tier Silicon Valley institutions and investors, including Ribbit Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Y Combinator and Index Ventures. Since its inception in 2018, the company has empowered clients to get risk management right through niche expertise, a proprietary approach to pricing and underwriting, fast, digital-first procurement and coverages that scale as the company grows. More information on Vouch can be found at https://www.vouch.us. Vouch Insurance Services, LLC (NPN # 19039391) and Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC (NPN # 19926463) are licensed in the states in which they conduct business. Detailed license information is available at https://www.vouch.us/licenses. Contact Details IMA Financial Group Ruth Rohs +1 303-615-7513 ruth.rohs@imacorp.com Vouch Cassidy Clawson +1 831-247-3750 cassidy.clawson@vouch.us Center Reach Communications Alexandra Campbell alexandra@centerreachcommunication.com Company Website https://imacorp.com/

January 25, 2024 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

HTX to Initiate the $HT to $HTX Conversion for a New Chapter of Decentralized Governance

HTX

Singapore, January 24, 2024 - HTX, the cryptocurrency trading platform, is set to list HTX DAO's governance token, $HTX, and support converting $HT to $HTX. This move signifies the decade-long exchange's full adoption of the decentralized governance approach, ushering in a new era where industry-wide users are a part of the decision-making process. Announcement link: https://www.htx.com/support/en-us/detail/104958763476521 $HT to $HTX Conversion: Redefining the Cryptocurrency Exchange HTX DAO, an open, transparent decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), plays a pivotal role in the empowerment of the HTX exchange with profound market insights and robust community-driven strength. On the occasion of the establishment of HTX DAO, Justin Sun, a member of HTX's Global Advisory Board, emphasized that platform tokens are a groundbreaking innovation in the blockchain industry. He noted that these tokens, recognized as a new asset class, fostered a new sector that had flourished the entire crypto space. However, Sun stressed that empowering platform tokens should not merely focus on simple moves such as exchange buybacks and the burning mechanism for the public chain platform tokens. Instead, these tokens should delve deeper into the key aspects of exchange businesses, including decision-making, governance, and operations for genuine decentralization, he added. According to HTX's official announcement, the service of converting $HT to $HTX will be available starting on January 22, 2024, at 08:00 (UTC). $HT holders can log in to their HTX accounts and exchange $HT for $HTX with a simple click of Confirm to Convert on the conversion page. Users have the choice to complete the conversion at any time between January 22, 2024, 08:00 (UTC) and January 20, 2025, 08:00 (UTC). After January 20, 2025, 08:00 (UTC), HTX will no longer provide conversion services. Additionally, users can choose to make conversions through the HTX app or website. The $HT to $HTX conversion channel is accessible via the app (Home/Assets/Trade pages) or website (Activity/Assets/Trade on the navigation bar). On the conversion page, enter your desired amount of $HT to be converted in the upper field. Then, the corresponding amount of $HTX you can receive will be displayed in the lower field. Tap Confirm to Convert to start a conversion and tap Claim when your $HTX is available to get your $HTX credited to your Spot account. Explore Ways to Build New Order Through $HTX As the governance token of HTX DAO, $HTX seeks to catalyze a vibrant ecosystem by facilitating decentralized decision-making and granting the voting right. This will motivate every participant to play their crucial role in shaping decentralization governance and blockchain innovation. However, the achievement of the new order never happens overnight. In the transition phase, $HTX will inherit certain features and benefits from $HT. As per HTX's official announcement, benefits regarding $HT will be migrated to $HTX on February 2, 2024, at 06:00 (UTC), enabling users' continuous privileges. This includes: 1. Replacing "Reduce spot/futures fees with HT Deduction" with "Reduce spot/futures fees with HTX Deduction" The benefits of offsetting spot and futures trading fees as well as margin loan interest with $HT will be ceased starting on January 22, 2024, at 05:00:00 (UTC). Meanwhile, starting from February 2, 2024, at 06:00:00 (UTC), users holding $HTX will be able to enjoy the following benefits when the fee discount options are chosen in My Fee Rates: a 25% discount on spot trading fees, a 5% discount on futures trading fees, and deduction of margin loan interest with $HTX. 2. Prime membership level boosted by holding $HTX, instead of $HT The Prime membership level-up through holding $HT will be discontinued on January 22, 2024. At the same time, starting from February 3, 2024, at 00:00:00 (UTC), $HTX assets (converted to USDT at the closing price of a day and multiplied by 1.5) will be counted towards users' total assets of the previous day, which facilitates the Prime advancement. 3. Rockets multiplied by $HTX, instead of $HT On January 22, 2024, the $HT multiplier for Rocket calculation will no longer be effective. Instead, Rockets will be boosted by holding $HTX, effective on February 3, 2024 at 00:00:00 (UTC). Users holding $HTX will enjoy the benefit of $HTX asset value multiplied by 3 in USDT towards the calculation of Rockets. 4. Replacing "Convert small balances to HT" with "Convert small balances to HTX" The feature of "Convert small balances to HT" will be discontinued on January 22, 2024, at 05:00:00 (UTC) while the new feature of "Converting small balances to HTX" will be launched on February 2, 2024, at 06:00:00 (UTC). Revolution of the Centralized Exchange The operations of centralized exchanges across the entire cryptocurrency industry remain highly centralized. Platform token holders have no say in governance such as crypto listings. HTX reportedly aims to become the first decentralized exchange and the first democratically autonomous exchange, and all of this will be realized through HTX DAO. In the future, as a governance token, $HTX will explore more features and application scenarios, assisting HTX DAO in enhancing the transparency and efficiency of HTX for blockchain governance. It will help establish a more open, diverse, free, and innovative cryptocurrency ecosystem, differentiating HTX DAO from traditional cryptocurrency projects and exchanges. As Justin Sun stated, "HTX DAO will give a second life to HTX, and the belief of 'the People's Exchange' will grow as the core spirit of HTX. It is destined to be a revolution for the centralized exchange." About HTX Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved over a decade from a simple cryptocurrency exchange to a comprehensive blockchain business ecosystem. This expansion covers a wide range of services including digital asset trading, financial derivatives, wallets, research, investments, incubation, and more. As a world-leading portal to Web 3.0, HTX is committed to a growth strategy focused on global expansion, ecological prosperity, wealth effect, and safety and compliance. This approach enables us to offer comprehensive, safe, and reliable services and value to virtual currency enthusiasts around the world, reinforcing our position as a global gateway to Web3. Contact Details Michael Wang glo-media@htx-inc.com Company Website https://www.htx.com/

January 24, 2024 02:23 PM Eastern Standard Time

I-ON Digital Corp. Announces Intent To Make Public Offering Of Gold Reserve-Backed Digital Tokens

I-ON Digital Corp.

I-ON Digital Corp. ("I-ON" or the "Company"; OTC: IONI), a leading innovator in the digitization of in situ gold reserves, today announced that it intends to launch a Digital Banker-in-a-Box platform-as-a-service (PaaS) designed to help Regional and Community Banks bridge the gap between legacy technology platforms and the secure, compliant management of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). Leveraging their expertise in RWA tokenization, including their flagship gold-backed digital asset, ION.au, the company aims to serve as an unparalleled industry resource for banks looking to navigate the acceptance, onboarding, compliance, and financial accounting challenges associated with an ever-increasing range of tokenized assets. I-ON's closely held portfolio of gold-backed digital assets, supported by independent proof-of-reserves (POF) technology on the company's proprietary Hybrid Blockchain platform, positions I-ON as a market leader in RWA tokenization. With a track record of innovation and digital asset product development strategies, the company believes it can empower financial institutions, from a technology standpoint, to securely engage in buying, selling, trading, transferring, settling, and providing custodial services for tokenized assets. In support of the strategic initiative, I-ON has started recruiting a proven and skilled team of banking professionals to spearhead the program with a focus on serving Regional and Community Banks. According to I-ON CEO Carlos Montoya, "The primary goal of this enterprise initiative is to position I-ON's core-technology platform as a provider of the 'essential railway' and point of entry for tokenized asset recognition, acceptance, and seamless functionality. Our client institutions will be able to leverage I-ON's unique, IP-based digitization architecture to bridge legacy banking and tokenized asset ecosystems." Montoya added, "At its core level, our goal is to introduce, facilitate, and execute the industry-wide potential of enterprise-level digital asset acceptance, accountability, custody, and reporting, all within an institutional-level compliance framework." The company plans to issue licensing agreements, provide conversion and installation support, and further provide for collateral, hypothecation, custodial services, and credit syndication modules. Other features will include customized report-writing services for bank clientele, investors, management, and regulatory agencies. Building on its successful track record, today, the company also announced its intention to conduct a public offering of digital tokens representing an interest in unmined, in situ proven gold reserves, with a target amount of up to $100 million. The offering is set to begin in the second quarter of 2024. This Notice does not constitute an offer to sell the digital tokens or any securities. Such offer will be made only by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. About I-ON Digital Corp. (OTC: IONI) I-ON Digital Corp is a leading-edge provider of asset-digitization and securitization solutions engineered to provide a secure, fast, transparent, and institutional-grade ecosystem that digitizes documentary evidence of ownership, in accordance with a rigorous onboarding and acceptance process, into secure, asset-backed digital certificates that bring liquidity and accepted value to a wide-array of asset classes. I-ON develops, acquires, and deploys a portfolio of novel and patented next-generation technologies that have been integrated and engineered into a comprehensive ecosystem built on a zero-trust, hybrid blockchain architecture that utilizes state-of-the-art smart contracts and sophisticated workflow management AI technologies to digitize ownership records of recoverable gold, precious metal, and mineral reserves into digital certificates that facilitate wealth transfer through new asset-backed financial instruments and asset classes that provide reserve owners and investors a new channel to maximize portfolio liquidity. By offering services associated with asset digitization and securitization, and by licensing the Company's expanding intellectual property portfolio, I-ON is able to generate revenue through transaction fees while actively growing innovative platforms beneficial for next-generation transactional models. Additional information is available at https://iondigitalcorp.com/. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from the statements made. When used in this document, the words "may," "would," "could," "will," "intend," "look to," plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "seek," "potential," "outlook," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements, including, but not limited to, I-ON's current views with respect to future events and its financial forecasts, are subject to such risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including those risks described from time to time in filings made by I-ON with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, there is uncertainty about the further spread of the COVID-19 virus or new variants thereof or the occurrence of another wave of cases and the impact it may have on the Company's operations, the demand for the Company's products, global supply chains, and economic activity in general. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, or expected. Statements in this news release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue. I-ON does not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements other than as required by law. Contact Details Ken Park +1 866-440-2278 IR@iondigitalcorp.com Company Website https://iondigitalcorp.com

January 24, 2024 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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