PARIS, France, October 8, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- On 4 October 2026, Foremost Hat Museum of Nantong, China — the country’s first private museum dedicated to millinery art and heritage — hosted a landmark dual-book launch at Hôtel du Louvre, unveiling"101 Hats" and "Dao, the Greatest Gift" to a European audience. The dual-book launch, which bridges the worlds of fashion and philosophy, is spearheaded by Jeffrey Sun, founder of Foremost Hat Museum. The evening also saw the official launch of the World Headwear Fund, an industry-wide initiative set to reshape the global landscape of hat creation, craft preservation and cross-border cultural exchange.

Gathering over 70 distinguished guests from the international fashion, art and cultural spheres, the event marked a defining moment for global millinery. For decades, the discipline has occupied a unique yet fragmented position within the global fashion system: a carrier of intangible craft heritage and a cornerstone of runway identity, yet lacking a unified, authoritative archive of contemporary practice across borders. "101 Hats" was created to fill that gap. Curated across 20 countries and featuring works by 72 leading milliners, the volume is more than a publication — it is a panoramic survey of 21st-century millinery creativity, documenting diverse artistic languages and regional craft traditions for future generations.

The event drew the most authoritative voices in global hat design and fashion education. Legendary milliner Stephen Jones, whose work has defined haute couture headwear for decades, joined the celebration alongside Elly Stemerdink, editor-in-chief of The Hat Magazine — the world’s leading publication dedicated to millinery. Roger Tredre, esteemed fashion critic, historian and course leader of MA Fashion Communication at Central Saint Martins, also took the stage to share insights into the book’s significance for fashion scholarship and archival practice. All three contributed prefaces to the landmark volume.

The evening’s most defining announcement was the launch of the World Headwear Fund. Initiated by the founder of Foremost Hat Museum, the fund is built on a core mission: to unite forces across the global millinery sector, and provide sustained support to practitioners and artists dedicated to original hat creation, traditional craft inheritance and the international dissemination of hat culture. For an industry long reliant on individual ateliers and regional ecosystems, the fund represents the first China-originated, globally oriented institutional platform dedicated to advancing millinery as a universal art form.

Complementing the contemporary fashion focus of "101 Hats," the second title "Dao, the Greatest Gift" brought philosophical depth to the fashion week programme. A brand-new English translation of Laozi’s 2,500-year-old Daodejing, the work reimagines how ancient Chinese wisdom can resonate with modern creative thinking. The translation’s distinctive “Dao-style English” prioritises rhythm, concision and inner resonance, seeking to restore the literary elegance and philosophical nuance often lost in earlier Western renditions.

The event drew extensive media attention from both Chinese and international outlets. Senior editorial representatives from European Times and Phoenix TV attended to extend their congratulations, while correspondents from The New York Times and Harper’s Bazaar were on site for interviews and coverage, reflecting the cross-industry interest generated by the launch.

Among the 72 designers profiled in "101 Hats," 13 attended the Paris event in person. Foremost Hat Museum awarded each of them an official Collection Certificate and conveyed its commitment to ongoing, long-term collaboration moving forward.

Also in attendance were French artist representatives Laurence and Ma Zelin; Su Xiaoqing and Wang Fang of the France-China Committee for Development and Exchange; and Zhou Xiaoyan, Chairwoman of Huaxia Group Milan. These representatives of Chinese communities across Europe each delivered remarks to congratulate the museum on the landmark launch.

For Foremost Hat Museum, the Paris launch solidifies its position as a pioneer beyond traditional museum work. What began as an institution dedicated to preserving and exhibiting hat heritage has evolved into a global catalyst: curating international talent, building collaborative infrastructure, and anchoring contemporary fashion in enduring cultural values. In bringing "101 Hats" and the World Headwear Fund to the heart of Paris Fashion Week, the museum demonstrates how a Chinese cultural institution can lead, not just participate, in the global fashion conversation.

About Nantong Foremost Hat Museum

Founded in 1996, Nantong Foremost Garments & Accessories Co., Ltd. has grown into a leading comprehensive enterprise in China’s headwear industry over 30 years. It has been honored as a National Specialized, Refined, Differential and Innovative SME and a Hidden Champion of Chinese Manufacturing. Integrating R&D, design, manufacturing and distribution, its core products cover hats, gloves and scarves. With six production bases at home and abroad and multiple proprietary headwear brands, it runs China’s first full-category Foremost Hat Museum, has published multiple works on headwear culture, and hosts the "920 Headwear Carnival," "International Headwear Design Competition," and "101 Series Cultural Events" to advance industry exchange and cultural dissemination.

Media Contact

Jessy Guan
COO, Nantong Foremost Hat Museum
gxjessy@4mostcaps.com
+86 131 6736 7306

NEW YORK, NY, October 8, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Vega, the pioneer of agentic cyber defense, today announced the appointment of Scott Simkin as Chief Marketing Officer. Simkin joins as Vega II unleashes the best model trained for cyber defense to transform every alert, across all data sources, into a conclusive verdict at the speed of the attack. The platform keeps every lesson and gets faster with every fight, so defenders can finally outpace adversarial AI.

"Once a generation, a company changes how security gets done. For cyber defense in the age of AI, that company is Vega," said Shay Sandler, co-founder and CEO of Vega. "Scott built the stories and execution engine behind the two biggest names in security operations. Now he will help Vega define the post-SIEM era. There is no one I would rather have leading this charge."

Simkin is one of the industry's best-known storytellers, having twice helped define a category and drive growth at massive scale. At Palo Alto Networks, he served as Vice President of Marketing for the end-to-end Cortex platform, one of the fastest-growing portfolios spanning security operations, cloud security, and Unit 42 services, with annual revenue approaching $2 billion. Earlier, he helped pioneer the XDR category, which has since replaced EDR as the standard for modern endpoint security. At CrowdStrike, he led product marketing, technical marketing, portfolio positioning, and campaigns across the full Falcon platform. He also launched Falcon Next-Gen SIEM, which CrowdStrike says now exceeds $600 million in annual recurring revenue. Two years after founding, Vega already defends some of the world's largest banks, healthcare providers, and Fortune 200 enterprises, and Simkin joins to turn that momentum into dominant market leadership.

"For three years, CISOs have asked me the same question about AI in their SOC: isn't this just an iteration on the SIEM? They were right, and Vega is the answer," said Simkin. "AI across all your data, in place, without moving or ingesting it. Better outcomes, faster, at a lower total cost. That's Vega, and no one else comes close. I'm grateful for a career at the companies that built this market, and I've never been more certain about where cyber defense is going. Vega has the technology and the people this moment demands. There was only one choice."

Experience Vega II at Cyber Defense at the Frontier on Oct. 21, 2026, at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. BST. Sign up for a demo today.

About Vega

Vega is the pioneer of agentic cyber defense. Built on the Security Analytics Mesh, the Vega platform runs detection, triage, investigation, and optimization across data lakes, object storage, security tools, and existing SIEMs. Founded in 2024, Vega has raised $185 million and is backed by Accel, Cyberstarts, Redpoint, and CRV. It protects Fortune 200 enterprises, global banks, and leading healthcare providers. For more information, visit vega.io, read our blog, follow on LinkedIn and Instagram. Vega: Attacks scale. Defense compounds.

Media Contact

press@vega.io

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 8, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Sends, a UK-based fintech company providing digital payment solutions for individuals and businesses, attended the Pay360 Awards 2026, held in London on 7 October, joining leading companies, innovators, and industry professionals for one of the key celebrations in the UK payments calendar.

The evening brought together representatives from across the payments industry to recognise outstanding achievements, technological innovation, and the organisations building the future of financial services. The ceremony featured 21 award categories, with more than 90 organisations shortlisted.

As part of the ceremony, Sends had the honour of presenting the Best Financial Crime Prevention Initiative award, recognising excellence in developing solutions that help financial institutions prevent, detect, and combat financial crime.

The award was presented to FNA, acknowledging the company's contribution to advancing financial crime prevention within the financial services industry.

"Financial crime prevention is one of the biggest responsibilities we have as a payments industry. As technology evolves, so do the risks, and staying ahead requires constant innovation and collaboration. At Sends, we know how important it is to build trust into every part of the payment experience. It was a pleasure to present this award and recognise the work being done to make financial services safer. Congratulations to FNA on this well-deserved recognition," said Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends.

Beyond the awards ceremony, the event provided an opportunity to reconnect with existing partners, strengthen business relationships, and engage with potential new partners from across the fintech and payments sectors.

"Events like the Pay360 Awards are a great reminder that, behind every technology and business solution, there are people building relationships, exchanging ideas, and working towards common goals. It was a pleasure to reconnect with our partners, meet new industry colleagues, and celebrate the achievements of companies moving our sector forward," added Shevtsova.

It is worth mentioning that Sends recently announced its global cooperation with UnionPay International, expanding its payment capabilities across card issuing and acquiring. Expanding the product, the company also introduced eSIM travel data integration, allowing customers to stay connected abroad directly through the Sends app.

In September, Sends also launched a special autumn offer for business customers, continuing its efforts to support and grow its business community.

Business and Partnership Enquiries

Interested in exploring opportunities with Sends? Contact our business development team through sends.co.

About Sends

Sends is a UK-based fintech company offering digital financial services for individuals and businesses. Its solutions include personal and business payment accounts, international transfers, foreign exchange, payment cards, and merchant payment services. Through continuous product development and strategic partnerships, Sends aims to simplify everyday financial operations and support businesses operating across international markets. For more information, visit sends.co.

Media Contact

Anastasiia Pervushyna
Marketing Department, Sends
contact@sends.co
+44 1273 004434

NEW YORK, NY, October 8, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- EZ Newswire, the newswire built for AI visibility and premium publisher distribution, today announced that Michelle Songy has joined as Head of Growth, the company's first senior sales and marketing hire. Songy will lead inbound, outbound, partnerships, and paid acquisition as EZ Newswire expands among PR agencies and corporate communications teams.

Songy has spent most of her career building brands and go-to-market teams from scratch. She co-founded Cake Technologies and, as CMO, led its brand and go-to-market from launch through its acquisition by American Express. She later founded Press Hook, a PR platform that connected thousands of brands with journalists for earned media. She has also worked at The Coca-Cola Company and led enterprise partnerships at American Express.

"I've known Michelle for years, and she understands this market from the customer's side," said Neel Shah, founder and CEO of EZ Newswire. "She has built go-to-market from zero more than once. She is the right person to do it here as we move beyond product-led growth."

The appointment comes as AI systems become a primary way people and software learn about companies and as bots and AI agents generate more web traffic than humans. In June, EZ Newswire launched its Reporting Dashboard, which tracks how each release is cited across major AI answer engines, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, alongside distribution, reader engagement, and search performance.

"What drew me to EZ Newswire was the depth of its technical bench and the product it has built," said Songy. "Legacy newswires still measure success by pickups and inflated potential audience metrics, which are no longer relevant in the AI and agentic era. EZ Newswire is the only newswire that shares detailed analytics and insights showing customers how their news surfaces in AI answers, which are increasingly where reputations are formed and decisions are made. The team has built something rare in this category, and my job is to help scale it."

The hire follows a period of product-led growth for EZ Newswire, which is the exclusive newswire partner of Reuters and Fortune. In recent months, the company has distributed news for global brands including AB InBev, American Airlines, JD.com, Liberty Mutual, and Zeekr, as well as high-growth startups such as Warp and Campfire.

In its first year on G2, the company earned seven badges in the Fall 2026 reports for Press Release Distribution Software, including High Performer honors across the Global, Mid-Market, Small-Business, Europe, and EMEA Grid Reports and an Easiest To Do Business With badge, and ranked in the top 10% of 115 vendors in the category.

About EZ Newswire

EZ Newswire is the newswire built for AI performance with a premium distribution network, real-time reporting, and AI citation tracking and insights on a single platform. From startup to scale-up to S&P 500, the most influential agencies and organizations rely on EZ Newswire to shape digital and AI presence. Learn more at eznewswire.com.

Media Contact

Ethan Cantil-Voorhees
media@eznewswire.com

UNION CITY, NJ, October 7, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- OKOA Skin is expanding its range of targeted skincare formulas, bringing together daily products designed around specific skin concerns, including hydration, uneven tone, under-eye puffiness and visible signs of aging.

The company's approach combines peptides, botanical extracts and other active ingredients in formulations intended for different stages of a skincare routine. Its product range includes cleansers, serums, moisturizers and targeted treatments, reflecting a focus on combining multiple functions within individual products.

Targeted Formulas for Everyday Skincare

The range includes OKOA Skin's Comprehensive Caffeine Eye Cream, built for the eye contour and the three things people usually notice there first: puffiness, dark circles and fine lines. Caffeine sits ninth on its ingredient list, above every botanical extract and well above the preservatives, so it's there in a real amount rather than as a label mention.

Caffeine does the fast work. It constricts the tiny blood vessels under the eye, which is why puffiness and bluish shadows look calmer within minutes, especially in the morning. Pullulan, a natural film-former, smooths the surface at the same time, while squalane and jojoba oil keep the thin skin around the eye soft and comfortable. Bioskinup Contour 3R, a botanical complex of white lily, pfaffia and marapuama, was developed specifically for under-eye bags and dark circles and covers the slower side of the formula.

The cream is made for morning and night use, with the morning application doing the most visible work on puffiness and the evening one building results over the first four weeks. Used that way, it gives the eye area its own step instead of whatever is left over from a face moisturizer.

A Changing Beauty Market

OKOA Skin's product range is developing amid a challenging environment for established beauty companies, which are balancing consumer demand with pricing, marketing expenditure and product development costs.

In August 2026, Beiersdorf, the German consumer goods company behind Nivea, lowered its full-year sales and earnings forecasts, citing difficult market conditions and a slower-than-expected recovery in its core brand. The company also outlined increased investment in marketing and product launches as part of its efforts to improve performance.

The Beiersdorf outlook illustrates the commercial pressures facing established skincare businesses as they adjust their product and marketing strategies in response to market conditions.

Procter & Gamble also forecast slower annual sales growth in July 2026, pointing to tighter consumer spending and higher operating costs. Despite those pressures, the company reported growth in its beauty segment, highlighting differences in demand across consumer product categories.

Its 2027 growth forecast reflects the broader challenge of maintaining growth while managing costs and responding to changing purchasing patterns.

These developments provide a backdrop for smaller skincare brands, for which product differentiation and the way individual formulations meet consumer needs are important parts of establishing a market position.

Combining Ingredients with Different Functions

OKOA Skin's broader range follows a formulation strategy that combines different ingredients according to the intended role of each product. Its Dual Action Peptide Lifting and Firming Cream, for example, features IDEALIFT™, a bioactive peptide, alongside sodium hyaluronate, aloe vera and glycerin.

The brand also offers a Vitamin C Brightening Serum and a Retinol Firming Serum, each centred on different active ingredients and skincare objectives. Its Deep Hydration Moisturizer incorporates botanical oils and other conditioning ingredients, while its Glycolic Daily Cleanser is formulated with glycolic acid.

Together, these products illustrate how the company organizes its range around distinct formulation purposes rather than a single skincare ingredient or concern. The products can be incorporated into morning and evening routines, with more intensive treatments available separately.

The distinction between daily skincare and more targeted treatments is also reflected in the brand's product bundles, which bring together selected formulations for particular routines.

Formulation and Consumer Choice

The variety of skincare products available means consumers must consider more than a product's headline ingredient when choosing what to use. Ingredient combinations, application instructions and compatibility with existing routines can all influence product selection.

OKOA Skin's range reflects this variety through products designed for different concerns and stages of daily skincare. Its emphasis on multi-benefit formulations offers one example of how brands are organizing products around several intended functions rather than treating each skincare concern in isolation.

For the wider beauty industry, the challenge remains balancing product innovation with commercial pressures and changing consumer expectations. For smaller brands, developing a recognizable formulation strategy provides one way to define their offering within a competitive category.

About OKOA Skin

OKOA Skin is a skincare brand focused on science-based formulations that combine active ingredients, peptides and botanical extracts. Its product range includes cleansers, serums, moisturisers, lifting treatments and targeted products for the eye area. The company takes a layered approach to skincare, with products designed for different stages of daily routines. For more information, visit okoaskin.com.

Media Contact

Nieem Sekiri
nieem@prsoprano.com

MCKINNEY, TX, October 7, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- TEXITcoin today provided an update on its ongoing proceedings with the Texas State Securities Board following an August administrative hearing and a subsequent letter from its legal counsel to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

The September 22 letter, sent by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Wright Close Barger & Guzman, cites sworn testimony from Texas State Securities Board lead investigator Phillip Fuselier concerning factual statements contained in the Board's February 11 emergency cease and desist order.

One exchange concerned the order's statement that purchasers “never receive any mining hardware or control over mining hardware.” According to the hearing testimony cited in the letter, Fuselier confirmed that some purchasers had received at-home mining equipment. When asked during cross-examination whether the original statement was false, Fuselier replied, “Correct.” 

In its September 22 letter to Governor Abbott, TEXITcoin's legal counsel also cited testimony concerning other statements contained in the order, including:

• Fuselier's acknowledgement that he was aware before the order was filed of public statements in which TEXITcoin founder Bobby Gray discussed the Mulligan Mint bankruptcy
• Testimony that information concerning MineTXC's assets, liabilities and capitalization had been disclosed on its website
• Fuselier's acknowledgment that he was aware of evidence concerning disclosures around hardware failures, power outages, network disconnections and the location and security of TEXITcoin's mining operations

“The August hearing provided an opportunity for the evidence underlying the Board's allegations to be examined under cross-examination,” said Bobby Gray, founder of TEXITcoin. “We welcome scrutiny of TEXITcoin and believe the full hearing record should be considered before conclusions are reached.”

On August 28, TEXITcoin's legal counsel asked the Board to withdraw the emergency order and dismiss the proceedings. The Board declined. Counsel subsequently wrote to Governor Abbott requesting a review of the agency's conduct and citing testimony from the August hearing.

The proceedings remain ongoing and an administrative law judge has not yet issued a final decision.

The case comes as Texas continues to expand its involvement in digital assets. The state established the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in 2025, recognising in state law the “strategic potential” of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

The federal regulatory position around proof-of-work mining has also evolved. In March 2025, staff at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Corporation Finance published a statement on certain proof-of-work mining activities stating that the protocol mining activities described in the statement do not involve offers and sales of securities.

The SEC statement does not determine the TEXITcoin proceedings, which concern a specific mining participation model.

About TEXITcoin

TEXITcoin (TXC) is a Layer 1 Scrypt Proof-of-Work cryptocurrency mined in Texas, with no premine and no team allocation. TEXITcoin is part of the honest money movement, built on the idea that money should be backed by real work and real infrastructure rather than created by decree. TXC has traded on public exchanges since June 2024. For more information, visit texitcoin.org.

Disclaimer

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice, nor an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security, cryptocurrency, or mining participation model. Investing in digital assets involves a high degree of risk, including the potential loss of capital. This statement also contains forward-looking statements regarding ongoing administrative and legal proceedings; actual outcomes may differ materially from expectations, and TEXITcoin assumes no obligation to update these statements based on new information or future developments.

Media Contact

Conor McLarnon
conor@lunapr.io

WILMINGTON, DE, October 7, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Fuelfinance, the financial operations company, on Sept. 30 launched Fuel Agents, a multi-agent platform that turns a finance team's recurring work into workflows that run on their own.

Finance teams spend hours a day on routine tasks: matching payments to invoices, tying out accounts, and rebuilding forecasts by hand. With Fuel Agents, that work goes to specialized AI agents. Each agent does one task, and agents are chained into workflows that run on a schedule and report back in Slack or Microsoft Teams, with a human in the loop for every judgment call.

The launch includes a library of more than 35 agents across close and control, cash and treasury, and analysis and reporting. Teams can combine them into workflows or build custom agents for processes unique to their business.

Designed for Control and Security

Fuel Agents are designed around the controls finance teams need before letting software near their books:

• Humans approve every change. Agents can draft invoices, journal entries, and payment runs, but nothing posts to accounting records until a person with approval rights signs off.
• Agents are pre-tested on historical data. Each agent is scored on a company's past periods, where the right answers are already known.
• Numbers are designed to be traceable. Findings link back to the transactions they came from, and an audit log records what data was used, what was assumed, and who approved it.
• The system learns. Every correction and ruling is stored and applied on the next run, so a finding dismissed in June doesn't return in July.
• Deterministic steps, such as matching and recalculating, run as code rather than through an AI model, which helps maintain calculation accuracy and keep running costs low.

"We don't replace financial expertise. We free it from repetitive work," said Alyona Mysko, founder and CEO of Fuelfinance. "Agents do the finding. Your team decides."

A Four-Week Pilot on Real Data

Companies start with a four-week pilot. They choose one time-consuming process, and Fuel's finance engineers, including former CFOs, build and run the workflow on the company's real data, then measure the time saved. From there, Fuel trains the finance team to run and build its own agents.

Fuel Agents are available today. Companies can book a demo at fuelfinance.me/demo.

About Fuelfinance

Founded in 2019, Fuelfinance is an AI-native financial operations platform for mid-market and enterprise companies. It combines specialized finance agents with experienced finance professionals to deliver accurate, auditable financial operations. Fuelfinance is rated a G2 High Performer with a 4.9/5 score. 

Media Contact

Lucy Tsotsorina
Head of Marketing, Fuelfinance
go@fuelfinance.me

BUCHAREST, Romania, October 7, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- AENO has opened its first brand corner in Romania, at Băneasa Shopping City in Bucharest, adding an in-store channel to its existing online sales in the country. The corner carries the company’s personal care, household cleaning, and kitchen products.

Among the products on sale is the HD5 AI ProDryer, a hair dryer that adjusts its airflow temperature based on the distance between the nozzle and the hair. In its AI mode, the dryer measures how far the nozzle is from the hair and changes the airflow temperature as that distance changes. A separate NTC temperature sensor monitors the airflow and reduces heat when the temperature rises above a set limit.

A motion sensor detects when the dryer is put down and pauses the airflow, then restarts it when the dryer is picked up. Users can switch between AI, Soft, Hot, and Cold modes with voice commands or on a touchscreen. The HD5 also has an ionic function and comes with magnetic attachments, including a diffuser and a styling nozzle.

The HD5 is available in black, white, and grey.

About AENO

AENO is a consumer electronics brand that makes smart home, personal care, household cleaning and kitchen products. Its products are sold through retail and e-commerce partners in several international markets. For more information, visit aeno.com.

Media Contact

Andrii Didukhovych
AENO
a.didukhovich@asbis.com

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 7, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Global App Testing, the trusted enterprise software evaluation partner, today announced that it has been named an OpenAI Select Partner within the OpenAI Partner Network.

 The OpenAI Partner Network is a global program for partners to build, sell, and deliver AI solutions with OpenAI. It brings together partners with deep industry expertise, delivery capabilities, and customer relationships while equipping them with resources, enablement, and support to help enterprises adopt OpenAI frontier models and products and turn them into measurable impact.

As an OpenAI Select Partner, Global App Testing will continue working with OpenAI to help organisations build, deploy and scale AI solutions responsibly and effectively. This work will help organisations get more useful work from every token and stronger performance per dollar with GPT-5.6, while using ChatGPT Work to turn ambitious goals into finished work.

With more than 120,000 professional evaluators across over 190 countries, Global App Testing brings the real-world insight and industry expertise needed to help enterprises evaluate AI-driven products at global scale.

"Being named an OpenAI Select Partner is a testament to the rigorous, real-world evaluation we bring to the AI ecosystem. We are excited to deepen our collaboration with OpenAI to ensure that frontier models not only perform technically but also deliver reliable, culturally relevant experiences for users everywhere," said Nick Viney, CEO, Global App Testing.

Learn more about what the OpenAI select partnership means for Global App Testing.

Global App Testing supports organizations across enterprise technology, fintech, travel, and social media with comprehensive, real-life software evaluation services. Its work includes collaborating with world-leading AI organizations to evaluate models and agents, and generate high-quality human data that improves AI performance across real-world scenarios.

Looking ahead, Global App Testing plans to expand its global network of experts and AI-focused services to meet growing demand for high-quality evaluation and human data.

 Learn more about the OpenAI Partner Network.

About Global App Testing

Global App Testing is the trusted crowdtesting partner for enterprise software. With over 120,000 professional evaluators and more than one million-plus user profiles across 190-plus countries, GAT helps global software leaders release faster, optimize for growth, and deliver product-market fit. ISO 27001 certified and rated 4.5/5 on G2. Learn more at globalapptesting.com.

Media Contact

Carole Picou-Katmann
Director of Marketing 
marketing@globalapptesting.com

LAS VEGAS, NV, October 7, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Botanic Tonics, the leader in kava-centric botanical supplements, today announced an accelerated nationwide rollout of KavaMaté™, its groundbreaking clean energy botanical formula of noble kava root and yerba mate, following rapid success in convenience retail. Building on that momentum, Botanic Tonics will introduce a new KavaMaté SKU with 50% more caffeine from plants in 2027, continuing its innovation in the traditional energy space.

Since expanding to select retailers earlier this year, KavaMaté's remarkable retail momentum reflects growing consumer interest in clean energy offerings. KavaMaté delivers sustained, grounded energy without the crashes and jitters associated with traditional caffeine and energy products.

Bringing Kava to Traditional Energy

"Driving growth in convenience means giving consumers a compelling reason to try something new. With KavaMaté, we're disrupting traditional energy by pairing noble kava root with plant-derived caffeine to deliver a distinct, grounded energy experience," said Cameron Korehbandi, CEO of Botanic Tonics. "Kava is at the center of everything we do, and we see significant opportunity for this botanical in the energy category. We're building on KavaMaté's retail momentum with new products and formats that give consumers what they didn't think was possible: novel botanical pairings that deliver function you can feel."

Consumers Asked, KavaMaté Delivered: More Botanical Energy

In response to consumer feedback, Botanic Tonics will introduce a new KavaMaté SKU with 50% more caffeine from plants in 2027. The new offering will continue to pair noble kava root and yerba mate and deliver the same sustained, grounded energy that has made KavaMaté a favorite with both consumers and retailers.

Two Botanical Traditions, One Distinct Energy Experience

KavaMaté brings together two revered botanicals with deep cultural roots that have been trusted for centuries. Noble kava root, ceremonially cherished throughout Pacific Island cultures for more than 3,000 years, provides mental clarity while maintaining calm. Yerba mate, valued by Indigenous South American communities for centuries, delivers natural sustained energy. Together, they create grounded energy: a balanced state of alert calm, ideal for transforming ordinary moments.

KavaMaté blends the natural energy of yerba mate with the calm focus of noble kava root, creating an energy experience greater than the sum of its parts. This innovative pairing delivers sustained, grounded energy without the crashes and jitters associated with conventional caffeine products, designed specifically to meet the moments that call for presence and purpose, from an early morning workout to the afternoon work slump.

KavaMaté joins feel free CLASSIC®, Botanic Tonics' flagship tonic, in the company's growing convenience retail presence. Both products are made in the United States at an FDA-registered, cGMP-certified facility and undergo testing for consistency and quality.

Experience KavaMaté at NACS

The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show attendees can learn more about KavaMaté and meet with the Botanic Tonics team at booth C3880, taking place Oct. 7 to 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The Botanic Tonics Difference

All feel free products contain no synthetic active ingredients and no chemical extracts and are manufactured in the U.S. at an FDA-registered, cGMP-certified facility and undergo multiple quality and safety tests for consistency and compliance. Botanic Tonics continues to lead the energy and supplement category in education and transparency through extensive consumer education.

About Botanic Tonics

Botanic Tonics is the leader in botanical supplements. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, the company's feel free® product line harnesses the wisdom of ancient botanical traditions to support energy, focus, and mood. Its flagship product, feel free CLASSIC®, combines noble kava root and natural kratom leaf, in a formulation that contains no synthetic ingredients, alcohol, or chemical extracts and is for responsible consumption, adults 21+. Its KavaMaté product delivers botanical pairings that provide sustained, grounded energy without the jitters associated with artificial energy drinks. With hundreds of millions of servings sold, feel free CLASSIC® is produced in accordance with strict manufacturing and quality standards, supported by independent batch testing and peer-reviewed research. Botanic Tonics’ products are manufactured in an FDA-registered, cGMP-certified facility and undergo multiple tests for consistency and safety. Botanic Tonics continues to lead the energy and supplement category in education and transparency through extensive consumer education. Learn more at botanictonics.com.

Disclaimer

The statements in this press release have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The products referenced are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This announcement is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

Warning & Caution

feel free CLASSIC can be habit-forming. Consume responsibly. For adults 21 years of age and older only. Do not exceed 1 serving (1/2 bottle) at any one time, and do not exceed 2 servings (1 bottle) in a 24-hour period.

feel free CLASSIC contains kratom leaf which, like nicotine and alcohol, can become habit-forming and harmful to your health if consumed irresponsibly. DO NOT USE if you have a history of substance abuse.

May interact with certain medications — consult a licensed, qualified healthcare professional before use. Do not consume with excessive alcohol. Not intended for individuals sensitive to active ingredients or women who are pregnant, nursing, or trying to become pregnant. For more information, visit the Botanic Tonics Consumer Education page.

Media Contact

media@botanictonics.com

MÉXICO D.F., Mexico, October 7, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Zeevo Group LLC (“Zeevo”) shared with the delegates of the ISTAT Latin America conference how its PMO team led a finance transformation effort at a global aircraft lessor, deploying an aviation-grade ERP capable of supporting the platform’s fast-growing business.

The lessor’s existing system environment had evolved into dozens of separate sets of accounting records, covering a portfolio of over 100 aircraft and engines held through multiple operating companies in conjunction with an evolving structure of special-purpose entities and joint-venture vehicles. The lessor’s geographically dispersed finance and accounting teams struggled with inefficient reporting dependent on spreadsheets and handling tasks at risk of being affected by the vendor-mandated retirement of a general ledger system. Concomitantly, the lessor had already modernized another critical part of its operating model by deploying Lease Logic’s Fly Forward® to serve as the backbone of its lease and asset management operations.

The next step was not simply to buy a new general ledger — it was to design a finance architecture capable of supporting the business going forward: one accounting backbone, a controlled entity structure, asset-level analysis, consolidated reporting, traceability from the general ledger back to operating transactions, and an implementation process that would withstand scrutiny from management, investors, and auditors.

“Putting an aviation-grade ERP into production in under a year — without losing the audit trail — is a herculean undertaking for any lessor’s Finance team, who are often forced to manage complexity disproportionate to their department’s headcount,” explained Stacy Townes, Zeevo Group’s PMO leader.

Lessors’ relatively small Finance teams tend to support dozens of legal entities, assets operating across jurisdictions, external investors, financing structures, joint ventures, and reporting obligations — all while maintaining asset-level visibility and responding to auditors, lenders, and management. This operating model is all too familiar for lessors, funds, and investment platforms active in Latin America and beyond.

Townes emphasized that the client lessor, therefore, required the support of more than an ERP vendor, stating, "it needed a broadly skilled team that understood aircraft leasing, finance, entity structures, accounting data, controls, and the operating systems that generate the transactions ultimately posted to the general ledger.”

Through a four-phase implementation process, Zeevo’s PMO team carried out the finance transformation project from ERP selection through implementation and integration, focusing on accounting design, requirements, controls, governance, and management decisions.

• Phase 1 involved identifying, evaluating, and selecting a purpose-built aviation finance ERP, not simply because it met functional requirements, but because the combined platform, implementation approach, and delivery model fit the lessor's operating environment.
• Phase 2 focused on consolidating over 100 legacy charts of accounts (“COA”) into one master, with a documented crosswalk and a decision trail management can explain later.
• Phase 3 converted opening balances and legacy transaction history with a documented implementation record, giving the auditors a path back to source.
• Phase 4 automated the posting of billing, cash, and allocation journals to the new ledger in controlled batches checked against source totals.

“Most ERP overruns are not caused by the software, they are caused by the same question being answered differently in design, in conversion and in the vendor build, then reconciled late. Treating the work as one coordinated finance transformation rather than three workstreams meant it was answered once, built once and never reworked. The implementation was faster, cheaper and lighter on the client's own people as a result,” added Townes.

Today, the new ERP is live and operating with a straightforward architecture:

• One accounting backbone
• Fly Forward as the accounts receivable sub-ledger
• A traceable path from the aircraft transaction to the general ledger
• Robust reporting, from asset-level analytics to consolidated financial and management reports

“Getting here required considerably more than installing software. It required treating finance transformation as exactly that — a transformation. That means designing the audit trail while designing the system, settling the entity structure before anyone builds against it, and keeping the client's Finance team on the business rather than on the project,” concluded Townes.  

Zeevo’s PMO services bring together professionals who have worked inside aircraft lessors, have used many of the same finance and lease management systems they now implement, and have led finance, accounting, and audit work at a Big Four firm and for aviation clients. That combination of operator, audit, and implementation experience allows Zeevo to coordinate decisions across legal entities, system design, data conversion, controls, vendor selection, and implementation as one program. The approach is designed to reduce rework, build auditability in from the outset, tighten control over schedule and budget, and lessen disruption to the client’s Finance team while the transformation is underway.

For more information, read the One Ledger for a Hundred Entities customer success study.

About Zeevo Group LLC

Zeevo Group LLC (“Zeevo”) provides business, finance and information technology consulting services and products to a broad range of clients representing such key industries as aircraft leasing, technology and consumer products. For more information, visit zeevogroup.com.

Disclaimer

Fly Forward® is the exclusive property of Lease Logic, Inc. Zeevo® Group LLC is an independent entity acting as the exclusive distributor of Fly Forward under a contractual agreement. Nothing in this material, nor any communication related to it, shall be construed as creating any partnership, joint venture, or agency relationship between Lease Logic, Inc. and Zeevo Group LLC. All transactions, warranties, and representations related to Fly Forward remain the sole responsibility of Lease Logic, Inc.

Media Contact

María Teruel
Zeevo Group
mteruel@zeevogroup.com
+1 760-933-8607

NEW YORK, NY, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Vega, the pioneer of agentic cyber defense, today introduced Vega II, the next generation of its platform and its most important release since emerging from stealth. Vega II brings the industry’s first model trained for cyber defense to the fight, gives the agentic SOC a memory that outlasts every ticket, and tears down the legacy SIEM and pipeline barriers that kept data out of reach.

With Vega II, every security team has the harness for cyber defense: the system where AI runs detection, triage, and investigation as an autonomous loop, directed by the judgment of their best defenders, and spanning every source they were forced to keep out of the SIEM.

"AI gave attackers a head start. It doesn’t have to give them the future," said Shay Sandler, co-founder and CEO of Vega. "Two years ago, we founded Vega on one conviction: the SOC has a new operator, AI agents, and they need all your data, the knowledge and judgment of your best defenders, and a proprietary, open-weight model built for agentic cyber defense. With Vega II, every team finally has the harness, the model, and the speed required to win the fight."

Why Now

Adversaries adopt frontier models the week they ship. Defenders answer with reasoning never tuned for cyber defense, facts lost when the case closes, and data held behind connectors and pipeline projects. And generic AI is slow: it reasons from scratch on every alert while attackers keep moving. Break the barriers keeping frontier AI from becoming extraordinary cyber defense, and the next era belongs to the defenders.

The Harness and the Model, Built for the Fight

Agentic cyber defense demands a purpose-built model, lasting memory of the environment, and access to all data wherever it is stored. With Vega II, teams can:

• Bring the best AI reasoning to the fight: Vega’s first proprietary, open-weight model runs beside frontier intelligence in the platform. Built for speed: it reaches the verdict while generic AI is still thinking, so every alert gets an expert’s read at a scale no team can staff.
• Make every lesson last: Vega Memory captures the environment’s ground truth and actions taken, so each verdict starts from what the team already knows. Engineers inspect, trace, and control what gets saved.
• Access all data: Vega Gateway streams any source into low-cost object storage over OpenTelemetry, webhook, or API, without complex pipelines or legacy connectors. It extends Vega’s in-place analytics to the sources with nowhere to live, onboarded in minutes, so investigations follow attackers where the SIEM never looked.

Supporting Quotes

"The Post-SIEM Era is here, and you can’t wait until something happens to make the switch. It has to happen now," said Conor Quinlan, member of technical staff, security, at Profound. "Profound is growing about as fast as a company can, and our security program has to keep up. Alerts can no longer be siloed. All of detection and response must live in one platform for the agentic SOC to work. I’ve built world-class cyber defense operations twice with Vega at the center, and Vega II is exactly where security operations needs to go."

"Every AI SOC vendor can triage an alert in a demo. The constraint CISOs keep describing to us sits underneath: whether the agent can reach the evidence where it already lives, whether it carries context from one case to the next, and what continuous inference costs at scale," said Francis Odum, founder and CEO of Software Analyst Cyber Research. "Vega built its architecture around those questions rather than around ingestion-based pricing, and Vega II is the clearest statement yet of the power this approach holds."

Experience Vega II at Cyber Defense at the Frontier on Oct. 21, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. BST. Sign up for a demo today.

About Vega

Vega is the pioneer of agentic cyber defense. Built on the Security Analytics Mesh, the Vega platform runs detection, triage, investigation, and optimization across data lakes, object storage, security tools, and existing SIEMs. Founded in 2024, Vega has raised $185 million and is backed by Accel, Cyberstarts, Redpoint, and CRV. It protects Fortune 200 enterprises, global banks, and leading healthcare providers. For more information, visit vega.io, read our blog, follow on LinkedIn and Instagram. Vega: Attacks scale. Defense compounds.

Media Contact

press@vega.io

MCKINNEY, TX, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- ScienceSoft’s Q3 2026 Healthcare AI Trend Watch finds that AI use in healthcare is already widespread, while consistent ways to prove its value remain much less established.

ScienceSoft’s analysis draws on several recent surveys. More than 90% of health systemssurveyed by CCM and KLAS had deployed third-party AI. However, in a separate value-measurement question, nearly a third of the surveyed leaders admitted they had not started measuring AI value. In Black Book’s survey of 230 U.S. and EU healthcare leaders, 76% monitored model accuracy after deployment, while only 32% tracked clinical outcomes and only 28% tracked staff workload.

ScienceSoft notes that value measurement becomes especially important when providers decide whether to expand a successful pilot. A model can perform well on its immediate task without delivering the expected result across the wider workflow. ScienceSoft recommends defining the outcome that should justify wider deployment — such as more appointments, less after-hours documentation, or lower operating costs — and checking whether that outcome actually improves.

The Trend Watch also highlights other Q3 developments. Some large health systems are adopting dedicated AI governance platforms. AI agents are handling substantial volumes of patient calls, scheduling, and billing interactions. And general-purpose AI interfaces such as Gemini are beginning to connect patients directly to provider search and appointment booking.

Read ScienceSoft’s full Q3 2026 Healthcare AI Trend Watch for the complete analysis and sources.

Press Inquiries Welcome

ScienceSoft is a U.S. AI transformation and healthcare IT consulting company working with healthcare providers and healthtech companies on AI adoption, implementation, and scaling. Journalists can contact ScienceSoft’s experts for full research data or commentary on healthcare AI value measurement, adoption, and deployment decisions via our Press Room.

About ScienceSoft

ScienceSoft is an AI transformation and software engineering company with more than 150 successful projects for healthcare organizations in the U.S. and around the globe. Working in the medical IT field since 2005, ScienceSoft delivers secure, risk- and cost-aware, and highly interoperable software for clinical workflows, diagnostics, and patient outreach. Holding ISO 13485, 9001, and 27001 certifications, the company focuses on designing digital solutions that bring long-term clinical and operational gains despite diverse staff and patient expectations, shifting priorities, and legacy system constraints. For more information, visit www.scnsoft.com/healthcare.

Media Contact

Alexa Tsviatkova
ScienceSoft
adtsviakova@scnsoft.com

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Cashfloat, an authorised UK-based direct lender providing short-term loans, has shown how advances in fintech are helping lenders streamline loan approval processes without compromising regulatory protections for consumers. The company has explained how automated systems can work to assess straightforward applications, while complex cases can be identified and referred to experienced underwriters for more detailed consideration.

As consumers increasingly expect financial services to offer speed and convenience, lenders facing the challenge of balancing this demand with appropriate affordability and eligibility assessments may be able to use technology to meet consumer requirements while upholding their responsible lending duties.

How Fintech Is Helping to Make Loan Applications Both Faster and Fairer

Traditional loan assessment processes can involve several phases and manual evaluations, potentially increasing the time consumers must wait before a decision is made. While not relevant to all loan applications, modern fintech systems can automate some elements of that process, ensuring information provided is assessed against eligibility and affordability criteria.

Cashfloat has explained that this does not mean every application can be automatically approved or rejected. Technology can help identify applications that clearly meet the lender's requirements and thresholds, while working alongside safeguards to ensure those cases requiring greater scrutiny are referred on to underwriters.

The benefits of this hybrid approach may include:

• Prompt lending decisions without unnecessary delays
• Consistent loan application assessments against a series of objective criteria
• Improved experiences for consumers with less of the uncertainty sometimes associated with waiting for lending decisions
• Additional safeguards that enable applications that do not clearly meet all requirements to be referred rather than automatically declined
• Human oversight for more complex or non-standard applications to ensure they receive a more detailed assessment from an experienced underwriting team

"Technology has transformed the way consumers interact with many financial services, and the important factor is that responsible lending and satisfactory loan application experiences are not competing priorities," said Peter Kimpton, Chief Operating Officer of Cashfloat. "Instead, automation can support robust lending processes rather than replacing them, ensuring that where decisions can be made efficiently, consumers are not left waiting. However, those that need to be examined in more detail are identified, and applicants who may need debt management support can be signposted to relevant services."

Lenders Continue to Enforce Responsible Lending Policies Alongside Introducing Fintech Resources

Cashfloat has emphasised that faster processing times do not mean the checks carried out before a lending decision are reduced. The firm's approach uses technology where it can improve efficiency, while ensuring applications that cannot be assessed this way are not subject only to automated processes.

This can be especially important where an application includes information that needs to be clarified or checked, or where it falls outside the parameters that apply to automated decision-making systems.

Applications are not treated identically, with referral mechanisms that ensure more complex circumstances are considered manually and separately. 

The lender has found that combining technology with human oversight has created a fairer experience for applicants, with many satisfied with the speed of lending decisions where manual assessment processes may be unnecessary.

The Western Circle Group brand has stressed that regulatory compliance must remain central to all lending processes, regardless of how application assessments are completed. Fintech is seen as a tool to support responsible lending but cannot be used to bypass the checks and safeguards all regulated lenders are expected to implement.

While digital financial services continue to evolve, Cashfloat believes the right focus is on balancing convenience, efficiency, and consumer protections, reinforcing the reassurance that applications that may not be responsible or affordable will not be processed automatically.

About Cashfloat

Cashfloat is a UK direct lender providing online lending services. Cashfloat considers applications from customers with a range of credit histories, subject to eligibility and affordability checks. Cashfloat is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For more information, visit cashfloat.co.uk.

About Western Circle Group

Western Circle Group is a UK-based, FCA-authorised consumer credit provider specialising in fast, responsible, online lending. Western Circle Ltd (company number: 07581337) is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 714479) and with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO: Z3305234).

Disclaimer

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, an offer, or a solicitation to borrow. Cashfloat is a trading style of Western Circle Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 714479). All loans are subject to status, eligibility, and affordability assessments. Borrowing money costs money and involves risk; short-term credit is not suitable for long-term financial needs. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, free and independent debt advice is available from MoneyHelper (moneyhelper.org.uk).

Media Contact

Cashfloat
info@cashfloat.co.uk

ZUG, Switzerland, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- W Group is pleased to share the next stage in the development of hashbank, a fully licensed universal digital bank that combines traditional banking services with the infrastructure of the open Web3 economy in one app.

This level of integration remains rare in banking. hashbank brings traditional banking services and connectivity with external crypto wallets into a single mobile experience. Customers can receive digital assets from external wallets and platforms and send them to external blockchain addresses, with support for more than 150 digital assets.

Banking and Digital Assets in One App

Traditionally, bank accounts and crypto infrastructure have operated as separate systems. To complete a transaction, users have had to move between their bank, a crypto platform, and an external wallet.

hashbank brings these services into one banking environment. A customer can receive a digital asset from an external wallet, exchange it for fiat, and use the bank’s services. They can also send digital assets to an external blockchain address. Transfers are protected by authentication, address verification, anti-money-laundering procedures and blockchain analytics. This creates a borderless banking model, a financial experience that brings fiat, crypto assets, and international money transfers together.

“We are not building businesses that exist only in Web2 or only in Web3. The biggest opportunities will emerge between them. Our task is to build the infrastructure — the bridge that allows these worlds to work together. hashbank is one example of this strategy. It is a fully licensed digital bank that is open to new financial networks and capable of connecting different currencies, platforms, and systems,” said Volodymyr Nosov, founder and President of W Group.

Part of a Connected Financial Ecosystem

Obtained in 2023, hashbank holds a full banking license from the National Bank of Georgia and began operating in a live environment in 2024. Today, hashbank has approximately 60,000 customers across 73 countries. hashbank’s position is further differentiated by the combination of broad external-wallet connectivity, direct integration with WhiteBIT, everyday and cross-border banking services, and access for both individuals and businesses.

Within the South Caucasus and Central Asia, hashbank is the first fully licensed bank to offer this integrated model within its mobile banking application.

“By introducing this service, hashbank sets a new precedent for banking in Georgia and the wider region, strengthening the bridge between traditional banking and digital assets. Our ambition is to make borderless banking a practical reality, giving customers greater freedom to move and use their money while making everyday banking simpler and digital assets more familiar and accessible," said Goga Chanadiri, CEO of hashbank.

hashbank and WhiteBIT benefit from a direct integration and strategic synergy within the broader W Group ecosystem while operating with the strict independent governance required of a license. WhiteBIT has 10 million users on its platform, while W Group's broader ecosystem brings together businesses serving around 40 million registered accounts globally.

The next stage of hashbank’s development is aimed at expanding its international financial infrastructure. The bank is working on international payment rails, new currencies, and cross-border corridors, as well as banking as a service and embedded banking. This will enable hashbank’s banking infrastructure to serve not only end customers, but also fintech companies, crypto platforms, and other businesses that require access to regulated financial services.

For W Group, hashbank is not a standalone business, but part of a long-term model. The goal is to build a global, full-cycle financial ecosystem in which banking, payments, digital assets, blockchain, and international financial infrastructure can work together.

About W Group

W Group is a global fintech ecosystem that makes blockchain and crypto easy, secure, and accessible for everyone. Over 40 million registered accounts across 150 countries worldwide. W Group is committed to shaping the future of finance through simple, accessible, and secure solutions. For more information, visit www.w.group.

About hashbank

hashbank is a digital bank that offers users simple, secure, and modern banking services. Through the synthesis of innovative technologies and strict banking standards, the bank creates financial solutions tailored to the demands of the digital economy. For its technological achievements in 2026, the authoritative international publication Global Banking & Finance Review awarded hashbank the title of "Best New Digital Bank Georgia 2026," once again highlighting its leading position in the region’s financial and technology sectors. For more information, visit hashbank.ge.

Disclaimer

JSC Hash Bank (operating as hashbank) is a commercial bank licensed and regulated by the National Bank of Georgia (ID Number: 405555359). This press release is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice, nor an endorsement by the distribution service. Digital assets and cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, and their regulatory status varies significantly by jurisdiction. Services related to digital assets, external wallet transfers, and integration with third-party platforms like WhiteBIT may not be available to residents of certain countries due to local regulatory restrictions. Forward-looking statements regarding future product expansions, international payment rails, and banking-as-a-service (BaaS) reflect current goals and are subject to change based on market and regulatory conditions. Users should review hashbank’s official terms of service and consult with independent financial or legal advisors before engaging in digital asset transactions.

Media Contact

pr@whitebit.com

SEOUL, South Korea, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Global Affairs Lab, an international affairs research institute, released a new report saying South Korea’s latest U.S. investment package expands the role of Korean investment in America from production capacity to strategic infrastructure.

The report, "From Production Sites to Strategic Infrastructure: South Korean Investment and U.S. Energy Needs," notes that recent high-profile Korean investments in the United States have focused largely on electric vehicles, batteries and semiconductors. The new package differs because it centers on power, nuclear energy and liquefied natural gas infrastructure that can support the broader U.S. industrial base.

The report analyzes three areas tied to the package: Project Star, a combined-cycle gas power project in Encinal, Texas; Project Power, a U.S.-Korea nuclear cooperation framework covering eight large reactors; and Project North, an Alaska LNG project that South Korea has described as subject to commercial viability and domestic legal requirements.

Global Affairs Lab said the package should not be viewed simply as another round of Korean corporate investment in the United States. The institute said it reflects a broader shift toward helping build the energy systems that strategic industries need to operate at scale.

The report said Project Star is the clearest example of this shift because it links Korean investment to electricity demand from data centers and advanced manufacturing. Project Power could deepen industrial cooperation through nuclear supply chains and equipment participation, while Project North would require careful coordination on timing, investment terms and long-term purchase arrangements.

Global Affairs Lab concluded that the package’s strategic value lies in connecting Korean capital and industrial capabilities with U.S. infrastructure needs. If managed carefully, the report said, South Korean investment could support U.S. strategic industries giving the stronger economic foundation.

About Global Affairs Lab

Global Affairs Lab is a Seoul-based international affairs research institute analyzing foreign policy, economic security, technology governance, defense industry and Indo-Pacific strategy. For more information, visit globaf.org.

Disclaimer

This press release is provided for informational and educational purposes only by Global Affairs Lab and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. It contains forward-looking statements regarding future investments, project implementation, commercial viability, and strategic infrastructure developments, all of which are subject to risks, uncertainties, and regulatory approvals that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from expectations.

Media Contact

contact@globaf.org

YEREVAN, Armenia, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- The AGBU Global Run for Camp Nairi brought together more than 1,500 participants across 22 cities and raised $500,000 to support children and families affected by war and displacement. Unibank supported the international fundraising initiative as Lead Sponsor.  

The Global Run began in Yerevan and continued around the world, with participants joining in Barcelona, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Nice, Paris, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Zurich, and other cities. The inaugural initiative united Armenian communities and supporters around a shared goal. Funds raised through the Global Run will support recreational activities for campers, access to qualified mental health professionals, and the expansion of Camp Nairi’s capacity. Located in Armenia’s Lori region, Camp Nairi has served more than 4,400 children since 2021.  

“Because of partners like Unibank, children will have the opportunity to step away from the uncertainty and hardship they have experienced and enter an environment designed to restore joy, build resilience and foster a sense of belonging. What began as a summer camp has, through the generosity of our supporters, grown into a year-round model of healing and community. For many, Camp Nairi is a special place where they can simply be kids again,” said Karen Papazian, Director of Development and Outreach at AGBU.  

For Unibank, supporting the Global Run is part of a broader commitment to the communities it serves. The bank provides services to more than 30% of Armenia’s bankable population. This year, Unibank celebrates its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century of growth, innovation, and trust. Over that period, it has grown into one of Armenia’s leading financial institutions, offering a comprehensive range of retail and corporate banking services, as well as Private Banking solutions. Its role extends beyond financial services — an approach reflected in its tagline “Banking and more.”

“A bank’s strength should be measured not only by its financial performance, but also by the value it creates for society. We believe we have a responsibility to invest in both the country’s economy and its communities. Supporting AGBU’s initiative reflects what ‘Banking and more’ means to us in practice: being there when our communities need us and using our reach to make a meaningful difference,”said Gagik Zakaryan, chairman of the board of Unibank.

Unibank’s commitment to creating opportunities is also reflected in its role in developing Armenia’s capital market. In 2015, it became the first bank in Armenia to conduct an IPO, giving individuals and companies the opportunity to become shareholders and participate in the bank’s growth. Since then, Unibank has conducted ten share issues. Compared with last year, its investor base has grown by 60%, reflecting broader participation in the bank’s development. 

Unibank’s shares are listed on the Armenia Stock Exchange (AMX), giving individual and institutional investors access to the bank’s equity. Since the IPO, the share price has risen by approximately 70%. Over the past three years, annual dividend yields on its shares have been in the 10–12% range. The bank’s return on equity stands at 20%, while earnings per share have doubled compared with last year. 

Alongside its financial activities, Unibank continues to support education, youth development, sports, and other socially significant initiatives in Armenia and abroad.

About Unibank

Unibank is one of Armenia’s leading technology-driven banks, committed to delivering innovative financial services that meet the evolving needs of its customers. It offers comprehensive retail and business banking services, along with Private Banking solutions tailored to high-value clients. To learn more, please visit www.unibank.am.

Media Contact

lusine.khachatryan@unibank.am
+374 10 712222

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Sends, a UK-based fintech company providing payment and financial services to individuals and businesses, announces the launch of its cooperation with UnionPay International (UPI), expanding its payment capabilities across both card issuing and acquiring.

The cooperation brings together UnionPay’s extensive global payment network and Sends’ financial infrastructure to create broader payment opportunities for consumers and businesses across markets. Sends plans to develop UnionPay card issuing, enabling customers to access UnionPay-powered payment products and use their cards across UnionPay’s global acceptance network.

At the same time, the companies are working together on UnionPay acquiring, allowing merchants within the Sends ecosystem to accept payments made with UnionPay cards. This will provide businesses with additional opportunities to serve international customers, particularly those connected to Asian markets, while expanding the range of payment methods available through Sends.

The combination of issuing and acquiring creates a two-sided payment proposition: supporting customers in making payments internationally while enabling merchants to accept UnionPay transactions through Sends’ infrastructure.

“Payments are becoming increasingly global, while customers and businesses expect the experience itself to remain simple. Our cooperation with UnionPay International is an important step in building infrastructure that connects these two realities,” said Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends. “By developing both UnionPay issuing and acquiring capabilities, we are expanding what Sends can offer on both sides of a transaction — giving our customers greater payment flexibility while helping merchants reach a broader international audience.”

The cooperation also reflects Sends’ broader strategy of developing an interconnected financial ecosystem for businesses and individuals. Rather than focusing on individual payment products, the company continues to expand infrastructure covering accounts, international transfers, foreign

Beyond its expanding card and acquiring capabilities, Sends continues to develop its ecosystem for both individuals and businesses. Recently the company launched a special offer for businesses who want to open a British account and make international payments right away. The platform brings together personal and business accounts, international payments, FX, cards and merchant solutions, while recently expanding its offering with eSIM travel data directly in the Sends app.

Sends and the company's CEO, Alona Shevtsova, also strengthened international presence and industry engagement, contributing to conversations around real-time and cross-border payments, digital wallets and the future of payment infrastructure across key markets, including the UK and the Middle East.

Explore UnionPay opportunities with Sends

Raise a ticket to discuss the opportunities with our team.

About Sends

Sends is a UK-based financial services provider and FCA-authorised Electronic Money Institution (EMI), offering secure payment solutions for individual and corporate clients. The company supports e-wallet services, electronic money issuance, and merchant acquiring, underpinned by a compliance-driven approach to growth and innovation. Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Sends’ partnership with UnionPay International, including the planned development and rollout of card issuing, merchant acquiring, and ecosystem features. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about future industry trends, strategic goals, and operational plans. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and regulatory approvals that may cause actual results, timelines, or product availability to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Sends undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future developments.

Media Contact

Anastasiia Pervushyna
Marketing Department, Sends
contact@sends.co
+44 1273 004434

NEW YORK, NY, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Laura Geller Beauty, the brand known for crafting makeup for mature skin, today announced the launch of its first-ever perfume. The new scent, Tuscan Sun Eau de Toilette, marks a significant expansion for the brand as its first entry into the fragrance category.

Tuscan Sun draws upon the brand’s longstanding association with Italy, where many of its products are manufactured. The fragrance is inspired by the ease, warmth, and sensory richness of Italian living, capturing a sense of la dolce vita, “the sweet life.” It opens with bright notes of Italian lemon, softening with notes of creamy florals at the heart, and settles into a warm base of amber and vanilla, all meant to evoke the feeling of golden hour in Tuscany.

“For years, people have stopped me to ask what perfume I’m wearing,” says Laura Geller, founder and makeup artist. “I finally felt called to create my own fragrance. Tuscan Sun is the scent I’ve been dreaming about for years, and I’m so excited to finally share it.”

Geller and her team spent more than a year developing the perfume, taking inspiration from her annual travels through Italy. They also turned to valued customers through several different panels, helping to refine the scent further. “It had to feel as personal as our makeup,” Geller adds.

Fragrance, Geller also notes, taps into emotions that makeup cannot reach. “I’ve spent my entire career helping women feel confident in their own skin through makeup. But confidence isn’t just about how you look, it’s how you feel. I wanted this bright and gorgeous scent to stir up feelings of relaxation and ease — exactly how you’d feel if you were on a Tuscan getaway of your own. It’s the perfect finishing touch to help my customers feel their very best.”

Even the fragrance’s bottle takes inspiration from Italian architecture. The gold-tone cap is inspired by classic Roman columns. As another thoughtful touch, the bottle has a rounded base shaped to rest comfortably in hand — a nod to the brand’s consumers who have requested more ergonomic options in the assortment.

Tuscan Sun is available in full size, travel size, and as a duo on the brand’s website, giving customers a range of ways to explore the scent.

Tuscan Sun is available now on the brand’s website laurageller.com. Watch the new campaign.

About Laura Geller Beauty

New York-based makeup artist Laura Geller launched her namesake brand in 1997 with a mission of demystifying the daily makeup routine and creating transformational products that bring joy back to beauty. The brand is a pioneer in artisan-crafted baked makeup, delivering exceptional coverage and finishes for all skin types. As the brand's foolproof, easy-to-use makeup is well-known for its remarkable ability to flatter and enhance mature skin, Laura Geller Beauty has exclusively featured women over 40 since 2021. Laura Geller Beauty products are available on QVC, LauraGeller.com, Amazon, Ulta.com, Sephora.com, Macys.com, and other select retailers. For more information, visit laurageller.com.

Media Contact

Alison Brod Marketing & Communications
laurageller@abmc-us.com

NEW YORK, NY, October 6, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Lucra, the leading social competition platform, today announced a partnership with MFL, the fantasy game built around artists instead of athletes. MFL players will be able to compete for real money in private leagues and public tournaments powered by Lucra, where permitted by law, turning the group chat debate about music into a season worth winning.

MFL takes the fantasy format that sports fans already love and runs it on the data that the music industry already produces. Players draft a roster of artists who earn points from real-world activity and scores post overnight. Players wake up to the results and set their lineup for the next day. New releases, tour dates, and more impact scores dramatically, rewarding the fans who spot the right artist at the right time. 

Under the partnership, Lucra's SDK powers the real-money layer inside MFL, giving every roster something to play for. Friends will be able to compete for cash in their own private leagues, and players looking for a bigger field can enter public tournaments for cash prizes. Free-to-play leagues will remain open to everyone, and Lucra-powered achievements will let every player unlock discounts and rewards. Lucra handles compliance, payments, fraud prevention, and settlement.

"Every league is better when it's playing for something. MFL gives music fans a scoreboard, and Lucra puts real money behind it, so a Tuesday streaming number or a surprise drop can decide who wins a game. Fantasy built around artists is a completely new format, and Alex and his team know this industry from the inside," said Dylan Robbins, CEO of Lucra.

"At Apple and Amazon, we built systems to amplify the music industry's daily and weekly activity. Now with AI, the data generated by that activity can power a fantasy game, and a new way for fans to engage. Add in real-money leagues and it gives fans one more reason to check in every day. Lucra, as a proven winning platform for payment and compliance infrastructure, is a perfect partner for us in this journey," said Alex Luke, CEO of MFL.

Lucra will be live inside MFL from day one, with real-money leagues and tournaments available at the app’s public launch. Fans can sign up for early access at joinmfl.com.

About Lucra

Lucra powers competitive loyalty through a plug-and-play SDK, which integrates into apps or websites and enables tournaments, mini-games, and peer-vs-peer competitions, with real-money or rewards. It handles compliance, payments, fraud prevention, and settlement out of the box, so partners can instantly offer gamified experiences without building or managing complex infrastructure themselves. Top entertainment, hospitality, and consumer brands, including Five Iron Golf, Backyard Sports, ChessKings, TouchTunes, and more, use Lucra's white-label technology to power tournaments and challenges, build loyalty, and drive new revenue. Learn more at playlucra.com.

About MFL

MFL is fantasy sports for music. Built on the real-world data the music industry already produces, MFL lets fans draft a roster of artists, compete in head-to-head leagues, and earn daily scores based on how those artists actually perform. MFL was founded by CEO Alex Luke, a music and technology executive who helped shape the modern music business through leadership roles at Apple Music, Amazon Music, Capitol Records, Napster and SiriusXM. He is joined by co-founders Gregory Butler, who leads operations, and David Jarrett, who leads technology. For more information, visit joinmfl.com.

Disclaimer

Real-money leagues and cash tournaments offered via Lucra's integration within MFL are subject to local laws and regulations. Must be 18 years of age or older (19+ or 21+ in select jurisdictions) and physically located in an eligible state or territory to participate in cash contests. Void where prohibited by law. Real-money participation involves financial risk; play responsibly. Free-to-play options are available to all users.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning planned product features, software integrations, and launch timelines for Lucra and MFL. These statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or availability to differ materially. Neither party undertakes any obligation to update these statements after the date of release.

Media Contact

press@playlucra.com