West Africa LNG Group Secures Bridge Financing for LNG Import Terminal in Guinea

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — West Africa LNG Group (WALNG) announced today that it closed on an equity financing round with a US-based investor group.

“We are delighted to complete this investment which provides us with the necessary financial resources to fund our operating activities as we finalize long-term offtake agreements with the mining companies in Guinea,” said former Ambassador Patricia Moller, Chair of WALNG. “This financing also gives us greater flexibility as we negotiate with potential strategic and financial partners who have expressed strong interest in participating in the transformative Guinea LNG project,” added Mrs. Moller.

Home to some of the world’s most abundant natural resources and highest quality minerals, Guinea has long suffered from a severe lack of energy to develop its economy and improve the lives of its people. In response to the Guinean Government’s request for a competitively priced, abundantly available, and environmentally sustainable fuel source, WALNG is developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and distribution network in Guinea. The company is currently in active discussions with several strategic and financial investors as well as potential offtake customers.

The Guinea LNG project will supply commercial quantities of natural gas to bauxite mining companies in the Boké, Bel-Air, and Boffa regions to generate power for existing operations and planned bauxite processing facilities (alumina refineries) which will substantially increase Guinea’s beneficiation from its valuable natural resources.

A comprehensive feasibility study funded by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has been completed. The study identified over 2,000 MW of power demand from the bauxite industry alone within a 100-mile radius of the terminal location.

WALNG is a natural gas-based fuels products and services company specializing in customized turnkey solutions for its customers. For more information, please visit our website at www.wa-lng.com.

Kasisto Raises Additional $15.5 Million From FIS and Westpac in Oversubscribed Series C Round

This funding will grow Kasisto’s global AI innovation partnerships and accelerate expansion in the US community banking market

NEW YORK, August 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Kasisto , creators of KAI ,  the leading digital experience platform for the financial services industry, today announced a $15.5 million Series C extension, led in the United States by Fidelity Information Services, LLC  (NYSE: FIS) and internationally by Westpac Banking Corporation  (OTCMKTS: WEBNF), with participation from BankSouth . This brings the total Series C funding to $31 million.

Humanizing Digital Experiences

Kasisto is the industry leader in conversational artificial intelligence (AI), and its KAI platform powers the most intelligent and financially savvy digital assistants in the financial services industry. With this additional funding, Kasisto plans to continue investing in product development, strategic go-to-market initiatives, and the expansion of partnerships with top financial services providers.

Digital channel transformation and consumer engagement are top of mind within the financial services industry. Since the start of the pandemic, digital adoption has accelerated at a breathtaking pace. Global fintech companies and financial institutions of all sizes recognize that digital assistants and an exceptional conversational AI platform are key to successfully evolving customer experience and service models.

FIS is a leading provider of financial technology solutions for merchants, banks and capital markets firms globally. The company is investing in Kasisto in support of FIS’ mission to advance how the world pays, banks and invests.

“We believe the future of banking experiences will become ever more contextual and will be powered by leading AI technologies that create more engaging interactions for every customer,” said Stephane Wyper, SVP of FIS Impact Ventures. “We are excited to be investing in Kasisto and exploring opportunities to leverage their KAI technology across our digital banking capabilities to more humanize digital consumer interactions.”

Westpac, a multinational financial institution headquartered in Sydney, Australia, and serving more than 12 million customers, has collaborated with Kasisto to apply world-leading AI orchestration technology that seamlessly routes customer requests to the most knowledgeable digital assistant. The result is a more seamless experience for both customers and employees.

“The cycles of innovation are getting faster, and so are the needs and expectations of our customers who want quick, intuitive and personalized service,” said Scott Collary, Westpac Group Executive, Customer Services and Technology. “Kasisto’s technology has enabled us to evolve from traditional chatbots to a sophisticated, human-like conversational experience, unified for the first time under a single AI orchestration platform. This means customer queries will be answered more efficiently with reduced wait times and fewer hand-offs.”

The round was also joined by BankSouth, a US Community Bank in Georgia, and a successful early adopter of Kasisto’s multi-tenant KAI platform. BankSouth’s deployment of the KAI Consumer Banking product showcases the ways that a digital assistant can not only service customers but help to grow the business.

“We have seen the successful adoption of conversational AI from our online banking customer base, and both our customers and bankers have found Kasisto’s technology to be effective and easy to use,” said Harold Reynolds, BankSouth Chairman and CEO. “The more we work with this robust platform, the deeper and richer the experience has become for our customers. We fully expect that our highly personalized, digital assistant provided by KAI will be an increasingly integral component of our customers’ banking experience, and this investment in Kasisto demonstrates our commitment to making that happen.”

“The expansion of our Series C is a resounding vote of confidence in our vision,” said Zor Gorelov, Co-Founder and CEO of Kasisto. “The funding will allow us to continue to lead and innovate in the conversational AI space. This year, we have seen our strongest growth to date and expansion in our global and US community banking businesses. I am proud of what we have accomplished and deeply grateful to our talented team that is working tirelessly, with customers and partners, to shape the future of banking.”

About Kasisto
KAI   is the leading digital experience platform for the financial services industry. Kasisto’s customers include J.P. Morgan, Westpac, Standard Chartered, TD, and Manulife Bank, and credit unions such as Fairwinds and Excite – and many more. These financial institutions chose KAI for its proven track record in driving business growth and improving customer experiences. The platform is engaging with millions of consumers around the world, all the time, across multiple channels, in different languages, and is optimized for performance, scalability, security, and compliance. KAI is built with the deepest conversational AI portfolio in the financial industry and is tightly integrated into the fintech ecosystem through partnerships with proven technology providers such as FIS, NCR, Q2 and others. Kasisto is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Silicon Valley and Singapore. Kasisto Singapore Pte Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kasisto. For more information visit kasisto.com  . Follow Kasisto on Twitter   and  LinkedIn  .

Media Contact:
Amanda Hill
amanda.hill@kasisto.com

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Hisense’s Smart Washing Machine and Soundbar Named Products of the Year in South Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — On August 16th, Product of the Year South Africa announced the 2022 winner in innovation from 19 categories. Two Hisense products, the Hisense Smart Front Loader Washing Machine and the Hisense U5120G 5.1.2CH Soundbar were respectively named winners of the kitchen appliances category and entertainment system category.

Product of the Year is South Africa’s largest independent consumer-voted survey focusing on product innovation. Kantar, the world’s top marketing data and analytics organization, conducted an independent survey of over 2,000 households across the country to determine the winners.

“We are honoured and proud of the technology we create, as well as the entire team that contributes to the success of these products. Product innovation is important to our business, and we will continue to invest in it to bring more ‘reimagine your life’ products to South African consumers,” said Patrick, marketing direct of Hisense South Africa.

The Hisense WFQR1214VAJMWT Front Loader Washing Machine is a 12kg powerhouse with Hisense auto-dosing technology that simplifies washing with automatic weighing, smart sensing, and precise dose. Its Smart WiFi feature allows users to control the washing machine from their smartphones using the ConnectLife App. Hisense’s steam wash technology is also included in the product, which uses mild steam to remove odours and make washed garments as clean and soft as new ones, even without additional ironing.

The innovative U5120G Soundbar, also an EISA (Expert Imaging and Sound Association) award winner, features 11 built-in multi-directional speakers and a 180-watt wireless subwoofer for a total of 510 watts of high-quality music. The 8-inch subwoofer can process sounds as low as 40Hz, giving movies, TV shows, games, and music deep and strong bass effects.

The U5120G Soundbar boasts simple connectivity and is Bluetooth compatible, making setup quick, easy, and painless. As to audio experience, speaker placement within the device offers a surround system with real 5.1.2ch sound. The entertainment system category winner can process high-resolution audio, resulting in sound quality comparable to that of recording studios and concert halls. Moreover, its Hi-Remaster technology enhances the sound quality of numerous input sources such as CDs and MP3s.

Beyond the two newly awarded products, Hisense has now distributed its products in South Africa to over 3 000 chain stores and 500 home appliance franchise stores, spanning entertainment, home appliances, mobile, and air conditioning.

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In Collaboration with Mama’s Alliance, Hisense Continues to Support Local Child Education in South Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — On August 2, world-renowned electronics manufacturer Hisense donated mobile devices to Elkana Childcare, in collaboration with Mama’s Alliance, a South African non-profit childcare organisation network, and online education platform PalFish which provided over 100 PalFish Software/Application codes.   

 Elkana Childcare is an organisation dedicated to transforming the lives of children who are living in more rural circumstances, which have a detrimental impact on their positive development and future. The donation intends to improve children’s education in the region, specifically their reading, writing, and listening skills.

Children can load the PalFish Software/Application onto their Hisense gadget or utilize the app on other devices. PalFish is a learning platform and online picture book library for all kids from 2 to 12, helping them reimagine their learning through its digital solutions and customized learning products. The software from PalFish and devices donated by Hisense are tools used by the educators at Elkana to enhance their teaching capabilities and interaction with the children. Hisense prides itself in helping the community where it can, and this is only the start of the Hisense and Elkana Childcare relationship.

Hisense has also been actively involved in various social welfare activities in South Africa, contributing to the local community with the goal of long-term support. They sent support to lonely elderly people in local pension institutions, donated televisions and daily necessities to the non-profit childcare centre in Johannesburg and contributed to the South African Red Cross Children’s Hospital as well as other projects to actively help solve education and employment problems in the African region.

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Chinese Ophthalmologists Provide Assistance To African Peers

– Academic and cultural exchange through the Belt and Road Initiative training course for African ophthalmologists

SHENYANG, China, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and co-organized by Shenyang Normal University and He Eye Hospital Group, the one-month training course for ophthalmologists from Belt and Road countries was officially launched in August.

Ophthalmologists, optometrists, and nurses from six countries, including Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria, South Africa, Malawi, and Botswana, attended the training.

During the training period, the organizers have been conducting online lectures, seminars, and remote observation of surgeries for the participants on topics encompassing global blindness, trends and prospects in ophthalmology, blindness prevention and treatment models with Chinese characteristics, new progress in blindness prevention, theories in subspecialties of ophthalmology, and cataract surgery operation.

This training also offers a unique cultural exchange program – “China on the Cloud – A Virtual Tour.” Participants can experience the charm of virtual reality technology and visual art through six virtual tours, which take them through the different cultures, history, and natural landscapes of five cities in China, namely Shenyang, Dalian, Beijing, Chongqing, and Shanghai in turn.

In the first cloud tour class, He Wei, Chairman of He Eye Hospital Group and doctoral supervisor, and Liesse Gateka, an international student from Burundi, led the participants on a virtual tour of the Shenyang Imperial Palace to enjoy the visual charm of ancient architecture.

The first stop of "China on the Cloud – A Virtual Tour." He Wei (left), Chairman of He Eye Hospital Group and doctoral supervisor, and Liesse Gateka, a Burundian student, led the participants on a virtual tour of Shenyang Imperial Palace

The Belt and Road Ophthalmologist Training Program is a foreign aid training program sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, which aims to provide young ophthalmologists from participating countries in the Belt and Road Initiative with advanced training in ophthalmic diagnostic reasoning, treatment concepts, and surgical techniques to improve their professional skills and to fill the shortage in local demand for ophthalmologists. Implementing this project is of positive significance to improve the eye health of the people in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative and to strengthen the in-depth exchange and cooperation between China and these countries in the field of eye health.

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