EMGA advises Annapurna Finance on their EURO 15M debt raise with funding from OeEB

LONDON, March 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Annapurna Finance raised EURO 15 mn of senior debt from OeEB the Development Bank of Austria, this facility will provide financial assistance to its clients in microfinance space. EMGA advised on the transaction.

The EUR 15 million debt facility comes at a time when financial institutions world-wide are exploring new cross-border funding options to further deliver on their objectives.

“Increasing financial inclusion is one of our main strategic goals. We are therefore proud to work with Annapurna – an experienced partner in the field of microfinance,” stated Sabine Gaber, member of OeEB’s Executive Board. “Especially women often have very limited access to financial services, which is why we are particularly happy that our funds will support female entrepreneurs and contribute to improving gender equality in India.”

Commenting on the transaction, Annapurna’s CFO Satyajit Das said, “Annapurna is very pleased and welcomes OeEB as a new debt partner.” He further shared that, “We continued to grow despite the pandemic and the funding provided by OeEB will help boost our activities while generating strong positive impact.” He also praised EMGA advisory team in closing the deal.

EMGA’s Managing Director and Investment Banking Head Sajeev Chakkalakal said, “It was a pleasure to be able to communicate Annapurna’s vision of economic empowerment within India and successfully structure and negotiate this funding solution with OeEB.” Managing Director Jeremy Dobson added “Annapurna’s strong management and solid financial position were major factors that enabled Sajeev and EMGA’s Investment Banking team to complete this financing in tandem with the deep institutional framework and financial capacity that OeEB represents.”

Annapurna Finance is one of the top ten NBFC-MFIs in India. Annapurna Finance was established with a purpose of serving their clients by bringing them to mainstream, providing need based financial services at their doorstep. They currently operate in 19 states and manage assets of more than EURO 640 mn in microfinance and MSME space. They are headquartered out of Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG (OeEB) has been operating as the Development Bank of Austria since March 2008. It specialises in the provision of long-term finance for the implementation of private sector projects in developing countries which create sustainable development. Additionally, OeEB provides technical assistance, which can be used to enhance the developmental impact of projects. For more information, please visit https://www.oe-eb.at/

Emerging Markets Global Advisory (EMGA), with offices in London and New York, helps financial institutions and corporates seeking debt or equity capital. EMGA’s multi-national team combine the decades of experience necessary to complete transactions on behalf of their clients within the world’s emerging markets and frontier economies, including India which remains a key market. With a proven track record in capital formation and strategic advisory throughout diverse economic cycles, EMGA continues expanding its geographic reach and service offering, solidifying its place in the market as one of the industries pre-eminent emerging markets focused niche investment banks.

info@emergingmarketsglobaladvisory.com

Customertimes Announces The Give Back to Ukraine Fund

NEW YORK, March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Customertimes announces the launch of The Give Back to Ukraine Fund, a humanitarian initiative to support those who have been directly impacted by the war.

This independent account will be governed by the Customertimes executive board, and 100% of the contributions will be used to support employee volunteer efforts on the ground and provide housing, medicine, clothing, and food for our Ukrainian team.

Since its launch March 3, 2022, The Give Back to Ukraine Fund has raised more than $95,000 USD. Additionally, the C-level staff at Customertimes has collectively agreed to donate their own salaries for the month of March to these rescue efforts.

“I would like to personally thank our colleagues and partners for their contribution to The Give Back to Ukraine Fund,” says Dmitry Sidnev, CEO and Co-founder of Customertimes.

“The funds are helping our colleagues and their families who are volunteering in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, and Romania to provide food, water, clothing, relocation, housing, transportation, and medical assistance to those that need it most. We are also supporting our team directly, ensuring everyone is safe and has access to food, shelter, and supplies.”

Contributions can be made through Square or via wire transfer, and the company will provide an independent report of every dollar that is spent through the fund. Results will also be published on the company website for complete transparency.

To learn more:

About Customertimes

Customertimes Corp. is a global consulting and software firm dedicated to making the top IT technologies accessible to customers. With more than 4000 projects completed and 1600+ highly skilled experts, our solutions are engineered to help clients realize true business transformation and achieve maximum value from their technology investments. An early entrant into the Salesforce consulting and implementation space in Eastern Europe and an award-winning product development organization, Customertimes Corp. currently has headquarters in New York City, along with regional offices in London, Paris, Toronto, Kyiv, Poznan, Riga, and Podgorica. For more information, visit www.customertimes.com.

Media Contact:
Meriel Sikora
Customertimes
212-520-0059
meriel.sikora@customertimes.com

Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group Announces Expansion of Marine Manufacturing in Asia

TEMECULA, Calif., March 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (“Group”), a part of the Nikkiso Co., Ltd (Japan) group of companies, is proud to announce yet another expansion of their manufacturing capabilities for the growing Marine market. With this expansion, they have become one of the largest manufacturers providing localized assembly in both Busan Korea and Hangzhou China. This expansion represents their commitment to and support of the growth of the Asian shipbuilding industry.

Their Hangzhou China facilities are now equipped to manufacture and deliver marine skids and provide full integration and assembly in-house. This allows for greater quality control and reduced cost for their customers. The new, larger facility in Korea provides full-system Marine solutions. Together, these facilities now provide full localization for design, engineering and manufacturing.

As a unified Nikkiso Group, they are the only company that offers the core technology components completely in-house. They provide fully integrated turnkey fuel system solutions, cargo handling solutions and complex LNG missions. Through their China facility, they can now offer in-country full string testing and provide full fuel gasket testing to ensure meeting engine requirements. Their service capabilities in China and Korea have also been expanded with additional service offerings, long-term service agreements and more field service specialists.

“We are proud to be helping lead the way in the LNG powered Marine market and providing significant benefits to our Marine customers. Nikkiso CE&IG will now be able to provide complete systems and support our customers with a complete factory supported solution,” according to Peter Wagner, CEO of Cryogenic Industries and President of the Group.

Marine continues to be a major focus of the Group, and this expansion provides a strong support structure for future growth. The locations also eliminate the need for ocean freighting for shipment delivery, resulting in shorter delivery times to their customers.

ABOUT CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES
Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (now a part of Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) member companies manufacture engineered cryogenic gas processing equipment and small-scale process plants for the liquefied natural gas (LNG), well services and industrial gas industries. Founded over 50 years ago, Cryogenic Industries is the parent company of ACD, Cosmodyne and Cryoquip and a commonly controlled group of approximately 20 operating entities.

For more information, please visit www.nikkisoCEIG.com and www.nikkiso.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Quigley
+1.951.383.3314
aquigley@cryoind.com

LeddarTech Announces the Appointment of Derek Aberle and Nick Stone to Its Board of Directors

Derek Aberle, former President of Qualcomm and Nick Stone, former VP of TPG Capital, are business leaders with extensive experience in technology, driving growth and capital markets

LeddarCar

The LeddarCar in Quebec City

QUEBEC CITY, March 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech®, a global leader in providing the most flexible, robust and accurate ADAS and AD sensing technology, is pleased to announce the appointments of Derek Aberle and Nick Stone to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Derek Aberle’s experience includes senior executive roles in large, global technology companies as well as the investment community. Mr. Aberle spent 17 years at Qualcomm Incorporated, a global leader in mobile and related technologies and products, in a variety of senior executive roles. From 2014 to 2018, he served as President of Qualcomm with responsibility for all business units, including its licensing and semiconductor businesses, as well as its marketing organization and regional offices worldwide. Prior to that, he served as EVP and Group President and as EVP and President of Qualcomm Technology Licensing. He was a member of Qualcomm’s executive committee for over a decade, helping to drive the company’s overall strategy. Mr. Aberle led many of Qualcomm’s global growth initiatives, including in markets beyond smartphones as well as its expansion in China. He also led Qualcomm’s technology and IP licensing business through a period of tremendous growth and profitability, established its 4G and 5G licensing programs, and structured and negotiated Qualcomm’s major license and other strategic agreements. Since leaving Qualcomm Mr. Aberle co-founded XCOM Labs, a company focused on developing and commercializing advanced wireless technologies, and presently serves as Executive Vice Chairman of XCOM Labs. He also is the CEO of Prospector Capital Corp., a special purpose acquisition company.

Mr. Aberle holds a B.A. in business economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. He is a board member for XCOM Labs, Prospector Capital Corp., Jaws Juggernaut Acquisition Corp., the Alliance for SoCal Innovation and EvoNexus (a Southern California incubator).

Mr. Nick Stone possesses over 20 years of experience in the investment industry and has been partner with FS Investors since 2010. He previously served as Vice President of TPG Capital, one of the world’s largest private equity funds and an investment professional with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Co. and Morgan Stanley. As a result, Mr. Stone brings a wealth of knowledge in finance, global markets and high-level investing. He has been involved in investments totaling $20 billion and approximately $2.5 billion in equity capital during his successful career.

Mr. Stone graduated cum laude from Harvard, was an Arjay Miller Scholar at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and resides in La Jolla, California.

“I am very proud to welcome Derek and Nick,” stated Mr. Michel Brûlé, Chairman of the Board of Directors of LeddarTech. “Our Board is comprised of an exceptional group of highly skilled and experienced leaders representing different industries and fields of expertise, including former senior managers and CEOs of companies such as Bosch, Texas Instruments, NXP, Tata Motors, GM, Faurecia, Geely, BMW and the Business Development Bank of Canada.” Mr. Brûlé continued: “The addition of Derek and Nick with their vast experience in technology, global markets and finance will even further enhance the Board’s expertise as well as strengthen our ability to accelerate the growth and success of LeddarTech,” concluded Mr. Brûlé.

“We are privileged to welcome Derek and Nick to our Board,” stated Mr. Charles Boulanger, CEO of LeddarTech. “There’s no doubt that our company’s leadership will be enhanced by Derek’s executive background in the technology industry, specifically in driving global strategies, expertise in international markets, artificial intelligence and wireless technology, and by Nick’s decades of experience in the financial markets where he has led key investments across numerous sectors and geographies,” added Mr. Boulanger. “Adding such exceptional, well respected individuals to our Board of Directors will undoubtedly build the momentum towards the advancement of our ambitious strategic objectives,” concluded Mr. Boulanger.

About LeddarTech

Founded in 2007, LeddarTech is a comprehensive end-to-end environmental sensing company that enables customers to solve critical sensing, fusion and perception challenges across the entire value chain. LeddarTech provides cost-effective perception solutions scalable from Level 2+ ADAS to Level 5 full autonomy with LeddarVision™, a raw-data sensor fusion and perception platform that generates a comprehensive 3D environmental model from a variety of sensor types and configurations. LeddarTech also supports LiDAR manufacturers and Tier 1-2 automotive suppliers with key technology building blocks such as LeddarSteer™ digital beam steering and the LiDAR XLRator™, a development solution for automotive-grade solid-state LiDARs based on the LeddarEngine™ and core components from global semiconductor partners. The company is responsible for several innovations in cutting-edge automotive and mobility remote-sensing applications, with over 100 patented technologies (granted or pending) enhancing ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities.

Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedInTwitterFacebook and YouTube.

Contact:
Daniel Aitken, Vice-President, Global Marketing, Communications and Investor Relations, LeddarTech Inc.
Tel.: + 1-418-653-9000 ext. 232
daniel.aitken@leddartech.com

Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarSteer, LeddarEngine, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, LeddarCore, LeddarEcho, VAYADrive, VayaVision, XLRator and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/509e1e00-3336-4581-acf4-69895b4cc0db

Huawei’s FusionPower6000 Wins Innovation Product Award at Data Centre World 2022

LONDON, March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei’s Smart Converged FusionPower6000 Solution, an industry-leading power supply and distribution system, won the DCW award in the Innovation Product of the Year category at the recently-concluded Data Centre World London 2022.

Data Centre World Awards, presented annually, are designed to recognize and reward innovations and achievements across the global data center sector. That Huawei brought home the innovation award this year shows the industry’s recognition of FusionPower6000 for its high density and efficiency, simplified delivery, and enhanced security and reliability.

With a patchwork model of the power supply system, most medium and large-sized data centers lack system optimization and full-link monitoring and management, suffering from low efficiency and high energy consumption. To address these pain points, the FusionPower6000 solution provides MW-level integrated power supply and distribution solutions for large data centers by integrating full-power links from the medium-voltage transformer to the load feeder. The award-winning solution has three main features:

  • Simple: With modular, hot-swappable components all prefabricated in the factory, Time To Market (TTM) is slashed by 75%, while maintenance is simplified.
  • Green: Featuring full-link convergence to reduce the physical footprint by more than 40%. Power link efficiency also reaches up to 97.8% in Super ECO mode, supplying power in an environmentally-friendly way.
  • Smart and Reliable: Operations and Maintenance (O&M) is made easy thanks to a visualized system, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered fault prediction and proactive maintenance, life prediction of core components, online switch settings, and sound and image recognition.

As the preferred choice for large data centers’ power supply and distribution systems, Huawei’s FusionPower6000 solution has been widely used in various industries, including energy, transportation, ICT, and COLO. Compared with traditional solutions, Huawei’s solution has helped the data center facility of the CTICC Cloud, a subsidiary of the China Transport Telecommunications & Information Centre (‘CTTIC’), save more than 40% space (about 750 square meters) in the power supply and distribution system, deploy 350 more cabinets, and save more than 16,000 meters of power cables. What’s more, the prefabricated modular data center takes only two weeks to be installed on-site. The AI technology allows for predictive maintenance, strengthening the safety and reliability of the power supply system.

Looking into the future, Huawei will continue to invest in innovation to create a more highly dense and efficient, safe, and reliable power supply system for the data center sector and drive the industry toward sustainable development.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1761647/image_5003324_11238039.jpg