Tag: South Africa

Mitel selects Zoom to jointly develop an exclusive hybrid offering with bi-directional capabilities between Zoom Workplace and Mitel communications platforms; enables Mitel customers with a path to transition to Zoom UCaaS on their terms

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) and Mitel, a global leader in business communications, announced a strategic partnership designed to empower enterprises worldwide with a unique hybrid cloud solution that combines Zoom Workplace and Zoom AI Companion with Mitel’s flagship communications platform in a modern, deeply integrated communication experience. The partnership will address growing enterprise demand for hybrid unified communications (UC) deployments with a “best-of-both-worlds” solution that delivers security and control for mission-critical communications alongside exceptional collaboration to enhance business productivity. The partnership will introduce a Zoom-first experience within Mitel’s hybrid portfolio, including access to the full Zoom Workplace platform, which works seamlessly with existing Mitel investments.

Modern work continues to evolve, with 82% of leaders planning to make their working styles more flexible in the next two years.* As these changes and the desire to improve employee productivity and customer engagement accelerate, the demand for greater flexibility and modern collaboration solutions is increasing. Enterprises need AI-first solutions that will help drive their business forward, while also maintaining a level of control, regulatory compliance, and security for their mission-critical communications. This complex balance of control and flexibility is prompting 91% of enterprises to prioritize a hybrid approach for their business communications.**

Leveraging Mitel’s Common Communication Framework, the unique Zoom-Mitel offering will deliver a fully embedded, feature-rich experience without add-ons or plug-ins, including UC and mobile app integration, hardware device-level integration, and advanced business process capabilities like bi-directional presence, call-to-video escalation, and centralized user provisioning and administration. Additionally, users will gain access to Zoom Phone with embedded support for Mitel PBX platforms, whether deployed on-premises or in the cloud. It also creates a compelling opportunity for Mitel’s more than 70 million global end-users to elevate their collaboration experience by allowing them to seamlessly access Zoom AI Companion***, Meetings, Team Chat, and more while leveraging their existing Mitel investments.

Partnership highlights:

• Establishes Zoom as Mitel’s exclusive UCaaS offering within its overall UC portfolio for customers of all sizes.
• Enables Mitel’s sales teams and over 7,000 partners globally to cross-sell the Zoom-first experience as a core part of the unique hybrid solution or to help customers migrate to Zoom if UCaaS is their preferred deployment model.
• Enables Zoom sales teams to sell Mitel’s award-winning devices for Mitel hybrid customers requiring physical endpoints.
• Supports growing customer demand for hybrid capabilities that “just work” across on-premises and private and public cloud models, offering flexibility, security, and control within the enterprise.
• Provides on-premises enterprise companies an opportunity to introduce industry-leading collaboration capabilities through a model and pace that suits their needs.

“As organizations continue to prioritize hybrid UC deployments, it is critical that users across the globe have access to AI-first, reliable, and seamless collaboration solutions. Together, Zoom and Mitel are now able to address the largest segment of today’s communications market, particularly in EMEA, strengthening growth potential and enabling more users worldwide to reimagine the ways in which they work,” said Eric S. Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom. “Like Zoom, Mitel has a customer-first approach where providing a best-in-class, collaborative working environment is of the utmost importance. I look forward to watching this partnership progress and continuing to work closely with Mitel to meet the evolving needs of our users.”

“Effective communication and collaboration are the lifeblood of modern organizations, but they become transformative when tailored to meet each customer’s unique business objectives. Flexibility and choice are at the heart of every Mitel solution and partnering with Zoom strengthens our ability to deliver on that promise for customers around the world,” said Tarun Loomba, president and CEO of Mitel. “Zoom has a deep understanding of the enterprise market and the flexibility required to support the complex, nuanced needs of today’s distributed workforce. As hybrid communications emerge as the future of business, we see this partnership as a catalyst for driving innovation and growth, together with the Zoom team.”

The joint solution will be generally available for customers in the first half of 2025. Advanced capabilities are underway as part of the multi-phase partnership plan, and continued enhancements are being planned.

“This partnership recognizes the value of hybrid communications. The reality of modern business, today, is that requirements will change and get more complex,” said Dave Michels, founder and lead analyst, TalkingPointz. “Mitel offers powerful private cloud and single-tenant voice solutions, and Zoom has excellent enterprise video and team chat. Together, they create a seamless solution without putting an integration burden on the customer. This partnership brings the best of hybrid communication to market for those looking not to sacrifice flexibility, control, and resiliency, globally.”

* According to an August 2024 global survey conducted by Zoom and Reworked INSIGHTS titled, “Navigating the Future of Work: Global Perspectives on Hybrid Models and Technology.”
** According to a June 2024 global survey of 1,954 organizations conducted by Mitel and Techaisle.
***Included at no additional cost with the paid services assigned to Zoom accounts. Zoom AI Companion may not be available for all regions and industry verticals.

About Zoom
Zoom’s mission is to provide one platform that delivers limitless human connection. Reimagine teamwork with Zoom Workplace — Zoom’s open collaboration platform with AI Companion that empowers teams to be more productive. Together with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s Business Services for sales, marketing, and customer care teams, including Zoom Contact Center, strengthen customer relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ: ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more information at zoom.com.

About Mitel
A global market leader in business communications powering more than two billion business connections, Mitel helps businesses and service providers connect, collaborate and provide innovative services to their customers. Our innovation and communications experts serve business users in more than 100 countries. For more information, go to www.mitel.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @Mitel.

Zoom Public Relations
Rachel Shatz
press@zoom.us

Mitel Public Relations
Trever Kerr, Americas
Sandrine Quinton, Europe and Asia
pr@mitel.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9232560

                                                                                In Our Hands

LONDON, Sept. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Survivors, experts and advocates from around the world are launching a global effort to tackle the shocking issue of violence against children.

They have today [17 September] released an open letter demanding urgent action from world leaders ahead of the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, taking place in Colombia this November.

Public figures including actors, creators and authors Calle & Poché, Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson, Shudu Musida and Will Poulter have added their names to the letter, which has been coordinated by Project Everyone and is backed by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.

According to World Health Organization figures, one in two of all children globally – over 1 billion – experience violence each year, from sexual abuse and gang violence to child marriage and child labour.

A number of survivors of childhood violence have joined the high-profile advocates, alongside leading experts like trauma specialist Bessel van der Kolk, child rights activists Hina Jilani and Princess Mabel van Oranje, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Denis Mukwege.

By raising awareness, the letter seeks to inspire urgent action and drive change at both local and global levels. The group is calling on world leaders to use the upcoming Ministerial Conference to focus on critical strategies and to ensure response and support services are universally accessible to every child in need.

The powerful open letter calls on world leaders to attend the Colombia conference and commit concrete, innovative pledges that match the scale and severity of the crisis.

Evidence shows that with the right approaches, violence against children can be significantly reduced. Countries implementing evidence-based strategies can see reductions by up to 50%.

Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Social Determinants of Health at the World Health Organization, said:

“Half of all children are subject to cruel acts of violence every year, yet the issue does not receive the attention, funding, or political prioritisation it deserves. Evidence Demonstrates that violence against children can be prevented. Governments worldwide must now seize this crucial opportunity to make that change a reality for the 1 billion children on this planet who experience harm every year.”

View the full letter HERE.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d27bb52e-4d96-4ac7-a7c8-47c20b28ac2c

Enquiries: Chris Bull (Goodness PR) cbull@goodnesspr.co.uk / +44 7760 273 160

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9231334

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom announced that The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®) Joint Authorization Board (JAB) authorized Zoom AI Companion as a JAB Moderate system, adding to Zoom for Government’s growing list of authorized products, solidifying the company’s commitment to the U.S. government space. Most recently, Zoom Contact Center also received FedRAMP® JAB certification as part of the Zoom for Government platform, in June of 2024.

Now, U.S. federal agencies, state and local municipalities, and approved businesses and organizations that support U.S. government missions with paid Zoom accounts will have a FedRAMP-authorized, secure AI offering available to them, all within the familiar Zoom experience. Zoom for Government was initially FedRAMP authorized in March of 2019 and received collective JAB approval in July of 2023.

Zoom AI Companion is built on a foundation of trust, security, and responsible AI, which is of the utmost importance to government agencies. AI Companion integrates into the work day seamlessly, enabling users to simplify their day by streamlining tasks through information synthesis, enhancing and optimizing capabilities, and improving team effectiveness and efficiency.

“At Zoom, we are dedicated to bringing quick availability to Zoom products to market by first and foremost understanding our customers’ needs for specific industry solutions,” said Matt Mandrgoc, head of U.S. public sector at Zoom. “We received this certification on an expeditious timeframe, which further demonstrates our continued commitment to our U.S. government customers and we look forward to continuing to add new customer-focused solutions to the Zoom for Government platform in the future.”

What is FedRAMP?
The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®) provides a standardized approach to security authorizations for Cloud Service Offerings. FedRAMP establishes a public-private partnership to promote innovation and advance more secure information technologies.

What is JAB?
JAB is composed of CIOs and Authorizing Officials from the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and General Services Administration (GSA). The JAB selects approximately 12 cloud products a year to work with for a JAB Provisional Authority to Operate (P-ATO). A JAB P-ATO represents a “high water mark” from the assessment perspective. Zoom for Government received its JAB accreditation on July 28, 2023.

Zoom for Government
The JAB P-ATO certification extends beyond Zoom AI Companion and covers the entire Zoom for Government platform, providing limitless human connection for government agencies and contractors. The secure all-in-one Zoom for Government platform helps customers save time, reduce costs, increase productivity, and make teamwork more meaningful. With solutions like Zoom Rooms, organizations can turn offices into modern, easy-to-use, and powerful collaborative workspaces. The Zoom API enables the integration of agency-specific applications with the Zoom for Government platform, supporting seamless workflows. And, with Zoom’s feature-rich cloud Zoom Phone system, agencies have the opportunity to consolidate their communications infrastructure right in the Zoom for Government platform.

Currently, FedRAMP JAB-authorized Zoom for Government products include:

• Zoom AI Companion
• Zoom Contact Center
• Zoom Meetings
• Zoom Phone
• Zoom Team Chat
• Zoom Rooms
• Zoom Room Connector
• Zoom API
• Zoom Whiteboard
• Zoom Events
• Zoom Notes
• Zoom Workspace Reservations
• Zoom Mesh
• Zoom SDKs
• Zoom App Marketplace
• Zoom Client

Coming soon to Zoom for Government:

• Zoom Node
• Zoom Clips

Simple, Scalable & Secure
Zoom for Government was designed to comply with the stringent requirements of the U.S. federal government. Zoom for Government runs on AWS GovCloud, a secure network that enables customers to deploy applications and data. It is managed by U.S. persons and leverages co-located data centers within the United States. Zoom for Government has received FedRAMP Moderate, DoD IL4, and StateRAMP authorizations, as well as HIPAA and CJIS attestations. For more information, please visit: https://www.zoom.com/en/industry/government/ or reach out to fedramp@zoom.us.

About Zoom
Zoom’s mission is to provide one platform that delivers limitless human connection. Reimagine teamwork with Zoom Workplace — Zoom’s open collaboration platform with AI Companion empowers teams to be more productive. Together with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s Business Services for sales, marketing, and customer care teams, including Zoom Contact Center, strengthen customer relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more information at zoom.com.

Contact
Zoom PR
press@zoom.us

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9231404

11x Series A Announcement – Landscape

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 11x, a pioneering AI startup transforming the modern workforce with autonomous digital workers, announced closing a $24 million Series A funding round today. The round was led by Benchmark, with participation from Quiet Capital, SV Angel, Abstract Ventures, Lux Capital, Operator Partners, Visionaries, Activant, HubSpot Ventures, Project A, 20VC, 20Growth, and 20Sales.

Founded in 2022 by CEO Hasan Sukkar, 11x simplifies Go-to-Market (GTM) operations with AI-powered digital workers, allowing teams to focus on strategic work.

“We don’t target SaaS spend; we target hiring budgets. We’re in the business of selling work,” said Guillaume Roux-Romestaing, Head of Partnerships at 11x.

Addressing the GTM Challenge

Over the past two decades, the landscape of GTM tools has become increasingly fragmented. The proliferation of specialized software—from CRMs and marketing automation platforms to sales engagement tools and data enrichment services—has burdened revenue teams.

“Since Salesforce was invented in 1999, the accumulation of specialized GTM software in teams has led to fragmented systems and bloated operational costs. Each new tool often requires its own integrations, maintenance, and training, ultimately eliminating any efficiency gains these tools were supposed to provide,” explained Keith Fearon, Head of Growth at 11x.

The 11x Solution

11x is redefining the workforce by developing AI-powered digital workers that autonomously execute workflows in revenue teams. By automating roles traditionally performed by employees, these digital workers can be “hired” to handle tasks efficiently and at scale.

“The key is to unbundle specific tasks traditionally performed by employees and to re-sell them,” noted Sarah Tavel, General Partner at Benchmark.

Investment to Accelerate the Development of AI-Powered Digital Workers and Expand Global Footprint

Earlier this year, 11x launched “Alice,” an AI-powered Sales Development Representative. Alice has gained significant traction by helping companies grow on autopilot by automating prospecting, multi-channel engagement, and personalization at scale. The recent launch of “Jordan,” an AI phone rep focused on inbound lead qualification, has already received interest from businesses aiming to streamline their “speed to lead” processes.

Investment Impact and Growth Plans

The Series A funding will accelerate 11x’s product development pipeline, expand its team, and enhance its global market presence, particularly in the US market, where the company has recently relocated its headquarters. The team continues to grow there, attracting key hires from leading tech companies such as CTO Prabhav Jain (former Head of Financial Services Engineering at Brex).

“In two years, we believe that digital workers will be a regular part of how companies around the world operate,” said Hasan Sukkar.

About 11x

11x is an AI startup founded in 2022 by Hasan Sukkar. The company specializes in developing autonomous digital workers that automate Go-to-Market (GTM) workflows, enabling organizations to increase efficiency and reduce costs. 11x focuses on automating roles in GTM teams such as Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Operations.

For more information, visit 11x.ai.

Contacts:
Keith Fearon – Head of Growth @ 11x
Email: keith@11x.ai

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/611dfd4d-804c-49a2-83fe-94fbdcdbff65

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/52cc596e-a9c8-4d71-b427-dbfa36170db5

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9231325

PARIS and LONDON and NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Akur8, the machine learning-powered insurance pricing and reserving platform, announced today that it has secured $120 million in series C funding, bringing its total raised investment to $180 million. This latest funding round was led by One Peak, a leading growth equity firm investing in software scale-ups, with participation from Partners Group, one of the largest firms in the global private markets industry acting on behalf of its clients, and historical investor Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE:GWRE). The new funding will significantly bolster Akur8’s ability to expand its product portfolio and fuel its growth in key global markets.

Akur8 secures $120 million in Series C funding

• Fuel product innovation: Akur8 will invest in R&D to enrich its insurance pricing platform with two new modules:
  (1) Optim, which enables insurers to determine the optimal insurance pricing strategy to meet their business objective, and
  (2) Deploy, Akur8’s new rating engine, enabling pricing teams to seamlessly bring their rates into production.
• Drive growth by leveraging Akur8’s recent acquisition of Arius: As Akur8 enters the insurance reserving sector, it will strategically target new market segments and bridge the gap between reserving and pricing. With its deep expertise in SaaS and AI, Akur8 will fast-track the product development of the Akur8 Reserving platform.
• Accelerate global expansion: In addition to R&D, this funding will be instrumental in driving Akur8’s strategic expansion into key growth markets, particularly in North America. By strengthening its foothold in this region, Akur8 will penetrate new customer segments and tailor its offerings to address the unique demands of these markets.

“We look forward to collaborating closely with our new investors One Peak and Partners Group, two leading investment firms that share our vision for innovation and excellence. With their support, we are committed to accelerating our product development efforts and staying ahead of industry trends to offer an unparalleled, integrated actuarial platform for insurers globally,” stated Samuel Falmagne, CEO and Co-Founder of Akur8.

Brune de Linares, Chief Client Officer and Co-Founder of Akur8, added: “This latest round of funding will empower us to better meet our customers’ evolving needs, enhance their operational efficiency, and equip them with innovative tools to thrive in an increasingly competitive insurance landscape. We are excited about the growth opportunities and advancements this investment will unlock for our continued success.”

Humbert de Liedekerke Beaufort, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of One Peak, said: “Akur8 offers a truly unique cloud-based end-to-end actuarial platform, which leverages proprietary machine learning algorithms to inject speed and accuracy to insurers’ pricing process, whilst ensuring full transparency, auditability and control over the models created. We have been particularly impressed by Akur8’s user-friendly interface, ease of deployment, and reputation among the world’s leading insurers for its outstanding customer service. We look forward to working closely with Akur8’s seasoned executive team as they chart the next chapter of the company’s global expansion, market leadership, and innovation journey.”

Pierre Curis, Private Equity Technology, Partners Group, comments: “Akur8 has developed a differentiated, next-generation pricing platform that benefits from the increasing push for sophistication among insurers and from the growing adoption of new technologies. We are excited to support an ambitious management team committed to innovation and customer satisfaction as they embark on this next exciting phase of growth.”

Walter Billet Avocats acted as legal advisor for Akur8 in this transaction and has been advising the company since its creation. Perella Weinberg Partners served as financial advisor for Akur8 in this transaction.

About Akur8
Akur8 is transforming the non-life insurance industry with its innovative suite of pricing and reserving solutions.
Our Next Gen Pricing and Reserving Platform combines cutting-edge technology with actuarial excellence to drive business value, bringing speed, performance, transparency, and reliability to insurers of all sizes.
Akur8 serves 250+ customers across 40+ countries, including AXA, Generali, Munich Re, MAPFRE, HDI, Tokio Marine, and MS&AD. Over 3000 actuaries use Akur8 daily to build their pricing models and reserving projections across all lines of business.

About One Peak
One Peak is a leading specialist growth equity firm with $2.0 billion in assets under management that invests in technology companies in the scale-up phase. One Peak provides growth capital, operating expertise, and access to its extensive network to exceptional entrepreneurs, with a view to help transform innovative and rapidly growing businesses into lasting, category-defining leaders. In addition to Akur8, One Peak’s investments include Ardoq, Coro, Cymulate, Deepki, Docplanner, Keepit, Lucca, Neo4J, Pandadoc, Spryker, and many more. To learn more, visit www.onepeak.tech.

About Partners Group
Partners Group is one of the largest firms in the global private markets industry, with around 1,800 professionals and approximately USD 150 billion in assets under management. The firm has investment programs and custom mandates spanning private equity, private credit, infrastructure, real estate, and royalties. With its heritage in Switzerland and its primary presence in the Americas in Colorado, Partners Group is built differently from the rest of the industry. The firm leverages its differentiated culture and its operationally oriented approach to identify attractive investment themes and to build businesses and assets into market leaders. For more information, please visit www.partnersgroup.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Media Contacts:
Akur8
Vera Buttinger
Marketing Director
vera.buttinger@akur8.com
+33 7 66 31 47 58

One Peak
Lauren Sharman
Head of Platform
lauren@onepeak.tech
+44 7393 569004

Partners Group
Henry Weston
Communications Manager
henry.weston@partnersgroup.com
+44 77 4876 0944

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/74999edf-41b0-4b6b-8dcf-799caaa22aac

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1938a004-3cd3-4e5e-8426-95eae0d432f4

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b992f447-2289-4df6-88f9-a21bb20e9d1e

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9230614

AI-Media and Speechmatics Partnership

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AI-Media – the global leader in audiovisual encoding technology and AI-driven transcription and translation solutions, and Speechmatics – the market leader in speech recognition technology, today announce a strategic expansion of their multi-year partnership to deliver new and better AI-driven products to market.

This partnership brings together Speechmatics’ leading speech-to-text technology and AI-Media’s unique iCap-based encoding appliances and secure network that seamlessly embeds the technology within customers’ existing workflows and automation systems.

By integrating these capabilities, AI-Media’s LEXI 3.0 has been the first AI product to overtake the quality of human-in-the-loop alternatives in the live video market – at a fraction of the cost.

Tony Abrahams, CEO of AI-Media, shared his thoughts on the partnership:

“Our data derived from the performance of LEXI 3.0 has shown Speechmatics to be one of our most trusted engines over the last two years, consistently delivering accurate results that continue to improve. This partnership brings our two companies even closer as we co-develop and ideate innovative solutions for the future of captioning and translation.

Together, we will create solutions that are accurate, reliable and adaptable to the diverse needs of our global clientele.

This collaboration deepens the partnership that has seen AI-Media’s iCap encoding ecosystem emerge as the leading choice of broadcasters and government customers around the world looking to get the best possible performance from these game changing AI technologies from Speechmatics.”

By leveraging Speechmatics’ advanced speech recognition engine and AI-Media’s cutting-edge workflow and encoding technologies, this partnership addresses the diverse and complex needs of various industries, from broadcasting to government and enterprise sectors.

The partnership broadens Speechmatics’ reach by integrating its core technology into AI-Media’s LEXI 3.0 product.

Extending the success of LEXI 3.0 into the European broadcast market is a near term objective – Speechmatics’ emerging multilingual capabilities align perfectly with AI-Media’s growth plans.

A Vision for the Future

This new partnership elevates AI-Media to become Speechmatics’ largest live captioning market partner, marking a significant milestone in their collaboration.

“Speechmatics has become the leading Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) provider within broadcast because of our high accuracy and low latency across multiple languages, both live and offline. AI-Media has successfully integrated our technology into their market leading broadcast infrastructure to achieve impressive growth in their chosen markets, and this strategic partnership brings closer collaboration to allow for more rapid innovation and agility. As a result, global broadcasters will continue to get the best captioning service on the market and our combined strength in AI driven captioning can be utilised in a broader array of verticals,” said Katy Wigdahl, CEO of Speechmatics.

Together, AI-Media and Speechmatics are committed to integrating best-in-class technologies to set new industry standards. This collaboration is not just a technical integration but a partnership of vision and innovation, aimed at continuously evolving and adapting to the dynamic demands of the global language services market.

Visit AI-Media at IBC 2024

Experience AI-Media’s latest innovations at IBC 2024 and discover why broadcasters and organisations worldwide trust AI-Media and LEXI to transform their captioning workflows. To book a 1:1 meeting click HERE. For more information, visit ai-media.tv.

About AI-Media

Founded in Australia in 2003, AI-Media is a pioneering technology company specialising in AI language and captioning workflow solutions.

As a global leader, AI-Media provides high-quality AI-powered live and recorded captioning and translation technology and solutions to a diverse range of customers and markets worldwide.

For the first time in February 2024, AI-Media unveiled groundbreaking data showcasing the superiority of its AI captioning product, LEXI, over traditional more expensive human workflows in the live video market.

With deep industry experience and sophisticated AI technology to create solutions which streamline and simplify processes, AI-Media empowers leading broadcasters, enterprises and government agencies globally to ensure seamless accessibility and inclusivity of their content.

AI-Media (ASX: AIM) commenced trading on the ASX on 15 September 2020.

Visit Speechmatics at IBC 2024

Join Speechmatics at IBC 2024 and explore the latest advancements in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology. Discover why leading broadcasters and organizations like AI Media trust Speechmatics for real-time, accurate, and scalable ASR solutions. To schedule a 1:1 meeting, click HERE. For more information, visit speechmatics.com

About Speechmatics

Speechmatics is a global leader in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology, trusted by the biggest brands in the media and broadcasting industry. Our cutting-edge ASR solutions deliver the lowest latency and highest accuracy in the market, providing broadcasters with the fastest, most reliable real-time transcription services available.

Pioneering Innovation in ASR: We continuously push the boundaries of ASR technology to ensure our customers stay ahead. Our solutions not only capture spoken words but also recognize audio events such as laughter, applause, and music, setting us apart from the competition.

We’re excited to introduce Ursa 2, our latest breakthrough mode, offering an 18% reduction in errors across 50 languages, including enhanced support for Arabic dialects, Irish, and Maltese—bringing our language coverage to all 24 official EU languages. With latency reduced to under 1 second, Ursa 2 enhances real-time transcription at lightning-fast speed without compromising accuracy.

For broadcasters and organizations aiming for precision and speed in their captioning workflows, Speechmatics is the go-to choice.

Media Contact: Fiona Habben – Fiona.habben@ai-media.tv

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5929ce95-d0a8-4632-a788-8e90065db860

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9229707

AI-Media and Speechmatics Partnership

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AI-Media – the global leader in audiovisual encoding technology and AI-driven transcription and translation solutions, and Speechmatics – the market leader in speech recognition technology, today announce a strategic expansion of their multi-year partnership to deliver new and better AI-driven products to market.

This partnership brings together Speechmatics’ leading speech-to-text technology and AI-Media’s unique iCap-based encoding appliances and secure network that seamlessly embeds the technology within customers’ existing workflows and automation systems.

By integrating these capabilities, AI-Media’s LEXI 3.0 has been the first AI product to overtake the quality of human-in-the-loop alternatives in the live video market – at a fraction of the cost.

Tony Abrahams, CEO of AI-Media, shared his thoughts on the partnership:

“Our data derived from the performance of LEXI 3.0 has shown Speechmatics to be one of our most trusted engines over the last two years, consistently delivering accurate results that continue to improve. This partnership brings our two companies even closer as we co-develop and ideate innovative solutions for the future of captioning and translation.

Together, we will create solutions that are accurate, reliable and adaptable to the diverse needs of our global clientele.

This collaboration deepens the partnership that has seen AI-Media’s iCap encoding ecosystem emerge as the leading choice of broadcasters and government customers around the world looking to get the best possible performance from these game changing AI technologies from Speechmatics.”

By leveraging Speechmatics’ advanced speech recognition engine and AI-Media’s cutting-edge workflow and encoding technologies, this partnership addresses the diverse and complex needs of various industries, from broadcasting to government and enterprise sectors.

The partnership broadens Speechmatics’ reach by integrating its core technology into AI-Media’s LEXI 3.0 product.

Extending the success of LEXI 3.0 into the European broadcast market is a near term objective – Speechmatics’ emerging multilingual capabilities align perfectly with AI-Media’s growth plans.

A Vision for the Future

This new partnership elevates AI-Media to become Speechmatics’ largest live captioning market partner, marking a significant milestone in their collaboration.

“Speechmatics has become the leading Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) provider within broadcast because of our high accuracy and low latency across multiple languages, both live and offline. AI-Media has successfully integrated our technology into their market leading broadcast infrastructure to achieve impressive growth in their chosen markets, and this strategic partnership brings closer collaboration to allow for more rapid innovation and agility. As a result, global broadcasters will continue to get the best captioning service on the market and our combined strength in AI driven captioning can be utilised in a broader array of verticals,” said Katy Wigdahl, CEO of Speechmatics.

Together, AI-Media and Speechmatics are committed to integrating best-in-class technologies to set new industry standards. This collaboration is not just a technical integration but a partnership of vision and innovation, aimed at continuously evolving and adapting to the dynamic demands of the global language services market.

Visit AI-Media at IBC 2024

Experience AI-Media’s latest innovations at IBC 2024 and discover why broadcasters and organisations worldwide trust AI-Media and LEXI to transform their captioning workflows. To book a 1:1 meeting click HERE. For more information, visit ai-media.tv.

About AI-Media

Founded in Australia in 2003, AI-Media is a pioneering technology company specialising in AI language and captioning workflow solutions.

As a global leader, AI-Media provides high-quality AI-powered live and recorded captioning and translation technology and solutions to a diverse range of customers and markets worldwide.

For the first time in February 2024, AI-Media unveiled groundbreaking data showcasing the superiority of its AI captioning product, LEXI, over traditional more expensive human workflows in the live video market.

With deep industry experience and sophisticated AI technology to create solutions which streamline and simplify processes, AI-Media empowers leading broadcasters, enterprises and government agencies globally to ensure seamless accessibility and inclusivity of their content.

AI-Media (ASX: AIM) commenced trading on the ASX on 15 September 2020.

Visit Speechmatics at IBC 2024

Join Speechmatics at IBC 2024 and explore the latest advancements in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology. Discover why leading broadcasters and organizations like AI Media trust Speechmatics for real-time, accurate, and scalable ASR solutions. To schedule a 1:1 meeting, click HERE. For more information, visit speechmatics.com

About Speechmatics

Speechmatics is a global leader in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology, trusted by the biggest brands in the media and broadcasting industry. Our cutting-edge ASR solutions deliver the lowest latency and highest accuracy in the market, providing broadcasters with the fastest, most reliable real-time transcription services available.

Pioneering Innovation in ASR: We continuously push the boundaries of ASR technology to ensure our customers stay ahead. Our solutions not only capture spoken words but also recognize audio events such as laughter, applause, and music, setting us apart from the competition.

We’re excited to introduce Ursa 2, our latest breakthrough mode, offering an 18% reduction in errors across 50 languages, including enhanced support for Arabic dialects, Irish, and Maltese—bringing our language coverage to all 24 official EU languages. With latency reduced to under 1 second, Ursa 2 enhances real-time transcription at lightning-fast speed without compromising accuracy.

For broadcasters and organizations aiming for precision and speed in their captioning workflows, Speechmatics is the go-to choice.

Media Contact: Fiona Habben – Fiona.habben@ai-media.tv

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5929ce95-d0a8-4632-a788-8e90065db860

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9229707

WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zenas BioPharma, Inc. (“Zenas”), (Nasdaq: ZBIO) a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company committed to being a leader in the development and commercialization of transformative immunology-based therapies, today announced the pricing of its upsized initial public offering of 13,235,294 shares of its common stock at an initial public offering price of $17.00 per share. All of the shares are being offered by Zenas. The gross proceeds from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $225.0 million. Zenas’ common stock is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on September 13, 2024 under the ticker symbol “ZBIO”. The offering is expected to close on September 16, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. In addition, Zenas has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,985,294 shares of common stock at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

Morgan Stanley, Jefferies, Citigroup, and Guggenheim Securities are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

Registration statements relating to the shares being sold in the offering have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and became effective on September 12, 2024. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus, when available, may be obtained from: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014, or by email at prospectus@morganstanley.com; and from Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, by telephone at (877) 821-7388, or by email at Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Zenas BioPharma, Inc.

Zenas is a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of transformative immunology-based therapies for patients in need. Our core business strategy combines our experienced leadership team with a disciplined product candidate acquisition approach to identify, acquire and develop product candidates globally that we believe can provide superior clinical benefits to patients living with autoimmune diseases. Zenas’ lead product candidate, obexelimab, is a bifunctional monoclonal antibody designed to bind both CD19 and FcγRIIb, which are broadly present across B cell lineage, to inhibit the activity of cells that are implicated in many autoimmune diseases without depleting them.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, including statements about the completion, timing and size of the initial public offering and the commencement of trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Each forward-looking statement is subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions and no assurance can be given that the initial public offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described or at all. Completion of the proposed initial public offering and the terms thereof are subject to numerous factors, many of which are beyond the control of Zenas, including, without limitation, market conditions, failure of customary closing conditions and the factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the prospectus that forms a part of the registration statement, in the form last filed with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and Zenas undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor Contact:
Matthew Osborne
Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Matt.osborne@zenasbio.com

Media Contact:
Argot Partners
Zenas@argotpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9230259