Bintai Kinden Appointed by South Korean Company to Market Piping and Fitting Products

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia, Aug 16, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering services specialist Bintai Kinden Corporation Berhad (Bursa: BINTAI, 6998) is pleased to announce that Bintai Energy Sdn Bhd has been appointed by World Standard Materials Co. Ltd. (WSM) to sell and market flanges, plates, tubes, pipe, coils and fittings for the chemical and petrochemical industries.

En. Azri Azerai, Executive Director of Bintai Kinden

Bintai Energy is 51% owned by Bintai Kinden through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Kejuruteraan Bintai Kindenko Sdn Bhd. WSM was founded in 1999 in Busan, South Korea. The company is involved in manufacturing and trading of industrial steel products. The company supplies to various industries internationally, including oil and Gas, power generation, shipbuilding, chemical and petrochemical industries.

As part of the appointment, WSM will work with Bintai Energy to seek opportunities as well as provide the necessary technical and competitive price support of the products while Bintai Energy will be responsible for the promotion of WSM's products. The collaboration is for a period of three years.

En. Azri Azerai, Executive Director of Bintai Kinden said, "The collaboration with WSM enables us to widen our product offerings to the chemical and petrochemical industries important for their role in the value-chain of other industries such as plastics and automotives as they supply the raw materials."

"We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with WSM, whose research and development efforts have been rewarded with quality flanges, pipes and fittings that are used in the chemical and petrochemical industries. We look forward to working together to grow the market for WSM's products in Malaysia."

Mr. Ahn Byung Hwan, President of WSM said, "We are looking forward to working with Bintai Energy to bring our products to the Malaysian market. We believe that together, both parties will be able to make inroads into the chemical and petrochemical industries."

Bintai Kinden Corporation Berhad: 6998 [BURSA: BKC], http://bintai.com.my/

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Amazfit Launches GTS 4 Mini in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Amazfit, a premium smart wearable hardware brand owned by Zepp Health Corporation (Zepp), launched the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini in Malaysia today with all the signature features packed into a lightweight and compact frame that challenges the limits of size.

The ultra-slim Amazfit GTS 4 Mini comes with heavyweight power in an aluminium alloy frame weighing-in at a mere 31.2 grams while the 70.2% screen-to-body ratio gives more screen. Powered by a 270-milliampere hour battery, the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini can last for 15 days from a single charge.

Other highlights of this mini smartwatch include five-satellite positioning system for outdoor activities, 5 ATM water-resistance to track water-sports and 120+ sports modes. The Amazfit GTS 4 Mini can also recognise seven sports activities and the PeakBeats Workout Status Algorithm monitors post workout recovery while wearers can assess and compare their previous running performance lap-data through the Virtual Pacer. Stress monitoring is included in the health reminders.

All this data is easily viewed through the Zepp App, which is powered by the Zepp operating system. The Amazfit GTS 4 Mini also has Alexa that can be accessed through the built-in microphone.

The Amazfit GTS 4 Mini's soft and skin-friendly silicone band comes in Mint Blue, Flamingo Pink, Midnight Black and Moonlight White. The curved bezel smartwatch allows the wearer to download dozens of watch faces, some are animated, with matching always-on display or customize with photos.

The Amazfit GTS 4 Mini comes with a one-year warranty and will retail at RM399 each.

A special Shopee launch price of RM379 is good until 22 August 2022, plus those who order will also receive a limited edition Amazfit T-shirt (while supplies last)!

Find out more about the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini smartwatch at https://www.amazfit.com/my or Amazfit's e-commerce partner platform https://bit.ly/MYAmazfit-SHOPEE.

Amazfit: www.amazfit.com/en

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Society Pass (Nasdaq: SoPa) Marks First Foray into Indonesia by Acquiring Jakarta-based NusaTrip, Indonesia’s First International Air Transport Association-Accredited Online Travel Agency

JAKARTA, Aug 15, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Society Pass Inc (Nasdaq: SOPA), Southeast Asia's ("SEA") next generation digital ecosystem, announces the acquisition of NusaTrip ("NusaTrip"), a leading Jakarta-based Online Travel Agency ("OTA") in Indonesia and across SEA. The NusaTrip acquisition extends SoPa's business reach into the booming SEA regional travel industry and marks SoPa's first foray into Indonesia as well as adds to SoPa's growing ecosystem of technology-enabled companies located in Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Established in 2013 as the first Indonesian OTA accredited by the International Air Transport Association, NusaTrip pioneered offering a comprehensive range of airlines and hotels to Indonesian corporate and retail customers. With its first mover advantage, NusaTrip has onboarded +1.2 million registered users, +500 airlines and +200,000 hotels around the world as well as connected with over 80 million unique visitors.

Dennis Nguyen, Society Pass Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, explains, "We happily welcome NusaTrip into our ever-expanding SoPa ecosystem. NusaTrip seamlessly blends into our user and merchant growth strategy as we enter yet another leading SEA market. We combine the robust technology and operational breadth of NusaTrip's e-commerce travel platform with our extensive brand building experience in SEA. With this acquisition, SoPa now cross-pollinates and integrates our six verticals (loyalty, lifestyle, food & beverage, telecoms, digital media and travel) into one cohesive loyalty and e-commerce platform to provide enhanced products and services for our consumers and merchants throughout the largest countries of SEA. SoPa has grown from strength to strength in 2022 as we opportunistically acquire market leading companies and partner with visionary entrepreneurs, underlining our unique aggregator approach that reflects immediate returns in terms of increased revenue generation and cost optimisation."

Patrick Soetanto, Society Pass Indonesia Country Manager, adds, "We will expand NusaTrip's services to support future growth pathways in more SEA countries in the very near future by integrating more travel product lines in its mix and developing more competitive products for a much larger international and regional audience."

Well-positioned to benefit from a high-growth travel industry, Indonesia's and SEA's inbound and outbound travel revenues are expected to continue soaring as increasingly more consumers engage in post-pandemic travel. This marked increase in demand is driven by strong government initiatives to boost tourism, the rise of Indonesia's burgeoning middle class and strong internet penetration, which enables more Indonesians to easily book flights and hotels through OTAs.

"NusaTrip is proud to officially partner with SoPa. By joining forces with SoPa's extensive ecosystem and large user and merchant bases in SEA, we are thrilled about the combined marketing capabilities. With the revival of the travel market throughout SEA in 2Q/3Q 2022, NusaTrip aims to dramatically increase its customer base by offering the region's business and leisure travellers more competitive, no-surcharge hotel and flight fares, convenient payment methods, and speedy itinerary bookings with our user-friendly platform," comments Menak Galumbang, Co Founder, Nusatrip.

About Society Pass

As a digitally-focused loyalty and data marketing ecosystem in Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand and with offices located in Angeles, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila, and Singapore, SoPa is an acquisition-focused e-commerce holding company operating 6 interconnected verticals (loyalty, lifestyle, F&B, telecoms, digital media, and travel), which seamlessly connects millions of registered consumers and hundreds of thousands of registered merchants/brands across multiple product and service categories throughout SEA.

SoPa's business model focuses on analysing user data through its Society Pass loyalty platform and circulation of its universal loyalty points or Society Points. The Society Pass loyalty platform drives customer acquisition and increases customer retention for merchants. Since its inception, SoPa has amassed over 3.3 million registered consumers and over 205,000 registered merchants/brands onto its platform. It has invested 2+ years building proprietary IT architecture with cutting-edge components to effectively scale and support its consumers, merchants, and acquisitions.

Society Pass leverages technology to tailor a more personalised experience for customers in the purchase journey and to transform the entire retail value chain in SEA. SoPa operates Leflair.com, Vietnam's leading lifestyle e-commerce platform, Pushkart.ph, a popular grocery delivery company in Philippines, Handycart.vn, a leading online restaurant delivery service based in Vietnam, Gorilla Networks, a Singapore-based, web3-enabled mobile blockchain network operator, Thoughtful Media Group, a Bangkok-based, a social commerce-focused, premium digital video multi-platform network, and Mangan, the leading local restaurant delivery service in Philippines. For more information, please check out: http://thesocietypass.com/.

Media Contacts:
PRecious Communications
sopa@preciouscomms.com

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Four HKTDC August fairs and ICMCM close on a High Note

HONG KONG, Aug 15, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – The HKTDC Food Expo, HKTDC Home Delights Expo, HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo and HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), have all drawn to a successful close, along with the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM), organised by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA), together with the HKTDC and eight scientific research institutions. The four public fairs saw participation from more than 1,000 exhibitors and attracted over 430,000 visitors.

The Food Expo, Home Delights Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo and Hong Kong International Tea Fair drew to a close today, attracting more than 430,000 visitors.

The Gourmet Zone at the Food Expo showcased the finest international cuisines. Star chefs were invited to perform cooking demonstrations to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

In addition to inviting and organising local buyers pavilions to visit Food Expo Trade Zone and Hong Kong International Tea Fair for businesses, the HKTDC also arranged more than 700 virtual business matching meetings for buyers.

Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: "The bustling fairground, despite restrictions such as no sampling for food and drinks, show that people have a strong appetite for shopping. The timing of the second phase of the Consumption Voucher Scheme certainly boosted spending. Meanwhile, our first-ever KOL livestreaming sessions at the fairground further stimulated visitors' enthusiasm, allowing exhibitors to drive their promotions to a wider audience and expand their customer base. We were equally encouraged to see several group pavilions and exhibitors participating in the Trade Zone of the Food Expo and the International Tea Fair through their local representatives to explore business opportunities."

90% of exhibitors support consumption voucher payment to encourage spending

The second phase of the Consumption Voucher Scheme was disbursed just days before the fairs. According to a survey, at the fairs, 90% of interviewed exhibitors accepted at least one form of consumption voucher payment, the convenience of which motivated spending. The HKTDC also interviewed around 980 visitors during the fairs through random sampling. 48% of respondents spent HK$1,000 or more at the fairs, with the average per capita spending reaching HK$1,400. The survey also showed that nearly 75% of visitors made purchases at the fairs using electronic payment methods, while more than 78% of them used consumption vouchers. The strong results demonstrated how the added convenience of e-payment can drive consumption at fairs.

Exhibitors' strategic promotions lead to improved sales performance

Oriental Products Supplies Ltd has been supporting the Food Expo since the company's founding in 1998. "The Food Expo has always been the perfect place to reach more customers and we have strengthened our brand through the exhibition over the years," said Mok Wa-yan, Director of the company. "This year, we are showing a diversity of food items including fresh jellyfish and partridge. The response has been very strong and we have had to replenish stocks again and again to meet demand. The latest batch of consumption vouchers that were distributed just before the expo also fuelled the public's buying sentiment. Our total sales will exceed HK$1 million this year – a very encouraging result."

Another exhibitor, Star Chefs Creation Limited, saw robust sales boosted by KOL livestreaming sessions during the Food Expo, with more than 200 products of spicy duck blood, butterfly crisp, abalone noodles and creamy custard mooncakes sold via the livestreaming platform LOOPLIVE. Betty Chan, General Sales Manager of the company, said the KOL-led livestreaming sessions opened a new promotional channel for the company's products.

The concurrent Beauty & Wellness Expo showcased a wide range of beauty and fitness products. Exhibitor Sandi Poon, Business Development Director at Phoelia (Far East) Company Limited, Hong Kong, featured her company's French facial and wellness equipment during the fair and was impressed with the interest shown by visitors. "The expo gave visitors a chance to try our products and see the benefits. Each set of equipment sells for nearly HK$1 million and we had already sold seven sets to two beauty salons and one rehabilitation centre on the first two days of the expo."

Local homeware product Sam!ly Group Company Ltd has participated in the Home Delights Expo for many years. With more visitors coming to the event this year, Sales and Marketing Director Lydia Lai said the company expected to see sales revenue exceeding HK$200,000 during the fair.

Success of fairs highlights Hong Kong's importance in global trade

Numerous group pavilions participated at this year's Food Expo through local representatives. From Mainland China, the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chongqing Municipality presented local specialities and shared their unique culinary cultures, along with the Aomori Prefecture of Japan, the Japan External Trade Organization and Indonesia. The HKTDC and the Aomori Prefectural Government of Japan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to carry out economic exchange programmes in the future. Besides expanding bilateral trade and investment, the MoU will also strengthen the economic partnership between the two places to create new business opportunities.

Largely targeting industry and trade buyers, the Trade Zone of the Food Expo and the Hong Kong International Tea Fair were also open to public ticketholders this year. In addition to inviting and organising local buying missions, the HKTDC also arranged more than 700 virtual business matching meetings. Exhibitors and buyers can continue to schedule and conduct more online meetings through Click2Match within seven days after the physical exhibitions. The brand-new exhibition model EXHIBITION+ enables global food buyers to conduct business through the physical exhibitions and an online platform at the same time. Traders were able to stay connected more easily, helping them to forge new deals.

Frozen seafood supplier Garmine Marine Products regularly joins the Food Expo to seek out new suppliers. General Manager Cameron KH Choy said: "Through the Click2Match platform, I've established contact with three mainland companies from Zhoushan City in Zhejiang Province for the supply of frozen seafood. Click2Match is very user-friendly, enabling smooth and effective exchanges with overseas suppliers. At the fairground, I found two other seafood suppliers from Zhoushan City at the Zhejiang Province pavilion. The hybrid EXHIBITION+ model is very useful in connecting suppliers online and offline for business expansion."

The HKTDC arranged a series of exciting activities for visitors during the four fairs, including the Star Chef Session, Road to Brewers Cup and Sharing, and numerous talks with different topics, including "Health Supplements Essential for COVID Period", "Innovative Hard Coating for Food Appliances", "Probiotics" and "The New Normal for Skin Care". The Buy-more-get-more Lucky Draw and Smart Bidding sessions were also held and met with great reception from visitors.

For more comments from exhibitors and buyers, please visit:
– HKTDC Food Expo: https://bit.ly/3w4deSn
– HKTDC Home Delights Expo: https://bit.ly/3C3720E
– HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo: https://bit.ly/3dvJXJP
– HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair: https://bit.ly/3AouJPU
– Photo download: https://bit.ly/3PqBXXA

Websites:
– HKTDC Food Expo: https://www.hktdc.com/event/hkfoodexpo/en
– HKTDC Home Delights Expo: https://homedelights.hktdc.com/en
– HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo: https://hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.com/en
– HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair: https://hkteafair.hktdc.com/en
– The International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM): https://icmcm.hktdc.com/en
– August Happy Buy website: https://ecoupon.hktdc.com/food/
– Hygiene measures and health tips: https://bit.ly/3S2wokS

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Media enquiries
Ogilvy Public Relations:
Serena Chow, +852 9709 1318, serena.chow@ogilvy.com
Christy Lee, +852 9090 1314, christy.lee@ogilvy.com

HKTDC's Communications and Public Affairs Department:
Frankie Leung, +852 2584 4298, frankie.cy.leung@hktdc.org
Agnes Wat, +852 2584 4554, agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.org

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Alaska Mining Sells 51% Interest to Australian Nanotechnology Specialist

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Alaska Mining Sdn Bhd is pleased to announce that its sole shareholder, Lee Hon Kit, is selling a 51% interest in the Company amounting to A$5.0 million (RM15.2 million) under a share sale agreement to Nanopac Alaska Sdn Bhd (NASB).

Director of Nanopac Alaska Sdn Bhd Henry Cheang; Managing Director of Alaska Mining Sdn Bhd Lee Hon Kit; Acting CEO of Nanopac Alaska Sdn Bhd Tobby Tan, and Chairman of Nanopac Innovation Limited, Dato' Dr Cheng Kok Leong[L-R]

NASB is a unit of Nanopac Innovation Limited, which is listed on the Sydney-based National Stock Exchange of Australia. Nanopac principally engages in the research and development, manufacturing, distribution and servicing of nanotechnology materials and products. Nanopac's other businesses include Nano-Solar panels and raw materials for paint industry. Mr. Lee is the sole shareholder of Alaska Mining, which is an earthworks and mining specialist as well as a trader of a variety of goods and logistics services provider.

Under the agreement, the sale of the 51% interest in Alaska Mining by Mr. Lee to NASB will be satisfied through the issuance of new shares in Nanopac to be paid in two tranches. The first tranche of new shares amounting to A$2.5 million (RM7.77 million) will be paid up front following the share sale agreement while the second tranche of new shares amounting to A$2.5 million (RM7.77 million) will be paid out after the Company has achieved A$5.0 million (RM15.2 million) in net profit. As part of the share sale agreement, Mr. Lee will be appointed the managing director of Alaska Mining.

Alaska Mining has been granted rights to mine sands to be processed into silica and ilmenite, from which a Chinese business group has agreed to an offtake agreement in relation to part of the ilmenite produced.

Mr. Lee expressed that he is looking forward to working with NASB and Nanopac to grow the mining business and at the same time ensure there is a steady flow of silica for Nano-Solar panel production and ilmenite for its paint products.

"This acquisition is advantageous to Nanopac as this secures a steady flow of raw materials for Nano-Solar and existing line of products, which it would otherwise have to source through third parties."

"The mining operations will also give Nanopac a source of recurring income as the silica and ilmenite that it does not require will be sold to others while ensuring that the mining operations remain commercially sustainable, as the offtake agreement with the Chinese business group shows."

Mr. Tobby Tan, Acting Chief Executive Officer of NASB said, "We welcome Mr. Lee to the Nanopac family and we have no doubt that with his knowledge and experience, we will be able to grow the mining business to greater heights. We also believe that the acquisition of the stake will add to our production capabilities and is positive for the growth of Nanopac's solar panels and paints businesses."

Nanopac Alaska Sdn Bhd https://www.nanopac.com.my/

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Hong Kong strengthens trade relations with Japan through MoU with Aomori Prefectural Government

HONG KONG, Aug 12, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – As the effects of the pandemic continue to be felt by economies across the globe, Hong Kong looks to strengthen economic relations with its key trade partners. Today, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Aomori Prefectural Government of Japan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mutual cooperation in promoting economic exchange. The signing occurred during the Food Expo 2022, a flagship event organised by the HKTDC.

HKTDC, represented by Executive Director Margaret Fong (L), and Aomori Prefecture, Japan, represented by Governor Shingo Mimura (R), signed a MoU at the HKTDC Food Expo, Hong Kong’s flagship event organised by the HKTDC.

Japan was Hong Kong's 6th largest trading partner in 2021, with total merchandise trade amounting to about HK$390 billion. In 2021, Hong Kong's domestic export of goods to Japan totalled HK$666 million, while Hong Kong imported about HK$271 billion worth of goods from Japan. Commanding a vast coastline with an abundance of marine life, Aomori Prefecture in Japan's Tohoku region boasts a flourishing aquaculture industry. It is also known for its well-developed forestry and agricultural industries thanks to its rich natural environment.

The HKTDC and Aomori Prefectural Government will engage in a variety of exchange programs, including business meetings, seminars and trade fairs, to extend economic cooperation. The MoU will not only facilitate economic exchange, but also create opportunities for businesses in Hong Kong and Aomori Prefecture. With businesses looking to recover from the pandemic, the MoU enables them to capture these opportunities, tap into new markets and expand operations.

HKTDC Executive Director Margaret Fong said, "The HKTDC today signs into effect a Memorandum of Understanding on economic collaboration with the Aomori Prefectural Government of Japan. I hope that through carrying out economic exchange programs, including business missions, seminars and trade fairs, we can expand trade and investment, cement our business ties and drive economic growth in Hong Kong and Aomori Prefecture. Strong bilateral economic relationships are critical to the stability of today's global economy, and the HKTDC is pleased to engage with the Aomori Prefecture Government to further economic exchange."

Shingo Mimura, Governor of the Aomori Prefectural Government, added, "While Hong Kong is the main export destination for the world-renowned Aomori apple, its people also enjoy our beautiful landscapes created by the four seasons, our festivals, fresh food and hot springs. Over the years, they have built a close relationship with Aomori. The Aomori Prefecture Government is committed to promoting agriculture, forestry, and aquatic products for export and attracting tourists. We will continue to devote our efforts to strengthening the trade relations between the two places. With HKTDC's platform, we hope to promote our hidden gems and gourmet cuisine to those in Hong Kong who love Japanese food and culture."

The HKTDC Food Expo (11-15 August) is being held concurrently with the HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair, HKTDC Home Delights Expo and HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), featuring more than 1,000 exhibitors. A regional pavilion for the Aomori Prefecture showcases its local specialities.

Photo download: https://bit.ly/3Qj2h7t

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Media enquiries
Ogilvy Public Relations:
Serena Chow, +852 9709 1318, serena.chow@ogilvy.com
Christy Lee, +852 9090 1314, christy.lee@ogilvy.com

HKTDC's Communications and Public Affairs Department:
Frankie Leung, +852 2584 4298, frankie.cy.leung@hktdc.org
Agnes Wat, +852 2584 4554, agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.org

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Society Pass backed Thoughtful Media Group Announces New CEO and Vision to be the Leader in Digital and Social Commerce in SEA

BANGKOK, Aug 10, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Society Pass Inc (Nasdaq: SOPA) recently announced the acquisition of Thoughtful Media Group ("Thoughtful Media" or "TMG"), a social commerce-focused, premium digital video MPN headquartered in Thailand with an operating presence in the US, Vietnam, and Philippines. The acquisition of Thoughtful Media marks SoPa's first foray into Thailand and adds to SoPa's growing ecosystem of technology-enabled companies located in the SEA countries of Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Along with this latest acquisition, Bien Kiat Tan has been appointed as the CEO of TMG, along with Jittra Cheng as TMG Thailand Country Director and Quynh Vo as TMG Vietnam General Manager. The three executives will drive Thoughtful Media forward in its next stage of growth.

TMG is a leader in digital and social commerce across Southeast Asia region. Thoughtful Media recorded revenues of US$5.8 million in 2021. Since its founding, Thoughtful Media's data-rich MPN has uploaded over 675,000 videos with over 80 billion video views. The current network of 263 YouTube channels has onboarded over 85 million subscribers with an average monthly viewership of over 600 million views.

Dennis Nguyen, Society Pass Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Thoughtful Media's social commerce-focused business model perfectly complements our future growth strategy for Society Pass as we drive consumer eyeballs and generate revenues for riveting consumer brands throughout SEA. I am proud to appoint Bien Kiat Tan as the CEO of TMG, along with Jittra Cheng as TMG Thailand Country Director and Quynh Vo as TMG Vietnam General Manager, and look forward to their expert leadership in steering our operations to greater heights. As we grow our presence across SEA, we are confident that the SoPa ecosystem will nurture and accelerate the growing portfolio of brands."

Originally founded in 2010, Thoughtful Media today creates and distributes digital advertising campaigns across its MPN in both SEA and the US. With its intimate knowledge of local markets, digital marketing technology tools and social commerce business focus, advertisers leverage Thoughtful Media's wide influencer network throughout SEA to market and sell advertising inventory exclusively with specific placement and effect. As a result, Thoughtful Media's content creator partners earn a larger share of advertising revenues from international consumer brands. And according to Accenture, the social commerce market is poised to grow to US$1.2 trillion by 2025 at a CAGR of 26%.

Bien Kiat Tan, CEO of TMG, shares his enthusiasm saying, "Partnering with Society Pass allows Thoughtful Media to unlock strategic opportunities with influencers and advertisers as well as design cross-marketing synergies for companies in the SoPa ecosystem. Powered by these synergies, we are confident in driving tremendous revenue growth in 2022 and beyond. Focusing on the new influencer market trends, TMG is nurturing its content creators to develop Short Videos and build presence in the Social Commerce space, which is booming in Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia. TMG is creating synergies by leveraging its creators and creative talent to serve the sister platforms in the SOPA ecosystem as well as its Brands and millions of consumer base."

Welcoming the renewed foray, TMG Thailand Country Director, Jittra Cheng said, "Given the immense potential of the Thai market, I look forward to lead TMG to be the leader in digital and social commerce across SEA, backed by SoPa's unique modus operandi, and take my team along in this successful journey. With an amplified focus on content creators, TMG is building additional support including infrastructure like new studios for its influencers and creators to host live streaming, and educating creators on content across multiple platforms. TMG assists its creators in effective monetisation through social commerce and earning commissions while working with brands."

TMG looks at doubling its current team size of 17 to over 30 people in the next couple of years, powered by the growing ubiquity of social media influencers on shaping purchase decisions and driving increasingly greater numbers of brands to shift advertising budgets to this dynamic outlet. Thoughtful Media's digital advertising tools and expertise bolsters Society Points, SoPa's paradigm shifting loyalty platform. SoPa's product offering uniquely positions Thoughtful Media as a leading SEA retail marketing and advertising hub for international and regional consumer brands.

About Society Pass

As a loyalty and data marketing ecosystem in Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, and Thailand and with offices located in Singapore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Angeles and Bangkok, SoPa is an acquisition-focused e-commerce holding company operating 7 interconnected verticals (loyalty, merchant software, lifestyle, F&B, telecoms, digital media, and travel), which seamlessly connects millions of consumers and thousands of merchants across multiple product and service categories throughout SEA.

SoPa's business model focuses on analysing user data through its Society Pass loyalty platform and circulation of its universal loyalty points or Society Points. The Society Pass loyalty platform drives customer acquisition and retention for merchants. Since its inception, SoPa has amassed over 2.1 million registered consumers and over 6,700 registered merchants/brands onto its platform. It has invested 2+ years building proprietary IT architecture with cutting edge components to effectively scale and support its consumers, merchants, and acquisitions.

Society Pass leverages technology to tailor a more personalised experience for customers in the purchase journey and to transform the entire retail value chain in Southeast Asia. SoPa operates #HOTTAB Biz and #HOTTAB POS – a Vietnam-based POS, CRM and analytics technology solutions provider for small and medium-sized enterprises, Leflair.com, Vietnam's leading lifestyle e-commerce platform, Pushkart.ph, a popular grocery delivery company in Philippines, Handycart.vn, a leading online restaurant delivery service based in Vietnam, Gorilla Networks, a Singapore-based, web3-enabled mobile blockchain network operator, Thoughtful Media Group, a Bangkok-based, a social commerce-focused, premium digital video multi-platform network, and Mangan, the leading local restaurant delivery service in Philippines. For more information, please check out: http://thesocietypass.com/.

Media Contacts:
PRecious Communications
sopa@preciouscomms.com

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

CleverTap Raises US$105M in Series D Funding Round Led by CDPQ

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California & MUMBAI, India & MONTREAL, Canada, Aug 10, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – CleverTap, a leading global B2B SaaS platform for customer engagement and retention today announced it has signed definitive agreements to raise US$105M in a Series D funding round led by CDPQ, a global investment group who committed US$75M, with participation from IIFL AMC's Tech Fund, along with existing investors Tiger Global and Sequoia India. The funds will be used to support CleverTap's global expansion and enhance the development of its world-class solutions and technology.

Founded in Mumbai in 2013 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, CleverTap's customer engagement and retention SaaS platform leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to offer a comprehensive user engagement suite that enables brands to build valuable, long-term relationships with their customers. CleverTap's subscription-based solution has been adopted by a loyal customer base of 1,200 brands in 100 countries representing 10,000 apps across industries including Fintech, eCommerce, Subscription, On Demand, and Streaming media.

In June 2022, CleverTap completed the acquisition of San Francisco-based Leanplum, a leading multi-channel customer engagement platform, further strengthening its footprint in North America and Europe. In the same month, it also unveiled TesseractDB(TM), the world's first purpose-built database designed to dramatically improve user engagement and retention for digital consumer brands.

"Our vision has been to reshape the way businesses engage with their consumers and bring the tech to MarTech. The addition of long-term investors CDPQ and IIFL AMC Tech fund to CleverTap's existing backers, Sequoia India, Accel, Tiger Global, and Recruit Holdings is a great endorsement of the successful business we have built, the innovation we bring to the market and the growth potential CleverTap holds," said Sunil Thomas, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, CleverTap. "The fresh funds will help fuel our plans to further strengthen our presence in key geographies and expand our teams. The last few months have been quite exciting for us with the Leanplum acquisition and unveiling of TesseractDB(TM). And now with the new institutional investors coming on board we have all that we need to grow at a faster rate while consolidating our position as the global leader in the retention space."

"CleverTap has established itself as a partner of choice for its clients by helping them generate significant incremental revenue. Its subscription-based platform offers a single and reliable source of information that allows brands to maximize the lifetime value of their existing customers by engaging them in a highly personalized way" said Martin Laguerre, Executive Vice-President and Head of Private Equity, CDPQ. "As consumer brands are increasingly focused on customer retention and prioritize tools offering tangible return on investment, we believe CleverTap is well positioned to maintain its global growth trajectory and help more businesses enhance their customer experience."

"CleverTap is a fast-growing SaaS company that not only has recurring revenue streams and top tier financial metrics, but also a scalable business model with large addressable markets" added Meng Ann Lim, Managing Director, Direct Private Equity for Asia Pacific, CDPQ. "This investment is in line with our strategy to work with innovative companies that enable rapid digital transformation, especially in the Asia-Pacific region where high smartphone penetration is facilitating the digitalization of the economy at a rapid pace."

"Enterprises are increasingly looking to engage with customers in a real time and in a personalized manner across digital channels. CleverTap's full stack approach to customer engagement allows them to perform user analytics and run personalized customer campaigns on a real-time basis which enables companies to improve user retention and understand user journeys across channels" said Chetan Naik, Fund Manager and Senior Executive Vice-President, Private Equity at IIFL AMC. "CleverTap has built a unique product suite and analytics capabilities that runs over a proprietary database. CleverTap is one of the fastest growing SaaS companies with best-in-class revenue retention rates. We are excited to partner with them in their journey of creating a leading global customer retention platform out of India."

"The latest fundraise reaffirms customer and market belief in CleverTap and our growth potential. This fundraise will help us elevate our growth trajectory and further enable us to innovate better and faster while staying ahead of the curve," said Sidharth Malik, Chief Executive Officer, CleverTap. "The paradigms of user engagement are changing, and as industry leaders we are best positioned to help businesses adapt to this ever-evolving consumer landscape. Our recent acquisitions helped us expand our foothold in North America and Europe, and enhance our leadership in verticals such as on-demand and subscription."

As part of the transaction, CDPQ will join CleverTap's Board of Directors upon closure of this funding round. IIFL AMC's investment is subject to approval from Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

About CleverTap

CleverTap is the World's No.1 retention cloud that empowers digital consumer brands to increase customer retention and lifetime value. CleverTap drives contextual individualization with the help of a unified and deep data layer, AI/ML-powered insights, and automation enabling brands to offer hyper-personalized and delightful experiences to their customers. 1,200 customers in 100 countries and 10,000 apps, including Gojek, ShopX, Canon, Electronic Arts, TED, English Premier League, TD Bank, Carousell, AirAsia, Papa John's, and Tesco, trust CleverTap to achieve their retention and engagement goals, growing their long- term revenue. Backed by leading investors such as Sequoia India, Tiger Global, Accel, CDPQ, IIFL and Recruit Holdings, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in Mumbai, Singapore, Sofia, Sao Paulo, Bogota, Amsterdam, Jakarta, and Dubai. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About CDPQ

At CDPQ, we invest constructively to generate sustainable returns over the long term. As a global investment group managing funds for public pension and insurance plans, we work alongside our partners to build enterprises that drive performance and progress. We are active in the major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. As at December 31, 2021, CDPQ's net assets totalled CAD 419.8 billion. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

CDPQ is a registered trademark owned by Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and licensed for use by its subsidiaries.

About IIFL AMC

IIFL Asset Management (IIFL AMC) is a part of IIFL Wealth and Asset Management. IIFL AMC is an alternates-focused asset management and has been playing a pivotal role in the growth of the AIF industry in India. A disciplined and active management approach combined with research-led strategies allows IIFL AMC to tap into India's potential for delivering on its commitments and long-term growth. The AMC's diversified suite of mutual funds, PMS, alternative investment funds, credit funds and venture capital funds span public and private equities as well as fixed income securities and real estate. IIFL AMC's distinctive products bring out the entrepreneurial edge, agility and speed of execution of a boutique asset management business, while providing gold standards of corporate governance of a large corporation with a long-term focus.

For more information
SONY SHETTY
Director, Public Relations, CleverTap
+91 9820900036
sony@clevertap.com

MEDIA RELATIONS TEAM, CDPQ
+1 514 847-5493
medias@cdpq.com

IPSHITA BALU
+91 95901 11798
Ipshita.balu@archetype.co

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release may represent CleverTap's belief in connection with future events and may be forward-looking statements, or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. CleverTap cautions that such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties that could result in the actual outcome being absolutely different from the results anticipated by the statements mentioned in the press release. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions affecting our business, future market conditions, our ability to maintain cost advantages, uncertainty with respect to earnings, corporate actions, client concentration, reduced demand, liability or damages in our service contracts, unusual catastrophic loss events, war, political instability, changes in government policies or laws, legal restrictions impacting our business, impact of pandemic, epidemic, any natural calamity and other factors that are naturally beyond our control, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different, from those anticipated by such statements. CleverTap does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated or revised status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will CleverTap and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or any related damages.

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Bintai Kinden to Market O&G Equipment in Indonesia

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia, Aug 10, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering services specialist Bintai Kinden Corporation Berhad's (Bursa: BINTAI, 6998) sub-subsidiary, Bintai Energy Sdn. Bhd., has entered into a business collaboration agreement with PT Raintech Indo Energi (PTRIE) in which PTRIE has been appointed to market and promote flanges, fittings, pipes and other oil and gas (O&G) equipment on behalf of Bintai Energy in Indonesia.

Azri Azerai, Executive Director of Bintai Kinden

Bintai Kinden owns a 51% stake in Bintai Energy through Kejuruteraan Bintai Kindenko Sdn Bhd, an M&E engineering services specialist. PTRIE provides integrated solutions with a focus on the upstream, midstream and downstream O&G industry as well as the marine, industrial, aviation, water and waste water, food and beverage and, healthcare industries.

Under the agreement, which is valid for three years, Bintai Energy will collaborate and work together with PTRIE to promote business opportunities and provide the necessary technical and competitive price support on the products to be represented by PTRIE, which will be responsible for the promotion of the products in Indonesia and advise Bintai Energy on market-related information on these products.

En. Azri Azerai, Executive Director of Bintai Kinden said, "The collaboration with PTRIE opens up vast opportunities for us as Indonesia is Southeast Asia's largest economy with a GDP of US$1.19 trillion as of 2021 and a population of 270 million. Its O&G industry is an important contributor to the economy and a key growth driver."

"We look forward to working together with PTRIE, whose founders are renowned experts in Indonesia's O&G industry, to seek opportunities that are beneficial to us both as Indonesia has set a target to ramp up crude oil and condensates production to 705,000 barrels a day."

Ms. Verra Christianty, Director of PTRIE said, "We are happy to collaborate with Bintai Energy to introduce these products to Indonesia. We are sure that, with their technical and pricing knowledge, both parties will be able to penetrate a vast market."

Bintai Energy was recently awarded additional sub-contracts to supply high-grade carbon steel/stainless steel piping, valves and piping accessories with a value of approximately RM4.43 million and has to-date clinched approximately RM9.0 million in sub-contracts.

Bintai Kinden Corporation Berhad: 6998 [BURSA: BKC], http://bintai.com.my/

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Enhancing data governance through the 3rd DEWG meeting

JAKARTA, Aug 9, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – The implementation of equitable and inclusive Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and Cross-Border Data Flow (CBDF) had become crucial issues nowadays as data traffic between countries kept increasing.

Hence, as chairman of the 2022 G20 presidency, Indonesia proposed four principles of fairness, lawfulness, transparency, and reciprocity for the implementation of cross-border data governance.

Through the 3rd Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) Meeting, held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, on July 20-22, 2022, Indonesia highlighted digital skills and literacy as the second priority issues of the DEWG, as well as the DFFT and CBDF as its third priority issue that will enhance the Bali Package document.

The Ministry of Communication and Informatics has consulted with G20 members and partners to follow up on the results of previous meetings to be accommodated into a declaration draft, known as the Bali Package.

The Bali Package will reflect the commitment of G20 members to achieve recovery through inclusive, empowering, and sustainable cooperation.

Additionally, Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate expected that the 3rd DEWG meeting could establish three deliverables.

The deliverables include the recommendations and policies to increase the vulnerable groups' involvement in the digital economy sector; a G20 Toolkit on digital skills, literacy, and workshop; as well as a summary of practices and policies to develop advanced digital skills and literacy.

The G20 members also sought a common understanding on a clear definition of trust and general principles in implementing the cross-border data flow.

Spokesperson for the Communication and Informatics Ministry Dedy Permadi said all parties involved in the 3rd DEWG Meeting agreed to strengthen the cross-border data governance.

"The Digital Economy Working Group or DEWG had completed discussions regarding the CBDF," he stated.

The results of the working group's discussions will be presented at the G20 Digital Economy Ministers' Meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Bali, in early September 2022.

A workshop had been implemented on the last day of the 3rd DEWG Meeting to enhance the discussion on the CBDF and establish a common agreement on the agenda.

In addition to the G20 members, a number of private actors, international organizations, academics, and non-governmental organizations were also invited, since the workshop served as a multi-stakeholder dialogue forum.

"Thus, the agenda does not only contain the government's interest, hence, the cross-border data flow agenda will be able to provide comprehensive recommendations," Permadi, who was also the Alternate Chair of 2022 G20 DEWG, remarked.

The effort showed Indonesia's commitment in pursuing concrete deliverables to realize beneficial data utilization for all to encourage the recovery of the global digital economy.

Additionally, the Director General of Informatics Application at the ministry, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, stated the value of Indonesia's digital economy was projected to reach US$124 billion (Rp1,855 trillion) in 2025.

To optimize the potentials, Indonesia will hold a 2022 G20 DEWG side event entitled G20 Digital Innovative Network, themed 'The Rise of Digital Economy: Post-pandemic Recovery and Beyond'.

The forum aims to facilitate knowledge-sharing as well as international partnerships among start-ups, venture capitalists, policy makers, and corporations to solve various global challenges.

It was initiated by Italy's 2021 G20 Presidency under the name of G20 Digital Innovation League.

The G20 Digital Innovative Network aims to find the 100 most promising start-ups in five priority sectors of healthcare, renewable energy, smart society, financial inclusivity, and supply chain.

Start-up pitching, discussion panels, 1-on-1 business meetings, networking sessions, as well as cultural events will be held in a hybrid way during the implementation of the forum in Bali on September 2-4, 2022.

The registration for the forum has been opened to the public at g20innovationnetwork.org.

(c) ANTARA 2022

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com