HONG KONG, Aug 27, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Taoping Inc. (NASDAQ: TAOP, the "Company" or "TAOP"), a provider of blockchain technology and smart cloud services, today announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary Taoping Digital Assets (Asia) Limited ("TDAA") and a Kazakhstan company Aral Petroleum Capital LLP ("APC") have signed a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") to establish a joint venture in Kazakhstan, of which TDAA and APC will own 51% and 49%, respectively. TDAA will control the board of directors of the joint venture.
APC is an oil and gas exploration and development company operating in Kazakhstan, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CaspianEnergy Inc. It holds an exclusive license which entitles it to explore and develop certain oil and gas properties known as the "North Block", an area of 1,916 square km, and a production contract for the area known as "East Zhagabulak". With a strong industry position and integration experience, APC is able to ensure high-quality utility-scale electricity supply at a low cost to the joint venture.
The joint venture plans to invest and build cryptocurrency mining sites with a total capacity of 100MW, the first stage construction of 30 MW is expected to complete within three to six months. TDAA will have the priority to deploy cryptocurrency mining machines owned by TDAA or its partners. The joint venture will carry out operation and maintenance of cryptocurrency mining machines in Kazakhstan. In addition, the joint venture plans to rent out excess operating capacity to third parties for additional income.
On April 15, 2021, the Company announced that it has signed a Bitcoin mining machine purchase agreement with Bitmain Technologies Limited for the purchase of Antminer S19j Pro Bitcoin mining machines with a total hash rate of 300,000 TH/s. TAOP plans to deliver these mining machines to Kazakhstan for deployment once the construction of the mining sites is completed.
"We continue to look for global opportunities that can bring business growth. With year-round cool temperatures, low real estate and labor costs, and relatively low energy prices, Kazakhstan is becoming a crypto mining hub that currently ranks 3rd in the world in terms of hash rate power," said Mr. Jianghuai Lin, Chairman and CEO of TAOP, "We are working actively to capture current unique opportunity of the rapidly changing cryptocurrency mining environment to create value for shareholders."
About Taoping Inc.
Taoping Inc. (TAOP) is an integrated group of technology and financial companies with business in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and other overseas countries. Relying on its unique strengths in cloud technology and chip supply chain, TAOP provides solutions and cloud services to industries such as film and television production, education, new media, artificial intelligence and asset management. The Company is dedicated to the research and application of blockchain technology as well as investment and management of financial assets at home and abroad. To learn more, please visit http://www.taop.com/.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of Taoping Inc., and its subsidiaries and other consolidated entities. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, are "forward-looking statements" in nature within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, often identified by the use of forward-looking terminologies such as "believes", "expects" or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company and its subsidiaries and other consolidated entities or persons acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.
Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com
Tag: FinTech
NextPlay Technologies Enters into Agreement to Acquire Crypto Technology from Token IQ to Enhance Fintech and ICO Portal Offerings

SUNRISE, FL, Aug 25, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – via NewMediaWire – NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP), a digital business ecosystem for digital advertisers, consumers, video gamers and travelers, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the assets of Token IQ, a leading innovator in digital asset management with its smart compliant token technology. Token IQ has many unique capabilities, but its greatest attributes are its ability to afford cryptocurrency owners a solution to replace their assets should they lose access to, or control of, their assets and its handling of "Know Your Customer" (KYC) issues — solving many key regulatory requirements. NextPlay will not only look to license the IP, but also plans to integrate the service into its wholly owned Bank — NextBank International to better serve its cryptocurrency customers.
Mark Vange, CTO of NextPlay and founder and CEO of Token IQ, stated, "Token IQ was built upon the early recognition that many digital assets may in the future be treated as securities. I'm excited that we can now make Token IQ part of NextPlay, given the many synergies that have developed around digital asset management across NextPlay's ecosystem."
One of the primary issues associated with crypto investing is the existential custody risk associated with the loss of passwords or wallet seeds, resulting in the inability to access assets. A critical function of Token IQ is the ability to allow issuers to manage this risk across public distributed ledgers — a key solution needed by any cryptocurrency owner, and a technology that we anticipate will become a cornerstone for all of our NextBank and Longroot coin offerings. This patent-pending technology also allows issuers to control the flow of tokens. The Token IQ technology can be invaluable in the enforcement of "Know Your Customer" (KYC) and other regulatory requirements which is a sensitive area that regulators around the world are increasingly focused on. The platform also supports vesting, lockups and asset freezing, which can enhance market making and liquidity while also reducing risks around custodianship, inheritance, and other legal circumstances related to proper asset disposition. We plan to pursue patents for this proprietary technology in key markets around the world.
The Token IQ foundational IP is designed to reconcile legal and regulatory requirements around digital assets, including KYC, Anti-money laundering (AML) and shareholder rights enforcement, all common pain points within the crypto markets today. It has been designed to do so across a distributed ledger, including Ethereum and Stellar.
According to NextPlay co-Chairman, J. Todd Bonner: "We see Token IQ technology becoming core to all our fintech-related activities, from Longroot's cryptocurrency portal and HotPlay's in-game tokens, to powering our NextBank fintech and planned NextTrip medical tourism offerings. We also expect the Token IQ acquisition to bring valuable technology and software development talent which is expected to support rapid integration with our platform and those of our partners, as well as further IP development."
To learn more about Token IQ, visit tokeniq.io.
The acquisition of Token IQ is subject to certain closing conditions, including the approval of NextPlay's shareholders. Future details of the acquisition can be found in NextPlay's Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.sec.gov or the investor relations section at NextPlayTechnologies.com.
About NextPlay Technologies
NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP) is a technology solutions company offering games, in-game advertising, crypto-banking, connected TV and travel booking services to consumers and corporations within a growing worldwide digital ecosystem. NextPlay's engaging products and services utilize innovative AdTech, Artificial Intelligence and Fintech solutions to leverage the strengths and channels of our existing and acquired technologies. For more information about NextPlay Technologies, visit nextplaytechnologies.com and follow us on Twitter @NextPlayTech and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of, and within the safe harbor provided by the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations, opinions, beliefs or forecasts of future events and performance. A statement identified by the use of forward-looking words including "will," "may," "expects," "projects," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "estimate," "should," and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release. Factors that may cause such a difference include risks and uncertainties related to our need for additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all, which raises questions about our ability to continue as a going concern; the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant material adverse impact on the travel industry and our business, operating results and liquidity; amounts owed to us by third parties which may not be paid timely, if at all; certain amounts we owe under outstanding indebtedness which are secured by substantially all of our assets and penalties we may incur in connection therewith; the fact that we have significant indebtedness, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition; uncertainty and illiquidity in credit and capital markets which may impair our ability to obtain credit and financing on acceptable terms and may adversely affect the financial strength of our business partners; our ability to close, timely, or at all, the acquisitions of certain intellectual property assets from Fighter Base and Token IQ, as previously disclosed; that the officers and directors of the Company have the ability to exercise significant influence and voting control over the Company; stockholders may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing, satisfy obligations and complete acquisitions through the issuance of additional shares of our common or preferred stock; if we are unable to adapt to changes in technology, our business could be harmed; our travel business depends substantially on property owners and managers renewing their listings; if we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, our ability to compete could be impaired; our long-term success depends, in part, on our ability to expand our property owner, manager and traveler bases outside of the United States and, as a result, our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations; unfavorable changes in, or interpretations of, government regulations or taxation of the evolving ALR, Internet and e-commerce industries which could harm our operating results; risks associated with the operations of, the business of, and the regulation of our recent acquisitions of Longroot Holding (Thailand) Company Limited (Longroot), HotPlay Enterprise Limited (HotPlay) and NextBank International (formerly IFEB); the market in which we participate being highly competitive, and because of that we may be unable to compete successfully with our current or future competitors; our potential inability to adapt to changes in technology, which could harm our business; the volatility of our stock price; risks associated with the integration of the operations of HotPlay, Longroot and IFEB, which acquisitions we recently competed; the fact that we may be subject to liability for the activities of our property owners and managers, which could harm our reputation and increase our operating costs; and that we have incurred significant losses to date and require additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by NextPlay are detailed from time to time in NextPlay's periodic reports filed with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings "Risk Factors". These reports are available at www.sec.gov. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on the Company's future results and/or could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. The Company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
SOURCE: NextPlay Technologies, Inc
Company Contact:
NextPlay Technologies
Richard Marshall
Director of Corporate Development
Tel (954) 888-9779
Richard.Marshall@NextPlayTechnologies.com
Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com
Comtel Rebrands to Quess Singapore with Focus on Local Job Creation in the City

Singapore, Aug 24, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Quess Corp, one of the world's leading Business Service Providers, today announced that Comtel Solutions, the leading tech talent solutions Company in Singapore, and an affiliate of Quess Corp, has now become Quess Singapore and will operate as fully owned Singaore entity.
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An affiliate of Quess Corp Limited, Comtel has been in business for over a decade and has expanded across the Asia Pacific and several industry verticals and sectors such as Banking, Hi-Tech Manufacturing, Telecommunication, Logistics, and Healthcare Industries. The company which partners with global market leaders, including Fortune 100 companies for services, solutions and focussed executive searches for technology staff, has been a part of Quess Group for five years and will continue to maintain its industry leading status in Staff augmentation in Singapore.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Quess Corp has been tirelessly working with a mission to help hire skilled and productive workers who are equipped to meet the dynamic market requirements of their clients across sectors. Quess has made significant investments in technology across the hire to retire cycle to provide manpower services that are already trusted by several customers globally. Its thrust on developing tools to improve productivity of frontline workers and boost employee engagement is helping create a grey collar/semi-skilled workforce that is more efficient and future-ready.
The workforce landscape is going through a massive change as talent and skills become the most important currency for organisations to drive growth and establish value differentiation. Through re-branding Comtel to Quess Singapore, the company aims to better communicate the breadth and scale of expertise that Quess truly represents.
Speaking on the company's refreshed branding, Vikas Srivastava, Country Manager, Quess Singapore said, "COVID has completely made everyone re-think their talent strategy as companies now move to a more hybrid and asynchronous workforce that will help them make the most of the disruption to the labour economy to best meet their growth ambitions. Over the last few years, our technology-enabled solutions have been making search, selection, and management of contingent workforce easy in Singapore. With this new identity, we are confident of providing associates working for our clients with more career-enhancing opportunities through our ever-growing partnership with leading learning and development providers for their re-skilling and upskilling needs. This apart, we will help our clients manage and increase the productivity of their grey collar/semi-skilled workforce more effectively by introducing metric-driven, technology-led management through integrating our in-house mobile WorQ App into our standard offering."
As one of the world's leading Business Services Providers, Quess is known for its many milestones over the last 14 years; one of them being the fastest to become part of the coveted list of top 50 largest Global staffing suppliers ranked by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA).
Commenting on the potential in local market, Quess Corp CEO APAC Mr. Sandeep Sharma said, "We are focussed on "Thinking Global Acting Local". The focus of Quess Singapore – is to be No-1 workforce solutions partner for clients in Singapore and the most preferred employer for associates and candidates. We will be more agile, technology-enabled, and look forward to boosting local employment. We are at the forefront of providing innovative workforce solutions to our larger customer base in South East Asia and stand by our mission of "Winning Together – In our client's win lies our win" and bring it to fruition. We aim to transition to our new brand identity with the reassurance of consistent and efficient service delivery with no disruptions while looking forward to continued support from our existing clients."
About Quess Corp
Established in Bengaluru in 2007, Quess Corp Limited (BSE: 539978, NSE: QUESS) is India's leading business services provider – leveraging its extensive domain knowledge and future-ready digital platforms to drive client productivity through outsourced solutions. Quess provides a host of technology enabled staffing and managed outsourcing services across processes such as sales & marketing, customer care, after sales service, back office operations, manufacturing, facilities and security management, HR & F&A operations, IT & mobility services etc. Quess has a team of ~369,000 employees, serving ~3,000 clients across India, North America, APAC and the Middle East as on 31st July 2021.
Media contacts:
Namrata Sharma – namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com
Neha Chaturvedi – neha.chaturvedi@adfactorspr.com
Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com
NextPlay Technologies Enters into Agreement to Acquire AI-Powered Video Game Development Technology from Fighter Base Publishing, Inc.

SUNRISE, FL, Aug 23, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – via NewMediaWire – NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP), a digital business ecosystem for digital advertisers, consumers, video gamers and travelers, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire from Fighter Base Publishing, Inc. (FBP), the assets and AI-powered video game development platform of FBP's wholly-owned division, Make It Games(TM).
Make It Games (MIG) enables developers to create video games powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Its technology supports the training of virtual characters to be more lifelike in appearance and behavior. Proprietary AI animation tools help program game or film characters to fully animate themselves, saving as much as 70 percent of the typical time and cost of animation.
Fighter Base Publishing was founded by Mark Vange, NextPlay's recently appointed chief technology officer. Formerly a chief technology officer at Electronic Arts, Vange has authored over 41 granted patents in the US for innovative technologies that have defined the industry. This acquisition by NextPlay will include pending patents that cover Make it Games' proprietary AI game development technology.
Tony Harman, Make It Games president, is also expected to join the NextPlay technology team. He had previously helped lead Nintendo America and has numerous game credits that include Donkey Kong Country and Grand Theft Auto.
"We see our AI technology enabling NextPlay to power everything from rapid game and ad creation to advertising optimization, travel recommendation and richer virtual experiences," said Mr. Harman, "This can mean faster product time-to-market along with higher-margin digital asset monetization and product sales across the NextPlay digital ecosystem. We also believe that licensing the technology to other game and film studios, ad agencies and other content creators could become a significant revenue driver for NextPlay."
NextPlay co-CEO Nithinan 'Jessie' Boonyawattanapisut, commented, "We believe that the addition of Make It Games technology and its leadership will help accelerate our global initiatives and transform NextPlay into a powerhouse in online advertising, interactive digital media, gaming, fintech and travel, and serve as a bridge for us to expand into the metaverse. They are expected to greatly augment our growing global technology group that is focused on developing and implementing innovative consumer-engaging assets across multiple media channels."
Additional details of the acquisition can be found in NextPlay's Current Report on Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which is available at sec.gov or the investor relations section at NextPlayTechnologies.com.
About NextPlay Technologies
NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP) is a technology solutions company offering gaming, in-game advertising, crypto-banking, connected TV and travel booking services to consumers and corporations within a growing worldwide digital ecosystem. NextPlay's engaging products and services utilize innovative AdTech, Artificial Intelligence and Fintech solutions to leverage the strengths and channels of our existing and acquired technologies. For more information about NextPlay Technologies, visit NextPlayTechnologies.com. Follow us on Twitter @NextPlayTech and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of, and within the safe harbor provided by the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations, opinions, beliefs or forecasts of future events and performance. A statement identified by the use of forward-looking words including "will," "may," "expects," "projects," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "estimate," "should," and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release. Factors that may cause such a difference include risks and uncertainties related to our need for additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all, which raises questions about our ability to continue as a going concern; the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant material adverse impact on the travel industry and our business, operating results and liquidity; amounts owed to us by third parties which may not be paid timely, if at all; certain amounts we owe under outstanding indebtedness which are secured by substantially all of our assets and penalties we may incur in connection therewith; the fact that we have significant indebtedness, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition; uncertainty and illiquidity in credit and capital markets which may impair our ability to obtain credit and financing on acceptable terms and may adversely affect the financial strength of our business partners; the officers and directors of the Company have the ability to exercise significant influence and voting control over the Company; stockholders may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing, satisfy obligations and complete acquisitions through the issuance of additional shares of our common or preferred stock; if we are unable to adapt to changes in technology, our business could be harmed; our travel business depends substantially on property owners and managers renewing their listings; if we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, our ability to compete could be impaired; our long-term success depends, in part, on our ability to expand our property owner, manager and traveler bases outside of the United States and, as a result, our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations; unfavorable changes in, or interpretations of, government regulations or taxation of the evolving ALR, Internet and e-commerce industries which could harm our operating results; risks associated with the operations of, the business of, and the regulation of our recent acquisitions of Longroot Holding (Thailand) Company Limited (Longroot), HotPlay Enterprise Limited (HotPlay) and NextBank International (formerly IFEB); the market in which we participate being highly competitive, and because of that we may be unable to compete successfully with our current or future competitors; our potential inability to adapt to changes in technology, which could harm our business; the volatility of our stock price; risks associated with the integration of the operations of HotPlay, Longroot and IFEB, which acquisitions we recently competed; the fact that we may be subject to liability for the activities of our property owners and managers, which could harm our reputation and increase our operating costs; and that we have incurred significant losses to date and require additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by NextPlay are detailed from time to time in NextPlay's periodic reports filed with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings "Risk Factors". These reports are available at www.sec.gov. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on the Company's future results and/or could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. The Company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
SOURCE: NextPlay Technologies, Inc
Company Contact:
NextPlay Technologies, Inc.
Richard Marshall
Director of Corporate Development
Tel (954) 888-9779
richard.marshall@nextplaytechnologies.com
Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com
KGiSL wins Common infrastructure for Brokers Back Office Project from Stock Exchange of Thailand

India / Malaysia, Aug 17, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – KGiSL, a global IT Products, Solutions, and Services provider, today announced the landmark contract that was won by KGiSL against significant competition from one of the largest stock exchanges in the ASEAN, The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). KGiSL will rollout Dolphin – a state of the art, cutting-edge technology back-office (BO) platform for brokers in Thailand. The platform will be hosted by SET and will be made available to brokers. The implementation is expected to be completed in the next 16 months.
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KGiSL's flagship product for Capital Markets – Dolphin, caters to 60% of the leading institutional brokers in India by supporting their back-office clearing and settlement operations. The new platform is set to become the one-stop-shop solution to the brokers of Thailand with its ability to handle multiple asset classes including Equities, Bonds, and Offshore Trading, for both retail and institutional brokers. The next generation technology platform has been tested for handling 5 million trades/ day and has the potential capability to scale vertically and horizontally, to support any increase in business volumes. Dolphin was chosen over the other leading global platforms, because it had a better fit to the requirements and also for the robustness, scalability, and automation capabilities, it offers.
Dr. Pakorn Peetathawatchai, President, The Stock Exchange of Thailand said, "This is one of our most ambitious and challenging projects to establish a common, streamlined infrastructure that will open up new possibilities for Thai brokers to revolutionize their back office business models. We strongly believe that continued support from participating brokers in providing valuable insights, along with KGiSL's delivery capability are key ingredients to contribute the project's success."
On the association with SET, Prassadh Shanmugam, Director & Chief Executive Officer KGiSL said, "This is a huge win for KGiSL. Dolphin has been the undisputed market leader in India so far, but we have had limited successes in other markets. This order opens up the entire ASEAN & APAC market to create similar success stories like how we have done in India. KGiSL is poised to invest more in Dolphin's capabilities by adding Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Business Intelligence (BI) and Analytics. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Pakorn Peetathawatchai, President of The Stock Exchange of Thailand and the rest of the management in placing their trust in KGiSL and Dolphin."
About The Stock Exchange of Thailand: www.set.or.th
SET is the most liquid stock market in ASEAN with end-to-end services to empower seamless journey for all investors, securities brokerage companies and market participants. SET has transformed toward partnership platform by harnessing world-class technology and digital innovation to enable all parties to benefit from the Thai capital market in line with vision "To Make the Capital Market Work for Everyone". A number of open architecture and interoperable platforms have been developed with aims at building ecosystem crucial for fundraising, wealth creation and the country's development; widening business opportunities for operators in securities industry while offering investors convenient access to investment data, products and services.
About KGiSL: www.KGISL.com/gss
KGiSL is a global IT Products, Solutions, and Services provider in the BFSI space. KGiSL offers Software Products, Solutions and Services, Intelligent Automation, ERP (SAP), CRM, Business Intelligence and Analytics, Quality Engineering, IT Infrastructure Management and Custom Application Development. KGiSL has offices in India, US, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Thailand.
KGiSL is part of the $750 million business conglomerate KG Group with interest in Textiles, Engineering, Healthcare, Education, Real Estate, Entertainment, Software and Business Support Services. The Group employs over 25000 people and is known for its philanthropic services to the community for over 8 decades.
For further information, please contact:
KGiSL: Sampathkumar S | sampathkumar.s@KGISL.com | +91 9940069884
Adfactors PR (India):
Bhargav TS | bhargav.ts@adfactorspr.com | +91 9884883350
Shamitha Hegde | shamitha.hegde@adfactorspr.com | +91 9003107361
Adfactors PR (Singapore):
Namrata Sharma | namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com | +65 8138 3034
Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com
Gaming platform Zupee closes Series B at over $500 Million valuation

New Delhi, India, Aug 17, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Zupee, a leading innovator in India's online skill-based gaming industry, has announced that it has raised $30 million at a pre-money valuation of $500 million in Series B funding round. This round of funding has been co-led by Silicon Valley based WestCap Group and Tomales Bay Capital, with participation from Matrix Partners India & Orios Venture Partners.
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This round comes within 6 months after its Series A round at a $100 million valuation, which is more than 5x increase in the company's valuation. With total funds raised now at $49 million, Zupee is backed by some of the best in the industry – WestCap Group, Matrix Partners India, Smile Group and Orios Partners. The company has an existing user base of over 10 million users. This new round of funding will be used to enable scaling efforts through expanded product portfolio, deepening market reach and hiring global talent.
Founded in 2018 by graduates of India's leading institution IIT Kanpur, Dilsher Singh and Siddhant Saurabh, and incubated with funding from Smile Group, Zupee innovates by reengineering time-tested games and enabling them to enhance skill, joy and hope. The company's portfolio has innovative gaming formats of multiple popular board games. The flagship gaming app hosts live trivia quiz tournaments and has seen over 250 million gameplays.
Dilsher Singh, Founder and CEO, Zupee said, "Games inherently celebrate the journey and nurture self-expression. That's what I am committed to building with Zupee – an organization which enables people anywhere in the world to enhance their intrinsic happiness through games. We innovate to ensure our games provide an intersection between skill and entertainment, enabling our users to earn while they play. We thank our investors for believing in our purpose and enabling us to progress on our journey to transforming it to reality. Our journey has just begun; 10 million happy users in India, billions more globally we want to touch through our innovative games."
"WestCap remains a key strategic investor and operating advisor to Zupee and we are increasing our interest again as part of this most recent funding round," commented Laurence A. Tosi, Founder and Managing Partner of WestCap and early investor in Zupee. "Dilsher and his world class team have innovated some of the most compelling and widely used mobile games of skill in India. The enduring appeal of the Zupee games brings engagement, enjoyment and empowerment to the widest audience of any gaming platform in the market. This funding will enable the Zupee team to invest further in innovation, expand its suite of games and aggressively pursue international expansion. Zupee has exponentially accelerated its growth over the last 12 months, making them one of the largest and fastest growing game companies globally."
According to industry reports, the global online gaming industry is estimated to grow from $98 billion in 2020 to $272 billion in 2030. In 2020, the industry saw over 53 billion mobile gaming downloads worldwide, of which 17% came from India. By the end of this year itself, there will be 2.9 billion players worldwide.
About Zupee
Zupee is an online skill-based gaming platform startup based in India that is focused on innovating and creating games that engage, entertain and empower users.
More information about the company and its founder is available at https://www.zupee.global/
For further information, please contact:
Vikas Kumar – 9811054648; vikas.kumar@zupee.in
Himani Rautela – 9711306576; himani.rautela@zupee.in
Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com
NextPlay’s HotPlay In-Game Advertising Platform Teams with Mediakeys to Accelerate Global Expansion

SUNRISE, FL, Aug 10, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – via NewMediaWire – NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP), a digital business ecosystem for digital advertisers, consumers, video gamers and travelers, announced today its in-game advertising unit, HotPlay, has formed a strategic partnership with Mediakeys, an international media and advertising agency.
Since its founding in 1993, Mediakeys has become a global leader in digital and out-of-home (OOH) advertising with offices spanning 16 countries, including New York, London, Zurich, Hong Kong and Singapore. Its omni-channel platform spans digital, outdoor, airport, broadcast and print across the global markets, including the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC), and Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA).
HotPlay plans to leverage Mediakeys' expansive global presence and media relationships to further expand the global reach of its revolutionary in-game advertising (IGA) platform which enables advertisers to seamless insert brand messages and rewards into game content natively, interactively and in real time.
HotPlay also provides game developers with an additional revenue stream while still allowing them to maintain the integrity of their game. For game players, HotPlay creates a true online-to-offline experience, where players can interact with native ads in a meaningful way and claim rewards for both in-game and real-life use.
"The unparalleled capabilities of our respective platforms will help drive HotPlay's rapid expansion into numerous fast-growing international markets," stated Mediakeys CEO, Paul Cahierre. "The integration of HotPlay's powerful IGA technology will also enable international advertisers and agencies to take greater advantage of our one-stop solution for digital advertising and allow them to reach the valuable demographic of gamers in highly effective ways."
New and existing HotPlay advertisers will gain an integrated solution for hyper-targeted digital advertising campaigns. They will be able to launch programmatic mobile and desktop campaigns that can be designed and edited, and then set for distribution to a specific or localized broadcast area. Mediakeys' geofencing technology will support innovative ways for targeting specific audience behavior, and help advertisers to reach their target markets anytime, anywhere.
According to NextPlay co-CEO and CEO of Hotplay, Nithinan 'Jessie' Boonyawattanapisut: "The global games industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, with the game application market now the fastest growing business category around the world. Our new partnership with Mediakeys will greatly strengthen advertisers' access to the global market of 2.9 billion gamers. It will also vastly increase the revenue opportunities and customer retention of our game developers, and naturally HotPlay's by extension."
About Mediakeys
Mediakeys is an entrepreneurial international advertising exchange, offering 25+ years of experience creating and fulfilling global campaigns for local and international advertisers and agencies. Established in 1993 with a foundation in creative services and international media, it has grown into a global multi-media advertising specialist, with offices in 16 countries, including New York, London, Paris, Cologne, Zurich, Milan, Madrid, Istanbul, Mumbai, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Beijing, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. To learn more, visit mediakeys.com
About NextPlay Technologies
NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP) is a technology solutions company offering games, in-game advertising, crypto-banking, connected TV and travel booking services to consumers and corporations within a growing worldwide digital ecosystem. NextPlay's engaging products and services utilize innovative AdTech, Artificial Intelligence and Fintech solutions to leverage the strengths and channels of our existing and acquired technologies. For more information about NextPlay Technologies, visit www.nextplaytechnologies.com and follow us on Twitter @NextPlayTech and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of, and within the safe harbor provided by the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations, opinions, belief or forecasts of future events and performance. A statement identified by the use of forward-looking words including "will," "may," "expects," "projects," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "estimate," "should," and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release. Factors that may cause such a difference include risks and uncertainties related to our need for additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all, which raises questions about our ability to continue as a going concern; the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant material adverse impact on the travel industry and our business, operating results and liquidity; amounts owed to us by third parties which may not be paid timely, if at all; certain amounts we owe under outstanding indebtedness which are secured by substantially all of our assets and penalties we may incur in connection therewith; the fact that we have significant indebtedness, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition; our revenues and results of operations being subject to the ability of our distributors and partners to integrate our alternative lodging rental (ALR) properties with their websites, and the timing of such integrations; uncertainty and illiquidity in credit and capital markets which may impair our ability to obtain credit and financing on acceptable terms and may adversely affect the financial strength of our business partners; the officers and directors of the Company have the ability to exercise significant influence over the Company; stockholders may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing, satisfy obligations and complete acquisitions through the issuance of additional shares of our common or preferred stock; if we are unable to adapt to changes in technology, our business could be harmed; our travel business depends substantially on property owners and managers renewing their listings; if we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, our ability to compete could be impaired; our long-term success depends, in part, on our ability to expand our property owner, manager and traveler bases outside of the United States and, as a result, our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations; unfavorable changes in, or interpretations of, government regulations or taxation of the evolving ALR, Internet and e-commerce industries which could harm our operating results; risks associated with the operations of, the business of, and the regulation of, Longroot and NextBank International (formerly IFEB); the market in which we participate being highly competitive, and because of that we may be unable to compete successfully with our current or future competitors; our potential inability to adapt to changes in technology, which could harm our business; the volatility of our stock price; the fact that we may be subject to liability for the activities of our property owners and managers, which could harm our reputation and increase our operating costs; and that we have incurred significant losses to date and require additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by NextPlay are detailed from time to time in NextPlay's periodic reports filed with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings "Risk Factors". These reports are available at www.sec.gov. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on the Company's future results and/or could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. The Company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
SOURCE: NextPlay Technologies
Company Contact:
Richard Marshall
Director of Corporate Development
NextPlay Technologies, Inc
Tel (954) 888-9779
richard.marshall@nextplaytechnologies.com
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