Hong Kong Trade Development Council welcomes economic support measures in 2020 Policy Address

HONG KONG, Nov 25, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Dr Peter KN Lam welcomed the economic support measures to help Hong Kong's small-and-medium sized enterprises (SME), unveiled in the Chief Executive's Policy Address today.

Dr Lam said, "Hong Kong SMEs are facing many challenges in the face of COVID-19, which has cast a shadow on global economic growth and has led to a 'new normal' in international trade and commerce. We welcome the economic support measures in the Policy Address that can help Hong Kong businesses overcome these challenges. For Hong Kong SMEs facing cash flow issues, cancelling the double stamp duty for non-residential property will provide them with more flexibility in their finances. At the same time, broadening the coverage of the Export and Marketing Fund will help SMEs find new market opportunities online and offline.

"Working closely with the HKSAR Government, we will assist Hong Kong SMEs to enter the Mainland Chinese market through the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while helping them to transform through digitisation and to find new global opportunities through different O2O [online-to-offline] promotional platforms. For the convention and exhibition industry which is hard-hit by the pandemic, the Government's decision to proceed with expansion plans for exhibition space in Wan Chai and at the airport will help sustain the industry's development, and in the long run reinforce Hong Kong's position as an international events capital."

Dr Lam added, "I and the team at HKTDC will redouble our efforts to help Hong Kong companies get through these difficult times and capture new opportunities ahead."

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 trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: http://www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

Contact:
Beatrice Lam, Tel: +852 2584 4049, Email: beatrice.hy.lam@hktdc.org
Susanna Sin, Tel: +852 2584 4294, Email: susanna.kc.sin@hktdc.org

Pacer Ventures partners Founder Institute, launches $3M fund for early-stage African startups

LAGOS, NIGERIA, Nov 25, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Pacer Ventures has announced a $3M fund for early-stage African startups that are solving some of the most critical problems on the continent. The focus will be on verticals expedient to the African continent including healthcare, financial inclusion, education and agriculture.

The United Nations has projected that Africa will have a population of 1.68 billion people by 2030, while the GSMA Mobile Economy Report states that 84% of Africa's population will have access to a sim connection by 2025. This high mobile penetration will enable the continent to leapfrog technology consumption, as Africa is expected to account for up to 30% of global consumption of technology and technology-driven solutions within the same period.

"We see a huge opportunity to support early-stage founders making meaningful contributions to their local economies and communities," said the Managing General Partner at Pacer Ventures, Gbemi Akande. "We are providing much-needed funds to founders leveraging mobile penetration to solve problems at the 'bottom of the pyramid' across the continent."

Pacer Ventures has already begun to support early-stage founders by participating in seed rounds, including VPD.Money and others. With an average cheque size of $100k, Pacer VC is positioned to add substantial value to its portfolio companies.

According to the Pacer General Partner in charge of Southern Africa, Antoinia Norman, "We won't just write a cheque, we will enable founders to work in and on their business, by supporting them every step of their journey, with technical and financial skills, team building, access to markets, resources, and our networks."

The General Partners of Pacer VC have over 40 years of combined experience in consulting, marketing, entrepreneurship, deal flow sourcing and ecosystem development. Pacer VC's differentiator is the funds focus on sourcing high potential early-stage African startups, while leveraging its strategic partnership with Founder Institute chapters all over Africa to identify and recommend winning teams with solutions that meet market needs.

"Our partnership with Founder Institute gives us an undeniable edge particularly with quality deal-flow at an early stage, which we will leverage to strategically expand Pacer VC's footprint across multiple African Markets," said Chukwuemeka Agbata, Regional Director of Founder Institute in Africa, and Co-founder, techbuild.africa.

Speaking on the Pacer VC Investment thesis, Geoffrey Weli-Wosu, a General Partner at Pacer VC and Co-Founder of VoguePay and Domineum, stated, "We are leveraging our in-depth experience in startups, deal flow sourcing and ecosystem development to take advantage of the early-stage funding gap in Africa. Our target is seed-stage founders and companies who are usually under the radar of a lot of investors. We know the markets, have access to the founders and our investment team is well qualified to execute this thesis."

About Pacer Ventures
Pacer Ventures has a strategic relationship with the Founder Institute, the world's premier pre-seed startup accelerator, providing investment thesis support, structure, templates, tools, deal flow, potential seed, and support across all segments of the funding operation. It has a similar partnership with techbuild.africa, providing media support to portfolio companies.

For more information, please visit https://pacer.vc, email info@pacer.vc, or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Post Bank launches JCB merchant acquiring operations

Moscow & Tokyo, Nov 25, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – JSC Post Bank, a universal retail bank established by VTB Group and Russian Post, has launched JCB merchant acquiring operations. JCB cardholders now have the opportunity to withdraw cash from all ATMs of the bank (over 4,800 ATMs), as well as to pay for goods and services using Post Bank's POS terminals (over 55,000) located in the offices of the Russian Post.[1]

"Post Bank is actively developing cooperation with payment systems to provide convenient payment services and tools. Thanks to the partnership with JCB, more cardholders will now be able to use our ATMs and POS-terminals," said Elena Mokhnacheva, Member of the Board, COO of Post Bank.

"Post Bank's ATMs and POS terminals are installed in almost all post offices throughout Russia, which is very convenient for both bank customers and JCB cardholders. We are glad that Post Bank, one of the largest universal banks in Russia, started accepting JCB cards. We are committed to providing comfortable service possible for our cardholders. Our cooperation with Post Bank is a new step forward in achieving our goals," commented Takashi Suetsugu, General Director of JCB International (Eurasia) LLC.

The project was implemented with the technological support of MultiCarta, a processing company that carried out software updates, testing and coordination of work with the payment system.

[1] As of November 2020.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes over 34 million merchants in the world. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories, with more than 140 million cardmembers.

As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/

About Post Bank

Post Bank is a universal retail bank established by VTB Group and Russian Post in 2016. VTB Bank and Russian Post each own 49.999993% of the bank's shares, two more shares are held by D.V. Rudenko. The Bank is developing a regional network based on Russian Post branches. According to the results of the first half of 2020, more than 19 thousand bank service points were opened in 83 regions of the Russian Federation, and the client base reached 14.6 million people.

In post offices, the bank is presented in the format of sales windows with a bank employee or an employee of the Russian Post. Post Bank operates without cash centers, all operations are performed by customers using ATMs with a closed cash flow function. Post Bank is the only bank in Russia whose ATM network (more than 4,800 machines) consists entirely of such devices. The bank's website is http://www.pochtabank.ru/.

Contacts
JCB
Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

AppsFlyer Exceeds $200 Million in ARR and Sets Its Sights on Shaping the Future of the Marketing Tech Stack, Opens New Office in Australia

SINGAPORE, Nov 24, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – AppsFlyer, the global attribution and marketing analytics leader, today announced Salesforce Ventures joined its roster of investors in a late stage extension of its $210 million series D round led by General Atlantic earlier this year, to continue its velocity through product innovation with consumer privacy at the forefront.

As shifting privacy policies and regulations transform the marketing landscape, AppsFlyer has been experiencing increased demand for its expanding suite of products, including holistic attribution, marketing analytics, fraud protection, incrementality measurement, and customer experiences and engagement tools, while connecting app developers to more than 8,000 partners via its marketplace.

The AppsFlyer platform is rapidly becoming a core component in the most advanced marketing tech stacks. Ecosystem shifts and digital transformation accelerated by COVID-19 have fueled the growth of AppsFlyer's groundbreaking solutions to meet the needs of marketers and app developers. These include innovative, privacy-centric attribution solutions for iOS 14, in a post-IDFA world; App Clips analytics; a zero budget marketing plan for app developers; enabling the web campaign-to-app opportunity; and two brand new products: Xpend – a cost aggregation solution that extracts cost data from any source, and accurately calculates ROI across the entire marketing journey, and Incrementality – which helps brands test and prove incremental lift of their marketing campaigns.

The company also announced the launch of its new office in Sydney, focusing on servicing its customers and growing its business in the region of Australia and New Zealand. This latest launch will expand AppsFlyer's global footprint to 19 international offices, an unprecedented feat in the middle of a pandemic.

AppsFlyer has secured more than $300 million in funding since 2011, and has seen tremendous growth since its $210 million series D round, announced earlier this year. The company has recently reached 1,000 employees globally, and now exceeds $200 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). The company also plans to increase its global headcount significantly in 2021 to support the growing needs of its customers and provide them with the right tools to delight their end-users while adhering to privacy regulations. AppsFlyer has also increased the volume and reach of its corporate social responsibility program, AppsFlyer Cares, impacting dozens of communities and thousands of individuals worldwide.

"AppsFlyer has been the driving force in mobile marketing attribution and has demonstrated true, long-term commitment to represent the app developers within the ecosystem," said Nowi Kallen, Principal at Salesforce Ventures. "Through a customer centric approach, 8,000-partner strong marketplace and privacy by design, AppsFlyer's innovative technology enables marketers to delight their end-users with a great user experience, while protecting their privacy."

"We're incredibly excited to deepen our integration with Salesforce and Salesforce Ventures, as we take another step towards ensuring that marketers, app developers, and the entire ecosystem is armed with the best marketing tech stack for the challenges of tomorrow," said Oren Kaniel, CEO and Co-Founder, AppsFlyer. "The secret sauce for our success over the last nine years has been prioritizing our customers and their end-users, putting them at the center of every decision we make. We've earned the unwavering trust and confidence of the market by enabling app developers to not only delight the end-user with a seamless user experience, but to also protect their data security and privacy."

Speaking about how this development will impact the region, AppsFlyer's APAC President and Managing Director, Ronen Mense, said: "The pandemic has aggressively driven a shift in how the global marketplace use technology, making the ever-innovative and always-resilient APAC one of the few winners from this year's economic turbulence. The foundations of an inclusive, tech-enabled recovery is being solidly built here in our turf, and we are humbled that the majority of today's best-performing Asian companies are using the AppsFlyer platform on a daily basis. This round enables us to empower Asian marketers with the tools needed to catapult their success and make accurate, better-informed, strategic decisions, as well as help drive innovation and foster confidence across the regional economy."

AppsFlyer works with thousands of customers, including leading brands such as Macy's, Minecraft, Nike, NBC Universal, Tencent, US Bank, Wayfair, and StitchFix. AppsFlyer's marketplace of over 8,000 partners includes Facebook, Google, Apple Search Ads, Twitter, TikTok Ads, Pinterest, Snap, Salesforce, Adobe, and Oracle. AppsFlyer was recently named to the Forbes 2020 Cloud 100 list for the 2nd year in a row.

Existing investors include General Atlantic, Goldman Sachs Growth Equity, DTCP (Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners), Qumra Capital, Pitango Venture Capital, Magma Venture Partners, and Eight Roads Ventures.

About AppsFlyer

AppsFlyer, the global attribution and marketing analytics leader, empowers marketers to grow their business and innovate with a suite of comprehensive measurement solutions. Built around privacy by design, AppsFlyer takes a customer-centric approach to help 12,000+ brands and its marketplace of 8,000+ technology partners make better business decisions every day, while delighting their end-users. To learn more, visit www.appsflyer.com

About Salesforce Ventures

Salesforce is the global leader in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), bringing companies closer to their customers in the digital age. Salesforce Ventures, the global investment arm of Salesforce, invests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Platform. Salesforce Ventures is building the world's largest ecosystem of enterprise cloud companies and extending that technology to customers. Portfolio companies receive funding, strategic advisory, and operating support, and can easily join Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 400 companies, including DocuSign, GoCardless, Guild Education, nCino, Snowflake, Twilio, Zoom, and others across 22 countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures.

Media Contacts
PRecious Communications on behalf of AppsFlyer
appsflyer@preciouscomms.com
+65 6303 0567

Press Contact For AppsFlyer in APAC:
Nico Marco
nico.marco@appsflyer.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

West Java Investment Summit (WJIS 2020): Governor Ridwan Kamil Welcomes Investors Worldwide to Invest in West Java

Bandung, W Java, Indonesia, Nov 23, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – The 2020 West Java Investment Summit (WJIS 2020) was held in Bandung City this week, Nov 16 to 19, hosted by the West Java provincial government in collaboration with the Bank of Indonesia Representative Office in West Java. Through the WJIS 2020, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil invited international investors from around the world to invest in the province of West Java, particularly through the Rebana Metropolitan project.

Rebana Metropolitan is the northern / northeastern area of West Java Province that includes the six districts of Sumedang, Majalengka, Cirebon, Subang, Indramayu, and Kuningan and the city of Cirebon. The Metropolitan area has a population of 9.28 million, or some 18.82% of the total 49.3-million populace of West Java as of 2019.

As many as 1,434 foreign and domestic investors participated in the one-on-one meeting session on Monday, in which 16 land projects were offered with a total investment value of US$2.8 billion (Rp 39.5 trillion). Governor Ridwan Kamil offered the advantages of investing in West Java for international investors.

First, West Java has quality infrastructure, and one of them is the Patimban Port, which, located in Subang district, will soon open in December 2020. "Besides, West Java is going to have the Jakarta-Bandung Fast Train that will be completed next year," said Ridwan. Moreover, West Java also continues the development of several toll roads that will facilitate industrial and community access.

The other advantages of investing in West Java are its quality infrastructure and competitive human resources. With these two pros, quality infrastructure and competitive human resources, the governor ensures that West Java can compete with provinces in other countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam.

"West Java is one of the most competitive regions in Indonesia," he stated. Ridwan emphasized that to strengthen the provinces competitiveness, the West Java local government remained committed to making improvements in four important fields: education, infrastructure, socio-political stability, and bureaucratic reform.

The governor also expressed optimism that West Java would become a globally competitive region to attract investment, especially with the existence of the Rebana Metropolitan area. "For the last three years, West Java has been the premier investment destination. This year, we are still 'champs' for investment realization, almost reaching IDR 90 trillion," said Governor Ridwan.

West Java Province is currently still one of the main destinations for foreign and local investment. Up to the third week of November 2020, the province managed to record total inbound investment of more than IDR 380 trillion. That total consists of four categories, namely (1) Realized Investment (for the period of January to September 2020); (2) Preparation-stage Investment; (3) Commitment-stage Investment; and (4) Ready-to-offer Investment.

For Realized Investment, based on Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) data for the January to September 2020 period, the West Java province ranks first in investment realization based on location with a value of IDR 86.3 trillion or 14.1 percent.

Noneng Komara Nengsih, West Java Investment Agency (DPMPTSP) Head, mentioned five sectors in the province that are favourable to investors: (1) construction; (2) transportation, warehouse and communication; (3) housing, industrial and office areas; (4) electricity, gas and water; (5) motor vehicles and other transportation equipment industries.

Preparation-stage Investment in West Java comes from 11 investors: (1) PT Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Indonesia; (2) PT Amazon Data Services Indonesia; (3) PT UPC Sukabumi Bayu Energi; (4) PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC); (5) PT Tanjung Jati Power Company; (6) PT Pertamina Power Indonesia dan PT Jawa Satu Power; (7) PT Premier Qualitas Indonesia dan Trisula Group; (8) Masdar Mubadala Company; (9) China Petroleum Corporation; (10) Frisian Flag Indonesia; and (11) PT Jasa Marga Japek Selatan.

For Commitment-stage Investment, as many as five MoUs and cooperation agreements among parties were signed, with an investment value of some IDR 4.10 trillion, or around USD 292.9 million. The signing ceremony was held on the first day, Monday Nov 16 at the Savoy Homann Hotel, Bandung City.

The parties in the Commitment-stage Investment were regionally owned, PT Bandarudara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB) and PT Jaswita Jabar, as well as PT Jasa Sarana, Aspen and Docta Proprietary Limited, PT Gobel Internasional, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur, and PT Indonesia Infrastructure Finance. These companies have committed to investment in infrastructure development, starting from hotels; meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) facilities; warehouses, energy, to hospitals.

Meanwhile, for the Ready-to-offer Investment, West Java has 16 investment projects, with a total value of IDR 39.5 trillion or around USD 2.802 billion, that are ready to be tendered. The 2020 WJIS is expected to enhance investment realization in West Java in the fourth quarter this year — before the end of 2020 — and trigger the province's economic growth.

According to Bank Indonesia Representative Office in West Java, the Province had become a crucial contributor to Indonesia's economic growth since 2015. West Java is one of the three most competitive provinces in Indonesia in 2020, supported by three driving factors: foreign direct investment (FDI), quality infrastructure, as well as competitive and reliable human resources.

In the last three years, on an average, West Java's economy grew by 5.4 percent, higher than Indonesia's economic growth averaging 5.1 percent. The province's strong economic growth was driven by the manufacturing industry and household consumption.

Furthermore, investment has played a vital role in contributing to economic growth of West Java. Hence, in a bid to facilitate economic recovery, it is necessary to formulate a well-planned and comprehensive strategy to encourage investment inflow that could function as a driver for national economic recovery.

Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo stated at the WJIS that regional investment is one of the keys to driving the national economic recovery. Bank Indonesia (BI) West Java Office Head Herawanto said that Bank Indonesia in collaboration with West Java provincial government had taken strides to accelerate infrastructure development in various sectors, from transportation and renewable energy, to water management and urban infrastructure.

The West Java provincial government is also offering an alternative scheme for partnership and investment by involving the private sector in financing infrastructure development.

Luke Mackinnon, Infrastructure Country Manager at Amazon Web Services, said that Indonesia represented a great opportunity as an investment destination, with its growing economy. "This (growing economy) is also beneficial for Amazon Web Services, especially in terms of expanding investment opportunities in Indonesia. We do envision huge investment growth and we can't wait to add resources and infrastructure to serve consumers."

Lee Kang Hyun, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Asia Pacific, said that the company has the full support of the Indonesian central government and the West Java provincial government in running its business. "As investors, we certainly choose West Java because we can get full support here and the province has quality infrastructure," said Lee.

"Hyundai Motor has been building a factory in Cikarang. Despite the pandemic, with the full support of the governor and the minister, the factory development has reached 65 percent. Based on the plan, the factory can start local production in Indonesia by the end of 2021, and in 2022, it will produce Indonesia's electric cars which will be sold locally," he added.

The 2020 WJIS was held from Monday, Nov 16 to Thursday, Nov 19. The main agenda included launching the Rebana Metropolitan project, MoU Signing and Project Announcements, High Level Sessions, Market Sounding & One-on-One Meetings, Investment Talkshows, a Trade and Tourism Webinar, groundbreaking for Subang Smartpolitan development, and site visit to Rebana Metropolitan area.

Bank BJB fully supports the Rebana Metropolitan development. The West Java regional development bank has offered full support to the provincial government in establishing and developing the Rebana Metropolitan area. "Bank BJB acts as a driving agent that supports the development of new economic area, as initiated by the West Java Provincial Government. The Rebana Metropolitan project is a long-term strategic plan that requires support from various parties, including investors and banks," said President Director of Bank BJB Yuddy Renaldi.

Renaldi stated that Bank BJB in cooperation with West Java's two other regional-owned enterprises, PT Bandarudara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB) and Jaswita Jabar, will support the development of tourism and transportation infrastructure in the Rebana Metropolitan area.

The three inked a cooperation agreement to build three-star and five-star hotels in the Kertajati International Airport area in Majalengka, West Java. Facilities for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) will also be built in the airport area to accelerate development integration that supports economic activities.

The Rebana Metropolitan project is in line with the direction of Bank BJB's plan to create new economic areas that can improve the welfare of local communities. "Bank BJB will also expand its collaboration network with various stakeholders so that it can contribute more optimally in executing the project plan," said Renaldi.

The Rebana Metropolitan area is currently equipped with infrastructure facilities, including the Cikopo-Palimanan (Cipali) and Palimanan-Kanci (Palikanci) toll roads; the Cikampek-Cirebon railroad; Balongan, Cirebon, and Patimban (Phase I) Ports; West Java's Kertajati International Airport; and the Subang, Indramayu, and Cirebon bus stations.

Bank BJB will also provide financing for the Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan (Cisumdawu) toll road project in support of efforts to improve connectivity in West Java. Bank BJB's involvement will not only support the infrastructure projects, it will also help prepare local communities to take advantage of opportunities for economic projects in the province.

Contact person:
Lia Endiani
Team communication Ridwan Kamil
Email: lia.endiani@gmail.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

FE Credit to issue JCB Card in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH & TOKYO, Nov 19, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – VPBank Finance Company Limited (FE Credit) and JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand announced the launch of the FE Credit JCB Credit Card.

FE Credit JCB Plus Card

FE Credit JCB Gold Card

The new FE Credit JCB Card has 2 different card grades: FE Credit JCB Plus Card and FE Credit JCB Gold Card. The holders of FE Credit JCB Card can access JCB's acceptance network with about 34 million merchants around the world.

FE Credit pioneered Credit Cards for category entrants and first time card users in Vietnam. These two products from FE Credit Card powered by JCB are loaded with features and benefits which resonate with the needs of the target segment. A few examples of these unique offerings are, Oi Plus Program – a flagship loyalty program that rewards cardholders on their everyday spending, EasyPay – one of Vietnam's largest 0% retail installment program, and Selfie PLUS – one-click mobile-to-card image upload solution.

About FE Credit

A pioneer in Consumer Finance, FE CREDIT has established a solid foundation to become the market leader in the unsecured consumer loans and credit card market with more than 20,000 employees. FE CREDIT currently provides consumer finance services such as personal loans, two-wheeler loans, consumer durable loans, credit cards and insurance. FE CREDIT has served nearly 15 million customers, co-operating with 9,000 partners across 20,000 Point of Sale (POS) outlets nationwide.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes over 34 million merchants in the world. JCB Cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories, with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/

Contact
JCB
Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

TEC Continues Greater China Expansion with Two Centre Openings

HONG KONG, Nov 11, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – The Executive Centre ("TEC"), the leading premium flexible workspace, today announces the opening of two new Centres in Greater China: Modern International Finance Center in Tianjin, China and PCCW Tower in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.

The Centre at PCCW Tower opened in October, and the Centre at Modern International Finance Center to open soon, add to TEC's footprint in Greater China, bringing total workstations in Greater China to 13,094. Globally TEC has more than 135 Centres in 32 cities and 14 countries across the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

"As businesses around the world re-think their workspace strategy, we have begun to see strong demand for premium grade A workspace which offers flexibility in new locations, such as Tianjin in China and Quarry Bay in Hong Kong – an area which is fast becoming the second CBD in Hong Kong," said TEC Founder and CEO, Paul Salnikow. "Our expansion strategy continues to be driven by client needs across Asia and the Middle East as the office remains an essential hub for creativity and idea sharing."

CENTRES ARE DESIGNED TO REFLECT LOCAL HERITAGE AND CULTURE

Modern International Finance Center in Tianjin, China

Tianjin is the largest port in north China and ranks amongst the 10 largest ports in the world, making it one of the fastest developing cities in the region. Modern International Finance Center (MIFC) was designed by the world renowned architectural and interior design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), and the focus was on creating a premium, energy efficient working environment with green landscaping to help bring the 'outside in'. The prestigious, high quality standards and exceptional facilities at MIFC, perfectly corresponds with the same high quality standards as The Executive Centre, which makes this new centre expansion a natural fit. Furnished with the latest ergonomically designed and functional furniture pieces, with also electronic door locks and magic glass; The Executive Centre at MIFC provides exceptional workspace and secure connectivity to ensure member's businesses runs smoothly with excellence in IT Support and Infrastructure.

PCCW Tower in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

The Executive Centre in PCCW Tower boasts stunning views of Victoria Harbour and offers more than 25,000 sq ft of exceptionally designed workspace in the Hong Kong Eastern business district. Designed by Fiona Hardie, the Centre incorporates iconic furnishings from Timothy Oulton and Herman Miller and, uses natural materials such as wood, crystal, marble, leather, to create an ambience that is calming and relaxing. The two floors of this Executive Centre have an interconnecting staircase which allows easy access for Members on both floors. 'As the whole world is re-thinking their workspace strategy, and with people gradually returning to work in the city, PCCW centre not only provides space for the companies that wish to restructure their real estate and incorporate some 'Flex' into their real estate strategy, but also offers such a beautiful space that it will help companies to attract their employees back to work' said Nadia Zhu, City Head of TEC HK.

About The Executive Centre
The Executive Centre (TEC) opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1994 and today boasts over 135+ Centres in 32 cities and 14 countries.

The Executive Centre caters to ambitious professionals and industry leaders looking for more than just an office space – they are looking for a place for their organization to thrive. TEC has cultivated an environment designed for success with a global network spanning Greater China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia, with sights to go further and grow faster. Each Executive Centre offers a prestigious address with the advanced infrastructure to pre-empt, meet, and exceed the needs of its Members. Walking with Members through every milestone and achievement, The Executive Centre empowers ambitious professionals and organizations to succeed.

Privately owned and headquartered in Hong Kong, TEC provides first class Private and Shared Workspaces, Business Concierge Services, and Meeting & Conference facilities to suit any business' needs.

For more information please visit www.executivecentre.com

Press Enquiries

Finsbury
Sheena Shah / Crystal Chow
Sheena.Shah@Finsbury.com / +852 3166 9855
Crystal.Chow@Finsbury.com / +852 3166 9838

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Rykadan Capital’s Proposed Share Buy-back at a Premium Offer Price of HK$0.68 per Share Seeking Approval from Independent Shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting on 23 November 2020

HONG KONG, Nov 11, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Rykadan Capital Limited (stock code: 2288) will be holding Extraordinary General Meeting ("EGM") on 23 November 2020 (Monday) at Room 1, 10/F, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong at 1:00 p.m. for approving the Proposed Share Buy-back announced earlier in September. According to the Proposed Share Buy-back, Rykadan Capital, through Dongxing Securities (Hong Kong) Company Limited, will make a conditional cash offer to the shareholders of the Company to buy back up to 102,000,000 shares of the Company at a premium offer price of HK$0.68 per share.

Premium valuation: The Proposed Share Buy-back provides an opportunity for the shareholders to sell their shares at a premium to the prevailing market prices of the shares of the Company and receive cash proceeds in return. In particular, the closing price of the Shares has not exceeded the offer price for almost twelve months after 27 September 2019.

Certain and immediate value: The shares had been trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange at an average daily trading volume of approximately 71,397 Shares for the six months up to and including the last trading day (i.e. 15 September 2020), representing less than 0.02% of the total issued shares as at the last trading day. Hence, the Proposed Share Buy-back presents an immediate opportunity for the Company's shareholders to dispose of their Shares, not constrained by trading liquidity, and exit their investment for cash proceeds.

Monetise at a lower discount to the Company's NAV: In addition, Innovax Capital Limited, being the independent financial adviser (IFA) of the exercise, mentioned that the shares have consistently been traded at a substantial discount to the net asset value (NAV) per share attributable to equity shareholders of the Company, and the IFA considers that the Proposed Share Buy-back provides an opportunity for the shareholders to monetise their shareholdings at a lower discount to the Company's NAV per share attributable to equity shareholders of the Company.

In all, as an intrinsic merit of the exercise, the Proposed Share Buy-back confers the shareholders the flexibility and equal opportunity to participate in the Offer on the same terms at their own absolute discretion. The Proposed Share Buy-back required independent shareholders' approval at the EGM on 23 November 2020 (Monday). Qualified shareholders of Rykadan Capital should seize this opportunity to cast their votes by actively participating in the EGM in order to express their views. For CCASS participants, they're encouraged to express their votes intension to Share Registrar (i.e. Tricor) through their respective brokers on or before 4:30pm on November 17 (Tuesday).

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Rykadan Capital’s Proposed Share Buy-back at a Premium Offer Price of HK$0.68 per Share Seeking Approval from Independent Shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting on 23 November 2020

iROO raises funds for Rare Disorders Society Singapore

SINGAPORE, Nov 11, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Taiwanese fashion label iROO International Pte Ltd (iROO) reunites with Rare Disorders Society Singapore (RDSS) for their third annual charity campaign, specially fronted by Taiwanese celebrity Carolyn Chen. Furthermore, anybody who wants to show their support can download the iROO mobile app and bring home Hope, RDSS's sloth mascot.

Hope represents the many dreams and wishes that RDSS beneficiaries with a rare condition have. Despite their conditions, these children have the same hopes, dreams, and wishes, any children may have. Carrying Hope shows RDSS beneficiaries how much Singaporeans care and supports them.

Anybody in Singapore and Malaysia who wants to support RDSS can get a Hope plushie from iROO. All they need to do is download iROO's mobile application available on iOS and Google Playstore here (https://iroo.onelink.me/lGAb) and purchase Hope for just $49 each. A pair of both plushies can be purchased at $77. Each Hope plushie will come in a limited edition iROO boy's or girl's outfit, making Hope a collectable item. Taiwanese celebrity, Carolyn Chen, known for her roles in "The Bold, The Corrupt, and The Beautiful" and "In the Family", will be hosting a Facebook Live to give away a pair of autographed plushies. https://www.facebook.com/carolyncatfansclub1/

Chief Operating Officer of iROO International Pte Ltd, Emily Huang says, "This is the third year iROO is working with RDSS and every year, we are increasingly proud and inspired by the work RDSS has done. 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and especially so for RDSS and their beneficiaries. As such, I hope Singaporeans will join iROO in our efforts in providing relief to these families by helping them improve the quality of life of children suffering from rare disorders."

iROO is located at #01-131/132 Great World, #01-179-182 Vivo City, #B2-36 Takashimaya S.C Ngee Ann City, #01-11 Raffles City Shopping Centre and #01-248 Jewel Changi Airport.

About iROO

Taiwanese fashion label iROO was founded in 1999 with the concept of "weekly collections", launching new designs in sync with runway fashion trends each week. With over 80 stores in Taiwan and Singapore, the label aims to deliver an array of high-quality products infused with aesthetically innovative designs at affordable prices. iROO houses a full collection of style wardrobe catering to the needs of every woman with its Black & White Collection, Feminine City Collection, Party Collection, Casual Weekend Collection, and the "Accessory" Collection.

iROO Outlets: Great World, Vivo City, Takashimaya S.C Ngee Ann City, Raffles City Shopping Centre & Jewel Changi Airport.

– Facebook: www.facebook.com/iroosingapore
– Instagram: @iroosg
– Website: www.rdss.org.sg
– Hashtags: #carryhope2020 #carryhoperdss #iROORDSS
– App: https://iroo.onelink.me/lGAb

For more information, please contact:
Danielle Chow
Fresh Communications
T: +65 97277766
E: danielle@freshcomms.sg

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com