Cuentas and WaveMax Sign an Exclusive and Definitive JV Agreement for 1,000 Locations to Offer Advertising on WiFi6 Next Generation Patented Technology in Cuentas’ “Bodegas” Network throughout the USA

MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE, Jul 23, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Cuentas, Inc. (NASDAQ:CUEN & CUENW) ('Cuentas'), a leading FinTech provider (Top 4 Fintech) of mobile banking, digital wallet and payment solutions focused on Hispanic and Latino communities signed an exclusive, Definitive JV Agreement to rollout WaveMax's SharedWiFI6 patented technology (Wavemax Patent) in 1,000 locations. This Rollout will begin in the greater New York City Metropolitan Area with 500 Locations in NYC, 330 locations in New Jersey and 170 locations in Connecticut. The agreement also includes plans to roll out the service in other areas throughout the US. The parties will install advanced WiFi6 Access Points and Small Cells in these 1,000 "Bodega Stores" in a 50/50 joint venture. These will become Cuentas premium locations that will be near public train stations and mass transit hubs and will be offering all Cuentas products and services on secure networks. The WiFi6 service will enhance the customer experience while in the Bodega store, by automatically connecting them to SharedWiFi high speed internet and receive special in-store offers. Users at Cuentas Points of Sale (POS) locations will also receive promotions for the Cuentas GPR card and discounted products sold through the Cuentas Mobile App.

This unique agreement that our organizations are bringing to the market will allow Cuentas to enter the advertising ecosystem using major brands to advertise through mobile handsets and additionally Cuentas products & services will benefit from 50% discounts for most favored nation pricing on this digital advertising platform.

WaveMax's SharedFi patented technology allows for a shared network of WiFi access points and small cells. The user has access to this shared network and, if he has opted in, be impacted with location-based advertising. These ads are configured by advertisers using WaveMAX's dashboards targeting, manually or programmatically, the right audience, at the right time, and the right place.

"I am proud that we were able to sign a definitive agreement with WaveMax for their state of the art technology. This is the first time that Cuentas is announcing to its public shareholders that it was able to complete this unique agreement and I am looking forward to expand this network for the rest of Cuentas' Bodega network nationwide," said Arik Maimon, Cuentas Founder and Interim CEO.

"We are very pleased to enhance our original commitment to the first 1,000 bodegas in Cuentas' network. We are happy to add value to Cuentas' unique proposition in the US market and its Mobile Banking App," said Eduardo Velasco, WaveMAX CEO. (Shared Wi-Fi 6 Network)

"Cuentas was recently classified and deemed as a technology sector vertical (Technology Sector), we are very excited for the upcoming events of our company and we are very confident that Cuentas has a bright future," said Michael De Prado, Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Cuentas.

ABOUT CUENTAS

Cuentas, Inc. (Nasdaq: CUEN & CUENW) is a Fintech company utilizing technical innovation together with existing and emerging technologies to deliver accessible, efficient and reliable mobile, new-era and traditional financial services to consumers. Cuentas is proactively applying technology and compliance requirements to improve the availability, delivery, reliability and utilization of financial services especially to the unbanked, underbanked and underserved segments of today's society. Its products are supported by its core methods, procedures, contracts and intellectual property. For more information, visit https://cuentas.com.

ABOUT WAVEMAX CORPORATION

WaveMax is a WiFi-5G sharing company leveraging US patented technology to create an ecosystem monetizing mobile interactions between Telcos, Retailers, Providers, Apps, and Users. WaveMax ecosystem in 2020 supported millions of Wi-Fi accesses and it is rapidly growing, creating new synergies and network effects.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains 'forward-looking statements', as that term is defined in section 27a of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21e of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this news release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements that are preceded by, followed by, or that include such words as 'estimate', 'anticipate', 'believe', 'plan' or 'expect' or similar statements are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include statements relating to other publicly available information regarding Cuentas.

Contact:

Cuentas:
investor@cuentas.com
800-611-3622

WaveMax:
info@wavemaxcorp.com
512.902.8038

SOURCE: Cuentas, Inc.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Study: More than half of the world’s population will use mobile wallets by 2025

SINGAPORE, Jul 8, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – The biggest report ever on the growth of mobile wallets projects that one in two people will use a mobile wallet by 2025. At the end of 2020, there were over 2.8 billion mobile wallets in use. That number is projected to increase by nearly 74% to reach 4.8 billion mobile wallets in use by the end of 2025 – nearly 60% of the world's population. The fastest growing markets are Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa & Middle East where mobile wallets are displacing cash and cards for more convenient digital payments.

Boku, a fintech pioneering the world's first global mobile payments network, has released its 2021 Mobile Wallets Report in partnership with digital technology analyst house Juniper Research, which provides insight into mobile wallet adoption and use in leading markets across the globe. In 2019, mobile wallets overtook credit cards to become the most widely used payment type globally and the shift to online driven by the pandemic has accelerated adoption. Mobile wallets use is growing rapidly across the world with emerging markets leading the way.

Key findings

– Southeast Asia is the fastest growing mobile wallet region
Mobile wallet use will grow by 311% between 2020-2025, reaching up 439.7 million wallets in use across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam from 141.1 million in 2020. The rise in e-Commerce and dominance of super-apps like Grab and Gojek, particularly in markets like the Philippines and Indonesia, is driving accelerated mobile wallet adoption.

– China reaches maturity but Japan, Korea and Taiwan set for hyper-growth
The Far East and China continues to be the largest mobile wallet region in the world with 1.34bn users in 2020. Market saturation is resulting in slowing growth in China with a CAGR of just 2.2% per year. Meanwhile, markets including Japan, Korea and Taiwan will continue to see accelerated adoption of mobile wallets with 98.4% market penetration by 2025.

– Africa & Middle East is the second biggest mobile wallet market
The second biggest mobile wallet market is set to grow by 147% between 2020-2025. This is driven by expanded usage of mobile money services such as M-Pesa which are increasingly offering additional services such as access to eCommerce.

– Latin American growth is being supercharged by eCommerce
This region is set to increase mobile wallet use by 166% between 2020-2025. Long held back by consumers' preference for cash-based payments and comparatively lower smartphone penetration, this is fast changing, and the region's eCommerce growth is supercharging mobile wallet use.

– Slow growth in Western Europe and North America
With 65% growth in Western Europe and 50% in North America by 2025, these regions will see the least amount of mobile wallet growth in the next five years. However, markets such as the UK are seeing a rise in card-based mobile wallets due to the adoption of contactless spurred on by the pandemic and shift towards cashlessness.

"While mobile wallets are being used on a global basis, we see two distinct types being used today. One is card-based mobile wallets, like Apple Pay and Google Pay, which provide an easier way to pay with cards people already have. The other is stored value mobile wallets, like AliPay and GrabPay, that enable consumers to transact with digital cash and are popular in emerging markets with fast-growing e-Commerce sectors," said Adam Lee, Chief Product Officer at Boku. "The markets that are set to grow the fastest are those with the lowest levels of card penetration, stored value wallets are thriving. In North America and Western Europe, which are dominated by card-based mobile wallets, we are seeing the slowest growth in mobile wallet adoption, as the technology provides merely incremental benefit."

"We are seeing clear bifurcation in the market between card-based mobile wallets in developed markets and stored value mobile wallets that are ubiquitous in Asia and rapidly growing in all emerging markets," concluded Lee.

"Southeast Asia is one of the most rapidly digitalising regions in the world. In 2020, the region added 400 million new internet users, with 70% of the region now online. Together with consumption trends brought about due to lockdowns during the pandemic, that has led to a familiarity with e-Commerce and an exponential rise in mobile wallet use," said Loke Hwee Wong, Vice President and General Manager, APAC at Boku. "This is also because the region was heavily dependent on cash and bank transfer before mobile wallet use, and the convenience and accessibility, especially with stored value mobile wallets, will see Southeast Asia leapfrog the rest of the world in mobile payment adoption."

The growth and bifurcation of mobile wallet use presents both an opportunity and challenge for merchants. The number of mobile wallets transacting over $1 billion per year is set to grow by 27% from 54 wallets in 2020 to 69 wallets by 2025. This provides a lucrative opportunity for merchants looking to acquire valuable customers, many of whom only use mobile wallets. However, not only are consumers using mobile wallets more, they are using more mobile wallets. Consumers in high growth markets such as India and Indonesia use an average of 2.74 wallets. This means that not only do merchants need to accept wallets but they need to ensure broad coverage across each target market.

"We are witnessing a paradigm shift in payments driven by mobile wallets. Mobile wallets have lowered the barrier to making digital payments and in parallel ushered billions of new consumers into eCommerce. These consumers are not in North America or Western Europe, they are in emerging markets, and while they don't have credit cards, they overwhelmingly have mobile wallets," said Jon Prideaux, CEO at Boku. "For global merchants, mobile payment acceptance is not about accepting one type of mobile wallet or another, but ensuring that consumers in every market will have the required selection on payment types in order to monetize transactions."

To download the 2021 Mobile Wallets Report please visit: http://boku.mobilewallet.report/

About Boku

Boku Inc. (AIM: BOKU) is a fintech pioneering the world's first global, mobile payments network. With 45% of global consumers using mobile payment methods to buy goods online, compared to 18% using credit cards, the future of commerce is mobile-first. Boku's technology platform helps the world's most demanding merchants attract, convert, and retain customers using mobile payments. By turning payments infrastructure into a source of sustainable competitive advantage, Boku safely activates a range of new merchant business models – from bundling to subscriptions.

Boku's platform is used in over 70 countries with more than a billion verified transactions in 2020, contributing $8.5 billion to the digital economy. Customers that trust Boku to simplify sign-up, acquire new paying users and prevent fraud include global leaders such as Apple, DAZN, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Sony, Spotify and Tencent.

Boku Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in London, UK, with offices in Brazil, China, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the US. To learn more about Boku please visit: https://www.boku.com/

About Juniper Research

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

Enquiries:
PRecious Communications for Boku, Inc.
Singapore/Asia Pacific: Clarence Lim, boku@preciouscomms.com

Boku in Asia

In Asia, Boku's payment partners for Mobile Wallets include: AliPay, Dana, GCash, GoPay, GrabPay, KakaoPay, LINE Pay, Ovo, PayMaya, PayPay, Toss, Touch 'n Go, Truemoney.

Boku also partners with payment partners to offer Direct Carrier Billing: AIS, BSNL, Celcom, Digi, dtac, Globe, Indosat Ooredoo, Jio, Korea Telecom, KDDI, LG U+, Maxis, M1, NTT Docomo, StarHub, Singtel, Softbank, SK Telecom, Smart, Smartfren, Tata Docomo, Telkomsel, Three, TrueMove, Vodafone, XL (amongst others).

Additional insights from the Mobile Payments Report 2021

Other insights from the Southeast Asian region include:
1. Indonesia represents one of the greatest opportunities for merchants accepting mobile payments: its mobile wallet penetration is at 25.6% in 2020, and set to triple to 76.5% by 2025. The report also expects that mobile wallet transactions will increase by volume to 16 billion transactions in 2025 (from 1.7 billion in 2020), and $107 billion in 2025 (from $28 billion in 2020) – the highest in the region.
2. Malaysia mobile payment adoption is behind other Southeast Asian countries currently, at a 31.7% penetration rate, but is poised for hyper growth over the next five years to 93.9%.
3. Philippines has one of the lowest levels of mobile wallet penetration at 22.4% of the population, but expected to grow to 63.4% by 2025 with a mobile wallet transaction value of $63.4 billion by 2025 (from $15 billion in 2020).
4. Singapore is set to reach mobile wallet penetration of nearly 95% by 2025 from 30.4% in 2020 – the highest in the Southeast Asian region, and with mobile wallet transactions projected to increase by 11x (from 101 million transaction volume in 2020, to 1.1 billion in 2025).
5. Mobile wallet penetration in Thailand is at 21.4% in 2020 and set to grow to 63.4% in 2025. The country is also set to hit $36.7 billion in transaction value in 2020 (from $10.6 billion in 2020).
6. Vietnam is primed for massive mobile payments growth – with mobile wallet transaction growth of 7x expected to 5 billion by 2025 from 674 million in 2020, and a mobile wallet penetration rate of 55.5% in 2025 (from 19.7% in 2020).

As part of the Mobile Payments Report 2021, Boku also conducted an in-depth consumer survey of 1035 respondents in Indonesia, during May 2021, which showed that:
1. Consumers use an average of 3.2 wallets in use per respondent, one of the highest in the world after India. The top reason for using more than one type of mobile wallet included different wallets giving different benefits (63%).
2. Cash was the payment type that is most in use prior to mobile wallets (at 66%), followed by bank transfers (63%) and debit cards (44%), which can likely be attributed to the extremely low credit card penetration rate in Indonesia.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

1982 Ventures Invests in Infina, Vietnam’s ‘Robinhood’ Investment App

SINGAPORE, Jun 28, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Infina, Vietnam's leading digital investment platform, has secured seed funding, raising an oversubscribed 7-digit seed round from 1982 Ventures, Saison Capital, Venturra Capital, 500 Startups, Nextrans and prominent angel investors. Infina, on a mission to democratize investments for Vietnam's population of 97 million, will use the funds to fuel growth and expand its product offerings.

1982 Ventures backs Infina, Vietnam-based digital investment platform, in an oversubscribed 7-digit seed round. 1982 Ventures is the leading seed fund focused on fintech in Southeast Asia. [Images: Infina]

Infina is well-positioned to tap into the growing retail investing opportunity in Vietnam. Approximately 500,000 trading accounts were opened in the first 5 months of 2021, which represents a 20% record increase over the full year 2020 figure. This growth is due in part due to millennials. While only 3.2% of the population invest in stocks, 75% of Vietnamese internet users transact money digitally.

Launched in January 2021, Infina is the latest to join the boom of investment apps across the region. Amid the pandemic, the startup currently serves tens of thousands of users and has seen its assets under management (AUM) rise more than fourfold. Infina's financial partners include some of the largest fund managers in the country, including Dragon Capital, Mirae Asset Fund Management and Viet Capital Asset Management.

Herston Powers, Managing Partner of 1982 Ventures stated, "Vietnam is the most promising market in Southeast Asia for the next wave of retail investing. Infina is at the forefront of the retail investing revolution in Vietnam and has quickly become the most trusted brand with millennial investors. Their commitment and experience building online communities is the key differentiator that makes Infina special."

James Vuong, CEO and Co-Founder of Infina stated, "Infina is building the 'Robinhood of Vietnam', to make investment accessible, easy, and engaging for the country's middle and lower classes." The majority of Vietnamese previously let their money sit in risk-free checking accounts or freeze in long-term real estate. However, millennial investors are shifting toward higher-yield asset categories with smaller required investments.

"As millennial investors shift toward higher-yield asset categories, Infina allows users to make a contribution as low as US$25 into a broad range of assets including savings, term deposits, mutual funds, and fractionalized real estate," added James. Infina's customers are primarily millennials aged 25 to 40 who would save or invest their disposable income on family planning, child education and early retirement.

James Vuong is an engineer-turned-VC-turned-startup-founder with a track record in Silicon Valley and Vietnam. In 2008, he returned to Vietnam as VP of Investment and a Kauffman Fellow at IDG Ventures. James launched Infina after exiting the last company he founded which was acquired by the Japanese giant LINE Corporation.

Scott Krivokopich, Managing Partner of 1982 Ventures stated, "Infina is the right team to back to capture this massive opportunity. Vietnam's digital retail investing industry is at an inflection point driven by rising incomes and millennials." He added, "Infina is democratizing access to wealth management to a largely underserved market."

Infina will use the funding to fuel growth and expand product offerings. Infina is built with regional aspirations but will continue to focus on Vietnam due to significant growth opportunities.

About 1982 Ventures

1982 Ventures is the leading seed fund investing in fintech startups in Southeast Asia. Our focus makes us the first port of call for fintech founders and the first money in. Our investments include Southeast Asian Open Banking API Platform Brick, Vietnam's leading Buy Now, Pay Later Fundiin, Vietnam's Rent-to-Own Home Financing app Homebase (YC W21), Indonesia's first Earned Wage Access platform Wagely. 1982 Ventures is investing in and supporting the best founders to positively impact the future of financial services in Southeast Asia. Visit https://1982.vc, or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Infina

Infina is the leading digital investment platform in Vietnam. Infina allows users to invest in higher yield asset categories with smaller required investments – savings, term deposits, mutual funds, and fractionalized real estate. To learn more, visit https://infina.vn/.

Contact:
Herston Powers
1982 Ventures
herston@1982.vc

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

1982 Ventures Invests in Infina, Vietnam’s ‘Robinhood’ Investment App

SINGAPORE, Jun 28, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Infina, Vietnam's leading digital investment platform, has secured seed funding, raising an oversubscribed 7-digit seed round with 1982 Ventures, Saison Capital, Venturra Capital, 500 Startups, Nextrans and prominent angel investors. Infina, on a mission to democratize investments for Vietnam's population of 97 million, will use the funds to fuel growth and expand its product offerings.

Bussr Joins BMW Foundation and MIT Global Sustainability Initiative

SINGAPORE, Jun 26, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Singapore-based transport disruptor Bussr is joining the BMW Foundation and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to participate in their global mobility and sustainability initiatives. The initiative will kick start with a global workshop panel of cross-sectoral leaders on June 23.

The global workshop will "Explore how digital and socio-ecological transformations will change the ways in which humans interact with civic and social mobility, within the existing infrastructure as well as within entirely new infrastructure systems."

Uniquely qualified to present new ideas and perspectives on the topic of mobility, Bussr is one of the world's leading innovators in the global transit and ground passenger transportation market, which will reach US$908.8 billion by 2027.

Bussr is a world-leading AI-based mobility company that offers advanced technology for cities' public transportation, private transport operators, corporates, and schools. Bussr uses advanced AI algorithms for elegant booking, payments, analytics, and operations to facilitate mobility to millions of people.

With the confident aim of changing the way the world moves from A to B, Bussr is the bold vision of former Microsoft Chief Architect, co-founder and CTO Ajay Bhandari, former Rocket Internet founder and CEO Hussein Abdelkarim, and veteran technology consultant and co-founder I.M. Shousha.

Ajay, who will speak at the prestigious event, said, "We are seeing undeniable and massive population shifts towards urban centers, and now is the time to have an honest but optimistic discussion about how we can leverage technology to give equitable access to mobility services. It's also important that we make transport services and infrastructure sustainable and viable for operators and society overall. We are thrilled to talk at this important event, and we look forward to providing insight wherever we can."

With everyday citizens seeking better lives in our cities, the world's urban population has increased by 55% in the previous 50 years and now accounts for more than 80% of global GDP. Mobility is key to this growth, with demand for urban road passenger transport predicted to double by 2050.

Forward-thinking global centers have realized that mass transport, such as subways, buses, ferries, and trains, as well as cycling and walking, are the way of the future. The rise of electric cars (EVs), micromobility, Uber, Didi, and Grab have made some gains in recent years, but much more needs to be done to solve the global transportation sector's inherent throttling.

Ajay, Abdelkarim, and Shousha view today's transportation industry as a busy, but chaotic dance. Currently, private passengers must arrange their travel manually, connecting multiple modes of transportation at different times that may or may not be convenient. On the other hand, transport providers still use manual scheduling techniques based on outmoded tradition rather than real-time data, which results in massive inefficiencies across the board.

The trio believes that their digitization of mobility networks will add a coordinated elegance to the way people travel. With its AI-powered technology, each Bussr journey is a synchronized, smooth jump from point A to point B, leaving cities less polluted and filled with people rather than vehicles. All of this contributes to Bussr's overall objective of "Digitizing mobility. Connecting the world."

Bussr's Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform serves as a private-use app as well as an end-to-end, omnichannel payment, ticketing, and fleet management solution for transport providers. Its specialized AI platform constantly analyzes millions of data points to assist mass transit systems to operate at peak efficiency for both passengers and operators.

For private passengers, the Bussr app is accessible for both iOS and Android, and gives end-to-end travel alternatives such as public buses, ride-sharing, trains, or even bike and scooter rentals to complete a trip. The user simply enters Point A and Point B, and the Bussr app uses its advanced AI algorithms to offer the optimal route in terms of time, cost, and carbon footprint by reducing reliance on single-occupant motor vehicle use.

Bussr's platform, which is available to cities, transport operators, schools, and corporations, may be branded or white-labeled for any use case. Bussr enables ticketing and payment administration, as well as extensive data insight on passenger flow, timing, and density. Operators are then able to correctly predict and plan for future passenger and transportation demands.

More than 900 transport partners already benefit from Bussr technology. In addition, 60 major payment providers are already on the Bussr platform, with 100,000 retail stores in 500 cities and towns.

The global workshop will be hosted by RESPOND, an initiative of the BMW Foundation. RESPOND works with entrepreneurs across the globe to drive innovation, accelerate sustainable business models, and empower responsible leadership in order to solve the world's social, environmental, and economic challenges.

Media Contact:
HA, Bussr Technologies
Email: press@bussr.com
Web: https://www.bussr.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

1982 Ventures Invests in Singapore’s First Wealthcare App HUGO

SINGAPORE, Jun 22, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – 1982 Ventures backs Hugo, a Singapore based digital wealth and savings app that helps Singaporeans develop healthy saving and investing habits. The Hugo app is now available in both Apple iOS and Google Play for iOS.

– Hugo raises $2 million (USD) in Seed round from 1982 Ventures and prominent family offices and angels
– Hugo's Wealthcare App gives customers control over their financial well-being and access to flexible savings and investment products
– Hugo recently launched its Gold Vault which makes investing in gold easy and accessible to all, with increments as small as S$0.01

Hugo has secured funding of $2 million (USD) from 1982 Ventures, prominent global and Singaporean family offices and angels. Hugo helps users develop healthy saving and investing habits that make financial security accessible to everyone in an easy and intuitive way. Founded in late 2019 by David Fergusson (CEO), Ben Davies (COO) and Braham Djidjelli (CPO), Hugo is positioned as the first Wealthcare App in the region.

David Fergusson, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, of Hugo stated "Money is the biggest cause of stress and Covid-19 has only reinforced how financially unprepared most of us are. We are excited to introduce Hugo at a time when financial wellbeing has become so relevant."

Hugo's most unique feature is its Gold Vault and makes investing in gold easy for all. Hugo customers can buy or sell gold for as low as 0.01 SGD. Gold has always been a core investment for the ultra-wealthy and offers safety and wealth preservation in times of inflation and market turmoil. Hugo's Gold Vault is backed by physical gold stored in an accredited LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) vault and insured by Lloyds of London, giving savers the same protections as large hedge funds and private banks.

Herston Powers, Managing Partner, of 1982 Ventures said "Hugo is democratizing access to gold with a low fee product that is extremely thoughtful and approachable. Singapore is a perfect market to launch the next generation of digital banking and wealth solutions."

Hugo is on a mission to help users save more. Hugo customers benefit from Hugo's Gold Vault (gold investing), Roundup (auto savings), Money Pots (setting financial goals) and the Hugo Platinum Visa Debit Card.

Scott Krivokopich, Managing Partner, of 1982 Ventures stated, "Hugo is proving that fintech startups will win the digital banking race in Southeast Asia by launching the first Wealthcare App in Singapore. The founders have a long and deep history in the region with roots that trace back to the 1930s in Singapore. Hugo has the banking and regulatory experience required to protect customers and grow a sustainable business."

Hugo will use the funds to continue to enhance its offering with new customer-driven products and services. Hugo is also exploring market expansion in several Southeast Asian geographies and outside the region with local partners.

About 1982 Ventures
1982 Ventures is a Singapore-based VC firm focused on investing in early-stage fintech start-ups in Southeast Asia, investing in and supporting the best founders in positively impacting the future of financial services in Southeast Asia. 1982 Ventures is the partner of choice for international investors, corporates and fintechs to gain access to Southeast Asia. Feel free to reach out for more info on www.1982.vc, and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Hugo
Hugo is a Singapore-based digital wealth and savings app that helps Singaporeans develop healthy saving and investing habits, ensuring financial wellbeing and providing access to gold to all. For more information visit www.hugosave.com.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

DENSO and NTT DATA Complete Verification Test Using Vehicle and People Flow Data to Innovate the Mobility Experience

KARIYA and TOKYO, Jun 8, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – DENSO and NTT DATA today announced that they have completed a joint verification test to improve mobility experiences using data on vehicle and people flows.

In the test, which spanned June 2020 to March 2021, DENSO and NTT DATA gathered participants' "vehicle flow data," or their movements by car, through in-vehicle devices and -people flow data" through their smartphone GPS and beacon detection logs.(1) Together, these data offered insights on participants' driving characteristics and the types of driving scenarios they encountered.

The test was conducted to provide better mobility experiences and services, and to help businesses attract potential customers amid changing consumer behaviors. To do this, the test analyzed the participants' driving behaviors and their driving status and behavior, and then recommended stores they might be interested in using their vehicle flow data and people flow data. The test showed that the drivers' behavior were affected by recommendation based on those flow data analysis.

Based on the results, DENSO and NTT DATA will consider commercializing the joint service, and verify the business model together with mobility businesses (automakers, car-sharing companies, car rental companies, etc.) and service providers (retailers, tour agents, commercial complexes, etc.).

Background

When going out, many people not only want to enjoy activities at their destination such as shopping, they also want to enjoy the trip and experiences along the way. If, for example, they want to reserve a restaurant, however, first they have to search the Internet for necessary information, and make a reservation through dedicated apps, which makes the experience inconsistent. As technologies such as connected vehicles, next-generation cockpits and automated driving evolve, the amount of information people can access from their cars will increase. Providing a seamless mobile experience for people both inside and outside of the ehicle may provide consumers with value and improve their trips.

DENSO is planning and developing next-generation cockpit platforms and connected vehicle system platforms, to build a new mobility society that connects vehicles, people, and things.

Since June 2020, in collaboration with unerry Inc., which operates the "Real Behavior Data Platform," NTT DATA has been developing "Mobility Commerce Service(2)," which provides users with a new travel experience to enjoy trips en route to their destination. The verification test used unerry's people flow data(3) and algorithms, which are part of the above service.

DENSO and NTT DATA found advantages in working together to provide services that connect people's trips using mobility systems and their destinations. The two companies therefore conducted a verification test to innovate the mobility experience based on vehicle and people flow data.

Concept of the service

It understands preference for how people move based on data gathered from in-vehicle devices and their smartphones, and analyzes the characteristics of their driving and movement, in order to provide timely and personalized content and recommendations to improve travel experiences and deliver better services when traveling with or without a car. The service is also intended to offer new values to service providers, such as helping them attract potential customers amid changing behaviors.

(1) This verification test is being conducted with the consent from the monitors to obtain and use their personal information for the purpose of this verification test.
(2) News release issued on June 18, 2020. "NTT DATA and unerry Forms Capital and Business Alliance to Provide "New Travel Experience"
https://www.nttdata.com/jp/ja/news/release/2020/061801/
(3) Uses unerry's Beacon Bank, the offline behavior data platform. (unerry has formed a capital and business alliance with NTT DATA)

For more information, visit https://www.denso.com/global/en/news/newsroom/2021/20210608-g01/.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

DIZO – the first brand in the realme TechLife Ecosystem announces its global launch

GURUGRAM, India, May 25, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – DIZO, the first brand under the realme TechLife ecosystem, announced its global launch today. More than just being a technology brand, DIZO embarks on a philosophy and a journey that aims to empower everyone to enjoy their desired life, enhanced by Smart TechLife. Pronounced as 'dee-zoe', the new brand aims to break the clutter of tech similarities and offer solutions that are aligned to the needs of every different consumer. Urging its consumers to "Be Different", DIZO wishes to offer the technology that complements the individuality of a consumer, empowers them, and becomes an extension of their personalities.

Built around the mission to offer a Smart Tech Life for Every Different You, DIZO along with realme is committed to bringing the best of both brands to its consumers. In fact, DIZO has unflinching support from realme around three key aspects – Industrial Design, Supply Chain and AIoT experience that works perfectly with realme Link.

Congratulating the DIZO team, Madhav Sheth, Vice President, realme and Chief Executive Officer, realme India and Europe said, "This is a momentous occasion as DIZO goes live with its mission to offer innovative and diversified AIoT solutions to its consumers. The new brand will enable consumers to experience a smart, efficient, and interconnected life. Being the first brand in the realme TechLife ecosystem, I am very excited to tell you that DIZO already has great products in the pipeline to offer to its consumers. We wish DIZO good luck and look forward to its success."

DIZO's focus is to create a portfolio of an entire range of AIoT solutions that consumers can use in their daily lifestyle. And with that focus in mind, DIZO will enter into four major product categories, which are Smart Entertainment, Smart Home, Smart Care and Accessories for its consumers across the world.

DIZO has seamlessly and efficiently integrated the global supply chain with its local operational resources to meet the varied needs of its consumers. Also, the entire core team members come from global technology brands with stellar experience.

DIZO products will be coming soon to countries in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, etc. Do follow DIZO for the latest announcements.

Website: www.dizo.net
Facebook: @DIZOTechnology
Twitter: @DIZOTech
Instagram: @dizotech
YouTube: DIZO

ABOUT DIZO

DIZO is a global technology brand and the first brand in the realme TechLife ecosystem. With its brand tagline – 'Be Different', DIZO promises to bring 'Smart Tech Life for Every Different You'. Being the first realme TechLife ecosystem brand, DIZO comes with realme's support in 3 key aspects – Industrial Design, Supply Chain and AIoT experience that works perfectly with realme Link. In terms of product categories, DIZO will focus on entering into Smart Entertainment, Smart Home, Smart Care and Accessories for its consumers.

Contact for PR queries: pr@dizo.net, Bappi Barman

SOURCE: DIZO

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Daraz announces Seller Promises including faster pay-outs and accelerated business growth for local entrepreneurs

SINGAPORE, Apr 15, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Daraz, the leading e-commerce platform in South Asia announced its commitment to provide additional support to local entrepreneurs and enhance the selling experience on the platform over the coming months.

In a recent online conference, Daraz Group CEO, Bjarke Mikkelsen, announced key initiatives planned for seller growth on Daraz. With the newly launched promises, the market leader will aid the economic growth of the region and accelerate digitalization.

According to Bjarke, "Sellers are the heart of Daraz' ecosystem, and in 2021 our key focus will be to make it easier and faster to sign up, start selling, and growing your business online. Our seller promises for 2021 form the foundation to improve seller experience and allow our sellers to capture the full growth potential in the market."

Key features of the announcement included:
1. Daraz will make the process of signing up easier and faster to allow new Sellers to start selling within 24 hours.
2. Effective immediately, Sellers will be paid twice as fast by reducing the payment cycle from 14 days to 7 days.
3. Daraz will aim to always respond to Seller enquiries on live chat within 30 seconds during business hours to ensure instant support.
4. For Sellers whose products are not selling as expected, Daraz will provide specific support to help identify the business gaps.
5. Lastly, the claims process will be streamlined to make it much easier and faster for Sellers to file claims when needed.

With these initiatives, and continued investments to increase the user base, Daraz expects to more than double the number of sellers generating more than a $1,000 revenue per month before the end of the year.

COVID has accelerated the retail shift to e-commerce, and thousands of sellers have been joining Daraz every month. However, the online retail share in the region is still low, and South Asian markets are expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. On this note, the CEO added, "We hope our seller community is as optimistic as we are about the year to come. Despite the COVID impact on the broader economy, we are convinced that 2021 will be a year of great success for e-commerce. We will be doing our utmost to make it a success for all of our trusted and valued sellers."

Daraz' mission to empower entrepreneurs across the region through its technology, logistics and business infrastructure. The seller promises for the upcoming year are a testament to the brand's commitment towards its sellers and ecosystem. As Jack Ma – founder of Daraz' parent company said, "Our philosophy is that we want to be an ecosystem. Our philosophy is to empower others to sell, empower others to service, making sure the other people are more powerful than us." With this vision, Daraz will enable ease of business and encourage sellers to shift to e-commerce.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Bussr Rolls Out Nekla Digital Payments to Millions of Users

SINGAPORE, Apr 14, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Bussr, the world-leading artificial intelligence (AI) powered mobility platform, is looking to make its services global in every sense of the word after announcing the rollout of the pioneering digital payment platform, Nekla. The Singapore-based transport disruptor announced it will offer its passengers a digital payment option through payment innovator Nekla, allowing millions of underbanked users to pay for Bussr services easily.

Bussr's Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) technology serves both as a mobile app for private travelers and a full journey ticketing, payment, and fleet management solution for cities and enterprises. Its leading AI platform continuously monitors millions of data points to help large-scale transport operations perform at optimal efficiency for both passengers and operators.

Bussr currently operates across more than 500 cities, with over 830 transport operators, 60-plus payment partners, and more than 100,000 retail stores. While Bussr has already seen more than 12 million passengers use their platform in less than two years, they believe it is Nekla's digital-based payment platform that will lead to ubiquity on a global scale.

A challenge Bussr has been facing, that Nekla addresses, is meeting the demand from emerging markets, where 1.7 billion adults are still locked out of the conventional banking system, even though half a billion of that population have access to the internet. This means over a third of the planet's adult population is unbanked. For Bussr, that means millions of customers who want to use their platform, but have no reliable way of paying.

Nekla's technology can certainly address the issues of providing service to the unbanked with access to money, all the while benefiting from its inherent strengths of trustworthiness and transparency. But what really captured Bussr's attention was how Nekla could make digital payments beginner-friendly and accessible to millions of people.

Front-line financial technologies, despite the headlines, are far from reaching mass adoption worldwide. After all, most people don't have time to study complex algorithms to make a simple payment. Nekla believes that they can bridge the divide between the real world and the digital finance space, and trigger a global, mass uptake of digital finance with a beginner-friendly, easy-to-use payment and lending platform.

Nekla's solution to this lofty goal is a global payment ecosystem that is accessible to anyone with a $30 smartphone, and data access. Download the app, deposit local currency to your account from a third-party financial service provider, or deposit cash in a retail store. You then have digital currency that can be used almost anywhere on earth.

This will allow Bussr to rapidly expand the scope of their operations to the 5.7 billion people in emerging markets in Asia, Africa, and beyond. It's numbers like that which make Bussr believe they will earn a large share of the global transit and ground passenger transportation market that is predicted to reach US$908.8 billion by 2027.

Nekla is founded by Silicon Valley and Wall Street pioneers who have banded together to make Finance accessible to everyone on the planet. A wealth of talent and experience is needed to bring such a vast vision to reality, which thankfully, Nekla has. Nekla's leadership managed the world's largest internet ventures, led major digital transformation projects for governments and global consulting firms like PwC and Deloitte, and guided industry leaders, acting as Microsoft's Chief Architect and Google's Enterprise Architect in billion-customer markets.

Bussr is backed by high-profile investors, such as Bridford Group, Peng Ong of Monk's Hill, Le Mercier Group, Jack Selby of Thiel Capital, Altitude Partners, Angela Huang, Duncan Clark, Founder of China BDA, Alibaba early investor and author of the book 'The House That Jack Ma Built, Andrew Huang of Fountainvest, and Alfa Intelligence Capital. There are also strategic angel investors from Facebook, PayPal, Lyft, Spotify, Zoom, Didi, and Impossible Foods.

With this experience and knowledge behind it, and with the backing of such influential partners, Nekla believes it can make Digital Finance the new norm for mass-adopted payments and lending around the world.

Media contact:
Bussr Technologies
Email: press@bussr.com
Website: www.bussr.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com