Partnership combines breakthrough organoid technology with the world’s largest PDX collection to create a unique patient-derived translational research platform
SAN DIEGO, March 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crown Bioscience, a global drug discovery and development services company, providing translational platforms to advance oncology, inflammation and autoimmune, cardiovascular and metabolic disease research announced today that parent company, JSR Corporation, has entered into a strategic partnership with Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB).
The agreement provides CrownBio, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSR Corporation, with an exclusive license to provide preclinical oncology drug development and validation services using HUB Organoid Technology, including access to HUB’s highly characterized tumor organoid biobank. CrownBio and HUB will also launch a collaborative research & development program to accelerate further development of Organoid Technology, while CrownBio will establish a new operations center in Utrecht, Netherlands.
HUB’s adult stem cell-derived organoids, developed by Prof. Hans Clevers at the Hubrecht Institute in Utrecht, are generated using highly standardized, proprietary culture methods. The Organoids faithfully recapitulate tumors in patients and are extensively characterized by pathology, genomics, and sensitivity to known and experimental drugs.
“This agreement is a pivotal moment in our growth and the evolution of the company,” said Dr. Jean-Pierre Wery, CEO of CrownBio. “This partnership positions CrownBio at the forefront of global preclinical research by creating an unparalleled translational platform to accelerate drug development and validation.”
Building on a global leadership in Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDX), CrownBio will offer comprehensive pharmacology and translational services based on HUB Organoid Technology, establishing a unique platform that incorporates in vitro screening of Patient-Derived Organoids (PDO) and PDX derived organoids (PDXO), matched to downstream in vivo models.
“We are delighted with the increased access to HUB Organoid Technology for researchers worldwide through CrownBio’s global reach and preclinical service expertise,” said Dr. Robert Vries, Executive Director of HUB. “Our partnership with CrownBio equips the drug development community with powerful new translational tools to guide the creation of novel and improved treatments for cancer.”
About Crown Bioscience Inc.
CrownBio is a global drug discovery and development solutions company providing translational platforms to advance oncology, inflammation, cardiovascular and metabolic disease research. With an extensive portfolio of relevant models and predictive tools, CrownBio enables clients to deliver superior clinical candidates. For more information about CrownBio’s translational oncology platforms visit https://www.crownbio.com
About HUB
Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB) is an organization founded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences and the University Medical Center Utrecht. HUB exploits the pioneering work of Prof. Hans Clevers, who discovered methods to grow stem cell-derived human ‘mini-organs’ (HUB Organoids) from tissues of patients with various diseases. The organoids, which are part of the HUB biobanks, are characterized by genome sequencing, expression profiling and sensitivity to known and experimental drugs to establish a database linking genetic and transcriptional information to drug responsiveness. HUB offers licenses to its patented HUB Organoid Technology and access to organoids from the HUB biobank for preclinical drug screening, discovery, development and validation. In addition, HUB is performing clinical studies to validate the technology’s use as a companion diagnostic. More info at www.hub4organoids.eu.
Media Enquiries:
Jody Barbeau
Crown Bioscience Inc.
marketing@crownbio.com
Source: Crown Bioscience
--BERNAMA
Friday, 29 March 2019
THE CLIBURN NAMES MARIN ALSOP AS 2021 JURY CHAIRMAN
The American luminary will serve as jury chairman and Final Round conductor for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, May 28–June 12, 2021, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas USA
FORT WORTH, Texas, March 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Cliburn announces today that Marin Alsop will be the jury chairman for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 28–June 12, 2021, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas USA.
Widely considered one of the preeminent international music contests, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition exists to share excellent classical music with the largest international audience possible and to launch the careers of its winners every four years. Building on a rich tradition that began with its 1962 origins in honor of Van Cliburn and his vision for using music to serve audiences and break down boundaries, the Cliburn seeks, with each edition, to achieve the highest artistic standards while utilizing contemporary tools to advance its reach. The world’s top 18- to 30-year-old pianists compete for gold in front of a live audience in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as a global online viewership of over 5 million. Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following.
One of the world’s most distinguished and innovative conductors, Marin Alsop holds major appointments on three continents: music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 2007; principal conductor and music director of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra since 2012; and chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra beginning September 2019. Among her many awards and academic positions, she is the only conductor to receive the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Philharmonic Society, is a 2019 recipient of the World Economic Forum Crystal Award, and was recently appointed Director of Graduate Conducting at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute.
In addition to her role as jury chairman, she will conduct the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra with the six finalists during the Competition’s Final Round. As chairman, she will oversee the jury selection process, consult on jury rules and procedures, and set the tone and mandate of the jury; but she will abstain from voting throughout the Competition, except in the case of a tie after the Final Round.
Marin Alsop’s ceiling-shattering career launched in 1989, when she was the first woman to be awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize from the Tanglewood Music Center, where she began studying with her mentor, Leonard Bernstein. Over the following three decades, she became the first woman to serve as music director for a major American orchestra, to hold the chief conducting role at each of her three orchestras, and to conduct the Last Night of the Proms. She will be the first woman to serve as jury chairman or to conduct during the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
“We could not be more pleased with this new partnership with Marin Alsop,” said Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis. “Not only is she a powerful voice in classical music internationally and a fantastic conductor, she is also well known for her commitment to reaching new audiences and her encouragement of young artists. Each of these attributes perfectly complements the Cliburn’s mission and the goals of the Cliburn Competition. We look forward to working closely with her to spread classical music around the globe and to launch the careers of our new winners.”
"I’m really looking forward to working with the talented young pianists at the Cliburn Competition,” Alsop said. “Collaborating with this world-class organization that is devoted to nurturing future generations aligns with my commitment to education and passion for mentoring young musicians.”
MARIN ALSOP
Marin Alsop is an inspiring and powerful voice in the international music scene, a music director of vision and distinction who passionately believes that “music has the power to change lives.” She is recognized across the world for her innovative approach to programming and for her deep commitment to education and to the development of audiences of all ages.
Her outstanding success as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) since 2007 has been recognized by two extensions in her tenure, now confirmed until 2021. As part of her artistic leadership, Alsop has led the orchestra on their first European tour to the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival and created several bold initiatives: ‘OrchKids’, for the city’s most deprived young people, and the BSO Academy and Rusty Musicians for adult amateur musicians. Alsop became principal conductor and music director of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) in 2012, where she continues to steer highly creative programming and outreach activities, and which she conducts on the international stage: this includes a tour to Asia in 2019 with two concerts at the Hong Kong Arts Festival and three European tours featuring critically acclaimed performances at major summer festivals including the Lucerne Festival and in Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Salzburg, and Vienna; her contract continues to the end of 2019, when she becomes Conductor of Honour. In September 2019, Alsop becomes chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Marin Alsop conducts the world’s major orchestras, with recent and forthcoming European highlights including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre de Paris, and long-standing relationships with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). In the Unites States, Alsop regularly conducts the Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Chicago Symphony orchestras, including at their summer residencies at Saratoga, Blossom, and Ravinia. Further highlights of the 2018–2019 season include the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Spanish National Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de France, following summer festival debuts at the Grafenegg and MITO festivals with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a second residency with the Britten-Pears Orchestra at the Snape Proms.
At London's Southbank Centre where she is artist-in-residence, this season she conducted Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, following performances with the orchestra at the BBC Proms. In September 2013, Marin Alsop made history as the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, which she returned to conduct in 2015.
Her extensive discography has led to multiple Gramophone awards and includes highly praised Naxos cycles of Brahms with the LPO and MDR Leipzig, Dvořák with the BSO, Prokofiev with OSESP, and further recordings for Decca Classics, Harmonia Mundi, and Sony Classical. She is dedicated to new music, demonstrated in her 25-year tenure as Music Director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.
In 2019, Alsop was awarded the prestigious Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum and is the only conductor to receive the distinguished MacArthur Fellowship. Amongst many awards and academic positions, she is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Philharmonic Society, and was recently appointed director of graduate conducting at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute. She attended The Juilliard School and Yale University, who awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in 2017. Her conducting career was launched in 1989, when she was the first woman to be awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize from the Tanglewood Music Center and began studying with her most important mentor, Leonard Bernstein.
ABOUT THE CLIBURN
The Cliburn advances classical piano music throughout the world. Its international competitions, education programs, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists. Established in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (sixteenth edition, May 27–June 12, 2021) remains the most visible expression of that mission and is, as always, committed to its original ideals of supporting and launching the careers of emerging artists, ages 18–30. It shares the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience, through fully-produced webcasts and by providing comprehensive career management and concert bookings to its winners. Rounding out its mission, the Cliburn also produces the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for exceptional 13 to 17-year-old pianists (second edition, May 31–June 8, 2019), and the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition for outstanding non-professional pianists age 35 and older (eighth edition, May 24–30, 2020).
Over a four-year cycle, the Cliburn contributes to North Texas’ cultural landscape with over 170 classical music performances for 150,000 attendees, through competitions, free community concerts, and its signature Cliburn Concerts series at Bass Performance Hall, the Kimbell Art Museum Piano Pavilion, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and Scat Jazz Lounge. It presents 1,000 in-school, interactive music education programs for more than 200,000 area elementary students. During the same time period, it garners the world’s attention with over five million visits from 170 nations for live concert and competition webcasts; 300 concerts worldwide booked for competition winners; more than 5,000 news articles about the Cliburn and its winners; and regular national radio broadcasts to 245 public radio stations. Detailed information about the Cliburn and its programs is available at cliburn.org.
CLIBURN SPONSORS
Arts Council of Fort Worth
Mercedes T. Bass Charitable Corporation
Sid W. Richardson Foundation
The Pangburn Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation, Inc.
Exclusive Print Media Sponsor
Star-Telegram
Official Piano of the Cliburn
Steinway & Sons – North Texas / Houston
Contact:
Maggie Estes, director of communications and digital content, mestes@cliburn.org, 817.739.0459
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/32053d53-6fc3-4cf6-bef6-94a3bbe7a3c8
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0beec0e-502f-4a6e-a6f8-8434c815f1b0
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b2e55d09-486c-4254-837e-4d0ae2408368
Source: The Cliburn
--BERNAMA
FORT WORTH, Texas, March 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Cliburn announces today that Marin Alsop will be the jury chairman for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 28–June 12, 2021, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas USA.
Widely considered one of the preeminent international music contests, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition exists to share excellent classical music with the largest international audience possible and to launch the careers of its winners every four years. Building on a rich tradition that began with its 1962 origins in honor of Van Cliburn and his vision for using music to serve audiences and break down boundaries, the Cliburn seeks, with each edition, to achieve the highest artistic standards while utilizing contemporary tools to advance its reach. The world’s top 18- to 30-year-old pianists compete for gold in front of a live audience in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as a global online viewership of over 5 million. Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following.
One of the world’s most distinguished and innovative conductors, Marin Alsop holds major appointments on three continents: music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 2007; principal conductor and music director of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra since 2012; and chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra beginning September 2019. Among her many awards and academic positions, she is the only conductor to receive the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Philharmonic Society, is a 2019 recipient of the World Economic Forum Crystal Award, and was recently appointed Director of Graduate Conducting at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute.
In addition to her role as jury chairman, she will conduct the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra with the six finalists during the Competition’s Final Round. As chairman, she will oversee the jury selection process, consult on jury rules and procedures, and set the tone and mandate of the jury; but she will abstain from voting throughout the Competition, except in the case of a tie after the Final Round.
Marin Alsop’s ceiling-shattering career launched in 1989, when she was the first woman to be awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize from the Tanglewood Music Center, where she began studying with her mentor, Leonard Bernstein. Over the following three decades, she became the first woman to serve as music director for a major American orchestra, to hold the chief conducting role at each of her three orchestras, and to conduct the Last Night of the Proms. She will be the first woman to serve as jury chairman or to conduct during the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
“We could not be more pleased with this new partnership with Marin Alsop,” said Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis. “Not only is she a powerful voice in classical music internationally and a fantastic conductor, she is also well known for her commitment to reaching new audiences and her encouragement of young artists. Each of these attributes perfectly complements the Cliburn’s mission and the goals of the Cliburn Competition. We look forward to working closely with her to spread classical music around the globe and to launch the careers of our new winners.”
"I’m really looking forward to working with the talented young pianists at the Cliburn Competition,” Alsop said. “Collaborating with this world-class organization that is devoted to nurturing future generations aligns with my commitment to education and passion for mentoring young musicians.”
MARIN ALSOP
Marin Alsop is an inspiring and powerful voice in the international music scene, a music director of vision and distinction who passionately believes that “music has the power to change lives.” She is recognized across the world for her innovative approach to programming and for her deep commitment to education and to the development of audiences of all ages.
Her outstanding success as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) since 2007 has been recognized by two extensions in her tenure, now confirmed until 2021. As part of her artistic leadership, Alsop has led the orchestra on their first European tour to the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival and created several bold initiatives: ‘OrchKids’, for the city’s most deprived young people, and the BSO Academy and Rusty Musicians for adult amateur musicians. Alsop became principal conductor and music director of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) in 2012, where she continues to steer highly creative programming and outreach activities, and which she conducts on the international stage: this includes a tour to Asia in 2019 with two concerts at the Hong Kong Arts Festival and three European tours featuring critically acclaimed performances at major summer festivals including the Lucerne Festival and in Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Salzburg, and Vienna; her contract continues to the end of 2019, when she becomes Conductor of Honour. In September 2019, Alsop becomes chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Marin Alsop conducts the world’s major orchestras, with recent and forthcoming European highlights including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre de Paris, and long-standing relationships with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). In the Unites States, Alsop regularly conducts the Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Chicago Symphony orchestras, including at their summer residencies at Saratoga, Blossom, and Ravinia. Further highlights of the 2018–2019 season include the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Spanish National Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de France, following summer festival debuts at the Grafenegg and MITO festivals with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a second residency with the Britten-Pears Orchestra at the Snape Proms.
At London's Southbank Centre where she is artist-in-residence, this season she conducted Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, following performances with the orchestra at the BBC Proms. In September 2013, Marin Alsop made history as the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, which she returned to conduct in 2015.
Her extensive discography has led to multiple Gramophone awards and includes highly praised Naxos cycles of Brahms with the LPO and MDR Leipzig, Dvořák with the BSO, Prokofiev with OSESP, and further recordings for Decca Classics, Harmonia Mundi, and Sony Classical. She is dedicated to new music, demonstrated in her 25-year tenure as Music Director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.
In 2019, Alsop was awarded the prestigious Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum and is the only conductor to receive the distinguished MacArthur Fellowship. Amongst many awards and academic positions, she is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Philharmonic Society, and was recently appointed director of graduate conducting at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute. She attended The Juilliard School and Yale University, who awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in 2017. Her conducting career was launched in 1989, when she was the first woman to be awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize from the Tanglewood Music Center and began studying with her most important mentor, Leonard Bernstein.
ABOUT THE CLIBURN
The Cliburn advances classical piano music throughout the world. Its international competitions, education programs, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists. Established in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (sixteenth edition, May 27–June 12, 2021) remains the most visible expression of that mission and is, as always, committed to its original ideals of supporting and launching the careers of emerging artists, ages 18–30. It shares the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience, through fully-produced webcasts and by providing comprehensive career management and concert bookings to its winners. Rounding out its mission, the Cliburn also produces the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for exceptional 13 to 17-year-old pianists (second edition, May 31–June 8, 2019), and the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition for outstanding non-professional pianists age 35 and older (eighth edition, May 24–30, 2020).
Over a four-year cycle, the Cliburn contributes to North Texas’ cultural landscape with over 170 classical music performances for 150,000 attendees, through competitions, free community concerts, and its signature Cliburn Concerts series at Bass Performance Hall, the Kimbell Art Museum Piano Pavilion, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and Scat Jazz Lounge. It presents 1,000 in-school, interactive music education programs for more than 200,000 area elementary students. During the same time period, it garners the world’s attention with over five million visits from 170 nations for live concert and competition webcasts; 300 concerts worldwide booked for competition winners; more than 5,000 news articles about the Cliburn and its winners; and regular national radio broadcasts to 245 public radio stations. Detailed information about the Cliburn and its programs is available at cliburn.org.
CLIBURN SPONSORS
Arts Council of Fort Worth
Mercedes T. Bass Charitable Corporation
Sid W. Richardson Foundation
The Pangburn Foundation
The Walton Family Foundation, Inc.
Exclusive Print Media Sponsor
Star-Telegram
Official Piano of the Cliburn
Steinway & Sons – North Texas / Houston
Contact:
Maggie Estes, director of communications and digital content, mestes@cliburn.org, 817.739.0459
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/32053d53-6fc3-4cf6-bef6-94a3bbe7a3c8
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0beec0e-502f-4a6e-a6f8-8434c815f1b0
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b2e55d09-486c-4254-837e-4d0ae2408368
Source: The Cliburn
--BERNAMA
INAUGURAL ASEAN TOURISM AWARDS JAPAN PRESENTED TO EXCELLENT TOURS TO THE ASEAN MEMBER STATES
Result of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018:
https://www.asean.or.jp/en/tourism-info/20190327/
TOKYO, March 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) has awarded eleven tour products in six categories for the trips with destinations to the ASEAN Member States (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) as winners of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005353/en/
With the successful implementation of the “Mekong Tourism Award” in the past, the AJC has expanded its prizes range by launching the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan in FY2018 to honour excellent, quality tour products to all ASEAN destinations. It is aimed to encourage the Japanese tourism sector to diversify tour products and to further promote the ASEAN Member States as attractive tourism destinations.
The judging committee consisting of members of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), the Overseas Tour Operators Association of Japan (OTOA), and the ASEAN-Japan Centre, screened 76 entries to choose the winners. Consequently, awards were given to 11 selected tour products in six categories. There was also commendation of influencers to one group and three individuals who contributed to the promotion of tourism in the region.
The awarding ceremony took place at Tokyo Prince Hotel on March 6, 2019 and was participated by some 90 guests from awarded travel agents, land operators and airlines, and representatives of tourism organizations and the governments of the ASEAN Member States and Japan. At the ceremony, Mr. Jun Takashina, Vice Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, commented that the number of foreign visitors to Japan was record high last year; and the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan is significant not only to recognize quality tour products, but also to encourage more Japanese people to visit the ASEAN Member States, which contributes to vitalize the mutual interaction of people between Japan and the ASEAN region.
The awardees of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018 are as follows:
Awardees of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018
Note: English tour titles were translated by ASEAN-Japan Centre and are for reference only.
[ New Destination Award ]
Tropical mirage 6 days in Brunei
Awardees: JTB Media Retailing Corp., OVERSEAS NETWORK Co., LTD, Royal Brunei Airlines
[ Luxury Travel Award ]
5 days premium travel to Bangkok and Ayutthaya by Thai Airways' First class
Awardees: CLUB TOURISM INTERNATIONAL INC., SAI Travel Service Co., Ltd., THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL
[ Unique Tour Award (2 products) ]
Try being Cabin Attendant at Malaysia Airline's training center (7 days)
Awardees: PURPOSE JAPAN CO.LTD, Malaysia Airlines
Study tour to learn the latest fair tradings and social businesses in the Philippines (7 days)
Awardees: GLOBE-TROTTER T&E Inc., Girls, be Ambitious Inc., Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air
[ Sustainable Tour Award (2 products) ]
Birdwatching in Negros, the Philippines (5 days)
Awardees: Kaze Travel Co., Ltd., BLUE PLANET EXPLORER, Philippine Airlines
Wildlife sanctuary in the heart of Borneo, Bilit along Kinabatangan river
Awardees: U Tour Service Co., Ltd, Ocean Delight Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia
[ Mekong Award (4 products) ]
7 resorts in Vietnam by Vietnam Airlines
Awardees: NIPPON TRAVEL AGENCY CO., LTD, S.M.I. TRAVEL JAPAN CO., LTD., APEX International Inc., Vietnam Airlines
The new best of Cambodia, 6 days round tour
Awardees: JTB Media Retailing Corp., APEX International Inc., All Nippon Airways
7 days touring north-south Laos, Shangri-la of the great Mekong
Awardees: CLUB TOURISM INTERNATIONAL INC., APEX International Inc., Vietnam Airlines
Club Tourism Special event, 7 superspectacles and festivals in Myanmar in 7 days
Awardees: CLUB TOURISM INTERNATIONAL INC., APEX International Inc., All Nippon Airways
[ Jury’s Special Award ]
Special tour of YTV Asa Para! (TV program) and JTB "Hello, Myanmar"
Awardees: JTB Corp., JTB-Polestar Co., Ltd., Singapore Airlines
[ Commendation of influencers ]
https://www.asean.or.jp/en/tourism-info/20190327/
TOKYO, March 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) has awarded eleven tour products in six categories for the trips with destinations to the ASEAN Member States (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) as winners of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005353/en/
With the successful implementation of the “Mekong Tourism Award” in the past, the AJC has expanded its prizes range by launching the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan in FY2018 to honour excellent, quality tour products to all ASEAN destinations. It is aimed to encourage the Japanese tourism sector to diversify tour products and to further promote the ASEAN Member States as attractive tourism destinations.
The judging committee consisting of members of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), the Overseas Tour Operators Association of Japan (OTOA), and the ASEAN-Japan Centre, screened 76 entries to choose the winners. Consequently, awards were given to 11 selected tour products in six categories. There was also commendation of influencers to one group and three individuals who contributed to the promotion of tourism in the region.
The awarding ceremony took place at Tokyo Prince Hotel on March 6, 2019 and was participated by some 90 guests from awarded travel agents, land operators and airlines, and representatives of tourism organizations and the governments of the ASEAN Member States and Japan. At the ceremony, Mr. Jun Takashina, Vice Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, commented that the number of foreign visitors to Japan was record high last year; and the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan is significant not only to recognize quality tour products, but also to encourage more Japanese people to visit the ASEAN Member States, which contributes to vitalize the mutual interaction of people between Japan and the ASEAN region.
The awardees of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018 are as follows:
Awardees of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018
Note: English tour titles were translated by ASEAN-Japan Centre and are for reference only.
[ New Destination Award ]
Tropical mirage 6 days in Brunei
Awardees: JTB Media Retailing Corp., OVERSEAS NETWORK Co., LTD, Royal Brunei Airlines
[ Luxury Travel Award ]
5 days premium travel to Bangkok and Ayutthaya by Thai Airways' First class
Awardees: CLUB TOURISM INTERNATIONAL INC., SAI Travel Service Co., Ltd., THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL
[ Unique Tour Award (2 products) ]
Try being Cabin Attendant at Malaysia Airline's training center (7 days)
Awardees: PURPOSE JAPAN CO.LTD, Malaysia Airlines
Study tour to learn the latest fair tradings and social businesses in the Philippines (7 days)
Awardees: GLOBE-TROTTER T&E Inc., Girls, be Ambitious Inc., Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air
[ Sustainable Tour Award (2 products) ]
Birdwatching in Negros, the Philippines (5 days)
Awardees: Kaze Travel Co., Ltd., BLUE PLANET EXPLORER, Philippine Airlines
Wildlife sanctuary in the heart of Borneo, Bilit along Kinabatangan river
Awardees: U Tour Service Co., Ltd, Ocean Delight Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia
[ Mekong Award (4 products) ]
7 resorts in Vietnam by Vietnam Airlines
Awardees: NIPPON TRAVEL AGENCY CO., LTD, S.M.I. TRAVEL JAPAN CO., LTD., APEX International Inc., Vietnam Airlines
The new best of Cambodia, 6 days round tour
Awardees: JTB Media Retailing Corp., APEX International Inc., All Nippon Airways
7 days touring north-south Laos, Shangri-la of the great Mekong
Awardees: CLUB TOURISM INTERNATIONAL INC., APEX International Inc., Vietnam Airlines
Club Tourism Special event, 7 superspectacles and festivals in Myanmar in 7 days
Awardees: CLUB TOURISM INTERNATIONAL INC., APEX International Inc., All Nippon Airways
[ Jury’s Special Award ]
Special tour of YTV Asa Para! (TV program) and JTB "Hello, Myanmar"
Awardees: JTB Corp., JTB-Polestar Co., Ltd., Singapore Airlines
[ Commendation of influencers ]
- Generasi Wonderful Indonesia Chapter Jepang
- Ms. Hiro Nishiuchi
- Ms. Loveli
- Ms. Ayumi Amemiya
For further details, please visit the AJC website at:
https://www.asean.or.jp/en/tourism-info/20190327/
[ ASEAN-Japan Centre ]
The ASEAN-Japan Centre is an intergovernmental organization established by the ASEAN Member States and Japan in 1981. It has been promoting exports from ASEAN to Japan while revitalizing investment, tourism as well as people-to-people exchanges between the ASEAN Member States and Japan.
URL: https://www.asean.or.jp/en/
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005353/en/
Contact
ASEAN-Japan Centre
Junko Nukiyama
TEL +81-3-5402-8118
FAX +81-3-5402-8003
E-mail: toiawase_ga@asean.or.jp
1F, Shin Onarimon Bldg., 6-17-19 Shimbashi,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004 Japan
Source : ASEAN-Japan Centre
--BERNAMA
AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF LIG INSURANCE (CHINA) CO LTD
HONG KONG, March 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” of LIG Insurance (China) Co Ltd (LIG China) (China). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect LIG China’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also reflect the wide range of support the company receives from its parent, KB Insurance Co., Ltd. (KB Insurance) in areas including business development, reinsurance and investment.
LIG China’s risk-adjusted capitalization remains at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), supported by very low underwriting leverage and a highly conservative investment portfolio. The company has generated positive net profits consistently in the past five years, mainly attributable to a solid stream of interest income and low acquisition costs from its direct distribution channel. Despite having a small market share, LIG China occupies a niche market by focusing on servicing Korean Interests Abroad (KIA) that operate in China, which generate more than 90% of the company’s revenue.
An offsetting rating factor is LIG China’s underwriting of large commercial accounts with potentially large losses, leading to volatility in its underwriting performance. This is mitigated by a comprehensive reinsurance program that lowers the company’s net retention in these risks. However, the high reinsurance dependence also exposes the company to reinsurer credit risk in the event of major losses. As a foreign-owned insurer concentrated on KIA businesses, LIG China is vulnerable to regulatory and political uncertainties in its operating environment.
While positive rating actions are unlikely in the near term, negative rating actions could occur if there is a substantial decline in the company’s risk-adjusted capitalization, a significant deterioration in its operating performance, or reduced support from the parent.
Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.
This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.
AM Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information.
Copyright © 2019 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005717/en/
Contact
Yizhou Hong
Financial Analyst
+852 2827 3426
yizhou.hong@ambest.com
Christie Lee
Director, Analytics
+852 2827 3413
christie.lee@ambest.com
Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com
Jim Peavy
Director, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com
Source : AM Best
--BERNAMA
The ratings reflect LIG China’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also reflect the wide range of support the company receives from its parent, KB Insurance Co., Ltd. (KB Insurance) in areas including business development, reinsurance and investment.
LIG China’s risk-adjusted capitalization remains at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), supported by very low underwriting leverage and a highly conservative investment portfolio. The company has generated positive net profits consistently in the past five years, mainly attributable to a solid stream of interest income and low acquisition costs from its direct distribution channel. Despite having a small market share, LIG China occupies a niche market by focusing on servicing Korean Interests Abroad (KIA) that operate in China, which generate more than 90% of the company’s revenue.
An offsetting rating factor is LIG China’s underwriting of large commercial accounts with potentially large losses, leading to volatility in its underwriting performance. This is mitigated by a comprehensive reinsurance program that lowers the company’s net retention in these risks. However, the high reinsurance dependence also exposes the company to reinsurer credit risk in the event of major losses. As a foreign-owned insurer concentrated on KIA businesses, LIG China is vulnerable to regulatory and political uncertainties in its operating environment.
While positive rating actions are unlikely in the near term, negative rating actions could occur if there is a substantial decline in the company’s risk-adjusted capitalization, a significant deterioration in its operating performance, or reduced support from the parent.
Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.
This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.
AM Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information.
Copyright © 2019 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005717/en/
Contact
Yizhou Hong
Financial Analyst
+852 2827 3426
yizhou.hong@ambest.com
Christie Lee
Director, Analytics
+852 2827 3413
christie.lee@ambest.com
Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com
Jim Peavy
Director, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com
Source : AM Best
--BERNAMA
Thursday, 28 March 2019
ESG INVESTMENT IN ASEAN IS PROMISING; HOWEVER, CHALLENGES REMAIN, AJC SAYS IN A NEW STUDY ON ESG INVESTMENT IN ASEAN
TOKYO, March 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- ESG investment has been implicitly and unsystematically undertaken among the ASEAN firms but it is promising, according to a study on the ESG Investment in the ASEAN region released by the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC).
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005869/en/
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment has gained momentum around the world and the force is moving towards Asia, especially in the ASEAN Member States. Against this backdrop, AJC, an intergovernmental organization of ASEAN and Japan based in Tokyo, issued a study “ESG Investment: Towards Sustainable Development in ASEAN and Japan” (https://www.asean.or.jp/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/ESG_web.pdf) to urge investors to invest responsibly by understanding ESG investment and contribute to the better and sustainable investment environment and society in Japan and the ASEAN Member States.
Major messages of the study are as follows:
ESG investment is for all investors
Since ESG investment is originally from the financial market, it is commonly perceived that ESG investment is only for financial investors. However, ESG factors should be a priority for all investors, including investors in the real sector or entrepreneurs. ESG is not only important as a signal to investors, but, as it is conducive to business objectives and value-generating, it is crucial for maximizing profit for all companies. ESG can even help new companies and small and medium-sized enterprises to enhance their productivity and competitiveness. Therefore, all companies, regardless of their sizes and whether they are listed on a stock market, should integrate ESG investment in their core business strategies and consider ESG investment as an essential part of the growth strategies.
ESG investment is moving away from niche to norm
There is growing demand for ESG investment around the world and gradually to Asia, especially ASEAN. In particular, ASEAN-5 shows a promising trend of ESG investment, whereas more efforts are necessary for the rest of the member states.
ESG investment associates with higher profitability
ESG investment helps firms lower costs and boost up revenues and profits. Our main finding shows that ESG firms’ profitability is, on average, higher than that of non-ESG firms. The ratio of net profits to total revenue is 11.4% for ESG firms as opposed to 9.6% for non-ESG firms.
ESG investment has been implicitly and unsystematically implemented among the ASEAN firms
This implies potential growth of ESG investment in ASEAN countries. The main challenge is that, even though, ESG factors are found in firms’ sustainability and governance strategies, those firms find difficulty to fully integrate ESG investment in their core business strategies. Therefore, further efforts should be spent on the explicit and systematic integration of ESG investment.
ESG investment is implemented creatively and innovatively among ASEAN entrepreneurs
AJC found that ASEAN ESG firms are very creative and innovative in integrating ESG investment in their business strategies. Taking into account ESG factors, they offer new business solutions and products to their clients, while utilizing new technology and innovation in their production.
ESG investment in ASEAN is promising; however, challenges remain
At present, ASEAN firms have not fully integrated ESG investment in their core business strategies. This challenge is constituted by several factors, including a) wrong perception towards ESG investment, b) limited capability to fully integrate ESG investment, and c) insufficient guideline and supports from exchanges and the government. In addition, there is still a weak link between the ESG investment and the achievement of the SDGs. Further progress by firms, exchanges, and policymakers is particularly important given this context. These challenges should be addressed urgently to take advantage of the growth potential for ESG investment.
ESG investment can be fully integrated into core business strategies through the following practical steps: a) changing perception towards ESG investment to recognize the increasing importance of and demand for ESG; b) planning for an effective ESG strategy by pursuing quantifiable targets and understanding sustainability issues faced by a specific business and industry; c) taking actions with creativity, flexibility, and innovation to turn challenges into opportunities; and d) working with peers and involve all stakeholders to make full use of the combined knowledge and economies of scale.
ESG investment should be further promoted and supported by exchanges and the government: Regulators and policymakers can help further the progress of ESG investment by a) communicating benefits of ESG investment as firms’ misperception towards ESG investment is among the top agenda; b) implementing a mandatory sustainability disclosure regulation for both listed and non-listed entities; c) providing specific guideline and supports, e.g. individual consultation session, a dialogue that includes all stakeholders, among others; d) evaluating firms’ ESG performance periodically to promote a competitive environment among firms and involve all stakeholders in the monitoring process; e) taking advantage of the digital age; and f) emphasizing the linkage between ESG investment and SDGs to create a better, more sustainable investment environment and society.
To download the paper, please visit the AJC website at
https://www.asean.or.jp/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/ESG_web.pdf
ASEAN-Japan Centre
The ASEAN-Japan Centre is an intergovernmental organization established by the ASEAN Member States and Japan in 1981. It has been promoting exports from ASEAN to Japan while revitalizing investment, tourism as well as people-to-people exchanges between the ASEAN Member States and Japan.
URL: https://www.asean.or.jp/en/
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005869/en/
Contact
ASEAN-Japan Centre
Junko Nukiyama
TEL +81-3-5402-8118
FAX +81-3-5402-8003
E-mail: toiawase_ga@asean.or.jp
1F, Shin Onarimon Bldg., 6-17-19 Shimbashi,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004 Japan
Source : ASEAN-Japan Centre
--BERNAMA
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005869/en/
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment has gained momentum around the world and the force is moving towards Asia, especially in the ASEAN Member States. Against this backdrop, AJC, an intergovernmental organization of ASEAN and Japan based in Tokyo, issued a study “ESG Investment: Towards Sustainable Development in ASEAN and Japan” (https://www.asean.or.jp/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/ESG_web.pdf) to urge investors to invest responsibly by understanding ESG investment and contribute to the better and sustainable investment environment and society in Japan and the ASEAN Member States.
Major messages of the study are as follows:
ESG investment is for all investors
Since ESG investment is originally from the financial market, it is commonly perceived that ESG investment is only for financial investors. However, ESG factors should be a priority for all investors, including investors in the real sector or entrepreneurs. ESG is not only important as a signal to investors, but, as it is conducive to business objectives and value-generating, it is crucial for maximizing profit for all companies. ESG can even help new companies and small and medium-sized enterprises to enhance their productivity and competitiveness. Therefore, all companies, regardless of their sizes and whether they are listed on a stock market, should integrate ESG investment in their core business strategies and consider ESG investment as an essential part of the growth strategies.
ESG investment is moving away from niche to norm
There is growing demand for ESG investment around the world and gradually to Asia, especially ASEAN. In particular, ASEAN-5 shows a promising trend of ESG investment, whereas more efforts are necessary for the rest of the member states.
ESG investment associates with higher profitability
ESG investment helps firms lower costs and boost up revenues and profits. Our main finding shows that ESG firms’ profitability is, on average, higher than that of non-ESG firms. The ratio of net profits to total revenue is 11.4% for ESG firms as opposed to 9.6% for non-ESG firms.
ESG investment has been implicitly and unsystematically implemented among the ASEAN firms
This implies potential growth of ESG investment in ASEAN countries. The main challenge is that, even though, ESG factors are found in firms’ sustainability and governance strategies, those firms find difficulty to fully integrate ESG investment in their core business strategies. Therefore, further efforts should be spent on the explicit and systematic integration of ESG investment.
ESG investment is implemented creatively and innovatively among ASEAN entrepreneurs
AJC found that ASEAN ESG firms are very creative and innovative in integrating ESG investment in their business strategies. Taking into account ESG factors, they offer new business solutions and products to their clients, while utilizing new technology and innovation in their production.
ESG investment in ASEAN is promising; however, challenges remain
At present, ASEAN firms have not fully integrated ESG investment in their core business strategies. This challenge is constituted by several factors, including a) wrong perception towards ESG investment, b) limited capability to fully integrate ESG investment, and c) insufficient guideline and supports from exchanges and the government. In addition, there is still a weak link between the ESG investment and the achievement of the SDGs. Further progress by firms, exchanges, and policymakers is particularly important given this context. These challenges should be addressed urgently to take advantage of the growth potential for ESG investment.
ESG investment can be fully integrated into core business strategies through the following practical steps: a) changing perception towards ESG investment to recognize the increasing importance of and demand for ESG; b) planning for an effective ESG strategy by pursuing quantifiable targets and understanding sustainability issues faced by a specific business and industry; c) taking actions with creativity, flexibility, and innovation to turn challenges into opportunities; and d) working with peers and involve all stakeholders to make full use of the combined knowledge and economies of scale.
ESG investment should be further promoted and supported by exchanges and the government: Regulators and policymakers can help further the progress of ESG investment by a) communicating benefits of ESG investment as firms’ misperception towards ESG investment is among the top agenda; b) implementing a mandatory sustainability disclosure regulation for both listed and non-listed entities; c) providing specific guideline and supports, e.g. individual consultation session, a dialogue that includes all stakeholders, among others; d) evaluating firms’ ESG performance periodically to promote a competitive environment among firms and involve all stakeholders in the monitoring process; e) taking advantage of the digital age; and f) emphasizing the linkage between ESG investment and SDGs to create a better, more sustainable investment environment and society.
To download the paper, please visit the AJC website at
https://www.asean.or.jp/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/ESG_web.pdf
ASEAN-Japan Centre
The ASEAN-Japan Centre is an intergovernmental organization established by the ASEAN Member States and Japan in 1981. It has been promoting exports from ASEAN to Japan while revitalizing investment, tourism as well as people-to-people exchanges between the ASEAN Member States and Japan.
URL: https://www.asean.or.jp/en/
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005869/en/
Contact
ASEAN-Japan Centre
Junko Nukiyama
TEL +81-3-5402-8118
FAX +81-3-5402-8003
E-mail: toiawase_ga@asean.or.jp
1F, Shin Onarimon Bldg., 6-17-19 Shimbashi,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004 Japan
Source : ASEAN-Japan Centre
--BERNAMA
MIZUHO BANK SELECTS SMARTTRADE AS ITS CORE TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER FOR THEIR NEXT GENERATION FX PLATFORM
TOKYO, March 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- smartTrade Technologies, a global leader in multi asset, end-to-end trading solutions for the Sell and Buy sides, has been selected by Mizuho Bank Japan to deliver their next generation e-FX platform.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005063/en/
Mizuho required a proven end-to-end FX trading solution to strengthen their leading position via the addition of innovative functionality delivered with a quick time to market. Mizuho’s core requirements included an advanced and open out-of-the-box solution allowing them an easy injection of their own intellectual property, advanced algos and AI, whilst supporting them in constantly assessing new technologies to obtain further improvements.
smartTrade’s LiquidityFX platform has seen tremendous global growth and adoption in the past few years by providing low latency connectivity combined with sophisticated aggregation, execution, smart order routing, order management, distribution, analytics and risk management. By selecting the LiquidityFX solution, Mizuho Bank will centralise the aggregation process as well as optimising and internalising the management of their very significant FX flows. Not only will this generate considerable cost savings for Mizuho it will also create new opportunities for their clients.
Hiroaki Aoyama, Global Head of FX at Mizuho, commented: “We are pleased to announce that we have selected smartTrade’s solution for developing our core e-FX distribution system. The e-FX sphere, today, undeniably plays more than a central role within Mizuho Bank, both internally and through client facing channels. We would like to strengthen our FX business by partnering up with smartTrade and utilizing their LiquidityFX platform.”.
“After a thorough review process, we are very pleased that Mizuho has selected our LiquidityFX platform to support their e-FX growth. The combination of our low latency connectivity and execution stack combined with sophisticated pricing and distribution functionality will allow them to enhance their execution and risk management efficiency.” said David Vincent, CEO of smartTrade Technologies.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005063/en/
Contact
Lara Michel
+44(0)20 7469 0920 (ext.250)/ +44(0) 782 355 0134
Source : smartTrade Technologies
--BERNAMA
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005063/en/
Mizuho required a proven end-to-end FX trading solution to strengthen their leading position via the addition of innovative functionality delivered with a quick time to market. Mizuho’s core requirements included an advanced and open out-of-the-box solution allowing them an easy injection of their own intellectual property, advanced algos and AI, whilst supporting them in constantly assessing new technologies to obtain further improvements.
smartTrade’s LiquidityFX platform has seen tremendous global growth and adoption in the past few years by providing low latency connectivity combined with sophisticated aggregation, execution, smart order routing, order management, distribution, analytics and risk management. By selecting the LiquidityFX solution, Mizuho Bank will centralise the aggregation process as well as optimising and internalising the management of their very significant FX flows. Not only will this generate considerable cost savings for Mizuho it will also create new opportunities for their clients.
Hiroaki Aoyama, Global Head of FX at Mizuho, commented: “We are pleased to announce that we have selected smartTrade’s solution for developing our core e-FX distribution system. The e-FX sphere, today, undeniably plays more than a central role within Mizuho Bank, both internally and through client facing channels. We would like to strengthen our FX business by partnering up with smartTrade and utilizing their LiquidityFX platform.”.
“After a thorough review process, we are very pleased that Mizuho has selected our LiquidityFX platform to support their e-FX growth. The combination of our low latency connectivity and execution stack combined with sophisticated pricing and distribution functionality will allow them to enhance their execution and risk management efficiency.” said David Vincent, CEO of smartTrade Technologies.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005063/en/
Contact
Lara Michel
+44(0)20 7469 0920 (ext.250)/ +44(0) 782 355 0134
Source : smartTrade Technologies
--BERNAMA
KYRIBA ANNOUNCES PLANNED $160M GROWTH ROUND LED BY BRIDGEPOINT
New capital will be used to fuel further product innovation, enhance customer support and expand open partner ecosystem
SAN DIEGO, March 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Kyriba, the global leader in cloud treasury and finance solutions, today announced that it is in advanced talks with Bridgepoint, an international private equity group focused on investing in market-leading businesses, to receive a $160M investment round to accelerate innovation and growth of its enterprise platform. The deal, once closed, would give Bridgepoint a majority stake in the business, and value Kyriba at $1.2 billion. Daher Capital, Iris Capital and Kyriba Chairman and CEO Jean-Luc Robert will remain as investors in the company.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005850/en/
“Bridgepoint will help us fulfill our mission of enabling CFOs and treasury executives to be more agile and efficient in managing their global cash and liquidity,” Robert said. “In today’s complex and highly volatile business environment, finance leaders need real-time visibility and pinpoint control over their cash operations to maximize growth and opportunity.”
Kyriba’s cloud platform seamlessly connects siloed financial systems – banks, ERPs, and other systems – to enable global organizations to improve key capabilities for cash and risk management, payments and working capital optimization. Through its open ecosystem, Kyriba enables strategic partners to access its platform and create value-added services that no other vendor can offer.
Kyriba’s unique value proposition resulted in a record growth year in 2018, including surpassing $110M in revenue and netting 229 new clients. In January, Kyriba announced its plans to acquire FiREapps, a leader in enterprise currency management, which will create the industry’s most robust, end-to-end solution for managing FX risk.
“We are very pleased to be engaged with Kyriba in this next stage of growth. Kyriba is a fast-growing company with an impressive track record of double-digit expansion and is the global market leader in cloud-based treasury management software solutions,” said Andrew Sweet, a New York-based partner at Bridgepoint. “With a market-leading offering and leadership position in the French and US markets, Kyriba is now well positioned to expand globally and we anticipate that further investment in R&D in particular will support its development in providing clients with comprehensive, end-to-end liquidity management solutions.”
With the new capital, Kyriba will enhance product development, customer support and expand its ecosystem. It will specifically invest $60M into product innovation over the next two years.
Bridgepoint is an international private equity firm, with 12 offices across the US, Europe and Asia, and more than $20 billion of assets under management. Bridgepoint has extensive experience of partnering with management to support the growth of similar software businesses, including Efront (the leading alternative investment management software) and Calypso (a leading provider of capital markets software for financial institutions).
“I would like to thank the investors who have supported Kyriba throughout its growth and enabled us to get to this important milestone, including Upfront Ventures, Bpifrance, Sumeru Equity Partners and HSBC,” Robert said. “This transaction has provided a strong exit for them while establishing a strong future for Kyriba.”
Kyriba will continue to be led by Jean-Luc Robert and will operate with its current management structure and strategy.
About Kyriba Corp.
Kyriba empowers financial leaders and their teams with award-winning solutions for cash and risk management, payments and working capital optimization. Kyriba delivers a highly secure, 100 percent SaaS enterprise platform, superior bank connectivity and a seamlessly integrated solution set for tackling today’s most complex financial challenges. Thousands of companies, including many of the world’s largest organizations, rely on Kyriba to streamline key processes, protect against loss from fraud and financial risk, and accelerate growth opportunities through improved decision support. Kyriba is headquartered in San Diego, with offices in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Dubai and other major locations. For more information, visit www.kyriba.com.
About Bridgepoint
Bridgepoint is an international private equity firm. With over $20 billion of assets under management and over $30 billion of capital raised to date, it typically focuses on acquiring well managed companies in attractive sectors helping companies and management teams by investing in expansion, operational transformation or via consolidating acquisitions. Bridgepoint has offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Luxemburg, Madrid, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Shanghai, Stockholm and Warsaw. www.bridgepoint.eu
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005850/en/
Contact
Kyriba Media Contact:
Daniel Shaffer, dshaffer@kyriba.com, +1 858 263-2218
Bridgepoint Media Contact:
James Murray, james.murray@bridgepoint.eu, +44 20 7034 3555
Source : Kyriba Corp.
--BERNAMA
SAN DIEGO, March 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Kyriba, the global leader in cloud treasury and finance solutions, today announced that it is in advanced talks with Bridgepoint, an international private equity group focused on investing in market-leading businesses, to receive a $160M investment round to accelerate innovation and growth of its enterprise platform. The deal, once closed, would give Bridgepoint a majority stake in the business, and value Kyriba at $1.2 billion. Daher Capital, Iris Capital and Kyriba Chairman and CEO Jean-Luc Robert will remain as investors in the company.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005850/en/
“Bridgepoint will help us fulfill our mission of enabling CFOs and treasury executives to be more agile and efficient in managing their global cash and liquidity,” Robert said. “In today’s complex and highly volatile business environment, finance leaders need real-time visibility and pinpoint control over their cash operations to maximize growth and opportunity.”
Kyriba’s cloud platform seamlessly connects siloed financial systems – banks, ERPs, and other systems – to enable global organizations to improve key capabilities for cash and risk management, payments and working capital optimization. Through its open ecosystem, Kyriba enables strategic partners to access its platform and create value-added services that no other vendor can offer.
Kyriba’s unique value proposition resulted in a record growth year in 2018, including surpassing $110M in revenue and netting 229 new clients. In January, Kyriba announced its plans to acquire FiREapps, a leader in enterprise currency management, which will create the industry’s most robust, end-to-end solution for managing FX risk.
“We are very pleased to be engaged with Kyriba in this next stage of growth. Kyriba is a fast-growing company with an impressive track record of double-digit expansion and is the global market leader in cloud-based treasury management software solutions,” said Andrew Sweet, a New York-based partner at Bridgepoint. “With a market-leading offering and leadership position in the French and US markets, Kyriba is now well positioned to expand globally and we anticipate that further investment in R&D in particular will support its development in providing clients with comprehensive, end-to-end liquidity management solutions.”
With the new capital, Kyriba will enhance product development, customer support and expand its ecosystem. It will specifically invest $60M into product innovation over the next two years.
Bridgepoint is an international private equity firm, with 12 offices across the US, Europe and Asia, and more than $20 billion of assets under management. Bridgepoint has extensive experience of partnering with management to support the growth of similar software businesses, including Efront (the leading alternative investment management software) and Calypso (a leading provider of capital markets software for financial institutions).
“I would like to thank the investors who have supported Kyriba throughout its growth and enabled us to get to this important milestone, including Upfront Ventures, Bpifrance, Sumeru Equity Partners and HSBC,” Robert said. “This transaction has provided a strong exit for them while establishing a strong future for Kyriba.”
Kyriba will continue to be led by Jean-Luc Robert and will operate with its current management structure and strategy.
About Kyriba Corp.
Kyriba empowers financial leaders and their teams with award-winning solutions for cash and risk management, payments and working capital optimization. Kyriba delivers a highly secure, 100 percent SaaS enterprise platform, superior bank connectivity and a seamlessly integrated solution set for tackling today’s most complex financial challenges. Thousands of companies, including many of the world’s largest organizations, rely on Kyriba to streamline key processes, protect against loss from fraud and financial risk, and accelerate growth opportunities through improved decision support. Kyriba is headquartered in San Diego, with offices in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Dubai and other major locations. For more information, visit www.kyriba.com.
About Bridgepoint
Bridgepoint is an international private equity firm. With over $20 billion of assets under management and over $30 billion of capital raised to date, it typically focuses on acquiring well managed companies in attractive sectors helping companies and management teams by investing in expansion, operational transformation or via consolidating acquisitions. Bridgepoint has offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Luxemburg, Madrid, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Shanghai, Stockholm and Warsaw. www.bridgepoint.eu
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005850/en/
Contact
Kyriba Media Contact:
Daniel Shaffer, dshaffer@kyriba.com, +1 858 263-2218
Bridgepoint Media Contact:
James Murray, james.murray@bridgepoint.eu, +44 20 7034 3555
Source : Kyriba Corp.
--BERNAMA
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