Cloudflare Acquires VoidZero to Build the Future of the AI-Native Web

• Acquisition brings Vite, the world’s leading JavaScript build tool, and its core open source team to Cloudflare
• Cloudflare commits $1 million to an independent Vite ecosystem fund to support open source maintainers and contributors

SAN FRANCISCO, June 5 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the leading connectivity cloud company, today announced it has acquired VoidZero, the open source-first company behind the next-generation JavaScript tooling ecosystem Vite. The acquisition will unify VoidZero’s high-performance tooling — including the Vite build tool, Vitest test runner, Rust-based Rolldown bundler and Oxc toolchain — natively into the Cloudflare ecosystem. By merging Cloudflare’s global edge network and Workers developer platform with the modern web's industry-standard toolchain, Cloudflare is creating a frictionless, one-click deployment stack from local code straight to Cloudflare’s global network.

Application development is undergoing a fundamental shift. The rise of autonomous AI coding agents has ushered in an era of rapid application scaffolding where speed and local-to-production predictability are paramount. VoidZero’s toolchain, anchored by Vite, has emerged as the shared substrate for the web ecosystem, capturing over 130 million weekly downloads. The Cloudflare Vite plugin has reached 13.9 million weekly downloads — equivalent to more than 10% of Vite’s entire weekly volume — proving that developers are already choosing this combined stack for AI-coded applications.

"The best engineers I know are shipping more code than ever, and writing less of it by hand. AI is doing more of the typing — so everything around it has to keep up,” said Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare. "Evan and his team built Vite from scratch with the same philosophy we used to build Cloudflare: strip out the bloat and make it fast. Bringing them on board gives millions of developers, and the AI agents working alongside them, the fastest path from local code to our global network.”

VoidZero’s team of open source creators and Rust optimization specialists, led by widely recognized Vue.js and Vite creator Evan You, will join Cloudflare’s Emerging Technology and Incubation (ETI) organization. The team will continue to advance VoidZero's open source roadmap while accelerating deep integration with the Cloudflare Workers developer platform.

"Our mission at VoidZero has always been to eliminate the fragmentation and performance bottlenecks of the modern web stack," said Evan You, founder and CEO of VoidZero. "Cloudflare shares our obsession with speed and architectural purity. Joining forces allows us to keep the Vite ecosystem neutral, open, and vendor-agnostic, while giving us the resources and global infrastructure to supercharge the developer experience for millions of engineers worldwide."

By integrating VoidZero’s hyper-performant, Rust-based tooling directly into Cloudflare’s Workers developer platform, Cloudflare will unify the entire software development lifecycle. Developers and autonomous AI agents alike will be able to move from an idea to global production instantly via a native, pluggable vite deploy ecosystem. Through this acquisition, Cloudflare plans to drive a project-centric development paradigm, focusing on three core initiatives:
Unify the Developer Pipeline: Align the Cloudflare CLI natively with the seamless Vite workflow developers already love, bringing a frictionless end-to-end experience to every creator.
Enable Intent-Based Infrastructure: Evolve toward a workflow where a single Vite deploy command handles everything. If application logic declares a need for a database or an object store, a Vite application with Cloudflare integration will automatically detect that intent and natively provision Cloudflare resources like D1 or R2 — with no manual dashboard intervention required.
Maintain Open Source Steward Neutrality: Vite, Rolldown, Oxc, and Vitest will remain open source, vendor-agnostic and community-driven. Vite, Vitest, Rolldown, Oxc, and Vite+ will remain strictly open source under MIT licenses. Cloudflare is committing $1 million to a new independent Vite ecosystem fund to support community maintainers and contributors who are independent of both VoidZero and Cloudflare.

"At Lovable, we are empowering developers to build and deploy full-stack applications at unprecedented scale. An open and predictable toolchain is absolutely critical to that mission. As agents handle increasingly complex, real-time tasks, they require an underlying architecture that is performant and modular,” said Fabian Hedin, CTO and co-founder of Loveable. “By building our automated pipeline on Vite and leveraging its open ecosystem, we’ve been able to radically accelerate how AI agents generate, compile, and ship code. We have worked closely with the Cloudflare and VoidZero teams, and we’re excited to continue supporting and benefiting from the ecosystem they’ve helped create. Open-source infrastructure like Vite plays a critical role in the future of software development, and we’re encouraged to see its development remain independent and transparent.”

To learn more, please check out the resources below:
Cloudflare Blog: VoidZero is joining Cloudflare

About Cloudflare

Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET) is the leading connectivity cloud company. It empowers organizations to make their employees, applications and networks faster and more secure everywhere, while reducing complexity and cost. Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud delivers the most full-featured, unified platform of cloud-native products and developer tools, so any organization can gain the control they need to work, develop, and accelerate their business.

Powered by one of the world’s largest and most interconnected networks, Cloudflare blocks billions of threats online for its customers every day. It is trusted by millions of organizations – from the largest brands to entrepreneurs and small businesses to nonprofits, humanitarian groups, and governments across the globe.

Learn more about Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud at cloudflare.com/connectivity-cloud. Learn more about the latest Internet trends and insights at radar.cloudflare.com.

Follow us: Blog | X | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “explore,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue,” or the negative of these words, or other similar terms or expressions that concern Cloudflare’s expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements expressed or implied in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the capabilities and effectiveness of Cloudflare’s Workers developer platform and other products technology and VoidZero‘s products and technology, the benefits to Cloudflare’s customers from using Cloudflare’s Workers developer platform and other products technology and VoidZero‘s products and technology, the timing of when Cloudflare’s Workers developer platform and VoidZero’s products and technology and or any of their related features will be fully integrated and generally available to all current and potential Cloudflare customers, the potential timing of the closing of Cloudflare’s acquisition of VoidZero, Cloudflare’s plans and objectives for, and the timing of, the integration of VoidZero’s products and technology into Cloudflare’s Workers developer platform, Cloudflare’s technological development, future operations, growth, initiatives, or strategies, and comments made by Cloudflare’s CEO and others. Actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, risks detailed in Cloudflare’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including Cloudflare’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 8, 2026, as well as other filings that Cloudflare may make from time to time with the SEC.

The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. Cloudflare undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. Cloudflare may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in Cloudflare’s forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on Cloudflare’s forward-looking statements.

© 2026 Cloudflare, Inc. All rights reserved. Cloudflare, the Cloudflare logo, and other Cloudflare marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Cloudflare, Inc. in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. All other marks and names referenced herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260604108073/en/

Contact

Cloudflare, Inc.
Daniella Vallurupalli
Vice President, Head of Global Communications
press@cloudflare.com

Source : Cloudflare, Inc.

--BERNAMA

Azerbaijan’s Bank ABB launches AI Conversational Banking assistants AI-nur and AI-khan

BAKU, Azerbaijan (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank ABB, one of the leading financial institutions in the South Caucasus, has officially launched its artificial intelligence assistants AI-nur and AI-khan, making them available to all customers following a successful Beta testing phase. The new conversational AI technology represents a major step forward in the bank’s digital transformation and introduces one of the first voice-enabled AI banking solutions in Azerbaijan’s and regional banking sector.

Since becoming available to customers, AI-nur and AI-khan have demonstrated strong adoption and engagement. More than 230k users have already used the service, generating over 2.5 million interactions through the AI-powered banking assistants.

As banking continues to evolve, conversational interfaces powered by AI, including voice, are becoming an integral part of future banking models, enhancing accessibility, speed, and personalization across digital channels.

Developed as part of Bank’s strategy to build the banking ecosystem of the future, AI-nur and AI-khan enable customers to interact with banking services using natural voice commands. Customers can transfer funds between their cards and accounts or send money to others using a mobile phone number. By simply stating the recipient’s name, the AI system identifies the contact and processes the transfer, provided the number is saved in the sender’s phone contacts. Additionally, the assistants can handle essential security functions, such as blocking or reactivating cards, offering a quick response in critical situations.

According to Bank ABB, the launch of AI-nur and AI-khan demonstrates the bank’s commitment to advancing AI-driven digital banking services in Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus region. By integrating conversational artificial intelligence into its digital ecosystem, the bank aims to make everyday banking more intuitive, faster, and more convenient for customers.

The number of generative and predictive models applied in various directions has now reached 180, generating more than 35 million AZN in positive financial impact for the bank.

Security remains a top priority in the development of the new AI assistants. All operations performed through AI-nur and AI-khan are conducted within Bank ABB’s secure digital infrastructure, ensuring that customer data and financial transactions are protected according to the highest banking and cybersecurity standards.

Bank ABB plans to continue expanding the capabilities of AI-nur and AI-khan in the near future, introducing additional features that will allow customers to access more banking services through AI-powered interaction.

More information about Bank ABB’s modern products and services is available on the official website, and via Bank ABB’s official social media pages.

SOURCE: Bank ABB - International Bank of Azerbaijan

--BERNAMA

GAMBIT CYBER UNVEILS VIZIER AI FOR AUTONOMOUS CYBERSECURITY OPERATIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- Gambit Cyber B.V., a Netherlands-headquartered cybersecurity company, has launched Vizier AI, its next-generation Agentic Security Workflow Automation platform.

According to Gambit Cyber in a statement, the platform uses coordinated artificial intelligence (AI) agents to continuously monitor threats, orchestrate incident response, and manage cyber risk without requiring manual intervention from security teams.

“The launch of Vizier AI represents a fundamental shift in how organisations approach cyber defence. We are not simply automating existing workflows; we are deploying a coordinated intelligence layer that thinks, analyses, and acts continuously on behalf of security teams.

“AI agents operating in concert can process signals, correlate threats, and orchestrate responses at a speed and scale that is simply beyond human capacity alone,” said Gambit Cyber Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Anuj Kumar.

The launch addresses a widening gap between the complexity of today’s threat landscape and the shrinking resources available to corporate security operations.

Built as a core component of the KnightGuard platform, Vizier AI acts as an autonomous Security Intelligence Workspace and leverages a coordinated network of autonomous AI agents that continuously monitor threats, analyse security data, orchestrate workflows, and deliver actionable insights for faster and more informed decision-making.

The platform enables organisations to scale security operations through AI-driven automation while maintaining visibility, governance, and control across their exposure management programmes.

Its key capabilities include threat detection through continuous AI-driven attack surface monitoring, workflow automation to reduce manual security tasks, accelerated incident response using autonomous AI agents, and intelligence generation by transforming raw security data into actionable insights.

-- BERNAMA

AM BEST UPGRADES FUSURE REINSURANCE ON CAPITAL STRENGTH, TENCENT BACKING

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has upgraded the financial strength rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the long-term issuer credit ratings to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) of Hong Kong’s FuSure Reinsurance Company Limited (FuSure).

The outlook of these credit ratings (ratings) is stable, reflecting FuSure’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

According to AM Best in a statement, the ratings also reflect the implicit and explicit support from its ultimate parent, Tencent Holdings Limited (Tencent).

The upgrade reflects FuSure’s strengthened balance sheet, supported by two rounds of capital injections from shareholders and anticipated additional capital commitments in the medium term, alongside the company’s successful execution of its business plan.

Since its establishment in 2021, FuSure has focused on building its presence in health reinsurance in the Greater China region while leveraging Tencent’s support in business development, product innovation, and distribution.

While health reinsurance remains its core business, FuSure has been diversifying across product lines, geographies, distribution channels, and client segments, including expansion into long-term health reinsurance and commercial property business.

The company’s strong balance sheet is supported by risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level as of year-end 2025 and in projected years, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio. Additional supporting factors include its diversified and liquid investment portfolio, mainly in fixed income and cash equivalents, and a conservative reinsurance strategy with high-credit-quality retrocessionaires.

FuSure has delivered positive operating performance since its second year of operation and continues to execute its business plan with discipline, consistently meeting its budgeted bottom line, supported largely by stable investment income from its fixed-income portfolio.

AM Best expects FuSure to continue benefiting from its parent group through both explicit capital support and implicit advantages, including competitive strengths in health product design and pricing sophistication.

-- BERNAMA

BLACKSTONE CLOSES LARGEST ASIA PRIVATE EQUITY FUND AT US$13.1 BLN

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- Blackstone, an alternative asset manager, has announced the final close of Blackstone Capital Partners Asia III (BCP Asia III) at US$13.1 billion, exceeding its US$10 billion target and marking the firm's largest private equity fundraise in Asia. (US$1=RM3.96)

The oversubscribed fund reached its hard cap and builds on the strong performance of the strategy’s first two vintages, with this close representing more than double the amount of capital raised for its predecessor vehicle.

“We are grateful for the continued trust of our investors in Blackstone and our leading Asia Private Equity franchise. This successful fundraise reflects the strength of our platform and our ability to perform through cycles,” said Blackstone Private Equity Strategies Global Head, Joe Baratta in a statement.

Meanwhile, Blackstone Private Equity Head of Asia, Amit Dixit said: “We believe our differentiation lies in our scale, supported by homegrown teams across the region’s major markets; strong performance; and our control-orientated strategy that enables us to have a hands-on, proactive approach to supporting business transformations. We thank our investors for their support and partnership.”

The firm invested more than US$7 billion across 12 transactions in the region over the past 24 months.

The investments include Neysa, a fast-growing Indian artificial intelligence cloud platform; TechnoPro, Japan's leading specialised engineering services provider; and JUNO, South Korea's top hair salon franchise.

Blackstone also completed 15 exits during the same period, including the listings of International Gemological Institute and Aadhar Housing Finance, as well as its exit from Alinamin Pharmaceutical in Japan.

-- BERNAMA

EXPEREO REPORT: FIRMS RUSH INTO AI INVESTMENT AMID ROI CONCERNS

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- Expereo, a managed Network as a Service provider, stated that enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) spending is rising rapidly as organisations race to deploy the technology faster than they can assess its effectiveness.

According to the latest IDC InfoBrief commissioned by Expereo, about 70 per cent of organisations are investing in AI, driven by its potential and concerns about falling behind competitors, although many continue to lag in disciplined return on investment (ROI) evaluation.

In a statement, Expereo said one in five organisations (20 per cent) admitted they were investing aggressively in AI with limited evaluation, largely due to fears of being left behind.

Based on a survey of 800 technology leaders across Europe, the United States and Asia Pacific (APAC), the report found that AI has become one of the world's top technology investment priorities, with 51 per cent of organisations saying they plan to prioritise AI or machine learning over the next 12 months.

However, returns have yet to match expectations. Only 19 per cent of organisations surveyed said their AI implementations had exceeded expectations, while just five per cent reported significantly exceeding them.

The most frequently cited reasons for underperformance were inadequate or poor-quality training data (51 per cent), higher-than-expected costs or failure to achieve ROI (47 per cent), and AI systems not performing as expected (46 per cent).

The report also highlighted a network and infrastructure readiness gap. Among organisations whose AI implementations failed to meet expectations, 26 per cent cited inadequate network or connectivity performance as a contributing factor. Looking ahead, 54 per cent said they would require more flexible and scalable networks to thrive in an AI-driven environment.

The pressure to invest is most pronounced in APAC, where 37 per cent of organisations admitted investing aggressively in AI due to fears of being left behind, nearly double the global average and significantly higher than the United States (10 per cent) and Europe (13 per cent).

APAC also leads in AI adoption, with 35 per cent of organisations reporting extensive AI use across their operations, compared with a global average of 25 per cent.

The survey also found growing concerns over the long-term risks of AI investment. Some 54 per cent of technology leaders cited new security risks as a significant future threat, while 39 per cent expressed concern about losing visibility over AI-related costs and ROI once the technology becomes embedded across the business.

-- BERNAMA

JAPAN LIFE INSURERS’ REINSURANCE USE MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE 2020 - AM BEST

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- Japan’s life insurers have increasingly relied on reinsurance in recent years, with the overall cession rate as a percentage of total gross premium written for the segment rising to more than 24 per cent in 2023 and 2024 from just under 10 per cent in 2020, according to a new AM Best report.

According to Best’s Special Report, “Japan Life Insurers Increase Use of Reinsurance,” the implementation of the Japan Insurance Capital Standard, or J-ICS, at the end of March 2026 has prompted insurers to increase their use of reinsurance as solvency ratios become more sensitive to interest-rate movements, asset-liability mismatches, policy lapses, and longevity and mortality risks.

“Japanese life insurers have been increasingly using asset-intensive reinsurance to transfer investment, longevity, and insurance risks from capital-intensive annuity and long-term life insurance blocks to third-party reinsurers ahead of the implementation of J-ICS.

“The maturity and size of Japan’s life/annuity insurance market make it an attractive opportunity for reinsurers providing asset-intensive reinsurance solutions,” said AM Best senior industry research analyst, Cynthia Ang in a statement.

According to the report, the heightened activity has led to a sharp increase in reinsurance leverage, with the industry aggregate rising to 14.8 per cent at the end of 2024 from 4.8 per cent in 2020. The metric measures reinsurance ceded as a percentage of capital and surplus.

AM Best's analysis showed that Dai-ichi Frontier Life Insurance Co, Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance, and MetLife Insurance K.K. each recorded reinsurance leverage ratios exceeding 500 per cent in 2024.

While only an estimated one to two per cent of total in-force individual life insurance and annuity business was ceded to reinsurers in fiscal years 2023 and 2024, cessions are expected to increase as asset-intensive and offshore reinsurance become more widely used by Japanese life insurers.

Japan’s Financial Services Agency is tightening oversight of such transactions due to concerns over private equity involvement, asset liquidity, and complex cross-border collateral arrangements, the report said.

-- BERNAMA

INSTRUQT REPORT FINDS 92 PCT FACE DEVELOPER ADOPTION CHALLENGES

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- Instruqt has released its annual report, The State of Developer Adoption, revealing that 92 per cent of respondents face at least one significant developer adoption challenge.

According to Instruqt in a statement, the most cited causes are misalignment across teams (27 per cent), technology complexity (26 per cent), and the difficulty of keeping content accurate as products ship weekly (25 per cent).

The report is the first independent benchmark examining how marketing, sales and education teams are responding to the widening gap between the pace of artificial intelligence (AI) feature releases and the pace at which customers can adopt them.

Based on a SlashData 2026 survey involving 424 marketing, sales and developer education practitioners at North American software companies, the report found that organisations using hands-on learning experiences were approximately 50 per cent more likely to report developers reaching productivity within two months than those that did not.

The findings also point to a structural shift in how business-to-business (B2B) software companies need to operate as AI adoption accelerates.

Other notable findings include developer communities remaining the most underutilised adoption lever, high-impact pre-sales experiences being underused, differing definitions of successful hands-on experiences across teams, and growing AI adoption despite declining confidence in some applications.

For developer-focused software companies, the report suggests that customer adoption is becoming an increasingly important determinant of growth as innovation cycles accelerate.

As part of broader adoption strategies, many fast-growing software companies have invested heavily in hands-on education, self-paced labs, interactive product experiences and developer enablement programmes.

Earlier this month, Google Cloud Security selected Instruqt to launch its Agentic SOC experience at Google Cloud Next 2026, training 50 practitioners in a single workshop with a dedicated Vertex AI environment for each participant.

-- BERNAMA

Bitdeer Launches SEALMINER DL1 Hydro Achieving 52.5 GH/s and 149 J/GH Power Efficiency

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”), a world-leading technology company for AI and Bitcoin mining infrastructure, today announced the launch of its latest hydro-cooling mining machine, the SEALMINER DL1 Hydro. Designed for Scrypt algorithm mining, the DL1 Hydro integrates Bitdeer’s proprietary ASIC technology with a hydro-cooling thermal management system.

The SEALMINER DL1 Hydro is engineered to address hashrate density and energy consumption requirements for industrial-scale operations. By utilizing a hydro-cooling architecture, the machine is designed to maintain operational stability while managing the thermal demands of high-density data center environments.

Key Specifications of the SEALMINER DL1 Hydro*:Hash Rate: 52.5 GH/s
Power Efficiency: 149 J/GH
Power Consumption: 7,823 W
Supported Coins: Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Bellscoin (BELLS), Junkcoin (JKC), Luckycoin (LKY), and Pepecoin (PEP)

The DL1 Hydro features a standardized 2U form factor and a net weight of 21kg. This compact design facilitates optimal rack space utilization and streamlines installation in professional mining facilities. In addition to its compact form factor, the machine offers flexible performance modes to accommodate fluctuating power costs and network conditions.

In addition to the standard configuration, its proprietary High Hashrate Mode reaches an output of up to 55 GH/s at 157 J/GH for scenarios requiring enhanced performance, while the Low Power Mode prioritizes energy efficiency, delivering 42.5 GH/s at 132 J/GH to allow for precise operational optimization based on specific requirements.

The launch of the SEALMINER DL1 Hydro reinforces the focus on improving operational stability and hashrate density through hydro-cooling technology. Bitdeer will continue to uphold its principles of “Innovation, Efficiency, and Stability”, delivering high-quality and reliable products and services to miners worldwide.

*Note: Product performance may vary by ±5% in hashrate and power efficiency, and by ±10% in power consumption. Final specifications are based on delivered units.

About Bitdeer Technologies Group

Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for AI and Bitcoin mining infrastructure. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive Bitcoin mining solutions for its customers and building AI computational infrastructure to support the AI revolution. Bitdeer handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, data center design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. Bitdeer also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed data centers across multiple countries, including the United States, Norway, Bhutan, and Ethiopia.

About SEALMINER

SEALMINER, a pioneering brand of mining machines under Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR), specializes in offering efficient and sustainable mining solutions. SEALMINER integrates Bitdeer's self-developed SEAL series of mining chips manufactured using advanced process nodes. By continuously improving power efficiency ratios, SEALMINER is dedicated to providing innovative, efficient, and reliable products and services to customers worldwide. To learn more, visit https://www.bitdeer.com/ or follow Bitdeer on X @Bitdeer and LinkedIn @Bitdeer.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding the expected performance, efficiency, deployment, mining output, or potential returns relating to Bitdeer’s products. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, changes in cryptocurrency market prices, network difficulty and global hash rate, mining pool performance, electricity costs, operating conditions, regulatory developments, supply chain constraints, technological performance of the products, as well as potential risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Bitdeer’s annual report on Form 20-F, as well as those discussed in Bitdeer’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, many of which are beyond Bitdeer’s control. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Bitdeer specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers should not rely upon the information on this page as current or accurate after its publication date.

References to specific cryptocurrencies (including LTC, DOGE, BELLS, JKC, LKY, and PEP) are descriptive of algorithmic compatibility only and do not constitute investment advice, an offer, a solicitation, or a recommendation to acquire, hold, or trade any cryptocurrency or other digital asset.

Contacts

For Promotional Partnerships
marketing@bitdeer.com

For Sales Consultations:
sales@bitdeer.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/45544ee3-9cf6-4e4a-819d-773ea02114ba

SOURCE: Sealminer

DISCLAIMER: BERNAMA MREM are not accountable for any causes of website defacement, misuse, or illegal activities connected to cryptocurrency, blockchain, tokenisation, or bitcoin. This material should not be considered as guidance or an opinion, as it does not constitute financial or investment advice. Use this information at your own risk; we are not liable for any losses or damages caused by the republication of this article.

--BERNAMA

ANCIENT ROYAL ANTIQUITIES HEADLINE TIMELINE AUCTIONS SALE

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- TimeLine Auctions showcased museum-quality antiquities from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and the western Mediterranean at its Antiquities & Ancient Art Auction, featuring rare artefacts linked to ancient kings, religious figures and classical civilisations.

Among the headline lots is a hemispherical bronze bowl bearing the cuneiform name of Manishtushu, who ruled the Akkadian Empire around 2270 to 2255 B.C., according to TimeLine Auctions in a statement.

The auction also feature an agate eye-bead inscribed with the name of Kurigalzu II and a banded agate cylinder seal carrying a Sumerian prayer to the storm god Adad from the Kassite period.

The Egyptian collection is led by a 40-centimetre basalt figure of the Saite customs official Wahibre, depicted kneeling while supporting an offering basin. The sculpture’s components, separated in the 19th century and held in different collections, have been reunited for auction for the first time.

Other Egyptian highlights include a 70-centimetre hollow-cast bronze figure of Osiris dating to the 26th Dynasty and a painted wooden stele linking Amun at Luxor with Osiris at Abydos.

In the Greek section, a sixth-century B.C. black-figure pyxis depicting the wedding procession of an Athenian bride and a fifth-century B.C. red-figure column krater featuring Europa alongside a Dionysian scene are featured.

The sale will also feature the Gravona bronzes, a group of 10 artefacts recovered from a railway cutting in Corsica in the 1880s and later documented by archaeologist Robert Forrer in 1924.

Following the live auction, TimeLine will continue with an online-only sale from June 3, covering a broad range of ancient art categories. The programme will conclude with an Ancient Coins auction on June 9 and 10 featuring weights, tokens, medals and books.

The auction is scheduled to begin at 1pm British Summer Time, with bidding available through absentee bids, telephone participation and online platforms. Worldwide shipping will be offered, with payments accepted in British pounds sterling.

-- BERNAMA

SBA, Seoul Metropolitan Government Open Applications For 2026 Unicorn Startup Challenge

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- Seoul Business Agency (SBA) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government have officially opened applications for the "Try Everything 2026: Seoul Unicorn Challenge", a startup competition aimed at supporting international companies seeking expansion into the South Korean market.

Applications are open until June 30, with startups less than 10 years old led by founders without South Korean citizenship eligible to apply, according to a statement.

The finalists will compete for a total prize pool of 120 million South Korean won (approximately US$82,000) and will also receive the Seoul Metropolitan Government Mayor’s Award. (US$1 = RM3.97)

Beyond financial rewards, finalists will be provided the opportunity to pitch at the Try Everything 2026 main stage and receive promotional support through media and public relations channels.

The selected startups will also be eligible for linkage with the Naver Cloud Greenhouse support programme.

Further details and application submissions are available through the official application platform.

-- BERNAMA

​B2C2 and Solidus Labs Partner to Bolster Institutional-Grade Crypto-Native Market Integrity

LONDON & NEW YORK, May 22 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- B2C2, a leading global digital asset market maker, today announced a partnership with Solidus Labs, the gold standard for crypto-native trade surveillance. Under the collaboration, B2C2 will deploy Solidus Labs' HALO platform to provide multidimensional Trade Surveillance across its global operations, including the UK, USA, France, Luxembourg, Singapore and the Cayman Islands.

As the digital asset ecosystem continues to mature, institutional participants increasingly prioritize robust governance, oversight, and market conduct standards. The Solidus HALO platform helps B2C2 strengthen its surveillance framework, assisting in the detection and review of potentially manipulative trading activity across digital asset markets. 

"As a leading digital assets market maker, B2C2 has always prioritized the integrity of the markets in which we operate," said Thomas Restout, CEO of B2C2. "Solidus Labs brings significant digital asset market expertise and specialized surveillance technology that we believe will further strengthen our market oversight capabilities globally." 

“This long-term commitment is a testament to B2C2’s leadership and our shared belief that robust market integrity standards are the foundation of institutional trust,” said Asaf Meir, Founder and CEO of Solidus Labs. “B2C2’s adoption of HALO underscores a critical market shift: institutional leaders are moving towards Solidus as a platform that truly understands crypto-market structures.” 

The partnership takes effect immediately and reflects B2C2's continued investment in compliance and market oversight capabilities across global jurisdictions.

About B2C2
B2C2 is a global leader in institutional liquidity for digital assets. Founded in 2015, we are trusted by blue chip hedge funds, institutional managers, brokers, crypto exchanges, and crypto foundations. We provide deep, reliable liquidity and pricing in crypto, delivering seamless execution 24/7/365. Majority owned and backed by Japanese financial conglomerate, SBI, B2C2 Ltd is headquartered in the UK, with offices in the US, Japan, Singapore, France and Luxembourg. B2C2 Ltd is registered in England and Wales under company number 07995888 with its registered office at 41 Lothbury, London, EC2R 7HF. B2C2 Ltd is the parent company of the B2C2 group of companies. Visit: www.b2c2.com. 

Important Information: This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any digital assets or to enter into any transaction or trading relationship. Any products and services described are provided by relevant group entities only where permitted, and are subject to applicable laws, regulations, and client eligibility requirements. Certain statements may be forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes may differ materially. 

About Solidus Labs
Solidus Labs is the category-definer for multidimensional market integrity. Founded by Goldman Sachs veterans, Solidus merges Wall Street rigor with advanced AI to reinvent compliance through its flagship platform, HALO, providing the gold standard for Agentic-Based Compliance. Visit: www.soliduslabs.com

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260521755513/en/ 

Contact
Media contact
Bernardo Soriano
bsoriano@gregoryagency.com
914-656-3880

SOURCE: Solidus Labs 

DISCLAIMER: BERNAMA MREM are not accountable for any causes of website defacement, misuse, or illegal activities connected to cryptocurrency, blockchain, tokenisation, or bitcoin. This material should not be considered as guidance or an opinion, as it does not constitute financial or investment advice. Use this information at your own risk; we are not liable for any losses or damages caused by the republication of this article.

--BERNAMA 

ICHAM UNVEILS SINGAPORE VCC FUND TARGETING US EQUITIES

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (Bernama) -- ICHAM Pte Ltd, a regional multi-family office and alternative asset manager, has launched a new open-ended Singapore Variable Capital Company (VCC) fund that invests in selected sectors of United States (US) equities and incorporates option-based strategies.

The fund aims to provide periodic income generation potential and total returns for investors and is available exclusively to accredited and institutional investors, according to ICHAM in a statement.

ICHAM Chief Executive Officer, Archan Chamapun said the investment strategy combines a value-orientated approach with an income-focused overlay within US equities to enhance income generation potential and total returns.

“The fund is designed to offer a sector rotation approach to US large-cap equities beyond traditional market cap weights,” he said.

Meanwhile, the fund’s lead Portfolio Manager, Felix Chew said the investment approach is designed to balance participation in equity markets while targeting periodic income distribution objectives across different market conditions.

With US equity valuations near historic highs and interest rates remaining volatile, the fund may appeal to accredited and institutional investors seeking income-orientated strategies in the current market environment.

Backed by academic research, the fund adopts a rules-based institutional investment framework focused on long-term risk management within a systematic investment framework for investors in the long term.

ICHAM has been serving accredited and institutional investors with tailored investment solutions since 2019 and is recognised for its expertise in alternative asset classes and structured products.

-- BERNAMA

INSTRUQT POWERS LARGE-SCALE AGENTIC AI TRAINING AT GOOGLE NEXT 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) -- Instruqt, the hands-on product experience platform, announced that Google Cloud Security used its platform to train more than 150 practitioners on Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities during Google Next 2026.

The session, branded the Agentic SOC Experience, was described as one of the largest hands-on Agentic AI training workshops held at a major industry conference this year, according to Instruqt in a statement.

Using Instruqt’s platform, participants created dedicated Google Cloud Vertex AI environments, enabling them to build and test AI agents in isolated sandbox settings instead of relying on slide-based demonstrations.

Instruqt Vice President of Marketing, Tyler Crumpler said companies developing AI products must focus on enabling customers to use the technologies effectively through real-world environments and practical applications.

Meanwhile, Google Cloud Security pre-sales engineer, Keith Manville said the platform enabled participants to gain practical understanding of agentic AI tools and workflows through interactive learning.

The initiative reflects broader industry efforts to narrow the gap between AI product launches and customer adoption, as enterprises seek more practical and scalable training methods.

Citing the 2026 State of Developer Adoption Report by SlashData, the company said 92 per cent of practitioners face at least one major adoption challenge, including technology complexity, team misalignment and outdated content.

-- BERNAMA

STONESHIELD CAPITAL TO INCREASE STAKE IN EXOLUM TO 20 PCT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) -- Stoneshield Capital, a European real assets investment firm, has signed an agreement to acquire a 15 per cent stake in Exolum from OMERS, building on its existing investment in the company.

According to a statement, the firm acquired a 4.93 per cent stake in January this year, and once the transaction closes in the third quarter of 2026, its total holding in Exolum will rise to approximately 20 per cent.

The remaining 10 per cent of OMERS’ approximately 25 per cent stake is being separately acquired by a leading global investment firm. OMERS, together with its investment partners, has been invested in Exolum since 2016.

Stoneshield Capital co-founders, Felipe Morenés Botín and Juan Pepa said the firm has followed Exolum’s progress closely as an existing shareholder, including its international expansion, operational performance and growing role in the energy transition.

“Increasing our investment and taking active board representation reflects our conviction in Exolum’s distinctive combination of real assets quality, geographic reach and strategic relevance, and our commitment to supporting management as the company continues to strengthen its position as one of Europe’s leading energy logistics platforms,” said the co-founders.

Meanwhile, OMERS Infrastructure Senior Managing Director and Head of Europe, Luca Lupo said the transaction reflects the quality of the business and the firm’s disciplined approach to portfolio management and capital rotation.

Exolum is a Spanish-headquartered global energy logistics company specialising in the transportation, storage and distribution of refined products, bulk liquids and aviation fuels, while also supporting the energy transition.

The company operates a 4,000-kilometre (km) pipeline network in Spain and a further 2,000 km network in the United Kingdom, alongside 68 storage terminals with more than 11 million cubic metres of capacity serving over 48 airports globally.

Following completion, Stoneshield Capital will assume three of OMERS’ board seats, while the second investor will take the remaining two.

-- BERNAMA

ABAXX LAUNCHES SILVER SINGAPORE FUTURES TRADING

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) -- Abaxx Technologies Inc (Abaxx), a financial software and market infrastructure company, announced that trading has commenced in Silver Singapore (SSP) futures, expanding Abaxx Exchange’s precious metals product suite.

The contract is designed to address the gap between global silver price formation and the physical requirements of Asia’s industrial silver market, where demand for higher-purity material is increasing across solar and advanced electronics supply chains.

By establishing a physically deliverable four-nines silver benchmark in Singapore, Abaxx SSP futures are intended to support more direct price discovery and hedging for commercial participants managing physical silver exposure in the region.

According to a statement, the Abaxx SSP futures contract is a United States dollar-denominated, 1,000-troy-ounce, physically deliverable product of 0.9999 fineness, with delivery into approved vaults in Singapore, including Brink’s Singapore.

Silver Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Michael DiRienzo said the launch marks a meaningful step forward for the global silver market, adding that Abaxx is addressing a long-standing gap in price discovery for Asia’s industrial silver users.

“The Silver Institute welcomes innovations that strengthen market infrastructure and give commercial participants better tools to manage their physical silver exposure,” he said.

SSP futures are available for trading from 10 am for 14 hours on weekdays, except Singapore public holidays.

-- BERNAMA

EIG’s MidOcean Energy Announces $120m Investment from The Arab Energy Fund as Part of Equity Raise

EIG’s MidOcean Energy Announces $120m Investment from The Arab Energy Fund as Part of Equity Raise 

WASHINGTON, May 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- MidOcean Energy (“MidOcean” or the “Company”), a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company formed and managed by EIG, today announced a $120 million equity investment from The Arab Energy Fund (‘’TAEF’’), a leading multilateral impact financial institution, as part of its current equity capital raise. 
 
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260520063539/en/  
 

TAEF’s investment further strengthens MidOcean’s high-quality investor base and underscores continued strong interest in the Company’s strategy to build a diversified, resilient and long-life global LNG business. 

There is significant further momentum from additional investors currently in documentation, and MidOcean will continue to raise capital, with a cumulative target of up to $2 billion from new investors. 

R. Blair Thomas, MidOcean Chairman and EIG CEO, said: “We are delighted to welcome The Arab Energy Fund as a shareholder in MidOcean. Their significant expertise in energy investments is a strong validation of MidOcean’s strategy to build a leading global LNG business. In parallel, EIG and TAEF are seeking collaboration opportunities across energy infrastructure in the Middle East, with the aim of further deepening our relationship.” 

De la Rey Venter, CEO of MidOcean, said: “This investment supports our strategy of building a diversified LNG portfolio and positions us well to execute on our identified growth opportunities. We welcome TAEF with its more than 50 years of experience in energy investing and focus on energy security and sustainability.” 

Khalid Al-Ruwaigh, CEO of The Arab Energy Fund, said: “Our investment in MidOcean Energy reflects the Fund’s commitment to supporting strategic energy platforms that contribute to global energy security and a more sustainable energy mix. LNG continues to play a critical role as a reliable and flexible energy source, and MidOcean’s disciplined approach and high-quality asset base align well with our long-term investment strategy. EIG is a great partner and we look forward to unlocking further value through collaboration across energy infrastructure, particularly in the Middle East.” 

Important Notice 

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or purchase any securities. Any offering will be made only pursuant to applicable offering documents and in compliance with applicable securities laws. 

About EIG 

EIG is a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors with $25.9 billion assets under management as of March 31, 2026. EIG specializes in private investments in energy and energy-related infrastructure on a global basis. During its 44-year history, EIG has committed - $53.9 billion to the energy sector through 426 projects or companies in 44 countries on six continents. EIG’s clients include many of the leading pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds in the U.S., Asia and Europe. EIG is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Houston, London, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong and Seoul. For additional information, please visit www.eigpartners.com. 

About MidOcean 

MidOcean Energy, an LNG company formed and managed by EIG, seeks to build a diversified, resilient, cost- and carbon-competitive global LNG portfolio. It reflects EIG’s belief in LNG as a critical element of a lower carbon, competitive and more secure global energy system. MidOcean Energy has diverse LNG interests, including in LNG Canada, Gorgon LNG, Pluto LNG, QCLNG and Peru LNG. The company is headed by De la Rey Venter, a 30-year industry veteran who has held a variety of senior executive roles, including Global Head of LNG for Shell Plc. For additional information, please visit www.midoceanenergy.com. 

About The Arab Energy Fund 

The Arab Energy Fund (The Fund) is a multilateral impact financial institution focused on the MENA energy and utility sectors, established in 1974 by ten Arab oil-exporting countries. The Fund’s mission is to support the energy ecosystem with debt and equity solutions to enable energy security and sustainability and to develop local value chains and services in the MENA region. The Arab Energy Fund creates impact by contributing to economic prosperity and enabling local communities via talent development and knowledge creation. The Fund offers a comprehensive range of funding solutions across the entire energy value chain to leading public and private sector business partners in over 35 markets. The Arab Energy Fund applies best-practice ESG principles across all operations, with environmental and socially linked projects comprising c.20% of its USD 5.8bn loan portfolio. The Arab Energy Fund is the only energy-focused financial institution in the MENA region rated ‘Aa2’ by Moody’s, ‘AA+’ by Fitch and ‘AA-’ by S&P.

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260520063539/en/ 

Contact 

EIG/MidOcean Contact Information
FGS Global
Kelly Kimberly / Brandon Messina
+1 212-687-8080
EIG@fgsglobal.com 

The Arab Energy Fund Contact Information
Communications Department
Yasa Ahmad
Yasa.Ahmad@edelmansmithfield.com 

Source : EIG 

--BERNAMA

EMGA arranges USD 15m financing for Asia Alliance Bank from OeEB

LONDON, May 22 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emerging Markets Global Advisory LLP is delighted to announce yet another closing in Uzbekistan having secured funding from OeEB, the Development Bank of Austria, to support Asia Alliance Bank.

Commenting on the transaction, Asia Alliance Bank’s CEO, Mr. Umidjon Abduazimov, said: “This new USD 15 million facility represents an important step in the Bank’s ongoing development and will support the further expansion of financing for SMEs, women entrepreneurship, and green projects in Uzbekistan, which are becoming increasingly important across the country’s economy. The transaction also reflects the Bank’s continued growth, diversification of international funding sources, and commitment to supporting sustainable private sector development in Uzbekistan. At the same time, this cooperation demonstrates the growing confidence of international development finance institutions in both Asia Alliance Bank and Uzbekistan’s banking sector and economic potential overall.

Also commenting on the transaction, Sabine Gaber, CEO and Member of OeEB’s Executive Board, said “Our partnership with Asia Alliance Bank is a strong fit for us, as it combines three key priorities of our strategy: expanding access to finance for underserved MSMEs, advancing gender equality through support for women-owned businesses, and promoting green finance investments that contribute to a more sustainable economy. Through this investment, we aim to support long-term economic inclusion, resilience and job creation across Uzbekistan.”

Emerging Markets Global Advisory LLP (EMGA)’s Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking Sajeev Chakkalakal said “It was a pleasure to work together on an initial transaction with AAB and enable this innovative financing for the MSME and green sectors within the Uzbek economy. Furthermore, we relished the opportunity to cooperate again with OeEB, who as a leading DFI have been a long-term repeat investor in our transactions globally.”

Emerging Markets Global Advisory LLP (EMGA)’s Managing Director and Head of Operations, Jeremy Dobson commented “AAB is a fast-rising player in the highly competitive Uzbek banking sector, and we are proud to have enabled another step in their growth curve.”

Asia Alliance Bank (AAB) is a leading private commercial bank in Uzbekistan, providing a broad range of corporate, SME, trade finance, treasury, and retail banking services. Established in 2009, the bank has built a strong reputation for supporting entrepreneurship, international trade, and private sector development across the country. Asia Alliance Bank has received multiple international awards for SME financing and innovation and continues to expand its digital banking capabilities and international partnerships.

OeEB was founded in March 2008 as the development bank of the Republic of Austria. With a public mandate OeEB works for better living conditions in developing countries. OeEB is present in markets in which companies often have no or limited access to urgently needed capital, both credit and equity. Investments in these projects create jobs; these projects increase tax revenues and bring foreign currency into the country. OeEB is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oesterreichische Kontrollbank (OeKB).

Emerging Markets Global Advisory LLP (EMGA), is an emerging markets investment banking boutique with offices in New York and London. It helps financial institutions and corporates as well as project finance sponsors that seek new debt or equity capital. EMGA provides its services, to clients within many of the world’s rapidly developing economies, including Uzbekistan which remains a key market. With a proven track record in capital formation and strategic advisory throughout diverse economic cycles, EMGA continues to expand its geographic reach and service offering, as it solidifies its place in the market as one of the industry’s preeminent emerging markets focused investment banks.

Contact info@emergingmarketsglobaladvisory.com

SOURCE: Emerging Markets Global Advisory

--BERNAMA

Kays + Kins Announces Grand Opening of First Flagship Store in Malaysia

(L-R) Mr Adrian Cheah, General Manager of Marketing, Pavilion Bukit Jalil, Mr. Lee Jia Wei, Founder of GAIAS Home, Mr. Tan Kien Yow and Ms. Karine Low, Founders of Kays + Kins, Ms. Katie Tan, Kays + Kins’ advisor, Ms. Irene Ong, Head of Retail of Kays + Kins

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- Kays + Kins, the comfort-driven, design-led lifestyle brand for modern families, has officially announced the opening of its first physical flagship store in Malaysia. Located at Pavilion Bukit Jalil, the new boutique marks an exciting milestone for the homegrown brand, previously only available online, offering customers a warm and personal space to experience its thoughtfully designed baby essentials firsthand.

Known for its elevated essentials made for practical baby wear, Kays + Kins has built a loyal following through its signature approach to comfort, quality and timeless design. Designed with South East Asia’s warm and humid climate in mind, the brand’s collections feature relaxed, non-body-hugging silhouettes and soft, breathable fabrics that support ease of movement and all-day comfort for babies and toddlers.

The opening of its first physical store brings the Kays + Kins experience to life beyond the digital space, giving customers the opportunity to feel the softness of its fabrics in person, discover the details behind its hand-painted prints, and shop in an environment that reflects the brand’s calm and intentional aesthetic.

“As we grew our brand in Malaysia, our community has always asked for a space where they can experience our fabrics in person and discover for themselves the details that make each piece special, such as the softness of our bamboo muslins and the hand-painted details of our prints,” says Karine Low, Founder of Kays + Kins.

“So with the opening of this physical store, we wanted to go beyond retail to create more personal experiences of the brand. We wanted a space where parents and gift-givers can take their time, feel the quality of our pieces, and find something that is both practical and beautiful for everyday family life,” she added.

At the heart of Kays + Kins is a comfort-first design philosophy. Each piece is created to feel gentle, breathable and easy to wear, especially in tropical weather. The brand’s fabric choices are selected not just for softness on first touch, but for how they continue to feel over time, remaining soft and comfortable even after repeated washes, making them especially suited for daily use.

This focus on thoughtful design also extends to the brand’s visual identity. Kays + Kins is known for its limited, hand-painted prints that are intentionally designed to feel timeless and distinctive, rather than mass-produced. Together with its understated colour palette and refined product styling, the brand offers a lifestyle sensibility that resonates with modern parents looking for baby essentials that are as beautiful as they are functional.

Beyond everyday wear, gifting plays a key part of the Kays + Kins brand experience. The flagship store is designed to support meaningful and even last-minute gifting moments, with a curated range of newborn gift sets, Bamboo Muslin Swaddles, signature two-way zipper Growsuits and Sleepsuits, customisable wooden keepsake boxes with personalised engraving services, and the exclusive Heritage Collection available only in-store. The ideal go-to place for baby showers, full-moon celebrations or simply welcoming a newborn, the store offers customers a thoughtful and convenient destination for gifts that feel personal and memorable.

The boutique itself features a minimalist, earthy-luxe interior inspired by nature, creating a calm and inviting environment for families and gift-givers alike.

While comfort, design and experience remain central to the brand, Kays + Kins also maintains a strong commitment to quality and responsible production. Its collections include GOTS-certified organic cotton and OEKO-TEX certified garments, providing parents with added assurance that every piece meets recognised standards for safety and care.

To celebrate its opening, Kays + Kins is offering 20% off the purchase of three items as part of its Grand Opening promotion. Running till 30 April 2026, the promotion is applicable to all products except Bundle Deals.

For further information about Kays + Kins and its product offerings, please visit kaysandkins.com.

About Kays + Kins
At Kays + Kins, comfort always comes first. We design everyday babywear to feel as good as it looks — gentle on delicate skin, breathable, and made to support real parenting moments.

Functionality is thoughtfully built into every detail, from easy-to-wear silhouettes to durable fabrics that move with your baby. Beyond clothing, we extend this same care to gifting — creating beautiful newborn gifts that are meaningful, practical, and made for everyday comfort.

Each season features unique, limited-edition prints, hand-illustrated and released in small quantities, making every piece quietly special and distinctive.

Made with GOTS-certified organic fabrics, Kays + Kins pieces prioritise softness, safety, and sustainability — offering babies comfort, beauty, and care from the very beginning.

Issued on behalf of Kays + Kins by GO Communications Sdn Bhd.

SOURCE: Kays + Kins Malaysia

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Tel: +603-2711 9566
Email: hello@kaysandkins.com

GO Communications Sdn Bhd
Name: Amanda Yee
Senior Brand Executive
Tel: +6016 319 2629
Email: amandayee@gocomm.com.my

Name: Choulyin Tan
Chief Operating Officer
Tel: +6016 856 7286
Eamil: choulyin@gocomm.com.my

--BERNAMA

AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Union Insurance Company Limited

 

HONG KONG, May 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Union Insurance Company Limited (Union) (Taiwan). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Union’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

Union’s balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), which was at the strongest level as of year-end 2025. AM Best expects Union’s risk-adjusted capitalisation to remain at the strongest level over the intermediate term, supported by partial retention of positive operating earnings. Union’s regulatory solvency capital is expected to maintain a healthy capital buffer above the minimum requirements. Other supporting factors include a comprehensive reinsurance programme, favourable financial flexibility, and a consistent investment strategy.

Union reported stable operating results in 2025, with a return on adjusted capital and surplus of 11.8%, based on AM Best’s calculations. The company’s top-line performance has remained stable, despite posting a slightly lower-than-average premium growth rate in its voluntary motor segment. Union has refined its underwriting strategy to improve profitability and actively expanded its business offerings including accident and health (A&H) and commercial liability. Underwriting profitability has improved consistently, with a record low net combined ratio of 91.1% in 2025, as calculated by AM Best. The company recorded a net investment yield of 3.0% (including capital gains and losses) last year, which was impacted moderately by foreign exchange volatility. Going forward, AM Best expects Union to maintain its asset allocation strategy with a focus on domestic fixed-income and equity investments to generate stable investment returns.

Union is a medium-sized insurer in Taiwan’s non-life market and ranked eighth in 2025, based on direct premiums written. Similar to other companies in the market, Union’s underwriting portfolio is diversified moderately but slightly skewed toward motor insurance, with its other key business lines being the commercial fire, liability, and A&H segments. The company has maintained a well-diversified distribution mix, with major business contributors being car dealers, the direct channel, and brokers. Union’s ERM is considered appropriate to support its risk profile.

Negative rating actions could occur if there is a material deterioration in Union’s operating performance. Positive rating actions may occur due to a sustained improvement in the company’s operating performance. While deemed unlikely over the near term, positive rating actions could arise if Union’s balance sheet strength fundamentals improve favourably.

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 Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2026 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/20260520635907/en/

Contact

Madison Fan
Senior Financial Analyst
+852 2827 3416
madison.fan@ambest.com

James Chan
Director, Analytics
+852 2827 3418
james.chan@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations
+1 908 882 2310
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist
+1 908 882 2318
al.slavin@ambest.com

Source : AM Best

Bitget Launches “Gold Fast or Go Home Challenge” for Gold CFD Trading

VICTORIA, Seychelles, May 21 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has launched the “Gold Fast or Go Home Challenge,” a global campaign built around faster access to gold CFD trading on the Bitget app. The campaign follows Bitget’s recent product update that moved TradFi products, including gold, forex, commodities, and indices, to a first-level homepage tab, reducing the number of steps required to access these markets directly from the homepage.

The challenge invites users to record themselves by opening the Bitget app, entering the TradFi section, and completing an XAUUSD gold CFD trade as quickly as possible. Participants will publish their attempts across social platforms as part of a global speed-based trading challenge designed around accessibility, execution flow, and real-time market participation. The campaign combines trading culture with short-form social content, turning product speed into a visible user experience.

The campaign reflects Bitget’s broader direction of bringing traditional financial assets closer to crypto-native trading environments through a unified interface. Users can move between crypto assets, tokenized products, forex pairs, commodities, and gold CFD markets from a single account structure without switching across multiple platforms, wallets, or trading systems.

“Users increasingly move between crypto and traditional financial markets within the same trading cycle, especially during periods shaped by macro volatility,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget. “We have designed the platform to make these markets more directly accessible inside the app. The challenge turns that trading flow into a public and community-driven experience that shows how multi-asset trading behavior is evolving.”

Gold trading activity has continued gaining traction globally as investors monitor interest rate expectations, central bank accumulation trends, inflation risks, and geopolitical uncertainty. Across digital asset platforms, gold CFDs have become one of the most actively monitored TradFi products during periods of elevated volatility, particularly as users look for faster access to macro-sensitive assets without leaving crypto-native trading environments.

The homepage TradFi integration forms part of Bitget’s wider Universal Exchange strategy focused on reducing fragmentation between digital assets and traditional financial markets. As more users diversify across asset classes, trading platforms are increasingly expected to support crypto, commodities, equities, FX, and tokenized assets within a single interface and collateral system. Bitget’s TradFi expansion reflects growing market demand for unified multi-asset access and faster capital movement between trading categories.

The launch also follows Bitget’s continued expansion of its TradFi offering across global markets. The platform currently provides access to crypto markets alongside tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, forex pairs, and precious metals such as gold within one trading ecosystem. In 2026, Bitget repositioned its TradFi section to the app homepage as part of a broader effort to simplify market access and improve execution efficiency across multi-asset trading activity.

For more information, visit here.

About Bitget

Bitget is the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 100+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships with LALIGA and MotoGP™. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry’s lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide.

For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord

For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3484ccd0-5df8-4c93-91cb-c0bdf7495349

SOURCE: Bitget Limited

DISCLAIMER: BERNAMA MREM are not accountable for any causes of website defacement, misuse, or illegal activities connected to cryptocurrency, blockchain, tokenisation, or bitcoin. This material should not be considered as guidance or an opinion, as it does not constitute financial or investment advice. Use this information at your own risk; we are not liable for any losses or damages caused by the republication of this article.

--BERNAMA