Month: October 2022

Bedford, Mass., Oct. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Biotech innovator, Conagen announced the development of its fermentation-derived vitamin K2 – a high-purity all-trans menaquinone-7 (MK-7).  This is the first molecule from a proprietary platform for producing novel, pure, long-chain menaquinone forms of the vitamin. The platform enables low-cost manufacturing and yields high-quality products, making it attractive to health brands.

“Conagen’s MK-7 technology produces a clean profile of the vitamin without other similar molecules, such as ubiquinone,” said Casey Lippmeier, Ph.D., senior vice president of innovation at Conagen. “Our process allows us to make pure forms of any long-chain menaquinone, be it 6, 7, 8, 9, and these can be consumed in various combinations with other vitamins or with each other to make the most effective supplement possible. As the clinical evidence evolves, so can the supplement.”

Vitamin K2 helps to regulate calcium mobility in bones and restricts calcium buildup in blood vessels, leading to stroke and heart disease. MK-7 is the more bioavailable form of K2 on the market; the other major form is MK-4, which both have taken a strong position in the markets for bone and cardiovascular health.

The biological activity of MK-7 is strictly linked to its all-trans configuration, which is naturally found in fermented superfoods such as natto. Cis-analogues are considered biologically inactive. Synthetic versions of MK-7 contain some amount of the cis-isomer form. Low-quality sources containing cis forms affect the efficacy of the vitamin.

Other long-chain forms of vitamin K2, such as MK-8 and MK-9, exist naturally in cheeses. Research on the health benefits of these other K2 forms has only begun to emerge.

Personalized nutrition is popular with consumers looking for technological breakthroughs in functional foods and nutrition. Conagen’s cost-effective fermentation-derived MK-7 provides new opportunities for brands to develop products to meet the demand of the growing aging population.

“We’re demonstrating our capabilities with innovative technologies that expand market choices in nutrition,” said Lippmeier. “Our fermentation and bioconversion platforms have also produced the clean nutrient ergothioneine and the antioxidant taxifolin, further demonstrating the versatility of our platform technologies.”

Conagen’s research into the MK-7 production process was done in part as a 3-year collaboration with the lab of Prof. Anthony Sinskey at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Health brands interested in non-GMO, vegan vitamin K2 MK-4 and MK-7 and special ingredients, such as ErgoActive® L-Ergothioneine® and Taxifolin BC DHQ® for nutrition and food and beverage preservation, respectively, can contact Blue California, a pipeline partner of Conagen. To inquire more about Conagen’s products or partnerships, please visit www.conagen.com.

About Conagen

Conagen is a product-focused, synthetic biology R&D company with large-scale manufacturing service capabilities. Our scientists and engineers use the latest synthetic biology tools to develop high-quality, sustainable, nature-based products by precision fermentation and enzymatic bioconversion. We focus on the bioproduction of high-value ingredients for food, nutrition, flavors and fragrances, pharmaceutical, and renewable materials industries.

Attachments

• Conagen develops high-purity vitamin K2 MK-7 with fermentation platform — promising more MKs.
• Vitamin K food sources

Ana Arakelian, Head of Public Relations and Communications
Conagen
+1.949.750.6812
ana.arakelian@conagen.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8685378

Roseau, Oct. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anichi Resort & Spa will be providing a 2% annual return to investors despite being under construction. The management of the much-anticipated five-star luxury resort and spa in Dominica has said that the project is in full swing, and that once construction is completed, annual returns will be based on the resort’s operation.

Following an official update, an estimated 70% of the project is now complete; this includes the flooring as well as an extensive electricity infrastructure. The resort is being built on 12 acres of land, with 128 rooms. I will host world-class amenities, such as a lagoon swimming pool, an infinity pool, restaurants, a business centre and many others. Overlooking a picturesque beach, the resort will tastefully blend its modern architecture with the landscape’s tropical foliage.

Developed by Oriental Developers (Caribbean) Ltd, the resort will form part of the Autograph Collection, a premium international brand developed by renowned hotelier Marriott International. This links the resort to more than 100 luxury lifestyle hotels across 30 countries and territories – all of which have been constructed as part of Autograph Collection Hotels. Furthermore, Anichi Resort will be managed by Highgate, a dominant player in major US gateway cities with a growing footprint in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Anichi Resort & Spa is also one of the premium real estate options approved by the Dominican government’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme. The CBI Index of 2022, published by the PWM Magazine of the Financial Times, recognises it as the “World’s Best Citizenship by Investment Programme”. The minimum investment threshold for Anichi Resort & Spa is $220,000 (USD), an expenditure which also comes with lifetime Dominican citizenship and property ownership.

The resort will bolster the tourism sector and generate extensive employment for locals. The country already occupies a notable position, ranking first among 25 other Caribbean islands – winning due to its lush green jungles, hot springs and striking black-sand beaches. Annually, scores of investors fly to Dominica owing to its large number of government-approved investment projects. The Citizenship by Investment Programme of Dominica allows these individuals to purchase freehold shares in government-approved properties.

Anichi Resort & Spa provides investors and CBI applicants with a Return on Investment (ROI) as well as a route towards diversifying their portfolios and planning their wealth. 

The Prime Minister of Dominica, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, praised the CBI Programme, “Thanks to the real-estate investment option of the Citizenship by Investment Programme,” he noted, “the country is catching the attraction of travel-enthusiasts and is now known for [its] luxury tourism offering. Under the Citizenship Programme, investors looking to expand their real estate portfolio have the opportunity to invest in established luxury hotel brands and villas.” 

Dominica’s real estate investment option has long provided premium, luxury projects for investment. A prior example of this is Secret Bay, a real estate property which paid out more than $1 million (USD) in returns to investors. The Residences at Secret Bay also promises great returns, having drawn more than 100 Citizenship by Investment (CBI) owners. The resort has already won a number of awards, and it is anticipated that Anichi Resort & Spa will likewise be counted as one of the jewels in Dominica’s real estate crown.

Anichi Resort promises to be a meaningful asset during this time of global uncertainty. CS Global Partners, a legal consulting firm working in the investment citizenship field, noted that, beyond the resort’s world-class architecture and lush surrounding environment, “[t]he project also brings in interest from investors keen to participate in the development through Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme. Once completed, the resort promises to transform Dominica’s tourism sector while also boosting employment for the local community”.

Concurrently, Dominica is witnessing the construction of several other hotels, including a Hilton hotel, which will also fall under the government-approved real estate investment options of the country’s CBI programme. Many of these properties are being built to be sustainable and climate-resilient, with the continued construction of such resorts and hotels positioning the island as a top destination for eco-luxury resorts.

Dominica’s real estate is thus proving to be a popular option among investors and high net-worth individuals (HNWIs). Bolstering investment is the strength of the country’s CBI programme. The credibility and trustworthiness of Dominica’s programme has been maintained since its launch almost three decades ago, and it has been ranked the world’s best CBI programme for its sixth consecutive year. Alongside alternative citizenship, the Citizenship by Investment Programme of Dominica provides a number of other opportunities to investors. These include:

• The ability to become a global citizen and be part of a global community transcends Dominica’s land borders.
• The ability to hold multiple citizenships.
• A citizenship that is granted for life and can be passed on to future generations.
• An opportunity to provide families and children with a peaceful, stable, safe and welcoming home.
• Access to countless business opportunities, with the option of portfolio diversification.
• Enhanced opportunities for wealth planning and expanding business overseas.
• A stable currency, with Dominica’s currency, the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD), pegged to USD.

These factors, combined with alternative citizenship, present individuals with a rich array of business and personal advantages. As the success and promise of the Anichi Resort & Spa attest, the island along with its CBI programme offers investment with unrivalled returns.

PR Dominica
Commonwealth of Dominica
001 (767) 266 3919
mildred.thabane@csglobalpartners.com
.

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8685334

Amsterdam, 31 October 2022 – Today, Azerion has announced the acquisition of [M]media B.V., a leading sales house, tech partner and intermediary for publishers and advertisers in the Dutch digital advertising space with a strong focus on sports, lifestyle and automotive audiences.

Atilla Aytekin, co-CEO of Azerion, comments: “[M]media has long been one of the leading advertising networks in the Netherlands and our two companies have a long-standing business relationship. As such, we are delighted to welcome [M]media to our platform and make available our combined inventory of quality content with highly engaged audiences to advertisers.”

Azerion will integrate [M]media’s display, video and native advertising capabilities, adding to its robust current offering in these areas. The company will also bring valuable expertise in a number of contemporary marketing methods to the Azerion platform, offering publisher and advertiser solutions  such as search engine optimization, branded content and social media marketing, among others. Through this acquisition, Azerion will strengthen its digital marketing and advertising offering as a whole, bringing a diverse range of features and know-how to the platform.

The transaction is effective as of 1 October 2022. [M]media generated approximately €9.4 million gross revenue in 2021.

This latest news follows Azerion’s recent announcement of the acquisitions of Vlyby Gmbh and a number of asset deals as Azerion continues to execute on its growth strategy.

About Azerion
Azerion is a high-growth digital entertainment and media platform. As a content-driven, technology and data company, Azerion serves consumers, digital publishers, advertisers, and game creators globally. Azerion’s integrated platform provides technology solutions to automate the purchase and sale of digital advertising for media buyers and sellers, supported by in-market sales and campaign management teams. Through our technology, content creators, digital publishers and advertisers work with Azerion to reach the millions of people across the globe that play Azerion’s games and view its distributed entertainment content to increase engagement, loyalty, and drive e-commerce.

Founded in 2014 by two Dutch entrepreneurs, Azerion has experienced rapid expansion driven by organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Azerion is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and is a publicly traded company listed on Euronext Amsterdam.

For more information visit: www.azerion.com.

About [M]media
[M]media offers a selective collection of leading websites and apps in automotive, finance, lifestyle and sports. With our publishers’ content we succeed to achieve and fascinate Dutch men and women. With over 90 different websites and apps within our network, we reach more than 10 million unique visitors every month.

Together with multiple editorial-offices and video production teams, we create (sponsored) content for our advertisers. The attention value of this unique content makes us able to achieve the (communication) goals of our advertisers. Depending on the campaign objective, our team of digital experts will look for the strongest advertising solution within our channels, to perfectly reach the target audience.

Contact
Investor Relations
ir@azerion.com

Media
press@azerion.com

obeNewswire Distribution ID 1000753882

• Start of construction of the world’s first Eavor-Loop in Geretsried (Bavaria)
• Gradual expansion for long-term sustainable heat utilization in the region

GERETSRIED, Germany, Oct. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The ceremonial groundbreaking of the drilling site in Geretsried marks the official start of construction for the world’s first commercial geothermal project using Eavor-Loop technology.

The next chapter of the energy revolution is being written in Geretsried. The world’s first commercially operated Eavor-Loop system is being built using new and innovative closed-loop geothermal technology.

Andreas Gahr, Co-Managing Director of Eavor Erdwärme Geretsried GmbH, says: “This lighthouse project is intended to serve as a pioneer for a massive expansion of Eavor’s closed-loop geothermal energy in Germany and Europe, with the potential to make a significant contribution to energy security and climate neutrality.”

In a first construction phase, an Eavor-Loop will be built for power generation. Eavor is thus demonstrating the feasibility and predictability of its technological concept for the first time in Europe.

As the project continues to develop, the plant will be expanded to include several Eavor Loops with the aim of being able to supply the region with clean and safe heat sustainably and economically.

“I am delighted that Eavor has chosen Geretsried as the site for its first commercial project worldwide. Having experienced two failed attempts with traditional geothermal technology, we are eager to see how this project progresses.” For our region and for Bavaria, the use of geothermal energy is an essential step for the success of the energy transition and locally for the regional supply of climate-friendly heat,” commented the first mayor of Geretsried, Michael Müller.

“We are proud to be noticed far beyond our region with this largest renewable energy project in the district and to be technologically at the forefront of the energy transition with Eavor’s Closed Loop,” says the district administrator of the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district, Josef Niedermaier.

The construction of these drilling sites with the simultaneous use of two deep drilling rigs is unique and marks the beginning of the use of this technological innovation. The Eavor-Loop uses the natural heat from the earth like an underground heat exchanger. An environmentally neutral heat medium is heated by the earth via conduction and circulates in a closed network of boreholes. This is unique in geothermal energy and provides a reliable and consistent source of energy. Eavor’s technology eliminates the exploration risk and is also predictable, baseload capable and safe. An Eavor-Loop can be installed almost anywhere at the point of need and provide reliable power and heat.

Contact:

Eavor Erdwärme Geretsried GmbH
Daniel Mölk
Managing Director Eavor GmbH
+49 211 169 759-11
presse@eavor.de
www.eavor.de

About Eavor:

Eavor (pronounced “Ever”) is a technology-based energy company led by a team dedicated to creating a clean, reliable and affordable energy future on a global scale. Eavor’s solution (Eavor-Loop) represents the world’s first scalable form of clean, baseload capable energy. Eavor achieves this by mitigating or eliminating many of the problems that have traditionally hindered the widespread application of geothermal energy. At Eavor, an environmentally neutral working fluid, completely isolated from the environment in a closed loop, circulates through an underground heat exchanger. This collects heat from the earth’s natural geothermal gradient.

www.eavor.de

The Open Letter, Published in Sunday’s New York Times, Calls for the Immediate Expulsion of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The world’s preeminent women leaders in business, politics, advocacy and the arts published an open letter in Sunday’s New York Times calling for the immediate removal of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Signatories of the letter include Sec. Hillary Clinton, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, Media Leader & Philanthropist Oprah Winfrey, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate & Education Activist Malala Yousafzai, Economic & Political Leader Christine Lagarde, former First Lady of the United States & Advocate of Girls Education Michelle Obama, former Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former head of UN Climate Change Convention Christiana Figueres DBE, former First Lady of the United States & Education Advocate Laura Bush, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate & Human Rights Activist Nadia Murad and women in leadership positions from 14 countries (and counting).

This global effort—a partnership between Vital Voices, For Freedoms and a coalition of Iranian women leaders—comes amid more than 40 days of worldwide protests launched and led by Iranian women and girls after the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini. The protestors are demanding justice after Amini died on September 16, 2022 while in police custody. Amini was arrested by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s “morality police” for allegedly not complying with mandatory hijab laws.

Reports of extreme punishments and harsh crackdowns against protestors by Iranian authorities have flooded international headlines and social media feeds in the weeks since Amini’s death, gaining worldwide attention and scrutiny.

The group of women leaders who signed on to the letter came together in solidarity with Iranian women and girls with a clear call to action: the immediate removal of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women.

Within the first few days of going live, the letter received more than 21,000 signatures and growing. Additionally, more than 130,000 petitioners have also signed a letter asking for the same outcome on Change.org.

The open letter states: “We condemn the brutal violence of security forces against peaceful protesters … Earlier this year, to the dismay of women’s rights advocates around the world, Iran began a four–year term on the UN’s 45–member Commission on the Status of Women. This preeminent global body is exclusively dedicated to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s long–standing, systematic oppression of women should have disqualified them from election to the CSW.”

The letter also laments the Islamic Republic of Iran’s record on women’s rights, citing gender inequality and legalized discrimination against women regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance, child custody cases and attire. These restrictions include the mandate that requires women to wear head coverings at the onset of puberty.

The signatories of the letter warn that the violence and loss of life will continue without global intervention at the highest levels, and that the Commission on the Status of Women will lose credibility each day the Islamic Republic of Iran remains a member.

“This is a critical moment for leaders in the international community to vocally and unequivocally demonstrate their support for women’s rights by standing in solidarity with Iranian women and girls,” states the letter.

Members of the public are invited to read the full letter here. To join the movement, sign on here.

About Vital Voices Global Partnership
Now celebrating 25 years, Vital Voices Global Partnership has directly invested in more than 20,000 women leaders across 184 countries and territories since its inception in 1997. Driven by the universal truth that women are the key to progress in their communities and nations cannot move forward without women in leadership positions, Vital Voices has provided early support for leaders who went on to become Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, U.S. Youth Poet Laureates, prime ministers, award-winning innovators, pioneering human rights defenders, and breakthrough social entrepreneurs, including Amanda Gorman and Malala Yousafzai. In an effort to advance and expand this work, in 2022 Vital Voices opened the doors to the world’s first global embassy for women, the Vital Voices Global Headquarters for Women’s Leadership. It is a first-of-its-kind space that allows for convening, innovation, planning, and action—all in the pursuit of serving women leaders who are taking on the world’s greatest challenges.
www.vitalvoices.org

About For Freedoms
For Freedoms is an artist collective that centers art and creativity as a catalyst for transformative connection and collective liberation.

By wielding the power of art, we aim to deepen and expand our capacity to interrogate what is and imagine what could be.

Together, we seek infinite expansion.
www.forfreedoms.com

Attachments

• Sign the Petition
• The Open Letter

Vital Voices Global Partnership
media@vitalvoices.org

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8685121