Sinch AB (publ): Sinch to acquire MessageMedia, accelerating growth with small and medium-sized businesses

Stockholm, Sweden – Sinch AB (publ) – XSTO: SINCH

Sinch AB (publ), a global leader in cloud communications for mobile customer engagement, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MessageMedia, a leader in mobile messaging solutions for small and medium-sized businesses in the United States and Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Sinch will pay a total enterprise value of USD 1.3 billion, with a total cash consideration of USD 1.1 billion and 1,128,487 new shares in Sinch. Using yesterday’s USD/SEK exchange rate of 8.27, this corresponds to an enterprise value of SEK 10,745 million.

MessageMedia offers a web-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) suite that makes it easy to leverage two-way messaging without any need for coding or familiarity with API:s. It operates a highly automated and scalable tech platform that is purposefully tailored to meet the specific needs of small and medium-sized businesses. With a go-to-market motion built around digital customer acquisition and online self-service, the company serves over 60,000 customers and handles more than 5 billion mobile messages per year.

Organic growth is fueled both by net expansion and new customer acquisition. Performance is particularly strong in the United States, where more than 1,500 new customers are added each month. Moreover, MessageMedia’s management team has a proven capability to drive consolidation and extract economies of scale with 9 successful acquisitions in its target market. Sinch will look to accelerate these efforts, encourage international expansion, and task the MessageMedia management team to build a leading position in customer engagement for small and medium-sized businesses around the world.

“Addressing small and medium-sized businesses opens up a new avenue to growth and dramatically expands our addressable market. With MessageMedia as a part of Sinch, we will have the best team in the industry to capitalize on that opportunity”, comments Oscar Werner, Sinch CEO.

MessageMedia focuses on products that can easily be deployed ‘out of the box’ without coding or API integrations. Third-party analysts estimate the total, worldwide addressable market (TAM) for such ‘Turnkey Consumer Engagement” solutions to USD 9-13 billion, of which the United States makes up around 30 percent. The total market is expected to grow by 25-30 percent per annum in 2020-24, with particularly strong growth in the United States. Small and medium-sized businesses make up around 50-70 percent of the market.

The MessageMedia platform allows multiple brands to leverage the same underlying tech platform. Three brands are actively marketed to cater for adjacent but distinct customer groups, with ClickSend and SimpleTexting complementing the MessageMedia brand. The multi-brand capabilities also allow efficient integration of acquired businesses and means that mobile operators can deploy the offering on a white label basis. For ease of use and quick time-to-value, MessageMedia also offers pre-configured integrations to leading cloud platforms such as Shopify, NetSuite and HubSpot.

“Mobile messaging delivers tremendous ROI but smaller businesses often lack tools that cater to their specific needs”, comments Paul Perrett, MessageMedia CEO. “Serving these customers presents a tremendous opportunity, and with Sinch we can build a global leader in our field“.

Financials

In the twelve months ending June 30, 2021, MessageMedia is expected to record revenues of USD 151 million, Gross Profit of USD 94 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of USD 51 million. This corresponds to a gross margin of 63 percent and an EBITDA margin of 34 percent. The business employs more than 350 people and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Total organic year-on-year growth in revenues and gross profit over the past two years has been around 22 percent, with gross profit in the United States growing more than 40 percent per year.

One-off integration costs are estimated to reach around USD 8 million over 18 months. Upon closing of the transaction, MessageMedia will benefit from cost synergies in leveraging Sinch’s global super network for Messaging with direct connections to more than 450 mobile operators. It will also benefit from Sinch’s investments in new conversational messaging channels like WhatsApp, Viber, RCS and Instagram. Sinch intends to reinvest the savings from these cost synergies into further expansion, where MessageMedia can leverage Sinch’s established sales presence in 47 international markets.

Valuation

The transaction values the acquired business at an EV/Gross profit multiple of 13.8x, and an EV/EBITDA multiple of 25.4x, before synergies. This calculation is based on an enterprise value of USD 1.3 billion and anticipated earnings for the 12 months ending June 30, 2021.

Financing

MessageMedia is acquired through the legal entity Message4U Pty Ltd, which is registered in Australia.

The acquisition is financed through a combination of cash, equity and debt facilities. Upon closing, Sinch will pay the sellers, which include funds managed by Mercury Capital, a cash consideration of USD 1.1 billion. The sellers will also receive 1,128,487 new shares in Sinch, which are subject to customary lock-up undertakings and may not be divested for 6 months after closing. This implies that the number of shares in Sinch rises by around 1.6 percent.

Prior to today’s announcement, Sinch had a financial target to maintain net debt/adjusted EBITDA below 2.5x over time. As has been announced today in a separate press release, this target has now been revised to 3.5x over time.

On 17 February, Sinch announced the acquisition of Inteliquent for a total cash consideration of USD 1,140 million. The transaction is expected to close in H2 2021. On 24 May, Sinch completed a directed new share issue of 7,232,077 shares, raising approximately SEK 9.4 billion before issue costs.

At the end of Q1 2021, Sinch had a net cash position of SEK 2,053 million with net debt/adjusted EBITDA of
-2.1x. On a pro forma basis, if the acquisitions of Inteliquent and MessageMedia and the directed new share issue had been completed already at this point, Net debt/Adjusted EBITDA would have been approximately 2.6x. This calculation of pro forma Net debt/Adjusted EBITDA includes Adjusted EBITDA in acquired entities over the past 12 months. Cash generation and earnings growth is expected to reduce this ratio in the time that follows before the acquisitions of Inteliquent and MessageMedia are closed.

Financial impact of recent transactions

In Q1 2021, Sinch reported revenues for the last 12 months of SEK 9,749 million, Gross profit of SEK 2,557 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of SEK 968 million. This corresponds to a gross profit margin of 26 percent and an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 10 percent.

Pro forma financials include 12 months of earnings from all entities that have been acquired during the past year, as well as from Inteliquent and MessageMedia (which have been announced but not yet closed). On this pro forma basis, Sinch’s revenues for the last 12 months, as of Q1 2021, would have been approximately SEK 17.9 billion. Gross profit would have been approximately SEK 6.0 billion and Adjusted EBITDA approximately SEK 2.4 billion. This corresponds to a gross margin of 33 percent and an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 14.5 percent.

Regulatory approval

Closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval from the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), and from US competition authorities.

Timeline

The transaction is expected to close in H2 2021.

Advisors

Handelsbanken Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor and K&L Gates LLP as legal advisor to Sinch in the transaction. J.P. Morgan is acting as financial advisor and Herbert Smith Freehills as legal advisor to MessageMedia.

Conference call and webcast

A conference call for analysts and investors will take place today, Wednesday June 9, at 14.00 CEST.

Presentation materials will be published at investors.sinch.com and a live webcast will be available at investors.sinch.com/webcast. To join the call by phone, please dial in a few minutes before the call starts to ensure that you are connected.

Sweden:                     +46 8 506 92 185
UK:                               +44 203 00 95 710
US:                               +1 866 869 23 21

Access code:             128 86 71#

For further information, please contact

Thomas Heath
Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Investor Relations
Sinch AB (publ)
Mobile:          +46-722-45 50 55
E-mail:           thomas.heath@sinch.com

About Sinch

Sinch brings businesses and people closer with tools enabling personal engagement. Its leading cloud communications platform lets businesses reach every mobile phone on the planet, in seconds or less, through mobile messaging, voice and video. Sinch is a trusted software provider to mobile operators, and its platform powers business-critical communications for many of the world’s largest companies. Sinch has been profitable and fast-growing since its foundation in 2008. It is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has local presence in more than 40 countries. Shares are traded at NASDAQ Stockholm: XSTO:SINCH. Visit us at sinch.com.

About MessageMedia

MessageMedia helps businesses optimise how they communicate and engage with their customers. We enable SMBs to create meaningful two-way conversations to deliver better acquisition, engagement and retention results, through our world leading customer engagement software. Our platform allows businesses to be there for a customer every step of the way: from a confirmation to a reminder to a follow-up and beyond. Headquartered in Australia, with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand, MessageMedia, with its sub-brands ClickSend and SimpleTexting, are the partner of choice for more than 60,000 businesses seeking easy and engaging global business messaging. Learn more at messagemedia.com.

Important information

This communication may contain certain forward-looking statements. Such statements are all statements that do not relate to historical facts and include expressions such as “believe”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “assume”, “predict”, “intend”, “may”, “presuppose”, “should” or similar. The forward-looking statements in this release are based on various estimates and assumptions that in several cases are based on additional assumptions. Although Sinch believes these assumptions were reasonable when made, such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that are difficult or impossible to predict and that are beyond Sinch’s control. Such risks, uncertainties and important factors could cause the actual results to differ materially from the results expressly or implicitly indicated in this communication through the forward-looking statements. The information, perceptions and the forward-looking statements in this release apply only as of the date of this release and may change without notice.

This information is information that Sinch AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the contact person set out above, at 11:15 CEST on June 9, 2021.

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Cloudbeds Introduces New Payments Solution to Further Streamline Hotel Operations

The fully integrated, easy, and secure payments solution is now available in the US, Canada, Europe and United Kingdom, to save Hoteliers time and money.

SAN DIEGO, June 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cloudbeds, the fastest growing hospitality management platform, announced the launch of a fully integrated payments solution and a new Financial Services division in the US, Canada, UK, and EU. Cloudbeds Payments is a robust payment solution that provides hoteliers an affordable and efficient method of managing all types of payments. Cloudbeds Payments features a state-of-the-art terminal, transparent fees, built-in reporting, analytics, security, and world-class (in-house) support that hoteliers need to focus on their guests rather than time-consuming payments acceptance and reconciliation.

A video accompanying this announcement is available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a6b2363-8d1b-4e56-9a1c-44eeda1b9bfb

Typically, hospitality payment solutions are complicated and are time-consuming, which impacts guest relations with inconsistent and slow customer service while consuming too much hoteliers’ time with management and reconciliation. Hoteliers can now avoid manual card entry and lengthy verification processes with third-party vendors. Instead, payments are quick, easy, and completely integrated into the Cloudbeds platform.

“The best part about Cloudbeds Payments is that it’s fully integrated into their existing interface,” says Tarek, Finance Manager, Convo 212 in Athens, Greece. “My guests pay directly on my website and it’s immediately reflected in their reservation and on our reports. It accepts all credit card payments, handles the verification process and makes reconciliation a breeze.”

“Our previous payments process was very lengthy – manual card entry, the verification process, reconciliation, chargebacks, disputes – it took too much time and effort. Cloudbeds Payments helped us speed up every aspect of the customer payment process. It’s easy and efficient for guests to book and for us to manage,” remarks Austin, Property Manager at Rancho Caymus Inn in Napa Valley, California. “Cloudbeds Payments saves our staff so much time.”

In keeping with its focus of innovating to help hoteliers build revenue, save time, and increase guest satisfaction, the Cloudbeds’ Financial Services division has built a next-generation solution that will save properties 10 to 15 hours per month in reconciliations. In addition to its world-class support team, Cloudbeds Payments offers an in-house dispute management team composed of industry experts who intimately understand the hospitality business to better support hoteliers and guests. Cloudbeds expects to roll out Payments to additional countries in the upcoming months, including Australia, Brazil, and New Zealand.

“Cloudbeds is on a mission to empower lodging businesses with every tool they need to emerge from the pandemic successfully,” says Richard Castle, Co-Founder, and COO. “Cloudbeds creates a seamless experience that elevates every aspect of their business – from how their staff operates to their guest experience. Our payments solution is the first of several upcoming financial services designed to help lodging businesses spend more time with their guests and less time managing their property.”

About Cloudbeds

Founded in 2012, Cloudbeds is the fastest growing hospitality management platform in the world. Its SaaS platform provides tools to manage better properties of all types and sizes, allowing property managers/owners more time to focus on their guests while building revenue, driving bookings, and increasing operational efficiencies. Trusted by more than 20,000 hotels, hostels, inns, and alternative accommodations in more than 155 countries, the Cloudbeds suite is a fully integrated platform of capabilities designed to help properties unify their management, reservations, and booking systems, grow revenue, and automate workflows with confidence and ease. For more information, visit www.cloudbeds.com.

Media Contact:

Austin Edgington
austin@austinedgecomms.com

 

Success Story: Measures Taken by the American University in Bulgaria during the COVID-19 pandemic

A photo of Interim Provost Robert White – COVID-19 test over the summer

Testing before the start of the Fall 20 Semester

By Dr. Slaveyko Djambazov, PhD, Yoanna Vutova
HTA Ltd. (www.hta.b)

BLAGOEVGRAD, Bulgaria, June 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While Bulgaria has been severely affected by COVID-19, AUBG, a small liberal arts university in the South-west part of the country has only had 15 cases on campus, no community transmission, and an uninterrupted school year, despite the pandemic. This may sound like an isolated success, but the small university has in fact taught us important lessons on how to respond to this pandemic – and possible future health threats.

Lesson #1 Put the safety of the community first

A school with about 1000 students coming from 40 countries, professors from five continents, and a vibrant campus life, AUBG had to make some tough decisions in March 2020. When Bulgaria’s government first announced the lockdown on March 13, limiting travel and social activities, nobody knew what other restrictions would follow and how long they would last.

It was bad news for the university. The lively atmosphere in the residential campus abounding with student activities and events is the very essence of AUBG. The end of the spring semester is the culmination of that spirit, with many huge student events and lots of competitions, guest lectures and academic conferences. What would AUBG be without its trademark activities and dynamic student life?

UV Air Purifier

Installed in all classrooms and indoor public areas

Meanwhile, another, even scarier question was arising in people’s minds: What will happen to travel and what should we do about all the international students? The university leadership chose to switch to entirely online education, despite the riskiness of the decision and the possible financial losses. AUBG did that before any other university in the country for two main reasons: protect the health of the community and give students and especially international students, the option to return to their homes without disrupting their studies.

“Our first priority was protecting the health of faculty, staff, and students,” said Professor Robert White, Dean of Faculty and Interim Provost. “Our second priority was keeping the business of the university going.”

AUBG President Evans getting vaccinated

Vaccination Campaign

AUBG President David Evans even worked with the Albanian ambassador to help 13 Albanian students and one Montenegrin return home safely with a chartered bus. The students who could not fly back to their countries were allowed to stay on campus.

“In spring 2020, our biggest challenge was deciding whether to move classes online,” White said. “In retrospect, we made the right decision. However, the right decision was not obvious to us at this time. We took a major risk. When we made this decision, there were no reported cases of COVID-19 in Bulgaria and most universities around the world had yet to make the decision to shift online. Most of our faculty had never taught an online class before. We could have moved classes online and then found a few weeks later that we had overreacted.”

Lesson #2: Adapt Fast 

The university quickly organized the new process of online and hybrid education by purchasing equipment, and training staff, students and faculty.

“In preparing for fall 2020 over the summer, we faced three major challenges,” White said. “The first challenge was deciding whether to stay online or bring students back to campus. By this time, we had a good idea of how the virus is transmitted. So, we decided early in the summer that we could develop policies that would minimize the risk of the virus spreading on campus. The bigger challenge was the logistics of implementing the hybrid semester. We had to upgrade all of our classrooms with cameras and microphones. There was a shortage of conference equipment at this time because businesses and universities all over the world were also purchasing this equipment. Initially, we were told that the equipment would not arrive until six weeks into the semester. I contacted Logitech’s head office, and they generously agreed to use their logistics team to source the equipment from different parts of Europe. In the end, the equipment was installed one week before our first hybrid class. The third challenge was training faculty for the hybrid semester. I arranged for guest speakers to give seminars to faculty on teaching hybrid courses.”

Lesson #3 Social Solidarity is Key 

AUBG’s success in overcoming the challenges of the pandemic would not have been possible had it not been for the united efforts of the entire community – administration and staff, faculty, students, alumni and board members.

The university staff and faculty members worked around the clock to prepare for the new mode of teaching and put all the health and safety measures in place; The students strictly complied with the requirements as they understood their responsibility towards the more vulnerable members of the community; The cleaning, canteen and security personnel continued their work with bravery and dedication despite the fact that many of them were part of the high risk groups. The university leadership did not lay off any staff members despite the dramatically decreased workload in student services and the financial losses. The AUBG Alumni Association together with the university administration quickly organized a Student Support Fund and an Emergency Fund to support the students whose plans to earn their tuition over the summer in the U.S. have now been canceled.

The AUBG Health Center played an instrumental role in keeping the community safe, with the Health Center’s Director Dr. Ventsislav Daskalov organizing a smooth testing process. When a limited number of vaccines was available in the health center, the administration chose to prioritize the risk groups.

Lesson #4: Communication, communication, communication

Perhaps the biggest business lesson we took from the pandemic is that the importance of communication is not to be underestimated. The university leadership understood the importance of sending out regular, transparent and prompt updates about the situation with COVID-19 on campus and in the country. AUBG’s marketing team created articles and videos that would inform students of the threats of the virus and urge them to comply with the safety measures.

Classroom

All courses with eleven or more students are required to be hybrid or online.

And as it became clear that a live Commencement in spring 2020 was out of the question, the university streamed a video where alumni, professors, board members and the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria wished good luck to the graduating class.

Lesson #5: Trust Science

Trusting science was instrumental in making the right decisions. “We took a science-based approach,” White said. “We recognised that the COVID-19 virus has a specific nature. So, scientists have been able to identify how the virus is transmitted. Once we understand this, it is easy to identify the actions that people need to take to protect themselves from the virus. Among other things, this led us to installing air purifiers in all of the classrooms” when it became clear that aerosol transmission is a primary risk factor for COVID. Every week, the university’s leadership team was getting together online to discuss the most appropriate actions. “We made decision by consensus,” the Interim Provost said. “We thoroughly debated our plans before reaching a final decision.”

With anti-vaccination campaigns arising in the world and Bulgaria, the university took actions to help the community make an informed choice. Dr. Daskalov gave an interview where he spoke about the vaccines in length and the university’s President and Provost were the first to get vaccinated as an example for the community.

Robert White’s message for students returning on campus next semester is simple: “Get vaccinated. We can only have a normal semester in the fall if the majority of students are vaccinated.”

Hybrid courses

Hybrid courses are divided into “lions” and “eagles” teams. In the first class of the week, the “lions” team attends the class on the ground, and the “eagles” team attends the class online. In the second class of the week, the “eagles” team attends the class on the ground, and the “lions” team attends the class online. The teams alternate throughout the rest of the semester.

And as the bigger part of the university community is willing to get the vaccine, it looks like AUBG will be returning to a somewhat normal life on campus in fall 2021. But what’s more important is that the university proved that its spirit is not limited to a physical place. As student speaker Oraz Kereibayev said during the heart-warming hybrid Commencement Ceremony in May 2021, “we now realized what really makes AUBG a place to be, even if we can’t really be here.”

*About the author:

Dr. Slaveyko Djambazov has international expertise as a consultant on health policies, health technology assessment (HTA), pharmacoeconomics, real-world data (RWD), outcomes measurement. He holds a PhD in HTA, an EMBA from the American University in Bulgaria, a master degree in medicine and public health. Dr. Djambazov also completed a course at Harvard Business School about value measurement for healthcare. He is teaching HTA and healthcare management and is a co-author of books on HTA, health economics, clinical trials, epidemiology, innovative therapies. Dr. Djambazov is the founder and managing director of HTA Ltd. For the past 6 years, HTA Ltd. has prepared over 600 analyses for over 70 multinational companies. Since 2017, Dr Djambazov has been actively working on investment projects in Africa, Central and Southeast Asia.

Office of Communications and Marketing
+359 888 801748
+359 73 888215
akehayova@aubg.edu
www.aubg.edu

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fd3fc246-c92e-4edb-b524-42c135b75dd7
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/08a030cd-56d5-4834-b832-11dec12f3177
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3d09faf6-3635-42c4-9936-74955b777abb
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9755fcd3-72ae-41d1-84a1-b8468fbe596b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0b294785-3951-4aec-a9d4-9c48169d6884

Sophi.io ชนะรางวัล INMA Global Media Awards สองรางวัล

ตรอนโต, June 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophi.io แพลตฟอร์มเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพและการคาดการณ์ที่ขับเคลื่อนด้วยปัญญาประดิษฐ์ของ The Globe and Mail ได้รับการประกาศให้เป็นผู้ชนะรางวัล International News Media Association (INMA) Global Media Awards ในสองประเภท ได้แก่ การใช้ข้อมูลเพื่อทำให้เป็นอัตโนมัติหรือปรับให้เข้ากับตัวบุคคลได้ดีที่สุด (Best Use of Data to Automate or Personalize) และ Best in Show สำหรับอเมริกาเหนือ

“INMA Global Media Awards มุ่งเน้นไปที่ความเป็นเลิศในทุกด้านของธุรกิจด้านสื่อ” Phillip Crawley ผู้เผยแพร่และ CEO ของ The Globe and Mail กล่าว “ผมรู้สึกยินดีเป็นอย่างยิ่งที่ระบบ Paywall ไดนามิกแบบเรียลไทม์ของ Sophi ชนะรางวัลในสองประเภท และเทคโนโลยีการจัดรูปแบบการพิมพ์อัตโนมัติที่ล้ำสมัยของ Sophi ได้รับการเสนอชื่อสำหรับการใช้งานร่วมกับ Naviga และ Agderposten”

Sophi ยังได้รับอันดับสองในประเภทแนวคิดริเริ่มที่ดีที่สุดในการรับผู้สมัครใช้บริการ (Best Initiative to Acquire Subscribers) และการใช้ข้อมูลเพื่อกระตุ้นการสมัครใช้บริการ เนื้อหา หรือการออกแบบผลิตภัณฑ์ได้ดีที่สุด (Best Initiative to Acquire Subscribers) และเข้ารอบสุดท้ายในประเภทต่อไปนี้: แนวคิดริเริ่มที่ดีที่สุดในการลงทะเบียนผู้ใช้ (Best Initiative to Register Users) และผลิตภัณฑ์และนวัตกรรมทางเทคโนโลยีที่ดีที่สุด (Best Product and Tech Innovation)

การแข่งขันในปีนี้มีผู้เข้าร่วม 644 รายการจาก 212 แบรนด์ข่าวใน 37 ประเทศ คณะผู้ตัดสินที่เป็นผู้เชี่ยวชาญด้านสื่อ 44 คนที่มุ่งเน้นไปที่ผลลัพธ์ที่ล้ำสมัย แนวคิดที่โดดเด่น ความคิดสร้างสรรค์ที่ยอดเยี่ยม การคิดเชิงนวัตกรรม และการประสานงานกันระหว่างแพลตฟอร์มของผู้ชนะ

“การใช้ข้อมูลอย่างยอดเยี่ยมที่มาพร้อมผลกระทบมหาศาล การปรับแต่ง Paywall เป็นกุญแจสำคัญสู่ความสำเร็จในธุรกิจระบบสมัครสมาชิกดิจิทัลสำหรับสื่อข่าว การเข้าแข่งขันนี้แสดงถึงหลักฐานเพิ่มเติมที่ทำให้เห็นว่าทำไมเรื่องนี้ถึงเป็นความจริง” หนึ่งในคณะผู้ตัดสินได้พูดเกี่ยวกับเทคโนโลยี Paywall “การพัฒนาโมเดลคาดการณ์แนวโน้มผู้ใช้และเนื้อหาเป็นแนวทางปฏิบัติที่ดีที่สุดที่ผู้อื่นสามารถเรียนรู้ได้” ผู้ตัดสินอีกคนกล่าว

ผู้ตัดสินอีกคนได้ตั้งข้อสังเกตว่า: “การปรับแต่งได้ตามความต้องการด้วยปัญญาประดิษฐ์ที่น่าเหลือเชื่อ และการตอบรับความต้องการที่จะแทรกความสามารถด้านวิทยาศาสตร์ข้อมูลลงในองค์กรข่าวได้อย่างสมบูรณ์แบบ ผลกระทบและตัวเลขที่ยอดเยี่ยม”

ระบบ Paywall ไดนามิกแบบเรียลไทม์ของ Sophi ใช้การประมวลผลภาษาธรรมชาติ (NLP) เพื่อวิเคราะห์ทั้งเนื้อหาและพฤติกรรมของผู้ใช้เพื่อกำหนดว่าเวลาใดที่จะเก็บเงินจากผู้อ่านหรือสอบถามอีเมลแอดเดรส และเวลาใดที่ไม่ควรทำ ซึ่งสามารถปรับให้เหมาะสมกับผลลัพธ์หลายรายการพร้อมกัน (เช่น กลุ่มสินค้าหรือจุดราคาที่แตกต่างกัน) และยังสามารถทำงานได้ดีในสถานการณ์ที่ไม่มีข้อมูลได้

Sophi เป็นแพลตฟอร์ม AI ที่ช่วยให้ผู้เผยแพร่ระบุเนื้อหาที่สำคัญที่สุดและใช้ประโยชน์จากระบบดังกล่าวเพื่อบรรลุเป้าหมายหลักทางธุรกิจได้ เช่น การสมัครสมาชิกสูงสุด ขณะนี้ผู้เผยแพร่ในสี่ทวีปใช้เทคโนโลยี AI/ML ของ Sophi เพื่อขับเคลื่อนการตัดสินใจด้าน Paywall, ระบบอัตโนมัติของเว็บไซต์และการพิมพ์อัตโนมัติ

โซลูชันจัดรูปแบบการพิมพ์อัตโนมัติของ Sophi ซึ่งขับเคลื่อน Naviga Publisher ได้รับการยกย่องในประเภทผลิตภัณฑ์และนวัตกรรมทางเทคโนโลยีที่ดีที่สุด (Best Product and Tech Innovation) ผู้ตัดสิน INMA ได้ให้ความเห็นว่า: “Sophi ในฐานะที่เป็นโมเดลแรกที่สร้างขึ้นมา เป็นตัวอย่างที่ยอดเยี่ยมของโซลูชันจัดรูปแบบการพิมพ์อัตโนมัติ เป็นเรื่องที่น่าทึ่งที่เห็นว่าหน้าที่ของบรรณาธิการจะเหลือแค่เพียงการเลือกเนื้อหาเท่านั้น ระบบอัตโนมัติถึง 80% ของหน้าบรรณาธิการของหนังสือพิมพ์อาจเป็นสิ่งที่จะเข้ามาเปลี่ยนโฉมอุตสาหกรรมการพิมพ์”

ในปีที่ผ่านมา Sophi ยังได้รับรางวัล Online Journalism Award (OJA) สำหรับนวัตกรรมทางเทคนิคในการให้บริการวารสารศาสตร์ดิจิทัล ซึ่งมอบให้โดย Online News Association (ONA) และรางวัล World Digital Media Award และ North American Digital Media Award ที่มอบให้โดย The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) ในประเภท Best Digital News Start-up

เกี่ยวกับ Sophi.io
Sophi.io (https://www.sophi.io) ถูกพัฒนาขึ้นโดย The Globe and Mail เพื่อช่วยผู้เผยแพร่เนื้อหาในการตัดสินใจเชิงกลยุทธ์และยุทธวิธีที่สำคัญ ซึ่งเป็นชุดเครื่องมือเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพและการคาดการณ์ที่ขับเคลื่อนด้วย AI และ ML ซึ่งประกอบด้วย Sophi Site Automation และ Sophi Dynamic Paywall รวมถึง Sophi Analytics ซึ่งเป็นระบบสนับสนุนการตัดสินใจสำหรับผู้เผยแพร่เนื้อหา Sophi ถูกออกแบบมาเพื่อปรับปรุงเมตริกที่มีความสำคัญต่อธุรกิจของคุณมากที่สุด เช่น การรักษาผู้สมัครสมาชิกและการเข้าซื้อกิจการ การมีส่วนร่วม ความใหม่ ความถี่และปริมาณ

ติดต่อด้านสื่อ  
Jamie Rubenovitch 
หัวหน้าฝ่ายการตลาด, Sophi 
The Globe and Mail         
416-585-3355  
jrubenovitch@globeandmail.com

Madison Realty Capital Originates $278.5 Million Construction Loan for Three Multifamily Projects and Luxury Condominium in Austin, Texas

Portfolio Includes 734 multifamily apartments, 1,264 planned multifamily units, and 117 luxury condominium residences

NEW YORK, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Madison Realty Capital, a fully integrated real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investment strategies, today announced it has provided a $278.5 million construction loan for a portfolio of four assets located in Austin, Texas to Reger Holdings, LLC, a New York-based real estate investment and development company led by CEO Gordon Reger, a third-generation member of the Reger/Mader family who founded the company.

The portfolio is comprised of two mixed-use multifamily properties and 317 acres of entitled land with plans to develop 1,264 multifamily residential units, known as the EastVillage, located along the Parmer Lane tech corridor in northeast Austin and a luxury condominium in downtown Austin known as The Linden Residences. Reger Holdings contributed significant cash equity for the construction.

Josh Zegen, Managing Principal and Co-Founder of Madison Realty Capital, said, “This transaction highlights Madison Realty Capital’s solutions-oriented approach and unique ability to serve as a single source financing provider to a highly reputable borrower. Austin is a rapidly growing, vibrant city experiencing exceptional economic growth but faces high barriers to entry. The Parmer Lane tech corridor is home to some of the most prominent Austin employers and some of the nation’s most innovative companies, including Tesla, Apple, Samsung, Oracle, Dell, Facebook, and 3M. However, the city is facing an undersupply of the high-quality housing options that employees in the Parmer Lane tech corridor demand. We look forward to working with Reger, a best-in-class developer with a strong balance sheet, to complete future phases of development in Austin and continue to identify attractive opportunities for our investors and partners throughout Texas and the Southwest.”

“Madison Realty Capital’s senior financing for the EastVillage and the Linden marks an exciting milestone for both projects,” said Gordon Reger.  “We are pleased to work with a single capital source that has the flexibility to finance these diverse projects.”

The mixed-use residences are comprised of two development sites across 29 acres within the over 400-acre master site planned for the EastVillage. The first EastVillage development will offer 312 luxury apartment units across six garden-style apartment buildings with top-tier amenities, including a fitness center, courtyard, dog grooming station and swimming pool. The second EastVillage development will consist of an additional 422 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment units with state-of-the-art finishes, fitness center, game room, yoga studio, and 143,000 square feet of commercial space. Future phases of development for EastVillage involve 317 acres of land approved for 1,264 multifamily units, 240 hotel keys and over one million square feet of commercial space. The EastVillage is adjacent to Samsung’s Semiconductor chipmaking plant, one of Austin’s largest employers, which recently announced plans to expand with a $17 billion chipmaking facility.

Located at 313 West 17th Street in downtown Austin near the State Capital and the University of Texas at Austin, The Linden Residences is a 28-story luxury condominium project that will offer 117 one- to three-bedroom units, 5,196 square feet of ground floor retail and 251 parking spaces. The amenity rich units have been substantially sold to date.

Newmark Executive Managing Director David Douvadjian, Senior Managing Director, Brian Butler, and Director, David Douvadjian, Jr., served as advisors to Madison Realty Capital in the deal.

About Madison Realty Capital

Madison Realty Capital is a New York City based real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investment strategies with regional offices in key markets including Los Angeles and Dallas. Founded in 2004, MRC has closed on approximately $14 billion of transactions in the multifamily, retail, office, industrial and hotel sectors nationwide. The firm manages investments in the United States on behalf of a global investor base. MRC is a fully integrated firm with over 60 employees across all real estate investment, development, and property management disciplines. Among other industry recognitions, MRC has been named to the Commercial Observer’s prestigious “Power 100” list of New York City real estate players and is consistently cited as one of the industry’s top construction lenders. To learn more, follow us on LinkedIn and visit www.madisonrealtycapital.com.

Attachments

Nathaniel Garnick/Grace Cartwright
Gasthalter & Co.
(212) 257-4170
madisonrealty@gasthalter.com

Nexen Tire Reveals New Brand Identity with “We Got You” Slogan

– Revamped Brand Identity System (BIS) placing Nexen Tire as a company that cares for customers, partners and society

SEOUL, South Korea, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nexen Tire, a leading global tire manufacturer, has announced the launch of its new brand identity system (BIS) and “We Got You” corporate slogan, pledging to enhance customer satisfaction in mobility and beyond tire manufacturing.

“We Got You” evokes Nexen Tire’s corporate mission and promise to always put people at the center of things and make them more connected to the world while improving their lives. It also reflects the Company’s commitment to provide customers with utmost convenience anytime, anywhere.

Core to Nexen Tire’s new identity is to take the lead in developing and providing innovative technologies, designs, and services that enhance customer mobility with the bold spirit of taking on challenges while always thinking ahead.

As a total mobility solutions provider, Nexen Tire will introduce new products to satisfy customers’ needs, especially at a time when electric, hydrogen, and self-driving cars are expected to become more prevalent in the market going forward.

The Company will also assist customers in their transition into the age of digital convergence. In fact, Nexen Tire established Nexen Century Ventures in Silicon Valley, California, in March of this year, to invest in promising start-ups offering future core technologies in the automotive components and mobility sectors, includes automotive sensors.

“Thanks to the continued support of our customers, Nexen Tire has quickly become one of the world’s leading tire manufacturers,” said Travis Kang, Global CEO of Nexen Tire. “We are excited to launch into this new chapter, aiming to satisfy our customers by improving the quality of their mobility.”

Meanwhile, Nexen Tire’s new BIS will extend to a variety of promotional activities and marketing programs especially within the digital space to strengthen its new brand identity to customers and stakeholders. The Company has created a brand film and distributed it online to build relations with customers and help them connect to the new brand identity. And internally, global brand communication guidelines have been developed and circulated to employees worldwide for consistent message delivery to customers. For more information about the brand film, please visit http://www.nexentire.com/international/media/

About New Brand Identity “We Got You”

Nexen Tire’s brand slogan relaunch underlines the foundation of the company’s overarching vision that reflects its core identities: Trendy, Innovative, and Caring. The slogan also describes Nexen Tire’s brand essence titled, Creating Your Mobility, which is focused on the Company’s goals of advancing customer mobility and lifestyle while also being the leading solution provider in innovative mobility.

About Nexen Tire

Nexen Tire, established in 1942, is a global tire manufacturer headquartered in South Korea. Nexen Tire, one of the world’s fastest growing tire manufacturers, currently interacts with approximately 150 countries around the world and owns four manufacturing plants – two in Korea (Yangsan and Changnyeong) and one in Qingdao, China. Another plant in Žatec, the Czech Republic has also begun operation in 2019. Nexen Tire produces tires for passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks with advanced technology and excellence in design. Nexen Tire supplies OE tires to global car makers in various countries around the world. In 2014, the company achieved a grand slam of the world’s top 4 design awards for the first time amongst the various tire makers in the world.

For more information, please visit https://www.nexentire.com/international/

CONTACT: Sylvia Chang, sylvia.chang@pivotp.co.kr