KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- Praytell has expanded into Asia with the opening of a Singapore office, marking the creative communications agency's latest step in its global growth strategy and strengthening its presence across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
According to the company in a statement, the new office will be led by industry veteran Debbie Chin, who joins Praytell as Executive Vice President, Asia. Based in Singapore, the regional hub will support global brands operating across Asian markets while helping Asian companies expand into the United States and other international markets.
Praytell Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Beth Cleveland said the expansion reflects Praytell's continued investment in growth, with the Singapore office combining the agency's global capabilities with regional expertise to deliver localised communications and storytelling for clients.
Chin brings more than 25 years of communications experience across London, Shanghai and Singapore, having worked with multinational brands including Unilever and Procter & Gamble. She joins from Weber Shandwick, where she led global communications for major consumer portfolios.
Praytell said its Singapore office will also strengthen collaboration within the Project Worldwide alliance by working alongside sister agencies George P. Johnson and DARKHORSE to provide integrated marketing, communications and brand experience services across the region.
Project Worldwide APAC CEO, Ben Taylor said adding Praytell's creative communications capabilities strengthens the alliance's regional offering and supports its strategy of delivering integrated marketing solutions for global brands.
Founded in 2010, Project Worldwide comprises 13 agencies, 45 offices and 2,300 employees globally. Praytell first entered the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in 2021 with the launch of its Melbourne office and has since expanded into Sydney.
-- BERNAMA
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Wednesday, 8 July 2026
Vivani Medical Enters into Agreement with Novo Nordisk to Evaluate NPM-139, a Miniature, Ultra Long-Acting Semaglutide Implant for Chronic Weight Management
Novo Nordisk will conduct a non-exclusive internal evaluation of semaglutide implants prepared by Vivani
ALAMEDA, Calif., July 8 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vivani Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: VANI) (“Vivani” or the “Company”), an innovative, biopharmaceutical company developing novel, ultra long-acting drug implants, today announced the signing of a new agreement with Novo Nordisk to enable Novo Nordisk to evaluate NPM-139, the Company’s semaglutide drug implant. NPM-139, which utilizes Vivani’s NanoPortal™ platform technology, is under development for chronic weight management. There are no exclusivity provisions for NPM-139, or Vivani’s proprietary NanoPortal technology associated with this agreement.
Adam Mendelsohn, Ph.D., Vivani President and CEO, stated: “The new agreement announced today supporting our semaglutide implant program in chronic weight management demonstrates Novo Nordisk's interest in evaluating our technology and its lead semaglutide application. This agreement reinforces our confidence regarding the market opportunity for our GLP-1 implants under development. We believe that our NanoPortal implants under development, including NPM-139, could address a growing segment of patients who would prefer a convenient once- or twice-yearly treatment option and the peace of mind that treatment could be stopped at any time if that became necessary.”
Separately, Vivani expects to initiate a Phase 1, randomized, first-in-human study evaluating the NPM-139 semaglutide implant, with Wegovy® injections as an active comparator, in mid-2026. The study’s objectives are to characterize the safety, pharmacokinetics, and tolerability of NPM-139 to support the initiation of a Phase 2 dose-ranging study pending successful results of the Phase 1 study.
About Vivani Medical, Inc.
Leveraging its proprietary NanoPortal™ platform, Vivani develops biopharmaceutical implants designed to deliver drug molecules steadily over extended periods of time with the goal of guaranteeing adherence and improving patient tolerance to their medication. Vivani is developing a portfolio of GLP-1 based implants for metabolic diseases including obesity and type 2 diabetes. These NanoPortal implants are designed to provide patients with the opportunity to realize the full potential benefit of their medication by avoiding the numerous challenges associated with the daily or weekly administration of orals and injectables, including tolerability issues and loss of efficacy. Medication non-adherence occurs when patients do not take their medication as prescribed. This affects an alarming number of patients, approximately 50%, including those taking daily pills. For more information, please visit: www.vivani.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “target,” “believe,” “expect,” “will,” “may,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “would,” “positioned,” “future,” and other similar expressions that are used in this press release, including statements regarding Vivani’s business, products in development, including the therapeutic potential thereof, the planned development thereof, and its technology, strategy, cash position and financial runway. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on Vivani’s current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of Vivani’s control. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including, without limitation, risks of unexpected costs or delays; and risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of products and product candidates that may impact or alter anticipated business plans, strategies and objectives. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. There may be additional risks that the Company considers immaterial, or which are unknown. A further list and description of risks and uncertainties are more fully described in periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission including the factors described in Vivani’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 13, 2026, as updated by future filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement made by Vivani in this press release is based only on information currently available to the Company and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of added information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
Company Contact:
Donald Dwyer
Chief Business Officer
info@vivani.com (415) 506-8462
Investor and Media Relations Contact:
Jami Taylor
Investor and Media Relations Advisor
investors@vivani.com (415) 506-8462
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f2d15b13-32f3-42ba-afed-e1cea67006b1
SOURCE: Vivani Medical, Inc.
ALAMEDA, Calif., July 8 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vivani Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: VANI) (“Vivani” or the “Company”), an innovative, biopharmaceutical company developing novel, ultra long-acting drug implants, today announced the signing of a new agreement with Novo Nordisk to enable Novo Nordisk to evaluate NPM-139, the Company’s semaglutide drug implant. NPM-139, which utilizes Vivani’s NanoPortal™ platform technology, is under development for chronic weight management. There are no exclusivity provisions for NPM-139, or Vivani’s proprietary NanoPortal technology associated with this agreement.
Adam Mendelsohn, Ph.D., Vivani President and CEO, stated: “The new agreement announced today supporting our semaglutide implant program in chronic weight management demonstrates Novo Nordisk's interest in evaluating our technology and its lead semaglutide application. This agreement reinforces our confidence regarding the market opportunity for our GLP-1 implants under development. We believe that our NanoPortal implants under development, including NPM-139, could address a growing segment of patients who would prefer a convenient once- or twice-yearly treatment option and the peace of mind that treatment could be stopped at any time if that became necessary.”
Separately, Vivani expects to initiate a Phase 1, randomized, first-in-human study evaluating the NPM-139 semaglutide implant, with Wegovy® injections as an active comparator, in mid-2026. The study’s objectives are to characterize the safety, pharmacokinetics, and tolerability of NPM-139 to support the initiation of a Phase 2 dose-ranging study pending successful results of the Phase 1 study.
About Vivani Medical, Inc.
Leveraging its proprietary NanoPortal™ platform, Vivani develops biopharmaceutical implants designed to deliver drug molecules steadily over extended periods of time with the goal of guaranteeing adherence and improving patient tolerance to their medication. Vivani is developing a portfolio of GLP-1 based implants for metabolic diseases including obesity and type 2 diabetes. These NanoPortal implants are designed to provide patients with the opportunity to realize the full potential benefit of their medication by avoiding the numerous challenges associated with the daily or weekly administration of orals and injectables, including tolerability issues and loss of efficacy. Medication non-adherence occurs when patients do not take their medication as prescribed. This affects an alarming number of patients, approximately 50%, including those taking daily pills. For more information, please visit: www.vivani.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “target,” “believe,” “expect,” “will,” “may,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “would,” “positioned,” “future,” and other similar expressions that are used in this press release, including statements regarding Vivani’s business, products in development, including the therapeutic potential thereof, the planned development thereof, and its technology, strategy, cash position and financial runway. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on Vivani’s current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of Vivani’s control. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including, without limitation, risks of unexpected costs or delays; and risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of products and product candidates that may impact or alter anticipated business plans, strategies and objectives. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. There may be additional risks that the Company considers immaterial, or which are unknown. A further list and description of risks and uncertainties are more fully described in periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission including the factors described in Vivani’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 13, 2026, as updated by future filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement made by Vivani in this press release is based only on information currently available to the Company and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of added information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
Company Contact:
Donald Dwyer
Chief Business Officer
info@vivani.com (415) 506-8462
Investor and Media Relations Contact:
Jami Taylor
Investor and Media Relations Advisor
investors@vivani.com (415) 506-8462
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f2d15b13-32f3-42ba-afed-e1cea67006b1
SOURCE: Vivani Medical, Inc.
Tuesday, 7 July 2026
PROXIMA FUSION SECURES 411 MLN EUROS TO ADVANCE FUSION POWER
KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- Proxima Fusion has raised 411 million euros (US$468 million) in a financing round, valuing the company at 2.4 billion euros (US$2.7 billion) and making it Europe's best-funded fusion energy company. (US$1=RM4.08)
The financing round was led by XTX Ventures and East X Ventures, with German energy company RWE and Google participating as strategic investors.
According to Proxima Fusion, the funding will support the construction of Alpha, its net-energy stellarator demonstrator near Munich, Germany, and accelerate the development of technologies required for commercial fusion power plants.
Proxima Fusion co-founder and chief executive officer, Dr Francesco Sciortino said the investment demonstrates growing confidence in Europe's ability to develop globally competitive fusion technology companies.
“Investors recognise both the urgency and the opportunity of what we are doing and are backing us to develop a generational energy technology company,” he said in a statement.
The company said Alpha is being developed in partnership with the State of Bavaria, the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics and RWE to validate key technologies for future fusion power plants.
Proxima Fusion said the new funding will also support the completion of its Stellarator Model Coil, expansion of high-temperature superconducting cable and magnet production, and recruitment across engineering, manufacturing and operations.
-- BERNAMA
The financing round was led by XTX Ventures and East X Ventures, with German energy company RWE and Google participating as strategic investors.
According to Proxima Fusion, the funding will support the construction of Alpha, its net-energy stellarator demonstrator near Munich, Germany, and accelerate the development of technologies required for commercial fusion power plants.
Proxima Fusion co-founder and chief executive officer, Dr Francesco Sciortino said the investment demonstrates growing confidence in Europe's ability to develop globally competitive fusion technology companies.
“Investors recognise both the urgency and the opportunity of what we are doing and are backing us to develop a generational energy technology company,” he said in a statement.
The company said Alpha is being developed in partnership with the State of Bavaria, the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics and RWE to validate key technologies for future fusion power plants.
Proxima Fusion said the new funding will also support the completion of its Stellarator Model Coil, expansion of high-temperature superconducting cable and magnet production, and recruitment across engineering, manufacturing and operations.
-- BERNAMA
HELICAL FUSION, HAZAMA ANDO PARTNER ON FUSION PILOT PLANT
KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Bernama) -- Helical Fusion Co Ltd (Helical Fusion) and Hazama Ando Corporation (Hazama Ando) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the future construction of Helix KANATA, Helical Fusion’s fusion pilot plant targeted for the 2030s.
The partnership also sees Hazama Ando joining the Helix Program as an Official Partner, strengthening the industrial and construction capabilities supporting Helical Fusion’s commercial fusion energy initiative.
Helical Fusion said the Helix Program, launched in April 2026, is designed to accelerate the development of commercially viable fusion power plants by bringing together industrial and engineering partners.
Helical Fusion Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Takaya Taguchi said the programme aims to deliver a new long-term energy source capable of sustaining future generations.
“The goal of the Helix Program is not only to realise commercial fusion power, but also to bring humanity a new source of energy that can sustain civilisation for generations to come,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Hazama Ando Representative Director and President, Kazuhiko Kuniya said the company would contribute its experience in power and energy infrastructure projects to support the development of fusion energy facilities.
Under the MoU, the two companies will study construction requirements and project execution approaches for future fusion energy facilities, including Helix KANATA and Helix HARUKA, an integrated demonstration device.
Founded in Japan, Helical Fusion is developing fusion power plants based on the Helical Stellarator approach, a magnetic-confinement fusion concept backed by decades of research at Japanese universities and public research institutions.
-- BERNAMA
The partnership also sees Hazama Ando joining the Helix Program as an Official Partner, strengthening the industrial and construction capabilities supporting Helical Fusion’s commercial fusion energy initiative.
Helical Fusion said the Helix Program, launched in April 2026, is designed to accelerate the development of commercially viable fusion power plants by bringing together industrial and engineering partners.
Helical Fusion Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Takaya Taguchi said the programme aims to deliver a new long-term energy source capable of sustaining future generations.
“The goal of the Helix Program is not only to realise commercial fusion power, but also to bring humanity a new source of energy that can sustain civilisation for generations to come,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Hazama Ando Representative Director and President, Kazuhiko Kuniya said the company would contribute its experience in power and energy infrastructure projects to support the development of fusion energy facilities.
Under the MoU, the two companies will study construction requirements and project execution approaches for future fusion energy facilities, including Helix KANATA and Helix HARUKA, an integrated demonstration device.
Founded in Japan, Helical Fusion is developing fusion power plants based on the Helical Stellarator approach, a magnetic-confinement fusion concept backed by decades of research at Japanese universities and public research institutions.
-- BERNAMA
Saturday, 4 July 2026
ROYC To Establish Luxembourg Feeder Fund For Slättö
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- ROYC, a global structuring and platform provider, has been selected by Slättö, a Nordic private markets real estate firm, to establish and manage a Luxembourg-domiciled feeder fund to efficiently aggregate individual subscriptions from professional investors.
The Luxembourg-domiciled vehicle will be fully structured and administered on ROYC’s proprietary platform, delivering investors a seamless digital experience with real-time portfolio access, automated reporting, and efficient global distribution.
In a statement, ROYC said it streamlines onboarding and governance, standardises legal documentation, and broadens access to capital.
ROYC Founder and President, Mathias Leijon said private markets are undergoing a structural shift as global banks and wealth platforms seek more efficient access to private equity strategies.
“By combining our deep structuring expertise with ROYC’s digital operating infrastructure, we enable leading managers like Slättö to launch investor-ready vehicles rapidly while delivering a seamless and fully transparent experience for investors throughout the entire fund lifecycle,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Slättö Deputy Managing Partner, Jonas Andersson said the firm evaluated several solutions and found ROYC’s platform simplifies investor onboarding, reporting and fund lifecycle management, enabling broader investor access.
The platform offers accelerated time-to-market through templated legal architecture and automated workflows while supporting end-to-end digital lifecycle management benefits investors through Know Your Customer (KYC)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML), digital subscriptions, capital activity tracking and performance dashboards via secure investor portals.
ROYC is a business-to-business financial technology company that provides a digital platform for private equity firms, banks, wealth managers, and multi-family offices to structure, distribute, and manage private market investments more efficiently.
-- BERNAMA
Friday, 3 July 2026
8X8 BAGS 2026 METRISTAR TOP PROVIDER FOR CPAAS BY METRIGY
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- Global business communications platform provider, 8x8 Inc has been named a 2026 MetriStar Top Provider for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) by Metrigy, an independent research and advisory firm.
The CPaaS recognition is part of a broader result in Metrigy’s 2026 MetriStar Award programme, with 8x8 also receiving the MetriStar Top Provider recognition for Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS).
“Most of the companies we work with are not just looking for a messaging API; they need the whole chain: campaign management, AI, analytics, and a contact centre that talks to all of it.
“This recognition from Metrigy validates our approach helping organisations improve customer satisfaction, drive growth, and simplify operations at scale,” said 8x8 General Manager, CPaaS, Sylvain Chaperon in a statement.
The awards are based on Metrigy’s Customer Experience MetriCast 2026 study, which surveyed 1,437 customer experience (CX) leaders across 10 countries in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
8x8 achieved above-average scores on both business success and customer sentiment, with particular strength in CSAT improvement, revenue growth, platform reliability, and no-code/low-code application quality.
Metrigy highlighted 8x8's integrated communications portfolio as a key differentiator, noting that the company is among a small number of vendors offering CPaaS, CCaaS, and Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) within a single platform.
The research also highlighted 8x8's approach to treating CPaaS not as a standalone developer toolkit but as a programmable layer across the CX stack, expanding customer engagement capabilities beyond the contact centre to sales, field service, and frontline teams.
-- BERNAMA
The CPaaS recognition is part of a broader result in Metrigy’s 2026 MetriStar Award programme, with 8x8 also receiving the MetriStar Top Provider recognition for Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS).
“Most of the companies we work with are not just looking for a messaging API; they need the whole chain: campaign management, AI, analytics, and a contact centre that talks to all of it.
“This recognition from Metrigy validates our approach helping organisations improve customer satisfaction, drive growth, and simplify operations at scale,” said 8x8 General Manager, CPaaS, Sylvain Chaperon in a statement.
The awards are based on Metrigy’s Customer Experience MetriCast 2026 study, which surveyed 1,437 customer experience (CX) leaders across 10 countries in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
8x8 achieved above-average scores on both business success and customer sentiment, with particular strength in CSAT improvement, revenue growth, platform reliability, and no-code/low-code application quality.
Metrigy highlighted 8x8's integrated communications portfolio as a key differentiator, noting that the company is among a small number of vendors offering CPaaS, CCaaS, and Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) within a single platform.
The research also highlighted 8x8's approach to treating CPaaS not as a standalone developer toolkit but as a programmable layer across the CX stack, expanding customer engagement capabilities beyond the contact centre to sales, field service, and frontline teams.
-- BERNAMA
Wednesday, 1 July 2026
NINE FUNDS EARN PERFECT SCORES IN GLOBAL SWF GSR SCOREBOARD
KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) -- Global SWF has published the seventh edition of its Governance, Sustainability, and Resilience (GSR) Scoreboard, with nine institutions achieving perfect scores in the 2026 assessment of state-owned investors.
“We are very satisfied with the increasing response and accountability of sovereign investors, which recognise the importance of adopting best practices and embracing change and evolution.
“This year, the nine perfect scorers from around the world demonstrated robustness and hardiness in the context of geopolitical uncertainty and market volatility,” said Global SWF Founder and Managing Director, Diego López in a statement.
The annual assessment covers the world's 200 largest sovereign wealth funds and public pension funds, which manage US$34.0 trillion on behalf of 76 countries, and is based on 25 governance, sustainability and resilience indicators using publicly available information. (US$1=RM4.07)
This year's edition introduced three revised indicators to reflect the growing importance of relative financial performance, carbon emissions reporting, and the adoption of and investment in artificial intelligence (AI).
On a like-for-like basis, the average GSR score across the 200 funds edged up to 60 per cent, with sustainability and resilience scores improving while governance, including transparency, remained unchanged.
Governments worldwide, including those in deficit economies, continue to establish new strategic investment vehicles, underscoring the importance of promoting industry best practices and strong institutional role models.
Nearly two-thirds of the assessed funds have adopted or invested in AI, with half reporting their first AI-related initiatives during the past 12 months. Institutions in Oceania recorded the strongest performance, followed by Europe and North America, while Asian funds scored just above the overall threshold.
Global SWF is an industry specialist that promotes greater understanding of state-owned investors through its data platform, research reports, consulting services, executive education programmes and industry events.
-- BERNAMA
“We are very satisfied with the increasing response and accountability of sovereign investors, which recognise the importance of adopting best practices and embracing change and evolution.
“This year, the nine perfect scorers from around the world demonstrated robustness and hardiness in the context of geopolitical uncertainty and market volatility,” said Global SWF Founder and Managing Director, Diego López in a statement.
The annual assessment covers the world's 200 largest sovereign wealth funds and public pension funds, which manage US$34.0 trillion on behalf of 76 countries, and is based on 25 governance, sustainability and resilience indicators using publicly available information. (US$1=RM4.07)
This year's edition introduced three revised indicators to reflect the growing importance of relative financial performance, carbon emissions reporting, and the adoption of and investment in artificial intelligence (AI).
On a like-for-like basis, the average GSR score across the 200 funds edged up to 60 per cent, with sustainability and resilience scores improving while governance, including transparency, remained unchanged.
Governments worldwide, including those in deficit economies, continue to establish new strategic investment vehicles, underscoring the importance of promoting industry best practices and strong institutional role models.
Nearly two-thirds of the assessed funds have adopted or invested in AI, with half reporting their first AI-related initiatives during the past 12 months. Institutions in Oceania recorded the strongest performance, followed by Europe and North America, while Asian funds scored just above the overall threshold.
Global SWF is an industry specialist that promotes greater understanding of state-owned investors through its data platform, research reports, consulting services, executive education programmes and industry events.
-- BERNAMA
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