KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- SBC Medical Group Holdings Inc (SBC Medical) reported a 13 per cent year-on-year (yoy) increase in consolidated revenue to US$49 million for the second quarter (Q2) of fiscal 2026 ended June 30. (US$1 = RM4.08)
Net income attributable to SBC Medical surged 335 per cent yoy to US$11 million, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 32 per cent to US$20 million.
Basic earnings per share jumped 400 per cent year-on-year to US$0.10, while net income margin increased 16 percentage points to 22 per cent and adjusted EBITDA margin climbed six percentage points to 41 per cent.
In a statement, SBC Medical Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Yoshiyuki Aikawa said the company was increasingly confident that its growth reacceleration reflected strengthening underlying fundamentals, with the convergence of healthcare and artificial intelligence (AI) becoming a source of competitive advantage.
He said the company is leveraging more than 26 years of accumulated management data to develop AI-enabled services, including AI-powered call centres, AI-driven marketing and AI-assisted site selection for new clinics.
The company said the quarter marked a reacceleration in growth, supported by the expansion of its points business following a change in operating policy and higher service fees driven by enhanced AI-enabled support capabilities.
The medical corporations supported by SBC Medical also continued to expand, with the number of locations increasing by 34 yoy to 287 as of end-June. Last-12-month patient visits reached 6.9 million, up 10 per cent yoy, while average spending per visit rose nine per cent to US$287.
The company said fee revisions for call centre services provided to five affiliated medical corporations, together with separate fee revisions reflecting expanded support for Rize Clinic and Gorilla Clinic, are expected to increase annual service fees by approximately US$15 million if their impact is realised for a full year.
Looking ahead, SBC Medical said it will deepen its multi-brand strategy in aesthetic dermatology in Japan, expand its non-aesthetic business and accelerate international growth through its collaboration with OrangeTwist in the United States and expansion in Southeast Asia, anchored in Thailand. The company also plans to enter the longevity market.
-- BERNAMA
Friday, 14 August 2026
Bitget Institutional Launches $300 Million Project Archimedes to Back Quant Firms and Asset Managers
The initiative will boost institutional trading firms' scale strategies, improve capital efficiency and access emerging opportunities across digital assets and tokenized markets.
VICTORIA, Seychelles, Aug 14 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitget, the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has launched Project Archimedes, a $300 million institutional capital program for quantitative trading firms, asset managers and market makers.
With the vision of backing minds that move markets, Project Archimedes will support firms at different stages of growth through two programs:
VICTORIA, Seychelles, Aug 14 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitget, the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has launched Project Archimedes, a $300 million institutional capital program for quantitative trading firms, asset managers and market makers.
With the vision of backing minds that move markets, Project Archimedes will support firms at different stages of growth through two programs:
- Capital Provider Program ($100 million): Allocated to accelerate emerging and growing quantitative firms running market-neutral strategies. Bitget will provide capital, with returns shared under an agreed structure and risk framework.
- Interest-Free Lending Program ($200 million): Available to established institutions with mature strategies and existing trading scale. Eligible firms can access interest-free capital by meeting defined trading volume or position requirements, reducing funding costs while increasing the capital available to their strategies.
Institutional trading is entering a period where access to capital, execution quality and risk control increasingly determine which strategies can scale. Arbitrage returns across established crypto markets have tightened as competition has increased, leading quantitative firms to explore market structures such as basis spreads, funding-rate differences and tokenized assets.
"Strong strategies often reach a point where talent is no longer the constraint but capital might," said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget. "Project Archimedes gives capable teams the acceleration it needs to scale, while aligning capital, risk and execution around sustainable performance. Our goal is to boost over fifty projects in the next six months with this capital."
The program takes its name from Archimedes’ principle that the right fulcrum can move the world. For institutional trading firms, capital provides that fulcrum, while product structure and infrastructure determine how effectively it can be used.
Tokenized US stocks offer one example. Arbitrage opportunities can arise from differences in basis and funding rates across spot and derivative markets. These strategies typically require firms to maintain positions on both sides of a trade, which can tie up margin across separate accounts.
Under Bitget’s Unified Account, eligible rToken spot positions can serve as collateral for derivatives trading without requiring transfers between accounts. This structure allows institutions to maintain tokenized stock exposure while deploying related contract strategies through the same account, improving the use of available capital. Weekend collateral valuation follows the underlying stock’s Friday closing price, providing a fixed reference while traditional US markets are closed.
Project Archimedes will focus initially on market-neutral strategies with established operating histories and measurable risk controls. Participating institutions will undergo strategy assessment, due diligence and drawdown reviews.
The program is structured as a long-term capital cooperation framework with rolling admissions and phased deployment. Bitget Institutional plans to disclose program developments over time, including participation figures, deployed capital and strategy distribution. Product specifications, market-structure research and institutional case studies will provide further insight into how participating firms use capital and trading infrastructure.
Project Archimedes also supports Bitget Institutional's broader role as a capital partner with market insight, connecting firms with liquidity, unified trading infrastructure and an international institutional network. Through capital allocation and interest-free lending, the program aims to help emerging teams establish stronger foundations and enable mature institutions to convert proven strategies into greater trading scale.
About Bitget
Bitget is the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 500+ 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 such as 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 | X | 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/0a56e2e0-f1de-4548-9f53-2892bb7af7ca
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.
"Strong strategies often reach a point where talent is no longer the constraint but capital might," said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget. "Project Archimedes gives capable teams the acceleration it needs to scale, while aligning capital, risk and execution around sustainable performance. Our goal is to boost over fifty projects in the next six months with this capital."
The program takes its name from Archimedes’ principle that the right fulcrum can move the world. For institutional trading firms, capital provides that fulcrum, while product structure and infrastructure determine how effectively it can be used.
Tokenized US stocks offer one example. Arbitrage opportunities can arise from differences in basis and funding rates across spot and derivative markets. These strategies typically require firms to maintain positions on both sides of a trade, which can tie up margin across separate accounts.
Under Bitget’s Unified Account, eligible rToken spot positions can serve as collateral for derivatives trading without requiring transfers between accounts. This structure allows institutions to maintain tokenized stock exposure while deploying related contract strategies through the same account, improving the use of available capital. Weekend collateral valuation follows the underlying stock’s Friday closing price, providing a fixed reference while traditional US markets are closed.
Project Archimedes will focus initially on market-neutral strategies with established operating histories and measurable risk controls. Participating institutions will undergo strategy assessment, due diligence and drawdown reviews.
The program is structured as a long-term capital cooperation framework with rolling admissions and phased deployment. Bitget Institutional plans to disclose program developments over time, including participation figures, deployed capital and strategy distribution. Product specifications, market-structure research and institutional case studies will provide further insight into how participating firms use capital and trading infrastructure.
Project Archimedes also supports Bitget Institutional's broader role as a capital partner with market insight, connecting firms with liquidity, unified trading infrastructure and an international institutional network. Through capital allocation and interest-free lending, the program aims to help emerging teams establish stronger foundations and enable mature institutions to convert proven strategies into greater trading scale.
About Bitget
Bitget is the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 500+ 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 such as 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 | X | 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/0a56e2e0-f1de-4548-9f53-2892bb7af7ca
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.
Thursday, 13 August 2026
IHERB MARKS 30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH GLOBAL SALE, PLATFORM EXPANSION
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- iHerb, a global eCommerce retailer of vitamins, minerals, supplements and health and wellness products, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with its biggest sales event of the year and the addition of 10 newly supported languages to its shopping platform.
In a statement, the company said the milestone comes as it serves well over 16 million customers across approximately 180 countries, reflecting growing consumer interest in proactive health and wellness.
The anniversary promotions will begin on Aug 19 ahead of the company's September anniversary, offering discounts of up to 30 per cent across more than 600 brands, alongside daily flash deals and other customer rewards.
iHerb Chief Executive Officer, Emun Zabihi said the company's 30-year milestone reflects the growth of its customers and team members, adding that it remains focused on improving the customer experience and investing in trust, access and convenience.
The platform's newly supported languages include European Spanish, European Portuguese, Georgian, Bosnian, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Armenian, Farsi, Hindi and Cantonese, bringing its total language offerings to 46.
iHerb said each language experience is localised to enable customers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to browse products and complete purchases in their preferred language.
Founded in 1996, iHerb has grown from selling its first supplement online from an apartment in Pasadena, California, into a global direct-to-consumer wellness platform, supported by a logistics network of climate-controlled and GMP and/or ISO-compliant facilities.
-- BERNAMA
In a statement, the company said the milestone comes as it serves well over 16 million customers across approximately 180 countries, reflecting growing consumer interest in proactive health and wellness.
The anniversary promotions will begin on Aug 19 ahead of the company's September anniversary, offering discounts of up to 30 per cent across more than 600 brands, alongside daily flash deals and other customer rewards.
iHerb Chief Executive Officer, Emun Zabihi said the company's 30-year milestone reflects the growth of its customers and team members, adding that it remains focused on improving the customer experience and investing in trust, access and convenience.
The platform's newly supported languages include European Spanish, European Portuguese, Georgian, Bosnian, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Armenian, Farsi, Hindi and Cantonese, bringing its total language offerings to 46.
iHerb said each language experience is localised to enable customers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to browse products and complete purchases in their preferred language.
Founded in 1996, iHerb has grown from selling its first supplement online from an apartment in Pasadena, California, into a global direct-to-consumer wellness platform, supported by a logistics network of climate-controlled and GMP and/or ISO-compliant facilities.
-- BERNAMA
Monday, 10 August 2026
SIA EXPANDS AUSTRALIA PRESENCE WITH SEVEN CONSULTING ACQUISITION
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Sia, a global management consulting group, has expanded its international presence with the acquisition of Seven Consulting, an Australian management consulting firm.
Known for its expertise in business transformation, Seven Consulting brings together a team of over 100 consultants, half of whom are based in Sydney and the other half split between Melbourne and Manila.
“Seven Consulting’s deep expertise in programme delivery and change management, and its strong relationships with Australia’s largest banking, government and retail organisations, make it a highly strategic addition to Sia,” said Sia founder and chief executive officer, Matthieu Courtecuisse in a statement.
Meanwhile, Seven Consulting founder, Declan Boylan said: “We found in Sia a partner with the same entrepreneurial mindset, the same focus on high-impact client delivery, and the same conviction that our clients need practical, outcome-focused delivery expertise to navigate their most complex transformation programmes.”
The acquisition marks a key step in Sia’s expansion in Australia, giving the Group a combined team of around 130 consultants, alongside its existing base in Perth.
It also establishes a significant presence on Australia’s East Coast, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne, while expanding Sia’s client portfolio across the banking, government, transportation and retail sectors.
As part of the integration, Seven Consulting will progressively leverage Sia's international reach, global solutions portfolio and deep expertise in data and artificial intelligence (AI).
By combining Seven Consulting's recognised capabilities in business transformation and large-scale programme delivery with Sia's global AI expertise, the combined business is positioned to become a leading AI transformation partner in Australia, helping organisations move from AI experimentation to enterprise-scale transformation.
This acquisition demonstrates Sia’s continued ambition to accelerate its international expansion while strengthening its sector and functional expertise in its most strategic markets.
-- BERNAMA
Known for its expertise in business transformation, Seven Consulting brings together a team of over 100 consultants, half of whom are based in Sydney and the other half split between Melbourne and Manila.
“Seven Consulting’s deep expertise in programme delivery and change management, and its strong relationships with Australia’s largest banking, government and retail organisations, make it a highly strategic addition to Sia,” said Sia founder and chief executive officer, Matthieu Courtecuisse in a statement.
Meanwhile, Seven Consulting founder, Declan Boylan said: “We found in Sia a partner with the same entrepreneurial mindset, the same focus on high-impact client delivery, and the same conviction that our clients need practical, outcome-focused delivery expertise to navigate their most complex transformation programmes.”
The acquisition marks a key step in Sia’s expansion in Australia, giving the Group a combined team of around 130 consultants, alongside its existing base in Perth.
It also establishes a significant presence on Australia’s East Coast, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne, while expanding Sia’s client portfolio across the banking, government, transportation and retail sectors.
As part of the integration, Seven Consulting will progressively leverage Sia's international reach, global solutions portfolio and deep expertise in data and artificial intelligence (AI).
By combining Seven Consulting's recognised capabilities in business transformation and large-scale programme delivery with Sia's global AI expertise, the combined business is positioned to become a leading AI transformation partner in Australia, helping organisations move from AI experimentation to enterprise-scale transformation.
This acquisition demonstrates Sia’s continued ambition to accelerate its international expansion while strengthening its sector and functional expertise in its most strategic markets.
-- BERNAMA
Wednesday, 5 August 2026
ALIXPARTNERS ACQUIRES AGENTIC AI CONSULTING FIRM ARTIUM
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- AlixPartners has acquired Artium, an agentic artificial intelligence (AI) software consulting firm that develops enterprise AI agents for clients including BNY Mellon, Mayo Clinic and eBay, as the global consulting firm expands its AI capabilities.
In a statement, the company said Artium will continue operating as a distinct team within AlixPartners under the brand "Artium by AlixPartners", with its people, including its founders, methodology and research relationships remaining unchanged.
AlixPartners Co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rob Hornby said Artium has developed production-grade agentic AI systems and established strong relationships across leading AI research organisations, adding that the combination is expected to enhance the firm's ability to deliver business transformation for clients.
Meanwhile, Artium CEO and Co-Founder, Ross Hale said AlixPartners was selected as the next growth partner because of its understanding of Artium's business, technology capabilities and long-term opportunities, while also supporting the culture and values that have contributed to the firm's growth.
AlixPartners said the acquisition combines Artium's AI engineering capabilities with the firm's industry experience and is expected to create new opportunities to transform businesses and integrate technology across enterprises.
Founded 45 years ago, AlixPartners provides consulting services to companies across a range of industries, focusing on performance improvement, restructuring, transformation and technology-enabled business change.
-- BERNAMA
In a statement, the company said Artium will continue operating as a distinct team within AlixPartners under the brand "Artium by AlixPartners", with its people, including its founders, methodology and research relationships remaining unchanged.
AlixPartners Co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rob Hornby said Artium has developed production-grade agentic AI systems and established strong relationships across leading AI research organisations, adding that the combination is expected to enhance the firm's ability to deliver business transformation for clients.
Meanwhile, Artium CEO and Co-Founder, Ross Hale said AlixPartners was selected as the next growth partner because of its understanding of Artium's business, technology capabilities and long-term opportunities, while also supporting the culture and values that have contributed to the firm's growth.
AlixPartners said the acquisition combines Artium's AI engineering capabilities with the firm's industry experience and is expected to create new opportunities to transform businesses and integrate technology across enterprises.
Founded 45 years ago, AlixPartners provides consulting services to companies across a range of industries, focusing on performance improvement, restructuring, transformation and technology-enabled business change.
-- BERNAMA
DARWINBOX UNVEILS AI-NATIVE HCM PLATFORM CORTEX
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- Darwinbox, a human capital management (HCM) platform, has unveiled Darwinbox Cortex, the artificial intelligence (AI)-native HCM platform rebuilt from the ground up for AI.
Rather than adding AI features on top of existing software, Cortex embeds intelligence into the core of the platform. It is being launched with pilot customers and technology partners, including Microsoft, Slack and Glean.
Darwinbox said Cortex is designed to understand an organisation’s people, roles, policies, workflows and past decisions, enabling users to make requests within the governance and operational guardrails already established by the organisation.
“With Cortex, we reimagined the entire HCM experience from the ground up and pushed the boundaries of what AI can do for HR through a series of innovations, including the first Context Graph in the category.
“This is not an incremental evolution of HCM; it defines a new category, and we are excited about what it can unlock for our customers,” said Darwinbox co-founder and co-chief executive officer, Jayant Paleti in a statement.
According to Darwinbox, the AI-native platform is built on four architectural foundations namely, the Signal Layer, the Context Graph, the Cortex Agent Platform and the Experience Layer.
The company said the platform is being introduced with a select group of global design partners, including Visteon Corporation and Transcarent, which are working with Darwinbox to apply Cortex to complex workforce-management challenges.
Darwinbox added that Cortex is designed for a connected enterprise environment, integrating with Microsoft 365, Teams and Co-pilot, as well as platforms such as Slack and Glean, allowing enterprise intelligence to be delivered through applications employees already use in their daily work.
-- BERNAMA
Rather than adding AI features on top of existing software, Cortex embeds intelligence into the core of the platform. It is being launched with pilot customers and technology partners, including Microsoft, Slack and Glean.
Darwinbox said Cortex is designed to understand an organisation’s people, roles, policies, workflows and past decisions, enabling users to make requests within the governance and operational guardrails already established by the organisation.
“With Cortex, we reimagined the entire HCM experience from the ground up and pushed the boundaries of what AI can do for HR through a series of innovations, including the first Context Graph in the category.
“This is not an incremental evolution of HCM; it defines a new category, and we are excited about what it can unlock for our customers,” said Darwinbox co-founder and co-chief executive officer, Jayant Paleti in a statement.
According to Darwinbox, the AI-native platform is built on four architectural foundations namely, the Signal Layer, the Context Graph, the Cortex Agent Platform and the Experience Layer.
The company said the platform is being introduced with a select group of global design partners, including Visteon Corporation and Transcarent, which are working with Darwinbox to apply Cortex to complex workforce-management challenges.
Darwinbox added that Cortex is designed for a connected enterprise environment, integrating with Microsoft 365, Teams and Co-pilot, as well as platforms such as Slack and Glean, allowing enterprise intelligence to be delivered through applications employees already use in their daily work.
-- BERNAMA
Kanadevia Inova Signs Concession Agreement for Its First Waste-to-Energy Plant in Africa
Artist’s impression of the Casablanca integrated Waste-to-Energy facility, combining waste treatment, renewable energy generation, and landfill management infrastructure
- Contributing to Addressing Environmental Challenges in Casablanca, Morocco -
OSAKA, Japan, Aug 5 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Kanadevia Inova AG (Switzerland; hereinafter “Inova”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kanadevia Corporation (TOKYO: 7004) engaged in the development, design, construction, maintenance and operation of waste-to-energy and biogas plants, has signed a concession agreement (long-term project operation agreement) for a 33.5-year waste-to-energy project in Casablanca, Morocco, covering the design, financing, construction and operation of the facility.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260804844543/en/
Inova will carry out the project together with Nareva, a leading Moroccan integrated energy company, and ITOCHU Corporation. Inova will establish an SPC (Special Purpose Company) to implement the project while proceeding with EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and long-term maintenance agreements.
The project will construct a waste-to-energy plant adjacent to Médiouna landfill, one of the largest landfill site in Africa. The facility will process approximately 1.5 million tonnes of waste per year and have a power generation capacity of approximately 126 MWe. The objective is to hygienically treat waste while effectively utilizing it as an energy resource.
The facility will incorporate advanced technologies, including Inova’s large-scale combustion and boiler systems and its proprietary Autaro™ automatic combustion control system. In addition, it will include a 50 MW solar power facility, a 4 MW landfill gas recovery and utilization facility and a leachate treatment unit. By reducing methane emissions, which have a global warming potential approximately 28 times greater than CO2, the project is expected to generate around 1 TWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the annual electricity demand of approximately one million people.
The facility has also been designed to enable the future introduction of carbon capture technologies (CCUS). By capturing, utilizing, or storing CO2 contained in flue gases, the project aims to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support long-term decarbonization.
Project Overview
Location: Casablanca, Morocco
Processing Capacity: Approx. 1.5 million tonnes/year
Power Generation Capacity: Approx. 126 MWe
Scheduled Start of Operations: June 2030 (planned)
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260804844543/en/
Contact
Mikie Okawa
Public Relations Section
Kanadevia Corporation
Tel: +81-6-6569-0076
Email: kouhou@kanadevia.com
Source : Kanadevia Corporation
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