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ZX Capital Markets (ZXCM), a global brokerage delivering multi-asset trading services to retail and professional clients, today announced it ended the year 2025 with approximately $100 billion in total trading volume (notional). The milestone reflects sustained client activity and ZXCM’s continued focus on transparent trading conditions, robust infrastructure, and a client-first operating model.

Throughout 2025, ZXCM expanded its market footprint, strengthened its internal systems, and invested in service quality across onboarding, support, risk controls, and execution oversight — supporting growing volumes while maintaining the company’s core principle: “No Games, Just Trading.”

ZXCM also reported onboarding a growing number of international clients during 2025, reflecting increased cross-border demand and the company’s ability to support a broader, more diverse client base.

“$100 billion is not just a number — it’s a signal of trust,” said Hadi Zaarour, founder and CEO of ZX Capital Markets (ZXCM). “In an industry where confidence is hard-earned, we’ve built momentum by staying consistent: clear conditions, serious operations, and an uncompromising stance on fairness. We’re grateful to every client and partner who contributed to this milestone, and we’re even more focused on what comes next.”

Building Scale Without Compromising Standards

ZXCM attributes its 2025 growth to several operational priorities:

• Execution and infrastructure investment: Continuous upgrades to stability, latency management, and platform performance to support higher activity levels.
• Client experience improvements: Streamlined onboarding, faster support resolution, and clearer communication around trading conditions.
• Risk and governance discipline: Strengthened internal controls designed to support sustainable growth and long-term credibility.
• Reinvestment strategy: Prioritizing technology, people, and processes to expand capacity and enhance the quality of service.

Looking Ahead to 2026

ZXCM plans to build on 2025’s momentum by expanding product depth, continuing technology investment, and broadening its reach in priority markets — while maintaining its focus on transparency, client protection practices, and operational maturity. A key priority moving forward is the global expansion of ZXCM’s client base, building on the international onboarding momentum achieved in 2025.

“We’ve always believed growth should be a byproduct of doing the fundamentals right,” added Zaarour. “Our next chapter is about scaling responsibly — better systems, better service, and a stronger benchmark for what a modern brokerage should look like.”

About ZX Capital Markets (ZXCM)

ZX Capital Markets (ZXCM) is a dynamic forex and CFD brokerage founded in 2023. With a strong presence in the MENA region and expanding global markets, ZXCM offers institutional-grade solutions for forex, commodities, indices, shares, and cryptocurrencies. Our mission is to revolutionize trading experiences, providing transparency, advanced infrastructure, and localized strategies. Our commitment to setting new industry standards of trust and professionalism is evident in our rapid growth and the accolades we have received. The firm was established by Hadi Zaarour, a seasoned industry leader with nearly two decades of experience, whose focus on clarity and innovation has positioned ZXCM as one of the region’s fastest-growing financial service providers. Learn more at www.zxcm.com.

Disclaimer

Contracts for difference (CFDs) are complex instruments that carry a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should carefully consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your capital.

Media Contact

Ethan Stone
media@zxcm.com

CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM), the nation's No. 1 retail mortgage lender, welcomes a new powerhouse team with deep roots in the military community. The Victor Alpha Group of CrossCountry Mortgage, led by husband-and-wife duo, Patton and Shari Gade, recently joined CCM, bringing their team of more than 20 mortgage professionals with military ties.

"This team exemplifies the values that define CrossCountry Mortgage," said Ron Leonhardt, founder and CEO, CCM. "Their leadership, dedication to military families and focus on developing top veteran talent strengthen our mission and reinforce our commitment to the communities we serve."

The Victor Alpha Group is known for their dedication to serving active-duty service members, veterans and military families. Patton, one of the nation's top veteran originators and an eight-year U.S. army veteran, and Shari, director of Military Lending Growth and Development for the branch, work together to drive strategy, development and service excellence. United in mission, they've built a reputation for delivering specialized VA lending solutions. The team also invests in career development and training for veterans transitioning out of their service and into civilian life.

"We couldn't be more excited to wrap up 2025 with a strategic move to CCM. This transition reflects our commitment to aligning with a company that understands the military community and has the products and tools to help us serve our borrowers," said Patton Gade, originating branch manager, Victor Alpha Group of CCM. "The solutions CCM offers provide us a stronger foundation to train, mentor and build careers with purpose. As veterans serving veterans, we're able to connect on a deeper level because we've walked in their shoes."

"CrossCountry Mortgage gives our team the resources we need to streamline the mortgage process, expand our impact and continue our mission of taking care of veterans and their families," said Shari Gade. "In addition to helping our borrowers, we're committed to empowering more military veterans to thrive as loan originators. Their integrity and discipline elevate this industry, and CCM's culture is built for their success."

Also joining CCM as part of the Victor Alpha Team are Peter Brock, sales manager and Jennifer Finn, branch operations manager. Both come with years of mortgage and leadership experience. They're committed to flawless execution and understand how exceptional service begins from marrying unity and structure within the team.

CCM, founded in 2003, has become a trusted destination for borrowers and top mortgage professionals alike, thanks to the company's culture centered around innovation, opportunity and customer-focused solutions. The company's momentum continues to drive forward following several industry accolades. Earlier this year, 504 loan originators ranked on the 2025 Scotsman Guide Top Originators list, the most for one lender. Forty-five loan officers were named to Mortgage Executive Magazine's Top 200 Mortgage Originators in America list. CCM also earned honors on Scotsman Guide's 2025 Top Veteran Originators list with 16 of its loan officers earning recognition — more than any other lender.

Victor Alpha Group is rapidly growing and expanding and making an impact in the military community nationwide. If you're interested in joining the Victor Alpha Group, and uniting with Patton and Shari in their mission to be "Armed to Serve," contact them here.

Patton Gade (NMLS #1243024)

About CrossCountry Mortgage

CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is the nation's number one distributed retail mortgage lender with more than 7,000 employees operating over 700 branches and servicing loans across all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Our company has been recognized ten times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private businesses and has received many awards for our standout culture. We offer more than 120 mortgage, refinance and home equity solutions — ranging from conventional and jumbo mortgages to government-insured programs from FHA and programs for veterans and rural homebuyers — and we are a direct lender and approved seller and servicer by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae (NMLS #3029). Through our dedication to getting it done, we make every mortgage feel like a win. For more information, visit crosscountrymortgage.com.

Media Contact

Natalie Lonjak
Natalie.Lonjak@ccm.com

Billtrust, the leader in B2B accounts receivable (AR) workflow and payment software, has extended its streak as a G2 Grid® Report for Accounts Receivable Automation Software Leader to 19 consecutive quarters. This achievement, driven by verified customer reviews, underscores Billtrust's consistent ability to deliver innovation and measurable value. In the Winter 2026 report, Billtrust earned 35 badges, including recognition in the following categories:

• Enterprise Grid® for Accounts Receivable Software
• Mid-Market Grid® for Accounts Receivable Software
• Accounts Receivable Relationship Index: Enterprise
• Accounts Receivable Usability Index: Enterprise
• Enterprise Relationship Index for Accounts Receivable
• Grid® Report for Credit and Collections
• Mid-Market Grid® for Credit and Collections Software
• Small-Business Grid® for Credit and Collections Software
• Enterprise Grid® for Enterprise Payment Software
• Enterprise Implementation Index for Billing

As the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace, G2 reaches 100 million buyers annually. Its annual Best Software Awards rank the world's best software companies and products based on authentic, timely reviews from real users.

"Our customers' feedback is the ultimate measure of success," said Becky Carr, chief marketing officer at Billtrust. "These rankings validate the impact of our solutions and the trust we've built by continually innovating to meet their evolving needs."

Billtrust's impact on B2B finance and accounts receivable professionals is evident in these quotes taken from recent G2 reviews:

"We're in Billtrust every day — invoicing, tracking payments, and running reports. It's become a "can't-live-without" system for our AR department because it handles so many day-to-day workflows in one place. The platform covers just about everything we need: automated invoicing, online payments, cash application, reporting, and integration with our ERP. The analytics tools are especially useful for spotting trends in collections and cash flow. Integration with our ERP and accounting system went smoothly. Billtrust delivers on what it promises — automation, reliability, and visibility. It's a solid all-in-one AR solution that continues to improve, and it's been a real asset to our business operations."

"[I benefit from Billtrust] using AI to improve cash application and remittance matching, especially for complex or ambiguous payment data. It is easy to find and analyze user data."

These new honors come following Billtrust being named as one of G2's 2025 Best Software Products. Billtrust was the highest-ranking accounts receivable software provider on each list, ranking No. 6 among Best Accounting and Finance Products, No. 8 among Best Software for Mid-Market Businesses, No. 31 among Best Software for Enterprise Businesses, and No. 86 on the overall list. Read more about Billtrust awards and reviews here.

"Every quarter, G2 ranks the best products across thousands of reports by category, company size, geography, and report type," said Sydney Sloan, CMO of G2. "These reports serve as tailored guides for software buyers researching solutions that meet their specific business needs. Congratulations to Billtrust for appearing in our G2 Reports this season, thanks to the positive experiences shared by their customers."

The Grid® represents the democratic voice of real software users, rather than the subjective opinion of one analyst. G2 rates products from the Accounts Receivable Automation category algorithmically based on data sourced from product reviews shared by G2 users and data aggregated from online sources and social networks.

About Billtrust

Finance leaders choose Billtrust to get paid faster, control costs, and maximize customer satisfaction. As a B2B accounts receivable workflow and payment software market leader, we provide the world's leading brands with AI-powered solutions to delight their buyers across the full AR lifecycle — from invoice presentment to payment application. With more than $1 trillion invoice dollars processed, Billtrust delivers business value through deep industry expertise and a culture relentlessly focused on meaningful customer outcomes. For more information, visit www.billtrust.com.

Media Contact

Paul Accardo
PR@billtrust.com

With the one-year anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades fires approaching — a time that can be deeply triggering for many survivors — the California Community Foundation (CCF) and a consortium of funders are awarding more than $8 million in grants to more than 60 programs focused on supporting healing and strengthening community bonds.

The Community Healing and Restoration Initiative is supported by the CCF Wildfire Recovery Fund in partnership with:

• Pasadena Community Foundation
• UniHealth Foundation
• The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
• New Balance Foundation

Miguel A. Santana, CCF president and CEO, said, "Many survivors continue to carry the heavy weight of loss and trauma — this time can reopen deep wounds but also reminds us of the healing power found in coming together. Amid this pain, survivors have shown profound compassion for one another, gently leading the way to restore and rebuild their communities. This same spirit of care is echoed by the generosity of 48,000 donors, whose kindness has enabled CCF to direct over $50 million toward urgent needs and long-term recovery — nurturing connection and supporting survivor-led healing."

Grant-funded activities include community gatherings, local music and storytelling events, and creative workshops such as painting, collage and pottery — offering culturally affirming pathways to rebuild connection and enable stronger mental health. Photography and oral history projects will document survivor stories, while family wellness gatherings provide emotional support in safe, communal settings.

The initiative centers peer-driven, neighborhood-led programs that help survivors strengthen relationships, rebuild a sense of belonging and nurture collective resilience. Rather than top-down directives, this two-year effort empowers communities to lead their own healing.

Jennifer Vanore, Ph.D., president and COO of UniHealth Foundation, said, "As a health foundation, UniHealth is dedicated to supporting fire survivors by ensuring access to essential mental health resources and fostering community resilience. Our early investment in this innovative initiative reflects our commitment to helping local-led organizations deliver vital wellness resources to those who need them most."

The need for community-centered healing is well documented. CCF's LA Wildfires Recovery Needs Assessment — surveying more than 630 organizations — found ongoing challenges related to housing, employment, trauma, financial strain and social connectedness. A Department of Angels survey of more than 2,000 survivors reported that three in four experienced worsening mental health since the fires.

Khanh Russo, president and CEO of Pasadena Community Foundation, added, "As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire, many survivors are facing a range of mental and emotional health challenges. PCF joined our partners in making these grants because it is critical to ensure our neighbors get the support they need to feel healthy, hopeful, safe, and stable. By supporting programs that strengthen well-being and reconnect communities, we help those affected not only rebuild but also recover and thrive."

This is one of many ways philanthropy has come together to coordinate support for survivors — removing barriers and streamlining processes to ensure faster, more effective aid.

It exemplifies the power of community and philanthropy working hand in hand to foster resilience and healing. By continuing to listen to survivors and supporting locally led efforts, the recovery is rooted in connection, compassion and collective strength long term.

The current list of grantees can be found here.

About California Community Foundation

Since 1915, CCF has served Los Angeles County as a public charitable organization dedicated to leading systemic change that strengthens communities. Managing $2.3 billion in assets and overseeing 1,900 charitable foundations, funds and legacies, CCF's mission is to invest in, partner with and amplify the power of community toward a good life. For more information, visit www.calfund.org.

Media Contact

Gilien Silsby
gsilsby@calfund.og

Bonusetu, a premier comparison and market intelligence platform for the Nordic iGaming sector, has released a critical analysis of the Finnish Administration Committee’s freshly published report regarding the new Gambling Act.

While the original proposal set the stage for dismantling Finland's monopoly, the Committee’s final adjustments have fundamentally altered the timeline and commercial reality for operators. The analysis confirms that the opening of the license market has been pushed back by six months to July 1, 2027, to ensure a smooth transition of supervisory duties.

The "Bonus" Revolution: A 5x Wagering Cap

The Committee has introduced a strict cap on casino bonuses.

• The New Rule: According to the revised Section 26, licensed operators may offer "moderate bonus money" to established customers, but these bonuses must carry a maximum wagering requirement of 5x.
• The Impact: "This signals the end of predatory bonus terms in Finland," says Tommi Korhonen, CEO of Bonusetu.com. "Historically, players have battled wagering requirements as high as 40x or 50x. A statutory 5x cap makes Finland one of the most consumer-friendly bonus markets in the world, forcing operators to offer genuine value rather than empty promises."

Structural Shifts: Player Identification, Horse Racing, and Taxes

Bonusetu highlights three critical structural changes that will define the market landscape:

• Mandatory Identification: The Committee reinforces that anonymous casino play is strictly prohibited (Section 28). This mandate is expected to consolidate the market around the technology currently used by casinos without registration, as their bank-ID authentication model offers the fastest route to meeting these strict new verification standards.
• Horse Racing Market: In a significant shift from the original draft, betting on horse racing (Toto games) is moved to the competitive license category, rather than staying under the state monopoly.
• Taxation: The proposed 22% tax on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) remains, with the Committee rejecting proposals to raise it to the VAT level (25.5%) to ensure the regulated market remains competitive against the black market.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Given the Green Light

The analysis of the new Section 51 reveals a reversal on digital marketing restrictions. The Committee explicitly recommends allowing Search Engine Marketing (SEM), provided the keywords used are "immediately related" to the license holder’s brand or games. This clarifies a previously grey area, allowing licensed operators to compete for visibility on search engines legally.

"The Committee’s report is a maturity test for the industry. By delaying the launch to July 2027 and capping bonus wagering at 5x, Finland is signaling that it prioritizes a stable, safe market over a rushed one. For the consumer, this legislation transforms the 'wild west' of online gambling into a transparent environment where terms are fair and winnings are tax-free," says Tommi Korhonen.

About Bonusetu

Bonusetu is an authoritative information hub for the Finnish gambling industry. Focused on the 2027 regulatory shift from monopoly to licensing, we provide expert commentary, market statistics, and coverage of all things we deem relevant to the sector. Our goal is to bring clarity and transparency to one of Europe's most dynamic digital markets. For more information, visit bonusetu.com.

Media Contact

Tommi Korhonen
CEO, Bonusetu
media@bonusetu.com

From Dec. 27, 2025, to Jan. 4, 2026, the 2025 World Parent-Child Shared Reading Festival was held in Shenzhen, China, offering a rich array of experiential events — including children’s theater, light shows, storytelling sessions, outdoor carnivals, concerts, workshops, and parades — to explore and respond to key issues surrounding child development. The festival promoted tangible engagement within the "small family" unit, fostering resilient parent-child relationships as a foundation for revitalizing broader societal vitality.

“Shared reading between parents and children is the cornerstone of educational equity. It is one of the most cost-effective and impactful ways to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and bridge the education gap,” said Li Wen, founder of the Iread Foundation, Wen Weiqi Picture Book Art Museum, and Shenzhen Koko Technology Co., Ltd., and initiator of National Parent-Child Reading Day, during the festival’s opening ceremony.

Zhang Jun, general manager of CYTS M.I.C.E. (Beijing) Service Co., LTD, also noted that parent-child reading is a warm, foundational act — an essential “first lesson in life” for children. More than that, it is a joyful, attainable form of participation for every household, aligned with the goals of the Regulation on Promoting Nationwide Reading.

Shared Understanding: The Public Value of Parent-Child Reading

“You may have endless wealth — chests of jewels and cabinets of gold — but you will never be richer than I am, for I had a mother who read to me.”

This quote from American reading advocate Jim Trelease, featured in The Read-Aloud Handbook, highlights parent-child reading as one of the most effective ways to nurture a lifelong love of reading. In fact, there is growing international consensus on the value of parent-child reading, particularly in supporting early childhood development and fostering lifelong learning.

Research from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child shows that interactive moments during shared reading — such as asking questions and pointing to pictures — significantly stimulate children's brain development in language processing, imagination, and emotional regulation. These benefits far exceed those gained from solitary reading or passive audiovisual input.

Moreover, parent-child reading plays a critical role in children's language acquisition and socio-emotional development. “The moments when a child sits on your lap and you read together become the warmest memories of childhood,” noted children's author and reading advocate Mei Zihan. This sense of intimacy is something no electronic device can replicate.

“This physical closeness and emotional interaction are the foundation for a child’s sense of security, trust, and the development of healthy attachment,” says Wen. “Shared reading exposes children to a vocabulary, sentence complexity, and grammatical accuracy far beyond daily speech — making it the most effective and enjoyable way to acquire their mother tongue.”

Building on its strong emphasis on reading and parent-child education, China has long promoted the development of nationwide reading initiatives. On Dec. 16, 2025, China officially released the Regulation on Promoting Nationwide Reading, which is scheduled to take effect on Feb. 1, 2026.

The regulation provides clear legal support for public-interest reading initiatives. In particular, Article 27, Paragraph 2 states that the State encourages and supports social actors, in accordance with the law, to participate in the provision of reading services through multiple approaches, including establishing entities, funding projects, providing facilities, and donating publications.

To help more families experience the joy of shared reading and understand its long-term benefits, the Iread Foundation launched Parent-Child Reading Day on Dec. 28, starting in 2018. Since then, over 100 institutions — including, the New Reading Research Institute, Parents Must-Read magazine, and various child literacy organizations — have joined the initiative.

In 2025, the event evolved into a full-fledged brand festival. The World Parent-Child Shared Reading Festival, held in conjunction with Parent-Child Reading Day, is co-hosted by the Iread Foundation, Wenweiqi Picture Book Art Museum, and Shenzhen Koko Technology Co., Ltd., The festival features a sensory-rich, multicultural experience, with contributions from artists at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, China Academy of Art, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Tsinghua Academy of Arts and Design, as well as artists from the U.S., Italy, France, and the U.K.

Diverse Programming: Building an Immersive Reading Ecosystem

During its nine-day run, the 2025 World Parent-Child Shared Reading Festival features a vibrant array of over 90 events, including 30 co-creation checkpoints, more than 30 themed workshops, more than 16 curated children's theater performances, an original illustration exhibition by nine leading Chinese picture book artists, and an immersive art installation co-created by young artists from five countries.

The lineup also includes a starlit garden concert, storytelling sessions, family carnivals, the “Day of Love’s Return” commemorative event, traditional lion dances, parades, and more — offering families an immersive, multifaceted cultural experience.

To encourage deeper participation, the festival incorporates themed atmospheres and a point-based reward system, inviting families to dress up and fully engage with the interactive environment.

The 2025 World Parent-Child Shared Reading Festival features over 30 workshops across three core categories — parent-child bonding, art, and parenting — designed to meet the needs of families with children aged 0–12. Together, they create a multidimensional experience that integrates reading, art, and interactive learning.

Highlights include the Sock Puppet Workshop, where parents and children repurpose old socks and buttons to craft personalized puppets and stage mini performances. The Rod Puppet Workshop blends traditional folk arts with modern creativity, allowing children to learn cultural heritage through play while parents relive memories of childhood shadow plays.

In the “Botanist in the Kitchen” Workshop, botanist Dr. Shi Jun from the Chinese Academy of Sciences brings plant science into everyday life through engaging experiments like The Traveling Watermelon Seed and The Life of a Tomato. Other expert-led parenting sessions empower families with scientific child-rearing knowledge. These include workshops by Tina Tian, a certified emergency instructor from the American Heart Association; Dr. Sun Quanhui, a scientist from World Animal Protection; and Zeng Jinjin, a senior partner at China Commercial Law Firm.

One of the most talked-about exhibits, “The Fetus’s Dream”, is divided into two immersive zones: Pre-verbal: A Shaft of Light and Shadow and Social Language: The Etymological Star Cluster. Through light installations, interactive technology, and conceptual design, the exhibit invites audiences to reflect deeply on the relationship between language and life.

On the theatrical front, a rich lineup of children’s plays spans various genres, including shadow puppetry and musical theater. The Sultan’s Rhino Horn, based on a true story, explores the plight of the last male northern white rhino. Feather Letter, Run! adapts a classic revolutionary tale into a musical, inspiring young audiences through music to understand the power of belief.

Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: Advancing Long-Term Development

To promote sustained and multidimensional efforts toward child development, the 2025 World Parent-Child Shared Reading Festival welcomed active participation from a diverse array of stakeholders — including corporations, foundations, civil society groups, charitable organizations, research institutes, and media outlets.

“Through the ritual and celebration of a festival, we awaken family engagement; through rich programming, we transform national policy advocacy into tangible, participatory experiences for thousands of households. The World Parent-Child Shared Reading Festival brings together diverse social forces to turn the idea of ‘reading together for 30 minutes a day’ from a simple proposal into a way of life,” said Jun, in support of the festival’s long-term vision.

As the initiator of Parent-Child Reading Day, Wen emphasized that establishing and celebrating such festivals is one of the most powerful and effective ways to elevate public attention and accelerate momentum around cultural ideals and social visions.

Aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as Quality Education and Good Health and Well-Being, this year’s World Parent-Child Shared Reading Festival introduced a recognizable, emotionally engaging mascot, “Koko Bird.” Inspired by native birds of Shenzhen (the black-faced spoonbill, red-whiskered bulbul, and blue-throated bee-eater) and infused with Greater Bay Area technological innovation elements, the mascot serves as a strong visual identity to enhance global recognition of the shared reading movement and expand the international influence of Chinese culture.

“Safe, warm homes — where children can access quality education and grow up healthy — are a universal ideal across all cultures and civilizations,” said Wen. “The world needs a festival like this — one that enables every child to experience the warmth and intimacy of family love through shared reading.”

Media Contact

Jianfeng Li
lijianfeng@koukoutech.cn

Unlisted, a pioneering digital real estate community focused on the 98% of homes that aren’t for sale yet, today announced that Jennifer Shindler, one of Dallas’s most trusted and accomplished real estate professionals, has joined as the exclusive Local Expert for buyers and homeowners in ZIP code 75209. Known for her depth of local knowledge, strategic mindset, and hands-on approach, Shindler brings over 18 years of experience in Dallas’s luxury and new construction markets to Unlisted’s expanding nationwide network. She joins several of her Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty colleagues who have also partnered with Unlisted to represent their Dallas ZIP codes, reflecting the brokerage’s shared commitment to innovation and client service.

Unlisted’s platform is designed to create transparency and opportunity across every side of the real estate experience. Buyers can explore homes that capture their interest beyond what’s listed on the market, homeowners can gauge demand and control their home’s online image, and agents gain a new way to connect with buyers and homeowners and showcase their expertise. 

Using publicly available data, Unlisted builds a digital property profile for every home in the country. These profiles enable buyers and agents to create tailored lists of homes that fit their needs — even if those homes aren’t currently for sale. Buyers can then join the Waitlist for the properties they love, signaling real-time interest and opening the door to meaningful connections between homeowners and agents. 

Each Local Expert chosen by Unlisted receives an agent profile connected to every home in their ZIP code. Only one agent per ZIP is selected, reflecting their reputation, credibility, and proven market knowledge. As Unlisted expands its footprint across the U.S., its mission remains consistent: to empower buyers, homeowners, and agents through connection, transparency, and possibility. 

With a deep-rooted Texas background and nearly two decades of proven results, Jennifer Shindler has become a respected leader in Dallas’s residential real estate market. A third-generation real estate professional, she combines modern strategy with timeless service, representing clients across some of Dallas’s most sought-after neighborhoods — including Westlake, Vaquero, the Park Cities, Uptown, Lakewood, Midway Hollow, and North Dallas. 

A graduate of The University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business, Shindler built her business from the ground up through persistence, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to her clients. She has earned numerous top-producer accolades, including recognition among D Magazine’s Best Real Estate Agents and RealTrends’ Top 1.5% of Agents Nationwide. Known for her marketing acumen, builder expertise, and passion for golf-course communities, Shindler offers a refined, personalized approach to every client relationship. 

“Unlisted gives me a powerful new way to serve both sides of the market,” said Shindler. “It creates visibility and opportunity — whether you’re a buyer searching for your dream home or a homeowner curious about the interest your home could generate.” 

“Jennifer’s depth of experience and long-standing connection to Dallas make her an incredible addition to the Unlisted network,” said Katie Hill, founder and CEO of Unlisted. “Her insight, energy, and service-driven approach align perfectly with Unlisted’s mission to open new doors for homeowners and buyers alike.” 

To learn more about Unlisted, visit UnlistedHomes.com or UnlistedHomes.com/Agents.

To learn more about Jennifer Shindler, visit her Unlisted profile or her website.

About Unlisted

Unlisted unlocks the potential in homes that aren’t for sale — yet. The company empowers home buyers to join the Waitlist for homes they love that aren’t for sale — in other words, unlisted. At the same time, homeowners collect a Waitlist of interested buyers for whenever the time comes to sell, giving everyone a head start. Unlisted also allows homeowners to control how their home is presented online; they can create a stunning up-to-date property profile that shows off the home’s best features and attracts more interest. With more time and more connection, Unlisted is a more human way to explore real estate that drives better outcomes for all. Selected for TechCrunch’s 2025 Startup Battlefield 200 as one of the top tech startups globally, and backed by HearstLab, Hearst Newspapers, VC414, StageNext Fund, and prominent angel investors, Unlisted gives buyers a competitive edge in today’s challenging housing market. For more information, visit UnlistedHomes.com.

Media Contact

Maura Racz
maura@unlistedinc.com

Unlisted, a groundbreaking digital real estate community focused on the 98% of homes that aren’t for sale — yet, announced today that Brandi Beckstein of Sotheby’s International Realty’s Westlake Village office has joined the platform as the exclusive Local Expert for ZIP code 91362.

Unlisted’s technology introduces new opportunities across the real estate landscape. Buyers gain fresh ways to discover homes that match their lifestyle, not just the ones currently on the MLS. Homeowners gain insight into how their property fits into local demand and the ability to connect with potential buyers. Real estate professionals gain tools that highlight their expertise, strengthen their community presence, and foster meaningful conversations with clients and neighbors.

The platform uses publicly available data to create a digital property profile for every home in the country. These profiles can be searched and organized into curated lists of homes that meet a buyer’s criteria, even if they aren’t currently for sale. For homeowners, these records provide clarity around market interest and expand the possibilities they may not have considered.

Each vetted real estate professional in Unlisted’s network receives an agent profile connected to every home profile within their ZIP code. Only one agent is selected per ZIP, emphasizing credibility, localized knowledge, and trusted expertise. As the network grows, Unlisted remains committed to connection, transparency, and opportunity for everyone involved in the home journey.

Brandi brings a distinctive blend of personal experience, professional skill, and heartfelt client care to her role. Originally from Kansas, she has lived across the United States through her husband’s aviation career, giving her a unique understanding of relocation, transition, and what it takes to find the perfect place to call home. Her strengths in change management, problem-solving, negotiation, and marketing allow her to guide clients through each step with confidence and thoughtful strategy.

A mother of three, Brandi is deeply connected to her community and passionate about creating environments where families thrive. Her love for interior design, home styling, golf, and service-oriented volunteer work reflects her belief that strong communities enrich every stage of life. Clients appreciate her “servant’s heart,” her steady presence, and her commitment to truly understanding their needs so she can help them make informed, fulfilling decisions.

“Westlake Village offers an incredible lifestyle rooted in community, connection, and a true sense of home,” said Beckstein. “I’m excited to partner with Unlisted and give my clients more insight as they navigate the real estate process.”

“We’re delighted to welcome Brandi Beckstein as a Local Expert on Unlisted,” said Katie Hill, founder and CEO of Unlisted. “Her dedication to her clients and her community embodies the level of care, expertise, and integrity we strive to bring to each ZIP code we serve.”

To learn more about Unlisted, visit UnlistedHomes.com. For Unlisted for Agents, visit UnlistedHomes.com/Agents.

To learn more about Brandi Beckstein, visit her Unlisted Profile or her website.

About Unlisted

Unlisted unlocks the potential in homes that aren’t for sale — yet. The company empowers home buyers to join the Waitlist for homes they love that aren’t for sale — in other words, unlisted. At the same time, homeowners collect a Waitlist of interested buyers for whenever the time comes to sell, giving everyone a head start. Unlisted also allows homeowners to control how their home is presented online; they can create a stunning up-to-date property profile that shows off the home’s best features and attracts more interest. With more time and more connection, Unlisted is a more human way to explore real estate that drives better outcomes for all. Selected for TechCrunch’s 2025 Startup Battlefield 200 as one of the top tech startups globally, and backed by HearstLab, Hearst Newspapers, VC414, StageNext Fund, and prominent angel investors, Unlisted gives buyers a competitive edge in today’s challenging housing market. For more information, visit UnlistedHomes.com.

Media Contact

Maura Racz
maura@unlistedinc.com

Pression, Inc., a medical technology innovator specializing in noninvasive circulatory health, announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Wave PRO™ External Counter-Pulsation (ECP) System. This milestone clearance allows Pression to commercially market its patented, cardiac-gated compression technology for the treatment of patients with chronic stable angina (CSA). By synchronizing external pressure with the patient’s heart rhythm, the Wave PRO offers a smart, portable solution designed to enhance blood flow and improve quality of life for those suffering from debilitating cardiovascular symptoms.

With this milestone, Pression moves into commercial manufacturing, distribution, and engagement with healthcare providers in outpatient and cardiac rehabilitation settings.

"Receiving FDA 510(k) clearance for the Pression Wave PRO is a definitive turning point for our company and, more importantly, for the millions of patients living with chronic stable angina," said Adam Salamon, CEO of Pression. "This technology began as a way to enhance performance in the military, and today, it is a cleared medical solution that brings the benefits of cardiac-gated compression out of the clinic and directly to outpatient care. Our mission has always been to make life-enhancing circulation therapy accessible, comfortable, and smart. With this clearance, we are ready to begin the next chapter of cardiovascular care in the United States.”

About the Wave PRO™ External Counter-Pulsation System

External counterpulsation (ECP) as a general technology involves the application of pressure to the patient’s legs using inflatable cuffs or sleeves to enhance perfusion at the heart. ECP using the Wave PRO involves wrapping the patient’s calves in sleeves containing inflatable bladders, which compress the calves in sync with the patient’s cardiac cycle. During diastole, a series of five bladders within the sleeves inflate sequentially from the patient’s ankles towards their knees. This compression results in diastolic augmentation, which is observable from the pulse data obtained using a fingertip photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. During the diastolic phase, the heart is relaxed, allowing for coronary perfusion to the cardiac muscle. By compressing the inflatable bladders during this portion of the cardiac cycle, aortic retrograde flow is increased, allowing for enhanced coronary perfusion.

The Pression Wave PRO External Counter-Pulsation System is indicated for the treatment of chronic stable angina (CSA) that is refractory to optimal anti-anginal medical therapy and without options for revascularization in adult patients that weigh greater than 40 kg. In addition, it is intended for use in healthy adult patients to provide improvement in vasodilation, increased VO2, and increased blood flow. It is intended for use under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

About Pression

Headquartered in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Pression, Inc. is a pioneer in noninvasive circulatory health. Founded in 2016 by former Lockheed Martin deputy corporate chief scientist and a team of medical entrepreneurs, the company specializes in smart, cardiac-gated compression technology. Pression’s flagship product, the Wave PRO, utilizes patented algorithms to synchronize external compression with a patient’s unique heart rhythm, enhancing blood flow and reducing the debilitating symptoms of chronic stable angina.

Pression is committed to providing quiet, portable, and affordable solutions that bridge the gap between clinical therapy and daily life. The company plans to work with clinical partners to support adoption of Wave PRO across outpatient settings. For more information, visit pression.com.

Media Contact

Alain Van Loo
COO, Pression
alain@pression.com

Unlisted, a groundbreaking digital real estate community focused on the 98% of homes that aren’t for sale — yet, today announced that Walter Bering, a real estate professional with Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty, has joined the platform as the exclusive Local Expert for buyers and homeowners in ZIP code 77019. Known for his discretion, sophistication, and unwavering professionalism, Bering has become the trusted choice of buyers and sellers seeking unparalleled insight into Houston’s luxury and historic real estate landscape.

Unlisted’s technology is designed to open up possibilities for everyone in the real estate ecosystem: buyers, homeowners, and agents alike. Buyers gain new ways to discover homes they love beyond what’s listed on the MLS. Homeowners gain tools to better understand interest in their property and connect with potential buyers. Real estate professionals gain a platform that elevates their expertise and brings more possibilities into view for their clients.

Unlisted uses publicly available data to create a digital property profile for every home in the country. Users can quickly search and organize these homes into curated lists that meet a buyer’s criteria. Even when a home isn’t for sale, buyers can join a Waitlist for the properties they love — creating new touchpoints for connection and giving homeowners insights they may not have previously considered.

Each vetted real estate professional partnering with Unlisted receives an agent profile linked to every home in their ZIP code. Only one agent is selected per ZIP, highlighting their credibility and deep understanding of the local market. As Unlisted expands nationwide, the mission remains the same: to provide buyers, homeowners, and agents with a platform built on connection, expertise, and meaningful insights.

Bering’s career is rooted not only in Houston’s luxury market, but in Houston’s history itself. His family’s story dates back to the 1840s, when the Bering brothers, early Texas settlers, made their way from Galveston up the bayou and ultimately established their roots in Houston. Six generations later, Walter has carried that legacy into a 45-year real estate career defined by leadership, excellence, and record-setting success.

A star member of the Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty Circle of Excellence, Bering has been honored as the company’s #1 producer ten times and is firmly established in the firm’s Hall of Fame. The Houston Business Journal consistently recognizes him for his top-tier sales volume and his participation in some of the region’s most significant home transactions. His reputation spans luxury neighborhoods such as River Oaks, Tanglewood, West University, Southampton, and the Memorial Villages, as well as high-profile historic homes requiring specialized expertise. His portfolio also extends beyond city limits, including multimillion-dollar ranch transactions throughout Central Texas.

“Houston is a city defined by its history and its momentum, and Unlisted gives homeowners and buyers a new way to explore both,” said Bering. “I look forward to serving as a resource for the communities I’ve worked in for decades and to bringing even more clarity and opportunity to clients across 77019.”

“Walter has long been a trusted voice in Houston real estate, and his expertise in both luxury and historic homes brings meaningful value to the buyers and homeowners we serve,” said Katie Hill, founder and CEO of Unlisted. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to the platform.”

To learn more about Unlisted, visit UnlistedHomes.com. For Unlisted for Agents, visit UnlistedHomes.com/Agents.

To learn more about Walter Bering, visit his Unlisted Profile or his website.

About Unlisted

Unlisted unlocks the potential in homes that aren’t for sale — yet. The company empowers home buyers to join the Waitlist for homes they love that aren’t for sale — in other words, unlisted. At the same time, homeowners collect a Waitlist of interested buyers for whenever the time comes to sell, giving everyone a head start. Unlisted also allows homeowners to control how their home is presented online; they can create a stunning up-to-date property profile that shows off the home’s best features and attracts more interest. With more time and more connection, Unlisted is a more human way to explore real estate that drives better outcomes for all. Selected for TechCrunch’s 2025 Startup Battlefield 200 as one of the top tech startups globally, and backed by HearstLab, Hearst Newspapers, VC414, StageNext Fund, and prominent angel investors, Unlisted gives buyers a competitive edge in today’s challenging housing market. For more information, visit UnlistedHomes.com.

Media Contact

Maura Racz
maura@unlistedinc.com

Lockin, the #1 bestselling vein recognition smart lock brand worldwide, announced the launch of the first-ever vein recognition smart lock powered with wirelessoptical-charging — the V7 Max — today at CES, where it received the CES 2026 Innovation Awards® Best of Innovation honor. Featuring Lockin’s revolutionary AuraCharge™ and LockinAI®, the V7 Max is guaranteed to work with complete reliability regardless of weather, light, or installation location, and zero need to recharge or replace batteries.

The V7 Max receives stable, rapid, highly-efficient power wirelessly within a four-meter range, utilizing eye-safe optical output with uniform beam profile and dual safety-certification from TÜV Rheinland and SGS. Competitor smart locks rely on disposable cells, lithium-ion rechargeables and solar, and are therefore constrained by limited endurance, frequent maintenance and light-dependence. Lockin’s breakthrough in family-safe, wireless optical charging advances the industry into a fourth-generation of power technology, eliminating the most common consumer pain point — battery anxiety.

Equipped with triple biometric security (finger vein, palm vein and 3D facial recognition), the V7 Max also introduces LockinAI, which offers 10 core scenarios to customize user experience, prevent theft, detect and manage deliveries, index video for smart keyword search, and more.

“While third-generation power solutions like perovskite solar offer promising innovation, the technology continues to rely on adequate light to function reliably. AuraCharge requires no sunlight, no manual charging, and provides an infinite power supply,” says Bill Chen, founder and CEO of Lockin. “We’re thrilled to offer users a new level of freedom and security with a smart lock they can install once, and never worry about again.”

Masterfully designed by Hartmut Esslinger, Apple’s former chief designer, the sleek mortise smart lock features two high-definition outer cameras with panoramic view for video doorbell functionality, dual 5-inch touchscreens inside and out, and the industry’s thinnest 15mm front panel. Compatible with Google, Apple, Amazon, and Samsung smart home systems, the V7 Max integrates seamlessly via the Matter protocol without the need for additional hubs

Lockin has also announced the release of its new Veno Pro Wireless, a redesigned version of its bestselling deadbolt smart lock, the Veno Pro, which will be equipped with AuraCharge wireless charging. The collection’s latest solar-powered smart lock, the Aeon, will also be debuted at CES. Utilizing advanced perovskite solar technology, it offers a significant improvement in energy conversion efficiency compared to traditional solar panels, and can even recharge using light from overcast skies.

The V7 Max will be available for live demonstrations at Lockin’s exhibit at the Venetian Expo (Booth #52712), and all three smart locks will be available for preorder following CES, with shipping scheduled for early 2026.

Lockin’s entire collection of vein-scanning smart locks are available for purchase via Amazon and lockin.com.

About Lockin

Founded in 2014, Lockin is a global leader in palm vein recognition technology and ranks first in the palm vein smart lock industry. The company holds more than 500 authorized core technology patents and has received prestigious international recognition, including the Red Dot Design Award (2025, 2023) and the iF Design Award (2024, 2020). Through collaborations with leading brands such as Samsung and Wyze, Lockin has co-developed several best-selling smart locks. To date, the company has served more than 42 million users worldwide.

For more information, visit lockin.com, follow Lockin on Instagram, and shop on Amazon.

For partnership opportunities, email chenglinna@lockin.com.

Media Contact

Hannah Wilkinson
hannah@dolcevitapr.co
+1 707-977-5101

Peter Chau
peter@lockin.com

Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC) announced that Saudi Arabia’s venture capital ecosystem achieved two historic leaps in 2025, in terms of total investment value and number of transactions, further reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as the leading venture capital market in the Middle East for the third consecutive year. This performance reflects the tangible impact of Saudi Vision 2030 and the structural economic transformation taking place across the Kingdom.

SVC stated that the Saudi market recorded its highest-ever number of venture capital transactions, reaching 254 deals in 2025, alongside a record investment value of USD 1.66 billion during the year. This compares to approximately USD 60 million in 2018, representing a 25-fold increase in venture capital investment since the establishment of SVC and the emergence of its role as a market maker within the ecosystem.

Commenting on the announcement, His Excellency Dr. Nabeel Koshak, CEO and board member of Saudi Venture Capital Company, said:

“What we are witnessing today in Saudi Arabia’s venture capital sector is the direct result of the unlimited support provided by the Kingdom’s wise leadership — may God protect them — across all sectors. This support has been translated into a deliberate and well-calibrated economic transformation, moving private capital into a more mature and impactful phase. These figures reflect the strength of the Saudi economy, the clarity of national vision, and the growing confidence of investors, confirming that venture capital has become a core pillar of growth and economic diversification.”

Dr. Koshak added that the 25-fold growth in investment since 2018, together with the record-breaking figures for both investment value and deal volume, underscores the maturity of the Saudi venture capital market, stating:

“This progress reflects the increasing competitiveness of local and regional venture capital funds, the Kingdom’s growing attractiveness to global investors, the readiness of startups, and the expanding diversity of high-potential sectors. Venture capital today is enabling the creation of scalable companies, generating high-quality jobs, and transforming innovation into sustainable economic value, fully aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 as it enters its tenth year.”

About Saudi Venture Capital Company

SVC is an investment company established in 2018 and is a subsidiary of the SME Bank, part of the National Development Fund (NDF). SVC aims to stimulate and sustain financing for startups and SMEs from pre-seed to pre-IPO by investing $3 billion through fund investments and direct investments in startups and SMEs. For more information, visit svc.com.sa.

Walk into any sword shop a decade ago and the hierarchy was clear: historical blades for serious collectors, cheap replicas for everyone else. That distinction is dissolving fast.

Functional pop culture swords, steel weapons built to the same standards as historical pieces but designed after anime and video game characters are surging in popularity. Some industry watchers believe they could soon dominate the market entirely.

"Anime sword demand appears to be getting more popular than ever" said Vali Munteanu, CEO at Swordis, a well-known sword retail business. "Collectors used to choose between something that looked cool or something that was real. Now they're refusing to compromise."

Following the Money

The numbers behind this shift trace back to anime's explosive international growth.

The global anime market hit roughly USD 35.4 billion in 2024 and is forecast to reach USD 84.85 billion by 2033 — a compound annual growth rate exceeding 10%, per Research and Markets and The Business Research Company.

The real story is geographic. Between 2023 and 2024, international anime revenue overtook Japan's domestic market for the first time in history. The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) reported that overseas revenue jumped 26% to 2.17 trillion yen, while Japan's domestic market grew just 2.8%.

That shift has direct implications for sword manufacturers.

Why Geography Matters

Japan's strict weapon laws have always limited anime merchandise to plastic toys and decorative replicas. But with North America and Europe now driving anime revenue, those restrictions no longer define the market.

"American and European fans can legally own functional steel swords," Munteanu explained. "So when they want a Demon Slayer blade, they're not looking for plastic. They want something forged from high-carbon steel that could actually cut."

Manufacturers have adapted accordingly. What was once a niche category, functional fantasy replicas has become a major production priority.

The New Collector

Today's pop culture sword buyer bears little resemblance to the mall ninja stereotype of decades past. They research steel compositions, debate heat treatment methods, and expect the same craftsmanship applied to historical reproductions.

"People are educated now," Munteanu said. "They know the difference between a wall hanger and a real weapon. They've watched the YouTube videos; they've seen the shows. The bar has moved."

This sophistication works both ways. Vali sees pop culture swords as an entry point rather than an endpoint — a gateway that leads curious buyers toward traditional swordsmithing.

"Someone starts with an anime sword because they love the character. Then they get curious about why the blade looks the way it does, what makes a good hamon, and how steel is folded. Before long, they're interested in historical techniques they never knew existed."

Where It's Headed

Whether pop culture swords will truly overtake historical blades remains an open question. Traditional collectors aren't going anywhere, and martial arts communities continue to drive steady demand for historically accurate weapons.

But the momentum is undeniable. As anime's global audience keeps expanding, and as that audience ages into disposable income, the market for functional fantasy replicas shows no sign of slowing.

The sword industry's future may look less like a museum and more like a streaming queue.

About History Puffs

HistoryPuffs is a non-profit research organisation committed to serious historical research and creative exploration. Through fun projects and in-depth research, HistoryPuffs aims to make history more accessible, engaging, and accurate for a modern audience.

The sword industry is witnessing a quiet revolution. While traditional Japanese katanas and European longswords have long dominated the collector market, functional replicas from anime and gaming franchises are gaining ground fast — and may soon take the lead.

Vali Munteanu, content manager at Swordis, a U.S.-based sword retailer and custom manufacturer, believes the shift is already well underway.

The Anime Factor

"For decades, you had two choices: affordable display swords that would shatter if you tried to cut with them, or expensive historical replicas for martial artists," Munteanu explained. "That middle ground didn't exist. Now it's becoming the main category."

The driving force is straightforward: anime has gone global in ways few predicted.

The global anime market was valued at approximately USD 35.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 84.85 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate of over 10%, according to Research and Markets.

More significant is where that growth is happening. For decades, Japan's domestic market was the primary engine of anime revenue. But in a historic shift between 2023 and 2024, overseas revenue decisively overtook domestic Japanese revenue. According to the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA), international revenue surged by 26% to 2.17 trillion yen, while domestic revenue saw modest growth of just 2.8%.

This geographic flip matters enormously for sword manufacturers.

"In Japan, strict weapon ownership laws mean anime merchandise is limited to plastic toys and non-functional replicas," Munteanu noted. "But in North America and Europe, where the majority of anime fans now live, people can own functional steel weapons. A U.S. collector doesn't want a plastic Demon Slayer sword. They want the real thing."

Quality Expectations Have Changed

Today's pop culture sword buyer isn't settling for decorative items. They expect the same metallurgical standards as historical weapons — high-carbon steel, proper heat treatment, functional edges — and wrapped in the aesthetics of their favorite characters.

"The modern consumer is educated," Munteanu said. "They've watched YouTube videos, seen reviews by creators, and understand materials. They're demanding weapons that look like they belong to a fantasy hero but perform like historical pieces."

This convergence of fantasy aesthetics and traditional craftsmanship has created a new category that appeals to collectors who might never have considered owning a sword otherwise.

A Gateway, Not a Replacement

Munteanu doesn't see pop culture swords replacing historical collecting, at least not entirely. Instead, he views them as an entry point.

"The customer who buys a Demon Slayer katana today often develops a curiosity about traditional Japanese swordsmithing," he said. "They start asking about steel types, hamon patterns, and historical techniques. Pop culture is becoming the gateway to deeper appreciation."

Whether historical purists welcome these new enthusiasts remains to be seen. But with anime's global audience continuing to expand, the trajectory seems clear: the future of the sword market may be forged as much in streaming queues as in traditional workshops.

About History Puffs

HistoryPuffs is a non-profit research organisation committed to serious historical research and creative exploration. Through fun projects and in-depth research, HistoryPuffs aims to make history more accessible, engaging, and accurate for a modern audience.

Media Contact

Peter Carol
History Puffs
petervalijv@gmail.com

Global football is riding a spending spree like never before. Meanwhile, behind the glitter of headline transfers lies a growing network of hidden fees, opaque contracts, and shifting financial pressures.

But how long can clubs keep taking on risk before the system cracks?

A Market on Steroids

The transfer market in 2025 broke all the records. Global spending in men’s football has surged to $9.76 billion, marking a new all-time high and a jump of more than 50% compared with mid-2024.

Premier League clubs have driven much of the rise, but Europe’s top leagues as a whole are moving faster and spending bigger than ever. Close to 12,000 international transfers have already gone through this year.

Some of the biggest moves included Alexander Isak's transfer from Newcastle United to Liverpool (£125m), Florian Wirtz’s transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool (£116.5m), and Hugo Ekitike's transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool (£79m).

And even though all these moves still can’t reach Neymar’s record €222 million move to Paris Saint-Germain, in total, they show quite a surge.

What Fuels the Boom? 

First of all, Richer broadcasting deals and sponsorship money flood the top leagues. New capital, from wealthy owners, private equity, and investors drawn to sport’s worldwide reach, also injects fresh liquidity. Meanwhile, clubs are spending more on scouting, youth (to resell later), and inflated salaries.

It’s a cycle — success on the field demands expensive squads, but expensive squads often demand risky financial maneuvers.

Agents, Add-ons, and Contract Creativity

The headline fees are just the visible part. Beneath the surface lies a complicated network of intermediaries, back-loaded deals, and commission-heavy contracts, creating a shadow economy few outside club boards fully understand.

Agent fees alone have soared. In 2023, FIFA tried to rein in the system by proposing a cap on agent earnings — 10% of a transfer fee when representing the selling club and 5% for the buying club. But legal pushback in several countries put the rules on hold. That leaves the market wide open, where the “average” cut may sit around 10–15%, but high-profile clubs and star players can push commissions far beyond that.

From February 2024 to February 2025, Chelsea paid a little over £60 million in agent fees, and Manchester City spent around £52 million. Across the league, clubs handed over £409.1 million. That kind of fee can drastically amplify the cost of a “free transfer” or a loan-to-buy deal.

FIFA Compliance and Club Debt

FIFA’s transfer rules were meant to bring structure, but they leave room for creative accounting. The current regulations focus on contract stability, training compensation, the ban on third-party ownership, and the use of the FIFA Clearing House to monitor payments. Clubs must also comply with their own domestic financial rules, such as UEFA’s squad-cost ratio or England’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

But none of these frameworks cap transfer spending or stop clubs with large debts from striking huge deals as long as they remain technically compliant. That’s how clubs with significant liabilities — from Manchester United’s long-term debt to Barcelona’s well-documented financial strain — still manage major signings. Deferred payments, multi-year amortisation, conditional add-ons, and player-swap valuations all fall within the rules and allow clubs to operate aggressively despite balance-sheet pressure.

These blurry edges make room for inflated add-ons and image-rights carveouts — bonuses paid later depending on performance or commercial deals. Some transfers inflate the publicly declared fee but obscure how much or when the selling club actually receives the money.

Loans, intermediaries, and multipart contracts further dilute transparency, making real costs and future liabilities almost impossible to track. Analysts at CIES warn that these structures weaken financial fairness across leagues and increase long-term risk for heavily leveraged clubs.

Rising Calls for Reform, but Weak Oversight

In response to growing concern, FIFA has begun emphasizing compliance, transparency, and enhanced governance. Their mid-year 2024 transfer snapshot, for instance, was released on a new interactive platform aimed at tracking cross-border deals with more precision.

Still, enforcement remains patchy:

• Agent fees and add-ons often fall under different jurisdictions.
• Many contracts remain private.
• Third-party intermediaries operate across opaque networks.

Swiss-based CIES calls for standardized disclosure of agent commissions, loan-to-buy fee structures, and image-rights clauses — reforms that could shine a light on the hidden economics of transfers.

Until meaningful regulation and transparency are enforced, the gap between what fans see (transfer fees and player moves) and what clubs actually spend will only widen.

What’s at Stake?

The boom may fuel elite clubs, but its ripple effects threaten broader competitive balance. Clubs with deep pockets or willing investors can absorb hidden costs and structural debt, while smaller clubs risk insolvency when trading becomes speculative. Youth development may also suffer if clubs prefer buying stars over nurturing homegrown talent.

For players, volatility is real. Long-term security gets longer shadows. Contract clauses tied to performance, image rights, or resales may raise pressure, especially if transfers become more about financial engineering than career progression. Similar patterns are visible in sports and casino markets, where high stakes and speculative bets create winners and losers beyond the field.

Without safeguards, the sport risks shifting toward a financial arms race where success depends more on money-market moves than on goals, tactics, or training.

But if regulatory measures take hold, clubs and fans might finally glimpse the full cost of the game. Until then, every transfer is part of an ever-growing shadow economy, pulling soccer deeper into speculative markets and financial uncertainty.

Before the global media, Vietnam’s rapid tech ascent took center stage. CT Group ended 2025 by unveiling ASEAN’s landmark projects two spearhead sectors: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and the Low Altitude Economy (LAE), revealing a future never seen before.

On December 29, 2025, at Hanoi’s Ho Guom Opera House, before over 600 distinguished guests, including leaders from the Ministries of National Defense, Public Security, Science and Technology, and Foreign Affairs; VCCI and the Vietnam Association of the Elderly; officials from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ninh Binh, Tay Ninh, and Ca Mau; alongside top scientists and representatives from VNU Hanoi, VNU HCM, and Can Tho University; and major corporations such as VDB, VNPT, Shrimpl, and Aicello (Taiwan), CT Group officially unveiled two landmark projects: the UAV–ASEAN Super Headquarter Union and the ASEAN’s Largest Low Altitude Economy (LAE) Center.

In a departure from conventional launch events worldwide, CT Group adopted a novel perspective to address the fundamental question: “What is the scientific basis for a Vietnamese corporation to invest in two major global technology projects?” This was not only a candid and challenging question for CT Group but also a strategic solution for other corporations following Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW. Not everyone grasps the philosophy behind this special event. So, how did CT Group respond?

Firstly, mastering all core UAV technologies: CT Group, through its subsidiary CT UAV, has achieved an average localization rate of 87.5% across six core UAV technology groups: Electronics and Semiconductor Technology, AI Technology, Control & Autonomous Technology, Composite Technology, Battery Technology, and Security & Telecommunications Technology. Notably, the two most critical groups, Electronics – Semiconductor Technology and AI & Software have reached 95% autonomy.

Secondly — and going beyond mastering core technologies — to compete, survive, and thrive, a Vietnamese corporation must possess robust creative capabilities to maintain and continuously develop superior new technologies as a single year’s delay in R&D means being eliminated from the race. During the event, CT UAV revealed three revolutionary proprietary technologies that could stun the world:

• "Magic Brush" technology: Characterized by the motto "fly with any propeller" and with super-advanced self-programming capabilities, the UAV can maintain stable flight even with four completely different propellers, whereas conventional UAVs require all four propellers to be identical and precisely calibrated;
• Multi-level safety technology: This allows the UAV to maintain control and perform a safe landing even in the event of a single propeller failure.
• Exclusive autonomous swarm firefighting technology: An innovative solution for automated fire suppression.

These are ultra-advanced technologies that far exceed current market standards. Most notably, the corporation has mastered the most difficult and high-end segment of the industry: passenger-carrying UAVs.

Thirdly, in today’s volatile and uncertain world, CT Group must demonstrate exceptional adaptability to create a significant competitive edge over global industry peers.

Fourthly, CT Group possesses extensive manufacturing and large-scale operational expertise, backed by a chain of five modern UAV production plants currently in operation (located on DT743 Avenue, near VNU-HCM). To continue meeting the surging demand from both domestic and international markets, CT Group has officially resolved to scale up production by investing in the UAV–ASEAN Super Headquarter Union, with an estimated total investment of USD 2 billion over a 10-year period.

The UAV–ASEAN Super Headquarter Union is envisioned as a "Technology City," integrating a chain of UAV component manufacturing plants, research institutes, flight training and testing grounds, universities, and innovation centers. This is bolstered by a comprehensive ecosystem designed to attract top talent, featuring international schools, hospitals, commercial centers, and specialized urban residential areas for experts, engineers, and workers. Most importantly, this will serve as a pilot city for the Low Altitude Economy (LAE), featuring more than 600 high-tech products and services.

Fifthly, the project is underpinned by the strong support of the Party and the State, evidenced by the commitment of Tay Ninh Province to facilitate all favorable conditions for CT Group’s swift deployment. “The UAV–ASEAN Super Headquarter Union is not merely an investment project; it is a strategic high-tech complex. It perfectly aligns with the province's high-tech industrial development roadmap and the central government's policy on advancing strategic technology industries, integrating economic development with national defense and security in this new era,” emphasized Mr. Doan Trung Kien, vice chairman of the Tay Ninh Provincial People’s Committee.

CT Group officially announced an investment of VND 6,000 billion in the ASEAN’s  Largest Low Altitude Economy Center (LAE 1). Strategically located at the Truong Chinh-Cong Hoa intersection, the center is situated adjacent to Terminal T3 (Tan Son Nhat International Airport) and Metro Station No. 2. As the architect behind Vietnam’s Low Altitude Economy Doctrine, CT Group stands as one of the few entities globally to possess the complete suite of LAE and core UAV technologies, successfully bridging the gap from theoretical framework to practical application.

LAE 1 is set to become a strategic engine, empowering Vietnam to attract global talent and export home-grown technology to the international market. Its core is the Global Command Center, which integrates and operates centralized digital infrastructure, including UAS Traffic Management (UTM) and Digital Twin technology, alongside a complex of advanced research laboratories, material science facilities, and pilot plants. This serves as a premier platform for innovation and technology commercialization, supporting 600 applications and services across more than 20 industries and 93 sub-sectors.

Sixthly, regarding quality standards, the Group has established an international quality management system. Experts from Switzerland have assisted CT Group’s entities in streamlining their quality control systems to meet aerospace standards, implementing AS9100D and ISO 9001 across the entire operational chain, from headquarters, manufacturing facilities, and research centers to the production processes.

Seventhly, CT Group currently possesses an extensive customer portfolio with a presence in major domestic and international markets. The Group has deployed and supplied products and services to numerous localities, including Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Tay Ninh, and Ninh Binh, with plans for further expansion across 34 provinces in Vietnam. In 2025, CT Group reached a global milestone with an export order of 5,000 UAVs to South Korea and established strategic cooperation with the Indonesian government to develop the Low Altitude Economy (LAE). Concurrently, CT Group is penetrating markets in the U.S., Singapore, and the Middle East, with expansion targets spanning more than 100 other countries.

As concrete evidence, during the launch ceremony, CT Group signed strategic partnership agreements with over 20 major partners, including leading Vietnamese corporations like VNPT; provincial authorities of Tay Ninh, Ca Mau, and Ninh Binh; academic and research institutions such as the Quantum Technology Institute and the High-Tech and Innovation Park; along with major companies and distributors from Indonesia.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Mr. Tran Kim Chung, chairman of CT Group, stated: “Having proven our capacity to scale production and business through a system of five existing plants, and by mastering all core and advanced technologies alongside CT Group’s unique technology ecosystem and culture, as well as securing commitments from numerous major clients, we have boldly decided to invest in this project. Our partners recognize that we are a serious, steadfast enterprise with the utmost patience to pursue and fulfill long-term commitments.”

CT Group is powerfully demonstrating to the world that Vietnam possesses a solid scientific foundation to ascend to new heights in pioneering technologies such as UAV and LAE.

For years, 3D pipelines have lived with an awkward compromise: geometry defines the shape, and textures are something you slap on afterward. It’s efficient, and it works — until it doesn’t. 

The cracks show up the moment a model needs to be more than a pretty render. When you move into 3D printing, manufacturing, or any high-fidelity output, that classic “build the mesh first, then project details onto it” workflow can turn into a game of whack-a-mole: stretched textures, mismatched seams, missing detail in occluded areas, and hours of manual cleanup before anything is safe to send to a printer. 

Hitem3D says its newly released Hitem3D 2.0 is built to attack that split head-on. The headline feature is integrated texture generation at 1536³ Pro resolution, designed to make textures feel less like a layer painted onto a surface and more like something that’s generated as part of the object itself — tied to the geometry, scale, and material logic from the start.

“We weren’t trying to make models look more ‘flashy,’” a Hitem3D technical lead says. “We’re focused on making the structure, texture, and production logic more coherent — because if generation isn’t solid, printing and mass production turns into rework.”

From “Pasted On” to “Grown In”

A lot of the current wave of AI 3D tools still inherits a familiar problem: the output can look impressive from the front, but it’s fragile once you rotate it, inspect it up close, or try to push it into a real production workflow. In practice, the “AI magic” often ends up creating a new kind of technical debt — you gain speed upfront, then pay it back later with fixes.

Hitem3D’s pitch is that the solution isn’t just “higher resolution textures,” but a different generation logic: a structure-aware integrated texture generation approach that treats texture as something that should be consistent with geometry, not merely aligned to it.

dragon-shaped asset where scales, horns, and whiskers follow the underlying geometry rather than appearing as a flat overlay. Hitem3D claims the detail holds even as an untextured mesh, with volume and layering that remain intact before finishing, making the asset more directly usable for printing workflows.

Why This Matters for Printing (and Not Just Visuals)

The gap between “looks good” and “production-ready” is often found in the overlooked details: the underside of a seated figure, the interior folds of a cloak, or the complex internal cavities of an architectural model. For 3D printing professionals, these are the high-stakes areas where traditional textures often fail, leading to costly print failures.

Hitem3D 2.0 leans heavily on that reality. Instead of relying on the usual multi-view projection approach, the company says it generates texture information during geometry reconstruction — aiming for consistent completion across both visible and occluded regions.

In one architectural example described by a 3D printing studio operator, the model’s interior walls, the inner faces of openwork structures, and balcony railings were filled in with consistent material and texture logic — the kind of stuff that often collapses into blanks until you discover it in print.

“Before, a model could look fine from the front,” the operator notes, “but printing exposed the issues: empty bottoms, missing interior surfaces. Now the completion happens during generation, and we can send it to print with far fewer fixes.”

The Technical Spine: Constraints, Lighting, and Material Truth

Hitem3D says the engine behind 2.0 is trained on a large base of 3D asset data to learn spatial continuity and surface logic in three dimensions — so the system can do reconstruction under structural constraints rather than “guess and paste.” 

Practically, that’s meant to reduce the classic projection failures: stretching, misalignment, distortion, and that uncanny “texture sliding over the mesh” look that instantly gives away AI outputs.

Hitem3D is also targeting a different, quieter killer: lighting.

 If you’ve ever tried to extract clean material information from source imagery, you know the trap — highlights and shadows get baked into what’s supposed to be base color and material response, and suddenly your asset has an inconsistent material response under standard PBR lighting. Hitem3D 2.0 introduces illumination-aware semantic recognition paired with Physically Based Accuracy, meant to delighting (shadow, specular, ambient influence) from the underlying surface properties. The idea is to create a cleaner, more uniform base for downstream PBR workflows — and less of that “looks correct only in the lighting that created it” problem. 

A second demo example — a wooden crate — is presented as a case where material logic matters more than raw sharpness: wood grain orientation and plank seams are intrinsically aligned with the object's geometry. Furthermore, surface wear is intelligently distributed — concentrating on high-contact edges and base surfaces — resulting in a model that reflects authentic usage patterns rather than arbitrary procedural noise.

Portraits, but at “Hair Level”

If there’s one category that reliably breaks 3D generation systems, it’s humans — and hair, in particular, tends to turn into either a clumpy helmet or a mess of intersecting geometry.

Hitem3D 2.0 adds a portrait mode described as “strand-level fidelity,” aiming to reconstruct head shape and facial proportions structurally while preserving fine detail like hair flow direction, brows, and lashes, plus cleaner transitions between skin and hair material regions.

A long-time 3D modeling user described the difference in practical terms: clearer curl layers, less chaos, fewer interpenetration issues, and less manual cleanup time on face and hair details.

Production Features: Segmentation, Retopo, Embossing, and “Printing-Ready”

On the production side, Hitem3D is positioning 2.0 as something closer to an end-to-end system than a one-off generator:

• Semantic 3D model segmentation so the system understands parts, not just surfaces
• Automatic retopology and AI 3D embossing features for manufacturing-oriented workflows
• Export and workflow support aimed at moving assets from generation into toolchains without weeks of repair

And importantly: Hitem3D highlights automated export for multi-material printing-ready (4 materials) assets — with the note that the same concept extends to 8 or 16 materials. That’s a meaningful distinction from “full-color printing” in the casual sense: the point here is that the model is split and structured in a way that can actually map to a multi-material printer pipeline without hours of manual mesh surgery.

Hitem3D also says it supports USDZ, and a workflow that uses geometry and reference images to generate textures — positioning it as a way to “revive” existing models, not just create new ones. A deeply integrated Blender add-on is framed as the practical bridge: less context switching, more “native” insertion into creator workflows.

The Part That Actually Matters: Usability, Not Spectacle

It’s easy for AI 3D announcements to devolve into a familiar loop — bigger numbers, flashier renders, vague claims about “realism.” Hitem3D’s argument is that the next phase of 3D generation isn’t just about speed, but about whether the output can withstand the rigors of industrial workflows — from printing tolerances and structural integrity to material consistency and reduced rework rates.

If Hitem3D 2.0 delivers on this promise — providing integrated generation that holds up structurally and operationally — it represents a pivotal transition. It moves AI-generated assets from the realm of "cool demos" into a reliable, trust-based framework for B2B production. 

The real test, as always, is what happens when users push it beyond the cherry-picked examples: thin features, complex joints, extreme occlusion, and the messy variety of real-world assets. But the direction is clear: 3D generation is trying to grow up from “content acceleration” into a repeatable production capability — and Hitem3D wants to be one of the systems building that bridge.

About Math Magic

Math Magic is the developer of Hitem3D, a 3D generation tool powered by its proprietary high-resolution AI model, Sparc3D. With just a single reference image, users can instantly generate studio-ready 3D assets with industry-leading quality, making 3D creation faster, easier, and more accessible. This breakthrough solution empowers game developers, designers, and 3D artists to streamline their creative workflows and bring ideas to life efficiently from concept to deployment. For more information, visit hitem3d.ai.

Media Contact

Celine Su
contact@email.hitem3d.ai

MBANK, one of Kyrgyzstan's leading digital financial institutions, has been honored with the "Innovative Leader in Digital and Sustainable Banking – Kyrgyzstan, 2025" award from the Global Brand Frontier Awards 2025, conducted by Boston Brand Research & Media, one of the world's most reputed and highly regarded platforms for recognizing corporate excellence and transformative leadership.

"MBANK exemplifies what the future of banking should look like: inclusive, technology-led, and deeply sustainable," said Shivakumar, president and CEO of Boston Brand Research & Media. "Their visionary approach to digital transformation, combined with a strong commitment to sustainability, makes them a true pioneer in Kyrgyzstan's financial landscape."

This achievement reflects MBANK’s strategic vision and its evolution into a comprehensive financial ecosystem that has over 12 million MBANK app downloads. The bank continues to lead the market through innovative solutions, including cryptocurrency integration, children’s banking products, and lifestyle platforms, while strengthening its brand through customer-centric communication and financial literacy initiatives across diverse audience segments.

“The status of a Leader in Digital and Sustainable Banking confirms MBANK’s role as one of the key drivers of digital transformation and sustainable banking in Kyrgyzstan. We see this award as an incentive to continue developing solutions that create long-term value for customers and the country’s economy,” said Marat Toraliev, first deputy CEO and group strategy and development officer.

About MBANK

MBANK’s innovations encompass the digitalization of a broad range of financial services, alongside the development of proprietary acquiring solutions and lifestyle services. By combining advanced financial technologies with everyday digital services, the bank is building a comprehensive ecosystem that goes beyond traditional banking, offering customers seamless, secure, and convenient solutions integrated into a single mobile platform.

MBANK is steadily strengthening its position as one of the leading banks in Kyrgyzstan, demonstrating sustainable growth across key performance indicators.

MBANK’s superapp downloads has exceeded more than 12 million, making it one of the most widely used banks in the country. The bank’s assets have grown multiple times over recent years, reflecting strong scaling dynamics and a high level of customer trust. According to industry data, MBANK consistently ranks among the top banks in Kyrgyzstan in terms of financial performance and operational efficiency.

This growth is driven by active digitalization: the bank continues to expand its remote services, payment solutions, and everyday financial ecosystem, enabling MBANK not only to increase its business performance but also to set new standards for banking services in Kyrgyzstan.

As of today, MBANK operates over 85 branches across all regions of Kyrgyzstan, with more than 500 ATMs and more than 4,000 terminals servicing Visa and Mastercard payment cards. The bank also supports four international money transfer systems, providing access to 160 countries in the world.

Latest Innovations from MBANK

MBANK continues to lead digital banking in Kyrgyzstan by introducing innovative solutions that make financial services more accessible and convenient. Recent developments include MBANK Junior, MInvest, MProfi, MTicket, MPLUS (Buy Now, Pay Later).

MBANK Junior, the first children’s banking service in Kyrgyzstan, is a mobile banking solution for children aged 7 to 16, enabling them to make payments and transfers independently while developing essential financial literacy skills. The service is designed with enhanced security features, allowing parents to monitor and manage their child’s activity through their own MBANK account. 

Through the MInvest cryptocurrency platform, users can buy, store, and transfer cryptocurrency quickly, securely, and within a familiar banking ecosystem. MInvest integrates cryptocurrency functionality directly into the mobile app, allowing users to purchase digital assets from the available selection, store them in a familiar banking interface, transfer funds to friends or external wallets via QR code, and manage their cryptocurrency just as easily as traditional banking products.

MProfi by MBANK is a service for finding verified professionals directly within the bank’s mobile app. The platform brings together plumbers, electricians, hairdressers, tutors, cleaners, and photographers all in one place. All specialists are verified, with ratings, reviews, and confirmed identities. Users can select a category, view detailed profiles, prices, photos of completed work, and reviews, then contact and pay for services directly quickly, conveniently, and securely.

MTicket is a ticketing service within the MBANK app that allows users to purchase electronic tickets for concerts, movies, theaters, festivals, and other events. The platform brings all available events together in one place, enabling users to select, pay for, and store tickets directly in the mobile app — quickly, conveniently, and without the need for printed tickets.

MPLUS (Buy Now, Pay Later) is a credit line within the MBANK app that allows customers to purchase goods from partner merchants in installments with 0% interest and no overpayments. After applying and receiving a credit limit, users can split payments over three months without a down payment. The service offers transparent terms, with no additional fees, a minimum purchase amount starting from 2,000 KGS, and free delivery for installment purchases.

About Boston Brand Research & Media

Boston Brand Research & Media is a leading global consulting and media firm specializing in brand intelligence, strategic recognition, and corporate storytelling across industries including finance, technology, healthcare, and energy. Through its data-driven research, editorial platforms, and high-impact global award programs, the firm highlights organizations demonstrating excellence in leadership, customer experience, innovation, and sustainability. Recognized worldwide as one of the most reputed evaluators of corporate excellence, Boston Brand Research & Media empowers brands to gain global visibility and credibility through its flagship Global Brand Frontier Awards program. To learn more, visit www.bostonbrandmedia.com.

About the Global Brand Frontier Awards

Founded by Boston Brand Research & Media, the Global Brand Frontier Awards honor outstanding companies and leaders who are reshaping industries and setting new standards across global markets. Known for its rigorous selection process, the awards celebrate innovation, leadership, and a bold commitment to excellence. The 2025 awards recognized top-tier organizations, including AXA IM Select, STC Bank, Tawuniya, ADIB Egypt, Access Bank Tanzania, Gulf Insurance Group (GIG), Krungthai-AXA Life Insurance and many more innovators. To learn more or to nominate your organization for the Global Brand Frontier Awards 2025, visit www.bostonbrandmedia.com/register-for-the-2025-frontier-awards.

Media Contact

Boston Brand Research & Media
Awards Team
awards@bostonbrandmedia.com
+1 617-935-8890

Xu Yan Malaysia officially opened at Starhill, Kuala Lumpur’s prime lifestyle destination, marking the debut of a new immersive cultural dining experience that brings Malaysia’s diverse heritage to life through performance, storytelling, and gastronomy.

Designed as a multi-sensory cultural journey, Xu Yan presents an experience where dining, performance, and spatial storytelling are seamlessly integrated. Guests are invited to engage with Malaysian culture not through static displays, but through a live, evolving narrative that unfolds throughout the evening.

A Cultural Narrative Shaped by Diversity

Malaysia’s identity has long been shaped by the coexistence of multiple cultures. Drawing inspiration from this rich background, Xu Yan builds its experience around the idea of cultural coexistence and shared history.

Through music, movement, and storytelling, the performance reflects how different traditions have intersected over time, forming a vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape. Rather than presenting history as a timeline, the show translates it into emotion, rhythm, and atmosphere — allowing guests to experience culture intuitively.

Cuisine as Part of the Storytelling

At Xu Yan, cuisine plays an essential role in the narrative experience.

The culinary journey is designed around cooking techniques, flavor structures, and cultural influences that reflect Malaysia’s diverse food heritage.

Instead of focusing on individual dishes, the dining sequence follows the rhythm of the performance. Cooking methods, seasoning profiles, and presentation styles echo the cultural themes being portrayed on stage, allowing food to become a natural extension of the storytelling rather than a separate element.

This approach transforms dining into an experiential layer — one that complements the visual and emotional flow of the evening.

An Immersive Space Built Around Story and Movement

The spatial design of Xu Yan centers on immersion and fluid movement. Rather than recreating specific architectural styles, the venue is designed as a narrative environment that adapts to the progression of the performance.

Lighting, music, and staging work together to guide the audience through different emotional chapters, creating a sense of continuity and engagement throughout the experience. The space becomes part of the storytelling, allowing culture to be felt rather than explained.

Connecting Culture, Experience, and Global Audiences

Xu Yan was created with the vision of presenting Malaysian culture in a way that resonates with both local and international audiences. By combining performance, dining, and narrative design, the project offers a contemporary platform for cultural expression — one that feels accessible, immersive, and emotionally engaging.

The team behind Xu Yan believes that culture is best shared through experience rather than exhibition. By transforming heritage into a living, participatory journey, the project aims to foster deeper understanding and appreciation of Malaysia’s cultural richness.

The opening of Xu Yan Malaysia marks not just the launch of a new experiential venue, but a new approach to cultural storytelling — one that invites the world to experience Malaysia through rhythm, flavor, and shared moments.

Media Contact

Cher Yee
cheryeechng@hotmail.com
+60 12-394 9118

Marlie AI, a leading AI answering service for small and mid-sized businesses, has processed over 1 million calls while delivering more than 50,000 hours in time savings to its customers. The milestone demonstrates how artificial intelligence is becoming a practical solution for businesses that can't afford to miss customer calls but struggle with the costs and limitations of traditional staffing.

The numbers tell a compelling story. One million calls represents thousands of potential customers who didn't hang up in frustration, didn't get sent to voicemail, and didn't call a competitor instead. The 50,000 hours saved translates to roughly 24 full-time employees working for an entire year — time that business owners have redirected toward actually running their companies instead of being tied to their phones. With an average response time under two seconds and a 98% accuracy rate, Marlie AI has proven that automated answering technology can match or exceed human performance while operating around the clock.

The platform serves diverse industries across the United States, from emergency services like towing companies and locksmiths who need to capture late-night calls, to home service providers like plumbers and HVAC technicians who are often too busy on job sites to answer their phones. Professional services including lawyers and real estate agents use the system to ensure potential clients always reach someone, while restaurants rely on it to handle reservation requests and takeout orders during dinner rushes. Each industry has different needs, but the underlying challenge is the same: missing calls means missing revenue.

Consider a typical plumbing company that receives 40 calls per week outside of business hours. Before implementing an AI answering service, those calls either went to voicemail or to a traditional answering service that cost hundreds of dollars per month and still couldn't book appointments directly into their calendar. Now, their AI receptionist answers instantly, understands which calls are genuine emergencies, schedules non-urgent appointments automatically, and sends detailed summaries to the owner's phone. The result? More jobs booked, happier customers, and the owner actually sleeping through the night.

"We built Marlie AI because we saw small business owners being held hostage by their phones," said Alex Dimcevski, founder of Marlie AI. "Reaching 1 million calls isn't just a number for us, it represents 1 million moments where a business owner didn't have to choose between serving a customer and living their life. These are real people running towing companies at 2 AM, managing restaurants during rushes, or trying to grow a law practice without hiring expensive staff. The fact that AI can now handle these conversations naturally and accurately is genuinely transforming how small businesses operate."

What sets Marlie AI apart from both traditional answering services and other AI solutions is its combination of simplicity and sophistication. Business owners can set up their AI receptionist in about 15 minutes by connecting their website and letting the system learn their services, pricing, and policies. The platform then handles everything from answering basic questions to booking appointments, collecting payments, and routing urgent calls to the right person. It works in multiple languages, integrates with the tools businesses already use, and costs a fraction of what they'd pay for human staff or conventional answering services.

The broader trend is clear: American small businesses are embracing AI not as a futuristic experiment but as a practical necessity. With labor costs rising and customer expectations for immediate response growing, the traditional model of hiring receptionists or paying for answering services that charge per minute is becoming unsustainable. AI answering services offer an alternative that provides better coverage at up to 90% lower cost than traditional solutions. For businesses operating in competitive markets where speed matters, like emergency services, home repairs, or professional consulting—the ability to answer every call in under two seconds can be the difference between winning and losing a customer.

As more businesses discover they don't need to choose between quality customer service and profitability, AI-powered phone systems are moving from "nice to have" to essential infrastructure. The 1 million call milestone suggests this shift is already well underway.

About Marlie AI

Marlie AI is an AI answering service designed to help businesses handle incoming calls automatically. With Marlie, you get a virtual receptionist that can answer calls, handle common questions, book appointments, capture key information, and route qualified leads to the right person. Based in New York City, Marlie AI serves small and medium-sized businesses across the United States. Our realistic AI receptionist is built to listen, understand, and act on caller needs, ensuring calls are managed efficiently while preserving the human touch when it matters most. For more information, visit www.marlie.ai.

Media Contact

Alex Dimcevski
Founder & CEO, Marlie AI
alex@marlie.ai