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Mike Bako’s Father’s Day Gifts That Will Become Year-Round Favorites

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/nP0A1xC4D6k After the year that we have all collectively had, parents around the globe deserve a round of applause. Endless Zoom meetings? Check. Kids screaming during endless Zoom meetings. Check. So, this year, skip out on generic, run-of-the-mills presents and give the dad figure in your life a gift that keeps on giving Thinking about what to get dad for Father’s Day? Wondering what to get for the guy who has everything? Looking to avoid cliched gifts like ties and coffee mugs? You’re not alone. With Father’s Day around the corner, many of us are scrambling to figure out the perfect gift for dad, without resorting to old standbys. This year, it’s time to get creative, and find something Dad will actually use and enjoy. Be Smart with Your Spending: If industry predictions are correct there will be record spending, so expect a banner year for all the dads out there. In its annual survey, the National Retail Federation said US consumers are expected to spend more than $20 billion dollars on gifts and other items for Father's Day this year, that is a record high. With that said, spending wisely is definitely something dad would want you to do. So, if you are getting dad a gift, make sure it is something he will love and use financial sense by splitting up your payments with Afterpay. Afterpay partners with thousands of brands and retailers to offer interest-free installment payments to shoppers. With Afterpay, you can get the perfect gift for dad right away but pay for it over time by breaking up the cost into four equal installments, due every two weeks. Shoppers can refer to Afterpay's Shop Directory at Afterpay.com or through its app to browse all of their brand partners across both e-commerce and in-store. Afterpay is available in-store with brands like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Finish Line, JD Sports, Carhartt, Chubbies ….so many more. Great options for Father’s Day gifts. www.Afterpay.com @afterpayusa GROOMING: Dad’s might not admit it but taking care of their skin and smelling good is something they care about and as we head into the steamy summer months its even more important to have products that will work and keep us fresh. Old Spice has two products that can help upgrade any dad’s skincare routine. Old Spice’s Daily Hydration Hand & Body Lotion features a lightweight formula infused with shea butter to deeply condition dry, irritating skin. This lotion provides all-day hydration. Put it on in the morning after a shower to start the day and you are all set. If you are looking for a great gift to supplement something larger or if buying on a budget there’s Old Spice’s Clinical Sweat Defense Anti-perspirant/Deodorant. It was recently selected as an “Expert Pick” in the 2021 Men’s Health Grooming Awards and features 5 in 1 protection power, with 73 hours of proven sweat protection, making it the best defense against sweat and odor for the dad in your life Even during these hot summer days, it provides even the most active guys with superior wetness protection. You can impress dad and show that you’ve done your research because this is tested and backed by dermatologists with skin moisturizers and formulated to be gentle on skin. Daily Hydration Hand & Body Lotion - LINKED HERE Clinical Sweat Defense – LINKED HERE Instagram: @oldspice Twitter: @oldspice https://www.facebook.com/OldSpice/ About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 18, 2021 12:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cyvatar Raises an Additional $9 Million in Series A Round

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced that it has raised $9 million as part of its Series A financing to help scale and serve its rapidly growing customer base and continue to drive the adoption of its innovative cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) model. Escalating cybersecurity breaches and the need to address vulnerabilities across systems, networks, and apps fuel the security services market, expected to reach $193 billion by 2028. Additionally, the growth in hybrid and remote workers coupled with unsecured and unpatched BYOD devices further underscores the need for on-demand cybersecurity resources that include human talent, proven processes, and best-of-breed technology delivered from a single intuitive platform. Cyvatar has grown more than 200% since its debut in October. ATX Venture Partners led the round with additional participation from existing customer CORTEC and longtime Cyvatar investor Bill Wood Ventures. Cyvatar closed a $3 million seed round late last year, bringing the total amount raised over the last eight months to $12 million. “We’ve seen fundraising explode in the security space, in part as a result of the raft of ransomware, email compromise, and phishing attacks that have made people more aware of the problem and increased the need to fix it quickly and effectively,” said Chris Shonk, partner at ATX Venture Partners. “Cyvatar is an exciting addition to our dynamic portfolio and a natural fit alongside our other rapidly growing organizations. No other company we evaluated solves the problems of cybersecurity like Cyvatar. With Cyvatar CSaaS, security becomes as effortless as turning on the lights. There’s no better value for customers.” Cyvatar CSaaS offers security in a box for organizations of any size and any level of cybersecurity expertise--already more than 150 platform members have started the security journey with Cyvatar. Its mature sales and marketing engine makes it easy for new members to join and offers ongoing education and support for existing customers to continuously remediate evolving threats, safeguard critical systems, and boost compliance scores. "I can tell you that after implementing just three Cyvatar solutions, our security confidence is a lot stronger than it was before and our company as a whole is far more secure,” said Brent Fanguy, vice president of technology at CORTEC. “We applaud Cyvatar for pricing by employee count because it’s so easy to calculate and fit into our budget -- no counting servers or workstations, which is a nightmare. Cyvatar has delivered consistent value from our security spend, and we look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with them.” Whether customers need to speed their sales cycles, remediate after a breach, prevent future incursions, or respond to a third-party risk assessment, Cyvatar helps them achieve superior business outcomes every day. Click HERE to get started free and learn more about how Cyvatar is making cybersecurity effortless for every business. About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to effortless cybersecurity for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is a global organization with operations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at cyvatar.ai and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. About ATX Venture Partners ATX Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in the South-Central US. The firm’s seed and Series A investments focus on software-as-a-service, IoT, e-commerce, AI, frontier commercial technologies and mobile applications. ATX Venture Partners brings institutional-grade funding, process and rigor to early-stage venture capital investments, and is the partner to propel portfolio companies forward to larger growth capital. The firm was founded in 2014 and is based in Austin, Texas. Visit www.atxventurepartners.com, and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai ATX Ventures Meg Brigman +15127666462 meg@atxventurepartners.com Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

June 17, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Minuteman Press Printing Franchise in Bethesda, MD Celebrates Grand Reopening

Minuteman Press International Inc

Located at 8210 Wisconsin Avenue, Minuteman Press in Bethesda held its grand reopening event on May 15 th in conjunction with the Rockville Chamber of Commerce. Owner Leslie Klein was excited to celebrate the renovations of her center as well as the return of local community events to Bethesda. She says, “We redid our lobby, added a new envelope printer, and rearranged our layout to optimize our production and best serve our clients. It feels fantastic to celebrate our grand reopening!” As she reflects on her grand reopening as well as the past year, Leslie says, “The pandemic took its toll on everyone and we are just thrilled to be able to move forward. Last year, we remained open as an essential business and continued to support and serve our community in any way we could. For example, I reached out to all of the local school districts and we ended up printing and distributing 3,000 graduation yard signs, which was really gratifying.” Today, Leslie is happy to get back to business. “As soon as networking events opened back up, I jumped on board and attended all sorts of networking and speed networking sessions. This past week alone, I received two jobs for orders from people who referred me from those events. It feels great to get back out there and let people know what Minuteman Press in Bethesda is all about.” Some of the popular high-demand items that Leslie’s team provides to clients right now include bulk mailings, banners and signs (large format printing), promotional products, and custom printing for events and trade shows. Leslie says, “Community events are coming back and this summer is already heating up for us. We have already been selected to be the print supplier for two golf tournaments. For one of the upcoming golf outings, we are producing 60 double-sided yard signs, retractable banners, table tents, and promotional magnets.” Leslie adds, “As for bulk mailings, I’ve done my research on direct mail and I’ve really made it a point of focus at networking events. I talk about direct mail in Chamber groups, my BNI group, and to my customers. We are able to help them market themselves and our ability to design, print, and do the mailings for them makes it easy for our clients.” “Our clients will give us an idea of what they want and as marketing and printing professionals we’re able to help them figure out what they really need. We are a small business with a team that works really well together. What I’ve learned is that print is here to stay and we can assist our clients with customized products and services that make sense for their needs and their bottom lines.” -Leslie Klein, owner, Minuteman Press franchise, Bethesda, Maryland From Nursing to Printing Prior to buying Minuteman Press in Bethesda in November 2019, Leslie Klein worked 25 years as a nurse and also spent time raising her three children. She says, “I loved being a nurse but I always wanted to do something entrepreneurial for myself. My husband and I decided to go to the local franchise show in April 2019 because it was fun to see what opportunities were out there. I always thought I might end up with a business related to gardening since it’s a hobby of mine, and I also looked at other options such as an eyelash/cosmetics franchise. I met Minuteman Press Regional Vice President Bob Heimbuch at the show and learned about printing. We did our research, the price was right, and by the middle of May we put down a deposit for Minuteman Press in Bethesda.” “Minuteman Press provided me with a turnkey business where I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. I love everything about the ongoing local support Minuteman Press provides as well as the business model where I have nights, weekends, and holidays off. I enjoyed being a nurse but the hours were hard and I left the field to raise my kids. I love what I am doing now and I feel my quality of life and work-life balance are far superior than when I was working in hospitals.” -Leslie Klein When asked about the rewards of owning her own business, Leslie answers, “My staff is absolutely amazing and we work well together to best serve our customers.” She concludes, “Being able to fulfill custom orders and keeping my clients happy is such a great feeling. Being able to learn and grow with them is my ultimate reward.” Minuteman Press in Bethesda has been awarded the 2021 Best of Bethesda Award in the Commercial Printers, Designers & Marketers category. The award from the Bethesda Award Program recognizes Leslie and her team for working to “enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community.” For more information on Minuteman Press in Bethesda, call (301) 656-1188 or visit https://www.mmpbethesda.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

June 15, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Velocity Global commits $1M to First Descents to expand adventure programs for young adults coping with multiple sclerosis

Velocity Global

First Descents (FD) has announced a transformative $1 million contribution from Velocity Global to support the expansion of adventure programs for young adults living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Funds will support program development and help reach more than 1,000 MS participants over the next 5 years. “First Descents serves people first to fill a gap in psychosocial supportive care for young adults living with MS. Velocity Global is honored to support the expansion of these programs through this donation and volunteer efforts from our global team,” said Ben Wright, founder and CEO of Velocity Global. “I have witnessed the healing impact of First Descents programs firsthand, and am proud our company is in a position to advance this important work.” Velocity Global and First Descents share a special partnership that transcends financial support. The two Colorado-based companies began as office neighbors at INDUSTRY Denver in 2014. Over the years, Velocity Global employees have volunteered on First Descents programs and fundraised while competing in the Ragnar Snowmass Relay and the TransRockies Run. In 2018, Velocity Global contributed $150,000 to pilot MS programming which began with a whitewater kayaking experience in Tarkio, Montana. “Velocity Global’s support will help us to serve more than 1,000 young adults living with MS in the coming years while investing in vital partnerships with patient advocacy groups and neurology clinics nationwide,” observes Ryan O’Donoghue, CEO, First Descents. “We want MS patients to learn about First Descents closer to the time of diagnosis and know that we are here for them. Velocity Global’s leadership support will make this vision a reality.” The National MS Society indicates there are approximately 1 million people living with multiple sclerosis in the United States with approximately 10,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Typically, MS is diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with a median age of diagnosis at 34. Young adults living with MS can experience significant physical, neurological and psychosocial changes that often disrupt important developmental milestones. In addition to the complexities of clinical treatments and lifestyle implications, the relapsing and progressive nature of MS can be daunting, and can result in significant psychosocial distress. According to the National MS Society, clinical depression ranks among the most common comorbidities associated with MS. These realities have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic where prolonged social isolation and apprehension for the future have taken a significant toll. First Descents is working with several renowned patient advocacy groups, including the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) to reach more people coping with MS. “There is an important need to support young adult MS patients with age appropriate programming that can improve their outlook and quality of life,” observes Gina Ross Murdoch, CEO, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. “Staying fit and active - especially with peers living with MS - can greatly benefit patients’ mental and physical health. We are excited to work with First Descents and Velocity Global on the launch of these programs.” First Descents’ all-inclusive programs are free of charge to participants. All programs ensure ADA lodging compliance, a tailored Wahls protocol nutrition program, and fully-accessible outdoor activities. Further, programs are designed with careful consideration to mitigate heat sensitivity, balance issues, and fatigue. Ultimately, First Descents creates an environment where young adults with MS can reclaim their physical agency, explore new activities, and nurture lifelong supportive peer relationships. ### ABOUT VELOCITY GLOBAL Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its platform enables businesses to employ remote teams and expand internationally through global expertise, best-in-breed technology, and scale. More than 700 brands rely on its Employer of Record model and infrastructure, also called an International PEO (Professional Employer Organization), in 185 countries and all 50 United States to compliantly employ thousands of supported employees, access global talent, and grow revenue. Named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall, Velocity Global is a strategic partner to its clients through additional comprehensive services including Immigration, Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors globally. Founded in 2014, the company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with regional headquarters in Amsterdam, Bogotá, and Singapore, with local employees in 16 countries. ABOUT FIRST DESCENTS First Descents (FD) is a leader in adventure-based healing. Through outdoor adventure, community building, and lifestyle development, FD improves long-term survivorship and quality of life for young adults impacted by cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other serious health conditions. Headquartered in Denver, First Descents has served more than 10,000 participants over the last 20 years. Beginning in 2020, First Descents launched programs for healthcare workers on the frontlines of COVID-19. All services are fully-adaptive and free of charge. A Guidestar Platinum-ranked nonprofit, First Descents has been recognized on CNN Heroes and Outside Magazine's Best Places to Work. RESOURCES: First Descents MS Program Page Contact Details Velocity Global John Hall +1 720-650-4348 johnhall@velocityglobal.com First Descents Ray Shedd +12034999633 ray.shedd@firstdescents.org Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

June 15, 2021 07:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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New DynAdmic innovation deeply fuses Connected TV with connected audiences for first time

DynAdmic

The proportion of households severing their connections to traditional cable is forecast to increase by 44% in the next three years. Consumer adoption has been fast, and the amount of time people are spending on connected devices increases daily. Whilst many marketers know there is a power in the incremental reach created by increasing ad exposure during influential times of the day on CTV, the contextual abilities to target people accurately has been escaping them. Until now. The team, at global media leader, DynAdmic have launched a new contextualization technology that is dedicated to dramatically transforming audience analysis and insight for advertisers and solving this problem. DynAdmic’s revolutionary approach semantically analyses and categorizes CTV inventory for the first time ever. This process allows them to enrich the context of the content with information based on the application itself (themes, audiences, publishers) as well with the specific program or series being viewed at the time. This powerful innovative approach is executed by leveraging a specialist semantic categorization method based on Named Entities Recognition (NER). With the NER process DynAdmic are currently rolling out they are analyzing approximately 100 million unique ad placements per day of which one third are from CTV. This analysis has allowed their team to refine the semantic categorization of the entire CTV inventory by more than 50%. “At DynAdmic we have seen how CTV has improved the customer experience. We want to ensure we are doing the same for the marketers and their ad spend” says founder and CTO, Bruno Champion “ Our experience shows that if we can connect our clients’ brands with the consumer accurately, and with relevance, on the CTV channels they earn more of each viewers time and in return increase their ROI.” The new intelligent systems from DynAdmic leverage the power of semantic algorithms and analytics to disrupt the existing approach and whilst most advertisers still find online video inventory vague, this new arrival in the market is revolutionizing targeting precision based on linguistic programming. “Our technology is the first to market and is addressing a market-wide problem by bringing contextualization technology to CTV for the first time. We are offering our clients specific KPI measurability and targeting, and a far better user experience for their consumers given the context is accurate and relevant to their personal viewing behaviour. This is a groundbreaking shift, and we couldn’t be more excited to roll it out” closed Champion. Find out more at http://www.DynAdmic.com or contact: lara@DynAdmic.com About DynAdmic DynAdmic curates digital video advertising inventory from the world’s leading websites by utilizing smart semantic targeting and activating brand safety and fraud security, while focusing on campaign performance metrics. They connect world-class advertisers with qualified audiences across Youtube, apps and the largest publishers reaching more than 450MM viewers globally and targeting viewers in real-time based on what they are about to watch by using their proprietary AI audio recognition technology. Their exclusive demand platform scans 20,000 pages per minute and scores every page according to brand safety, contextual relevance and qualified audience parameters. By leveraging a superior and owned code, the DynAdmic team can identify and target viewers’ real-time interest and prospective consumers from their audience catalogue in 60 languages across the world with a fraud rate of less than 1% according to Moat. DynAdmic is the only certified Google partner that connects the online with offline world with TV Sync, and has a 96% context relevance score as well as third-party verification from IAS. DynAdmic partners with the leading brands, agencies and publishers and is comprised of 130 people in 7 countries. www.us.dynadmic.com Contact Details DynAdmic Corp. Lara Krumholz +55 11 94135-2008 lara@dynadmic.com Dynadmic Corp. Lara Krumholz +13477467971 Company Website http://us.dynadmic.com/

June 15, 2021 08:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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New Research from HPL Digital Sport Finds Divide Between Sports Betting Executives and Bettors on How to Acquire and Retain Users

HPL Digital Sport

Today, HPL Digital Sport (HPLDS), a specialty group within Hot Paper Lantern, that helps sports betting, fantasy sports and sports technology companies create greater brand relevance, released its new study “ 2021 State of the Sports Betting Industry - Executive Perceptions vs. User Realities. ” Two separate surveys were conducted to create the study: the first, developed in partnership with SBC Americas, is a first-of-its-kind report measuring the perceptions and attitudes of nearly 200 sports betting executives; a second survey, facilitated by YouGov, on behalf of HPLDS, questioned more than 800 American sports bettors, asking their opinions on how to best engage with them and retain their business, future betting capabilities needs and their betting habits and preferences. The data found that sports betting executives and sports bettors were not aligned on what is most important in acquiring and retaining users. Executives resoundingly said that having a superior product (55%) was the key to gaining users more than other elements like having strong customer service (13%), content (12%) or brand (11%). Bettors countered that sentiment, indicating that brand reputation and trust (47%) among betting sites/platforms was the most important factor in engaging them and retaining their attention. “The sports betting market in the US is extremely competitive. Our data found that the average sports bettor limits their use to only two to three sports betting platforms. So, it’s clearly important for these platforms to better be in tune with their audiences to create greater appeal to both acquire and retain their business,” said Ed Moed, CEO of HPLDS. “Having a compelling, user-friendly product will always be important to build a larger share of this growing sports betting audience. But, it feels like this could be happening at the expense of investing in their brands. The data doesn’t lie. This is a real problem with any strategy that doesn’t include figuring out ways to create greater brand relevance within this hotly competitive space.” Apart from the divide on the topic of product vs. brand, the study uncovered compelling insights on the future capabilities in sports betting, how different demographics view the importance of certain sports betting elements, how women bettors as an audience are growing and are being overlooked and the constant presence of the illegal sports betting markets. Future capabilities of sports betting Three-fourths (75%) of executives stated that they are planning to launch new products, innovations, technology or gameplay in 2021. Technology providers, content producers and data providers are all signaling a major push towards in-play betting and in-stadium/arena lounges. Bettors indicated that while they are excited about elevated betting experiences like in-play betting, when asked about future sports betting capabilities, having more social betting experiences rose to the forefront. Social betting (31%) and retail betting (31%) outpaced more popular media talking points like in-play betting (26%), loyalty programs (25%) and in-stadium/arena betting (24%). Creating differentiation by targeting specific demographic preferences When asking bettors about their overall experience and ranking the importance of certain sports betting elements leading them to frequently using a betting site or app, users provided a roadmap for how companies should think about targeting them. General Public Retention Roadmap Brand reputation/trust - 47% High level product/experience - 45% Ease of financial transactions - 43% Better odds and promotions - 38% Expert content - 35% Referred by friends or family - 34% Social media content that drives me to engage with the brand - 33% I like their advertisements/celebrity endorsements - 30% Breaking down that road map by age and gender it becomes clear that not all bettors find the same elements important. Gen Z, for instance, doesn’t view brand as important as other groups. While every other demographic listed brand reputation/trust (Millennials - 46%; Gen X - 53%; Boomers - 56%) as its most important retention factor. Conversely, Gen Z views referrals by family or friends (42%) as more important than brand (39%). The social experience of sports betting for Gen Z and Millennials is heightened even more when looking at how they view social media content compared to the Gen X and Boomer markets. Both Gen Z and Millennials (38%) noted social media that drives them to engage with the brand as a leading retention factor. Gen X (22%) and Boomers (14%) however don’t see the value in social media and listed it at the bottom of their priorities. Boomers and Gen X audiences follow traditional thinking surrounding sports betting, which is more functional and practical than the social experience prioritized by Gen Z and Millennials. Both Boomers (50%) and Gen X (47%) feel that odds and promotions are an important part of their experience, while odds seem to be deprioritized by Millennials (38%) and Gen Z (28%). “The potential for in-play betting in the American market is incredible,” said Moed. “While bettors are excited about in-play betting, the data shows that bettors are looking for an immersive social betting experience including retail betting and betting with friends and family. The importance of social interaction, content and sharing capabilities and social betting, should not be downplayed or overlooked.” Women bettors - An underserved market While most sports betting messaging is general or leaning male, women bettors are gaining ground as a significant segment of the market. The study found that one-in-three (33%) bettors are women. That is an increase of 5-points from HPLDS’ State of the New Sports Bettor study released in May 2020. When it comes to the most active bettors, ones that make daily bets, women (17%) are evenly split with men (18%). The data also shows that women bettors show many similarities with male bettors compared to the importance of brand, product, and ease of financial transactions. But women deviate their priorities from men when it comes to the importance of social components in sports betting. Women bettors prioritize friends and family referrals (41% women vs. 31% men) and the use of engaging social media content (38% women vs. 30% men) to keep them interested in frequenting a particular betting site or app. “The industry can’t continue to afford overlooking the growing number of women bettors in the market,” said Moed. “The audience is clearly telling us that they need to be able to trust the platforms they use. And, that trust often comes from referrals and those who are credible through social media. I don’t know if the typical promo advertising that is prevalent will work with this pickier audience. Instead, they will believe brands that are deemed as credible and recommended by many who matter.” The Continued Prominence of the Black and Gray Market Bettors stated that betting through illegal markets is still a prominent channel in 2021. More than a third of bettors are using illegal channels to place a bet (20% of bettors use offshore sportsbooks and 17% use a bookie). “We have a long way to go when more than one-third of our sample is using illegal or off-shore resources to bet,” said Moed. “I think some of this is quite normal and as the industry continues to build momentum and experience enormous growth, bettors will quite naturally turn to platforms that are legal here in the U.S. But, even if this percentage is cut in half, it means that there is still a large part of the betting population who needs to be communicated to, educated and turned towards this marketplace.” For more information on HPLDS and to view the report please visit, hpldigitalsport.com. About HPL Digital Sport Hot Paper Lantern Digital Sport is a specialty group within Hot Paper Lantern (HPL) that works with sports betting, fantasy and sports technology brands to build greater brand relevance and acquire new audiences. The group’s unique value proposition is how it leverages years of deep expertise in this category with the way it integrates specific services such as: strategic branding, customer research/analytics, performance marketing, public relations and social media strategy, experiential and high level creative design to generate results. Contact Details Hot Paper Lantern Michael Adorno +1 212-931-6143 madorno@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.hpldigitalsport.com/

June 14, 2021 10:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Pollen VC launches first live lending facility for app and game makers

Pollen VC

Fintech lender Pollen VC, a leading provider of credit facilities to app and game developers, has today expanded the amount developers can borrow to up to 4x their monthly revenues. Pollen VC’s data driven credit models now have a more granular view of how revenue is generated over time, enabling them to expand credit lines based on live performance metrics. Access to additional capital via a transparent revolving credit facility enables developers to supercharge their growth without relying on venture capital or revenue based loans. In contrast to the increasingly ubiquitous revenue-based lending (RBL) approach, Pollen VC provides a flexible line of credit that is based on a live picture of a developers accounts receivable (AR), plus an estimate of the residual value remaining in live user cohorts. The company had previously provided pure AR financing, but with the addition of the ability to borrow against the value of existing users combined into one simple facility, it’s now possible to borrow more via this model than through RBL, and with a much more transparent structure. App and game developers rely on finance to help them market and promote their products whilst they wait to be paid from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. With more than $120Bn being spent on apps and games globally, these businesses face cashflow squeezes on a regular basis. Martin Macmillan, CEO & Founder at Pollen VC commented: “Developer revenue isn’t just realised at the point of download, monetization occurs over their consumer’s lifetime usage of the app or game. Our ability to base our lending decisions not just on AR, but also now in a developer's existing user base is unique and will be a game changer for the industry. The amount of available credit is recalculated on a daily basis so as marketing performance improves, so the amount available to borrow will grow.” “The revenue-based lending model works well for industries such as SaaS where stable, predictable revenue streams exist. But, in mobile gaming, users can churn much faster, making the model less applicable for the app and gaming sector generally, and opening up both developers and lenders to additional risk if loans can’t be repaid. Our “AR plus residual cohort” model is our take on the revenue-based lending model, but built from the ground up for our vertical” added Martin Macmillan. At the core of Pollen VC’s vision is improving the financial literacy of developers. All too often developers rely just on equity financing to fuel their growth and don’t consider forms of alternative financing, sometimes needlessly diluting their equity instead of considering more capital efficient funding. Pollen VC has launched a range of resources for the app and game developer community to help them better understand their cash flow, financials and user acquisition metrics. The company’s CFO resources page includes a range of free to access calculators, content and templates to help the gaming and app development ecosystem improve their overall level of financial awareness and make more informed financing decisions. Looking ahead, Martin Macmillan added: “We have worked with hundreds of app and gaming developers since 2014 and the industry has changed radically since the early days. Our new lending approach provides a breath of fresh air to the industry which will enable gaming and app founders to really understand their numbers and enable faster growth and the ability to scale in a capital efficient way. We will provide developers with greater access to capital and financial knowledge to really transform the industry”. Pollen VC provides revolving credit lines to game and app developers to help them scale faster. Their finance works alongside venture capital funding as a non-dilutive complimentary funding source. Application criteria: the business must have one or more live apps on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, $20,000 - $5,000,000 in monthly revenue and 3 months or more of transaction history in its business bank account. Notes to the editor Customer example - London based mobile game studio grows revenues 35% month-on-month working with Pollen VC Comment piece - The Paradox of Revenue Based Lending Comment piece - What Supercell's $180M credit facility to Metacore signals to the wider mobile gaming ecosystem About Pollen VC Pollen VC provides flexible credit facilities to app and game developers using a data-driven lending model which is designed from the ground up for the app economy. Based in San Francisco and London, we help developers all over the world to take control of their finances and grow their business in a capital efficient way. Our team includes structured credit, capital markets and performance marketing specialists with in-depth knowledge of the mobile app and gaming market and the growth challenges faced. Pollen VC is backed by a group of leading private and institutional fintech investors, and has diverse sources of liquidity spanning private and institutional capital providers in Europe and North America. Contact Details Pollen VC Bilal Mahmoood +44 7714 007257 bilal@pollen.vc Company Website https://pollen.vc

June 10, 2021 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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SCIENTISTS WORLDWIDE PLEDGE THEIR TRUST IN SCIENCE IN CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF LIGHT

International Day of Light Steering Committee

The UNESCO International Day of Light on May 16 th celebrated the worldwide campaign promoting the importance of science and the scientific process for society and sustainable development. The Trust Science pledge saw supporters of science worldwide join together to affirm their appreciation for science. Notable signatories include Nobel and Breakthrough laureates, UNESCO prizewinners, CEOs, representatives from scientific societies and academies, individual scientists and students from nearly 100 countries. “After a year in which we have seen science lead the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, we thought it was essential to highlight the importance of trusting its methods in guiding decisions,” said Steering Committee Chair John Dudley. “The pledge focuses particularly on science’s role in improving quality of life, a sentiment that clearly resonates around the world.” The International Day of Light recognizes the value of light science and technology and its role in providing clean energy, clean water, high-speed connectivity and medical treatments. The day was celebrated with events and hands-on activities in more than 55 countries. The International Day of Light also highlighted the achievements of a number of Champions of Science, individuals from all fields whose work is changing the world. “As a scientist, seeing this kind of support for the scientific process is inspiring,” said Neysha Lobo-Ploch, FBH Berlin, UVphotonics NT GmbH, Germany and LightDay 2021 champion. “I’m honored to have my work acknowledged in this way.” After its initial launch with the International Day of Light, the #TrustScience campaign will continue throughout 2021, and scientists worldwide will be organising targeted actions throughout the year. Dudley explains, “A central aim of this initiative has been to remind members of the scientific community that we share a responsibility to ensure that the public has confidence in science and its outcomes. It is up to us to explain how science works and why it can be trusted.” The Trust Science campaign is organized by the IEEE Photonics Society, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and The Optical Society (OSA), together with the International Day of Light Steering Committee. To sign the pledge and to learn more, please go to https://www.trust-science.org Contacts For questions about how you can engage with the campaign, please contact: info@trust-science.org For media inquiries, please contact: pr@trust-science.org Social media: please share using #TrustScience and #LightDay2021 Social media links: Facebook; Instagram; Twitter About the International Day of Light The International Day of Light (LightDay)is a worldwide initiative that provides an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications and energy. The International Day of Light is administered from the International Basic Science Programme (IBSP) of UNESCO by a Steering Committee that includes representatives from a broad range of international partners: the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Physical Society (APS), Bosca, the China International Optoelectronic Exhibition (CIOE), Chinese Optical Society (COS), the European Centres for Outreach in Photonics (ECOP), the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), the European Physical Society (EPS), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the IEEE Photonics Society (IPS), the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), lightsources.org - the international network of accelerator based light sources, Light: Science and Applications, The Optical Society (OSA), Tampere University, SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, SESAME, Signify, Tampere University, Thorlabs, Transitions, the Université de Franche-Comté and Velux. For information about the International Day of Light, please visit www.lightday.org Contacts for IDL: John Dudley and Joseph Niemela Bethany Downer 2021 Steering Committee Chairs 2021 Communications Coordinator Email: contact@lightday.org Email: contact@lightday.org Media Contact for Trust Science: pr@trust-science.org About IEEE Photonics Society The IEEE Photonics Society is the professional home for a global network of scientists, engineers and allied professionals who advance laser, optoelectronics, and photonics technology. As a technical society representing the IEEE, it is a vital part of the world’s largest technical professional organization of more than 400,000 members dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, educational activities, and humanitarian initiatives, the IEEE Photonics Society provides its members in more than 160 countries the opportunity to grow professionally and stay on the forefront of transformational breakthroughs in photonics. PhotonicsSociety.org About SPIE SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, the not-for-profit society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth. SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. In 2020, SPIE provided more than $5 million in support of education and outreach programs. www.spie.org About The Optical Society Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders in light science and technology. The society serves over 432,000 customers and 22,000 members from more than 100 countries who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the field. OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts through world-renowned publications. For more information, visit osa.org. Contact Details pr@trust-science.org +1 703-907-0010 pr@trust-science.org Company Website https://www.trust-science.org

June 08, 2021 09:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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June is National Candy Month – Unwrap the Sweetness This Summer

YourUpdateTV

Whether you’re heading to the beach, the pool, out for a hike, or just to your backyard – chocolate and candy can add some sweetness to your summer. Recently, Lauren Boland and Carly Schildhaus, spokespeople for the National Confectioners Association, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the top summer candy types and provide fun ways to celebrate National Candy Month. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/zmhC2qP6y7M A recent survey from the National Confectioners Association revealed that: 94% of Americans who say they’ll go camping this summer will bring chocolate and candy along. 93% of Americans who say they’ll go on a road trip this summer will bring chocolate and candy along. 89% of Americans who say they’ll go to the beach this summer will bring chocolate and candy along. 81% of consumers agree that it is completely fine to treat yourself with chocolate or candy occasionally and 77% of consumers feel physical health and emotional well-being are connected. Top 3 Most Popular Summer Candies 1. Chocolate 2. Gummies 3. Hard Candy Top 3 Most Popular Summer Candy Flavors 1. Strawberry 2. Watermelon 3. Cherry For more information, visit NationalCandyMonth.com About the National Confectioners Association (NCA): The National Confectioners Association is the trade organization that advances, protects and promotes the unique role of chocolate, candy, gum and mints in a happy, balanced lifestyle and the companies that make these special treats. Through advocacy and regulatory guidance, communications, industry insights and retail and supply chain engagement, NCA helps foster an environment that enables candy makers to thrive. Confections are produced in all 50 states, creating jobs for approximately 54,000 workers in more than 1,300 manufacturing facilities across the country. Learn more at AlwaysATreat.com or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 07, 2021 05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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