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Hong Kong Daily Mood Index Stands at 54.5; Over 80% of Respondents Report a Positive Impact of Fragrance on Mood

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 November 2026 – Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited (the “Group”; Stock Code: 6883.HK) today released “Scent, Emotion and Lifestyle: 2026 Hong Kong Daily Mood Index and Fragrance Trends White Paper” (the “White Paper”) at the 29th edition of Cosmoprof Asia. An online survey conducted by Eternal Beauty Holdings in September recorded a Hong Kong Daily Mood Index of 54.5, with respondents scoring relatively higher on positive mood and lower on energy and rest. Over 80% of respondents reported that fragrance had a positive impact on their everyday mood. Alongside the launch, the Group presented its “Scent of Happiness” campaign, exploring the connections between fragrance, self-care and emotional well-being through the Scent & Mood Relax Hub and a panel discussion. Through initiatives delivered in partnership with its collaborators, the Group also supports emotional well-being and extends its commitment to care into the community.

The panel featured speakers from diverse fields, including Ms. Laurinda Ho, Founder of Smile With Us HK; Mr. William Lam, Clinical Advisor to the Mind HK Tai Po Mental Health Support Programme; and Mr. Chris Chu, CRM & Partnership Manager at Eternal Group. Moderated by Mr. Matt Chung, Curator and Cultural Commentator, the discussion explored different perspectives on fragrance’s role in daily life and offered practical self-care advice. The report also provides practical guidance for local retailers and fragrance brand owners on integrating scent and technology into retail spaces to enhance the customer experience, reflecting Eternal Group’s commitment to building and leading the fragrance industry ecosystem.

Community initiatives under the “Scent of Happiness” campaign include three community events co-organised with Smile With Us HK for children, families and older adults; sponsorship of 80 sessions of iACT mental health support provided by Mind HK; and three relaxation and sensory sessions featuring neuroVIZR’s synchronised light-and-sound experience. Through these initiatives, the Group supports emotional well-being in the community, demonstrating its commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Ms. Wendy Lau, Executive Director of Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited, said in her opening remarks: “Fragrance is more than a sensory experience—it expresses how we choose to live. Three years of White Paper research have shown that fragrance has become part of Hong Kong consumers’ daily routines. As a leader in the fragrance industry, we combine consumer insights, innovative technology and community partnerships through our ‘Scent of Happiness’ campaign, translating our commitment to self-care and emotional well-being into concrete action and creating long-term value for the industry and society.”

Positive Mood Scores Highest, While Rest and Vitality Are Relatively Lower
The survey explored respondents’ positive feelings and experiences over the preceding two weeks using five indicators, each scored out of 100. “Cheerful and in good spirits” scored highest at 58.4, followed by “Calm and relaxed” at 55.9 and “Everyday life is interesting or fulfilling” at 55.2. Scores for “Active and energetic” and “Refreshed and well rested” were relatively lower, at 52.7 and 50.4 respectively.

The eight-point gap between “Cheerful and in good spirits” and “Refreshed and well rested” was the largest among the five indicators, suggesting stronger positive emotional experiences relative to rest and energy levels.

Over 80% Report a Positive Impact of Fragrance on Mood; Usage Frequency Is Associated with the Daily Mood Index
The survey found that 81.3% of respondents reported a positive impact of fragrance on their everyday mood: 28.4% reported a very positive influence and 52.9% a slightly positive influence.

In terms of usage frequency, 71.7% of respondents used fragrance several times a week or more, while 46.5% used it almost every day. Frequent users recorded a Daily Mood Index of 55.8, compared with 51.1 among other respondents—a 4.7-point difference indicating an association between fragrance usage frequency and the Daily Mood Index.

By demographic group, frequent-use rates were 73.9% among women and 62.5% among men. Rates exceeded 70% across all age groups from 25 to 54, reaching 76.1% among those aged 45–54. Among respondents with a personal monthly income of HK$30,001–40,000, the frequent-use rate reached 83.6%.
Note: “Frequent use” refers to using fragrance several times a week or more.

“Scent, Emotion and Lifestyle: 2026 Hong Kong Daily Mood Index and Fragrance Trends White Paper” is based on an online survey of 433 Hong Kong consumers conducted in September 2026. Its six key findings are outlined below. The full White Paper is available here.

1. Fragrance is part of daily life, with over seven in ten using it several times a week or more
94.2% of respondents reported using fragrance products. Among those who answered the usage-frequency question, 71.7% used fragrance several times a week or more, classified as frequent users; 46.5% used it almost every day.

2. The Daily Mood Index stands at 54.5
The 2026 Hong Kong Daily Mood Index recorded 54.5 out of 100. “Feeling cheerful and in good spirits” scored 58.4, compared with 50.4 for “feeling fresh and rested”—an eight-point gap reflecting generally insufficient rest among respondents despite positive emotional experiences.

3. Over 80% Report a Positive Impact of Fragrance on Mood
81.3% of respondents felt that fragrance positively influenced their everyday mood, including 28.4% who reported a very positive influence.

4. Frequent fragrance users record a higher Daily Mood Index
Frequent fragrance users recorded a Daily Mood Index of 55.8, compared with 51.1 among other respondents—a 4.7-point difference indicating an association between frequent fragrance use and a higher Daily Mood Index.

5. Frequent fragrance use extends beyond younger generations
Frequent-use rates exceeded 70% across all age groups from 25 to 54, reaching 76.1% among those aged 45–54, indicating that regular fragrance use spans different adult age groups.

6. Fragrance use goes beyond enjoying a pleasant scent
55.0% of respondents cited “helping them relax” as a reason for using fragrance, while 52.5% selected “lifting their mood”, highlighting fragrance’s emotional value beyond scent preferences.

Panel Discussion Explores Scent, Self-Care and Emotional Wellness
Following the White Paper launch, the Group hosted “Scent, Self-Care and Emotional Wellness”, a panel discussion at CosmoTalks at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Building on the White Paper’s exploration of fragrance and everyday mood, the discussion moved from survey findings to practical approaches to supporting emotional well-being in daily life. Laurinda Ho, Founder of Smile With Us HK, said, “At Smile With Us HK, we hope to bring positive energy to the wider community through activities organised in partnership with Eternal Group.” Mr. William Lam, Clinical Advisor for the Tai Po Mental Health Support Project at Mind HK, said, “Self-care is an important part of maintaining good mental health. Enjoying a fragrance that brings you pleasure and evokes happy memories can be a simple starting point for self-care.”

Scent & Mood Relax Hub: A Sensory Experience Bringing Together Fragrance and Technology (Booth: 5G-G3G)

The Group also introduced the Scent & Mood Relax Hub, featuring perfumes and home fragrances from its portfolio of international and niche brands. Combining fragrance with neuroVIZR’s synchronised light and sound experiences, the Hub offers an immersive sensory journey centred on four themes: “Relax”, “Focus”, “Better Sleep” and “Creativity”.

Looking ahead, Eternal Group will remain committed to the art of living, drawing on consumer insights and the strengths of its international and niche brand portfolio. Through a diverse range of products, including perfumes and home fragrances, the Group will respond to consumers’ fragrance and everyday self-care needs. It will also integrate innovative technology to enhance fragrance experiences, broaden fragrance use across lifestyle settings and capitalise on market opportunities. Through its ongoing “Scent of Happiness” campaign, the Group will deepen cross-sector partnerships and bring the art of living into community care, creating long-term value for consumers, partners and the community.

Hashtag: #EternalGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 6883.HK)

Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited is the largest perfume group (apart from brand-owner perfume groups) in China (including Hong Kong and Macao) in terms of retail sales in 2023*. It primarily sells and distributes products procured from third-party brand licensors, and deploys market for these brand licensors, offering such services as brand management, and designing and implementing customized market entry and expansion plans for their brands. The Group boasts large and diversified brand portfolios that include not only perfumes, but also color cosmetics, skincare products, personal care products, eyewear and home fragrances. As at 30 September 2026, it conducted product distribution and market deployment for a total of 82 external brands, including Hermès, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard, Albion and Laura Mercier, with products in different pricing tiers and of versatile features that meet the differentiated demands of consumers in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and/or Macao. (*Data source: Frost & Sullivan)

• Cyberport Community Cumulative Funding Surpasses HK$74.5 Billion, Welcoming 19 Listed Companies and 2 Unicorns over the Past Year
• Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) Celebrates 9th Anniversary, Facilitating Over HK$6 Billion in Cumulative Funding
• Cyberport Signs MoUs with Gobi Partners and Thailand’s National Innovation Agency to Unlock Global Growth Corridors

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 November 2026 – The annual flagship event Cyberport Venture & Capital Forum 2026 (CVCF) officially opened today at Hong Kong Cyberport. The two-day forum, themed “Scaling in a Changing World: Winning the Next Competitive Cycle”, brings together over 80 influential global venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and industry leaders to explore new frontiers in global venture trends, capital rerouting, Enterprise and Agentic AI, One-Person Companies (OPCs), digital assets, frontier technologies, and tokenisation economy, aiming to spotlight Hong Kong’s unique position as a strategic gateway connecting the Chinese Mainland, ASEAN, the Middle East, Central Asia and global innovation and funding networks. The forum also showcases the latest fundraising achievements of Cyberport start-ups.

The forum was inaugurated by Lillian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry and Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, and other distinguished guests at the opening ceremony, marking the official start of this global forum.

Lillian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, said “Turning AI potential into sustainable growth requires more than technology. It also requires investment, business expertise and access to markets. This is where today’s forum can make a difference – bringing innovators and investors together to explore emerging technologies, support promising ventures and open doors to new opportunities. The HKSAR Government will continue to strengthen the support that helps promising ventures grow as well its investment to mobilise more private capital, consolidating Hong Kong’s position as an international innovation and technology centre, and as a premier hub for AI.”

Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, said: “In a shifting global capital landscape, Hong Kong’s role as a ‘super-connector’ and ‘super value-adder’ between the Chinese Mainland and the world is more valuable than ever. The cross-border dialogue and partnerships forged here will create fresh opportunities for innovation, investment and collaboration.”

Cyberport Start-ups Show Robust Fundraising as AI and the Agentic Economy Take Centre Stage

Cyberport’s start-ups have demonstrated robust fundraising performance over the past year. Cyberport gathers over 2,400 companies, Cyberport start-ups have raised over HK$74.5 billion in funding. During the year, Cyberport proudly welcomed 19 listed companies and 2 unicorns to its community. Recent high-value fundraising rounds include Finloop, Qupital and Premialab, leverage AI, blockchain and digital assets — reflecting sustained market confidence in these emerging technologies and underscoring Cyberport’s success in fostering their development.

CIN Celebrates 9th Anniversary, Connecting Global Capital with High-Potential Start-ups

As Hong Kong’s digital tech hub, AI accelerator and key incubator, Cyberport actively connects global investors with start-ups through diverse funding channels.

The CIN 9th Anniversary Celebration commemorated a successful nine-year milestone while ushering in a new chapter of leadership, as the chairmanship passed from Hendrick Sin to John Ng. To honour this pivotal handover, Hendrick Sin, Hon. Duncan Chiu, and Cindy Chow were officially designated as Honorary Chairs of CIN in recognition of their distinguished contributions to the ecosystem.

Hendrick Sin, Honorary Chair of CIN; Co-Founder of CMGE Technology Group Limited; Chairman of China Prosperity Capital, stated in his video speech, “CIN has facilitated over HK$6 billion in investments across more than 130 projects since its inception, reflecting strong investor confidence in Cyberport companies. Looking ahead, we will strengthen the quality and depth of our deal flow, enhance structured capital partnerships to broaden access to funding at different growth stages, and deepen our relationships with CVCs, PE firms, family offices and LPs, further diversifying CIN’s investor network. Through these efforts, CIN will continue to connect promising companies with the right capital, expertise and networks needed to scale and succeed.

John Ng, Chairman of CIN, added in his speech, “I’m honoured to be appointed Chairman of CIN. The network has grown to nearly 250 investment firms, an achievement that reflects the tremendous efforts of Hendrick and the CIN team over the past years. Drawing on my background in corporate venture capital and family offices, one of my priorities will be to expand CIN’s network within these communities and take CIN into its next chapter.”

Another key financing channel, CMF, has invested in 30 start-up projects as of September 2026, with total investment including co-investments exceeding HK$2.7 billion and a co-investment ratio of over 1:9.3. Further augmenting ecosystem liquidity, Cyberport, BOCHK Asset Management and BOC Group Investment formed a strategic partnership in May 2026, as well as with Taiping Financial Holdings in Aug 2026 on venture capital funds to back promising Hong Kong I&T start-ups.

Strategic Partnerships to Unlock Global Growth Corridors

At the Forum, Cyberport signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), with Gobi Partners and with Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA), to solidify global corridors for cross-border expansion.

Cyberport and Gobi Partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration in nurturing innovation and technology enterprises, facilitating market expansion and investment opportunities, and strengthening the innovation ecosystems of Hong Kong, Asia and the Middle East.

Building on a longstanding partnership, Gobi has invested in more than 24 Cyberport companies, including CMF co-investments. Witnessed by Lillian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, and Chibo Tang, Managing Partner, GBA Team of Gobi Partners, the MoU was signed by Dr Rocky Cheng, CEO of Cyberport, and Fred Li, Managing Director, GBA Team of Gobi Partners.

Meanwhile, Cyberport and Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA) signed an MoU to promote cross-border innovation collaboration, startup development and knowledge exchange in AI, smart city and other digital technologies. It will cover soft-landing and market expansion, business matching, innovation programmes and community engagement, joint events, and proof-of-concept and pilot opportunities. The MoU was witnessed by Lillian Cheong, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, and Preechaya Panyakrua, Innovation Counsellor of NIA, and signed by Dr Rocky Cheng, CEO of Cyberport, and Dr Krithpaka Boonfueng, Executive Director of NIA.

Decoding the New Playbook for Scaling in the Age of AI

This year’s CVCF programme is organised around three umbrella themes: Mega Trends & AI Frontiers, Regional Market Focus & Global Corridors, and Market Focus & Strategic Capital Dynamics.

Opening the main stage, Mahesh Krishnaswamy, Founder and CEO of Taara, delivered the keynote “The Innovation Playbook: Capitalizing on Moonshots and Faster Cycles in the Age of AI”, sharing how Taara evolved from a radical moonshot into a real-world high-speed optical communications solution — a timely lens on compressed innovation cycles and how breakthrough technology scales.

The forum also brought together venture capital leaders from Gobi Partners, Alumni Ventures, Rasmal Ventures, Primavera Capital, Draper Dragon, Pegasus Tech Ventures, Plug & Play and more to examine AI-driven capital shifts, high-growth corridors across the Middle East, ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area, and how public-private and corporate strategic capital can accelerate tech scale-ups.

Beyond the thought leadership sessions, the event further reinforced Cyberport’s role in connecting capital, innovation and global market opportunities. It also provided a dynamic platform for business matching and startup empowerment. This year’s Founder Pitch attracted strong interest from local and international venture capital firms, enabling startups from early-stage innovators to high-growth scale-ups to present their cutting-edge solutions to investors and ecosystem partners.

Throughout the first day, the event floor featured tailored Investor Matching sessions, dynamic Innovator Showcases featuring elite, high-potential startups across key tech sectors from local and global partner networks, and dedicated Startup Clinics offering practical strategic guidance. Coupled with engaging networking exchanges, Day one concluded on a positive note, reinforcing Cyberport’s ongoing role in connecting capital, innovation, and global market opportunities.

Day two will feature the CVCF’s spotlight event “Agentic Economy Summit”, themed “Intelligent Frontiers, Tokenised Horizons”, featuring a keynote address by Joseph Chan, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, and will explore how agentic AI is reshaping business and how digital assets are redefining the way value moves. The summit will examine digital identity, institutional tokenisation, HKD stablecoins, programmable payments and machine-to-machine commerce, alongside the rise of OPCs. Day two also features hands-on startup workshops designed to equip founders with practical playbooks for pitch mastery and market scaling.

For more information on Cyberport Venture & Capital Forum 2026 and the speaker line-up, please visit http://cvcf.cyberport.hk/.

Hashtag: #Cyberport

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Hong Kong Cyberport

Wholly owned by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, Cyberport is Hong Kong’s digital tech hub and AI accelerator, with a vision to empower industry digitalisation and intelligent transformation, to promote digital economy and AI development, and to foster Hong Kong to be an international AI, innovation and technology (I&T) hub. Cyberport gathers over 2,400 companies, including 30 listed companies and 10 unicorns. 40% of onsite companies’ founders come from 28 countries and regions, while Cyberport companies have expanded to over 36 global markets.

Cyberport, with Hong Kong’s largest AI Supercomputing Centre and AI Lab as the engine, has been building the AI ecosystem with industry-leading AI companies and over 500 AI and data science start-ups. Through development of tech clusters, namely AI, data science, blockchain and cybersecurity, Cyberport empowers industries across smart city and government, banking and finance, digital entertainment, culture and tourism, healthcare, education and training, property management, construction, transportation and logistics, green environment and more, while hosting Hong Kong’s largest FinTech community. Commissioned by the HKSAR Government, Cyberport has implemented proof-of-concept and sandbox schemes, subsidisation for digital tech adoption, industry tech training and start-up incubation, to drive technology R&D, translation and commercialisation, thus propelling digital transformation and intelligent upgrade across industry and society.

Also as “State-level Scientific and Technological Enterprise Incubator” and Hong Kong’s key incubator, Cyberport supports entrepreneurs with funding and office space, extensive networks of enterprises, investors, technology corporations and professional services for business growth and expansion to Chinese Mainland and overseas markets, all-round facilitation for landing in Hong Kong, talent attraction and cultivation, ready as a launchpad to take start-ups in any stages of development to the next level.

For more information, please visit https://www.cyberport.hk/en.

By Nitya Chakraborty The results of the U.S. midterm elections are going to have big impact not only on the current administration of President Donald Trump, but also on the latest political situation in Latin America, Europe and even in India. At global level, Trump’s big defeat is a boost to the forces in different […]

The article U.S. Mid Term Result Is A Clear Verdict Against Trump’s Authoritarianism appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Founders are pressing ahead with US expansion despite immigration uncertainty, according to new research from Beyond Border. Its Founder Mobility Pulse survey found that 82% have not changed their plans to expand to the US, while an analysis of 1,140 immigration inquiries from Asia offers insights into the region’s role in US market entry.

SINGAPORE & HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 October 2026 – Despite continued uncertainty surrounding US immigration policies, founders remain committed to expanding into the American market, according to new research from US immigration platform Beyond Border.

Beyond Border’s Founder Mobility Pulse survey, conducted in August 2026 among 307 respondents worldwide, found that 82% had not changed their US expansion plans despite immigration uncertainty. A further 11% reported either accelerating their timelines or exploring alternative visa pathways.

The findings form part of Beyond Border’s October 2026 market commentary, which also draws on proprietary analysis of 1,140 US immigration enquiries from Asia-based individuals between August 2025 and September 2026, alongside US government immigration statistics and regional talent mobility data.

The research suggests that while immigration uncertainty is influencing how founders approach US market entry, access to the American market remains an important commercial priority.

“For founders, the question is no longer simply whether to expand into the US, but how to establish the right presence there. We’re seeing businesses pursue access to American customers while keeping key functions in their home markets. Immigration planning needs to be part of that strategy from the outset, rather than something founders address only when they’re ready to relocate,” said Fred Ng, Cofounder & CEO of Beyond Border.

Four Findings on US Expansion and Immigration Trends

Beyond Border’s research highlights four developments shaping US expansion and international talent mobility:

1. Access to US customers remains the biggest expansion driver: Some 85% of survey respondents identified access to US customers as their primary motivation for expansion, compared with 8% citing fundraising and investors. Meanwhile, 60% plan to expand into the US within the next 12 months.

2. Founders are taking a more distributed approach to US expansion: Nearly two-thirds (64%) expect to establish a US presence through the founder alone or alongside a small team. At the same time, 72% intend to retain engineering and product functions in Asia, suggesting that US market entry does not necessarily require relocating entire operations.

3. Immigration uncertainty is not deterring founders’ US expansion plans: Beyond Border’s analysis of 1,140 immigration enquiries from Asia-based individuals found that approximately 45% (510) concerned the O-1 visa. Meanwhile, US government data shows diverging approval trends across immigration pathways. Between FY2022 and FY2024, approved L-1 petitions declined by 31%, while O-1/O-2 approvals increased slightly by 1%. Over a separate period, FY2023 to FY2025, EB-1A approvals increased by 20%, while EB-2 NIW approvals declined by 39%. These figures reflect changes in approval volumes rather than approval rates.

4. Changing talent mobility patterns could create opportunities for Asian economies: Estimates from Xpheno indicate that the number of US-based technology professionals returning to India increased from approximately 7,200 in 2023 to 15,100 in 2025. While these movements cannot be attributed solely to immigration policies, they point to broader shifts in international technology talent mobility.

As founders navigate an evolving immigration environment, Beyond Border’s research highlights the importance of aligning immigration decisions with commercial priorities, market entry strategies and long-term business plans.

For the full market commentary, visit https://lp.beyondborderglobal.com/organic/us-expansion-report-2026

Hashtag: #beyondborder #tech #immigration

https://www.beyondborderglobal.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondborder/?viewAsMember=true
https://www.facebook.com/BeyondBorder01Visas
https://www.instagram.com/beyondborderglobal/

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Beyond Border

Built by founders for founders and highly skilled professionals, Beyond Border is a trusted, Singapore-founded, tech-enabled U.S. immigration platform. Launched in 2024, the company helps clients pursue U.S. visas and employment-based green cards, with a focus on O-1 visas and EB-1A and EB-2 NIW green-card pathways. Beyond Border supports clients from eligibility assessment through petition preparation, connecting them with vetted specialist immigration attorneys. Beyond Border has supported thousands of founders including from companies backed by Y Combinator, Techstars, Antler and 500 Global, as well as cross-border technology companies including SuperOps and Biorce. Beyond Border has nine offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Nigeria. For more information, visit www.beyondborderglobal.com

The Summit explored the trends reshaping customer expectations and the future of financial services. Discussions focused on rising wealth, increasing cross-border mobility, and the growing convergence of data, artificial intelligence and human expertise. Participants exchanged perspectives on how deeper partnerships can enhance customer outcomes and unlock new opportunities for the next phase of growth.

Chengdu’s history provided a fitting backdrop for the Summit. More than a thousand years ago, the city pioneered “jiaozi”, widely regarded as the world’s first paper money. Its success depended on trust in the promise behind it, a principle that remains equally important in successful partnerships today.

Dennis Tan, Regional CEO, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar; Group Partnership Distribution, Prudential plc, said: “Keeping promises sits at the heart of every partnership for Prudential. Founded on trust and strengthened through collaboration, these relationships help us meet customers’ increasingly interconnected health, protection and wealth needs.

“The Summit demonstrated the strength of Prudential’s partnership ecosystem and the opportunities ahead. By bringing together distribution expertise, digital capabilities and market insights, we are working to create better customer experiences and drive long-term, sustainable growth with our partners.”

The programme also featured guest speaker Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer and referee of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final. Drawing on his experience at the highest level of international football, he shared perspectives on leadership, accountability and sound decision-making in complex and rapidly changing environments.

Partnership distribution at Prudential

Prudential harnesses the strength of its partnership ecosystem to translate shared priorities into action, helping more customers achieve greater financial security and confidence for the future.

Partnership distribution has long been central to Prudential’s growth strategy. Since establishing its first strategic bancassurance partnership in 1998, Prudential has built one of Asia’s largest bancassurance franchises, comprising more than 180 banking partnerships across markets. In the first half of 2026, the bancassurance channel delivered US$586 million in new business profit, up 13 per cent on a constant exchange rate basis from US$505 million in the same period last year.

Hashtag: #Prudentialplc

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Prudential plc

Prudential provides life and health insurance and asset management in Greater China, ASEAN, India and Africa. Prudential’s mission is to be the most trusted partner and protector for this generation and generations to come, by providing simple and accessible financial and health solutions. The business has dual primary listings on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX: 2378) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: PRU). It also has a secondary listing on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX: K6S) and a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: PUK) in the form of American Depositary Receipts. It is a constituent of the Hang Seng Composite Index and is also included for trading in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme and the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme.

Prudential is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc. a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America, nor with The Prudential Assurance Company Limited, a subsidiary of M&G plc, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.

www.prudentialplc.com

By Kalyani Shankar In India, festivals are more than just celebrations; they are significant traditions. Families often spend a considerable amount on new clothes, sweets, decorations, and gifts during these times. However, rising prices and inflation are forcing consumers to adjust their budgets and shopping habits. Many families are choosing to celebrate on a smaller […]

The article Rising Prices Of Essential Commodities Restrict Family Budgets In Festival Season appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

With products sold in more than 80 countries, Thailand’s leading Sriracha producer highlights its global distribution strength, product innovation and ambition to grow Thai Sriracha on the world stage.

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 October 2026 – Exotic Food Public Company Limited (XO), a leading Thai manufacturer and exporter of premium sauces, condiments and culinary products, is showcasing the strength of Thai brands on the global stage at SIAL Paris 2026, one of the world’s leading international food industry exhibitions, held from 17–21 October in Paris, France. The company’s participation reflects its ambition to take authentic Thai flavours beyond traditional export markets and build globally competitive brands through product innovation, international market expertise and strong distribution partnerships.

With products distributed in more than 80 countries and available at over 30,000 points of sale worldwide, Exotic Food has established a strong international presence through its flagship brands, Exotic Food and Flying Goose. Europe remains one of the company’s key markets, where its portfolio of Thai sauces, condiments and culinary products continues to reach consumers through international retail and distribution networks.

Bringing together more than 8,000 exhibitors from 130 countries and showcasing over 400,000 products, SIAL Paris 2026 serves as a major meeting point for the global food industry. For Exotic Food, the exhibition provides an important platform to connect with international buyers and distributors, strengthen existing business relationships and explore new market opportunities, while demonstrating how Thai food brands can compete in an increasingly diverse global marketplace.

At SIAL Paris 2026, Exotic Food is presenting its portfolio of authentic Thai flavours alongside innovations developed for international consumers. A key highlight is the Flying Goose Sriracha range, featuring more than 50 flavours, together with creative product collaborations such as Sriracha-flavoured potato chips and peanuts. The showcase reflects the company’s ability to combine Thai culinary heritage with an understanding of evolving global food trends, bringing familiar Thai flavours into new product categories and consumer experiences.

The company’s distinctive bright-red exhibition booth draws inspiration from Thai culture and the signature identity of Flying Goose Sriracha, creating a strong visual expression of its Thai roots and international brand positioning.

Mr. Jittiporn Jantarach, Chief Executive Officer of Exotic Food Public Company Limited, said, “Taking Thai flavours to the world is only the beginning. Building a successful global brand requires a deep understanding of international consumers, the ability to adapt to different markets, and a long-term commitment to quality and innovation.

“At Exotic Food, we combine our Thai culinary heritage with global market expertise to create products that resonate with consumers across cultures. Our presence at SIAL Paris reflects not only how far Thai brands have come, but also their potential to compete and grow on the world stage.”

Beyond international expansion and product innovation, Exotic Food continues to strengthen its sustainability commitments as part of its long-term business strategy. The company has achieved ISO 14068-1:2023 certification, supporting its roadmap towards Carbon Neutrality by 2040 and Net Zero Emissions by 2050. The certification reinforces its commitment to internationally recognised environmental standards and sustainable operations, particularly as sustainability becomes an increasingly important consideration for global business partners and international trade.

Through its participation in SIAL Paris 2026, Exotic Food continues to demonstrate how Thai companies can move beyond traditional food exports to establish distinctive, internationally competitive brands. By combining authentic Thai flavours with global market understanding, continuous innovation and responsible business practices, the company is reinforcing the growing potential of Thai brands in the international food industry.

Hashtag: #ExoticFood

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Exploring Emerging Opportunities in AI, Smart Supply Chain Management, ESG and Sustainability

Free Admission Open for Public Registration Now

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 October 2026 – Amid the reshaping of global supply chains, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and the rise of emerging industries such as the low-altitude economy, the logistics industry is entering a new wave of smart transformation. Organised by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and funded by the Logistics Promotion Funding Scheme (LPFS) under the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund of the Transport and Logistics Bureau of the HKSAR Government, LogTech Expo 2026 will take place on 29 October (Thursday) at the InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong. Under the theme “Smart-Driven Transformation, Leading the Future of Logistics”, the Expo will bring together more than 50 logistics, supply chain and innovation and technology enterprises, alongside logistics industry leaders and experts, to share insights through a series of forums and discussions. The event will provide a one-stop platform for the industry to stay abreast of the latest logistics technology trends and developments. Admission is free, and online registration is now open.

As one of the major annual events in Hong Kong’s logistics technology sector, the Expo will feature the latest applications and achievements in smart logistics. From AI and big data analytics, smart warehousing and robotics, and automated supply chain management systems, to cross-border e-commerce logistics, green logistics, new energy transportation and drone delivery solutions, visitors will be able to experience first-hand how technology is reshaping logistics operations and helping enterprises enhance efficiency and competitiveness.

Renowned Enterprises and Organisations Showcase the Entire Smart Logistics Value Chain
This year’s Expo will bring together renowned brands and organisations from the logistics and technology sectors, including SF Supply Chain, Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, Hongkong Post, Auto-ID Technology, HSM Industrial Solution, Tradelink, GS1 Hong Kong, ShipAny and Axis Communications, showcasing innovative solutions that support digital transformation and intelligent operations across the logistics industry. Visitors can explore the following technology zones:

• AI and Data Applications Zone: Leveraging AI, big data and automation technologies to enhance logistics planning and operational efficiency;
• Smart Warehousing and Robotics Zone: Showcasing intelligent sorting systems, automated warehousing and robotics solutions;
• Smart Supply Chain and Digital Platform Zone: Featuring WMS, TMS and digital supply chain management systems;
• Cross-border E-commerce and Delivery Zone: Showcasing innovative models in global fulfilment and smart delivery;
• ESG and Green Logistics Zone: Focusing on new energy transportation, carbon reduction technologies and sustainable logistics development;
• Low-Altitude Economy Zone: Exploring emerging applications such as drones and last-mile delivery solutions.

Visitors will not only be able to learn how innovative technologies are applied in real-world business scenarios but also engage directly with solution providers and industry experts to explore opportunities for collaboration and transformation.

10 Thematic Seminars and Sharing Sessions Focus on the Future of Logistics
In addition to the exhibition, the Expo will feature 10 thematic forums and technical sharing sessions covering key industry topics including AI, supply chain digitalisation, cross-border e-commerce, the low-altitude economy and logistics innovation.

The opening seminar, “Smart Tools for Logistics: Practical AI Applications and Insights”, will be moderated by Ryan IP, Vice President and Executive Director of the Public Policy Institute of Our Hong Kong Foundation, and feature a panel comprising Professor Kee-hung LAI, Head of the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies and Chair Professor of Shipping and Logistics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Sunny HO, MH, JP, FCILT, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Shippers’ Council; Keno Tai-yip CHEUNG, President of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Hong Kong; and Suki CHEUNG Shuk-ming, Chief Executive Officer of MG Ship. Together, they will discuss how AI can enhance logistics operational efficiency, drive supply chain digitalisation, and support Hong Kong’s development as a smart logistics hub.

In addition, experts from organisations including Profit Sky International Industrial, ShipAny, Tradelink, Axis Communications and GS1 Hong Kong will share real-life business cases, enabling visitors to gain deeper insights into digital twins, cross-border e-commerce, supply chain visibility and AI applications in logistics.

Promoting Cross-sector Collaboration to Shape the Future of Logistics
The Expo is supported by more than 20 industry organisations, including the Airport Authority Hong Kong, Cathay Cargo, Hong Kong Shippers’ Council, Hong Kong Logistics Association, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in Hong Kong, Cyberport and the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre. It serves as an effective platform for industry exchange and business matching, fostering innovative collaboration and industry upgrading.

Admission is free. Logistics practitioners, supply chain professionals, manufacturers, e-commerce businesses, technology solution providers, academics, and members of the public interested in the development of logistics technology are welcome to attend.

Event Details
LogTech Expo 2026
Date: 29 October 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm
Venue: InnoCentre, 72 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong
Admission Fee: Free (Advance registration required)
Register Now: https://campaigns.hkpc.org/zh-hk/tc-rsvp-logtech_expo_2026
Exhibitor List: View Exhibitor List

Hashtag: #HKPC

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About the Hong Kong Productivity Council

The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is a statutory body established in 1967, dedicated to enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of Hong Kong enterprises through world-class applied R&D, innovative technology services, and integrated manufacturing solutions. As a market-oriented, international R&D organisation, HKPC leverages its deep expertise and extensive industry experience in key areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing, life and health technology, green technology and new energy to drive new industrialisation and support the growth of emerging and future industries.

HKPC focuses on addressing businesses challenges and industrial technology needs, promoting the full integration between technological and industrial innovation. Through technology transfer, product innovation, intellectual property protection and commercialisation of R&D outcomes, the Council fosters collaboration with the local business community as well as top global R&D institutions, delivering added value to industries and advancing the development of new productive forces. HKPC’s world-class R&D achievements have been widely recognised over the years, winning an array of local and overseas accolades, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as an international innovation and technology centre and a smart city.

To help enterprises capitalise on Hong Kong’s strengths in international connectivity to expand into global markets, HKPC offers comprehensive overseas expansion services tailored to critical areas including product development, technology, manufacturing, and management, enabling businesses to successfully go global from Hong Kong.

HKPC is also committed to providing timely and practical support to SMEs and startups with timely and practical, assisting them in accessing Government funding programmes. Through its FutureSkills training initiatives, HKPC helps both industry and academia stay ahead in latest digital and STEM technologies, nurturing a future-ready talent pool for Hong Kong.

For more information, please visit HKPC’s website: www.hkpc.org/en.

The partnership pairs LeapThought’s own AI with Google Cloud’s Gemini models and sovereign Cloud offering, giving infrastructure owners control of their data and connected intelligence across the full project and asset lifecycle.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 October 2026 – LeapThought and Google Cloud today announced a strategic partnership to bring sovereign, domain-native AI to the owners and operators of critical building infrastructure, giving them control of their data and sharper decision-making across the full value chain, from delivery through operations.

The partnership has two priorities. The first is value chain integration, which connects everyone involved in delivering and running an asset — owners, operators, developers, consultants, contractors, and suppliers — on one governed platform. The second is security and sovereignty: owners can keep control of their data, within compliant, standardized frameworks that can be repeated from one program to the next.

FULCRUMHQ, LeapThought’s globally recognized Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) platform, gives infrastructure owners the option to run on Google Cloud, including Google’s sovereign, air-gapped solutions for defense, public sector, and private sector environments requiring high security. At its core is GENIEHQ, LeapThought’s own Industrial AI, embedded directly into the platform and built to reason over the structured and unstructured data that defines a capital program — BIM models, GIS and geospatial data, ERP financials, schedules, contracts, reality capture, telemetry, and data from field robotics and sensors. The partnership pairs GENIEHQ with Google Cloud’s Gemini models, giving owners and their delivery teams natural-language access to that data across a project and a portfolio.

The partnership delivers on these two priorities as follows:

1. Value Chain Integration: One Governed Record, Natural-Language Insight

Major capital and building infrastructure programs span owners, operators, developers, consultants, contractors, and suppliers — each typically working in separate systems, with design, construction, and operational data fragmented across handovers. LeapThought’s FULCRUMHQ platform brings this information together into a single governed record that follows an asset from design through operation, giving owners a consistent view across their portfolio, not just a single project.

By running FULCRUMHQ — and the GENIEHQ Industrial AI embedded within it — on Google Cloud, and integrating LeapThought’s proprietary data architecture with Google’s Gemini models, the partnership enables:

• Interactive Model and Portfolio Querying: Combining GENIEHQ’s deep understanding of project and portfolio data with the multimodal capabilities of Gemini, owners, engineers, project managers, and field teams can ask complex, plain-language questions directly against BIM models and portfolio data — instead of manually clicking through complex 3D CAD/BIM model trees or running predefined filter scripts — such as identifying clash detections, extracting exact material quantities, verifying regulatory code compliance, or surfacing risk trends across a program (e.g., “Show me all fire-rated doors on Level 3 that don’t match the latest spec,” or “Which contractors across our portfolio have the highest rate of non- conforming work this quarter”).
• Global Scale and Reliability: Google Cloud provides the high-performance compute and elastic scalability needed to process compute-intense multi-gigabyte 3D models and point-cloud datasets, across a single project or an entire portfolio, in real time.

2. Security and Sovereignty: Full Control on Google Cloud’s Sovereign Solutions

For critical civil assets, defense installations, public sector agencies, and private sector owners where data cannot traverse the public cloud, LeapThought gives owners the choice to deploy on Google Cloud’s data residency solutions, including Google Cloud Data Boundary, Google Cloud Dedicated, and Google Distributed Cloud. In these environments, GENIEHQ, LeapThought’s Industrial AI embedded within FULCRUMHQ, runs alongside Gemini locally, within the owner’s chosen security boundary, ensuring zero cross-boundary exposure or unauthorized external telemetry.

“The value of an asset now lies as much in the intelligence around it as in its physical form. That intelligence belongs to the owner, and it must be secure, sovereign, and shared across the whole value chain. Demand for this is growing quickly, in Asia and around the world, and that is what brought us and Google Cloud together. We’re starting from Singapore and building toward a standard for critical infrastructure everywhere,” said Ratnakar Garikipati, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of LeapThought.

“Public sector and critical infrastructure agencies manage some of the most intricate engineering and regulatory datasets in the world. The partnership between Google Cloud and LeapThought enables project teams and portfolio owners to quickly surface actionable insights directly from complex BIM models and program data using everyday language. Combined with Google’s sovereign, air-gapped solutions, we’re providing agencies with the option to modernize project workflows while maintaining strict data governance, residency, and operational sovereignty,” said Rahul Sharma, Managing Director, APAC Public Sector, Google Cloud.

Hashtag: #LeapThought

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About LeapThought

LeapThought is a US technology company that builds software connecting people, data, and AI across the infrastructure lifecycle. It is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, has its Asia headquarters in Singapore, and operates across the United States, Brazil, Singapore, and New Zealand. Its FULCRUMHQ platform and embedded GENIEHQ Industrial AI serve public agencies, developers, consultants, contractors, and universities and institutes of higher learning. Clients include Singapore’s Land Transport Authority, Building and Construction Authority, and JTC. The company was founded and led by Ratnakar Garikipati.

QashierGM works from each merchant’s own sales, payouts and menu, and gets routine work done with the owner’s approval. With Crew, Qashier’s new team chat, anyone on the team can tag @GM to get things done, and QashierGM acts only within each person’s role.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 October 2026 – Qashier, the unified merchant operating system serving more than 25,000 businesses across Southeast Asia, today launched QashierGM, an AI general manager that works with a merchant’s whole team. Available at no additional cost to all Qashier merchants in Singapore, QashierGM lives in QashierHQ, the web and mobile app (Android and iOS) merchants use to manage their sales, payouts, products and staff. Owners can ask it about sales, payouts and products in plain language. Merchants on the Qashier plan also get Crew, a new team chat where staff can bring QashierGM into any conversation by tagging @GM. Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines follow in November.

Because QashierGM works directly from each merchant’s own transactions and settlements, it can do what a general-purpose chatbot cannot: explain, line by line, why a payout is lower than the day’s sales, or show which outlet is underperforming this week. Owners get answers grounded in their actual operations, without piecing together reports.

“Most small business owners can’t afford a general manager, so they become one after closing, going through reports at midnight,” said Christopher Choo, Co-Founder and CEO of Qashier. “QashierGM is the manager they never had. It already knows the business, takes on the routine work and never makes a change without asking. With Crew, it now works alongside the whole team, not just the owner.”

The launch follows an open beta that began in September with merchants ranging from single-outlet cafés and shops to multi-outlet chains, with F&B operators the most active. Their most common questions were about sales trends, best sellers and payouts, and with the year-end festive season approaching, many are asking QashierGM to suggest festive promotions built around their most popular items.

Jun Rong, Operations Manager of Coexist Coffee Co., likens using QashierGM to talking to his store managers, only faster. “Running a café means wearing every hat, and the numbers usually wait until after closing. QashierGM already knows our sales, payouts and menu, so I just ask. When we plan a promotion, it suggests ideas based on what our customers actually buy, and nothing changes until I confirm. It feels like having a general manager who’s been with us from day one.”

QashierGM also takes routine admin off the owner’s plate. An owner can ask it to update a price, mark an item as sold out or add a new product, and QashierGM shows a card with exactly what will change and where. Nothing goes live until the owner taps confirm. Multi-outlet operators can compare stores, spot the one underperforming and push a change to every store in one request. Store managers see and change only their own store. Owners can also set alerts in their own words, such as “alert me on any unusual refunds” or “tell me when the first staff clocks in”, and QashierGM tells them when it matters.

Crew: the whole team, with QashierGM in the conversation

Crew, included in the Qashier plan and Enterprise plans, gives a merchant’s team a work chat of its own, separate from personal messaging groups where messages get lost and former staff keep the history. Owners, managers, kitchen and floor staff get private direct messages, group chats by team or department, and announcements with read receipts. Anyone can tag @GM to check a number, update an item or send a customer an invoice with a payment link. QashierGM acts only with the permissions of the person who tagged it, sends bigger changes to whoever can approve them right in the chat, and posts an update when an invoice is paid. It only sees the conversations it is tagged into.

On a typical day, a floor staff member can mark a dish sold out, a manager can approve a price change from her phone, and an owner can send an event deposit invoice and see it paid, all in the same app. Crew and QashierGM work in all major languages used across the region, including English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Thai.

Connectors to third party apps such as Gmail and Google Business Profile arrive in November, extending QashierGM beyond Qashier to supplier emails, customer enquiries and Google reviews. “A good general manager handles the work wherever it lands, not just inside one system,” added Choo. “This is the first step.”

Qashier processes more than US$1 billion in annualised payment volume for over 25,000 merchants across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. The company has been profitable since December 2025 and raised US$6.125 million in Series A+ financing in June 2026. QashierGM is available now to all Qashier merchants in Singapore through QashierHQ on web, Android and iOS, at no additional cost. Crew is included in the Qashier plan and Enterprise plans. Both launch in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines in November. To learn more, visit https://qashier.com/sg/.

Hashtag: #Qashier #QashierGM

https://qashier.com/sg/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/qashier/
https://www.facebook.com/Qashier
https://www.instagram.com/qashier.sg/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@qashier.sg

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Qashier Pte. Ltd.

Qashier is a unified merchant operating system that brings together payments, business software, embedded financial services and customer engagement tools on one platform. Operating across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, Qashier supports more than 25,000 SMEs with an integrated ecosystem built for Southeast Asia’s digital economy. Qashier is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore as a Major Payment Institution. Founded in Singapore in 2019, Qashier gives merchants an AI general manager, QashierGM, and a team chat, Crew, through QashierHQ.

Industry Giants Gather in Ningde to Jointly Accelerate the Layout of the “Tesson Smart Power” Ecosystem

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 October 2026 – Tesson Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 01201.HK, hereinafter referred to as “Tesson Holdings”), a company listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, today issued an official announcement stating that its direct wholly-owned subsidiary has entered into an agreement with CCPOM Limited to acquire 100% equity interest in Contemporary Huazhi New Energy Technology Hong Kong Limited (hereinafter referred to as “Contemporary Huazhi (Hong Kong)”) for RMB 98.4 million, with a simultaneous capital injection of RMB 21.6 million (representing a total consideration of RMB 120 million).

On the same day, the “Solar-Storage-Charging-Inspection & Intelligent Zero-Carbon” Innovation Seminar and Strategic Signing Ceremony, co-hosted by Times Huazhi (时代华智) and Tesson Holdings, was grandly held at Fujian Jixin Solar-Storage-Charging-Inspection Technology Co., Ltd. (福建集新光储充检技术有限公司) in Overseas Chinese Building, Ningde, Fujian (福建宁德华侨大厦). At the seminar, Mr. Huang Shilin, Co-founder of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (hereinafter referred to as “CATL”) and Chairman of Fujian Jixin Solar-Storage-Charging-Inspection Technology Co., Ltd. (福建集新光储充检技术有限公司) delivered a keynote speech. He conducted an in-depth analysis of the industry trends regarding the integrated development of new energy and intelligent charging/inspection, which drew enthusiastic responses from the attendees.

The signing ceremony brought together many distinguished guests. Under the joint witness of officiating guests including Mr. Huang Shilin, Professor Yu Changyuan from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Mr. Wei Qingwen, representative of the major shareholder of Tesson Holdings, Tesson Holdings and Times Huazhi (时代华智) officially completed the agreement signing. At the same time, Tesson Holdings joined forces with Times Huazhi (时代华智), Inspur Group, EV Power, Wanji International (万吉国际), and several other industry-leading enterprises as well as top research institutions to sign multiple Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for strategic cooperation. This marks a breakthrough achievement for Tesson Holdings in platform-based operations of smart power and new energy infrastructure layout since the launch of its new brand “Tesson Smart Power” in August this year.

Dual Strategy of Acquisition and Capital Injection: Anchoring the Innovative Track of “Solar-Storage-Charging-Inspection and Intelligent Zero-Carbon”

According to the announcement, RMB 38.4 million of the total consideration for this transaction will be paid in cash. The remaining acquisition consideration of RMB 60.0 million will be satisfied and completed by issuing consideration shares at HK$2.00 per share, while the simultaneous capital injection of RMB 21.6 million will be paid and completed as consideration for the subscription shares.

As a pioneer enterprise in the field of intelligent zero-carbon park operations for solar-storage-charging-inspection systems, Times Huazhi (时代华智) has successfully deployed multiple solar-storage-charging-inspection and zero-carbon park projects in core cities such as Shanghai and Fuzhou. Upon completion of this acquisition and capital injection, Tesson Holdings will directly incorporate high-quality new energy infrastructure assets, further enhancing the company’s operational capabilities and asset scale in high-power fast charging, energy storage, and zero-carbon microgrids.

Signing of Three Major MOUs: Building a Closed-Loop Chain of “Computing-Power Synergy + Energy-Carbon + Industry-Academia-Research”

At the signing ceremony held on the same day, Tesson Holdings and Times Huazhi (时代华智), together with several industrial partners, reached four deep strategic collaborations:

• 1. Computing-Power Synergy and Joint Innovation (AIDC): Partnered with Inspur Group and Micro-Gathering Power Sale (微聚售电) to jointly explore the integration model of AI Data Center infrastructure (AIDC) with new power sales and Virtual Power Plants (VPP).
• 2. Hong Kong Layout and Collaborative Innovation for Solar-Storage-Charging-Inspection: Partnered with EV Power, a leading EV charging operator in Hong Kong, and Wanji International (万吉国际), a green logistics operator, while introducing the 5D Power team from The University of Hong Kong and the HYBAY team from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, to jointly create demonstration projects for solar-storage-charging-inspection and green logistics in Hong Kong.
• 3. Joint Construction of International Innovation Design Center (Hong Kong & Fujian): Partnered with Fuzhou University Design & Research Institute (福州大学设计研究院), Gesuo Technology (格索科技), and Anlaseo (a spin-off enterprise from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) to promote the engineering applications of achievements such as smart energy replenishment stations for solar-storage-charging-inspection.

Energy-Carbon Asset Securitization Strategic Upgrading: Continuously Advancing Intelligent Zero-Carbon Transformation

Tesson Holdings and Times Huazhi (时代华智) deepened their cooperation by leveraging the advantages of the global industrial chain ecosystem resources of CATL to jointly explore the strategic collaborations implementation and innovative industrial upgrading of securitization for energy-carbon assets in new power track of solar-storage-charging-inspection.

Management of Tesson Holdings stated that the completion of this acquisition and multi-party strategic cooperation marks a crucial step for the company toward becoming an “Innovative Operator in Smart Power and Energy-Carbon”. Looking ahead, Tesson Holdings will rely on its development roadmap of “Battery Manufacturing — Zero-Carbon Microgrid & Energy Storage Operations — AI Power Trading & Energy-Carbon Asset Platform”, and fully utilize the strong support and resource empowerment from strategic shareholder Mr. Huang Shilin, Co-founder of CATL. The company will continue to deepen its green energy network layout in the Greater Bay Area and core cities, creating long-term value for urban low-carbon transformation.

Hashtag: #TessonHoldings

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Tesson Holdings Limited (1201.HK)

Tesson Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 01201.HK) is a company listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, focusing on (among other things) the deep integration of the new energy industry chain. Its strategic positioning includes being an innovative operator in smart power and energy-carbon. Centering on “Smart Power Source + Smart Electricity”, the company comprehensively expands into energy storage, solar-storage-charging-inspection, zero-carbon microgrids, AI energy management, and energy-carbon asset operations, striving to connect global high-quality industrial and capital resources to empower the high-quality development of the new energy ecosystem.

Signing of strategic collaboration agreement deepens collaboration on PCIM Asia Shanghai, opening international opportunities for microelectronics companies

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 October 2026 – From efficient power supply for artificial intelligence (AI) data centres to precision control in smart robotics, power electronics is enabling the next wave of industrial innovation. Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and PCM Asia Shanghai signed a strategic collaboration agreement at Hong Kong Science Park to strengthen their collaboration on PCIM Asia Shanghai, Asia’s premier exhibition for power electronics exhibition.

Together, the two organisations also co-hosted the “Power Electronics Innovation Across Asia” seminar, bringing together international technology companies, academics from local universities, innovators and investors to explore advances in power electronics and power semiconductors, as well as trends and opportunities shaping Asia’s industrial future.

Deepening Cross-Boundary Collaboration to Expand International Market Access

The partnership aims to extend professional exchange into sustained collaboration across the innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem. By combining the corporate networks, industry platforms, and regional strengths of HKSTP and PCIM Asia Shanghai, the partnership will foster knowledge exchange and industry collaboration across power electronics, semiconductors, electrification and renewable energy.

Through annual cross-boundary exchange activities, coordination meetings, and showcasing opportunities for start-ups, innovative solutions and ecosystem participants, the two parties plan to raise the international profile of emerging technologies and ventures, and help companies to build vital market connections.

The collaboration will also strengthen Hong Kong’s role as a hub for strategic partnerships and bring together international research institutions, integrated circuit (IC) design houses, technology developers and investors, while providing access to the manufacturing capabilities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Chinese Mainland, driving technologies from R&D, device design and prototyping, and pilot production to market adoption.

Mr Terry Wong, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP, said: “We are entering an era where AI is ubiquitous, embedded in vehicles, factories, power grids, communications networks and smart devices. None of these systems can function without efficient power conversion, power control and power management. That is why power electronics is becoming one of the most important enabling technologies of the next industrial era. With Hong Kong’s strengths in design-led electronics and the manufacturing capabilities of the Greater Bay Area, HKSTP provides an end-to-end pathway from research and prototyping to pilot production, manufacturing and market adoption. Through our partnership with Messe Frankfurt on PCIM Asia, we can help innovators raise their international profile, connect with new partners and expand into global markets. Together, we aim to build Hong Kong into a leading centre for research, design and system integration in power semiconductors, and strengthen its role as a regional gateway for global power microelectronics collaboration.”

Mr. Richard Li, Executive Director of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd cum Chairperson of the Board of Management, Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, said, ‘With 25 years of history, the PCIM Asia series of events has consistently brought together power electronics companies, engineers, and researchers from Asia and around the world. After having held in Shanghai and Shenzhen, PCIM Asia has built a professional exchange platform focusing on power semiconductors, intelligent motion control, renewable energy, and energy management. Meanwhile, Hong Kong possesses outstanding R&D capabilities and global business network, backed by the robust manufacturing base of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. HKSTP has attracted over 300 micro-e companies and has been equipped with comprehensive infrastructure for R&D, prototyping and pilot production. Leveraging Messe Frankfurt’s global exhibition resources as well as the local industrial ecosystem of HKSTP, this strategic collaboration aims to connect Hong Kong’s research capabilities with the Asian power electronics industry. It will elevate the industry exposure of the city’s innovative technologies, and promote long-term sustainable partnerships among industry partners in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and the world”

Connecting Research with Industry Needs in AI and Advanced Energy Applications

The event attracted representatives from industry, academia and the wider I&T ecosystem. Through keynote presentations, expert discussions, technology demonstrations, company pitches and talent networking session, the event explored opportunities to bring power electronics innovations to market.

Experts from international technology leaders, including Mitsubishi Electric, Infineon Technologies, Bosch, STMicroelectronics, Murata, SMC and Vtech, as well as scholars from four local universities discussed AI data centre power supply, smart robotics and advanced energy applications. Discussions focused on translating power semiconductor and intelligent control technologies into integrated, market-ready solutions.

On-site showcases featured gallium nitride (GaN) motor drives, silicon carbide (SiC) chips and power modules, and advanced packaging solutions for AI data centres, intelligent robots and energy systems. The exhibits highlighted how microelectronics can improve energy efficiency and support emerging industries, while creating opportunities for researchers, technology companies and industry partners to collaborate.

Strengthening the Pathway from Research to Pilot Production

HKSTP is home to more than 300 microelectronics companies. Its facilities—including the Hardware Lab, Sensor Packaging and Integration Lab, Heterogeneous Integration Lab and Pilot-Scale Manufacturing Lab—support companies across design, prototyping, and trial production.

Located at the Microelectronics Centre in Yuen Long InnoPark within the Northern Metropolis, the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research and Development Institute (MRDI) supports semiconductor product development and trial production through its pilot lines, helping accelerate the translation of research into practical applications.

HKSTP is also advancing the Microelectronics Centre expansion project (MECX), which will provide approximately 7,500 square metres of additional floor space to attract and support companies across the semiconductor value chain, fostering industry clustering and collaboration.

Hashtag: #HKSTP #PCM

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

For consumers across Southeast Asia and beyond, Victoria is widely recognized as an influential Asian artist boasting immense popularity and public affinity. Having debuted early in her career as the leader of the top-tier girl group f(x), she established a profound fan base and widespread public recognition throughout Southeast Asia, backed by her solid performance skills, refreshing yet sophisticated personal image, and distinct style identity. Throughout her career, Victoria has consistently approached her artistic endeavors with a rigorous and professional attitude, expanding her footprint into diverse fields including acting, music, and fashion. By continually pushing her own boundaries across Asia, she has cemented her status as a powerhouse of both substance and aesthetic style through her exceptional fashion expression and steady delivery of high-caliber work. Whether effortlessly pulling off sharp, sophisticated professional looks or interpreting dynamic, trendy styles, her daring spirit to break boundaries and pursue meticulous detail perfectly aligns with ISYUN’s brand DNA of “Professionalism, Fashion, and Texture,” while echoing the brand’s dedicated craftsmanship in the hair-coloring sector. As Global Brand Ambassador, Victoria will join hands with ISYUN to champion the brand philosophy of “One Step Closer to Hair Color Freedom,” enabling more consumers—including those in Southeast Asia—to experience the convenience and joy of salon-quality hair care at home.

A Decade of Professional Excellence and Omni-Channel Growth
Since its inception in 2013, ISYUN has consistently focused on addressing the core pain points of consumers’ at-home hair coloring experiences, deeply cultivating the niche sector of trendy hair dyes while dedicating itself to creating professional, cutting-edge hair-coloring products tailored to Asian skin tones. Over the past decade, the brand has maintained deep insights into the personalized hair color demands of diverse consumer groups, keeping pace with global beauty trends to continuously expand its trendy color matrix. Currently encompassing six major color families with over twenty distinct shades—ranging from versatile everyday brown tones to highly personalized trendy hues—the brand fully satisfies expression needs across varying scenarios and styles.

Driven by stable product quality and an exceptional user experience, ISYUN has earned widespread recognition and affection from millions of young consumers in the Chinese market. In terms of channel layout, the brand has built an integrated omni-channel sales network: its offline footprint has successfully entered over 10,000 mainstream trendy retail stores nationwide, covering core consumer touchpoints, while its online presence maintains a leading position within the hair-dye category across major e-commerce platforms, backed by sustained sales leadership and stellar user reputation. Furthermore, ISYUN serves as the exclusive official designated professional hair care brand for the China Fashion Week, a testament to its industry-wide product acclaim.

Get Victoria’s Look: Catching the Trend with the All-New “Oxygen Cool Brown”
In tandem with the global ambassador announcement, ISYUN is concurrently launching the exact hair color worn by Global Brand Ambassador Victoria: the “Oxygen Cool Brown.” Addressing the industry-wide pain point where traditional hair dyes cause damage during coloring, ISYUN’s product development has always centered on the core concept of “Hair Dyeing and Care in One.” Utilizing the brand’s proprietary essential oil special blending technology, plant-derived extracts such as argan oil, jojoba seed extract, and camellia seed oil are packaged in independent capsules, ready to be poured and mixed directly into the color cream during application. This delivers a simultaneous dyeing and conditioning experience that leaves hair smooth and lustrous post-application, effectively taming frizz and ameliorating post-dye dryness.

The newly introduced “Oxygen Cool Brown” shade—matching Victoria’s stunning hair look—is crafted precisely around the product’s superior color-rendering advantages. The translucent cool brown base blended with natural misty undertones flatters all skin tones while brightening overall complexion, seamlessly adapting to both daily commuting and leisure gatherings as a versatile, high-end, yet practical trendy color. Accompanied by an elegant floral fragrance, the product comprehensively optimizes the at-home coloring sensory experience, breaking public stereotypes regarding pungent chemical odors associated with hair dyes.

Tapping into the Booming Southeast Asian Beauty Market
In recent years, Southeast Asia’s beauty and personal care market has experienced continuous expansion, with the rise of younger consumer cohorts driving rapid growth in personalized cosmetic demands. Among these segments, at-home hair care products have emerged as a prominent growth driver in the Southeast Asian market, favored for their operational flexibility, high cost-performance ratio, and diverse stylistic expressions. Simultaneously, Southeast Asian consumers are raising their expectations for hair-dye formulations: demanding both precise color rendering optimized for Asian skin tones and integrated nourishing properties to minimize hair damage. ISYUN’s launch of its global ambassador strategy—exporting mature hair-dye and care portfolios to international markets—precisely meets the soaring demand for professional at-home hair solutions across Southeast Asia.

A senior spokesperson for ISYUN stated, “Signing Victoria as our Global Brand Ambassador marks a vital milestone in our journey toward broader international markets. Victoria’s professional attitude and fashion influence enable us to precisely connect with our core consumer demographic, infusing fresh, trendy vitality into the brand. Leveraging her cross-cultural influence across Southeast Asia, ISYUN will more efficiently engage local youth demographics and communicate our core professional ethos and product value.”

Looking Ahead: Expanding Global Horizons
Looking ahead, ISYUN will continue to collaborate with Global Brand Ambassador Victoria to uphold its brand DNA of “Professionalism, Fashion, and Texture,” continually sharpening its product competitiveness and color innovation. The brand remains committed to delivering diverse hair-coloring solutions that integrate trendiness with deep nourishment, bringing the founding vision of “One Step Closer to Hair Color Freedom” to life. As its global footprint steadily expands, ISYUN will continue monitoring the hair characteristics and aesthetic demands of consumers across different global regions, continuously optimizing its offerings to bring professional, convenient, and healthy at-home hair care experiences to more consumers worldwide, collectively exploring new frontiers in home hair-styling aesthetics.

Hashtag: #ISYUN

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

https://youtu.be/sbUyQWx8ItQ

The event was opened by Tin Pei Ling, Member of Parliament, and Dato’ Tony Khor Chong Boon, President of the Federation of Motor and Credit Companies Associations of Malaysia (FMCCAM). Through keynote presentations, panel discussions and live technology demonstrations, participants examined how AI-driven solutions can improve customer experiences while ensuring transparency, security and responsible decision-making.

AIMCONNECT 2026 Highlights the Shift Towards Connected Mobility

During the keynote address, “The Next Mobility Economy: Intelligence, Connection, Trust,” X Star Technology CEO Shawn Yang highlighted the growing gap between consumers’ digital engagement and completed automotive transactions.

Shawn Yang noted that consumers increasingly begin their vehicle purchase journey online, with research showing strong demand for AI-supported decision-making. According to figures shared during the keynote, 90% of car buyers conduct online research before visiting dealerships, 63% expect to use AI during their next vehicle purchase and 67% believe AI will influence their financing decisions.

However, the automotive journey remains fragmented. Customers often move between dealerships, financing providers and multiple systems, creating unnecessary friction during purchasing and ownership processes.

“Customers are not lost in one stage; they are lost to the friction between them,” Yang said. Yang said. The CEO explained that the next stage of mobility innovation requires closer cooperation between automotive companies, financial institutions and technology providers. Rather than improving isolated parts of the journey, the industry must create connected experiences that allow information, decisions and services to move more efficiently between stakeholders.

During AIMCONNECT 2026, technology demonstrations showcased emerging solutions designed to address these challenges. X Star Technology presented its Xport platform, demonstrating one-click lead-to-loan matching and real-time approval capabilities. Aimotion, MStar, AI Wingman and MK.X also introduced their latest innovations, highlighting the potential of AI-enabled tools across the automotive value chain.

Building Trust as AI Takes a Greater Role in Decision-Making

A key theme throughout AIMCONNECT 2026 was the importance of trust as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly involved in customer-facing processes.

While AI can improve speed and efficiency, industry leaders emphasised that technology must operate within clear boundaries. Decisions involving financing, customer eligibility and financial commitments require transparency, human oversight and accountability.

Yang introduced X Star Technology’s proprietary Harness framework, which combines AI operating boundaries, human supervision and traceable data management. The framework is designed to ensure that AI systems operate within authorised parameters while allowing complex cases to be escalated for human review.

“In auto finance, a single flawed decision risks customer harm and regulatory non-compliance. For AI to operate across the customer journey with true autonomy, trust cannot be an afterthought; it must be engineered into the architecture from day one,” Yang said.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of balancing personalisation with privacy. While consumers increasingly expect services tailored to their needs, excessive automation or unnecessary intervention may reduce trust. Effective AI solutions must therefore combine intelligence with appropriate restraint.

Strengthening Connections Across the Auto Finance Ecosystem

Another major discussion at AIMCONNECT 2026 focused on how stronger collaboration between automotive companies, financial institutions and technology providers can create a more efficient and trusted financing experience.

During the panel discussion “Building a Connected Auto Finance Ecosystem,” moderated by MStar CEO Zhang Peng, industry representatives explored the role of data connectivity, cybersecurity and responsible technology adoption in shaping the future of automotive finance.

Speakers from Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, The CEO Circle and JWT Bespoke examined how financial institutions and mobility businesses can use technology to improve decision-making while maintaining customer confidence.

“Better data infrastructure and connectivity can help the industry make more informed financing decisions, but technology must go hand in hand with trust,” Zhang said.

The discussion emphasised that connectivity is not simply about collecting more data. A truly integrated ecosystem requires organisations to establish clear principles for how information is shared, protected and used. Customers must also understand what information they provide and how it contributes to a better service experience.

Matthew Duncan, Director and CEO of JWT Bespoke, highlighted the importance of balancing innovation with consumer protection, drawing from Australia’s experience in automotive and financial regulation.

“Regulation works best when it protects customers and still gives the industry room to improve how people buy and finance their cars,” Duncan said.

Exploring the Future of Vehicle Ownership

Beyond financing and transactions, AIMCONNECT 2026 also examined a broader question facing the mobility industry: how will consumers define vehicle ownership in the future?

The rise of leasing, subscription services, car-sharing and ride-hailing has expanded consumer choices, creating new possibilities beyond traditional ownership models.

During the panel “The Future of Owning a Car,” moderated by Shawn Yang, industry leaders discussed how changing consumer expectations may influence future mobility behaviour.

An audience poll showed a closely divided perspective. While 54% of participants believed flexible mobility solutions could become the preferred choice within the next decade, 46% expected vehicle ownership to remain the dominant preference.

The result reflected the complexity of future mobility trends. Rather than replacing ownership completely, emerging mobility models may provide consumers with more options depending on their lifestyle, financial situation and travel needs.

James Ng, Managing Director of BYD Singapore and President of BYD Philippines, shared insights into BYD’s technology development journey.

“BYD’s first phase was electrification, delivering performance. The second phase is intelligence, using AI to enhance the customer experience. The third phase will focus on integration,” Ng said.

Xiao Ting, CEO of MK.X, noted that increasingly capable AI assistants could change how consumers approach mobility decisions.

“The decision may increasingly be less about owning a car and more about finding the right mobility solution for each journey,” noted the CEO.

Ng also highlighted the broader applications of BYD’s technology beyond vehicles, including Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and renewable energy solutions that contribute to a wider technology ecosystem.

These developments suggest that the future mobility landscape will involve not only automakers, but also dealers, financial institutions and technology platforms adapting their services to meet changing consumer expectations.

AI Is Expanding the Vehicle Experience Beyond the Point of Sale

The role of artificial intelligence throughout the vehicle ownership lifecycle was another key focus at AIMCONNECT 2026.

During the panel “How Is AI Reshaping Mobility?” moderated by X Star Chief Technology Officer Michael Jia, industry experts discussed how AI can support consumers beyond vehicle selection and purchase.

Panel participants included Carson Zhang of Aimotion, Connor Liu of Google Cloud, Dr Harold Teng of MK.X Technology and Bryan Tan of Carro.

When delegates were asked where AI would create the greatest impact, personalised ownership services ranked ahead of vehicle selection, automotive financing and in-car intelligence. The results suggested that industry participants see significant opportunities in improving the ownership experience after purchase.

Bryan Tan, Chief Scientist at Carro Group and CEO of Carro Indonesia, explained that vehicle value assessment is becoming increasingly influenced by new data sources. For electric vehicles, factors such as battery condition and charging history are becoming important considerations alongside traditional indicators such as mileage.

Tan also noted that markets such as Singapore have unique considerations, including the impact of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) system on vehicle value.

These examples demonstrate how advances in automotive technology are influencing areas beyond driving performance, extending into finance, resale value and long-term ownership decisions.

However, industry leaders agreed that AI adoption must remain focused on practical benefits.

“The focus must remain on delivering practical benefits, enhancing safety and making mobility more intuitive for consumers,” Dr Teng said.

Collaboration Will Define the Next Stage of Mobility Innovation

Across the discussions at AIMCONNECT 2026, one common message emerged: the future of mobility will be shaped by collaboration.

Automotive manufacturers and dealers must better understand customer needs and reduce unnecessary friction throughout the ownership journey. Financial institutions must improve efficiency while maintaining responsible lending practices. Technology providers must develop solutions that meet operational, regulatory and customer expectations.

For policymakers and industry stakeholders, the challenge will be encouraging innovation while maintaining public confidence.

“No single company can transform the entire mobility journey on its own,” Xiao Ting said.

Zhang highlighted that the success of future mobility solutions should be measured not only by speed and efficiency, but also by how effectively the industry works together to serve customers.

“Progress should be measured not only by how quickly a loan can be approved, but by how well the industry works together to serve the customer,” Zhang said.

AIMCONNECT 2026 demonstrated that artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role in mobility, but technology alone will not define the future. The next phase of automotive transformation will depend on building systems that are intelligent, transparent and connected — supported by stronger partnerships across the mobility ecosystem.

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About AIMCONNECT 2026

AIMCONNECT 2026 brings together automotive leaders, dealers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), financial institutions, technology innovators and industry decision-makers to explore the future of automotive commerce and mobility.

Through industry dialogue, thought leadership sessions and live technology demonstrations, AIMCONNECT provides a platform for stakeholders to exchange insights and collaborate on the next generation of connected mobility solutions.

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