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HJS Foundation (Human Judgment Systems Foundation) today released two complementary solutions: the Judgment Event Protocol (JEP) and the Human Judgment Structure (HJS) framework. As a minimalist open standard, JEP generates tamper-proof records of AI decision accountability, just like an aircraft black box; HJS embeds human judgment logic into AI operation processes — together, they transform “human oversight” from a regulatory requirement into a verifiable technical fact, providing an optional technical solution for AI accountability.

How to prove that AI decisions (such as loan approvals, medical diagnoses, border screenings, etc.) have undergone human review? JEP generates immutable audit trails of human intervention through four cryptographic primitives — Judge, Verify, Delegate, Terminate; HJS builds a controllable and accountable system to prevent risks such as AI drift and ensure that human judgment guides AI operations.

Current systems rely on alterable post-hoc documentation, while JEP and HJS work in tandem: JEP acts like an aviation black box, not judging performance but ensuring traceability; HJS embeds human oversight into AI workflows — together, they provide an undeniable factual basis for regulators, developers, and users.

Paired with the HJS framework, the JEP protocol provides a compliant technical option for trustworthy AI. Together, they achieve cross-platform and cross-model interoperability, solving core issues such as difficult accountability and inconsistent standards.

About HJS Foundation:

Founded in 2026 and registered in Singapore, HJS Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on developing minimalist and reliable technical standards (including the JEP protocol and HJS framework) to support human-AI accountability and the transparency of automated systems.

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Venster School of Excellence recently held a Faculty Skills Enrichment Conclave in Coimbatore, bringing together educators, industry professionals, and technology experts to discuss how academic institutions can better prepare students for the evolving job market. The event provided a platform for meaningful interaction between faculty members and professionals from technology-driven industries.

The conclave focused on helping educators understand industry expectations and guiding students toward careers requiring both technical knowledge and practical skills. Faculty from several colleges participated, along with chief guests actively working in technology businesses and industry sectors.

Educationist JP Gandhi noted, “The global employment landscape is changing rapidly, driven by economic uncertainties, technological disruption, and the rise of artificial intelligence. Organisations across the world are restructuring and redefining skill requirements in response to digital transformation.” He further added, “In this challenging environment, institutions must actively partner with leading skill developers like VENSTER to transform students into industry-ready and employable professionals.”

Managing Director of Haribhavanam Hotels, Mr. Balachandar Raju, said at the conclave, “We implemented technology in our KOT systems over a decade ago after I witnessed its effectiveness in overseas restaurants. That experience made me clearly understand the importance of technology in the hospitality industry.

Students today must equip themselves with these skills without excuses. There is a common misconception that technology is not essential for hotels, but in the modern era, it has significantly simplified operations and enhanced efficiency across the food business.”

Educationist Shandhip Sabapathy shared an inspiring and thought-provoking story that deeply resonated with the participants. His narrative centred on hope and resilience in the midst of a challenging recessionary environment, where companies are increasingly restructuring, downsizing unskilled resources, and adopting artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency.

Experts noted that while traditional roles are evolving, opportunities are growing in data analytics, data science, and business analytics. This has increased demand for skilled professionals, leading students to pursue programmes such as a data analytics course in Coimbatore, a data analyst course with placement, and data science training in Coimbatore. Chief guests shared insights on the use of technology tools, analytics platforms, and enterprise systems in real-world operations, helping faculty align teaching with industry practices. 

Chief guests shared insights on the use of technology tools, analytics platforms, and enterprise systems in real-world operations, helping faculty align teaching with industry practices. Participants also highlighted increasing relevance of programmes like software courses in Coimbatore, business analytics courses in Coimbatore, and business analyst courses with placement.

The conclave emphasised practical learning through live project training, internships, and mock interview preparation. Experts stressed that beyond technical skills, employers value communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and adaptability, prompting institutions to increasingly integrate soft skill development with technical training.

The conclave also highlighted the role of Venster School of Excellence, which has been actively engaged in skill development and training in Coimbatore for over a decade, collaborating with colleges and institutions to deliver career-focused programmes.

Recognised as a growing IT training institute in Coimbatore, the organisation offers specialised programmes including data analytics training under the data science course with placement and business analyst training, designed to combine classroom learning with practical exposure. The institute provides training for commerce students through courses such as the Tally course and Zoho Books training, enabling proficiency in widely used accounting and enterprise tools.

The organisation offers specialised management upskilling programmes for IT professionals, enabling career advancement in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. With flexible weekend and fast-track batches, it equips professionals with industry-relevant skills through practical, expert-led training.

Through these initiatives, students gain practical knowledge for careers in finance, business operations analytics, and technology roles, supported by mock interviews, resume preparation and career guidance programmes. Over the years, the institute has contributed to skill enrichment across technical and non-technical areas, including coding, data analysis, business analytics and professional communication.

Chief Guest Mr. Ambi Moorthy, startup mentor, highlighted the success stories of emerging young startups in recent times and noted that the VENSTER-led incubation centres in and around Coimbatore have consistently nurtured and contributed a significant number of successful young entrepreneurs to society.

Participants noted that such conclaves strengthen academia-industry collaboration, enabling educators to better align teaching with real-world requirements. With increasing adoption of digital technologies, demand for analytics and business intelligence skills is expected to grow, making programmes such as a data science course, a data analytics course with placement and a business analyst course increasingly significant.

The conclave concluded by emphasising the importance of continued collaboration to build a future-ready education ecosystem.

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) confirms that it is in discussions regarding a potential business combination with Puig, in which the two companies would potentially merge their businesses. No final decision has been made, and no agreement has been reached. Unless and until an agreement is signed between the companies, there can be no assurances regarding the deal or its terms.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding a potential transaction and the anticipated timing, terms, and completion of any such transaction.

Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the possibility that no agreement will be reached, that required regulatory approvals may not be obtained, or that other conditions to a potential transaction may not be satisfied.

There can be no assurance that any transaction will be consummated or, if consummated, as to its timing or terms. The Estée Lauder Companies undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

About The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

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India’s renewable energy expansion has reached over 200 GW of installed capacity as of 2025, yet persistent challenges like urban heat islands, air pollution, water stress, and mounting battery waste highlight that generation alone falls short. For a nation of 1.5 billion facing some of the planet’s most acute climate pressures, the path forward demands data-driven decarbonisation—a practical, economically sound approach that integrates measurement, circularity, and infrastructure to deliver measurable results without straining balance sheets.

Motivus, a climate-tech firm incubated at IIT Guwahati, is addressing this challenge through a three-layered approach to sustainable energy. It begins with data and insights, where advanced carbon accounting and ESG intelligence platforms convert emissions data into clear, actionable inputs for decision-making. Building on this, the second layer focuses on circularity in energy storage, led by its patented battery regeneration technology that extends asset life and reduces waste. The third layer brings these efforts together through on-ground infrastructure integration, where modular energy systems combine renewables with intelligent storage to deliver reliable, efficient power solutions. Together, these three layers create a connected framework that moves from measurement to optimisation and finally to real-world implementation.

At the heart lies Motivus’s internationally patented AI/ML-enabled battery regeneration technology, which restores lead-acid batteries without opening, dismantling, or adding chemicals. By targeting hardened lead sulphate crystals and reactivating material, the process extends battery lifespans with warranty-backed performance, reduces hazardous waste streams, minimises fresh lead extraction, achieves up to 80% emission-free regeneration, and sidesteps the need for scarce mineral mining. This creates tangible economic value—lower replacement costs and optimised assets—while tackling India’s massive installed base of lead-acid batteries in real time.

Completing the framework is green infrastructure integration through modular energy ecosystems that pair renewables with intelligent storage, optimised for Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, and rural areas. These solutions support critical applications like telecom towers, semi-urban healthcare, MSMEs, agricultural irrigation, e-rickshaws, off-grid solar setups, and domestic backups. Unlike lithium-based alternatives, which struggle with high costs, heat sensitivity, import dependencies, and infrastructure demands in Indian conditions, Motivus leverages existing lead-acid infrastructure to enable energy sovereignty—cutting capital expenditure on new procurement, operational expenses via extended lifecycles and digital monitoring, import risks, recycling burdens, and waste generation.

“India’s climate challenge isn’t about installing more panels; it’s about execution efficiency, asset longevity, and turning sustainability into a financial advantage for businesses and communities alike. Motivus is proving that circularity can regenerate batteries, restore economic viability, and power energy sovereignty across rural Bharat—bridging policy ambition with on-ground reality in a way that strengthens balance sheets, not burdens them,” said Mr. Probal Ghosal, Chairman & Mentor – Motivus Innovation; Founder & Chairman, Ghosal Catalyst Ventures (GCV); Co-Founder & Former Chairman – Ujala Cygnus Healthcare.

This model reframes the energy transition: lithium storage often requires heavy upfront investments and specialised support, yet falters in high-temperature environments. By contrast, Motivus reduces Cap-Ex through regeneration and annuity models, trims Op-Ex with AI oversight, and avoids import-heavy chains—making green progress accessible for cost-sensitive sectors. As global climate finance hits $10 trillion by 2030 and ESG pressures mount, such innovations signal how India can achieve net-zero goals through smarter utilisation, not just expansion.

Kinaxis^® Inc. (TSX: KXS), a global leader in supply chain orchestration, today announced it has been positioned as a Leader in both the 2026 Gartner^® Magic Quadrant™ for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Discrete Industries and the 2026 Gartner^® Magic Quadrant™ for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Process Industries. In both reports, Gartner recognized Kinaxis for its ability to execute and completeness of vision.

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Kinaxis Recognized as a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ Reports for Supply Chain Planning: Discrete Industries

Kinaxis has been recognized as a Leader in the Gartner^® Magic Quadrant™ for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for eleven times in a row. Kinaxis has also been recognized as a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Process Industries and Discrete Industries.

“In our opinion, being named a Leader reflects the growing need for supply chains to deliver measurable business outcomes in the face of constant disruption,” said Andrew Bell, Chief Product Officer at Kinaxis. “Organizations today must maintain and improve service levels, optimize working capital, and respond to volatility in real time. Maestro unifies planning and execution in a concurrent environment where automation and AI help teams act with speed and confidence, driving adaptability that sustains performance.”

As supply chains increasingly operate continuously rather than in fixed planning cycles, organizations require orchestration that keeps pace with constant change. Kinaxis delivers this through Maestro™, its AI-powered platform spanning S&OP, demand, supply, inventory, production planning and scheduling. By combining deterministic automation and composable agentic AI in a shared concurrent model, Maestro enables confident decision-making at enterprise scale across organizations from the mid-market to global enterprises.

With expanded Maestro Agents, Maestro Agent Studio, and a unified data foundation, Kinaxis supports both repeatable execution and adaptive reasoning within a governed environment. These advancements are supported by strategic partnerships including Databricks and with other leading software vendors in the broader enterprise ecosystem. Innovation is further reinforced by Kinaxis’ expanding intellectual property portfolio, which includes nearly 90 issued patents globally and a significant number of additional patents pending across multiple jurisdictions. Approximately 45% of the portfolio focuses on AI and machine learning, underscoring continued investment in intelligent supply chain orchestration.

Complimentary copies of the 2026 Gartner^® Magic Quadrant™ for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Discrete Industries and for Process Industries reports are available for download here.

Gartner Disclaimer:
Note:
1 Gartner, 2026 Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Process Industries
Gartner, 2026 Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions for Discrete Industries
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions – 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning System of Record – 2014, 2016, 2018
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Sales and Operations Planning Systems of Differentiation – 2019, 2017, 2015

Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Gartner and Magic Quadrant are a trademark of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates.

About Kinaxis
Kinaxis is a leader in modern supply chain orchestration, powering complex global supply chains, and supporting the people who manage them. Our powerful, AI-infused supply chain orchestration platform, Maestro, combines proprietary technologies and techniques that provide full transparency and agility across the entire supply chain — from multi-year strategic planning to last-mile delivery. We are trusted by renowned global brands to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate today’s volatility and disruption. For more news and information, please visit kinaxis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Source: Kinaxis Inc.

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DFI Retail, a leading Asian retailer has launched a pilot with SymphonyAI, a global leader in Vertical AI platforms, to evaluate advanced retail intelligence capabilities designed to enhance enterprise merchandise planning. The initiative reflects DFI’s disciplined, customer-first approach to assessing how next-generation retail insights can support better decisions across promotions, assortment, clustering, and space planning.

As competition intensifies and customer expectations evolve, DFI is investing in a proven and scaled AI solution that aims to strengthen retail fundamentals, improve process efficiency, and support more agile merchandising decisions.

Crystal Chan, Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, DFI Retail Group said,“This strategic initiative with SymphonyAI reflects DFI’s commitment to improve our core data foundation and technology solutions for our team members. We aim to make better and faster merchandising decisions to continuously improve quality and value for our customers across Asia, all enabled by AI.”

Exploring Next-Generation Retail Intelligence

Retailers around the world are embracing technologies that help turn disparate data into unified insight, enhancing planning, responsiveness, and operational clarity. DFI’s initiative embodies this broader industry evolution toward connected retail intelligence — where data, planning, and execution insights coalesce to inform decision pathways and support retailer priorities.

Why DFI Selected SymphonyAI’s Retail Platform for Evaluation

DFI’s decision to work with SymphonyAI reflects the alignment between DFI’s future performance aspirations and the platform’s retail specialization, unified data and architecture, and proven presence in enterprise retail environments.

“Leading retailers are investing in connected, data-centric platforms that help align planning and execution while strengthening decision confidence,” said Manish Choudhary, President, SymphonyAI Retail. “Our retail platform is designed to support customers as they evaluate advanced intelligence capabilities in real operating conditions and build foundations for longer-term transformation.”

Retail Impact Context

The importance of investments like DFI’s is underscored by findings from SymphonyAI’s Economic Impact of Vertical AI research, which highlights the scale of opportunity when retail planning and execution are informed by domain-specific intelligence. That study estimates up to $54 billion in annual economic impact in the retail and grocery sector alone, driven by optimized promotion planning, assortment & personalization, and inventory management.

In documented customer examples, Vertical AI platforms have helped global grocery and enterprise retail organizations achieve measurable results such as multi-million-dollar profit improvements, significant sales lift, and more efficient cross-functional coordination — showing what’s possible as retailers bring connected insight to core operational decisions.

About DFI Retail

DFI Retail Group is a leading Asian retailer driven by its purpose to ‘Sustainably Serve Asia for Generations with Everyday Moments’. As at 31 December 2025, the Group and its associates operated 7,580 outlets and employed more than 79,000 people across 12 markets.

The Group is committed to delivering quality, value and service to consumers across the region through trusted brands, strong local market positions, and a broad retail ecosystem supported by extensive store networks, digital capabilities and efficient supply chains.

DFI Retail Group and its associates operate a portfolio of well-known brands across five key divisions: health and beauty, convenience, food, home furnishings and restaurants.

About SymphonyAI

SymphonyAI delivers Vertical AI platforms that help enterprises solve their most complex, high-value challenges — from stopping financial crime to improving store -performance and boosting manufacturing efficiency. Trusted by more than 2,000 enterprise customers worldwide, including 200 of the top financial institutions, the top 25 CPG companies, and many of the world’s largest grocers and industrial manufacturers, SymphonyAI provides domain-trained applications and pre-built agents that are ready to work on day one. Learn more at https://www.symphonyai.com/.

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APEC 2026 – Power Integrations (NASDAQ: POWI), the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, today introduced a breakthrough in flyback topology extending the power range of flyback converters to 440 W—well beyond the limits that traditionally required more complex resonant and LLC topologies. The new TOPSwitchGaN™ flyback IC family unites the company’s groundbreaking PowiGaN™ technology with its iconic TOPSwitch™ IC architecture, reducing complexity, eliminating heat sinks in many cases, shortening design time, improving manufacturability, and lowering total system cost.

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The new TOPSwitchGaN™ flyback IC family extends the power range of flyback converters to 440 W—well beyond the limits that traditionally required more complex resonant and LLC topologies.

“This is more than a product evolution—it’s a fundamental shift in how engineers can approach power supply design,” said Silvestro Fimiani, director of product marketing at Power Integrations. “For decades, designers have had to move to resonant topologies like LLC as power levels increased. With TOPSwitchGaN, we’re pushing flyback into a power range previously not possible, allowing engineers to achieve high efficiency and performance with a far simpler architecture.”

TOPSwitchGaN ICs provide 92 percent efficiency across the load range—from 10 percent to 100 percent load—and easily beat European Energy-related Products (ErP) regulations at less than 50 mW power consumption for standby and off modes. The device does this without the need for synchronous rectification. They are ideal for high-end appliances, e-bike chargers, and industrial applications.

PowiGaN switches deliver much lower R_DS(ON) than silicon. This results in reduced conduction losses which dramatically increase the power capability of flyback converters. These new devices incorporate 800 V PowiGaN switches, which provide excellent surge withstand capabilities and low switching losses, meaning that they can operate at switching frequencies of up to 150 kHz to minimize transformer size.

No-load consumption is well below 50 mW at 230 VAC including line sense, and up to 210 mW of output power is available for 300 mW input at 230 VAC to run housekeeping functions when units are in standby mode.

Fimiani continued: “As the first device to combine offline switchers into small packages—and with billions of units sold since 1994—the TOPSwitch name stands for innovation in power conversion. Engineers rely on TOPSwitch for its efficiency and ease of use, and now those benefits are available for an even wider range of designs. TOPSwitchGaN expands the power range of the flyback architecture to 440 W—previously unheard of using a flyback architecture—expanding the use of flybacks into applications previously requiring more complex topologies.”

The new ICs are available in two styles. For ultra-slim designs, low-profile eSOP™-12 surface-mount packaging enables 135 W (85–265 VAC) to be delivered without a heat sink for applications such as appliances. The vertical orientation of the eSIP™-7 package minimizes PCB footprint and has a thermal impedance equivalent to a TO-220-packaged part. By mounting a metal heat sink using a simple clip, the extended power range is achieved for applications including power tools, e-bikes, and garage openers. Because TOPSwitchGaN ICs are pin-to-pin compatible with TinySwitch™-5 off-line switcher ICs, designers can use the same methodology for applications spanning 10 W up to 440 W.

Availability & Resources

Pricing for TOPSwitchGaN starts at $1.00 for 10,000-unit quantities. The following reference design materials are available:

• DER-1079 – this kit uses TOP7074K to deliver a 60 W, wide-range isolated flyback PSU for appliances;
• DER-1019 – this kit details a 356 W highline (89 V / 4 A) isolated flyback industrial PSU, based on TOP7078E;
• RDK-1018 – this e-bike charger kit is a 168 W wide-range isolated flyback design using TOP7075E.

For further information, contact a Power Integrations sales representative or one of the company’s authorized worldwide distributors—DigiKey, Newark, Mouser and RS Components, or visit power.com.

About Power Integrations

Power Integrations, Inc. is a leading innovator in semiconductor technologies for high-voltage power conversion. The company’s products are key building blocks in the clean-power ecosystem, enabling the generation of renewable energy as well as the efficient transmission and consumption of power in applications ranging from milliwatts to megawatts. For more information, please visit www.power.com.

Power Integrations, the Power Integrations logo, PowiGaN, TOPSwitchGaN, TOPSwitch, TinySwitch and EcoSmart are trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of Power Integrations, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner.

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Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), today announced the findings of its 2026 Global Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail, the industry’s most comprehensive assessment of how well retailers connect digital and physical experiences to drive growth, profitability and loyalty. Conducted by Incisiv, a leading retail research firm, the Benchmark is based on real-world purchases and returns. It analyzes more than 400 specialty retailers across EMEA, LATAM and North America on 330 capabilities spanning four key experience areas: Shopping, Checkout, Fulfillment, and Service.

The 2026 Benchmark reveals that while the industry has made steady progress in unified commerce maturity since 2023 when it was first launched, only 7% of retailers have achieved true unified commerce leadership while 33% are still stuck in the Basic category. Leaders are translating connected, data‑driven yet customer-centric experiences into nearly 2X higher growth rates than their basic peers.

The Benchmark highlights a new competitive reality in specialty retail, where scale, assortment and brand presence alone no longer guarantee growth. Key insights include:

• AI is reshaping commerce: AI in retail is projected to unlock more than $500 billion in value globally by 2030, shifting the focus from simple task automation to intelligent systems that anticipate demand, personalize in real time and resolve friction before customers encounter it. AI shopping assistants, predictive fulfillment, in‑store personalization and intelligent cross‑channel support with context‑aware escalation are defining the new frontier.
• Consumer journeys are fragmented: More than 66% of consumers now use two or more channels before completing a purchase, moving fluidly between marketplaces, social platforms, messaging apps and retailers’ own sites and stores.
• Execution economics are under pressure: Global logistics and fulfillment costs have risen by over 20% in the last three years, as customers expect faster delivery, flexible fulfillment and seamless service as standard.
• Inventory intelligence: Real‑time visibility and dynamic allocation drive significantly higher inventory turns – 50% in NOAM, 45% in EMEA and 27% in LATAM – helping reduce stockouts and markdowns.
• Yesterday’s differentiators are now table stakes.38% of the capabilities that differentiated leaders in 2024 have become table stakes by 2026, including basic real‑time inventory visibility, digital wallets and cross‑channel support.

“Retailers are being asked to do something incredibly hard right now: deliver faster, more personalized experiences while also protecting margin,” said Katie Foote, SVP & CMO, Manhattan Associates. “What this benchmark makes clear is that the retailers pulling ahead are not doing it with one standout channel or a single capability. They are doing it by reimagining the entire customer journey and connecting the business end to end, from shopping and checkout to fulfillment and service.”

The 2026 Benchmark also reveals how unified commerce maturity is evolving by region:

• NOAM retailers benefit from deep ecommerce foundations and mature data infrastructure, leading in shopping and checkout personalization and cart execution.
• EMEA retailers stand out in operational consistency, cross‑border fulfillment and privacy‑conscious experiences shaped by a complex regulatory landscape.
• LATAM retailers are closing the gap faster than any other region, driven by rapid adoption of alternative payments, messaging‑led service via WhatsApp and mobile‑first fulfillment models.

“There is no single blueprint for winning in unified commerce. Different regions are moving at varied speeds and solving for different customer expectations. However, the common thread is clear: retailers that invest in connected experiences and precise execution are seeing the results in growth, resilience, and strong customer loyalty,” added Foote.

Click HERE to view and download the complete 2026 Global Unified Commerce Benchmark for Specialty Retail. Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan on LinkedIn.

ABOUT MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES

Manhattan Associates is a global technology leader, providing supply chain and omnichannel commerce solutions with unmatched AI capabilities. We design, build and offer best-in-class, AI-powered, cloud-based solutions that drive resilience and efficiency for businesses. We enable enterprises to uniquely unify front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution.

Our commitment to innovation, cloud-native platform and API-first architecture create simpler experiences and faster paths to value for our customers. We empower them to preempt and react to emerging trends and global disruptions with technical expertise and operational confidence, transforming challenges into competitive advantage. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.

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Starr, a global investment and insurance organization, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of IQUW Group, creating a broader, more diversified specialty (re)insurance platform with enhanced capabilities across the London market, Bermuda and UK retail motor.

The combined Starr business now serves more clients and brokers in more specialist classes and market segments globally. With IQUW Group, Starr has strengthened its position in the London market and established its managing agency as the ninth-largest at Lloyd’s. Importantly, Starr will continue to operate with a strong emphasis on underwriting expertise and best-in-class broker and client experience and service. Clients and brokers will benefit from a broader product offering, quick decision-making, greater capital strength and expanded global reach.

Starr’s reinsurance capability is also significantly enhanced following this transaction. IQUW Re Bermuda and IQUW’s London reinsurance business will now trade as Starr Re, writing the Company’s inward reinsurance and strengthening its ability to offer a diversified portfolio of products across geographies and lines of business. Starr Re will benefit from Starr’s capital strength, which will enable thoughtful capital deployment across market cycles and position the Group to better serve clients across the (re)insurance market.

In 2025, IQUW Group wrote $1.88 billion of GWP, which is comprised of business written by IQUW (Syndicate 1856), ERS (Syndicate 218), the UK’s largest specialist motor insurer at Lloyd’s, and IQUW Re Bermuda. Syndicate 1856 will be rebranded as Starr and IQUW Re will trade as Starr Re. ERS will continue to trade under its existing brand given its strong and established presence in the UK motor market. There will be no brand change to Starr’s Syndicate 1919.

“The completion of this transaction advances Starr’s strategy to build a global, diversified, best-in-class underwriting business. I am delighted to welcome our new colleagues to Starr,” said Jeff Greenberg, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Starr. “Together, we are a larger, more resilient platform with the scale and expertise to compete and win across global markets and deliver sustainable, long-term growth.”

Steve Blakey, president and chief executive officer of Starr Insurance Holdings, commented: “We are thrilled to be bringing together our talented people and ensuring that our clients and brokers have the same seamless support and access to a broader suite of specialist solutions. As a combined organization, we will remain relentlessly focused on delivering exceptional service for our brokers and clients across all elements of our business.”

Peter Bilsby, who will lead Starr’s international business, said: “The completion of this transaction is a proud moment for everyone who has contributed to building the IQUW Group since its inception. From the outset, our ambition was to create a high-performing, specialist platform defined by great talent and market-leading data and technology. Now, as part of Starr, we can take advantage of being part of a stronger and more diversified global organization.”

The transaction has received all required regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not publicly disclosed.

Media enquiries:

Starr
media@starr.com
Jonathan Watson (London)
jonathan.watson@starr.com

Prosek (public relations adviser to Starr)
Doug Campbell (London)
dcampbell@prosek.com
Kate Dillon (New York)
kdillon@prosek.com

About Starr

Starr is the marketing name for the investment business of C. V. Starr & Co., Inc. and the insurance and travel assistance companies of Starr International Company, Inc., and their subsidiaries. Starr is a leading global investment and insurance organization with a presence on six continents. Through its operating insurance companies, Starr provides property, casualty, and accident and health insurance products, as well as a range of specialty coverages, including aviation, marine, energy, and excess casualty insurance. Starr’s insurance company subsidiaries domiciled in the U.S., Bermuda, China, Hong Kong, Malta, Singapore, Switzerland, and U.K. each have an A.M. Best rating of “A” (Excellent). Starr’s Lloyd’s syndicates benefit from Lloyd’s Standard & Poor’s rating of “AA-” (Very Strong).

Visit us at www.starr.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (Biocytogen, SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315), a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies, today announced a strategic collaboration with Moonlight Bio, Inc., a Seattle-based biotech company pioneering advanced cell therapies. This partnership aims to develop cutting-edge cell therapies to address some of the most challenging and difficult-to-treat cancers.

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Biocytogen Announces Strategic Collaboration with Moonlight Bio to Advance Cell Therapies Using Library of Antibody Binders

 

Dr. Yuelei Shen, President and CEO of Biocytogen, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Moonlight Bio, a pioneering leader in advanced cell therapies. This strategic collaboration leverages our proprietary off-the-shelf fully human antibody library to accelerate the development of cutting-edge cell therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers. It also demonstrates the versatility and broad applicability of Biocytogen’s antibody discovery platforms beyond traditional drug modalities. By combining our expertise, we are poised to accelerate the development of transformative cell therapies that could overcome resistance and offer new hope to patients battling the toughest cancers.

Under the terms of the agreement, Biocytogen will provide its off-the-shelf antibody binders against therapeutic targets, and Moonlight Bio will oversee the preclinical development of cell therapies.

About Biocytogen

Biocytogen (SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315) is a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies. Founded on gene editing technology, Biocytogen has established a dual-engine platform combining a fully human antibody library with an extensive target-humanized mouse model portfolio, enabling a systematic approach to accelerating global drug discovery and development.

Biocytogen has independently developed its proprietary RenMice^® (RenMab^®/RenLite^®/RenNano^®/RenTCR™/RenTCR mimic™) platforms for fully human monoclonal/bispecific/multispecific antibody discovery, bispecific antibody-drug conjugate discovery, hu-VHH discovery, and TCR mimic antibody discovery, and has established a sub-brand, RenSuper™ Biologics, to explore global partnerships for an off-the-shelf library of >1,000,000 fully human antibody sequences against over 1000 targets for worldwide collaboration. As of December 31, 2025, more than 350 agreements for therapeutic antibodies and clinical assets—spanning co-development, out-licensing, and transfers—have been established globally, including landmark partnerships with leading multinational pharmaceutical companies (MNCs). Biocytogen pioneered the generation of drug target knock-in humanized models for preclinical research, and currently provides a few thousand off-the-shelf animal and cell models under the company’s sub-brand, BioMice™, along with preclinical pharmacology and gene-editing services for clients worldwide. Headquartered in Beijing, Biocytogen has branches in China (Haimen, Jiangsu, Shanghai), the USA (Boston, San Francisco, San Diego), and Germany (Heidelberg). For more information, please visit https://biocytogen.com.

About Moonlight Bio, Inc.

Moonlight Bio, Inc. is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company based in Seattle, WA aiming to develop potency enhanced cell therapies that provide new hope for patients suffering from cancer. Moonlight’s core technologies were illuminated by nature itself and are designed to confront the disappointing reality that therapies for solid tumors are simply not potent enough to generate the deep and durable responses that patients urgently need. To learn more, connect with Moonlight Bio on LinkedIn and visit us at http://www.moonlightbio.us/.

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