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BRITA SE, Germany acquires innovative hydration company LARQ, Inc.

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Experts of drinking water optimization continue international expansion into North American consumer business under the LARQ brand.

TAUNUSSTEIN, Germany, Feb. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BRITA SE, one of the world’s leading companies in the field of drinking water optimization and individualization, has acquired LARQ, Inc., the innovative brand behind a line of sustainable and healthy hydration products in North America. A medium-sized family-owned company based in Taunusstein, Germany, BRITA SE sees this acquisition as a strategic milestone especially for the further development of the consumer business particularly in North America.

Founded in the San Francisco Bay area, LARQ has successfully developed and launched premium-class self-cleaning drinking bottles with UV-C purification, most notably the LARQ Bottle PureVis™ which debuted in 2018. Today’s portfolio is complemented by the UV-C purified and filtered LARQ Pitcher PureVis™ water jug with app connectivity, as well as an award-winning lineup of reusable drinkware products touted for their award-winning design. With high-quality products in the lifestyle segment, LARQ, like BRITA SE, has set itself the goal of providing an alternative to water from single-use plastic bottles and thus actively contributes to environmental protection.

“Digitally native,” LARQ today generates the majority of its business through Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) sales. Moreover, global retail and corporate sales have strongly grown recently and contributed to the success of the company. In the financial year 2023, revenues have reached solid double-digit millions.

Markus Hankammer, CEO of BRITA SE, underlines the strategic importance of the acquisition: “We see LARQ as perfect match for the further expansion in North America and the growth of our own eCommerce business as part of the global strategy: Shaping Sustainable Solutions. For us it is key to preserve the entrepreneurial spirit and the strong growth dynamics. Therefore, LARQ co-founder Justin Wang will continue to lead the company with their strong global team in the future.”

LARQ, Inc. remains an independent legal entity globally operating under the LARQ brand. The global LARQ team of 33 employees accompanies the acquisition and will continue the brand mission to provide award-winning, sustainable hydration worldwide.

About BRITA SE

With total sales of 664 million euros for the group in business year 2022 and 2,262 employees worldwide (of which 1,221 are in Germany) at the end of 2022, BRITA SE is one of the leading companies in drinking water optimisation and individualisation.

With its long-established brand BRITA SE has a leading position in the global water filter market. The family-owned company based in Taunusstein near Wiesbaden is represented by 30 national and international subsidiaries and branches as well as shareholdings, distribution and industrial partners in 70 countries on all five continents. It has production sites in Germany, the UK, Italy and China.

Founded in 1966, today the inventor of the household water filter jug develops, produces and distributes a wide range of innovative drinking water optimisation solutions for private (water filter jugs, on-tap systems and BRITA Integrated Solutions for small and large electric appliances by renowned manufacturers) and commercial use (hotel sector, restaurants, catering and vending) plus mains-fed water dispensers for offices, schools, restaurants and the hygiene-sensitive care sector (hospitals, care homes).

Since 2016 BRITA SE has been working with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) to protect the world’s oceans from plastic waste, thereby helping to protect whales and dolphins.

About LARQ

LARQ combines innovative technology with inspirational design to help people access pristine, sustainable drinking water anytime and anywhere.

Committed to sustainability, every LARQ purchase gives back, expanding access to clean drinking water worldwide, and working to eliminate single-use plastic pollution.

The company is headquartered in California, USA, and is a subsidiary of BRITA SE, Germany.

Join the conversation and pledge to #DrinkBrilliantly by following LARQ on Instagram and LinkedIn. For more information about LARQ, please visit www.livelarq.com.

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SOURCE LARQ, Inc.

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CreateAI Announces Results of 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

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SAN DIEGO, Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CreateAI Holdings Inc., formerly TuSimple Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS: TSPH) (“CreateAI” or the “Company”), a global artificial intelligence technology company, today announced shareholder voting results for its annual meeting of stockholders held on December 20, 2024 (the “Annual Meeting”).

As of October 28, 2024, the record date for the Annual Meeting, there were a total of 232,618,399 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, comprised of 208,618,399 shares of Class A Common Stock (each with one vote per share) and 24,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock (each with ten votes per share). At the Annual Meeting, holders of 207,347,538 shares of common stock, representing 423,347,538 votes, entitled to vote at the meeting were represented in person or by proxy and, therefore, a quorum constituted of the majority of the voting power of the shares of common stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting was present.

The following is a brief description of each matter voted upon at the 2024 Annual Meeting and the numbers of votes cast for, withheld, or against, the number of abstentions, and the number of broker non-votes with respect to each other, as applicable.

1. Election of six nominees to serve on the Board of Directors (the “Board”) for a term which will expire at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, or, if Proposal Two is adopted, to hold office until the annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with the class of director to which each nominee will be assigned. The following six directors were elected by the votes as indicated below.

 
 

For

 

Withheld

 

Broker Non-Votes

Cheng Lu

 

208,949,915

 

164,765,0191

 

49,632,604

Mo Chen

 

208,946,146

 

164,768,7881

 

49,632,604

James Lu

 

209,109,928

 

164,605,0061

 

49,632,604

Zhen Tao

 

209,158,316

 

164,556,6181

 

49,632,604

Albert Schultz

 

348,895,0191

 

24,819,915

 

49,632,604

Jianan Hao

 

209,021,652

 

164,693,2821

 

49,632,604

The totals above include the 240,000,000 votes represented by the Class B shares of Common Stock. 12,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock (representing 120,000,00 votes) were voted “FOR” and 12,000,000 shares of Class B Common stock (representing 120,000,00 votes) were voted “WITHHELD” for each of the Directors other than Albert Schultz. All shares of Class B Common Stock were voted “FOR” the election of Albert Schultz. Excluding the 240,000,000 votes from the 24,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock from the totals above, the 183,347,538 shares of Class A Common Stock were voted as indicated below.

 
 

For

 

Withheld

 

Broker Non-Votes

Cheng Lu

 

88,949,915

 

44,765,019

 

49,632,604

Mo Chen

 

88,946,146

 

44,768,788

 

49,632,604

James Lu

 

89,109,928

 

44,605,006

 

49,632,604

Zhen Tao

 

89,158,316

 

44,556,618

 

49,632,604

Albert Schultz

 

108,895,019

 

24,819,915

 

49,632,604

Jianan Hao

 

89,021,652

 

44,693,282

 

49,632,604

2. Amendment to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation to classify the Board of Directors into three classes, with directors in each class to serve staggered three-year terms. Pursuant to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Proposal Two must receive the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, since directors representing two-thirds (2/3) of the total number of authorized directors have already approved. The amendment was not approved2 by the votes as indicated below:

For

 

Against1

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non-Votes

208,955,668

 

164,659,652

 

99,614

 

49,632,604

Because Proposal Two was not approved, the six directors elected pursuant to Proposal One will serve on the Board for a term which will expire at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders.

3. Ratification of the appointment of UHY LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. The selection was ratified by the votes as indicated below:

For

 

Against1

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non-Votes

255,504,371

 

155,923,768

 

11,919,399

 

Note 1: Includes 120,000,000 votes of the 12,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by White Marble LLC and White Marble International Limited (together, the “White Marble Entities”) controlled by Dr. Xiaodi Hou.

Note 2: The White Marble Entities have filed an action in the Delaware Court of Chancery seeking a declaratory judgment that the voting agreement between White Marble and Mo Chen is invalid and White Marble, not Mo Chen, controls the vote. White Marble LLC v. Chen, C.A. No. 2024-1208-PAF (Del. Ch.) On December 13, 2024, the Court entered an order that allows the Company to hold the vote on Proposal Two, and ordered that if Proposal Two is not approved at the Annual Meeting but the Court determines in the Action that Mo Chen, not the White Marble Entities, control how the White Marble Entities’ Shares are voted, then the White Marble Entities’ shares shall be deemed to have been voted in favor of Proposal Two at the Annual Meeting and that such vote shall stand. The vote totals above include the votes of the shares held by the White Marble Entities as voted by the White Marble Entities. If the shares held by the White Marble entities reflected in the totals above are deemed to have been voted in favor of Proposal Two, the Proposal will have passed. Accordingly, if the Court rules in Mo Chen’s favor, Proposal Two will be deemed to have passed and the Company would be permitted to amend its Certificate of Incorporation to implement Proposal Two and each of the directors elected pursuant to Proposal One will serve on the Board until the annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with the class of director to which each nominee is assigned.

About CreateAI

CreateAI (formerly TuSimple) is a global artificial intelligence company with offices in US, China, and Japan. The company is pioneering the future of digital entertainment content production, seamlessly blending cutting-edge generative AI technology with the creativity of world-class talent. Our mission is to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in digital storytelling by developing immersive, captivating, and visually stunning experiences that resonate with audiences on a global scale.

Investor Relations Contact:
ICR for CreateAI
CreateAI.IR@icrinc.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/createai-announces-results-of-2024-annual-meeting-of-stockholders-302338618.html

SOURCE CreateAI Holdings Inc

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O3 Mining Grants Security-Based Compensation For 2024

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/THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES./

TSXV:OIII – O3 Mining

TORONTO, Dec. 23, 2024 /CNW/ – O3 Mining Inc. (TSXV: OIII) (OTCQX: OIIIF) (“O3 Mining” or the “Corporation”) announces its ordinary course security-based compensation awards for the year ended December 31, 2024. Effective December 23, 2024, the Corporation has granted to certain officers, directors and/or employees of the Corporation an aggregate of (i) 878,817 restricted share units of the Corporation (“RSUs”), and (ii) 230,750 deferred share units of the Corporation (“DSUs”). The RSUs will vest in their entirety over three years from the date of grant, with one-third of the RSUs vesting on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the date of grant. The DSUs will vest in accordance with the Corporation’s DSU plan.

The Corporation anticipates the vesting of RSUs and DSUs will be accelerated in connection with the initial deposit period for the previously announced cash offer of $1.67 per common share of the Corporation by an affiliate of Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (“Agnico Eagle”) to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation not already owned, directly or indirectly, by Agnico Eagle (the “Offer”). The Offer has been made in accordance with the support agreement between Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining dated December 12, 2024, a copy of which is available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under O3 Mining’s issuer profile.

About O3 Mining Inc.

O3 Mining Inc. is a gold explorer and mine developer in Québec, Canada, adjacent to Agnico Eagle’s Canadian Malartic mine. O3 Mining owns a 100% interest in all its properties (128,680 hectares) in Québec. Its principal asset is the Marban Alliance project in Québec, which O3 Mining has advanced over the last five years to the cusp of its next stage of development, with the expectation that the project will deliver long-term benefits to stakeholders. Further information can be found on our website at https://o3mining.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on current expectations, estimates, projections, and interpretations about future events as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking information and statements are based on estimates of management by O3 Mining, at the time they were made, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding vesting of RSUs and DSUs, including any accelerated vesting thereof; the anticipated next stage of development of the Marban Alliance project; and the expectation that the Marban Alliance project will deliver long-term benefits to stakeholders. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what O3 Mining believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable expectations and assumptions, there is no assurance that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither O3 Mining nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. O3 Mining does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to be a forecast, projection or estimate of the future financial performance of O3 Mining.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

SOURCE O3 Mining Inc.

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CreateAI Announces Results of 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

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SAN DIEGO, Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CreateAI Holdings Inc., formerly TuSimple Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS: TSPH) (“CreateAI” or the “Company”), a global artificial intelligence technology company, today announced shareholder voting results for its annual meeting of stockholders held on December 20, 2024 (the “Annual Meeting”).

As of October 28, 2024, the record date for the Annual Meeting, there were a total of 232,618,399 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, comprised of 208,618,399 shares of Class A Common Stock (each with one vote per share) and 24,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock (each with ten votes per share). At the Annual Meeting, holders of 207,347,538 shares of common stock, representing 423,347,538 votes, entitled to vote at the meeting were represented in person or by proxy and, therefore, a quorum constituted of the majority of the voting power of the shares of common stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting was present.

The following is a brief description of each matter voted upon at the 2024 Annual Meeting and the numbers of votes cast for, withheld, or against, the number of abstentions, and the number of broker non-votes with respect to each other, as applicable.

1.     Election of six nominees to serve on the Board of Directors (the “Board”) for a term which will expire at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, or, if Proposal Two is adopted, to hold office until the annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with the class of director to which each nominee will be assigned. The following six directors were elected by the votes as indicated below.

 
 

For

 

Withheld

 

Broker Non-Votes

Cheng Lu

 

208,949,915

 

164,765,0191

 

49,632,604

Mo Chen

 

208,946,146

 

164,768,7881

 

49,632,604

James Lu

 

209,109,928

 

164,605,0061

 

49,632,604

Zhen Tao

 

209,158,316

 

164,556,6181

 

49,632,604

Albert Schultz

 

348,895,0191

 

24,819,915

 

49,632,604

Jianan Hao

 

209,021,652

 

164,693,2821

 

49,632,604

The totals above include the 240,000,000 votes represented by the Class B shares of Common Stock. 12,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock (representing 120,000,00 votes) were voted “FOR” and 12,000,000 shares of Class B Common stock (representing 120,000,00 votes) were voted “WITHHELD” for each of the Directors other than Albert Schultz. All shares of Class B Common Stock were voted “FOR” the election of Albert Schultz. Excluding the 240,000,000 votes from the 24,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock from the totals above, the 183,347,538 shares of Class A Common Stock were voted as indicated below.

 
 

For

 

Withheld

 

Broker Non-Votes

Cheng Lu

 

88,949,915

 

44,765,019

 

49,632,604

Mo Chen

 

88,946,146

 

44,768,788

 

49,632,604

James Lu

 

89,109,928

 

44,605,006

 

49,632,604

Zhen Tao

 

89,158,316

 

44,556,618

 

49,632,604

Albert Schultz

 

108,895,019

 

24,819,915

 

49,632,604

Jianan Hao

 

89,021,652

 

44,693,282

 

49,632,604

2.       Amendment to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation to classify the Board of Directors into three classes, with directors in each class to serve staggered three-year terms. Pursuant to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Proposal Two must receive the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, since directors representing two-thirds (2/3) of the total number of authorized directors have already approved. The amendment was not approved2 by the votes as indicated below:

For

 

Against1

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non-Votes

208,955,668

 

164,659,652

 

99,614

 

49,632,604

Because Proposal Two was not approved, the six directors elected pursuant to Proposal One will serve on the Board for a term which will expire at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders.

3.       Ratification of the appointment of UHY LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. The selection was ratified by the votes as indicated below:

For

 

Against1

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non-Votes

255,504,371

 

155,923,768

 

11,919,399

 

Note 1: Includes 120,000,000 votes of the 12,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by White Marble LLC and White Marble International Limited (together, the “White Marble Entities”) controlled by Dr. Xiaodi Hou.

Note 2: The White Marble Entities have filed an action in the Delaware Court of Chancery seeking a declaratory judgment that the voting agreement between White Marble and Mo Chen is invalid and White Marble, not Mo Chen, controls the vote. White Marble LLC v. Chen, C.A. No. 2024-1208-PAF (Del. Ch.) On December 13, 2024, the Court entered an order that allows the Company to hold the vote on Proposal Two, and ordered that if Proposal Two is not approved at the Annual Meeting but the Court determines in the Action that Mo Chen, not the White Marble Entities, control how the White Marble Entities’ Shares are voted, then the White Marble Entities’ shares shall be deemed to have been voted in favor of Proposal Two at the Annual Meeting and that such vote shall stand. The vote totals above include the votes of the shares held by the White Marble Entities as voted by the White Marble Entities. If the shares held by the White Marble entities reflected in the totals above are deemed to have been voted in favor of Proposal Two, the Proposal will have passed. Accordingly, if the Court rules in Mo Chen’s favor, Proposal Two will be deemed to have passed and the Company would be permitted to amend its Certificate of Incorporation to implement Proposal Two and each of the directors elected pursuant to Proposal One will serve on the Board until the annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with the class of director to which each nominee is assigned.

About CreateAI

CreateAI (formerly TuSimple) is a global artificial intelligence company with offices in US, China, and Japan. The company is pioneering the future of digital entertainment content production, seamlessly blending cutting-edge generative AI technology with the creativity of world-class talent. Our mission is to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in digital storytelling by developing immersive, captivating, and visually stunning experiences that resonate with audiences on a global scale.

Investor Relations Contact:
ICR for CreateAI
CreateAI.IR@icrinc.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/createai-announces-results-of-2024-annual-meeting-of-stockholders-302338618.html

SOURCE CreateAI Holdings Inc

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