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Groundfloor named to Forbes Fintech 50 list

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The alternative investing platform for real estate was recognized for its regulatory innovation, transparency and unique approaches to fundraising

ATLANTA, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Groundfloor, the award-winning alternative investment platform with over $1 billion in investment and repayment volume, is announcing it’s been named to the 2024 Forbes Fintech 50. This prestigious award highlights 50 companies that are changing how people invest, save and spend. Forbes recognized Groundfloor for its many first-to-market alternative investment products, the industry-leading transparency it offers to investors and its unique approach to fundraising. Groundfloor is only one of two companies featured in the real estate category and the only company on the list from Georgia.

“We’re excited to be recognized with this distinction,” said co-founder and CEO Brian Dally. “Similar to public market securities over the past 50 years, retail investor adoption of alternative investments, enabled by a new wave of regulatory and technology innovation, is now reshaping portfolios and capital markets for the better. Groundfloor’s product offerings continue to expand in scale and scope to open more opportunities for more investors, more rapidly than ever before.”

Groundfloor’s journey began in 2013, when Dally and his co-founder Nick Bhargava dreamed up the idea of creating a private capital marketplace open to everyone, not just the one percent. Bhargava helped author Title III of the JOBS Act of 2012, designed to allow more small businesses to access capital. The two picked up and moved to Atlanta because of the Invest Georgia Exemption, which liberalized securities regulations conducted within the state. Dally and Bhargava entered unchartered territory, and for the first time ever, Groundfloor packaged real estate debt securities for fractional participation by the general public. The first offering created $2 million in loans in Georgia alone, demonstrating the demand for fractionalized, alternative real estate investing.

With an idea that no company had ever tried before, Groundfloor then became the very first company qualified by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to offer real estate debt investments for both accredited and non-accredited audiences, eventually expanding investment opportunities to all 50 states.

Today, Groundfloor remains true to its mission of leveling the playing field so everyone can benefit from the unique advantages of fractionalized private market investing. In fact, to this day, anyone can still invest in most Groundfloor offerings with as little as $10. Many other companies emerged to mimic what Groundfloor accomplished, but none have generated consistent, short-term, 10% returns over a ten-year track record.

Last year marked another year of growth and innovation for Groundfloor despite high interest rates and housing market headwinds. The company launched multiple new products providing investors more options to invest in real estate backed alternatives. As a result of these product launches, including the Groundfloor 3.0 auto-investing app, the company grew year-over-year revenue by 25 percent. To date, Groundfloor has now surpassed $1.3 billion in retail investment volume and $1.1 billion in investor repayments, underscoring the continued appeal of fractionalized real estate investing.

Groundfloor is also known for its unique approach to fundraising. The company has raised more than $34 million in equity funding with the majority being from public stock sales to its own customers. Groundfloor is proudly 31 percent customer-owned, ensuring the company remains focused on delivering value for its 7,100+ shareholders, free from the outside influences that have caused many fintech startups to falter.

To learn more about Groundfloor and begin investing, visit Groundfloor.com or download the apps on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

About Groundfloor
Groundfloor is an award-winning fintech company that levels the playing field in financial markets for individual investors. Known for its regulatory prowess and developing completely new financial products for alternative investing, the company was the very first to be qualified to offer direct real estate debt investments for both accredited and non-accredited audiences alike. The company has won numerous awards for its product innovation and growth, including the Forbes Fintech 50 and four years in a row of being on the Inc. 5000 List. Since it launched in 2013, Groundfloor’s investors have consistently seen 10% annualized returns across its short-term investment offerings. For more information or to get started investing fractionally in real estate, visit Groundfloor.com

Media contact:
Hela Sheth
678-938-1318
hela@katalystcomms.com 

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SOURCE Groundfloor Finance Inc.

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G42 Collaborates with NVIDIA to Deliver Next-Generation Climate Solutions Using Earth-2

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ABU DHABI, UAE, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — G42, a leader in AI and cloud computing, today announced that it is partnering with NVIDIA to advance climate technology with a focus on developing AI solutions aimed at dramatically enhancing the accuracy of weather forecasting globally.

The collaboration builds on NVIDIA’s Earth-2, an open platform that accelerates climate and weather predictions with interactive, AI-augmented, high-resolution simulation. G42 and NVIDIA will initially focus on a square-kilometer resolution weather forecasting model that improves the accuracy of meteorological predictions.

Key to this initiative is the establishment of a new operational base and Climate Tech Lab in Abu Dhabi. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a hub for research and development, driving forward both companies’ commitment to environmental sustainability. This facility will also mobilize the creation of tailored climate and weather solutions that leverage over 100 petabytes of geophysical data assets.

Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, said, “This initiative with NVIDIA is a testament to our commitment to applying AI in ways that not only innovate but also solve critical global challenges. Establishing the Earth-2 Climate Tech Lab in Abu Dhabi allows us to leverage our unique capabilities and insights to foster a sustainable future for the world.”

In addition to fostering innovation in climate technology, the initiative will focus on building a robust framework for integrating enhanced weather prediction capabilities with comprehensive data metrics and visualization. This will assist organizations worldwide in achieving their sustainability goals through well-informed, data-driven environmental strategies.

“Our collaboration with G42 marks a pivotal step toward harnessing AI to understand and predict climate phenomena with unprecedented accuracy,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “The Earth-2 Climate Tech Lab will propel environmental solutions using the most advanced accelerated computing and AI technology to benefit millions of people around the world.”

By uniting G42’s AI expertise with NVIDIA’s computational acumen, this partnership aims to deliver transformative climate solutions that combine scientific accuracy with real-world applicability, driving impactful change across industries and ecosystems.

About G42

G42 is a technology holding group, a global leader in creating visionary artificial intelligence for a better tomorrow. Born in Abu Dhabi and operating worldwide, G42 champions AI as a powerful force for good across industries. From molecular biology to space exploration and everything in between, G42 realizes exponential possibilities, today.
To know more visit www.g42.ai.

Media contacts
Media and PR Team, G42
media@g42.ai

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/g42-collaborates-with-nvidia-to-deliver-next-generation-climate-solutions-using-earth-2-302253818.html

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Kawasaki and CB&I Sign Strategic Collaborative Agreement for Promoting Commercial-Use Liquefied Hydrogen Supply Chain

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HOUSTON, Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Kawasaki) and CB&I, a wholly owned unrestricted subsidiary of McDermott, announced today their signing of a strategic agreement for promoting a commercial-use liquefied hydrogen (LH2) supply chain and realizing a zero-carbon-emission society. The signing ceremony took place at Gastech Exhibition & Conference in Houston on September 18, 2024.

“We are very pleased for this opportunity to build and launch a commercial liquefied hydrogen supply chain in cooperation with CB&I,” said Motohiko Nishimura, President, Energy Solutions & Marine Engineering Company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. “By taking advantage of both companies’ strengths and specialized know-how, we aim to cost down hydrogen, strengthen hydrogen supply chain competitiveness, and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon society.”

Both companies will use their specialized know-how to provide infrastructure that will enable commercial-scale international LH2 supply chains in order to help achieve carbon-neutrality. By leveraging our combined expertise to deliver large-scale LH2 infrastructure solutions, CB&I and Kawasaki are removing barriers, driving down costs and enhancing scalability across the entire supply chain.

“This strategic partnership represents a significant advancement in liquid hydrogen storage capabilities,” said Mark Butts, Senior Vice President of CB&I. “Our technical expertise and extensive experience in liquid hydrogen storage position us at the forefront of the energy transition, delivering reliable storage solutions and executing projects worldwide with proven success.”

Under this agreement, the companies will provide infrastructure to advance the global realization of a sustainable energy economy and meet decarbonization targets. This collaboration will reduce LH2 infrastructure costs and contribute to more widespread use of this clean and efficient energy source.

About CB&I
CB&I is the world’s leading designer and builder of storage facilities, tanks, and terminals. With more than 60,000 structures completed throughout its 130-year history, CB&I has the global expertise and strategically located operations to provide its customers world-class storage solutions for even the most complex energy infrastructure projects. CB&I is a wholly owned unrestricted subsidiary of McDermott. To learn more, visit www.cbi.com.

About McDermott
McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. Our customers trust our technology-driven approach engineered to responsibly harness and transform global energy resources into the products the world needs. From concept to commissioning, McDermott’s innovative expertise and capabilities advance the next generation of global energy infrastructure—empowering a brighter, more sustainable future for us all. Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott’s locally-focused and globally-integrated resources include more than 30,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com.

About Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. is general engineering manufacturer with over 125 years of experience manufacturing products spanning land, sea and air. Kawasaki established the Kawasaki Group’s new vision statement, “Group Vision 2030: Trustworthy Solutions for the Future,” and is focusing on three fields, “A Safe and Secure Remotely-Connected Society,” “Near-Future Mobility,” and “Energy and Environmental Solutions” in order to provide solutions for social issues. For “Energy and Environmental Solutions” in particular, by securing the technology necessary for the entire supply chain (for production, transportation, storage and utilization) ahead of the rest of the world, Kawasaki aims to bring about a society that utilizes hydrogen, the ultimate clean energy that emits no carbon dioxide when used. To learn more, visit https://global.kawasaki.com/en.

Forward-Looking Statements
McDermott cautions that statements in this communication which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected benefits from the collaboration agreement discussed in this press release.  Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit or capital markets; our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog; changes in project design or schedules; the availability of qualified personnel; changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties; changes in industry norms; actions by lenders, other creditors, customers and other business counterparties of McDermott and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This communication reflects the views of McDermott’s management as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.

For media inquiries, please use the contact information below:

Reba Reid
Global Media Relations
+1 281 588 5636
RReid@McDermott.com

Kristi Krupala-Grove
CB&I Media Relations
+1 346 313 9636
KKrupala2@mcdermott.com

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SOURCE McDermott International, Ltd

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Halal Route Application – Eat, Travel around Thailand, Safe and Sound Halal Style

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BANGKOK, Thailand, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Halal Science Center, Chulalongkorn University has developed Halal Route, an application that lists restaurants, lodging, mosques, prayer directions, and tourist attractions in Thailand under Islamic tourism principles. It hopes to help Muslim tourists travel in Thailand with peace of mind, and supports tourism industry operators to grow and welcome a growing number of Muslim tourists.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicts that in 2024 there will be around 168 million Islamic tourists worldwide.  According to the Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI 2024), Thailand is the 32nd most popular destination for Muslim tourists.  However, the major problem Muslim tourists encounter in Thailand is finding Halal-accredited restaurants, hotels, accommodations, or tourist attractions with service areas (such as prayer rooms) that are compliant with the Islamic way.

Halal Route” is a travel aggregator app that collects searchable information on Halal restaurants, mosques, prayer locations, times, and directions for prayers (the qibla), tourist attractions, Muslim villages or communities, hotels, accommodations, etc.  This app is linked to Google Maps for navigation with precision. It also supports 3 languages, Thai, English, and Arabic, so that Muslim tourists can live and travel more comfortably and with peace of mind,” said Mr.Erfun Weahama, Science Service Officer, Halal Route App development team.

Dr. Anat Denyingyot, Assistant Director of the Halal Science Center, emphasized that the Halal Route application has the most reliable and comprehensive information on halal tourism in Thailand today. “All restaurants and locations have had on-site visits and are audited according to standards approved by a trusted authority or organization, such as certifications from religious organizations or halal food-related entities, as well as management systems to guarantee and be responsible for halal conditions (the HAL-Q system),” Dr. Anat assured.

Currently, the application has more than 1,100 restaurants in its database, and new locations and services are being updated, covering more than 40 provinces from north to south of Thailand that are popular among tourists.

Halal Route is not only for navigation, but a platform that connects Muslim communities from around the world who have the opportunity to visit Thailand,” Associate Professor Dr.Winai Dahlan, Director of the Halal Science Center concluded.

The Halal Route application is free to download on both iOS and Android systems.

Read the full article at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/185916/  

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SOURCE Chulalongkorn University

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