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Blue Alliance Announces Strategic Investment from Prairie Capital

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Revolutionizing the MSP Landscape: Our Innovative Platform Breaks Through Consolidation Clutter, Gaining Momentum

CINCINNATI, Feb. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Blue Alliance, a fast-growing, operator-led MSP collective, announced today that it has completed a growth recapitalization transaction with Prairie Capital, a proven firm in scaling companies across a wide array of industries. Prairie Capital’s investment will enable Blue Alliance to accelerate its growth strategy and offer more MSP owners an alternative to the standard agreement, as well as the opportunity to be part of a strong, supportive community focused on scaling and shared success.

For Nick Recker, founding partner and CEO of Blue Alliance, the fundamental synergies of the two companies felt like a partnership right from the start. “Freedom drives entrepreneurs like me. We designed the Blue Alliance model to offer MSPs owners continued freedom throughout our partnership, and Prairie’s business model resembles ours in that way.” Blue Alliance will continue to operate independently within the Prairie portfolio.

“We hand-selected Prairie as our investment partner because the two companies share many of the same philosophies for growing businesses,” added Recker. These shared philosophies include protecting the company’s brand, stakeholders, and relationships; leveraging best practices and building scalable platforms; embracing an entrepreneurial mindset; encouraging autonomy and focusing strategic investment in operational areas to unlock incremental value and growth. 

Blue Alliance is the fourth company founded by Nick Recker, and it was inspired by his experience and passion running the Cincinnati-based MSP, Path Forward IT, a company he founded in 2002 that specializes in providing concierge IT services to healthcare practices. The global interruption to business in 2020 exposed vulnerabilities, especially for founder-business owners. “I recognized that banding together would make us stronger. That sentiment became the vision to create a platform for MSP owners that fosters collaboration, sharing resources, buying power and expertise.” 

Today, Blue Alliance is redefining the MSP landscape by translating the founders’ experiences as MSP owners into a collaborative ecosystem where elite MSPs can thrive and grow, but it’s an increasingly crowded market.

“Consolidation is flooding the MSP industry. Regardless of whether it’s called a roll-up or a platform, most consolidations are transaction-based,” said Patrick Jensen, Partner, Prairie Capital. Blue Alliance is built on the understanding that for MSP owners, it’s not merely a transaction; it’s their life’s work and legacy. “Blue Alliance stands out for its empathetic approach and deeper integration model, making it a compelling alternative to traditional acquisition platforms.” 

“Our mission is to champion the independent MSP,” says Shaun Sexton, founding partner of Blue Alliance. “We set out to create an option for MSP owners like us who were ready to partner and take their business to the next level but hesitate because they don’t want the company they built to be dismantled, to lose its soul,” Sexton added. “Our approach is about collaboration, not control. We know the collective is only as strong as the sum of its parts. That’s why our mission is to amplify all the good things about a member MSP company, not change them.”

“What we’ve built at Blue Alliance is different from the other MSP platforms. For us, it’s personal. We’ve been where they are, we speak their language,” says Recker. “With Prairie on our team, we’ll be able to move faster, offering freedom to more MSP owners.”

ABOUT BLUE ALLIANCE
Blue Alliance is a fast-growing, operator-led MSP collective that offers a different option for MSP owners looking to invest in their future and unlock the full potential of their business. Built on first-hand entrepreneurial experience and insights, Blue Alliance invests in and nurtures a community where the best MSPs can unite and grow without losing their identity. For more information, visit bluealliance.com.

ABOUT PRAIRIE CAPITAL
Founded in Chicago in 1997, Prairie Capital is a private equity fund with a long and successful track record of scaling growth-oriented, lower middle market companies in partnership with talented founders and management teams. Since inception, Prairie has invested over $1 billion in 100+ platform companies. Prairie makes control equity investments in founder-owned companies that require company-building investments to evolve into scalable platforms capable of sustaining accelerated growth. Prairie targets companies that participate in growing subsectors within business services, consumer, education, healthcare, industrial, and technology. More information about Prairie can be found at www.prairie-capital.com.

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Exiger Identifies 13 Million Shipments, 50K Shippers Implicated in Forced Labor Connections

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37 Additions to UFLPA Entity List Most Likely to Impact Energy and Textile Industries

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Exiger, the market-leading supply chain and third-party risk AI company, released proprietary research generated by its AI platform 1Exiger examining the impact of the Department of Homeland Security’s recent announcement that 37 entities have been added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List. Exiger’s analysis reveals that the additions are most likely to impact the renewable energy and textile manufacturing industries, resulting in heightened risk of supply chain disruptions and rising costs.

The 37 entities are tied to critical minerals, cotton, and polysilicon used in solar modules from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. The UFLPA mandates that goods produced wholly or partially with forced labor in the XUAR or by entities linked to forced labor are prohibited from entry into the U.S. The DHS’s expansion of the UFLPA Entity List, now totaling 144 entities, reflects continued efforts to combat forced labor and human rights abuses.

Exiger identified 13.1 million shipments involving the newly added UFLPA entities or their direct or indirect subsidiaries since the start of 2024. More than 53,000 unique shippers, 113,000 business relationships and 88,000 unique consignees are associated with these shipments. Of those implicated, consignees are concentrated amongst construction and engineering, specialty retailers and distributors. Shippers are concentrated in textiles, apparel and luxury goods; electronic equipment, instruments and components; and metals and mining.

Exiger’s research also identifies the countries outside of China where shipment entities and consignees are based (Indian, Taiwan and Vietnam), and offers a case study diving deeper into one of the new entities, Huafu Fashion Co. Ltd.

Exiger cautions that industry stakeholders may experience delays due to increased Customs and Border Protection inspections, product or material shortages, strained logistics networks, and increased expenses from logistics and compliance measures. The company continues to monitor vulnerable supply chains and is working with customers to conduct supply chain audits, identify alternative suppliers and enhance due diligence where appropriate.

Exiger’s complete analysis is available at https://www.exiger.com/perspectives/dhs-adds-37-entities-to-uyghur-forced-labor-prevention-act-entity-list/

About Exiger
Exiger is revolutionizing the way corporations, government agencies and banks navigate risk and compliance in their third-parties, supply chains and customers through its software and tech-enabled solutions. Exiger’s mission is to make the world a safer and more transparent place to succeed. Empowering its 550 customers across the globe, including 150 in the Fortune 500 and over 55 organizations across the Defense Industrial Base and government agencies, with award-winning AI technology, Exiger leads the way in ESG, cyber, financial crime, third-party and supply chain management and recently achieved FedRAMP® Moderate Authorization. Named one of Fast Company’s 2023 and 2024 ‘Brands That Matter’ and recipient of the Third Party Risk Association’s 2024 Innovator Award, Exiger’s work has been recognized by 50+ AI, RegTech and Supply Chain partner awards. Learn more at Exiger.com and follow Exiger on LinkedIn.

For more information, please contact:
Kody Gurfein
Chief Marketing Officer
1.914.393.0398
kgurfein@exiger.com

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Boro Dropulic to Share Pivotal Insights at Advanced Therapies Week on January 21-22, 2025

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GAITHERSBURG, Md., Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Caring Cross and Vector BioMed, Inc. are pleased to announce that Boro Dropulic, Executive Director of Caring Cross and CEO of Vector BioMed, will be speaking at Advanced Therapies Week (ATW) on January 21 and 22 in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Dropulic will participate in three key sessions where he will share his expertise and insights into the future of cell and gene therapies, strategies for improving access, and the commercialization of innovative therapeutics.

Session Details

Plenary Panel: “Innovating for the Future of Cell and Gene Therapies”
Date: January 21, 2025
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 CST
Highlights: Dr. Dropulic will join an esteemed panel to explore challenges and solutions for advancing the next generation of cell and gene therapies.

Panel Discussion: “The CAR-T Story and the Future of Cell Therapies”
Date: January 21, 2025
Session Timing: 13:15 – 14:15 CST
Overview: Delve into the CAR-T journey, including technological advancements and innovations shaping the landscape of cellular therapies.

Workshop: “Transforming Good Science into Sustainable Business: Actionable Strategies for Commercializing Cell and Gene Therapies”
Date: January 22, 2025
Time: 8:00 – 9:00 CST
Format: A hands-on session where Dr. Dropulic will outline pathways for converting scientific innovation into scalable and accessible commercial solutions.

Thought Leadership from Dr. Boro Dropulic

Dr. Dropulic will address pressing issues such as the high cost of CAR-T and other cellular therapies, the importance of point-of-care manufacturing, and the global push to localize development and production:

Reducing Manufacturing Costs: Lowering the cost of materials, particularly lentiviral vectors, is critical to making therapies accessible. Vector BioMed is leading the way, offering GMP-grade lentiviral vectors at approximately half the price of leading alternatives through innovative and efficient manufacturing processes.Point-of-Care Manufacturing: Centralized manufacturing models are costly and inefficient. Distributing manufacturing directly to care facilities can reduce costs and ensure that transformative therapies reach more patients in need.

Global Access: Empowering low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to develop and manufacture advanced therapeutics will address disparities in healthcare access and drive meaningful change. Caring Cross’s initiatives and international networks aim to localize production capabilities and enable affordable treatments for underserved regions.

Caring Cross: Building a Global Network for Advanced Therapeutics

Through its International Affordable Advanced Therapeutics Manufacturing Network, Caring Cross partners with organizations worldwide to enhance point-of-care, low-cost manufacturing of cellular therapeutics. This network promotes equity, inclusiveness, and sustainability by:

Strengthening manufacturing capacity and clinical trial infrastructure.Expanding collaboration and visibility for member organizations.Enabling transparent and responsive manufacturing practices.

By addressing these needs, the network empowers organizations to serve diverse populations and contribute to the equitable development and distribution of lifesaving therapies.

Vector BioMed: Transforming Lentiviral Vector Development and Rapid Production

Vector BioMed continues to expand its development resources and optimize lentiviral vector manufacturing. The company is focused on:

Disrupting traditional workflows to offer cost-effective solutions.Refining vector design during early development for enhanced efficiency.Continuing innovation: Later in 2025, Vector BioMed plans to launch several new products as part of a notable expansion of its premier lentiviral vector platform technology.

With these advancements, Vector BioMed is committed to driving innovation while maintaining an unwavering focus on cost reduction for its clients.

Connect with Caring Cross and Vector BioMed at ATW

Learn more about Vector BioMed’s lentiviral vector services at Vector BioMed.
Discover how Caring Cross is advancing global access to therapies at Caring Cross.

Request a meeting with team members at ATW using the ATW Event App (link), our contact form, or via email at partner@vectorbiomed.com.

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EZGO ANNOUNCES FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024

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CHANGZHOU, China, Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — EZGO Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: EZGO) (“EZGO” or “we”, “our”, or the “Company”), a leading short-distance transportation solutions provider in China, today announced its audited financial results for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 (the “Fiscal Year 2024”).

Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Highlights (all results compared to the prior year period unless otherwise noted)

Revenues were $21.1 million, an increase of 32.7%, which was primarily due to the increase of sales of battery packs resulting from the increased acceptance of our lithium battery packs in the market.Gross profit was $1.5 million, an increase of 32.5%. Gross margin was 7.1%, which remained stable with a slight decrease from 7.2% for the fiscal year 2023.Net loss was $8.1 million, an increase from net loss of $7.3 million for the fiscal year 2023, representing an increase of 11.4%, which was primarily raised from the increase in impairment of long-term equity investment.Basic and diluted loss per share attributable to shareholders was $2.80, compared to $5.91 for the fiscal year 2023.As of September 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $3.5 million, compared to $17.3 million as of September 30, 2023.

Management Commentary

Mr. Jianhui Ye, Chief Executive Officer of EZGO, stated, “In the past fiscal year, the Company’s operating revenue increased by over 30%, which was attributed to the timely adjustment of business strategies by the Company’s management, their proactive response to new industry and market challenges, and the timely shift of business focusing on the lithium-ion battery (LIB) for low-speed e-bicycles. During the second quarter of this fiscal year, the e-bicycle business experienced a significant decline due to the “Nanjing EV Charging Station Massive Fire” accident, leading most dealers and consumers to adopt a wait-and-see attitude towards the existing stock of e-bicycles in the short term.

In response to changes in the market and regulatory environment, the Company has shifted its business focus towards LIB, intensifying product development efforts and cooperation with LIB manufacturing partners. The Company has also introduced multiple safe and efficient LIB products to the market through various channels, rapidly capturing the LIB market for e-bicycles and e-tricycles. Additionally, the e-bicycle business has transitioned from channel marketing to direct client marketing, with a focus on developing the e-bicycle sharing and rental market.

The aforementioned adjustment of business focus and new business layout have significantly tied up the Company’s working capital, resulting in a substantial year-on-year decline in working capital at the end of this fiscal year. However, as the expansion of new LIB product channels gradually takes shape and the sales of electric vehicle begins to show results, the occupation of operating capital in these two business segments will be effectively alleviated.

During the past fiscal year, the sales of the Company’s electronic control system products declined slightly compared to the previous period, yet the gross profit margin remained high. With the business strategy of increasing research and development expense and continuous market development investment, this business line is expected to contribute persistently to improving the Company’s overall profitability over the next three years. The intelligent robotics business is in the market introduction phase and has not yet formed sustained and stable order support. However, the Company will continue investing in research and development for this business line, aiming to build a new product matrix.”

Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Review

Net revenues

The following table identifies the disaggregation of our revenue from continuing operations and reportable segments for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively:

Years Ended September 30,

Segment

2022

2023

2024

Sales of batteries and
   battery packs

Battery cells and
packs segment

$

6,990,215

$

8,245,966

$

16,318,839

Sales of e-bicycles

E-bicycle sales
segment

9,405,103

4,276,147

2,899,541

Sales of electronic
   control system and
   intelligent robots

Electronic control
system and intelligent
robot sales segment

2,344,373

1,401,783

Others

993,899

1,054,173

514,262

Net Revenue

$

17,389,217

$

15,920,659

$

21,134,425

Net revenues from continuing operations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 (the “Fiscal Year 2024”) was $21.1 million, an increase of 32.7% from $15.9 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 (the “Fiscal Year 2023”). The increase in revenue from Fiscal Year 2023 to Fiscal Year 2024 was mainly due to the increased sales of battery packs and partially offset by the decreased sales of e-bicycles and the decreased sales of electronic control system and intelligent robots.

The revenue from sales of battery packs was $16.3 million for Fiscal Year 2024, an increase of 97.9% from $8.2 million for Fiscal Year 2023, due to the remarkable increase in sales volume derived by several large orders from major customers responding to the heightened market demand for high-performance battery solutions. In addition, such an increase mainly resulted from the increased acceptance of our lithium battery packs in the market and the development of the lead-acid battery market in Sichuan. Overall, our sales volume of lithium battery packs increased by 256.5% for the year ended September 30, 2024, compared to fiscal 2023.

The revenue from sales of e-bicycles was $2.9 million for Fiscal Year 2024, a decrease of 32.2% from $4.3 million for Fiscal Year 2023 due to the decreased sales volume of the e-bicycles resulting from the fierce competition of the e-bicycle industry.  

The revenue from sales of electronic control systems and intelligent robots was $1.4 million for Fiscal Year 2024, a decrease of 40.2% from $2.3 million for Fiscal Year 2023, mainly due to the decrease of $1,510,225 in sales of intelligent robots and offset by the increase of $951,665 in sales of electronic control systems. The revenue from sales of electronic control systems increased significantly by 211.4 % for fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023, primarily due to the increased emphasis on environmental protection and construction safety within the industrial machinery sector. The decrease in sales for intelligent robots is primarily attributed to the fact that our main clients were upgrading and renovating their park facilities, resulting in no demand for intelligent robots during fiscal 2024.

Cost of revenues

Cost of revenues was $19.6 million for Fiscal Year 2024, an increase of 32.8% from $14.8 million for Fiscal Year 2023, which was primarily due to the increase of manufacturing and purchase cost of battery packs for sales of batteries and battery packs, which is in line with the increase of revenues.

Gross profit

Gross profit was $1.5 million for Fiscal Year 2024, an increase of 32.5% from $1.1 million for Fiscal Year 2023.

Gross profit margin remained relatively stable, with a slight decrease from 7.2% in fiscal 2023 to 7.1% in fiscal 2024. The gross profit from electronic control system and intelligent robot sales segment increased from 25.8% for fiscal 2023 to 47.3% for fiscal 2024, predominantly attributable to the enhanced contribution of electronic control system sales business with a higher gross profit margin. The electronic control system developed and manufactured by Changzhou Higgs was embedded with highly complex software and the limited competition in the market results in a relatively high gross profit margin of 47.3% for electronic control system sales, which accounts for 6.6% of our total revenue in fiscal 2024 compared to 5.0% in fiscal 2023.

Selling and marketing expenses

Selling and marketing expenses remained relatively stable at $0.6 million for Fiscal Year 2024, a slight decrease of 9.5% compared to fiscal 2023, primarily due to the decrease in advertisement and business promotion expenses, service expenses and travel expenses. Advertisement and business promotion expenses s decreased by $71,610 or 92.6% to $5,751 in fiscal 2024, mainly due to the reduced advertising demands as our existing customer base and sales force were sufficient to support our business development and expansion. Travel expenses decreased by $13,607 or 15.3% to $75,504 in fiscal 2024; Service expenses decreased by $15,297, or 78.3%, from $19,529 in fiscal 2023 to $4,232 in fiscal 2024.

General and administrative expenses

General and administrative expenses remained relatively stable at $4.3 million for Fiscal Year 2024, a slight decrease of 8.3% from $4.7 million for Fiscal Year 2023. The decrease was primarily attributed to (1) the decrease of the share-based compensation expense of $880,851; (2) the decrease of depreciation and amortization expenses of $257,460, or 76.3%, mainly due to the disposal of Property, plant and equipment, including production lines and buildings of Tianjin Dilang and Tianjin Jiahao and E-bicycle charging piles; (3) the decrease of the professional service fees of $191,352, which was mainly due to the decrease of the investment consultancy fee. The decrease was partially offset by (1) the increase of credit losses expense on accounts receivable of $837,863, or 168.4%, mainly due to the difficulties in collecting accounts receivable from individual dealers of e-bicycles who was facing fierce competition from the industry-leading enterprises, and (2) the liquidated damages expense of $138,806 due to the early termination of a procurement contract.

Research and development expenses

Research and development expenses was $0.9 million for Fiscal Year 2024, an increase of 37.0% from $0.7 million for Fiscal Year 2023. The increase was primarily attributed to (1) the increased expenses in research and development activities for engineering vehicle wireless measurement and control system and construction worker safety positioning system of $84,735; (2) the increased depreciation and amortization expenses of $191,676 due to the patents and software acquired in May 2023, which were partially offset by the decreased expenses of $28,084 in research and development activities due to the disposal of Tianjin Dilang.

Income tax expense/benefit

EZGO incurred an income tax benefit of $786,369 for Fiscal Year 2024. This was a result from the increased deferred tax assets of $681,785, mainly due to the recurring net loss in fiscal 2024.

Net loss

Net loss was $8.1 million for Fiscal Year 2024, compared to $7.3 million for Fiscal Year 2023.

Financial Condition

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $3.5 million, and a fixed deposit receipt of $1.5million with a maturity date of December 21, 2024 compared to $17.3 million as of September 30, 2023.

For additional information, please see EZGO’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 17, 2025.

About EZGO Technologies Ltd.

Leveraging an Internet of Things (IoT) product and service platform and two e-bicycle brands, “EZGO” and “Cenbird,” EZGO has established a business model centered on the design, manufacturing and sale of two-and three-wheeled electric vehicles, intelligent robots, complemented by electric vehicle accessories including batteries, charging piles and electronic control system. For additional information, please visit EZGO’s website at www.ezgotech.com.cn. Investors can visit the “Investor Relations” section of EZGO’s website at www.ezgotech.com.cn/Investor.

Exchange Rate

This announcement contains translations of certain Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”) amounts into U.S. dollars (“US$”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the readers. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to US$ were made at the rate of RMB7.0176 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of September 30, 2024, the middle price of RMB exchange rate announced by the People’s Bank of China. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or US$ amounts referred could be converted into US$ or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate,” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following: the Company’s goals and strategies; the Company’s future business development; product and service demand and acceptance; changes in technology; economic conditions; the growth of the short-distance transportation solutions market in China and the other international markets the Company plans to serve; reputation and brand; the impact of competition and pricing; government regulations; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and the international markets the Company plans to serve and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the Company’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 20-F and its subsequent filings. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

Investor Relations Contact

At the Company:
Shawn Wen
Phone: +86 13502829216
Email: ir@ez-go.com.cn 

 

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