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VIKING EXPEDITION TEAM ANNOUNCES DISCOVERY OF NEW PENGUIN COLONY IN ANTARCTICA

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New Chinstrap Penguin Colony Recorded Following Survey at Astrolabe Island by Viking and Oceanites

LOS ANGELES, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Viking® (www.viking.com) today announced its expedition team supported the discovery of a new colony of chinstrap penguins not previously known to science on Diaz Rock, near Astrolabe Island, in Antarctica. The finding took place in January 2024 when Viking’s expedition vessel, the Viking Octantis®, visited Astrolabe Island, a three-mile-long island, located in the Bransfield Strait of the Trinity Peninsula in Antarctica. Astrolabe Island is home to a colony of chinstrap penguins that had not been surveyed since 1987. During the visit, Viking’s scientific partner, Oceanites, the leading field research entity in Antarctic penguin monitoring, conducted a visual and thermal aerial survey. The fieldwork documented the first survey in nearly 40 years of the known chinstrap penguin colony of Astrolabe Island and in the process, discovered the additional colony on Diaz Rock. Oceanites will share additional details from the survey in a scientific paper to follow in due course.

Today’s announcement is an example of Viking’s commitment that every expedition voyage on the Viking Octantis and her identical sister ship, the Viking Polaris®, should provide opportunities for meaningful scientific discovery. The findings also come one year after Viking published its first scientific paper in Polar Research, the scientific journal of the Norwegian Polar Institute, following its expedition team’s encounters with rare giant phantom jellyfish in Antarctica.

“With our third season in Antarctica underway, we are pleased to have supported another significant scientific development that will allow for further understanding of the region,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “From the thoughtful design of our expedition vessels, each with a well-appointed Science Lab, to our partnerships with some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, our intention has always been to provide our guests and scientists with opportunities for meaningful discovery during each voyage. We look forward to supporting other critical research opportunities on future voyages.”

Viking Expedition Team & Scientific Partners
Viking has created the world’s leading scientific enrichment environment in an expedition setting with the help of partnerships with esteemed academic institutions. During each expedition, visiting researchers from partner institutions are part of the multidisciplinary 36-person expedition team. This group of experts leads guests through meaningful scientific research, providing guiding and interpretation during shore excursions and delivering world-class lectures.

For 30 years, Oceanites, an American not-for-profit field research entity, has led on Antarctic penguin monitoring. As scientific partners, Viking supports the fieldwork of Oceanites through mobilizing teams of penguin researchers on its Antarctic expedition voyages and providing thermal cameras.

“The Antarctic peninsula is well-traveled and explored, and it is not often we find a new penguin colony,” said Dr. Grant Humphries, Director of Science at Oceanites. “Our partnership with Viking opened a new opportunity to not only count the chinstrap penguins on Astrolabe Island for the first time since the 1980s, but it also allowed us to locate and map a colony of chinstrap penguins previously unknown to us. This work will allow us to get a better understanding of how Antarctic penguin population dynamics are shifting in an ever-changing world.”

“Viking’s expedition vessels continue to showcase the potential of reimagined ‘ships of opportunity’ and the research capabilities available for scientific efforts,” said Dr. Damon Stanwell-Smith, Head of Science and Sustainability at Viking. “With scientists from our partner organizations on board, like Oceanites, we can conduct real, meaningful research in the regions. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Oceanites and other science partners to bring more findings forward in the future.”     

In addition to Oceanites, Viking’s other scientific partners include:

The University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI): Scientists from SPRI undertake fieldwork on board Viking’s expedition ships and join voyages to share expertise with guests. Cambridge University’s SPRI played a significant role in developing the scientific enrichment program for Viking Expeditions. Specialists from the Institute were also consulted in the development of The Science Lab on Viking’s expedition vessels; the 380-square-foot lab is comprehensively appointed with wet and dry laboratory facilities and supports a broad range of research. Julian Dowdeswell, Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Cambridge, and former director of SPRI, serves as the Chair of the Viking Research Advisory Group, a consortium of scientific leaders from Viking’s partner institutions who have been actively involved in overseeing the field research being undertaken on board.
     In 2022, Viking announced the Viking Polar Marine Geoscience Fund which endows the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) with its first-ever fully funded professorship—the Viking Chair of Polar Marine Geoscience. This post enables the development of new lines of research into the behavior of polar environments, including polar ice sheets, sea ice and ocean circulation.The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Ornithologists are regularly on board Viking’s expedition vessels, undertaking post-doctoral research on new observation methods and providing guest advice and interaction.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL): Conducts innovative research on the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and coastal regions to provide information for resource use and management decisions that lead to safe and sustainable ecosystems, ecosystem services, and human communities. Viking’s expedition ships have been designated official NOAA / US National Weather Service weather balloon stations, from which regular launches are undertaken.Norwegian Institute of Water Research (NIVA): Scientists from NIVA are engaged in cross-disciplinary research programs on water-related issues. On Viking’s expedition ships, NIVA “FerryBox system” of automated oceanographic instruments are installed to sample the marine and freshwater regions where the vessels sail, to provide continuous information about chlorophyll, oxygen, temperature, salinity, microplastic presence and complementary meteorological data.Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego: Viking hosts Fjord Phyto, a NASA-funded program of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, that provides the opportunity for guests to engage in research and public education through novel citizen science sampling of polar phytoplankton, for genetic population analyses.The IUCN Species Survival Commission Species Monitoring Specialist Group: Viking coordinates with this international group of experts to develop marine biodiversity monitoring systems that enable Viking expedition vessels to collect valuable species population data.Norwegian Polar Institute: The permitting authority for Viking’s Norwegian flagged expedition vessels, who review and approve all of Viking’s expedition and science activities in Antarctica.

Viking Expeditions
Viking offers destination-focused expeditions in Antarctica, the Arctic and North America’s Great Lakes, with an expedition fleet that includes the Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. Designed for discovery by the same team that designed the award-winning Viking Longships® and ocean ships, the 378-guest vessels are specifically built for expeditions, at an ideal size for safety, comfort and to support an unrivalled range of activities in remote destinations. With more indoor and outdoor viewing areas than other expedition vessels, guests are as close as possible to the most magnificent scenery on earth.

Media Assets
For more information about Viking, or for images and b-roll, please contact vikingpr@edelman.com.

About Viking
Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for curious travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences for The Thinking Person™. Viking has more than 450 awards to its name, including being rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking is also rated at the top of its categories for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure. No other travel company has simultaneously received the same honors by both publications. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Edelman for Viking
vikingpr@edelman.com

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Spectral Capital Announces Transformation into a Deep Quantum Technology Platform

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SEATTLE, Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Spectral Capital Corporation (OTCQB: FCCN), a pioneer in quantum innovation, proudly announces its transformation into a Deep Quantum Technology Platform. This strategic evolution positions Spectral at the forefront of the quantum era, uniting proprietary technologies in quantum cloud computing, distributed quantum ledger databases, and plasmonic quantum chips. With the addition of renowned quantum physicist Dr. Moshik Cohen as Chief Technology Officer and the groundbreaking Verdant Quantum initiative, Spectral Capital is pioneering scalable, sustainable, and practical quantum computing solutions.

From Incubator to Operator: Spectral’s New Vision

Spectral Capital has redefined its role in quantum technology by moving beyond incubation to develop, own, and operate its proprietary quantum systems.

“This is not just a rebranding—it is a bold leap into the future of quantum computing,” said Jenifer Osterwalder, CEO. “Spectral Capital will now deliver a fully integrated platform with technologies like the Vogon Decentralized Edge and Hybrid Cloud, its embedded Distributed Quantum Ledger Database (DQLDB), plasmonic System-On-a-Chip (SOC) architecture, and energy-efficient quantum algorithms. These innovations bridge the gap between classical and quantum systems, offering the scalability and environmental responsibility required for the quantum era.”

Introducing Room Temperature Quantum Transfer and Compute

To drive its ambitious vision, Spectral announced earlier this month the addition of Dr. Moshik Cohen, an expert in quantum state dynamics and plasmonic computing as CTO.  The Company is fusing the revolutionary initiative from Verdant Quantum to eliminate the need for cryogenic cooling by leveraging room-temperature plasmonic chips.

This solution bridges classical and quantum computing with CMOS-compatible plasmonic processors allowing these chips to harness energy waves controlled by light, called plasmons, to deliver near-light-speed data processing with unmatched precision and efficiency—all while dramatically reducing energy consumption and costs.

Transformative Innovations Powering Spectral’s Platform

The world’s first plasmonic-ready distributed quantum ledger database, Vogon, provides secure, scalable, and semantically enriched data management. Its key features include:

Deterministic Concurrency for low-latency performance.Post-Quantum Cryptography with SPHINCS+ for unparalleled security.Consensus Algorithms to ensure robust and scalable decentralized operations.

The Vogon DQLDB seamlessly connects legacy systems to quantum ecosystems, enabling industries such as finance, logistics, and healthcare to harness quantum efficiencies today.

Plasmonic System-On-a-Chip (SOC)

Spectral’s miniaturized plasmonic SOC technology will redefine the potential of its Vogon Cloud data centers, enabling near-light-speed processing at room temperature. These chips will power Spectral’s edge and hybrid compute data centers across 16 global regions, which will also serve as test beds for sustainable quantum computing.

“This innovation addresses the global call for environmentally friendly quantum solutions, reducing infrastructure costs while increasing processing power,” Brehm emphasized.

Quantum Algorithms and Collective Intelligence

Spectral’s proprietary quantum algorithms leverage cooperative distributed inferencing and analytic tomography to unlock real-time insights. By integrating these algorithms with Vogon DQLDB, Spectral enables industries to optimize operations, from autonomous vehicles to investment portfolio management.

Why Spectral Capital?

The quantum computing market is projected to grow from $885.4 million in 2023 to $12.62 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of up to 34.8%. Spectral’s technologies are positioned to participate in this growth while addressing urgent industry demands for scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable quantum solutions.

“Over the next decade, quantum computing will redefine the global economy,” said Brehm. “Spectral Capital is at the epicenter of this transformation. With Dr. Moshik Cohen, and our ecosystem partners, we are building not just for the future—we are building the future.”

About Spectral Capital

Spectral Capital Corporation (OTCQB: FCCN) is a Deep Quantum Technology Platform company delivering practical, scalable, and sustainable quantum solutions. Through its proprietary Vogon DQLDB, QuantumVM, and plasmonic SOCs, Spectral Capital is revolutionizing industries and paving the way for a more connected, efficient, and sustainable world.

For more information, visit www.spectralcapital.com or contact our Investor Relations team at Rubenstein and Associates.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events and FCCN’s growth and business strategy. Words such as “expects,” “will,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “hopes,” “estimates,” and variations on such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although FCCN believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of FCCN. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, changes in FCCN’s business; competitive factors in the market(s) in which FCCN operates; risks associated with operations outside the United States; and other factors listed from time to time in FCCN’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. FCCN expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in FCCN’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

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SOURCE Spectral Capital Corporation

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AGM Group Holdings Inc. Highlights Strategic Growth and Future Initiatives in AI and Cryptocurrency

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BEIJING, Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AGM Group Holdings Inc. (“AGM Holdings” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: AGMH), an integrated technology company specializing in the assembling and sales of high-performance hardware and computing equipment, released a statement of its CEO Dr. Bo Zhu today, discussing the Company’s growth strategies and future initiatives in the cryptocurrency industry.

Dr. Zhu, an experienced entrepreneur in the computer software sector, currently serves as CEO of AGM Holdings. He joined the Company in May 2021 as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and was appointed CEO and director in October 2023. Dr. Zhu earned his PhD in Computer Science and Technology from Zhejiang University in 2013 and has published over 20 research papers, 19 of which are indexed in SCI/EI (science and engineering). Below are key insights from the interview:

AGM Holdings’ Key Milestones

Strategic Partnerships: In 2021, AGM Holdings collaborated with Shenzhen Highsharp (Shenzhen Gaorui) Electronic Ltd. (“HighSharp”) to enhance ASIC chip R&D and mining equipment offerings.

Major Orders: AGM Holdings secured contracts in 2021, including:

i.    30,000 ASIC miners for Nowlit Solutions Corp (“Nowlit”).
ii.   25,000 MinerVa MV7 ASICs for MinerVa Semiconductor Corp.
iii.  1,500 Bitcoin miners for Meten Holding Group Ltd.

These collaborations evidenced by contractual agreements demonstrate the Company’s commitment to growth in the digital currency industry.

Strategic Positioning and Sustainable Growth

Recent highlights of AGM Holding’s strategic positioning include:

Joint Venture: In December 2024, AGM Holdings partnered with Nowlit to develop a 375MW data center in Canada for Bitcoin mining and AI computing.

Canaan Creative Global Pte Ltd. Partnership: In December 2024, AGM Holdings purchased 2,000 A15 series water-cooled mining machines.

Looking Into the Future

As the technology revolution deepens and cryptocurrency gains broader public acceptance, the demand for high-performance computing environments and data centers is surging, forming the backbone of these industries. Technology development, deployment, and applications will very likely depend on robust hardware and software ecosystems — an area where the Company possesses significant technical expertise and resource advantages. Similarly, computationally intensive processes like cryptocurrency mining and blockchain operations rely heavily on computing power and cost-effective energy, presenting opportunities to showcase the Company’s strengths and competencies. AGM Holdings is dedicated to become one of the key participants and contributors in the global technology hardware supply chain and blockchain ecosystem. This strategic positioning strives to drive long-term value for the company, partners, and shareholders.

About AGM Group Holdings Inc.

AGM Group Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AGMH) is an integrated technology company specializing in the assembling and sales of high-performance hardware and computing equipment. With a mission to become a key participant and contributor in the global blockchain ecosystem, AGMH focuses on the research and development of blockchain-oriented Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chips, the assembling and sales of high-end crypto miners for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. For more information, please visit www.agmprime.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “assesses,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information, please contact:

AGM Group Holdings Inc.
Email: ir@agmprime.com 
Website: http://www.agmprime.com

Ascent Investor Relations LLC
Tina Xiao
President
Phone: +1-646-932-7242
Email: investors@ascent-ir.com

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SOURCE AGM Group Holdings Inc.

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Virtusa Positioned as a Leader in NelsonHall’s 2024 Quality Engineering NEAT Report for Multiple Market Segments

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SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass., Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Virtusa Corporation, a global leader in digital business strategy, digital engineering, and IT services, has been positioned as a ‘Leader’ in the newly released NelsonHall 2024 NEAT (NelsonHall Vendor Evaluation and Assessment Tool) report for Quality Engineering. This recognition spans four critical segments: Overall Quality Engineering, AI-based Analytics & Automation, Application Migration to Cloud Testing, and GenAI Use Cases. Virtusa has also been designated a ‘Major Player’ in the RPA-based Automation market segment.

NelsonHall’s NEAT evaluation reflects Virtusa’s commitment to delivering high-impact, transformative solutions in Quality Engineering, combining leading-edge AI-based analytics, automation, and migration testing services that enable organizations to elevate quality, reduce risk, and accelerate innovation. Through deep technical expertise and industry alignment, Virtusa’s quality engineering team provides services to support robust digital transformation initiatives, enabling enterprises to stay resilient in an evolving market landscape.

“The demand for highly specialized quality engineering solutions has never been greater,” said Ram Meenakshisundaram, Chief Technology Officer at Virtusa. “Our focus on AI-based analytics, automation, and cloud testing solutions positions us to support our clients’ strategic quality engineering initiatives. Being recognized as a Leader in four segments by NelsonHall further underscores Virtusa’s ability to deliver resilient and future-ready solutions for our clients.”

Virtusa’s portfolio includes advanced offerings in AI-based analytics, cloud migration, and GenAI use cases. It is supported by an Engineering First approach that prioritizes practical, high-impact applications of automation and quality assurance technologies. This framework enables clients to achieve measurable business outcomes and confidently pursue digital transformation goals.

Dominique Raviart, NelsonHall’s IT Services Practice Manager, said, “Virtusa is focused on increasing the level of automation in QE, investing in GenAI and increasing the depth of current GenAI use cases such as test case optimization and defect triaging. The company is already investing in testing LLMs, addressing a new level of complexity across data, prompts, and model efficiency.”

For more information on Virtusa’s digital Engineering services, visit https://www.virtusa.com/services/engineer-automate.

About Virtusa

Virtusa Corporation provides digital engineering and technology services and solutions for Forbes Global 2000 companies across industries, including financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, media, manufacturing, and technology. With a foundation in digital engineering, Virtusa empowers enterprises to navigate digital transformation, driving operational efficiency and measurable outcomes. Leveraging its Engineering First approach, Virtusa partners with organizations to tackle complex challenges, delivering solutions that ensure resilience and competitive advantage.

Virtusa is a registered trademark of Virtusa Corporation. All other company and brand names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective holders.

About NelsonHall

NelsonHall is the leading global analyst firm dedicated to helping organizations understand the ‘art of the possible’ in digital operations transformation. With analysts in the U.S., U.K., Continental Europe, and India, NelsonHall provides buy-side organizations with detailed, critical information on markets and vendors (including NEAT assessments) that helps them make fast and highly informed sourcing decisions. And for vendors, NelsonHall provides deep knowledge of market dynamics and user requirements to help them hone their go-to-market strategies. NelsonHall’s analysis is based on rigorous, primary research, and is widely respected for the quality and depth of its insight.

Media Contact:

Paul Lesinski

Edelman

(971) 226-5299

paul.lesinski@edelman.com

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