Technology

51Talk Online Education Group Announces Change to Board Composition

Published

11 months ago

May 31, 2024

SINGAPORE, May 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — 51Talk Online Education Group (“51Talk” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: COE), a global online education platform with core expertise in English education, announced today that its board of directors (the “Board”) has appointed Mr. Jimmy Lai as an independent director, effective June 1, 2024. Mr. Jimmy Lai will also serve as a member and chairman of the audit committee of the Board, a member of the compensation committee of the Board, and a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board. Effective May 31, 2024, Mr. Shengwen (Roy) Rong resigned as a director of the Company for personal reasons and stepped down as a member and chairman of the audit committee of the Board, a member of the compensation committee of the Board, and a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee of the Board. The resignation of Mr. Shengwen (Roy) Rong did not result from any dispute or disagreement with the Company or the Board on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.

Mr. Lai currently serves as the chief financial officer of Kneron, a leading provider of full stack edge AI solutions company. Mr. Lai also serves as an independent director of several NYSE-listed companies, including Zepp Corporation (NYSE: ZEPP) and FinVolution Group (NYSE: FINV). Mr. Lai served as the chief financial officer of 51Talk from June 2015 to December 2018. Prior to joining 51Talk in 2015, Mr. Lai served as the chief financial officer for several companies, including Chukong Technologies Corp., a leading mobile entertainment platform company in China, from 2013 to 2015, Gamewave Corporation, a leading webgame company in China, from 2011 to 2013, Daqo New Energy Corp., an NYSE-listed company and a leading polysilicon manufacturer based in China, from 2009 to 2011, Linktone Ltd., a Nasdaq-listed company and a leading provider of wireless interactive entertainment services to consumers in China, from 2008 to 2009 and Palm Commerce Holdings, a leading information technology solution provider for the China lottery industry, from 2006 to 2008. Prior to that, Mr. Lai served as an associate vice president of investor relations at Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, a company listed on the NYSE and the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, from 2002 to 2006, and as a controller and director of financial planning at AMX Corporation from 1997 to 2001. Mr. Lai received his MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and his bachelor’s degree in statistics from the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. Mr. Lai is a certified public accountant licensed in the State of Texas.

Mr. Jack Jiajia Huang, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 51Talk, commented, “We thank Mr. Shengwen (Roy) Rong for his service to us as our board member and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. At the same time, we warmly welcome Mr. Jimmy Lai, and look forward to working with him again to build on the success we have already achieved.”

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements which are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to,” and similar statements. 51Talk may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about 51Talk’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in 51Talk’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and 51Talk does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

About 51Talk Online Education Group

51Talk Online Education Group (NYSE American: COE) is a global online education platform with core expertise in English education. The Company’s mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The Company’s online and mobile education platforms enable students to take live interactive English lessons, on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students.

For more information, please visit http://ir.51talk.com.

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SOURCE 51Talk Online Education Group

Technology

AR.IO Launches Credit Card Payments For Web3 Identity and Hosting on Arweave

Published

2 hours ago

May 7, 2025

NEW YORK, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Permanent cloud network AR.IO onramps credit cards for its leading domain name and web-hosting service, ArNS, on the Arweave blockchain

AR.IO, the world’s first permanent cloud network built on the Arweave blockchain, has launched new fiat capability for purchases of its leading domain name service, ArNS, which offers easy access to web3 applications and permanent website hosting.

Traditional domain name platforms require ongoing subscription renewals and rely on centralized infrastructure. ArNS, however, is supported by AR.IO’s network of 400+ gateways, making it decentralized and globally accessible. Users also have the option to buy a permanent domain name that never expires, nor does any data attached to it.

AR.IO users have long been able to buy credits for uploads to the network with fiat, $AR, $MATIC, $SOL, $ETH, and $ETH on Base. But starting today, they can use a simple credit card to purchase credits in a one-time transaction. This is made possible through AR.IO’s “Turbo” – an open-source bundler for the Arweave ecosystem that also bridges fiat to crypto.

Commenting on the launch of ArNS’s new credit-card capability, Phil Mataras, founder and CEO of AR.IO, says, “With ArNS and its permanent purchase option, you will never, ever, lose access to your domain name or your website because you forgot to pay a subscription or the chain or provider removed or lost your data. This is a unique feature that sets us apart from any other DNS provider out there – and this couldn’t come at a better time as we see online information being deleted and manipulated at a rapid pace.”

More than simply pointing to data, ArNS domains are programmable smart contracts designed to trigger integrations, on-chain logic, and automations. With every name, users can permanently host apps, websites, and data via Arweave. This decentralized storage solution provides an alternative to centralized services that protects users from outages due to missed payments or provider issues.

Creating a new standard for digital identities, ArNS doesn’t just replace traditional DNS, it reinvents it for a sovereign, decentralized global internet.

About AR.IO

AR.IO is the first permanent cloud network, providing decentralized, censorship-resistant access to data, storage, and domains. Built on Arweave, AR.IO ensures information and applications remain universally accessible, tamper-proof, and free from centralized control. Its incentivized gateway network enhances reliability, while self-sovereign, permanent domains eliminate renewals and offer true digital ownership. AR.IO envisions an internet that is resilient, equitable, and neutral, where businesses, creators, individuals, and society as a whole are empowered to thrive.

To learn more about AR.IO, users can visit https://ar.io/ and follow @ar_io_network on X

About ArNS

ArNS (Arweave Name System) is a decentralized, permanent, smart domain name system built on the Arweave blockchain and powered by the AR.IO network. ArNS stands apart from other web2 and web3 name systems through its flexible options to lease or permanently purchase without renewals or subscriptions. With ArNS, users can permissionlessly publish websites, point to data, apps, or identities for uninterrupted access via a censorship-resistant, globally distributed gateway network. All entries are stored permanently and immutably on-chain, ensuring trustless, verifiable, and tamper-proof naming for a truly sovereign web.

Contact

Rebecca Jones
Block3 PR
rebecca@block3.pr

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2681297/AR_IO_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE AR.IO

Technology

Sliding Systems recruits new US Technical Sales Manager

Published

2 hours ago

May 7, 2025

Ross Roark joins from Rollon, further strengthening Sliding Systems continued US expansion and the successful growth of the leading Sliding Systems Group. Ross is a respected sales engineer within the US automation and machine building industries.

DETROIT, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ross joins with many years of mechanical, industrial fabrication and automation experience, most recently working at Rollon.

Ross will be strengthening Sliding Systems’ US sales team, providing customer design engineers with the technical support in selecting the right solution from their expansive range of precision products and systems.

With the Sliding Systems world class product range, accessible pricing and fast lead times, Ross will now be able to support many more OEM and end-users in efficiently specifying and integrating telescopic drawer runner, linear motion systems and actuators into their product designs and fabrications.

Ross’s appointment continues the Sliding Systems approach of providing customers with the time, technical and cost benefits of dealing directly. Their team of front line technical sales experts are experienced, trained and skilled, liaising directly with production, rather than through layers of dealers or departments. This gives the customers the right solution, in the shortest time and at the lowest cost.

Eduard Sparkes, CEO of Sliding Systems Group said:

“I’m pleased to announce the exciting addition to our global Sliding Systems team of experts, with Ross Roark joining us to further develop our growing sales and local presence in the USA, as part of our plan to become a fully integrated US manufacturer across many of our key product groups.”

About Sliding Systems

Sliding Systems is a global manufacturer and distributor of industrial telescopic slide and linear motion systems. With industry leading manufacturing and sales offices all around the world, its technical sales engineers are recognised as experts in telescopic slide, linear motion systems and compact actuators. Sliding Systems supplies into many application sectors including Aerospace, Architectural, Automation, Bioscience, Firetruck, Industrial manufacturing, Machine building, Marine, Medical, Military & Defence (air, sea & land), Robotics, Special vehicles, Storage and Train building.

www.slidingsystems.us

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2681015/Sliding_Systems_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE Sliding Systems

Technology

Sliding Systems recruits new US Technical Sales Manager

Published

2 hours ago

May 7, 2025

DETROIT, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ross joins with many years of mechanical, industrial fabrication and automation experience, most recently working at Rollon.