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Government of Canada supports leading research infrastructure at the University of Saskatchewan

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Funding will advance the next generation of cutting-edge Canadian research and innovation infrastructure 

SASKATOON, SK, May 31, 2024 /CNW/ – Modern, high-quality research facilities and equipment are essential for breakthroughs in Canadian research and science. These laboratories and research centres are where medical and other scientific breakthroughs are born, helping to solve real-world problems and create future economic opportunities. 

Today, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, highlighted the Budget 2024 investments that will support innovation at the University of Saskatchewan’s Canadian Light Source Inc. and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization.

Through Budget 2024, the Government of Canada is investing $83.5 million over three years, starting in 2026–27, to support Canadian Light Source. This is the only facility of its kind in Canada where a synchrotron light source allows scientists and researchers to examine microscopic matter. This specialized infrastructure contributes to breakthroughs in areas like climate change—from climate-resistant crop development to green mining processes. 

Budget 2024 also invests $30 million over three years, starting in 2024–25, in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. This will help complete the critical infrastructure that establishes the organization as Canada’s Centre for Pandemic Research and a world leader in infectious disease research and vaccine development for humans and animals. This investment will enable the study of high-risk pathogens to support vaccine and therapeutic development, a key pillar of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy.

Canada’s world-class research facilities play a critical role in finding solutions to major challenges and advancing a resilient and sustainable future. Investments in infrastructure drive innovation and help attract and train the next generation of scientific talent, creating a better future for all Canadians and people around the world.

Quotes 

“When it comes to funding research and innovation, we are funding the economy of today and tomorrow. From building a clean, resilient future to developing life-saving vaccines, we cannot wait for another global reminder of the critical nature of this work. The cutting-edge research being undertaken at the University of Saskatchewan is so important for the future; it was a pleasure to get to witness and learn more about it today.”
– The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

“Canadian research has helped improve our society, economy and healthcare, time and time again. These strategic investments underscore the government’s dedication to fostering innovation, addressing global challenges, and nurturing the next generation of scientific leaders. Through enhancing cutting-edge facilities and equipment, these initiatives will propel Canadian research to new heights of excellence.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“USask is a leader in innovation and the development of knowledge and skills to lead world-class research and discovery. This federal investment will contribute to the continued pursuit of innovation at our CLS and VIDO labs and to USask’s mission to be the university the world needs.”
Peter Stoicheff, USask President

Quick facts

Since the start of operations in 2005, Canadian Light Source has enabled over 5,000 scientists from 56 Canadian academic institutions and 45 countries to publish over 7,500 scientific papers, highlighting discoveries in a wide variety of fields, in over 1,000 international scientific collaborations.From helping in the fight against COVID-19 to creating new cancer-fighting drugs, developing more nutritious and climate-resistant crops, and supporting clean-tech and green mining processes, Canadian Light Source’s infrastructure and experts help researchers solve problems, train the next generation of scientists, and support industries in becoming more efficient and sustainable.The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization is expanding its capabilities in supporting scientists from Canada and around the world to develop vaccines and therapeutics for humans and animals:Opening the Vaccine Development Centre, a containment level 3 capable biomanufacturing facility that meets good manufacturing practice requirements—one of only a few in the world.Adding containment level 4 capacity, which will allow work with any pathogen.Building a new animal facility capable of housing a wider range of animals, which will expand their preclinical research and development capacity.Since 2016, the government has provided more than $16 billion to support science and research.This new investment builds on existing federal research support:The Strategic Science Fund, which announced the results of its first competition in December 2023, providing $800 million to support 24 third-party science and research organizations starting in 2024–25;Canada recently concluded negotiations to be an associate member of Horizon Europe, which will enable Canadians to access a broader range of research opportunities under the European program starting this year;In addition, Budget 2024 provides $825 million to increase support for master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral students, as well as $1.8 billion to the federal granting councils to increase core research grant funding and support Canadian researchers.The steady increase in federal funding for extramural and intramural science and technology by the government, which was 44% higher in 2023 relative to 2015.

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Budget 2024

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SOURCE Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

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Skai Launches Celeste AI and Expands Platform with Commerce Insights and Operations Solutions

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Celeste AI is now generally available, alongside a best-in-class suite of commerce operations solutions, to drive efficiency and growth for leading brands and agencies.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today at ShopAble 2025, Skai, the leading omnichannel platform for commerce media, announced the general availability of Celeste AI, the first GenAI-powered agent purpose-built for commerce marketers. Skai also introduced a new suite of solutions including Strategic Digital Shelf, Retail Insights, Content Optimization, Retail Operations, and Revenue Recovery, designed to unify marketing and commerce functions across retailers into a seamless, best-in-class platform.

Celeste AI, which first launched in a closed beta this spring with over 50 clients, is now fully integrated into Skai’s platform and available to all customers. From budget recommendations and bidding strategy insights to cross-channel performance comparisons and anomaly detection, Celeste helps marketers understand both the “what” and the “why” behind performance shifts, offering actionable recommendations to drive results. Early users have reported impressive outcomes, including 30-50% efficiency gains and 10-20% performance improvements.

Live on stage at ShopAble, the premier event for brands, agencies, and retailers, Kelly Gerrard, Director of eCommerce Marketing at Marshall, shared how Celeste has already impacted her business: “We’re already seeing value from Celeste across both agency and client work. My team manages 350,000 SKUs and over a million keywords across 10 retailers. Tasks that once took 20 minutes now take just one. More importantly, Celeste uncovered a growth opportunity for one of our brands in the kids and youth segment. By analyzing competitive insights, we found that most competitors only target adults, while our client serves both. This led us to unlock a cost-effective, higher-converting niche ahead of peak season — an opportunity we may have missed without Celeste.”

It was also revealed at ShopAble that Celeste AI will soon power Skai’s newly announced suite of commerce solutions, which include:

Strategic Digital Shelf: Real-time visibility into product availability, buy box metrics, search rank, reviews, share of voice, and competitor activity — plus keyword-level and category share data — enabling advertisers to optimize media within the full shelf context.Retail Insights: Links media performance to sales, profit, and operational health across 100+ retailers. Tracks inventory, traffic, reviews, Subscribe & Save, and repeat purchases in a unified view.Content Optimization: Uses AI to flag content gaps, surface missed keywords, and generate optimized listings. Automates updates across the content lifecycle to improve relevance and reduce ACOS.Retail Operations: Detects and resolves catalog issues using AI, automation, and ticketing workflows, helping teams maintain accurate content and protect performance across retailers.Revenue Recovery: Identifies and recoups lost revenue from chargebacks, deductions, and invoice errors across major retailers, enabling brands to reinvest in growth-driving efforts.

Developed with leading commerce technology innovators, these new solutions address the growing need to align media with commerce operations. With 61% of marketers emphasizing the importance of integrating operational insights into media strategies, Skai’s platform unifies media, content, and operational data. “Our clients want the best of both worlds: a premium commerce operations stack and world-class media capabilities,” said Nich Weinheimer, Chief Strategy Officer at Skai. “We’ve eliminated the friction — one login, one contract, no compromises.”

With the rollout of these solutions and the general availability of Celeste AI, Skai is positioning itself to lead the next generation of commerce media — unifying media, content, and operations into a single, intelligent platform.

“Our mission has always been to cut through complexity and drive growth,” said Gil Sadeh, President at Skai. “Today, that means offering brands one place to manage it all — omnichannel media activation integrated with omnichannel commerce operations, powered by GenAI. That’s incredibly powerful, and only Skai can make it possible.”

About Skai
Skai is an omnichannel advertising platform, uniquely enabling brands and agencies to run data-driven programs across commerce media. It empowers both media leaders and activation teams to drive impactful results from their advertising program with AI-powered decisioning, activation, and optimization solutions. Its partners include Google, Amazon Ads, Microsoft, Walmart Connect, Instacart, Criteo, TikTok, Snap, Pinterest, Meta, and more.

For over a decade, Skai has earned trust from notable brands such as Adidas, DoorDash, Haleon, Sony, Philips, Taschen, and WaterWipes. Renowned for innovation and a values-driven culture, Skai is headquartered in San Francisco and has eight international locations.

Visit skai.io for more information.

Media Contact: 5WPR skai@5wpr.com

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SOURCE Skai

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Arrive AI Secures Direct Listing on Nasdaq Stock Exchange

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Automated delivery company to begin trading as ARAI on Thursday, May 15, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Arrive AI, an autonomous delivery network anchored by patented AI-powered Arrive Points™, announced today that it has received approval to list its shares on the Nasdaq under the symbol (NASDAQ: ARAI). The company expects its shares to commence trading tomorrow.

“Arrive AI’s Nasdaq listing marks the culmination of a significant journey,” said Arrive AI Founder and CEO Dan O’Toole. “Building upon our initial patent filing in 2014, we’ve relentlessly refined our technology and unique positioning in last-mile logistics. Today signifies a new dawn of secure, autonomous package delivery. We owe this milestone to our nearly 5,000 investors who believed in us since the start.”

Arrive AI makes autonomous delivery work, ensuring security and chain-of-custody to the intended recipients at the right time. The company provides tracking data, smart logistics alerts and advanced custody controls to secure last-mile delivery for shippers, delivery services and autonomous networks. Arrive AI’s foundational patent – for a universal access point that asynchronously interacts with people, robots and drones – was filed four days before Amazon’s. Since then, the company has expanded its IP portfolio to include numerous claims and patents such as climate assistance and anti-theft features.

“With Arrive AI, you get a network and a platform. Our value proposition lies in building the essential and patent-protected infrastructure – a universal network of intelligent endpoints – that underpins our entire autonomous delivery ecosystem,” O’Toole said. “We leverage data technology and artificial intelligence to simplify last mile service, avoid failed deliveries, streamline processes to increase efficiencies and improve partner and end user outcomes. Our long-term objective is to achieve critical data mass to create a platform for additional innovative services.”

Prior to its direct public listing, Arrive AI raised nearly $12 million, largely via crowdfunding and secured $40 million in funding from an institutional investor.

Arrive AI Chief Financial Officer Todd Pepmeier said the direct listing “will enable the company to raise capital through public means and fuel our growing revenue streams.”

Maxim Group LLC acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Arrive AI in connection with the direct listing.

The Company also launched a new Investor Relations section on its website: http://arriveai.com/investor-relations. This dedicated section will serve as a central resource for shareholders, featuring information such as stock information, press releases, shareholder meetings, FAQs and more.

About Arrive AI

Arrive AI’s patented Autonomous Last Mile (ALM) platform enables secure, efficient delivery to and from a smart, AI-powered mailbox, whether by drone, ground robot or human courier. The platform provides real-time tracking, smart logistics alerts and advanced chain of custody controls to support shippers, delivery services and autonomous networks. By combining artificial intelligence with autonomous technology, Arrive AI makes the exchange of goods between people, robots and drones frictionless and convenient. Its system integrates with smart home devices such as doorbells, lighting and security systems to streamline the entire last-mile delivery experience.

Learn more at www.arriveai.com.
Media contact: Cheryl Reed, 317-446-5240, 395242@email4pr.com.
Investor Relations Contact: Alliance Advisors IR, ARAI.IR@allianceadvisors.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release and statements of Arrive AI’s management in connection with this news release or related events contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements (including statements related to the closing, and the anticipated benefits to the Company, of the private placement described herein) related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “potential,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “optimistic” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may be beyond our control.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. Potential investors should review Arrive AI’s Registration Statement for more complete information, including the risk factors that may affect future results, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Arrive AI

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65% Say 50+ Has Untapped Spending Power Yet Only 3.2% Feel Seen in Ads. Cheryl Overton Communications Launches GRWN™ to Rewrite the Narrative

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From stylish to sexy to tech-savvy, 50+ consumers are rewriting the rules but brands are stuck in outdated stereotypes. GRWN™ gives marketers the insights and tools to show up smarter.

MIAMI, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Despite holding the majority of consumer wealth, adults 50+ are grossly under- and misrepresented in marketing according to new research from Cheryl Overton Communications (COC). The launch of GRWN™, a comprehensive strategic marketing communications toolkit designed to help brands forge meaningful connections with consumers 50+, aims to reverse this brand bias.

“The 50+ demographic controls substantial wealth and influence yet our research confirms they feel brands rely on outdated perceptions instead of engaging with their reality,” said Cheryl Overton, founder + CXO, Cheryl Overton Communications.

A national survey among adults 18+ revealed that while 65% of all respondents believe people over 50 represent significant untapped spending potential, nearly half of those 50+ (48%) felt overlooked as consumers within the past year.

“Our work has always centered helping brands create authentic connections with audiences that deserve better representation,” said Cheryl Overton, founder + CXO, Cheryl Overton Communications. “The 50+ demographic controls substantial wealth and influence yet our research confirms they feel brands rely on outdated perceptions instead of engaging with their reality.”

The research illuminates a striking perception gap: While adults 50+ want to be portrayed as active (55%), stylish (55%), wise (45%), and adventurous (45%), 60% of all respondents report that brands prioritize their past over present capabilities and future aspirations.

Introducing GRWN™: A Fresh Perspective on Age-Inclusive Marketing

Drawing from the same data-inspired and insights-driven expertise that helped shape influential campaigns for P&G’s “My Black is Beautiful,” Unilever Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty,” and the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women,” GRWN™ offers brands a thoughtful path to connecting with this valuable audience.

The GRWN™ approach includes:

Consumer Insights Mining: Research that uncovers their genuine motivations and preferencesStrategic Framework Development: Custom approaches that honor their complexity and diversityNarrative and Creative Direction: Content strategies that authentically represent their lived experiencesIntegrated Implementation: Activation across channels where these consumers meaningfully engagePerformance Measurement: Analytics that capture both business outcomes and sentiment evolution

“Over 40% of our respondents identified ‘becoming invisible’ as their greatest fear about aging. This is the real impact of persistent underrepresentation,” Overton noted. “Brave brands have an extraordinary opportunity to lead a cultural conversation about aging and, in the process, win market share and help reshape societal perceptions.”

Key Insights

The survey revealed several noteworthy findings that underscored the need for GRWN™:

Industry Room(s) for Improvement: Fashion/Beauty (32%) and Entertainment (23%) were cited as the industries with the most significant room for improvement in age representation, followed by Technology and Financial Services (13% each).Security x Freedom: Consumers 50+ value security (36%) and freedom (23%), suggesting a nuanced audience seeking solid foundations that enable continued growth and exploration.Cross-Generational Understanding Gap: 55% of respondents believe younger generations don’t fully understand the needs and values of 50+, highlighting a need for more inclusive perspectives within marketing teams.

GRWN™ joins COC’s suite of proprietary brand strategy and activation tools, including the DEI Monitor™, All Girl Band™ and Amewa™, all designed to brands create meaningful connections through authentic, thoughtful engagement.

For more information about GRWN™, visit www.covertoncomms.com/GRWN.

About Cheryl Overton Communications

Cheryl Overton Communications is a strategic marketing communications collective where human truths, cultural insights and community impact converge to create business solutions that resonate and disrupt. We help forward-thinking organizations build meaningful relationships with their audiences through storytelling that inspires action and drives change. We have been recognized by Adcolor, Chief New Era of Leadership, Florida State Minority Supplier Diversity Business, Inc. Magazine, PR Week and PR News. For more information, visit www.covertoncomms.com

Media Contact

Cheryl Overton, Cheryl Overton Communications, 1 9173733514, cheryl@cheryloverton.com, www.covertoncomms.com/GRWN

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SOURCE Cheryl Overton Communications

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