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BGL Announces GENDA Inc. has Reached a Definitive Agreement to Acquire National Entertainment Network

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The acquisition will help GENDA expand its presence in the United States

CHICAGO, June 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Brown Gibbons Lang & Company is pleased to announce GENDA Inc. (“GENDA”) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all equity interests of National Entertainment Network, LLC (“NEN”), a leading operator and provider of amusement vending machines in the United States through Kiddleton, Inc. (“Kiddleton”), a Dallas-based consolidated subsidiary of GENDA. BGL’s Consumer investment banking team is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to GENDA in the transaction.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, GENDA is an entertainment company that aims to increase the “total volume of fun” around the world through its diversified range of business activities, including amusement arcade, karaoke, food and beverage, character merchandising, and content & promotion. GENDA’s platforms include GiGO and the karaoke chain BanBan, as well as mini locations of non-staffed gaming areas in Japan, North America, mainland China, the UK, and across the Middle East.

Kiddleton, an operator in GENDA’s mini-location business in the U.S., has more than 400 locations that offer small Japanese-style prize machines (arcade games designed to win prizes) and prizes with Japanese-style “Kawaii” designs, which were previously unavailable in the U.S. market. GENDA is developing its business with a unique focus on “products and experiences that can only be obtained here.”

NEN is a leading operator and provider of amusement vending machines, including skill cranes, bulk vending, “kiddie” games, and video games across approximately 8,000 locations in the United States. NEN has achieved sales of approximately $100 million and operating income before depreciation and amortization of approximately $8 million. NEN boasts a large network of grocery and retail customers in the U.S., including Walmart, Kroger, and Denny’s. Additionally, NEN has a nationwide maintenance network and operates a manufacturing facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, where they repair, wrap, and store gaming equipment. NEN is working on a digital initiative that allows users to take part in a digital rewards program and allows players to experience free plays by scanning QR codes on machines.

GENDA anticipates integrating the NEN acquisition with Kiddleton’s existing expertise, which features sales per location three times higher than NEN’s. The integration will include NEN’s maintenance networks, streamlined operations for cash collection and prize replenishment, prize and equipment procurement synergies, the rollout of additional credit card readers, and the promotion of digital membership programs. This acquisition is part of GENDA’s roll-up strategy to expand business operations in the United States and increase profit contributions to the companies in GENDA’s company group.

BGL’s Branded Consumer Products investment banking team has extensive expertise and a track record of successfully assisting branded consumer companies achieve outstanding results across a range of subsectors. Our Consumer Group is a leader in eCommerce investment banking for the middle market. Our team has the technical expertise, positioning strategies, and growth-oriented projection models to ensure branded and managed marketplace DTC & B2B eCommerce platforms are optimally positioned to achieve outlier valuations

To learn more about the state of M&A across the Consumer industry, including how to navigate the challenges and opportunities in today’s market, download our most recent Insider here: https://bit.ly/bglConsumerResearch

About Brown Gibbons Lang & Company
Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on mergers and acquisitions, capital marketsfinancial restructuringsbusiness valuations and opinions, and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and New York, and real estate offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and San Antonio. The firm is also a founding member of Global M&A Partners, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 35 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, LLC, an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit www.bglco.com

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SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

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KM Malta Airlines, the Maltese Islands’ New National Carrier, Implements CellPoint Digital’s Payment Orchestration Solution

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The partnership will enable KM Malta Airlines to provide passengers with a seamless payment experience and access to their preferred payment methods.

LONDON, Sept. 23, 2024 /CNW/ — CellPoint Digital, a global pioneer in Payment Orchestration, is proud to announce it has partnered with KM Malta Airlines to support the airline’s payment processes across multiple sales channels, including on its website and App, allowing passengers in future to pay with key alternative payment methods (APMs) like Apple Pay.

From the start of operations on March 31, 2024, CellPoint Digital was entrusted to support KM Malta Airlines’ payment processes across. Using CellPoint Digital’s Payment Orchestration platform, KM Malta Airlines launched the service with optimised payment processes, a cost-effective payment strategy, and a customer-centric payment model. This partnership reflects the airline’s commitment to providing its passengers with a seamless, convenient payment experience and the airline’s recognition of CellPoint Digital as a valued payment solution provider.

Through its partnership with CellPoint Digital, KM Malta Airlines gains access to a network of acquirer connections, including its newly introduced partner, Shift4 (formerly Finaro), to support its growth strategy. This allows the airline to optimise transaction routing, reduce payment costs, and settle in its preferred currency.

“It’s not often that we get to be present at the inception of one of Europe’s next great airlines, but that’s the opportunity we have with this partnership,” said Kristian Gjerding, CEO of CellPoint Digital. “By prioritising its payment strategy as a cornerstone of its launch strategy, KM Malta Airlines demonstrates that it cares about providing passengers with the best possible booking experience and setting itself up for future success.”

Roy Kinnear, CCO of KM Malta Airlines, stated, “A highly optimised, cost-efficient payment strategy is important to the success of our airline. That’s why we partnered with experts in aviation payments to deliver a comprehensive platform tailored to our passengers’ needs and allowing us to expand our offering of customer choice payment mechanisms.”

The Advantage of Day-One Payment Orchestration

Payment Orchestration is a concept that describes the end-to-end management of all components of a payment, from authorisation to routing to settlement to reporting, allowing airlines to boost conversions in direct and indirect sales channels at lower transaction costs. CellPoint Digital’s Payment Orchestration Platform, which KM Malta Airlines will implement, routes transactions intelligently to increase acceptance, simplifies and centralises back-end reconciliation, integrates various payment methods like Apple Pay, and easily accommodates multiple PSPs and acquirers, including KM Malta Airline’s preferred acquiring partner, Shift4.

For more information about the CellPoint Digital partnership with KM Malta Airlines or to speak with company executives, please get in touch with Steven Osei at steven.osei@cellpointdigital.com

About CellPoint Digital
CellPoint Digital is a fintech leader in payment orchestration and optimisation. CellPoint Digital’s main solution is a powerful Payment Orchestration Platform that optimises digital payment transactions from cards or alternative payment methods and accelerates the deployment of new payment options. Merchants can easily scale their own payment ecosystem across the world, unify the customer payment experience across their website, mobile apps and other channels, optimise the routing of each transaction, increase conversion rates and minimise payment costs. CellPoint Digital has offices in Copenhagen, Dallas, Dubai, London, Miami, Pune and Singapore. Visit www.cellpointdigital.com to learn more. 

About KM Malta Airlines

The KM Malta Airlines schedule serves 17 airports across 15 key European cities, namely, Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Catania, Dusseldorf, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Lyon, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Prague, Rome, Vienna and Zurich.

Bookings can be made on kmmaltairlines.com

Contact: media@kmmaltairlines.com

 

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SOURCE CellPoint Digital

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Advantech Unveils Expanded Singapore Office to Boost ASEAN Presence and Support AIoT Innovations with Strategic Partnerships

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SINGAPORE, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Advantech (TWSE: 2395), a global leader in industrial IoT and embedded computing solutions, has officially inaugurated its expanded regional office in Singapore. This strategic investment is set to enhance Advantech’s core competencies within the ASEAN region. Located at 7002 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, the new office will double the company’s current facility space, enhancing its infrastructure to meet the rising demand for high-technology solutions, particularly in the semiconductor sector. The expansion underscores Advantech’s commitment to collaborating with silicon and ecosystem partners and investing in local talent development through industry-academia partnerships. The new office will also support Advantech’s Configure-To-Order Service (CTOS), reinforcing its strategic goal of deepening and localising industry presence while advancing a comprehensive AIoT industry development strategy.

Vincent Chang, Managing Director of Asia and Intercontinental Region at Advantech, stated, “The relocation to our new premises marks a significant milestone in Advantech’s nearly 30 years of growth in Singapore. Established in 1995, Advantech Singapore has grown to become a pivotal hub in the ASEAN region, leading to the creation of Advantech Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam as key regional business units. Advantech envisions Singapore evolving into a Corporate Development Core Competency hub, focusing on business intelligence, strategic planning, and advancing branding, public relations, and ESG programmes across the ASEAN region.”

Advantech is also excited to launch the second year of its AIoT Innowork programme with Singapore Polytechnic (SP). This year’s projects will focus on sustainable development, net-zero emissions, and generative AI. Students will use Advantech’s WISE-PaaS, a cloud-based platform, to develop AIoT solutions, including a smart outdoor agriculture proof-of-concept within SP’s campus. Additionally, the programme will advance intelligent EV charging and parking space monitoring with Advantech’s LoRaWAN gateway and generative AI, featuring a dashboard for carpark occupancy and an assistive chatbot for availability queries.

In response to the government’s focus on future workforce development, a student team from SP is set to create a proof of concept for a “Generative AI-powered Virtual Sales Agent.” This innovative project aims to transform customer interactions by enhancing sales and engagement through cutting-edge AI technology. SP envisions this technology revolutionising customer engagement, enhancing service support, and improving operational efficiency.

Advantech Singapore is dedicated to advancing the “MySkillsFuture” programme, a key initiative by the Singapore government to support lifelong learning. Advantech aims to build a collaborative value chain that fosters a sustainable and thriving IoT ecosystem by partnering with ecosystem players, academic institutions, and industry leaders. Additionally, through academic collaboration, Advantech seeks to cultivate industry growth and align with its social responsibility objectives by producing and distributing urban farming products to underserved communities. These strategic partnerships are poised to drive long-term industry success and reinforce Advantech’s commitment to its ESG goals.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/advantech-unveils-expanded-singapore-office-to-boost-asean-presence-and-support-aiot-innovations-with-strategic-partnerships-302255164.html

SOURCE Advantech Co. Singapore Pte Ltd

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Estonia Strengthens Smart Mobility Networking and Strategic Partnerships in the Gulf

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DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Trade Estonia, part of Enterprise Estonia, is concluding its participation at the ITS World Congress 2024 in Dubai, further asserting its leadership in intelligent transport systems (ITS) and smart mobility. Estonia, known for being the first country to allow testing autonomous vehicles on public roads since 2017, showcased its innovative technologies that are setting new benchmarks in smart mobility and ITS.

At the exhibition, Trade Estonia displayed pioneering solutions, including Bamboo Apps’ cutting-edge dispatch system for autonomous shuttles, enabling remote monitoring of unmanned vehicles to enhance safety and efficiency. e-Pavement integrates sensors within road surfaces to improve safety and traffic management, while Auve Tech’s autonomous shuttles seamlessly integrate with public transport, offering efficient and eco-friendly urban mobility solutions. Metrosert is enhancing the precision of smart infrastructure, and Digilogistika Keskus is optimising logistics through advanced digital platforms, boosting supply chain efficiency in smart cities.

H.E. The Ambassador of Estonia to the UAE Maria Belovas stated, “Estonia’s footprint in integrating cutting-edge technology is pivotal in enhancing transportation safety, efficiency, and mobility. Our innovations are designed to meet the evolving needs of global smart cities and ensure a sustainable future for transportation.”

These advancements exemplify Estonia’s commitment to developing intelligent, sustainable, and efficient transport solutions that address both urban and rural mobility needs, and solidifying its global network.

In addition to presenting its technological progress at the ITS World Congress, Estonia focused on building meaningful connections and exploring new avenues for collaboration.

Forging Strategic Global Partnerships

Estonia is dedicated to expanding its international impact by building strategic partnerships, particularly in the Gulf region.

A recent networking event, hosted by H.E. The Ambassador of Finland, Ms. Tuula Yrjölä, and H.E. The Ambassador of Estonia, Ms. Maria Belovas, brought together Finnish and Estonian business delegations to cultivate global connections in smart mobility. The event also facilitated valuable discussions on future collaborations, reflecting Trade Estonia’s ongoing mission to support global innovation and sustainability in transport.

Ms. Maria Belovas highlighted the importance of these international connections in advancing the organisation’s strategic goals and enriching global collaborative efforts.

Building on this momentum, Trade Estonia is gearing up for its next significant engagement at GITEX Global 2024. This upcoming event will serve as a new stage for Estonia to underline their technological advancements and explore new avenues for collaboration with global technology leaders.

About Trade Estonia

Trade Estonia is part of Enterprise Estonia. As a state organisation, Trade Estonia helps Estonian companies to establish themselves in international markets. With a focus on future technologies and pioneering projects, Trade Estonia provides Estonian companies with access to market analysis and marketing strategies and creates the conditions for them to operate successfully on a global scale. Trade Estonia not only promotes the development of new business areas and the establishment of strategic partnerships, but also facilitates access to international networks, thus contributing to the global competitiveness of Estonian companies.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2512077/Maria_Belovas.jpg

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/estonia-strengthens-smart-mobility-networking-and-strategic-partnerships-in-the-gulf-302255186.html

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