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Virtuos expands into the UK with acquisition of Third Kind Games

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Third Kind Games is set to bolster Virtuos’ AAA co-development capabilities, having contributed to titles such as Sea of Thieves and Hearthstone

SINGAPORE, Aug. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Virtuos, a leading video game development company, today announced the acquisition of Third Kind Games, one of the largest independent game developers in the UK. This marks the start of Virtuos’ operations in the UK, a global gaming hub with a long-established infrastructure of educational programs, communities, media and associations. Third Kind Games’ location in Leamington Spa also strategically places Virtuos at the heart of the local games industry, where major titles such as Fable, Far Cry 5, Formula 1, and Forza Horizon originated.

Third Kind Games was founded in 2016 by a team of nine former Activision veterans, namely: Darren Bowen (Chief Operating Officer), Graham Watson (Chief Technology Officer), Rav Tharanee (Chief Strategy Officer), Tim Dunn (Chief Product Officer), Dan Hughes (Lead Programmer), John Roxburgh (Art Director), Mike Nimmo (Principal Programmer), Nathan Coppard (Design Director), and Sylwester Zaluga (Technical Director).

Following the acquisition by Virtuos, the nine co-founders will continue to lead Third Kind Games. The studio team of over 70 has contributed AAA co-development expertise to titles including Fable, Forza Horizon 4, Hearthstone, Predecessor, and Sea of Thieves. The team aims to double its headcount within two years in response to growing client demand for more flexibility in game development models.

Rav Tharanee, Chief Strategy Officer of Third Kind Games – a Virtuos Studio, said, “We are delighted to join forces with Virtuos, one of the largest and most globally recognised co-development partners of video games. This marks an exciting new chapter for Third Kind Games, enabling us to continue our growth and take on new and exciting AAA projects alongside Virtuos, while continuing to nurture the innovative, creative vision that has always been at the core of our identity. As Virtuos’ first operation in the UK, we are proud to play a pivotal role in expanding their global footprint, and we look forward to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in gaming together.”

Christophe Gandon, Managing Director of Western Region at Virtuos, said, “The co-founders of Third Kind Games exemplify the importance of a shared vision and purpose. They succeeded in one of the world’s densest game development hubs, building a portfolio of homegrown and global AAA IPs over eight years. We are excited to accelerate the expansion of their co-development capabilities, which are in high demand alongside gamers’ growing demand for content, and to continue growing in key markets to be closer to our clients.”

The acquisition adds to Virtuos’ continual growth in global footprint and service offerings, furthering its ambition of becoming the top external game developer worldwide. In the past year, Virtuos expanded into Dalat with its art production studio Glass Egg, launched a studio in Tokyo as well as engineering-focused Virtuos Labs in Warsaw and Prague. Most recently, it added real-time VFX to its lines of services with the acquisition of Beyond-FX in Los Angeles.

Aream & Co. served as the exclusive buy-side financial advisor to Virtuos in its acquisition of Third Kind Games. Third Kind Games was advised by Level Up, Hansel Henson, and Burgess Hodgson.

About Virtuos

Founded in 2004, Virtuos is one of the largest independent video game development companies. We are headquartered in Singapore with over 3,800 employees across 23 offices in Asia, Europe, and North America. Specializing in full-cycle game development and art production, we have delivered high-quality content for more than 1,500 console, PC, and mobile games. Our clients include 23 of the top 25 gaming companies worldwide. Visit www.virtuosgames.com to find out how we can make games better, together.

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Waters Corporation to Host Investor Day on March 5, 2025

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MILFORD, Mass., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) announced that it will host an Investor Day on Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, in New York City, starting at 8:30 AM ET.

The event will feature presentations by members of the senior management team, who will discuss business initiative achievements, new strategic priorities, and our vision for future shareholder value creation. A Q&A session will follow.

In-Person Attendance
To request in-person attendance at this event, please click here or visit the Waters Investor Relations website at https://ir.waters.com, under ‘Events’.

Webcast
A live webcast will be available the day of the event. To register for the webcast, please click here or visit the Waters Investor Relations website at https://ir.waters.com, under ‘Events’. A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the event concludes.

About Waters Corporation
Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT), a global leader in analytical instruments and software, has pioneered chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials, food, and environmental sciences for more than 65 years. With approximately 7,500 employees worldwide, Waters operates directly in 35 countries, including 15 manufacturing facilities, and with products available in more than 100 countries.

Caspar Tudor, Head of Investor Relations
investor_relations@waters.com

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SOURCE Waters Corporation

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As Retail Cybercrime Surges, Plank Road Ventures To Present Technology Solutions At NRF 2025 Big Show

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HOBOKEN, N.J., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Credit cards and other non-cash payment methods now account for some 80% of purchasing activity, according to some reports. It’s convenient for consumers, but each retail transaction may expose vital shopper information to nation-state and other cybercriminals. Consumers are inconvenienced, while retailers may suffer reputational and financial damage.

To combat the upsurge in digital incursions, Plank Road Ventures — an eMazzanti Technologies company — will present artificial intelligence, cybersecurity best-practice and other retail solutions at the NRF (National Retail Federation) 2025 Retail’s Big Show at Booth 2306, in the Startup Hub of New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from January 12 through January 14, 2025.

“The rise in credit card, digital and other payment methods have made retailers a rich target for cyberthieves,” warns eMazzanti Technologies President Carl Mazzanti. “POS systems, for example, can store customer information and purchase history, enabling retailers to capture the information they need to inform targeted marking campaigns and personalized shopping experiences. But POS transactions also pose an attractive target for cybercriminals, and a successful data breach will have far-reaching consequences.”

Plank Road Ventures, a global managed services provider, partners with leading companies like Microsoft, Watchguard, HP, and I3 Communications to help retailers deploy technology that improve and secure their operations and store strategies, while enhancing customer experience and engagement. Retailers can meet with trained professionals from Plank Road Ventures at the NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show, and learn about leading-edge POS and other solutions.

About eMazzanti Technologies
eMazzanti’s team of trained, certified IT experts deliver rapid response, increased revenue growth, data security, and productivity for organizations of all sizes. The firm offers cloud and mobile solutions, multi-site technology implementations, outsourced network management, 24 x 7 support, digital marketing services, and cyber security assessments and protection services.

About Plank Road Ventures
Our team of experienced retail experts works with clients to understand their specific requirements and recommend the best options. Specializing in store operations and support, the team is available 24x7x 365.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/as-retail-cybercrime-surges-plank-road-ventures-to-present-technology-solutions-at-nrf-2025-big-show-302348181.html

SOURCE Plank Road Ventures

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Kevin Lanouette Named Senior Vice President and General Counsel

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BEDFORD, Mass., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in consumer robots, today announced that Kevin Lanouette has been named Senior Vice President and General Counsel, effective January 17, 2025. Tonya Drake, the Company’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel, will transition to an advisory role ending March 7, 2025.

“I’d like to thank Tonya for her many years of service to iRobot,” said Gary Cohen, iRobot CEO. “Her legacy of tenacity and rigor in protecting the iRobot Company and our brand has been exemplary.”

“Kevin is a seasoned and highly skilled attorney whose experience in advising on complex corporate and securities, commercial, M&A and IP protection matters will be invaluable as we execute our strategic initiatives and work toward a return to profitable growth,” said Cohen.

Formerly, Mr. Lanouette was a Partner at OutsideGC, a Boston-based law firm, where he specialized in providing strategic legal counsel to clients at all stages of development and across a broad range of industries, including technology development, software and services and healthcare. Previously, he served as Assistant General Counsel at Analog Devices, Inc., a leading global semiconductor manufacturer, from 2006 to 2020, where he had responsibility for several critical legal functions, including corporate, SEC and securities matters, IP licensing and technology transfers, M&A and investments, global commercial transactions, and governance and compliance issues.

He is a graduate of the University of Maine and Harvard Law School.

About iRobot Corp.
iRobot is a global consumer robot company that designs and builds thoughtful robots and intelligent home innovations that make life better. iRobot introduced the first Roomba robot vacuum in 2002. Today, iRobot is a global enterprise that has sold more than 50 million robots worldwide. iRobot’s product portfolio features technologies and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation. Working from this portfolio, iRobot engineers are building robots and smart home devices to help consumers make their homes easier to maintain and healthier places to live. For more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com

For iRobot Investors
Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to iRobot Corporation’s expectations concerning executive transitions and execution of the company’s strategy. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. iRobot undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iRobot, see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

 

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SOURCE iRobot Corporation

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