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Front Row Group Announces Strategic Investment from Charlesbank Capital Partners

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New funding will enhance Front Row Group’s ability to execute strategic growth initiatives and deliver hyper-personalized service at scale

NEW YORK and BOSTON, Sept. 3, 2024 /CNW/ — Front Row Group (or the “Company”), an e-commerce agency and accelerator providing fully outsourced marketplace management to beauty, health & wellness, and CPG brands, today announced a strategic investment from Charlesbank Capital Partners (“Charlesbank”), a middle-market private equity firm with more than $18 billion of capital raised since inception. The investment will help the Company accelerate innovation and growth of the business, while maintaining its focus on high-quality, personalized service at scale.

With a global presence in New York, San Diego, Hamburg and Bratislava, Front Row Group leverages proprietary technology to design, market, distribute and scale leading brands around the globe. The Company tailors its diverse set of specialized services to a business’s unique needs with expertise across strategic brand-building, omnichannel marketing, international market expansion, content production, and business intelligence through its proprietary Catapult platform and innovative design and branding. This investment follows the 2023 brand consolidation that united Fortress Brand, School House, Taylor & Pond, Bizmut and Finc3 under the Front Row Group brand, providing the Company with differentiated global capabilities to better support clients across North America and Europe.

Charlesbank’s investment will enable Front Row Group to continue scaling in the fast growing and dynamic e-commerce space. The Company will be well-positioned to deliver faster, more impactful results in the operationally complex Amazon channel, helping clients optimize content, power data-driven decisions via Catapult, and manage the complicated logistics of the competitive marketplace. Through its partnership with Charlesbank, Front Row Group can further build on its track record of organic growth and accretive acquisitions, allowing the Company to accelerate its growth trajectory.

“As demand for Front Row Group’s services increases with more brands looking to unlock e-commerce growth, Charlesbank’s partnership will enable us to fully capitalize on the market opportunity in front of us,” said Yuriy Boykiv, CEO at Front Row Group. “With Charlesbank’s deep industry expertise and long track record of driving value, Front Row Group is better equipped to extend its position as a leading partner to top brands globally. We are excited to have Charlesbank’s support for this next phase of growth.” 

“Front Row Group is at the intersection of a couple of powerful long-term trends: the movement of the $300 billion beauty, health and wellness industries, particularly the premium segment, into e-commerce, and the increasing personalization of brand preference,” said Michael Choe, Managing Director & CEO at Charlesbank. “These tectonic shifts have created a significant market opportunity for leading service providers that can enable brands to reach their full potential online faster and more efficiently. Front Row Group is a clear leader in helping their brand partners achieve this. We are thrilled to partner with Yuriy, cofounders and current Presidents Alex and Matt Beer, and their team, to build on their already impressive growth.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Jefferies LLC served as financial advisor to Front Row Group on the transaction and Akerman LLP provided legal counsel to Front Row Group. Lincoln International LLC served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel to Charlesbank.

About Front Row Group:

Front Row Group is a leading e-commerce agency and accelerator specializing in beauty, health, wellness, and consumer brands. With a global presence in New York City, San Diego, Hamburg, and Bratislava, the company partners with top brands to drive holistic commerce growth. Leveraging proprietary technology called Catapult and robust capabilities, they design, market, distribute, and scale brands worldwide.

Front Row Group’s expertise encompasses strategic brand-building, omnichannel excellence, international market expansion, compelling content creation, and innovative design and branding. Front Row Group ensures robust marketplace growth, seamless e-commerce management, targeted digital marketing, and actionable business intelligence.

Trusted by industry leaders like OUAI, Summer Fridays, Glow Recipe, Designs For Health, Scrub Daddy, Unilever, Bosch, and Wella, Front Row Group empowers brands to achieve their full potential in a competitive marketplace. For more, visit https://www.frontrowgroup.com/.

About Charlesbank:

Based in Boston and New York, Charlesbank Capital Partners is a middle-market private investment firm with more than $18 billion of capital raised since inception. Charlesbank focuses on management-led buyouts, growth capital financings, opportunistic credit, and technology investments. The firm seeks to invest in companies with sustainable competitive advantage and excellent prospects for growth. For more information, please visit www.charlesbank.com

Contacts for Front Row Group:
frontrowgroup@kwtglobal.com

Contacts for Charlesbank:
Ryan FitzGibbon / Alexa Ottenstein / Peter Gavaris
Prosek Partners
pro-charlesbank@prosek.com

 

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SOURCE Front Row

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G42 Collaborates with NVIDIA to Deliver Next-Generation Climate Solutions Using Earth-2

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ABU DHABI, UAE, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — G42, a leader in AI and cloud computing, today announced that it is partnering with NVIDIA to advance climate technology with a focus on developing AI solutions aimed at dramatically enhancing the accuracy of weather forecasting globally.

The collaboration builds on NVIDIA’s Earth-2, an open platform that accelerates climate and weather predictions with interactive, AI-augmented, high-resolution simulation. G42 and NVIDIA will initially focus on a square-kilometer resolution weather forecasting model that improves the accuracy of meteorological predictions.

Key to this initiative is the establishment of a new operational base and Climate Tech Lab in Abu Dhabi. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a hub for research and development, driving forward both companies’ commitment to environmental sustainability. This facility will also mobilize the creation of tailored climate and weather solutions that leverage over 100 petabytes of geophysical data assets.

Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, said, “This initiative with NVIDIA is a testament to our commitment to applying AI in ways that not only innovate but also solve critical global challenges. Establishing the Earth-2 Climate Tech Lab in Abu Dhabi allows us to leverage our unique capabilities and insights to foster a sustainable future for the world.”

In addition to fostering innovation in climate technology, the initiative will focus on building a robust framework for integrating enhanced weather prediction capabilities with comprehensive data metrics and visualization. This will assist organizations worldwide in achieving their sustainability goals through well-informed, data-driven environmental strategies.

“Our collaboration with G42 marks a pivotal step toward harnessing AI to understand and predict climate phenomena with unprecedented accuracy,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “The Earth-2 Climate Tech Lab will propel environmental solutions using the most advanced accelerated computing and AI technology to benefit millions of people around the world.”

By uniting G42’s AI expertise with NVIDIA’s computational acumen, this partnership aims to deliver transformative climate solutions that combine scientific accuracy with real-world applicability, driving impactful change across industries and ecosystems.

About G42

G42 is a technology holding group, a global leader in creating visionary artificial intelligence for a better tomorrow. Born in Abu Dhabi and operating worldwide, G42 champions AI as a powerful force for good across industries. From molecular biology to space exploration and everything in between, G42 realizes exponential possibilities, today.
To know more visit www.g42.ai.

Media contacts
Media and PR Team, G42
media@g42.ai

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/g42-collaborates-with-nvidia-to-deliver-next-generation-climate-solutions-using-earth-2-302253818.html

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Kawasaki and CB&I Sign Strategic Collaborative Agreement for Promoting Commercial-Use Liquefied Hydrogen Supply Chain

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HOUSTON, Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Kawasaki) and CB&I, a wholly owned unrestricted subsidiary of McDermott, announced today their signing of a strategic agreement for promoting a commercial-use liquefied hydrogen (LH2) supply chain and realizing a zero-carbon-emission society. The signing ceremony took place at Gastech Exhibition & Conference in Houston on September 18, 2024.

“We are very pleased for this opportunity to build and launch a commercial liquefied hydrogen supply chain in cooperation with CB&I,” said Motohiko Nishimura, President, Energy Solutions & Marine Engineering Company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. “By taking advantage of both companies’ strengths and specialized know-how, we aim to cost down hydrogen, strengthen hydrogen supply chain competitiveness, and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon society.”

Both companies will use their specialized know-how to provide infrastructure that will enable commercial-scale international LH2 supply chains in order to help achieve carbon-neutrality. By leveraging our combined expertise to deliver large-scale LH2 infrastructure solutions, CB&I and Kawasaki are removing barriers, driving down costs and enhancing scalability across the entire supply chain.

“This strategic partnership represents a significant advancement in liquid hydrogen storage capabilities,” said Mark Butts, Senior Vice President of CB&I. “Our technical expertise and extensive experience in liquid hydrogen storage position us at the forefront of the energy transition, delivering reliable storage solutions and executing projects worldwide with proven success.”

Under this agreement, the companies will provide infrastructure to advance the global realization of a sustainable energy economy and meet decarbonization targets. This collaboration will reduce LH2 infrastructure costs and contribute to more widespread use of this clean and efficient energy source.

About CB&I
CB&I is the world’s leading designer and builder of storage facilities, tanks, and terminals. With more than 60,000 structures completed throughout its 130-year history, CB&I has the global expertise and strategically located operations to provide its customers world-class storage solutions for even the most complex energy infrastructure projects. CB&I is a wholly owned unrestricted subsidiary of McDermott. To learn more, visit www.cbi.com.

About McDermott
McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. Our customers trust our technology-driven approach engineered to responsibly harness and transform global energy resources into the products the world needs. From concept to commissioning, McDermott’s innovative expertise and capabilities advance the next generation of global energy infrastructure—empowering a brighter, more sustainable future for us all. Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott’s locally-focused and globally-integrated resources include more than 30,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com.

About Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. is general engineering manufacturer with over 125 years of experience manufacturing products spanning land, sea and air. Kawasaki established the Kawasaki Group’s new vision statement, “Group Vision 2030: Trustworthy Solutions for the Future,” and is focusing on three fields, “A Safe and Secure Remotely-Connected Society,” “Near-Future Mobility,” and “Energy and Environmental Solutions” in order to provide solutions for social issues. For “Energy and Environmental Solutions” in particular, by securing the technology necessary for the entire supply chain (for production, transportation, storage and utilization) ahead of the rest of the world, Kawasaki aims to bring about a society that utilizes hydrogen, the ultimate clean energy that emits no carbon dioxide when used. To learn more, visit https://global.kawasaki.com/en.

Forward-Looking Statements
McDermott cautions that statements in this communication which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected benefits from the collaboration agreement discussed in this press release.  Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit or capital markets; our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog; changes in project design or schedules; the availability of qualified personnel; changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties; changes in industry norms; actions by lenders, other creditors, customers and other business counterparties of McDermott and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This communication reflects the views of McDermott’s management as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.

For media inquiries, please use the contact information below:

Reba Reid
Global Media Relations
+1 281 588 5636
RReid@McDermott.com

Kristi Krupala-Grove
CB&I Media Relations
+1 346 313 9636
KKrupala2@mcdermott.com

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SOURCE McDermott International, Ltd

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Halal Route Application – Eat, Travel around Thailand, Safe and Sound Halal Style

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BANGKOK, Thailand, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Halal Science Center, Chulalongkorn University has developed Halal Route, an application that lists restaurants, lodging, mosques, prayer directions, and tourist attractions in Thailand under Islamic tourism principles. It hopes to help Muslim tourists travel in Thailand with peace of mind, and supports tourism industry operators to grow and welcome a growing number of Muslim tourists.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicts that in 2024 there will be around 168 million Islamic tourists worldwide.  According to the Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI 2024), Thailand is the 32nd most popular destination for Muslim tourists.  However, the major problem Muslim tourists encounter in Thailand is finding Halal-accredited restaurants, hotels, accommodations, or tourist attractions with service areas (such as prayer rooms) that are compliant with the Islamic way.

Halal Route” is a travel aggregator app that collects searchable information on Halal restaurants, mosques, prayer locations, times, and directions for prayers (the qibla), tourist attractions, Muslim villages or communities, hotels, accommodations, etc.  This app is linked to Google Maps for navigation with precision. It also supports 3 languages, Thai, English, and Arabic, so that Muslim tourists can live and travel more comfortably and with peace of mind,” said Mr.Erfun Weahama, Science Service Officer, Halal Route App development team.

Dr. Anat Denyingyot, Assistant Director of the Halal Science Center, emphasized that the Halal Route application has the most reliable and comprehensive information on halal tourism in Thailand today. “All restaurants and locations have had on-site visits and are audited according to standards approved by a trusted authority or organization, such as certifications from religious organizations or halal food-related entities, as well as management systems to guarantee and be responsible for halal conditions (the HAL-Q system),” Dr. Anat assured.

Currently, the application has more than 1,100 restaurants in its database, and new locations and services are being updated, covering more than 40 provinces from north to south of Thailand that are popular among tourists.

Halal Route is not only for navigation, but a platform that connects Muslim communities from around the world who have the opportunity to visit Thailand,” Associate Professor Dr.Winai Dahlan, Director of the Halal Science Center concluded.

The Halal Route application is free to download on both iOS and Android systems.

Read the full article at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/185916/  

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/halal-route-application—eat-travel-around-thailand-safe-and-sound-halal-style-302251312.html

SOURCE Chulalongkorn University

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