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“SOCIAL GOOD” STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS FROM UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH WIN PRESTIGIOUS $1 MILLION 2024 HULT PRIZE

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KORION HEALTH DEVELOPING AI-DRIVEN SCREENING TOOLS, EMPOWERING PATIENTS TO MONITOR HEALTHCARE FROM HOME

LONDON and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Hult Prize Foundation today held its Global Final and named the social impact startup Korion Health from University of Pittsburgh as the winner of the annual $1M USD Hult Prize.

Hult Prize awards Univ. of Pittsburgh’s Korion Health $1 million USD investment prize

Korion Health is developing a home health monitoring kit that empowers patients to better understand their own healthcare, working in conjunction with its hardware design partner, Hellbender, Inc., a Pennsylvania Social Benefit Corporation. The company’s flagship product is an electronic stethoscope that teaches users how to collect their own heart and lung sounds.

The annual Hult Prize competition challenges for-profit student entrepreneurs from around the world to create and launch businesses aimed at tackling the most pressing challenges they see in their communities. This year, the competition welcomed 200,000 participants and 40,000 entrepreneurs from approximately 113 countries and 2,000 international universities who put forward 9,400 startup ideas. Every startup must align with at least one U.N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and have a “triple bottom line” focus on people, planet, and profit. 

“Korion Health is the latest example of a social enterprise that will positively impact the world based on an innovative idea, hard work, and the ability to prove that it is possible to do well by doing good in business,” said Lori van Dam, CEO, Hult Prize. “The Hult Prize is honored to support Korion Health while raising awareness for the thousands of businesses that participated in this competition, all of which aim to do their part to help make the world better by solving our shared challenges.” 

Every year since 2010, the Hult Prize has posed a different challenge to competitors, with previous contests focused on healthcare, food insecurity, early childhood education, and sustainable fashion. This year, however, in recognition of the competition’s 15th anniversary, Hult Prize organizers expanded the competition to “unlimited” – welcoming all social impact ideas regardless of focus area.

Korion Health was chosen for the Prize over five other teams invited to London for the Global Finals, which included:

Bean Around (University College Dublin, Ireland): Bean Around produces “CoffChar,” a type of biochar, from recycled coffee grounds. The process produces clean, renewable energy as a byproduct.

HerLens (Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia): HerLens leverages artificial intelligence to enhance the accuracy of cervical cancer screenings. The company’s app and device aim to improve early detection via increased screening accuracy and reduced misdiagnosis.

LothghaApp (Mansoura University, Egypt): LothghaApp provides app-based speech therapy services including access to virtual speech pathologists, learning materials, classes and support groups.

ProtonCraft (Indian Institute of Technology, India): ProtonCraft has developed proprietary technology focused on decarbonizing oil refineries by turning harmful refinery waste into an alternative energy source: hydrogen.

Xatoms (University of Toronto and Western University, Canada): Xatoms leverages quantum chemistry and AI to identify materials that purify water faster and cheaper. The company’s proprietary AI identifies and validates photocatalytic molecules that could neutralize water pollutants, before quantum chemistry is employed to design photocatalytic materials (in powder form) to neutralize the target pollutant.

The competition welcomed past Hult Prize winners, current partners, and influential leaders involved with sustainability and social impact investing to serve as judges, including Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers , LinHart Group Founder and Chairman Tsun-yan Shieh, BuuPass, Inc. CEO Wyclife Omondi (winner of the 2016 Hult Prize), and Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center Vice-Chairperson Najla Al-Midfa.

The winner was announced with featured speaker, actor, startup founder, and environmentalist Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark on Game of Thrones. During an on-stage interview with van Dam, Williams highlighted her experience and lessons learned while launching Daisie, a digital platform that empowers creators to present their work, identify opportunities, and collaborate with others to develop and advance their careers. 

Hult Prize: Competition Overview

Hult Prize is among the largest student entrepreneurship competitions for social good – featuring 200,000 participants, 40,000 entrepreneurs, and 9,400 startups from 113 countries vying for a $1M investment from the Hult family, founders, owners and operators of EF Education First (EF), a leader in academic services, language learning, educational travel and cultural exchange. The competition started with on-campus programs at universities around the world in July 2023. 16 semi-finalists were chosen via online review and live events held in seven global cities, including Bangkok, Boston, Dubai, Lisbon, Monterrey, Mumbai, and Nairobi. Through August 2023, the semi-finalists worked with Hult Prize experts remotely to transform their ideas into investment-ready social ventures in advance of the Hult Prize Accelerator.

Korion Health and the semi-finalist cohort then gathered at the Hult Ashridge Campus a royal manor in Berkhamsted, UK for three weeks of intensive mentorship to prepare for the Finals. Hult Prize announced its six finalists one week before the Global Finals in London. 

“Congratulations to Korion Health and to all the outstanding participants who have showcased truly innovative startup ideas with the potential to change our shared future for the better,” added van Dam. “The social entrepreneurship movement is vibrant and growing. In the past several years, we’ve doubled the number of startups competing, while welcoming teams from nearly all of the world’s top 500 universities. As we look to the future, it gives me hope that our most pressing global challenges can be solved through social enterprise.” 

ABOUT HULT PRIZE

Hult Prize inspires student entrepreneurs to solve the world’s biggest challenges through innovative social enterprises with positive global impact. Through our year-long competition, over 200,000 young people in 113 countries work to create high-impact startups that address global challenges in alignment with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. The Hult Prize started at Hult International Business School, whose academic approach and commitment to experiential learning are embedded in how the competition works. 

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SOURCE Hult Prize Foundation

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Connatix and JW Player Merge To Create the Industry’s Largest Video Technology and Monetization Platform

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Advanced offering brings unparalleled monetization and streaming capabilities across CTV and OLV for broadcasters, publishers, and advertisers

NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — JW Player (JWP), the leading video streaming and data insights platform, today announced it is merging with Connatix, the leading video delivery and monetization solution, forming JWP Connatix. By unifying JWP’s broadcast-level live and on-demand streaming, data, and workflow capabilities with Connatix’s full stack advertising and content technology, JWP Connatix becomes the industry’s most comprehensive independent video technology and monetization platform for broadcasters, publishers, and advertisers.

This merger arrives as the digital video ecosystem is experiencing transformational change. Consumers are increasingly cutting the cord in favor of Connected TV (CTV) and streaming services, leading to rapid shifts in global advertising spend and the emergence of new direct-to-consumer subscription and pay-per-view offerings. In 2024, global CTV ad revenue will surpass $30 billion, while the top ten streaming services alone will support nearly 1 billion subscribers. Given this, publishers, broadcasters, and advertisers must transform their video strategies to meet these evolving viewer expectations and business needs.

“How and where viewers consume video is rapidly changing. As a result, media companies require innovative solutions that allow them to maximize audience engagement and help optimize revenue across disparate monetization models, whether it be advertising, subscriptions or commerce,” said David Kashak, Co-founder and CEO of Connatix. “Together, JWP Connatix fulfills that requirement, by accelerating our companies’ mutual visions to create environments where premium video viewing, powered by best-in-class technology, meets high-quality monetization experiences, enabling media leaders to deliver exceptional results.”

JWP Connatix creates an indispensable partner in this rapidly changing video ecosystem, powering streaming for over 2,000 blue-chip media companies, including 80% of the top 25 Comscore US publishers. As the largest independent global video network across CTV and OLV, the company reaches over 1 billion unique users and delivers 30 billion+ combined video plays and ad impressions every month. Key benefits for customers include: 

Global reach and reliable scale: Streaming 7 billion minutes of VOD and live content to over 1 billion unique users on any screen around the worldHybrid monetization models: Support for subscription, advertising and e-commerce business models, leveraging insights from content and audiences to help maximize revenueUnique insights to optimize outcomes: Leverage AI to combine trillions of contextual, consumption, and monetization data signals to match customers with content and ads, boosting engagementSingle end-to-end platform for OLV and CTV: Streamlined video management platform enabling diverse monetization opportunities across content, commerce, and creative

“By joining forces, JWP Connatix ushers in a new era for digital video. The complementary nature of our  businesses enables us to bring a unique combination of scale, product breadth, and industry expertise to the market,” added Dave Otten, CEO and Co-Founder of JWP. “Perhaps more importantly, we are bringing together two knowledgeable, and dedicated teams, whose skill-sets and values are a perfect match. We could not be more excited about this partnership and look forward to shaping the future of digital video together.”

As part of the transaction, Dave Otten will become CEO of the combined company, while David Kashak will serve as its Chairman. JWP Connatix will be headquartered in New York City with additional offices in London, Cluj-Napoca, Eindhoven, Skopje, and Tel Aviv.

About Connatix

Connatix is a video technology company that powers the world’s stories with effortless and inspiring solutions. Through a proprietary full-stack platform, Connatix helps publishers deliver, monetize, analyze and create video, while providing advertisers with premium video inventory and a collection of data intelligence solutions including Deep Contextual™and predictive audience targeting.  Sitting at the forefront of innovation, Connatix leverages the power of AI to optimize revenue and ensure relevancy, efficiency and scale across campaigns.

Connatix currently works with 350+ publisher groups across thousands of sites and leading brands and agencies. The private equity-backed business has been named an AdExchanger Programmatic Power Player for two consecutive years and included on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies for three consecutive years. Founded in 2014, Connatix is headquartered in New York City and continues to expand its global footprint with offices in London, Cluj-Napoca, and Tel Aviv.

About JWP

JW Player (JWP) is a leader in video streaming and player technology, providing broadcasters and publishers with a platform for delivering and monetizing video content across web, OTT, CTV, and FAST platforms. JWP’s technology helps deliver exceptional video experiences, engage audiences, and increase viewing time. Pioneering innovations like HLS streaming, header bidding for video, and contextual content recommendations, JWP offers a comprehensive end-to-end streaming management platform. Founded in 2008, JWP is one of the fastest growing SaaS companies in the world with a vision to power video-driven businesses so they thrive in the digital video economy.  Serving over 2,000 global broadcasters, publishers, and video-driven brands, JWP powers video for over 1 billion users each month and 5 billion minutes of video watched. Headquartered in New York, JWP has offices in London, Eindhoven, and Skopje.

Media Contact
Cassady Nordeen
cassady@purposenorthamerica.com

 

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SOURCE Connatix

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Proteotype Awarded £1.5 Million Grant to Advance Early Cancer Detection with Innovative Enlighten® Test

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CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Proteotype Diagnostics Ltd, in collaboration with the University of Southampton, has been awarded £1.5 million in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Office for Life Sciences (OLS). The grant (NIHR207538) will support clinical validation of Proteotype’s novel Enlighten® Multi-Cancer Early Detection test, a revolutionary approach to detecting early-stage cancers by focusing on the body’s response to tumour development.

A Breakthrough in Early Cancer Detection

While many cancer diagnostics rely on tumour-released signals, such as circulating tumour DNA, which is often only detectable once cancer has progressed, Enlighten® takes a different and potentially more powerful approach. It measures the host response to tumour development, tracking changing levels of proteins that occur even in the earliest stages of cancer.

Initial results have been promising. At AACR 2024, Proteotype reported a detection rate of 86% across multiple cancers, with a 0% false-positive rate and strong signals for early-stage cancers. The test now needs to be validated in a larger group of patients, enabling a statistically powered calculation of performance.

Dr. Emma Yates, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Proteotype Diagnostics, said: “When cancer is discovered earlier, patients have more treatment options and better outcomes. Enlighten® is designed to disrupt, detecting cancer as early as the immune system, whilst remaining simple enough yet robust enough to fit existing care pathways and NHS needs.”

Focused on Health Equity

Enlighten® will be trialled in real-world NHS settings with a specific focus on reaching higher-risk, underserved populations. The MODERNISED clinical study, led by Professor Andrew Davies from the University of Southampton Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, will recruit 1,350 participants across Southern England, targeting cancers with high mortality rates in socio-economically deprived areas, such as colorectal, lung, and pancreatic cancers.

Wesley Sukdao, co-founder and CEO of Proteotype Diagnostics shared: “Growing up in poverty in South Africa, I lost three of my closest family members to cancers detected too late, all before I turned fourteen. To meaningfully impact health inequalities, cutting-edge cancer diagnostics must be both affordable and accessible. My team and I are focused to deliver on this mission.”

Driving Cost-Effective Screening for the NHS

Enlighten® does not require highly expensive, specialised equipment or consumables. Affordable laboratory kits applied to crude patient plasma enable easy scale-up for mass screening. With low data requirements and results within 24-hours of sample measurement, it is well positioned for NHS-wide adoption.

MODERNISED will be accompanied by a Health Economic Evaluation to ensure it delivers clinical benefit and meets NHS financial goals.

A Critical Step Forward

This grant is part of a UK Government commitment of £22.5m to deliver the OLS Cancer Programme. The NIHR i4i-OLS call forms part of this programme. Over the next 24-months, Enlighten® will undergo clinical validation, bringing it closer to regulatory approval and potential integration into NHS cancer screening programs.

Professor Andrew Davies, Chief Investigator (MODERNISED), commented: “Enlighten is innovative, capturing changing levels of proteins released into the bloodstream even in the earliest cancer stages. If Enlighten performs well in MODERNISED, it could mark a step change in early cancer diagnostics.”

About Proteotype Diagnostics Ltd

Proteotype is a pioneering diagnostics company dedicated to the development of advanced multi-cancer early detection and personalised medicine tests that measure the host response to tumour development. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and comprehensive research, Proteotype aims to revolutionise cancer diagnostics and improve early detection, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and survival rates.

Media contact: pr@proteotype.com 

Email invest@proteotype.com to partner and bring this test to a clinic near you.

 

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SOURCE Proteotype Diagnostics

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DCS Awarded $70.7M Contract to Support Army’s Ground Vehicle Systems Center

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — DCS Corporation is pleased to announce the award of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) Ground Vehicle Simulation Lab (GVSL) contract valued at $70.7M.

Under this 5-year contract, DCS will continue to provide technical services to the U.S. Army (DEVCOM) GVSC Immersive Simulation Directorate (GVSC-IS) in Warren, Michigan. GVSC-IS is home to a world-class facility that develops and applies physics-based simulations, simulators, crew station design, and virtual simulation in support of Army ground combat vehicle technology research, development, and maturation. Under this contract, DCS will provide technical services for: Immersive Ground Vehicle Simulation development, integration, and execution; Ride Motion Simulation and Crew Station/Turret Motion Based Simulation; crew station development and integration; and conduct and evaluation of Virtual Experimentation. The technology developed will advance the Army’s ability to evaluate concept and existing vehicle systems mobility, durability, and operations on the move.

“For more than 20 years, DCS has supported GVSC-IS and U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in conducting motion-based and large-scale experiments at the world-class GVSL modeling and simulation facilities,” commented Bill Protzman, DCS President and COO. “We are excited to continue supporting GVSC-IS and the Warfighter.”

DCS has been a trusted partner of the U.S. Army GVSC and its predecessor organizations for more than 35 years. DCS employee-owners work alongside Government counterparts to further the research, development, acquisition, integration, testing, fielding, and post-fielding operations of manned and unmanned ground vehicles. These Government-contractor teams develop and deliver innovative solutions to support the mission of the Army.

About DCS An employee-owned company, DCS offers advanced technology, engineering, and management solutions to Government agencies in the national security sector. The transformative ideas, commitment to quality, and entrepreneurial spirit that characterize our employee-owners allow us to ensure the success of each customer’s mission and actively contribute to the well-being of the Nation. For more information, please visit: https://www.dcscorp.com

Contact: DCS Media, dcsmedia@dcscorp.com, 571-227-6000

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. OPSEC9069

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SOURCE DCS Corporation

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