Day: November 1, 2023

eXp Realty Unveils Innovative Partnership with HomeHunter To Streamline International Property Search

BELLINGHAM, Wash., Nov. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — eXp Realty^®, “the most agent-centric real estate brokerage on the planet” and the core subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI), announced today a new partnership with HomeHunter, an innovative web application designed to improve the home search process for consumers across Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand.

HomeHunter is powered by WikiRealty and goes beyond a traditional search tool, providing a personalized, comprehensive and centralized platform for an easy global home search. It goes beyond the limits of individual searches to streamline the hunt for a home, bringing together data from numerous international platforms. It also features an intuitive bookmarking function that allows users to save their favorite properties from different regions and platforms with just a single click, and provides a curated list of property suggestions based on user search history.

“HomeHunter is poised to become a core source for listing data all over the world with unprecedented opportunities,” said Glenn Sanford, founder and CEO of eXp Realty. “We are immensely proud to be the pioneering brokerage to offer our agents access to this tool to improve the home search experience for their clients. It exemplifies our commitment to enhancing our agents’ value proposition on an international scale. By streamlining the home-buying process for consumers, this tool empowers eXp Realty agents to allocate more of their time to revenue-generating opportunities.”

About eXp World Holdings, Inc.

eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI) is the holding company for eXp Realty^®, Virbela^® and SUCCESS^® Enterprises.

eXp Realty is the largest independent real estate company in the world with more than 89,000 agents in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, India, Mexico, Portugal, France, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Italy, Hong Kong, Colombia, Spain, Israel, Panama, Germany, Dominican Republic, Greece, New Zealand, Chile, Poland and Dubai and continues to scale internationally. As a publicly traded company, eXp World Holdings provides real estate professionals the unique opportunity to earn equity awards for production goals and contributions to overall company growth. eXp World Holdings and its businesses offer a full suite of brokerage and real estate tech solutions, including its innovative residential and commercial brokerage model, professional services, collaborative tools and personal development. The cloud-based brokerage is powered by Virbela, an immersive 3D platform that is deeply social and collaborative, enabling agents to be more connected and productive. SUCCESS^® Enterprises, anchored by SUCCESS^® magazine and its related media properties, was established in 1897 and is a leading personal and professional development brand and publication.

For more information, visit https://expworldholdings.com. 

Safe Harbor Statement

The statements contained herein may include statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the availability of incentive programs in international markets and the future value of financial incentive programs. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update them. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in forward-looking statements include changes in business or other market conditions; the difficulty of keeping expense growth at modest levels while increasing revenues; and other risks detailed from time to time in the company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to the most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Media Relations Contact:

eXp World Holdings, Inc.
mediarelations@expworldholdings.com

Investor Relations Contact:

Denise Garcia
investors@expworldholdings.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/46667153-6cfb-4078-8cac-368b0a36d78b

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8970566

Operated by QRESTIA Inc., WAFUU.COM is a Japan-based e-commerce site that offers a curated selection of Japanese cosmetics, snacks, anime, games, and gadgets. We aim to share the allure of Japan globally, offering multi-language support and extensive shipping options.

TOKYO, Nov. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The world’s fascination with Japanese culture is far from waning, and WAFUU.COM, operated by QRESTIA Inc., has taken ambitious steps to meet this global demand. The growth rate of over 1200% (compared to the same month last year) is attributed to an expansive product range, multi-language support, the impact of a weaker yen, and an expanded target audience.

This initiative was brought to life by a team deeply passionate about sharing the beauty of Japan. WAFUU.COM has recently expanded its offerings by initiating shipping to 70 countries and adding support for 20 languages, breaking down previous challenges of restricted shipping zones, high shipping costs, and language barriers to reach an even wider audience than before.

This growth suggests that our multi-language platform is effectively reaching countries that previously had limited access to Japanese products. As we continue to refine the user experience, several future upgrades are planned to make the platform more user-friendly. “We have always aimed to build a bridge between Japan and the rest of the world, and this new initiative helps us do just that,” says FUKADA HIDEMASA, CEO of QRESTIA Inc.

Before pivoting to its current e-commerce model, WAFUU.COM was engaged in a business that actively utilized web marketing. This well-honed expertise and experience have been seamlessly transitioned into their new venture in cross-border e-commerce. Product selection is backed by comprehensive market research and AI technology, taking into account both global and local Japanese trends as well as online and offline purchasing data. Building on previous experience with multi-language business operations, the company has also accelerated its multi-language support, making Japanese products more accessible than ever. This multi-faceted approach ensures a product lineup that resonates with a diverse customer base.” For more information, visit https://wafuu.com/

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8aecd815-8139-4240-a056-bf82abf32f15

CONTACT FUKADA HIDEMASA
COMPANY QRESTIA Inc.
PHONE +81-35726-9180
EMAIL pr@qrestia.com
WEB https://wafuu.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8967985

The Forum’s Inauguration Celebrates 6th Anniversary of Cyberport Investors Network (CIN), Standing as a Network of Over 170 Members Facilitated an Accumulated Investment of over HK$ 2 billion (US$ 255 Million)

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 1 November 2023 – Cyberport Venture Capital Forum 2023, an annual premier event in the global venture capital scene organised by Cyberport, inaugurated yesterday. Themed “Venture Forward: Game Changing through Innovation”, the 2-day hybrid forum gathers a dynamic blend of over 80 world’s influential venture experts, entrepreneurial visionaries and innovative thinkers, who delve into the prospects and strategies for the venture capital market to capitalise on emerging trends such as Web3 and artificial intelligence (AI). As global economic momentum shifts eastward, this year’s Forum is also taking the lead in fostering regional collaboration, with specific focuses on the Middle East, ASEAN, and the Greater Bay Area, recognising them as promising hubs of opportunity.Cyberport Venture Capital Forum 2023 (CVCF) kicked off yesterday with over 80 world renowned venture experts and innovative thinkers discussing prospects and strategies for the venture capital market.

Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, said in his remarks, “Cyberport has all along been a powerhouse in our vibrant I&T community. A few weeks ago, we were honoured to receive the delegation of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, awarding Cyberport as the ‘State-level Scientific and Technological Incubator’ since 2020. This is a recognition of Cyberport’s steering efforts and remarkable achievements in providing incubation and support services to the Hong Kong start-up enterprises. I&T development, start-up incubation, financing, and long-term growth must come as one to make the whole entrepreneurship ecosystem work. Let us all take forward strides and venture into a new exciting chapter of the digitalised world.”

“As we ‘venture forward’, innovation is the key to ‘change the game’”, said Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, “The Policy Address, announced last week, included an AI supercomputing centre to be built in Cyberport in phases from 2024, to support the huge demand for computing power from R&D, academic and industry sectors and promote AI ecosystem and industry development. This manifests the key role of emerging technologies like AI in bringing Hong Kong’s I&T developments to new heights. With Hong Kong strategically positioned as the “Eight Centres” outlined in the 14th Five-year plan, we aspire to amplify the presence of Hong Kong’s I&T on the world’s stage, by creating greater synergy with the Government and different counterparts. We hope the insights shared at CVCF this year will help all of us navigate the new frontiers of venture capital ahead.”

Resilient Fundraising Performance Despite Market Volatility

Despite global venture capital market fluctuations and uncertainties, Cyberport community companies have maintained a robust fundraising performance over the past year. More than HK$3 billion (over US$ 380 million) was fundraised in the period from October 2022 to September 2023 alone, from companies including Animoca Brands, bowtie, Endowus, Moonfare etc., bringing the accumulated funds raised by Cyberport community start-ups to HK$37.5 billion (over US$ 4.7 billion). For two decades, Cyberport’s ecosystem continues to experience healthy expansion; in the event Cyberport has also welcomed the 7th unicorn, CertiK, into the fold.

Cyberport continues to play a pivotal role in promoting and facilitating investment matching, as well as supporting startup fundraising through the Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF). From October 2022 to September 2023, Cyberport injected capital through the CMF with investment units into two Cyberport startups that focus on health tech and smart logistics, namely Gense Technologies and alfred24 respectively. CMF has invested in 27 start-up projects, and CMF together with co-investments, the total investment reached HK$1.76 billion (US$226.1 million), resulting in a co-investment ratio of 1:9.

CIN Flourishes: Diversified Membership Base Expands in GBA, SEA, and Asia

Marking its 6th year, Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) continues its robust growth trajectory, empowering its start-up community through expanding the network locally and internationally, creating a good deal source for investors in the network, while helping startups to improve the quality of pitching. From October 2022 to September 2023 alone, CIN facilitated investments exceeding HK$340 million (over US$ 43.4 million), and an accumulated investment of over HK$2 billion (US$ 255 million) across a total of 75 projects.

CIN now proudly stands as a network of over 170 members comprising venture capital funds, accelerators or angel funds, family offices, corporate venture capital (CVC) and banks, and private equities. The past year recorded more than 20 new entities joining the network. Significantly, the diversity of CIN’s membership base has increased, with a considerable number of members from Hong Kong, Mainland China, as well as Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific, Americas and Europe. This growth signifies an influx of investment liquidity from these regions.

Hendrick Sin, Chairperson of Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) Steering Group and Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF) Investment Committee; Co-Founder & Vice Chairman, CMGE Technology Group Limited said, “Despite the turbulent currents in this year’s capital market, ‘smart money’ is still in place – investors continue to seek promising projects to support, with their primary focus being undeniable evidence of business sustainability. CIN has acted as a compass for both startups and investors, aiding them to be on the front foot to capture emerging opportunities. As the HKSAR Government continues to strengthen regional cooperation with the markets of ASEAN and the Middle East, looking ahead, CIN and CMF will continue to collaborate synergistically to foster investment matching and business collaboration opportunities to amplify Hong Kong start-ups’ impact.”

A Round up on Best Ways to forward I&T

With the goal to help businesses to navigate the future, CVCF 2023 three keynotes were presented by renowned international guests Alireza Masrour, General Partner of Plug & Play, a global innovation accelerator, Rohit Talwar, Global Futurist of Fast Future, a credible forward-looking research and insights house, and Irene Chu, Head of New Economy and Life Sciences of KPMG (Hong Kong), giving the audience valuable insights on investing efficiently in fast-growth businesses in the AI era.

Philip Yung, Director-General of Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (Financial Secretary’s Office) and Duncan Chiu, HKSAR Legislative Council Member (Technology and Innovation) examined with other speakers on the government’s new initiatives, strategies and support bolstering the development of Hong Kong’s I&T industry. Hendrick Sin, Chairperson of Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) Steering Group and Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF) Investment Committee, along with other business leaders discussed the investment opportunities and challenges upon China’s post-pandemic reopening and recovery.

Another key pillar that underpinned this year’s Forum is the I&T driving forces from emerging technologies, notably Web3 and AI. Jupiter Zheng Jialiang, Partner at HashKey Capital, imparted his insights on the investment opportunities within Web3 for the year 2024, while Sandeep Nailwal, Co-Founder of Polygon, emphasised the importance of supporting Web3 infrastructure and real-world applications.

In discussions concerning new capital markets, Medea Nocentini of Global Ventures, examined deal-making opportunities for NextGen startups in unstable times. Meanwhile, Elissa Liu of Lanchi Ventures, highlighted the Greater Bay Area’s role in spearheading Hong Kong’s position as a fundraising and expansion platform and gateway, and Sonia Weymuller, Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), shed light on Middle East investors and Asia-based venture capitalists in frontier technologies, smart industries, and technology for social good.

For programme schedules and full speaker line-up at this year’s CVCF, please visit: http://cvcf.cyberport.hk/

 

About Cyberport

Cyberport is Hong Kong’s digital technology flagship and incubator for entrepreneurship with over 2,000 members including over 900 onsite and close to 1,100 offsite start-ups and technology companies. It is managed by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, wholly owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government. With a vision to be the hub for digital technology, thereby creating a new economic driver for Hong Kong, Cyberport is committed to nurturing a vibrant tech ecosystem by cultivating talent, promoting entrepreneurship among youth, supporting start-ups, fostering industry development by promoting strategic collaboration with local and international partners, and integrating new and traditional economies by accelerating digital transformation in public and private sectors.

For more information, please visit www.cyberport.hk

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 1 November 2023 – Agilis Robotics, a leading innovator in surgical robotics, is spearheading a paradigm shift in the field of “incisionless” endoluminal surgery. The company has made remarkable technological breakthroughs in developing highly miniaturized and flexible robotic instruments that offer exceptional dexterity even in the most challenging anatomies. This achievement empowers surgeons to perform intricate tissue resection procedures with precision and ease, directly within natural orifices. Uniquely, the system integrates seamlessly with standard endoscopes used by hospitals and clinics, including colonoscopes and cystoscopes, leveraging existing endoscopic expertise, flattening the learning curve, and improving cost-effectiveness. The robotic instruments offer unprecedented possibilities across endoluminal surgery, spanning the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract, urinary tract, throat, and gynaecology.
The system consists of a primary cart, a compact control console, and disposable robotic arms which ensure performance and sterility. The cost of the system will be less than 20% of conventional robotic systems on the market, resulting in lower upfront investment and higher gross profits for medical institutions. The demand for endoluminal surgeries is surging worldwide, driven by increasing cancer screening and detection of early-stage tumours. With more than 3.5 million new GI cancer cases and 690k bladder cancer cases per year globally, Agilis Robotics is strategically positioned to capture the underserved endoluminal surgery market, allowing patients to receive effective early-stage treatment with reduced procedure time and recurrence rates.

Agilis Robotics is a spin-off from The University of Hong Kong and has secured more than HKD 90 million in funding from private investors. The funds are being utilized for further development and preparation for clinical trials. The company has completed six live animal studies with their clinical partners in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, demonstrating promising results for the system’s accuracy, safety, and efficacy. First-in-human trials are targeted for the first half of 2024. The company is actively preparing for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) regulatory submissions, which mark a significant milestone towards commercialization.

The company’s CFO, Hui Ka-Ming, with extensive experience in investing and pre-profit biotech companies, highlights the success of “Chapter 18A” listed companies in the HKEX, despite their relative immaturity compared to Agilis Robotics. Furthermore, Agilis Robotics understands the importance of cost-effectiveness, marketability, and market potential, ensuring a successful venture for investors and hospitals.