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The Outset Brings a New Beginning to Skincare

The Outset

Today, globally recognized actor Scarlett Johansson and her co-founder, entrepreneur, and beauty/fashion executive Kate Foster Lengyel, announced the highly anticipated US launch of The Outset, a modern collection of consciously clean, minimalist skincare essentials free from trends, harsh ingredients, and gender/age stereotypes. Anchored in purpose, The Outset celebrates The Start of You™ from product to mission, an ethos of optimism and empowerment also woven into philanthropic efforts that foster new beginnings for people and the planet. After years of serving as the face of several luxury beauty brands, Johansson made the conscious decision to step back from endorsements and immerse herself in the business of beauty with the ultimate goal of developing her own brand that represented her vision and values, but more importantly, answered unmet consumer needs. She spent five years educating herself on the industry, formulations, product development and brand identity, and partnered with Foster to conduct in depth market research to better understand what consumers wanted. With a vision to create a modern classic in skincare, Johansson and Foster were validated by what they learned and set out to develop an accessible approach to prestige beauty that is clean, reliable and democratic, proving that less is not only more, but what is in demand. The full range includes a thoughtfully curated collection of five skincare essentials that can be used as a full regimen or paired with your existing skincare, as these formulas will not compete with other active ingredients. Products are all under $55 and available on TheOutset.com beginning March 1, 2022. “I wanted to create and represent a brand that felt true to me, something real and intimate that others could see themselves in, too,” said Johansson. “The Outset was inspired by my own skincare ritual - a consistent routine of cleansing, prepping and moisturizing that keeps my skin on track and camera ready. I’ve found that great skin starts with the basics, and consumers we spoke with similarly expressed a desire to return to the essentials.” No matter where you are on your skincare journey, The Outset offers a simplified skincare solution that allows you to begin again. In a world of overcomplicated skincare routines and active ingredients that can irritate, The Outset believes that less is more and takes the guesswork out of skincare by offering skin-friendly, effective formulas that can be used by all. “The Outset provides benefit-driven formulas that don’t disrupt the skin barrier and instead work to preserve skin for the future,” said Foster. “Through our research, we found that 96% of prestige beauty consumers are generally happy with their skin and are more focused on preservation rather than transformation. The Outset is where simplicity and purpose meet; we help consumers find freedom in the uncomplicated through non-toxic yet effective formulas that nourish skin of all genders and generations.” Inside every product is The Outset’s signature Hyaluroset™ Complex, a clean ingredient blend that acts as a botanical alternative to hyaluronic acid. This nourishing powerhouse complex provides immediate and lasting hydration, plumping the skin to help reduce the look of fine lines while improving radiance. THE COLLECTION The Cleanser / Gentle Micellar Antioxidant Cleanser ($32) The Prep Serum / Firming Vegan Collagen Prep Serum ($46) The Moisturizer / Nourishing Squalane Daily Moisturizer ($44) The Night Cream / Restorative Niacinamide Night Cream ($54) The Eye Cream / Smoothing Vitamin C Eye + Expression Lines Cream ($42) At the heart of the line is the Daily Essential Regimen, a simple 3-step effort inspired by Johansson’s own daily routine: (01) Cleanse, (02) Prep and (03) Moisturize. This minimalist and clean approach is represented via a tightly curated and refillable skincare system that includes The Cleanser, The Prep Serum and The Moisturizer to soothe, hydrate, and rebalance the skin. The Outset excludes 2,700 potentially harmful ingredients to meet only the highest clean beauty standard, a “free from” list that is twice as long as standard beauty brands. Any ingredients that are incomplete, questionably sourced or unsatisfactory were banned. The Outset is fragrance-free, vegan, gluten-free, and nut allergen free, dermatologist and allergy tested, suitable for sensitive skin, and Leaping Bunny certified. Designed with sustainability in mind, the packaging incorporates glass, bio-resin and/or post-consumer recycled materials where possible, and product cartons are made with FSC certified materials. The brand is also a member of 1% for the Planet and has pledged to donate 1% of annual sales to support nonprofit organizations focused on the environment. “The Outset means a new beginning, which feels more relevant than ever at a time when we are all starting over and pressing the reset button,” said Johansson. “It took years for us to build a brand that was backed by quality and purpose, and I’m thrilled to finally share The Outset with the world. It’s an exciting beginning for me, as well.” For more information, images or quotes, please contact: BPCM Laura Schroeder, Director, Clean Beauty & Wellness, lschroeder@bpcm.com About The Outset: The Outset creates purposeful skincare products that are consciously clean and mindfully designed to elevate your everyday. Envisioned by Scarlett Johansson and her co-founder Kate Foster Lengyel, The Outset believes that clean and effective skincare should be universal, accessible and essential. Driven by values of radical simplicity, conscious minimalism, and universal optimism, The Outset helps people embrace the elemental and find freedom in the uncomplicated. The Outset is where you begin, again. theoutset.com | @theoutset on Instagram and TikTok About Scarlett Johansson: Scarlett Johansson is Founder and Chair of The Outset, a new clean beauty brand focused on simplicity via consciously clean ingredients and mindfully designed products. A Tony and BAFTA winner and two-time Academy Award nominee, Johansson is the highest grossing female actor of all time. She was most recently seen in the final installment of the Avengers film series, Avengers: Endgame, and reprised her role as “Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow” in the highly anticipated stand-alone film Black Widow. She earned Academy Award nominations for her work in Marriage Story, directed by Noah Baumbach, and in Taika Waititi's JoJo Rabbit. Other recent roles include Sing and Sing 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Lucy, Under the Skin, Ghost in the Shell, Isle of Dogs and Her, which earned her a Best Actress Award at the Rome Film Festival. A champion for giving back, Johansson has served as Global Ambassador for Oxfam and RED, and has actively supported philanthropic organizations including USA Harvest, Feeding America, AmfAR, Meals on Wheels, Solar Responders, Soles4Souls, and Planned Parenthood. About Kate Foster Lengyel: Kate Foster Lengyel is co-founder and CEO of The Outset. Foster is an entrepreneur and executive from the beauty and fashion industries. Her first foray into entrepreneurship was as founder and CEO of a digital platform focused on word-of-mouth product recommendations, which was acquired by media powerhouse Meredith Corporation in January 2020. Foster’s knowledge of e-commerce, marketing and brand strategy was built through a career of leadership roles at companies including the beauty division of Victoria’s Secret and Juicy Couture. Foster holds three degrees: an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MPS from the Fashion Institute of Technology concentrating in Beauty Marketing and Management and an AB from Colgate University. Foster volunteers her time as a mentor for Colgate’s Entrepreneurship Program and resides in Brooklyn with her husband and their two children. Contact Details Laura Schroeder lschroeder@bpcm.com

March 01, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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The Kohlbecker Brothers are leading Industrial Architecture into the Digital Age

Stockwood Strategy

In 2022, Kohlbecker Gesamtplan GmbH is celebrating 90 years of leading in Industrial Architecture and pushing boundaries in digitizing the industry. Making use of cutting-edge technology, the company has become Europe’s leading general planner and emphasizes on sustainability while working towards a carbon neutral footprint. Ever since the company was founded by Karl Kohlbecker in 1930, three generations of Kohlbecker men have dedicated themselves to be responsible for countless automotive structures on a global scale. Their reputation has brought them costumers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Jaguar Landrover, Magna Steyr, and HK Motors. Kohlbecker Gesamtplan has not only worked for clients from the automotive industry, but the company has also contracted with HARIBO, the Jumeirah Group, the Sochi Winter Olympics as well as rebuilding Berlins iconic “Potsdamer Platz. Of course, as decades past, there was an intrinsic need to adapt, modify, innovate and finally revolutionizing the way architects work to keep the company’s edge over their competitors. Together, the charismatic duo is guiding their ninety-year-old family business into a bright future of sustainable, responsible, and digitized practices. Kohlbecker has quickly become one of Europe’s leading general planners having built its success by pushing digital capabilities. Kohlbecker’s reputation has seen it win ambitious, complex projects for manufacturing and production factories. Kohlbecker remains family-run with its lead principals, tech-savvy brothers Mat t hias and Florian, heavily invested in integrating technology – from AI and VR to robotics – into its core service offering. The architecture and engineering market is now heavily driven by technological advancements due to increasing project complexity. Digital tools, from machine learning to fabrication technologies; artificial intelligence to Big Data have become increasingly ubiquitous and pervasive within architecture. In midst of a global pandemic changing the rules and necessities of how social and business practices are executed, Kohlbecker has launched AVAT AR, their proprietary tech Platform which aims to increase project efficiency by 20%. AVAT AR acts as a “Digital Twin” for clients and project managers at Kohlbecker to virtually interface throughout the planning and management of any given construction project. Kohlbecker’s practices have proven to generate significant productivity increases, as well as potential cost savings. Kohlbecker’s AVAT AR technology has been used in large scale redevelopment projects with clients including a recent Project for German car manufacturer Audi in Asia. “ Not only was travel largely impossible due to the pandemic, it was also made unnecessary by our digital way of working,” shares Florian Kohlbecker. “ This made it possible to orchestrate a global team and a high-performance project without any face-to-face meetings. In the first 13 weeks of the undertaking, more than 251,000 miles of business travel were saved, thus preventing 110 tons of CO2 emissions (the equivalent of more than 115 soccer fields of forest being saved), which would have required 35,000 trees to absorb in the same period. This led to the over $300k being saved as well. “ The company will be showcasing AVAT AR at the Expo 2020 Dubai, with Florian Kohlbecker being on stage to run through facts and how technology might just be the answer to saving the planet. Today, Kohlbecker is well on track with a yearly revenue of over USD 30M. It’s lead principals Matthias and Florian Kohlbecker have successfully led the business to exceptional growth, including year-on-year growth for the past three years despite the coronavirus pandemic. Contact Details Kohlbecker Gesamtplan GmbH Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://kohlbecker.de/

March 01, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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iTradeNetwork Offers Two Introductory Webinars on OrderMaestro—The Foodservice Industry’s Best-In-Class Ordering And E-Commerce Platform

iTradeNetwork

iTradeNetwork, the food and beverage industry’s largest network, will be hosting two webinars to introduce its new solution—OrderMaestro, a branded mobile ordering experience that streamlines and automates ordering and inventory for the foodservice industry. Each webinar is designed for a specific OrderMaestro customer segment—distributors or operators—and will be hosted by Mike Anderson, iTradeNetwork’s Vice President of Sales Solutions. Webinar details: OrderMaestro for Operators | March 10, 2022, at 2 p.m. EDT / 11.a.m. PDT OrderMaestro for Distributors | March 17, 2022, at 2 p.m. EDT / 11 a.m. PDT OrderMaestro solves the unique, complex challenges that distributors and operators are facing today. With thousands of competitors on the market, OrderMaestro gives distributors a competitive advantage by delivering a best-in-class e-commerce solution that customers love. For operators, not only does OrderMaestro make their teams faster and more productive with a simplified ordering experience, but it also gives them the visibility to maximize purchasing compliance and uncover new contracting opportunities across geographies, categories and operating units. OrderMaestro customers increase productivity, reduce costs and drive revenue growth with a host of valuable features. Webinar attendees can look forward to learning more about how operators and distributors can: Combat labor shortages with an intuitive, easy-to-use mobile app - no formal training required. Use smart barcode scanning and voice recognition technology to place an order or take inventory in as little as 3 clicks. Collect rich, comprehensive data on the products that are being purchased across their organization or customer base. Build in-app promotion programs that create new sources of revenue and even distributor loyalty programs. Collaborate in real time with alerts and in-app messaging and save the hours spent communicating through phone calls and emails. Take inventory from a mobile device in any environment, online or offline. About iTradeNetwork iTradeNetwork, Inc. is the leading global provider of supply chain management solutions for the food and beverage industry. Built upon deep industry expertise, a rich data foundation and the industry’s most extensive trading partner network, iTradeNetwork’s collaborative solutions allow distributors, manufacturers, operators, retailers, suppliers and wholesalers of all sizes to reduce cost, grow revenue and strengthen trading partner relationships. Today, iTradeNetwork’s growing customer list includes thousands of companies globally. For more information, visit: https://www.itradenetwork.com/. Contact Details Landis Communications Inc. Robin Carr +1 415-971-3991 itn@landispr.com Company Website https://www.itradenetwork.com/

March 01, 2022 06:03 AM Pacific Standard Time

VinFast signs memorandum of understanding with LeasePlan for customer leasing options in Europe

Vingroup

BARCELONA, SPAIN - Media OutReach - 1 March 2022 - On February 28, 2022, at Mobile World Congress 2022 (MWC 2022), VinFast announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with LeasePlan, one of the world's leading car-as-a-service companies. Through this anticipated collaboration, VinFast will continue to establish its positioning in Europe ahead of launches in the Dutch, German and French markets. According to the MOU, it is the intention that LeasePlan will become the preferred partner of VinFast to provide operational leasing, fleet management and remarketing to B2C and B2B customers. It is foreseen that LeasePlan will also offer online leasing solutions as part of a range of flexible financing options available to VinFast's customers in the launch markets of Germany, France and the Netherlands. In addition to a range of financing options, including a convenient lease option through LeasePlan, as detailed at MWC 2022, VinFast is also fully integrating multiple advanced safety and convenience technologies to enhance customer experiences and to make smart EVs and their users close companions in everyday life. LeasePlan is one of the world's leading car-as-a-service companies, with the ability to manage nearly 2 million vehicles in 29 countries spanning the globe. This collaboration will help VinFast to quickly reach customers, promote electrification in Europe and lay the groundwork to bring high-quality products and advanced smart services to market. Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thuy, CEO of VinFast in Europe, said: "This announcement with LeasePlan is further evidence of the rapid progress VinFast is making towards its European launch, as well as its commitment to offering optimal financing solutions to customers. LeasePlan's reputation and market coverage will be vital enablers for our quest to penetrate a competitive market. VinFast is constantly working to meet all the needs of customers and create a better life for everyone." Europe has always been a key market in VinFast's global expansion strategy. Over the years, VinFast has established significant partnerships with proven suppliers in this market in the areas of finance, technology and design. Cooperation with LeasePlan is the next move in VinFast's expansion plan in the European market. At MWC 2022, VinFast continues to further its Future of Mobility – a safer, greener, and more efficient tomorrow. VinFast has detailed the advanced connectivity technologies fitted across its range of EV models, including Smart Services and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). These features will integrate VinFast EVs into all aspects of life, creating a true three-in-one smart EV: the perfect family car, the ultimate company car, and the ideal shopping car. The VF 8 and VF 9 were introduced to the global audience at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, and reservations announced at CES 2022, are taking place from January 5, 2022, until the end of April 5, 2022. During this time, customers who complete a 150 Euro deposit enter the exclusive VinFirst - "Pioneer's Gratitude to Pioneers" programme, which offers many fascinating perks, including an e-voucher worth 2,500 Euros towards the purchase of a VF 8 and 4,200 Euros towards the purchase of a VF 9, one free ADAS & Smart Services package, one free portable charger, a tree planted in the participant's name, and much more. Customers can learn more and reserve at: https://vinfastauto.eu/en/reservations. About VinFast VinFast - a member of Vingroup – envisioned to drive the movement of global smart electric vehicle revolution. Established in 2017, VinFast owns a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing complex with globally leading scalability that boasts up to 90% automation in Hai Phong, Vietnam.Strongly committed to the mission for a sustainable future for everyone, VinFast constantly innovates to bring high-quality products, advanced smart services, seamless customer experiences, and pricing strategy to inspire global customers to jointly create a future of smart mobility a sustainable planet. Learn more at: https://vinfastauto.com. About Vingroup Established in 1993, Vingroup is one of the leading private conglomerates in the region, with a total capitalization of $35 billion from three publicly traded companies (as of November 4, 2021). Vingroup currently focuses on three main areas: Technology and Industry, Services and Social Enterprise. Find out more at: https://www.vingroup.net/en. Contact Details Vingroup v.nammh@vingroup.net Company Website https://vinfastauto.com

March 01, 2022 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

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LevLane Advertising Announces SVP, Partnerships and Development

LevLane

LevLane Advertising, a full-service, award-winning advertising agency based in Center City, Philadelphia, has announced Carl Cherkin, former Vice President of Communications and Business Development at Philadelphia Union, as the agency’s first Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Development. LevLane is a nationally recognized agency which offers creative services, brand planning, social media strategy, public relations, analytics, and more. It was founded almost 40 years ago and has grown to employ more than 75 full-time employees today. Bruce Lev, LevLane’s CEO, Chief Creative Officer, and co-founder, said that while driving in new business and expanding the agency’s presence in the region are primary goals for Cherkin, he fully expects him to step in and contribute in areas outside of partnerships and development. “That’s just who Carl is, and the exact reason we brought him onto our team.” In his previous role at Philadelphia Union, Cherkin was a member of the executive team responsible for launching Philadelphia Union, the city’s successful Major League Soccer team, where he remains a consultant, now in his 13 th season with the club. In addition to the ground-breaking launch, he established a number of successful relationships with corporate sponsors, Chambers of Commerce, and a vast and varied array of businesses, while continuing to generate a continuum of profitable business development opportunities at all levels for the club. Prior to his work in business development and communications, he had a successful career spanning decades in journalism and public relations. For Cherkin, the transition from Emmy Award-winning television sportscaster to business development executive was natural. “I’ve spent my entire career making connections and building relationships, it’s what I love to do,” he said. “I am looking forward to being a part of the team that pushes LevLane into its next phase of growth. We have incredible talent here and my hope is that our reputation for attracting creative powerhouses and impressive clientele makes us the number one agency in Philadelphia and mid-Atlantic region.” The agency has experienced steady growth throughout the past several decades—the decision to bring on a senior vice president for partnerships and development ensures that the agency as a whole remains energized. ‘‘This is an exciting time for LevLane and for me as well. I’ve been given a unique opportunity to work in an environment where the culture, already created, is so vitally important. That my lifelong friend Bruce Lev has been the driving force behind that culture, makes it that much more meaningful,” said Cherkin. “It’s incredibly motivating and at the same time challenging, to know that any and all of contributions I make to this extraordinary group of people will continue to enhance the growth and success of LevLane and its clients.” About LevLane LevLane is an award-winning, full-service, independent advertising agency in Philadelphia, PA, that has been building brands that people love for nearly 40 years. Contact Details Lauren Stralo +1 610-401-4825 lstralo@levlane.com Company Website https://www.levlane.com

March 01, 2022 08:07 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Testsigma raises $4.6M from Accel and STRIVE to launch open source test automation platform

Stockwood Strategy

With a mission to make test automation simple and scalable, Testsigma has secured a $4.6M seed funding led by Accel and STRIVE, with participation from BoldCap and a host of well known entrepreneurs and operators. These include Shanmugam Krishnasamy, co-founder and CTO of Freshworks; Kiran Darisi, co-founder and VP of engineering at Freshworks; Parsuram Vijayasankar, co-founder and principal engineer at Freshworks; Vetri Vellore, CEO of Ally.io; Nitesh Banta, CEO at B12; Ioann Fainsilber, Co-Founder at Pintek, and others. With an increasing focus on automation and DevOps, software delivery is faster than ever before. Automated testing is essential for balancing software quality with the accelerated velocity of release cycles, but because the toolchain that is supposed to enable automated testing has many moving parts, test automation becomes a parallel development project in organizations. They also have huge upfront and ongoing resource, tech, and expertise costs. Testsigma’s open-source test automation platform is designed to replace the entire broken test stack and enable modern software development teams to test and release products quickly, continuously, and at scale. This is a problem modern engineers have wanted solved for a long time, and hence the large-scale interest in Testsigma. Rukmangada Kandyala, Founder and CEO of Testsigma, said, “Today’s test stack has made test automation more about writing and maintaining scripts than about taking quality software to market as quickly as possible. What we’re trying to do at Testsigma is not just simplify test automation to speed up the testing, but also make it a sustainable, scalable process in which the tools don’t require ongoing maintenance, freeing up the teams to focus on value delivery instead of building and maintaining scripts and frameworks.” Test Automation market is growing at a healthy 20% year-on-year and it will be a $50 billion market by 2025. Currently over 80% of the companies are building their custom test automation stack from scratch, according to a World Quality Report(21-22) over 63% of these are looking for smart testing solutions to speed up the releases. Thousands of developers, QAs, product managers across the world at teams like Sage, HPE, Netgear, HDFC Life, IEEE, SignEasy, American Psychological Association, Mehiläinen, and more are already using Testsigma throughout their software delivery cycles. Testsigma was founded by Rukmangada Kandyala, Pratheep Velicherla, Vikram Chaitanya, and Rajesh Reddy in 2019. The team comes with rich experience in developing enterprise SaaS applications for Zoho, Freshworks, Oracle, HPE. Testsigma will use the capital to strengthen the core engineering and product team and to build alongside and for a global community of testers, test automation engineers, and developers. “Test Automation is a problem faced by every organization, more so these days when release cycles are getting shorter. We are very excited to partner with Testsigma. It is an incredibly comprehensive, easy-to-use test automation platform that caters to every testing requirement of an organization.”, said Abhinav Chaturvedi, Partner at Accel. “These are dev-founders who are building for other devs. Test automation has a problem of fragmentation and we need a collaborative approach to solve this if we are to ship good software. The team’s open-source approach to build a platform for quality seems to be the perfect recipe” added Nikhil Kapur, Partner at STRIVE. About Testsigma Testsigma is an open-source, low-code, extendable test automation platform that works out of the box to enable everyone in the team to rapidly develop, execute, and analyze end-to-end tests for web and mobile apps, and APIs in plain English. About Accel Accel is a global venture capital firm that aims to be the first partner to exceptional teams everywhere, from inception through all phases of private company growth. Accel has been operating in India since 2008, and its investments include companies like BookMyShow, Browserstack, Flipkart, Freshworks, FalconX, Infra.Market, Chargebee, Clevertap, Cure Fit, Musigma, Moneyview, Mensa Brands, Myntra, Moglix, Ninjacart, Swiggy, Stanza Living, Urban Company, Zetwerk, and Zenoti, among many others. We help ambitious entrepreneurs build iconic global businesses. For more, visit www.accel.com or https://twitter.com/Accel_India. About STRIVE STRIVE is a B2B/SaaS-focused fund with over 80 investments across India, Southeast Asia, and Japan, and managing over $200M in AUM. The firm has invested in several dev infra and SaaS companies in India including Hasura, 100ms, and Classplus. Contact Details Testsigma Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://testsigma.com/

February 28, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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ManiMe and Coca-Cola® Kick off Three-Year Partnership with Limited-Edition Custom-Fit Gel Manicures

ManiMe

ManiMe, the pioneer of custom-fit, stick-on gel manicures, and Coca-Cola have agreed to a three-year partnership. To kick off, the two brands will launch a limited-edition collection of custom-fit gel manicures. The ManiMe and Coca-Cola Collection will feature six unique nail art designs that celebrate Coca-Cola's iconic brand. Each design is a fresh perspective on Coca-Cola’s colors and iconography. The ManiMe and Coca-Cola Collection will be available at http://manime.co/coca-cola, starting on Feb. 28, 2022, while supplies last. A Sign of Good Taste: a matte black mani gets upgraded with raised gel features that showcase how Coca-Cola® is spelled in different languages and recognized worldwide. Happiness in a Sip: a mix of bold Coca-Cola® Red and White checkers makes for the mix-and-match mani of our dreams. Always Coca-Cola®: a collage of Coca-Cola’s® most recognizable script makes for a beautiful print for your nails. Drink Coca-Cola®: a classic Coca-Cola® Red solid mani with the option to add accent nails featuring iconic Coca-Cola® branding. Red, White & You: a swirling motif of Coca-Cola® Red and White mimics the curvature of Coca-Cola® iconic glass bottles and gives you the instantly refreshing mani. Open Happiness: a silver-foil cuticle detailing on a grey base imitates cans of Coca-Cola® and Coke®. “The collaboration with Coca-Cola marks a milestone for ManiMe as it will be our most significant, longest-standing collaboration and has the potential to expand our reach into new demographics and markets. We are so inspired to be working with a brand with such an established history,” said Jooyeon Song, ManiMe CEO, and founder. “The opportunities and gel designs are truly endless as we begin to plan the next three years of our partnership with The Coca-Cola Company’s portfolio of brands.” This partnership is the first time Coca-Cola will be working with an emerging startup beauty brand rather than one with a global or regional presence. It reflects Coca-Cola's continued investment in brands shaping the future of the consumer experience, which centers around personalization. “We appreciate The Coca-Cola Company’s ability to recognize the important role of customization for our respective industries,” said Laure Murciano, ManiMe Chief Marketing Officer. “Through our partnership, ManiMe and Coca-Cola will bring a new level of innovation to the beauty industries, all while delighting consumers with recognizable and wearable nail art designs.” ManiMe and Coca-Cola share the same love of personalization. ManiMe provides custom-fit, stick-on gel manicures through its patented 3D-modeling technologies while Coca-Cola provides refreshing experiences for consumers globally with its food and beverage products. “Throughout the years, Coca-Cola has created iconic visual assets that take our brand beyond the food & beverage industry and into the realm of our customers' everyday lives. In partnership with ManiMe, we can now offer the unique opportunity for our fans to capture these iconic moments directly on their fingertips,” said Katie Wilhelm, Associate Licensing Manager, North America, The Coca-Cola Company. Learn more about the inspiration behind the ManiMe and Coca-Cola Collection at http://manime.co/coca-cola. The ManiMe and Coca-Cola Collection can be purchased at http://manime.co/coca-cola at $25 per gel set. About ManiMe: ManiMe is the leading beauty tech company that produces custom-fit, stick on gel manicures and pedicures alongside a growing portfolio of personal care products. ManiMe is the only brand creating bespoke vegan, non-toxic, and cruelty-free gels. With its patented 3D modeling, machine learning, and laser cutting technologies, ManiMe is transforming the consumer experience and emerging as a beauty innovator. For more information, visit manime.co. Contact Details Rell Marketing & Communications Kaitlyn Palocsko kaitlyn@incommn.co

February 28, 2022 08:33 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Fintech NayaPay secures $13m as it rolls out digital payments revolution in Pakistan

Stockwood Strategy

NayaPay, a Pakistan-based fintech platform, has raised $13 million in one of the largest seed rounds in South Asia. Bringing together a diverse mix of leading global institutional and angel investors, the round was led by Zayn Capital, global fund manager MSA Novo and early-stage VC Graph Ventures from Silicon Valley. Singapore-based Saison Capital, Waleed Saigol’s Maple Leaf Capital and Warren Hogarth, CEO Empower Finance, also participated in the round, alongside a major investment from the sponsors of the Lakson Group – a Pakistani conglomerate with interests in media, telecom, industrials, financial services as well as controlling stake in Colgate-Palmolive Pakistan and McDonalds Pakistan. NayaPay is the first fintech of its kind in Pakistan having recently secured the first E-Money Institution license from the central bank, State Bank of Pakistan. It is on a mission to make financial services simpler and accessible to millions of Pakistani users. NayaPay aims to be at the forefront in the digitization of Pakistan with its two-sided platform for the underbanked. Pakistan presents a significant market opportunity for NayaPay, where over 50 million adults are unbanked and only 33% of women have a bank account. With 70% of the population under 35 years old, there is a significant mobile-first generation. Almost $4tn payments are made each year but only 1% of these are made digitally currently. On the merchant side, the majority of SMBs in Pakistan are unregistered, have traditionally dealt primarily in cash, and have very limited access to business banking. The fintech has launched its chat-led super app targeted primarily at students and freelancers; and is building a SaaS based platform called NayaPay Arc offering universal payment acceptance and financial management tools for SMBs. NayaPay’s platform strategy will harness the network effects between consumers and merchants, as seen in platforms such as Square Cash/Square, WeChat Pay, AliPay and Venmo in their native markets.. NayaPay CEO and Founder Danish A. Lakhani commented: “NayaPay is empowering young Pakistani adults starting their financial journey, from students stepping into adulthood to freelancers and entrepreneurs taking an active role in managing their finances. In many senses, it’s a coming-of-age moment for many and our goal is to continue to innovate and build functionality to become a part of their daily lives, for the rest of their lives.” Danish A. Lakhani added “Micro, small and medium businesses make up 90% of the merchant-base in Pakistan and yet they are underserved when it comes to access to basic financial services. NayaPay Arc will provide universal payments acceptance and a range of business financial management tools to empower entrepreneurs and small business owners. The tools are intended to give business owners the visibility of their cash flows, pay suppliers and grow sales. Our goal is to enable them to focus on growth while we take care of the rest. By helping small businesses harness the power of technology, we believe we can transform the Pakistani economy.” Faisal Aftab, Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Zayn Capital Frontier, said: “We are very bullish on fintech in Pakistan. While just beginning to emerge, Pakistani fintechs have the advantage of learning from peers and placing better informed strategic bets. We were impressed by the completeness of the vision of the founding team at NayaPay, and their differentiated platform-based strategy-- first focused on servicing the needs of underbanked consumers and SMBs with specific use cases and building out from there. With a proven ability to execute on the ground, the founder has an impressive track record of building and scaling businesses in Pakistan, including the country’s largest fiber broadband service (StormFiber).” Omar Siddiqui, General Partner at Graph Ventures, added, “We are excited to partner with Danish and the NayaPay team as they scale their leading digital payments platform for consumers and merchants in Pakistan. We have been early-stage investors in 300+ companies over the past decade in the United States, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, and we are excited to see the mobile and fintech technology trends that have empowered consumers in these markets also emerge in Pakistan. NayaPay already offers the most robust solution for consumers to access next-generation financial conveniences in Pakistan, and we look forward to working with the team as they roll out new products and grow their consumer base." Danish A. Lakhani concluded: “Customer trust is a key pillar of any platform’s success. At NayaPay, we are consumed by our obsession to simplify the lives of both consumers and merchants with our app and NayaPay Arc while supporting our customers with robust and scalable technology and fanatic customer service. We are also partnering with leading banks to provide additional value and convenience to our mutual customers, eventually leading to a full digital banking experience.” About NayaPay NayaPay, the first E-Money Institution in Pakistan, is a fintech platform empowering underserved consumers and SMBs with better access to financial services. NayaPay has been in a private beta, building a community of early supporters for its consumer proposition -- a chat-led super app accompanied by free Visa Virtual and physical cards. Any Pakistani citizen can open a NayaPay wallet on their smartphone in minutes and use the app to make everyday payments, send and receive money, split bills and much more. For merchants, NayaPay offers access to universal payments acceptance and powerful financial management tools with an easy-to-open business account and Visa card. NayaPay is authorised and regulated by the State Bank of Pakistan as an Electronic Money Institution. For more information please visit: www.nayapay.com About Graph Ventures Graph Ventures is an early-stage investment firm based in Silicon Valley with an operator-centric team and model. Established by leading technology entrepreneurs and executives in 2011, Graph has since backed 300+ start-ups around the world that have cumulatively created $10B+ in value, including BetterUp, Dapper Labs. Loft, PicsArt, Porch, and TrueLayer. Contact Details NayaPay Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.nayapay.com/

February 24, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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amika Taps Assembly to Lead Integrated Media Program Aimed at Growing Its Passionate Communities of Haircare Enthusiasts

Assembly

Global omnichannel agency, Assembly, has been chosen by prestige haircare brand, amika, to lead its integrated media program, with an emphasis on driving sustained awareness and building brand equity. amika has emerged as a go-to haircare brand through its ‘ all hair is welcome ’ positioning, which represents 10 unique collections of haircare for every hair type, texture, and style. amika has called on global data-driven agency, Assembly, as its partner in expanding its community of brand enthusiasts through its distinct, disruptive, and impactful messaging connected to purpose and inclusivity. “amika is a brand that has authentically lived its core values of kindness and inclusivity while doing good for the planet far before it was ‘cool’ or even an expectation from consumers,” said Kim Davis, Vice President at Assembly. “This is one of those best of both world partnerships where we get to bring the latest in media innovation to a brand that’s as committed as we are to nurturing people and the planet. We’re looking forward to developing an out-of-the-box channel strategy that maximizes brand awareness for amika.” amika was built with purpose at its heart by creatives, stylists, and product enthusiasts alike, and encourages a diverse and creative culture that’s fueled by radical thinking. In placing people and the planet at its core, the brand has maintained its mission of bringing progress to the beauty industry. “The name ‘amika’ means friend—to hair, hairstylists, the planet, our communities, and each other—and it’s truly embedded into everything we do. We want our customers to know us for not only our high-quality products, but our commitment to making a positive impact on people and the planet," said Chelsea Riggs, amika’s Brand President. “We were impressed by Assembly’s integrated approach across the funnel to help accomplish our goals and we were immediately aligned in our vision.” This year marks a strategic shift in digital media investment for amika, with an increased focus on driving awareness and new customer acquisition. Assembly will partner with amika to develop a full-funnel multi-channel strategy to achieve these goals. The team’s focus for the year includes strengthening paid social investment, a renewed focus on paid media influencer integrations, and continued momentum in search and display. Assembly and amika will also work together to introduce new high-impact channels to amika’s mix, including CTV, TikTok and localized OOH. “We’re flexible and agile, which gives us an opportunity to test and learn in new channels and platforms where we know our customers are spending their time. We have some big brand and product moments coming up this year, and we’re also excited to see how measurement helps support all of the work we’re doing in increasing the focus on brand awareness and consideration,” said Kelley Martin, amika’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. About Assembly: Assembly is made of the ingredients of the modern agency, bringing together data, talent, and technology to deliver a connected set of solutions for media + more to the best brands on the planet. We’re home to more than 1,500 of the industry’s top talent, who bring unmatched global omnichannel media expertise + data, technology, and business consulting capabilities that help brands find the change that fuels growth. Assembly is a proud member of Stagwell, the challenger network built to transform marketing. Visit www.assemblyglobal.com for more information. About amika: A friend to hair, hairstylists, to her, him, them and you. The name amika means friend in the language Esperanto & represents our belief in the power of community and the beauty of diversity. Straight out of Brooklyn, where creativity and hustle are a way of life, we’re a collective of creatives, hairstylists, chemists, and product enthusiasts. We only make products that make us proud. 10 collections for every hair type, texture and style. Visit www.loveamika.com for more information, and follow @amika on Instagram. Contact Details Assembly Sara Pollack, VP of Marketing +1 917-438-4922 sara.pollack@assemblyglobal.com Company Website https://www.assemblyglobal.com/

February 23, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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