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NAFA Names the 2024 100 Best Fleets in the Americas at its Annual Institute & Expo

NAFA Fleet Management Association

NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA), the vehicle fleet industry’s largest membership association, today announced the 100 Best Fleets in the Americas for 2024. NAFA’s 100 Best Fleets in the Americas program recognizes peak-performing public and commercial fleet operations, as well as the Fleet Professional and Fleet Technician of the Year. The winners were announced this morning during NAFA’s annual Institute & Expo (I&E) in San Antonio. This contest aims to cultivate industry pride, enhance visibility within the fleet community, improve productivity and operational efficiency, and inspire individuals to pursue careers in fleet operations. Originally conceived by the late fleet industry advocate Tom Johnson, this contest is now in its 25th year running. “The 100 Best Fleets contest plays such an integral role in the NAFA community,” says Mike Camnetar, CAFM, NAFA Board President. “These awards showcase the outstanding achievements and leadership within our industry. We commend these fleets and individuals for their dedication to excellence and innovation, and we look forward to seeing what they accomplish in 2024.” The 2024 winners for each of the following categories: Best Public Fleet: Dakota County Fleet Management, MN Best Commercial Fleet: Essential Utilities Fleet Professional of the Year Award: Kenny Stimson, Carvana Fleet Technician of the Year Award: Curtis Mullins, City of Round Rock, TX The full list of the 2024 100 Best Fleets in the Americas can be found here https://www.nafa.org/100-best-fleets-2024/. The 100 Best Fleets Program Sponsors include Agile Fleet Management Solutions, AssetWorks, Fleet Worthy Solutions/Bestpass, Fuel Force, Geotab, Pure Forge Brakes, the NC Clean Energy Technology Center, RTA, Samsara and Toyota Fleet. NAFA is excited to host a 100 Best Webinar Series and Regional Roundtable events throughout 2024. Webinar attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the 100 Best fleet winners and leaders, discover the top five success trends for 2024 and understand what actions these top fleets have taken to become a 100 Best fleet. Attendees will walk away with initiatives and action steps they can immediately implement within their fleet. To register for this webinar series, visit: https://www.nafa.org/events/100-best-fleets-webinars/ To learn more about NAFA, visit: https://www.nafa.org/ NAFA Fleet Management Association is the membership organization for professionals who manage the mobility requirements of vehicle fleets that include commercial, public safety, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes, and a wide range of military and off-road equipment for corporations, governments, universities, utility fleets, and law enforcement in North America and across the globe. NAFA’s members are responsible for the specification, acquisition, maintenance, repair, fueling, risk management, and remarketing of more than 4.8 million vehicles that drive an estimated 84 billion miles each year. NAFA’s members control assets and services well above $122 billion each year. For more information, please visit www.nafa.org, and communicate with NAFA on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X. Contact Details Keaveny Hewitt +1 919-622-5276 khewitt@onwrdupwrd.com Company Website https://www.nafa.org/

April 24, 2024 12:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time

The UK small cap re-rating opportunity - VT Downing Small & Mid-Cap Income Fund

Downing LLP

Josh McCathie, lead fund manager of the VT Downing Small & Mid-Cap Income Fund, tells Proactive's Stephen Gunnion he is optimistic about current market conditions, particularly in the UK. McCathie noted that challenges such as inflation and interest rates are subsiding, potentially shifting to support the market. He highlighted the significant opportunity in the UK's small and mid-cap sectors, citing that the FTSE 250 is trading at a 22% discount compared to its long-term average and at a steep discount relative to the FTSE 100—a scenario seen only twice in the past 20 years, historically followed by strong performance in small and mid-cap stocks. McCathie acknowledged threats from geopolitical tensions but emphasized the greater potential returns in the small and mid-cap space, pointing to expected earnings growth and dividend returns. He differentiated the VT Downing Small & Mid Cap Income Fund by its exclusive focus on small and mid-cap stocks, contrasting with other funds that focus on larger caps. He also discussed the overlooked dividend potential in smaller companies, suggesting that despite being perceived as growth-focused, they offer substantial dividend opportunities. Celebrating three years as the lead manager, McCathie reviewed the fund's performance, noting significant outperformance relative to other small-cap mandates and overall positive results despite some challenges in 2023. He advocated for investing in UK equity markets, citing the potential for strong returns and robust dividend yields as reasons for optimism. Contact Details Proactive UK Proactive UK +44 20 7989 0813 UKEditorial@proactiveinvestors.com

April 24, 2024 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Creo Medical says NHS case study reveals significant efficiencies from Speedboat technology

Creo Medical Group PLC

Creo Medical Group PLC (AIM:CREO) CEO Craig Gulliford discusses an NHS case study that showcases the efficacy of Creo's Speedboat technology. In an interview with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion, Gulliford discussed the case study, which was conducted by the NHS Supply Chain responsible for the procurement of devices and consumables worth approximately £4 billion. This study, which analysed 130 cases, demonstrated significant cost savings and clinical outcomes, with almost £700,000 saved and reductions in hospital stay times for patients, which potentially impacts surgical and endoscopy waiting lists significantly. Gulliford also outlined future plans involving routine guidance by NICE and ongoing partnerships with the NHS Supply Chain to further implement and leverage the technology across UK trusts. He emphasized the dual benefits of clinical excellence and cost savings. Additional updates from Gulliford included progress in other areas of the company, like advancements with robotics and polymeric technology, and significant regulatory developments. Overall, these initiatives are part of Creo’s strategy to expand its product range and increase utilisation of its technology not just in the UK but globally, he added. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

April 24, 2024 10:56 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ilika chief executive Graeme Purdy discusses 2024 revenue growth and strategic milestones

Ilika PLC

Ilika PLC (AIM:IKA, OTCQX:ILIKF) chief executive Graeme Purdy discusses a trading update and the latest company milestones with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion. Purdy highlighted that Ilika's financial performance for the year ending in April is expected to be in line with projections, noting a significant revenue increase from £0.8 million the previous year to approximately £2 million. This growth is largely attributed to grant support for their Goliath development programme. He provided an update on the Goliath batteries, mentioning that they had reached a milestone in late 2023, which allowed them to start producing P1 prototypes for external evaluation. These prototypes are currently being tested, with results expected to be shared with partners soon. Additionally, Purdy touched on achieving lithium ion parity with their Goliath batteries, marking a significant technological advancement. He also discussed the progress with their Stereax product following a tech transfer and licence agreement with Cirtec in the USA, which is moving forward with the initial production line installed and operational. Purdy said investors can participate in a Q&A session with Ilika on 26 April at 11am BST on the Investor Meet Company (IMC) platform by registering here: https://www.investormeetcompany.com/ilika-plc/register-investor Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

April 24, 2024 10:54 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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ANGLE partners with AstraZeneca in groundbreaking oncology contract

ANGLE PLC

ANGLE PLC chief executive Andrew Newland joins Proactive's Stephen Gunnion with news the company has entered a significant contract with AstraZeneca, marking its second major collaboration with a large pharmaceutical company. Newland, expressed enthusiasm about this development, noting the contract's potential to expand ANGLE's services in oncology trials. The initial phase of the contract is valued at £150,000, but it holds substantial potential due to the possibility of implementing a new assay in numerous cancer trials involving AstraZeneca. The scope of the collaboration includes the development of assays for examining proteins on cancer cells across multiple trials, with potential earnings of £2,000 per time point in over 460 trials. The contract also enables ANGLE to further validate and possibly expand its FDA approvals, positioning it uniquely as a provider of comprehensive diagnostic solutions internationally. Looking ahead, the successful execution of the contract could lead to extensive financial gains for ANGLE PLC, ranging into the tens or even hundreds of millions of pounds, particularly as AstraZeneca's trials progress and its drugs approach commercial launch. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

April 24, 2024 10:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ecora Resources reports strong Q1 as it benefits from volume growth and rising commodity prices

Ecora Resources PLC

Ecora Resources PLC (LSE:ECOR, TSX:ECOR, OTCQX:ECRAF) chief financial officer Kevin Flynn provides an update on the company's performance for the first quarter of 2024, highlighting strong results in line with expectations. In an interview with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion, Flynn noted significant volume growth, particularly from the Kestrel operations, expected primarily in the first half of the year. Commodity prices, especially for copper, have remained robust, contributing positively to the quarter's performance. Looking ahead, Flynn emphasised the potential for both organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Key projects like Voisey’s Bay and Mantos Blancos are expected to ramp up, with the latter seeing a debottlenecking initiative anticipated to drive further volume growth in the latter half of the year. The feasibility study for the Santo Domingo project is on track for completion in H1, and updates from BHP’s West Musgrave project are expected by August. Flynn also highlighted the company’s significant copper asset portfolio, boosted by recent acquisitions like the $20 million Vizcachitas project, positioning Ecora for long-term growth in the copper sector. Finally, he discussed the increasing engagement with the royalty model as an alternative financing solution in the mining industry, given the current scarcity of capital from traditional sources. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

April 24, 2024 10:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Unlocking the secrets of whisky investment with Fah Mai's Jacob Carter

Fah Mai Holdings Group Inc

Fah Mai Holdings Group Inc UK head and manager of @whiskybullauctions Jacob Carter discusses the benefits of whisky as a stable and tangible asset in a volatile stock market environment. In an interview with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion, Carter highlighted that whisky appreciates in value due to its age, scarcity, and availability, offering an independent performance from economic conditions. He differentiated between bottles and casks, noting bottles provide more flexibility while casks require longer investment periods without annual returns but with potential for substantial appreciation. Carter also addressed the role of whisky in hedging against inflation, especially through supply constraints in the bottle market. He described bottles as more adaptable and easier to sell, providing liquidity to investors. In contrast, casks represent a longer-term investment but are less correlated to volatile stock movements. He further explained Fah Mai Holdings' investment opportunities, including direct cask purchases, fractional cask investments through Platinum Cask, and Whisky Bull Auctions for trading bottles. Carter stressed the importance of transparency, honesty, and investor education in their operations, especially as the company prepares for an IPO and undergoes independent auditing for international markets. Contact Details Proactive UK Proactive UK +44 20 7989 0813 UKEditorial@proactiveinvestors.com

April 24, 2024 10:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Meme Coin Mania Is Back! These Memecoins Are Fuelling the Crypto Boom

Kangamoon

Meme coins are surging in value, and could fuel the next market run, and boom within the crypto sphere. However, there are many meme coins to choose from, so knowing how to diversify is essential in order to get the best possible returns out of the market. Three meme coins have stood out the most as of recently, including Shiba Inu (SHIB), Floki (FLOKI) and KangaMoon (KANG). Today, we will be conducting an in-depth analysis of each one to determine just how far they can rise, and to see what kind of returns investors can expect. By the end, we will determine which is one of the best meme coins to invest in during 2024. Shiba Inu (SHIB) Grows 164.5% – Can This Meme Coin Climb Further? Shiba Inu (SHIB) has been dominating the chart as a top-growth meme coin as of recently, as it managed to experience a year-to-date (YTD) climb of 164.5%. Moreover, within the span of a single week, the Shiba Inu price has gone up from a low point of $0.00002107 to a maximum value point at $0.00002762, which has positioned it as a major player with a 15.3% growth. Its spike has not stopped, as if it gathers further bullish attention, the Shiba Inu crypto could soon experience major price gains. Based on the Shiba Inu price prediction, it is projected that it can spike to a maximum point of value at $0.000058 by the end of 2024. Floki (FLOKI) Spikes 516.4% YTD – Is the Rise Over? Floki (FLOKI) has experienced a notable price uptrend as well, as its year-to-date (YTD) climb was by 516.4%. At this rate of growth, it is bound to essentially fuel the next crypto boom, especially as the Floki crypto has not stopped its growth even in the short-term. Specifically, according to the on-chart metrics, the Floki price has grown from a low point at $0.00013 to a maximum value of $0.000179. As a result, market sentiment is bullish on this memecoin, and while it's up 11.3% during the past week, according to the Floki price prediction, it can end 2024 at $0.000216. KangaMoon (KANG) Rises 290% and Has Over 20K Holders Fueled by Social-Fi Elements KangaMoon (KANG) has already seen over 20,000 registered users, and its native token is a part of the crypto wallets of over 5,800 holders as-well. Moreover, the presale has raised over $5 million and by the end of April, can pass the $6 million raised mark fueled by the massive level of interest and the massive KANG growth potential. Just during the past trading session, KANG spiked from $0.005 to $0.0196, rising by 290% and now at Stage 5 of its presale, is seeing rapid momentum. The key catalyst for this growth is its unique fuse of Play-to-Earn (P2E) elements, with a focus on the community, and Social-Fi elements. These aspects differentiate this meme coin from most competitors, as it features vast utility as a result of this. KANG is one of the memecoins that will enable anyone the opportunity to buy items, level up characters within the P2E game, and access the dedicated marketplace in which they can buy, sell or trade NFTs. As a result, sentiment is bullish and analysts project that it can spike to $0.5 by the end of Q2, 2024, making it one of the best meme coins to invest in. Summary It's clear that both Floki and Shiba Inu are dominant forces within the meme coin space, and 2024 has also been a bullish year for them. But many traders, investors and enthusiasts have begun turning their attention to the blockchain ICO of KangaMoon as it can redefine the meme coin space and even become a part of the major P2E gaming industry, expected to reach $885 million by 2028, making it the hottest project to jump into. Discover the Exciting Opportunities of the KangaMoon (KANG) Presale Today! Website: https://Kangamoon.com/ Join Our Telegram Community: https://t.me/Kangamoonofficial Integrating GameFi and Play To EarnEmbark on your quest for glory. Assemble your champions, engage in epic battles or bet on your favorite fighters to earn $KANG tokens and exclusive rewards. Gain control of rare NFTs, unlock exclusive content and build alliances with fellow gamers as you ascend the ranks and leaderboards. Disclaimer: The following disclaimer is important to read and understand before engaging with Kangamoon, a play-to-earn meme coin. By accessing or participating in any activities related to Kangamoon, you acknowledge and accept the terms outlined below: 1 No Financial Advice: This whitepaper and any associated content do not constitute financial advice, investment recommendations, or solicitation to purchase Kangamoon tokens. The information provided is for informational purposes only. It is your responsibility to conduct thorough research and seek professional advice before making any financial decisions. 2 Volatility and Risks: Cryptocurrencies, including Kangamoon, are volatile and subject to significant price fluctuations. Investing in or holding Kangamoon tokens involves substantial risks, including the possibility of total loss. Past performance is not indicative of future results. 3 Regulatory Compliance: The regulatory environment surrounding cryptocurrencies is evolving and varies across jurisdictions. It is your responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations in your country or region before engaging with Kangamoon. 4 Uncertain Market: The market for meme coins and play-to-earn platforms is highly speculative and subject to rapid changes. There is no guarantee of market demand, liquidity, or utility for Kangamoon tokens. Token values may fluctuate drastically and may not reflect the intrinsic value of the project. By continuing to engage with Kangamoon, you acknowledge and accept the risks and limitations outlined in this disclaimer. You should only participate if you fully understand and are willing to assume these risks. Contact Details Kangamoon marketing@kangamoon.com Company Website https://kangamoon.com/

April 24, 2024 09:16 AM Central Daylight Time

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Amplifier Security emerges from stealth to bridge divide between the workforce and security with AI copilot and human-in-the-loop automation

Amplifier Security

Security teams rely on an ever-growing stack of security tools to keep their organization safe. Yet, coverage gaps and alerts across these tools do not get proper and timely attention because of the difficulty engaging company employees busy with their daily work to fix them. Today, Amplifier Security has launched from stealth with a $3.3m investment and the industry’s first AI-powered human-in-the-loop automation and security copilot that connects the dots between an organization’s existing security stack and their people. The pre-seed funding round was led by Cota Capital with participation from WestWave Capital and Shift Left Ventures, and included angel investments from industry luminaries and founders of Slack, MobileIron, Centrify, PeopleNet, Skyflow and Mercury. Enforcing security controls through automation gets pushback from users whose work is disrupted, for example, when a security patch update forces a system reboot during a critical workstream. Triaging security tool alerts means closing the loop with the end user to determine true versus false positives before taking disruptive actions - a truly burdensome process for everyone. Security teams do their best to navigate this complex situation — but it often leads to a strained relationship with the workforce. The Amplifier Security solution extends the value and effectiveness of existing security tools by empowering the entire company to work together towards a much faster response time that dramatically increases the security health and culture of an organization. Amplifier provides an engagement layer between existing security tools and the workforce through Ampy - a trusted copilot that acts as an AI security buddy who helps employees understand the risk they are creating for the organization and solves their security issues while balancing their productivity. Building on the experiences people are used to, for example with credit card companies verifying suspicious transactions, Ampy engages with employees, guiding them through security protocols based on real-time insights. This approach not only speeds up response times but also significantly boosts an organization's security posture by involving employees directly in the security process. Amplifier integrates with and enhances the effectiveness of existing deployed tools like identity security, MFA, endpoint security, vulnerability scanning and management, SaaS and cloud security, SIEM and security training; and makes adaptive human protection a reality for organizations. Ampy is backed by Amplifier’s human-in-the-loop automation platform, composed of a security data fabric, security hub and engagement studio. The platform integrates into all corporate security tools and normalizes data across those tools to contextualize and prioritize security risks and vulnerabilities. It then helps organizations translate those findings into actionable remediation engagements through Ampy. Amplifier helps every CISO, departmental leaders and individuals understand their security posture through intuitive personalized health scores and dashboards. It enables security teams with enforcement of 100% security tooling coverage across every employee and offloads countless hours of manual work to correlate data in spreadsheets, chasing down employees to triage alerts, getting users to maintain their security hygiene. Cal Henderson, co-founder of Slack: “The way we operated our corporate security engineering program closely aligns with the design principles at the core of Amplifier Security's vision. I’m a firm believer that engaging the workforce for security automation with a productivity platform like Slack is the only modern way to solve today’s dynamic cybersecurity threat landscape.” Amplifier Security was founded by Shreyas Sadalgi, CEO and Thomas Donnelly, CTO and President, who both have two decades of experience in enterprise security, IT and automation. Donnelly is a three-time CISO and CIO with over a decade of experience leveraging human-centric approaches and technology that transformed security in organizations. He firmly believes that in today’s dynamic and decentralized workplaces, CISOs need to completely rethink how their teams operate by allowing users to self heal their own security issues. Rather than security operating in the background and interrupting employee productivity at inopportune times, Amplifier delivers an incredible user experience that drives everyone in the workforce to participate in their own security. “There is a massive gap in the market that is preventing security practitioners from being successful. Most security tools aren’t built to engage users, as they’re always meant to work in the background.” said CEO and co-founder, Shreyas Sadalgi “Amplifier flips the script by engaging employees on behalf of all security tools in a more human-friendly way, where every end-user interaction is a two-way conversation with the right tonality, context, empathy and actionable information based on the security finding and the user role. Our vision is to shift the cybersecurity focus to include both technology and the people who use it, creating a balanced and more secure environment for businesses.” Gaurav Manglik, Partner at WestWave Capital commented: “The lack of human engagement in security automation is a missed opportunity to educate people on the why behind the risk of each security finding. Because of today’s hybrid and dynamic workplaces where everyone is moving fast in the spirit of hyperproductivity, this problem has become harder to solve at scale. After assessing the market for many years, Amplifier has done the best execution we’ve seen from a product and team perspective thus far.” Aditya Singh, Partner at Cota Capital added: “Security is fundamentally about both people and technology, yet the industry has largely built security tools focused solely on the technology element. Everyone knows that when it comes to cybersecurity in workplaces, engaging humans is the biggest opportunity. Amplifier answers the bell with its unique human-in-the-loop solution. We believe they are uniquely positioned to turn this trend into a movement that forward-thinking CISOs will embrace so that they can more efficiently and effectively manage enterprise security.” Amplifier has been engaged with security teams at over 15 companies as its marquee design partners; many who have been using its product in private betas and seeing daily value — hours saved every week toiling in spreadsheets, quick identification of tooling gaps in their environments, and the ability to self-heal common security issues. “Most organizations haven’t significantly changed their approach to threat management – keeping the old silos between those responsible for security monitoring and those responding to the rest of the employee base.” said Steve Mancini, Head of Security at Guardant Health. “Security teams can no longer operate this way. Security has to be embedded in every function, and that means empowering all employees to participate in security. Even with all the security automations, our employees are the best sensors of the unusual or anomalous at every level of our business. They enable us to quickly get context when we notice suspicious behavior and identify incidents faster based on their proactive observations.” Shawn Bass, ex-CTO, VMware End User Computing: “Most often humans in the workforce are not intentionally violating security practices maliciously. Often they're just trying to be as productive as possible and sometimes the Security and IT operations best practices are perceived to be getting in the way of that. Security teams struggle to solve these last mile problems because of the highly nuanced and manual effort it takes to loop in their workforce to fix tooling related problems. Amplifier is innovating on this hard unsolved problem, by empowering humans to participate and collaborate with security teams to triage and fix issues, all while having great productivity.” About Amplifier Security Amplifier Security enables companies to harness the power of AI and their workforce to secure their business. Its flagship product, Amplifier, is the industry’s first AI-powered human-in-the-loop automation and security copilot that connects the dots between your people and your existing security tools, so you can quickly address the most critical issues without harming productivity. With Amplifier, security and IT teams can gain a comprehensive understanding of their security health and collaborate with end users to enforce controls — leading to a faster response time that dramatically increases the security posture and culture of an organization. Amplifier is crafted with ♥️ in Atlanta and San Francisco. Learn more at https://www.amplifiersecurity.com/ Contact Details Amplifier Security Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.amplifiersecurity.com/

April 24, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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All Industries

NAFA Names the 2024 100 Best Fleets in the Americas at its Annual Institute & Expo

The UK small cap re-rating opportunity - VT Downing Small & Mid-Cap Income Fund

Creo Medical says NHS case study reveals significant efficiencies from Speedboat technology

Ilika chief executive Graeme Purdy discusses 2024 revenue growth and strategic milestones

ANGLE partners with AstraZeneca in groundbreaking oncology contract

Ecora Resources reports strong Q1 as it benefits from volume growth and rising commodity prices

Unlocking the secrets of whisky investment with Fah Mai's Jacob Carter

Meme Coin Mania Is Back! These Memecoins Are Fuelling the Crypto Boom

Amplifier Security emerges from stealth to bridge divide between the workforce and security with AI copilot and human-in-the-loop automation