Day: February 3, 2022

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Document can prove Yang ‘profited’ from Pharmally

Published by
Philippine Star

GOTCHA – Jarius Bondoc – The Philippine Star February 4, 2022 | 12:00am Presidential adviser Michael Yang likely profited from Pharmally Pharmaceutical’s multibillion-peso government deals and was not a mere guarantor. Senator Richard Gordon deduced this from a document that shows Yang’s nominee Lin Weixiong to have access to Pharmally’s bank deposits. The document, a corporate secretary’s certificate to Pharmally’s bank, authorizes Lin to withdraw from and monitor the firm’s account. “This allowed Lin to take out money for the person who placed him in Pharmally – Michael Yang,” Gordon told Th… Continue reading “Document can prove Yang ‘profited’ from Pharmally”

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Bombé: Everything we know about the new catalytic converter drug craze

Published by
TDPel Media

A new drug called bombé is raising alarm bells across the globe. The dangerous drug is made from crushed powder from a car’s catalytic converter and first appeared in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kinshasa. The customs division of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) seized three shipments of catalytic converters and their powder at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on 3 February. The shipment — valued at R21 million — was headed to Dubai, Jordan and the United Kingdom. Here is everything you need to know about this “complicated phenomenon” called bo… Continue reading “Bombé: Everything we know about the new catalytic converter drug craze”

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FloQast Celebrates 2021 as Landmark Year for Company Growth

Fueled by a Successful Series D Funding Round and Hiring Campaign, FloQast Continues Building Momentum Throughout Q4 with Massive YoY Growth Rate

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FloQast, a provider of accounting workflow automation software created by accountants for accountants, today announced its Q4 and 2021 metrics, concluding a milestone year highlighted by international expansion, new product and company initiatives, industry accolades, and the biggest growth the company has seen since its launch. The company reported 97% year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenue (ARR) for the quarter, as well as 153% year-over-year growth in net new ARR for 2021. Further, with more than 1,500 customers globally, FloQast added 171 new customers in Q4. These milestones stem from the recent $110 million Series D funding, led by Meritech Capital, and further the company’s leadership role in workflow automation technology.

“This past year, FloQast experienced exceptional growth across the board – including funding, product and platform launches, customer acquisition and more – making this one of the most important and successful years for the company since we were founded,” says Mike Whitmire, inactive CPA, co-founder and CEO at FloQast. “This growth is a testament to the critical advances taking root across the accounting industry and highlights FloQast’s ability to deliver next-generation technology to usher in a new era of modernization and change.”

Over the course of 2021, FloQast experienced milestones in several key areas:

  • A successful $110 million Series D funding round, led by Meritech Capital, and a valuation of $1.2 billion, making the company a “unicorn workflow solution provider.”
  • The receipt of 36 G2 badges in 2021, including:
    • #1 Leader in the G2 Momentum Grid, Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 Leader, Users Love Us, High Performer in Enterprise, Leader in Mid Market, and Winter 2022 Momentum Leader.
  • Notable Q4 customer acquisition includes prominent names such as Atmosphere TV, Demandbase, Valo Health, BioLegend Inc., Black Rock Coffee, Shenandoah Valley Organic, and more.
  • The launch of several new initiatives, tools and programs, including:
    • FloQast Ops, a new workflow manager solution that addresses upstream and downstream financial functions to deliver greater control and transparency across accounting operations.
    • FloQast ReMind, a new request management workflow add-on that automates manual tasks and delivers new levels of visibility across the close process.
    • FloQast Studios, a full-scale production arm of FloQast designed to create entertaining, engaging, and educational content by accountants for accountants.
    • Partnership with Donnelley Financial Solutions (NYSE: DFIN) to transform the financial close and reporting processes, especially for companies planning to go public.
  • Notable growth in EMEA including:
    • The opening of FloQast’s London-based office.
    • 68 new customers – notable Q4 logos include Revolut, Babylon Health, Watches of Switzerland, and Ironsource.
  • The appointment of several new executives to drive FloQast’s success in 2022 and beyond, including:
  • The hosting of TakeControl 2021 in September, FloQast’s third-annual user conference, drawing more than 2,000 industry professionals and recognizing world-class accounting professionals and FloQast customers excelling in their pursuit of operational excellence.
  • The receipt of several high caliber awards and accolades, such as inclusion in Built In’s Best Place to Work list for the fourth year in a row, being named one of the Best Workplaces in the Country by Inc. Magazine, and one of the Best Places to Work by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
  • Reaching 1,000 users in the FloVerse, an online community platform for FloQast customers to network and collaborate.

This growth and momentum is made possible by FloQast’s community of employees who are committed to making accountants and financial leaders’ lives easier and more productive. Despite the challenges faced over the past two years during the pandemic, the company continues to excel in its performance, a credit to the team’s commitment to customer service and excellence in pursuit of FloQast’s overarching vision.

About FloQast
FloQast delivers workflow automation software enabling organizations to operationalize accounting excellence. Trusted by more than 1,500 accounting teams – including Twilio, coinbase, Los Angeles Lakers, Zoom, and snowflake – FloQast was built by accountants, for accountants to enhance the way accounting teams work. FloQast enables customers to streamline processes such as automated reconciliations, documentation requests, and other workflows that impact the month-end close, financial reporting, and payroll, and is consistently rated #1 across all user review sites. Learn more at FloQast.com.

Contact:
Kyle Cabodi
FloQast Director of Corporate Communications
kyle.cabodi@floqast.com

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Woolpert Acquires eTrac Inc., a Vessel-Based Hydrographic Survey Firm Headquartered in California

This merger combines complementary marine technology products and services to better serve U.S. and international clients with integrated capabilities.

DAYTON, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Woolpert has acquired eTrac Inc., a vessel-based hydrographic survey and marine technology firm that conducts custom and integrated marine services for projects across the U.S. and its territories. These services include collecting and processing hydrographic survey and bathymetric mapping data for coastal mapping, navigation safety and nautical charting, high-resolution multibeam sonar data for shipping channel dredging and pipeline inspections, underwater imagery and aerial lidar data for change analysis, and vessel positioning and monitoring.

This acquisition combines the hydrographic survey and multibeam sonar expertise of eTrac with Woolpert’s aerial topographic, bathymetric and geospatial capabilities to deepen service offerings, leverage inherent synergies, achieve operational efficiencies and extend geographic reach. It also unites eTrac’s fleet of survey vessels with Woolpert’s 49 manned and unmanned aircraft.

eTrac is headquartered in San Rafael, Calif., and has offices in Texas, Washington and Alaska. eTrac will become part of Woolpert’s geospatial sector and will expand to serve clients throughout the U.S. and around the world.

About Woolpert
Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, recently earned its sixth-straight Great Place to Work certification and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America’s fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has more than 1,600 employees and 60 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.

About eTrac Inc.
eTrac Inc. was established in 2003 as a hydrographic survey, vessel positioning and marine instrumentation firm. eTrac has quickly grown to include over 40 employees in several offices along the coastal United States. The firm has earned a strong reputation among many sectors of the hydrographic industry, including government agencies and private industry. Its equipment fleet has also grown to include geophysical survey vessels as well as several ultra-portable, shallow water survey craft. eTrac is committed to continual reinvestment in industry leading equipment and knowledgeable staff to complete multibeam, singlebeam, sidescan, subbottom, mobile lidar and water-level surveys required by our clients. For more, visit etracinc.com.

Media contact: Woolpert PR Manager Jill Kelley; 937-531-1258, jill.kelley@woolpert.com

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knDzoTW7-kA

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“The best thing about creating something is living it afterwards”. The new and inspirational Neolith vision

CASTELLÓN, Spain, Feb. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — While staying true to its cutting-edge essence, the company is exploring new avenues and has taken the risk to transform its visual universe into something more sophisticated and linear but more human at the same time. An image that reflects the brand’s position as a global leader in the Sintered Stone market, as well as the values and characteristics that define the strategy to be adopted by the company looking forward.https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1739089/Neolith_Himalaya_Crystal_Terra_Cocinas.jpg

The new image embodies such values as passion, innovation, a capacity to build commercial partnerships, a unique style and inspiration. A courageous, committed and creative brand with heart that responds to people’s aspirations and dreams. A loyal brand that is approachable, sustainable, reliable, versatile and original, one that sets new trends and seeks to become the global leader in creating unique spaces. This comprehensive evolution of the company’s values and characteristics is reflected in both the brand and the organisation, and in its positioning within the market and in its relationships with distributors, professionals and end users.

“At Neolith, our purpose is very clear, and that is to place the consumer at the centre of our universe. Everything we think, do or say is for them. We want to help them create unique spaces and, above all, to enjoy extraordinary experiences with Neolith”, says José Luis Ramón, CEO of the Neolith Group.

Surfaces to be lived: touch.feel.live

Inspiration gains special importance as a value in this new approach, it being the channel that connects the brand to people; stimulating their imagination and inspiring unique, functional and sustainable solutions for indoor and outdoor spaces that can generate extraordinary brand experiences because Neolith believes that “the best thing about creating something is living it afterwards”. This new position also implies that the world would be a better place if everything we did, invented or created were to be enjoyed.

About Neolith

Set up in 2009, Neolith is the world’s leading brand in Sintered Stone.

A revolutionary and innovative architectural surface material with superior technical characteristics made from 100% natural raw materials.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1739089/Neolith_Himalaya_Crystal_Terra_Cocinas.jpg

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Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) invests in Ecow-Gas to promote LNG distribution in West Africa

KIGALI, Rwanda, Feb. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), a development impact-oriented subsidiary of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has announced that it has invested into Ecow-Gas B.V. (Ecowgas), a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) distribution infrastructure platform in the West Africa region.

Due to limited power supply from the grid, the industrial sector in Africa suffers severe energy shortages with attendant high production costs, inefficient operations and reduced global competitiveness, amongst others. Off-grid solutions are required to address these challenges and put Africa firmly on the path to energy sustainability.

FEDA’s investment in Ecow-Gas will support the creation, in partnership with a leading international oil company, of the infrastructure to provide access to cheaper and cleaner fuels for underserved industrial customers across the region using LNG. This will also promote efforts to minimize CO2 emission by replacing environment-polluting fuels currently in use.

Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chariman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, noted that “FEDA’s investment in Ecow-Gas is a testament to its mission of providing development equity capital to sectors critical to the growth and development of intra-African trade, export development and industrialisation. Through this investment, FEDA is seeking to unlock access to affordable and cleaner energy for industrialization purposes and to significantly impact intra-regional trade, especially in the West Africa region.”

Emmanuel Assiak, Acting Chief Executive Officer, FEDA, added: “We are delighted to partner with experienced operators and investors on this mission-critical opportunity to unlock the provision of cheaper and cleaner fuel in West Africa. The combined complementary skills and capabilities within the Ecow-Gas platform stakeholders will help enable the Company to execute its growth plans. We believe that EcowGas will help to significantly remove the energy supply and cost bottlenecks that negatively impact the competitiveness of the region as a manufacturing destination.”

Kwaku Boakye-Adjei, CEO of H Investments and Ecow-Gas, commented: “We are excited to commence this project as we see LNG as not only a fuel for large scale Independent Power Producers in the region but for mid to small scale industries as well to transition from Heavy Fuel Oil, Diesel and other distillates and ultimately, to renewables. LNG powered microgeneration can help to alleviate issues such as intermittency which act as a barrier to wide scale adoption of renewables in West Africa.”

FEDA pursues a multi-sector investment strategy along the intra-African trade, value-added export development and manufacturing value chains which includes financial services, technology, consumer and retail goods, manufacturing, transport & logistics, agribusiness, as well as ancillary trade enabling infrastructure such as industrial parks, in Afreximbank’s member states.

About Afreximbank

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. Afreximbank deploys innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. At the end of 2020, the Bank’s total assets and guarantees stood at US$21.5 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$3.4 billion. Afreximbank disbursed more than US$42 billion between 2016 and 2020. The Bank has ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A-), Moody’s (Baa1) and Fitch (BBB-). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.afreximbank.com.
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