Vesttoo is proud to announce that it has joined NVIDIA Inception, a program designed to nurture companies revolutionizing industries with advancements in AI and data sciences.

Vesttoo's AI-based risk modeling technology creates accurate and objective risk models which are used to structure, price and place alternative reinsurance deals. This transfers insurance risks to capital market investors with a faster time- to-market, full risk transparency and performance monitoring, promoting liquidity in the reinsurance ecosystem.

NVIDIA Inception will allow Vesttoo to further develop its independent, proprietary technologies in order to support its growing global pipeline and insurance-linked program (ILP), Vesttoo's security-based investment portfolio. The ILP program is based on Life and P&C insurance risks, giving institutional investors the opportunity to earn additional long- term, sustainable alpha from existing assets, without the need to allocate cash. The program will offer Vesttoo technological support, access to an extensive network, and the opportunity to collaborate with industry-leading experts and other AI-driven organizations.

"We are thrilled to be part of NVIDIA Inception and join a network of market leaders that are reshaping entire industries. We look forward to collaborating with NVIDIA and taking advantage of their in-depth knowledge in AI and machine learning to further grow our ILP program," said Yaniv Bertele, Vesttoo's Chief Executive Officer.

NVIDIA Inception helps startups during critical stages of product development, prototyping and deployment. Every NVIDIA Inception member gets a custom set of ongoing benefits, such as NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute credits, marketing support, and technology assistance, which provides startups with the fundamental tools to help them grow.

 iQSTEL, Inc. (OTCQB: IQST) today announced its Independent Board of Directors has instructed management to apply for OTCQX. The OTCQX application is part of iQSTEL’s overall strategy to uplist to Nasdaq.

Management and the Independent Board of Directors view the OTCQX certification as an important exercise to further prepare the company for an uplisting to Nasdaq.  While advancing iQSTEL’s oversight and transparency practices in preparation for a Nasdaq application, an OTCQX certification is expected, at the same time, to add immediate value to shareholders.

OTCQX is the "platinum club" of companies quoted on OTCMarkets.  The OTCQX includes banks, airlines and very large, multinational companies. It is an honor just to apply to join to this exclusive "club".

OTCQX has requirements consistent with Nasdaq standards. For example, OTCQX companies are required to conduct annual shareholder meetings and make annual financial reports available to its shareholders at least 15 calendar days prior to such meetings.

Mr. Iglesias CEO and Chairman commented: "The company is making ongoing and steady progress toward a Nasdaq uplisting. Each interim milestone we make toward a Nasdaq uplisting adds immediate value for our shareholders. We are enthusiastic to advance our march toward a Nasdaq uplsting through the opportunity to join the OTCQX and build on our recent Board expansion to establish independence and the implementation of an Independent Audit committee.”

The Company continues in the focused execution of its business plan - launching new products and increasing sales and efficiency. Management has recently reorganized the company into two business divisions - B2B IQSTelecom and B2C EVOSS - in order to better engage customers and add value for shareholders. Both divisions execute operations independently in a manner that could be described as having two companies under one iQSTEL umbrella.

iQSTEL Inc (OTCQB: IQST) (www.iQSTEL.com) is a US-based publicly-listed company with an Independent Board of Directors offering leading-edge Telecommunication, Technology and Fintech Services for Global Markets, with presence in 15 countries.  The company provides services to the Telecommunications, Electric Vehicle (EV), Financial Services, Chemical and Liquid Fuel Distribution Industries. iQSTEL has 5 Business Divisions: Telecom, Electric Vehicle (EV), Fintech, Technology and Blockchain, with worldwide B2B and B2C customer relations operating through its subsidiaries: Etelix, SwissLink, QGlobal SMS, SMSDirectos, Global Money One, IoT Labs and itsBchain. The Company has an extensive portfolio of products and services for its clients: SMS, VoIP, international fiber-optic connectivity for 5G, Cloud-PBX, OmniChannel Marketing, EV Batteries, EV Chargers, EV Battery Management System, EV IoT Connectivity, Mobile App For EV Connectivity, EV Dashboard Display, Visa/Mastercard Debit Card, Cryptocurrency Exchange Services, Money Remittance, Mobile Top Up, IoT Smart Gas Platform, IoT Smart Tank Platform, Mobile Number Portability Application MNPA (Blockchain Platform) and Settlement & Payments Marketplace SPM (Blockchain Platform).

Safe Harbor Statement: Statements in this news release may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that express our intentions, beliefs, expectations, strategies, predictions or any other statements relating to our future activities or other future events or conditions. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may, and are likely to, differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and iQSTEL Inc. undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release.

 Coinbase, the global cryptocurrency exchange platform, has announced that users in the UK will soon be able to earn staking rewards with ETH2, the upgraded version of Ethereum, with a waiting list for the product launched today ahead of its roll out in the near future. 

Staking allows customers to earn up to 5%* APR per year by converting their ETH, the second most popular cryptocurrency, into ETH2 and staking their assets on Coinbase. Once converted into ETH2 their assets are added to the staking-pool which helps to secure the blockchain and generates rewards in return. Coinbase performs this staking on the customer’s behalf, bringing greater accessibility to one of the key features of the cryptoeconomy. 

Coinbase first offered staking rewards in 2019 with Tezos and Cosmos, and the ETH2 staking rewards launch is a result of unprecedented demand from UK customers. There are no minimum amounts required to stake and customers can convert, stake and earn rewards on a portion of Ethereum rather than their entire balance.

Whilst customers can stake ETH outside of Coinbase, running a validator requires a stake of at least 32 ETH (approximately $100,000 as of 31 August) as well as the technical knowhow needed to run the ETH2 client software. Coinbase is making staking easier and more accessible by enabling users to participate without meeting these minimum requirements.

Commenting on the UK launch, General Manager of UK and EMEA, Marcus Hughes said: 

“We have witnessed a huge rise in customers purchasing Ether in recent months and so are delighted to be in a position to offer them staking rewards for this asset. We believe that, in simplifying staking, which is very complex to do individually, we can play a role in widening access to this key part of the cryptoeconomy.

“In the current climate, a return of 5% is incredibly competitive and, given the success of our existing staking rewards programmes we expect ETH2 staking to be highly popular amongst our UK users.”

Spotify has become Tinkoff’s partner in Russia. Now Tinkoff ecosystem customers can subscribe to and set up automatic payments for the music service via the Tinkoff super app or at Tinkoff.ru. Tinkoff will be offering up to 25% cashback on each payment for a Spotify subscription.

Everyone who registers for Spotify Premium before 31 December 2021 will receive a free three-month trial. After that, the subscription will be RUB 169 a month.

When signing up for Spotify Premium via Tinkoff, customers become eligible for monthly cashback on each payment:

• 25% for Tinkoff Pro and Tinkoff Premium subscribers;
• 5% for customers with no active subscriptions.

Alexander Bro, Head of Partnerships and Loyalty Programmes at Tinkoff:

“We are delighted to be Spotify’s first fintech partner. They share our vision and, just like us, are determined to provide best-in-class services for their users. Thanks to this partnership, customers now have a convenient way to manage and pay for the music service right in the Tinkoff mobile app. The process is fast and seamless: no need to link a card, no additional steps to register and pay – it all happens automatically.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Tinkoff without a good cashback deal thrown in – up to 25% on each payment. The Tinkoff mobile app is truly becoming a one-stop shop for all customer needs.”

Ilia Alekseev, Managing Director, Spotify Russia & CIS commented:

“We are very happy to team up with Tinkoff. Spotify works with strong partners across the globe to bring the rich world of music on its platform to as many listeners as possible. Now Tinkoff’s extensive customer base can enjoy premium access to Spotify’s music library of more than 70 million tracks and 4 billion playlists and easily manage their subscription to the service.”

 YouHodler, a fintech platform that helps people access the benefits of the crypto economy, has integrated with Fireblocks, a digital asset custody, transfer and settlement platform. Under the partnership, YouHodler will leverage Fireblocks for crypto transactions management and integrations with a number of protocols, including Polkadot, Tezos, and Cardano. 

YouHodler’s solutions open up connections between crypto and the real world, allowing people to use their crypto assets without spending  them. With YouHodler, users can buy and sell crypto at any time, use it for purchases or put it in a reward account generating 12% yields. In addition, they can exchange crypto, fiat and stablecoins and get instant cash and crypto loans with their crypto assets acting as collateral. Now the company partners with Fireblocks to ensure the high security level of its crypto operations. 

Fireblocks enables banks, fintechs, exchanges, and other industry players to securely manage digital assets across a wide range of products and services — it protects those digital assets in transit, focusing on securing their transmission between exchanges, counter brokers, wallets, and stores. Started with serving crypto-native institutions and exchanges, Fireblocks Network now includes over 400 participants and currently exceeds over $700 billion in transfer volume. 

“We at Fireblocks always strive for a transparent, efficient, and fraud-free financial system for blockchain based assets,” says Michael Shaulov, CEO of Fireblocks. “I’m glad to admit our missions and values largely coincide with YouHodler, and we look forward to great results of our partnership.”

Offering its crypto services, YouHodler helps people to understand and utilize the benefits of crypto assets and to avoid zero and negative interest rates on their savings with traditional banks. Unlocking the value of crypto assets, the team shares a mission of helping people stop passive holding and start using crypto assets right now, and achieving the high level of security of the operations made through YouHodler platform is crucial for its further development. 

“The announced Fireblocks integration brings us a step closer to your goal of building a consumer-centric entity that supports the coexistence of crypto and fiat for the benefit of people”, says Ilya Volkov, CEO & Founder of YouHodler. “With Fireblocks, we’ll be able to ensure the additional security of our transactions, and I believe this cooperation will benefit not only our customers, but the industry as a whole.”

 Hunter previously led JPMorgan Chase’s Global Clearing business and brings extensive cash management and payments services experience to SWIFT

SWIFT today announced the appointment of John Hunter as Chief Executive of the Americas and U.K. Region. Hunter was most recently Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase, leading its Global Clearing business, and brings extensive experience in cash management, payment services and innovation fields.

Hunter’s focus at SWIFT will be on strategic customer relationships across these major markets, with a focus on enabling the industry to transform and create new services based on SWIFT’s underlying infrastructure that will enable instant and frictionless international transactions and rich data services across more than 4 billion accounts in 200 countries around the world.

Hunter, who begins in the role this week, is a respected industry thought leader on transaction services and has deep experience in the technology sector having also previously worked in financial services positions at Accenture, Adobe and Hewlett-Packard.

SWIFT Chief Business Development Officer, Rosemary Stone, commented: “At SWIFT, we are fundamentally transforming cross-border payments and securities processing aligned with our vision for instant and frictionless transactions globally.  John’s valuable and extensive experience will reinforce our industry focus and support our customers in the Americas and the U.K. as they leverage SWIFT’s expanding capabilities to create innovative new services for the consumers and businesses they serve.”

John Hunter, Chief Executive of the Americas and UK Region for SWIFT, said: “I am very proud to be joining SWIFT at a time when it is evolving its platform to deliver widespread benefits to the industry and unlock new opportunities for customers. SWIFT has long served as a trusted global partner to the industry, and I am delighted to support the next stage of the journey as financial institutions embrace its bold and exciting vision.”

Widespread Demand for Petabyte Scale, Multi-cloud AI and ML Applications Drives Momentum for Aerospike Real-time Data Platform in EMEA

Aerospike Inc. has announced that Q2 2021 was the best quarter in the company’s history. Quarterly bookings increased 100% in Q2 2021 over Q2 2020 as more organisations around the globe selected or expanded their use of the Aerospike Real-time Data Platform. In the EMEA region ARR growth was up 300% from Q2 2018.

The Aerospike Real-time Data Platform lets organisations act in real time across billions of transactions while dramatically reducing server footprint. Applications built on Aerospike reap big rewards for enterprises, delivering a three-year return on investment (ROI) between 446% and 574%, per a Forrester Consulting Projected Total Impact™ study.

“Legacy NoSQL databases have failed to scale to meet the new speed, scale and cost dynamics of the market. Digital transformation demands modern, multi-cloud applications with predictable, sub-millisecond performance beyond petabyte scale,” said John Dillon, CEO, Aerospike. “Our customers continue to lead and transform their respective industries by leveraging the Aerospike Real-time Data Platform as a competitive advantage for mission-critical digital applications and customer experiences.”

Airtel, Experian, PayPal, Snap, The Trade Desk, Verizon Media and Wayfair rely on Aerospike as their data foundation for real-time applications that instantly fight fraud, dramatically increase shopping cart size, protect companies from cyberattacks, and scale payment networks. 

Geoff Clark, General Manager EMEA, Aerospike commented: “Following tremendous growth over the past two years, the EMEA region continues to expand in 2021 and that was particularly evident in Q2. Furthermore, our expanding customer base and increased revenues from new subscriptions has seen us double our headcount”.

Recent Company Highlights

• Increased Adoption of the Aerospike Cloud Managed Service. Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) for Aerospike’s Cloud Managed Services grew 150% in 1H2021 over 2H2020. 
• Industry’s First Petabyte Scale Database Benchmark. Done in collaboration with Amazon and Intel, the benchmark illustrates Aerospike’s sub-millisecond performance at petabyte scale on a remarkably small 20-node cluster—hundreds of nodes less than other databases for a savings of up to $10 million per application.
• Expanded Accelerate Partner Program. To meet the demand for data-driven digital transformation across multiple industries, Aerospike unveiled significant investments in technical, marketing and sales resources specifically designed to speed partner ramp to revenue. 
• Accelerating International Growth. In 2020, Aerospike announced that it had doubled revenues, customers and employees in the APAC region. 
• Expanded Senior Leadership Team. Stephanie Grethen, the former Chief Customer Officer of SAP, joined as Aerospike’s new Chief Customer Officer. And Erich Ringewald, the Chief Enterprise Architect of PayPal and former SVP, Enterprise Architecture, Web and Mobile Engineering at American Express, has joined the company’s board of directors. 

During the Eastern Economic Forum Sber and Russian Fishery Company (RFC) signed a letter of intent to finance the construction of four large freezing fish trawlers in the amount of USD 400 million. The document was signed by First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of SberBank Alexander Vedyakhin and Chairman of the Board of directors of Russian Fishery Company Gleb Frank.

Under this agreement Sber will act as a lender and financial partner of the enterprise. Fishing vessels are planned to be built in Saint Petersburg. All-in-all eleven supertrawlers — the largest and most technologically advanced Russian fishing vessels — will be built for RFC. The first vessel has already undergone field tests. Six more vessels are at various stages of completion at Admiralty Shipyards (three vessels have been set afloat, factories are being assembled). The new agreement will give impetus to the construction of four more vessels. After being set afloat all trawlers will head to Primorye region to add to RFC’s fishing fleet.

“Russian Fishery Company is Sber’s long-term partner, and this is not our first agreement. We are happy to invest in a company that intensively develops fishing fleet in the Far East and is one of the large employers in the region. Apart from the new supertrawlers’ power and fishery efficiency, it is worth noting that they comply with the sustainability principles Sber is committed to.”

Alexander Vedyakhin

First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of SberBank

“Today is a milestone for us: we have financed four out of eleven vessels where Sberbank is a partner of construction. Thus we are closing the financial package for the whole programme of our new building. The new vessels are called supertrawlers for a reason. They are super efficient: not only are they able to catch 60 thousand tons of fish per year but they efficiently process it. Unlike the existing vessels, the new ones are able to make products for the final markets – fillet and surimi. They are super sustainable: fresh water use is reduced to zero, a supertrawler’s carbon footprint is the lowest among fishing fleet vessels. Within 4-5 years we should receive the remaining vessels of the line.”

Gleb Frank

Chairman of the Board of directors of Russian Fishery Company

 UTA, a leading provider of fuel and service cards in Europe and an Edenred company, has partnered with The ai Corporation (ai), an expert for fraud prevention and payment solutions. This new partnership is founded on developing additional protection for UTA customers from the evolving global threat of fuel card fraud. The ai Corporation’s services will complement UTA's established range of security measures and the activities of UTA's internal fraud prevention team.

The aiFraud Managed Service which is powered by ai’s new automated machine learning, combines the latest advanced technology solutions, along with best-in-class fraud analytics expertise, aimed at preventing the latest global fraud trends. Currently this ser-vice provides direct support to over 200,000 fuel retail sites across Europe, North America, East Asia, South Africa and manages more than 500 million fuel card transactions a year.

Carsten Bettermann, CEO of UTA, says: “We want to offer our customers the best possible security for their cards and transactions. In view of the steadily increasing risk of fuel card fraud and the technically sophisticated and innovative fraud methods, we are therefore continuously adapting our systems and processes for the prevention and detection of fraud. The cooperation with ai and the introduction of algorithm-based and artificial intelligence-driven automated fraud detection brings UTA’s security standards to a new level.”

Dr. Mark Goldspink, CEO of ai, says: “We are excited to partner with UTA to add our expertise to their existing fraud practices across the fuel card portfolio. Our aiFraud Managed Service will give UTA access to the latest technologies including ai’s automated machine learning (AutoPilotML) and our team of fuel card experts. We are delighted about this new partnership and look forward to a fruitful business relationship.”

UNION TANK Eckstein GmbH & Co. KG (UTA) is a leading provider of fuel and service cards in Europe. Commercial customers can use the UTA card system to refuel – independent of brand and without cash – at more than 68,000 acceptance points in 40 European countries. The UTA card can also be used for toll invoicing, repair work, and break-down and towing services. Furthermore, VAT and fuel tax refunds can be claimed through a UTA service provider partner. UTA was voted "Best fuel card service provider for SMEs 2021" in a survey conducted by German Wirtschafts-woche magazine and the Cologne-based market research institute ServiceValue. UTA was founded in 1963 by Heinrich Eckstein and is today owned by Edenred SE.

• Owens joins Liberis to build a suite of embedded finance products to serve Liberis’ partners with frictionless finance for their small businesses

• Further expanding the API driven Credit as a Service platform and advance Liberis’ machine learning capabilities and use of AI

• Top UK CIO 100 2019 and 2020, UK Top 50 Most Influential Women in Tech 2020 and 2021, Women in IT Awards nominee and winner

• Plans to rapidly double the engineering team to support international growth and onboarding new partners

Global embedded business finance platform Liberis has today announced it has added Georgina Owens to the London based team to serve as CTO and drive the company’s technology and engineering strategy forward. 

“We are thrilled to bring Georgina on board to navigate our engineering team through the company’s rapid expansion and onboarding of new partnerships,” said Rob Straathof, CEO Liberis. “An advocate of building engaged and autonomous teams, we are confident Georgina can guide Liberis through the continued development and delivery of our award winning offering. The past year we have invested heavily in scaling our platform, to build a world leading embedded finance offering for our partners around the world, and have further expanded internationally to serve SMEs in seven markets.”

Owens has held senior technology leadership and transformation roles since 1987. She joins Liberis most recently from a role as Chief Product and Technology Officer at Doqit Technologies. Previously she held executive technology and advisory positions at DAZN, Vodafone, WPP, Kantar, Cognizant, Centrica, British Gas and Citibank.

“I’m excited to work with this dynamic team on Liberis’ industry leading embedded business finance products. Revenue based finance is the future for small business funding and I look forward to continuing to develop Liberis’ product with new features and functionality as we support more and more businesses around the world through partnerships.”