AscendantFX Capital announced today that they have become members of the SWIFT network, and more specifically the Global Payment Initiative (gpi). Ascendant will leverage SWIFT gpi to further enhance its customer platform aPay and its API capabilities, improve payment delivery, and provide greater transparency for customers.

SWIFT gpi provides end-to-end transparency on fees related to both deductions and exchange rates. This includes the final amount paid to the end beneficiary and the transmission of full and unaltered remittance information, which eases the reconciliation of payments. Ascendant also expects to see a significant reduction in the number of payment investigations and time taken to resolve these investigations.

“We are always looking to provide our customers greater clarity into the payment journey. We plan to use the data SWIFT gpi provides to route payments in the most effective, efficient way possible. SWIFT gpi’s technology is revolutionary for the payments industry and gives power back to the customer,” said Shemina Jiwani, Chief Operating Officer for AscendantFX.

Tracking payments like a parcel has been a long-standing request from Ascendant’s customers and partner-led innovation groups. To take it a step further, Ascendant is making this data accessible to customers within their online platform, aPay, as well as through their robust API solution, aPay Link. Ascendant is at the forefront of innovation in the sector and will continue to drive innovation based on customer needs.

Speechmatics, a UK leader in any-context speech recognition technology has announced that Veritone, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERI), the creator of the world’s first operating system for artificial intelligence, aiWARE™, now offers secure transcription capability as a cognitive service within Veritone’s aiWARE^TM operating system for AI. With this announcement, Speechmatics’ award winning technology enables Veritone customers with strict security requirements to turn unstructured voice data into actionable insights which were previously inaccessible.

Organizations and enterprises around the world are automating their processes and workflows to streamline business operations and accelerate business growth. The aiWARE^TM operating system is the first solution on the market to offer hundreds of cognitive services in one place. The system surfaces valuable insights from high volumes of structured and unstructured data at scale.

Speech recognition technology is essential to converting unstructured voice data into text to then enable analysis and actionable insights of data. By creating valuable insights from voice data, customers can make better data-driven decisions, improve efficiency, surface new opportunities and manage compliance risks. Whether it is in real-time or through post-processing of archived voice data, the combination of aiWARE^TM and Speechmatics produces searchable, actionable data that can be surfaced quickly and at scale, decreasing overall operational costs, boosting quality of service and increasing the bottom-line for organizations.

Jon Gacek, Head of Government, Legal and Compliance at Veritone said: “Automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology adds tremendous value to aiWARE™ and the applications built upon it, taking unstructured voice data and turning it into actionable insights and data. With technology from innovators like Speechmatics available as a cognitive service within aiWARE™, we are giving our customers access to highly accurate speech-to-text, and high quality, real-time transcription functionality.”

Jeff Palmer, VP at Speechmatics said: “Only in the last few years has speech-to-text technology become accurate enough for businesses to truly utilize, incorporate it as part of their business workflows and deliver material benefits. Speechmatics is the most accurate, any-context speech recognition engine on the market, whilst also offering a broad range of languages and the secure, on-premises deployments that are essential for our customer’s needs. Veritone offers the most comprehensive operating system for AI in the market so naturally we are thrilled to be partnering with them. Veritone’s FedRAMP Authority To Operate (ATO) means we are able to operate fully across both Veritone’s US federal government and worldwide commercial customer base securely and accurately as a cognitive application.”

PumaPay is one of the most innovative providers of a fully decentralized blockchain-based payment system. Since their establishment, the company has maintained that its vision is to be one of the frontrunners in supporting mass crypto adoption. To date, PumaPay continues to refine their technology, adding new features that are slowly helping their vision come to fruition. The latest developments are no different.

With their new hybrid solution, PumaPay differentiates itself from other payment service providers. Combining crypto with traditional finance, their service now enables payments to be made and received in any currency, with the PMA token acting as a means of value transfer, by virtually anyone from merchants of all varieties to end-users. With measures in place to ensure zero exposure to volatility for all parties and easy onboarding and offboarding to crypto the PumaPay solution offers maximum utility to all.

PumaPay CEO, Yoav Dror, said: “By providing innovative and much-needed developments ready to be utilized in the emerging crypto space, we bring the community one step closer to mass crypto adoption. As of today, we have managed to close the loop and offer a fully comprehensive, blockchain-based payment solution that mitigates widespread concerns regarding accessibility, regulation, volatility and usability.”

With that in mind, let's review some of PumaPay’s groundbreaking contributions:

· The heart of their PullPayment Protocol; a variety of customizable billing models, such as their innovative Recurring and Auto-Up Schemes. Utilizing smart contract architecture, these billing models were designed to offer maximum utility to businesses in their daily transactions.

· A fully decentralized, native app: the PumaPay Cryptocurrency mobile wallet. Available for Android and iOS devices, the app enables the sending, receiving, and storing of main cryptocurrencies, such as: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), as well as all other ERC-20 tokens.

· Streamlined, in-app cryptocurrency exchange services that allow for easy conversion from other cryptocurrencies to PMA.

· Encouraged merchant-customer trust via easily accessible, in-app refund requests.

· Fully compliant user onboarding that adheres to the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive and the KYC verification process. PumaPay has also gone as far as to ensure that their solution is compliant with current AML laws but is also future proof for future developments in the field.

· A comprehensive payment gateway, the PumaPay Business console. This platform empowers merchants with the ability to accept crypto, set up customized billings models, as well as manage and optimize their payment flow.

· Zero exposure to crypto volatility and guaranteed full liquidity with the PumaPay Fiat Settlement Layer. With this service, the currency rate is “locked,” thereby eliminating volatility risks and enabling offboarding from crypto to fiat. Further, merchants also have a straightforward means to withdraw funds and directly transfer into their bank account.

· In-app banner placement that provides clear, uninterrupted communication channels between merchants and their respective customers.

· A comprehensive PSP API solution that supports seamless integration for PSPs and their merchants/businesses looking to accept crypto as a means of payment. These advanced tools also aid in easing the onboarding process for clients whilst also providing PSPs with access to all features of the PumaPay PullPayment Protocol.

· Full certification by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) and Data Security Standards (DSS). This has and continues to ensure that PumaPay adheres to the highest safety standards and application of anti-fraud prevention measures. In complying with global data security standards, they keep their users’ data safe and secure.

· Easy integration with a fully documented API.

· An open-source developer hub space completed with all necessary documentation, product library and guides available at Wiki PumaPay.

· Finally, PumaPay’s most recent development, the “Buy Crypto” service, enables PumaPay wallet users to purchase cryptocurrencies within the app with a credit/debit card. Combined with the ability to exchange crypto to PMA from within the wallet, and the Fiat Settlement Layer, PumaPay is ‘closing the loop’ and creating a complete payment system that is connected to the traditional financial system at its endpoints, allowing easy onboarding and offboarding. In the coming weeks, they will improve the process even further, allowing direct purchase of PMA tokens with credit card from within the wallet.

Going forward, PumaPay has already started to provide some insight into their blueprint for mass crypto adoption. A snapshot of some of the projects they are currently looking into includes:

· The introduction of their very own Side Chain which will provide users with an improved, more competitive service, by expediting transaction settlement times and lowering GAS fees.

· US token - a new project that will hopefully allow PumaPay to offer l tokens to US-based clients, whilst fully complying with US Government regulation.

· Decentralized Finance (DeFi) - a staking mechanism that will offer PMA token holders with the ability to earn money for their holdings.

In paving the way towards mass crypto adoption, PumaPay is maintaining their momentum by consistently providing their users with cost-effective, simple, and efficient means to manage and process their payments. From their billing models to the PumaPay crypto wallet, their services are designed for maximum utility by anyone; whether you be a user wanting to purchase services with crypto or a merchant looking to engage customers and maximize your revenue!

Mondia Pay, Mondia’s (www.Mondia.com) digital payment entity, announced that it recently onboarded a series of new clients and is fast becoming the preferred digital payment solutions provider for telecom operators across Africa. Mondia Pay registered 5.3 billion transactions on its platform last year with telcos across the continent.

A leader in digital platform services, Mondia Pay enjoys partnerships with operators in South Africa, Botswana, Liberia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Sudan, Guinee, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal where it provides telcos with the best billing integration, bundling deals, user engagement and subscriber acquisition services. 

Mondia Pay’s success with African telcos can be attributed to the flexibility of its business model which caters to different operator requirements. Subscribers can access premium content, customise their bundle offers and select the payment options that work for them in a fast and secure environment.

Mondia Pay is in the process of onboarding several new partners in Nigeria and the company is now working on launching solutions with telecom operators in Kenya, Mozambique, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso.

“We are extremely pleased about Mondia Pay’s success in Africa as it reflects our experience working with over 80 telcos across the world and demonstrates our leadership credentials in the digital payment solutions space,” said Simon Rahmann, CEO of Mondia Pay. “Smartphone adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa is set to rise to 66% by 2025 (GSMA) which means that access to online services will continue to grow exponentially. The African operators we are talking to are all seeing an increase in payment purchases for digital services and they are keen to get ahead of the curve to capitalise on this opportunity.”

Mondia is an industry leader in content and entertainment services for audience acquisition and engagement. The company helps its partners monetise their entire customer base across mobile, web and apps through innovative and engaging digital experiences.

For more information on Mondia Pay, visit https://Mondia.com/mondia-pay.

With the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Loan Forgiveness Portal now live, Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions has started to submit completed borrower loan forgiveness application data directly to the SBA via its TSoftPlus™ PPP Forgiveness Module. The Module was launched in June to help U.S. lenders guide small business client recipients of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding in processing online and in-person loan forgiveness applications. The SBA’s Loan Forgiveness Portal went live Monday, August 10.

It is expected that Wolters Kluwer’s TSoftPlus technology will help speed thousands of PPP loan forgiveness applications through the SBA’s designated loan forgiveness portal.

The TSoftPlus PPP Forgiveness Module is a comprehensive solution that expedites the application process for the forgiveness of loans to small businesses that received PPP emergency funding, providing automated technology benefits to local lenders and PPP borrowers.

Complying with loan forgiveness requirements under PPP can be complicated. David Brandt, Chief Financial Officer for ELGA Credit Union in Burton, Mich., noted that Wolters Kluwer’s TSoftPlus technology made a significant difference in processing its members’ PPP loan applications and offers critical support for the loan forgiveness stage.

“We selected Wolters Kluwer’s technology after vetting a handful of vendors,” recalled Brandt. “The efficiency of the TSoftPlus functionality, together with solid customer service support, helped us deliver nearly 300 PPP loans to Main Street borrowers ranging from local restaurants and small manufacturers to real estate firms, hair salons and a number of sole proprietors. I’m very appreciative of having this technology available and know that we’ve made a difference for a lot of businesses and their employees.”

Wolters Kluwer Consulting Services experts are offering Forgiveness Module users online training sessions to provide more clarification on loan forgiveness requirements for a successful application and to address some of the most common questions raised by lenders.

Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions provides risk management and regulatory compliance solutions and services to U.S. banks and credit unions, insurers and securities firms. The business, which sits within Wolters Kluwer’s Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) division, helps these financial institutions efficiently manage compliance obligations tied to loan and deposit origination transactions and workflows, manage risk and other regulatory compliance obligations, and gain the insights needed to focus on better serving their customers and growing their business. 

Wolters Kluwer’s TSoftPlus™ PPP Forgiveness Module is one of several expert solutions launched by the company’s GRC division in response to the COVID-19 crisis, including iLien for Main Street, a technology solution to help U.S. lenders optimize their due diligence and lien management efforts when securing loans for small and medium-sized businesses under the Main Street Lending Program. COVID-19 Noteworthy Developments Bulletins, meanwhile, aggregates COVID-19 related global regulatory changes, orders, notices and other informational updates for the financial services industry.

TPAY MOBILE, the leading pan Middle East and Africa (“MEA”) fintech focused on mobile and cross border digital payments today announced the appointment of Dheeraj (Raj) Soni as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Raj brings with him decades of experience in leadership, transformation, and execution within growth focused organizations across the technology and telecoms industries. He will draw on his extensive experience as former President and Chief Commercial Officer at Docomo Digital Payments as well as Senior Vice President at Swisscom to help TPAY MOBILE achieve its vision and ambitious growth plans.

Sahar Salama, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TPAY MOBILE, stated: “Over the last 6 years since it was founded, TPAY MOBILE has built a state of the art, mobile-led payments platform that is driving digital and financial inclusion for millions of users across its markets, the majority of which are underbanked, and provides best in class services to regional and international merchant partners. TPAY MOBILE’s continued expansion into new markets, onboarding of new merchants globally and broadening of its suite of products and services has resulted in exponential year over year growth, thereby positioning us as the leading digital merchant acquirer across MEA. I strongly believe that Raj’s experience is of immediate value in helping drive the continuation of our growth journey. Having him on board will accelerate the execution of our vision to build a homegrown global fintech leader.”

Raj Soni added: “I am thrilled to be joining TPAY MOBILE at this exciting time for the company. What is astounding is that TPAY MOBILE has built a state of the art, fully modular and scalable platform that is on track to enable financial inclusion at scale across MEA, covering the most relevant payment methods and giving merchants unmatched access to the region with just one single integration. My initial focus will be on partnering with global merchants and strategic technology partners looking to expand into MEA, in addition to building a portfolio of ancillary services to add value to all our partners within the payments ecosystem.”

CaixaBank offers its customers the first card made from 100% recycled material to be marketed in Spain. This Visa & Pay product, which can be requested both in branches and online at www.CaixaBank.es by interested customers, is made entirely from recycled PVC from sources such as waste from the construction industry, plastic recycling bags or waste from other cards, among others.

Recycled plastic Visa & Pay is another step towards the introduction of recycled materials across the entire range of CaixaBank cards, which would mean the replacement of approximately more than 18 million plastics currently in use.

The bank, chaired by Jordi Gual and with Gonzalo Gortázar as CEO, is a pioneer in Spain in the introduction of recycled materials for financial products. In 2019 the entire range of the bank’s gift cards (about 150,000 units per year) already began to be made of a biodegradable material (polylactic acid, from corn starch), to facilitate its recycling and end-of-life disposal (maximum of two years, in the case of gift cards).

CaixaBank plans to market 10,000 units of this new Visa & Pay during 2020. The new card made of recycled plastic is designed to be used as the usual card for customers.

A card designed to respect the environment

The new recycled plastic Visa & Pay card offers the same financial services as a Visa & Pay credit card, although it incorporates innovations compared to the usual standards, such as the possibility of rounding up each purchase for savings which, if desired, can be donated to an environmental NGO.

In addition, CaixaBank is committed to offsetting its carbon footprint and therefore, in this campaign, the bank will finance the planting of a tree for each new card.

Alliances and initiatives for the sustainability of the planet

CaixaBank is one of the leading financial institutions in mitigating the effects of climate change. The CDP organisation has included CaixaBank in the index of leading companies in the fight against climate change for the sixth consecutive year.

In February 2019, the bank published a Declaration on Climate Change, a proposal with five lines of action that includes commitments related to decarbonisation: finance solutions to address climate change; manage the risks derived from climate change; minimise and offset the carbon footprint; collaborate with other organisations for a collective advancement; and report our progress in a transparent way.

To this end, CaixaBank promotes the digitisation of its card pool, finances renewable energy projects (€2.4Bn in 2019), finances projects linked to the improvement in sustainability indices or environmental indicators (€919 million) and offers green loans ($1.54Bn in 2019). The financial institution also has several ecoLoans and ecoMicroloans lines (€10.2 million in EconFinance in 2019).

At the same time, CaixaBank participates in the green bond market for sustainable investment. In the Bloomberg world ranking, CaixaBank ranks 13th in financing syndicated green loans by volume.

Likewise, the bank carries out careful management of environmental risks, to avoid, minimise, mitigate and remedy potential risks to the environment or the community as much as possible. In February 2019, CaixaBank’s Board of Directors approved an Environmental Risk Management Policy which establishes exclusions for sectors with potential negative impacts on the environment.

CaixaBank has an active emissions reduction policy in place, which has resulted in a reduction of 80% since 2009. In addition, the bank receives its electricity supply almost entirely from renewable sources and is the only one in Spain that offsets 100% of all its calculated emissions, including indirect emissions.

The bank was the first Spanish organisation included in the RE100 list, an initiative that aims to increase the demand and supply of clean energy. It is also part of the Spanish Green Growth Group, which advocates for economic growth linked to a low-carbon economy.

CaixaBank has also joined the United Nations Collective Commitment for Climate Action, a declaration that is created within the framework of the Principles of Responsible Banking for the financial sector to mobilise its products, services and relationships to facilitate the economic transition towards a sustainable model. The commitment aims to align the portfolios of financial institutions around the world to finance a low-carbon economy, with the goal of keeping global warming below two degrees Celsius.

CrossTower, a new exchange operator founded by capital markets veterans on a mission to mainstream digital asset investing and trading, today announced a series of senior executive appointments, including Christophe Michot, Director of Sales; John Tavares, Head of Operations; and Vanessa Williams, Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). The stature of CrossTower’s newest team members underscores the firm’s growth and ability to attract top talent.

Michot, a former Account Manager at Kraken, joined CrossTower in June as Director of Sales. In this role, Michot is responsible for expanding CrossTower’s strategic relationships and platform liquidity, which have steadily grown since its official launch in May. 

“Since trading my first Bitcoin in 2012 to building out Kraken’s global Client Success team, I have witnessed incredible change in the digital asset markets,” said Michot. “I’m honored to be working with CrossTower’s market veterans and visionaries to further the evolution of the financial industry.” 

A former Director of Trading Technology at Galaxy Digital, John Tavares joined CrossTower in April as Head of Operations. At CrossTower, Tavares is responsible for overseeing market operations, product development and technology. During his time at Galaxy Digital, Tavares managed development of the firm’s electronic trading technology as well as the firm’s settlement and pre-trade risk controls.

“I’ve known CrossTower’s co-founders Kristin Boggiano and Kapil Rathi for years, so when I learned about what they were doing, I was excited to join them,” said Tavares. “I’m thrilled to leverage my experience to improve our institutional and retail product offerings and to build a brand with a senior team that understands what it takes to introduce disruptive innovation to the financial industry.”

In January, CrossTower named Vanessa Williams as its CCO. Williams has more than 15 years of experience managing regulatory compliance risk in the capital markets, with subject matter expertise in anti-money laundering and privacy. Prior to CrossTower, Williams served as CCO of a Legg Mason-owned quantitative and multi-asset strategy investment advisory firm. 

“The opportunity to build something from the ground up in the cryptocurrency space was one of the reasons I was excited to come on board,” said Williams. “Seeing the passion of the senior leadership team fortified my decision to join this dedicated and hard-working team.”

The three hires come on the heels of CrossTower’s launch in May and seed funding announcement in June. CrossTower supports highly active order books and tight spreads in the most widely traded cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, LiteCoin, USDC, Bitcoin Cash, XRP, Stellar, Chainlink, Basic Attention Token and ZCash.  Those interested in trading on CrossTower’s platform can access it here.

“We’re gratified to see that our passion to build a best-in-class multi-asset exchange is shared by our newest team members, putting us in an even stronger position to continue building the momentum we’ve seen since our successful launch in May,” said CrossTower Co-Founder and CEO Kapil Rathi.

Mphasis (BSE: 526299; NSE: MPHASIS), an Information Technology (IT) solutions provider specializing in cloud and cognitive services, announces that it has been recognized as a Major Contender and Star Performer by Everest Group in the report “Banking BPS – Service Provider Landscape with Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2020".

July 2020’s PEAK Matrix® report analyzed the capabilities of 31 leading banking BPS providers specific to the banking and financial services (BFS) sector. The assessment identified 19 service providers as the “2020 Banking BPS Services Major Contenders” and 3 service providers as the “2020 Banking BPS Services Star Performers” based on mid-sized providers who continue to evolve their capabilities and gain market share by capitalizing on growing trends such as analytics, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and other digital levers. 

Based on Everest Group’s evaluation, Mphasis has been able to Achieve a more balanced geographical footprint, which improved the company’s presence in Europe. Mphasis has grown at a significant rate over a substantial base and is driven by the expansion in both existing accounts and new large clients.

“We are excited that Mphasis was recognized for our efforts within the banking sector. As we develop in-house solutions that automate end-to-end client onboarding for lending, we also look to expand on various initiatives such as Sparkle Lab where we can take promising start-up solutions to customers,” said Nitin Rakesh, Chief Executive Officer, Mphasis. “Even during these uncertain times, we are expanding our delivery presence with new centers to handle more judgement-oriented processes in lending origination.”

“Technology evolution in recent years has outpaced banks’ abilities to keep abreast of change,” said Robin Jain, Practice Director, Everest Group. “As a result, banks are looking for partners to help them transform and become more agile in their operations. Mphasis offers comprehensive digital platforms and analytics solutions that can help their clients to address the most pressing business needs while improving overall customer experience.”

Saudi Arabia has revealed ambitious plans to transform the Middle East’s technology sector and position the Arabian Gulf nation at the global forefront of a bold, new era of futuristic technology adoption.

LEAP, a landmark technology event of national importance that supports the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 for a knowledge-based economy, is poised to galvanise public and private organisations in the region and beyond, drive female empowerment, unlock the Kingdom’s boundless investment potential for seismic economic diversification, and propel the nation into the ranks of the world’s top 20 tech-enabled nations.

Backed by a multitude of government organisations, LEAP will serve as a catalyst for monumental digital transformation across every sector of Saudi industry and business. Merging large-scale tech adoption solutions and ambitious pilot projects, the event will debut at the new Riyadh Front Exhibition Centre – the largest in Saudi Arabia – from November 28-30, 2021.

Powered by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), and organised by Informa Tech, LEAP is a strategic initiative to transform the national economy and position Saudi Arabia as a visionary tech hub connecting three continents with the global industry. Backed bySaudi Arabian government and the Kingdom’s major investors and mega infrastructure projects, LEAP aims to reform business opportunities and empower the funding of ideas and nurturing of tech startups – from Saudi Arabia to San Francisco, and everywhere in between.

LEAP arrives as Saudi’s investment in the domestic and international startup ecosystem is forecast to exceed the multi billions USD mark in coming years, with Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), a government-backed venture capitalist, pledging US$750 million to stimulate new businesses in the Kingdom; Saudi Technology Ventures (STV), the Middle East’s largest venture capital fund, launching a $500 million tech fund to back startup founders, young entrepreneurs; and Public Investment Fund (PIF) reporting over $50billion to invest in emerging technology. LEAP will feed the startup climate and directly link star-gazing entrepreneurs with future focused investors.

The disruptive event’s global, future-ready aspirations reflect Saudi Arabia’s national ambitions, with LEAP serving as a physical manifestation of the Kingdom’s goal to sit at the global forefront of emerging tech.

“LEAP will be the most iconic and seismic tech event for a generation; where East meets West and tech innovation meets investment,” said H.E Minister Eng. Abdullah Amer Al-Swaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology. “The event will have reverberations around the world and serve as a catalyst as the Saudi government gears up to transform and diversify its economy.”

H.E Minister Eng. Al-Swaha added: “LEAP will be a key factor in growing the IT sector, boosting ICT’s GDP contribution by SR50 billion over five years, securing foreign investment, assisting our Saudisation employment ambitions, empowering a female workforce and attracting international talent.”

LEAP is integral to MCIT’s five-year strategy aimed at accelerating the growth of the Kingdom’s digital economy by 50%, elevating its GDP contribution by US$13.3 billion, increasing foreign investments and continuing the drive of empowering women in the Kingdom’s tech sector and encouraging Saudi youth to pursue their dreams.

“Saudi Arabia already has a flourishing female participation in its tech sector, and we aim to nourish that passion and boost female representation to the highest in the world,” said Wadha Bin Zarah, Women Empowerment Director at MCIT. “LEAP will look to empower women in the local IT industry further through several measures such as recognizing and rewarding female tech leaders and giving female-led startups access to potential funding.

“By creating an event which has true equality of opportunity, everyone in attendance will have equal possibilities to benefit from the awards, funding, prize funds, knowledge sharing and networking available.”

Speaking on behalf of Informa Tech, Carolyn Dawson, the global event giant’s Managing Director, said: “LEAP will be where the Saudi government, sovereign and privately-held wealth funds will purchase pilot technology before anyone anywher eelse in the world. Government investment funds, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, corporate accelerators, incubators, venture capital, private equity and angel investors will provide more tech investment than any event of its kind."

“The event will be a conduit to global tech innovation; corporate buyers will initiate and announce massive tech deals to bring about a seismic shift in the global epicentre of tech adoption,” added Dawson, revealing how LEAP will set a new international benchmark invisitor experiences. “It will be an immersive and experiential exhibition delivering a habitat beyond imagination and reflecting the enormous changes which technology will bring to future lifestyles,” added Dawson.

LEAP will have 14 focused exhibition areas oozing innovation in artificial intelligence, blockchain and crypto, robotics, 3D Printing, IoT, biotech and healthtech, smart mobility and unmanned systems, opensource, quantum, 5G, materials science, space and satellites, data and fintech.

Promising hundreds of hours of thought-leading conference content, keynote presentations, talks and lively debates with the major global tech disruptors and change-makers, audiences will also gain penetrating insights into tech advancements across several dedicated stages.

Hot topics impacting artificial intelligence, startups, future energy, FinTech, the creative economy, BioTech, EduTech and smart cities will be tackled at the event’s ‘LEAP Keynote Stage’, ‘LEAP AI Summit’, ‘Orbital Talks’ and‘Startup Pitch Stage’.

International innovators and business hopefuls will gain unprecedented access to potential investors and end-users via bespoke ‘LEAP Investor Club’ meetings designed to foster accelerated development programmes. Venture capitalists, private equity providers, sovereign wealth funds, corporate and government accelerators, family offices, university R&D labs, incubators, and angel investors will form the backbone of the Investors Club, with attendees eager to hear, see and purchase the latest tech solutions.

“Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf is brimming with many of the most powerful investment funds in the world. LEAP will unlock access to these funds to ignite innovation,” explained Dawson.“LEAP is what the tech community has been waiting for, a global tech event powered by the might of Saudi Arabia; it will have far-reaching implications and could change the entire concept of vertical events for the future. The Saudi Government’s support for the event is nothing short of phenomenal, enabling us to deliver more exhibitor incentives, visitor experiences and speakers than any other event of its kind.”

For more information, visit this link.