The 2022 COPA Call For Entries - Sponsored Content Challenge
The COPA’s Canada’s premier digital publishing awards program for “Content Creators” is adapting again with the market to ensure the COPA’s stay relevant in the ever changing digital.
This year the 2022 COPAs has made some interesting changes in response to the growing use of sponsored content and influencer marketing. They have opened up 9 categories to see if sponsored content can compete. The COPAs has also introduced a Best Product Story in the B2B category and the Best Digital Audience Development Idea category. There are two free categories Best Feel Good Story and Best Multi-Cultural Story that anybody can enter. The Call for Entries is July 1, on Canada Day with a deadline of September 30, 2022. Below is the full list of categories for all the 4 divisions - B2B, B2C, News/Sports and Academic,
Click here for the 2022 COPA Rules.
COPA 2022 Call for Judges
The COPA 2022 Call for Judges is now open. Become part of the Who’s Who of Digital publishing in Canada by being part of the distinguished COPA Judging panel. The Call for Entries this year will be on Canada Day - July 1. If you are interest in becoming a volunteer judge you a register here.
COPA 2022 State of Digital - The Canadian Digital Ecosystem
We will be publishing a series of State of Digital posts on the various digital ecosystems that will include Apple, Google/Android and Windows as part of our deep dive into the Canadian Digital Ecosystem. You can read the first one here that is published on Masthead.
Quebec and BC publishers dominate the 2021 COPAs
The 2021 COPA Awards were held virtually on Thursday, February 10 in an entertaining and fun event that had webinars from the judges and an Awards presentation complete with a virtual audience using sound effects. The big medal winners were publishers from Quebec and British Columbia.
NumériQ Inc was the big winner with 6 Gold and a silver, Discourse Media came in second with 3 Gold and 4 Silver and the Tula Foundation/Hakai Magazine came in third with 3 gold and 3 silver. Honourable mention goes to the Overstory Media Group and York University with 4 gold each. The Best of Canada winners were from Quebec and Western Canada that reflected the geographic distribution of the 2021 winners.
The complete list of winners are available here
Best of Canada GOLD medal winners
Digital Content
Capital Daily for their investigative article: “The man who stole a hotel: How Timothy Durkin took control of Sooke Harbour House”
Digital Soluition
QUB radio for their podcast: ”Ce n’est qu’une théorie”
Independent Publisher of the Year
Taproot Publishing Inc. for their podcast entry in the Best Blog Column/Videocast/Podcast category:”Igniting Innovation: Startup TNT”
The COPA’s Canada’s premier digital publishing awards program for “Content Creators” is adapting again with the market to ensure the COPA’s stay relevant in the ever changing digital.
This year the 2022 COPAs has made some interesting changes in response to the growing use of sponsored content and influencer marketing. They have opened up 9 categories to see if sponsored content can compete. The COPAs has also introduced a Best Product Story in the B2B category and the Best Digital Audience Development Idea category. There are two free categories Best Feel Good Story and Best Multi-Cultural Story that anybody can enter. The Call for Entries is July 1, on Canada Day with a deadline of September 30, 2022. Below is the full list of categories for all the 4 divisions - B2B, B2C, News/Sports and Academic,
Click here for the 2022 COPA Rules.
COPA 2022 Call for Judges
The COPA 2022 Call for Judges is now open. Become part of the Who’s Who of Digital publishing in Canada by being part of the distinguished COPA Judging panel. The Call for Entries this year will be on Canada Day - July 1. If you are interest in becoming a volunteer judge you a register here.
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COPA 2022 State of Digital - The Canadian Digital Ecosystem
We will be publishing a series of State of Digital posts on the various digital ecosystems that will include Apple, Google/Android and Windows as part of our deep dive into the Canadian Digital Ecosystem. You can read the first one here that is published on Masthead.
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NumériQ Inc was the big winner with 6 Gold and a silver, Discourse Media came in second with 3 Gold and 4 Silver and the Tula Foundation/Hakai Magazine came in third with 3 gold and 3 silver. Honourable mention goes to the Overstory Media Group and York University with 4 gold each. The Best of Canada winners were from Quebec and Western Canada that reflected the geographic distribution of the 2021 winners.
The complete list of winners are available here
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Why the Canadian Online Publishing Awards is Good for Canada.
The Canadian Online Publishing Awards aka COPAs has become the tip of the spear for the digital publishing industry in Canada by showcasing and helping Canadian content creators move the needle forward for their brands on the global stage. The COPAs was started in 2009 as an industry showcase of the Best Digital Content creators in the magazine and newspaper industries. In 13 years it has become the largest Digital Publishing Awards Program in Canada with 4 divisions - Academic, B2B, B2C and News/Sports with a mandate to reflect Canada’s multi-cultural diversity whenever possible.
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The COPAs is supporting News Media Canada in their efforts in the Digital Reset of the Media Industry - “The Government recognizes the need for revenue sharing; understands that there is a negotiating imbalance between digital platforms and news outlets; and acknowledges the need for tools that allow press publishers to negotiate commercial deals on a level playing field,” said Paul Deegan, president and CEO of News Media Canada.
The entries are reviewed by a Who’s Who’s of the digital publishing in Canada. The panel has over 90 judges and is a collection content, creative, digital, web, tech marketing, media and publishing experts.
FREE to ENTER
There are two categories that anybody can enter for for FREE - the Best Feel Good Story and Best Multicultural Story. This is part of the COPA’s inclusiveness policy to ensure that anybody can win a COPA. There are 4 divisions Academic, B2B, B2C and News/Sports. The COPA’s has become a badge of honour for the winners. Winners are announced at a COPA Awards Party in Toronto.
The Who’s Who’s of Canada in Digital Publishing
The COPA’s have become the tip of the spear for the Canadian digital publishing industry to help promote Canadian talent to the world and the COPA’s is now the largest Digital Publishing Awards program in Canada.
The 2021 COPA Judging has now been released on the COPA website and there are over 90+ judges this year along with 30 new ones to help determine who is the best in Canada. The COPA Judges is a volunteer panel and has participation of all geographic regions in Canada. Some of the new judges this year are shown below and they offer a blend of expertise that includes digital publishing, podcaster, art director, photographer, marketer, publisher, editor, journalist and academia. Industry participation from all sectors is growing each year. You can see the full Judging Panel at this link.
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News provided by Business Wire
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Messagepoint announced today it has been named a Leader in the 2022 Aspire Leaderboard™ for customer communications management (CCM) and customer experience management (CXM) for the fifth consecutive year. Specifically, Messagepoint has been recognized as a leading provider in both the Vendor Hosted SaaS CCM grid, as well as the AnyPrem CCM Software grid due to its flexibility in offering both cloud-based and hybrid-cloud deployment options. Additionally, Messagepoint was named a leader in the Enterprise Communications Processing (ECP) grid, reflecting expertise in enabling and tracking fundamental operational aspects. Revamped this year, the Aspire Leaderboard now ranks CCM-CXM software, services and solution providers into dynamic vendor grids, enabling users to further evaluate providers based on their individual requirements. Aspire’s AnyPrem CCM Software grid reviews vendors that give customers a range of options to deploy the solution on-premise or in a hosted, public, virtual private or hybrid cloud configuration. The Vendor Hosted SaaS CCM grid reviews vendors that leverage open APIs and/or headless architecture with an emphasis on making data security, regulatory compliance and privacy by design essential. The Enterprise Communications Processing grid reviews vendors that provide sophisticated production, output management, distribution, process and response automation capabilities.
Messagepoint’s cloud-hosted content hub has achieved its leadership position in the market by providing innovative capabilities that enable customers to more intelligently create, manage and optimize content and communications across all channels. The solution empowers business users with a no-code approach to managing content, targeting rules, workflow and communications. Its unique modular approach to content management enables advanced content sharing capabilities across channels and supports content delivery via both composed communications and headless APIs. The ability to centrally control and reuse common content components increases the efficiency, speed and accuracy of authoring and change management cycles while ensuring consistency of a brand’s customer experiences across channels. Messagepoint recently introduced headless CCM capabilities to enable developers to access the regulated, data-driven content managed in Messagepoint via APIs for use by next generation digital endpoints such as mobile apps, personalized video and chatbots. By providing headless access to the content managed in its hub, Messagepoint gives customers the ability to centrally manage and control highly personalized content delivered via both fully composed customer communications and responsive digital experiences.
“Many enterprises today want to distribute communications and personalized content to mobile applications, personalized video and other digital endpoints, but face the same kinds of content assembly and approval issues as they do when dealing with print or document-based processes. Messagepoint offers a powerful solution for controlling complex content while also streamlining authoring, personalization and approval workflows,” said Kaspar Roos, CEO and founder of Aspire. “We were impressed that Messagepoint is evolving deeper into the CX space by adding headless content management and orchestration capabilities that dynamically deliver personalized content in response to calls via APIs.”
“We are honored to be recognized for the fifth consecutive year as Leaders by the Aspire Leaderboard team,” said Steve Biancaniello, CEO of Messagepoint. “Being cited as a Leader in these three important categories for Messagepoint underscores the work we have done to keep pace with a changing marketplace that is quickly redefining the approach to CCM. As enterprises work to shape their requirements around achieving the larger goal of customer experience management, I am excited that Messagepoint continues to provide solutions that tackle the challenges of content migration, optimization, delivery, orchestration and interoperability—all integral to delivering the best possible CX.”
About Messagepoint
Messagepoint is a leading provider of customer communications management software. Only Messagepoint harnesses AI-powered Content Intelligence to automate and simplify the process of migrating, optimizing, authoring and managing complex customer communications for non-technical (business) users. Customers rely on its award-winning platform to consistently deliver exceptional, highly personalized customer communications across all platforms and channels. For more information, visit www.messagepoint.com.
Aspire Disclaimer
The Aspire Leaderboard™ is copyrighted by Aspire Customer Communications Services Ltd. and is based on the findings and opinions of Aspire’s consultancy organization. Aspire does not endorse any vendor, product or service included in the Aspire Leaderboard.
About Aspire
Aspire Customer Communications Services is a boutique consulting firm specializing in the Customer Communications Management (CCM), Customer Experience Management (CXM), and Customer Journey Management (CJM) industries. Through deep market expertise and global insights, Aspire works with Software, Services and Solution providers, and Business Advisories and Private Equity Firms to help them achieve their CCM goals. Find more information about how Aspire is helping organizations navigate the complexities of the customer communications world at http://www.aspireccs.com.
Contacts
Patricia Kilgore
Sterling Kilgore
630-964-8500
pkilgore@sterlingkilgore.com
Messagepoint Recognized as a Leader in the 2022 Aspire CCM-CXM Leaderboard
PHOENIX, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VIQ Solutions Inc. (“VIQ” or the “Company”) (TSX:VQS and NASDAQ:VQS), a global provider of secure, AI-driven, digital voice and video capture technology and transcription services, will release its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, after market close on Wednesday, August 10, 2022. VIQ management will host a conference call to discuss these results on Thursday, August 11 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time.
Investors may access a live webcast of the call on the Company’s website at www.viqsolutions.com/investors or by dialing 1-888-440-4052 (North America toll-free) or +1-646-960-0827 (international) to be connected to the call by an operator using conference ID number 4983233. Participants should dial in at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call.
A replay of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website through the same link approximately one hour after the conference call concludes.
For more information about VIQ, please visit viqsolutions.com.
About VIQ Solutions Inc.
VIQ Solutions is a global provider of secure, AI-driven, digital voice and video capture technology and transcription services. VIQ offers a seamless, comprehensive solution suite that delivers intelligent automation, enhanced with human review, to drive transformation in the way content is captured, secured, and repurposed into actionable information. The cyber-secure, AI technology and services platform are implemented in the most rigid security environments including criminal justice, legal, insurance, government, corporate finance, media, and transcription service provider markets, enabling them to improve the quality and accessibility of evidence, to easily identify predictive insights and to achieve digital transformation faster and at a lower cost.
Contacts
Media:
Laura Haggard
Chief Marketing Officer
VIQ Solutions
Phone: (800) 263-9947
Email: marketing@viqsolutions.com
Investor Relations:
Laura Kiernan
High Touch Investor Relations
Phone: 1-914-598-7733
Email: viq@htir.net
VIQ Solutions to Report Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results on Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Chair Paul Godfrey to Step Down at End of Term
Jamie Irving to be Appointed Executive Chair
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (“Postmedia” or the “Company”) today announced that Paul Godfrey will step down from his role as Chair of Postmedia’s board of directors (“Board”) at the end of his existing contract, on December 31, 2022. Following the end of his term as Chair, Mr. Godfrey will serve as a special advisor to the Board and CEO.
“I have always believed in the critical importance of a robust news media industry for our country,” said Paul Godfrey, Chair, Postmedia. “It has been my sincere honour and privilege as Postmedia’s founder to champion our company and our people through tremendous transformation. I will continue to serve as a proud member of the team as special adviser to our exceptional board and management team, at the completion of my term as Board Chair.”
“On behalf of our Board, management and everyone across Postmedia we thank Paul for his unwavering support of our company and our industry,” said Andrew MacLeod, President and CEO, Postmedia. “Paul was our founding CEO and most recently, our Board Chair. Without his leadership and vision, Postmedia would not exist. Paul has had great success in politics, media and sports and his advice has always proven to be invaluable. I owe Paul a great debt of gratitude, for his guidance and appreciate his continued support as special advisor.”
Jamie Irving, currently a director of Postmedia’s Board, will become Executive Chair effective January 1, 2023, having joined Postmedia’s Board in April, 2022. Mr. Irving’s responsibilities will include overseeing board matters and supporting the President and CEO and senior management in respect of key areas of the business.
“I’m grateful for the support and confidence of the Board and look forward to stepping into the role of Chair at an exciting time as Postmedia builds on its national scale and breadth and accelerates its digital transformation,” said Jamie Irving.
“Jamie Irving has been a great addition to Postmedia bringing extensive knowledge of this industry from his transformative work at Brunswick News Inc. over the last twenty years and recent leadership of the industry as Chair of News Media Canada. He believes deeply in the importance of journalism and has been a great advocate for our industry. We look forward to his ongoing leadership as Executive Chair next year,” said Mr. MacLeod.
About Postmedia Network Canada Corp.
Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B) is the holding company that owns Postmedia Network Inc., a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences. For more information, visit www.postmedia.com.
Contacts
Media Contact
Phyllise Gelfand
Vice President, Communications
(647) 273-9287
pgelfand@postmedia.com
Investor Contact
Mary Anne Lavallee
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer
(416) 442-3448
mLavallee@postmedia.com
Postmedia Announces Upcoming Changes to Board of Directors
Capital Markets Specialist brings value to innovative digital reading platform
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#books--Legible Inc. (CSE: READ) (FSE: D0T) "Legible” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Robyn Marshall to Legible’s Advisory Board. Ms. Marshall has over a decade of experience in capital markets and investment banking, with expertise in debt reduction, capital raising, and market acceleration. Having worked in both the U.S. and Canada, Ms. Marshall most recently worked as a Vice President in Equity Capital Markets at J.P. Morgan in New York City. While at J.P. Morgan, Robyn provided strategic advisement and execution on over one hundred public and private equity raises for various issuers raising over US$100Bn in proceeds. Previously, Robyn worked in the Global Investment Banking division at RBC Capital Markets in Calgary, Alberta. Ms. Marshall holds a BBA in Finance and Marketing from St. Francis Xavier University.
Kaleeg Hainsworth, CEO, and President of Legible commented, “Robyn brings tremendous insights garnered from her diversified experience in the field of capital markets and investment banking. We are looking forward to working with Robyn as we grow Legible across all its revenue verticals.” Mark Holden, Chairperson of the Advisory Committee and a Co-Founder of Legible, further commented “Ms. Marshall brings not only her perspectives on how to navigate the further funding of Legible but also a fresh perspective as to what the next generation of readers are looking for with respect to reading online.”
Robyn Marshall stated, “As a voracious reader, I was excited to discover Legible, a platform I believe will change and enhance the future of reading online. Legible’s management team and I are of the same mindset that when the marketing and functionality features that are being advanced are implemented, Legible has the potential to transform the current ebook marketplace. I can clearly see a pathway to Legible becoming a global household brand where millions of people are concurrently engaged and entertained. The platform’s focus on accessibility, sustainability, and inclusiveness is much needed in the current marketplace.
In June, Legible released the first ever media-rich “Living Book” edition of an Indigenous authored work, Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way in collaboration with the Sinixt Nation and Maa Press, and has contracted most recently with #1 New York Times-bestselling author and global business influencer T. Harv Eker to produce and feature his first ebook based on his popular web training series, thus differentiating itself from competing ebook platforms.
Ms. Marshall added, “Knowing Legible’s Living Books will be globally accessible and have embedded multi-media features, including animation, video, and sound was instrumental in my decision to join Legible’s Advisory Board. I am excited to work with the Legible team to build the Go-To-Place for internet users to read and listen to books.”
About Legible Inc.
Legible Inc. is a book entertainment and media company with a mission: Millions of books for billions of readers, globally. Legible has developed two high-value verticals; firstly, a browser-first, global, accessible B2C eBook entertainment platform for the emerging web with high-growth potential called legible.com, delivering beautiful, accessible & immersive reading for next-generation readers; and secondly, a global, world-class B2B eBook conversion and production service with high revenue potential called Legible Publishing for publishers and organizations as well as remediation of eBook content for improved accessibility. Legible Publishing creates original multimedia eBooks, branded as Living Books, that empower authors and publishers to deliver dynamic and unique content.
Founded and led by a team of technologists, authors, eBook publishers, designers, and publishing industry insiders, Legible is transforming the digital publishing industry and gaining market share through innovative, 21st-century publishing and global reading experiences. Legible provides innovative eBook reading experiences to anyone, anywhere through any browser-enabled device. Legible is committed to providing access to readers that value immersive entertainment experiences through well-constructed and content-dynamic books. Legible embraces sustainability, accessibility, and global literacy as core values.
Please visit Legible.com and discover the place where eBooks come to life. Readers are invited to visit Legible’s continually evolving curated Staff-Picks Bookshelf: https://legible.com/ca/list/staff-picks
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements and are prospective in nature. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company’s control and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “should”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or similar variations. These statements include forward looking statements regarding new revenue sources and growth plans for the Company. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information and statements are the following: changes in general economic, business, and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; and the diversion of management time. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated, or expected. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN UNITED STATES
Contacts
Legible Inc.
Kaleeg Hainsworth, President & CEO
1 (672) 514-2665
invest@legible.com
www.Legible.com
Investors.Legible.com
Legible Announces Appointment of Robyn Marshall to Advisory Board
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#BrandReputation--H.I.G. Capital (“H.I.G.”), a leading global alternative investment firm with $50 billion of equity capital under management, is pleased to announce that one of its affiliates has completed the acquisition of Watchfire Signs, LLC (“Watchfire” or the “Company”).
Headquartered in Danville, IL, Watchfire is a leading manufacturer of premium digital signage with best-in-class lead times, product quality, customer service and support. The Company serves a highly diverse base of local sign dealers, independent billboard operators and large national accounts.
H.I.G. is partnering with the current management team to provide capital and resources to support the Company’s growing position across multiple segments of the digital display industry, including indoor & outdoor LED signage, digital billboards, and video scoreboards. Watchfire’s strong brand reputation and expansive customer network have allowed the Company to establish an installed base of over 65,000 LED displays, highlighting its position as a leader in the large and growing digital display market.
Steve Harriott, CEO of Watchfire said, “I am happy to be partnering with H.I.G. Capital to continue to drive growth, both organically and through aggressively pursuing add-on acquisition opportunities. We are excited to leverage H.I.G.’s considerable experience investing in outdoor advertising companies to accelerate our own growth initiatives.”
“We believe Watchfire represents an ideal opportunity to invest in a premier provider of digital signage at a time when market tailwinds such as digital transformation and the replacement of aging signage will continue to drive growth,” said Ryan Kaplan, Managing Director at H.I.G., adding “We look forward to supporting Steve and the rest of his executive team as they continue to lead the Company through its next exciting phase of expansion.”
About Watchfire
Watchfire designs and engineers the best looking, most durable outdoor LED signs, indoor displays, digital billboards, and video scoreboards, which help businesses and organizations communicate effectively, increase visibility and drive growth. Headquartered in Danville, IL, Watchfire has manufactured electric signs for 90 years and LED displays since 1998 using meticulously sourced components from around the world. Watchfire has more than 65,000 LED displays in operation worldwide and has more digital billboard customers in the U.S. than any other brand. For information, please refer to the Company’s website at https://www.watchfiresigns.com.
About H.I.G. Capital
H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with $50 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach:
- H.I.G.’s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses.
- H.I.G.’s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance.
- H.I.G.’s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices.
- H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector.
Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm’s current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com.
* Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates.
Contacts
Ryan Kaplan
Managing Director
rkaplan@higcapital.com
H.I.G. Capital Completes Acquisition of Watchfire Signs
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#AI--Lucidea has announced that knowledge management expert Stan Garfield’s new book, Lucidea’s Lens: Special Librarians & Information Specialists; The Five Cs of KM, will be available in July, 2022. The latest publication from Lucidea Press offers pragmatic advice from Mr. Garfield, a seasoned KM expert and consultant, author of Proven Practices for Promoting a Knowledge Management Program, regular blogger, and popular webinar presenter.
This book is about knowledge management in special libraries and information centers, structured around Five Cs: Capture, Curate, Connect, Collaborate, and Create. These calls to action, presented with detailed examples, provide special librarians and other information specialists with a new way to think about content, products, and services. The fundamentals of knowledge management— applied in a special library or information center setting—benefit the parent organization by offering clear strategic advantage and significant benefits.
Stan Garfield is a knowledge management expert, author, speaker, and innovator in the KM field. He leads the SIKM Leaders Community with over 1000 members globally, and is regularly invited to present at numerous conferences, including KMWorld. He has published over 800 LinkedIn articles on leadership, innovation, knowledge management, communities of practice, enterprise social networks, and social media, and has authored several practical and popular books, including Proven Practices for Promoting a Knowledge Management Program from Lucidea Press—to which this title, Lucidea’s Lens: Special Librarians & Information Specialists; The Five Cs of KM is a natural successor.
Says Ron Aspe, Lucidea’s CEO, “We’re excited to bring you the first book in our “Lucidea’s Lens” series; we believe it’s an essential resource for special librarians and other information specialists building KM capabilities into departmental services, with practical guidance drawn from Stan’s career in knowledge-intensive organizations, and as a consultant, innovator, and advocate.”
Special Offer:
Both Kindle and print versions will be available for purchase at Amazon.com, but for the moment you can get a free PDF copy in advance, courtesy of Lucidea here.
About Lucidea:
Lucidea offers a full portfolio of market-leading Knowledge Management, ILS, and CMS applications, including SydneyEnterprise, GeniePlus, Presto, Argus, and ArchivEra; applications that deliver unrivaled access to organizational knowledge, with solutions for corporations, law firms, government agencies, nonprofits, museums, and archives—of all sizes and budgets, worldwide. www.lucidea.com
Contacts
Mark Maslowski
Marketing Manager
604-278-6717
mmaslowski@lucidea.com
Lucidea Press Publishes New Book for Special Librarians & Information Specialists
Addition of DMI Consulting Strengthens Event Support
WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virtual, Inc., the leading provider of professional services to standards organizations, consortia, and associations, announced today that it has acquired award-winning digital marketing agency inMotion DVS, Inc. of Ottawa, Canada. The addition of the inMotion team to the Virtual family enables the company to deliver greater web, video, and digital marketing services while adding more than 50 associations and enterprises to its client roster.
The move is part of Virtual’s commitment to drive success for its clients by providing the highest quality strategic counsel coupled with world-class execution.
“inMotion brings impressive capabilities and resources to Virtual, including breakthrough creative, professional-grade video production, eye-catching web design, and more,” said Andy Freed, CEO of Virtual, Inc. “inMotion will expand our digital marketing capabilities to further fuel our clients’ growth while adding top-tier organizations to our client base. We couldn’t be more pleased.”
“Joining Virtual is a perfect fit for us,” added Jamie McIntosh, president of inMotion. “We share a common focus and approach to serving professional and industry associations, and our digital marketing capabilities complement Virtual’s strengths in operations management, public relations, and event management. We look forward to serving Virtual’s and inMotion’s clients together.”
Named Ontario’s Best Digital Marketing Agency in 2021, inMotion creates innovative online presences and experiences for professional and industry associations, healthcare organizations, agri-business, and technology firms. Under the continuing leadership of President Jamie McIntosh, inMotion will be working hand-in-hand with the Virtual team to bring the best of next-generation digital marketing to Virtual clients while continuing to serve its clients. Now a division of Virtual, Inc., inMotion will remain a Canadian corporation.
In addition to inMotion, Virtual announced that it has acquired DMI Consulting, a Massachusetts-based event production management firm. Virtual hosts dozens of in-person and online client events every year in locations worldwide, and the DMI team will support those programs with strategic planning and on-site management services spanning everything from technical support to scenic design.
About DMI Consulting
DMI provides strategic planning and on-site management services for event planners, producers, and production partners. The company’s process-driven approach combines technical expertise with business acumen and a can-do attitude. DMI’s services include production, technical, and scenic design, CAD and rendering, RFP process management, budget management, and on-site leadership.
About inMotion DVS, Inc.
A digital and video marketing agency founded in 1979, inMotion specializes in creating experiences that matter for technology, professional, and industry associations and healthcare organizations. Over the years inMotion has helped clients engage and retain members, drive new membership, generate revenue, automate tasks and stretch resources. The company has enabled associations to increase relevance and build their reputation within their industry, the public, and with municipal and federal governments. inMotion has worked extensively on labor market information projects, executed integrated marketing campaigns, promoted events, and increased sponsorship opportunities.
About Virtual, Inc.
Virtual is a professional services firm that enables organizations to achieve their goals and make a mark on the world. Whether helping an organization go from zero to 800 corporate members in a mere 18 months or extending the reach and impact of an international group dedicated to curing prostate and breast cancer, Virtual provides strategic advisory and execution services that drive real results for technology consortia, standards groups, and associations that are forming, growing, or changing.
Virtual has been named several times as one of The Boston Globe’s “Top Places to Work”, and the firm has been named three times to Inc. Magazine’s list of 5,000 fastest-growing private companies. Virtual is accredited by the AMC Institute, the global trade group that represents the association management industry. For more information about Virtual, Inc., visit www.virtualinc.com, or call +1 781-246-0500.
Follow Virtual, Inc. on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Contacts
Alexa Stewart
Virtual, Inc. Public Relations
+1.781.876.6242
astewart@virtualinc.com
Virtual, Inc. Acquires Award-Winning Digital Marketing Agency inMotion
SUSSEX, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quad (NYSE: QUAD) will hold a conference call at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, August 3, to discuss second quarter 2022 results. The call will be hosted by Joel Quadracci, Quad Chairman, President & CEO, and Tony Staniak, Quad CFO.
The full earnings release and slide presentation will be concurrently available on the Investors section of Quad’s website at www.quad.com/investors. As part of the conference call, Quad will conduct a question and answer session, and investors are invited to email their questions in advance to IR@quad.com.
Participants may pre-register for the webcast by navigating to https://dpregister.com/sreg/10168342/f36f9cc470. Participants will be given a unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call on August 3, bypassing the live operator. Participants may pre-register at any time, including up to and after the call start time.
Alternatively, participants may dial in on the day of the call as follows:
- U.S. Toll-Free: 1-877-328-5508
- International Toll: 1-412-317-5424
An audio replay of the call will be posted on the Investors section of Quad’s website shortly after the conference call ends. In addition, telephone playback will also be available until September 3, 2022, accessible as follows:
- U.S. Toll-Free: 1-877-344-7529
- International Toll: 1-412-317-0088
- Replay Access Code: 4494102
About Quad
Quad (NYSE: QUAD) is a global marketing experience company that helps brands reimagine their marketing to be more streamlined, impactful, flexible, and frictionless. Quad’s strategic priorities are powered by three key competitive advantages that include integrated marketing platform excellence, innovation, and culture and social purpose. The company’s integrated marketing platform is powered by a set of core specialties including business strategy, insights and analytics, technology solutions, managed services, agency and studio solutions, media, print, in-store, and packaging.
Serving over 4,600 clients, Quad has more than 15,000 people working in 14 countries around the world.
Please visit quad.com for more information.
Contacts
Investor Relations Contact
Katie Krebsbach, Quad
414-566-4247 / kkrebsbach@quad.com
Media Contact
Karen Arena, Quad
732-407-8510
karena@quad.com
Quad to Host Call to Discuss Second Quarter 2022 Results
Initial guests include Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, performance artist DevoDLive, multimedia host & producer Brigitte Truong, and more.
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hvr, developer of the first social-forward web browser, today announced the launch of the Cast of Creators podcast, hosted by its CEO Nelson B. Thall and award-winning blogger Casie Stewart. The video and audio podcast features perspectives on innovation and the future of content with notable guests including Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida, performance artist, DevoDLive, and multimedia host & producer, Brigitte Truong, and is available for download wherever you consume podcasts. You can subscribe to the podcast at castofcreators.com. Hvr is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
“Casie and I have spent our careers in media and publishing,” says Thall. “Now we’re empowering creators and brands to increase revenue and engagement on their websites with our new browser Hvr. We’re taking Hvr’s mission to the next level with Cast Of Creators.”
“We’ve set the stage for industry-leading guests to share their stories, creative pursuits, and wisdom they’ve learned along the way,” says Stewart. “Our new studio makes our Cast feel right at home while we discuss platforms & partnerships, content ownership, and what’s next for creators.”
Guests appearing on Cast of Creators include:
Jules Mercanti is a freelance artist based out of Toronto, ON. Her work is observational/autobiographical and uses a very strict color palette. Her website offers an array of prints/art for sale.
Andrew Lovesey is Canadian Geographic‘s Director, Digital & Video, a Fellow of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and a former travel blogger.
Raine Maida is a Canadian humanitarian, technologist, and the frontman for multi-platinum alt-rock legends, Our Lady Peace. Maida is also the founder of Drrops App, a web3 platform connecting artists with their community.
Devante Burey, professionally known as DevoDLive, is an entertainment host, social media influencer, performance artist and OfficialRaptorsGuy.
Vicky Milner is the Co-Founder of ShopSquad, live commerce production and consulting and the Co-Founder and President of CAFA, the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards.
Lisa Kisber is the Co-Founder of ShopSquad. Lisa is a resident on-air expert for Global’s national Morning Show and the producer and host of the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards red-carpet show.
Brigitte Truong is the founder of B.Tru Media, a multimedia producer, host of Sister Cities on USA Today, and a digital content creator.
Lauren O'Neil is a writer, reporter, TV personality and internet elder. Lauren is the Senior News Editor at blogTO.
George Sully is a multidisciplinary designer, entrepreneur, and activist. Sully is well known for his collaborations that include but not limited to DHL, eBay, Disney, and Bell Media and is best known for being the original maker of the Star-Trek Discovery Starfleet Boot. Sully is also a Bata Shoe Museum inductee, creator of Black designers of Canada, co-founder of House of Hayla and creator of break-out brand Sully & Son Company.
Cory Lee is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is most noted for her role on Instant Star and Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Brandon Olsen is the Founder & Chef of Restaurant Le Melon for all your in-home dining needs. He is also the Founder of La Banane Restaurant - a contemporary French cuisine restaurant in Toronto, Brando’s Fried Chicken - a fried chicken joint, man ray bar à vin- an Italian bar, and the CXBO Chocolate Shop.
Shane Stevens is an award-winning journalist turned marketing/retail/PR authority. Shane is a senior leader and trusted advisor at Holt Renfrew, LOUIS XIII cognac and Saks Fifth Avenue. Shayne is one of Canada’s most recognizable tastemakers.
TiKA is an R&B artist, 2022 Canadian Academy Award Winner, Film Composer, Founder at StereoVisual and Consultant at Umba Daima Studio & Network.
About Hvr
Hvr was founded by a passionate team of entrepreneurs, engineers, and designers with backgrounds in media, technology, and publishing who are dedicated to giving users, web publishers, and advertisers a more useful, social, and profitable web experience. Its founders have a 75-year family history in publishing as co-owners of the Toronto Star, the largest daily print newspaper in Canada. The company is based in Toronto and is privately held. Websites can also become Hvr Sitepartners to increase engagement and discovery of their web content while receiving commissions and recurring revenue.
Contacts
Anita Verma
416-998-5942
Anita@verbfactory.com
CAST OF CREATORS Podcast Offers New Perspectives on Innovation and the Future of Content
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#books--Legible Inc. (CSE: READ) (FSE: D0T) (“Legible” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the Company’s contractual arrangement with #1 New York Times-bestselling author and personal success guru, T. Harv Eker, to produce and feature his first ebook based on his popular web training series. Legible’s publishing services division, Legible Publishing, will create and develop this innovative ebook, soon to be available exclusively on Legible’s globally accessible, browser-first platform Legible.com.
“I am thrilled to partner with Legible’s creative team to make an ebook version of my online training material available,” said Mr. Eker. “Legible’s highly accessible platform expands my reach and will make my transformational web class content available to a whole new audience.”
Mr. Eker (www.harveker.com) is the accomplished author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind -- which reached #1 on the Wall Street Journal’s best business book list and the New York Times bestseller list -- and the highly rated SpeedWealth. He is also a sought after seminar leader who has developed highly acclaimed courses including The Millionaire Mind Intensive, Life Directions, Wizard Training, Train the Trainer, and the world-famous Enlightened Warrior Training. Mr. Eker has sold more than 5 million books, has taught over a million participants through his live trainings, and has changed countless lives through his decades of teaching.
“Legible is excited to work with an author and transformational speaker who has such a broad reach and brand awareness,” said CEO Kaleeg Hainsworth, “Legible is able to bring the strength of both its publishing services and its international ebook entertainment platform to our collaboration with Mr. Eker. We are thrilled to showcase Mr. Eker’s powerful web course material in our dynamic, accessible, and innovative ebook format. This initiative will provide further insight to the greater possibilities that Legible can offer to publishers, including live book launches from directly within ebooks. Legible’s publishing services division is gaining traction and will be adding revenues this year.”
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is published by HarperCollins and is available for purchase on Legible.
About T. Harv Eker
T. Harv Eker is a bestselling author, entrepreneur and transformational speaker who starting with a $2000 credit card loan, developed his business and became a millionaire in just two-and-a-half years. He now spreads his knowledge about personal and financial success with his Millionaire Mind Intensive seminars which is taught in dozens of countries around the world. Mr. Eker has received coverage on Fox News, CNN, and CNBC as well as in Forbes, Men’sHealth, USA Today and The New York Times.
About Legible
Legible is a book entertainment and media company with a mission: millions of books for billions of readers, globally. Legible has developed two high-value verticals: a browser-based accessible B2C eBook entertainment platform for the emerging web with high-growth potential called legible.com - a global eBook entertainment platform delivering beautiful, accessible & immersive reading for next-generation readers; and second, a global B2B eBook conversion and production service with high-revenue potential called Legible Publishing - a world-class high-volume digital conversion service for publishers and organizations and a remediation service of ebook content for the accessibility community.
Legible Publishing creates multimedia eBooks, branded as Living Books, that empower authors and publishers to deliver dynamic and unique content. Legible Publishing
Founded and led by a team of technologists, authors, eBook publishers, designers, and publishing industry insiders, Legible is transforming the digital publishing industry and gaining market share through innovative, 21st century publishing and global reading experiences. Legible provides innovative e-reading experiences to the masses through any browser-enabled device. Legible is committed to providing access to readers that value immersive entertainment experiences through well-constructed and dynamic books. Legible embraces sustainability, accessibility, and global literacy.
Please visit Legible.com and discover the place where eBooks come to life and access Legible’s Investor Portal at investors.legible.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements and are prospective in nature. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company’s control and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may,” “should,” “will,” “could,” “intend,” “estimate,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe” or “continue,” or the negative thereof or similar variations. These statements include forward looking statements regarding new revenue sources and growth plans for the Company. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information and statements are the following: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; and the diversion of management time. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice.
Contacts
Legible Inc.
Deborah Harford
EVP, Strategic Partnerships
1 (672) 514-2665
deborah@legible.com
Telecom and Global Network Services Professional with Diverse Expertise Takes Charge of Direct Sales and New Business Development Across the Region
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Telstra has named Steve Mundt as Vice President of Enterprise and Technology for the Americas, responsible for direct sales and new business development across the region.
Mundt takes on his new role during a time when Telstra is investing heavily to grow its network infrastructure and expand its connectivity solutions portfolio in the Americas and in key regions worldwide.
He brings more than a decade of experience in telecommunications and global network services, most recently as Global Account Director for Media and Technology at Telstra. In that role Mundt focused on business development and key account management, designing, coordinating, and implementing large-scale global network infrastructure projects.
“This is an exciting time to be in the telecommunications industry,” said Mundt. “Demand for global network services remains high across enterprise and technology market verticals. Helping organizations scale and adapt the right solution for their unique needs is a challenge we continue to tackle, and Telstra is well-positioned to remain a major player in this space.”
The Silicon Valley native will draw on his diverse background spanning content delivery, gaming, global transport backbone design, global IP transit network development and design, and latency-sensitive network optimization.
“Enterprise network and connectivity requirements today vary greatly based on seasonal surges in traffic, the changing demands of a distributed workforce or any number of factors,” said Noah Drake, President, Americas, Telstra. “There’s no one size that fits all customers, so we need experienced professionals like Steve who are proficient in so many areas of telecommunications and are ready to handle any situation that presents itself.”
Prior to joining Telstra in 2017, Mundt held sales and business development roles at global technology and telecommunications companies supporting enterprise, cloud and hybrid infrastructure initiatives.
Mundt studied at Sonoma State University and California State University East Bay, and currently serves as an advisor and mentor to students of the CSU East Bay Transformative Leadership program. In his free time, he is passionate about family, home improvement and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
About Telstra
Telstra is a leading telecommunications and technology company with a proudly Australian heritage and a longstanding, growing international business. We have been operating in the Americas for over 25 years and provide data and IP transit, internet connectivity, network application services such as unified communications and cloud, and managed services to over 500 businesses in 160 cities in the region. Our products and services are supported by one of the largest fiber optic submarine cable systems reaching Asia-Pacific and beyond, with licenses in Asia, Europe and the Americas, and access to more than 2,000 points-of-presence around the world. Through our unparalleled network reach and reliability as well as market-leading customer service and expertise, we connect businesses in the Americas to some of the world’s fastest growing economies, including China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, and Australia. For more information, please visit www.telstra.com/americas.
Contacts
FOR TELSTRA
Jim Hughes, Bubble Agency (USA)
T. +1 323 397 7077
E. jim@bubbleagency.com
Tom Di Nome, Bubble Agency (USA)
T. +1 914 514 0024
E. tomdn@bubbleagency.com
Telstra Appoints Steve Mundt to Head Enterprise and Technology Sales for the Americas
Provides sports fans best-in-market value and access to competitive offers from the world’s leading sports betting operators; leverages oddschecker’s industry-leading technology and sports betting content expertise to enhance user engagement and drive additional monetization on Yardbarker.com
TORONTO & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#oddschecker--Industry-leading sports betting media group, oddschecker Global Media (“oddschecker”), has entered into a partnership agreement with high-profile digital sports media publisher, Yardbarker Media (“Yardbarker”), to deliver innovative technology and engaging content for online sports betting in the U.S. Yardbarker is a wholly owned subsidiary of Playmaker Capital Inc. (“Playmaker”) (TSXV: PMKR).
oddschecker will provide Yardbarker with its expertise in content marketing and SEO to launch a new sports betting hub featured on Yardbarker.com. This new destination will produce a content mix that caters to both sports fans and bettors alike who wish to explore and compare different sports betting markets, and ultimately convert to become customers of leading online sports betting operators. oddschecker’s unique technology will also enhance engagement of existing Yardbarker content and drive further monetization through conversion tools and widgets.
oddschecker is the world’s leading odds comparison brand for sports betting, providing customers the ability to find the best value and the strongest offers from sports betting operators globally. Additionally, oddschecker’s widely sourced odds comparisons and expert picks give sports bettors actionable insights to improve their overall sports betting experience. In connection with this alliance, oddschecker will expand beyond its core regional domain for the first time as it aims to repeat the success to date of oddschecker.com in the North American market.
Yardbarker is a leading U.S.-based digital sports media property that specializes in delivering topical and evergreen content to North American sports fans. Yardbarker recently launched a sports betting-focused newsletter, Bark Bets, and its partnership with oddschecker further demonstrates the strategic objective to provide its user base with more of the best-in-class sports betting content that they value.
“We’re delighted to be working alongside Yardbarker, who have created such a fantastic sports content brand and destination,” said Matt Mirman, oddschecker US Senior Vice President. “With strong demand from sports fans for high quality, engaging and complimentary sports betting content, we’re excited about the significant potential that this partnership creates.”
The betting hub is expected to go live in September, launching concurrently with the start of the 2022 NFL season, an important milestone for oddschecker and Yardbarker. The upcoming NFL campaign is expected to build on the momentum of last season’s strong ratings and high engagement levels. As online sports betting continues to regulate in key U.S. states, many NFL fans will experience their first full NFL season with the added excitement and engagement that sports betting provides.
“I have known the team at oddschecker for many years, going back to my time at The Stars Group. Nick and the team are, quite simply, great at what they do,” said Jordan Gnat, Playmaker CEO. “We have been clear that Playmaker has a big opportunity in the affiliate space and our strategic options have been buy, build, or partner. With oddschecker, the partnership choice became the clear path forward.”
TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE DISCLAIMER
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
ABOUT ODDSCHECKER
oddschecker is the world's leading odds comparison site and a betting destination enjoyed by millions of users. oddschecker launched in the United States in 2018 when sports betting was legalized in New Jersey. oddschecker partners with the biggest sportsbooks in the industry, including DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM.
oddschecker is 100% free to use and has been helping users win more on every bet since 1999. In addition to helping sports bettors find the best odds on every single wager, they also provide expert betting picks for every major sport and give access to the biggest betting promotions on the market.
ABOUT YARDBARKER
Yardbarker is a digital media property focused on the publishing of sports and entertainment news and information. Founded in 2006, the property distributes content on its website, social media platforms, and via third party syndication partners. In addition, Yardbarker curates and distributes ‘The Morning Bark’, ‘Quiz of the Day’, and ‘Bark Bets’ email newsletters to more than 370K daily subscribers.
ABOUT PLAYMAKER
Playmaker Capital Inc. (TSX-V: PMKR; OTC: PMKRF) is a digital sports media company that lives at the intersection of sports, gambling, media, and technology. Playmaker is building a premier collection of sports media brands, curated to deliver highly engaged audiences of sports fans to sports betting companies, leagues, teams and advertisers.
For more information, visit: http://www.playmaker.fans or contact Playmaker Chief Executive Officer Jordan Gnat via email jgnat@playmaker.fans | T: (416) 815-4993.
To sign up for Playmaker’s Investor Alerts, visit: playmaker.fans/investors
Contacts
MEDIA
oddschecker Global Media
Rob Wilson – rob.wilson2@oddschecker.com
Playmaker
Elias Blahacek – elias@playmaker.fans | (+1) 416-254-4345
Crypto winter is the best time to drill down on core concepts and build for the future
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Blockchain Research Institute is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Digital Asset Revolution: How Blockchain is Decentralizing Finance and Disrupting Wall Street. From Alex Tapscott, co-author of the international bestseller Blockchain Revolution and Managing Director of the Ninepoint Digital Asset Group, comes the foundational book on digital assets, decentralized finance (DeFi) and the transformation of value.
In tune with the crypto Zeitgeist, Tapscott brings us a well-researched and highly accessible book on the peer-to-peer marketplaces and open economic systems that are supporting new digital assets like NFTs, CBDCs, stablecoins, crypto-derivatives, and more.
“Digital Asset Revolution is a wake-up call for financial and business leaders everywhere,” says the Honorable J. Chris Giancarlo, former Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
This book is also the first to address a mainstream audience on how digital assets and the industries they enable, such as DeFi, will transform traditional business models and financial markets, rethink the role of government and currencies, reimagine creative industries and much more.
"If bitcoin was the spark for the financial services revolution, then DeFi and digital assets are the accelerant. Look beyond the daily market gyrations and you'll see that the foundations are being laid for a new internet and financial services industry built with digital assets and blockchain. This is the most important innovation in a generation - the first digital medium for value - a way to move, store and manage assets like money, stocks, votes and even our digital identities privately and peer-to-peer. Bull Markets are for earning. Bear Markets are for learning. Start your educational journey with Digital Asset Revolution," states Tapscott.
Named #1 New Release in the Business Management category on Amazon, Digital Asset Revolution: How Blockchain is Decentralizing Finance and Disrupting Wall Street will be released on July 12, 2022 in hardcover and Kindle editions.
Select book endorsements
“This is an important book for enterprise leaders to better understand blockchain and how digital assets will change the future of business.”—Tyler Winklevoss, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gemini Trust Company LLC
“Digital Asset Revolution demonstrates the tremendous potential of Web3 and digital assets by describing their roles in powering this new era of technology innovation and economic progress. … A must-read!”—Sandeep Nailwal, Co-founder, Polygon Technology
“To grasp the fundamentals and intricacies of the most revolutionary financial innovations of our time, there is no better guide than Alex Tapscott’s Digital Asset Revolution—as insightful and instructive for those looking to understand the future of personal and global finance as it is for those investing in it.”—Perianne Boring, Founder and President, Chamber of Digital Commerce
About Alex Tapscott
Alex Tapscott is an entrepreneur, author, thought leader and seasoned capital markets professional focused on the impact of the emerging technologies on business, government, and society. He is the managing director of the Digital Asset Group, a division of Ninepoint Partners LP.
About The Blockchain Research Institute
The Blockchain Research Institute (BRI) is an independent, global think-tank dedicated to inspiring and preparing private- and public-sector leaders to be the catalysts of the blockchain transformation. Funded by international corporations and government agencies, the BRI brings together the world’s leading thinkers to undertake ground-breaking research on the strategic implications of blockchain technology, producing practical insights to help its member organizations succeed.
Contacts
Wealth Matters Consulting
Alexa Bartusiak
412-519-7265
ajb@wealthmattersconsulting.com
Alex Tapscott to Release New Digital Asset Book Amid Crypto Crash
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (“Postmedia” or the “Company”) today released financial information for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2022 which include the results of the daily and weekly newspapers, digital properties and parcel delivery business acquired from J. D. Irving, Limited on March 25, 2022 (the “BNI Acquisition”).
“This quarter we welcomed the Brunswick News teams and brands to Postmedia and extended our reach across Canada. Looking ahead, management continues to plan for an uncertain future economic environment while our teams remain focused on delivering value to our audiences, advertisers and partners.” said Andrew MacLeod, President and Chief Executive Officer, Postmedia.
Third Quarter Operating Results
Revenue for the quarter was $120.6 million as compared to $111.7 million in the same period in the prior year, representing an increase of $8.9 million or 7.9%. Excluding the impact of the BNI Acquisition, revenue for the three months ended May 31, 2022 was $109.2 million, a decrease of $2.5 million (2.3%) relative to the prior year. The revenue decline excluding the impact of the BNI Acquisition was primarily due to decreases in print circulation revenue of $4.5 million (10.4%) and print advertising revenue of $1.6 million (4.3%). Partially offsetting these decreases was an increase in digital revenue of $2.4 million or 8.9% and an increase in other revenue of $1.2 million or 29.9%.
Total operating expenses excluding depreciation, amortization, impairment and restructuring increased $17.4 million or 17.3% for the quarter ended May 31, 2022, relative to the same period in the prior year. Excluding the impact of the BNI Acquisition, total operating expenses excluding depreciation, amortization, impairment and restructuring increased $5.3 million or 5.2%. The increase primarily relates to compensation expense as a result of a reduction in government assistance as well as production costs related to the increase in digital revenue. The compensation expense increase includes a reduction in the compensation expense recovery related to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (“CEWS”) of $5.7 million and journalism tax credits of $0.2 million.
Operating income before depreciation, amortization, impairment and restructuring in the quarter was $2.6 million, a decrease of $8.5 million relative to the prior year. Excluding the impact of the BNI Acquisition, operating income before depreciation, amortization, impairment and restructuring in the quarter was $3.3 million, a decrease of $7.8 million relative to the prior year. The decrease is due to the decline in total revenue and the increase in operating expenses excluding depreciation, amortization, impairment and restructuring.
Net loss in the quarter ended May 31, 2022 was $16.8 million, as compared to net earnings of $8.7 million in the same period in the prior year. The change was primarily the result of the decrease in operating income before depreciation, amortization, impairment and restructuring, increases in impairment and restructuring expenses, losses on derivative financial instruments and debt refinancing in the three months ended May 31, 2022 and a decrease in foreign currency exchange gains.
Year-to-Date Operating Results
Revenue for the nine months ended May 31, 2022 was $341.2 million as compared to $334.7 million in the same period in the prior year, an increase of $6.5 million or 1.9%. Excluding the impact of the BNI Acquisition, revenue for the nine months ended May 31, 2022 was $329.8 million, a decrease of $4.9 million (1.5%) relative to the prior year. The revenue decline excluding the impact of the BNI Acquisition was primarily due to decreases in print circulation revenue of $14.1 million (10.8%) and print advertising revenue of $7.1 million (6.1%). Partially offsetting these decreases was an increase in digital revenue of $14.8 million or 19.7%.
Total operating expenses excluding depreciation, amortization, impairment, settlement gain and restructuring increased $31.3 million or 10.5% for the nine months ended May 31, 2022, relative to the same period in the prior year. Excluding the impact of the BNI Acquisition, total operating expenses excluding depreciation, amortization, impairment, settlement gain and restructuring increased $19.1 million or 6.4% for the nine months ended May 31, 2022, relative to the same period in the prior year. The increase primarily relates to compensation expense as a result of a reduction in government assistance as well as production costs related to the increase in digital revenue. The compensation expense increase includes a reduction in the compensation expense recovery related to CEWS of $16.4 million, partially offset by an increase in compensation recovery related to journalism tax credits of $1.3 million.
Operating income before depreciation, amortization, impairment, settlement gain and restructuring of $11.8 million for the nine months ended May 31, 2022 represents a decrease of $24.8 million relative to the same period in the prior year. Excluding the impact of the BNI Acquisition, operating income before depreciation, amortization, impairment, settlement gain and restructuring of $12.5 million for the nine months ended May 31, 2022 represents a decrease of $24.1 million relative to the same period in the prior year. The decrease is due to the decline in total revenue and the increase in operating expenses excluding depreciation, amortization, impairment, settlement gain and restructuring.
Net loss in the nine months ended May 31, 2022 was $43.3 million, as compared to net earnings of $62.3 million in the same period in the prior year. The change was primarily the result of the decrease in operating income before depreciation, amortization, impairment, settlement gain and restructuring, losses on derivative financial instruments, foreign currency exchange and debt refinancing in the nine months ended May 31, 2022, the settlement gain of $63.1 million in the nine months ended May 31, 2021, partially offset by decreases in impairment and restructuring expenses.
COVID-19 Update
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in governments worldwide enacting emergency measures to combat the spread of the virus which included travel bans, self-imposed quarantine periods and social distancing that caused disruption to businesses resulting in an economic slowdown. The Company has been generally exempt from mandates requiring closures of non-essential businesses and therefore has been able to continue operations, however, advertising revenue declines accelerated during the first twelve months of the COVID-19 pandemic with a gradual return to previous trends in recent quarters. Recently, government measures have been significantly reduced, however the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the Company’s revenue continues to be uncertain as a result of the unknown duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated effect on the labour market and supply chains. On April 11, 2020, the Government of Canada passed CEWS to support employers facing financial hardship as measured by certain revenue declines as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. CEWS provided a reimbursement of compensation expense to October 23, 2021, provided the applicant has met the applicable criteria. During the nine months ended May 31, 2022, the Company filed and received all the remaining claims available under the program and during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2022, recognized a recovery of compensation expense of nil and $1.6 million, respectively, related to CEWS (2021 - $5.7 million and $18.0 million, respectively) and in total recognized $64.9 million related to CEWS since the program was announced.
Acquisition of Brunswick News Inc.
On February 17, 2022 the Company entered into a purchase agreement with J. D. Irving, Limited (“JDI”) to purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of Brunswick News Inc. (“BNI”). The acquisition closed on March 25, 2022 and included BNI’s daily and weekly newspapers, digital properties and parcel delivery business. The purchase price consisted of cash consideration of $7.5M and share consideration of 4,092,857 Class NC variable voting shares (“Variable Voting Shares”) of the Company at an implied price of $2.10 per Variable Voting Share, or $8.6 million. The share consideration was adjusted for a preliminary working capital adjustment of a nominal amount. Subject to acceptance from JDI, the final working capital adjustment will result in additional share consideration of 190,063 Variable Voting shares, or $0.4 million.
Debt Repayment and Refinancing
On April 7, 2022, the Company completed a refinancing transaction (“Refinancing Transaction”) that included a voluntary redemption of $15.0 million of 8.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2023 (“First-Lien Notes”) and accrued interest of $0.5 million and extended the maturity of its First-Lien Notes and 10.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (‘Second-Lien Notes”) by approximately three and a half years to February 17, 2027 and August 17, 2027, respectively, on substantially similar terms to the existing terms of the original First-Lien Notes and Second-Lien Notes. In connection with the extension of the maturity of the First Lien Notes, the Company issued 794,630 Variable Voting Shares to the holders of the First Lien Notes at an implied price of $2.10 per share as a fee for the extension. The Company also extended the maturity of the senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility (“ABL Facility”) by three years to October 1, 2025.
During the three and nine months ended May 31, 2022, the Company redeemed $16.0 million and $18.4 million, aggregate principal amount of First-Lien Notes, respectively, which includes a voluntary redemption of $15.0 million related to the Refinancing Transaction and a redemption of $1.0 million related to the sale of assets, both in the three months ended May 31, 2022. Subsequent to May 31, 2022, the Company redeemed $1.4 million of First-Lien Notes on June 23, 2022 with the proceeds of asset sales. After this redemption, the Company has $47.1 million of First-Lien Notes outstanding of the original $225.0 million that was issued in October 2016.
Business Transformation Initiatives
During the three and nine months ended May 31 2022, the Company implemented initiatives related to compensation expense reductions, real estate rationalization, production efficiencies and other transformation programs, which are expected to result in approximately $11 million and $26 million of net annualized cost savings, respectively.
The Company intends to continue to identify and undertake ongoing cost reduction initiatives in an effort to address revenue declination in the legacy print business.
Additional Information
Additional information, including financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis can be found on the Company’s website at www.postmedia.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Note: All dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.
About Postmedia Network Canada Corp.
Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B) is the holding company that owns Postmedia Network Inc., a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences. For more information, visit www.postmedia.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release may include information that is “forward-looking information” under applicable Canadian securities laws. The Company has tried, where possible, to identify such information and statements by using words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should” and similar expressions and derivations thereof in connection with any discussion of future events, trends or prospects or future operating or financial performance. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business, the implementation and results of the Company’s transformation initiatives, continued benefits of historical results into future periods, the realization of anticipated cost savings and the identification and undertaking of ongoing cost savings initiatives. By their nature, forward-looking information and statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: competition from digital and other forms of media; the effect of economic conditions on advertising revenue; the ability of the Company to build out its digital media and online businesses; the failure to maintain current print and online newspaper readership and circulation levels; the realization of anticipated cost savings; possible damage to the reputation of the Company’s brands or trademarks; possible labour disruptions; possible environmental liabilities, litigation and pension plan obligations; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and the prices of newsprint and other commodities.
In addition, we are subject to the risk and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic resulted in governments worldwide enacting emergency measures to combat the spread of the virus including travel bans, self-imposed quarantine periods and social distancing that caused disruption to businesses resulting in an economic slowdown. We have been generally exempted from mandates requiring closures of non-essential businesses and therefore have been able to continue operations however, advertising revenues declined as a result of COVID-19 pandemic and related government measures. The outbreak of contagious illness such as this can impact our operations in a number of ways including quarantined employees, travel restrictions, temporary closure of our facilities, a decrease in demand for advertising, as well as interruptions to our supply chain, including temporary closure of supplier facilities. Given the high level of uncertainty surrounding the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic it is difficult to reliably estimate its potential impact on the financial condition and results of our business. We are continuing to address the current challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and monitoring these challenges as they evolve so as to minimize this risk however it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flow. For a complete list of our risk factors please refer to the section entitled “Risk Factors” contained in our annual management’s discussion and analysis for the years ended August 31, 2021 and 2020. Although the Company bases such information and statements on assumptions believed to be reasonable when made, they are not guarantees of future performance and actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which the Company operates, may differ materially from any such information and statements in this press release. Given these risks and uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of such information or statements. Other than as required by law, the Company does not undertake, and specifically declines, any obligation to update such information or statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any such information or statements.
Postmedia Network Canada Corp. Consolidated Statements of Operations (UNAUDITED) |
||||
(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts) |
For the three months
|
For the nine months
|
||
|
2022 |
2021 |
2022 |
2021 |
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
Print advertising |
38,976 |
37,822 |
112,472 |
116,829 |
Print circulation |
40,480 |
43,022 |
117,998 |
130,150 |
Digital |
30,338 |
27,015 |
91,129 |
75,364 |
Other |
10,829 |
3,889 |
19,577 |
12,349 |
Total revenues |
120,623 |
111,748 |
341,176 |
334,692 |
Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Compensation |
44,844 |
38,538 |
128,282 |
113,953 |
Newsprint |
4,409 |
4,132 |
12,866 |
13,249 |
Distribution |
31,140 |
23,684 |
77,541 |
71,221 |
Production |
18,150 |
15,247 |
53,404 |
44,720 |
Other operating |
19,482 |
19,008 |
57,278 |
54,933 |
Operating income before depreciation, amortization, impairment, settlement gain and restructuring |
2,598 |
11,139 |
11,805 |
36,616 |
Depreciation |
2,619 |
2,808 |
8,298 |
8,402 |
Amortization |
2,252 |
2,382 |
6,779 |
7,414 |
Impairment |
4,300 |
700 |
7,900 |
21,164 |
Settlement gain |
- |
- |
- |
(63,079) |
Restructuring |
1,200 |
100 |
2,200 |
4,896 |
Operating income (loss) |
(7,773) |
5,149 |
(13,372) |
57,819 |
Interest expense |
7,774 |
7,756 |
23,302 |
23,127 |
Net financing expense related to employee benefit plans |
235 |
229 |
704 |
1,095 |
(Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment, assets held-for-sale, right of use assets and other assets |
(540) |
(240) |
223 |
(516) |
Loss (gain) on derivative financial instruments |
813 |
(2,467) |
3,700 |
(14,181) |
Loss on debt refinancing |
1,477 |
- |
1,477 |
- |
Foreign currency exchange (gains) losses |
(766) |
(8,871) |
520 |
(13,990) |
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |
(16,766) |
8,742 |
(43,298) |
62,284 |
Provision for income taxes |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Net earnings (loss) attributable to equity holders of the Company |
(16,766) |
8,742 |
(43,298) |
62,284 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings (loss) per share attributable to equity holders of the Company |
|
|
|
|
Basic |
$(0.17) |
$0.09 |
$(0.46) |
$0.66 |
Diluted |
$(0.17) |
$0.09 |
$(0.46) |
$0.63 |
Postmedia Network Canada Corp. Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (UNAUDITED) |
||
(In thousands of Canadian dollars) |
As at
|
As at
|
|
|
|
Assets |
|
|
Current Assets |
|
|
Cash |
12,058 |
61,996 |
Restricted cash |
1,385 |
437 |
Trade and other receivables |
50,703 |
41,255 |
Assets held-for-sale |
17,727 |
17,727 |
Inventory |
4,199 |
3,348 |
Prepaid expenses and other assets |
8,960 |
8,697 |
Total current assets |
95,032 |
133,460 |
Non-Current Assets |
|
|
Property and equipment |
70,032 |
76,390 |
Right of use assets |
31,529 |
35,646 |
Derivative financial instruments and other assets |
3,665 |
6,914 |
Intangible assets and goodwill |
27,568 |
23,791 |
Total assets |
227,826 |
276,201 |
|
|
|
Liabilities and Deficiency |
|
|
Current Liabilities |
|
|
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities |
50,657 |
49,599 |
Provisions |
1,356 |
2,257 |
Deferred revenue |
21,519 |
22,351 |
Current portion of lease obligations |
8,096 |
8,120 |
Current portion of long-term debt |
6,368 |
7,409 |
Total current liabilities |
87,996 |
89,736 |
Non-Current Liabilities |
|
|
Long-term debt |
241,810 |
248,262 |
Employee benefit obligations and other liabilities |
36,668 |
44,753 |
Lease obligations |
29,205 |
33,161 |
Total liabilities |
395,679 |
415,912 |
|
|
|
Deficiency |
|
|
Capital stock |
821,124 |
810,861 |
Contributed surplus |
16,620 |
16,570 |
Deficit |
(1,005,597) |
(967,142) |
Total deficiency |
(168,595) |
(139,711) |
Total liabilities and deficiency |
227,084 |
276,201 |
Postmedia Network Canada Corp. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (UNAUDITED) |
||||
(In thousands of Canadian dollars) |
For the three months
|
For the nine months
|
||
|
2022 |
2021 |
2022 |
2021 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cash Generated (Utilized) by: |
|
|
|
|
Operating Activities |
|
|
|
|
Net earnings (loss) attributable to equity holders of the Company |
(16,766) |
8,742 |
(43,298) |
62,284 |
Items not affecting cash: |
|
|
|
|
Depreciation |
2,619 |
2,808 |
8,298 |
8,402 |
Amortization |
2,252 |
2,382 |
6,779 |
7,414 |
Impairment |
4,300 |
700 |
7,900 |
21,164 |
Loss on debt refinancing |
1,477 |
- |
1,477 |
- |
Loss (gain) on derivative financial instruments |
813 |
(2,467) |
3,700 |
(14,181) |
Non-cash interest |
6,418 |
5,929 |
18,610 |
17,483 |
(Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment, assets held-for-sale, right of use assets and other assets |
(540) |
(240) |
223 |
(516) |
Non-cash foreign currency exchange (gains) losses |
(828) |
(8,930) |
453 |
(13,988) |
Share-based compensation plans |
44 |
142 |
50 |
524 |
Net financing expense relating to employee benefit plans |
235 |
229 |
704 |
1,095 |
Non-cash settlement gain relating to employee benefit plans |
- |
- |
- |
(63,079) |
Employee benefit plan funding in excess of compensation expense |
(909) |
(1,399) |
(3,314) |
(2,717) |
Net change in non-cash operating accounts |
(1,977) |
2,848 |
(17,289) |
3,226 |
Cash flows from (used in) operating activities |
(2,862) |
10,744 |
(15,707) |
27,111 |
|
|
|
|
|
Investing Activities |
|
|
|
|
Net proceeds from the sale of property and equipment, assets held-for-sale and other assets |
1,404 |
564 |
1,974 |
5,889 |
Purchases of property and equipment |
(1,025) |
(469) |
(1,794) |
(1,438) |
Purchases of intangible assets |
(543) |
(139) |
(816) |
(177) |
Net proceeds from the sale of shares |
- |
10,675 |
- |
10,675 |
Purchases of shares |
- |
(1,696) |
- |
(1,696) |
Acquisition, net of cash acquired |
(6,636) |
- |
(6,636) |
- |
Cash flows from (used in) investing activities |
(6,800) |
8,935 |
(7,272) |
13,253 |
|
|
|
|
|
Financing activities |
|
|
|
|
Repayment of long-term debt |
(15,990) |
(16,933) |
(18,386) |
(32,305) |
Restricted cash |
(365) |
101 |
(948) |
2,965 |
Debt issuance costs |
(418) |
- |
(418) |
- |
Lease payments |
(2,087) |
(2,322) |
(7,207) |
(7,457) |
Cash flow used in financing activities |
(18,860) |
(19,154) |
(26,959) |
(36,797) |
|
|
|
|
|
Net change in cash for the period |
(28,522) |
525 |
(49,938) |
3,567 |
Cash at beginning of period |
40,580 |
52,837 |
61,996 |
49,795 |
Cash at end of period |
12,058 |
53,362 |
12,058 |
53,362 |
Supplemental disclosure of operating cash flows |
||||
Interest paid |
2,735 |
3,629 |
6,182 |
7,932 |
Income taxes paid |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Contacts
Media Contact
Phyllise Gelfand
Vice President, Communications
(647) 273-9287
pgelfand@postmedia.com
Investor Contact
Mary Anne Lavallee
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer
(416) 442-3448
mLavallee@postmedia.com
Postmedia Reports Third Quarter Results
The program will see some of Wattpad’s biggest authors share their work exclusively on the platform
In addition to millions in stipends this year, the Wattpad Creators Program will offer writers new marketing and editorial supports, writing resources and more
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wattpad, the global entertainment company and leading webnovel platform, today announced the Wattpad Creators Program, a new program and investment to empower writers to produce their best work and earn money on the platform. The company has plans to pay out $2.6M in writer stipends this year, and some of Wattpad’s most popular stories will become exclusive to the platform.
The Wattpad Creators Program is part of Wattpad’s ongoing commitment to be the best place in the world for writers to build a global audience and make money from their work. Today’s announcement consolidates and expands some of the company’s long-standing writer perks, supporting more writers as they build a career on the platform. Participants will be eligible for marketing and editorial support, sponsored brand partnerships, and for the first time, cash stipends of up to $25,000.
The Wattpad Creators program will see some of the company’s biggest stories become exclusive to the platform. Among the first cohort of now exclusive Wattpad writers is romance superstar Tamara Lush (@TamaraLush), author of Drive and Crash and many other steamy hits; Jessica Cunsolo (@AvaViolet), whose With Me series of novels has accumulated nearly 1B reads on the platform and has a series adaptation in development from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and Sony Pictures Television; Kate Marchant (@toastedbagels), author of the hit novel and upcoming film Float, starring and produced by Robbie Amell; Claudia Tan (@claudiaoverhere), author of Perfect Addiction, in production as a feature film from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and Constantin Film; and Sondi Warner (@sondi_is_on), author of the 259M-read phenomenon, Lead Me Astray.
As part of the Wattpad Creators Program, the company recently rolled out a new Engaged Readers metric for writers. Engaged Readers offers a snapshot of story performance and engagement over the past 365 days, specifically highlighting how many readers spent more than five minutes reading a story.
The company has also launched the Wattpad Creator Portal. Available to all writers, the Wattpad Creator Portal is an online resource with information and tips to help writers hone their craft.
“We’re in the business of helping writers build a global audience and make money,” said Jeanne Lam, President, Wattpad. “With this program and investment, we’re putting millions of dollars directly into authors’ pockets, and helping them hone their skills with new editorial support and educational programming. Our goal has always been to create multiple, scalable ways for writers to make money and build a writing career on Wattpad. The Wattpad Creators Program will do that for more writers than has ever been possible before.”
The Wattpad Creators Program is the company’s latest program and investment to support a diverse community of authors around the world. In 2019, Wattpad launched its Paid Stories program, enabling writers to make more money directly on the platform. The program has grown to support hundreds of writers around the world, paying out more than $3M to writers in the first three years. Wattpad also supports writers with brand partnership opportunities, as well as TV, film, and publishing deals via Wattpad WEBTOON Studios.
The Wattpad Creators Program is currently rolling out to English-language writers around the world. Spanish-language markets and the Philippines will roll-out next, with additional markets to follow in 2023. Educational programming and writer resources will be available for over 3,000 qualifying writers this year, along with over 500 writers who are eligible for cash stipends.
The Wattpad Creators Program is currently open to eligible writers, including those who:
- Have published a new story part in the last three months
- Have at least one completed novel-length story of 50,000 words or more in their catalog
- Have at least one story in an eligible genre1
- Have achieved a minimum number of Engaged Readers as indicated by Wattpad’s Story Statistics resource
For full program eligibility and information, please see here.
1 A complete list of eligible genres are available on the Wattpad Creators Portal
Contacts
Lauren Hopkinson
lauren.hopkinson@wattpad.com
646-656-1536
Wattpad Announces New Creators Program and $2.6M in Writer Stipends
Unique digital publication breathes new life into ancient oral history
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#books--In honour of Indigenous History Month, Legible Inc. (CSE: READ) (FSE: D0T) ("Legible” or the “Company”) is proud to present the first ever media rich “Living Book” edition of an Indigenous authored work, Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way, in which Sinixt storytellers and knowledge-keepers Marilyn James and Taress Alexis address the reality of their living culture in the face of Canada’s bureaucratic genocide of their people in 1956 and their fight to reverse extinction.
Developed in collaboration with the Sinixt Nation and publisher Maa Press, Legible’s Living Book uses the powerful code bases of its globally accessible browser-based reading platform to unlock ancient oral history traditions for a global audience, forming a stunning bridge from past to present to future. The ebook is accessible and responsive in every device, and is a fully reflowable ePub3, showcasing the possibilities for publishers and authors in the digital reading space.
“We’re thrilled to see Not Extinct published as a Living Book on the Legible platform as it allows readers to easily engage with the multimedia elements that are integral to this unique project,” says KL Kivi of Maa Press. “Working with a company like Legible that is championing ground-breaking technology is empowering.”
The Living Book format connects readers to the land and the stories of Not Extinct, featuring the trickster Snḱlip and the other Animal Beings of Sinixt oral history, in a more visceral and sensorial way than the print medium can achieve. Text interwoven with stunning film clips, interviews, and beautiful illustrations enables readers to listen to Sinixt stories and hear the language, vividly illuminating the Sinixt relationship with the upper Columbia River watershed and their quest to reclaim their rights and responsibilities in their sacred homeland.
“We are proud to work with Maa Press and the Sinixt Nation to support publication of the Living Book edition of this powerful, beautiful, and timely story,” stated Legible’s President and CEO Kaleeg Hainsworth. “Legible’s goal is to use our globally accessible, browser-based reading and publishing platform to ensure all stories have a venue in which to be heard, seen, and told.”
Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way is available now on Legible.com.
About Legible Inc.
Legible Inc. is a book entertainment and media company with a mission: millions of books for billions of readers, globally. Legible has developed two high-value verticals: first, a browser-based accessible B2C ebook entertainment platform for the emerging web with high-growth potential called legible.com — a global ebook entertainment platform delivering beautiful, accessible & immersive reading for next-generation readers; and second, a global B2B ebook conversion and production service with high-revenue potential called Legible Publishing — a world-class high-volume digital conversion service for publishers and organizations and a remediation service of ebook content for the accessibility community. Legible Publishing creates multimedia ebooks, branded as Living Books, that empower authors and publishers to deliver dynamic and unique content.
Founded and led by a team of technologists, authors, ebook publishers, designers, and publishing industry insiders, Legible is transforming the digital publishing industry and gaining market share through innovative, 21st century publishing and global reading experiences. Legible provides innovative e-reading experiences to the masses through any browser-enabled device. Legible is committed to providing access to readers that value immersive entertainment experiences through well-constructed and dynamic books. Legible embraces sustainability, accessibility, and global literacy.
Please visit Legible.com and discover the place where ebooks come to life.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements and are prospective in nature. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company’s control and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “should”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or similar variations. These statements include forward looking statements regarding new revenue sources and growth plans for the Company. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information and statements are the following: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; and the diversion of management time. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN UNITED STATES
Contacts
Public Relations:
Jay Sachdev, Founder
Breathe Purpose Media
1 (647) 203-3595
jay@breathepurposemedia.com
Legible Inc.
Kaleeg Hainsworth, President & CEO
1 (672) 514-2665
invest@legible.com
Legible Releases First Ever “Living Book” of an Indigenous Story
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#learn2earn--SWIM, a leading provider of web3 solutions, is pleased to announce its collaboration with Underknown, the award-winning digital-first media company, and the creators of the #1 science video series, ‘What If.’ With this collaboration, SWIM and Underknown fill a void in the industry by forming a decentralized educational & entertainment web-based platform that rewards users, directly connecting to their Metamask wallets, with more on the way. Underknown’s fan base of more than 120 million monthly active users will be able to compete against themselves and others by answering quizzes and following videos from Underknown’s library of more than 3,000 videos of original content in various categories including: science, food, survival, animals, and hypothetical battles.
"SWIM’s leading blockchain technology has proven itself in the industry through their commitment to forming significant brand partnerships, leading security, and innovative solutions by bridging the gap between web2 and web3,” said Steve Hulford, founder and CEO of Underknown. "We could not be more pleased to partner with SWIM and offer our millions of fans a fun and engaging way to learn about science and the humanities through our portfolio of brands."
SWIM’s private beta is the beginning of future gamification capabilities realized by any brand that is exploring new ways to monetize content beyond pre-existing, centralized platforms. A user can earn real rewards in real-time through content consumption without conventional app stores or payment processors.
Underknown’s award-winning content is recognized by several industry accolades including a Shorty Award in 2021, a Telly Award in 2022, and 2 Webby Awards both in 2020 and 2022. “SWIM’s breakout year for 2022 underscores our commitment to empowering creator autonomy,” said Andy Crosby, Founder and Chief Technology Officer at SWIM. “We couldn’t be more excited to blockchain-enable Underknown’s one-of-a-kind platform, transforming the educational space by reimagining what it means to learn while having fun doing it.”
About Underknown
Underknown is a digital-first media company that specializes in creating short-form web series for social video platforms. Underknown’s mission is to create fun, engaging, and educational content that educates the world about science and the humanities. Original content in the form of short-form videos can be found across all major social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Underknown has operations and staff around the world. For more information, visit Underknown and follow on Facebook or LinkedIn.
About SWIM
SWIM powers the creator economy through sustainable blockchain activations. SWIM’s ecosystem is chain-agnostic and features rich tokenomics, customization, and flexibility for brands transitioning from web2 to web3. From Smart Tokenomics, to Smart Contracts, to Community Building, to Cross-Chain Integrations and Management, SWIM unlocks utility and provides real equity for end users. Headquartered in Hollywood, California, at the distinctive SWIM Haus, SWIM is located in the entertainment capital of the world. For more information, visit SWIM and follow on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Contacts
Investor Contact:
Yorgos Papadapolous
yorgos@swim.eco
213 878 2137
Media Contact:
Blake Kuhre
blake@swim.eco
213 866 8217
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BuzzFeed Canada today announced a new, ongoing collaboration with #paid, an award-winning creator marketing platform. The partnership will allow BuzzFeed and its portfolio of brands, including Tasty, to offer clients access to the largest on-platform network of creators as cast members for BuzzFeed’s content. In addition to in-house talent, BuzzFeed’s clients will now have a unique opportunity to handpick from a more diverse roster of Canadian talent for their BuzzFeed content. Clients will still enjoy the production quality and enormous reach which BuzzFeed already offers across its platforms, and additionally benefit from a secondary aligned audience through the creators’ social media handles.
#paid uses technology and a specialized team to curate a list of creators who best fit each brief based on both content type and audience demographics, and creators then pitch back why they are passionate about the brand. The platform technology provides a turnkey experience to match, manage, and measure influencer marketing for both BuzzFeed and its clients, so that by partnering with #paid, BuzzFeed can scale influencer marketing for clients quickly and effectively.
Nathan George, Head of Region for Canada at BuzzFeed, Inc. said: “We are so excited to bring this new opportunity to our clients as we continue to diversify our branded content offerings in Canada. Our team is always looking for innovative new ways to provide more customization and deeper integrations to our partners. We know they will be excited to work with new and diverse personalities who are truly passionate about telling their brand stories.”
Bryan Gold, CEO of #paid, said: “Really excited to be working with the BuzzFeed team. The future of creators is ubiquitous, and this partnership brings that vision to life—today. Incorporating creators into the culture and community that BuzzFeed creates is a compelling opportunity for brands to drive awareness, trust, and relatability.”
#paid is an award winning creator marketing platform and the number one on G2Crowd. The company has nearly a decade of experience in influencer marketing, creator technology, content strategy and a robust creator media measurement suite. This is the first partnership the company has signed with a publisher and the first deal of its kind in Canada, and globally for BuzzFeed.
BuzzFeed, Inc. is home to the best of the Internet. Across pop culture, entertainment, shopping, food and news, our brands drive conversation and inspire what audiences watch, read, buy, and obsess over next. Born on the Internet in 2006, BuzzFeed is committed to making it better: providing trusted, quality, brand-safe news and entertainment to hundreds of millions of people; making content on the Internet more inclusive, empathetic, and creative; and inspiring our audience to live better lives.
Contacts
Ashley Riske
Head of Business Strategy
ariske@hashtagpaid.com
BuzzFeed Canada Announces Partnership with #paid to bring Creators to BuzzFeed, Inc.’s Brands
Bead Fest moves to bigger venue in Lancaster, Penn., August 17-20, 2022
GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bead Fest, the largest educational beading and jewelry event, will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, PA, drawing thousands of beaders and jewelry enthusiasts to its 4-day festival of all things beading.
The gathering in the Marriott at Penn Square, August 17-20, 2022, will feature over 400 hours of classes taught by internationally and domestically respected instructors and an inspiring shopping experience with 125+ specialty beading and jewelry exhibitors. Additionally, special events to celebrate 20 years of gathering to explore beadwork and jewelry making will also be held throughout the week.
“Bead Fest is the perfect place for seasoned jewelry-making and beading veterans to learn new techniques, find new trends, and explore a vast marketplace. And, for those who are just starting out, there are demos, make and takes, and getting-started workshops where you can try your hand and see where your path leads. It truly is a place for the whole community to come together,” said Tamara Honaman, artist and Director of Content at Golden Peak Media.
For its 20th year, Bead Fest will include an innovative "Getting Started" workshop series geared toward those who want to start exploring the world of beadwork and jewelry making. Taught by the globally recognized Honaman herself, it is the perfect place to dabble in new techniques and learn the basics of beading and jewelry making.
This year, Bead Fest will also recognize and celebrate the best of the industry at the show. Winners of the Interweave Bead Arts Awards will be announced and featured throughout the event. These awards highlight the best of the best in three categories, with prizes from the contest sponsors to recognize excellence in the following categories:
Seed Beads sponsored by Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
Multi-Hole Beads sponsored by Barrel of Beads
Crystals sponsored by Dreamtime Creations
Prizes include:
Grand Prize Winner - $750 in cash
Three Category Winners - $250 sponsored prize
Four Honorable Mentions - $50 Interweave.com gift cards
All winners will receive a one-year membership to Interweave+ (a $49.99 value), a digital badge, a feature on Interweave.com, and will be highlighted at Bead Fest.
"Being part of the Bead Fest programming for the past 20 years has been amazing. To see the event grow from our first effort with 50 vendors and 14 classes to where we are today is a testament to the vibrancy of the jewelry-making and beading communities,” Honaman said. "We are so excited to have Bead Fest in this new location—Lancaster has a vibrant arts community, local area attractions, lots of great food options within walking distance, historic landmarks, and it is close to Hershey Park, an attraction many people have traditionally ventured to after the show.”
“We are beyond thrilled at the response from the community,” said Jeffrey Litvack, CEO of Golden Peak Media. “After two years without live events, this community is itching to get back together—and we couldn’t be more excited to host Bead Fest 2022. Within just a few weeks, we had record-breaking sales for workshops and the hotel room block sold out—twice!”
To learn more about Bead Fest, visit BeadFest.com. View a full workshop brochure and save on registration with advanced pricing through June 30, 2022. Marketplace hours: August 18-20, 2022, 10 am – 6 pm. Advanced tickets: $15/1-day, $25/3-day. At the Door: $20/1-day, $30/3-day. Workshops include a marketplace pass.
About Golden Peak
Golden Peak Media is one of the largest media and education companies serving Art and Craft enthusiasts in the U.S. The Company publishes 15 magazines, including Love of Quilting and Artists Magazine, and has more than 5,000 digital videos and 15,000 digital patterns. More information can be found at www.goldenpeakmedia.com.
Contacts
Jessi Rodriguez, jrodriguez@goldenpeakmedia.com
Bead Fest Returns for 20th Year to Host Largest Gathering of Makers
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Legible Inc. (CSE: READ) (FSE: D0T) ("Legible” or the “Company”), announces that, further to its June 6, 2022 News Release, it has increased the size of its private placement of debenture units (“Debenture Units”) from up to $1,000,000 to up to $2,000,000 (the “Private Placement”).
In addition, Legible also announced that it has completed the closing of the first tranche of the Private Placement. Legible issued 100.63 Debenture Units at a price of $10,000 per Debenture Unit for gross proceeds of $1,006,300 (and, less the finder’s fee of $12,000 for net proceeds of $994,300; $390,800 of which was the settlement of outstanding indebtedness). The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Private Placement for general working capital purposes. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a hold period that expires on October 9, 2022. It is anticipated that Legible will close a second tranche of the Private Placement within the next two weeks.
Mr. David Van Seters, a director of Legible, subscribed for 2.1 Debenture Units and Ms. Shannon Kaustinen, also a director of Legible, subscribed for 1 Debenture Unit under the Private Placement. Legible has determined that exemptions from the various requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 are available for the issuance of the Debenture Units (Formal Valuation - Issuer Not Listed on Specified Markets; Minority Approval - Fair Market Value Not More Than $2,500,000).
Each Debenture Unit consists of: (i) a 15% unsecured convertible debenture of the Company (“Debenture”) in the principal amount of $10,000; and (b) 50,000 common share purchase warrants (“Warrant”). The Debentures mature on the date that is three (3) years following the closing (the “Maturity Date”) and are convertible at the holder’s option, at any time, after the date that is four months and one day from the closing, into common shares of the Company (“Common Shares”) at a conversion price of $0.10 per share. The Debentures bear interest at a rate of fifteen percent (15%) per annum calculated annually. The full amount of the interest owing until the date that is two (2) years following the closing shall be pre-paid at closing by the issuance of 20,000 Common Shares (at a deemed price of $0.15 per share) per Debenture Unit, and thereafter interest shall be due and payable in cash on the earlier of: (i) the Maturity Date; and (ii) in the event of conversion of the Debentures prior to the Maturity Date of the entire principal amount, 30 days following the conversion date. Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.15 for a period of two (2) years from closing; provided that if, at any time, after the date that is four months and one day following the closing, the volume weighted average trading price of the common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”) is at least $0.40 per share for a period of 5 consecutive trading days, the expiry date of the Warrants may be accelerated by the Company to a date that is not less than 21 days after the date that notice of such acceleration is provided to the Warrant holders, which notice may be by way of general press release.
As noted above, a finder acting in connection with the Private Placement received a fee in the amount of $12,000 and 120,000 finder’s warrants. Each finder’s warrant may be exercised to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.10 per share for a period of two (2) years from the closing; provided that if, at any time, after the date that is four months and one day following the closing, the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the CSE is at least $0.40 per share for a period of 5 consecutive trading days, the expiry date of the finder’s warrants may be accelerated by the Company to a date that is not less than 21 days after the date that notice of such acceleration is provided to the finder’s warrant holders, which notice may be by way of general press release.
Kaleeg Hainsworth, Legible’s CEO and President stated “We are pleased to have closed the first tranche of our Private Placement and to be able to do a follow-on closing in the coming weeks. Demand for participation in the Private Placement is strong as investors start to understand that one of Legible’s key differentiators is the creation and delivery of immersive, multimedia Living Books, which provide a more interesting and interactive way for people to read.” Hainsworth further commented “We are a book entertainment company for the future of digital reading, and publishers, distributors, and authors are excited about how our Living Books, as well as our browser-first, device agnostic platform, can transform the eReading experience.”
About Legible Inc.
Legible Inc. is a book entertainment and media company with a mission: Millions of books for billions of readers, globally. Legible has developed two high-value verticals; firstly, a browser-first accessible B2C eBook entertainment platform for the emerging web with high-growth potential called legible.com - a global eBook entertainment platform delivering beautiful, accessible & immersive reading for next-generation readers; and secondly, a global B2B eBook conversion and production service with high-revenue potential called Legible Publishing - a world-class high-volume digital conversion service for publishers and organizations and a remediation service of eBook content for the accessibility community. Legible Publishing creates multimedia eBooks, branded as Living Books, that empowers authors and publishers to deliver dynamic and unique content.
Founded and led by a team of technologists, authors, eBook publishers, designers, and publishing industry insiders, Legible is transforming the digital publishing industry and gaining market share through innovative, 21st century publishing and global reading experiences. Legible provides innovative eBook reading experiences to the masses through any browser-enabled device. Legible is committed to providing access to readers that value immersive entertainment experiences through well-constructed and content dynamic books. Legible embraces sustainability, accessibility, and global literacy.
Please visit Legible.com and discover the place where eBooks come to life. Readers are invited to visit Legible’s continually evolving curated Staff-Picks Bookshelf: https://legible.com/ca/list/staff-picks
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information (“forward-looking statements”), including statements regarding Legible’s business and the Private Placement. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Legible's control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, currency fluctuations, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Although Legible believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking information. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and, except as required by applicable law, Legible does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Contacts
Kaleeg Hainsworth
Chief Executive Officer
Phone: 1 (672) 514-2665
Email: invest@legible.com
Website: Legible.com
Investor Relations: investors.legible.com
MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valnet Inc. (or “Valnet”) has successfully completed the acquisition of DualShockers.com (“DualShockers”), a digital gaming publication revered by the gaming community. DualShockers was previously owned and operated by GRV Media.
GRV CEO Graham Morris said: “We had a range of attractive offers for DualShockers, but the discussions with Valnet really resonated with us. Like us, they are a business with a strong moral compass, and we will watch on with interest as DualShockers moves onto the next part of its exciting journey”.
The acquisition of DualShockers is highly complementary to Valnet’s gaming portfolio, which includes flagship gaming sites GameRant.com and TheGamer.com.
About Valnet Inc.
Driven by passion and performance, Valnet’s overarching goal is to create and distribute content to millions of users daily across its brands. With more than 3.5 billion sessions per year, Valnet is the leading digital content investment company that owns and operates a diversified portfolio of premier digital publishing assets across multiple verticals.
About DualShockers.com
Founded in 2009, DualShockers.com has established itself as an authoritative source for the gaming community, with millions of readers visiting the site monthly for gaming news, reviews, guides, and previews.
DualShockers was represented by Logan Abner from WeBrokr.
Contacts
Rony Arzoumanian
Head of M&A
Contact: rony.a@valnetinc.com | 514-497-7787
Website: valnetinc.com
Valnet Inc. Completes the Acquisition of DualShockers.com
Startup is using Bitcoin and the Lightning Network to enable flexible, usage-based monetization of digital apps, widgets, tools, online content, and other experiences based on quality and value
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#DigitalWallet--Mash, the payments platform that is enabling builders, creators, and developers to properly monetize their experiences leveraging Bitcoin and the Lightning Network, today announced that it has raised US$6 million in seed funding. The investment was co-led by Castle Island Ventures and Whitecap Venture Partners, with participation from Maple VC, Strategic Cyber Ventures, Aquanow, Spacecadet Ventures, and several angel investors including Amjad Masad, Balaji Srinivasan, Austin Hill, John Pfeffer, and Dean Skurka.
Mash aims to remonetize the internet by enabling builders, creators, and developers to implement net-new business models to generate revenue for the experiences they deliver; and by providing consumers with a digitally native wallet to use everywhere. The Mash technology is built on a foundation of Bitcoin and Lightning, which together bring the power of open, digitally native money to global markets, enabling interoperable payments to anyone, anywhere around the world at immaterial cost, programmatically, and for any amount – even a fraction of a penny.
Solving the massive internet monetization problem
Mash is addressing the monetization problem experienced by builders of no-code apps, games, widgets, and tools; developers of applications and platforms; and creators of communities and content. The people behind these digital experiences are unable to implement pricing models that allow them to generate revenue that aligns with the actual value and quality of what they are delivering. Instead, they rely on i) ads that require millions of users and result in earnings based on consumers purchasing something else; ii) subscriptions and up front-purchases that have a significant commitment barrier and which don’t convert and result in churn; or, iii) aggregators that restrict, censor, and control them.
“Online content monetization is deeply broken today. As a scalable, data-efficient, and high-granularity system, Bitcoin’s Lightning Network is uniquely suited to solving this problem, and Mash employs it wonderfully,” said Nic Carter, General Partner at Castle Island Ventures, which also led a pre-seed investment in Mash. “We’ve redoubled our commitment to Mash and look forward to continuing the journey with the team.” Concurrent with the funding round, Carter will join the Mash board of directors.
A new approach to monetization
By enabling builders, developers, and creators to offer flexible, “pay-as-you-enjoy” pricing options, Mash is eliminating any up-front commitment barriers to purchase. Mash allows for pricing based on usage, access, and time – from content read, messages sent, votes made, crowd-unlocks, tips, games played, time spent watching/listening, boosts, downloads, and more. This approach gives consumers clear control of their spend and enables them to consume, engage, and interact while they “stream money.” With Mash, consumers will also be able to try before they buy, and auto-pay without interruption or concern for overspending – without having to lock in their funds to a single experience they may never use again. Payment is facilitated using a native digital wallet that does not need to be downloaded, is interoperable across the internet, and can be loaded directly with a credit card or Bitcoin.
“There’s an explosion in the number of people who want to be full-time creators and builders. But to go full time, they need an easy way to actually monetize the value they deliver,” said Jared Nusinoff, founder and CEO of Mash. “Bitcoin and Lightning are transformative, redefining money on a global scale, creating the perfect opportunity for us to change the fabric of all online experiences and unlock fundamentally new business models that reward and incentivize the proliferation of quality, trusted and high-value experiences.”
Significant progress in the first year
Since founding the company in March 2021, Mash has established a world-class engineering and design team with top tier startup and big tech experience at companies such as Google, Amazon, Typeform, Fitbit, Lazer, and others. The company recently launched a beta version of its first product that enables web apps and creators to charge based on access/usage and add a consumer digital wallet with just a snippet of code. Mash is also in the process of onboarding several partners.
Mash will use the funds to build out and commercialize its Bitcoin and Lightning Network payments platform; grow its team across engineering, marketing, sales, and business development; and execute on its go-to-market strategy.
“With the maturation of Bitcoin and the Lightning Network, the timing has never been better to commercialize the concept of dynamic digital payments,” said Russell Samuels, Partner at Whitecap Venture Partners. “With tens of millions of developers globally, and hundreds of thousands of new apps launching each year, the potential for Mash is significant. We are proud to be partnering with the Mash team.” Samuels will join the Mash board of directors as a Board Observer.
About Mash
Mash is the transformative Bitcoin Lightning Network payments platform enabling usage-based monetization for builders, developers, and creators. The company is on a mission to fix the fundamental flaw with the internet that prevents the monetization of content, tools, no-code products, applications, platforms, and other online experiences based on value and quality. The remote-first company was founded in 2021 and is led by a team of builders with experience at notable start-ups, scale-ups, and big tech enterprises. For additional information, visit getmash.com.
Contacts
Media
Jodi Echakowitz
Boulevard Public Relations
jodi@boulevardpr.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Legible Inc. (CSE: READ) (FSE: D0T) ("Legible” or the “Company”), announced today that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement offering of debenture units (“Debenture Units”) at a price of $10,000 per Debenture Unit, for gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000 (the “Private Placement”). Each Debenture Unit will consist of: (i) a 15% unsecured convertible debenture of the Company (“Debenture”) in the principal amount of $10,000; and (b) 50,000 common share purchase warrants (“Warrant”).
The Debentures will mature on the date that is three (3) years following the closing (the “Maturity Date”) and are convertible at the holder’s option, at any time, after the date that is four months and one day from the closing, into common shares of the Company (“Common Shares”) at a conversion price of $0.10 per share. The Debentures will bear interest at a rate of fifteen percent (15%) per annum calculated annually not in advance. The full amount of the interest owing until the date that is two (2) years following the closing shall be pre-paid on the closing by the issuance of 20,000 Common Shares (at a deemed price of $0.15 per share) per Debenture Unit, and thereafter interest shall be due and payable in cash on the earlier of: (i) the Maturity Date; and (ii) in the event of conversion of the Debentures prior to the Maturity Date of the entire principal amount, 30 days following the conversion date.
Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.15 for a period of two (2) years from closing; provided that if, at any time, after the date that is four months and one day following the closing, the volume weighted average trading price of the common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”) is at least $0.40 per share for a period of 5 consecutive trading days, the expiry date of the Warrants may be accelerated by the Company to a date that is not less than 21 days after the date that notice of such acceleration is provided to the Warrant holders, which notice may be by way of general press release.
The closing of the Private Placement is expected to occur on or about June 8, 2022, and is subject to regulatory approval, including approval of the CSE. For further details on the Private Placement, please contact the Company. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement will be subject to a hold period of four months from the date of closing. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Private Placement for general working capital purposes.
A finder’s fee of up to 8% of the gross proceeds of the Private Placement may be paid in cash on all or any portion of the Private Placement. Additionally, finder’s warrants may be issued in an amount up to 8% of the number of Debenture Units sold under the Private Placement. Each finder’s warrant may be exercised to acquire one common share at a price of $0.10 per share for a period of two (2) years from the closing; provided that if, at any time, after the date that is four months and one day following the closing, the volume weighted average trading price of the common shares on the CSE is at least $0.40 per share for a period of 5 consecutive trading days, the expiry date of the finder’s warrants may be accelerated by the Company to a date that is not less than 21 days after the date that notice of such acceleration is provided to the finder’s warrant holders, which notice may be by way of general press release.
About Legible Inc.
Legible Inc. is a book entertainment and media company with a mission: Millions of books for billions of readers, globally. Legible has developed two high-value verticals; firstly, a browser-first accessible B2C eBook entertainment platform for the emerging web with high-growth potential called legible.com - a global eBook entertainment platform delivering beautiful, accessible & immersive reading for next-generation readers; and secondly, a global B2B eBook conversion and production service with high-revenue potential called Legible Publishing - a world-class high-volume digital conversion service for publishers and organizations and a remediation service of eBook content for the accessibility community. Legible Publishing creates multimedia eBooks, branded as Living Books, that empowers authors and publishers to deliver dynamic and unique content.
Founded and led by a team of technologists, authors, eBook publishers, designers, and publishing industry insiders, Legible is transforming the digital publishing industry and gaining market share through innovative, 21st century publishing and global reading experiences. Legible provides innovative eBook reading experiences to the masses through any browser-enabled device. Legible is committed to providing access to readers that value immersive entertainment experiences through well-constructed and content dynamic books. Legible embraces sustainability, accessibility, and global literacy.
Please visit Legible.com and discover the place where eBooks come to life. Readers are invited to visit Legible’s continually evolving curated Staff-Picks Bookshelf: https://legible.com/ca/list/staff-picks
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information (“forward-looking statements”), including statements regarding Legible’s business and the proposed Private Placement. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Legible's control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, currency fluctuations, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Although Legible believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking information. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and, except as required by applicable law, Legible does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Contacts
Kaleeg Hainsworth
Chief Executive Officer
Phone: 1 (672) 514-2665
Email: invest@legible.com
Website: Legible.com
Investor Relations: investors.legible.com
Legible Announces Proposed Private Placement of Debenture Units
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Messagepoint announced today it has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Customer Communications Management (CCM) 2022 Vendor Assessment (DOC #US48167722, June 2022). Vendor assessments involved customer interviews and a comprehensive survey to ensure vendor offerings qualified both from a capability and a strategy perspective.
“Enterprise or mid-market organizations in the financial services, insurance or healthcare spaces, seeking a SaaS CCM solution for modernizing communication services or augmenting their existing CCM application within the business, should consider Messagepoint,” said Marci Maddox, research director, digital experience strategies at IDC and author of the report. Maddox also offered, “Forward-thinking organizations that embrace AI-enabled tools for content optimization may realize benefits with Messagepoint not typically associated with CCM solutions.”
Messagepoint is a cloud-hosted intelligent content hub for customer communications that empowers business users with a no-code approach to managing content, targeting rules and communications. The report cites Messagepoint’s differentiators as its authoring environment for non-technical users, its AI-powered Messagepoint Advanced Rationalization and Content Intelligence Engine (MARCIE), which adds assistance in the authoring process, and its ability to provide a full stack communication authoring and delivery environment that can also accommodate a headless mode. Leveraging Messagepoint’s APIs, developers can access content objects in Messagepoint to support dynamic digital experiences that are highly personalized and built for new school digital endpoints.
“We are honored to be recognized once again as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for CCM,” said Steve Biancaniello, CEO of Messagepoint. “While CCM is considered a mature market space, customer demands for highly personalized digital experiences that are tailored to modern digital endpoints are changing the landscape significantly. Messagepoint’s success in this space has been driven by our ability to innovate in order to support our customers in their journey to provide better customer experiences overall. We continue this innovation with our unique approach to content management, headless CCM solutions and an API strategy that supports the kind of dynamic digital experiences that customers want.”
About Messagepoint
Messagepoint is a leading provider of customer communications management software. Only Messagepoint harnesses AI-powered Content Intelligence to automate and simplify the process of migrating, optimizing, authoring and managing complex customer communications for non-technical (business) users. Customers rely on its award-winning platform to consistently deliver exceptional, highly personalized customer communications across all platforms and channels. For more information, visit www.messagepoint.com.
About IDC MarketScape
IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT (information and communications technology) suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Patricia Kilgore
Sterling Kilgore
630-964-8500
pkilgore@sterlingkilgore.com
