FEATURED NEWS
- August 13, 2026Business
Eureka Energy Corporation Expands Its Environmental Commitment Across the United States with Evertreen
Eureka Energy Corporation , a U.S.-based energy development company focused on sustainable energy innovation, bioenergy, and resilient infrastructure, continues its long-standing environmental engagement with Evertreen by supporting reforestation and nature-based environmental initiatives across the United States. The company's relationship with Evertreen forms part of a broader commitment to environmental stewardship that has supported restoration efforts in multiple regions, including previous tree sponsorship initiatives in Montana and Madagascar. As Eureka Energy continues developing its energy activities in the United States, including its work connected to West Virginia, its environmental efforts provide another dimension to its vision of building a more sustainable and resilient future. From Sustainable Energy to Environmental Restoration Eureka Energy is focused on developing innovative approaches to energy production and infrastructure, including technologies that transform waste and biomass into renewable natural gas, sustainable fuels, and other bio-based products. The company also develops Integrated Energy Parks designed to strengthen energy security, resilience, and economic vitality. This focus on resource efficiency and sustainable development naturally complements the company's continued support for environmental restoration. Through contributions facilitated by Evertreen, Eureka Energy supports structured reforestation initiatives that contribute to ecosystem restoration, biodiversity, and long-term environmental resilience. A Growing Environmental Commitment in the United States Eureka Energy's environmental engagement has extended across different landscapes over the course of its relationship with Evertreen. Previous initiatives have included support for tree planting in Montana and Madagascar, while the company's ongoing environmental efforts now include projects within the United States. The company's activities in West Virginia add an important local dimension to this commitment. Eureka Energy's work in the state reflects its broader interest in energy development, economic opportunity, and resilient communities, while its support for environmental restoration provides a complementary nature-based contribution. Together, these efforts demonstrate how environmental responsibility can extend across different aspects of a company's operations and long-term vision. Supporting Nature-Based Climate Solutions The environmental projects supported through Evertreen are part of broader restoration initiatives whose benefits develop progressively throughout the natural lifecycle of ecosystems. Supported trees are associated with estimated CO₂ absorption over their lifetime , calculated using recognized scientific methodologies. These estimates represent potential long-term environmental outcomes and should not be interpreted as immediate or guaranteed carbon sequestration. Beyond their climate contribution, restoration projects can support biodiversity, improve ecosystem resilience, and contribute to healthier landscapes and local communities. Transparency Through Digital Monitoring Evertreen's digital platform provides organizations with monitoring insights and impact reporting tools designed to support transparent and responsible environmental engagement. Through the platform, Eureka Energy can follow the environmental initiatives it supports and access information about their development over time. This creates a clearer connection between corporate sustainability commitments and the environmental projects receiving support. For a company whose work is strongly connected to technology, infrastructure, and resource management, this data-driven approach provides a natural complement to Eureka Energy's broader emphasis on measurable and responsible development. A Long-Term Vision for Sustainable Development Eureka Energy's environmental efforts are closely aligned with its wider mission of using sustainable energy solutions to support resilient communities and long-term environmental security. The company describes its mission as combining energy innovation with environmental stewardship and the revitalization of rural communities. Its continued partnership with Evertreen demonstrates how that vision can extend beyond energy infrastructure to include direct support for nature-based restoration. From previous initiatives in Montana and Madagascar to ongoing support for environmental projects in the United States, Eureka Energy continues to build a long-term approach to sustainability—one that recognizes that energy security, economic resilience, and environmental health are interconnected. Continuing the Journey The continued collaboration between Eureka Energy Corporation and Evertreen demonstrates the potential for companies operating in the energy sector to complement their core activities with meaningful environmental action. By supporting reforestation initiatives across different regions and continuing its environmental engagement in the United States, Eureka Energy is contributing to restoration projects whose benefits can develop over the long term. Evertreen is proud to continue working alongside Eureka Energy Corporation and to support the company's commitment to combining energy innovation, community resilience, and environmental stewardship. Companies interested in exploring similar environmental initiatives through corporate partnerships are invited to contact Evertreen at office@evertreen.com . About Eureka Energy Corporation Eureka Energy Corporation is a U.S.-based energy development company focused on sustainable energy innovation, bioenergy, and resilient infrastructure. The company develops technologies and integrated energy systems designed to transform waste and biomass into renewable fuels and other valuable products, while developing energy solutions intended to strengthen energy security, economic development, and community resilience. About Evertreen Evertreen is a UK-based digital platform that connects individuals and organizations with high-quality reforestation, ecosystem restoration, and nature-based climate initiatives worldwide. Through its technology, Evertreen facilitates contributions to a diverse portfolio of environmental projects and provides digital tools, monitoring insights, and impact reporting to support transparent and responsible environmental engagement.
- August 13, 2026Technology
AssistRing Launches ARIS, Bringing 100% AI Quality Assurance to Customer Service Outsourcing
AssistRing, a managed customer service BPO founded in 2024, today announced the launch of ARIS, its proprietary AI suite for customer support operations. ARIS comprises four products developed by the company's own engineering team: Sage for full-coverage quality assurance, Edith for real-time call translation, Agent Copilot for live in-conversation guidance, and VOX for autonomous voice and chat handling. The suite is being made available to clients as part of AssistRing's managed service rather than sold as standalone software. The Measurement Gap ARIS Was Built to Close For decades, outsourced call center and customer support operations have relied on manual quality assurance sampling, because reviewing every interaction was not operationally practical. A quality analyst scores a limited set of calls, and managers use that sample to identify trends. Industry practice commonly puts that sample at 1 to 3 percent of conversations. The method gives brands some visibility, but it leaves the large majority of customer conversations unreviewed and unused for improvement. Sage is built to remove that limitation. The evaluator scores 100 percent of customer conversations against each client's own scorecard, giving support leaders account-level visibility into recurring policy gaps, coaching needs, escalation patterns, and service risks. Instead of extrapolating from a handful of reviewed calls, clients can see patterns across the full conversation set. "Every BPO in the world will tell you they care about quality, then show you a report built on two percent of the calls. We built Sage because that never sat right with me. If you are only listening to two percent, you are not measuring quality, you are guessing at it and hoping the sample was representative. We score every conversation, we show clients the full picture including the parts that make us look bad, and we fix what the data actually says is broken," said Arsalan Kamran, CEO and Co-Founder of AssistRing. ARIS Points AI at Measurement and Agent Capability Alongside Sage, the ARIS suite includes three further products. Edith provides real-time call translation across more than 60 languages, allowing a trained agent to serve customers in multiple markets without a separate language team for each one. Agent Copilot surfaces the relevant standard operating procedure, policy, or answer during a live interaction, which is intended to shorten new-agent ramp time and reduce escalations caused by knowledge gaps. VOX handles high-volume repetitive voice and chat contacts autonomously and transfers to a human agent when a conversation requires judgment or exception handling. All four products operate within AssistRing's human-in-the-loop model. AI is assigned to measurement, translation, repetitive contacts, and real-time agent assistance, while trained agents remain responsible for interactions involving exceptions, retention risk, complex troubleshooting, or emotional context. "The industry got the AI question backwards. Everyone is racing to automate the conversation and leaving the measurement manual. We did the opposite. Automate the measurement, give agents better tools in the moment, and protect the human on the calls that decide whether a customer stays or leaves," said Kamran. Language Coverage for Market Entry Edith addresses a second constraint common in multilingual customer support outsourcing. Traditional multilingual support requires separate recruiting, training, and management for every language team, which makes simultaneous market entry slow and expensive. Real-time translation lets one trained agent hold a live conversation across language markets, changing market entry from a hiring problem into a configuration one. AssistRing supports e-commerce, SaaS, hospitality, retail, real estate, and healthcare-adjacent businesses, with engagements ranging from small pilot pods to fully managed departments. Services include tier one and tier two support, order and returns management, appointment scheduling, client intake and scheduling, technical troubleshooting, email, live chat, social support, back office workflows, and after-hours coverage. "Language should not be the reason a good company cannot enter a market. Before Edith, serving customers in a new country meant recruiting a whole new team in that language. Now it means turning it on," said Kamran. Managed BPO Structure Keeps Accountability With One Provider AssistRing is the legal employer of the agents assigned to client accounts. The company is not a staffing agency, employer of record intermediary, freelancer marketplace, virtual assistant service, or standalone AI software vendor. It is responsible for hiring, training, account management, quality, and performance, rather than passing accountability across multiple vendors. AssistRing maintains registered corporate entities in the United States and Germany for local contracting and client-facing account management, including German-language leadership for DACH accounts. Service delivery runs from the company's operations center in Karachi, Pakistan, where more than 100 agents provide 24/7 coverage across voice, email, live chat, social, and back office workflows. The structure gives clients in-market accountability and cost efficiency through a single managed provider. Track Record Since 2024 AssistRing has grown since its 2024 founding to support clients including Royal Nawaab in UK hospitality, AmazeWholesale in e-commerce and wellness, and Locum Smart in UK healthcare staffing. Verified client feedback on Clutch documents outcomes including a call drop rate reduced from 40 percent to under 3 percent, tens of thousands of inbound calls handled monthly, and 24/7 coverage maintained 365 days a year. AssistRing holds a verified 5.0 rating on Clutch and is recognized among leading BPO and customer support providers in Pakistan. Case studies, including work with Royal Nawaab and AmazeWholesale, are available through the company's portfolio. Company updates and operational announcements are published through AssistRing's LinkedIn channel. The company can be contacted at info@assistring.com . Data Handling and Account Readiness AssistRing maintains GDPR-compliant data handling processes for European and UK clients and HIPAA-ready workflows for healthcare-adjacent engagements. These workflows include access controls, agent training, and audit trails. The company does not present these workflows as certifications, but as operating processes designed for clients that require controlled handling of sensitive customer information. AssistRing treats its 2024 founding as an operational advantage. The company built its quality model around AI-enabled measurement from the start, rather than adding AI tools to a manual sampling process designed for an era when reviewing every conversation was impossible. For support leaders evaluating a customer support BPO, that produces a different question to ask a provider: how much of the customer experience can you actually see, evaluate, and act on. About AssistRing AssistRing is a managed customer service BPO founded in 2024 and serving clients across the United States, United Kingdom, and DACH region. The company is the legal employer of its agents and manages hiring, training, quality, and performance for client accounts. AssistRing maintains registered corporate entities in the United States and Germany for contracting and client-facing account management, while service delivery runs from its operations center in Karachi, Pakistan. Its more than 100 agents provide 24/7 support across voice, email, live chat, social, and back office services. AssistRing supports e-commerce, SaaS, hospitality, retail, real estate, and healthcare-adjacent businesses. Its proprietary ARIS suite includes Sage, Edith, Agent Copilot, and VOX, delivered as part of its managed service. The company maintains GDPR-compliant data handling processes for European and UK clients and HIPAA-ready workflows for healthcare-adjacent engagements. More information is available at assistring.com , including ARIS , Edith , Sage , and Agent Copilot . The company can be contacted at info@assistring.com .
- August 13, 2026Technology
Yihong Zou's CySecure Targets Cybersecurity Fragmentation with Integrated AI-Driven Platform
CySecure Innovations Inc., an AI-driven cybersecurity company, is developing an integrated platform designed to connect threat intelligence, cloud security assessment, and network monitoring. The system addresses a common challenge in enterprise security: critical signals are often spread across separate tools, databases, and reporting workflows, making it difficult for organizations to identify risks quickly and respond with the right context. CySecure was incorporated on June 23, 2026, and presented its approach four days later at “One-Person Unicorn: The Soloist's Ascent | 2026 Pitch Day” in New York City. The company received a Beta Selected Prize at the event. The company frames fragmentation as one of the key issues facing security teams. Threat intelligence is scattered across vulnerability databases, security reports, vendor feeds, and real-time logs. Cloud security assessments can be subjective and difficult to compare across providers. Monitoring tools often operate separately from threat intelligence and cloud risk scoring. CySecure's AI-driven approach is designed to structure this information into connected relationships that can support risk assessment, monitoring priorities, and response workflows. CySecure describes its system as a connected workflow that moves from threat intelligence to cloud risk assessment to monitoring and response. Its Cybersecurity Knowledge Graph Platform organizes threat intelligence into a structured graph of relationships among vulnerabilities, attack methods, malware, and affected systems. Its Cloud Computing Security Assessment System produces cloud security scores through a structured evaluation process that supports provider comparison and compliance review. Its Network Security Monitoring Toolkit detects intrusions, monitors performance anomalies, and supports real-time response. The cloud assessment component applies the analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation to score cloud security more systematically. This technical direction is connected to the founder's research on cloud computing security assessment, which uses hierarchical analysis and fuzzy evaluation to turn multiple security factors into a more structured scoring model. The knowledge graph component is connected to related work on the construction and optimization of cybersecurity knowledge graphs using open information extraction and graph convolutional networks. The monitoring toolkit is also linked to his work on computer network security monitoring system design, where the focus is on detecting network behavior, identifying anomalies, and supporting timely security response. Together, these research areas form part of the technical foundation behind CySecure's assessment and monitoring components, while the commercial system remains in development. For its initial market, CySecure is looking at organizations that face complex security and compliance needs without always having the resources of large internal security teams. This includes small and mid-sized U.S. enterprises, government agencies and contractors, and larger enterprises in sectors such as healthcare, finance, and manufacturing. The company intends to begin with small and mid-sized enterprises and government contractors, where affordable tools aligned with U.S. compliance frameworks such as NIST and FedRAMP may be especially relevant. Yihong Zou, the founder of CySecure, brings a background across AI-driven cybersecurity, threat intelligence, cloud security assessment, and network monitoring. Trained in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, he has published research on network security monitoring and cloud security assessment. This combination of security-focused research and technical training provides context for CySecure's effort to connect intelligence, assessment, monitoring, and response. CySecure remains in an early stage, and many of its broader plans are still goals rather than demonstrated market outcomes. As organizations look for security tools that connect intelligence, assessment, monitoring, and response, the company's work reflects an early effort to bring these functions into a more unified cybersecurity workflow.
- August 13, 2026Technology
Xiangtian Hui Examines Machine Learning and Data Engineering Methods for Healthcare Data Systems and Cancer Informatics
As healthcare systems generate larger volumes of clinical, imaging, and administrative data, a persistent question is how that information can be organized and modeled to support medical decision-making. Records often accumulate faster than systems can standardize or connect them, creating a gap between raw data and usable information. A series of research papers examines this question across several stages of the healthcare data pipeline, from the databases that store medical records to the machine-learning methods built on top of them. In the 2026 paper Research on the Design and Optimization of Automated Data Collection and Visual Dashboard in the Medical Industry, published in the Journal of Computer, Signal, and System Research, automated data collection and visual dashboards are examined as methods for making medical data more accessible in operational settings. Much of the potential value of healthcare data is held in systems that are large, fragmented, and difficult to query, limiting how readily the information can support downstream analysis. This work treats data infrastructure as a starting point for healthcare AI, based on the premise that analytical models depend on the pipelines that supply their data. In the 2025 paper Utilize the Database Architecture to Enhance the Performance and Efficiency of Large-Scale Medical Data Processing, published in Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology, database architecture is examined in relation to the performance and efficiency of large-scale medical data processing. A second strand of the research applies machine learning to cancer-related problems. The 2025 paper Research on the Application of Integrating Medical Data Intelligence and Machine Learning Algorithms in Cancer Diagnosis, published in the International Journal of Engineering Advances, examines how medical-data intelligence and machine-learning algorithms can be combined to support cancer diagnosis. A companion study, Research on Improving the Matching Efficiency between Cancer Patients and Clinical Trials Based on Machine Learning Algorithms, published in the Journal of Medicine and Life Sciences, considers the use of machine-learning methods to improve the process of matching cancer patients with potentially relevant clinical trials. A third strand addresses the unstructured text found in medical records, where information may appear in free-form notes rather than standardized fields. In Research on Medical Named Entity Recognition Technology Based on Prompt BioMRC Model for Deep NLP Algorithm, published in the International Journal of Big Data Intelligent Technology, a prompt-based model is examined for identifying medical entities in text. A related study, Medical Entity Recognition Based on Bidirectional LSTM-CRF and Natural Language Processing Technology and Its Application in Intelligent Consultation, applies a bidirectional LSTM-CRF approach to medical entity recognition and considers its application in intelligent consultation. Taken together, the studies can be read as addressing connected stages of healthcare data processing: the infrastructure used to collect and store information, the machine-learning methods applied to cancer diagnosis and clinical-trial matching, and the natural-language methods used to convert medical text into structured data. Each strand focuses on a different part of the process through which medical data may become usable within an analytical system. The author of this research, Xiangtian Hui, works across software engineering, machine learning, and healthcare data. His research includes medical data infrastructure, cancer informatics, and medical natural-language processing. This combination places his work at the intersection of software engineering and healthcare-related data analysis. By connecting data engineering, predictive modeling, and medical language processing, this body of work offers one view of how related stages of a healthcare data system can be studied together. The papers point toward a broader research direction in which data infrastructure, machine-learning methods, and language-processing systems are considered as connected components of healthcare AI. Developing and evaluating those connections remains an area of active research.
- August 13, 2026Business
Launch Labs Marks Over a Decade of Building Software With Launch of AI Enablement Practice
Launch Labs marks over a decade with the launch of its AI Enablement practice, expanding its focus on helping businesses put artificial intelligence to work across their products, workflows, and daily operations. The practice pairs AI with a decade of experience designing and shipping software, and it is built to ship rather than advise. The output is custom software, automated workflows, and systems designed to stay secure and scale as the business grows. The company traces its start to 2014, when its founders began building and shipping software for other companies. That small team has since grown into a full product organization of engineers, designers, and product managers working across the globe. [Photo Caption] Founders of Launch Labs: Nick Busto, Ben Swinford, Natalie Oleksyn and Brent Weidenbach. As AI adoption continues to expand across industries, organizations are exploring how to apply the technology in ways that support productivity, product innovation, and operational improvements. The AI Enablement practice focuses on identifying where AI can create practical value across products, internal systems, and workflows while maintaining attention to scalability, security, and long-term usability. As part of this initiative, Launch Labs has introduced a free AI audit designed to help organizations identify opportunities for AI adoption, workflow improvements, and software modernization. The assessment maps where a business is overpaying for software, where manual work is consuming its team's time, and which fixes will pay off first. It draws on years of experience building and maintaining software at every stage, from first prototype through the systems companies run their operations on. One area receiving increased attention is the relationship between enterprise software costs and custom-built solutions. Many organizations rely on costly software platforms with broad capabilities, while their specific operational needs may require more tailored approaches. Platforms built for thousands of businesses rarely fit any one of them well, and AI-assisted development has made custom systems affordable enough that companies no longer have to accept that compromise. Launch Labs Founder Brent Weidenbach shares, “In June, a mid-size sports equipment manufacturer was considering a CRM, an email platform, and a lead generation tool that added up to a six-figure subscription. We built them a custom system in weeks instead, one they own outright, so those bills never started. And because their team was part of the build, they understand the system and can update, fix, and improve it on their own going forward.” The client did not hire anyone new to make that happen. Their existing team built more than it could have before, which is the pattern Launch Labs sees most often. The value of AI is not in replacing the people who understand a business best. It is in widening what those people can build. Launch Labs has grown from a company focused on software development into both a development and AI enablement company. Its services now span software development, AI enablement, product strategy, design, engineering, and team augmentation, supporting organizations through development and operational improvement. For Weidenbach, AI represents an important evolution in software development, while effective product building continues to depend on understanding the underlying business challenge. “AI is changing the pace at which teams can build, but building effective software still starts with understanding the problem, the users, and the business context behind the product,” he says. “The technology can accelerate parts of the process, but experienced teams are still needed to make the decisions that determine how a product functions, scales, and creates value over time.” Weidenbach believes AI delivers the greatest value when paired with human expertise. He says, “AI is highly capable when it comes to gathering information, organizing inputs, and supporting repetitive tasks. The opportunity comes from allowing people to spend more time on strategy, creativity, and understanding the decisions that require context and judgment.” The same long-term perspective extends to software ownership. Launch Labs focuses on creating systems that organizations can maintain, adapt, and continue developing as their needs change. Its multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, operators, and AI practitioners approaches projects with a focus on building technology that supports lasting business objectives. That commitment has also shaped Launch Labs’ global engineering team. The company built a significant engineering presence in Ukraine after recognizing the expertise of software professionals in the region. When conflict disrupted the lives of many team members, leadership supported employees through transportation coordination, temporary housing, emergency assistance, and additional relief efforts. In 2022, Launch Labs donated all company profits to Ukrainian relief efforts. Support later expanded through medical supplies, food, equipment, relocation assistance, and Project UA .The effort was profiled in Cornell University's alumni magazine . As Launch Labs enters its next stage of growth, it brings a decade of engineering experience to a market still working out where AI belongs. For Weidenbach, the answer is ownership: the next decade of software will favor the companies that build what they need instead of renting it. For Launch Labs, the AI audit is where that conversation starts.
- August 13, 2026Land & Property
MangoLiving Launches Personalized Home Search for Buyers and Insights Dashboard for Agents
MangoLiving , a home super app focused on improving the home ownership journey starting with home search, today announced the launch of its personalized property search experience in Dallas, Texas. The platform combines artificial intelligence with human expertise to help homebuyers discover properties that better match their preferences while providing real estate agents with actionable buyer insights through a dedicated AI powered dashboard. The launch marks the first phase of MangoLiving's expansion strategy, with plans to introduce the platform in additional major metropolitan markets later this year. The Dallas rollout provides buyers and real estate professionals with access to an experience designed to improve property discovery, strengthen agent collaboration, and create greater transparency throughout the home buying process. A Personalized Search Experience Built Around Buyers Traditional property search platforms often rely on filters that require buyers to manually define their preferences. MangoLiving introduces a more personalized approach by leveraging artificial intelligence to better understand buyer interests, preferences, and evolving priorities during the search process. The platform is designed to surface listings that align with individual buyer needs rather than presenting large volumes of properties based solely on basic search criteria. This enables buyers to spend more time evaluating relevant homes while reducing the effort required to navigate extensive property inventories. Every recommendation is designed to be transparent. Buyers can see how a property performs against each requirement, where it exceeds expectations, where it may require compromise, and how the overall match score was calculated. This gives buyers a clear explanation of why one property may be a stronger overall fit, even when another property appears more attractive based on a single factor such as price, size, or location. MangoLiving further simplifies decision making by allowing buyers to compare properties based on what matters most to them. Instead of relying on memory, generic feature lists, or manually maintained spreadsheets, buyers can evaluate multiple homes side by side using their own prioritized criteria. They can examine the relative strengths and weaknesses of each property, analyze important tradeoffs, and understand how changes in their priorities may affect which home is the best match. By combining personalized recommendations with transparent property comparisons, MangoLiving is designed to give buyers greater context before making one of their most significant purchasing decisions. The approach recognizes that the best property is not necessarily the one with the lowest price, largest floor area, or most convenient location, but the one that provides the strongest overall fit based on the buyer's individual priorities. The platform also allows buyer preferences to evolve throughout the search process. As buyers learn more about available properties, their priorities may change, whether that involves placing greater importance on location, budget, amenities, commute considerations, or other requirements. MangoLiving is designed to accommodate these changing preferences, helping buyers reassess property matches as their criteria develop. In addition to personalized recommendations, buyers can explore agent profiles that are organized based on performance indicators and customer reviews instead of paid advertising placements. This approach is intended to help buyers make more informed decisions when selecting a real estate professional. For buyers preparing to make a property purchase, MangoLiving offers another way to evaluate whether a home genuinely aligns with their priorities. Check the property match score on MangoLiving.ai before buying a property. The results may reveal a stronger fit than expected, or highlight important tradeoffs that are easy to overlook during a conventional property search. An AI Powered Dashboard Designed for Real Estate Agents Alongside the consumer experience, MangoLiving has launched a dedicated agent dashboard that provides participating real estate professionals with greater visibility into buyer engagement and preferences. The dashboard enables agents to better understand how buyers interact with listings, identify areas where buyers may need additional guidance, and personalize conversations based on evolving interests throughout the home search journey. By combining behavioral insights with AI generated analysis, the platform helps agents focus on delivering more informed and responsive support while maintaining the personal relationships that remain central to successful real estate transactions. An Agent Neutral Approach to AI Powered Home Buying MangoLiving combines artificial intelligence with human real estate expertise through an agent neutral marketplace that does not sell or redistribute buyer leads. AI supports personalized recommendations, preference analysis, and buyer insights, while real estate professionals continue to provide market knowledge, negotiation expertise, and transaction guidance. "Buying a home is one of the most important financial decisions people make. Technology should strengthen the relationship between buyers and trusted real estate professionals, not replace it," said Raees Shaikh, CEO of MangoLiving. "Our goal is to combine the strengths of AI with human expertise to create a home buying experience that is more personalized, transparent, and trusted for both buyers and agents." Dallas Launch Represents the Beginning of a Broader Homeownership Platform Dallas serves as the initial launch market for MangoLiving’s AI powered property search platform and agent dashboard, representing the first stage of the company’s broader vision to simplify the homeownership journey. While the initial services focus on helping buyers discover relevant properties and enabling agents to better understand buyer preferences, MangoLiving plans to expand its platform across additional stages of homeownership. Future developments are expected to introduce services designed to support homeowners beyond the initial purchase process, creating a more connected experience throughout the ownership lifecycle. The company’s long-term vision is to build an integrated homeownership platform that brings together technology, personalized insights, and trusted professional guidance in one ecosystem. MangoLiving aims to create a platform that simplifies how people search for, purchase, and care for their homes. As the company continues developing its platform, MangoLiving plans to introduce additional capabilities that support buyers, homeowners, and real estate professionals while expanding into new metropolitan markets. About MangoLiving MangoLiving is a homeownership super app focused on delivering a personalized home buying experience through the combination of artificial intelligence and human expertise. The platform provides AI powered property discovery for homebuyers while equipping real estate agents with buyer intelligence that supports more personalized client engagement. MangoLiving follows an agent neutral model that does not advertise or sell buyer leads to competing agents, helping preserve trusted client relationships. Learn more at mangoliving.ai and explore the Agent Dashboard . Follow MangoLiving on Instagram , LinkedIn , and YouTube . For media inquiries, contact contact@mangoliving.ai .
- August 13, 2026Technology
Hummingbird Development Fund A to Expand Residential Investment Opportunities Across Northern California
Christopher Duffy, Founder and CEO of Hummingbird Development , has announced the launch of Hummingbird Development Fund A, a private real estate investment fund created to expand the company's residential development efforts throughout Northern California. The launch of the new fund expands Hummingbird Development's investment offerings and supports its ongoing residential development activities in Northern California. The fund is designed to acquire, develop, and construct single-family homes through the company's integrated real estate platform and is available to accredited investors. Northern California continues to face one of the country's most persistent housing shortages, driven by strong job growth, limited inventory, and increasing demand for quality homes. Through Fund A, Hummingbird Development plans to address these market conditions by identifying high-potential residential projects, managing every stage of development in-house, and creating value through disciplined acquisitions, construction, and project execution. Hummingbird Development oversees multiple stages of the real estate development process, including property acquisition, entitlement, construction, sales, and marketing, through an integrated operating model. The company applies this approach across its residential development projects in Northern California. “The launch of Hummingbird Development Fund A represents the next chapter in our company's growth,” said Duffy. “We've spent years building a development platform designed to identify opportunities, execute efficiently, and create lasting value. This fund allows us to expand our impact by delivering much-needed housing while giving investors the opportunity to participate in Northern California's long-term growth story.” Real estate investment models traditionally rely heavily on third-party developers and contractors. Hummingbird Development manages each project through its own integrated team, granting its team greater operational efficiency, stronger oversight throughout construction, and a disciplined investment strategy focused on long-term success. Fund A is structured as a five-year private investment vehicle targeting a 10% preferred annual return with quarterly distributions. The fund is designed for accredited investors seeking exposure to residential real estate development in a region supported by strong economic fundamentals, high barriers to new construction, and sustained demand for single-family housing. As Hummingbird Development continues expanding its portfolio throughout Northern California, the launch of Fund A reinforces the company's long-term commitment to building communities, addressing housing demand, and creating sustainable value through thoughtful residential development. For more information about Hummingbird Development Fund A or to learn more about investment opportunities, please contact Janay Howard, Publicist at Otter PR, at janay.howard@otterpr.com . About Hummingbird Development HummingBird Development is a Northern California-based real estate development company focused on creating thoughtfully designed homes and innovative solutions for today’s evolving housing market. HummingBird Development specializes in residential projects, remodels, and strategic investments that help homeowners, buyers, and communities navigate the changing real estate landscape. Through a combination of market expertise, creative problem-solving, and a commitment to quality craftsmanship, HummingBird Development delivers projects designed to add long-term value and meet the needs of modern homeowners.
- August 13, 2026Finance & Loan
As Private Credit Captures 90% of Lower Middle Market LBO Financing, Abacus Finance Group Expands Its Relationship-Driven Approach to Deliver Certainty of Close
Private equity sponsors operating in the lower middle market face a changing financing landscape. Banks have retreated, and private credit has filled the gap, but lenders vary widely. Many larger credit platforms prioritize volume over execution quality, neglecting complex smaller deals. And when a lender re-trades or misses a commitment, the sponsor pays the price. The scale of this shift is documented. According to Ropes & Gray, direct lending accounted for 90% of lower middle market LBO financing in 2024, up from just 36% in 2014. As direct lenders have come to dominate this space, transaction certainty is becoming a central issue. With roll-up strategies now accounting for over 80% of all lower middle market deals, per Cherry Bekaert , each add-on acquisition demands a lender who knows the sponsor, knows the sector, and can commit to terms that hold through close. A re-trade at the term sheet stage costs time, but a re-trade in the final days of a transaction can destroy a deal that took months to build. To address the execution gap in lower middle market lending, Abacus Finance Group is expanding its sponsor coverage and deepening its focus on relationship-driven, certainty-of-close financing for private equity-backed acquisitions and recapitalizations. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in New York, the firm has closed billions in financings across more than a decade of lower middle market transactions. The firm's lower middle market lending model is built around relationships. Abacus Finance Group constructs custom cash flow-based senior financing solutions for each transaction, beginning with the sponsor's goals and structuring backward to fit the business. The team maintains direct communication throughout the life of every deal. Sponsors aren't handed to a coverage banker and then routed through a credit committee that has never met them. The same team that underwrites a deal closes it. Abacus Finance Group brings 125+ years of combined leveraged finance experience to each transaction. The company has financed acquisitions, add-ons, recapitalizations, and growth financings for sponsor-backed companies throughout the United States. Multiple sponsor partners report working with the firm across more than a decade of transactions. This relationship-driven model shows up in the firm's recent work. In mid-2026, Abacus served as sole lender and administrative agent on the senior debt financing behind Achieve Partners' investment in Celito Tech. Achieve Managing Director Aanand Radia noted that Abacus delivered the certainty Achieve was looking for in a financing partner and closed the transaction on a tight timeline.
- August 13, 2026Education
Husson University Faculty Earns National Recognition for Innovative Anthrozoology Course
Husson University Assistant Professor Dr. Taylor Rezvani and Online and Distance Education Senior Instructional Designer Corey J. Butler have received the Clifton Bryant Animals & Society Course Award for their course, Anthrozoology: Animals, People, and Society. The award from the Animals and Society Section of the American Sociological Association recognizes outstanding course design in the study of human-animal relationships. In a competitive field this year, the Husson course stood out for its interdisciplinarity, global perspective and emphasis on reflexivity. Reflexivity is the practice of having students examine how their own identity and assumptions shape what they know. Anthrozoology: Animals, People, and Society serves as the entry point to Husson’s Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare master’s degree program. Built on the Understanding by Design framework, the course centers each student as an active participant in the discourse rather than a passive learner. Students identify an audience, interaction, culture and species of their choosing, then synthesize global cultural perspectives through a structured literature review that culminates in a capstone Anthrozoological Visiting Scholar Welcome Talk. By interrogating their own biases and research process, learners develop a foundation for careers in animal care, policy, advocacy and research. Rezvani, who has 20 years experience working in veterinary practices and in animal behavior education, earned an interdisciplinary Ph.D. integrating biology, education, and psychology from Washington State University. She co-founded a nonprofit focused on canine-human interaction outreach and serves as education committee chair for the Human Animal Bond Association. At Husson, she has helped build both the undergraduate Animal Care and Behavior program and the graduate Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare program. Butler brings more than a decade of experience in asynchronous online curriculum development and has been instrumental in building Husson’s animal studies programs. Rezvani and Butler will be recognized at the Animals and Society Section’s Human-Animal Futures in a Changing World mini-conference, following the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting on August 12 at New York University. Prospective students interested in the field can learn more about the Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare program at Husson Online. For more than 128 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders through innovative undergraduate and graduate degree programs. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson offers quality educational programs in areas including emerging technologies; business; finance; education; animal care; legal studies; healthcare; science and humanities; and communication. For more information about educational opportunities, visit Husson.edu .
- August 13, 2026Business
Kaohsiung Fresh Produce Continues to Gain Ground in Singapore and Malaysia
From Aug. 13 to 19, Kaohsiung City Government’s Agriculture Bureau will once again partner with Singapore’s NTUC FairPrice to hold 10 promotional events featuring Kaohsiung’s pink guavas at five FairPrice outlets. The campaign is aimed at increasing consumer awareness of Kaohsiung-grown fruit and strengthening the city’s presence in Singapore’s competitive fresh-produce market. The latest campaign follows a series of promotional initiatives launched earlier this year. In July, the Agriculture Bureau teamed up with Singapore’s Sheng Siong Supermarkets to promote the Taiwan banana brand “TAIWAN BANANOVA” as part of a summer fresh-fruit campaign. The event featured bananas and a selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables from Kaohsiung, while a “Taiwan night market” theme was introduced to give Singaporean consumers a taste of Taiwanese culture. A pinball-style game, shipped directly from Taiwan, was used in a promotional activity in which participants could win bananas, drawing enthusiastic responses from shoppers. Kaohsiung has stepped up its agricultural marketing efforts in Singapore this year. During the first half of 2026, FairPrice outlets featured promotional campaigns for a variety of Kaohsiung-grown fruits, including guavas, pink guavas, wax apples, papayas and jujubes. The city’s distinctive water lotus vegetable, known as ye-lian, was also introduced to the retail chain for the first time. For the second half of the year, pink guavas will serve as a major promotional product. Through in-store tastings and promotional campaigns, the Agriculture Bureau aims to strengthen consumer recognition of Kaohsiung’s fresh produce and maintain its momentum in the Singapore market. In Malaysia, promotional tasting events featuring pink guavas have been held at AEON supermarkets and stores operated by Jaya Grocer group. So far this year, more than 30 retail outlets across Singapore and Malaysia have hosted a total of 90 promotional tasting events. By combining retail distribution, in-store sampling and brand marketing, Kaohsiung has sought to raise the visibility of its agricultural products across the two markets. The strategy appears to be paying off. Sales of Kaohsiung agricultural products in Singapore and Malaysia reached nearly 70 tonnes in the first half of 2026, representing an increase of almost 50 percent from the same period last year. “Although competition in the agricultural markets of Singapore and Malaysia is intense, Kaohsiung produce continues to win over overseas consumers with its high quality,” said Yao Chih-Wang, Director-General of the Agriculture Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government. Yao said the city government will keep working with local farmers and industry partners to ensure stable supplies, while cooperating with overseas retailers to design promotional campaigns based on local consumer demand. The Agriculture Bureau also plans to build on the popularity of established best-selling products to introduce a wider range of distinctive agricultural products from Kaohsiung to international consumers, with the goal of establishing “The Best of Kaohsiung” as a leading brand for high-quality Taiwanese agricultural products overseas.
- August 12, 2026APAC
Unionscience Technology Group Expands LicOS PLC Solutions for Global Industrial Automation Markets
Unionscience Technology Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese industrial automation technology company and developer of the LicOS automation platform, has expanded its portfolio of PLC, PAC, I/O, and servo solutions for international manufacturers and automation system integrators seeking flexible industrial control technologies. The company said its LicOS product portfolio is being positioned to support a broader range of industrial automation applications, combining programmable logic controllers, motion controllers, I/O systems, servo drives, and industrial communication technologies within an integrated automation platform. Founded in 2000, Unionscience Technology Group develops industrial controllers and industrial software from its operations in Kunming, China. The company currently offers multiple LicOS PLC and PAC product families, including the EC200, EC300, EC400, MC500, MC600, and MC700 series, together with GL200 I/O systems, remote I/O modules, couplers, and EtherCAT-based servo systems. The company's product portfolio is designed for applications spanning manufacturing, logistics, transportation, mining, metallurgy, energy, and other industrial sectors. The company's international expansion comes as manufacturers and automation integrators increasingly evaluate additional control-system suppliers for new equipment projects, modernization programs, and machine-building applications. Unionscience is responding by developing LicOS solutions with support for widely used industrial communication technologies and international programming standards. LicOS Platform Supports Advanced Motion and Industrial Communication A key product in the company's high-performance automation portfolio is the MC700 Series Large PAC, designed for complex and high-precision motion control applications. According to Unionscience, the MC700 platform can support up to 256 synchronized motion axes and provides real-time processing capabilities for demanding automation systems. The MC700 also supports industrial communication technologies including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, CANopen, OPC UA, and MQTT, enabling integration with machine-level equipment as well as higher-level industrial information systems. The controller supports IEC 61131-3 programming languages, including Ladder Diagram, Structured Text, Instruction List, Function Block Diagram, Sequential Function Chart, and Continuous Function Chart. The platform also supports advanced functions including electronic camming, electronic gearing, interpolation, CNC applications, and robotic control. These capabilities are intended to allow system integrators and original equipment manufacturers to develop automation systems using a common control platform while maintaining compatibility with a range of industrial devices and communication architectures. Expanded Automation Portfolio Supports Industrial Applications Alongside its PLC and PAC controllers, Unionscience has developed a broader automation product ecosystem under the LicOS brand. The company's GL200 blade I/O system provides digital, analog, and temperature measurement modules, with hot-swappable module designs intended to simplify maintenance and system configuration. The company also offers remote I/O and coupler products for distributed automation architectures, as well as EtherCAT and pulse-based servo drive products. The EC400 large-scale PLC is designed for process-control applications requiring high availability and redundancy. The system supports dual-CPU and dual-PLC redundancy architectures for applications where continuous operation and fault tolerance are important considerations. Unionscience has presented the EC400 and MC700 platforms at industrial exhibitions as part of its development of localized industrial control technologies. The company's product development strategy focuses on providing an integrated automation platform rather than standalone PLC hardware. Its LicOS ecosystem includes PLC and PAC controllers, I/O systems, servo products, industrial software, and related industrial Internet technologies. International Engineering and Customization Support Unionscience is also developing its international support capabilities for overseas customers, OEMs, and automation integrators. The company provides technical assistance and customization services for industrial applications in which control hardware and software need to be adapted to specific machine architectures or production requirements. The company's manufacturing center in Kunming includes a dedicated production facility and an OEM and ODM service team. Unionscience states that its manufacturing operations are supported by CE and ISO-related certifications and that the company has more than 200 employees and more than 50 patent certificates. The company reports serving more than 6,000 customers worldwide across industries including mining, metallurgy, logistics, printing, manufacturing, road traffic, railway, and hydropower. Its international customer base includes users in markets such as Southeast Asia and other overseas regions. For overseas manufacturers, the company is focusing on practical integration requirements such as communication compatibility, engineering flexibility, product customization, technical documentation, and after-sales support. Unionscience Technology Group Continues Development of LicOS Industrial Automation Platform The development of LicOS forms part of Unionscience Technology Group's longer-term focus on independently developed industrial controllers and industrial software. The company was established in 2000 and has developed its own industrial controller and industrial operating system technologies. According to the company, its technology portfolio includes more than 50 patents and 147 software copyrights, supported by a technical team of more than 200 professionals. With continued development of PLC, PAC, I/O, servo, and industrial software technologies, Unionscience Technology Group is expanding the LicOS platform for manufacturers and system integrators seeking alternative automation solutions for new equipment and industrial modernization projects. About Unionscience Technology Group Co., Ltd. Unionscience Technology Group Co., Ltd. is an industrial controller manufacturer and industrial Internet technology company based in Kunming, Yunnan, China. Founded in 2000, the company specializes in the research, development, manufacturing, and application of industrial controllers and automation technologies. The company's LicOS product portfolio includes PLC and PAC controllers, I/O systems, remote I/O and coupler modules, servo systems, and related industrial software. Its automation solutions are used across industries including manufacturing, mining, metallurgy, logistics, transportation, railway, hydropower, and other industrial applications. For more information, visit https://www.licosplc.com/
- August 12, 2026Technology
VoiceBit AI Launches ChatGPT Integration, Bringing Restaurants Directly into Customer Conversations
SAN FRANCISCO — August 11, 2026 — VoiceBit AI , an AI-powered company that combines AI voice technology, direct web ordering and customer relationship tools to help restaurants grow revenue and ease the customer journey, has launched its ChatGPT ordering integration. This integration allows restaurants to connect their menus and ordering systems directly to ChatGPT, giving customers a conversational way to discover restaurants and find orders tailored to their preferences. Built using OpenAI’s Apps SDK, the integration lets restaurants appear in ChatGPT conversations when users ask for dining options in the area, compare restaurants or choose what to eat. Instead of searching through several websites or apps, customers can browse menus, submit customized orders and complete their purchase all on a single platform. "We started VoiceBit AI to give restaurants the power to transact directly with their customers, with a zero-commission model, and this integration is another step in that direction,” said Hitesh Kenjale, VoiceBit AI CEO. Kenjale, along with cofounders Lovre Soric and Jay Patel are excited to give restaurants this new power to reach customers right where they're already making decisions. The launch meets an essential need for consumers as they increasingly turn to AI to help guide their decision-making. The number of people in the U.S. who use ChatGPT to decide where to eat has increased by 800% over the past two years, and around 22% of U.S. adults have purchased food based on these recommendations. The integration is designed to reduce the challenges that come with online ordering by eliminating multiple steps in the online ordering process. Customers can even ask for recommendations that meet their dietary restrictions, budget, party size, or other preferences. The systems can answer specific questions about the menu and guide users through the entire ordering process. “While the ordering experience is more intuitive for customers, the bigger win is for restaurants, said Jay Patel, Voicebit AI CTO. “They keep the full value of every order instead of handing a cut, and their customer data, over to third-party platforms.” The ChatGPT ordering integration is available for restaurants looking to expand their digital ordering capabilities through conversational AI. For more information, visit https://voicebit.ai/products/chatgpt or watch VoiceBit AI’s video about the new integration. About VoiceBit AI VoiceBit is an AI-powered direct ordering platform that helps restaurants own their customer relationships again. By combining phone AI, web ordering, SMS marketing, and delivery into a single platform controlled through natural language, VoiceBit gives restaurant owners the tools to take back their ordering channels from third-party marketplaces. VoiceBit is backed by 1984.vc , Berkeley Skydeck, Tetrad.
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