DCG ENTERS INTO BITCOIN MINING WITH NEWEST SUBSIDIARY: FOUNDRY

The new company will provide capital and advisory services to empower the digital asset mining ecosystem 

DCG commits to $100 million investment in Foundry through 2021

NEW YORK, Aug 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Digital Currency Group (DCG), a global enterprise that builds, buys, and invests in blockchain companies, today announced a new wholly-owned subsidiary: Foundry. Quietly formed in 2019, Foundry offers institutional expertise, capital, and market intelligence to digital asset miners and manufacturers, providing them with the resources to build, maintain, and secure decentralized networks. Mike Colyer, a former Core Scientific executive, was tapped to be Foundry’s Chief Executive Officer.

Foundry was created to meet the institutional demand for improved capital access, market efficiency, and transparency in the bitcoin mining industry. The company currently offers three services for the mining ecosystem: equipment financing and procurement; mining and staking; and consulting and advisory services.

Since its inception, Foundry has already emerged as one of the largest bitcoin miners in North America. It has also extended tens of millions of dollars in equipment financing to other mining organizations and helped to procure approximately half of the bitcoin mining equipment delivered in North America this year.

“We want to empower decentralized infrastructure in the new digital economy, and our work will support the development and growth of mining operations — particularly in North America,” said Mike Colyer, CEO of Foundry. “We are a business built by miners for miners, and we are partnering with entrepreneurs who share our mission of advancing the industry and creating a decentralized mining ecosystem.”

DCG has committed to invest more than $100 million into Foundry through 2021. For the first time, miners and manufacturers can access trusted partners and capital resources through the powerful DCG network.

“Our mission at DCG is to accelerate the development of a better financial system,” said Barry Silbert, Founder and CEO of DCG. “Digital asset mining and staking provide the backbone of the blockchain technology that will drive that advancement. Foundry is bringing critical resources and guidance to an essential corner of the industry, and Mike Colyer and his team have the expertise, credibility, and integrity to support the evolving needs of miners and manufacturers.”

Foundry is focused on partnering with key players in the mining and staking industry with the goal of creating greater access to digital asset mining,
decentralizing geographic opportunity, and bringing more legitimacy and transparency to the bitcoin mining ecosystem. In addition, Foundry expects to work closely with energy companies and governments to help formulate and execute their mining strategies.

“Foundry’s understanding of the mining industry and DCG’s full support have made it a key partner in our expansion across North America in the past year. We plan to continue collaborating with Foundry as we focus on increasing our global market share,” said Jordan Chen, COO of Shenzhen-based bitcoin miner manufacturer MicroBT.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38024

PREQIN PARTNERS WITH SAÏD BUSINESS SCHOOL TO LAUNCH NEW ALTERNATIVES PROGRAMME

LONDON, Aug 6 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Saïd Business School and Preqin have partnered to provide a new executive education program focused on private markets. The Oxford Private Markets Investments Programme is an intensive six-week course designed to give financial operators and service providers an introduction to one of the fastest-growing sectors of the financial landscape.

Based on the Alice in Wonderland theme of Professor Ludovic Phalippou’s book Private Equity 2.0, the programme uses novel storytelling to unpick complex processes and make them accessible. Professor Phalippou noted “The sharpest business minds are drawn to fields like private equity and private credit, and it is one of the most challenging and exciting areas in the financial world.”

Preqin CEO Mark O’Hare added “This course is the most effective way to get to grips with the industry, and is a must for anyone looking to work in the space. We’re thrilled to work with experts like Professor Phalippou and the Saïd Business School to help shed light on alternative investments. Preqin is committed to bringing more transparency to the industry, and we support education initiatives like this that help achieve that goal.”

The course has been developed in response to clients’ needs for a broader programme that covers private equity investment, asset management, co-investing, private credit, venture capital and real estate investment. The six-week online course will be running from 2^nd September 2020, facilitated by Oxford Saïd’s official EdTech partner, GetSmarter, and brand of 2U, Inc.. Prospective participants can find out more information and download a full prospectus here:

https://go.preqin.com/oxfordpartnership?utm_campaign=PTNRS%20-%20Oxford%20University%20Program-2020&utm_medium=other&utm_source=&utm_content=PTNRS%20-%20Oxford%20University%20Program-2020-PM----Press-Release-Global-All-EN

About Preqin:

Preqin is the Home of Alternatives^TM, the foremost provider of alternative assets data, analytics and insights. We have committed ourselves to furthering the understanding of alternatives for over 16 years. Through close partnership with our clients, we enable them to make the best decisions every day.

About Saïd Business School, University of Oxford:

Deeply embedded in an 800-year-old world-class university, Oxford Saïd strives to educate people for successful business careers. As a community, Oxford Saïd seeks to use business acumen and global networks to address long-horizon phenomena like demographic change, new technologies, and natural resource scarcity. Oxford Saïd is committed to delivering cutting-edge education and ground-breaking research that transforms individuals, organisations, business practice and society.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200805005726/en/

Contact

For more information, please contact:
William Clarke
press@preqin.com
+44 20 3207 0265

Source : Preqin

--BERNAMA

Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi opens doors, presents mechanical watches

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 -- Seiko Watch Corporation opened a new chapter in the 60-year history of the Grand Seiko brand with the inauguration of an entirely new studio, dedicated for Grand Seiko's mechanical watch production. 

The studio was declared open on July 20, in a ceremony that took place simultaneously at the Wako building, a retail establishment of Seiko Holdings Corporation in Tokyo and at the studio in Shizukuishi, Iwate Prefecture.

In Tokyo, Seiko Watch Corporation Chairman and CEO, Shinji Hattori was joined by the studio's architect, Kengo Kuma, while in Shizukuishi, the Governor of Iwate Prefecture, Takuya Tasso, participated alongside the studio's directors.

Hattori said: “The studio provides the ideal environment for our craftsmen and women to bring Grand Seiko's mechanical watches to life and for the next generation of watchmakers to be trained and their skills developed.”

Explaining his design, Kuma said: “Grand Seiko's view of the importance of nature is reflected in every corner of its design and construction. I greatly enjoyed the challenge of making the clean room, where watches of the highest precision are assembled, from wood.” 

The studio also incorporates an exhibition space where visitors can immerse themselves in Grand Seiko's history and explore the manufacturing characteristics of Grand Seiko's mechanical watches. 

Events will be held at which visitors can try their hand at assembling a mechanical watch in a dedicated space known as the Studio Seminar Room.

In addition, a Grand Seiko watch made exclusively for, and at the studio, will be presented and available for purchase. It is a limited-edition Hi-beat 36000.

More details at https://www.grand-seiko.com/global-en/special/studio-shizukuishi/ 

-- BERNAMA

Apifiny appoints Thomas Trepanier as Director of Business Development, Roxe

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 -- Apifiny, a global liquidity and financial value transfer network has appointed Thomas Trepanier as Director of Business Development, Roxe to lead the growth of Roxe™ global settlement and liquidity solutions for banks, central banks and digital asset exchanges.

Trepanier brings over 20 years of experience in financial services and fintech, serving banks, central banks, stock exchanges, central securities depositories and asset managers, according to a statement.

Apifiny Chief Business Officer, Josh Li said Trepanier’s success in both traditional and digital finance was a powerful combination that would bring tremendous value to the bank and central bank partners and help execute the company’s vision to accelerate the financial value transfer, anytime, anywhere.

His experience includes key business development and sales roles with Global Accelerated Ventures (GAV), Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) and Omgeo (a DTCC company), among others.

At GAV, Trepanier led customers’ onboarding of innovative methodologies and technologies. He was also the head of payments and securities market infrastructure strategy at SWIFT.

Prior to SWIFT, Trepanier was director of Americas relationship management and Latin America sales at Omgeo. He led sales executives and relationship managers in the US and Canada, and successfully launched Omgeo’s presence in Latin America.

More details at https://www.apifiny.com/

-- BERNAMA

Toshiba offers constant-current 2-phase stepping motor driver for automotive applications

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (Toshiba) has launched ‘TB9120AFTG’, a constant-current 2-phase stepping motor driver for automotive applications.

According to a statement, the new IC outputs a sine-wave current using only a simple clock input interface, with no need for an advanced functional MCU or dedicated software.

TB9120AFTG was developed as a successor to TB9120FTG, introduced last year as Toshiba’s first automotive stepping motor driver, and provides improved noise resistance.

The device incorporates DMOS FETs with low on-resistance (upper + lower = 0.8Ω (typ.)), which achieve a maximum current of 1.5A.

Both the DMOS FETs and the controller that generates micro-stepping sine waves (supporting up to 1/32 steps) are housed in a small QFN type package (6.0 mmｘ6.0 mm).

The new IC delivers an operating temperature range of -40 to 125℃, and meets AEC-Q100, a certified standard for electronic components for automotive applications.

It is suited to a wide range of automotive general applications using stepping motors, such as adjustment of the projection position of heads-up displays, and in the expansion valves of refrigerant circuits.

-- BERNAMA

NIPPON PAINT REVEALS THE WINNERS OF THE ASIA YOUNG DESIGNER AWARDS 2019/20

Functional and sustainable winning entries of the year celebrated virtually with Nippon Paint

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- Following the 13th instalment of the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA), Nippon Paint has crowned Lin Honghan, from China and Greta Elsa Nurtjahja, from Indonesia the grand title of being the Asia Young Designers of the Year 2019/2020, beating other participants across 15 geographical locations, in a rigorous selection process to represent their countries for the prestigious title in the Architectural Category and Interior Design Category respectively.
 
This year’s competition marks the Asia Young Designer Awards’ first virtual event in light of COVID-19 restrictions, establishing Nippon Paint’s steadfast passion in fostering the next generation of designers. Following the virtual competition, both winners walked away with more than US$10,000 worth of prizes, including the opportunity to attend a fully-funded 6-week Design Discovery programme at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=37731

Analog Devices strengthens analog semiconductor leadership via Maxim acquisition

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 -- Analog Devices Inc (ADI) and Maxim Integrated Products Inc have entered into a definitive agreement, under which ADI will acquire Maxim in an all stock transaction that values the combined enterprise at over US$68 billion. (US$1 = RM4.268)

The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, will strengthen ADI as an analog semiconductor leader with increased breadth and scale across multiple attractive end markets.

Under terms of the agreement, Maxim stockholders will receive 0.63 of a share of ADI common stock for each share of Maxim common stock they hold at the closing of the transaction.

According to a statement, upon closing, current ADI stockholders will own approximately 69 per cent of the combined company, while Maxim stockholders will own about 31 per cent.

The transaction is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganisation for the United States (US) federal income tax purposes.

Upon closing, two Maxim directors will join ADI’s Board of Directors, including Maxim President and Chief Executive Officer, Tunç Doluca.

The transaction is expected to close in the summer of 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of US and certain non-US regulatory approvals, and approval by stockholders of both companies.

Morgan Stanley served as lead financial advisor to ADI. BofA Securities also served as financial advisor. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal counsel.

J.P. Morgan served as exclusive financial advisor to Maxim, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal counsel.

-- BERNAMA