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Ajinomoto Co. Launches Silicon Valley CVC HQ to Grow U.S. Investments, Adds New Portfolios

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TOKYO, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (“Ajinomoto Co.”), the Japan-based multinational corporation covering food, healthcare and electronic materials, and built on “AminoScience,” (*) has expanded its corporate venture capital (CVC) arm with new U.S. headquarters to grow its investments in U.S. and global companies. The aim is to back innovators in the company’s four growth areas, “Healthcare,” “Food & Wellness,” “ICT,” and “Green.”

(*) “AminoScience” is a collective term for the various materials, functions, technologies, and services derived from research and implementation processes with a rigorous focus on the functions of amino acids. It also refers to the Ajinomoto Group’s unique scientific approach to connect these findings and services to help resolve social issues and contribute to well-being.

Ajinomoto Co.’s New CVC arm in Silicon Valley: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107658/202402066250/_prw_PI1fl_VEc6o2a8.jpg

With its new team in Silicon Valley, the CVC arm will strengthen its funding and partnership support to startups while driving growth across the Ajinomoto Group’s food, healthcare, and electronic material business verticals. Portfolio entrepreneurs will gain access to Ajinomoto Co.’s technology expertise in advanced ingredient and material research as well as manufacturing capabilities from fermentation to biopharma CDMOs (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations).

The CVC arm has been actively deploying capital with new fund-on-fund and direct investments. Its growing portfolio now includes Translink Capital — a U.S.-based early-stage venture capital firm investing in semiconductors, mobility, AI, healthcare, robotics, and sustainability. The CVC arm has also made its first semiconductor investment in Elephantech — a manufacturing technology company advancing metal inkjet printed circuit boards as a more sustainable production process.

“Ajinomoto is built by scientists and engineers who execute on bold innovative ideas, and we believe there is no better place than Silicon Valley for us to keep our innovation edge sharp and find shared growth opportunities with entrepreneurs,” says Shunji Takehana, the U.S.-based General Manager of the CVC arm.

For the 115-year-old company, the new focus on startup partnerships is crucial for its next growth phase, as outlined in its recently published 2030 roadmap. Ajinomoto Co. intends to amplify its impact beyond food and nutrition and drive growth in other business segments that contribute to society and planet, specifically in healthcare and information & communications technology.

In healthcare, Ajinomoto Co. has a growing product portfolio that includes a biopharma CDMO as well as growth factors and culture media for a variety of drug manufacturing. In semiconductors, Ajinomoto Co. is a pioneer of film-based circuit insulation technology that has become a benchmark component in today’s computers.

For further information please visit Ajinomoto Corporate Venture Capital’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ajinomoto-cvc/mycompany/ 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ajinomoto-co-launches-silicon-valley-cvc-hq-to-grow-us-investments-adds-new-portfolios-302060136.html

SOURCE Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

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2026 Canton Fair Design Award Winners Showcase China’s Innovation Strength

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the 140th Canton Fair opens, the winners of the 2026 Canton Fair Design Award (CF Award) have also been announced. Winning products are now on display in Area D of the Canton Fair Complex, offering visitors a closer look at some of the latest advances in Chinese manufacturing and industrial design.

Among this year’s top honorees, a domestically developed high-performance sport motorcycle and an intelligent navigation capsule robot gastric endoscopy system received the Best of the Best Award, the competition’s highest recognition.

The Canton Fair also enhanced the visitor experience with a themed showcase area within the award exhibition. Built around four application-oriented concepts, namely Outdoor Pleasure, Smart Living, Cozy Home and Kitchen Elegance, the immersive displays demonstrate how innovative designs can be integrated into everyday life, helping visitors better understand the practical value behind these award-winning products.

This year, 4,218 products from 2,112 companies competed for the award. Following multiple rounds of evaluation, 222 products from 174 companies were selected.

The award-winning products reflect several key trends shaping the next stage of Chinese manufacturing. Innovation remains a defining theme, with breakthrough technologies ranging from upper limb motor function assistance and enhancement system to exoskeleton robots, underscoring the growing momentum of high-end manufacturing.

Meanwhile, intelligent technologies continue to gain traction across industries. Smart products account for more than 30% of this year’s winners, with AI-powered glasses, intelligent conference terminals and smart healthcare devices extending AI applications across home, office, medical and outdoor environments.

Sustainability is also becoming increasingly embedded throughout the product lifecycle. Green products represent over 40% of the winning entries, while innovations such as integrated energy-saving panels and sugarcane paper demonstrate how environmentally conscious practices are being incorporated into product design, materials selection and manufacturing processes.

Established in 2013, the Canton Fair Design Award is widely regarded as a benchmark for design innovation in China’s foreign trade sector. The award recognizes products that combine design excellence with commercial value, promoting the transformation and upgrading of Chinese manufacturing and supporting high-quality trade development. Entries are evaluated across five dimensions: innovation, quality, functionality, aesthetics and sustainability.

For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:
https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2026-canton-fair-design-award-winners-showcase-chinas-innovation-strength-302911954.html

SOURCE Canton Fair

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InstaMall Launches Same-Day Fashion Delivery Experience, Bringing 80+ Brands to Shoppers’ Doors in Miami

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First-of-its-kind shopping app pairs artificial intelligence with same-day delivery, bringing luxury
and contemporary brands directly to customers’ doorsteps 

Featured luxury and contemporary brands include AllSaints, John Varvatos and Aritzia

MIAMI, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — InstaMall, a first-of-its-kind shopping app offering same-day delivery and access to real-time inventory across luxury and contemporary fashion, launches today in Miami, Florida. Now available via iOS and Android, InstaMall provides access to more than 80 contemporary and luxury fashion brands across Miami’s five premier retail clusters, including Balmain, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Ganni, Coach, Diesel, Reformation, Aritzia, Cult Gaia, Prada and more. InstaMall will add more brands within the app in the coming weeks and seasons. 

Sitting at the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, InstaMall brings inspiration and purchase together through a more dynamic way to discover and shop for fashion. The experience combines access to luxury and contemporary brands with the convenience of same-day delivery, bringing the speed customers have come to expect across categories like food and groceries to fashion while maintaining the brand experience retailers and shoppers expect.

Within the app, customers will have access to InstaMall’s AI-powered stylist and virtual try-on features, making it easier to browse, discover and shop styles online. InstaMall’s AI Stylist serves as an intelligent shopping assistant that responds to customers’ preferences in real time. Customers can use the AI Stylist to receive product recommendations, build outfits, ask questions and discover new styles, while its virtual try-on feature allows them to visualize select items on themselves before making a purchase.

“InstaMall was founded on the belief that the convenience customers have come to expect from same-day delivery should extend to the way they shop for fashion,” said Elliot Aboud, Founder and CEO of InstaMall. “As fashion and technology continue to evolve together, we saw an opportunity to create a more seamless shopping experience that brings customers closer to the brands they love, combining a curated assortment, AI-powered styling and virtual try-on with the ease and convenience of same-day delivery.”

Prior to founding InstaMall, Elliot Aboud helped build the Aroma360 and Hotel Collection brands, overseeing the launch of the first retail store and expanding the retail footprint to more than 30 stores across the United States and two in Dubai. InstaMall is bringing fashion and luxury to the next generation with its seamless shopping experience and wide selection of brands.

Customers can download InstaMall through the Apple App Store or Google Play, or by going to instamall.co.

About InstaMall 

InstaMall is a same-day fashion shopping and discovery app reimagining how consumers shop for luxury and contemporary brands. Sitting at the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, InstaMall brings inspiration and purchase together in an experience that gives consumers a more dynamic way to discover and shop. Where on-demand delivery has long existed for categories like food and groceries, InstaMall brings that same convenience to luxury fashion for the first time, delivering the same day without compromising the brand experience fashion retailers and their customers expect. The company launched publicly in Miami on October 16, 2026, and plans to expand nationally. For more information, please visit instamall.co.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/instamall-launches-same-day-fashion-delivery-experience-bringing-80-brands-to-shoppers-doors-in-miami-302911889.html

SOURCE InstaMall

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PTC to Announce Fourth Fiscal Quarter and Full Year 2026 Results on Wednesday, November 4, 2026

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BOSTON, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PTC (NASDAQ: PTC) will release its fiscal 2026 fourth quarter and full year results on Wednesday, November 4th after the stock market closes. As previously announced on October 5th, 2026, PTC entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Schneider Electric. In light of the pending transaction, PTC is suspending quarterly earnings conference calls and is no longer providing quarterly or annual guidance.

The earnings press release and accompanying financial data tables will be accessible on the Investor Relations section of the company’s website at PTC Investor Relations.

About

PTC (NASDAQ: PTC) is a global software company that enables manufacturers and product companies to digitally transform how they design, manufacture, and service the physical products the world relies on. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PTC employs over 7,000 people and supports more than 30,000 customers globally. For more information, please visit www.ptc.com.

Investors

Michael Maguire
mmaguire@ptc.com
investor@ptc.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ptc-to-announce-fourth-fiscal-quarter-and-full-year-2026-results-on-wednesday-november-4-2026-302912229.html

SOURCE PTC Inc.

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