Technology

Hugosave Empowers Muslim Community with Shariah-Compliant Financial Solutions

Published

3 years ago

February 26, 2024

SINGAPORE, Feb. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Singapore-based Wealthcare® and savings app Hugosave® announced that it is now jointly certified Shariah Compliant by a consortium led by Islamic Finance Singapore, Ustaz Kamal Mokhtar, S Tradition Pte Ltd, and Masryef Sdn Bhd.

In line with its dedication to fostering inclusivity and diversity within the financial sector, Hugosave has meticulously ensured that its offerings align with the principles of Islamic law, offering Muslim clients access to financial tools and additional avenues for investment opportunities grounded in their values and beliefs.

David Fergusson, Chief Executive Officer, Hugosave said, “Our vision has always been to build financially healthy and thriving communities, and this certification from the consortium of established Shariah advisory companies reinforces our commitment to the Muslim community in Singapore. This certification assures our Muslim clients that we are a trusted digital companion that is aligned with their faith. On a macro level, it is also Hugosave’s contribution to nation-building by promoting financial wellness across all segments of society.”

According to a 2022 report by the Islamic Corporation for the Development of Private Sector (ICD) and Refinitiv, Islamic financial assets grew to about $4 trillion from $2.17 trillion between 2015 and 2021, and are projected to rise to roughly $5.9 trillion by 2026[1]. This endorsement meets the growing demand from Muslim clients looking to manage their finances in accordance with their faith.

Ustaz Kamal Mokhtar, Chairman of the Shariah Consortium said, “Hugosave provides another avenue for Muslim investors to diversify their investment portfolio, especially in terms of gold investment. Gold is an important component of any investor’s portfolio due to its hedging mechanism against the volatility of the market. Global political uncertainties and the status and strength of the American dollar should make every investor consider increasing their gold portfolio. Historically since 1990 till 2020, gold prices have appreciated 360% which is about 18% annually. And the increasing demand for gold in the technology sector gives good potential for investing in gold. Hugosave provides a convenient platform for any investor to access the purchases of gold via an app. They could monitor the price of gold and make purchases from the convenience of their homes or offices.”

The six Shariah-compliant products offered by Hugosave include:

Hugosave Accounts: Savings in these accounts are safeguarded by a local bank.Hugosave Visa Platinum Debit Card: When a client spends with their Hugosave Debit Card, the transaction is rounded up to the nearest dollar and the excess is saved on their behalf, which is subsequently invested in a precious metal of their choice. This card has no annual fees and no minimum income requirement. When used overseas at millions of merchants worldwide, only Visa’s currency conversion applies.Hugosave Money Pots: Clients can set short-, medium-, or long-term savings goals and create automated saving and investing schedules to help achieve them.Hugosave Precious Metals: Clients can buy and sell physical gold, platinum, and silver, with a minimum investment as low as S$0.01. This feature provides clients with a live view of the value and gains of their investments, allowing them to make informed financial decisions by tracking market trends and investment performance in real time.Hugosave Trust: Hugosave has democratised access to a free trust service. With no fees and minimum income, clients can protect their legacy through Trustbox via a licensed trust service provider. This empowers customers to exercise greater control and flexibility over their assets, with the assurance that their wealth and assets are well-protected.Hugosave Rewards Centre: Clients are rewarded with sure-win spins when they reach specific milestones.

Hugosave serves as the digital companion, supporting individuals on their Wealthcare journey. The personal finance and savings app offers a comprehensive suite of financial products that helps everyone to make smarter spending choices, save for their goals and invest diligently.

“Hugosave is leading the charge in its field by adhering to Shariah standards, marking a significant and pioneering move that pushes the boundaries of Islamic finance in Singapore. Their bold and commendable decision to ensure their products comply with Shariah principles sets a new standard for innovation and inclusivity in the financial industry. This move highlights their commitment to alternative-ethical finance and opens up new avenues for growth and development within our community. IFSG is hopeful that Hugosave’s initiative will inspire other companies to embrace the principles of Shariah compliance, thereby enriching Singapore’s financial landscape with a variety of ethical and inclusive financial solutions.” said Ustaz Zul Hakim, Co-Chair of the Shariah Consortium.

“There is much confusion in navigating the current financial offerings and investments for Muslims in Singapore. Hugosave helps to simplify them and offer solutions in a Shariah-compliant manner. Acquiring, preserving and growing wealth is part of the objectives of Shariah. Although wealth is not an end in itself, it is a means for Muslims to live their lives, fulfil their responsibilities and prosper in this world with the blessings from the Allah SWT the All Mighty. Hugosave helps App users manage their finances, provide a payment solution, facilitate savings via gold and other precious metals, and perform investments in ETFs. All in a worry-free App (under its Shariah-compliant tab) suitable for Muslims.” added Ustaz Aminuddin Abu Bakar, representing S Tradition Pte Ltd.

Ustaz Hamrey Mohamad, representing Masryef Sdn Bhd emphasised, “Hugosave offers innovative financial solutions designed to empower you in achieving your financial goals while adhering to the core of Islamic Principles & Values. With their commitment to Shariah-compliant practices, you can invest with confidence and peace of mind to ensure halal income, insya Allah!”

Since its launch in 2021, Hugosave has been Singapore’s leading Wealthcare companion with more than 70,000 clients optimising their finances and building healthy financial habits through the app.

For more information about Hugosave, please visit www.hugosave.com.

Syahmi Aziz, 34 years old Singaporean, Senior Sales Executive and client of Hugosave, “As a Hugosave client since 2021, navigating rising costs has made me conscious of finding ways to improve and strengthen my financial well-being. I’m excited to hear that Hugosave’s products are now Shariah-compliant as it widens the range of financial tools and investment options available in Singapore that are in accordance with Shariah principles for Muslims This endorsement assures me that Hugosave is not just a reliable personal finance and savings tool but also one that aligns with my faith.”

About Atlas Consolidated Pte Ltd

Atlas Consolidated Pte Ltd was established in December 2019 by financial and technological stalwarts David Fergusson, Karl Franks, Braham Djidjelli and Surya Tamada. Atlas Consolidated holds a Visa Principal Member Issuing Licence, and received licensing approval to operate as a Major Payment Institution [PS20200550] from the Monetary Authority of Singapore in April 2022 and Regulated Precious Metals Dealers Certification [PS20200001983] from the Ministry of Law, Singapore in August 2021.

About Hugosave

Launched in July 2021, Hugosave is Singapore’s first Wealthcare® app and all-in-one personal finance account which aims to elevate lives by helping consumers to spend smarter, save more, and invest diligently, starting with gold. Today, more than 65,000 customers in Singapore are using Hugosave to optimise their finances. Since its launch, the app has won multiple awards including Consumer Finance Product of the Year and Financial Inclusion Initiative of the Year 2023 for Singapore at the Retail Banking Awards 2023 by Asian Banking & Finance.

Hugosave is owned and operated by Atlas Consolidated Pte Ltd and is a certified member of the Singapore FinTech Association. Atlas Consolidated holds a Visa Principal Member Issuing Licence, and received licensing approval to operate as a Major Payment Institution [PS20200550] from the Monetary Authority of Singapore in April 2022 and Regulated Precious Metals Dealers Certification [PS20200001983] from the Ministry of Law, Singapore in August 2021. Hugosave is jointly certified Shariah Compliant by a consortium led by Islamic Finance Singapore, Ustaz Kamal Mokhtar, S Tradition Pte Ltd, and Masryef Sdn Bhd in February 2024.

IFSG is an ecosystem builder dedicated to championing Islamic Finance initiatives in Singapore.

About Ustaz Kamal Mokhtar

He was appointed as a member of the Shariah Committee of Maybank Islamic on 1 September 2015. He graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with a B.Sc. in Zoology and Botany. He obtained his Diploma in Arabic Language from the Islamic University of Medina (Saudi Arabia). Proceeded in the Faculty of Hadith and graduated with a BA (Hons.) in Hadith and Islamic Studies. Additionally, he graduated from the Shari’a Advisory Training Program jointly conducted by the Singapore Islamic Scholars & Religious Teachers Association (PERGAS) and the International Institute of Islamic Finance (IIIF). He holds a Master of Science (Finance) from the International University of Malaysia (IIUM). He is the Chairman of Bedok Cooperative and a Board member of Warees Halal Limited. He serves as a Shariah Committee member for Basil Fund, a private Real Estate Investment fund based in Singapore since 2012 and Shariah Advisor at Ar Rahnu Singapore. Additionally, Ustaz Kamal serves as an Associate Member of the Fatwa Council of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore (MUIS) to discuss contemporary matters concerning the general Muslim public in Singapore. He is also a member of the Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB) Committee of Future Asatizah of MUIS and PERGAS, a member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars and the Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance (ASAS).

About Ustaz Zul Hakim Jumat

Zul Hakim Jumat is a seasoned researcher with over ten years of comprehensive academic and professional expertise in the Islamic finance field. As a dedicated researcher at the Center of Islamic Economics and Finance (CIEF), he has notably published co-edited monographs, including “Islamic Finance and Circular Economy” and “Islamic Finance, FinTech, and the Road to Sustainability.” Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Jurisprudence and Principles of Jurisprudence, with an Economics minor from Kuwait University (2015), and an M.Sc. with honours in Islamic Finance from HBKU (2018), he is also an AAOIFI Certified Shari’ah Advisor and Auditor (CSAA). Currently, he is furthering his education through a PhD in Islamic Finance and Economy at the College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Beyond his academic pursuits, Zul Hakim plays a crucial role as the Deputy Managing Director and is one of the founding members of Islamic Finance Singapore Ltd.

About Ustaz Aminuddin Abu Bakar

Aminuddin is currently the Principal Consultant for S Tradition, a boutique consultancy firm in the Islamic Finance industry. He was part of the senior management team for Kuwait Finance House Malaysia (KFHMB), having served as Vice President and Head of its Shariah Division. He holds a degree in Islamic Law (Shariah) from Al-Azhar University (Cairo) and has an International Executive MBA from the University of Strathclyde, UK (with Distinction). He is appointed as a Shariah Committee member for HSBC Amanah (Malaysia) and Financial Shariah Advisory and Consultancy (FSAC) in Singapore. He is a certified Shariah advisor and auditor (CSAA) by the Auditing and Accounting Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), a Certified Shariah Advisor and member of the Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance (ASAS) and a registered Shariah Adviser at Securities Commission Malaysia. He has nearly two decades of working experience in the areas of Shariah, Islamic finance and socio-religious development.

About Ustaz Hamrey

Ustaz Hamrey is a Certified Shariah Advisor & Auditor (AAOIFI) and a Chartered Islamic Finance Professional (INCEIF) majoring in Islamic Finance & Banking and also a graduate of Al-Azhar University, Cairo. He currently serves as a resource person for Islamic Finance Singapore (IFSG) which is a one-stop platform to address any Islamic finance and investment-related needs of the local Muslim community by combining the efforts and strengths of finance professionals and Shariah scholars.

[1] Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) – Refinitiv, Islamic Finance Development Report 2022: Embracing Change, 2022

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SOURCE Hugosave

Technology

The Inner Circle acknowledges Daniel Beer as a Pinnacle Professional Member Inner Circle of Excellence

Published

56 minutes ago

September 8, 2026

NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Daniel Beer is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Professional Member Inner Circle of Excellence for his contributions to Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

Daniel Beer has built a distinguished career as a technology executive, entrepreneur, and innovator dedicated to helping organizations harness technology to achieve sustainable growth and meaningful collaboration. As founder and chief executive officer of Trusted Associates and chief executive officer of Freeman and Clarke Inc., he leads initiatives that combine strategic technology leadership with emerging innovations in artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

Mr. Beer specializes in information technology strategy, platform development, organizational modernization, digital infrastructure, and fractional chief information officer and chief technology officer services. Through Freeman and Clarke Inc., he provides executive technology leadership that enables organizations to align technology investments with long term business objectives. At Trusted Associates, he focuses on developing collaborative technology platforms, cultivating strategic partnerships, creating innovative applications, and making investments in artificial intelligence companies that advance practical, real world solutions.

Mr. Beer earned a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Sydney in 1997 before completing an equivalency certification for a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Science through the University of Maryland in 2012. His unique educational background combines creativity with technical expertise, allowing him to approach technology challenges with both analytical precision and innovative thinking.

Throughout his career, Mr. Beer has consistently demonstrated visionary leadership. He founded Techknowledgy Group at the age of 20 and successfully grew the company into a respected managed services provider over a fifteen year period. Later, as Chief Information Officer for the New York Hotel Trades Council, he led the modernization of the organization’s information systems and digital infrastructure, significantly improving operational efficiency and technology capabilities. Today, he continues expanding his influence through leadership roles with Trusted Associates, Freeman and Clarke Inc., and as an investor and advisory board member for Relate Research and Technology Company.

His professional accomplishments have earned recognition through inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives, honoring his leadership, innovation, and contributions to the field of information technology.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Mr. Beer enjoys singing in church choirs, supporting personal development programs, and participating in animal rescue efforts, including fostering and rescuing dogs alongside his family. He credits the mentors who invested in his growth without expecting anything in return for shaping both his leadership philosophy and his commitment to serving others.

Looking ahead, Mr. Beer plans to continue advancing technology solutions that promote global collaboration while pursuing initiatives that improve literacy, raise awareness of neurodiversity, reduce incarceration rates, and create opportunities that benefit society as a whole. He remains committed to using innovation as a force for positive change.

Guided by his W5 philosophy, Mr. Beer believes true success is measured by helping others succeed. Through collaboration, communication, service, and innovation, he continues to build organizations and technologies that create lasting value for clients, communities, and future generations.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, editorialteam@continentalwhoswho.com

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SOURCE The Inner Circle

Technology

Thoma Bravo Announces Strategic Growth Investment in Tanda

Published

56 minutes ago

September 8, 2026

Investment to accelerate Tanda’s product innovation and global growth

BRISBANE, Australia and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Thoma Bravo, the world’s largest software-focused investment firm, today announced a strategic growth investment in Tanda, a leading workforce management, payroll and HR platform for shift-based workers. Thoma Bravo’s investment will support Tanda’s continued product innovation, including the company’s AI roadmap and its expansion into new markets. Tanda’s co-founders will remain significant shareholders and will continue to lead the company, with Jake Phillpot remaining Chief Executive Officer. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Tanda is the market leader in workforce management for shift-based employers, serving approximately 8,000 businesses globally across hospitality, retail, quick-service restaurants, healthcare and other frontline industries. Tanda’s integrated workforce management platform combines employee recruiting, onboarding, rostering, time and attendance, gross wage calculations and payroll on a single codebase. This natively built product suite enables employers in complex, highly regulated markets to manage compliance and ensure employees are paid accurately. Trusted by thousands of organizations, Tanda’s platform powers the daily operations of some of the most demanding frontline businesses in the world.

“Taking on an investor was a very big decision for Tanda,” said Jake Phillpot, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Tanda. “We’ve been a bootstrapped company with no outside capital since we were founded 14 years ago. What started as an idea when we were still housemates at university has become a global business that we have built without taking shortcuts. Through a lot of hard work, we have market-leading products, growing market share and so much more room to grow. We thought the time was right to take on our first investor.”

“Thoma Bravo was the obvious choice as our financial partner,” Phillpot continued. “They understand software at an extraordinary level, have spent decades helping companies like ours scale and share our ambition for what Tanda can become. By partnering with the world’s number one software investor, we intend to become the global category leader in our space. Most importantly, the things that make Tanda precious won’t change. The founders will still come to work every day, and we’ll still obsess over how we can make our products better for our customers.”

“Managing and compensating employees accurately is a fundamental obligation of all employers, yet it remains a universal challenge, particularly for businesses with shift-based employees,” said Carl Press, a Partner at Thoma Bravo. “Employers are frustrated by a patchwork of legacy systems that cannot address their complex needs and expose them to operational and legal risks. Jake and his co-founders identified this problem and built Tanda from the ground up with customers and their employees at the center of every product decision. In doing so, they’ve laid the groundwork to become the definitive AI-native workforce management solution in the shift-based economy. We couldn’t be more thrilled to help them drive the next chapter of accelerated growth and innovation.”

“Tanda has everything we look for in an investment: market leadership, a fiercely loyal customer base and a product-first founding team with deep domain expertise,” said Adam Kinalski, a Principal at Thoma Bravo. “Jake and his co-founders have built a rare business that matches strong product-market fit with exceptional operational execution. We’re excited to partner with them on their mission to make Tanda the global standard in workforce management and payroll software for shift-based employers.”

Barrenjoey Advisory Pty Ltd is serving as financial advisor to Tanda, and SBA Law is serving as legal counsel. Piper Sandler & Co. is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Thoma Bravo, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Allens are serving as legal counsel.

About Thoma Bravo
Thoma Bravo is the world’s largest software-focused investment firm, with approximately $170 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2026. Partnering with some of the world’s most sophisticated investors, Thoma Bravo’s private equity and private credit platforms reflect a focused investment strategy, supported by disciplined execution, deep sector expertise and leadership continuity. Over the past 20-plus years, Thoma Bravo has acquired or invested in approximately 600 software and technology companies, representing more than $325 billion of aggregate enterprise value (including control and non-control investments, as well as add-on acquisitions). Learn more at thomabravo.com and on LinkedIn.

About Tanda
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, Tanda (operating internationally as Workforce.com) is an all-in-one payroll, HR and workforce management system for businesses with shift-based and hourly workforces. Tanda’s platform brings rostering, time and attendance, award interpretation, compliance, payroll and HR onboarding together in a single system, helping employers in hospitality, retail, healthcare and other frontline industries schedule efficiently and pay employees accurately. The company serves thousands of customers across Australia, North America, the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia. For more information, visit tanda.co.

For Thoma Bravo

Abby Farr
Vice President, Communications & Marketing
+1 646-957-2067
afarr@thomabravo.com

For Tanda

Georgie Pollok
Head of Marketing
media@tanda.com.au

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SOURCE Thoma Bravo

Technology

PeerTrust Launches Public Service to Evaluate Citation Integrity and Scientific Due Diligence Beyond Citation Counts

Published

56 minutes ago

September 8, 2026

New “Know Your Scientist” tool allows insurance carriers, universities, research funders, and science investors to inspect citation accumulation patterns and network anomalies.

FREDERICK, Md., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PeerTrust is now publicly available at PeerTrust.Report, giving science stakeholders a way to examine unusual patterns in the citation record behind a researcher’s scholarly profile.

Citations influence hiring, funding, promotion, institutional rankings, and decisions about scientific partnerships. Yet those decisions often rely on how frequently a scientist has been cited, with little scrutiny of where those citations came from or how the surrounding network developed.

PeerTrust introduces Know Your Scientist (KYS), researcher-level scientific due diligence based on public scholarly records. The service examines three distinct anomaly types:

Coauthor Network Concentration: Unusual concentration of citation activity within a researcher’s coauthor network.Reciprocal Citation Relationships: Repeated reciprocal citation relationships.Publication Velocity: Abrupt changes in publication output.

PeerTrust weighs these signals and produces an evidence-oriented report for human review.

“PeerTrust tells decision makers where unusual citation structures appear and gives them evidence they can inspect,” said Bassem Kadry, Chief Innovation Officer at ScienceWerx. “What that evidence means still requires context and human judgment.”

An unusual pattern is not a finding of misconduct. Close scientific collaboration, consortium publishing, changes in team size, or rapid growth in research activity can all produce legitimate anomalies. PeerTrust is designed to identify records that warrant closer examination, not to infer intent or assign guilt.

Computational Reproducibility Benchmark

The system has also undergone a computational reproducibility benchmark using a deliberately citation-enriched cohort of researchers identified through exceptionally highly cited recent publications. A separate team reimplemented the public PeerTrust methodology in Python and compared its results with the production system using identical preserved bibliographic evidence.

Both implementations returned the same final PeerTrust classification for all 260 researchers that could be scored. Across the complete set of benchmarked outputs, 258 of 260 cases matched exactly. The two remaining cases contained small numerical differences that did not change their classifications.

In the deliberately difficult test cohort, 116 of the 260 scored researchers received an ELEVATED or HIGH PeerTrust classification. The cohort was specifically constructed around unusually strong recent citation visibility to stress-test the system and cannot estimate how common citation manipulation or research misconduct is among scientists generally.

“Scientific due diligence often stops at publication and citation counts,” said Khalid Saqr of KNOWDYN. “If those numbers influence funding, appointments and partnerships, organizations should be able to examine the structure behind them before making consequential decisions.”

PeerTrust’s methodology separates automated anomaly detection from human judgment. The system organizes bibliometric evidence for review; it does not replace expert assessment, institutional investigation, or due process.

About PeerTrust & Next Steps

PeerTrust is a transatlantic joint initiative of ScienceWerx and KNOWDYN. The public service is live now at peertrust.report. PeerTrust is moving next into API access and institutional deployment and is identifying insurers, universities, research funders, investors, research-intelligence, and research-integrity organizations interested in bringing Know Your Scientist into existing review and scientific due-diligence workflows.

About ScienceWerx, Inc.

ScienceWerx was born from a simple yet powerful observation: countless groundbreaking scientific discoveries remain trapped in academic journals and laboratories, unable to make a real-world impact. The gap between brilliant research and market-ready solutions represents a massive loss of potential for humanity.

About KNOWDYN LTD

KNOWDYN LTD is an Intellectual Property (IP) custodian and licensor. The company is registered in England and Wales and operates in 17 countries across the Americas, Europe, and East Asia.

Website: peertrust.report

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SOURCE ScienceWerx