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Qingdao, A Venture Capital City Is Rising Up

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The city rises, and capital moves towards “new”!

QINGDAO, China, May 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On May 28th, with the theme of “Venture and Capital for a New Era Innovation and Entrepreneurship for a Brighter Future “, the “2024 Qingdao Venture Capital Conference “, hosted by the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government and co-organized by CVINFO, opened at the Shangri-La Hotel in Qingdao. The one-and-a-half-day conference, which combines online and offline formats, has gathered more than a hundred industry experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs from internationally renowned investment banks and leading venture capital and private equity institutions to discuss the opportunities and future of capital and to activate new drivers for high-quality development.

A Conference with High “Gold Content”

In 2019, Qingdao set the goal of building a venture capital and private equity center and tailored the venture capital and private equity conference as a platform for gathering high-quality financial resources. Over the past five years, the influence of the conference has been continuously increasing and has become an important window for the venture capital and private equity industry to pay attention to the development of Qingdao.

Compared with the previous five sessions, this session of the 2024 Qingdao Venture Capital Conference has higher “gold content”.

Introducing a high “gold content” policy package.

Leveraging the advantages of policy transmission, innovation, and inclusiveness, we have made efforts to plan and layout the “five major articles”, enabling more accurate empowerment of scientific and technological innovation, which is the “best solution” for capital to serve the real economy.

For this reason, at this conference, the “Qingdao Further Support for the High-Quality Development of the Financial Industry Policy Measures” and the “Several Policies on Strengthening the Joint Linkage of Fiscal and Financial Support for the High-Quality Development of the Whole City” were released, aiming at the goal of “building a strong financial city”, further optimizing the policy environment, and contributing to the high-quality development of the whole city.

The two newly formulated policy systems are comprehensive in content, extensive in coverage, highlight key points, and have strong competitiveness, which will further promote the “two-way rush” between the city and capital power, and the “two-wing flight” of industry and new quality productive forces development. Enable venture capital and private equity institutions to invest successfully, thrive, and reap rewards in Qingdao.”

The landing of high “gold content” projects once again demonstrates Qingdao’s sincerity and confidence in attracting and serving high-quality development through project introduction and landing services.

At the conference, the Qingdao Municipal Government signed a strategic cooperation agreement with CICC, using the project resources and professional advantages of the leading investment bank to focus on major strategies, key areas, and major projects, providing comprehensive financial services, contributing to the development of Qingdao’s capital market and economic social development.

Focus on high-quality project signing to build a modern industrial system in Qingdao.

For example, Capital Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Shandong Energy Group, has established a 7 billion yuan technology industry fund, helping expand the new development pattern of industrial investment in Qingdao; New energy vehicle new power millet Xiaomi fund invested in Qingdao Yunlu New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Upgrading industry level in Qingdao; Hisense Group’s fund manager completed the registration, marking the full coverage of direct investment platforms for large enterprises in Qingdao.

A Conference with a Strong “Vane” Color

The “vane” color of this session of the venture capital and private equity conference is more intense.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on April 30 proposed that it is necessary to develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, strengthen the layout of national strategic scientific and technological forces, cultivate and expand emerging industries, advance the layout and construction of future industries, and use advanced technology to empower the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. It is necessary to actively develop venture capital and expand patient capital.

In terms of actively cultivating emerging industries and future industries, the 2024 Government Work Report proposes to “encourage the development of venture capital and equity investment, and optimize the function of industrial investment funds”.

The Central Economic Work Conference held in 2023 proposed to “encourage the development of venture capital and equity investment”. When explaining the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference in detail, the relevant responsible comrade of the Central Finance Office said: “It is necessary to encourage the development of venture capital and equity investment, and support long-term capital and patient capital to invest more in scientific and technological innovation. “

How can capital empower new quality productivity? How to cultivate more patient capital, guests attending this forum expressed their opinions and offered solutions respectively.

Tu Guangshao, Executive Director of Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, brought a keynote speech on “Global Industrial Chain Restructuring and New Opportunities for China’s Industrial Economy”; Chen Wenling, Chief Economist, Executive Deputy Director, and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of China Center for International Economic Exchanges, shared wonderful insights on “Developing New Quality Productivity and Promoting Sustainable Development”; Du Pengfei, Party Committee Member and Management Committee Member of China International Capital Corporation Limited, expressed wonderful views on “Practice and Thinking of Capital Investment”.

In addition, Zhang Wei, Chairman of CoStone Capital, and Zheng Weihe, Chairman and Founding Partner of Cowin Capital, and other heads of domestic leading venture capital institutions elaborated on the development of the innovation system and the capital market, the innovation and development of China’s equity investment, and the acceleration of the construction of Qingdao’s venture capital and private equity ecology.

The guests generally believe that through efficient financial empowerment of new quality productivity, it is not only an important part of deepening the reform of the Supply-side Structural but also an important action to implement the spirit of the Central Financial Work Conference. In the process of accelerating the cultivation and development of new quality productivity, science and technology are equally important, and actively developing venture capital and jointly growing patient capital is the key to the transformation and development of the financial industry towards the new and the real.

In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the Central Committee on actively cultivating and building a financial culture with Chinese characteristics, and actively practice the requirements of the financial culture with Chinese characteristics in the field of equity investment, combined with the characteristics and cultural connotation requirements of the equity investment field, the 2024 Qingdao Venture Capital and Private Equity Conference also initiated the “Initiative for the Construction of Chinese Equity Investment Culture” in the Chinese venture capital and private equity field for the first time, calling for the promotion of industry cultural connotation and the strengthening of the standard requirements for industry development.

A Conference to Create a High-Quality Capital Matrix

A high-quality capital matrix is the basic “base” for serving new quality productivity.

For a city, in a high-quality capital matrix, the government’s guiding fund with the effect of “lifting a thousand pounds with four taels” is indispensable, and one of its missions is to highlight the policy guidance function, guiding funds to flow to key technical fields that the market dares not invest in and where there is a large demand for funds, cultivating emerging industries and future industries, and filling the long-term capital gap.

On the afternoon of May 28, the 2024 Government Guidance Fund Ecological Conference, led by the Municipal Finance Bureau and the Municipal Guidance Fund Trusteeship Management Agency, was grandly held. More than a hundred well-known investment institutions, business representatives and industry experts gathered together to link the guidance funds through the conference. Various cooperative institutions and resource parties held discussions around the development direction of venture capital and equity investment, the virtuous cycle of government-guided funds, and the development of new quality productivity in venture capital and venture capital services, and conducted in-depth discussions on the fundraising, investment, and development of venture capital and venture capital industries. The core issues faced by management and withdrawal of various chains, and interpretation of the current status and development direction of key industries and hot spots.

In addition, the conference also cooperated with the city’s listed emerging industry professional parks to carry out project roadshows, organized on-site reviews of venture capital and venture capital institutions, expanded the influence of high-quality enterprises, smoothed the two-way docking channels for funds and project investment and financing, and led the venture capital to inject vitality into the fertile industrial soil. , connect industrial clusters and promote high-quality economic development.

At the conference, CVINFO also used the outstanding investment institutions’ establishment of funds, investment projects and project exit results in Qingdao in the past three years as a benchmark to discover and commend outstanding investors who have made outstanding contributions to the construction of Qingdao’s international venture capital and venture capital center. Partners, attract more outstanding investors to become Qingdao city partners, and provide a reference for Qingdao to build a high-quality capital matrix.

It is worth mentioning that this conference actively advocates the practice of green investment concepts and uses digital RMB payment to purchase the carbon emission reductions of Qingdao’s carbon inclusive platform “lcago” to neutralize this venture capital investment. The carbon emissions generated in transportation, catering, accommodation, conference affairs, etc. during the conference have achieved a “zero-carbon conference” and provided a reference for enterprises and financial institutions to serve green and low-carbon development.

Capital empowers industry, new quality drives development. In this warm season, let’s turn our attention to the 2024 Qingdao Venture Capital Conference.

 

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SOURCE CVINFO

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Brightstar Lottery Receives Highest MSCI ESG Rating of AAA

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LONDON, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Brightstar Lottery PLC (NYSE: BRSL) (“Brightstar”) announced that it received the highest MSCI ESG rating of AAA. This rating exemplifies Brightstar’s commitment to global sustainability leadership in managing ESG-related risks and opportunities. Brightstar received a perfect score for carbon emissions and high scores in the product safety and quality category.

“Receiving the MSCI AAA ESG rating in Brightstar’s first year as a pure-play lottery company highlights our commitment to making sustainability practices a priority throughout our business,” said Wendy Montgomery, Brightstar SVP, Branding, Communications and Sustainability. “This rating from MSCI serves as motivation to continue our work building a sustainable future where our people, our partners, and our planet can thrive.”

MSCI ESG Ratings measure a company’s resilience to long-term, industry-specific sustainability risks using a rules-based methodology. MSCI analysts research and rate companies on a ‘AAA’ (leader) to ‘CCC’ (laggard) scale based on their exposure to and management of these risks relative to peers.

MSCI Sustainability and Climate products and services are provided by MSCI Solutions LLC and certain related entities, and are designed to provide in-depth research, ratings and analysis of environmental, social and governance related business practices to companies worldwide. ESG ratings, data and analysis from MSCI Sustainability and Climate are also used in the construction of MSCI Indexes.

Brightstar received its MSCI ESG rating on March 23, 2026.

About Brightstar Lottery PLC
Brightstar Lottery PLC (NYSE: BRSL) is a global leader in lottery focused on innovation and forward-thinking strategies and solutions, building on our renowned expertise in delivering secure technology and producing reliable, comprehensive solutions for our customers. As a premier pure play global lottery company, our best-in-class lottery operations, retail and digital solutions, and award-winning lottery games enable our customers to achieve their goals, entertain players and distribute meaningful benefits to communities. Brightstar has a well-established local presence and is a trusted partner to governments and regulators around the world, creating value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. Brightstar serves nearly 90 lottery customers and their players on six continents. It is the primary technology provider to 26 of the 46 lottery jurisdictions in the U.S. and eight of the world’s 10 largest lotteries. Brightstar has approximately 6,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.brightstarlottery.com or follow along on LinkedIn.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning Brightstar Lottery PLC and its consolidated subsidiaries and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions, and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, products and services, customer relationships, results of operations, or financial condition, or otherwise, including specific sustainability goals, based on current beliefs of the management of the Company as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “shall,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project” or the negative or other variations of them. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company’s control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those predicted in the forward-looking statements and from past results, performance, or achievements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) macroeconomic, regulatory and political uncertainty, including as a result of new or increased tariffs, trade wars, and other restrictions on trade between or among countries in which the Company operates, and related changes in discretionary consumer spending and behavior, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, and the other factors and risks described in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed or furnished from time to time with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at www.brightstarlottery.com. Except as required under applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider these factors and other risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company’s business. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company, or persons acting on its behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Contact:
Mike DeAngelis, Corporate Communications, +1 (401) 392-1000, mike.deangelis@brightstarlottery.com
Matteo Selva, Italian media inquiries, +39 366 6803635
James Hurley, Investor Relations, +1 (401) 392-7190

© 2026 Brightstar Lottery PLC

The trademarks and/or service marks used herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Brightstar Lottery PLC, its affiliates or its licensors.

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SOURCE Brightstar Lottery PLC

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CNFinance Files Annual Report on Form 20-F for Fiscal Year 2025

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GUANGZHOU, China, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CNFinance Holdings Limited (NYSE: CNF) (“CNFinance” or the “Company”), a leading home equity loan service provider in China, today announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 30, 2026.

The annual report can be accessed on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.cashchina.cn as well as the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov

The Company will provide a hard copy of its annual report, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests should be directed to the Company’s IR Department at ir@cashchina.cn

About CNFinance Holdings Limited

CNFinance Holdings Limited (NYSE: CNF) (“CNFinance” or the “Company”) is a leading home equity loan service provider in China. CNFinance, through its operating subsidiaries in China, conducts business by connecting demands and supplies through collaborating with sales partners and trust companies under the trust lending model, and sales partners, local channel partners and commercial banks under the commercial bank partnership model. Sales partners and local channel partners are responsible for recommending micro- and small-enterprise (“MSE”) owners with financing needs to the Company and the Company introduces eligible borrowers to licensed financial institutions with sufficient funding sources including trust companies and commercial banks who will then conduct their own risk assessments and make credit decisions. The Company’s primary target borrower segment is MSE owners who own real properties in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities and other major cities in China. The Company’s risk mitigation mechanism is embedded in the design of its loan products, supported by an integrated online and offline process focusing on risks of both borrowers and collateral and further enhanced by effective post-loan management procedures.

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SOURCE CNFinance Holdings Limited

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Abram’s Kaizen Program Announces 10-Year Milestone in Online Health Coaching

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LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Abram’s Kaizen Program, an online health coaching program for women aged 35 and older, today announced that it has served more than 6,000 clients since its founding in 2014 and currently supports approximately 1,000 active members.

The program was founded by Abram Anderson, a nutritionist, published author and public speaker who developed the company’s methodology after investing, by his account, more than $200,000 in direct mentorship from practitioners in behaviour change, gut health and women’s hormonal health. Abram’s Kaizen Program focuses on women navigating perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause — a demographic the company says is often overlooked by mainstream weight management programs.

“A lot of women in this age group come to us after trying multiple approaches that didn’t produce the results they were looking for,” said Abram Anderson, Founder of Abram’s Kaizen Program. “Our program offers a different framework. Whether it’s the right fit depends on the individual, but the demand we’ve seen over the past decade tells us there’s a gap in the market.”

Abram’s Kaizen Program uses what the company calls a “Data-Driven Decision” methodology — an approach adapted from the Japanese manufacturing principle of kaizen, or continuous improvement. Rather than prescribing standardised meal plans, clients are guided to track how their bodies respond to specific foods. Monitoring energy levels, digestive patterns and weight fluctuations and use that information to make individualised dietary adjustments.

The program places emphasis on gut microbiome health and hormonal balance, which the company considers relevant factors in weight management for its target demographic. Research published in Frontiers in Nutrition has explored the relationship between gut microbiota composition and metabolic health, including the role of low-grade inflammation.

Program members receive access to a custom mobile application, a support chat with responses guaranteed within 24 hours, optional access to over 20 live coaching calls per week with nutritionists, a year-long curriculum, and an AI coaching assistant. “The goal is for clients to build habits they can sustain on their own,” said Abram Anderson. “We want people to eventually graduate from the program, not stay in it indefinitely.”

About Abram’s Kaizen Program

Abram’s Kaizen Program is an online health coaching program for women aged 35 and older. Founded in 2014 by nutritionist and published author Abram Anderson, the program uses a personalised, data-informed approach with a focus on gut health and hormonal balance. The program has served more than 6,000 clients and currently supports approximately 1,000 active members. For more information, visit abramskmtp.com

Media Details:

Company Name: Abram’s Kaizen Program
Founder: Abram Anderson
Email Contact: media@abramskmtp.com
Company Website: https://www.abramskmtp.com/
Location: Los Angeles, United States

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