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35 Institutions Recognised for Excellence in Education and Innovation in the 2024 Anthology Catalyst Awards

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BOCA RATON, Fla., July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Anthology, the leading provider of education solutions that support the entire learner lifecycle, today announced the winners of the 2024 Catalyst Awards. The awards honour those driving innovation and excellence within higher education. Winners are recognised across 8 categories and selected by a cross-functional team of Anthology experts and represent the very best in their field.

This year, 35 winners were selected from among 108 nominees from institutions across 19 countries. Honourees will be recognised at the upcoming Anthology Together conference, one of the world’s largest EdTech conferences, taking place July 15-17 in Orlando, Florida.

“The Catalyst Awards celebrate what’s at the heart of higher education and technology – working together to drive student success. It’s inspiring to see the creative programmes and remarkable outcomes,” said Bruce Dahlgren, Chief Executive Officer at Anthology. “I am personally honoured to work with such an incredible community of innovators and educators as we partner together to deliver bold solutions to meet the needs of students and those who support them.”

The 2024 Anthology Catalyst Award winners by category:

Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness: This award recognises institutions that have successfully grown in their assessment practices and influenced positive behavioural changes using Anthology solutions.

Keiser University – Online Division, United States of America: The Online Academic Team – Sherry Olsen, Neha Prakash, and Marcel LarondeOdessa College, United States of America: Institutional Effectiveness Division – Connie MayUniversity of Cincinnati, United States of America: Traci SteehlerUniversity of the District of Columbia, United States of America: The Center for the Advancement of Learning & The Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: This award honours those institutions leveraging technology to foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practices using Anthology solutions to ensure that their services are fully inclusive and supportive of all learners.

Grupo Ser Educacional, Brazil: EaD Management – Janyo Diniz, Joaldo Diniz, Enzo Moreira, Francislene Hasmann, and Sergio MuriloUniversity of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain: Dr. Mazen AliUniversity of Derby, United Kingdom: PLT: Digital Learning and Online Content TeamUniversity of Illinois Chicago, United States of America: Landen Dixon

Institutional Advancement: This award recognises institutions that have made significant changes to enhance the alumni and donor experience using Anthology solutions.

Morehead State University, United States of America: Alumni Relations & Development: Jessi Ferguson, Allie Rayburn, and Sherry SurmontUniversity of Louisville, United States of America: Communications & Marketing – Jessica Watts and Natalie TracyUniversity of Washington, United States of America: University Advancement

Leading Change: This award recognises institutions at the forefront of educational innovation that have used Anthology solutions to implement transformational initiatives that generate change on campus and in their academic ecosystems, with measurable results.

Central Michigan University, United States of America: The Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support – Marnie RoestelGrand Valley State University, United States of America: GVSU eLearning TechnologiesNorthumbria University, University of Southampton, College of DuPage, and WSU Tech, United Kingdom and United States of America. International Ally User Group: Kristen McCartney-Bulmer, Northumbria University; Matthew Deeprose, University of Southampton; Krystal Iseminger, WSU Tech; and Lara Tompkins, College of Du PageImam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Deanship of eLearning and Distance Learning – Dr. Muneerah B. AlmahasheerMapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna, Philippines: Mapúa Laguna 4Cers – Dr. Dodjie S. Maestrecampo, Anthony Hilmer S. Medrano, Maribel G. Songsong, Dr. Ramachandra C. Torres, Christian Dominic V. Kare, and John Mark L. Almarez

Student Experience: This award recognises institutions leveraging technology to develop educational and administrative innovations that positively influence the total learner experience – outside and inside the classroom – and improve operational efficiency.

California Polytechnic State University, United States of America: Division of Student AffairsEdge Hill University, United Kingdom: Learning Design and Student Life TeamsMarshall University, United States of America: Enrollment Management – Dr. Jerry Ross, Dr. Beverly Boggs, and Nathan MillerSam Houston State University, United States of America: Student Involvement – Dr. Meredith Conrey and Emily FigueroaThe University of Memphis, United States of America: Dr. MK Tyler

Student Success: This award recognises institutions whose innovative use of Anthology solutions has led to increased retention, increased completion, or improved outcomes through the implementation of new academic and administrative resources, data analytics solutions, scalable advising and intervention strategies and student support programmes.

Bellevue University, United States of America: College of Engineering, Technology and Management – Dr. Matthew Davis, Rebecca Barnes, and Nathan KraftJenison Innovation Academy (JIA), United States of America: JIA Leadership Team – Cameron Kuiper, Dr. Rebekah Redmer, and Krista OsterbergNorthern Border University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Deanship of E-Learning and Knowledge Resources – Dr. Saud Abdul Mohsen Al-Muqahim, Dr. Sultan Munadi Al-Anazi, and Dr. Ghanim Tawash AlAnaziUniversity of Florida, George Mason University, and University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States of America:  Shared Metacognition Team: Dr: Larisa Olesova, University of Florida; David Miller, George Mason University; and Dr. Ayesha Sadaf, University of North Carolina Charlotte

Teaching & Learning: This award recognises institutions that have used Anthology solutions in innovative ways to advance learning.

Beacon Red, United Arab Emirates: Knowledge Systems Team – Phil Burgess, Sean McGuinness, Anurag Patel, and Jimmy JosephTechnical and Vocational Training Corporation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: E-Learning Center – Abdullah Farhan Aljably and Abdullah AldukhayyelThe University of Texas at El Paso, United States of America: The Center for Instructional DesignUniversidad Abierta Interamericana, Argentina: Faculty of Information Technology – Dr. Marcelo Edgardo De Vincenzi Zemborain, Nicolás Battaglia, and Dr. Carlos NeilWestern Kentucky University, United States of America: IDST 100 Course Development Team – Catie Weaver, Alicia Pennington, Ara Sprouse, and Brittney Sholar

Training & Professional Development: This award recognises institutions that display an organisation-wide dedication to innovative training and development programmes for their educators and staff.

William Paterson University, United States of America: The Center for Teaching with Technology – Dr. Jae KimUniversidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Peru: Diseño de entornos de aprendizaje DEA – DADO Team – Jessica Vlasica, Milagros Suyo, and Nancy OlmosUniversity of Central Oklahoma, United States of America: Center for eLearning and Connected Environments – Darren DenhamUniversity of Pretoria, South Africa: E-Education GroupWichita State University, United States of America: Office of Instructional Resources

For more information on the 2024 Catalyst Award winners, the full list of nominees, and complete category descriptions, please visit www.anthology.com/catalystawards.   

About Anthology

Anthology offers the largest EdTech ecosystem on a global scale for education, supporting more than 150 million users in 80 countries. With a mission to provide dynamic, data-informed experiences to the global education community through Anthology Intelligent Experiences™, we help learners, leaders and educators achieve their goals by offering over 60 SaaS products and services designed to advance learning. Discover more about how we are fulfilling our mission for education, business and government institutions at www.anthology.com.

Media Contact: Erin Mitchell, Director of Communications, Anthology. Erin.Mitchell@anthology.com

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MBRYONICS Chooses Pilot Photonics’ Laser for Space Optical Communication Transceivers

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DUBLIN, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MBRYONICS, the laser communications company building the internet in space, have chosen Pilot Photonics‘ ultra-fast tunable lasers for their terabit-per-second transceivers for optical communication. Responding to the increasing market demand for space-ready, Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC)-powered, low SWaP-C optical communication devices, the two Irish photonics firms are combining their best-in-class technologies to enable next-generation satellite communications.

 

 

MBRYONICS is innovating in the space communications field by integrating PIC devices in satellite and ground station modules, making robust lasercom devices for the New Space market. For their hardened terabit-per-second coherent transceiver, they are integrating Pilot Photonics’ fast-switching, low-linewidth tunable laser. The fast wavelength tunability is crucial for optical Doppler compensation in coherent space communications. This makes Pilot’s laser, with its nanosecond tuning, a natural fit.

Pilot Photonics, the leading Irish developer of integrated photonic engines, builds cutting edge PIC-based devices for space, telecom, datacom, and test & measurement applications. Among its suite of innovations is its line of tunable lasers, with fully monolithic integration and wide tunability. The laser’s compact form factor, low mass, and high power efficiency makes it a perfect fit for the requirements of cutting-edge satellites.

This collaboration coincides with a period of massive momentum for MBRYONICS, who recently hosted the pan-European STARlight Consortium Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dublin. Backed by the €110M EU Chips Joint Undertaking project focused on securing strategic autonomy in silicon photonics, MBRYONICS showcased its landmark 25G-800G Bi-Directional Coherent Optical Transceiver, the world’s first purpose-built for the extreme environment of space. Integrating Pilot Photonics’ ultra-fast tunable lasers into this transceiver architecture highlights how cutting-edge, Irish-led photonic integration is directly powering the critical infrastructure needed to move massive workloads off-planet and build the internet in space.

“To build the internet in space, MBRYONICS requires best-in-class hardware components that can withstand the harshest environments while delivering maximum data throughput,” said David Mackey, CTO of MBRYONICS. “Pilot Photonics’ advanced PIC-based laser engines complement our optical communication architecture, allowing us to deliver next-generation, high-speed satellite connectivity to our global customers.”

“We are delighted to support MBRYONICS in advancing next-generation space communications,” said Pilot’s CTO Frank Smyth. “New Space is driving many new developments in deep tech, and integrated photonics is particularly well positioned to meet its demands. We are proud that our engagement is highlighting Ireland’s growing space technology sector.”

About MBRYONICS

MBRYONICS is a deep-tech company building the internet in space. We manufacture laser communications systems that transmit and process data through beams of light at speeds 1,000x faster than traditional radio. As the only laser communications company whose platform technologies operate across all major optical standards, MBRYONICS is the infrastructure layer the space internet is built on, delivering space-to-ground, ground-to-space, and space-to-space communication. Its technology has been selected by the European Space Agency and DARPA’s Space-BACN program. MBRYONICS is headquartered in Galway, Ireland.

For more information, visit mbryonics.com.

About Pilot Photonics

Pilot Photonics is a leading innovator in integrated photonics sources. Its portfolio includes tuneable and multi-wavelength lasers, optical combs, and frequency generators. Its innovative technologies drive cutting edge solutions in high-speed optical communications, AI datacentres, 5G/6G telecom networks, space systems, and test & measurement applications. Founded by pioneers in optical comb technology, the company is driving the transition to the Everything over Optical™ era. 

Learn more about Pilot Photonics at www.pilotphotonics.com.

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ESTO Group Issues €20 Million 9.50% Senior Unsecured Bond and Redeems 2026 Bond in Full

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TALLINN, Estonia, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ESTO Group (ESTO Holdings OU), the leading Estonian non-bank consumer credit provider, today announced the completion of a €20 million senior unsecured bond issuance (ISIN EE0000004448). Proceeds will redeem the Group’s outstanding €15 million secured 2026 bond (ISIN EE3300005065) in full, with remaining capacity supporting continued growth across the Baltic region.

 

 

The notes were issued on June 16, 2026, bear a fixed coupon of 9.50% payable quarterly, and mature on June 16, 2029, and are registered with Nasdaq CSD. The issuance was a private placement. The new notes rank as senior unsecured obligations of the Group and carry a coupon 250 basis points below the 12.00% rate of the secured 2026 bond they replace.

ESTO will redeem its €15 million secured bond in full. Noteholders representing approximately 30% of the 2026 bond elected to exchange into the new 2029 notes. The issuance was fully subscribed, with 60% allocated to institutional investors and 40% to private investors. ESTO welcomes new investors and acknowledges the continued participation of its existing bondholders.

Mikk Metsa, Founder and CEO of ESTO, commented:
“The bond market is becoming a core part of how we fund ESTO. With the subordinated notes programme, this is our fourth note issuance, and every time the investor base has widened. A meaningful share of those who held our earlier bonds chose to stay with us in this one – many of them have been with us for years. That continuity is the clearest signal that we are on the right track as we grow the business across the Baltics.”

The new bond forms part of ESTO’s diversified funding structure, which comprises institutional credit facilities, a senior bond programme, and the €20 million subordinated notes programme established earlier in 2026. The structure is designed to maintain conservative leverage while supporting continued loan portfolio growth.

Gustav Juurikas, CFO of ESTO, commented:
“This transaction redeems our 2026 bond obligation in full and reduces the cost of our senior funding by 250bps, whilst moving the instrument from secured to unsecured. At the end of Q1 2026, our equity ratio stood at 33%, and interest coverage at 2.4x – the highest levels recorded by the Group to date. We thank the holders who exchanged into the notes and welcome the investors joining ESTO for the first time.”

Signet Bank AS acted as arranger. Eversheds Sutherland Ots & Co acted as legal counsel to ESTO Holdings.

About ESTO:
ESTO is a dynamic, forward-thinking company that aims to revolutionize the shopping experience by simplifying the complex shopping ecosystem. Leveraging its multi-year expertise and position as Estonia’s leading non-bank consumer credit institute, ESTO is positioned to reshape the e-commerce landscape in the Baltics and beyond. With a strong emphasis on technology and customer loyalty, ESTO aims to provide a seamless, tailored, and omnichannel shopping experience for both consumers and retailers.

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Claros Technologies Appoints Jack Cogen to Board of Directors

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MINNEAPOLIS, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Claros Technologies, a global leader in PFAS destruction and analytical testing solutions, today announced the appointment of Jack Cogen to its Board of Directors. Cogen brings more than three decades of leadership experience spanning environmental markets, finance, energy, and technology, including his role as founder and CEO of Natsource Asset Management and his longstanding service on the board of CoreWeave.

The appointment comes as Claros transitions from technology validation to commercial scale, expanding deployment of its ClarosTechUV™ PFAS destruction offering and ClarosLabs™ its PFAS detection solution across municipal, industrial, and environmental remediation markets worldwide.

Cogen is widely recognized as a pioneer in environmental markets. As founder and CEO of Natsource Asset Management LLC from 1994 to 2014, he built one of the world’s leading advisory and asset management firms focused on environmental and energy markets. He also served as Chair of the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) from 2008 to 2011 and continues to serve the organization as an IETA Fellow.

Since 2017, Cogen has served on the board of CoreWeave, a leading AI cloud infrastructure company that has emerged as a major provider of high-performance computing services powered by advanced semiconductor technologies. His experience helping guide CoreWeave through a period of rapid growth and commercialization provides valuable perspective as Claros enters its next phase of expansion.

“Jack brings exactly the type of experience we were looking to add to the Board,” said Michelle Bellanca, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Claros Technologies. “Throughout his career he has repeatedly helped build and scale businesses, navigated complex growth environments, secured innovative forms of financing, and created significant enterprise value. As Claros continues its commercial scale-up, his perspective and experience will be invaluable in helping guide the company’s next chapter.”

Claros has emerged as a leading innovator in PFAS destruction technology through its proprietary ClarosTechUV™ platform, which permanently destroys PFAS compounds without generating hazardous byproducts. The company has also expanded its analytical capabilities through ClarosLabs™, providing accredited PFAS testing services for industrial, municipal, and environmental customers.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been drawn to companies that solve major environmental challenges with technologies capable of achieving broad commercial adoption,” said Jack Cogen. “Claros has developed a compelling solution to one of the world’s most pressing problems and has already demonstrated its ability to perform at commercial scale. The combination of innovative technology, strong leadership, and growing market demand creates a significant opportunity, and I am excited to help the company navigate its next phase of growth.”

The addition of Cogen comes at a pivotal time for the company as regulatory scrutiny of PFAS – commonly known as “forever chemicals” – intensifies and demand for proven destruction technologies continues to grow worldwide.

“Jack is a highly respected entrepreneur, investor, and board leader whose experience spans some of the most important trends shaping today’s economy, from environmental markets and energy transition to artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure,” said Jim Leslie, Chairman of the Board of Claros Technologies. “The Board is delighted to welcome him to Claros. His ability to recognize transformative technologies, strategic perspective, broad network of relationships, and decades of experience advising innovative companies will be a valuable asset as we continue building a company positioned to address one of the world’s most significant environmental challenges.”

About Claros Technologies

Founded in 2018 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Claros Technologies is a global leader in PFAS mitigation, with two core divisions. The ClarosTech™ division focuses exclusively on the permanent destruction of PFAS, offering affordable, high-flow, scalable, and field-ready systems that eliminate long, short, and ultra-short chain compounds with 99.99% efficiency. ClarosLabs™, the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited analytical division, is a leading commercial laboratory dedicated to PFAS detection, quantification, and exposure assessment. Claros is on a mission to eliminate PFAS from the environment.

Claros Technologies destroys PFAS—for good.

For more information, visit clarostech.com.

Media Contact

Kari Finkler
Claros Technologies
kari@clarostech.com

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