Connect with us

Technology

Smart Sand, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2024 Results

Published

on

2Q 2024 total tons sold of approximately 1.3 million2Q 2024 revenue of $73.8 million 2Q 2024 net income before income taxes $1.9 million2Q 2024 adjusted EBITDA of $11.9 million

YARDLEY, Penn., Aug. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Smart Sand, Inc. (NASDAQ: SND) (the “Company” or “Smart Sand”), a fully integrated frac and industrial sand supply and services company, a low-cost producer of high quality Northern White frac sand, a proppant logistics solutions provider through both its in-basin transloading terminals and SmartSystems™️ products and services and a provider of industrial product solutions, today announced results for the second quarter of 2024.

“Smart Sand had a strong second quarter” stated Charles Young, Smart Sand’s Chief Executive Officer.  “We implemented several efficiency measures during the quarter to reduce our production costs and administrative expenses that led to our contribution margin, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow all improving compared to first quarter 2024 results.

“Currently we continue to see strong demand in the main operating basins we serve.  However, natural gas prices remain at low levels and exploration and production are continuing their recent trends of front-loading budget spending. So, we are keeping a close eye on activity levels and are prepared to right size our operations as needed should we see a slowdown in activity.   We returned to being free cash flow positive in the second quarter and we expect to be free cash flow positive for 2024.  While we could see some slowdown in activity in natural gas basins in the second half of the year, we believe long-term fundamentals for natural gas activity remain strong and we are well positioned to take advantage of expected increased activity in natural gas basins in 2025.  Additionally, we expect to start marketing sand in the Utica shale formation in the third quarter through our new terminals in northeast Ohio. Activity in this basin is targeting oil opportunities and increased activity in this market will help balance our sales volumes between oil and gas markets.  We continue to strengthen our balance sheet as we refinanced and extended the terms our existing Oakdale Equipment financing under a new $10 million, four year equipment financing. Our liquidity levels are strong, our leverage levels remain low. We remain focused on generating positive free cash flow on a consistent basis going forward.”

Second Quarter 2024 Highlights

Tons sold were approximately 1,274,000 in the second quarter of 2024, compared to approximately 1,336,000 tons in the first quarter of 2024 and 1,084,000 tons in the second quarter of 2023, a 5% decrease sequentially and 18% increase over the comparable period in 2023.

Revenues were $73.8 million in the second quarter of 2024, compared to $83.1 million in the first quarter of 2024 and $74.8 million in the second quarter of 2023. Revenues decreased in the second quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, primarily due to lower total sand sales. Second quarter 2024 revenues were relatively consistent compared to second quarter 2023, due to higher total sand sales, which were offset by lower average selling prices.

For the second quarter of 2024, we had net income before income tax of $1.9 million, compared to a net income before income tax of $0.4 million, for the first quarter of 2024 and net income before income tax of $3.0 million, for the second quarter of 2023. Income tax expense and benefits distorts our results of operations. We do not expect to make payments for federal income tax in 2024. For the second quarter of 2024, we had higher net income before income tax expense as compared to the first quarter of 2024, primarily due to realized savings on cost-saving measures to reduce our overall operating costs. The net income before income taxes in the second quarter of 2024 as compared to the second quarter of 2023 was lower primarily due to the loss on extinguishment of debt in the current period.

Second quarter 2024 contribution margin of $19.8 million, or $15.53 per ton sold, was an increase compared to $18.5 million, or $13.85 per ton sold, for the first quarter of 2024, and second quarter 2023 contribution margin of $19.0 million, or $17.57 per ton sold. The increase in contribution margin, compared to the first quarter of 2024, was due primarily to improved production costs realized from cost cutting measures, which led to higher contribution margin per ton sold, partially offset by lower total volumes. The increase in total contribution margin in the second quarter 2024 as compared to the second quarter 2023, was primarily due to higher utilization of our SmartSystems fleet and an increase in total volumes sold, along with lower production costs in the current period, partially offset by lower average selling prices.

Adjusted EBITDA was $11.9 million for the second quarter of 2024, compared to $9.3 million for the first quarter of 2024 and $11.3 million for the second quarter of 2023. The increase in adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the prior quarter was primarily due to higher contribution margin per ton sold in the current period, partially offset by lower total volumes sold. The slight increase in the current period compared to the same period in the prior year was primarily due to higher volumes of sand sold and increased utilization of our SmartSystems fleet, offset by lower average selling prices.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $14.9 million in the second quarter of 2024, compared to net cash used in operating activities of $(3.9) million in the first quarter of 2024 and net cash provided by operating activities of $16.1 million in the second quarter of 2023. The increase in cash flow from operations in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2024 was primarily due to decreased working capital pressure driven by consistently strong sales over the first half of 2024. The decline in cash flows from operating activities from the same period in the prior year was due to lower average selling prices in the current period.

Free cash flow was $13.5 million for the second quarter of 2024. Net cash provided by operating activities was $14.9 million and capital expenditures were $1.4 million in the second quarter of 2024. We currently estimate that full year 2024 capital expenditures will be between $10.0 million and $13.0 million.

Liquidity

Our primary sources of liquidity are cash on hand, cash flow generated from operations and available borrowings under our ABL Credit Facility. As of June 30, 2024, cash on hand was $6.3 million and we had $18.0 million in undrawn availability on our ABL Credit Facility.

Conference Call

Smart Sand will host a conference call and live webcast for analysts and investors on August 14, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its second quarter 2024 financial results. Investors are invited to join the conference by dialing (646) 357-8785 or 1-800-836-8184 and referencing “Smart Sand” when connected to the operator. Additionally, the call may also be streamed via webcast at  https://app.webinar.net/nbB1GQJmQRd or within the “Investors” section of the Company’s website at www.smartsand.com. A replay will be available shortly after the call and can be accessed on the “Investors” section of the Company’s website.

Forward-looking Statements

All statements in this news release other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements that contain our Company’s current expectations about our future results, including the Company’s expectations regarding future sales. We have attempted to identify any forward-looking statements by using words such as “expect,” “will,” “estimate,” “believe” and other similar expressions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected and the assumptions or bases underlying our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, events or financial positions to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in product demand, delays in the completion of certain expansion and improvement projects at our existing facilities or failure to recognize the anticipated benefits of such projects, regulatory changes, adverse weather conditions, increased fuel prices, higher transportation costs, access to capital, increased competition, changes in economic or political conditions, and such other factors discussed or referenced in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 11, 2024, and in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, filed by the Company with the SEC on August 13, 2024.

You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, unless required by law.

About Smart Sand

Smart Sand is a fully integrated frac and industrial sand supply and services company, offering complete mine to wellsite proppant and logistic solutions to our frac sand customers, and a broad offering of products for industrial sand customers. The Company produces low-cost, high quality Northern White sand, which is a premium sand used as a proppant to enhance hydrocarbon recovery rates in the hydraulic fracturing of oil and natural gas wells. The Company’s sand is also a high-quality product used in a variety of industrial applications, including glass, foundry, building products, filtration, geothermal, renewables, ceramics, turf & landscaping, retail, recreation and more. The Company also offers logistics solutions to our customers through its in-basin transloading terminals and our SmartSystems wellsite storage capabilities. Smart Sand owns and operates premium sand mines and related processing facilities in Wisconsin and Illinois, which have access to four Class I rail lines, allowing the Company to deliver products substantially anywhere in the United States and Canada. For more information, please visit www.smartsand.com.

SMART SAND, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Three Months Ended

June 30, 2024

March 31, 2024

June 30, 2023

(unaudited)

(unaudited)

(unaudited)

Revenues:

Sand revenue

$                71,020

$                79,719

$                72,445

SmartSystems revenue

2,780

3,333

2,331

Total revenue

73,800

83,052

74,776

Cost of goods sold:

Sand cost of goods sold

58,903

68,967

60,193

SmartSystems cost of goods sold

1,824

2,274

1,894

Total cost of goods sold

60,727

71,241

62,087

Gross profit

13,073

11,811

12,689

Operating expenses:

Selling, general and administrative

8,871

10,350

8,953

Depreciation and amortization

671

674

629

Loss (gain) on disposal of fixed asset, net

3

3

24

Total operating expenses

9,545

11,027

9,606

Operating income

3,528

784

3,083

Other income (expenses):

Loss on extinguishment of debt

(1,310)

Interest expense, net

(393)

(489)

(223)

Other income

75

96

159

Total other expenses, net

(1,628)

(393)

(64)

Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)

1,900

391

3,019

Income tax expense (benefit)

2,330

607

(3,288)

Net (loss) income

$                   (430)

$                   (216)

$                  6,307

Net (loss) income per common share:

Basic

$                  (0.01)

$                  (0.01)

$                    0.17

Diluted

$                  (0.01)

$                  (0.01)

$                    0.17

Weighted-average number of common shares:

Basic

38,724

38,555

37,968

Diluted

38,724

38,555

37,968

 

SMART SAND, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

June 30, 2024

December 31, 2023

(unaudited)

(in thousands)

Assets

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$                  6,257

$                  6,072

Accounts receivable

26,232

23,231

Unbilled receivables

4,332

2,561

Inventory

25,031

26,823

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

2,929

3,217

Total current assets

64,781

61,904

Property, plant and equipment, net

246,530

255,092

Operating lease right-of-use assets

24,431

23,265

Intangible assets, net

5,480

5,876

Other assets

593

163

Total assets

$              341,815

$              346,300

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable

$                  9,548

$                16,041

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

12,808

11,024

Deferred revenue

636

1,154

Current portion of long-term debt

5,485

15,711

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

10,593

10,536

Total current liabilities

39,070

54,466

Long-term debt

9,330

3,449

Long-term operating lease liabilities

15,062

14,056

Deferred tax liabilities, net

15,029

12,101

Asset retirement obligations

20,421

19,923

Other non-current liabilities

38

38

Total liabilities

98,950

104,033

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ equity

Common stock

39

39

Treasury stock

(14,471)

(14,249)

Additional paid-in capital

183,492

181,973

Retained earnings

73,893

74,539

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(88)

(35)

Total stockholders’ equity

242,865

242,267

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$              341,815

$              346,300

 

SMART SAND, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Three Months Ended

June 30, 2024

March 31, 2024

June 30, 2023

(unaudited)

(unaudited)

(unaudited)

(in thousands)

Operating activities:

Net (loss) income

$                     (430)

$                     (216)

$                  6,307

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by
operating activities:

Depreciation, depletion and accretion of asset retirement
obligations

7,255

7,241

6,785

Amortization of intangible assets

199

199

199

Loss (gain) on disposal of fixed assets

3

3

24

Amortization of deferred financing cost

27

26

27

Accretion of debt discount

45

47

46

Loss on extinguishment of debt

1,310

Deferred income taxes

2,331

596

(3,417)

Stock-based compensation

840

642

833

Employee stock purchase plan compensation

6

6

8

Changes in assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable

6,343

(9,344)

5,982

Unbilled receivables

869

(2,640)

1,027

Inventory

553

1,240

(2,921)

Prepaid expenses and other assets

358

(240)

4,871

Deferred revenue

(1,738)

1,220

444

Accounts payable

(517)

(6,730)

(3,214)

Accrued and other expenses

(2,572)

4,087

(933)

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities

14,882

(3,863)

16,068

Investing activities:

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

(1,354)

(1,646)

(5,227)

Proceeds from disposal of assets

1

1

72

Net cash used in investing activities

(1,353)

(1,645)

(5,155)

Financing activities:

Proceeds from the issuance of notes payable

9,109

Repayments of notes payable

(7,564)

(1,340)

(5,937)

Payments under equipment financing obligations

(58)

(56)

(37)

Payment of deferred financing and debt issuance costs

(78)

(425)

Proceeds from revolving credit facility

9,000

6,000

1,000

Repayment of revolving credit facility

(21,000)

(8,000)

Payment for debt extinguishment costs

(1,227)

Proceeds from equity issuance

25

Purchase of treasury stock

(52)

(170)

(51)

Net cash provided by financing activities

(11,870)

4,034

(13,025)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

1,659

(1,474)

(2,112)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

4,598

6,072

7,604

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$                    6,257

$                    4,598

$                  5,492

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Contribution Margin

We also use contribution margin, which we define as total revenues less costs of goods sold excluding depreciation, depletion and accretion of asset retirement obligations, to measure its financial and operating performance. Contribution margin excludes other operating expenses and income, including costs not directly associated with the operations of the Company’s business such as accounting, human resources, information technology, legal, sales and other administrative activities. 

We believe that reporting contribution margin and contribution margin per ton sold provides useful performance metrics to management and external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks, because these metrics provide an operating and financial measure of our ability, as a combined business, to generate margin in excess of our operating cost base.

Gross profit is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to contribution margin. Contribution margin should not be considered an alternative to gross profit presented in accordance with GAAP. Because contribution margin may be defined differently by other companies in the industry, our definition of contribution margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing its utility. The following table presents a reconciliation of gross profit to contribution margin.

Three Months Ended

June 30, 2024

March 31, 2024

June 30, 2023

(in thousands, except per ton amounts)

Revenue

$                73,800

$                83,052

$                74,776

Cost of goods sold

60,727

71,241

62,087

Gross profit

13,073

11,811

12,689

Depreciation, depletion, and accretion of asset retirement
obligations included in cost of goods sold

6,715

6,697

6,356

Contribution margin

$                19,788

$                18,508

$                19,045

Contribution margin per ton

$                  15.53

$                  13.85

$                  17.57

Total tons sold

1,274

1,336

1,084

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

We define EBITDA as net income, plus: (i) depreciation, depletion and amortization expense; (ii) income tax expense (benefit) and other results of operations based taxes; and (iii) interest expense. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA, plus: (i) gain or loss on sale of fixed assets or discontinued operations; (ii) integration and transition costs associated with specified transactions; (iii) equity compensation; (iv) acquisition and development costs; (v) non-recurring cash charges related to restructuring, retention and other similar actions; (vi) earn-out, contingent consideration obligations; and (vii) non-cash charges and unusual or non-recurring charges. Adjusted EBITDA is used as a supplemental financial measure by management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks, to assess:

the financial performance of our assets without regard to the impact of financing methods, capital structure or historical cost basis of our assets;the viability of capital expenditure projects and the overall rates of return on alternative investment opportunities;our ability to incur and service debt and fund capital expenditures;our operating performance as compared to those of other companies in our industry without regard to the impact of financing methods or capital structure; andour debt covenant compliance, as Adjusted EBITDA is a key component of critical covenants to the ABL Credit Facility.

We believe that our presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA will provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. Net income is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered alternatives to net income presented in accordance with GAAP. Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definitions of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility. The following table presents a reconciliation of net (loss) income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for each of the periods indicated.

Three Months Ended

June 30, 2024

March 31, 2024

June 30, 2023

(in thousands)

Net (loss) income

$                   (430)

$                   (216)

$                  6,307

Depreciation, depletion and amortization

7,214

7,200

6,750

Income tax expense (benefit) and other taxes

2,330

607

(3,288)

Interest expense

408

496

457

EBITDA

$                  9,522

$                  8,087

$                10,226

Net loss (gain) on disposal of fixed assets

3

3

25

Equity compensation

728

582

802

Acquisition and development costs

308

Loss on extinguisment of debt

1,310

Cash charges related to restructuring and retention

41

107

18

Accretion of asset retirement obligations

249

249

235

Adjusted EBITDA

$                11,853

$                  9,336

$                11,306

Free Cash Flow

Free cash flow, which we define as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property, plant and equipment, is used as a supplemental financial measure by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks, to measure the liquidity of our business.

Net cash provided by operating activities is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to free cash flow. Free cash flow should not be considered an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities presented in accordance with GAAP. Because free cash flows may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definition of free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing its utility. The following table presents a reconciliation of net cash provided by (used in) operating activities to free cash flow.

Three Months Ended

June 30, 2024

March 31, 2024

June 30, 2023

(in thousands)

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities

$                14,882

$                (3,863)

$                16,068

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

(1,354)

(1,646)

(5,227)

Free cash flow

$                13,528

$                (5,509)

$                10,841

Investor Contacts:
Lee Beckelman
Chief Financial Officer
(281) 231-2660
lbeckelman@smartsand.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smart-sand-inc-announces-second-quarter-2024-results-302221656.html

SOURCE Smart Sand, Inc.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Hilco Global Engaged by Stan Lee Holdings to Sell Rare & Valuable Intellectual Property Portfolio

Published

on

By

NEW YORK, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hilco Global, a diversified financial services company that delivers expert professional services and capital solutions to help clients maximize value and drive performance across the business lifecycle, is pleased to announce that its IP Services practice has been engaged by Stan Lee Holdings, Ltd. (“SLH”) to sell a legendary portfolio of intellectual property developed by Stan Lee, the iconic “father of the super hero.” Known as the Omniverse Collection created by Stan Lee, the portfolio represents a treasure trove of original characters and source material developed by Stan when he was leading Marvel Comics and when he built Stan Lee Entertainment – the first super hero animation studio created for the Internet age. This rare and valuable collection of Intellectual Property encompasses dozens of compelling super heroes and stories conceived by Stan from 1999 to 2001 as well as a franchise comprising over 50 well-known characters – the only franchise of Marvel-created characters not owned by Marvel. Full details of the collection, including the individual characters, franchises, and story properties it comprises, will be released in the coming weeks.

Through this collaboration, Hilco Global will work alongside SLH and former EVP of Marvel Entertainment Shirrel Rhoades to find a new home for a body of largely underleveraged super hero and other characters, as well as world-building intellectual property. Numerous supporting  scripts, episodes, and development materials spanning Stan Lee’s career are also part of the offering.

“The Omniverse Collection created by Stan Lee is one of the most significant super hero IP offerings of the decade,” said Eric Hurwitz, Senior Director of the Hilco Global IP Services practice. “This large, diverse portfolio presents the opportunity to capitalize on untapped material with an unmatched pedigree. A buyer essentially has a blank slate to bring these characters to fans worldwide and expand on Stan Lee’s legacy. Hilco Global is thrilled to bring these assets to market, leveraging deep experience across intellectual property and media valuation, licensing, and transaction execution.”

Among the intellectual property being offered is a hidden gem; a connected entertainment universe of Stan Lee’s own creation. “This one-of-a-kind IP collection illustrates just how far ahead Stan was in understanding the future of entertainment,” observed Shirrel Rhoades, who was handpicked by Stan Lee to succeed him as publisher of Marvel. “What we’re bringing to market isn’t a collection of isolated ideas. It’s pieces of one larger vision, a living digital universe in which characters can be created, experienced, and expanded across every form of media.”

Parties can reach out to Ehurwitz@hilcoglobal.com to register interest. More information about the offering, the individual properties within the collection, and the sale process will become available soon.

About Hilco Global:  Hilco Global, a subsidiary of ORIX Corporation USA, is a diversified financial services company that delivers integrated professional services and capital solutions that help clients maximize value and drive performance across the retail, commercial and industrial, real estate, manufacturing, and intellectual property sectors. Hilco Global provides a range of customized solutions to healthy, stressed, and distressed companies to resolve complex situations and enhance long-term enterprise value. Hilco Global works to deliver the best possible result by aligning interests with clients and providing strategic advice and, in many instances, the capital required to transact. Hilco Global is based in Northbrook, Illinois and has more than 810 professionals operating on four continents. Visit www.hilcoglobal.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hilco-global-engaged-by-stan-lee-holdings-to-sell-rare–valuable-intellectual-property-portfolio-302834149.html

SOURCE Hilco Trading, LLC

Continue Reading

Technology

GR0 to Acquire Ultimate AI’s Deployment Division and Launch GR0 AI, Turning Brands’ Existing Customer Data Into Revenue

Published

on

By

The new company pairs GR0’s performance marketing distribution with Ultimate Deployment’s AI agents and customer intelligence to build AI revenue systems for DTC and ecommerce brands; in one early deployment, AI-led customer conversations were associated with more than $350,000 in sales.

LOS ANGELES, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GR0, the Los Angeles-based digital marketing agency, today announced plans to acquire Ultimate Deployment and launch GR0 AI, a new company that builds and deploys AI revenue systems for direct-to-consumer (DTC) and ecommerce brands. GR0 AI combines GR0’s performance marketing expertise, client relationships and sales infrastructure with Ultimate Deployment’s technology and experience deploying AI agents inside operating businesses.

“AI is creating an entirely new performance channel for brands,” said Jon Zacharias, co-founder and president of GR0. “Most companies already have the traffic, customer data and demand. What they’re missing is an intelligent system that knows who to contact, what to say and when to say it. GR0 AI turns the customer signals brands already own into personalized conversations and measurable revenue.”

The approach is already producing results. In one early deployment, AI-led customer conversations were associated with more than $350,000 in sales during a period in which the brand generated approximately $1 million in total revenue. GR0 AI deployments include attribution and incrementality reporting so brands can measure both assisted and directly generated revenue.

GR0 AI deploys inside a brand’s existing commerce, CRM, email, SMS, phone and customer-data infrastructure. Its systems:

Identify and prioritize high-intent customers and prospects Personalize outreach and follow-up based on customer behavior and company data Conduct two-way conversations across messaging channels, recovering revenue from abandoned carts, dormant customers and unconverted leads Escalate complex or high-value opportunities to human sales and support teams Measure the revenue associated with AI-driven interactions

“Most brands do not have a demand problem.  They already have thousands of customers and prospects sitting inside their systems,” said Ben Ganz, founder of Ultimate Deployment. “We build the company brain, unify the data and deploy AI employees that act on that intelligence. The opportunity falls into two buckets: recover the demand a brand has already earned, and make sure no new opportunity slips through the cracks. GR0 gives us the distribution, market access and operating experience to bring this to hundreds of brands.”

Ganz has spent his career at the intersection of entertainment and technology. He began as a producer on American Idol before moving into digital leadership at Fox, then founded VEGO Pictures, a digital production and technology company that worked with major entertainment and consumer brands and served as in-house production partner to Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Network. He also co-founded a virtual events company that produced digital graduation experiences for hundreds of thousands of students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From there, Ganz and his team moved to the frontier of consumer AI, creating what FOX News called Hollywood’s first AI interactive voice experience. They powered AI personalities for creators with a combined audience of 100 million followers and engineered the world’s first AI assembly line for replicating personalities at scale, work the Hollywood Reporter recognized as the “Real-life Her.”  Ultimate Deployment then turned that conversational AI expertise toward the enterprise, building systems that connect company knowledge, customer data, and operational software with AI agents capable of performing real, meaningful business work.

“Ben and his team have built something with the potential to become a major new revenue channel for ecommerce companies,” Zacharias said. “We have seen very few offerings create this level of excitement among sophisticated performance marketers.”

Every GR0 AI engagement begins with an intensive discovery and implementation process: the team interviews key employees, maps the company’s systems and builds a centralized intelligence layer around the business. Lead scoring and prioritization are connected to the brand’s CRM before customer-facing AI agents go live.

“The technical opportunity is clear, and our job is to make it just as clear commercially,” said Kevin Miller, founder and CEO of GR0. “A brand that works with GR0 AI will know exactly what is being installed, how quickly it goes live and what revenue it is producing.”

The acquisition is expected to close this quarter, subject to completion of definitive agreements. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Brands interested in early GR0 AI deployments can learn more at www.gr0.com.

About GR0

GR0 is a full-service digital marketing agency that helps DTC and ecommerce brands accelerate growth through data-driven performance marketing, creative strategy and emerging technology. Co-founded by Kevin Miller and Jon Zacharias, GR0 provides services across SEO, Generative Engine Optimization, paid media, email, SMS, creative, affiliate and marketplace growth, and was among the first agencies to build a dedicated GEO practice, which is recognized by VentureBeat as one of America’s premier Generative Engine Optimization agencies. GR0 is headquartered in Los Angeles. Learn more at GR0.com.

About Ultimate Deployment

Ultimate Deployment builds AI employees for growing companies. Founded by Ben Ganz, the company captures how a business operates, organizes its institutional knowledge, connects its systems and deploys AI agents that perform real operational work across sales, customer experience, marketing, finance and internal teams.

Before its enterprise focus, Ultimate Deployment’s team built consumer AI at entertainment scale, creating Hollywood’s first interactive voice experience, powering AI personalities for creators with a combined audience of 100 million followers and engineering the world’s first AI assembly line for replicating personalities’ work featured by Fox News and recognized by The Hollywood Reporter as the real-life Her.

About Ultimate AI

Ultimate AI, founded by Ben Ganz, is a holding company building AI across consumer and enterprise. It launched during the first wave of consumer generative AI as an early AI super app, bringing more than 100 AI tools and assistants into a single consumer platform that peaked within the top 10 of its Apple App Store category, according to company data. The company then expanded into creator AI, developing technology that lets public figures build interactive AI experiences around their personality, voice, knowledge and content. In 2024, Ultimate AI created Pookie Tools (widely known as the Hawk Tuah AI app), whose launch generated more than 400 million organic social media views and more than 10,000 downloads in its first seven days with no paid marketing, according to company data. It went on to develop real-time voice and personality products, including an experience Fox News described as Hollywood’s first real-time AI experience.

Ultimate Deployment, the enterprise arm that GR0 is acquiring, formed in March 2026 following the release of frontier agentic models from Anthropic and OpenAI, and applies that technology inside operating companies. It builds AI employees that capture how a business operates, unify its data and systems, and perform real operational work across sales, customer experience, marketing, finance and internal teams.

Company: GR0
Media Contact Name: GR0 Agency
Media Contact Email: press@gr0.com
Phone: +1 (310) 439-1887
Address: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Website: https://gr0.com/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gr0-to-acquire-ultimate-ais-deployment-division-and-launch-gr0-ai-turning-brands-existing-customer-data-into-revenue-302833764.html

SOURCE GR0.com LLC

Continue Reading

Technology

Tech Mahindra and Cisco Partner to Bring AI-Driven Security Service Edge to Global Enterprises

Published

on

By

PUNE, India, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tech Mahindra (NSE: TECHM), a leading global provider of technology consulting and digital solutions to enterprises across industries, announced a partnership with Cisco to deliver an AI-driven Security Service Edge (SSE) offering for global enterprises. The joint offering will help enterprises reduce security complexity, improve visibility and control, deliver seamless user access, and strengthen resilience as they scale cloud, hybrid work, and AI adoption.

The partnership combines Tech Mahindra’s global managed services, integration, and delivery expertise with Cisco’s industry-leading Security Service Edge (SSE) platform (Cisco Secure Access) to provide unified, cloud-native security and seamless zero-trust access across users, devices, networks, and locations. For Tech Mahindra, the partnership strengthens its cybersecurity portfolio with differentiated, high-value managed security services, expands its addressable market, and accelerates pipeline growth in cloud security.

Saket Singh, SVP & Business Head – Digital Core Services (Cloud, Infrastructure, Network and Cyber Security Services), Tech Mahindra, said, “As enterprises increasingly operate in hybrid and distributed environments, security must evolve from siloed controls to unified, cloud-native platforms. Fragmented tools, inconsistent user experiences, and rising threats are creating visibility and control gaps as applications are accessed from anywhere. Through our partnership with Cisco, we are combining advanced SSE capabilities with Tech Mahindra’s managed services expertise to simplify operations, strengthen zero-trust enforcement, and deliver consistent, AI-powered protection at scale.”

By integrating a secure web gateway, cloud access security broker (CASB), zero trust network access (ZTNA), firewall-as-a-service, data loss prevention (DLP), and much more into a single platform, the offering simplifies security operations and delivers AI-powered protection. Enterprises benefit from end-to-end visibility, faster deployment, and a streamlined path to modernizing their security architecture while accelerating secure cloud adoption and cyber resilience. Additionally, as enterprises inevitably step into the agentic era, this solution provides robust and rapidly expanding protections for the use of generative AI and AI agents.

Raj Chopra, SVP & Chief Product Officer, Cisco Security Business Group, said, “Enterprises don’t need another tool to stitch into an already complex security stack. They need a simpler way to secure how work actually happens across users, devices, applications, clouds, and increasingly AI agents. Cisco Secure Access brings zero trust, identity context, and AI-powered protection into one cloud-delivered platform, helping teams enforce policy consistently while giving users seamless access from anywhere. Together with Tech Mahindra’s global managed services and integration expertise, we can help organizations modernize security operations, accelerate secure cloud and AI adoption, and move with confidence in the agentic era.”

The integrated SSE solution reinforces Tech Mahindra and Cisco’s leadership in unified cloud-security, helping enterprises simplify secure access, strengthen resilience and accelerate digital transformation in an increasingly distributed and AI-driven world.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tech-mahindra-and-cisco-partner-to-bring-ai-driven-security-service-edge-to-global-enterprises-302834077.html

SOURCE Tech Mahindra

Continue Reading

Trending