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Direct Digital Holdings Announces Receipt of Anticipated Additional Delinquency Notice

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HOUSTON, Aug. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) reported that the Company received an additional delinquency notice (the “Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) on August 21, 2024, which indicated that, as a result of the delay in the Company’s filing of its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2024 (the “Q2 Form 10-Q”) by the applicable due date, the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the “Rule”), which requires Nasdaq-listed companies to timely file all required periodic financial reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The additional delinquency could serve as an additional basis for the delisting of the Company’s securities from Nasdaq.

As disclosed by press release on April 17, 2024 and May 21, 2024, the Company previously received delinquency notification letters from Nasdaq and thereafter submitted its plan to Nasdaq to regain compliance with the Rule by filing its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (the “Form 10-K”) and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 (the Q1 Form 10-Q” and together with the Q2 Form 10-Q, the “Delayed Reports”) with the SEC by October 14, 2024, which plan Nasdaq ultimately approved. Nasdaq has now requested an update to the plan, particularly with respect to the Company’s plan to file the Q2 Form 10-Q with the SEC. The Company plans to timely update Nasdaq with respect to the plan by September 5, 2024.

Neither the Notice nor the Company’s non-compliance with the Rule will have an immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s securities on Nasdaq, which will continue to trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “DRCT.” The Company continues to work diligently to complete and file the Delayed Reports with the SEC and thereby evidence compliance with the Rule as soon as practicable.

About Direct Digital Holdings
Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT), owner of operating companies Colossus SSP, Huddled Masses, and Orange 142, brings state-of-the-art sell- and buy-side advertising platforms together under one umbrella company. Direct Digital Holdings’ sell-side platform, Colossus SSP, offers advertisers of all sizes extensive reach within general market and multicultural media properties. The Company’s subsidiaries Huddled Masses and Orange142 deliver significant ROI for middle market advertisers by providing data-optimized programmatic solutions at scale for businesses in sectors that range from energy to healthcare to travel to financial services. Direct Digital Holdings’ sell- and buy-side solutions manage on average over 125,000 clients monthly, generating over 300 billion impressions per month across display, CTV, in-app and other media channels.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws that are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties.

As used below, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the Company. We use words such as “could,” “would,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “expect,” “likely,” “believe,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project” and other similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, but not all forward-looking statements include these words. All of our forward-looking statements involve estimates and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the information described under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”) and subsequent periodic and or current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our industry experience and our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this press release, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (many of which are beyond our control) and assumptions. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual operating and financial performance and cause our performance to differ materially from the performance expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. We believe these factors include, but are not limited to, the following: the restrictions and covenants imposed upon us by our credit facilities; our ability to secure additional financing to meet our capital needs; any significant fluctuations caused by our high customer concentration; risks related to non-payment by our clients; reputational and other harms caused by our failure to detect advertising fraud; operational and performance issues with our platform, whether real or perceived, including a failure to respond to technological changes or to upgrade our technology systems; restrictions on the use of third-party “cookies,” mobile device IDs or other tracking technologies, which could diminish our platform’s effectiveness; unfavorable publicity and negative public perception about our industry, particularly concerns regarding data privacy and security relating to our industry’s technology and practices, and any perceived failure to comply with laws and industry self-regulation; our failure to manage our growth effectively; the difficulty in identifying and integrating any future acquisitions or strategic investments; any changes or developments in legislative, judicial, regulatory or cultural environments related to information collection, use and processing; challenges related to our buy-side clients that are destination marketing organizations and that operate as public/private partnerships; any strain on our resources or diversion of our management’s attention as a result of being a public company; the intense competition of the digital advertising industry and our ability to effectively compete against current and future competitors; any significant inadvertent disclosure or breach of confidential and/or personal information we hold, or of the security of our or our customers’, suppliers’ or other partners’ computer systems; as a holding company, we depend on distributions from Direct Digital Holdings, LLC (“DDH LLC”) to pay our taxes, expenses (including payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement) and any amount of any dividends we may pay to the holders of our common stock; the fact that DDH LLC is controlled by DDM, whose interest may differ from those of our public stockholders; any risks associated with the material weakness that was identified in our review of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022; any failure by us to maintain or implement effective internal controls or to detect fraud; our ability to complete the audit of our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023; and other factors and assumptions discussed in our Form 10-K and subsequent periodic and current reports we may file with the SEC. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of these assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. New factors that could cause our business not to develop as we expect emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each currently known or new factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

Contacts
Brett Milotte, ICR
investors@directdigitalholdings.com

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SOURCE Direct Digital Holdings

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New GASA Research: 71% of Adults Surveyed Across 13 Asian Markets Encountered Scams, with Estimated Losses of US$136.5 Billion

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17 minutes ago

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October 22, 2026

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Research highlights a gap between confidence in recognizing scams and actual outcomes ahead of the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2026

BANGKOK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New research from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), developed in collaboration with Gogolook, the developer of Whoscall, reveals the scale and impact of scams across Asia. Among adults surveyed in 13 Asian markets, 71% encountered a scam in the past year. The study estimates that consumers across those markets lost a combined US$136.5 billion to scams over the same period.

The State of Scams in Asia 2026 report, based on a survey of 17,460 adults, also identifies a gap between confidence and outcomes. While 66% of respondents said they were confident in their ability to recognize scams, 62% of those who encountered one interacted with it. Among respondents who interacted with a scam, 26% lost money.

The findings are being released ahead of the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2026, taking place in Bangkok on 10–11 November. Following previous editions in Taiwan and Singapore, the summit will be held in Thailand for the first time, bringing together leaders from across sectors to strengthen the region’s response to evolving scams.

Phone calls and messages remain major points of exposure

Phone calls were the most common channel through which respondents encountered scams (56%), followed by text messages (50%) and instant messaging apps (40%). Shopping, investment and employment scams were the scam types respondents most commonly interacted with.

“Phone and text message scams remain a major challenge across Asia. In Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, more than six in ten respondents encountered scam calls. As scammers use AI-generated voices and increasingly convincing scripts, identifying suspicious numbers and warning users before they engage becomes even more important,” said Jeff Kuo, CEO of Gogolook. “Whoscall’s observations also suggest that scammers are adapting to tighter SIM registration and identity checks by using international and satellite numbers. That makes continued information sharing across markets essential.”

The harm extends beyond financial losses

The research estimates that consumers across the 13 markets lost US$136.5 billion to scams over the past 12 months. Among respondents who lost money, 51% said they had been scammed more than once.

The effects reached beyond the immediate financial loss. Among those who lost money, 72% reported an impact on their mental wellbeing, 77% experienced at least one emotional impact, and 58% experienced at least one financial impact affecting their everyday lives.

“One of the most striking findings is the gap between confidence and behavior. While 66% of respondents feel confident they can recognize scams, 62% of those who encountered one went on to interact with it. This shows why education is important but cannot be our only line of defense. We also need stronger safeguards that protect people throughout the scam journey.” said Brian D. Hanley, Director, Asia-Pacific Chapter, Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA).

Turning regional evidence into action

The findings will inform discussions at the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2026, where representatives from government, law enforcement, financial services, technology, telecommunications, consumer protection and other sectors will explore ways to prevent and disrupt scams.

The research also points to public support for more proactive intervention. Across the markets surveyed, 71% supported allowing banks to block high-value transactions without a customer’s prior permission when they suspect a scam. Another 69% supported allowing telecom operators or messaging apps to block calls and messages they believe are malicious.

Reporting, however, does not always lead to recovery. While 85% of victims reported their scam experience, outcomes varied depending on where they reported it, and recovery and reimbursement remained limited.

Download the full State of Scams in Asia 2026 report here: https://gasa.org/knowledge-base/reports/state-of-scams-in-asia-2026

Registration for the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2026 is open. For the programme and registration details, visit the summit website: https://gasa.org/global-anti-scam-summit-asia-2026

About the research

The State of Scams in Asia 2026 surveyed 17,460 adults across 13 Asian markets: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Fieldwork was conducted between March 16 and April 13, 2026. The research was conducted by Opinium for the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and developed in collaboration with Gogolook, the developer of Whoscall.

About the Global Anti-Scam Alliance

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) is a nonprofit organization bringing together policymakers, law enforcement, consumer authorities, NGOs, the financial sector, telecommunications operators, internet platforms, cybersecurity organizations and other stakeholders to share knowledge and develop solutions to protect consumers from scams.
GASA Website: https://gasa.org/

About Gogolook

Gogolook is a leading TrustTech company established in 2012. With “Build for Trust” as its core value, Gogolook has expanded its business from Asia to Europe and the Americas. As a foundation member of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), Gogolook collaborates with law enforcement agencies and public-sector organizations, including the Taiwan National Police Agency, the Royal Thai Police, the Philippines Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, and the Royal Malaysia Police. These partnerships support its commitment to building a scam-free environment.
Gogolook Website: https://www.gogolook.com/

About Whoscall

Whoscall, developed by Gogolook, is a caller ID and digital anti-scam app designed to protect users from scams across various channels, including phone calls, text messages, social media, and links. With over 100 million downloads globally, it features the most comprehensive database in East and Southeast Asia, covering more than 2.6 billion phone numbers.
Whoscall Website: https://web.whoscall.com/en

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SOURCE Gogolook

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Voqalize Says Voice Is Becoming the Default Way People Use Software

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October 22, 2026

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Voqalize is infrastructure for making software conversational. Existing applications, websites and AI agents can add a voice interface that listens, sees context, responds and acts, without being rebuilt.

BENGALURU, India, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Voqalize today said it gives existing applications, websites and AI agents a voice interface that can listen, see context, respond and act, without rebuilding the application. The company says teams can have it running in about an hour, either through Plug & Play, where Voqalize manages the AI agent and the voice experience, or through a developer integration into their own backend.

Imagine telling a clothing app: “I’ve got an outdoor wedding in Napa on the 20th. I need something under two hundred that goes with the shoes I bought in the spring.” The app pulls those shoes from your order history and lays out six options beside them. “Not the floral. Show me the second one in the navy.” It swaps the color and puts the shoes next to it. Then it adds: “You sent back a medium from this brand last time, so I picked the large. It arrives on the 17th.” You look it over and tap buy. That is the shift Voqalize is building for: voice not as input, but as an interface to software.

Fast facts

Apple’s iOS 27, released in September, lets Siri read what’s on a user’s screen and take actions inside appsGoogle reports that roughly one in five Gemini Live conversations now add a camera or screen share, with voice used in 63% of interactions across Gemini’s 1 billion-plus monthly usersA Censuswide survey of 700 business leaders and consumers for Voices, published Jan. 28, 2026, found that 55% of consumers say voice is their primary AI interface, while only 29% of companies have deployed customer-facing voice AI

Dictation Proved People Will Talk to Their Software

Dictation and notetaking apps are among the fastest-growing categories in consumer AI. Wispr, valued at $2 billion, and Granola, valued at $1.5 billion, have both built large user bases on a simple premise: people would rather talk than type, once the transcription is good enough. Wispr says the habit sticks. After six months, its average user writes 72% of their characters by voice.

The category is already moving past that original pitch. Wispr raised its most recent round on a case for going “beyond dictation.” Granola is expanding from a meeting notetaker into what it describes as a context layer for company AI. Superhuman acquired the notetaker Fathom in September. Talking to software stopped being the hard part. What people do with that voice next, and how directly it’s built into the products they already use, is where the category is headed.

“The next billion people coming online won’t type their way onto the internet. They’ll talk their way on, in whatever mix of languages they speak at home.” Sripathi Krishnan, Co-founder, Voqalize

Voice Is Moving From Typing Substitute to Default Interface

Voqalize’s argument is that voice is moving from a typing substitute into the default way people use an app: a running conversation, not a single dictated sentence, where the app listens, responds and can act on what’s on screen, with the interruptions and mid-task changes of direction that come with a real conversation. That mirrors a broader shift already underway on the phone line, where most current “voice AI” is still built around short, scripted calls that book an appointment or qualify a lead and then hang up. Apple’s iOS 27 and Google’s Gemini Live both point at the same shift: voice agents that can see a screen and act on it rather than just transcribe speech.

How Do You Add a Voice Interface to an Existing App?

An existing application or device connects through Voqalize rather than being rebuilt inside a new platform: Voqalize supplies the two-way voice channel and the ability to read and act on whatever is on screen. Businesses choose how much to hand over. With Plug & Play, Voqalize manages the AI agent and the voice experience. With a developer integration, businesses add Voqalize’s voice capabilities to their own backend while keeping control of their AI agent and workflows.

In some deployments, that voice is paired with a face on screen as well, so the person on the other end has something to talk to, not just a voice in the room. Sripathi Krishnan, the company’s co-founder, has argued that the harder part of that conversation may not be how fluently the agent talks, but how well it listens and knows when to stay quiet. Voqalize also works across Indic languages, because conversations in India often move between languages mid-sentence. A majority of Indian internet users already engage with content in Indic languages. Voice also makes software accessible across languages and across literacy and input constraints.

Building Toward Plug-and-Play Voice, Across Apps and Devices

Today, adding Voqalize to a product means connecting an existing application or device through a single interface, without rebuilding it inside a new platform. Voqalize says its near-term work is on extending that same one-connection model further, so that adding two-way voice to a new app, or to a device beyond the phone and the browser, becomes a plug-and-play step rather than a custom integration. That direction follows a broader move already visible in the industry: voice infrastructure is consolidating around shared frameworks instead of one-off builds, and AI tools are increasingly connecting to each other through standard connectors rather than custom code written for each pairing. Voqalize says it intends to be the layer that makes that same simplicity available for voice specifically, across whatever app or device a company is already building for.

“Soon people will judge an app by how well it understands them, the way you judge a shop by whether the person behind the counter gets what you mean.” Samkeet Jain, Co-founder, Voqalize

Voqalize is available today for teams adding a two-way voice interface to an existing product or AI agent. Early deployments include in-app assistants for mortgage servicing workflows, legal clause review, and authenticated banking support. Voqalize was also named one of the 30 products in YourStory’s Vibecode30 2026, a showcase of emerging AI-native builders in India.

About Voqalize Voqalize is a voice AI platform that makes it easy for businesses to add two-way voice conversations to their applications and AI agents across 60+ Global and Indic languages. With Plug & Play, Voqalize manages the AI agent and voice experience for you. With our developer integration, businesses can add Voqalize’s voice capabilities to their own backend while keeping control of their AI agent and workflows. Go ahead and build your next voice-enabled applications with us on voqalize.com.

Media Contact: Samkeet Jain / +91 8147514179 / Samkeet@voqalize.com 

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Sungrow Advances Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution to Southeast Asia

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October 22, 2026

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As Southeast Asia’s manufacturing sector expands, businesses face growing pressure from rising electricity costs, power supply disruptions and increasingly complex energy demands. Sungrow, a globally leading PV inverter and energy storage system provider, has launched the Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution for Southeast Asia, bringing together PV inverters, energy storage systems, EV chargers, microgrid controllers and cloud platforms. The solution helps businesses access more economical, reliable, and cleaner power.

End-to-End Cost Optimization, Improving Overall Benefits by 12%

For businesses seeking to reduce energy costs without compromising power reliability, system sizing and energy dispatch are critical. Sungrow’s Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution is engineered to make clean energy a more cost-competitive choice for businesses.

Optimized System Sizing: 8,760-hour simulations and intelligent algorithms evaluate tens of thousands of system configurations to optimize the capacity of PV, storage and diesel generation, helping avoid overinvestment and undersized systems.Intelligent Energy Dispatch: PV generation and load forecasts are updated every five minutes. Based on these forecasts and real-time electricity prices, AI dynamically optimizes the dispatch of multiple energy sources, including PV, energy storage and diesel generation, helping businesses meet their energy needs at a lower cost. This boosts overall economic benefits by 12% and shortens project payback periods by 1–2 years.Flexible Market Participation: Open interfaces and support for major electricity market protocols enable participation in diverse market mechanisms and unlock additional revenue streams.

Industry-First Five-Layer Protection for Reliable Power

For factories and commercial facilities, power outages can halt equipment, disrupt production and prolong recovery. Reliable power for critical loads is essential to keeping operations running.

Sungrow’s Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution features an industry-first five-layer protection framework, with tailored control strategies for different levels of grid disturbance. It can withstand three times overload for 10 seconds and severe voltage disturbances, helping protect critical loads from supply disruptions. With seamless grid-to-off-grid switching with no interruption to loads and whole-site black-start capability in just 3 minutes, the solution helps ensure a reliable power supply and rapid recovery during grid disruptions.

Support Throughout the Project Lifecycle

From system design and deployment to long-term operation, Sungrow simplifies the entire project lifecycle with full-stack in-house technologies and global service support.

Simplified Design and Deployment: One-stop system design, plug-and-play installation and one-click cloud connection streamline the journey from planning to commissioning.Smarter Operations: Coordinated PV, storage, EV charging, microgrid control and cloud management enable flexible energy dispatch, unified cloud-based management and automatic fault alerts.Global Service Support: With more than 520 service locations, 24/7 technical support and global spare parts centers, Sungrow helps keep projects running reliably over the long term.

Real-World Applications: Powering Energy Independence

“Sungrow’s Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution has been deployed across multiple locations in Southeast Asia, addressing diverse energy challenges for businesses,” said Huang Wanfeng, director of the Smart Energy Products Department at Sungrow.

In the Solomon Islands, the Solomon Resort Hotel Microgrid enables reliable off-grid hotel operations while helping reduce annual CO₂ emissions by around 1,000 tonnes and fuel costs by an estimated USD 600,000–700,000. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, Sungrow’s microgrid solution helps address power supply challenges in industrial parks, reducing reliance on diesel generation.

With proven experience across diverse applications, Sungrow is committed to helping businesses across Southeast Asia build more reliable, cost-efficient and resilient energy systems.

Contact:
Luly Wang
luly.wang@sungrow-hq.com 

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SOURCE Sungrow Power

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