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PURIFIRE ENERGY COMPLETES £2.7 MILLION SEED ROUND FUNDING

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CAMBRIDGE, England, Aug. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — PuriFire Energy has successfully closed a £2.7 million (US$3.5 million) seed round investment led by HICO Investment Group with participation from Bulnes Capital, R&R Investments and Abhishek Desai.

In 2019, Dr Matthew Pearce founded PuriFire, a climate-based startup based in Cambridge, UK. PuriFire aims to commercialise Dr Pearce’s early research into hydrothermal treatment technologies at Cranfield University. Their goal is to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy by scaling green hydrogen, biomethanol, and sustainable fuel production to be cost-competitive with fossil fuel alternatives.

PuriFire will combine the seed investment with a £525k (US$650k) grant from Innovate UK to set up a unique pilot project by mid-2025 to convert anaerobic digestion liquid digestate and other wet feedstocks into green methanol using PuriFire’s patented technology. As part of this round of investment, Chris Hartnoll, CEO & MD at HICO Investment Group, will join PuriFire’s Board.

Neel Shah, CEO and Co-Founder at PuriFire, said, “We are very excited to have HICO’s insight and expertise as we continue our journey to transform green methanol and sustainable fuel production. PuriFire’s technology offers a strong value proposition, as it can scale green methanol and sustainable fuel production without expensive electrolysers or carbon capture systems.”

Chris Hartnoll, MD at HICO Investment Group, mentioned, “One of the key attractions was the potential of PuriFire’s technology to convert wet waste into sustainable fuels such as green methanol. By targeting feedstock that doesn’t necessarily compete with other technologies, we believe PuriFire can significantly reduce the levelised cost of methanol production.”

HICO Investment Group sees significant demand for PuriFire’s green methanol in the shipping industry. Since the beginning of 2024, leading shipping companies such as Maersk, Evergreen, Costco, and CMA-CGM have placed orders for 23 methanol-powered ships, bringing the total number of new methanol-powered vessels on order to over 200. This investment is part of HICO Investment Group’s investments in the energy transition.

In the current market, about 99.3% of methanol produced comes from fossil-based sources, with only 0.7% being renewable or green. Green methanol can reduce CO2 emissions by 60-95%, reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 60-80% and almost eliminate sulphur oxide and particular matter emissions. Alongside this, green methanol can be blended with traditional gasoline or diesel fuel, offering a seamless transition for shipping owners and minimising the need for infrastructure upgrades.

About PuriFire

PuriFire aims to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy by providing sustainable green hydrogen and methanol solutions. We are committed to scaling our portfolio of unique technologies while minimising environmental impact, driving positive change, and creating value for our stakeholders. By leveraging our team’s scientific and engineering expertise, we are dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting a greener future for present and future generations.

About HICO One

The HICO Investment Group was founded in 2021 by Tim Hartnoll to build on his experience and expertise building businesses in the maritime, transportation, and logistics sectors. PuriFire joins HICO’s other investments in the energy transition, such as Core Power, Ki Hydrogen, Tidal Transit, and Britoil. HICO leverages close partnerships around the world to find new opportunities and expand its existing businesses and technology.

Contact:
Neel Shah
press@purifire.com

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HR Path Strengthens its Australian Presence with Strategic Acquisition of Payroll Experts Australia

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PARIS, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HR Path, a global leader in HR consulting and HRIS solutions, today announces its strategic acquisition of Payroll Experts Australia, a Brisbane-based company specialising in payroll compliance, remediation, workforce management and HR systems consulting.

Founded in 2009, Payroll Experts Australia has delivered more than 530 projects for over 260 organisations across Australia and New Zealand. Independent of any software vendor, the company supports employers across the full payroll, workforce management and HR systems lifecycle, with expertise spanning payroll compliance and audit, remediation, award and agreement interpretation, payroll processing, advisory and end-to-end systems implementation.

The acquisition strengthens HR Path’s ability to provide end-to-end HR transformation services across the ANZ market. Payroll Experts Australia’s specialist capabilities complement HR Path’s existing HRIS technology and SAP SuccessFactors expertise, enabling the combined organisation to support clients with a broader range of locally grounded services, from strategic advisory and systems implementation to payroll compliance and operational support. 

Payroll Experts Australia will continue to operate under the brand “Payroll Experts Australia, an HR Path Company”. Its leadership team and employees will remain in their current roles, ensuring continuity of service for clients while giving the business access to HR Path’s international capabilities and resources. 

The transaction builds on HR Path’s expansion in the region. HR Path has been active in Australia since 2019, following the acquisition of DDG. It opened an Australian office in 2024 and acquired RKM Consulting in 2025, strengthening its HRIS technology and SAP SuccessFactors capabilities across Australia and New Zealand.  

“The acquisition of Payroll Experts Australia, a company renowned for its expertise in payroll compliance, is a strategic move that supports our ambition to be the global reference in HR transformation,” said François Boulet, Co-founding Partner at HR Path. “Their deep knowledge and strong client relationships in Australia complement our global capabilities, enabling us to deliver even more value to our clients. This partnership is about synergy, innovation, and shared commitment to excellence.”

“We are very happy about this new chapter!” said Steve Keenaghan, Chief Executive Officer at Payroll Experts Australia. “This step opens up exciting opportunities for our team and our clients and ensures our continued growth and success. We will maintain our commitment to delivering exceptional, independent payroll expertise while exploring new possibilities within HR Path.”

Contact:

Fabienne LATOUR  Fabienne.latour@hr-path.com

 

 

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Sungrow Powers Up for All Energy Australia 2026 With New Residential Innovation and Full Ecosystem Showcase

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MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sungrow, the global leader in PV inverter and energy storage solutions, is set to make a strong return to All Energy Australia 2026, the region’s largest and most influential renewable energy exhibition. It will introduce its next-generation all-in-one residential flagship PowerHarbour, alongside a comprehensive showcase of technologies for residential, C&I, and utility-scale applications.

As Australia accelerates toward a cleaner, more resilient energy future, Sungrow’s presence at All Energy will once again serve as a central meeting point for industry leaders, installers, innovators, and policymakers. The booth will offer visitors a rich blend of product demonstrations, technical insights, interactive experiences, and opportunities to connect with Sungrow’s local engineering and sales teams.

A New Addition to Residential Energy Storage

At the upcoming All-Energy 2026, Sungrow will officially unveil PowerHarbour in Australia for the first time. It is a residential all in one solution designed to simplify energy independence for homeowners. It combines sleek design, intelligent integration, advanced safety features and a modular design that can deliver up to 120kWh of capacity. The enhanced AFCI 3.0 protection makes it one of the most flexible and homeowner‑friendly systems on the market. The result is a clean, integrated solution that empowers households to take control of their energy with confidence and ease.

C&I Solutions for Diverse Applications

The exhibition will also showcase Sungrow’s C&I portfolio, including PowerKeeper, deployed across diverse Australian environments, and the ST255CS liquid-cooled BESS cabinet, designed for applications such as microgrid stability and FCAS. Together, these solutions demonstrate Sungrow’s capabilities in delivering flexible, reliable energy storage for a wide range of commercial and industrial needs.

Utility-Scale Innovation on Display

For utility developers and EPCs, Sungrow will present a full-size PowerTitan 3.0, giving visitors a rare opportunity to see the battery container up close. Together, PowerTitan 3.0 and 1+X modular inverter demonstrate advanced energy storage, grid-forming capabilities, and flexible deployment for complex project environment. Backed by dedicated local project management, comprehensive technical support, and a growing project pipeline across Australia and New Zealand.

Visit Sungrow at Booth KK123

Sungrow invites all attendees to visit Booth KK123 at All Energy Australia 2026 to experience its latest residential, commercial, and utility‑scale innovations firsthand. Attendees can expect a vibrant and engaging atmosphere throughout the day featuring lucky draws with exciting prizes, free premium coffee, photobooth and insightful presentations. The booth promises a full day of discovery, connection, and inspiration. Sungrow looks forward to welcoming partners, customers, and renewable energy enthusiasts as we continue powering Australia’s clean energy future together.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sungrow-powers-up-for-all-energy-australia-2026-with-new-residential-innovation-and-full-ecosystem-showcase-302915169.html

SOURCE Sungrow

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AglaiaSense and Leopard Imaging to Demonstrate Privacy-First AI Traffic Sensing at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona

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FREMONT, Calif. and BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AglaiaSense and Leopard Imaging will exhibit together at Smart City Expo World Congress, November 3–5, 2026, at Fira Barcelona Gran Vía.

The two companies proposed AI-VIVA (Vision Intelligence for València and Arterials) and is selected as a finalist in the fifth urban challenge of Barcelona Innova Lab Mobility (BILM), on the application of artificial intelligence to traffic-light regulation. AI-VIVA combines AglaiaSense’s edge-AI traffic solutions with Leopard Imaging’s patented privacy architecture. At the show, the team will give a live demonstration of AglaiaSense’s signature MS500 and GS500 cameras, with the AglaiaSense AI Box, powered by NVIDIA, which adds local processing to coordinate groups of neighboring intersections.

The cameras analyze images inside the device, using the Sony IMX500 and IMX501 intelligent vision sensors. They count and classify vehicles, buses, cyclists and pedestrians in real time. Raw video is discarded on the device within 400–800 milliseconds, and only anonymous metadata is transmitted. Cities can feed that data into signal-control software to adapt traffic lights to real demand.

MS500: about 2 W average power, 1080p, powered from a standard NEMA or ZHAGA street-light socket.

GS500: about 6.5 W average, dual 4K cameras, with Ethernet, LTE Cat 4 and GPS; powered by PoE, 12–24 V DC or a NEMA adapter.

Both cameras: IP66-rated, −20 °C to +65 °C, mounted on existing poles, so no trenching or new masts are needed.

Bandwidth: more than 95% lower than CCTV-based monitoring.

“Cities want safer, smoother streets without turning every crossing into a surveillance point,” said Leon Luo, CEO of AglaiaSense. “Being named a finalist in Barcelona tells us the approach resonates.”

“Privacy has to be built into the camera, not added later,” said Bill Pu, CEO of Leopard Imaging.

AglaiaSense’s solutions are deployed across North America and Asia, and the company won first place in the Pedestrian Safety Challenge Hackathon, run by the Edge AI Foundation (formerly the tinyML Foundation) and the City of San José. In field tests, the systems achieved detection and counting accuracy above 95%. The City of Lakewood, Colorado, compared the GS500 with traditional IP cameras and LiDAR on real roads and found it more accurate, more energy-efficient, and less costly to deploy. At a high-risk crossing where pedestrians often crossed outside the crosswalk, the system alerted approaching drivers in real time.

Visit us at Pavilion 3, Level 0, Street D, Stand 71. To book a meeting, email sales@aglaiasense.com.

About AglaiaSense

AglaiaSense, is an edge-AI company specializing in privacy-first, vision-based sensing for smart cities. Its GS500 and MS500 cameras run AI on the image sensor to count and classify road users in real time and send only anonymous metadata.

About Leopard Imaging

Leopard Imaging is a global leader in high-definition embedded cameras and AI-based imaging solutions in industries including automotive, aerospace, drones, IoT, and robotics.

Media contact:

Cathy Zhao

+1 (408) 263-0988

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