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IFS Completes Acquisition of Copperleaf

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LONDON and VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 29, 2024 /CNW/ – Copperleaf Technologies Inc. (TSX: CPLF) (“Copperleaf” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that Industrial and Financial Systems, IFS AB (“IFS”) has completed the previously announced acquisition of Copperleaf pursuant to a statutory plan of arrangement (the “Arrangement”) under the Canada Business Corporations Act. In accordance with the terms of the Arrangement, IFS indirectly acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of Copperleaf (the “Shares”) for $12.00 in cash per Share, representing a total equity value of approximately $1.0 billion on a fully diluted basis.

The Shares are expected to be de-listed from the Toronto Stock Exchange on or about the closing of trading on August 30, 2024. It is anticipated that Copperleaf will apply to cease to be a reporting issuer under applicable Canadian securities laws.

The Arrangement was originally announced on June 11, 2024, and was approved by the Company’s shareholders at a special meeting held on August 2, 2024. The Company obtained a final order in respect of the Arrangement from the Supreme Court of British Columbia on August 7, 2024.

Further information regarding the Arrangement is provided in the management information circular of the Company dated June 28, 2024 (the “Circular”) prepared in connection with the Arrangement and the Company’s subsequent related news releases, all of which are available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on Copperleaf’s website at https://investors.copperleaf.com.

Enclosed with the Circular was a letter of transmittal explaining how registered shareholders of the Company can submit their Shares in order to receive the consideration to which they are entitled in connection with the Arrangement. Registered shareholders who have questions on how to complete the letter of transmittal should direct their questions to the Company’s transfer agent and depositary, Odyssey Trust Company, 1-888-290-1175 (toll-free within North America), 1-587-885-0960 (outside of North America), or by email at Corp.actions@odysseytrust.com. Beneficial shareholders holding Shares that are registered in the name of an intermediary must contact their broker or other intermediary to submit their instructions with respect to the Arrangement and to arrange for the surrender of their Shares in order to receive the consideration to which they are entitled in connection with the Arrangement.

Advisors

BMO Capital Markets acted as exclusive financial advisor to a special committee of independent directors of Copperleaf (the “Special Committee”) formed to evaluate the Arrangement. Fort Capital Partners acted as independent financial advisor to the Special Committee and the board of directors of Copperleaf. Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP acted as legal counsel to Copperleaf and the Special Committee in connection with the Arrangement.

Arma Partners LLP acted as exclusive financial advisor to IFS, and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and White & Case LLP acted as legal counsel to IFS.

About Copperleaf Technologies Inc.

Copperleaf (TSX:CPLF) provides enterprise decision analytics software solutions to companies managing critical infrastructure. Copperleaf leverages operational and financial data to empower its clients to make investment decisions that deliver the highest business value. What sets Copperleaf apart is its industry-leading products and its commitment to providing extraordinary experiences, shaped by people who care deeply and partnerships that stand the test of time. Copperleaf is actively involved in shaping and implementing global industry standards and sustainability principles through its participation in the United Nations Global Compact, the Institute of Asset Management, and other organizations. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Copperleaf’s solutions are distributed and supported by regional staff and partners worldwide. Together, we are transforming how the world sees value.

About IFS

IFS develops and delivers cloud enterprise software for companies around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, build and maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. Within IFS’s single platform, the company’s industry specific products are innately connected to a single data model and use embedded digital innovation so that company customers can be their best when it really matters to their customers—at the Moment of Service™. The industry expertise of the company’s people and of its growing ecosystem, together with a commitment to deliver value at every single step, has made IFS a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in its sector. IFS’s team of over 6,000 employees every day live our values of agility, trustworthiness, and collaboration in how the company supports its 6,500+ customers.

Additional Early Warning Disclosure

Immediately prior to the closing of the Arrangement, 16091857 Canada Inc. (the “Purchaser”), a corporation formed by IFS to effect the Arrangement, held no Shares. Following the closing of the Arrangement, the Purchaser owns 100% of the outstanding Shares. Copperleaf is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Purchaser and IFS will maintain an indirect ownership interest in Copperleaf.

An early warning report with additional information in respect of the foregoing matters will be filed and made available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca under Copperleaf’s profile or may be obtained directly upon request by contacting the IFS contact persons named below. The head office of Copperleaf is 2920 Virtual Way, Suite 140, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5M 0C4.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada.

Forward-looking information may relate to our future business, financial outlook, and anticipated events or results, and may include information regarding our financial position, business strategy, growth strategies, addressable markets, budgets, operations, financial results, taxes, dividend policy, plans and objectives. Particularly, information regarding our expectations of future results, performance, achievements, prospects, or opportunities, or the markets in which we operate, is forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “targets”, “expect” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “is poised to”, “an opportunity exists”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “outlook”, “future”, “financial outlook”, “forecasts”, “projection”, “prospects”, “strategy”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “does not anticipate”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events, or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will” occur or be taken, or “will continue to” or “are poised to” be achieved. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management’s current expectations, estimates and projections regarding possible future events or circumstances.

Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, estimates and assumptions that we considered appropriate and reasonable as at the date such statements are made, and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: statements with respect to the delisting of the Shares and Copperleaf ceasing to be a reporting issuer following closing of the Arrangement as well as statements regarding the impact of the Arrangement on IFS’ and the Company’s respective businesses and the intended conduct and growth of the Company’s business following closing of the Arrangement; and the risk factors described in our 2023 Annual Information Form (“AIF”) under “Risk Factors”. A copy of the 2023 AIF can be accessed under our profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval Plus (“SEDAR+”) at www.sedarplus.ca. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as at the date made. We are under no obligation (and we expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter any statements containing forward-looking information, the risks or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. All of the forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by the cautionary statements herein.

SOURCE Copperleaf Technologies Inc.

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De¹ Introduces Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, Developing Financial Intelligence Across the Full RWA Financial Landscape

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NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — De¹ is launching Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, the first domain-specific world under its Financial World Model (FWM). It introduces specialized financial intelligence designed to understand the full onchain RWA landscape, from trading and collateral to borrowing, credit, liquidation and agent activity, and apply that knowledge to real financial decisions.

Traditional finance moves assets through separate networks of brokers, custodians, clearing systems and lenders. Each institution sees a different part of the lifecycle, while transfers, reconciliation and collateral requirements add friction to capital deployment. Bringing assets onchain makes financial activity more programmable, but it does not automatically connect the knowledge held across trading, financing and risk systems.

De¹ is establishing Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, where that real-assets financial ecosystem already unfolds in live markets. PancakeSwap, ListaDAO, Venus, Binance Agent OS and BNB Agent SDK span public trading, collateralized lending, structured credit and authorized agent activity. These activities produce distinct signals: executed prices, liabilities, vault constraints, liquidations and the outcomes of agent actions.

Tokenized Asset World brings fragmented financial knowledge into a coherent, learnable model of the full RWA landscape. The domain model is designed to understand the relationships and consequences across financial operations, with verified execution outcomes continuously refining De¹’s understanding of onchain financial physics. This introduces a new layer of intelligence to BNB Chain, enabling a more complete understanding of the tokenized-asset stack across trading, collateral, credit, vaults and agent activity.

AI agents can tap into this intelligence to operate across tokenized-asset markets with a more comprehensive view of liquidity, borrowing conditions, collateral exposure and liquidation risk as a whole. This deeper market understanding could raise more sophisticated strategies, execution and risk decisions. Each agent interaction, in turn, generates new evidence for the model, creating a continuous feedback loop between financial intelligence and live market execution while strengthening De¹’s broader Financial World Model.

About De¹

De¹ is the intelligent infrastructure platform at the intersection of DeFi and AI, building the Financial World Model grounded in live execution and real market feedback. It serves developers, traders, institutions, and AI agents through intelligent execution, unified liquidity, reinforcement learning optimization, and a continuously evolving data flywheel.

Contact: Marketing, pr@de1.ai

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/de-introduces-tokenized-asset-world-on-bnb-chain-developing-financial-intelligence-across-the-full-rwa-financial-landscape-302912966.html

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Plata reaches $1 Billion ARR Milestone, becoming the fastest digital bank ever

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The Mexico based digital bank shatters traditional digital banking scaling timelines, reaching a $1 Billion Annual Recurring Revenue  in less than 3.5 years from launch

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Plata, the world’s fastest growing digital financial institution, today announced that in September 2026 it has crossed $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), reaching the milestone in less than 3.5 years from launch in April 2023 and less than a year after receiving its full banking license. Plata´s growth makes it the fastest digital bank in history to reach this benchmark, and puts it on par with some of the world’s fastest growing leading AI companies, underlining Plata’s own AI and tech capabilities.

Plata reaches this goal after having reached more than 4 million customers in Mexico and having launched operations in Colombia at the beginning of September. In Mexico, Plata is now the fourth credit card issuer in the country by number of customers, and the only digital bank with a full product suite including credit, debit, investments, and small business banking. Plata’s growth is also nearing profitability, which is expected to be reached for its Mexico business within the next 6 months.

Plata changed the rules by building a universal financial platform powered by its own technology from day one. By setting up its core banking system, the company proved that regulated financial institutions can scale at AI-like speed without undermining operating performance.

“By building our own technology from scratch, we proved that a bank can move at AI company speed without compromising anything. Now we are ready to accelerate our innovation, make finance effortless and accessible for everyone.” Neri Tollardo, CEO of Plata.

As digital adoption accelerates across Latin America, Plata´s performance sets a new benchmark for financial infrastructure scaling, financial adoption, and operational efficiency in emerging markets.

About Plata

Plata is the fastest-growing financial institution in Latin America and the largest private digital bank by customer volume. In less than three years, we reached a valuation of $3.1 billion with 4 million active credit card customers and crossed $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Backed by $1.5 billion in equity investment, 1.5 in financing, and a workforce that includes 800 in-house developers, in Banco Plata we have built our own technological ecosystem, which includes a core banking system, CRM, and an app focused on simplifying the financial experience.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plata-reaches-1-billion-arr-milestone-becoming-the-fastest-digital-bank-ever-302912970.html

SOURCE Plata

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Trends International Announces Kenneth Smith as President and Chief Executive Officer

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Experienced executive to lead company’s next phase of retail, digital commerce and strategic growth

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trends International, LLC, a leading publisher and manufacturer of licensed posters, calendars, stickers, wall art and social stationery products, today announced that Kenneth Smith has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 2026.

Smith will spearhead the company’s overall strategic direction and growth initiatives across its retail, wholesale, e-commerce, licensing and direct-to-consumer businesses. In his role, Smith will oversee Trends International and its portfolio of digital businesses, including Art.com and AllPosters.com.

Smith’s appointment comes as Trends International enters a new phase of expansion focused on broadening its retail presence, accelerating e-commerce, strengthening strategic customer relationships, developing new products and licenses, and pursuing partnerships and business opportunities.

“I am honored to lead Trends International and build on the strong foundation established by the company, its founders and its talented employees,” said Kenneth Smith, “We have an exceptional portfolio of brands, licenses, products and customer relationships, and we see significant opportunities to grow the business. Our focus will be on strengthening our retail partnerships, accelerating our digital businesses, developing innovative products and creating new strategic opportunities that deliver value for our customers, consumers, licensors and partners.”

Expanding Retail and Digital Footprint
Under Smith’s leadership, Trends International will continue to invest in its core retail business while broadening its digital commerce capabilities.

The company is focused on deepening relationships with major retailers, expanding distribution, improving merchandising, and developing new product platforms designed to create incremental sales opportunities.

Trends will also continue to build Trends Digital, bringing together the company’s e-commerce capabilities and creating a platform for future digital growth and potential e-commerce acquisitions.

The company’s digital portfolio includes Art.com and AllPosters.com, providing consumers with access to millions of images, posters, prints, wall art, and complementary décor.

“Trends has a tremendous opportunity to build upon its heritage while positioning the company for the future,” Smith said. “We are focused on growth, but equally important is how we achieve that growth — through strong customer partnerships, disciplined execution, innovation and a culture that empowers our people to succeed.”

Strategic Priorities
Smith’s leadership agenda includes several key areas of focus:

Retail growth — Expand relationships and sales with major national retailers and specialty channels.Product innovation — Develop new product formats, displays and seasonal programs that create incremental retail opportunities.Digital commerce — Accelerate the growth of Trends Digital, Art.com and AllPosters.com.Strategic partnerships — Forge new licensing, brand and business partnerships that expand the company’s market opportunity.Operational excellence — Improve organizational alignment, processes, technology, and execution across the company’s businesses.Talent and culture — Build a high-performing organization focused on accountability, innovation, customer service and sustainable growth.

“Kenneth brings a strong combination of leadership, customer focus and business development experience to Trends International,” said Phil St. Jean, Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of Trends International. “His vision for the company and his commitment to our customers, employees and partners make him the right leader for this next chapter. We are excited about what the future holds for Trends International and its businesses.”

About Kenneth Smith
Kenneth Smith is an experienced business executive with a background in sales leadership, strategic account development, business development, customer relationships, and organizational transformation. Throughout his career, Smith has focused on developing strategic growth initiatives, building high-performing teams, and creating long-term partnerships with major customers and business partners.

As president and chief executive officer of Trends International, Smith is responsible for the company’s overall strategy, growth, organizational leadership and business performance.

About Trends International
Trends International, LLC is a leading publisher and manufacturer of licensed posters, calendars, stickers, wall art and social stationery products. Established in 1987, Trends built its business around strong partnerships between licensors, retailers and licensees. Today, the company delivers a broad portfolio of licensed and proprietary products distributed through major retail, specialty, and digital channels.

Art.com, acquired by Trends International in 2023, is a leading online specialty retailer of high-quality wall art and complementary décor. The business offers millions of images and products through its digital commerce platform and interactive visualization tools.

AllPosters.com, part of the Trends International family of businesses, offers consumers a broad selection of posters, prints and wall décor.

For more information about Trends International, Art.com, AllPosters.com or Kenneth Smith, contact:

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trends-international-announces-kenneth-smith-as-president-and-chief-executive-officer-302912992.html

SOURCE Trends International

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