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Newborn Town sees a Net Profit Growth of 28% to RMB 388 Million whilst the MENA Market Revenue surged by over 44% for the first half of 2024

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HONG KONG, Aug. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On August 29, Newborn Town (09911. HK) unveiled its interim results for the first half of 2024, demonstrating significant growth in various key operational indicators. The improvement was driven by its skyrocketing pan-audience social networking business and further expansion in the MENA market.

According to the announcement, Newborn Town reported a total revenue of RMB 2,272 million for the first half of 2024, marking a substantial 65% period-on-period increase. Net profit for the period reached RMB 388 million, up 28% period-on-period. Profit attributable to the Company’s owners was RMB 225 million, reflecting a 21% period-on-period rise. Adjusted EBITDA totaled RMB 448 million, demonstrating a 29% period-on-period increase.

The social networking business segment attained robust growth, achieving revenue of approximately RMB 2,070 million, marking a 67% growth period-on-period. Additionally, the innovative sector made significant progress, recording around RMB 202 million in revenue, reflecting a 54% period-on-period growth.

Notably, the Company’s long-term investment in the MENA region has been yielding positive feedback. The capability for “product replication “has been further strengthened, with new products represented by SUGO rapidly maturing, thus bringing fresh growth momentum to the Company.

As one of the major markets, the MENA market has consistently been the core focal point of the Company’s strategic implementation of localization strategy. Through years of in-depth regional operations, Newborn Town has built up a comprehensive regional organization, nurtured a local team of employees, and forged strong connections with local creators and partners.

The benefits brought about by Newborn Town’s localization efforts are becoming increasingly evident. For the first half of 2024, the MENA market contributed over 50% of the Company’s social networking business revenue, with the core products recording a 44% period-on-period increase.

The MENA region has also been the market for Newborn Town’s new business incubation. Products with high potential, such as TopTop and SUGO, have been successfully scaled up from inception as their business models were verified for global market expansion.

This August, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment granted Newborn Town a Regional Headquarters (RHQ) license, making it the world’s first social entertainment company to establish a regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia. This move further consolidates Newborn Town’s efforts in the MENA region.

Under the RHQ program, Newborn Town will aim to build a trustworthy enterprise in the MENA region through close connections with governments, active engagement in community development and charitable activities, serving the local populace and building an ecosystem.

While continuously widening the moat with its localization strength, Newborn Town has also achieved significant breakthroughs in product operation, starting to achieve the goal of replicating the popular apps that generate tens of millions of dollars in monthly revenue. After MICO, the companion-based social app SUGO has reached the target.

Newborn Town’s operation strategy, centered on cultivating the “Bushes” housing apps with diverse features, has been developed through a deep understanding of users’ specific social and entertainment needs. Under this strategy, Newborn Town’s strength in app operation has steadily advanced, alongside enhancements in the middle platform mechanism.

Moreover, the Company’s aggregated localized operation resources have hastened the emergence of hit apps by facilitating swift product launches, cost-effective trial and error testing, and highly efficient verification.

SUGO and TopTop, the new apps under Newborn Town, have both experienced explosive revenue growth. SUGO, for example, has achieved an over 250% period-on-period increase in revenue. In July, SUGO contributed the majority revenue to Newborn Town among the apps.

TopTop, the social gaming platform with a double period-on-period revenue increase in the first half, was featured as a recommendation on the Apple App Store in May, reaching users across dozens of countries and regions, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

The first-mover products, such as MICO and YoHo, have also made significant strides. MICO, TopTop, SUGO, and YoHo all ranked on Sensor Tower’s Top 10 highest-grossing social apps in MENA from January to May 2024.

According to the announcement, the Company will persist in its pursuit of creating successful products in increasingly specialized niches and duplicating more apps that yield monthly revenues in the tens of millions of US dollars.

Beyond its pan-audience social networking business achievements, Newborn Town’s other business segments have also seen notable progress.

HeeSay, the LGBTQ+ online community, has strengthened its global brand presence through more refined in-app operations. Since early this year, this platform has launched a series of offline events in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Los Angeles, etc., fostering a stronger sense of community among users. These efforts have contributed to an increase in business scale of approximately 25%.

In addition, the Company has continued investment in developing quality games. In the first half of 2024, Newborn Town’s quality games achieved a recharge of RMB 387 million, up 393% period-on-period. Its flagship title, Alice’s Dream: Merge Games, secured a spot among Sensor Tower’s top 30 Chinese mobile games in overseas revenue for May and June.

Overall, Newborn Town has made significant strides across key markets and various business segments in the first half of 2024. The Company has reinforced the validity of its business models in the social sector, bolstering the competitiveness of its new products and injecting new growth catalysts.

Moving forward, Newborn Town aims to delve deeper into the social entertainment realm, gaining a foothold in MENA and expanding globally to create positive emotional values.

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SOURCE Newborn Town

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JinkoSolar Unveils Tiger Neo 5.0 All-Black Residential Solar Module with 25.52% Efficiency

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SHANGRAO, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (“JinkoSolar” or the “Company”) (NYSE: JKS), today unveiled Tiger Neo 5.0, an all-black residential solar module built on its all-new TAC technology. The first version to reach the market, an all-black 48-cell module, delivers a maximum power output of 510 W with a module efficiency of 25.52%. It was designed to redefine the upper limits of what a scenario-specific module can deliver in both appearance and efficiency for premium homes and other architecturally refined residences.

The module showcases a deeper, more uniform and more refined black appearance than conventional back-contact (BC) modules. Semiconductor-grade low- and high-temperature processes bring the power temperature coefficient down to -0.24%/℃, meaning stronger energy yield in high-temperature environments.

TAC technology combines the excellent carrier transport of TOPCon with the low-temperature processing and positive electrode passivation of HJT, pushing peak cell efficiency to 28%, approaching the theoretical limit of monocrystalline silicon cells. Together with a zero-gap cell layout and hidden-ribbon technology at module level, the module achieves an efficiency of 25.52%. Compared with conventional BC products, it delivers approximately 30 W more power, and a lower temperature coefficient. Its deeper, more premium black appearance blends seamlessly into residential rooftops— especially dark-colored ones — making it a standout in the residential module category for both power and aesthetics.

“Our vision for Tiger Neo 5.0 was to develop a panel tailored to premium residential rooftops. It pushes the boundaries of both performance and aesthetics with innovations in cell technology, passivation processes, structural design, module format and interconnections. With this launch, we aim to help move the industry toward solutions tailored to specific applications,” said Charlie Cao, CEO of Jinko Solar Co., Ltd.

About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is a holding company combining clean energy industrial operations and strategic investment in emerging technologies. Its industrial foundation is a controlling interest in Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. (SSE: 688223), a global leader in clean energy technology. The Company makes disciplined strategic investments in renewable energy, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, commercial space and other frontier technologies, drawing on its industrial experience and its ability to identify emerging technologies and bring them to commercial scale.

Through Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., the Company distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and other countries and regions.

JinkoSolar has over 10 production facilities globally, over 20 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Mexico, and other countries, and a global sales network with sales teams in China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Vietnam and India, as of June 30, 2026.

To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com 

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company’s operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Stella Wang
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.
Tel: +86 21-5180-8777 ext.7806
Email: pr@jinkosolar.com

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SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

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AGFUND wins international award for excellence in inclusive banking and social impact

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 Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal credits the founders of AGFUND’s microfinance banks for laying the foundations of its development impact

BANGKOK, Oct. 17, 2026 /CNW/ — The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) won the “Excellence in Inclusive Banking and Social Impact” award at the 2026 Sustainable Development Goals Awards, organized by the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI) in cooperation with the European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG).

AGFUND CEO Hammam bin Nasser bin Juraid accepted the award in Bangkok, Thailand, alongside the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group.

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, President of AGFUND, said the recognition acknowledges AGFUND’s experience using financial services to empower underserved communities, strengthen livelihoods and promote economic independence.

He credited the founders of AGFUND’s microfinance banks, particularly the late Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, for establishing institutions centered on empowering people.

He added that the award reflects over two decades of commitment, the dedication of financial inclusion banks and partners, and clients who transformed financing into businesses and family income. He emphasized expanding opportunities and measuring success through lasting improvements in people’s lives.

Prince Abdulaziz stressed that the recognition reflects the value of institutions reaching excluded populations and encourages broader access and economic opportunities for families.

AGFUND’s financial inclusion banking network has served more than 1.3 million clients and disbursed over US$1.37 billion in financing since inception. Women represent 59 per cent of borrowers, demonstrating its contribution to economic empowerment.

Presented by WSBI, established in 1924, together with ESBG, the award recognizes an approach linking financial services, social impact and sustainable development.

Following its first bank in Jordan in 2004, AGFUND expanded across nine countries: Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Mauritania and Sierra Leone, focusing on communities underserved by conventional financial institutions.

The network has issued more than 1.5 million loans, opened over 927,000 savings accounts, established 112 branches and employed more than 1,500 people. Its services finance micro and small enterprises and income-generating activities, improving livelihoods and economic independence.

AGFUND plans to strengthen development partnerships, advance digital solutions and innovative financial products, and integrate financing with training, capacity development, market access and risk protection.

It is also exploring geographic expansion, particularly in Africa, through institutional partnerships that adapt successful approaches to local needs and extend sustainable financial inclusion to more communities.

Website – https://agfund.org/

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SOURCE The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND)

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GAC Showcases Multiple Models at Canton Fair: Systemic Global Expansion as a Response to High‑Level Opening‑Up

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On 15 October, the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) kicked off in Guangzhou. Dubbed “China’s No.1 Exhibition” with a 70‑year history, it serves as a vital window for global merchants to understand China, and one of GAC’s stages to connect with the world. For international buyers, GAC serves not only as a sourcing platform but as a trusted channel for experiencing Chinese automotive innovation and building long-term local partnerships. Having made its debut in 2012, GAC has participated in the fair 30 times to date. Together with the Canton Fair, it has witnessed the transformation of Made‑in‑China products into Chinese global brands.

This transformation is reflected in GAC’s global expansion journey through a string of continuously refreshed sales figures. Overseas sales stood at 90,000 units in 2024, hit 130,000 units in 2025, and exceeded 197,000 units in January‑September 2026, representing a year‑on‑year surge of 138.9%. GAC is sprinting full steam ahead toward its annual target of 300,000 overseas units. GAC has accomplished a shift from “product export” to “system‑level global expansion”.

At the GAC booth, XT80, AION i60 and AISTALAND GX7 showcased intelligent driving, three-electric systems and premium cabins. The energy-ecology zone featured DC ultra-fast charging piles, 7 kW smart home chargers, multi-in-one electric drive units and PV-Storage-Charging-Swapping Technology, addressing range anxiety. Opening day drew buyers from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and Africa. At the Music & Cuisine Festival, GAC built three immersive spaces blending smart mobility, Cantonese cuisine, camping and sports. The XT80, AION N60, GAC S7 and AISTALAND GT7 served as lifestyle carriers, letting guests enjoy morning tea, global cuisines and intangible cultural heritage.

GAC will advance its ONE GAC 2.0 strategy, deepening localized operations and expanding its systematic global layout. As a tribute to the Canton Fair’s 70th anniversary and a new business card for China’s auto industry, GAC will help drive Chinese intelligent manufacturing onto the global stage.

For further information about GAC, please visit https://www.gacgroup.com/en or follow us on social media.

 

SOURCE GAC

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