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SUSTAINABLE MARKETS INITIATIVE MEMBER, OCTOPUS ENERGY, LAUNCHES COMPETITION TO ACCELERATE ENERGY INNOVATION IN AFRICA

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The competition will identify and support early-stage businesses focused on transforming power distribution, grid management, energy storage and clean energy generation in Africa.It is open to technologically advanced start-ups with a maximum age of five years and no more than 20 full-time employees.Winners will benefit from mentorship, access to industry insights, and grant funding to help accelerate growth.

LONDON, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Octopus Energy, a member of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Africa Council and leader of the Africa Energy Workstream, today launches the Energy Entrepreneurship Competition to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative energy solutions across Africa.

With 685 million people globally living without access to electricity1, there is a critical need in Africa for reliable and sustainable energy infrastructure. The Energy Entrepreneurship Competition aims to:

Drive innovation and growth within the African renewable energy sector;Nurture the next generation of energy leaders committed to addressing the continent’s unique energy challenges;Create a vibrant ecosystem where collaboration and knowledge sharing drive the renewable energy sector forward.

It will do this by identifying and supporting early-stage businesses focused on transforming power distribution, grid management, energy storage and clean energy generation.

The competition is open to technologically advanced start-ups with a maximum age of five years and no more than 20 full-time employees. Winners will benefit from mentorship, access to industry insights, and grant funding to help accelerate growth. 

Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy, said: As an entrepreneur myself, I’ve seen how talented people in clean energy ventures are key to unlocking energy accessibility and driving sustainability across the world – so I’m excited to see the results of this competition

Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, said: “Accelerating access to affordable and clean energy across Africa is an integral part of the global green energy transition. Through this initiative we’re looking to empower entrepreneurs on-the-ground to drive forward clean energy solutions that will have a lasting impact on communities.”

Full competition details can be found on the SMI website. The closing date for submissions – which should be made online at https://octopus.typeform.com/SIMAC – is Monday 4 November 2024. Winners will be announced before the end of the year.

Notes to editors

About the Sustainable Markets Initiative
Founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 2020, as Prince of Wales, the Sustainable Markets Initiative has become the world’s ‘go-to’ private sector organisation on transition. Launched in 2021, the Terra Carta serves as the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s mandate with a focus on accelerating positive results for Nature, People and Planet through real economy action.  Read more: www.sustainable-markets.org 

About the Sustainable Markets Initiative Africa Council
The Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Africa Council (SMIAC) was launched in November 2023 following a roundtable meeting of leading African CEOs at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, during the state visit of His Majesty King Charles III to Kenya.

It was established in recognition of the current realities of the African continent’s 1.3 billion people, and the shared ambition of its 55 countries to establish a common position in combatting climate change, biodiversity loss and fulfilling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

At its heart, the objective of the Africa Council is to encourage collective and scalable action by business and finance in support of sustainability agendas across the African continent. Together, the members of the Africa Council develop, propose, and adopt innovative solutions and best practices that address some of the most pressing sustainability needs evidenced across the continent. It is led by Dr Hubert Danso, CEO, Africa Investor (Ai) Group, and Dr James Mwangi, CEO, Equity Group Holdings.

About Octopus Energy Generation

As Octopus Energy Group’s green generation arm, Octopus Energy Generation is driving the renewable energy agenda and building green power for the future. It is reshaping the market by leading the transition to a cleaner, greener future through renewable projects connected more deeply to customers and businesses. As one of Europe’s largest specialist renewables investors, it manages 3.8 GW of green energy projects like wind and solar farms in over 15 countries, worth £7bn ($9bn). These generate enough green power for 2.3 million homes every year – the equivalent of taking over 1 million petrol cars off the road.

Octopus comes up with innovative tech-enabled products to change ingrained thinking about energy, positively influence the net zero economy and deliver cheaper energy for customers. This includes the ‘Fan Club’, a world-first tariff providing discounted energy to people living near wind turbines when it’s windy, which has seen 32,000+ requests for local wind turbines, and Winder (Tinder for Wind), Octopus’ tech platform to speed up new turbines development driven by community demand. For more information, check out our website https://www.octopusenergygeneration.com/

About Octopus Energy Group

Octopus Energy is a global clean energy tech business, driving the affordable, green energy system of the future. Under its own retail brand, Octopus delivers world-class customer service and cutting edge energy products to 7.9 million households globally. Its operations span 18 countries and the entire energy value chain. The group invests in, builds and flexibly manages renewable energy, operating a £7 billion portfolio of projects.

Octopus has licensed its advanced data and machine learning platform, Kraken, to support over 54 million customer accounts worldwide through licensing deals with companies such as EDF, E.ON and Origin Energy. Kraken enables Octopus to drive the electrification of heat and transport through smart tariffs and innovative cleantech. Backed by pension funds, investors and energy giants, Octopus Energy Group businesses deliver cheaper, greener energy and cutting-edge tech to countries and customers worldwide. For more information, check out our website: https://octopusenergy.group/

[1] Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 

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ATTACK SHARK Unveils RS6 ULTRA, a Flagship Esports Mouse Featuring Its Proprietary Magnetic Hot-Swappable Battery Technology

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NEW YORK , July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Gaming peripheral brand ATTACK SHARK has announced the upcoming launch of the RS6 ULTRA, its most advanced wireless gaming mouse to date. Designed for competitive FPS players and the premium esports peripheral market, the new model combines a lightweight carbon fiber structure, flagship sensing technology, low-latency wireless performance, and a magnetic hot-swappable battery system.

The RS6 ULTRA’s magnetic hot-swappable battery system is designed to eliminate the compromises associated with conventional wireless gaming mice. Unlike integrated lithium battery designs that require wired charging and eventually suffer from battery aging, or conventional removable battery systems that depend on battery doors and latch mechanisms, the RS6 ULTRA features a proprietary magnetic alignment design with gold-plated contacts, enabling fast, tool-free battery replacement without disrupting wireless operation. Its dual-battery system further ensures uninterrupted gameplay by allowing one battery to power the mouse while the included 8K receiver simultaneously charges the spare, providing continuous wireless performance and a longer product lifecycle through easily replaceable batteries.

Another key feature is ATTACK SHARK’s patented adjustable sensor positioning system. Five mechanical adjustment positions allow players to customize sensor placement to suit hand size, grip style, and aiming preference. This personalized alignment is designed to support more consistent aiming and reduce tracking deviation during rapid movements.

The RS6 ULTRA is powered by a customized PixArt PAW3955MAX sensor and the latest Nordic nRF54L15 wireless MCU, delivering the performance demanded by today’s competitive FPS players. The sensor natively supports polling rates of up to 8,000Hz (8K), as well as 1-DPI incremental adjustment for precise sensitivity control. With up to 52,000 DPI, 850 IPS tracking speed, 75G acceleration, and five adjustable lift-off distance settings, it ensures exceptional tracking accuracy and responsiveness during rapid flick shots, precise target acquisition, and high-speed movement in fast-paced titles such as VALORANT, Counter-Strike 2, and Apex Legends.

Built on the Nordic nRF54L15 platform, the RS6 ULTRA delivers enhanced scanning performance, wireless stability, and power efficiency. At a 1,000Hz polling rate, it provides up to 800 hours of battery life, reducing charging interruptions during extended training and competition. The combination of stable wireless connectivity and long endurance allows players to stay focused on performance rather than power management.

Complementing the hardware, ATTACK SHARK’s proprietary wireless transmission technology delivers button latency of less than 0.168 milliseconds in 8K mode, helping ensure that every click is transmitted with exceptional speed and consistency. The shark fin-inspired 8K receiver features an extended antenna for improved signal strength, along with LED indicators for connection status, polling rate, and battery level. Together, these technologies make the RS6 ULTRA a wireless flagship solution for fast-paced competitive shooters, providing the responsiveness and reliability demanded by players of VALORANT, Counter-Strike 2, and Apex Legends.

The RS6 ULTRA features a carbon fiber hybrid injection-molded chassis with a ventilated hollow-shell design that balances low weight, structural strength, comfort, and heat dissipation during extended gaming sessions. A glass-like cooling surface treatment helps reduce discomfort caused by perspiration, while a CNC-machined metal scroll wheel and anodized components improve durability and wear resistance.

Built for serious FPS competitors and enthusiasts, the RS6 ULTRA delivers precision, responsiveness, customization, and endurance expected from a flagship esports mouse.

For more information, visit https://attackshark.com/ or connect with the brand on social media and Discord.

To place an order, visit ATTACK SHARK Amazon Store for the US, UK, Europe, AU, MX, SA and Japan.

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SOURCE ATTACK SHARK

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EnKash Introduces India’s First Meal Card with UPI Payments

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EnKash extends its UPI capabilities to meal card allowances, combining the convenience of UPI, the reach of RuPay, and tax-efficient employee benefits.

MUMBAI, India, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — EnKash, India’s leading business payments and spend management platform, today announced the launch of UPI-based payments on its Meal Card. With this addition, employees can make payments directly from their meal card balance by scanning eligible UPI QR codes at food and grocery merchants.

This makes EnKash the first provider in India to enable UPI payments directly from a meal benefit balance.

The new capability extends the UPI infrastructure that EnKash already offers across its Prepaid Payment Instrument portfolio. It brings the familiarity and convenience of UPI to structured meal benefits, allowing employees to use their meal allowance through a payment method that has become a part of everyday life in India.

The timing is also significant. Under the revised Income-tax reforms, eligible meal benefits of up to ₹200 per meal are available under both the old and new tax regimes, subject to prescribed conditions. Employees can receive up to ₹1,05,600 annually as a tax-free meal benefit. For HR teams, this makes meal benefits more inclusive, valuable and easier to offer across the workforce.

The solution combines:

UPI-based scan-and-pay convenienceLargest acceptance infrastructure of RuPayMerchant category-based spending controlsPhysical and virtual meal cardsReal-time transaction visibilityCentralised card issuance, loading and management for employers

Employers can issue cards, load meal balances, set spending controls and track transactions through a centralised platform. Merchant category controls help ensure that the meal balance is used only for eligible expenses.

“Employee benefits should be as seamless as everyday payments. By bringing UPI to meal benefits, we’re enabling employees to pay the way they already do while helping employers deliver a simpler and more digital-first experience,” said Priya Sharma, Head of Product at EnKash.

“This launch brings together the power of RuPay, the familiarity of UPI and the tax efficiency of meal benefits. It also reflects the strength of the payments stack EnKash has already built across its PPI products.”

The UPI-enabled Meal Card is supported by EnKash’s existing payments and prepaid infrastructure. The company already provides UPI-based payment capabilities across its prepaid products and also offers businesses a wider payments suite covering prepaid cards, employee benefits, expense management, petty cash, corporate payments, payment gateway, and rewards.

About EnKash

EnKash is India’s first full-stack payments and spend management platform, empowering 5,000+ businesses to automate payments, expenses, and employee benefits. Holding PA, PPI, and Bharat Connect (BBPOU) licenses, EnKash offers a unified financial orchestration suite backed by $23M in funding. By partnering with leading banks and networks like NPCI and Visa, EnKash delivers secure, scalable solutions that make enterprise financial operations faster, smarter, and fully compliant.

For media inquiries, email: marketing@enkash.com

 

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SunTec India Launches Proprietary eCommerce Price Monitoring Platform Delivering 99%+ Accuracy with Human-Verified Pricing Intelligence

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NEW DELHI, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SunTec India today announced the launch of its proprietary, in-house-built eCommerce price monitoring platform, a purpose-built pricing intelligence solution that tracks competitor prices across multiple channels in real time and pairs automated data collection with human QA verification.

The platform supports pricing, sales, and marketplace teams by combining automated data collection, AI-powered product matching, anomaly detection, and analyst-led verification for quality assurance. It enables businesses to monitor competitor prices, promotional movements, Buy Box signals, and Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) violations across key marketplaces & retailer websites.

Unlike generic SaaS tools that hand back raw data for clients to clean and interpret, SunTec India controls its platform end-to-end, from data collection to matching rules, allowing continuous improvement based directly on client needs.

The platform’s core capabilities include:

Real-time, multi-channel monitoring across Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and other marketplaces, and custom URL tracking for any publicly accessible website.AI-powered product matching using EAN/GTIN identifiers for exact matches and ML models for comparable products, achieving 99%+ matching accuracy.MAP violation alerts delivered within agreed SLA windows, with violation logs formatted for legal, sales, and distributor review.Buy Box and dynamic repricing intelligence compatible with Repricer.com, Linnworks, ChannelAdvisor, and other major repricing platforms.Promotional and deal monitoring timed to peak events like Black Friday, Prime Day, and Q4, giving teams lead time to respond.

Built on a proprietary AI crawler, optimized for dynamic page rendering and anti-bot environments, the platform handles JavaScript-rendered pages and pricing overlays that defeat standard scrapers, while continuously learning from detection patterns to maintain collection reliability.

“Self-service tools give you a dashboard and leave the hard part to you,” said Mr. Ravi Kant, Vice President – eCommerce Division, SunTec India.

“What sets our platform apart is the human-in-the-loop layer. AI detects; our analysts verify. Every anomaly is reviewed by a QA analyst before it reaches the client. Our goal is to help clients identify pricing gaps, protect margins, track violations, and respond to competitor moves before they impact revenue,” he added.

About SunTec India

SunTec India is an IT and digital services company delivering technology-led, data-driven business solutions. Founded in 1999, the company has served 8,530+ clients across 50 countries, supported by 1,500+ full-time professionals and a 95%+ client retention rate. SunTec India combines human expertise with AI-enabled technologies to improve operational efficiency, strengthen competitiveness, and create long-term value for businesses worldwide.

Media Contact: 
Rohit
rohit@suntecindia.com  

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SOURCE SunTec India

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