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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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One Country, Countless Journeys: Wego and the German National Tourist Office GCC (GNTO GCC) Inspire MENA Travellers to Discover Germany

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DUBAI, UAE, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wego, the number 1 travel app and the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has announced a strategic partnership with the German National Tourist Office GCC (GNTO GCC) to bring Germany’s distinctive character closer to travelers across the region, presenting a country where historic landmarks, regional traditions, creative cities, and striking natural scenery form part of the same journey.

Germany’s appeal lies in the contrasts travelers encounter from one destination to the next. A visit may begin among Berlin’s museums, contemporary neighborhoods, and architectural landmarks before continuing to Bavaria’s traditional towns and Alpine scenery. Elsewhere, Hamburg’s waterfront atmosphere, Cologne’s historic character, and Heidelberg’s picturesque setting reveal entirely different sides of the country.

The campaign which runs under the slogan ‘Germany – Simply inspiring’ will invite travelers to experience Germany through routes and journeys rather than individual attractions. Visitors can follow the Rhine past vineyards, riverside communities, and hilltop castles, travel through the wooded landscapes of the Black Forest, or explore historic towns where local traditions remain part of everyday life. Museums, design, music, architecture, and regional cuisine add further depth to each itinerary, connecting Germany’s past with its evolving cultural identity.

Speaking about the collaboration, Mamoun Hmidan, Chief Business Officer at Wego, said: “Travellers from the MENA region are increasingly looking for destinations that offer depth, variety, and the opportunity to enjoy different experiences within a single trip. Germany stands out by bringing together vibrant cities, rich cultural heritage, scenic landscapes, and distinctive regional experiences, making it an ideal destination for every type of traveller. Through our partnership with the German National Tourist Office GCC (GNTO GCC), we look forward to inspiring more travellers to discover Germany beyond its iconic landmarks and experience the diversity that makes every journey unique.”

Outdoor experiences will also play an important role in the campaign. From hiking and cycling to lake retreats, mountain escapes, and countryside journeys, Germany gives travelers the opportunity to move easily between urban exploration and nature. Its connected cities and regions allow visitors to create varied itineraries that may combine culture, relaxation, family experiences, shopping, and scenic discovery within one trip.

Yamina Sofo, Director of sales and marketing at the German National Tourist Office GCC (GNTO GCC), said: “Germany’s identity is shaped by the connection between heritage and modern life. Visitors can encounter centuries of history, vibrant cultural scenes, distinctive regional traditions, and varied natural landscapes as they travel across the country. Working with Wego gives us an opportunity to share these stories with more travelers from the GCC region and encourage them to experience Germany from different perspectives.”

The partnership will bring Germany’s regions and travel experiences to GCC audiences through editorial content, destination features, and practical trip-planning inspiration. By highlighting the country through its contrasts, local stories, and connected journeys, Wego and the German National Tourist Office GCC (GNTO GCC) aim to encourage travelers to see Germany not as a single experience, but as a destination that reveals something different at every stop.

About Wego

Wego is the number one travel app and the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Combining a dynamic travel marketplace with on-platform bookings, Wego enables travelers to easily search, compare, and book flights and hotels across hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agencies. Beyond its B2C marketplace, Wego also operates WegoPro, a next-generation business travel platform, and WegoBeds, a MENA-focused bedbank. The company is dual-headquartered in Singapore and Dubai with offices in Bangalore and Mumbai.

For more information, visit www.wego.com

About the GNTB

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) works on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to represent Germany as a tourist destination and is funded by the Ministry in accordance with a decision taken by the German Bundestag. As the central organisation for promoting inbound tourism to Germany, the GNTB works closely with the German travel industry and private-sector partners and trade associations to develop strategies and marketing campaigns that promote Germany’s positive image abroad as a travel destination and encourage tourists to visit the country. The aim is to unlock future commercial potential and thus add value to the German economy by attracting international visitors to Germany.

The GNTB’s primary strategic areas of action are:

Targeted market research and detailed analysis of global travel trends and market-specific customer demandSupporting the German travel industry, which is dominated by small and medium-sized businesses, by sharing expertise and connecting German providers with the international travel trade.Raising awareness of the Destination Germany brand and enhancing the brand profile with a focus on digital transformation.

The ‘Germany. Simply inspiring’ brand profile represents a high-quality and service-oriented, travel destination in the market.

From its head office in Frankfurt, the GNTB manages 22 foreign representative offices in established and in high-potential source markets.

Follow GNTO’s accounts on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/germanytourismar/
https://www.facebook.com/germanytourismar/

 

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Jonah Launches its New Blog Builder Product Designed to Amplify GEO Strategies in Multifamily.

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WESTLAKE, Texas, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Jonah, the leading provider of premium, fully integrated websites for the multifamily industry, launches its new Blog Builder product, a comprehensive blogging environment designed to amplify GEO strategies in multifamily.

Jonah, in response to the evolving AI generative results landscape and through their observation of the success of blog content for GEO enhancements, developed its Blog Builder product.

AI-generated results often surface highly specific content that directly answers the user’s search query. Because of their unique ability to present relevant and timely content that users are searching for, blogs are an ideal format for this content and are sourced more often in these generated results.

Jonah’s Blog Builder product was created to turn their client’s custom content into a GEO strategy. It is intended to be best understood by AI search engines, simple for clients to operate, and engaging for the prospective renter.

Blog Builder by Jonah is structured with standard Schema.org blog architecture in its backend to ensure the client’s content has the best opportunities to be read, understood, and surfaced by AI search engines. This gives clients the assurance that AI can understand their specific content automatically.

The blogging environment in itself is a highly tailored solution featuring categories and unlimited tagging with dedicated subpages for each, delivering additional searchable sources from one piece of content. These features, in addition to the schema, were developed to create a deeper environment for hosting this blog content, driving more surfacing power with less effort for the client.

The pagination, publishing details, and search features give the end user an engaging experience and the client full control over their content. The Blog Builder pulls from the property website’s distinct branding, bringing cohesion to the entire environment.

Multifamily clients can create unlimited posts with tailored tags, categories, and details in this comprehensive blogging environment, turning their custom content into GEO strategy, all with the power of Jonah’s Blog Builder.

About Jonah
Jonah builds beautiful, powerful, fully integrated websites exclusively for multifamily. Our industry-leading technology is designed to make your job easier and your properties more profitable. With the best shopping experience in multifamily, Jonah helps your portfolio generate more leads and drive more leases. Learn more about our property websites.

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SOURCE Jonah®

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China Southern Power Grid Showcases AI Innovations at World AI Conference

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SHANGHAI, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — China Southern Power Grid (CSG) showcased its latest AI-powered power systems and technologies integrating electricity, carbon and computing at the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai.

Among the highlights was MegaWatt Yunrui, an AI-native distribution network planning agent developed by CSG. In a live demonstration, the system automatically generated a comprehensive distribution network planning report — including risk assessment and grid topology recommendations — in just 10 minutes. The solution was named one of the conference’s Top 10 Signature Exhibits, becoming the only project from a central state-owned enterprise to receive the distinction.

This year, coordination between computing infrastructure and power systems was included in China’s Government Work Report for the first time. As CSG works toward becoming a global leader in electricity, carbon and computing coordination, the company has focused on building a fully proprietary end-to-end technology stack encompassing power-sector foundation models, intelligent robots and digital infrastructure. Among the exhibits were several technologies that the company described as domestic firsts and internationally advanced.

“We have integrated three systems that traditionally operated independently — electricity, carbon and computing — to establish China’s first industry-level electricity-carbon-computing coordination platform,” the company said. Built on the digital power grid, CSG has created a technology architecture spanning computing infrastructure, power-sector foundation models, AI agents and field devices. This end-to-end ecosystem supports the digital transformation of next-generation power grids through intelligent operations and coordinated capabilities across every layer.

At the core of the platform is MegaWatt Multimodal 2.0, a foundation model purpose-built for the power sector. At the application layer, MegaWatt Yunrui serves as an AI-native distribution network planning agent developed to support national energy security and the buildout of next-generation power systems. The company also introduced a range of digital infrastructure innovations, including PowerAtomOS, a proprietary unified operating system for power-sector IoT devices. Designed to provide centralized connectivity and management for hundreds of millions of connected devices, PowerAtomOS supports critical power equipment across virtually every operational scenario within CSG’s service area.

CSG said its strategy extends beyond deploying AI applications to building the technological foundation for the next generation of intelligent power systems.

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SOURCE China Southern Power Grid

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