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VERSABANK RECOGNIZED FOR CONTINUING LEADERSHIP IN BANKING TECHNOLOGY

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–  Bank Named CIO Awards Canada Winner by IDC and CIO –

LONDON, ON, Sept. 26, 2024 /CNW/ – VersaBank has been named a CIO Awards Canada winner by IDC Canada and CIO. VersaBank CIO, Wooi Koay received the award at a CIO Awards Canada gala dinner hosted at The National Club in Toronto on September 25, 2024.

CIO Awards Canada recognized VersaBank for its Capital Adequacy Requirement (CAR) project. Canada’s banking regulator requires banks to set aside capital amounts for different loan types – known as capital adequacy requirements (CAR) – and the regulator changes these requirements periodically. Banks must respond promptly when requirements are changed. 

For this project, VersaBank moved the core CAR logic into a serverless function in the cloud, which resulted in ultra-fast computing and without impairing any of the demands on the bank’s Asset Management System (AMS). The AMS is used to record and track assets (e.g., loans) to judiciously allocate their capital to generate the highest return on common equity.

“We’re delighted to be recognized for our continuing technological innovation, which is the very core of VersaBank’s model as a cloud-based, branchless, business-to-business bank, providing high value-add digital banking solutions to address the unmet needs of our partners throughout North America,” said David Taylor, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, VersaBank. “Our proprietary banking software underlies our tremendous success and growth to date in Canada, which we look forward to replicating with our recent entry into the United States, as our cloud-based systems enable us to operate incredibly efficiently on both sides of the border.  VersaBank’s CIO, Wooi Koay, has played an integral role in our technological leadership, working to develop some of the banking industry’s most innovative solutions and enabling us to continuously remain on the leading edge of digital financial technology.”

Mr. Koay has shown a remarkable ability to translate the vision for new technology solutions, products and services envisioned by VersaBank management, including Founder David Taylor, and translate them into reality.

“We’re excited to celebrate CIO Awards Canada 2024, which honours Canadian IT organizations for projects driving digital business growth through technology innovation and demonstrating business value. We wish to congratulate this years’ winners as their projects were very inspiring and a true testament of the highly skilled and innovative workforce here in Canada,” said Lars Goransson, Managing Director, Canada, IDC (International Data Corporation).

Every year, CIO recognizes the tech world’s most innovative organizations and accomplished leaders. 2024 will be the third year for this popular awards program, where CIO Awards Canada have recognized innovative Canadian tech projects and teams.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC’s analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world’s leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights. To learn more about IDC Canada, please visit www.idc.com/ca or follow us on LinkedIn.

About CIO

CIO focuses on attracting the highest concentration of enterprise CIOs and business technology executives with unparalleled peer insight and expertise on business strategy, innovation, and leadership. As organizations grow with digital transformation, CIO provides its readers with key insights on career development, including certifications, hiring practices and skills development. The award-winning CIO portfolio provides business technology leaders with analysis and insight on information technology trends and a keen understanding of IT’s role in achieving business goals. CIO is published by Foundry (formerly IDG Communications, Inc.) Company information is available at http://www.foundryco.com Follow CIO on Twitter: @CIOonline & @CIOevents Follow CIO on LinkedIn Follow CIO on Facebook.

About the CIO Awards Canada

The CIO Awards for Canada celebrate Canadian organizations and the teams within them that are using IT in innovative ways to deliver business value, whether by creating competitive advantage, optimizing business processes, enabling growth, or improving relationships with customers. The award is an acknowledged mark of enterprise excellence and a source of pride for all winning organizations.

About VersaBank

VersaBank is a North American bank (federally chartered in Canada and the US) with a difference.  VersaBank has a branchless, digital, business-to-business model based on its proprietary state-of-the-art technology that enables it to profitably address underserved segments of the banking industry in a significantly risk mitigated manner. Because VersaBank obtains substantially all of its deposits and undertakes the majority of its lending electronically through financial intermediary partners, it benefits from significant operating leverage that drives efficiency and return on common equity.  In August 2024, VersaBank launched its unique Receivable Purchase Program (RPP) funding solution for point-of-sale finance companies, which has been highly successful in Canada for nearly 15 years, to the underserved multi-trillion-dollar US market.  VersaBank also owns Washington, DC-based DRT Cyber Inc., a North America leader in the provision of cyber security services to address the rapidly growing volume of cyber threats challenging financial institutions, multi-national corporations and government entities.

VersaBank’s Common Shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) and Nasdaq under the symbol VBNK. Its Series 1 Preferred Shares trade on the TSX under the symbol VBNK.PR.A.

Visit our website at:  www.versabank.com

Follow VersaBank on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

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SOURCE VersaBank

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Linker Vision Announces ESG Agent to Help Cities Plan More Sustainable Urban Environments

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BERLIN, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Linker Vision announced a new ESG AI agent designed to help urban planners evaluate sustainability initiatives and make more informed decisions. By combining environmental predictions with AI reasoning, the agent assesses urban heat and shade coverage to guide tree planting and greenery management, supporting cities’ climate adaptation goals. 

Turning sustainability goals into practical decisions

Linker Vision is working with MVRDV, the Dutch architecture and urban design firm, to explore how AI can help cities assess potential interventions before making changes in the real world. MVRDV contributed scientific data, shaped the evaluation criteria the agent uses to assess planning options, and tested the ESG agent during development.

An initial application focuses on urban forests. Linker Vision is collaborating with MVRDV on a digital twin that supports predictions of urban heat island effects and shade coverage. In the pilot, the agent identifies heat hotspots, selects suitable tree species and simulates the results, projecting that shade coverage could rise from 15.7% to more than 50% within 15 years.

Building on this pilot, the approach allows a shared digital twin to support multiple planning needs, including climate adaptation and disaster resilience. Urban forest planning is available today, and going forward, the city digital twin is designed to serve as a common foundation that government agencies can build on for additional applications, such as analyzing pedestrian flows and preparing venues for major sporting events.

How it works

The workflow combines a digital twin built using 3D Gaussian Splatting with NVIDIA accelerated computing and AI technologies. NVIDIA Omniverse libraries and OpenUSD have been implemented to unify city, tree and environmental data into a single scene, while NVIDIA Nemotron reasoning models let users run planting scenarios and optimize shade through natural language. NVIDIA Metropolis Blueprint for video search and summarization (VSS) and Cosmos open world foundation model help interpret video and understand real-world conditions.

In practice, a planner asks the agent where new trees would best reduce street-level heat. The agent tests planting options and simulates shade and temperature over a 15-year timespan in minutes, and planners review the recommended plan before an urban heat hotspot project moves forward.

Designing for future generations

“Every decision about a city shapes how future generations will live,” said Paul Shieh, founder and CEO of Linker Vision. “By connecting real-world understanding with simulation and AI reasoning, we want to help cities explore what is possible and make better choices for people and the planet.”

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/linker-vision-announces-esg-agent-to-help-cities-plan-more-sustainable-urban-environments-302911111.html

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Global Startup EXPO and Nippon Startup Awards 2026: METI Showcases Japan’s Deep-tech Results

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– GSE2026 Connects Global Venture Capitalists with Japanese Startups; Nippon Startup Awards 2026 Honors Startups Turning Innovation into Industry –

TOKYO, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — From September to October 2026, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (hereinafter “METI”) held the Global Startup EXPO 2026 (hereinafter “GSE2026”) and the Nippon Startup Awards 2026, highlighting the strength and growth of Japan’s startup ecosystem. GSE2026 brought together top-tier investors, visionary startups, corporations, and key ecosystem participants from Japan and around the globe. Separately, the Nippon Startup Awards 2026 recognized remarkable innovations demonstrating Japan’s growing capacity to transform breakthrough deep-tech into real-world industrial solutions.

Expo and Awards Logos:
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M109206/202610137787/_prw_PI1fl_JPI1sgRq.png 

Global Startup EXPO 2026 Recap

In Session: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M109206/202610137787/_prw_PI2fl_AyG90Gzn.png 

Held in Osaka from October 5 to 7, GSE2026 welcomed more than 10,000 visitors and featured over 50 conference sessions. The event served as a premier global hub, generating vital business matchmaking sessions and creating unparalleled opportunities for global investors and Japanese startups to explore strategic investments and collaborations. A major highlight of the event was the participation of prominent industry figures, including Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and Andy Rubin, co-founder of Android. Their presence underscored the increasing global interest in Japan’s dynamic tech ecosystem. Building upon this remarkable success, METI is pleased to announce that the Global Startup EXPO is planned to be held again next year.

Nippon Startup Awards 2026 Overview

Group Photo: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M109206/202610137787/_prw_PI3fl_MNvb1svB.jpg 

In a separate initiative, the 2026 Nippon Startup Awards celebrated exceptional entrepreneurial achievements, recognizing 10 outstanding companies for their innovation and impact. This press release proudly highlights two exceptional winners whose pioneering technologies are actively addressing major industrial and societal challenges both in Japan and internationally.

– Mujin (Prime Minister’s Award): Mujin was recognized for becoming the first company to globally commercialize complex motion-planning technology, an ambitious feat considered practically impossible for 50 years. By successfully developing its proprietary MujinMI technology, the company enables the automation of complex logistics and manufacturing operations. This advancement offers a highly effective solution to pressing global labor shortages.

– Regional Fish (Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award): Regional Fish was recognized for its pioneering use of genome-editing technology in aquaculture. Through its innovative approach, the company has shortened aquatic breeding cycles from approximately 30 years to just two or three years. This advancement contributes significantly to sustainable solutions for global food challenges and the revitalization of regional fisheries.

Further Information

To explore comprehensive insights from the recent global summit, please access the following link:
https://global-startup-expo.com/en/?utm_source=prwire&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=20260914&utm_content=en_url_

For the full list of recognized companies, please visit: https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2026/09/20260925002.html 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-startup-expo-and-nippon-startup-awards-2026-meti-showcases-japans-deep-tech-results-302912264.html

SOURCE Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

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PingPong continues international growth, expands into Iberia through strategic partnership with Getnet

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LONDON and MADRID, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PingPong , the intelligent payments infrastructure for global growth, today announces a strategic partnership with Getnet, the leading AI-payments company, part of Santander Group, to expand access to its financial infrastructure across Iberia.

The collaboration brings together two established payments businesses to deliver a stronger payment capability in the region and a simple, streamlined solution for global businesses looking to expand operations in Iberia.

Aaron Xu, General Manager, Europe and Americas at PingPong , said: “Iberia is one of Europe’s most valuable commerce markets, and the 750,000+ businesses in our network want to operate there on payment infrastructure they already trust. Our move into Iberia is the latest step in an ongoing global expansion, driven by rising customer demand and sustained investment in our international growth.”

Fabrice Mendez, Global Head of Partnerships at Getnet , said: “This partnership represents another important milestone in Getnet’s strategy to expand our open-market business across Europe while strengthening the connections between Iberia and one of the world’s fastest-growing commerce ecosystems. By combining PingPong’s strong presence across Asia with Getnet’s leadership in Europe and Latin America, we are creating new opportunities for international merchants to grow with a seamless and trusted payment experience.”

About PingPong

Founded in 2015, PingPong is a global cross-border B2B payments platform supporting over 750,000 businesses across more than 200 countries. The company annually processes over $300bn and holds 80+ financial licences worldwide. PingPong operates from 44 offices across 18 countries.

For more information, visit www.pingpongx.com.

About Santander Getnet

In 2025, Getnet processed over €238 billion across 10.5 billion transactions, serving 1.2 million clients. The company ranks as the largest acquirer in Latin America by purchase volume, and among the top 10 globally. Getnet operates across Brazil (as an e-commerce leader), Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, and Portugal.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/pingpong-continues-international-growth-expands-into-iberia-through-strategic-partnership-with-getnet-302911506.html

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