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Aiello Secures New Funding to Fuel Expansion Across Japan and Southeast Asia

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TAIPEI, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Aiello, a leading startup specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP), announced today the successful completion of a US$5 million funding round. The round was led by prominent Japanese venture capital firms Cool Japan Fund and CDIB Cross Border Innovation Fund II LP, along with E.Sun Venture Capital Co., Ltd., and B Current Mstar Impact Investment. Additional support came from existing institutional backers, JAFCO Asia and Wistron Corporation, further reinforcing confidence in Aiello’s strategic direction.

As part of this round, Aiello welcomed Kenichi Sawaya from CDIB Cross Border Innovation Fund II LP, a Co-GP fund between CDIB and Cool Japan Fund, to join the board of directors. Sawaya brings a wealth of global experience and strategic insight, which will be instrumental in accelerating Aiello’s expansion into Japan. “We are excited to participate in Aiello’s latest funding round. Their AI expertise and innovative, all-in-one hospitality management system will address operational inefficiencies and fragmentation in the hospitality sector, driving sustainable growth amid ongoing labor shortages. We look forward to advancing the digital transformation and elevating hotel services in Japan through this partnership,” Sawaya said.  

Aiello CEO and co-founder Vic Shen commented, “This funding round is primarily about bringing on board shareholders who offer invaluable experience for our growth. The capital raised will support our international expansion, particularly in Japan and Southeast Asia. Beyond expanding our reach, we aim to collaborate with local software and service providers to adapt and enhance the Aiello Hospitality Platform, creating a fully localized, all-in-one SaaS solution that can replace outdated systems.”

In 2023, Aiello launched Aiello-One, an all-in-one SaaS management platform designed specifically for the hospitality industry. The platform offers three core modules: Interface, Operations, and Insight. These modules simplify the adoption of digital solutions, while the platform’s flexible plugin system enables continuous upgrades. This approach allows hotels to reduce maintenance costs and easily tailor the system to meet their unique operational needs.

Aiello’s international partnerships have surged, with 65% of its new contracts in 2023 coming from global hotel chains such as Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, and Taiwan’s Cosmos Hotels & Resorts and Caesar Park Hotels & Resorts. Over the past three years, Aiello has been implemented in more than 180 hotels, covering over 20,000 rooms. The platform has processed over 4.71 million guest requests and cross-departmental tasks, while its voice and touch functionalities have facilitated over 55.1 million guest interactions. To date, Aiello has supported more than 2.8 million room nights, providing personalized service and real-time responses to meet the diverse needs of modern travelers.

Looking ahead to 2025-2027, Aiello is well-positioned to address critical industry challenges, including labor shortages, the growing number of new hotels, and the rising demand for brand renovations. The shift from traditional on-premise servers to AI-powered in-room devices is expected to elevate the industry to new heights of technological innovation.

Starting in Q3 2024, Aiello has partnered with service and content providers to offer diversified travel itineraries and shopping services directly in guest rooms, aiming to further enhance guest experiences and drive hotel revenue growth.

About Aiello

Aiello is a leading provider of Voice AI in the hospitality industry. Its flagship product, Aiello Voice Assistant, is a multi-award-winning talk & touch voice AI technology solution aimed at streamlining hotel operations, enhancing the guest experience, and generating insights about customer behavior. The state-of-the-art Aiello Voice Assistant is designed to elevate the guest experience with its unique AI-powered features and capabilities. Since 2019, Aiello Voice Assistant has been deployed in over 180 hotels, encompassing 20,000 rooms, and has answered over 14 million inquiries from 2.5 million end users in Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and English.

Learn more at Aiello’s official website: https://aiello.ai/

For further information, please contact:

Patty Chen

Marketing Director, Aiello

Email: patty.chen@aiello.ai

Patricia Wang

PR/Event Marketing Manager, Aiello

Email: patricia.wang@aiello.ai

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SOURCE Aiello

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LEAP Group Relaunches HumanView, a Growth Intelligence System Built to Explain Why Customers Behave the Way They Do

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Reimagined from the ground up, HumanView pairs statistical modeling with expert analysts to turn millions of real-world customer signals into business decisions

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LEAP Group today announced the relaunch of HumanView, its growth intelligence service. The new version has been rebuilt from the ground up and now has a dedicated home at leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

HumanView analyzes what customers say and do across social platforms, e-commerce sites, review platforms, search behavior and user-generated content, including signals from Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Amazon and Walmart+ that general AI tools cannot always access. Because the data reflects unprompted, real-world behavior, it avoids the response bias built into surveys and focus groups.

The service works in three layers. HumanView captures signals at scale, decodes millions of records through validated statistical models such as regression, correlation and clustering, and then relies on experienced analysts to interpret the patterns. Clients receive clear, human-validated insights instead of another dashboard.

“Machines find the patterns. Humans find the point,” said Alan Gilleo, CEO at LEAP Group. “The first version of HumanView showed us how much customers reveal when nobody is asking them questions. This version is built to explain why they act the way they do, and to put those answers in front of everyone making decisions, from product to service to marketing.”

HumanView focuses on three areas:

Growth Intelligence: customer motivations and how people perceive a brand and its competitors

Market and Category Intelligence: product pain points, service friction, unmet needs and competitive gaps

Audience Intelligence: new segments, positioning opportunities and gaps in the market

Every model is designed and validated by data scientists and benchmarked before it informs a recommendation.

To learn more about HumanView, visit leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

About LEAP Group
LEAP Group is a boutique marketing agency holding company with offices in Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Chicago. Guided by the belief that brands should “Market Less. Matter More.,” LEAP gives clients access to specialized experts across its entire network. Learn more at leapgroupnetwork.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leap-group-relaunches-humanview-a-growth-intelligence-system-built-to-explain-why-customers-behave-the-way-they-do-302918557.html

SOURCE LEAP Group

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STEPHEN A. SMITH ADDRESSES WHITE HOUSE DINNER ATTENDANCE, REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO HBCUs AND PROTECTING CORPORATE INVESTMENT IN BLACK EDUCATION

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NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Stephen A. Smith, media mogul, New York Times bestselling author, and proud 1991 graduate of Winston-Salem State University, is addressing the public discussion surrounding his decision to attend a White House dinner with President Donald Trump, emphasizing his commitment to the long-term financial stability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

For Smith, the decision was rooted in a commitment to institutions that have educated generations of Black leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and public servants.

“I will always advocate for HBCUs and the students whose futures depend on them,” Smith said. “My reason for attending the White House dinner was to discuss the challenges these institutions face in securing long-term funding and to make the case that corporate America must continue to invest in them.”

Smith acknowledged federal support through the FUTURE Act while expressing concern that political tensions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) could discourage private companies from supporting HBCUs. He maintains that these institutions deserve sustained corporate partnerships, philanthropic contributions, and public investment.

“If we truly believe in free-market capitalism, businesses should be able to support educational institutions and charitable causes without fear of criticism or repercussions,” Smith said. “HBCUs have made extraordinary contributions to this country. They deserve sustained public and private investment.”

Ashley Christopher, Esq., Founder and CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation, recognized Smith’s advocacy and decision to engage with the administration.

“Stephen A. Smith has been a powerful advocate for HBCUs, using his platform and influence to shine a national spotlight on our institutions,” expressed Christopher, “His continued support of HBCU Week helps advance our mission of connecting students with life-changing educational opportunities, and we are proud to have him as our ambassador.”

Since Smith became an HBCU Week Ambassador in 2019, the initiative has facilitated more than 15,000 on-the-spot college acceptances and raised and awarded more than $150 million in scholarships, according to the HBCU Week Foundation.

As public discussion continues, Smith is emphasizing the importance of ensuring HBCUs have the resources and partnerships needed to educate future generations and expand opportunities for students.

CLICK HERE to watch Smith’s full response to his White House visit.

MEDIA CONTACT:

media@mrsasinc.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stephen-a-smith-addresses-white-house-dinner-attendance-reaffirms-commitment-to-hbcus-and-protecting-corporate-investment-in-black-education-302918547.html

SOURCE Straight Shooter Media

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Advantex Announces Completion of Financing and Extension of Maturity Date of Previously Issued Debentures

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TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2026 /CNW/ — Advantex Marketing International Inc. (CSE: ADX) (“Advantex”), a leader in the merchant cash advance and loyalty marketing products for merchants, today announced the completion of a $250,000 secured debt financing. Advantex issued a $250,000 non-convertible debenture which bears an interest rate at 12% per annum and matures December 15, 2027. The proceeds raised from this issuance of the Debenture will be used for working capital purposes.

Advantex has also extended the maturity of its existing $700,000 in 12% secured debentures from October 10, 2026 to December 15, 2027.

About Advantex Marketing International Inc.

Advantex provides working capital to merchants. Advantex also provides specialized marketing programs that enable members of Aeroplan to earn Aeroplan points at participating merchants.

Advantex shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol ADX. For more information go to Advantex’s profile on www.sedar.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the future business and operations of Advantex. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The business and operations of Advantex described herein is dependent on a number of factors and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ material include, but are not limited to, changes in Advantex’s economic and competitive conditions including but not limited to the industry sectors in which Advantex operates.

The statements in this news release are made of the date of this release. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and Advantex undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Advantex Marketing International Inc.

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