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Flatiron Realty Capital and UBS O’Connor Form Co-Investment Strategy

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Janney Served as Sole Financial Advisor to Flatiron Realty Capital, LLC

NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ —

Transaction Overview

Flatiron Realty Capital, LLC (“Flatiron”) has announced the formation of a co-investment strategy focused on residential transition loans (“RTL”) with O’Connor Capital Solutions (“OCS”), the private credit strategy within UBS O’Connor.

RTLs are short-term, 1st lien business purpose loans on residential real estate used for renovation and / or construction.

The investment will enable Flatiron to capitalize on its robust pipeline and attractive market dynamics. The vehicle is expected to be capitalized through an expandable investment of up to $100 million USD from OCS alongside co-invested equity from Flatiron and its owners, as well as mortgage funding facilities. The investment is expected to expand Flatiron’s managed loan portfolio to at least $600 million USD.

Janney served as sole financial advisor to Flatiron in connection with the transaction.

“We are pleased to announce the formation with OCS. We continue to see attractive opportunities within our target markets. This speaks to the strengths of the platform we have built at Flatiron and enables us to leverage our expertise by providing solutions to an expanded client base,” said Robert Talas, Founding Partner of Flatiron.

“RTLs are a growing product within the broader real estate lending industry. We see increasing liquidity and attractive capital markets dynamics for capital deployment in RTLs,” said Joshua Mercado, a principal at OCS.

Since 2015, OCS has raised more than $3 billion USD in committed capital across multiple funds and separately managed accounts. OCS focuses on credit and credit-like investments across corporate direct lending, asset finance, and real estate. It targets investment sizes from $20 to $150 million USD.

About Flatiron Realty Capital LLC

Flatiron Realty Capital was founded in 2018 as a privately funded real estate portfolio lender that offers alternative sources of financing to real estate developers and investors. Specializing in bridge loans, construction / rehabilitation financing, and 30-year rental investment products, Flatiron provides holistic solutions to satisfy the short-term and long-term financing needs of its core customer base.

Flatiron harnesses the hands-on, service-oriented approach of a local lender with the capital markets execution capabilities and technology-enabled infrastructure of a highly-scalable organization to offer customers proprietary credit solutions and customized service offerings.

For more information, please visit www.flatironrealtycapital.com

About UBS O’Connor
O’Connor is a multi-strategy hedge fund manager within UBS Asset Management, with complete independence in its investment decision-making. O’Connor has over 40 years of institutional experience in trading and market making and 20 years’ experience as a hedge fund manager with a strong focus on relative value investing and risk management. O’Connor’s capabilities cover a wide range of investment programs and manage over USD 11.4 billion in assets (as of August 2024) on behalf of institutional and high net worth clients. The firm has a global operating platform with offices located in New York, Chicago, Stamford, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore.

For more information on UBS O’Connor, please contact:

ol-am-mediarelations@ubs.com
UK: +44 20 7901 5538
Americas: +1 212 713 3803

About the Financial Institutions Group at Janney

The Financial Institutions Group at Janney specializes in serving financial institutions looking to better manage assets, risks, operations, and create shareholder value. We offer expert advisory in a buy-side or sell-side M&A role, as well as guidance in capital raising transactions through equity or debt instruments for both public and private institutions. We have a consistent track record of delivering highly customized solutions, exceptional service, and support from a senior team of professionals.

The group has deep expertise and experience in the following sectors: Depositories, Specialty Finance, REITS, BDCs, Insurance, and Fintech.

About Janney Investment Banking

Janney’s Investment Banking practice is a leader in middle-market advisory and financing solutions. We place a high value on our consistent track record of delivering solutions and results to our clients. Since 2015, we have completed over 630 transactions aggregating over $85 billion in transaction value. We work with clients on a highly personalized basis, providing exceptional service, commitment, and senior-level attention.

Matt Veneri
Head of Investment Banking
404-601-7222
mveneri@janney.com

Depositories | Business Services | Consumer | Healthcare | Industrials | Energy | Infrastructure |    Financial Services | Technology

About Janney

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a leading full-service investment banking and financial services firm serving individual, corporate, institutional, and government clients. Janney is an independently operated subsidiary of The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, one of the 15 largest mutual insurance companies in the nation, and is a member of the New York Stock Exchange, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
The Highest Standard of Success in Financial Relationships
www.Janney.com

For more information, please contact:
Kipp Fawcett
Managing Director
212-230-2328
kfawcett@janney.com

Matthew Pennino
Managing Director
646-812-7927
mpennino@janney.com

Matthew Paul
Vice President
215-665-6022
mpaul@janney.com

Zach Zygmunt
Associate
212-888-2527
zzygmunt@janney.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flatiron-realty-capital-and-ubs-oconnor-form-co-investment-strategy-302278512.html

SOURCE Flatiron Realty Capital

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LG webOS Transforms Home Entertainment with Effortless Content Discovery and Seamless Viewing Experience

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The platform puts the user at the centre, creating a simple and intuitive path to great content

LG Electronics’ webOS serves as a central entertainment hub, bringing together streaming services, live TV, and free channels in one place, designed to make content easier to find and enjoy.A clean, intuitive interface reduces complexity, helping viewers navigate content smoothly and naturally without friction.Personalized recommendations surface relevant content based on viewing habits, simplifying choices and reducing time spent searching.

DUBAI, UAE, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics continues to enhance home entertainment with webOS, a platform that seamlessly integrates streaming services, live TV, free channels and multiple of functionalities, including AI and voice control, all accessible on a single platform. Designed with the user experience at its core, webOS streamlines the viewing experience by organizing content across apps and services, helping viewers find and enjoy their favorite content more easily.

 

 

One Place for All Content

webOS is a one-stop entertainment destination, integrating streaming services, live TV, gaming, and LG Channels into a single, seamless experience. Users can access a wealth of free content on LG Channels without the need for downloads or subscriptions, significantly enhancing the ease of access. This streamlined approach reduces the steps required to find and enjoy content, allowing viewers to dive straight into their favorite shows and movies.

A Simpler Way to Navigate

The webOS interface emphasizes clarity and ease. The home screen keeps content prominently displayed and navigation straightforward, ensuring viewers spend less time sifting through menus and more time enjoying what they love. Every aspect of the interface is crafted with the viewing experience in mind, prioritizing user engagement over technical complexity.

Finding Content Without the Effort

By analysing viewing habits, webOS intelligently curates relevant content, making discovery faster and more intuitive. Instead of overwhelming users with choices, the platform simplifies decision-making, helping them find enjoyable content without the search feeling like a chore.

A Viewing Experience Built Around the User

Across its smart TV lineup, LG has designed webOS to embody a straightforward principle: technology should enhance the viewer’s experience. The result is a platform that feels premium and refined while remaining incredibly easy to use. With webOS, the focus shifts back to the joy of watching, ensuring that the entertainment experience is as seamless and satisfying as possible, making it the ultimate content-first, user-centric solution in the smart TV landscape.

Enhanced Stadium-Scale Sports Viewing Experience with Real-Time Updates

The 2026 LG QNED evo TVs equipped with webOS 26 provides users exciting viewing experience with LG Sports Portal, real-time Sports Alert and more. These are designed to provide users an easy way to follow sport events, from the comfort of your home. The Sports Portal serves as a centralized hub for live sport content, scores, match schedules, and group rankings, allowing football fans all-in-one access to key information without switching apps or devices. The Sports Alert feature enabled via My Page allows users to receive notifications for selected teams and leagues, including score updates, match results, and upcoming games, while the AI Concierge card can also easily help discover key stats just via voice activation as part of the daily routine.

In a world where content is abundant, but navigation can be complex, LG webOS stands out as the solution that puts the viewer in control, enhancing enjoyment through simplicity and ease of access.

About webOS platform

The webOS platform has powered LG TVs for over a decade, earning acclaim for its user-friendly interface that allows for easy navigation and customization. With a growing ecosystem of global partners, webOS is set to drive LG’s future growth across multiple devices and out-of-home experiences.

LG Channels, LG’s exclusive free streaming service, offers a wide selection of premium live and on-demand programming, including movies, TV shows, news, sports, comedy, anime and more. With an always growing number of channels, owners of LG TVs, smart monitors or projectors can easily discover their favorite programs by launching the LG Channels app. LG Channels is also available for Automotive and Hotel TV. For more news on webOS for Smart TV, visit www.lg.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2977846/LG.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/lg-webos-transforms-home-entertainment-with-effortless-content-discovery-and-seamless-viewing-experience-302769336.html

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From Coffee Grounds to Carbon Cutting: Master Concept and Geotab Reframe Logistics Efficiency in Malaysia

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Can the secret to a more profitable fleet be found in a cup of coffee?

Master Concept, a leading cloud technology and digital transformation consultancy, recently hosted “Brewing Efficiency: Coffee, Carbon, and Better Fleets” at The Next Door of Little Eden Succulents. This exclusive event gathered Malaysia’s logistics leaders to explore the intersection of geospatial AI, telematics, and environmental responsibility, concluding with a unique hands-on coffee upcycling workshop.

“If we want to build a better future for transport, we must build it where drivers, thinkers, and dreamers already gather,” said Athena Wong, Regional Director of Geospatial Solutions at Master Concept, during the opening.

The Future of Mobility: Efficient and Sustainable
As Malaysia intensifies its ESG commitment, the logistics sector is under pressure to decarbonize. Master Concept, in partnership with global IoT leader Geotab, demonstrated how data-driven insights drive leaner, greener operations.

The session highlighted how the Google Maps Platform is revolutionizing the “outside world.” By leveraging AI-driven mapping—including location imagery, road conditions, and driver navigation—businesses can navigate the environment with unprecedented clarity.

To complement this, Geotab showcased vehicle insights beyond standard GPS tracking. By monitoring fuel efficiency, engine health, and driver safety, businesses move from reactive to proactive management. Together, these tools allow fleets to optimize routes and significantly reduce fuel consumption.

“Efficiency and sustainability are two sides of the same coin,” Athena added. “Through AI, we are giving fleet managers ‘superpowers’ to see exactly where their carbon footprint and budget are being wasted. We are moving toward a future where every kilometer driven is intentional, sustainable, and profitable.”

Sustainability in Action with Zero Waste Malaysia
The event took a hands-on turn as attendees stepped away from digital dashboards into a workshop led by Zero Waste Malaysia. Attendees rethought the concept of ‘waste’ by upcycling used coffee grounds into car pendant deodorizers. The workshop highlighted a core message: Optimization is about repurposing what is currently wasted. Just as coffee grounds become value-added products, ‘wasted mileage’ and ‘idling time’ can be converted into profit and carbon credits through the right technology.

Master Concept remains committed to driving Malaysia’s digital and sustainable future, providing the tools and expertise for businesses to navigate the evolving mobility landscape.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/from-coffee-grounds-to-carbon-cutting-master-concept-and-geotab-reframe-logistics-efficiency-in-malaysia-302769338.html

SOURCE Master Concept

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IRIS launches practice management platform as firms battle 105-day billing gaps and rising write-offs

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IRIS Firm Management unifies time recording, WIP, billing and financial reporting in a single platform, giving mid-to-large practices the real-time insight to grow more profitably

LONDON, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IRIS Software Group (IRIS), a leading global provider of accountancy, HR, payroll, and education software, today announced the launch of IRIS Firm Management (IFM), a next-generation practice management platform purpose-built for mid-to-large UK accounting firms.

With an average gap of 105 days between completing work and receiving payment*, practice profitability is under serious pressure – in a survey of 140 UK accountancy firms, 37% identified time tracking as a key challenge, with only 33% tracking utilisation, and 76% only using basic, manual, or no WIP tracking at all**. This is compounded by the growing regulatory burden brought by changes such as Making Tax Digital to evolving companies house requirements.

IFM brings together practice management, time and billing, WIP management, and financial reporting into a single integrated solution. It gives practice leaders real-time visibility into utilisation, capacity, scope creep and margin erosion, with workflows designed to reduce admin burden, enabling senior team members to focus on high-value work. Firms using IFM have reported up to 25% reduction in write-offs and two to four hours per person per week reclaimed from billing admin.

Modern Firm Management

Most practice management tools were built for compliance, not commercial performance. IFM bridges that gap, acting as a financial control layer on top of compliance software.

Jonathan Priestley, General Manager, Global Accountancy Solutions and Transformation, said, “Accountancy practices are at an inflection point and the firms that will grow are those that can turn their operational data into commercial decisions. IFM is a demonstration of our long-term commitment to UK accountants – we’ve listened, we understand the pressures they face, and we’ve built a solution that will scale alongside them as they grow. The accounting profession underpins businesses right across the UK economy, and these firms deserve technology that matches the vital role they play.”

Support for diverse firms with complex needs

IFM is available in two configurations: IFM Core designed for firms needing foundational visibility with rapid deployment, with the system live within two to three weeks, and IFM Advanced for firms with multi-office, multi-entity or governance complexity. Importantly, both configurations have the ability to scale as firms grow, removing the need to re-platform as headcount, client volumes or structural complexity increases, while protecting margins throughout.

Key benefits of IFM***:

Real time insights to support accurate, data-driven decision making with enhanced tracking, reporting, and resource allocation – with an estimated five per cent or more time leakage recovery.Automation reclaiming between two to four hours per person per week for higher value work by reducing admin work on billing, reporting and spreadsheet validation.Boosted profitability by reducing write-offs by 15 to 25 per cent through early visibility into scope creep and margin erosion before it is too late.

Top 50 firm Larking Gowen has chosen IFM as its practice management platform, with plans to migrate from its current system following an evaluation of leading cloud solutions on the market. Richard White, Chief Information Officer at Larking Gowen, said, “We needed confidence in three things: Robust data migration from our existing system, extensive APIs to power our Power Platform apps and reports and connect the growing ecosystem of cloud applications across the firm, and the reassurance of a platform built specifically for accounting practices. IFM delivered on all three.”

Long-standing IRIS customer Morgan Griffiths LLP has chosen to migrate to IFM after using IRIS’ desktop solutions to manage tax, accounts, practice management, time recording, and job tracking. IFM has been transformational for the firm’s operational efficiency, giving them more reliability and control over essential functions. Manager Andrew Hunt said: “Billing can be such a time suck, which you don’t want it to be because that eventually comes away from your profit. These things should be super simple to do, and we’ve definitely achieved that now. That’s the biggest success of IFM for us so far.”

Beyond day-to-day efficiency, IFM has created stronger foundations for Morgan Griffiths LLP to evolve. Accelerated digitalisation and improved accessibility of real-time data has enabled partners to recognise opportunities for strategic growth. Andrew said: “I think that MTD presents an enormous opportunity for us, particularly in getting clients in a much better place where they’re getting closer to real-time information of how their business is going.”

IFM Core and IFM Advanced are now available – find out more here.

*Natwest Accountancy Benchmarking Report 2024.
**These figures are from the IRIS Discovery Tool Questionnaire taken by 140 UK accountancy firms who are IRIS customers.
***These figures are based on an ROI calculator that assesses adjustable assumptions, using a combination of industry benchmarks and early adopter feedback.

About IRIS Software Group 

IRIS Software Group is a global provider of mission critical software and one of the UK’s largest privately held software companies. IRIS provides software solutions and services for finance, HR and payroll teams, educational organisations, and accountancy firms that takes the pain out of processes and lets professionals focus on the work they love. Through simplifying, automating and providing insights on everyday mission critical tasks for organisations of all shapes and sizes, IRIS ensures customers can look forward with certainty and confidence. 
 
IRIS is the largest third-party online filer with the UK Government. Ninety-three of the top 100 UK accountancy firms use IRIS software. One in six of the UK’s workforce is paid by IRIS payroll offerings, and globally, six million employees receive their payslip via IRIS software every month. More than 850,000 UK employees are managed by IRIS HR solutions. Over 12,000 UK schools and academies use IRIS, with four million parents and guardians using IRIS apps to connect with their children’s school; 300 million messages are delivered between schools and parents each year, and over £15 million transactional payments are processed every month. IRIS is certified as a Great Place to Work® and recognised as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality in 2023. IRIS is also recognised as one of the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing, one of the Best Workplaces in Tech and one of the Best Workplaces for Women. 
 
To see how IRIS helps organisations get things right first time, every time, visit www.iris.co.uk or follow IRIS Software Group on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.  

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2977020/Iris_Software_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/iris-launches-practice-management-platform-as-firms-battle-105-day-billing-gaps-and-rising-write-offs-302769337.html

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