Gen 4 panels with ABC 4.0 INFINITE Ultra cell technology lift power and efficiency across AIKO’s entire range, from home rooftops to solar farms, in the same panel sizes. It is the fourth generation in five years since AIKO took all-back-contact solar into mass production.

MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Solar manufacturer AIKO today introduced its Gen 4 solar panels to Australia at All-Energy Australia in Melbourne. Built on ABC 4.0 INFINITE Ultra cell technology, the new range of all-back-contact (ABC) solar panels delivers up to 20 W more per panel, without making panels bigger or heavier.

For homes, Gen 4 brings 500 W performance to all-black panels in both dual-glass and mono-glass designs. For commercial and utility projects, the same performance upgrade extends across larger 60-, 66- and 72-cell formats.

Gen 4 reflects the growing maturity of back-contact technology. Over three generations, AIKO moved back contact from a premium niche into mainstream solar. With its fourth generation, the focus now shifts to maximising value for installers and customers on every roof.

What’s new in Gen 4

In the new ABC 4.0 INFINITE Ultra cell, six process upgrades lift average production cell efficiency from 27.2% to 27.4%. At the panel level, zero-gap cells, hidden rear connections (InvisiRibbon) and tighter string spacing cut non-generating area by about 20%, so 97% of the surface now produces power.

Every ABC INFINITE Ultra series format gains up to 20 W over the previous generation, at exactly the same size and weight. Against TOPCon panels of the same dimensions on the market today, that means up to 30 W more power per panel. In the 54-cell size used on most Australian homes, where AIKO released the world’s first 500 W, 25% efficient white-backsheet panel under 2 m² last year, Gen 4 pushes further to 510 W and 25.5% efficiency.

The INFINITE Ultra series also comes in a choice of larger formats to suit different projects. The 60-cell panel (1,954 × 1,134 mm) reaches 560 W, and the 72-cell panel (2,382 × 1,134 mm) reaches 700 W at 25.9% efficiency, the highest in the range.

Gen 4 also tackles back contact’s traditional weakness in rear-side generation, with the 66-cell bifacial panel now reaching up to 85% bifaciality and 670 W. This opens back contact to high-albedo sites, carports, ground-mounted systems and solar farms.

All-black 500 W: extreme power and aesthetics for Australia’s premium homes

For many owners of high-end homes, the look of solar has long been a reason to hold back. Visible gridlines, blue cell edges and uneven colour can clash with a carefully designed roof. And an all-black finish has historically come at the cost of performance, as older types of black panels typically run hotter and produce less power.

Gen 4 removes that trade-off, bringing 500 W and 25.0% efficiency to an all-black panel in the standard 1,762 × 1,134 mm size, with no visible gridlines and the same black colour between cells. Homeowners are no longer forced to choose between a premium look and premium performance, and they can choose between two designs.

Z Series is the premium choice, with a uniform pure-black finish front and back. Its sharp look is paired with a stronger frame, enhanced reliability and dual-glass construction, which together support a 40-year product and power warranty, matching the life of a new roof. Z Series is already open for orders in Europe and is expected to be available in Australia in 2027.

Neostar Champion, part of the Gen 4 Neostar range, delivers the same 500 W all-black performance in a mono-glass design, backed by a 30-year product and power warranty.

Designed with installers in mind

As the industry races toward higher wattage, a common shortcut has been to simply make panels bigger or thinner. It produces an eye-catching number on the datasheet, but the cost falls on installers: heavier lifts, awkward non-standard sizes, and roof layouts and racking that must be reworked.

AIKO chose a different approach. The INFINITE Ultra series gains power from better technology rather than a bigger frame. Each panel keeps the same size and weight as the matching previous-generation panel, and the 54-cell panels stay under 2 m² and 25 kg.

Installers also get more ways to mount Gen 4, where approved in the installation manual: short-side or long-side clamping, with or without rails, and short-side or long-side insertion. On the Z Series, an optimised structural design boosts the four-corner front-side mounting load from 1,600 Pa to 2,400 Pa. More watts per panel also means fewer panels, clamps and rails for the same system size, and AIKO’s local Australian team backs installers with training and technical support.

Value beyond wattage

With AIKO, customers don’t have to trade one benefit for another. Alongside higher output, the INFINITE Ultra series strengthens fire safety, reliability and long-term energy performance, addressing the operating conditions and asset-life considerations that matter to installers, EPCs and system owners. Features vary by model.

Fire safety. Anti-ignition features, active and passive fire protection and IEC Fire Class A, with hot-spot temperatures more than 35% lower than TOPCon under shading in TÜV Rheinland testing.Reliability. Copper interconnection resists micro-cracking, with zero cracks recorded in TÜV NORD’s 230 kg treading test, while improved insulation and moisture resistance protect the panel edges.Durability. Hail tested with 35 mm hailstones on specified dual-glass models and 40 mm on specified mono-glass models.Long-term performance. Low degradation, cell-level partial-shading optimisation and a low temperature coefficient help protect output under challenging Australian conditions, from partial shade to summer heat, over the life of the system.

“Australian households have had AIKO back-contact panels on their roofs for several years, and Australian installers have helped prove the technology in some of the toughest conditions in the world,” said Alex Hang, Head of APAC, AIKO. “The INFINITE Ultra series gives them more power from every roof, more ways to mount it, and the confidence that comes from technology built to last for decades. We never stop advancing, and we want Australia to be among the first to benefit.”

What it means for Australian homes

Australia’s rooftops are being asked to do more than ever. Around 42% of homes already have solar, and more than 500,000 home batteries have been installed under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program since July 2025. As households add batteries, EVs and heat pumps, the question is no longer whether to go solar, but how much a roof can deliver: more energy from limited space, with a finish that complements the home, and the confidence that it will last for decades.

Gen 4 is built around those priorities. With up to 30 W more per panel than TOPCon panels of the same size, homeowners can fit around 6% more solar capacity on the same roof. More generation means bigger savings, more solar to charge the home battery and fewer grid purchases in the evening. It also gives households the capacity to keep adding, from an EV to a heat pump or pool, on the path to a fully electrified home.

What it means for businesses

The expansion of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme to systems up to 1 MW is a rare opportunity to bring more Australian businesses into commercial solar. By lowering upfront costs and improving project feasibility, it opens the benefits of renewable energy to a much broader segment of the economy.

To make the most of it, businesses need to get the most from every square metre of roof. High-efficiency panels like AIKO’s ABC INFINITE Ultra series do exactly that, unlocking higher system capacity and, with it, greater STC value. For small or complex sites, that extra capacity can be the difference between a token installation and a system large enough to meaningfully support the business’s energy demand. And with multiple formats to suit different buildings, including a high power-to-weight ratio for weight-constrained roofs, more businesses can find the right fit.

Never stop advancing: delivering more value with every generation

Gen 4 reflects AIKO’s commitment to making high-performance back-contact solar accessible to every rooftop. Across its first three generations, AIKO focused on overcoming the technology and manufacturing barriers that had kept back contact in a premium niche. By making mass production commercially viable and bringing the technology to more accessible price points, it helped move back contact into the mainstream, helping more homes and businesses enjoy better performance and greater value from solar.

Gen 4 builds on that foundation by addressing a wider range of customer needs and project constraints. Its significance goes beyond a higher number on the datasheet: it brings together output, installation flexibility, reliability, safety and design, rather than asking customers to choose one or two strengths.

The ambition is not simply to make back contact more accessible, but to make it deliver more: greater productivity from every roof, stronger project economics and lasting value over the life of the asset.

“The expanded scheme is a rare opportunity to bring more Australian businesses into solar, but it shouldn’t be wasted on poorly matched systems or short-term thinking,” said Thomas Bywater, Head of AIKO ANZ. “For business owners, installing solar is never abstract. Behind every commercial project is a business trying to manage costs, protect jobs and build a more resilient future, and it needs a system that delivers real returns, not just an incentive claim. With the right technology and the right design for each site, the incentive will do more than reduce the cost of solar. It will help Australian businesses invest with confidence.”

See it at All-Energy Australia

AIKO will present Gen 4 and Z Series at a live launch at 9:30 am on Wednesday 28 October, Booth PP113, All-Energy Australia, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Media are welcome; interviews and product images are available on request.

More details on the launch can be found at aikosolar.com/au/all-energy-australia-2026.

About AIKO

AIKO is a global leader in all-back-contact (ABC) solar technology. Guided by its mission of empowering the transformation to a carbon-free society, AIKO was the first to take back-contact solar into gigawatt-scale mass production and continues to set the industry’s efficiency benchmarks, with its ABC modules ranked No. 1 on TaiyangNews’ TOP SOLAR MODULES list for more than three years running. AIKO has shipped more than 200 GW of solar cells and modules worldwide, is rated Tier 1 by BloombergNEF and was named a Top Performer in the 2025 Kiwa PVEL PV Module Reliability Scorecard.

In Australia, AIKO has been voted installers’ No. 1 choice for solar panels in the SolarQuotes Installers’ Choice Awards two years running, in 2025 and 2026. With a strong distribution network through Australia’s leading distributors and a local team working closely with installers and customers, AIKO delivers high-performance solar to Australian homes and businesses.

Learn more at aikosolar.com/au.

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SOURCE Aiko

The Abu Dhabi-based investment platform backs Context Labs’ regional growth in AI Data Infrastructure, the verified data foundation for sovereign AI and industrial applications across the MENA region.

ABU DHABI, UAE, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Context Labs B.V. (“Context Labs”), the AI Data Infrastructure company, today announced a strategic investment from 22/x, the Abu Dhabi-based AI-native investment and incubation platform established by the Nowais family. The two companies also signed a long-term agreement to establish Context Labs’ regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi and accelerate expansion in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The agreement with 22/x covers:

A strategic equity investment by 22/x in Context LabsEstablishment of a regional headquarters for Context Labs in Abu Dhabi to serve customers and partners across the GCC and wider MENA regionRegional deployment of Context Labs’ AI Data Infrastructure, including the Context Labs AI Distillery™ for sovereign AIDevelopment and deployment of industry applications for priority sectors, including energy, utilities and critical infrastructureCollaboration to deploy and integrate into the existing assets and ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa

Context Labs builds AI Data Infrastructure, the trusted data layer that enterprise AI depends on, and delivers the Context Engine for trusted and secure sovereign AI. Its platform ingests fragmented operational, engineering and enterprise data, structured and unstructured, verifies it cryptographically at the source, and maintains a tamper-proof data fabric with full lineage and provenance, so every AI model, agent and decision can be traced back to verified data.

A library of industry-specific ontologies gives that data context in the language of each sector, from energy, chemicals and mining to commodities trading, logistics, utilities, pharmaceuticals and financial services, so the platform scales across industries and extends readily to new ones. Use-case applications, from operations to compliance, are built on that common foundation. The Context Labs AI Distillery™ extends that infrastructure into the enterprise, enabling organizations to run frontier and open-weight AI models and semantic context agents inside their own data centers, on their own verified data, with full decision provenance.

In energy and critical infrastructure, this provides a trusted foundation for connecting operational performance, emissions intelligence and AI-enabled decision-making. By bringing fragmented data into a verified, auditable environment, the platform can help operators demonstrate the integrity of their energy, respond to evolving market and regulatory requirements, and support more resilient operations.

22/x will collaborate with Context Labs to scale this infrastructure and its applications across the MENA region, giving organizations making significant commitments to enterprise AI a verified data foundation that builds trust and delivers measurable ROI. The partnership will draw on 22/x’s expertise in incubating deep-tech and applied AI for critical infrastructure operations, and on its longstanding relationships with sovereign-aligned compute, data and distribution channels in the region. The focus is not simply to bring technology into the region, but to establish tangible capabilities, long-term partnerships and sustainable outcomes.

“AI is only as good as the data underneath it, and enterprises have to be able to verify that data before AI can be trusted to act on it,” said Dan Harple, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Context Labs. “Our cross-industry ontologies, built on a single AI Data Infrastructure, let us move with the region’s national champions across every sector they lead. With 22/x, we are bringing them the infrastructure to own their IP, own their AI, and prove the integrity of their data to partners, regulators and markets worldwide.”

“Through Arab Development, we have predominantly served the oil and gas industry, bringing global expertise and technology into the UAE and building lasting local partnerships and industrial capability. As automation, robotics and artificial intelligence reshape these industries and the wider economy, we recognized the need for a dedicated, future-focused vehicle to support the new digital economy. We established 22/x to build on that foundation, helping local industries adopt these technologies, modernize their operations and develop the capabilities to compete in an increasingly digital world,” said Yousif Al Nowais, Chairman and Managing Director of 22/x.

“Our partnership with Context Labs brings an essential foundation to that ambition: trusted data that enables businesses to apply AI with confidence while retaining control over their information. For us, this transition must also create opportunities for Emiratis to develop specialist skills, contribute to deployment and lead the industries of the future. Our ambition is not simply to bring technology to the UAE, but to build the knowledge, capability and long-term value that remain here,” said Mohammed Yousif Al Nowais, Director and Board Member of 22/x.

“Our family has built deep trust across the Emirates and the wider region, and that trust is the foundation on which 22/x stands. Our role is to turn it into execution, not simply to introduce another AI platform, but to make AI work in real operating environments,” said Ahmed Nasser Al Nowais, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member, 22/x. “From Abu Dhabi, 22/x will establish Context Labs’ regional headquarters, connect it with the sovereign compute, data and industrial partners who shape this market, and bring Emirati talent into the work from the outset. Together, we will work with customers on clearly defined use cases and build a repeatable pathway from first deployments in the UAE to scale across the GCC and MENA. Success will be measured by practical outcomes: better operational visibility, more auditable decisions and stronger control over enterprise data, all while holding to our National values: build here, build to last, and build in service of the Nation.”

About Context Labs B.V.

Context Labs is an AI Data Infrastructure company delivering the Context Engine for Trusted and Secure Sovereign AI. Its platform turns complex, fragmented operational, engineering and enterprise data into continuously verified, auditable information that AI systems, people and markets can trust. Built on an extensible library of industry-specific ontologies that map to established standards published by ISO and other standards bodies, the platform is deployable across sectors, with use-case applications delivering decision-ready intelligence on a common foundation. The Context Labs AI Distillery™ lets enterprises run sovereign AI inside their own data centers, so they own their IP and own their AI. Formed out of MIT research and led by a team that helped drive the at-scale growth of the Internet, Context Labs has offices in Amsterdam, Cambridge (Mass.), Houston and Abu Dhabi. Learn more at www.contextlabs.com.

About 22/x

22/x is an Abu Dhabi-based AI-native platform founded by the Al Nowais family. Operating across advisory, infrastructure, investment and incubation, it helps global technology businesses establish and scale their presence in the Middle East, with a focus on applied AI and critical infrastructure. 22/x connects international innovation with regional market knowledge, industrial relationships and capital to build lasting local capability and support long-term economic value creation. Learn more at www.22x.ae.

Media contacts

Context Labs: press@contextlabs.com | 1-617-902-0932 | contextlabs.com/resources

22/x: info@22x.ae

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Partnership gives publishers a new route to reach consumers through TikTok’s creators

SINGAPORE, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Coda, a global leader in digital content monetization and distribution, is working with TikTok Gaming to create a new route from content discovery to purchase for consumers across Southeast Asia.

Through the partnership, TikTok users in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines can link directly to Codashop to purchase game top-ups, gift cards and other digital goods. Creators can feature Codashop-listed content through livestreams and short-form videos, giving publishers a new way to reach consumers in the environments where they are already discovering and engaging with games.

Since its mid-June 2026 launch, creator videos linking to Codashop have drawn 1 billion views, with click-through averaging above 5% and around 5% of clicks converting to purchases. The majority of buyers are new to Codashop, showing the potential of creator-led commerce to bring publishers new customers as well as transactions.

“Commerce is increasingly happening wherever discovery happens,” said Zac Liew, Chief Commercial Officer, B2B, Coda. “TikTok gives us a new way to connect those moments. For publishers, that means reaching consumers earlier in the journey and turning engagement into purchase through a channel that is already core to how people discover games and content.”

The partnership reflects a broader shift in digital commerce, as social platforms, creators and content play a growing role in how consumers decide what to buy. For Coda, that creates new opportunities to extend digital content distribution beyond traditional storefronts and connect publishers with consumers across more channels.

Codashop is one of Southeast Asia’s most established destinations for digital content, recording more than 6 million transactions and 13 million site visits every month. Coda works with some of the world’s leading publishers and digital businesses, including Activision, Electronic Arts and Riot Games.

Founded in Jakarta in 2011, Coda has grown from its Southeast Asian roots into a global digital content monetization and distribution business. Codashop launched in Indonesia in 2014 and has since expanded across the region and beyond.

Coda will continue to explore new commerce and distribution models with publishers and platform partners, creating more ways for consumers to discover and purchase digital content.

About Coda

Coda is a global leader in monetization, distribution, and commerce, trusted by the biggest names in gaming, entertainment, and technology, including Activision, Electronic Arts, Riot Games, Ubisoft, and Moonton. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Singapore, Coda operates with 670+ employees worldwide, with core hubs in Asia and Europe. Coda combines payments, commerce, distribution, and rewards to drive global revenue growth for brands and publishers.

Coda’s products include Codapay, which provides access to 400+ payment methods across 80+ markets through a single API integration; Coda Webstore, which powers fully customized direct-to-consumer storefronts; Coda Consumer Platforms, including Codashop, Recharge.com, and Startselect.com; Coda Distribution, which extends reach through a network of commerce partners; and Giftcloud, a UK-based rewards business serving enterprise customers across Europe.

Coda is backed by Apis Partners, Insight Partners, Smash Capital, and GIC, and has been named an APAC High Growth Company (2023) by Financial Times, one of Granite Asia’s NextGenTech 30 (2024), a payments leader on Fortune’s Fintech Innovation Asia list (2024), and listed among The Straits Times Fastest Growing Fintechs (2024). For more on Coda, visit coda.co.

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SOURCE Coda