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Yunji Announces Third Quarter 2024 Unaudited Financial Results

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HANGZHOU, China, Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Yunji Inc. (“Yunji” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: YJ), a leading membership-based social e-commerce platform, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024[1].

Third Quarter 2024 Highlights

Total revenues in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB86.6 million (US$12.4 million), compared with RMB145.1 million in the same period of 2023. The change was primarily due to soft consumer confidence and the Company’s continued strategy to refine its product selection across all categories and optimize its selection of suppliers and merchants, which had a near-term impact on sales.Repeat purchase rate[2] in the twelve months ended September 30, 2024 was 72.7%.

Mr. Shanglue Xiao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yunji, said, “Our strategic collaborations with premium suppliers across the country have strengthened our portfolio of healthy and organic food products. The positive customer feedback validates our commitment to quality and reinforces our position in the health-conscious market segment”.

“We continue to exercise prudent capital allocation and expense management practices, while optimizing operational efficiency to support sustainable growth and create long-term value for our stakeholders,” said Mr. Yeqing Cui, Senior Financial Director of Yunji.

Third Quarter 2024 Unaudited Financial Results

Total revenues were RMB86.6 million (US$12.4 million), compared with RMB145.1 million in the same period of 2023. The change was primarily due to soft consumer confidence and the Company’s continued strategy to refine its product selection across all categories and optimize its selection of suppliers and merchants, which had a near-term impact on sales.

Revenues from sales of merchandise were RMB70.0 million (US$10.0 million), compared with RMB114.1 million in the same period of 2023.Revenues from the marketplace business were RMB14.8 million (US$2.1 million), compared with RMB28.7 million in the same period of 2023.Other revenues were RMB1.8 million (US$0.3 million), compared with RMB2.3 million in the same period of 2023.

Total cost of revenues decreased by 49.6% to RMB39.8 million (US$5.7 million), or 46.0% of total revenues, from RMB78.9 million, or 54.4% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was in line with the change in merchandise sales, for which revenues and cost of revenues are recognized on a gross basis. Total cost of revenues, which mainly comprises the costs related to the sales of merchandise, decreased accordingly in the third quarter of 2024.

Total operating expenses decreased by 24.0% to RMB73.9 million (US$10.6 million) from RMB97.2 million in the same period of 2023.

Fulfillment expenses decreased by 32.8% to RMB17.2 million (US$2.4 million), or 19.9% of total revenues, from RMB25.6 million, or 17.6% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was primarily due to (i) reduced warehousing and logistics expenses due to lower merchandise sales, and (ii) reduced personnel costs as a result of staffing structure refinements.Sales and marketing expenses decreased by 34.8% to RMB19.3 million (US$2.8 million), or 22.3% of total revenues, from RMB29.6 million, or 20.4% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the reduction in member management fees.Technology and content expenses decreased by 16.5% to RMB11.6 million (US$1.7 million), or 13.4% of total revenues, from RMB13.9 million, or 9.6% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the reduction in personnel costs as a result of staffing structure refinements.General and administrative expenses decreased by 8.2% to RMB25.8 million (US$3.7 million), or 29.8% of total revenues, from RMB28.1 million, or 19.4% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the reduction in professional service expenses, partially offset by an increase in an allowance for credit losses.

Loss from operations was RMB26.2 million (US$3.7 million), compared with RMB30.3 million in the same period of 2023.

Financial loss, net was RMB5.7 million (US$0.8 million), compared with financial loss, net of RMB1.9 million in the same period of 2023, primarily due to a decrease in the fair value changes of equity securities investments.

Net loss was RMB30.0 million (US$4.3 million), compared with RMB34.8 million in the same period of 2023.

Adjusted net loss (non-GAAP)[3] was RMB29.5 million (US$4.2 million), compared with RMB34.0 million in the same period of 2023.

Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders were both RMB0.02, compared with RMB0.02 in the same period of 2023.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses adjusted net loss as a supplemental measure to review and assess operating performance. The presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company defines adjusted net loss as net loss excluding share-based compensation.

The Company presents adjusted net loss because it is used by management to evaluate operating performance and formulate business plans. Adjusted net loss enables management to assess operating performance without considering the impact of share-based compensation recorded under ASC 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation.” The Company also believes that the use of this non-GAAP measure facilitates investors’ assessment of operating performance.

This non-GAAP financial measure is not defined under U.S. GAAP and is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measure has limitations as an analytical tool. One of the key limitations of using adjusted net loss is that it does not reflect all items of income and expense that affect the Company’s operations. Share-based compensation has been and may continue to be incurred in Yunji’s business and is not reflected in the presentation of adjusted net loss. Further, this non-GAAP measure may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore its comparability may be limited.

The Company compensates for these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating performance. Yunji encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Directly Comparable Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 6:30 A.M. Eastern Time or 7:30 P.M. Beijing/Hong Kong Time to discuss its earnings. Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers:

International:

1-412-902-4272

United States Toll Free:

1-888-346-8982

Mainland China Toll Free:  

4001-201203

Hong Kong Toll Free:     

800-905945

Conference ID: 

Yunji Inc.

A telephone replay of the call will be available after the conclusion of the conference call for one week.

Dial-in numbers for the replay are as follows:

United States Toll Free

1-877-344-7529

International

1-412-317-0088

Replay Access Code

1733849

Safe Harbor Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. Among other things, the quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Yunji’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Yunji may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Yunji’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Yunji’s growth strategies; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; its ability to understand buyer needs and provide products and services to attract and retain buyers; its ability to maintain and enhance the recognition and reputation of its brand; its ability to rely on merchants and third-party logistics service providers to provide delivery services to buyers; its ability to maintain and improve quality control policies and measures; its ability to establish and maintain relationships with merchants; trends and competition in China’s e-commerce market; changes in its revenues and certain cost or expense items; the expected growth of China’s e-commerce market; PRC governmental policies and regulations relating to Yunji’s industry, and general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Yunji’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Yunji undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

About Yunji Inc.

Yunji Inc. is a leading social e-commerce platform in China that has pioneered a unique, membership-based model to leverage the power of social interactions. The Company’s e-commerce platform offers high-quality products at attractive prices across a wide variety of categories catering to the day-to-day needs of Chinese consumers. In addition, the Company uses advanced technologies including big data and artificial intelligence to optimize user experience and incentivize members to promote the platform as well as share products with their social contacts. Through deliberate product curation, centralized merchandise sourcing, and efficient supply chain management, Yunji has established itself as a trustworthy e-commerce platform with high-quality products and exclusive membership benefits, including discounted prices.

For more information, please visit https://investor.yunjiglobal.com/ 

Investor Relations Contact

Yunji Inc.
Investor Relations
Email: Yunji.IR@icrinc.com
Phone: +1 (646) 224-6957

ICR, LLC
Robin Yang
Email: Yunji.IR@icrinc.com
Phone: +1 (646) 224-6957

YUNJI INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

As of

December 31,

2023

September 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

ASSETS

Current Assets

Cash and cash equivalents

517,542

244,061

34,778

Restricted cash

27,169

24,313

3,465

Short-term investments

7,195

–

–

Accounts receivable, net (Allowance for
credit losses of RMB35,159 and
RMB33,786, respectively)

64,312

56,331

8,027

Advance to suppliers

14,058

12,114

1,726

Inventories, net

42,716

28,387

4,045

Amounts due from related parties

1,361

942

134

Prepaid expenses and other current assets[4]
(Allowance for credit losses of RMB13,017
and RMB25,117, respectively)

134,247

138,722

19,768

Total current assets

808,600

504,870

71,943

Non-current assets

Property and equipment, net

175,451

183,185

26,104

Land use rights, net[5]

–

175,541

25,014

Long-term investments

364,159

372,123

53,027

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

16,507

15,035

2,142

Other non-current assets (Allowance for
credit losses of RMB22,213 and
RMB17,262, respectively)

189,067

161,954

23,078

Total non-current assets

745,184

907,838

129,365

Total assets

1,553,784

1,412,708

201,308

 

 

YUNJI INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

As of

December 31,

2023

September 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’
EQUITY

 

Current Liabilities

Accounts payable

96,782

61,308

8,736

Deferred revenue

9,412

9,623

1,371

Incentive payables to members[6]

124,889

72,964

10,395

Member management fees payable

4,373

600

86

Other payable and accrued liabilities

109,200

101,354

14,443

Amounts due to related parties

3,535

2,257

322

Operating lease liabilities – current

3,376

3,849

549

Total current liabilities

351,567

251,955

35,902

Non-current liabilities

Operating lease liabilities

11,122

10,083

1,437

Total non-current liabilities

11,122

10,083

1,437

Total Liabilities

362,689

262,038

37,339

 

 

YUNJI INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

As of

December 31,

2023

September 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

Shareholders’ equity

Ordinary shares

70

70

10

Less: Treasury stock

(116,108)

(116,045)

(16,536)

Additional paid-in capital

7,328,680

7,330,464

1,044,583

Statutory reserve

16,254

16,254

2,316

Accumulated other comprehensive income

85,291

81,122

11,560

Accumulated deficit

(6,123,971)

(6,162,055)

(878,086)

Total Yunji Inc. shareholders’ equity

1,190,216

1,149,810

163,847

Non-controlling interests

879

860

122

Total shareholders’ equity

1,191,095

1,150,670

163,969

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

1,553,784

1,412,708

201,308

 

 

YUNJI INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

For the Three Months Ended

For the Nine Months Ended

September 30,

2023

September 30,

2024

September 30,

2023

September 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Revenues:

Sales of merchandise, net

114,132

70,011

9,976

388,321

255,036

36,342

Marketplace revenue

28,703

14,848

2,116

95,929

60,015

8,552

Other revenues

2,354

1,832

261

6,812

5,477

780

Total revenues

145,189

86,691

12,353

491,062

320,528

45,674

Operating cost and expenses:

Cost of revenues

(78,868)

(39,760)

(5,666)

(253,161)

(161,071)

(22,952)

Fulfilment

(25,621)

(17,186)

(2,449)

(82,627)

(59,754)

(8,515)

Sales and marketing

(29,608)

(19,304)

(2,751)

(92,561)

(66,792)

(9,518)

Technology and content

(13,852)

(11,604)

(1,654)

(41,457)

(37,135)

(5,292)

General and administrative

(28,058)

(25,795)

(3,676)

(76,474)

(59,316)

(8,453)

Total operating cost and expenses

(176,007)

(113,649)

(16,196)

(546,280)

(384,068)

(54,730)

Other operating income

541

733

104

14,118

4,894

697

Loss from operations

(30,277)

(26,225)

(3,739)

(41,100)

(58,646)

(8,359)

Financial (loss)/income, net

(1,884)

(5,682)

(810)

(36,799)

19,911

2,837

Foreign exchange (loss)/income, net

(88)

2,405

343

(7,466)

4,735

675

Other non-operating income/(loss),
net

628

509

73

(2,436)

627

89

Loss before income tax expense, and
equity in loss of affiliates, net of tax

(31,621)

(28,993)

(4,133)

(87,801)

(33,373)

(4,758)

Income tax expense

(1,116)

(348)

(49)

(6,523)

(1,641)

(234)

Equity in loss of affiliates, net of tax

(2,059)

(704)

(100)

(4,945)

(3,063)

(437)

Net loss

(34,796)

(30,045)

(4,282)

(99,269)

(38,077)

(5,429)

Less: net loss attributable to non-
controlling interests shareholders

(1)

(19)

(3)

(2)

(20)

(3)

Net loss attributable to YUNJI INC.

(34,795)

(30,026)

(4,279)

(99,267)

(38,057)

(5,426)

 

 

YUNJI INC.

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (CONTINUED)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

For the Three Months Ended

For the Nine Months Ended

September 30,

2023

September 30,

2024

September 30,

2023

September 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Net loss attributable to ordinary
shareholders

(34,795)

(30,026)

(4,279)

(99,267)

(38,057)

(5,426)

Net loss

(34,796)

(30,045)

(4,282)

(99,269)

(38,077)

(5,429)

Other comprehensive income/(loss)

 Foreign currency translation
adjustment

3,424

(8,290)

(1,181)

32,480

(4,169)

(594)

Total comprehensive loss

(31,372)

(38,335)

(5,463)

(66,789)

(42,246)

(6,023)

 Less: total comprehensive loss
attributable to non-controlling
interests shareholders

(1)

(19)

(3)

(2)

(20)

(3)

Total comprehensive loss
attributable to YUNJI INC.

(31,371)

(38,316)

(5,460)

(66,787)

(42,226)

(6,020)

Net loss attributable to ordinary
shareholders

(34,795)

(30,026)

(4,279)

(99,267)

(38,057)

(5,426)

Weighted average number of
ordinary shares used in computing
net loss per share, basic and diluted

1,966,929,108

1,967,086,032

1,967,086,032

1,972,493,551

1,967,062,401

1,967,062,401

Net loss per share attributable to
ordinary shareholders

Basic

(0.02)

(0.02)

–

(0.05)

(0.02)

–

Diluted

(0.02)

(0.02)

–

(0.05)

(0.02)

–

 

 

YUNJI INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

For the Three Months Ended

For the Nine Months Ended

September 30,

2023

September 30,

2024

September 30,

2023

September 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Share-based compensation expenses included in:

 Technology and content

610

278

40

1,153

1,101

157

 General and administrative

63

162

23

126

610

87

 Fulfillment

76

21

3

(2,571)

57

8

 Sales and marketing

95

35

5

(474)

79

11

Total

844

496

71

(1,766)

1,847

263

 

 

YUNJI INC.

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES TO THE MOST DIRECTLY COMPARABLE
FINANCIAL MEASURES

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

For the Three Months Ended

For the Nine Months Ended

September 30,

2023

September 30,

2024

September 30,

2023

September 30,

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted Net Loss:

 Net loss

(34,796)

(30,045)

(4,282)

(99,269)

(38,077)

(5,429)

 Add: Share-based compensation

844

496

71

(1,766)

1,847

263

 Adjusted net loss

(33,952)

(29,549)

(4,211)

(101,035)

(36,230)

(5,166)

 

 

1. This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi (RMB) amounts into U.S. dollars (US$) at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, the translation of RMB into US$ has been made at RMB7.0176 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of September 30, 2024 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

2. “Repeat purchase rate” in a given period is calculated as the number of transacting members who purchased not less than twice divided by the total number of transacting members during such period. “Transacting member” in a given period refers to a member who successfully promotes Yunji’s products to generate at least one order or places at least one order on Yunji’s platform, regardless of whether any product in such order is ultimately sold or delivered or whether any product in such order is returned.

3. Adjusted net loss is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as net loss excluding share-based compensation expense. See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Directly Comparable Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.

4. As of September 30, 2024, Short-term loan receivables of amount RMB101,652 were included in the prepaid expenses and other current assets balance, which represent the principal and interest to be collected on loans provided by the Group to third-party companies.

5. In June 2024, the Company won the bid for a parcel of land located in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, China, covering approximately 10 thousand square meters (the “Hangzhou Land Parcel”) and entered into an agreement with the local government to acquire the land use right of the Hangzhou Land Parcel for an aggregate consideration of approximately RMB171.5 million. In July 2024, the Company obtained the certificate of the land use right and carried the land use right at cost less accumulated amortization and impairment losses, if any. The Company intends to construct a new office building on the Hangzhou Land Parcel to use it as its new headquarters and also lease offices to external parties. The total amount for the land acquisition and office building construction is expected to be approximately RMB600.0 million. The Company intends to fund the land acquisition and building construction through cash on hand and bank financing.

6. As of September 30, 2024, the decrease in incentive payables was mainly due to derecognition of long-aged payables to inactive members.

7. The Group, as one of the five co-defendants, was involved in an on-going legal proceeding that arose in the ordinary course of business (the “Case”). The plaintiff sought monetary damages jointly and severally from all co-defendants and the amount involved was approximately RMB23.1 million. On September 30, 2024, the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court concluded the appeal trial of the Case. The court’s ruling determined that the Group bore no additional liabilities beyond the outstanding accounts, including interests and fees, payable to the plaintiff.  As of the date of this earnings release, the payment has been settled in full.

 

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yunji-announces-third-quarter-2024-unaudited-financial-results-302312741.html

SOURCE Yunji Inc.

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U.S. News & World Report Reveals the 2027 Best Places to Retire

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Affordability is a top priority for attendees as Midland, Michigan, holds No. 1 spot.

Summary

Midland, Michigan, is the No. 1 Best Place to Retire for the second year in a row.Affordability is the most considered factor when choosing a place to retire in 2027.Florida and Texas dominate the top 250 Best Places to Retire, offering a number of affordable and retiree-tax friendly locations.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today revealed the 2027 Best Places to Retire in the United States.

Midland, Michigan, retained the No. 1 rank for the second year in a row. Midland scored high in affordability and retiree taxes, helping it to lock in the top spot.

“Retirees are seeking a place that gives them a sense of security and comfort as they live out their golden years,” said Megan Wood, assistant managing editor, home services and real estate. “Whether that comfort prioritizes scenic nature spots, access to multi-cultural experiences, or everyday affordability, places like Midland, Michigan, offer financial safety while still providing a good quality of life.”

Homosassa Springs, Florida, came in at No. 2 due to strong scores in affordability, 55+ population growth and retiree taxes. High performance for, quality of life, retiree taxes, affordability and quality of life resulted in Weirton, West Virginia, placing No. 3 on the list.

U.S. News adjusted its scoring weights for the 2027 rankings to mirror a growing concern for affordability in America. This resulted in multiple double-digit jumps in the top 25, including Paducah, Kentucky (No. 8), ascending into the top 10 for the first time.

“It’s no secret that affordability is top of mind for Americans this year, which is why U.S. News updated its weighting criteria to better align with what retirees prioritize,” Wood said. “The 2027 rankings reflect key metrics used to highlight the places that best suit retiree needs.”

U.S. News evaluated more than 850 U.S. cities – publishing the top 250 places – based on how well they meet American retirees’ expectations against measures including quality of life, affordability, healthcare, retiree taxes, job market, and population and migration for retirees aged 55 and older.

The six measures factored into this year’s rankings were weighted based on a public survey of individuals across the U.S. who are at or approaching retirement age (45 and older) to find out what matters most to people when they’re considering where to retire. Resources include federal, state and local data provided by Applied Geographic Solutions, which includes data sourced from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. News’ Best Hospitals rankings. To learn more about how the rankings are determined, read the Best Places to Retire methodology.

Best Places to Retire is part of U.S. News’ Real Estate section, which provides rankings and tools to help individuals navigate the housing market, including home value estimates to working with an agent.

2027 U.S. News Best Places to Retire – Top 10 
*See the full rankings here.

Midland, Michigan Homosassa Springs, Florida Weirton, West VirginiaThe Woodlands, TexasSpring, TexasRancho Rio, New Mexico Altoona, PennsylvaniaPaducah, KentuckyLynchburg, Virginia Palm Coast, Florida 

For more information on Best Places to Retire, explore Facebook, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, Instagram and X using #BestPlacesToRetire.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, insurance, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-news–world-report-reveals-the-2027-best-places-to-retire-302920068.html

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.

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IBM Introduces Identity and Control for AI Agents, Securing Frontier Intelligence for the Enterprise

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Enterprises are deploying agents faster than they can verify them. HashiCorp Vault uses Agent Identity to give each agent a governed identity Verified agents still need limits on access. Vault extends its established secrets management to AI agents, built to enforce least-privilege access and enable real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action Enterprises can’t scale agents they can’t see, test or account for. IBM watsonx Orchestrate is designed to unify discovery, containment, and evaluation across Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini 

ATLANTA, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At TechXchange 2026, IBM (NYSE: IBM) is announcing new capabilities to help developers, IT and security teams put AI agents to work across business systems with clear authority and accountability. IBM brings together agent discovery, verified identities, access controls and performance evaluation to help organizations understand who owns each agent, control what it can access, and trace its actions across existing applications and infrastructure.  

According to Gartner, by 2028 the average Fortune 500 enterprise will use over 150,000 AI agents. But only 13% of organizations believe that they have the right AI agent governance in place [1]. Persistent credentials, unclear ownership and disconnected controls make it harder to govern agents as they interact with other agents, invoke tools and act across teams, platforms and clouds. 

“The winners in enterprise AI are changing how their business runs, not simply adding more AI to it,” said Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, IBM Software. “For agents to take on real work across the systems a company depends on, it requires an AI operating model – one that connects agents to the business’s data, applications and infrastructure and runs them with the same discipline as its most critical systems. Build trust and control into that model, and agents stop being a technology and become a way of doing business.”  

Today’s announcements extend IBM’s portfolio to deliver an AI operating model of four essential systems working together: agents, data, automation and hybrid infrastructure. This starts with the trust and control every agent needs – a verified identity, only the access it needs, and one place to discover, secure and evaluate agents regardless of where they were built. 

Extending HashiCorp Vault to AI agents
HashiCorp Vault manages the secrets and credentials that applications and services use to access business systems. It provides that control through centrally managed secrets, automated rotation for supported credentials, and dynamically generated credentials that expire or can be revoked. These capabilities help reduce the time exposed credentials remain usable and limit access to the permissions configured for each role. 

HashiCorp Vault already secures non-human identities for organizations including ABN AMRO, Adobe, athenahealth, BBVA, BlackRock, Canva, Duke Energy, Expedia, London Stock Exchange, Starbucks, Swiss Federal Railways and Target, across systems that process billions of dollars in transactions [2]. HashiCorp will now extend those capabilities to AI agents, issuing secured, short-lived credentials that limit each agent to what it needs. 

Establishing agent identity and accountability
AI agents are a growing class of non-human identity, alongside applications and services. As they begin acting across business systems, enterprises need a clear record of who owns each agent and what authority it has been granted. HashiCorp is combining governed agent identity with credential controls to help organizations delegate work with defined authority and accountability. 

When used with HashiCorp Vault, Agent Identity establishes the authoritative record for each agent, such as who owns it, its lifecycle status and the authority it has been granted. Built to extend existing identity and security investments, it shares relevant identity and authorization context with Vault’s credential controls – ultimately enforcing least-privilege access and enabling real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action. 

Controlling agent credentials and access
Identifying an agent is only the start. Enterprises also need to control the credentials it uses to reach databases, applications and cloud services – and how long those credentials remain valid. As agents invoke tools and act across business systems, their credentials become a critical security boundary. An agent with a long-lived, overprivileged credential can put systems and data at risk if it’s compromised or acts outside its intended task. Enterprises need to establish what each agent’s job is, limit the access it receives and revoke that access when circumstances change. 

These controls extend beyond initial authentication. If an agent attempts to retrieve information or perform actions outside its approved permissions, the access can be denied and session revoked in real time to prevent unauthorized activity. Vault’s short-lived credentials and least-privilege controls can further restrict what an agent accesses and the duration of those permissions.  

Additional capabilities include: 

Vault 2.2 gives agents their own secured accounts, automatically renews their credentials and incorporates post-quantum encryption for quantum-era threats. Secure Hub (public preview) gives companies centralized visibility across their Vault environments to make it easier to understand operational health, usage and security resources. 

At TechXchange, client speakers will share how they use Vault to secure enterprise applications, workloads and AI agents 

athenahealth: Automating certificate management with Vault’s PKI engine. Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Applying IBM Verify and Vault to AI agent identity, just-in-time access, dynamic secrets and auditability. Optum: Using Vault Radar to detect exposed secrets and Boundary for just-in-time, identity-based access. Seven-Eleven Japan: Centralizing and encrypting secrets with Vault Enterprise and detecting hardcoded secrets with Vault Radar. Yum! Brands: Building an identity security platform with IBM Verify, with a look ahead to machine identities and secrets management. 

“AI presents extraordinary opportunities to accelerate biomedical research and discovery, but realizing its potential requires a foundation of security, trust, and responsible governance,” said Shailesh M. Shenoy, Assistant Dean for Information Technology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “In my experience, technologies such as IBM Verify and HashiCorp Vault can play an important role in helping organizations establish the identity, access, and security controls needed to innovate with confidence.”  

Managing agents across platforms
Identity tells organizations what an agent is. But they also need to see every agent they have, wherever it was built. IBM watsonx Orchestrate works across the AI ecosystem, not inside a single vendor’s platform, to give organizations one place to discover, secure and evaluate their agents. Capabilities include: 

Discover (tech preview): Organizations can’t govern agents they don’t know exist. Orchestrate connects to platforms such as Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini to find agents built in third-party environments, so teams can see and manage agents instead of adding them manually. This capability also extends to models and MCP servers. Contain (tech preview): One rogue agent can disrupt others and spread mistakes across the business. Orchestrate now runs agents in isolated sandboxes so a rogue agent can’t interfere with others. Teams also now have access to a kill switch to shut down any agent. Evaluate: Agents that aren’t tested and tracked can quietly drift off course and increase costs. Teams using Orchestrate can now test the quality, accuracy and compliance of agents, models and MCP servers before deployment, then monitor them in production. Built-in cost tracking shows each agent’s model and token use, so teams can spot what’s driving spend and fix it. 

Orchestrate also works with Vault’s credential controls and Agent Identity to establish what each agent’s job is, govern its authority and enforce least-privilege credential access. Together, these controls help organizations authorize and audit agent actions and rapidly revoke trust and credentials when risk changes. 

Connecting agents to the business
Once agents are authorized to use a company’s APIs and tools, they need to know what already exists, how systems connect, what can be reused safely and what their actions could affect. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub is built to provide that knowledge through its Unified Context Engine, so agents can fix problems like stuck messages or deploy an API using what’s already in place. Skills, approval policies and audit controls keep those actions in check. Instead of rebuilding for AI, organizations can put agents to work on the systems they already depend on. 

Scaling agents with NVIDIA
Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault integrate with NVIDIA OpenShell secure runtime software, the foundation of the NVIDIA OpenShell Architecture. Together, they pair a protected environment for agents to run in with a verified identity and short-lived credentials for every agent, so each action can be traced, limited and reviewed. 

“Businesses need enforceable control over how agents operate and what they can access,” said John Fanelli, vice president, enterprise software, NVIDIA. “Our work with IBM combines NVIDIA OpenShell’s policy-governed runtime with Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault to help enterprises scale AI agents with secure execution, verified identities and tightly scoped access to business systems.” 

Responding to Emerging Security Threats
When new vulnerabilities are discovered, enterprises must quickly identify affected systems, determine required changes and deploy fixes without disrupting critical operations. In complex environments, this process often involves multiple teams, tools and processes. 

IBM Concert integrates observability, optimization, incident management and security across applications, infrastructure and networks. With AI-powered insights and proof of exploitability, Concert helps teams to identify high-risk vulnerabilities, assess operational impact, and coordinate responses. These capabilities also help organizations address performance, manage costs and maintain resilience in hybrid environments. 

HashiCorp Terraform provides an infrastructure context and governed workflows for change implementation. New features now generally available and in public preview, including Terraform policy, Terraform Developer Portal and Terraform remote MCP server, enable developers and AI agents to access approved configurations and implement infrastructure changes through established controls. Terraform powered by Infragraph also helps teams understand infrastructure relationships and dependencies for more informed decisions. 

Together, these capabilities enable organizations to progress from identifying vulnerabilities to implementing and verifying remediation, while optimizing the visibility and governance essential for enterprise operations. 

A comprehensive system intelligence and change orchestration layer for IBM Z 
IBM Z Atlas maps a client’s entire z/OS stack across infrastructure, middleware, and applications, and then uses that intelligence to address the manual effort of tasks like patch management, regulatory response, and sharing system knowledge across teams, from systems programmers to application developers. Atlas addresses the leading cause of unplanned z/OS outages – changes that aren’t proven to be safe – by mapping how a change impacts the z/OS stack and testing and validating it. This design (in tech preview) accelerates clients’ modernization efforts by keeping experts in control and giving practitioners, in operations or development, the same shared Z system visibility to reduce risk. 

Availability
HashiCorp Vault 2.2, Agent Identity, watsonx Orchestrate evaluate capabilities, IBM Concert, and HashiCorp Terraform policy are generally available. Secure Hub, Terraform Developer Portal, Terraform remote MCP server, and IBM Z Atlas are in public preview. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub and watsonx Orchestrate discover and contain capabilities are in tech preview. 

Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only. 

Learn more
IBM TechXchange is IBM’s annual conference for developers and technology practitioners and brings together nearly 6,500 attendees from 85 countries. This year, the event incorporates HashiConf to bring together the HashiCorp community with practitioners from across IBM, Red Hat and Confluent. Attendees can choose from more than 1,000 sessions and experiences, including 180 hands-on labs, 260 client-led sessions and more than 50 certification exams. Speakers include American Airlines, Bradesco, Citi, CVS Health, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Hertz, and US Bancorp who will share how they are making AI enterprise ready. 

Session livestream and replays will be available here: ibm.biz/txc26-livestream.  

Supporting Materials

Strengthen security for agentic AI with new Vault, Verify, Boundary, and Secure Hub capabilities  IBM Agent Identity now generally available: Building Trust for the Agentic Era  Vault Enterprise 2.2 advances identity security, PKI, and cryptoagility  Announcing the public preview of Secure Hub: govern Vault at scale  IBM watsonx Orchestrate advances AI agent management with new capabilities  IBM Integration Intelligence Hub gives AI the context to act, not just access IBM Concert platform advances the path to cross-domain agentic IT operations  Terraform advances infrastructure lifecycle management for the agentic era Introducing IBM Z Atlas: Change Intelligence for IBM Z 

[1]: Gartner Identifies Six Steps to Manage AI Agent Sprawl
[2]: HashiCorp Vault client stories  

About IBM  
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information. 

Media contacts:

Sarah Benchaita
IBM
sarah.benchaita@ibm.com

Kate Lehman
IBM
Kate.Lehman@ibm.com 

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Three Blind Spots Leave Industrial Companies Exposed to Critical Mineral Shortages

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Boston Consulting Group Finds Industrial Companies Underestimate Their Critical Mineral Exposure, Which Also Limits Their Access to Public CapitalDemand for Key Minerals Is Projected at 120% to 250% of Forecast Supply Through 2040An Estimated $3.5 Trillion of Products Depend on Gallium, a “Mosquito Mineral” Traded in a Market Under $350 Million a YearSome Governments Have Deployed Less Than 10% of Their Critical Minerals Funds

BOSTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Industrial companies are underestimating their exposure to critical mineral shortages and missing a strategic opportunity as a result, according to new analysis from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Three blind spots in the metrics that companies rely on hide where the risk sits, including what BCG calls “mosquito minerals,” so small by traded value that they never reach a risk register.

These are among the findings of Why Critical Mineral Shortages Are a CEO Issue, a BCG report released today. BCG’s proprietary model projects demand for key inputs, including rare earths, graphite, copper and lithium, at roughly 120% to 250% of forecast supply through 2040.

“Most industrials track exposure through spend and direct supplier data, and the minerals that can stop a production line are often the ones they spend almost nothing on,” said Tycho Möncks, a BCG managing director and partner and a coauthor of the report. “The question for CEOs and boards is not whether their company is exposed. It is. The question is whether they intend to live with that exposure or turn it into an advantage.”

Small Markets Can Stall Large Industries

Companies often start their risk assessment with the bill of materials, which points them toward high-volume metals such as copper and lithium. Mosquito minerals fall outside that view. Their traded value is tiny, but the value chains that depend on them are not.

Rare earths. The rare earths used in a fighter jet are worth less than the paint that coats the plane.Gallium. The global market is worth under $350 million a year, with production of only about 900 tons, yet BCG estimates about $3.5 trillion of final products depend on it.Arsenic. The upstream market is about $50 million worldwide, yet a single producer supplies roughly 60% of the ultra-high-purity grade used in 5G and 6G infrastructure, data center optics, radar systems, and defense electronics.Byproduct supply. Gallium, germanium and arsenic are recovered as byproducts of other mining and industrial processes, so the host metal’s market sets their supply. Even a sharp price spike may not bring new production.

Exposure Hides Below Tier One Suppliers

A company that buys almost no critical minerals directly can still be acutely exposed because minerals arrive embedded in motors, magnets, power modules, lasers and sensors. They also sit in the tools and processes used to make those components, from crucibles and catalysts to dies and the capital equipment itself.

Turbine blades, engine blocks and structural aerospace components, for example, are machined with cutting tools made of tungsten carbide bonded with cobalt. A manufacturer that has never bought either metal directly can still see production stop if those tools run short, a dependency that appears on no bill of materials.

Companies also tend to map where critical minerals are mined, but for some minerals the bottleneck is processing, not production. A map of where assets sit and a map of who owns them can look very different, so a change of supplier that looks like diversification may leave a company’s exposure unchanged.

Public Capital Is Committed but Largely Unspent

The three blind spots also lead to a strategic miss. The International Energy Agency reports that public finance commitments to critical minerals in advanced economies reached around $65 billion in 2025, more than four times the 2023 level. BCG’s review of government-backed vehicles found the flagship instruments barely deployed, with some countries having spent less than 10% of their allocated capital and others nothing.

These vehicles are designed to draw in private capital, and offtake requirements are typically the main eligibility gate. BCG argues that companies without a clear view of their own exposure cannot make a credible commitment, and so cannot qualify. The funds are not free money: they carry conditions such as reporting obligations and localization requirements, and they represent only about one tenth of the capital needed through 2040. But for industrial companies, BCG says, they are a way to build a competitive advantage.

Several of the companies that have reframed their approach and tapped public capital are industrial companies and trading firms, not miners, and BCG found that in each case the CEO and executive team led the process of identifying and correcting their blind spots.

“These blind spots have a cost beyond risk. The money is there, but it comes with offtake requirements, and a company cannot make a credible commitment without knowing its own exposure,” said Karthik Valluru, a BCG managing director and senior partner who coauthored the report. “Mapping that exposure properly is where the opportunity starts.”

Download the publication here:

https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/critical-minerals-risk-blind-spots

Media Contact: 
Bruce Wraight
wraight.bruce@bcg.com 

About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group bridges the gap between ambition and outcomes for the world’s leading companies and organizations. We are built for this era of unprecedented change — bringing strategic clarity rooted in over 60 years of deep domain knowledge, combined with applied AI shaped by our practitioners. BCG works shoulder-to-shoulder with CEOs across industries and geographies to deliver transformative impact at scale: stronger returns, transferred capabilities, and change that sticks. For more information, visit bcg.com.

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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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