Technology

Renowned Cybersecurity Veteran “DARPA Dan” Joins Badge Inc.

Published

1 year ago

April 18, 2025

SAN FRANCISCO, April 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Badge Inc., the award-winning privacy company enabling Identity without Secrets™, announced that Dan Kaufman, the first Director of Cybersecurity at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and longtime leader in advanced human-computer interaction, has joined the company as SVP, AI and Cybersecurity. Kaufman, known as “DARPA Dan,” brings decades of experience pushing the boundaries of technology in service of public good — a mission that closely aligns with Badge’s vision for a safer, simpler future in security and identity.

“Badge surpasses everything I’ve seen—we’re finally able to deliver the secure and private internet.” – Dan Kaufman

“I’ve spent my career building at the edge of technology, with a focus on protecting users and outsmarting adversaries. This included procuring the most advanced technologies in the world for the US military and Google. What the team at Badge has created surpasses everything I’ve seen—we’re finally able to deliver the secure and private internet envisioned more than 40 years ago,” said Dan Kaufman. “Badge’s breakthrough in cryptography enables the safest and most robust identity solution in internet history. I am excited to join the Badge team as we together enter a new era where biometrics protect every account from hackers, nation-states, and cyber criminals, making the internet safer for everyone.”

A seasoned technology and security executive, Dan Kaufman’s experience spans the public and private sector, including distinction at the highest level in each sphere. Before joining Badge, Kaufman was Head of the well-known Advanced Technology and Products (ATAP) group, where he led a team that shipped key technologies and capabilities as part of Google’s flagship products. Prior to that, he formed DARPA’s Information Innovation Office and served as its first Director of Cybersecurity, where he created the Cyber Grand Challenge, the first ever application of AI to real-time cybersecurity. While at DARPA, Kaufman gained widespread recognition for his cybersecurity expertise when he demonstrated security vulnerabilities by hacking Leslie Stahl’s car during a CBS News 60 Minutes segment. Earlier in his career, Kaufman helped found Dreamworks Interactive, a joint venture between Microsoft and Dreamworks SKG in collaboration with Bill Gates and Steven Spielberg. Kaufman’s work has been recognized at Google I/O, by Fast Company, and by the Wall Street Journal, among others, including in interviews with journalists like John Markoff of the New York Times, which aired on PBS. Kaufman has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including the Department of Defense’s Public Service medal, multiple technical Emmys, and his product was nominated for an Oscar.

“DARPA Dan is a rare innovator who envisions what’s next and builds it — securely and at scale,” said Dr. Tina P. Srivastava, Co-Founder of Badge. “His experience leading breakthrough innovation at DARPA, the agency credited with inventing the Internet, and later at Google, makes him an asset to the team, furthering Badge’s mission to eliminate stored secrets from authentication for billions of global users. With his visionary leadership and deep understanding of the human layer of cybersecurity, DARPA Dan will help Badge lead the industry to a future where privacy and usability are no longer in tension.”

Badge emerged from stealth in 2024, Badge has been receiving unprecedented market attention. In addition to customer success, major public companies announced partnerships with Badge, including Cisco, CyberArk, Okta, Thales, and others. Badge was recently recognized in TIME’s Best Inventions of the Year and Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech. Badge’s market leader position has been recognized by analysts in the space. Cyber Security Industry Analyst Jack Poller, in his recent piece: “Reinventing Identity Security: The Secretless Future with Badge,” wrote, “Badge isn’t an incremental upgrade — it’s a paradigm shift.” Poller continued, “For any organization facing breach risks, compliance complexity, or biometric adoption fears, Badge isn’t just an option — it’s the blueprint for the future. Don’t ask ‘Can we afford to adopt this?’ Ask ‘Can we afford not to?'”

About Badge
Badge enables privacy-preserving authentication to every application, on any device, without storing user secrets or PII. Badge’s patented technology allows users to derive private keys on the fly using their biometrics and factors of choice without the need for hardware tokens or secrets. Badge was founded by field-tested cryptography PhDs from MIT and is venture-backed by tier 1 investors. Customers and partners include top Fortune companies across healthcare, banking, retail, and services. Learn more at www.badgeinc.com.

Media Contact
Kyle Kilcoyne
Badge Inc.
media@badgeinc.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/renowned-cybersecurity-veteran-darpa-dan-joins-badge-inc-302432186.html

SOURCE Badge

Technology

Hexagon Composites ASA: Eirik Løhre appointed permanent CFO

Published

20 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

OSLO, Norway, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement dated 11 November 2025, where Eirik Løhre was appointed interim CFO in Hexagon Composites.

The Company is pleased to inform that Eirik Løhre has been appointed permanently to the role of CFO in Hexagon Composites, effective today.

Eirik Løhre has been with the Company since 2021 and prior to his role as interim CFO, he served as EVP Corporate Development on the Executive Team.

“Eirik has demonstrated strong financial leadership and execution, and he has been instrumental in strengthening our financial performance. I look forward to continuing our work together to develop and position Hexagon in this next phase of growth,” said Philipp Schramm, CEO, Hexagon Composites.

For more information:
Berit-Cathrin Høyvik, Senior Director, Communications, Hexagon Composites
Tel: +47 988 92 161, berit-cathrin.hoyvik@hexagongroup.com

About Hexagon Composites ASA
Hexagon delivers safe and innovative solutions for a cleaner energy future. Our solutions enable storage, transportation and conversion to clean energy in a wide range of mobility and industrial applications. Learn more at www.hexagongroup.com and follow @HexagonASA on LinkedIn.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/hexagon-composites-asa/r/hexagon-composites-asa–eirik-lohre-appointed-permanent-cfo,c4344308

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hexagon-composites-asa-eirik-lohre-appointed-permanent-cfo-302762250.html

Technology

LONGPORT Whale Enters Malaysian Market with Next Generation Trading Infrastructure for Local Brokerages

Published

20 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

LONGPORT Whale, with proven track record across 100+ institutional clients in Asia, makes its Malaysia debut at Bursa Malaysia Stockbroking Trade Fair 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LONGPORT Whale, a provider of AI-Ready securities trading infrastructure, is making its entry into the Malaysian market at the Bursa Malaysia Stockbroking Trade Fair 2026. The move comes as Malaysia’s Capital Market Masterplan 2026–2030 (CMP4) continues to hone in on local brokerages to modernise core systems, balancing investor experience, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience simultaneously.

Malaysian brokerages are increasingly confronted by a challenge that goes beyond front-end upgrades. Legacy architectures struggle to keep pace with digital-native investor expectations, rising cybersecurity standards, and the demand for multi-market expansion simultaneously. For many such brokerages, the question is no longer whether to modernize, but how to do so without adding complexity or disrupting the business continuity that clients depend on.

Zhong Hua, CEO, LONGPORT Whale, said, “Core trading infrastructure must support continuous evolution — in investor experience, compliance, and AI readiness — without adding unnecessary complexity. The brokerages that lead the next decade won’t be the ones with the best system today; they’ll be the ones whose systems are designed to keep getting better. LONGPORT Whale aims to bring its Asia-proven experience to help Malaysian brokers strike that balance.”

Built on a cloud-native microservices architecture and trusted by more than 100 institutional clients in Asia, Whale’s platform is engineered by industry professionals and refined through years of first-hand operational experience. For the Malaysian market, it addresses four priorities: a best-in-class trading experience validated across competitive, highly regulated markets in Asia; system resilience and performance built for institutional scale, with high system performance and output, real time risk management, and low system latency; global market connectivity spanning Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, US, and Japan without requiring system rebuilds; and an API-first, data-unified architecture that gives brokerages a practical foundation for AI adoption.

Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, where Whale serves online brokers, traditional banking firms, banks and wealth management institutes in a stringent regulatory environment, serve as the primary reference market for its Malaysia expansion. The company said it aims to work with local industry participants as both an infrastructure partner and a contributor to broader conversation on responsible modernization under CMP4.

About LONGPORT Whale

LONGPORT Whale provides integrated securities trading infrastructure to brokers, banks, fund houses, wealth managers, and family offices across Asia. Its cloud-native platform supports multi-market, multi-asset trading across front-, middle-, and back-office workflows, with a deployment model designed for regulatory alignment and long-term scalability. Website: www.longportwhale.com

Media Contact
LONGPORT Whale PR Team
Email: media@longportwhale.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/longport-whale-enters-malaysian-market-with-next-generation-trading-infrastructure-for-local-brokerages-302761411.html

SOURCE LONGPORT Whale

Technology

Thunes and Vodacom Tanzania Unite to Power Cross-Border M-Pesa Payments Across China and Uganda

Published

20 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Collaboration revolutionises trade & financial convenience for Tanzanian merchants and consumers

SINGAPORE, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Thunes, the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, has joined forces with Vodacom Tanzania, the country’s leading telco company, to transform cross-border trade and digital financial inclusion with Vodacom’s new M-Pesa Global Payment solution. Thanks to the collaboration, Vodacom customers in Tanzania can now seamlessly pay merchants in Uganda and China directly from their mobile phones.

This milestone solution responds to growing demand from Tanzanian traders who engage in commerce with Ugandan and Chinese markets but often face challenges with costly, slow, and insecure payment methods. With this innovation, leveraging the Thunes Direct Global Network, Vodacom aims to bridge those gaps, offering secure, real-time digital payments across borders and reinforcing its leadership in mobile money innovation in Africa.

The solution supports trade with two key markets for Tanzania. For eight consecutive years, China has been Tanzania’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade hitting $8.8 billion in 2024. In the same year, bilateral trade between Tanzania and Uganda reached approximately $2.23 billion, an increase of 64% on the previous year.

Epimack Mbeteni, M-Pesa Director at Vodacom Tanzania said: “This is more than just a payment feature, it is a catalyst for economic empowerment and a gateway for small and medium businesses and entrepreneurs in Tanzania to compete and thrive in regional and global markets. Through Thunes’ expansive and trusted Network we are enabling seamless, secure, and affordable cross-border payments that empower people, fuel trade and place M-Pesa at the center of Africa’s digital commerce future.”

Through Thunes’ Direct Global Network, customers can now send payments to merchants in Uganda using MTN MoMo and to Chinese merchants through the Alipay network, all through the M-Pesa USSD menu or the M-Pesa Super App. The process is secure, user-friendly, and eliminates the burden of traditional banking barriers for everyday traders and businesses.

Dawei Wang, SVP Network at Thunes, added: “Vodacom Tanzania joining the Thunes Direct Global Network to digitise cross-border payments is a game changer for local businesses. By combining Vodacom’s technology with Thunes’ trusted and proprietary Network, Tanzanian customers can pay partners in China and Uganda in real time. This innovation accelerates interoperability along with international trade and business growth and supports our vision of connecting the next billion end users to the global economy.”

This initiative stands as a strategic enabler for consumers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who need reliable and quick financial tools such as mobile money. A 2025 GeoPoll survey on Tanzania Financial Services and Usage found that 94% of the survey’s respondents use mobile money.

The Thunes and Vodacom Tanzania alliance is set to transform the lives of millions of consumers by dismantling cross-border barriers. By hyper-connecting Tanzania to global powerhouses like China and streamlining intra-African trade, the collaboration is helping to build an inclusive economy and grow Tanzania’s role as a force in the global market.

About Vodacom Tanzania

For more information, visit: https://www.vodacom.co.tz/

About Thunes

For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2831061/Thunes_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/thunes-and-vodacom-tanzania-unite-to-power-cross-border-m-pesa-payments-across-china-and-uganda-302760085.html