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Caltech Announces Eight Recipients of the 2025 National Brown Investigator Award

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Each investigator, recognized for curiosity-driven research in chemistry or physics, will receive up to $2 million over five years.

PASADENA, Calif., May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Brown Institute for Basic Sciences at Caltech today announced the 2025 class of Brown Investigators. The cohort, the second to be selected through the Brown Institute for Basic Sciences, comprises eight distinguished mid-career faculty working on fundamental challenges in the physical sciences, particularly those with potential long-term practical applications in chemistry and physics. Each investigator will receive up to $2 million over five years.

The Brown Institute for Basic Sciences at Caltech, established in 2023 through a $400-million gift to the Institute from entrepreneur, philanthropist, and alumnus Ross M. Brown (BS ’56, MS ’57), seeks to advance fundamental science discoveries with the potential to seed breakthroughs that benefit society—a goal it shares with Caltech.

“Mid-career faculty are at a time in their careers when they are poised and prepared to make profound contributions to their fields,” Brown says, “My continuing hope is that the resources provided by the Brown Investigator Awards will allow them to pursue riskier innovative ideas that extend beyond their existing research efforts and align with new or developing passions, especially during this time of funding uncertainty.”

The 2025 investigators are:

Dmitry Abanin, Professor of Physics, Princeton University, to develop a new theoretical and computational framework to describe the emergent properties of quantum materials and synthetic quantum systems away from thermal equilibrium.

László Kürti, Professor of Chemistry, Rice University, to invent chemical strategies for constructing stable neutral polynitrogen cages—molecules made entirely from nitrogen atoms that store extraordinary energy. These elusive structures remain intact under ambient conditions yet release energy on demand without combustion and decompose cleanly into hot nitrogen gas, offering a revolutionary platform for propulsion and energy storage.  

Mark Levin, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Chicago, to translate lessons learned from skeletal editing of aromatic compounds (stable chemicals with a flat ring structure) to reactions with aliphatic compounds (three-dimensional, more reactive chemicals), with the goal of providing access to unusual compounds that are inaccessible using traditional chemical synthesis. 

Brad Ramshaw, Associate Professor of Physics, Cornell University, to develop a new technique using ultrasound to probe the electronic states of atomically thin materials.

Cindy Regal, Professor of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, and Baur-SPIE Chair at JILA, to demonstrate quantum entanglement—a connection between particles like photons or atoms that persists despite their physical distance—with objects of larger mass than have been entangled before.

Xavier Roy, Professor of Chemistry, Columbia University, to design and explore materials in which electrons face competing pathways for motion, giving rise to complex behaviors that, if controlled, could enable new kinds of quantum technologies.

Hailiang Wang, Professor of Chemistry, Yale University, to expand electrocatalysis to convert inorganic waste molecules, such as CO2 and NOx, into valuable and functional organic compounds containing multiple carbon–carbon and carbon–nitrogen bonds.

Joel Yuen-Zhou, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UC San Diego, for theoretical and computational work to utilize the sensitivity of some chemical reactions to the spin of the electron in photoredox catalysis to make the reaction select one of two enantiomers (mirror-image forms of compounds).

Brown established the Investigator Awards in 2020 through the Brown Science Foundation in support of the belief that “scientific discovery is a driving force in the improvement of the human condition,” according to its news release from the Science Philanthropy Alliance, which helped guide Brown in realizing his philanthropic vision.

“We’re delighted to partner with Ross Brown and the members of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Brown Institute for Basic Sciences to identify and support outstanding investigators in fundamental chemistry and physics,” says Caltech Provost David A. Tirrell, Carl and Shirley Larson Provostial Chair and Ross McCollum-William H. Corcoran Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.

A total of 21 investigators were recognized in the first four years of the program, including eight in the 2024 class, the first cohort to be installed under the auspices of the Brown Institute for Basic Sciences at Caltech.

Previous awardees include MIT’s Nuh Gedik, who is developing a new kind of microscopy that images electrons photo-emitted from a surface while also measuring their energy and momentum; Kerri A. Pratt from the University of Michigan, for research to discover the chemical compounds and chemical mechanisms that define the composition of the Arctic’s atmosphere, which is warming faster than elsewhere on Earth; Andrea Young of UC Santa Barbara, who is using novel fabrication techniques to make new kinds of qubits, the quantum computing analog of classical bits, in two-dimensional materials; Columbia University’s Tanya Zelevinsky, who studies spectroscopy of cold molecules for fundamental physics; Princeton University’s Waseem Bakr, who works with ultracold quantum gases to realize scalable architectures for quantum computation, and Robert Knowles, whose research will explore a novel hypothesis for the evolution of homochirality—the presence in nature of only one of two mirror-image forms of biomolecules. Caltech’s David Hsieh, Donald A. Glaser Professor of Physics and executive officer for physics, was among two inaugural recipients of the award in 2020.

Brown Investigators from all cohorts are invited to an annual meeting that offers opportunities to share ideas. The second annual meeting was held at Caltech in February 2025.

To determine the new cohort, a select number of research universities from across the country were invited to nominate faculty members who had earned tenure within the last 10 years and who are doing innovative fundamental research in the physical sciences. Nominees were then evaluated by an independent scientific review board that recommended grant winners. In administering the program, Caltech refrains from nominating its own scientists for Brown Investigator Awards. In return, the Institute draws other funds from the Brown gift to support fundamental research in chemistry and physics.

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SOURCE Caltech

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ASUS Accelerates Enterprise AI at Scale with 6th-Gen AMD EPYC Server CPUs

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 ASUS leverages 6th-gen AMD EPYC Server CPUs to deliver scalable, efficient compute for enterprise AI, cloud, virtualization and business-critical workloads

SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ASUS today announced its groundbreaking new server lineup powered by the AMD EPYC™ 9006 processors, engineered to deliver unmatched performance for the most demanding intensive enterprise workloads. This advanced portfolio introduces two highly optimized series with efficiency-optimized AMD EPYC SP8 server CPU, the flagship dual-socket ASUS RS700A/720A for extreme compute density and the single-socket ASUS RS500A/520A for superior space efficiency and deployment flexibility.

Both series integrate full PCIe® 6.0, leading memory support, and high-density E3.S storage, all underpinned by proprietary ASUS innovations for superior thermal management and operational efficiency to meet and exceed the rigorous demands of enterprise AI, virtualization, storage and cloud environments.

“The new ASUS server series, powered by 6th-gen AMD EPYC server CPUs, is engineered to power every enterprise workload with flexible, scalable infrastructure,” Paul Ju, Senior Vice President of ASUS, commented, “This launch marks a significant milestone for ASUS and our clients. The new series empowers businesses with a resilient foundation to achieve unprecedented computing efficiency and accelerating AI innovation with inference.”

ASUS expands 6th-gen AMD EPYC server portfolio with dual optimized series

ASUS has introduced a new server lineup segmented into two distinct series, each precisely engineered to meet diverse enterprise demands.

The flagship RS700A/720A series (dual-socket) delivers extreme compute density, making it ideal for AI inferencing, and complex simulations. It offers exceptional bandwidth with PCIe 6.0, memory leadership via 32 DIMM slots supporting ultrafast MRDIMM, and high-density storage with up to 32 E3.S bays in a compact 2U form factor.

Complementing this is the RS500A/520A series (single-socket), a highly efficient and space-optimized solution with depth under 800mm, perfect for mainstream enterprise workloads and rack-constrained environments. Featuring full PCIe 6.0 capabilities, E3.S storage support, and modular scalability through shared components with the RS700A and RS720A series, it provides uncompromised performance in a streamlined, deployment-friendly design.

ASUS elevates the AMD EPYC platform with cutting-edge proprietary innovations

ASUS has significantly advanced the AMD EPYC 9006 platform with a series of proprietary engineering breakthroughs focused on superior reliability, thermal management, and operational efficiency.

The DC-MHS modular architecture features a zone-partitioned chassis that separates I/O, HPM, fan, and storage modules to accelerate development, reduce capital costs, and enable rapid serviceability. The patented ASUS DIMM.2 Innovation repositions M.2 storage to the cooler DIMM region, eliminating thermal throttling without extra heatsinks and unlocking greater scalability. Thermal Radar 3.0 with PID Control delivers precise real-time fan regulation via advanced algorithms, reducing energy use and maintaining peak performance under heavy enterprise-level workload.

Completing the suite is the optimized tool-less operational-velocity design, which boosts maintenance efficiency, maximizing uptime and lowering TCO and sustaining peak performance even under volatile, high-load AI/HPC workloads.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS RS700A/720A series and RS500A/520A series servers will be available soon. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

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Fractal posts 20% revenue growth and 92% net income growth in Q1 FY27

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Adjusted EBITDA Grows at 35% YoYGross Margin up 29 bps1 to 46%; Adjusted EBITDA Margin up 189 bps to 17%

NEW YORK, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fractal Analytics Ltd (BSE: 544700) (NSE: FRACTAL) announced its consolidated financial results for Q1 FY27, ending June 30, 2026.

In Q1 FY27, the Company reported consolidated operating revenue of INR 9,125 m, a growth of 20% year on year (YoY). Revenue growth was led by the company’s Healthcare and Life Sciences (HLS) industry, which clocked 69% growth YoY. Strong sustained growth in HLS over the last several quarters has resulted in it becoming the second largest industry in the portfolio. Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) also performed very well, growing 36% YoY in Q1. Fractal’s largest industry, Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail (CPGR), continued to gather momentum, growing 19% YoY. On the other hand, TMT declined 22% YoY.

Fractal’s focus on deepening customer relationships continues to yield good outcomes. Its clients collectively increased their spending with the company, as reflected in the Net Revenue Retention2 of 117% in Q1. Further, its Net Promoter Score (NPS) during the period stood at 77.

The company reported improved profit margins at all levels. Gross Margin in Q1 was at 46%, while Adjusted EBITDA Margin expanded by 189 bps YoY to 17%. Net Income grew 92% YoY to INR 723 m.

Commenting on the performance, Srikanth Velamakanni, Group CEO and Executive Vice-Chairman, said:

“Enterprises are putting real transformation budgets behind AI now and we’re seeing it directly in the size of the deals coming to us. TMT was the drag on our headline growth this quarter. Excluding TMT, our business grew 35% year on year, which is a better read on the underlying demand we’re seeing.

As data sovereignty becomes a bigger priority for governments and enterprises, and as open-weight models keep improving, clients need a partner who can work across models and infrastructure. We have invested heavily in our people, our research, and our own intellectual property to be that partner.”

1 Basis points = 1/100th of 1%
2 Net Revenue Retention in our Fractal.ai segment measures how effectively we retain and expand revenue from our existing clients over a defined period and is calculated by comparing the current period’s revenue from the clients who existed at the start of the period, with their revenue in the previous period – including the effects of upsells, cross-sells and contractions

About Fractal 

Fractal Analytics Ltd (BSE: 544700) (NSE: FRACTAL) is a globally recognized pure-play enterprise AI company trusted by Fortune 500®-sized enterprises to power decision-making through AI services, solutions, and products, anchored by Cogentiq, its flagship agentic AI platform. With over 6,000 professionals across North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific, Fractal partners with business leaders to drive competitive differentiation for their organizations by embedding AI into critical decisions across business functions and industry verticals.

Fractal invests more than 6% of its revenue in AI R&D, supporting foundational AI research, product development, and IP creation that address both immediate client needs and long-term technological advancement. Fractal’s track record includes developing proprietary models and products such as Cogentiq Health – Vaidya.ai and Cogentiq Data Science – PiEvolve, as well as incubating and spinning out Qure.ai, a global healthcare AI leader focused on the rapid identification and management of tuberculosis, lung cancer, and stroke (or critical health conditions). Fractal’s suite of businesses consists of Asper.ai (a Revenue Growth Management product for CPG companies) and Analytics Vidhya (an Ed-tech platform).

For more information, go to www.fractal.ai.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2931510/5858548/Fractal_Logo.jpg

 

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SOURCE Fractal Analytics Limited

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Xryma Plc : Pre-Listing Liquidity Facility and Price Discovery Process

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NICOSIA, Cyprus, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Xryma Plc (“Xryma”)  announces its intention to reapply within the next twelve months for admission to list on Euronext Paris (“Euronext”), with such admission being subject to Euronext’s approval. Before submitting its application, Xryma intends to launch a pre-listing liquidity facility and price discovery process, comprising a private placement to institutional and qualified investors alongside a secondary market offer to Xryma existing shareholders (“shareholders”) wishing to exit prior to listing.  

The admission referred to above that is subject to the approval of Euronext may also be subject to approval by relevant regulatory authorities, and no assurance can be given that approval will be granted or as to the timing of any admission.

The pre-listing liquidity facility and price discovery process is designed to:

Enable shareholders seeking an exit to participate without the need to open an EU brokerage account,Provide a clear and orderly opportunity for existing shareholders to sell all or part of their holdings ahead of any potential admission to trading on Euronext Paris,Enable shareholders to sell all or part of their holdings at the same price at which qualified and institutional investors subscribe for shares in the Company,Establish, through a bookbuild with qualified and institutional investors, a market-validated referenced price for Xryma shares ahead of any potential admission on Euronext Paris (the “Primary Market Placement Price”),Support orderly trading upon potential admission.

Individual shareholder mailouts explaining the details of the pre-listing liquidity facility scheme with instructions and necessary documentation will be conducted during August 2026.

As the Primary Market Placement Price is to be determined by the subsequent bookbuild, shareholders will be given the opportunity to set a floor price which will result in the sale of their shares if the Primary Market Placement Price is higher.  Shareholders will receive the Primary Market Placement Price minus applicable fees.

Shareholders and Investors may be scaled back to match corresponding demand from the other party, with partial fulfilment a possibility if the Company cannot match supply to demand.

Completion of the process is subject to achieving a level of institutional and qualified investor demand that the Board considers appropriate to support an orderly market should Xryma subsequently be admitted to trading on Euronext Paris.

Participation is entirely voluntary. Shareholders who do not wish to sell will simply retain their shares. Shareholders that do not intend to participate should continue to onboard with a Euronext participating broker, or a Euroclear ESES custodian, per previous communications.

The major shareholders, SCP Select All Enterprise (Monaco) and SCP Red 5 Solutions (Monaco) will not participate in the offer and will be subject to lock up arrangements.

Mr Nikogiannis (John) Karantzis, CEO of Xryma Plc comments: “Our shareholders have told us they would value a straightforward way to realise their holdings without the time and cost of opening an EU brokerage account. This process is our response to that feedback. We are structuring the placement to be large enough to establish a credible reference price whilst limiting dilution, with demand directed first towards meeting shareholder sell interest. We look forward to updating the market on the revised timetable in due course.”

Shareholders seeking a more detailed explanation of the pre-listing liquidity facility and price discovery process, should refer to the guide available at https://www.xryma.com/investors

Important Information & Disclaimers

This press release may contain inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (Market Abuse Regulation).

This publication is not for publication or distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia), Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction where such an announcement would be unlawful. The distribution of this publication may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession this document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No action has been taken that would permit an offering of the treasury shares or possession or distribution of this publication in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required.

This publication does not constitute or form part of an offer for sale or solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction and the securities referred to herein have not been registered under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Any New Shares (if such are issued) will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or under the securities laws of any State or any other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of, the Securities Act and in compliance with all applicable securities laws of any State or any other jurisdiction of the United States. No public offering of securities is being made in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.

The information set forth herein must not be distributed in any jurisdiction where such distribution is unlawful, and any recipients are requested to inform themselves about and to observe such restrictions.

The Offering referred to herein by Xryma Plc will only be made in accordance with all applicable corporate and securities laws. Any shares referred to herein will exclusively be offered or sold in reliance on any applicable exemptions from prospectus or registration requirements in any jurisdiction. In member states of the European Economic Area, this publication is only addressed to and directed at persons who are ‘qualified investors’ within the meaning of Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended and including any relevant delegated regulations, the “Prospectus Regulation”) or in any other circumstances falling within exemptions available in the relevant member state under Article 1(4) and/or 1(5) of the Prospectus Regulation. In the United Kingdom, this publication is only addressed to and directed at qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation, as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended (“EUWA”), who are persons (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) (investment professionals) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the “Order”), (ii) falling within article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, incorporated associations, etc.) of the Order, or (iii) to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated; any other persons in the United Kingdom should not take any action on the basis of this publication and should not act on or rely on it.

This publication does not constitute a recommendation concerning the prospective Offering. This announcement does not constitute an Offer or invitation to subscribe.

This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, ‘forward looking statements’. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the terms ‘believes’, ‘estimates’, ‘anticipates’, ‘expects’, ‘intends’, ‘may’, ‘will’, or ‘should’ or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. By their nature, forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances which may or may not occur. Many of these factors are beyond the control of the Company. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialise, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and circumstances may vary materially from those described in this announcement as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

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