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Toyota Mobility Foundation Names Innovators in Clean Freight as Detroit Winners of Global Sustainable Cities Challenge

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Winners drive innovation in electric semi-trikes, hydrogen production, and fast-charging battery systemsEastern Market lays groundwork for clean freight innovation ecosystem development$1.5 million in implementation funding to be shared by winners to scale solutions in Detroit

DETROIT, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) and City of Detroit today announced three winners of TMF’s Sustainable Cities Challenge in Detroit. The announcement marks the conclusion of the three-year competition, designed to accelerate sustainable and inclusive urban mobility solutions.

In Detroit, the Challenge focused on demonstrating clean freight solutions in the Eastern Market, the cornerstone of Detroit’s food economy and a thriving commercial hub. The goal was to identify solutions that reduce fossil fuel use, lower freight costs, and support cleaner, more efficient movement of goods.

Each winner previously received $180,000 in implementation funding and will now share $1.5 million to scale their solutions across the city.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said, “Big ideas in clean freight technology have found their home in Detroit. This means cleaner air and a brighter future for residents. We are grateful to the Toyota Mobility Foundation for choosing Detroit out of more than 250 cities across the globe. Our residents gain cleaner air, innovators gain a city serious about sustainability, and together we embody Detroit’s legacy of innovation.”

City of Detroit’s Deputy Chief of Business Innovation and Emerging Industries, Ryan Michael, said: “Globally, the need for advancement in clean freight technology is abundantly clear. Detroit values the opportunity to partner with TMF and the State of Michigan OFME on this vital emerging vertical.

Vince Keenan, Head of Engagement Innovation, City of Detroit’s Office of Mobility Innovation, said, “The Mayor’s Office of Mobility Innovation is designed to push big ideas. Whether it’s zero-emission micro-freight solutions that can zip through traffic to avoid (and prevent) congestion, fleet charging solutions that can deploy the capacity to charge in the same time it takes to fill up with diesel and a peek around the corner to the hydrogen solutions that could one day eliminate emissions entirely. The SCC has enabled Detroit to kick the tires on the future of clean freight today.”

Together, the winning cohort marks the beginning of a cleaner, more resilient freight ecosystem in Detroit’s Eastern Market, with benefits that could extend beyond the city and region. TMF and the City of Detroit are proud to announce that Detroit’s winners will include:

Civilized Cycles – A Detroit-based manufacturer of ultra-light electric cargo vehicles, Civilized Cycles is scaling its patented Semi-Trike as a practical alternative to gas-powered delivery vans. Since the finalists were announced, the company has been exploring applications for its Semi-Trike, most recently selling one to Detroit-based company Grounded EVs, where it will be used as a platform to build a mini-RV.

Zachary Schieffelin, Co-Founder and CEO of Civilized Cycles, said: “The Sustainable Cities Challenge gave us the platform to prove that ultra-light electric freight vehicles can meet commercial demand. Detroit offered an ideal opportunity to test and demonstrate their potential in a real-world commercial environment. With this support, we’re expanding production and advancing a cleaner, more efficient model for how goods move through cities.”

ElectricFish Energy Inc – A distributed energy infrastructure company advancing fast-charging EV solutions, ElectricFish recently launched 400squared™, a 400 kW battery-integrated fast charger and introduced its Turbo Charge program to enable seamless deployment at gas stations and fleet sites. Since being named a finalist, the company has been third-party endorsed by MotorTrend and received coverage in high-profile news outlets such as Axios.

Anurag Kamal, Co-founder and CEO of ElectricFish, said: “Detroit showed us what is possible when public and private collaborators come together to build resilient approaches to our nation’s critical infrastructure. We are excited to continue working with this forward-thinking city on deploying clean mobility to accelerate electrification, which may serve as a blueprint for the future of industrial growth and reducing carbon emissions at scale.”

Neology – A clean technology startup developing power systems that can produce hydrogen and electricity independently, useful in applications where clean, off-grid power is necessary. Since being selected as a finalist, Neology has conducted more than ten live demonstrations across Detroit, generating approximately 300 kWh of clean energy – enough to power an average U.S. home for 10 days – and producing approximately 20 kilograms of hydrogen from ammonia. These demonstrations serve as an example of the opportunities for validation of transportation concepts offered by the Sustainable Cities Challenge.

Aris Maroonian, Founder and CEO of Neology, said: “Detroit is once again showing that it leads at the edge of industrial innovation. With the support of the Toyota Mobility Foundation, we are able to move ammonia-to-hydrogen technology from prototype to deployment – accelerating the city’s growing hydrogen ecosystem. We believe scalable, affordable hydrogen solutions will play a critical role in the future of mobility, and we are proud to help position Detroit as a global showcase for that transformation.”

Over three years, the Sustainable Cities Challenge has brought together innovators, policymakers, industry leaders, and community stakeholders to explore new, sustainable ways of moving goods through Detroit. Through multiple challenge rounds and collaborative development, ideas have evolved into practical, scalable solutions designed to support a cleaner, more efficient, and resilient freight system for the city and its communities.

Detroit, the only city chosen in the western hemisphere, is one of three global cities participating in the Sustainable Cities Challenge, alongside Venice, Italy and Varanasi, India. Across the three cities, TMF has invested a cumulative $9 million to tackle each city’s unique mobility challenge.

In every location, the goal remains the same: to catalyze solutions that enhance quality of life, support economic vitality, and advance more sustainable systems of movement. The Challenge turns bold ideas into tangible impact by empowering local innovation and pairing it with global expertise.

Katy Trudeau, President and CEO of Eastern Market, said, “For over a hundred years, Eastern Market has been a place where businesses have adapted and grown to keep Detroit fed. This Challenge builds on that legacy by bringing fresh ideas and innovations into a real-world working environment, created with the needs of the people and businesses who are here every day in mind. These solutions don’t just point to what is possible; they are already helping us move toward a cleaner, more efficient freight system that supports our community and can serve as a model for others.”

Ryan Klem, Director of Programs for the Toyota Mobility Foundation, commented: “In strong collaboration with the City of Detroit and the Eastern Market Corporation, we are excited to announce today’s winners as well as acknowledge the contributions of all innovators who played a role in shaping the effort.  Whether here in Detroit or around the world, the Toyota Mobility Foundation will continue to promote pragmatic solutions to make communities more sustainable, efficient, and functional.”

The Sustainable Cities Challenge is funded by the Toyota Mobility Foundation and conducted in collaboration with Challenge Works and the World Resources Institute. Detroit’s winners illustrate how supporting local innovators can create meaningful impact in communities, with the potential to scale solutions across cities and beyond.

For more information, visit sustainablecitieschallenge.org

About Toyota Mobility Foundation

Toyota Mobility Foundation (Chair Akio Toyoda) was established in August 2014 by Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) to support the development of a more mobile society in which everyone can move freely. The Foundation underscores Toyota’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and respect for people. It utilizes Toyota’s expertise and technologies to support strong mobility systems while eliminating disparities in mobility. TMF works in partnership with universities, governments, non-profits, research institutions and other organizations, creating programs that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address mobility issues around the world. 

“TMF aims to create a truly mobile society that will help people live better lives no matter where they are,” said Chair Akio Toyoda.

About Challenge Works 

For a decade, Challenge Works has established itself as a global leader in designing and delivering high-impact challenges to incentivize cutting-edge innovation for social good. Challenge Works is a social enterprise founded by the UK’s innovation agency Nesta. Over the past decade, Challenge Works has worked on 101 challenge prizes, engaging more than 16,000 innovators and unlocking over £310 million in funding to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. Challenge Works believes no challenge is unsolvable, partnering with non-profits, governments, and other organizations around the globe to unearth entrepreneurs and their innovations that can solve the greatest challenges of our time. Find out more at https://challengeworks.org/   

About World Resources Institute 

World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization with offices in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States, and regional offices for Africa and Europe. WRI’s 1,700 staff work with partners to develop practical solutions that improve people’s lives and ensure nature can thrive. Learn more: WRI.org and on Twitter @WorldResources. 

About the City of Detroit’s Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI)

The Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI) exists to help the City of Detroit navigate the rapidly changing transportation and mobility industries. Transportation and mobility are essential for both people and businesses, and Detroit’s automotive heritage provides an unparalleled opportunity to work with industry to innovate and define their future.

OMI leads mobility advancement efforts on behalf of the City of Detroit and collaborates with industry, academia, philanthropy, and local, state and federal government. By centering residents in every step of the process, OMI is focused on leveraging mobility as a pathway to opportunity in Detroit.

For additional information about OMI, please visit detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/office-mobility-innovation or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

About Eastern Market

Eastern Market Partnership is a nonprofit organization that manages and stewards Detroit’s historic Eastern Market district—one of the largest and oldest public market districts in the United States. As a 501(c)(3), the organization leads operations, infrastructure development, and programming to strengthen the market as a nationally recognized regional food hub while supporting inclusive economic growth and community development. Through partnerships with local stakeholders, Eastern Market Partnership works to expand access to healthy, affordable food, support small businesses and local producers, and advance initiatives that enhance food systems, sustainability, and equitable development across Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

About Civilized Cycles

Civilized Cycles is a Detroit-based design and engineering company redefining the future of commercial cargo transportation. By manufacturing ultra-light, commercial-grade electric vehicles—most notably their patented, modular “Semi-Trike”—Civilized Cycles enables businesses to seamlessly transition away from gas-powered vans. Their technology provides unparalleled cargo capacity, dynamic air suspension, and profound operational cost savings while reducing urban congestion, noise, and carbon emissions.

About Electricfish Energy Inc.

ElectricFish Energy Inc. is a distributed energy infrastructure company with an integrated EV charging platform for gas stations, convenience stores, and fleet operators. Its platform includes the latest ElectricFish 400squared™ (battery-integrated fast-chargers), Reef® (CSMS) , and Stargazer® (AI optimization) – backed by five, issued U.S. patents.

Founded in 2019, ElectricFish delivers 400 kW charging without costly grid upgrades, enabling deployment in weeks instead of years, and continues to power EVs and site loads even during outages. The company, with offices in San Carlos, California and Detroit, is backed by leading investors, corporates, and government agencies.

About Neology

Neology is a Swiss clean energy company developing modular ammonia-to-hydrogen and ammonia-to-power systems for decentralized energy and mobility applications. By leveraging ammonia as a hydrogen carrier, Neology enables scalable, transportable, and cost-efficient hydrogen production for fuel cells, combustion engines, and refueling infrastructure. Its solutions can replace diesel generators in off-grid environments while also supporting hydrogen mobility and industrial decarbonization. Neology is expanding its presence in the United States through deployment initiatives in Detroit.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Alison Powell
Communications Manager
Toyota Mobility Foundation
alison.powell@toyota.com

TMF@89up.org

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SOURCE Toyota Mobility Foundation

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Federal Court Issues Preliminary Injunction Against OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Sir Jony Ive; iyO Alleges Trade Secret Theft by Altman’s Hardware Chief

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April 27, 2026

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted iyO Inc. a preliminary injunction against OpenAI, Sam Altman, Sir Jony Ive, and io Products. The ruling, where the Court found that iyO was likely to succeed on the merits of its trademark claim, officially bars the defendants from using the “io” name for their hardware while iyO’s federal lawsuit proceeds.

Federal court bars OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Jony Ive from using ‘io’ name as iyO alleges trade secret theft.

Amended Complaint: Trade Secret Theft and Corporate Espionage
The ruling caps a year of escalating legal action. On March 13, 2026, iyO amended its federal complaint to include trade secret theft claims against the defendants and Tang Yew Tan — former Apple VP of Product Design, co-founder of io Products, and current Chief Hardware Officer at OpenAI.

The amended complaint outlines a highly coordinated timeline of alleged misappropriation:

May 2024: Just 11 days after iyO’s viral TED talk was published, Tan pre-ordered the iyO One. Nine days later, he contacted iyO’s Design and Manufacturing Lead, Dan Sargent, to schedule a dinner meeting for early June.

June 2024: Forensic analysis of Sargent’s company laptop revealed that in the days leading up to the dinner with Tan, Sargent downloaded 33 highly secret files, accessed dormant intellectual property folders, and exported 17 CAD files into cross-platform formats unused by iyO. These files were renamed with obfuscated strings (e.g., “grgrgege.x_t”) and exported outside of business hours. Sargent has since admitted to bringing iyO prototypes to show Tan.

May 2025: Barely 11 months after the dinner, OpenAI announced a $6.5 billion acquisition of io Products, a company built on what iyO alleges is its proprietary technology.

Following the acquisition announcement, iyO CEO Jason Rugolo confronted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who refused to cease use of the “io” name and threatened to sue Rugolo for using iyO’s own federally registered trademark.

Statement from iyO Leadership
“Sam, Jony, and Tang investigated us,” said Jason Rugolo, founder and CEO of iyO. “Then targeted us opportunistically, trying to eliminate us with a fancy $6.5 billion press release during our fundraise using a copy of our name. This week, a federal judge said: not so fast.”

iyO’s lawsuit asserts nine causes of action, including trade secret misappropriation, trademark infringement, intentional interference, and unfair competition. The company is seeking injunctive relief, compensatory and exemplary damages, disgorgement of profits, and a constructive trust over any portion of the $6.5 billion acquisition value attributable to the alleged stolen intellectual property and brand infringement.

ABOUT IYO
iyO began its mission inside Google X in 2018 to make natural language computing as commonplace as cellular phones. Spinning out as an independent venture-backed startup in 2021, iyO developed the iyO One, the iyO yO, and the recently announced iyO Wand, which are revolutionary screenless computer form factors that allow users to interact with AI and the internet through voice alone. iyO is headquartered in Redwood City, CA.

WEBSITE
www.iyo.ai 

IYO INC.
2606 SPRING STREET
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94063
UNITED STATES

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
©2026 IYO INC.

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Pudu Robotics Inaugurates U.S. Headquarters in Dallas, Accelerating Long-Term Growth in the Americas

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DALLAS, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial service robotics, officially opened a new U.S. headquarters in Dallas, Texas, on April 23 as part of its global strategic expansion. The new facility is set to enhance Pudu’s regional capabilities and underscores the company’s long-term commitment to the Americas, marking a new phase of scaled, structured business development.

Dallas Unlocks Greater Efficiency and Regional Coordination

As a central hub for nationwide and cross regional operations across the Americas, Dallas brings strong strategic advantages. The area offers well-developed logistics and supply chain infrastructure, a business friendly environment, and access to a broad base of enterprise customers. Its central location will allow Pudu more efficient coverage across both North America and South America. As Pudu transitions into a phase of rapid, scalable growth in the Americas, its new centralized headquarters, which is located in Richardson’s Sherman Tech Center and combines a modern office space, product showroom, and on site warehousing, will enhance support management, operations, and long term regional coordination.

Meanwhile, as part of its broader infrastructure optimization, the company has also transitioned its Santa Clara office into a streamlined logistics support function outpost and established a dual warehouse system on both coasts to support nationwide delivery in the U.S.

Pudu in the Americas – A Growing Footprint Across Diverse Industries

Since entering the U.S. market in 2018, Pudu has steadily expanded its footprint across the Americas to a point of deep, localized operations. To date, nearly 15,000 Pudu robots have been deployed across the Americas, driving regional revenue growth of 285% year over year, bringing the company to a phase of large scale commercialization.

This rapid adoption is fueled by Pudu’s comprehensive product matrix, which addresses the specific labor and efficiency needs of the American market across four core categories:

Service Delivery: Led by the industry-favorite BellaBot and the newly enhanced BellaBot Pro, which have become the gold standard for hospitality and retail interaction.Commercial Cleaning: Featuring the best-selling PUDU CC1 series, the PUDU MT1 series designed for large-scale dry cleaning, and the recently launched PUDU BG1 series—an AI-native large scrubber-dryer robot built for heavy-duty environments.Industrial Delivery: The PUDU T-series robots provide versatile logistics support with payload capacities ranging from 150kg to 600kg, streamlining warehouse and factory workflows.General embodied AI: Represented by the advanced PUDU D5 series, pushing the boundaries of how robots interact with and adapt to complex human environments.

Partnerships with local distributors have also accelerated, achieving 63.6% YoY growth, with a rapidly expanding client base across diverse industries, including food and beverage, healthcare, industrial logistics and warehousing, real estate and property services, retail, and entertainment, sports and more. The company’s robots have enjoyed strong adoption by global industry leaders, including Walmart, Accenture, NASA, Norwegian Cruise Line, Honeywell, top automotive brands, and others.

This growth is matched by organizational development. Since entering the U.S. market in 2018, a initial team has flourished into a multi functional organization of professionals, with localized sales, after sales service, solutions, and marketing capabilities that enable stronger customer support and execution.

Building a Global Future Based on a Strategy of Localization

Looking ahead, Pudu will continue expanding its presence across key sectors including retail, logistics, food service, healthcare, and commercial cleaning, while bringing its service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery, and general embodied AI robotics solutions into broader industry scenarios.

“We are building for the long-term in the Americas with a localized approach,” said Raymond Pan, General Manager of the Americas at Pudu Robotics. “Our ambition over the next five years is to serve one million people across the U.S . Our new headquarters and infrastructure optimization provide a foundation for this ambition, alongside continuing investment in localized products, enhancing our local supply chain, and strengthening our partner ecosystem.”

Pudu has established itself as a global leader in service robotics, with more than 120,000 units shipped worldwide, operations spanning over 80 countries and regions, and 23% market share in commercial service robotics—ranking No. 1 globally per Frost & Sullivan’s “Market Research on Global Commercial Service Robotics (2023)”. Going forward, Pudu will accelerate its development and localization efforts across the Americas, while, at the same time, continuing to scale its presence in other key international markets as part of its global expansion strategy.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics, a global leader in the commercial service robotics, committed to establishing a global intelligent robotics infrastructure that will serve 10 billion people worldwide.

Pudu Robotics has achieved full-stack proprietary R&D in core technologies, including navigation algorithms, multi-robot scheduling, swarm control, motion controllers, and integrated joint modules. Built on three core technologies—Embodied Navigation, Embodied Manipulation, and Embodied Interaction—Pudu Robotics has pioneered an “One Brain, Multiple Embodiments” architecture, establishing a comprehensive product portfolio that includes specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid robots.

Currently, Pudu offers four major product lines: service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery and general embodied AI. Its solutions are widely deployed across industries such as retail, hospitality, manufacturing, real estate and property services, healthcare, entertainment and sport, education, and public services.

To date, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 120,000 units globally, with a presence in more than 80 countries and regions.

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KuCoin Hosts HEXAGON BLOCK PARTY at Hong Kong Web3 Festival, Headlined by DJ Don Diablo and Rooted in Shared Values of Community and Connection

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April 27, 2026

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Headlined by internationally renowned DJ Don Diablo, the event brought together guests from the Web3 and fintech communities for an immersive evening experience.

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KuCoin, a leading global crypto platform built on trust, and the exclusive Crypto Exchange and Payments Partner for Tomorrowland Winter and Tomorrowland Belgium (2026-2028), brought the spirit of global electronic music culture to Asia with the HEXAGON BLOCK PARTY in Hong Kong on April 22, which it co-hosted with Finoverse.

Headlined by internationally renowned DJ Don Diablo, the event welcomed guests from across the Web3, fintech, and broader innovation communities, creating an immersive gathering shaped by shared energy, conversation, and in-person connection. Building on KuCoin’s recent Tomorrowland Winter activation, which highlighted a shared belief that trust can be strengthened through community, creativity, and cultural experience, the event carried that momentum forward in Hong Kong through a similar spirit of openness, energy, and human connection. 

Held in the heart of Hong Kong, HEXAGON BLOCK PARTY was designed as more than an evening celebration. By combining world-class music with a culturally driven atmosphere, the event offered a welcoming space for founders, builders, creators, and community participants to come together in a more human and experience-led setting. It reflected a shared belief that meaningful community is built not only through ideas and technology, but also through moments of creativity, openness, and collective experience.

The event aimed to create a cultural touchpoint in Hong Kong that resonated beyond the venue itself. The event served as a space where ideas, creativity, and communities could converge, bringing together guests across Web3, fintech, and digital culture through a shared experience rooted in openness, energy, and connection.

As the global partnership between KuCoin and Tomorrowland continues, the journey moves forward to Tomorrowland Belgium in July 2026, where KuCoin will once again collaborate with Tomorrowland to create new experiences at the intersection of music, culture, and Web3, further expanding the role of digital assets in real-world cultural moments.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 40 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets. 

Learn more at www.kucoin.com.

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SOURCE KuCoin

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