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Sowell Management Launches Advisor Partnership Program Providing Equity in the Firm and Growth Capital to Affiliated Advisors

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Sowell partners with Merchant to fund the program, accelerate the firm’s M&A strategy and build on strong momentum

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sowell Management (Sowell), a leading Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) serving financial advisors and their clients nationwide, announced the launch of its Advisor Partnership Program (APP) to provide its new and existing advisors with the resources and capital needed to grow their practices and plan for their futures. Additionally, Sowell announced it is partnering with Merchant for a capital infusion to fund APP, enhance its technology and investment management capabilities, and execute an ambitious M&A strategy to accelerate its momentum in the evolving, consolidating independent wealth management sector. 

Designed for both current advisors and those considering joining, APP provides a meaningful opportunity to participate in the equity and long-term enterprise value of Sowell. Backed by strategic capital, APP is built to drive growth, operational scale and new opportunities. It also provides for succession and continuity planning, allowing advisors to create a defined path for their future on their own terms.

“As we considered the next chapter of our growth, we wanted to demonstrate our appreciation for our advisors’ loyalty and their dedication to serving clients with distinction, while giving them additional incentive to support the ongoing success of the firm,” said Daryl Seaton, CEO, Sowell Management. “We created our Advisor Partnership Program to ensure it reflected the values and culture that have made Sowell a unique presence in the RIA space for the past 25 years. We have always treated our advisors as partners in the business, and our new Program enables us to formalize that approach.”

Sowell has experienced steady growth since its founding in 2001 as one of the nation’s earliest RIAs. It has grown to over $6.5 billion in client assets through organic growth and traditional recruiting of advisors drawn to the firm’s straightforward approach to financial planning, investment management, and client service.

As the industry evolved over the years, so has Sowell, increasing investment management solutions through a CIO model, adding a private wealth division with Cache River, enhancing its technology, marketing, and business development support, and building out an impressive leadership team with expertise from across wealth management. The new APP and partnership with Merchant will propel Sowell into its next phase of growth.

“Scale has become increasingly critical for sustained success in wealth management, and it will become more so as the industry continues to consolidate,” said Bill Sowell, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Sowell Management. “After a thorough due diligence process, we invited Merchant to be the partner who will take us into the future. Merchant’s team has a deep understanding of the RIA space and respect for what we have built here at Sowell under the current leadership team.”

Merchant is a well-respected global operating company providing growth capital, strategic resources, and support to independent financial services firms. Merchant’s ecosystem comprises over 130+ partner firms and RIA practices in six countries, collectively managing more than $340 billion in assets.

“Sowell is an ideal partner firm for us,” said Matt Brinker, Managing Partner at Merchant. “With Daryl and Bill at the helm, they lead a strong management team that knows where they want to take the business and be a premier destination for established financial advisors serving the needs of sophisticated clients. The firm’s Midwest roots, values, and approach to wealth management are refreshing, and we look forward to supporting their continued growth and making their vision a reality.”

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About Sowell Management
Sowell Management is a privately held Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and a trusted partner to financial advisors. Founded by financial advisor Bill Sowell in 2001, Sowell Management provides a transformative platform of services and solutions to guide advisors on the path toward true independence. Sowell has a nationwide network of financial advisors representing over $6.5 billion* in client assets (AUA/AUM) as of April 2026.

*Regulatory assets under management (AUM) are assets where Sowell provides continuous and regular supervisory or management services to client portfolios. Assets under administration (AUA) is a measure of the total assets for which Sowell provides administrative services. Working with a highly rated advisor does not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. 

For more information, visit sowellmanagement.com.

Media Contact
Haven Tower Group
Brandon Blackwell
(424) 317-4868
bblackwell@haventower.com

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Fastest Growing Global Finance Super App Abound chooses Monad to Power its Next Phase of Growth

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Riding record growth after crossing $500 Million in remittances, the super-app built for global Indians announces its next chapter – including a brand-new wallet product, with the waitlist opening soon

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Abound, the super-app for Indians in the US backed by Times Internet (Times of India Group), grew past $500 Million in remittance volumes served in the last year, with US and India markets accounting for the bulk of volumes. Abound is excited to announce the next phase of products being built to serve the global Indian diaspora better. The next chapter will be built on Monad, the next-generation Layer 1 blockchain enabling open access to fair financial markets. With Monad’s technology, it is the best option for Abound’s use cases.

What began as a smarter way to send money home has evolved into a comprehensive super app for NRI life spanning cross-border payments, savings, and everyday benefits designed around the needs of Indians living in the US. Abound has become one of the platforms Indians in the US trust to move and manage money across two countries, with over $500 million in volume served. Abound now plans to serve Indians across the world and expand support with newer products better suited to their changing needs.

A New Roadmap for the global Indian

Building on this momentum, Abound today unveiled the next chapter of its product vision:

A new wallet product: a single home for Indians overseas to hold, move, and manage money across both countries’ multi-currency balances, and instant transfers between US and India accounts, with support for more countries coming soon. Waitlist opens soon; the product launches in Q3 2026.New ways to earn and save: interest-bearing savings and investment accounts, giving NRIs more ways to put their money to work.AI agent-led workflows, including the agentic payment protocol x402 to power the next chapter of Abound’s upcoming product suite. Monad Foundation is a premier member of the x402 Foundation.

“Abound has become the platform Indians in the US trust to move money home; we have moved $500 million since launch” said Nishkaam Mehta, CEO, Abound. “This roadmap is about building agents to seamlessly manage the NRIs entire financial life, with the trust of our community at the center of everything we do.”

“Abound is embarking on an ambitious journey to build a full set of agentic financial services and cross border platform for NRIs along its distribution via Times of India. We’re excited to see Abound leverage Monad’s technology to help accelerate at their efforts into the next chapter,” said Raj Parekh, Head of Payments & Stablecoins.

Powered by Next-Generation Technology

Abound’s upcoming product suite will be built on Monad. Monad is a high-performance, institutional-grade Layer 1 blockchain enabling open access to rewards, AI agents, and fair financial markets on neutral ground. The integration gives Abound the technology foundation to serve the Indian diaspora at scale – with the performance and reliability a community of global earners expects. Monad’s technology underpins Abound’s expanded capabilities as the platform scales into its next chapter.

 

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SOURCE Abound

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Xinhua Silk Road: Seven marine test “labs” put in place in offshore waters near Yuanyao port in Weihai, E China

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BEIJING, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In waters north of Yuanyao fishery port in east China’s Weihai City, a recent round of drone marine testings by a local marine equipment institute pooled firsthand data for references to its product R&D.

Such testings that move corporate “laboratories” into the sea are increasingly favored by businesses in Weihai as seven marine testing platforms have been completed in the port area, also the Yuanyao shallow sea sci-tech bay area.

In details, the seven platforms include an offshore self-elevating wharf, a semi-submersible platform, a testing wharf, etc., all of which provide vital support to the technological R&D of related businesses.

Currently, 44 companies have been attracted to settle in the sci-tech bay area, which serves as a key carrier for emerging marine-related industries such as marine electronic information, marine intelligent equipment, and modern maritime services to thrive there.

Near the Yuanyao fishery port now stands the semi-submersible marine test platform, which is the first one of the type in Shandong Province where Weihai sits and also a core part of the national marine comprehensive test site project in Weihai.

As a staff of the sci-tech bay area’s service center introduced, the 44-meter-long and 32.4-meter-wide platform can operate at a maximum water depth of 70 meters and is equipped with multiple supporting systems.

For instance, the power system, test facilities, marine environment observing and monitoring system, and security system of the platform are capable of catering to diverse needs of scientific researchers including short-term on-site operations, instrument lifting and retrieval, and real-time transmission of offshore data.

Apart from these marine testing platforms, the sci-tech bay area is also crafting another seven scientific research platforms to offer all-around intellectual support for the national marine comprehensive test site in Weihai.

While marine testings are ongoing on the testing platforms, onshore zones in the sci-tech bay area are busy with building more innovative infrastructure including the marine data management and application center.

In Weihai, the integrated deployment of offshore, onshore and on-island marine-related platforms is unlocking strong potential for local industries to burgeon.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/351893.html

 

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SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road

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Antare launches AI physical security platform, transforming unwatched camera footage into intelligence

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Antare uses AI to automatically review footage from body-worn and fixed cameras to give organisations a complete picture across every shift and site

LONDON, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Antare, a new agentic security platform for body-worn and fixed cameras, has launched. UK-based Antare uses artificial intelligence to automatically review security footage, detect incidents, alert teams and document every event, transforming everyday operations into actionable insight that helps improve performance and reduce operational risk. The platform is compatible with both Antare’s intelligent body-worn cameras and customers’ own existing fixed camera infrastructure.

Antare’s body-worn cameras capture the moments before, during and after every incident, preserving the context that helps organisations understand what really happened, protect their employees, and manage their liabilities. This matters because abuse and violence towards frontline staff is rising and incidents often do not have a defined beginning. Employees no longer have to remember to start a recording in the middle of a confrontation.

The Antare Console reviews all video and audio as it is recorded, and transcribes, indexes and scores each event automatically. Separate AI agents watch for specific signals, including physical and verbal assaults, suspicious behaviour, safety risks, medical events or weapons, and send in-the-moment alerts and live video to colleagues via the Antare App.

Antare also surfaces patterns that manual review is prone to miss, like repeat offenders, theft hotspots and recurring problems across sites. Free text search allows users to investigate further, while daily email summaries ensure key events are never missed.

Available today

Antare offers two models of body-worn cameras that work out of the box for US, UK, and EU customers. The Antare Body-worn Camera Pro is designed for frontline staff in demanding environments where extended battery life, GPS capabilities and rugged durability are important.

The Antare Body-worn Camera Compact is a lightweight alternative, intended for customer-facing teams who need discreet protection during their shifts. The Antare Dock charges four cameras at once between shifts.

Both models, including cellular connectivity and unlimited users for the Antare Console, are available through a simple, all-inclusive monthly subscription, with no minimum order quantity and no fixed term.

One platform, every camera

The Antare Cloud Gateway, coming soon, integrates the full range of Antare’s cloud capabilities with customers’ existing fixed cameras, so body-worn and fixed cameras live in a single console, with no separate systems to manage.

Customers can also choose from a range of pre-configured alarms, as well as configure their own alarms via free text description.

Antare’s own fixed camera range is set to follow in early 2027, supplied and installed by accredited partners. Partners can register interest now at www.antare.ai/partners.

Privacy and data protection

Footage is encrypted on Antare devices and in transit, then erased from the device once it reaches the secure cloud, where access is role-based. Data is stored in your local region – UK, EU or US – and deleted automatically after 30 days unless an authorized user marks it for retention. Antare is SOC 2 Type I certified and GDPR compliant, with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications in progress.

Mark Michaelides, CEO of Antare:

“Antare was founded on the belief that today’s physical security platforms are failing to deal effectively with emerging safety and operational risks, leaving businesses with expensive legacy investments that do not fulfil their evolving needs.

“Traditional security solutions have focused on after-the-fact review, while more modern systems have enabled live alerts. Antare has built a different type of intelligence platform to deliver both, while shortening time from alert to triage and enabling quicker post-incident investigation.

“Following strong results in trials across private security, hospitality and retail customers, Antare is available on subscription for body-worn cameras from today, with the Antare Cloud Gateway coming soon. One console that turns disparate data into action, intelligence, and insights.”

For more information, visit www.antare.ai.

Accompanying photography:

Picture 1 – Antare CEO Mark Michaelides. Credit: Antare 
Picture 2 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 3 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 4 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 5 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 6 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 7 – Credit: Antare

About Antare

Antare is the physical security intelligence platform that turns every captured event into organisational insight. It continuously detects, reviews and interprets everything that happens across every site and operation – so nothing is missed, and every incident is clearly understood.

Starting with body-worn and fixed cameras, and expanding across every capture point, Antare gives organisations the confidence to report accurately, respond effectively, and build a complete picture of risk and performance over time. Antare is headquartered in the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.antare.ai.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/antare-launches-ai-physical-security-platform-transforming-unwatched-camera-footage-into-intelligence-302859242.html

SOURCE Antare

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