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NAVER D2SF Invests in SAZO, a Cross-Border Agentic Commerce Startup

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-Developing agentic AI-powered cross-border commerce infrastructure that automates shipping and customs duty prediction, translation, payment, and customs clearance

-Monthly transaction volume grew approximately sevenfold over the past six months through its Korea-Japan cross-border service; secured partnerships with Mercari, Rakuten, and more

-NAVER D2SF continues to discover and invest in young founders challenging global markets, while exploring potential collaboration with NAVER Commerce

SEONGNAM, South Korea, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NAVER D2SF, the corporate venture capital arm of NAVER, has made a new investment in SAZO (CEO, Maro Gil), a cross-border commerce startup building agentic AI-powered infrastructure for global shopping. SAZO has developed a platform where AI agents automate key processes required for overseas purchases, including shipping fee and customs duty prediction, translation, local pricing, payment, and customs clearance. NAVER D2SF decided to invest in the team based on its ability to rapidly build a product for the global market and validate its business potential through transaction growth and partnerships across Korea and Japan.

Demand for cross-border commerce is growing rapidly, with 59% of consumers worldwide having purchased products from overseas retailers. As interest in content and creator IP increasingly translates into product purchases, demand is also rising for overseas goods, fashion items, secondhand products, and other long-tail items that are difficult to access through conventional distribution channels. On the supply side, e-commerce sellers, creators, and IP owners are increasingly seeking ways to sell their products to global customers.

SAZO addresses the information asymmetry and complex purchasing process in cross-border commerce through agentic AI. For overseas purchases, consumers often face uncertainty around final shipping costs and customs duties until the point of payment, while differences in language, currency, and customs regulations across countries create additional friction that limits conversion. SAZO predicts shipping fees, customs duties, and service charges with approximately 95% accuracy, while enabling AI agents to automate translation, local pricing, payment, customs clearance, and other transaction processes.

Through this infrastructure, consumers can purchase overseas products in a way that feels similar to domestic online shopping. Platforms and sellers can also expand their sales regions without building separate systems or taking on overseas inventory burdens. By connecting local platforms with logistics and payment infrastructure across countries, SAZO lowers the barriers to cross-border commerce for both consumers and sellers.

SAZO currently operates a cross-border commerce service connecting Korea and Japan, with monthly transaction volume growing approximately sevenfold over the past six months. The company has secured partnerships with leading commerce platforms in Korea and abroad, including Mercari, Rakuten, and Bungaejangter. In 2025, SAZO also attracted a strategic investment from Japan Post Capital, the venture capital arm of Japan Post Group, which operates one of Japan’s largest cross-border logistics infrastructures. Building on this foundation, the company is advancing its cross-border shopping experience and currently operates services in Korea, the United States, and Japan. Going forward, SAZO plans to expand into additional markets and grow into a global infrastructure company for cross-border agentic commerce.

Maro Gil, CEO of SAZO, is a founder in his twenties who founded the company in 2023 after leaving his studies in Japan, where he had been studying on a government scholarship. Since its founding, SAZO’s co-founding team has built its product and business structure for the global market, based on a deep understanding of AI agents and cross-border commerce. With this investment, the company plans to expand partnerships with brands and platforms targeting global markets, while actively hiring talent to build its next stage of growth.

“Cross-border commerce is not simply about exposing products to overseas customers. It requires connecting different languages, payment systems, logistics networks, and customs processes into a single purchasing experience,” said Sanghwan Yang, Head of NAVER D2SF. “SAZO is currently discussing various forms of collaboration with NAVER Shopping, and we expect the team to provide users with a more convenient overseas shopping experience while creating new global sales opportunities for sellers and creators.”

NAVER D2SF has recently been actively supporting and investing in young founders in their teens and twenties who are boldly challenging global markets. As AI continues to lower the barriers to product development, NAVER D2SF plans to further expand collaboration opportunities with young founders who quickly identify market problems and turn them into global products.

About NAVER D2SF

NAVER D2SF is NAVER’s in-house corporate venture arm, supporting sustainable growth by collaborating with startups. Founded in 1999, NAVER has maintained its position as Korea’s leading search engine for over 20 years and operates across commerce, content, fintech, and cloud services. Under the technological vision of D2 (For Developers, By Developers), NAVER is actively developing new technologies and global partnerships to grow as a leading tech company.

To learn more, visit https://d2sf.naver.com

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SOURCE NAVER D2SF

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PUDU D7 Named Honoree in IFA Innovation Awards for Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies

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BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial service robotics, today announced that its PUDU D7 Semi-humanoid Intelligent Robot has been named an Honoree in the Best in IFA Next & Emerging Technologies category of the IFA Innovation Awards. The recognition highlights PUDU D7’s ability to combine mobile navigation, dexterous manipulation and intelligent sensing to perform a range of tasks in real-world industrial and commercial environments.

The IFA Innovation Awards recognize outstanding innovations across the global technology landscape. Entries are evaluated by an independent international jury based on criteria including technology and functionality, innovation and originality, and the potential to create tangible value for users and the market. The recognition places PUDU D7 among emerging technologies demonstrating new possibilities for the future of robotics.

From Industrial Operations to Guest Interaction

PUDU D7 is designed for industrial, warehouse, retail and hospitality environments, where it can move through human-oriented spaces and perform tasks that require both mobility and dexterous manipulation.

In industrial and warehouse settings, D7 can handle materials, pick items from shelves, replenish inventory, transport goods between work areas and push carts. With a payload capacity of up to 20 kg (44.1 pounds) and an operating height of up to 2 meters (6.6 feet), it can work with a range of storage systems and materials.

In retail, D7 can support shelf replenishment, item handling and store organization, moving products between storage areas and shelves and helping maintain product displays.

In hotels and hospitality, PUDU D7 can take on the role of an intelligent front-desk host, welcoming guests, preparing and serving coffee, interacting with visitors and providing engaging experiences. Its semi-humanoid form and dual-arm capabilities allow it to combine practical service tasks with natural human-robot interaction, bringing a more personable and engaging presence to the guest experience.

Designed for Adaptable Performance

PUDU D7 combines a dual-arm manipulation system, tactile sensing and a 360-degree perception system to support these applications. Front- and rear-facing LiDAR and other sensors enable navigation around people and obstacles, while tactile sensing provides precise control when handling objects.

The robot also features autonomous battery swapping, allowing it to independently replace its battery and reduce downtime during extended operation.

Together, these capabilities enable D7 to support different tasks across a range of environments without being limited to a single application.

PUDU D7 Makes Its European Debut at IFA

IFA 2026 marks the first time PUDU D7 is being showcased in Europe. At the Pudu Robotics booth, visitors can experience live demonstrations highlighting the robot’s capabilities and its potential for human-robot interaction.

D7 interacts directly with visitors through demonstrations including waving, making heart gestures and picking up objects. These demonstrations showcase the robot’s ability to combine movement, manipulation and interaction in a human-oriented environment.

Advancing the Next Generation of Intelligent Robotics

The IFA Innovation Awards recognition marks another step in Pudu Robotics’ expansion from service delivery, commercial cleaning and industrial delivery into embodied intelligent robotics.

PUDU D7 is part of Pudu Robotics’ broader strategy to develop a portfolio of specialized, semi-humanoid and humanoid robots, building on its capabilities in embodied navigation, manipulation and interaction. This approach enables the company to address a broader range of applications across commercial and industrial environments.

Pudu Robotics will continue working with customers and partners worldwide to explore new applications for embodied intelligence and bring increasingly capable robots into real-world environments.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics is a global leader in commercial service robotics and the industry’s first company to offer a full portfolio spanning specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid robots. According to Frost & Sullivan’s latest market report, Pudu Robotics ranks No. 1 globally in commercial service robotics by both revenue and shipment volume. Built on its One Brain, Multiple Embodiments architecture, Pudu offers robots for service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery, and general embodied AI applications across hospitality, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, education, public services, and more. To date, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 130,000 robots to customers across 85+ countries and regions.

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SOURCE Pudu Robotics

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Asia-Pacific Media Forum held in China’s Guangdong

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SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from Xinhuanet: 

The Asia-Pacific Media Forum opened on Saturday in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, with the theme of “Building a Path to Shared Prosperity for the Asia-Pacific Community: Media Consensus and Action.”

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, attended the forum and delivered a speech.

Participating guests noted that this year marks 2026 APEC “China Year,” during which China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. They expressed their belief that with support from all sides, the summit will yield fruitful outcomes and elevate Asia-Pacific cooperation to new heights.

Participating guests emphasized that development and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region depend on the active participation of media. The media are expected to share stories of openness and integration, provide comprehensive coverage of the region’s progress and achievements across various fields, and help foster a favorable public opinion environment for the region’s open development.

Participating guests noted that the media should actively promote outcomes of the series of APEC activities, interpret policies and measures of various economies to support scientific and technological innovation, and build regional consensus for innovative development.

They also called for deepening results-oriented cooperation in joint reporting, technological innovation and personnel training, and leveraging media exchanges to carry forward civilizations, spread culture and convey goodwill, so as to enhance mutual understanding and closer bonds among the peoples of the Asia-Pacific.

The forum was co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Xinhua News Agency and the Guangdong provincial government, and organized by the Shenzhen municipal government.

More than 400 representatives from over 40 countries and regions, as well as UN agencies and international organizations, attended the event. At the opening ceremony, 16 founding organizations from China and abroad jointly formed the Organizing Committee of the Asia-Pacific Media Partnership Program.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/asia-pacific-media-forum-held-in-chinas-guangdong-302870809.html

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ATTACK SHARK Announces Strategic Partnership with Cloud9 Esports’ League of Legends Team

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NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — High-performance gaming peripheral brand ATTACK SHARK today announced a partnership with leading esports organization Cloud9 Esports. Focused on Cloud9’s League of Legends team, the collaboration will showcase professional gaming insights, esports culture, and competitive gear content across digital, social media, and e-commerce channels.

A Championship Legacy in North American Esports

Founded in 2013, Cloud9 Kia has grown into one of North America’s most iconic esports organizations. Originally established through League of Legends, it has built a global reputation through competitive success, including 6 League Championship Series (LCS) titles, 10 World Championship appearances, the 2018 ELEAGUE Major Boston title, the inaugural Overwatch League championship, and a Rocket League World Championship. Cloud9 Kia remains one of North America’s most influential League of Legends teams.

Deep Collaboration: From Pro Scenes to Player Communities

The partnership will center on professional player training, competitive performance, and player-focused content. ATTACK SHARK will equip the Cloud9 League of Legends team with its latest gaming peripherals to support daily training and competitive preparation.

By combining Cloud9’s professional competitive expertise with ATTACK SHARK’s focus on hardware innovation, the partnership aims to explore the increasing demands placed on gaming equipment in high-level esports environments. Trusted by over 10 million players worldwide, ATTACK SHARK translates professional esports insights into accessible, high-performance gaming peripherals for competitive gamers. 

“At Cloud9 Kia, we believe gaming can unlock the best in everyone. ATTACK SHARK is on a mission to make high-performance mice and keyboards accessible to all gamers, and that’s the same idea from two directions. I’m proud to have them alongside Cloud9 Kia, and excited for all of the amazing peripherals this partnership will put into our fan’s hands,” said Jonathan Tran, President of Cloud9.

“Partnering with Cloud9 Kia is a significant milestone for ATTACK SHARK,” said Gavin Cheng, CEO and Co-Founder of ATTACK SHARK. “Their competitive spirit, professionalism, and relentless pursuit of excellence closely align with the values that have guided ATTACK SHARK from the beginning. This collaboration creates an opportunity to learn from professional competition and share those insights with players around the world.”

The partnership represents a deeper investment by ATTACK SHARK in the global esports ecosystem. Together, ATTACK SHARK and Cloud9 Kia will continue creating new experiences for competitive players and gaming communities worldwide.

For more information, visit https://attackshark.com/ or connect with the brand on social media and Discord.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/attack-shark-announces-strategic-partnership-with-cloud9-esports-league-of-legends-team-302870799.html

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