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Direct Travel Introduces the Next Evolution of Avenir at GBTA

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Latest Avenir release gives organizations more direct access to the travel content, data and service needed to manage modern travel programs

DENVER, Aug. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Direct Travel, one of the world’s largest travel management companies, today announced the next evolution of Avenir, its advanced travel management platform designed to give organizations the most direct access to travel content, data, service, and an expanding set of capabilities that help them manage, optimize, and strengthen their travel programs and the experience for travelers.

Business travel has never offered more opportunity or more complexity. New content sources, evolving distribution models, AI, and an expanding ecosystem of travel technologies are creating tremendous new possibilities, but they are also fragmenting how organizations access travel content, data, and service. As information becomes dispersed across multiple systems, travel managers face growing challenges delivering consistent experiences, gaining timely insights, and effectively managing their programs.

Avenir was built to change that. Rather than requiring travel managers to work across disconnected systems, Avenir brings together the content, data, insights, tools, and expertise organizations need to manage modern travel programs through a single experience. The result is fewer obstacles between travel managers and the information they need, making it easier to access insights, manage travel programs, and support travelers throughout their journeys.

At the core of Avenir is Spotnana’s next generation cloud-based travel infrastructure, providing the modern booking and servicing infrastructure for enterprise travel. Direct Travel brings that technology to life through global implementation, enterprise travel expertise, and outstanding service, creating an enterprise ready solution for organizations around the world.

Avenir is built to grow beyond traditional travel management through an expanding ecosystem of connected capabilities. Rather than requiring organizations to adopt additional standalone tools, Avenir will provide more direct access to the services and technologies they need through a single experience. This release marks the first step with the introduction of Juno for guest travel. By connecting guest travel with managed travel, organizations gain more complete visibility across total travel activity and richer insights to support better decisions.

“As technology continues to reshape business travel, our focus has remained the same: helping travel program owners run better travel programs and deliver better experiences for their travelers,” said Christal Bemont, Chief Executive Officer of Direct Travel. “Avenir gives organizations more direct access to the content, data, and service they need to manage modern travel programs. By removing many of the obstacles between travel managers and the information they need, we help them spend less time navigating systems and more time making strategic decisions that improve their programs.”

The latest release introduces several new capabilities designed to help travel program owners work more efficiently and make more informed decisions.

One place to manage your travel program

Avenir now provides a single destination for reporting, travel resources, program insights, and integrated partner capabilities through one secure login, reducing the need to move between multiple systems.

Ask better questions. Get better answers.

Avenir is built on a modern, AI-ready data foundation that brings together trusted travel data from across the program into a secure, governed environment. Rather than relying on static reports, travel managers can ask questions in natural language through Ask Avenir and receive trusted answers, build reports on demand, and analyze complex travel spend in minutes. Combined with new dashboards, trend analysis, proactive insights, and actionable recommendations, Avenir helps organizations identify opportunities, make more informed decisions, and continuously improve their travel programs.

A more intelligent travel experience

Avenir is evolving to deliver AI throughout the travel experience by combining Direct Travel’s own AI innovations with the power of Spotnana’s new multi-agent AI architecture and an expanding ecosystem of specialized AI capabilities. As Spotnana introduces new AI experiences for travelers, travel managers, and travel advisors, Direct Travel will bring those capabilities to customers through Avenir while continuing to automate routine workflows and simplify servicing.

At the same time, Avenir’s open architecture allows organizations to take advantage of focused AI solutions from trusted partners. Whether interacting with the platform through natural language, receiving intelligent recommendations, or using specialized assistants like Otto for focused travel experiences, customers will benefit from AI that works together through a single connected platform.

Built for what’s next

Avenir’s open architecture creates a connected foundation that allows Direct Travel to continuously expand the platform with new capabilities and best in class partner solutions. As customer needs evolve, organizations will gain access to additional experiences across travel management, analytics, automation, meetings and events, expense, duty of care, and other connected services without replacing the technology at the core of their travel program.

“Avenir has become our one-stop shop for understanding our travel program,” said Lisa Kaffenberger, People & Culture Travel Manager, BDO. “Whether I need to track a ticket from beginning to end or get answers to questions that once required hours of manual reporting, it’s all right there. It’s not just another application. It’s becoming the foundation for how we manage our travel program by making the information we need easier to access, and we’re excited to see where it goes next.”

The new release is another step in Direct Travel’s strategy to give organizations more direct access to the content, data, expertise, and technology they need to build smarter, more connected travel programs.

To learn more about Avenir, visit www.dt.com/avenir.

About Direct Travel, Inc.

Direct Travel is one of the world’s largest travel management companies, focused on delivering exceptional, innovative solutions to every client and traveler. With a long history of proven market expertise, we blend advanced technology, superior service and expert insight to drive tangible value and meaningful savings across Corporate Travel, Leisure Travel, Meetings & Events and specialty travel businesses.

Through Avenir, our next-generation platform developed with leading technology partners, we provide the industry’s broadest inventory and a modern, real-time shopping experience that empowers travelers and simplifies program management. What truly sets us apart is the human care behind the technology, delivered by an experienced, passionate team dedicated to anticipating needs and delivering exceptional service at every step.

For more information about Direct Travel, visit www.dt.com

Media Contact

FINN Partners, Direct Travel, 1 3039459764, directtravel@finnpartners.com, www.dt.com

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SOURCE Direct Travel

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SparkLabs and Mirae Asset Launch a Venture Capital Fund for Central Asian Startups

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1 hour ago

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September 20, 2026

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SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC), IT Park Ventures (Uzbekistan), Mirae Asset Venture Investment and SparkLabs Group have signed a term sheet to establish SparkLabs Mirae Silk Road Fund I LP, a new venture capital fund. The fund will be managed by Mirae Asset Venture Investment and SparkLabs Group.

The signing took place in Seoul during the state visits of the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to Korea and the first Central Asia–Republic of Korea Summit.

During this past week, South Korea and Kazakhstan signed commercial agreements worth US$18.95 billion. Kazakhstan is a country of 20 million people with its core industries being oil and gas, and among the highest producers of iron and silver in the world. Uzbekistan is a country of 39 million people, and they are the largest electricity producer in Central Asia.

Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC) is Kazakhstan’s national fund of funds and are anchor investors along with IT Park Ventures, the venture capital arm of the country’s state technology park. The new venture capital fund will back Central Asian startups at the Series A and later, which are businesses with a proven model that are ready to scale beyond the region. The fund is sector-agnostic but focuses on AI-native companies, where artificial intelligence is core to the product and business model.

“Higgsfield becoming Kazakhstan’s first unicorn was a turning point. It showed that a world-class AI company can be built in Central Asia. And it won’t be the last with more than half of the region’s population is under 30, growing up digital and our governments actively investing in AI. Yet the region is still largely overlooked by international investors, and that’s the opportunity this fund is built for,” explained Aslan Sultanov, Co-founder and General Partner at SparkLabs Mirae Silk Road.

Former Coinbase CTO and Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, Balaji Srinivasan, reopened his Network School in Kazakhstan last month. Telegram launched an AI lab and opened their first regional office in Kazakhstan this past year.

Beyond capital, portfolio companies will gain access to the SparkLabs and Mirae Asset’s global networks, along with hands-on support in expanding into South Korea, the United States and the MENA region.

About the Partners

SparkLabs Group is a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds that has invested in over 600 startups across 6 continents since December 2013. These companies include OpenAI, SpaceX, Vectara, Kneron, Anthropic, Nex Team, Kraken, GenG, Lyft, MetAI, and others.

Mirae Asset Venture Investment is the venture capital arm of Mirae Asset Financial Group, one of Asia’s largest independent financial groups with over US$845 billion in assets under management. The company operates worldwide across 18 markets, and manages a fully diversified global investment platform encompassing ETFs, alternative investments, and traditional strategies.

Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC) is Kazakhstan’s national fund of funds and part of Baiterek National Managing Holding. QIC invests in private equity and venture capital funds alongside international and private partners, with the goal of attracting long-term capital into Kazakhstan and developing the country’s investment ecosystem. QIC participates in 19 funds with a combined capitalization of $2.8 billion.

IT Park Ventures is the venture capital arm of IT Park Uzbekistan, the country’s state technology park and the main platform supporting Uzbekistan’s IT industry and tech exports. IT Park Ventures invests in startups from Uzbekistan and Central Asia and co-invests with international funds, connecting regional founders with global capital and markets.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sparklabs-and-mirae-asset-launch-a-venture-capital-fund-for-central-asian-startups-302883810.html

SOURCE SparkLabs Group

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AECOM Data Breach Investigation: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Probes Class Action Claims After Hackers Allege Theft of More Than 1 TB of Data

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2 hours ago

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September 20, 2026

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National class action law firm offers free, confidential case evaluations to AECOM employees, clients, and others whose personal information may have been exposed in the reported AECOM data breach.

DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Edelson Lechtzin LLP, a national class action law firm, is investigating data privacy claims arising from a reported data breach at AECOM, the U.S.-based multinational infrastructure and engineering firm. Anyone who has received a data breach notice from AECOM, or who believes their personal information may have been exposed, can request a free case evaluation.

AECOM data breach — at a glance:

Company: AECOM, a Texas-based, multibillion-dollar multinational infrastructure consulting, engineering, design, and construction management firm.Reported: A cyberattack said to have occurred on or about September 17, 2026, first surfaced on dark web monitoring sites.Hackers’ claims: The group Metaencryptor claimed responsibility for an attack said to involve approximately 1.22 terabytes (TB) of data. Separately, dark web monitoring service Breachsense listed a related AECOM leak of roughly 670GB attributed to a group identified as BrainCipher.Status: The breach and the hackers’ claims remain unconfirmed. AECOM has not publicly detailed the scope or impact.Who may be affected: Current and former AECOM employees, clients, and others whose data AECOM held.Cost to you: Nothing. Case evaluations are free and confidential.

What Happened

According to a September 17, 2026 post on the dark web monitoring site Ransomware.live, the hacker group Metaencryptor claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on AECOM that allegedly affected about 1.22 TB of data. The cybersecurity blog HookPhish similarly reported that Metaencryptor was behind a suspected attack on the engineering firm.

Separately, the dark web monitoring service Breachsense reported an AECOM data leak listed at approximately 670GB, attributed to a group it identified as BrainCipher. Breachsense also indexed thousands of AECOM-linked credentials circulating online, including 27,434 @aecom.com accounts drawn from external breaches and 6,077 credentials tied to aecom.com itself — among them thousands of logins found in “combo lists” and in infostealer malware logs, many with plaintext passwords. Breachsense cautioned that those credentials may belong to either customers or staff and are not necessarily connected to the claimed attack.

The breach has not been confirmed, and important details (including its true scope, the specific data involved, and the number of people affected) are not yet publicly available.

What Personal Information May Be at Risk

The specific data involved in the reported AECOM data breach has not been confirmed. Data breaches like this can expose personal information, increasing the risk of identity theft and fraud. Affected individuals should treat any AECOM breach notification seriously.

Who May Be Affected by the AECOM Data Breach

The investigation focuses on current and former AECOM employees, clients, and anyone else whose personal information AECOM maintained. Anyone who has received a data breach notification from AECOM may face an increased risk of identity theft and fraud and is encouraged to come forward.

Your Legal Options

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is investigating a potential class action to pursue legal remedies on behalf of individuals whose sensitive personal data may have been compromised in the reported AECOM breach. A successful case could recover compensation for losses such as lost time, out-of-pocket costs, and loss of privacy, and could push AECOM to strengthen how it protects personal information. The firm will evaluate your rights and potential claims at no cost.

Recommended Steps to Protect Yourself

Review your account statements and credit reports regularly and stay alert for suspicious activity.Confirm whether your information was involved in the AECOM incident.Preserve any letters or emails you received about the breach.Consider placing fraud alerts and enrolling in credit monitoring.

Contact Us for a Free Case Evaluation

Speak confidentially with a data privacy attorney today: Marc Edelson, Esq., Edelson Lechtzin LLP, 411 S. State Street, Suite N-300, Newtown, PA 18940; Phone: 844-696-7492; Email: medelson@edelson-law.com; Web: www.edelson-law.com. Or click HERE to request a free consultation.

About Edelson Lechtzin LLP

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is a national class action law firm with offices in Pennsylvania and California. In addition to data breach litigation, the firm handles class and collective actions involving securities and investment fraud, federal antitrust violations, ERISA employee benefit plans, wage theft, and consumer fraud.

Media and Partnership Inquiries: Use the contact information above to connect with our team regarding interviews, co-counsel opportunities, and referral partnerships.

Legal Notice: This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The reported data breach and the hackers’ claims described above are unconfirmed.

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SOURCE Edelson Lechtzin LLP

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iScreen Reaches No. 1 in Graphics & Design Across 94 Markets Following iOS 27 Update

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5 hours ago

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September 20, 2026

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Extra-large widget experiences, iOS 27-inspired themes and new customization tools drive iScreen’s latest global growth

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — iScreen, a mobile customization app for iOS and Android, announced that it has reached No. 1 in the Graphics & Design category across 94 countries and regions following its latest iOS 27-focused update.

The update expands iScreen’s Home Screen customization experience with new extra-large widgets, iOS 27-inspired themes, layouts optimized for new screen proportions, and AI-assisted design tools.

Extra-Large Widgets

Built for the larger widget canvas available in iOS 27, iScreen’s new extra-large widgets go beyond simply scaling up existing formats. The collection includes Photo, Album, Music, Calendar, Interactive Refrigerator and Quick Launch widgets, among others. Users can also customize content, layouts and visual styles to create more functional and expressive Home Screen experiences.

iOS 27-Inspired Themes and iPhone Duo Theme Support

iScreen has introduced new iOS 27-inspired themes that combine coordinated wallpapers, transparent-style widgets, icons and other visual elements into complete Home Screen setups.

Selected themes have also been optimized for iPhone Duo’s screen proportions and display dimensions, with wallpapers, widgets and icons adjusted to better fit the new format while maintaining a cohesive visual experience.

AI-Assisted Home Screen Design

iScreen is also testing AI Home Screen Designer with a limited group of users. The feature generates coordinated design suggestions based on users’ preferences for style, color and visual elements, combining wallpapers, widgets and icons into a unified setup.

“The latest iOS update has opened up new possibilities for mobile personalization,” said the iScreen team. “We want to turn those capabilities into practical and creative experiences that make Home Screen design easier and more expressive.”

About iScreen

iScreen is a mobile customization app offering widgets, wallpapers, themes and Home Screen customization tools for iOS and Android devices. With more than 100 million users worldwide, iScreen has ranked No. 1 in Graphics & Design across 94 countries and regions and has been featured by Apple Editorial in 128 countries for five consecutive days.

Official Website: iScreen – Phone Style, iScreen it!
iOS Download: ‎‎iScreen – Widgets & Wallpaper App – App Store
Android Download: iScreen Google Play

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/iscreen-reaches-no-1-in-graphics–design-across-94-markets-following-ios-27-update-302883972.html

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