iTP chose Cetera as its growth partner – a firm that makes the big feel small while delivering the platform and service to scale. Cetera’s defined growth system can help firms like iTP grow by adding clients and recruiting advisors

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cetera welcomes iTP Partners (iTP) and its independent RIA, Blue Horizon Equity, Inc., which iTP launched upon joining Cetera. Co-founded by experienced financial advisors Bob Sansone and Jeff Hartman, iTP oversees approximately $3.5 billion in AUA1 across nearly 50 financial advisors.

With headquarters in Pittsford, New York, and an additional office in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, iTP joins Cetera from Osaic, and will operate on Cetera’s Blueprint platform, designed to power growth for firms like iTP.

iTP has built a multi-state advisory practice on a culture of independence, shared ownership, and deep client relationships. The firm is distinguished by its structure: iTP advisors are not simply affiliated professionals – they are equity stakeholders in the enterprise they are building together.

When Sansone and Hartman set out to find a new partner, their mandate was clear: a firm that could make a large organization feel small in relationship and service, while delivering the technology, scale, and resources of a major firm. After an extensive due diligence process that included conversations with multiple broker-dealers, they chose Cetera.

What set Cetera apart was not a single tool, but a defined system for growth. Every Cetera firm operates inside the same model: a community of peers running comparable practices, a dedicated team organized around the firm’s written growth plan, and the infrastructure that makes that plan executable.

RIAs like Blue Horizon Equity can run on Cetera’s infrastructure layer called Blueprint, which is Cetera’s integrated technology and services platform, purpose-built for registered investment advisers. Blueprint delivers RIA-level autonomy, multi-custodial flexibility, and modular middle-office infrastructure, enabling advisory firms to scale efficiently without having to build that infrastructure on their own.

Crucially for iTP and Blue Horizon Equity, Blueprint is not a rigid, one-size-fits-all system – it’s intentionally shaped around the firms operating on it, with access to multiple custody and clearing options including Pershing, the platform iTP was already using and wanted to keep.

“Blueprint is a collaboration that gives iTP the infrastructure to scale on their own terms, backed by the technology, resources, service and support of Cetera overall,” said Andina Anderson, Head of Blueprint for Cetera. “We’re proud that iTP chose Cetera as its partner to help them write their next growth chapter.”

“What I liked about Blueprint and Cetera’s approach is that they’re not rigid, and they’re very willing to adjust to the needs at hand so things stay flexible as we move along. Cetera hasn’t dug their heels in on anything, and that’s refreshing,” said iTP Managing Director Bob Sansone, a founding partner of iTP.

That flexibility, paired with personalized service at the leadership level, proved decisive. It reflects how Cetera is built to work with its firms – one accountable relationship, specialists drawn against the firm’s growth plan, and support measured where it matters. It is the same model behind Cetera’s 98.4% advisor retention, among the highest in the industry.

“From day one, we’ve had people to work with; it’s already a partnership with real people we can reach whenever we need them, and that says a lot about Cetera and how they’ll support us,” said Jeffrey Hartman, Managing Director at iTP. “The high level of service and attention we’re getting from Cetera isn’t something we’ve experienced in a long time, and it makes all the difference.”

Hartman said growth was a central objective of iTP’s transition to Cetera. The firm’s structure is designed to attract like-minded advisors and advisory teams seeking genuine equity participation, institutional-grade infrastructure, and a culture that prioritizes relationships over transactions. With active conversations already underway with advisors in several regions, iTP is pursuing significant additional asset growth in the near term – and is particularly well-positioned to appeal to experienced advisors and independent practices evaluating the RIA model who do not want to shoulder the complexity of standing up that infrastructure on their own.

“The RIA model is the future of our industry. At iTP, we have created a home where an advisor can participate in the benefits of our model – including real ownership through equity – without having to do all the work of building it from scratch,” Sansone said. “That’s a powerful value proposition, and Cetera’s Blueprint platform amplifies it.”

The iTP story began in 1971, when Sansone entered the financial services industry and spent the next quarter of a century building his career through Mutual of New York (the MONY Group). He later served as a corporate officer with MONY before transitioning to AXA’s large-firm recruiting division, where he first connected with Hartman. In 2010, Sansone co-founded iTrust Advisors, a general insurance agency. By 2014, the two had joined forces to build what would become iTP Partners, initially affiliating with American Portfolios before transitioning through the Advisor Group/Osaic succession.

Today, iTP and Blue Horizon Equity operate a nationally dispersed advisor base from their Pittsford flagship and Ponte Vedra Beach offices, with growth-oriented leadership that has structured the firm to attract the next generation of entrepreneurial advisors.

In welcoming iTP, Cetera Wealth Management President Todd Mackay said: “Bob and Jeff have spent decades proving that building a firm the right way – anchored by relationships, advisor ownership, and a genuine culture of service – is how to create lasting value. iTP is exactly the kind of firm Cetera was built to serve because they’re sophisticated, growth-oriented, and deeply committed to the advisors and clients who make it what it is.”

About Cetera

Cetera is the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub, empowering independent advisors and institutions with personalized support, flexible affiliation models, and end-to-end growth solutions. Home to approximately 12,000 financial professionals and institutions, Cetera’s multi-channel ecosystem enables financial professionals to grow, scale or transition their businesses on their own terms.

Unlike traditional IBDs, Cetera offers true choice – blending modern technology, integrated wealth solutions, and a community-driven culture. Cetera’s five-channel model and commitment to long-term advisor value provide a scalable blueprint for consistent, repeatable growth.

As of March 31, 2026, Cetera firms manage approximately $630 billion in assets under administration and $296 billion in assets under management. Its Voice of the Customer program has captured nearly 50,000 advisor reviews, with more than 43,000 five-star ratings, giving Cetera a 4.7 out of 5 satisfaction score.

Learn more at www.cetera.com and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X.

Cetera is a network of independent retail firms, including those that are members of FINRA/SIPC: Cetera Advisors LLC; Cetera Wealth Services, LLC (formerly known as Cetera Advisor Networks); Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors); and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. Entities registered as investment advisers with the Securities and Exchange Commission include Cetera Investment Management LLC and Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Cetera’s principal office is located at 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101.

Avantax Planning Partners, Inc., is an SEC registered investment adviser within the Aretec Group, Inc. (dba Cetera Holdings, an affiliate of CFG). All the referenced entities are under common ownership.

Cetera exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representatives may offer these services through their independent outside businesses. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice.

1Value approximated based on information provided to Cetera for asset holdings as of April 28, 2026.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/itp-partners-with-approximately-3-5-billion-in-aua-and-nearly-50-financial-advisors-joins-cetera-and-launches-new-independent-ria-302841758.html

SOURCE Cetera Financial Group

AI-enabled customer operations achieve a 98.7% answer rate, nearly 80% autonomous problem resolution and approximately 1,500 hours of daily speech-to-text processing

BEIJING, Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Yiren Digital Ltd. (NYSE: YRD) (“Yiren Digital” or the “Company”), a leading company specializing in financial technology and artificial intelligence innovation across multiple industries in China and global markets, today announced the continued expansion of AI deployment across customer operations, including intelligent customer service, outbound communications, quality controls and workflow automation.

Customer operations encompass some of the Company’s highest-volume workflows, spanning service, sales and asset-recovery interactions. Deploying AI across these high-volume workflows illustrates how the Company is extending AI beyond discrete task automation into shared operational capabilities that can be applied across additional business functions over time.

“Customer operations represent a proven example of how agent-driven execution can create value at scale,” said Mr. Ning Tang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yiren Digital. “By embedding AI into high-volume workflows, we are expanding service capacity and responsiveness while enabling our teams to focus on cases that require greater judgment and human engagement. These module deployments provide a solid foundation to support our future expansion into AI-powered business beyond fintech.”

AI-Enabled Customer Operations at Scale

Yiren Digital’s self-developed AI agent platform, MagiCube 2.0, serves as the Company’s enterprise AI operating platform, providing the common infrastructure for AI agent deployment. XuanJi, the Company’s AI-driven workflow execution layer, supports repetitive, high-volume processes such as outbound customer service, telesales, insurance proposal generation, lending operations and post-sale engagement. Together, these systems enable AI deployment across multiple customer-facing workflows through a unified enterprise architecture.

Current examples of AI deployment across customer operations and related outcomes include:

Intelligent customer service: The Qingniao intelligent customer-service system achieved a 98.7% answer rate, and its text-based service agent’s autonomous problem-resolution rate increased from 60% to nearly 80%.

Voice-AI: The Fengchao AI voice agent supports approximately 1,500 hours of real-time speech-to-text processing per day, with recognition accuracy as high as 97.8%.

Automated quality assurance: A quality-inspection agent performs real-time checks on more than 2 million sales records daily, supporting consistent review at a scale that would be difficult to achieve through manual processes alone.

24/7 customer support: The Company’s credit business operates a 24/7 AI-assisted outbound-call customer-service center, extending service availability and supporting high-volume customer communications.

In addition to AI-enhanced customer solutions, all customer complaints were handled within 24 hours in 2025, and the Company’s complaint-handling success rate reached 100% with total complaint volume decreasing by 35.97% year over year. These results reflect the Company’s broader customer-protection and service-management efforts.

Embedding AI Across Customer Operations

Together, these deployments demonstrate how Yiren Digital is extending AI beyond standalone applications into core customer operations. By integrating AI agents, workflow execution and automated quality controls within a unified enterprise architecture, the Company is building a more consistent and scalable operating model while supporting its long-term transition toward an AI-native, multi-industry operating platform. 

Yiren Digital will continue expanding AI deployment across customer acquisition, customer service, quality assurance and post-sale engagement, supported by centralized orchestration and governance across regulated business lines.

About Yiren Digital

Yiren Digital Ltd. is a leading company specializing in financial technology and artificial intelligence innovation across multiple industries in China and global markets. The Company leverages advanced artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to enhance customer experience, optimize capital efficiency, and expand financial inclusion. Following the regulatory filing of its in-house developed Large Language Model Zhiyu, and the significant enhancement of its MagiCube Agent platform, Yiren Digital is establishing a new growth engine to accelerate its evolution into an AI-native, multi-industry operating platform extending beyond traditional financial services. For more information, please visit https://ir.yiren.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “hope,” “going forward,” “intend,” “ought to,” “plan,” “project,” “potential,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “can,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “shall,” “should,” “is likely to” and the negative form of these words and other similar expressions. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “target,” “confident,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations, assumptions, and assessments of current market and operating conditions. These statements involve inherent risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside the control of the Company, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors and other risks described in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no, and expressly disclaims any, obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yiren-digitals-ai-agents-deliver-measurable-gains-across-customer-operations-302842106.html

SOURCE Yiren Digital Ltd.

Funding to scale enterprise optimization deployments, advance JIJ’s AI-enabled optimization platform and quantum middleware, and accelerate global expansion

TOKYO, Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JIJ Inc. (“JIJ”), developer of a quantum- and AI-enabled optimization platform, today announced that it has raised JPY 840 million, approximately US$5.2 million, in equity financing, with Global Brain Corporation (“Global Brain”) serving as the lead investor. The financing was provided through multiple funds managed by Global Brain[1] and a fund managed by Fujitsu Ventures Limited[2].

JIJ will use the proceeds to advance its AI-enabled optimization platform, expand enterprise deployments of mathematical optimization, develop technologies for gate-based quantum computing, and accelerate its global growth.

Why JIJ Is Positioned to Scale

JIJ has developed more than 60 use cases across energy, manufacturing, transportation, telecommunications, logistics, and other sectors. Its core strength lies in understanding real-world operational constraints, translating them into computable mathematical models, and implementing solutions for ongoing use in business operations.

Through its JijZept software suite, JIJ supports the optimization lifecycle from problem formulation and development to execution and continuous improvement. Its development tools, solvers, and execution environments help organizations expand the use of optimization across more business functions.

JIJ is building a technology foundation to support optimization across classical and emerging quantum computing environments.

The company also develops open-source technologies, including OpenJij for combinatorial optimization and Qamomile, an open-source quantum programming language. Alongside these efforts, JIJ is developing middleware through a Japanese government-backed research and development program administered by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). JIJ also participates in quantum industry ecosystems including Q-STAR, the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC), and UKQuantum.

Use of Proceeds

JIJ will use the proceeds to advance research, engineering, and product development across AI, mathematical optimization, and quantum computing. The funding will also support the expansion of its technical and business development teams as the company scales the adoption of its technologies across industries and global markets.

Advancing JijZept AI

Launched in beta in early 2026, JijZept AI is evolving into a cloud-based AI agent service for mathematical optimization. Its AI-assisted modeling capabilities and dedicated sandbox environment enable AI agents to carry out an iterative process of defining requirements, building mathematical models, and running numerical experiments based on user requests.

JIJ also provides an SDK that gives access to the solvers and file system within JijZept AI, enabling integration with AI agents running in users’ local environments. The service will also support quantum programming. Ahead of its official release, JIJ will continue expanding its capabilities to address current mathematical optimization problems while supporting research and development for future applications of quantum technologies.

Scaling Enterprise Deployment of Mathematical Optimization

Across a wide range of industries, companies need to make high-quality planning, allocation, and control decisions under increasingly complex constraints.

JIJ will strengthen its ability to deploy mathematical optimization solutions across more business functions and organizations. By expanding its support beyond research and development projects, the company aims to accelerate the practical adoption of optimization technologies.

Developing Middleware for Gate-Based Quantum Computing

Building on Qamomile and its broader work in quantum software, JIJ is developing infrastructure for gate-based quantum computing.

Putting quantum computing into practical use will require more than advances in algorithms and hardware. It will also require a software layer that connects quantum computers with high-performance computing environments and classical optimization technologies.

JIJ will continue combining cutting-edge research with implementation expertise, strengthening its work on gate-based quantum computing and advancing practical applications of hybrid quantum-classical computing in industry.

Expanding Globally

JIJ established its UK subsidiary, JIJ Europe Ltd., in 2025 and its German subsidiary, JIJ GmbH, in 2026. The company also began scaling its business activities in the United States in 2026.

In Europe, JIJ is working with local partners and research institutions on both practical applications of optimization technologies and research and development projects in quantum technology. Building on a team with diverse nationalities and areas of expertise, JIJ will accelerate its growth across Europe, the United States, and other international markets.

Strengthening Technical and Business Development Teams

JIJ will expand its research and engineering teams across quantum computing, mathematical optimization, and software engineering. It will also strengthen its business development capabilities to connect advanced technologies with industrial challenges and create new business opportunities.

The company will continue recruiting people who can contribute to both advanced research and practical implementation, strengthening the organization needed to bring quantum and mathematical optimization technologies into wider use.

Comment from Yu Yamashiro, Founder and CEO of JIJ

“Since JIJ was founded, we have worked at the intersection of quantum computing and mathematical optimization to address complex challenges across industries. Technologies developed through our research are now being deployed in day-to-day enterprise operations, and we believe this financing reflects confidence in both our technology and our ability to bring it into practice.

JIJ began with my desire to ‘see the future through computation.’ I believe that making complex challenges computable creates better choices and helps society move forward.

With this financing, we will advance our AI-enabled optimization platform and prepare for integration with gate-based quantum computers. By drawing on both mathematical optimization and hybrid quantum-classical computing, we aim to make a greater contribution to solving complex industrial challenges. By combining cutting-edge research with implementation expertise and bridging academia and industry, we will continue to advance our mission: “Making society computable to unlock humanity’s potential.”

Participating Investors

The following investors participated in the financing:

GB-VII & GB-VIII Follow-on Growth Fund Investment Limited Partnership (Follow-on investment)KDDI Open Innovation Fund III (Follow-on investment)ME Innovation Fund L.P. (First-time investment)ANA Future Frontier Fund L.P. (First-time investment)KURONEKO Innovation Fund II L.P. (First-time investment)Fujitsu Ventures Fund LLC (Follow-on investment)

KDDI Open Innovation Fund III, ME Innovation Fund L.P., ANA Future Frontier Fund L.P., and KURONEKO Innovation Fund II L.P. are corporate venture capital funds managed by Global Brain. GB-VII & GB-VIII Follow-on Growth Fund Investment Limited Partnership is Global Brain’s flagship fund. Fujitsu Ventures Fund LLC is a corporate venture capital fund managed by Fujitsu Ventures Limited.

Investor Comments

Yasuhiko Yurimoto, President & CEO, Global Brain Corporation

“We are deeply honored to lead this round once again, following our previous investment. Since our initial investment in 2023, JIJ has established a strong track record of adoption across a wide range of industries, addressing real-world business challenges. JIJ’s technology has also earned high acclaim globally, and we are truly excited to see them leverage this capital to accelerate their expansion both domestically and internationally. Global Brain remains fully committed to supporting JIJ as they rapidly grow as a leading player in the quantum optimization field.”

Shunpei Tatebayashi, General Manager, KDDI Corporation

Investment through KDDI Open Innovation Fund III

“As international competition in quantum technologies continues to intensify, accelerating commercialization and industrial adoption has become a key policy priority in Japan.

Against this backdrop, JIJ Inc. has steadily expanded its business in the field of mathematical optimization since our initial investment. In 2025, KDDI further strengthened its collaboration with JIJ by entering into a strategic partnership focused on the development and commercialization of quantum computing technologies. Quantum technologies are expected to create value across a wide range of industries in the years ahead. By combining JIJ’s quantum optimization technology with KDDI’s AI and quantum computing platform, we aim to accelerate the industrial application of quantum computing and unlock new value across diverse industries.”

Komi Matsubara, Executive Officer (Vice President, Business Innovation), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Investment through ME Innovation Fund L.P.

“JIJ has many talented people with advanced expertise in using quantum technologies for optimization purposes. It is also providing a development environment that enables diverse users to solve complex, real-world business challenges through mathematical optimization. By combining Mitsubishi Electric’s quantum computing technologies with JIJ’s quantum and mathematical optimization platform, we expect to accelerate the development of even more robust solutions for customers.”

Yoshiaki Tsuda, Executive Vice President, Director of Future Creation, ANA HOLDINGS INC.

Investment through ANA Future Frontier Fund L.P.

“ANA operates approximately 1,000 flights a day, dealing with vast amounts of data across various scenarios in our pursuit of optimal operations. When I was previously in charge of flight scheduling, the optimization model we used took an entire night just to process a single scenario, which made daily operations quite challenging.

We decided to make this investment with high expectations that JIJ’s quantum technology-enabled mathematical optimization platform will be widely implemented in society as solutions for such complex planning tasks. While our collaboration has already begun—including the selection of our joint proposal under the Space Strategic Fund—we aim to mutually enhance the corporate value of both companies through the optimization of airline operations.”

Kenji Mori, Manager, Innovation Promotion, Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd.

Investment through KURONEKO Innovation Fund II L.P.

“We made this investment in recognition of JIJ Inc.’s exceptional technological capabilities as a leader in Japan’s quantum annealing research, as well as their end-to-end support—from strategy to implementation—for complex challenges. We expect their technology to play a major role in optimizing the Yamato Group’s business resources. Going forward, we plan to support their growth by sharing our logistics expertise. At the same time, we look forward to exploring various collaborative opportunities—ranging from enhancing frontline operations to optimizing the entire supply chain—as we jointly unlock the potential of quantum technology in logistics.”

Hideaki Yajima, President & CEO, Fujitsu Ventures Limited

Investment through Fujitsu Ventures Fund LLC

“JIJ combines deep expertise in mathematical optimization and quantum technology with the ability to take advanced computing technologies from foundational research and middleware development through to deployment in industrial settings. This breadth of capability sets JIJ apart, even among companies operating globally in the field.

JIJ also holds a distinctive position at the intersection of academia, industry, and technology ecosystems around the world. We believe the company will play an increasingly important role in turning advanced technologies into practical value for industry.

Mathematical optimization and quantum technology are also closely aligned with the Fujitsu Group’s strategic areas of focus. Since our initial investment, collaboration between JIJ and the Fujitsu Group has continued to expand. Through this follow-on investment, we look forward to deepening that relationship and working together to create new value.”

About JIJ

JIJ Inc. develops a quantum- and AI-enabled optimization platform that helps organizations turn complex planning, allocation, scheduling, and control challenges into computable mathematical models and solutions for real-world operations.

Combining mathematical optimization, AI-assisted modeling, and quantum computing technologies, JIJ supports the full optimization lifecycle, from problem formulation and model development through solution execution, deployment, and continuous improvement.

The company has developed more than 60 use cases across manufacturing, transportation, telecommunications, energy, logistics, materials development, and the public sector.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Tokyo, JIJ has teams and entities in Japan, the United Kingdom, and Germany and is expanding its presence in the United States. The company is also active in global quantum industry ecosystems, including Q-STAR, the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC), and UKQuantum.

Website: https://www.j-ij.com/en/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jij-raises-us5-2-million-in-funding-led-by-global-brain-302842000.html

SOURCE JIJ Inc.