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FORT Robotics to Go Public via Business Combination with Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp to Advance the Safety of Physical AI

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Creates the first publicly traded company dedicated principally to safe and scalable deployment of physical AI, as a universal safety layer across the robotics industryBroad adoption across more than 600 customers globally, including robotics developers, robotics users, universities and governments. Customers include Agility Robotics, DoorDash, Cobot, Zoox, Textron, and Google DeepMindHorizontal use across industries including humanoid robotics, warehousing, transportation, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, mining, energy, and defenseRapidly accelerating commercial adoption, with revenue increasing 62% YoY in 2025Received signed commitments to raise over $31 million of common equity in the form of both PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) and NRA (Non Redemption Agreement) investments from new and existing institutional investors, including Tiger Global, Prologis Ventures, and Mark CubanStrong partner network including the strategic collaboration recently announced with NVIDIA Halos for RoboticsEntering this transaction and becoming a public company positions FORT to capitalize on the rapid adoption of robotics and physical AI by accelerating product innovation, global commercial reach, M&A and strategic partnershipsCompany to host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET today. Visit www.fortrobotics.com/investors for more information

PHILADELPHIA and BOSTON, Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FORT Robotics, Inc. (“FORT” or the “Company”), a safety platform developing The Trust layer for Physical AI, and Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp (Nasdaq: NTWO) (“Newbury Street II”), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement (the “Business Combination”) that will result in the combined company becoming a publicly traded company.

Upon closing of the Business Combination, the combined company will be named FORT Robotics Holdings, Inc. and is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) under the new ticker symbol “FROB,” subject to regulatory approvals. The transaction values the combined company at a pro-forma enterprise value of $556.6 million (pre-money equity value of $500.0 million).

Building Trust in Physical AI

FORT Robotics was founded in 2018 and has since become a leading provider of safety solutions across the robotics industry, trusted by more than 600 customers including Agility Robotics, Google DeepMind, Cobot, Zoox, RIVR, Carnegie Robotics, Textron, Forterra, Genie, Ocado, Oxa, DoorDash and many others.  The company is backed by investors including Tiger Global, Mark Cuban Companies, Prologis Ventures, and Five Eleven Partners and recently announced a strategic collaboration with NVIDIA as part of the Halos for Robotics ecosystem. The company grew out of founder and CEO Samuel Reeves’s previous company Humanistic Robotics, which built robots to clear landmines.

FORT’s leadership and board bring deep operating experience from across the robotics and industrial-automation landscape. The post-closing board of directors is expected to include Sally Miller, DHL Supply Chain Global CIO, Jennifer Vescio, former executive at Uber, Vijay Kumar, Dean of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, and Karl Iagnemma, CEO at Vecna Robotics.

FORT’s Trust Layer serves as the foundational safety infrastructure for the next generation of physical AI, enabling autonomous machines from different manufacturers to operate safely alongside humans and within shared environments. The platform, which is backed by 25 patents and has been certified to meet Safety Integrity Level 3 per IEC 61508, is intentionally machine-and application-agnostic, designed to serve as a universal layer of trust across mixed-machine workspaces.

In May 2026, FORT expanded The Trust Layer through the acquisition of Mapless AI, a full-stack, safety-first teleoperation company, adding remote human-in-the-loop control and onboard active safety to FORT’s existing platform.

The Safety Imperative: Unlocking Potential for Robotics

“Physical AI will change the way we work in every industry, and this will be a game changer for workers, organizations and governments worldwide,” said Samuel Reeves, Founder and CEO of FORT Robotics. “However, these new machines come with a completely new and different risk profile, and that must be addressed before autonomous systems can scale. FORT’s mission is to ‘ensure robots cause no harm’ and we are dedicated to pioneering and building a shared framework for trust that robot manufacturers, integrators, end users, regulators, insurers, governments and any other interested party can rely on. How we trust physical AI will be one of the defining questions of our time and answering it will be a key enabler that will move these next generation machines from isolated pilot programs to real, scalable adoption.”

Thomas Bushey, CEO of Newbury Street II, added: “Newbury Street II is proud to partner with FORT, a category-defining platform addressing one of the world’s most complex infrastructure challenges. The robotics revolution is at an inflection point, and we believe FORT’s universal layer of trust can accelerate widespread adoption. We look forward to supporting Samuel and the team as they advance FORT’s horizontal platform for physical AI — as a public company, we believe FORT is well positioned to extend its leadership and create long-term shareholder value.”

Commenting on the commercial momentum of physical AI, Griffin Schroeder, Partner at Tiger Global, said: “As physical AI moves into core industrial infrastructure, safety is paramount. FORT has built a critical, machine-agnostic trust layer that enables enterprise autonomy to scale safely. We are excited to support Samuel and the FORT team as they build on their momentum and enter this next chapter.”

Key Financial & Operational Highlights

Strong Top-Line Momentum: FORT’s 2025 revenue compounded at a 62% year-over-year growth rate, including 91% growth among its mature enterprise accounts (customers spending more than $100,000 annually with FORT,) positioning FORT among the fastest-growing companies in the robotics safety category as the broader physical AI market scales.High-Margin, Capital-Efficient Profile: Maintained resilient standalone gross margins of 66% in 2025 and 70% in 2024, with long-term margin expansion expected as premium software solutions scale. While revenue grew 62% in 2025, operating expenses grew at a much lower 19%, demonstrating the operational leverage inherent in the business. 2025 revenue per employee was $276,000, further demonstrating FORT’s ability to generate momentum while managing costs.De-Risked Customer Ecosystem: Broad diversification across major enterprise verticals has materially reduced single-customer risk, driven by a 3.8x total growth in six-figure customers since 2021 with no single customer representing more than 9% of 2025 revenue.Durable, Compounding Customer Base: Customer cohorts acquired as early as 2019 continue to generate revenue today, with pre-2025 cohorts contributing an estimated 68% of 2025 bookings. The platform is now deployed across more than 19,500 units globally, reflecting deep, sticky customer relationships and low churn central to the investment thesis. Cumulative customers have grown 2.6x and deployed units 3.7x since 2021, and the roughly two dozen mature enterprise accounts grew per-account spend by 27% year-over-year in 2025, reflective of a land-and-expand engine layered on top of the low-churn base.

Transaction Overview

The Business Combination values the combined company at an implied pro forma enterprise value of $556.6 million. The transaction is expected to deliver approximately $201 million in gross transaction proceeds, consisting of cash held in Newbury Street II’s trust account (assuming no redemptions by Newbury Street II’s public shareholders) including approximately $31 million of common equity in the form of both PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) and NRA investment from existing and new institutional investors. The Business Combination is expected to inject approximately $182 million in net cash directly to the balance sheet post-estimated transaction costs (assuming no redemptions by Newbury Street II’s public shareholders). Proceeds from the Business Combination are expected to accelerate product development (including next-generation safety intelligence, observability and cybersecurity software), scale global go-to-market and channel partner efforts, and support targeted, high-synergy tuck-in M&A opportunities.

Existing FORT shareholders will roll 100% of their equity into the Business Combination, retaining an estimated 67% majority ownership stake on an issued and outstanding basis in the combined company at closing, assuming no redemptions.

The boards of directors of both FORT and Newbury Street II have each unanimously approved the Business Combination, subject to, among other things, the approval by Newbury Street II’s shareholders of the Business Combination, the closing of the concurrent PIPE transaction, satisfaction of conditions stated in the definitive agreement and other customary closing conditions, including that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) completes its review of the registration statement on Form S-4 and the proxy statement/prospectus, the receipt of certain regulatory approvals and approval by Nasdaq to list the securities of the combined company. The Business Combination is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Conference Call Information

FORT and Newbury Street II will host an investor conference call to discuss the proposed transaction at 8:30 a.m. ET today, August 18, 2026. Interested parties may access a live webcast of the conference call by visiting https://app.webinar.net/YvJa2qE2Ey0. A replay of the call will also be made available at www.fortrobotics.com/investors and a transcript of the call will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Advisors

BTIG LLC is serving as exclusive financial advisor and sole placement agent to Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP is serving as legal counsel to Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp. Evercore is serving as structuring advisor to FORT Robotics Inc. Fenwick & West LLP is serving as legal counsel to FORT Robotics, Inc. Loeb & Loeb LLP is acting as legal counsel to BTIG LLC. FINN Partners and Collected Strategies are serving as communications advisors.

About FORT Robotics Inc.

FORT Robotics is The Trust Layer for Physical AI, with the charter of making autonomous machines safe, secure, and reliable enough to deploy at scale alongside humans. Partnering with FORT gives robot manufacturers and end users the ability to certify safety, maximize efficiency, AND gain time to market speed.

Since its founding in 2018, FORT has become a leading provider of safety solutions across the robotics industry and used across warehousing, transportation, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, mining, energy, defense, and other industries. FORT has secured 25 patents and deployed more than 19,500 units to a global base of over 600 customers including Fortune 500 category leaders.

More information at www.fortrobotics.com

About Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp

Newbury Street II is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Newbury Street II is led by Chief Executive Officer Thomas Bushey, former President of Ondas (NASDAQ: ONDS), a leading provider of private wireless networks and autonomous robotics platforms for industrial infrastructure.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the Business Combination, Newbury Street II and the Company intend to file the Registration Statement on Form S-4, (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Registration Statement”), with the SEC, which will include a proxy statement to Newbury Street II shareholders and a prospectus for the registration of Newbury Street II’s securities to be issued in connection with the Business Combination. This press release does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the Business Combination and is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the Business Combination. Newbury Street II’s shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read, the Registration Statement and other documents filed in connection with the Business Combination, as these materials will contain important information about the Company, Newbury Street II and the Business Combination. Shareholders may obtain a copy of the Registration Statement, once available, as well as other documents filed by Newbury Street II with the SEC, without charge, at the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov or by directing a written request to Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, 121 High Street, Floor 3, Boston, Massachusetts 02110.

BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF NEWBURY STREET II ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION.

Participants in the Solicitation

Newbury Street II, the Company, and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of their management and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of Newbury Street II’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of certain of Newbury Street II’s executive officers and directors in the solicitation by reading Newbury Street II’s filings with the SEC, including the final prospectus of Newbury Street II dated as of October 31, 2024 and filed by Newbury Street II with the SEC on November 1, 2024 (the “IPO Prospectus”). To the extent that holdings of Newbury Street II’s securities have changed from the amounts reported in the IPO Prospectus, such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Information concerning the interests of Newbury Street II’s and the Company’s participants in the solicitation, which may, in some cases, be different than those of their respective equity holders generally, will be set forth in the Registration Statement relating to the Business Combination when it becomes available.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom.

NEITHER THE SEC NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATORY AGENCY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE BUSINESS COMBINATION DESCRIBED HEREIN, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION OR ANY RELATED TRANSACTIONS OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESS RELEASE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target,” “continue,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict” or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on current expectations and projections about future events. These statements include: projections of market opportunity and market share; estimates of customer adoption rates and usage patterns; projections regarding the Company’s ability to commercialize new products, technologies and industry use cases; projections of development and commercialization costs and timelines; expectations regarding the Company’s ability to execute its business model and the expected financial benefits of such model; expectations regarding the Company’s ability to attract, retain and expand its customer base; the Company’s deployment of proceeds from capital raising transactions; its expectations concerning relationships with strategic partners, suppliers, governments, state-funded entities, regulatory bodies and other third parties; the Company’s ability to maintain, protect and enhance its intellectual property; future ventures or investments in companies, products, services or technologies; development of favorable regulations affecting its markets; the successful consummation and potential benefits of the proposed transaction and expectations related to its terms and timing; and the potential for the Company to increase in value.

These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company and Newbury Street II.

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause the Company or Newbury Street II’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include: that the Company is pursuing an emerging technology, faces significant technical challenges and may not achieve commercialization or market acceptance; Company historical net losses and limited operating history; the Company’s expectations regarding future financial performance, capital requirements and unit economics; Company’s use and reporting of business and operational metrics; the Company’s competitive landscape; the Company’s dependence on members of its senior management and its ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the potential need for additional future financing; the Company’s ability to manage growth and expand its operations; potential future acquisitions or investments in companies, products, services or technologies; the Company’s reliance on strategic partners and other third parties; the Company’s ability to maintain, protect and defend its intellectual property rights; risks associated with privacy, data protection or cybersecurity incidents and related regulations; the use, rate of adoption and regulation of artificial intelligence and machine learning; uncertainty or changes with respect to laws and regulations; uncertainty or changes with respect to taxes, trade conditions and the macroeconomic environment; the combined company’s ability to maintain internal control over financial reporting and operate a public company; the possibility that required regulatory approvals for the proposed transaction are delayed or are not obtained, which could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed transaction; the risk that shareholders of Newbury Street II could elect to have their shares redeemed, leaving the combined company with insufficient cash to execute its business plans; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the business combination agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings or government investigations that may be commenced against the Company or Newbury Street II; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction; the ability of Newbury Street II or the combined company to issue equity or equity-linked securities in connection with the proposed transaction or in the future; and other factors described in Newbury Street II’s filings with the SEC.

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the (i) the IPO Prospectus, (ii) the annual report on Form 10-K filed by Newbury Street II with the SEC on March 6, 2026, (iii) the Registration Statement referenced above when available and other documents filed by Newbury Street II and the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings will identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. There may be additional risks that neither Newbury Street II nor the Company presently knows, or that Newbury Street II and/or the Company currently believe are immaterial, that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. For these reasons, among others, investors and other interested persons are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Past performance by Newbury Street II’s or the Company’s management teams and their respective affiliates is not a guarantee of future performance. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on the historical record of the performance of Newbury Street II’s or the Company’s management teams or businesses associated with them as indicative of future performance of an investment or the returns that Newbury Street II or the Company will, or may, generate going forward. None of the parties nor any of their representatives gives any assurance that any of Newbury Street II, Company, or the combined company will achieve its expectations.

Media Contact

Scott Bisang / David Feldman
FORT-CS@collectedstrategies.com 

Investor Relations Contact

Greg Jawski
fortrobotics-investors@finnpartners.com

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SPJIMR revamps its PGPDM curriculum and programme to create greater impact in the social sector

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MUMBAI, India, Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — India’s social sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Traditional charity-led models are giving way to rights-based development frameworks that are increasingly driven by measurable outcomes, systems thinking, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. The growing influence of social entrepreneurship, impact investing, ESG frameworks, public-private partnerships, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandates is reshaping how social impact is conceived, funded, and delivered.

Recognising these shifts, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) has revamped its Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGPDM) and opened applications for Batch 28 commencing in February 2027.

As India’s only development management programme with the international Triple Crown accreditation of AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS, PGPDM has built a strong legacy of developing leaders who drive meaningful and sustainable change. In May 2026, the programme celebrated the graduation of its Silver Jubilee Batch (Batch 25), marking a significant milestone in its journey. 

PGPDM’s distinctive strength is its diverse cohort. NGO leaders, government officials, UN professionals, social impact consultants and entrepreneurs, and CSR leaders learn together, creating a rich environment for peer learning and cross-sector collaboration.

Professor Tanojkumar Meshram, Chairperson, PGPDM, SPJIMR, believes that the social sector no longer works in isolation. Drawing on his own path, from the Indian civil services to the social sector and academia, Prof. Meshram said, “PGPDM has built a community of passionate and competent social change professionals where practitioners across sectors and thematics don’t just study together; they form the alliances that deepen and/or scale real solutions.”

The revised curriculum strengthens four key pillars: ESG, AI for Development, Social Entrepreneurship and Public Policy. To better support working professionals, the programme has introduced flexible online class schedules and updated evaluation methods. The curriculum also expands its elective offerings, including advanced courses in strategy, data, organisational and financial compliance, reflecting the emerging leadership needs of the social sector.

To further strengthen practice-orientated learning, three new experiential labs focusing on leadership, communication, and professional writing have been introduced, providing participants with opportunities to develop critical managerial and organisational capabilities.

A key addition to the programme is a year-long Social Impact Project that will be undertaken jointly with SPJIMR’s full-time management participants. This interdisciplinary collaboration blends the practical realities of development management with corporate rigour, enabling participants to address complex social challenges through integrated, cross-sector approaches.

The institute is also transitioning to a single annual intake each February, replacing the earlier two-batch model. This will bring together a larger cohort (nearly 100) of development professionals to study and learn on campus, creating greater opportunities for networking, community building, cross-sector collaboration, and most importantly, a stronger platform for sector-wide dialogue and knowledge exchange.

As PGPDM enters its 16th year with Batch 28, its impact is evident in the achievements of its alumni. Graduates have gone on to redesign existing programmes, develop innovative solutions, improve impact measurement within their organisations, establish new social ventures inspired by their learning and peer network, and assume leadership and CXO roles across NGOs, social enterprises, and CSR functions.

As Prof. Meshram puts it, “The programme doesn’t just provide knowledge; it equips professionals with the vision, confidence, and clarity to reimagine development challenges and drive systemic change.”

Admissions for Batch 28 are now open. Eligibility criteria and application details are available on the institute’s website.

For more such news and updates, visit the SPJIMR Newsroom.

 

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Jumio Positioned for Third Consecutive Year as the Leader in the 2026 SPARK Matrix™ for Identity Capture and Verification Solutions

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QKS Group highlights Jumio’s evolution toward identity intelligence, combining global document coverage, advanced biometrics and AI-led fraud detection

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Jumio, the leading provider of AI-powered identity intelligence, today announced that QKS Group has once again positioned the company as the leader in the edition of the SPARK Matrix™: Identity Capture and Verification, 2026 Solutions report. This is Jumio’s third consecutive year receiving this recognition, reflecting its continued expansion beyond point-in-time identity verification to become a world leader in reusable identity.

The QKS Group SPARK Matrix™ evaluates technology vendors based on technology excellence and customer impact, providing analysis of market dynamics, technology trends, vendor capabilities and competitive positioning. Jumio’s 2026 assessment highlights the company’s approach to combining document and biometric verification with broader identity intelligence to help organizations identify sophisticated fraud while supporting secure, scalable digital onboarding.

“Jumio’s positioning in the Identity Capture and Verification market reflects its evolution from point-in-time identity checks toward a broader identity intelligence approach,” said Divya Baranawal, Vice President and principal Analyst at QKS Group. “The company combines automated document verification, advanced biometrics, premium liveness detection, cross-transaction risk analysis, and configurable KYC and AML workflows to help organizations establish trust throughout the digital identity lifecycle.”

Jumio brings these capabilities together through a connected identity intelligence approach that draws on signals across transactions and the customer lifecycle. Its identity graph helps organizations understand relationships between identities and detect patterns that may be missed when transactions are evaluated in isolation, while reusable identity capabilities enable businesses to recognize previously verified, trusted users with less friction.

“Digital trust increasingly depends on understanding identity risk across the entire customer relationship, especially as AI gives fraudsters new ways to scale sophisticated attacks,” said Mark Lorion, CEO of Jumio. “This recognition reflects the breadth of intelligence we’ve built into the Jumio platform and our focus on empowering our customers to make more informed identity decisions, while delivering a frictionless experience for trusted users. Our position as the clear leader for both customer impact and technology excellence clearly demonstrates the real benefits that Jumio delivers for some of the world’s largest and best-known brands.”

The 2026 recognition builds on Jumio’s continued investment in identity intelligence, including capabilities designed to identify cross-transaction fraud and surface new risks after onboarding. Together, these capabilities give organizations a more connected view of identity while supporting KYC and AML requirements across global digital customer journeys.

To learn more about Jumio and its award-winning, AI-powered solutions, visit jumio.com.

About Jumio
Jumio helps organizations to know and trust their customers online. From account opening to ongoing monitoring, the Jumio Platform provides AI-powered identity intelligence anchored in biometric authentication, automation and data-driven insights to accurately establish, maintain and reassert trust.

Leveraging powerful automated technology including biometric screening, AI/machine learning, liveness detection and no-code orchestration with hundreds of data sources, Jumio helps to fight fraud and financial crime, onboard customers faster and meet regulatory compliance including KYC and AML. Jumio has processed more than 1 billion transactions spanning over 200 countries and territories from real-time web and mobile transactions.

Based in Sunnyvale, California, Jumio operates globally with offices and representation in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has been the recipient of numerous awards for innovation. Jumio is backed by Centana Growth Partners, Great Hill Partners and Millennium Technology Value Partners.

For more information, please visit www.jumio.com.

Jumio Media Contacts

U.S. Media Contact
Haleigh Kent-Bryant
10Fold Communications
jumio@10fold.com 
810-516-5486

APAC Media Contact
Luke Nazir
FINN Partners
Luke.Nazir@finnpartners.com 
+65 8139 2504

LATAM Media Contact
Giancarlo Aracena
giancarlo@sentidoscomunicaciones.com
+56 9 7969 5161

About QKS Group
QKS Group is a global analyst and advisory firm helping enterprises, technology vendors, and investors make trusted, data-driven decisions. Our portfolio spans the flagship SPARK Matrix™ evaluation framework, SPARK Plus™ analyst advisory platform, QKS Intelligence™ for market and competitive tracking, and QKS Community™ for CXO leaders and practitioners. All offerings are powered by a Human-Intelligence-driven framework and QKS’s closed-loop research methodology – integrating expert-led insights, quantitative modeling, and continuous validation to deliver credible, outcome-focused intelligence.

For more available research, please visit Research

Media Contacts:
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PR & Media Relations
QKS Group
5th Floor, Wing 2, Cluster C,
EON Free Zone, Kharadi,
Pune, India

Email: support@qksgroup.com 
Content Source: https://qksgroup.com/newsroom/jumio-positioned-for-third-consecutive-year-as-the-leader-in-the-2026-spark-matrix-for-identity-capture-and-verification-solutions-1761 
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2026 TME Chinese Music Impact Summit Held: Music IP and New Growth Paths for the Industry in the AI Era

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MACAO, Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On August 15, 2026, the “2026 TME Chinese Music Impact Summit”, hosted by Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME), was held in Macao, China. Themed “Music IP: Where the Future Grows”, the summit brought together leading figures from across the global music industry for a series of discussions on AI, live music, artists and super fans, jointly exploring the creation, growth, global expansion, and long-term value of music IP in the AI era.

In his opening remarks at the summit, Cussion Kar Shun Pang, Executive Chairman of Tencent Music Entertainment Group, said that AI enables the industry to produce large volumes of content in a short time, which also means high-quality music is becoming scarcer. High-quality music content creation and intellectual property protection are the foundation of the industry, Pang added, noting that TME hopes to work with the industry to develop higher-quality music IP, expand the boundaries of music value, and create new opportunities for industry growth.

The AI Era Calls for a New Copyright Framework to Support the Growth of Music IP

In the AI era, as technology continues to evolve, technological advances are giving music unprecedented distribution efficiency and new tools for creation. Liu Hua, Director of the China Office of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), delivered a video address on “The Flow of Technology: Copyright Protection in the Music Industry in China”.

The first roundtable discussion, themed “Sustaining Great Content: How Can Al Power Long-Term IP Growth?”, brought together Sam Hu, Managing Director, Universal Music China & SVP, Universal Music Greater China; Xin Liu, CEO, Grand Vista Music Group; Denver Chang, Chairman and Music Director, Linfair Records Ltd.; and TC Pan, Group Senior Vice President of TME, President of TME Content Cooperation, TME Distribution and TMELive, and Head of TMEA/TIMA. The panelists discussed what makes great content stand the test of time.

Discussing how AI is reshaping music creation, the panelists agreed that AI should be a tool that supports creators, not a vehicle for infringing on original work. Regardless of how technology evolves, the industry must continue to prioritize high-quality content and develop fairer pricing and payment mechanisms and more equitable value-sharing models, so that works that stand the test of time can continue to generate value.

At a roundtable discussion themed “Music in the Age of Al: New Creativity, New Rules, New Ecosystem”, Zhang Jing, Chief Representative, International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) Beijing Office; Yang Ming, Professor, Peking University School of Law and Executive Vice-Dean of PKU School of Intellectual Property; Kevin Yi, Renowned Lyricist and Music Planner; and Yang Qihu, Vice President and General Counsel, Tencent Music Entertainment Group, further focused the discussion on copyright rules and the creative ecosystem.

They agreed that the industry must both protect the legitimate interests of rights holders and leave room for new technologies to be responsibly integrated into the creative process. They called for rules spanning training inputs, AI-generated outputs and platform governance, built around the principles of “authorization, transparency and compensation”. Through collaborative innovation and shared governance, the industry can move AI music from “unregulated generation” toward “orderly co-creation”.

Deepening Global Collaboration to Expand the Global Reach of Chinese-Language Music IP

The summit also focused on how music IP can extend across live entertainment, artists and fans while expanding into international markets, exploring how China’s music industry can develop distinctive music IP that can connect with global audiences.

As the global live performance market continues to grow, for a show to evolve from a “breakout hit” into a “legendary IP”, it needs a recognizable content core, sustained audience engagement, and the ability to sustain audience engagement and operations beyond the live event itself. In the discussion, Danny Tang, Co-Founder & CEO, Hero Esports, co-organizer of Tomorrowland China, Zhang Chongshuo, Founder & CEO, Sparkle Live Entertainment, and Michael Tseng, Vice President of Content Cooperation and Live Performance Business, Tencent Music Entertainment Group, noted that while lineups can be replicated, the live experience and the emotional value it creates are far harder to replicate — and this is what sustains the long-term vitality of a live show IP.

On the topic of building artist IP, Kubert Leung, Renowned Music Producer and Music Director, Vince Amoroso, SVP and Global Head of Artist Services (Music), THE TEAM, and JINBYJIN, Renowned K-pop producer and Global A&R Executive of Kreation Music Rights (KMR), focused on what cannot be replicated: an artist’s musical identity and personal expression. Originality, innovation, and initiative, combined with an authenticity rooted in genuine personal experience, local culture, and musical language, define the lasting distinctiveness of iconic artists and are central to their ability to resonate with audiences globally.

As social platforms and fan community ecosystems continue to mature, fans are participating more proactively in the distribution, co-creation and monetization of music IP, with “super fans” becoming a core audience for the long-term growth of music IP. During the roundtable discussion, Lee Hak-hee, Vice President, DearU Co., Ltd., a Korean social platform; Dora Jin, Director of the Korean Cooperation Center, Content Co-operation Department, Tencent Music Entertainment Group; and Jane Yang, Director of Product & Operations, QQ Music Commercialization Center, Tencent Music Entertainment Group, agreed that recurring engagement, fan initiative and two-way emotional connection are key characteristics of the super fan ecosystem. Platforms need to help fans build long-term connections with artists, cultivating relationships that progress from awareness and emotional engagement to a sense of belonging and co-creation, thereby retaining high-quality interactive content on the platform over time.

In recent years, streams of Chinese-language music have continued to rise on global platforms, but how to make Chinese-language pop music more widely heard and embraced by international audiences remains a key question for the industry. At the summit, Zhou Shen, Chinese male singer, sat down with Gurjeet Chima, PMC Global VP, Head of International Markets, for a special conversation titled “The Sounds of Mandopop”. Discussing the internationalization of Chinese-language music, the two argued that the first priority is simply to get the music heard rather than repeatedly explain what makes it unique. They also stressed the importance of authentic self-expression, local cultural identity and working with teams that genuinely understand international markets, helping Chinese-language music develop a clear voice for global audiences.

In a special awards presentation at the close of the summit, Tencent Music Entertainment presented annual honors to nearly 40 partners that had worked with TME over the past year to advance music content and IP development. The awards recognized and thanked the partners for their sustained efforts to support the creation and distribution of high-quality music content. Among them, Linfair Records, Hikoon Music Group, Warner Records, Universal Music, Media Asia Music, JVR Music, Grand Vista Music Group, TF Entertainment, SM Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Taihe Music Group, and Emperor Entertainment Group received the “Outstanding Content Partner of the Year” honor; Elephant Music Group, Rock Forward Entertainment, Enlight Media, Rock Records, Haixi Music, Stellar, HUACE MUSIC, UEC, miHoYo, SNH48, StreetVoice, YH Entertainment Group, and DMG received the “Pioneering IP Innovation Partner of the Year” honor; Apple Music, Believe, Aimei Film and Television, Chunyu Film and Television, DearU, DouYu, Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), HIM International Music, Jiangsu Satellite TV, SY Music, XiXi Pictures, B’in Music, and Zhejiang Satellite TV received the “Outstanding Music Ecosystem Partner of the Year” honor.

As the rise of AI intersects with globalization, the value of music IP is being reassessed. Going forward, Tencent Music Entertainment Group will continue to provide an open, pragmatic platform for industry dialogue, foster consensus among stakeholders, and work with industry partners to unlock the long-term value of Chinese music IP in global markets, moving together toward a future of “borderless IP”.

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SOURCE Tencent Music Entertainment Group

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