Starting September 19, fans can compete in new events across both mobile apps, giving them a chance to see the iconic mascots — Duo and Spike — in new settingsBrawl Stars introduces a new 20v1 Boss Fight, giving players the chance to take on increasingly powerful versions of DuoDuolingo launches a streak-based Quest, allowing learners to unlock exclusive rewards, including Spike

HELSINKI, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, hit mobile game Brawl Stars and the world’s leading mobile learning platform Duolingo debuted a global in-app face-off that brings the beloved green mascots — the Duo Owl and Spike — into each other’s worlds. From September 19 through September 30, Duo takes over Starr Park while Spike turns up inside Duolingo’s lessons, with new events and exclusive rewards.

The announcement follows weeks of the two trading jabs in the comments, a feud that spilled into the streets and the skies. It comes down to two green mascots fighting for the same thing: players’ time. Now the rivalry moves into both apps, putting the fight between Duo and Spike in fans’ hands.

Duo Takes Over Starr Park
Duo arrives in Starr Park as the game’s latest boss, inviting players into class to teach them a lesson… whether they asked for one or not.

Boss Fight: For the first time, players can team up in a 20v1 Boss Fight game mode set inside Duo’s classroom. Players will have to work together to take down increasingly powerful versions of Duo while completing quizzes: those who answer correctly are rewarded, and those who answer incorrectly take damage or are eliminated.Daily Assignments: Alongside the Boss Fight, players can take part in a community-wide event to earn exclusive collaboration rewards. Step into Duo’s classroom to complete a lesson each day, then pass the final exam on the last day to unlock a reward. Misbehave, and detention awaits.

Spike Invades Duo’s Classroom
Spike doesn’t have Duo’s way with words, but he has other ways of encouraging learners to keep their streaks. As Duo wreaks havoc in Starr Park, Spike crosses over into Duolingo, where learners can complete lessons as part of a special limited-time Quest and unlock exclusive rewards along the way.

Streak-Based Quest: Complete daily Duolingo lessons to progress through a special limited-time Quest, giving learners another reason to keep their streaks going while unlocking exclusive crossover rewards.Crossover Rewards: Duo may be taking over Starr Park, but Spike is making himself at home in Duolingo. Learners who finish the challenge unlock Spike in Brawl Stars.

Players can download Brawl Stars on the App Store and Google Play, and Duolingo on the App Store and Google Play to take part in the in-app events.

About Brawl Stars:
Brawl Stars is a fast-paced, team-based mobile game from Supercell where players battle across a variety of maps and game modes, each designed for quick, action-packed play. Featuring a colorful cast of Brawlers with unique abilities, the game has surpassed one billion lifetime downloads since its global launch in 2018, building a passionate worldwide community. Constantly evolving with new characters, features, and ways to play, Brawl Stars continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in mobile gaming.

About Duolingo:
Duolingo is the leading mobile learning platform globally. Its flagship app has organically become the world’s most popular way to learn languages and the top-grossing app in the Education category on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. With technology at the core of everything it does, Duolingo has consistently invested to provide learners a fun, engaging, and effective learning experience while remaining committed to its mission to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available.

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SOURCE Supercell

European clients increasingly rely on mobile treasury tools, with payment volumes rising 25% in the first seven months of 2026

Mobile treasury usage has reached mainstream adoption across Europe.Clients increasingly view security and convenience as complementary, not competing, priorities.Direct client feedback continues to guide enhancements to the CashPro® App.

LONDON and BARCELONA, Spain, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — European companies are increasingly turning to Bank of America’s CashPro App to manage time-sensitive treasury tasks. In the first seven months of 2026, clients in the region used the app to approve more than €100 billion in payments, as transaction volume rose 25% and payment value increased 21%[1].

The shift reflects how mobile access is becoming embedded in corporate treasury workflows, particularly for secure authentication and payment approvals. Bank of America has continued to expand the app’s functionality and simplify its design so treasury teams can complete more tasks securely from a mobile device.

Mobile becomes the preferred way to access CashPro
CashPro mobile token, Bank of America’s mobile authentication solution, replaces the need for a physical token. Together with biometrics, QR Sign-In and push authentication, it enables corporate treasury users to access CashPro and approve transactions securely from their mobile devices.

Across Europe, 74% of CashPro users now choose a CashPro mobile token as their preferred way to authenticate and access the platform, underscoring the growing role of the app in day-to-day treasury management.

“Mobile is an integral part of the daily treasury workflow, giving clients the flexibility to manage critical tasks securely wherever they are,” said Matthew Davies, head of Global Payments Solutions EMEA at Bank of America. “The fact that 74% of CashPro users in Europe now choose the app as their preferred security token demonstrates how firmly mobile has become embedded in day-to-day treasury and cash management.”

Client feedback shapes the payment approval experience
As clients conduct more business through the app, Bank of America recently enhanced the payment approval experience to provide greater visibility into payment details and make approvals more efficient.

The updates were informed by direct input from clients, including those who participate in the bank’s CashPro Boards.

“Moving from a physical token to the CashPro App was a natural step for us,” said Kunwarjit Singh Suri, EMEA Controller at F5 Limited and a member of the bank’s UK CashPro Board. “It gives us the security we need while making it easier to review and approve transactions wherever we are. The new payment approval process is another nice touch making it easier for us to review and approve payments.”

Extending secure mobile access
Bank of America is developing new digital identity verification capabilities for corporate administrators, building on the app’s cybersecurity protections and patented integrated mobile token.

“Clients around the globe have embraced mobile and continue to ask us to expand what they can accomplish through the app,” said Heath Bergman, CashPro App Product Executive at Bank of America. “Their feedback is helping shape our investment as we extend secure mobile access to more treasury workflows.”

Frequently asked questions
Question: What is CashPro?
Answer: CashPro is Bank of America’s flagship digital platform used by more than 35,000 companies around the globe to manage and monitor their payments, deposits, loans and trade transactions. Through a single, unified experience, CashPro connects companies and institutions to one of the world’s largest banking networks – helping them move faster, operate with greater control, and make smarter cash and liquidity decisions globally.

Question: How does CashPro compare against peer offerings?
Answer: For four consecutive years, the CashPro App has been the No. 1 ranked mobile application according to Coalition Greenwich. The broader CashPro platform has also been ranked:

No. 1 (tied) – Overall Leadership in Digital Channels, fourth consecutive yearNo. 1 – Online Portal OverallNo. 1 – Host-to-Host (tied)No. 2 – TMS and ERP integrations

Question: Does CashPro use AI technology?
Answer: Yes. CashPro uses AI technology in the following ways:

CashPro Chat is a virtual assistant built with Bank of America’s AI-driven Erica technology. Clients use the tool to access account information, for transaction tracking and service resolution.CashPro Capital Markets Insights uses an AI-driven algorithm leveraging market variables that produces a TED score – an objective way to quantify the macro backdrop that clients, the debt issuers, are faced with prior to deciding the viability of an investment-grade issuance on a given day.CashPro Forecasting is an AI-driven data intelligence tool that automatically integrates account data and applies machine learning to analyze global cash positions, generate accurate forecasts, and deliver actionable insights—all within minutes.

Question: What is the CashPro Board?
Answer: CashPro Boards are client advisory groups made up of CashPro users from different client segments and geographic regions. Their purpose is to provide feedback that helps shape the future of CashPro development, investment priorities, and user experience.

Question: What is coming to the CashPro App?
Answer: A new digital identity verification experience for corporate administrators is in development. The update will build on the app’s inherent cybersecurity protections and patented integrated mobile token.

Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 69 million clients with approximately 3,500 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 60 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. As the #1 small business lender in the United States (FDIC), Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries and/or jurisdictions. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

Reporters may contact

Megan Pearson, Bank of America
Phone: +44 207 995 6977
megan.n.pearson@bofa.com 

1 Same Period Previous Year (SPPY)

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LONDON, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Confidence in alternative data budgets has reached its highest level in 3 years, with 97% of data buyers expecting their spend to increase or hold steady over the next 12 months, according to Neudata’s new industry report, The Future of Alternative and Market Data 2026. Now in its third year, the survey tracks how investment firms are budgeting for alternative and market data, adopting AI tools and navigating a fast-changing vendor landscape.

The report is based on 191 responses from data providers and buyers globally – Neudata’s largest sample to date, with responses from quant, multi-strategy, discretionary and macro funds, as well as AI research labs. 60% of buyer respondents manage over $1bn in assets.

Key findings from the report include:

Budget optimism reaches a 3-year high – 97% of data buyers expect their alternative data spend to increase or hold steady in the year ahead, up from 89% last year, the strongest confidence Neudata has recorded in 3years of the survey.AI returns are showing up in efficiency more than performance – 56% of buyers said their firm has measured a tangible return from AI deployment over the past 12 months. Efficiency gains were the most commonly cited form, at 41%, against 17% who credited AI with improving investment performance.MCP access is widely offered but pricing has yet to stabilise – 44% of data providers said they offer access via Model Context Protocol (MCP), and over half of those charge no additional fee.Views on AI’s effect on data quality are divided – 33% of buyers reported a deterioration in the quality of their data sources over the past 1-2 years, and opinion is split on whether AI-generated content is to blame.Signal strength remains the deciding factor – 39% of buyers said the main reason a trial does not lead to a purchase is that the dataset showed no discernible signal, ahead of price at 25%.

Rado Lipuš, CEO and founder of Neudata, commented: “3 years of running this survey show a market with continued confidence in the value of alternative and market data. What’s changing is AI’s role in reshaping that market. Efficiency gains are already well established. What comes next, and what we’re only seeing early signs of, is how AI affects data quality, pricing and whether it can improve investment performance.”

The 2026 edition of The Future of Alternative and Market Data provides essential intelligence for hedge funds, asset managers, data providers and financial institutions navigating spending decisions, AI adoption and vendor strategy over the year ahead.

Download the full report here > 

Suggested citation: Neudata’s The Future of Alternative and Market Data report (2026) n=191.

About Neudata

Neudata is an independent alternative and market data intelligence platform that helps institutional investors discover, evaluate and source datasets from third-party providers. For over 10 years, Neudata has provided unbiased research to hedge funds and asset managers, connecting them with data providers through its Scout and Ranger platforms, as well as its global events and 1-to-1 networking programme (AltDating). Neudata also supports corporates with consulting services to help assess, monetise and position their data effectively in the market. For more information, visit www.neudata.co

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SOURCE Neudata