Statewide initiative engaged more than 300 applicants and 17 finalists from across North Carolina, awarding $60,000 in startup funding through the N.C. Community College System’s Small Business Center Network

RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — After a rigorous, months-long training and pitch competition, the North Carolina Small Business Center Network (SBCN) announced Rinse-A-Poo, Victorious Wellness, and The Gilded Lantern as the first-, second- and third-place winners, respectively, of the state’s inaugural SBCN Startup Showdown.

This statewide entrepreneurship accelerator brought together 17 finalists competing for a share of $60,000 in unrestricted startup funding. The process included intensive business training and coaching, a “Shark Tank”-style Pitch Day event, public voting, and evaluation by a panel of business and entrepreneurship leaders.

The winners were announced during an invite-only awards celebration in Raleigh, N.C., on Sept. 17, attended by Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt, N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) Acting President and CEO Dr. Monty Sullivan, and other state and local leaders.

The SBCN is one of the nation’s largest state-funded small business assistance programs, operating through all 58 North Carolina community colleges and serving all 100 counties. The Startup Showdown – the first statewide entrepreneurship accelerator of its kind launched through the state’s 58 community college Small Business Centers – was made possible through funding by the Wells Fargo Foundation and the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation.

“Entrepreneurs are driving innovation and economic growth in communities across North Carolina, and we’re proud to support programs that help turn promising ideas into thriving businesses,” said Juan Austin, senior vice president of philanthropy and community impact at Wells Fargo. “The Startup Showdown is creating new opportunities for founders to access capital, guidance and networks that can help accelerate their success and strengthen local economies.”

First-place ($30,000) winner Dan Spangler, founder of Rinse-A-Poo, received support through the Coastal Carolina Community College Small Business Center. Spangler said Thursday that the Startup Showdown experience has already helped him build valuable connections across the state and prepare his business for its next stage of growth.

“The Startup Showdown was worth every hour I put into it. The coaching sharpened my pitch, but the real value was the ‘room.’ Between the instructors and the other cohort members, I got asked questions that made my product better,” said Spangler. “Taking first place means more than the check, though the check matters. That funding gets Rinse-A-Poo from prototype to production, into the hands of the kennel and daycare operators who have been asking when they can buy one.”

He added: “I ran a pet resort for 14 years and built this because I lived the problem. At Rinse-A-Poo, we take care of the dirty work.”

Second-place ($20,000) winner Victoria Gadbois of Victorious Wellness, supported by the Wilkes Community College Small Business Center, is building a holistic women’s wellness concept designed to bring personalized care, restoration, education and connection together in one welcoming environment.

Third-place ($10,000) winner Phil McNutt of The Gilded Lantern Co., supported by the Montgomery Community College Small Business Center, is developing a mobile mystery adventure experience designed to bring immersive team-building and shared experiences directly to businesses, organizations and communities.

Finalists were evaluated on multiple business criteria throughout the competition and were required to successfully complete the REAL Entrepreneurship® Pitch It! course, facilitated by local community college leaders. The competition also included a public voting period conducted via YouTube from Sept. 1-15.

In total, the competition attracted more than 300 applicants from across North Carolina, generating 1,050 hours of pre-application counseling and technical assistance through the SBCN. The competition also engaged communities statewide, with finalists’ pitch videos generating more than 41,000 views and 9,300 votes during the public voting period. The $60,000 in unrestricted funding will now help the three winners advance their next stages of business development.

“Dan came into the Startup Showdown as a seasoned entrepreneur, but what impressed me most was his willingness to listen, be challenged and continue learning,” said April Priester, director of the Small Business Center at Coastal Carolina Community College. “Dan understood that even experienced entrepreneurs benefit from having someone in their corner who can challenge their thinking and offer a different perspective. I am incredibly proud of what he accomplished, and his success demonstrates the value Small Business Center support can bring at every stage of an entrepreneur’s journey.”

Thursday’s awards celebration marked the culmination of the Startup Showdown, but the work continues through Small Business Centers across North Carolina, where entrepreneurs can access ongoing counseling, training and resources to help start and grow their businesses.

“We’re proud to support these entrepreneurs as they take their next steps, and we’re excited to build on this model in the years ahead,” said Anne Shaw, director, Small Business Center Network. “The Startup Showdown has demonstrated what’s possible when we bring together the statewide reach of our Small Business Centers with training, counseling, mentorship and resources that help entrepreneurs turn ideas into sustainable businesses and create economic opportunity in their communities.”

The SBCN resides within NCCCS’s Economic Development Division, which also oversees key initiatives such as NCEdge, the state’s primary customized workforce training program, along with ApprenticeshipNC, and N.C. BioNetwork.

About Small Business Center Network

The North Carolina Small Business Center Network (SBCN) is one of the nation’s largest state-funded small business assistance programs, operating through all 58 North Carolina community colleges. Through confidential business counseling, practical training, technical assistance and resource connections, SBCN helps aspiring and existing entrepreneurs start, grow and sustain successful businesses. By empowering small business owners in communities across the state, the Network plays a vital role in fostering innovation, creating jobs and strengthening North Carolina’s economy.

About the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS)

The North Carolina Community College System is a network of 58 community colleges created to improve the quality of life across North Carolina by opening the door to opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education, maximize student success, and develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce. The Community College System’s Economic Development Division provides education, training, and support services for new, expanding and existing business and industry across all 100 North Carolina counties.

About the North Carolina Community College Foundation

The North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation (the Foundation) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 1986 to support the mission of the N.C. Community College System. The Foundation is governed by a diverse board of directors who, together with the executive director, steward the endowment; raise awareness and funds to develop and advance the System; manage several scholarship and award programs that honor excellence, and support public-private partnership programs that foster innovation. Going forward, the Foundation will lead a national campaign to drive more student, college, employer, and system success; and deliver more community, economic, and workforce development value for the state.

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SOURCE North Carolina Community College System

Travellers can now book Twiliner, Europe’s first night bus with lie-flat seats, via Omio on selected European routes

BERLIN, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Omio, the leading global multimodal travel booking platform, has added Twiliner to its platform, giving travellers access to a new premium overnight bus experience across Europe.

Twiliner is designed for travellers who want to make better use of the night: boarding in the city centre in the evening, sleeping through the journey, and waking up in a new city the next morning. With fully lie-flat seats, bedding, onboard Wi-Fi and thoughtful amenities, the service brings a comfort-led alternative to overnight travel for customers looking to avoid airport stress, reduce overnight hotel needs, or travel on routes where convenient night-train options may be limited.

The partnership expands the range of overnight and multimodal travel options available through Omio, making it easier for customers to compare and book premium night bus journeys alongside other transport options in one place.

At launch on Omio, travellers can book Twiliner services on two European routes:

Amsterdam – Rotterdam – Brussels – Luxembourg – Basel – ZurichBarcelona – Girona – Bern – Zurich

Twiliner currently operates almost daily departures on its two routes and has announced plans to expand its network in the coming years, aiming to connect around 30 European destinations.

On board, the experience is designed around rest and convenience, with personal space, charging, a reading light, fold-out table, storage, access to a spacious restroom and separate changing room, complimentary coffee and water, luggage allowance, and an onboard snack bar.

Facundo Viguie Aleman, CMO at Omio, said:
“Travellers are looking for more choice in how they move across Europe, especially when it comes to comfortable, low-stress overnight journeys. By adding Twiliner to Omio, we are making it easier for customers to discover and book a premium night bus experience that helps them travel while they sleep and arrive ready for the day ahead.”

Luca Bortolani, CEO at Twiliner:
“We built Twiliner on a simple idea: overnight travel across Europe can be comfortable enough that you don’t have to choose between resting and getting somewhere. But no single operator can make sustainable travel the obvious choice on its own; it takes an ecosystem of partners working together. Being part of Omio means more travellers discover that option exactly when they’re comparing how to get from A to B, and can choose to arrive rested instead of rushed.”

The integration reflects Omio’s continued focus on expanding high-quality travel supply across modes, borders and operators. With more than 3,000 transport providers across more than 50 countries, Omio helps travellers compare options and find their best way to get from A to B – whether by train, bus, flight or ferry.

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Hyperscale Data Also Declares Monthly Cash Dividend of $0.20833 per Share of 10.00% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hyperscale Data, Inc. (NYSE American: GPUS), an artificial intelligence (“AI”) data center company anchored by Bitcoin (“Hyperscale Data” or the “Company”), today announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has declared a monthly cash dividend of $0.2708333 per share of the Company’s outstanding 13.00% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock.

Link to NYSE quote for the Company’s 13.00% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock:  https://www.nyse.com/quote/XASE:GPUSpD

The Company also announced today that the Board has declared a monthly cash dividend of $0.20833 per share of the Company’s outstanding 10.00% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock.

The record date for both dividends is September 30, 2026, and the payment date is Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

For more information on Hyperscale Data and its subsidiaries, Hyperscale Data recommends that stockholders, investors, and any other interested parties read Hyperscale Data’s public filings and press releases available under the Investor Relations section at hyperscaledata.com or available at www.sec.gov.

About Hyperscale Data, Inc.

Through its wholly owned subsidiary Sentinum, Inc., Hyperscale Data owns and operates a data center at which it offers colocation and hosting services for the emerging AI ecosystems and other industries. Another of Hyperscale Data’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Ault Capital Group, Inc. (“ACG”), is a hybrid private equity firm and operating company that acquires, finances, builds and actively manages businesses across financial services, digital assets, industrial services, hospitality, defense technologies and other sectors.

Hyperscale Data currently expects the divestiture of ACG (the “Divestiture”) to occur in 2027. Upon the occurrence of the Divestiture, the Company would be an owner and operator of data centers to support high-performance computing services, as well as a holder of the digital assets and the third wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, Omnipresent Robotics, LLC. Until the Divestiture occurs, the Company will continue to provide, through ACG and its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including an AI software platform, equipment rental services, defense/aerospace, industrial, automotive and hotel operations. In addition, ACG is actively engaged in private credit and structured finance through Ault Lending, LLC, a licensed lending subsidiary. Hyperscale Data’s headquarters are located at 11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 190, Las Vegas, NV 89141.

On December 23, 2024, the Company issued one million (1,000,000) shares of a newly designated Series F Exchangeable Preferred Stock (the “Series F Preferred Stock”) to all common stockholders and holders of the Series C Preferred Stock on an as-converted basis. The Divestiture will occur through the voluntary exchange of the Series F Preferred Stock for shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock of ACG (collectively, the “ACG Shares”). The Company reminds its stockholders that only those holders of the Series F Preferred Stock who agree to surrender such shares, and do not properly withdraw such surrender, in the exchange offer through which the Divestiture will occur, will be entitled to receive the ACG Shares and consequently be shareholders of ACG upon the occurrence of the Divestiture.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “potential,” or similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors. More information, including potential risk factors, that could affect the Company’s business and financial results are included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Company’s Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8- K. All filings are available at www.sec.gov and on the Company’s website at hyperscaledata.com.

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SOURCE Hyperscale Data Inc.