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IFS Capital Launches Regional Technology Financing Programme

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IFS Capital Limited (“IFS Capital”) today launched a regional technology financing programme that enables businesses in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand to fund their technology investment, including hardware, software and services, under a single facility. The programme launches in partnership with a leading global technology provider, whose customers and channel partners across the four markets can now access IFS Capital’s financing when purchasing its solutions.

A key feature of the programme is its coverage of software and services alongside equipment. As enterprise technology spend increasingly shifts towards these non-hardware elements, traditional asset financing, which is built around physical equipment, does not fully meet the needs of businesses. With these elements brought into a single facility, businesses can finance the full scope of a technology project rather than just the hardware. This preserves working capital for other priorities such as inventory, hiring and expansion.

The programme is established through an agreement between IFS Capital and the technology provider’s regional financing arm, setting out a common financing framework across the four markets. Under the framework, the technology provider and its authorised channel partners may introduce eligible businesses to IFS Capital for financing, subject to IFS Capital’s assessment. The programme draws on IFS Capital’s 39 years of financing experience and its operations in each of the four markets.

“The question for many businesses today is often not whether to invest in technology but how to fund it without tying up capital they need elsewhere. This programme gives them greater flexibility by covering the full scope of a project: not just the hardware, but also the software and services. This combination, offered in a single facility, is where we think we can be genuinely useful to technology partners and the businesses they serve across the region,” said Randy Sim, Group CEO, IFS Capital. 

About IFS Capital
IFS Capital Limited is a specialist financial institution providing private credit origination, insurance, and asset management services to SMEs, consumers, and investors across Asia. We operate through offices in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong (SAR). Incorporated in Singapore in 1987 and listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange since 1993, IFS Capital is part of the PhillipCapital Group.

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SOURCE IFS Capital Limited

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Hanwha recognized on Fast Company’s 2026 Next Big Things in Tech list

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SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recognition honors EnergyFluo™, an agentic AI energy management system that orchestrates power from multiple sources, inclusive of grid, battery storage and on-site generation, and optimizes facility load so data centers can flexibly run more IT capacity within the power they already have.

Hanwha announced that EnergyFluo™, an agentic AI Energy Management System (EMS) engineered by TransGrid Energy, a Hanwha Group company, has been named to Fast Company’s 2026 Next Big Things in Tech, an annual list recognizing breakthrough technologies driving meaningful innovation and shaping the future of technology.

Hanwha was selected in the Applied AI category for its innovative new product designed to help data centers and large-load facilities navigate increasingly complex power environments. Using agentic AI, physics-based equipment models, and digitized operating procedures, EnergyFluo™ analyzes real-time data across power generation, battery storage, cooling, and IT loads to help operators optimize energy use, with targeted operational cost savings of 5% to 25% depending on site configuration. Human operators remain in control of critical decisions, and the technology behind the system was among the first AI-enabled products globally to receive certification under UL 3115, the Outline of Investigation for Safety of AI-Based Products, in March 2026.

Fast Company highlighted EnergyFluo™’s machine learning and large language model (LLM)-driven capability to autonomously monitor data center operations, analyze potential causes of issues, and determine how to respond to optimize power consumption. It also pointed to Prime Group’s adoption of the technology for a nationwide deployment of edge data centers as an example of its real-world application.

“Data centers have become some of the most complex energy systems on the grid, and they can no longer be managed one site at a time,” said Dr. Youngchoon Park, CEO of TransGrid Energy. “EnergyFluo™ orchestrates grid, storage and on-site generation as one system and optimizes the load behind them, so operators can put more megawatts to work for IT and run their entire fleet from one intelligent view.”

Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech recognizes innovative technologies developed by established companies, startups, and research teams that are making meaningful progress toward transforming the lives of consumers, businesses, and society. This year’s honorees span industries, with each innovation demonstrating the potential to create significant impact in the years ahead.

 “The most exciting technology innovations are the ones that move beyond promise to demonstrate real potential for impact,” said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “The companies and teams recognized on this year’s list are tackling ambitious problems with new ideas, products, and approaches that have the potential to fundamentally shape the years ahead.”

For more information or to view the complete list, visit: Fast Company’s 2026 Next Big Things in Tech

About Hanwha

Hanwha is South Korea’s fifth-largest business group, with innovative businesses in aerospace & defense, energy & maritime solutions, finance, and tech & life solutions. As a multinational company with a robust global network of affiliates, Hanwha designs, builds, and operates foundational systems that secure societies, strengthen industries, and drive future resilience. Through continuous investment in technology, talent, and trusted partnerships, Hanwha delivers integrated solutions that enable sustainable growth and create long-term value for industries and communities.

For more information, visit: www.hanwha.com

About TransGrid Energy

TransGrid Energy is an energy infrastructure platform advancing the transition from traditional independent power producer models to AI-enabled, data-driven energy systems. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hanwha FutureProof, TransGrid develops, owns, and operates grid-connected generation, battery storage, and distributed energy resources while integrating Grid & Energy Services technology to optimize performance, reliability, and value across the asset lifecycle.

TransGrid is building a scalable platform that connects physical energy infrastructure with software intelligence to support utility-scale, distributed, and behind-the-meter energy applications. As a member company of Hanwha Group, a global leader in renewable energy solutions, TransGrid combines deep energy expertise, proven project execution capabilities, and significant capital to support the evolving energy needs of its customers.

For more information, visit: transgridenergy.com

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc.

For more information, visit: fastcompany.com

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SOURCE Hanwha

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Agoda Partners with Marina Bay Sands on Bespoke Flagship Store for Experience-Led Travel

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The custom digital storefront brings together Marina Bay Sands’ rooms, suites and resort experiences, expanding visibility across Agoda’s booking journey

SINGAPORE, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Digital travel platform Agoda has partnered with Singapore’s landmark integrated resort, Marina Bay Sands to unveil a bespoke Marina Bay Sands Flagship Store on the Agoda platform. The customized luxury digital storefront brings together Marina Bay Sands’ rooms, suites, and select resort experiences, allowing travelers to explore and book them seamlessly in one place.

As the first custom flagship store dedicated to a single property, the storefront features rooms and suites from Marina Bay Sands’ Paiza Collection and Sands Collection, alongside select in-resort experiences. Through rich visual storytelling and editorial content, travelers can explore how the resort’s accommodation and wider dining, entertainment and cultural offerings can complement their stay.

Available in multiple languages including Japanese and Korean, the Flagship Store is designed to engage travelers across Asia Pacific and support them throughout their journey from discovery to booking.

Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President, Supply at Agoda remarked, “Marina Bay Sands and Agoda’s collaboration offers travelers a richer travel perspective through seamless planning. Travelers often start with the experience they might have first seen on social media, whether that is a restaurant, a theatre show, or a cultural activity and then look for the stay that brings the trip together. Reducing friction in travel planning encourages more travel and helps position our partners’ at pivotal moments that influence booking decisions.”

A new generation of high-intent travelers are increasingly influencing luxury travel, with customized and personalized vacations accounting for over a third of global luxury travel spend, as reported by Strategic Market Research. Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook Report points to a similar pattern emerging across Asia, where surveyed travelers are increasingly planning trips around the experiences they want to have, including culinary experiences at 31%, followed by cultural exploration at 25%.

The Agoda Flagship Store is a multichannel marketing solution that enables hospitality brands to tell their stories, foster customer loyalty and support revenue growth. Through its dedicated storefront, Marina Bay Sands will gain a targeted presence from the early stages of travel discovery and consideration. Agoda supports the initiative with homepage visibility and branded search placements through its Connected Ecosystem feature, which allows seamless store entry throughout the traveler journey – from discovery to booking.

Travelers can explore the Marina Bay Sands Flagship Store on Agoda here.

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SOURCE Agoda

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Unprecedented Fish Sound Recordings Presented to the Library of Congress at Voices of the Ocean’s Convening to Inspire Ocean Regeneration

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On October 6, 2026, Wave and Conservation Nation convened over 300 ocean leaders, scientists, innovators, conservationists and ocean-lovers at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., for Voices of the Ocean—an immersive evening celebrating the discoveries, ideas and people shaping the future of our ocean.

The evening included an unprecedented moment when FishEye Collaborative presented a collection of fish sounds from Hawai’i’s coral reefs to the Library of Congress. The recordings represent the largest publicly accessible natural sound collection of fish species from the United States and from across the Pacific Ocean, to join the Library’s historic inclusion of the original “Songs of the Humpback Whale” recordings.

Opening the evening via video-link, Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Founder of Wave, said: “It is especially meaningful that we have gathered here to celebrate those who are dedicating their lives to understanding and protecting our ocean, and to amplify the ideas, discoveries and solutions that can help secure a healthy, thriving ocean for generations to come.”

Doro Bush Koch, Co-founder of Conservation Nation, said: “What brought us together tonight is a shared love of the ocean and a belief that we can do something meaningful to protect it.”

In the historic Coolidge Auditorium, the program featured guests from the depths of the ocean to the frontiers of marine science and innovation. Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, esteemed marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer and founder of Mission Blue, spoke about the power of exploration, conservation and collective action.

Wave Chief Scientist Professor Carlos Duarte explored the ocean’s next frontier, examining how marine life is unlocking new possibilities for medicine and human health. Peabody Awardwinning science journalist Lulu Miller shared the remarkable story of a whale calf birth, accompanied by footage revealing the extraordinary communal behaviors of marine life.

Internationally bestselling author Sy Montgomery invited guests to see the ocean through a different lens, bringing the character, intelligence and spirit of marine animals to life.

The evening opened with a cinematic celebration of the ocean, featuring extraordinary footage by ocean filmmaker Matthew David Kaplan set to an original score by Alex Lustig. The program culminated in an immersive cinematic journey created by the next generation of ocean storytellers—filmmakers, photographers and marine biologists—accompanied by a live orchestra performance.

From Ocean Ideas to Ocean Innovation
The evening continued in the Library of Congress’ Great Hall, where guests met the founders behind a new generation of ocean solutions.

Among them were Coastal Assembly, a public benefit corporation working to grow the world’s coastlines; Coral Vita, pioneering new approaches to coral restoration; FishEye Collaborative, a conservation technology nonprofit using acoustic monitoring to help protect coral reefs and nearshore habitats; GRoW Reefs, developing reef-building products designed to accelerate native oyster reef restoration; and Room 71, an innovation studio at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution focused on advancing solutions emerging from ocean science and exploration.

Giving the Ocean a Voice
In the Great Hall, the presentation of fish sounds to the Library included new discoveries for these species. These recordings stand at the frontier of listening to animals and represent a mere glimpse of the myriad voices still to be discovered in the world’s oceans. In 2010, the Library of Congress honored the 1970 “Songs of the Humpback Whale,” recording that changed how Americans see the ocean. Today, by adding the first fish sounds to the Library’s archives, the hope is that ocean voices will be valued, kept safe, and available to the world for study and wonder.

Voices of the Ocean brought together many perspectives, disciplines and generations around one shared message: the ocean’s future depends on our ability to listen, learn, collaborate and act.

About Wave
Founded by HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Wave is a Collective Action Platform dedicated to restoring a thriving ocean by 2050. Powered by the Future Investment Initiative Institute and in partnership with the Ministry of Energy, Wave strives towards the ambitious yet attainable goal of Ocean Regeneration within a Human Generation.

For more information, visit thewave.global

About Conservation Nation
Conservation Nation is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the conservation movement by funding and supporting a diverse group of conservationists from all communities while educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Through free, in-school STEM education programs, Conservation Nation connects students with diverse role models, builds confidence and belonging in nature, and sparks interest in conservation careers. Their grants, fellowships, and capacity-building initiatives equip conservationists around the world with the resources they need to protect endangered species and ecosystems, and to create a more inclusive and effective movement for the future. For more information, visit conservationnation.org

About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

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SOURCE Conservation Nation

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