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BeCause Closes Seed Round with Tail-End Investment From Curiosity VC

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The AI-focused Firm Brings BeCause’s Total Seed Funding to $2.5M to Support the Sustainability Data Technology Company’s Growth

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Feb. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BeCause, the Danish start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, has secured a $600,000 (€556K) tail-end investment from Dutch investor Curiosity VC to close their seed round. This latest investment brings the company’s total seed funding to $2.5 million (€2.32M), including the $1.9 million (€1.76M) seed raised in November from Denmark’s Ugly Duckling Ventures, Estonia’s Superangel.io and other investors.

“We reserved some space at the end of our round for a strategic investor to join on equal terms and are thrilled to have found that partner in Curiosity VC. As an AI-focused fund, Curiosity brings key competencies and an international network to the table that will prove invaluable to us as we continue to unfold how artificial intelligence can enable more sustainability-focused operations in hospitality and tourism and across our growing set of solutions,” says BeCause co-founder and CEO Frederik Steensgaard.

Mission-Driven Growth

Using BeCause, hotels can fully automate the collection, analysis, and communication of their sustainability efforts through a centralized hub, making it much easier for properties to qualify for industry certifications like GreenKey and ensure regulatory compliance based on local frameworks. BeCause dramatically reduces the cost of repetitive and manual tasks by up to 60%, compared to the error-prone processes still widely used within the industry to manage sustainability data. This increase in efficiency and trust significantly improves operational effectiveness.

Hotels also gain critical insights into the types of sustainability investments that might be most valuable for their business and the planet while enabling them to leverage the growing consumer demand for sustainability-focused accommodations. Simultaneously/Finally, the platform allows travel marketplaces, like Booking.com, to get real-time information from green certification labels about a hotel’s sustainability status, which they can use to help travelers and customers make informed choices about their travel plans.

BeCause currently has over 20,000 hotels worldwide streaming sustainability data via its platform and counts more than 50 certifiers and 15 travel booking marketplaces amongst its users.

“What attracted us to BeCause is that they have a clear goal and a true passion for the problem at hand. Their advanced AI capabilities further enhance their ability to drive innovation, address complex challenges, and revolutionize sustainability efforts across sectors. Looking at how far they’ve already come, their execution powers are undeniable,” says Herman Kienhuis, Managing Partner at Curiosity VC. “They have a solid growth strategy in place and are perfectly positioned to solve the needs of stakeholders in hospitality, acting not just as a compliance tool, but as a strategic asset that opens improvement opportunities and aligns the industry with the evolving priorities of a more environmentally aware society.”

The now-completed seed round will enable BeCause to push ahead with its solution developed to support the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), a pioneering regulation that strengthens the rules concerning ESG reporting for any company operating in the zone. Funding will also support the company’s accelerated growth rate to meet demand from global enterprise customers, such as Booking.com, easyJet, Google, Radisson Hotel Group, and other global marquee brands across the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors.

“CSRD will transform how companies report on their sustainability. BeCause has a major role to play in ensuring hotels and tourism companies can seamlessly communicate their impact on people and the environment to their investors, governments, and the world,” Steensgaard adds. “We are grateful to our VC partners for believing in our vision and enabling us to meet the diverse needs of all our clients. Now it’s time to accelerate the future of sustainable tourism and hospitality.”

For more information about BeCause or to speak with CEO and Co-founder Frederik Steensgaard, please contact Vanessa Horwell at vhorwell@thinkinkpr.com.

About BeCause
BeCause is an enterprise software company that streamlines the flow of sustainability data and creates synergies between different stakeholders in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries, empowering them to make decisions that result in positive, responsible change for people, the planet, and their profits. BeCause works with over 20,000 hotels, including brands like Radisson, certification entities like GreenKey, industry partners like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and marketplaces like Booking.com. For more information, visit because.eco.

About Curiosity
Curiosity is an Amsterdam-based venture capital fund focused on early-stage investments in ambitious, diverse teams based in the Benelux, Nordics, and Baltics. The fund invests in AI-first software companies that create value for businesses and society. Curiosity is led by two experienced operator-investors, Herman Kienhuis and Maurice Beckand Verwee, supported by a community of expert advisors and portfolio company founders who all become co-owners of the fund. For more information, visit https://www.curiosityvc.com or email: hello@curiosityvc.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/because-closes-seed-round-with-tail-end-investment-from-curiosity-vc-302068266.html

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eSign.AI Named Sole Electronic Signature Technology Provider for Hong Kong Government’s CorpID Project, Building the Foundation for Digital Signing Infrastructure in Hong Kong

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May 8, 2026

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HONG KONG, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As Hong Kong’s Digital Corporate Identity Platform (CorpID) counts down to its phased launch, eSign.AI has been appointed as the sole electronic signature vendor in the project, responsible for delivering core digital signing capabilities including digital signatures, certificate management, and signature verification services. CorpID is led by Nexify, a seasoned government systems integrator, as the prime contractor. The platform is expected to launch in phases starting late 2026, with multiple CorpID-based e-government services going live in mid-2027.

CorpID: Government-Grade Digital Identity Infrastructure for Hong Kong Enterprises

The Digital Corporate Identity Platform (CorpID) is an enterprise-level digital services platform launched by the Hong Kong SAR Government, developed under the oversight of the Digital Policy Office (DPO). It is designed to serve as the business equivalent of “iAM Smart,” providing a unified digital identity foundation for Hong Kong enterprises. CorpID’s core mission is to build an integrated digital government infrastructure — offering unified identity authentication, digital signing, form pre-filling, and e-licence storage — replacing paper-heavy, cumbersome traditional processes and enabling smart city development through seamless data connectivity.

The platform is open to companies incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) and businesses registered under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310), including sole proprietorships and partnerships. The DPO requires all enterprise-related e-government services to support CorpID within 18 months of launch, and will continue expanding ecosystem coverage through sandbox initiatives, cross-industry identity standard interoperability, and fully online registration processes.

eSign.AI: The Digital Signing Engine Behind CorpID

eSign.AI is an AI-native electronic signature and contract automation platform built for enterprises worldwide, offering a complete signing framework from simple electronic signatures to the highest-level compliant digital signatures — meeting diverse regulatory requirements across industries and jurisdictions.

On the identity verification front, eSign.AI has completed integration with iAM Smart, enabling individual identity verification through Hong Kong’s citizen digital identity system, and providing legally valid digital certificate services for both enterprises and individuals.

Looking ahead, the eSign.AI SaaS platform will be deeply integrated with CorpID, providing enterprise and individual identity verification for Hong Kong businesses, and supporting both electronic and digital signing that complies with Hong Kong’s Electronic Transactions Ordinance — connecting the full digital contracting lifecycle for government and enterprise alike.

Getting Ahead of the AI Era: From eSignGlobal to eSign.AI

The electronic signature industry is undergoing a structural shift from “tooling” to “intelligence.” Market data underscores this acceleration: the AI-powered contract analysis tools market has grown from USD 3.32 billion in 2025 to USD 4.3 billion in 2026, at a CAGR of 29.6%. Signing is just one node in the contract lifecycle — document generation, workflow orchestration, compliance tracking, and post-execution management are all being transformed by AI, and the industry window is closing fast.

In April 2026, the company officially rebranded from eSignGlobal to eSign.AI, completing its strategic transformation from an e-signature tool provider to an AI-native contract automation platform. As the company’s spokesperson noted, this rebrand is not cosmetic — it is an acknowledgment of where the product actually is. Customers were already using eSign.AI to automate workflows that go far beyond the signature itself.

eSign Automation Skill was launched alongside the rebrand — an AI-powered signing automation framework for enterprise workflows that enables complete contract signing through natural language interaction, with no manual intervention required. Whether it is single-party approval, multi-party sequential signing, or large-scale parallel execution, an AI Agent can orchestrate the entire workflow in a single call. All signature initiations and status queries return structured JSON outputs, directly parseable by leading large language models and intelligent workflow systems.

eSign Automation is now available in the OpenClaw ecosystem and supports integration via Claude MCP, ChatGPT, and other leading AI platforms.

By combining AI automation capabilities with CorpID’s government-grade digital identity infrastructure, eSign.AI delivers a complete solution for Hong Kong enterprises — from identity verification to intelligent signing to full workflow automation.

About eSign.AI

eSign.AI (formerly eSignGlobal) is an AI-native electronic signature and contract automation platform built for enterprises worldwide. The platform serves over 100 countries and regions, covering core industries including financial services, manufacturing, real estate, human resources, and healthcare — with 1,500+ scenario applications and 3,000+ ecosystem partners. eSign.AI holds ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and ISO 27018 certifications and supports major regulatory frameworks including the U.S. ESIGN Act / UETA, EU eIDAS, HIPAA, GDPR, and 21 CFR Part 11. Infrastructure is anchored by independent data centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Frankfurt, Germany.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/esignai-named-sole-electronic-signature-technology-provider-for-hong-kong-governments-corpid-project-building-the-foundation-for-digital-signing-infrastructure-in-hong-kong-302766763.html

SOURCE eSignGlobal

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The 9th AskGamblers Awards Finalists Announced as Voting Starts

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May 8, 2026

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The highly anticipated 9th AskGamblers Awards has officially moved into the voting phase. Following a rigorous selection process, the finalists across 5 premier categories have been revealed: Best Casino, Best New Casino, Best New Slot, Best Sportsbook, Best Provider. Players are invited to cast their votes until 11 June.

BELGRADE, Serbia, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The voting stage of the 9th annual AskGamblers Awards has officially begun. The list of finalists is announced, and the first votes are already coming in. 

Players will have a chance to vote for their favourites until 11 June, when the winners will be announced at the gala ceremony in Belgrade. There’s a total of 5 categories where popular votes are taken into consideration:

Best CasinoBest New CasinoBest SportsbookBest New SlotBest Game Provider

There aren’t any big changes to the voting process compared to last year. The votes from the prominent members of AskGamblers Forum will be counted in as well, while some award winners will be announced directly by the AskGamblers teams. 

These include: Best Crypto Casino, Best Partner, and Best Manager categories, while the AskGamblers Superstar Award is expected to be handed to the operator that illustrates the brand values best.

Dijana Radunović, General Manager at AskGamblers, is excited for voting to start: “We’re seeing some familiar contestants, but there are a lot of new names, so it will be exciting to see who comes up on top.”

“We invite players to vote for their favourites! This is a chance for you to speak your mind and support operators and games that shape this industry,” Radunović added.

Before the AskGamblers Awards Ceremony that takes place on 11 June, Charity Night is scheduled for 10 June.

About AskGamblers

AskGamblers.com strives to provide current, objective, and accurate information and guide its users towards a safe gaming experience. The way we deliver our services, from the online casino, sportsbook, slot, and bonus reviews to our trusted Complaint Service, is best described by our motto: ‘Get the truth. Then play.’

For more information about AskGamblers and AskGamblers Awards, please contact dijana.radunovic@g2m.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/askgamblers/r/the-9th-askgamblers-awards-finalists-announced-as-voting-starts,c4346370

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SUNMI Wins 2026 Red Dot Design Awards with Five Products, Leading Global Commercial Industrial Design

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May 8, 2026

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SINGAPORE, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The winners of the 2026 German Red Dot Design Award were officially announced. Five of SUNMI Technology’s flagship products won awards: the CPad Business Tablet, CPad PAY, FLEX 3 Interactive Display, the V3 handheld POS Terminal and L3 Industrial PDA. These products stood out with three core design concepts: integration, versatility and human-centricity.

Known as “The Oscars” of global industrial design, the Red Dot Award has strict evaluation criteria covering aesthetics, ergonomics, scenario adaptability and sustainability. SUNMI adheres to original commercial scenario customization, rejecting crudely modified consumer devices. All winning products are originally developed for real commercial scenarios such as cash register, food delivery, industrial inspection and store operations, covering the entire commercial track with high scenario adaptability. Meanwhile, it practices ESG concepts, adopting eco-friendly materials and modular structures to extend equipment service life, reduce consumable consumption, and implement low-carbon and long-term design, which perfectly meets the Red Dot’s sustainability evaluation criteria.

Simplify Complexity: With highly integrated design, SUNMI eliminates the “patchwork feeling” of cluttered devices and tangled cables in traditional commercial scenarios, streamlining store operations and saving space.All-in-One Versatility: Beyond a single tool function, SUNMI’s products achieve flexible transformation through modular and multi-form designs to proactively adapt to changing business needs. The CPad series with modular accessories and FLEX 3’s Lego-style modular design enable multi-scenario application and long-term reuse.Human-Centric Design: Every detail is human-oriented, focusing on real pain points to enhance scenario experience. The L3 Industrial PDA reduces high-frequency work fatigue through scientific weight distribution; the V3 Smart POS Terminal balances large-screen visibility and grip comfort; CPad PAY integrates full-link functions to simplify workflows.

These honors stem from SUNMI’s long-term commitment to a sustainable society, original commercial R&D and ESG. In the future, SUNMI will uphold its core concepts, expand the boundaries of commercial industrial design, and empower global businesses with user-oriented, eco-friendly and high-value products.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sunmi-wins-2026-red-dot-design-awards-with-five-products-leading-global-commercial-industrial-design-302766777.html

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