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Saudi Arabia’s AI.M Accelerator to be Led by SparkLabs Group

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Artificial Intelligence Mission (AI.M) is a national initiative that aspires to stimulate a comprehensive system of innovation in the field of artificial intelligence

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Artificial Intelligence Mission (AI.M) is a national initiative that aspires to stimulate a comprehensive system of innovation in the field of artificial intelligence and contribute to strengthening the Kingdom’s leadership role regionally and globally in artificial intelligence within the next 5 years. The initiative was created by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s National Technology Development Program (NTDP), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA).

“We are excited to have SparkLabs leading our accelerator program for AIM. They are the ideal partner since they not only bring a solid track record as investors and the ability to help our local founders to become successful and build impactful companies,” stated Ibrahim Neyaz, CEO at NTDP

A core part of AI.M will be its startup accelerator program, AIM-X, which will be led by SparkLabs Group, an early-stage venture capital firm that has invested in over 550 startups across the globe. SparkLabs has been investing in AI since 2016, and was one of a handful of investors who directly participated in OpenAI’s recent financing round. They have invested in other AI leaders such as Vectara, Gideon Bros, Kneron, Anthropic, Aquabyte and Lucidya.

“We are excited to have SparkLabs leading our accelerator program for AIM. They are the ideal partner since they not only bring a solid track record as investors but have proven access to top AI founders and the ability to help our local founders to become successful and build impactful companies,” stated Ibrahim Neyaz, CEO at NTDP.

SparkLabs has brought on board various leaders in AI to assist in the accelerator program and other investments. Their advisors include people such as Amr Awadallah, Co-founder of Cloudera and now Co-founder and CEO at Vectara, generative AI search company for enterprise; Sang Cha, Founder of the Graduate School of Data Science at Seoul National University and Transact In Memory, which was acquired by SAP. Venture Partners include Spiros Margaris, a venture capitalist and the global No. 1 fintech and leading AI influencer, recognized for his strategic advisory and board roles in these sectors; Nathan Lands, the Founder of Lore.com, which has an AI newsletter with a readership exceeding 20,000, and Co-host at the Next Wave podcast with Hubspot; Nils Westerlund, who lead the growth team at RunwayML; Joel Pazhayampallil, Co-founder and CEO at Bluespace.ai, who previously was a co-founder of Drive.ai that was acquired by Apple; and Brian Behlendorf, CTO at the OpenWallet Foundation and Chief AI Strategist at the Linux Foundation.

“We are honored and excited to be partnering with AIM to launch the AIM-X Accelerator Program. We are eager to help develop and nurture the AI ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, and have activated our global network to source the most promising AI startups, both foreign and domestic, to join our inaugural cohort slated to begin this September. We strongly believe that KSA is poised to become a key AI hub for the region as well as globally, ” said William Chu, Managing Partner at SparkLabs AI Lab.

AIM-X powered by SparkLabs will begin accepting applications on June 14th and companies can apply to the following link. Primarily early-stage (seed & series A) AI startups are encouraged to apply, and will be receiving a $200,000 investment for up to 6% of equity. The program will begin on September 17, 2024.

About NTDP
The National Technology Development Program (NTDP) is a national program in Saudi Arabia that contributes to enhancing and ensuring the effectiveness of technology ecosystem by achieving a sustainable development using various components in collaboration with the stakeholders. Its goal is to facilitate Saudi Arabia’s transformation into a leading global Technology Hub by 2030 and to strengthen the Saudi tech-ecosystem with innovative financial solutions. For further information, you can visit here: http://www.ntdp.gov.sa

About SparkLabs Group
SparkLabs Group (http://www.sparklabsgroup.com) is a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds that has invested in over 550 startups across 6 continents since 2013. The firm has made an impact as innovation ecosystem builders that help local startups go global and uplift the foundations of entrepreneurship in countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.

Media Contact

Bernard Moon, SparkLabs Group, 650-454-5244, bernard@sparklabsgroup.com, www.sparklabsgroup.com 

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SOURCE SparkLabs Group

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VIDA Highlights Cyber Threats to the Fintech Industry at Money20/20 Asia 2026

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BANGKOK, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fraud has evolved into industrial-scale operations across Southeast Asia. At Money20/20 Asia 2026, held from April 21 to 23 in Bangkok, VIDA, Indonesia’s leading digital identity network, warned that traditional approaches to identity security are no longer sufficient.

Founder and CEO of VIDA, Niki Luhur, shared this during the panel session “How Cybercriminals Target Fintech and What’s Next.” He highlighted how fraud has scaled across the region, from industrialized scam compounds to cross-border syndicates spanning Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia. In one case, authorities in Myanmar seized $12 billion in Bitcoin, underscoring the scale of these operations.

“Cybercrime is democratic, they don’t care what size institution you are. They just scan for vulnerabilities. All the doors that are open, they exploit them,” said Niki Luhur.

This industrialized scale is made possible by one thing: Systematic exploitation of weak points across digital systems. Rather than targeting specific institutions, cybercriminals focus on vulnerabilities that can be replicated and scaled across platforms.

Niki emphasized that while attention is on deepfakes, the real threat lies deeper in the attack chain, particularly in injection attacks. “Deepfakes get the buzz, but the door is an injection attack. The majority come from virtual cameras on compromised devices,” he added.

His solution is clear: layered defense requiring three simultaneous verifications; the person (biometrics), their identity (against government databases), and the device. This approach addresses the infrastructure gap where KYC and authentication systems remain siloed across financial institutions.

Alongside its presence at the conference, VIDA is also launching ID FraudShield, a new fraud detection solution built for threats that traditional biometric checks can no longer stop. ID Fraud Shield combines biometric liveness with device intelligence, behavioral analytics, network detection, and rule-based fraud evaluation, all delivered in parallel through one SDK. It’s designed for one purpose: catching the fraud that liveness alone misses.

About VIDA

VIDA is licensed Certification Authority (CA) registered under the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. Founded in 2018, VIDA provides digital identity services that integrate electronic certificates, digital signatures, identity verification, and transaction authentication, all adhering to world-class security standards, including Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and biometric verification. VIDA verifies more than 2.5 million identities every day. For more information, visit www.vida.id 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/vida-highlights-cyber-threats-to-the-fintech-industry-at-money2020-asia-2026-302755906.html

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Digital Edge Publishes Fifth Annual ESG Report, Marking Progress on Renewable Energy, Green Finance and Water Stewardship

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SINGAPORE, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Digital Edge today published its 2026 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, themed “Staying Power: Scaling Up, Standing Out”, marking the company’s progress across its expanding portfolio of 31 data centers.

This is Digital Edge’s fifth voluntary annual report, showcasing achievements including 26% renewable electricity across its operations, landmark green loans totaling nearly US$1.25 billion, and an industry-first recycled water initiative in India.

Digital Edge’s ESG strategy is anchored in three pillars – Respect for Resources, Respect for People and Communities, and Respect for Transparency – each embedded across its operations to drive sustainable, high-performance digital infrastructure.

“Over the past year, we scaled with sustainability at the core – expanding renewable electricity across our portfolio, advancing green finance to support efficient growth, and investing in practical solutions for resource stewardship across our fastest-growing markets,” said John Freeman, Group CEO of Digital Edge. “As demand for AI-ready digital infrastructure accelerates, responsible growth is no longer optional; it is now a baseline requirement from customers, investors, and regulators for operating in our sector.”

Key highlights from the 2026 ESG Report:

Industry-first recycled water initiative in India: Up to 10 million liters of treated greywater deployed daily at the BOM campus in Navi Mumbai for cooling – saving potable water equivalent to the daily needs of ~100,000 people.Largest data center green loans on record: US$582 million for SEL3 in South Korea and US$665 million for CGK Campus in Indonesia.Renewable electricity increased to 26%: Up from 21% in 2024, keeping Digital Edge on track towards its ambition of 100% renewable electricity by 2030.Achieved LEED Gold certification at EDGE2 (Jakarta) and Silver at TYO7 (Japan), with five additional facilities in India, Thailand, and Indonesia on track to meet or exceed LEED Silver.Scaled underground fiber infrastructure in Indonesia for greater business continuity through Indonet: Since 2024, our Jakarta fiber network has grown nearly 5x, with 92% now running underground – improving service reliability for customers while minimizing disruption to public routes.100% uptime across all operational data centers: No material service disruptions recorded in 2025, underscoring the platform’s operational resilience and governance discipline.Green Finance Framework rated SQS2 (Very Good) by Moody’s: Independent validation of Digital Edge’s approach to sustainable capital deployment.Signatory to the UN Global Compact: Reinforcing our commitment to global standards in human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.

The full 2026 ESG Report is available at digitaledgedc.com/esg-report/esg-report-2026

About Digital Edge

Where performance meets sustainability, Digital Edge powers Asia-Pacific’s digital transformation with reliable, secure, and sustainable infrastructure. Headquartered in Singapore and backed by Stonepeak, the company delivers high-performance data center and fiber solutions for hyperscalers and enterprises across nine countries in Asia Pacific. With 1.8GW of secured IT power, Digital Edge empowers businesses to scale rapidly and responsibly in a connected, energy-efficient future.

Visit www.digitaledgedc.com for more information.

Media Contact
Digital Edge
Geraldine Lim
geraldine.lim@digitaledgedc.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/digital-edge-publishes-fifth-annual-esg-report-marking-progress-on-renewable-energy-green-finance-and-water-stewardship-302755452.html

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Dreame TV Shines at DREAME NEXT with Advanced Display and Audio Technologies

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — INNIX, Dreame Technology’s premium home entertainment brand, presented its latest high-end television and home cinema product portfolio at a press conference held at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco on April 28th. Focusing on enhancing the user experience, Dreame TV presented a diverse range of display innovations, including TVs, breakthrough display and audio innovations, highlighting its leading position in the industry. This strategic launch represents a significant milestone in INNIX’s North American market expansion and underscores the brand’s commitment to advancing home entertainment through differentiated, in-house developed technologies.

Global-first Dynamic Sound Engine: INNIX RGB Mini LED Transforming TV R8000F

The INNIX Aura Mini LED R8000 series, a flagship representation of Dreame’s high-quality TV technology, quickly became a highlight of the event. The INNIX Aura Mini LED R8000 series introduces the world’s first Dynamic Sound Engine—a proprietary audio architecture that dynamically synchronizes acoustic output with mechanical display transformations. This integration enables real-time adaptation of the soundstage in response to changes in screen form factor and orientation.

R8000F is the world’s first TV featuring a motion-adaptive 6.2.2 channel dynamic sound engine. Powered by the flagship Dreamind Master AI processor, it delivers millisecond-level real-time optimization of both sound and image—bringing every moment to a professional cinema-grade standard. On the display side, R8000F adopts next-generation RGB-Mini LED technology with direct red, green, and blue backlighting. By controlling color at the light source, it achieves exceptional color purity and expression—featuring 100% BT.2020 ultra-wide gamut and ΔE < 0.7 ultra-high color accuracy.

S100 — Black Crystal True Color Screen+A Soundbar Within, Achieving the Premium Atmosphere Maestro

As expectations for home entertainment continue to rise, users want to see more authentic detail, hear purer sound, and enjoy a simpler, all-in-one design. The S100 was created to meet these needs.

The S100 features Aura Mini LED backlight with full-array local dimming, delivering precise light control and deep blacks. With QLED+ technology producing over 1.07 billion colors, every detail is sharp and every shade true to life. Powered by the custom Dreamind Pro AI Processor, 2K content is intelligently upscaled close to 4K, with adaptive color and clarity tuning for natural, vivid frames. Furthermore, S100 features a Black Crystal True Color Screen, delivering an ultra-low 1.8% reflection, AG25 anti-glare, a stunning 20,000:1 contrast, hyper-realistic colors, and a consistent 178° wide viewing angle without color shift. This effectively eliminates glare even under bright environmental conditions.

At the same time, the S100 integrates a full soundbar into its body, this innovation delivers 4.1.2ch Master Sound System performance with 11 sound units and 70W peak power—far surpassing typical 40W outputs—creating 270° physical sound coverage. Consumers receive both a flagship TV and premium soundbar in one elegant package.

The S100 is not just a TV. It is an “Atmosphere Maestro” — seamlessly fusing sight and sound to deliver a truly cinematic immersive experience at home.

Available in more than 120 countries via over 6,500 retail outlets and flagship stores, Dreame TV seizes this press conference opportunity to position itself as a technological innovator in the global entertainment sphere. It offers high-quality, intelligent designs that revolutionize daily viewing experiences through cutting-edge proprietary technologies.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dreame-tv-shines-at-dreame-next-with-advanced-display-and-audio-technologies-302756500.html

SOURCE Dreame Technology

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