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Cybersecurity Veteran Kevin Mandia Named General Partner of Ballistic Ventures

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Mandia moves from Strategic Partner to GP to fund and incubate the next generation of cybersecurity innovation

SAN FRANCISCO, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ballistic Ventures, the venture capital firm dedicated exclusively to funding and incubating entrepreneurs and innovations in cybersecurity, is pleased to announce that co-founder Kevin Mandia is now General Partner.

Mandia is one of the world’s most recognized experts in cybersecurity, known for his relentless efforts to fight cyber threats for more than 30 years. In 2004, he founded renowned cybersecurity firm Mandiant, serving as CEO from 2004 to 2013, when Mandiant Corporation was acquired by FireEye. Mandia took the helm as CEO of FireEye in 2016, guiding the company through a divestiture and corporate name change to Mandiant, Inc. in 2021, and through a successful acquisition by Google in 2022. Mandia recently transitioned to an advisory role within Google Cloud, and he continues to sit on the Google Public Sector board.

In 2023, Mandia was appointed by President Biden to serve as a member of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). He is also a member of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cybersecurity Advisory Committee. Previously, he held senior positions in the security consulting divisions of Sytex, acquired by Lockheed Martin, and Foundstone, acquired by McAfee. He also served in the United States Air Force as a computer security officer at the Pentagon, and later as a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

“I am very excited to dedicate more of my energy to Ballistic Ventures, and I especially look forward to working with the entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of cybersecurity,” said Mandia.

Ballistic Ventures was co-founded in 2021 by Mandia and General Partners Barmak Meftah, Ted Schlein, Jake Seid and Roger Thornton. While CEO of Mandiant (now part of Google Cloud), Mandia jointly served as Co-founder and Strategic Partner at Ballistic, leading the firm’s investment in SpecterOps, the Attack Path Management company, where he is an Observer to the company’s Board of Directors. Mandia also served as the second investing partner for five of the VC firm’s 18 investments to date, and is a Board Observer to portfolio company Alethea, the disinformation detection and mitigation company.

“We’re excited to have Kevin as a General Partner at Ballistic,” said Schlein. “Kevin’s expertise in the cybersecurity industry is unparalleled, and his knowledge of the market and customer set is unmatched.”

As General Partner, Mandia will draw from his extensive knowledge of the threat landscape and expertise as a successful founder and CEO to expand his investments within the firm and continue to mentor entrepreneurs and scale companies across the Ballistic portfolio.

Mandia’s move to General Partner comes on the heels of Ballistic Ventures announcing the close of its $360 million oversubscribed second fund. The firm is actively looking to deploy the new capital in novel innovations led by passionate cybersecurity entrepreneurs.

About Ballistic Ventures
Ballistic Ventures is a venture capital firm solely dedicated to early-stage cybersecurity and cyber-related companies. The partners have spent their entire careers defending against every cyber threat conceivable. Members of the firm have founded, operated, and funded over 100 successful cybersecurity firms – including Abnormal Security, AlienVault, ArcSight, Fortify, Mandiant, and Shape Security – led over 10,000 security professionals globally, and have 40+ years of experience in venture capital. The Ballistic portfolio includes Aembit, Alethea, ArmorCode, AuthMind, Codezero, Concentric AI, Mimic, Nudge Security, Oligo, Pangea, Perygee, Reach Security, SpecterOps, Talon (PANW), Veza and WitnessAI. Our experience provides entrepreneurs impactful support from people focused on the same mission. Our networks and relationships open doors for our founders. Learn more at ballisticventures.com.

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SOURCE Ballistic Ventures

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LianLian Global and PayPal Power Cross-Border Payouts for Social Commerce, Marketplace, and eCommerce Customers

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Social commerce, marketplaces and eCommerce players served by LianLian Global can now pay creators, influencers, developers, and independent contractors directly to their PayPal and Venmo wallets.

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LianLian Global  today announced it has partnered with PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) to enable its social commerce, marketplace and e-commerce clients to send payouts directly to PayPal accounts globally and to Venmo accounts in the U.S.

The creator and gig economy runs on fast, low-friction payouts. Brands are expected to spend $32.6 billion on creators in 2026 and roughly 50 million people worldwide create content professionally or semi-professionally (Gigapay Global Creator Economy Report 2026). Many of these recipients already hold a PayPal or Venmo account: PayPal had over 400 million active accounts across approximately 200 markets at the end of Q2 2026, and Venmo reached 67 million monthly active accounts in Q4 2025.

Paypal Payouts is live in 96 global markets and 24 currencies. It allows merchants to send to any email address, mobile number, or Venmo user handle, with or without an existing PayPal or Venmo account.

To support enterprises expanding globally, LianLian Global provides digital payment services including pay-in, pay-out, acquiring, foreign exchange, virtual cards and payment aggregation. To date, its parent company Lianlian DigiTech has served more than 13.3 million clients. Its services reach more than 200 countries and regions, support transactions and settlement in more than 140 currencies, and connect with more than 180 global e-commerce platforms.

The partnership combines LianLian Global’s cross-border collection, FX and compliance infrastructure with PayPal’s global wallet network. Key offerings include:

Pay to PayPal: Payouts from LianLian Global clients to PayPal account holders in 96 markets, using only the recipient’s email or phone numberPay to Venmo: Domestic U.S. payouts to Venmo users, including creators, influencers and independent contractorsPayPal Payouts for Platforms: Mass disbursements for social commerce, marketplaces and affiliate platforms paying large numbers of sellers, creators and contractorsSpeed to settle: Save time and money by eliminating check runs and postage; no need for routing numbers and bank accounts.

Sandra Lam, Deputy CEO of US at LianLian Global: “Social commerce is creating a new economy, where creators, influencers and independent sellers drive discovery and sales alongside the platforms they sell on. Paying these participants fast, across borders and in small amount is what powers the network effect of social commerce. We see our work with Paypal as a key step in building the payout rails for the global gig economy.”

The collaboration expands LianLian Global’s payout coverage and supports its growth in the U.S. and global markets as cross-border platforms scale their creator and contractor programs.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lianlian-global-and-paypal-power-cross-border-payouts-for-social-commerce-marketplace-and-ecommerce-customers-302917635.html

SOURCE LianLian Global

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Crab2B Debuts as Hong Kong’s First Dedicated B2B Platform for Mobile Electronics

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HONG KONG, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — With the global population surpassing 8 billion, mobile electronics have become essential to modern life, with smartphones now used by billions of people. Across approximately 13,861 cities worldwide, electronics wholesalers play a vital role in the supply chain. Among the world’s three major wholesale hubs for digital electronics, Dubai serves the Middle East and Africa, Miami connects markets across Latin America, and Hong Kong draws strength from its unique position linking mainland China with global markets. According to Hong Kong Customs data, re-exports of used mobile phones from Hong Kong reached 51.5 million units in 2025, while the total value of electronics exports hit HK$3.9216 trillion. Yet despite its value running into the trillions of Hong Kong dollars, it has long lacked a dedicated online platform.

Crab2B was created to fill this gap as Hong Kong’s first B2B platform dedicated to mobile electronics. Inspired by Alibaba’s online B2B marketplace model, the platform focuses on consumer electronics, bringing together hundreds of thousands of buyers and sellers worldwide and enabling them to connect directly.

Crab2B covers a broad range of products, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and other smart devices. Listings span brand-new and used devices, as well as certified pre-owned (CPO) and as-is products. The platform also connects buyers and suppliers with service providers offering product inspection, international logistics and repair services. Users can search for products by brand and model, while all merchants undergo rigorous verification before joining the platform. With these safeguards in place, Crab2B is designed to meet the needs of businesses across the value chain, protect the interests of both buyers and sellers, and facilitate mutually beneficial transactions.

Building on Hong Kong’s established trading network, Crab2B made its debut at the HKICEC Global Mobile Exchange Pavilion during the Global Sources Hong Kong Shows, held at AsiaWorld-Expo from October 18 to 21, 2026, where it also launched the Crab2B app. Looking ahead, Crab2B will remain firmly rooted in Hong Kong while expanding its global reach, continuing to refine the platform to deliver a smarter, more comprehensive digital marketplace for mobile electronics. By helping international buyers identify suitable suppliers, simplifying cross-border sourcing and reducing transaction costs, Crab2B aims to support the continued growth of Hong Kong’s digital trade sector and contribute to the city’s long-term prosperity and stability.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/crab2b-debuts-as-hong-kongs-first-dedicated-b2b-platform-for-mobile-electronics-302917652.html

SOURCE CRAB 2B TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT CO., LIMITED

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AiMOGA Launches Global Robot Innovation: Mobo Debuts from Wuhu, Empowering Homes and Businesses

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AiMOGA Robotics has officially launched Mobo, its first consumer-grade humanoid family companion robot, marking a new chapter in intelligent living for Malaysian households and enterprises. Unveiled globally from AiMOGA’s headquarters in Wuhu, China, during a joint international users summit with its sister brands, this groundbreaking product reflects the company’s commitment to worldwide innovation and technological excellence.

Standing 0.9 meters tall with 22 degrees of freedom, Mobo supports over 20 languages—including Bahasa Malaysia—and delivers rich, personalized interactions. Designed for family life, it offers children interactive learning, storytelling, and object recognition, while providing elders with conversational companionship and customizable reminders. Powered by MoAgent, AiMOGA’s embodied intelligence system, Mobo features a dual-brain architecture enabling real-time responses, multi-tasking capabilities, and adaptive learning through facial recognition and secure MogaCloud integration.

Peng Xia, AiMOGA Robotics Executive Vice President, said Mobo’s spatial perception, interaction, execution, decision-making, and cognition layers form a perception-decision-execution-feedback loop. Spatial memory enables object retrieval, while social navigation recognizes pedestrian paths and interaction zones. Multimodal technologies coordinate language, facial expressions, and movement for natural interaction.

Beyond home use, Mobo shows strong potential in professional settings—from customer service to logistics—supporting AiMOGA’s vision of integrating robotics into everyday workflows.

Since its debut in August 2026, Mobo has attracted over 10,000 prospective users. Thirty-five were selected as Global User Experience Officers, receiving one year of complimentary use to help shape future improvements.

At the event, Guibin Zhang, AiMOGA Robotics General Manager, outlined strategies in R&D, cost optimization, sales and leasing. The “Platform Institute + Scenario Institute” model drives validation for bipedal, quadruped, and wheeled robots. Plans include 300 global experience centers and “Jia Tian Xia”, a robot leasing brand launching in Wuhu. Leveraging Chery’s manufacturing and platform resources enhances cost efficiency and scalability.

Notably, AiMOGA’s impact in Malaysia is amplified through strategic collaboration with sister brands Chery, OMODA & JAECOO, iCAUR, and LEPAS. Their partnership extends far beyond vehicle showrooms and daily operations—jointly developing integrated smart ecosystems that span mobility, retail, smart offices, and connected living.

As part of a global rollout with over 3,000 units deployed across 60+ markets, this initiative aims to bring intelligent, accessible robotics to more Malaysian families and businesses—enhancing productivity, convenience, and quality of life.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aimoga-launches-global-robot-innovation-mobo-debuts-from-wuhu-empowering-homes-and-businesses-302917658.html

SOURCE AiMOGA Robotics

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