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OpenAI Startup Fund & Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global Create New Company, Thrive AI Health, To Launch Hyper-Personalized AI Health Coach

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Health and wearables product leader DeCarlos Love leaves Google to serve as CEO

The Alice L. Walton Foundation to be a strategic investor to leverage AI to make a healthier life accessible to all

SAN FRANCISCO, July 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The OpenAI Startup Fund and Thrive Global announced today the creation of a new company, Thrive AI Health, exclusively devoted to building an AI health coach. The company’s mission is to use AI to democratize access to expert-level health coaching to improve health outcomes. This will also address growing health inequities by bringing the power of behavior change to the urgent challenge of chronic diseases. 

The company will be funded by the OpenAI Startup Fund and Thrive Global as lead investors. The Alice L. Walton Foundation is a strategic investor in the new company, underscoring Thrive AI Health’s focus on health equity.

As Sam Altman and Arianna Huffington wrote in an op-ed in TIME, “So much of the conversation around AI has been about how much time it will save us and how productive it will make us. But AI could go well beyond efficiency and optimization to something much more fundamental: improving both our health spans and our lifespans. Because health is also what happens between doctor visits. In the same way the New Deal built out physical infrastructure to transform the country, AI will serve as part of the critical infrastructure of a much more effective health care system that supports everyday people’s health in an ongoing way. These are some of the ideas behind Thrive AI Health.”

DeCarlos Love, a product leader who was most recently at Google, will be CEO of the new company. At Google, he led sensors, AI & ML algorithms as well as health and fitness experiences across all devices and platforms, including Fitbit by Google Fitness, Pixel Watch and Wear OS. Prior to Google, Love held product roles at Apple and Athos. His passion and experience are further cemented from spending time as a coach for different sports as well as developing a childhood obesity program in his hometown of Minneapolis. 

Thrive AI Health will use the power of generative AI to hyper-personalize and scale behavior change across the five key and interconnected daily behaviors that govern our health: sleep, food, fitness, stress management and connection. Given that behavior accounts for a significant share of health outcomes than medical care or our genes, by adopting healthier habits in these five behaviors, people can make dramatic improvements in health outcomes.

The Thrive AI Health Coach will be an essential tool for both prevention and for optimizing the treatment of disease through an AI personal context engine that understands the user and generates personalized AI-driven insights; proactive, multimodal, expert-level coaching as well as nudges and recommendations unique to each user across the five behaviors. They will all be powered by a unified health data platform with robust privacy and security guardrails to deliver a transformative health experience. The Thrive AI Health Coach will be trained on the latest peer-reviewed science, biometric, lab and other medical data, as well as users’ personal preferences and goals around the five key daily behaviors. 

The new company will leverage resources from OpenAI and Thrive Global, including Thrive Global’s leading behavior change methodology, Microsteps and content library. Thrive AI Health will also take advantage of the latest developments in AI, including enhanced long-term memory capabilities and a custom-developed behavioral coaching model with domain-specific customization, to empower individuals to take action across these five daily behaviors and improve health outcomes.

“Recent advancements in artificial intelligence present an unprecedented opportunity to make behavior change much more powerful and sustainable,” said DeCarlos Love, Thrive AI Health CEO. “AI has shown a remarkable ability to assimilate large datasets, extract actionable insights, recognize patterns, and deliver personalized recommendations. However, despite these technological advances, the current landscape of large language models (LLMs) still falls short of delivering a truly comprehensive and effective personalized behavior change and coaching experience. Thrive AI Health Coach is the product to solve the limitations of current AI and LLM-based solutions by providing personalized, proactive, and data-driven coaching across the five daily behaviors. This is how it will improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and significantly impact chronic diseases worldwide.”

“Through AI, we can make health and wellness opportunities more accessible for all,” says Alice Walton, founder of the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Heartland Whole Health Institute, and the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. “Thrive AI Health offers the potential of increasing access to tools that can change behaviors and ultimately increase quality of life.”

The aim for the AI Health Coach is to finally reduce the trendlines on chronic diseases, which are skyrocketing around the world. In the U.S. alone, around 90% of our $4.1 trillion in healthcare spending — 17% of GDP, up from 5% in 1960 — is for the treatment of chronic and mental health conditions. A staggering 129 million Americans have at least one chronic condition, and in 2023, eight chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, depression and diabetes, hit all-time highs. The status quo is unsustainable — a challenge that AI-driven hyper-personalized coaching is uniquely positioned to address.

Given that chronic diseases — like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases — are directly related to daily behaviors but not distributed equally across demographics, the Thrive AI Health Coach will leverage the power of AI to reach underserved communities. Dr. Gbenga Ogedegbe, Professor of Population Health & Medicine and Director, NYU Langone’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity, will serve as Health Equity Advisor to Thrive AI Health. 

Thrive AI Health has established research partnerships with leading academic institutions and medical centers which will include bringing the AI Health Coach to their communities. Stanford Medicine, the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine and the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University are launch partners.

“Working together with Stanford Medicine and Thrive AI Health, we are excited to engage our faculty and future physicians to explore the use of AI Health Coach in ways that reflect our whole health approach,” said Dr. Sharmila Makhija, Founding Dean and CEO of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. “We strongly believe AI will positively change the future of health care, from medical education to clinical care, and we are committed to leveraging this technology to its full potential.”

“At Stanford Health Care, we are committed to delivering transformative digital experiences that enhance patient care, enable cutting-edge research, and help train tomorrow’s health leaders,” said Dr. Michael Pfeffer, Chief Information and Digital Officer for Stanford Health Care. “We are excited to explore the potential of AI Health Coach to advance these goals for the benefit of patients and providers alike.”

“For the last five years, the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute has partnered with Thrive Global, conducting clinical research studies involving over 3,000 participants linking our Human Operating System and AI-driven real time digital health insights with Thrive Global’s behavior change methodology, Microsteps and content,” said Dr. Ali Rezai, Director of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. “We are excited about this next stage collaboration with Thrive AI Health to accelerate the impact of personalized coaching to improve health, especially in rural America.”

About Thrive Global
Founded by Arianna Huffington in 2016, Thrive Global is a leading behavior change technology company with the mission to improve productivity and health outcomes – one Microstep at a time. Thrive helps individuals and organizations improve well-being, performance and mental resilience with its AI-powered behavior change technology platform. Thrive’s Microsteps – small, science-backed steps to improve health and productivity – have been adopted by employees at more than 200 organizations in over 160 countries, from frontline and call center workers to executives at multinational companies. For more information, visit www.thriveglobal.com.

Contacts
Libby Duke
Head of Communications, Thrive Global
libby@thriveglobal.com
917-698-4993

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/openai-startup-fund–arianna-huffingtons-thrive-global-create-new-company-thrive-ai-health-to-launch-hyper-personalized-ai-health-coach-302190536.html

SOURCE Thrive Global

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Neusoft Showcases Full-Stack & Global Innovations at Auto China 2026

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BEIJING, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At Auto China 2026, Neusoft Corporation hosted a press conference on April 25th and announced three key strategic moves: the iteration of Neusoft OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 7.0, the launch of Neusoft NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform, and the strategic upgrade of its subsidiary, Neusoft Smart Go. By leveraging full-stack technology and a global ecosystem to drive innovation and empowerment, Neusoft is transforming vehicles into proactive, connected and collaborative mobile intelligent spaces.

OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 7.0: An Evolved AI Companion for Global Intelligent Mobility

Intelligent mobility requires proactive perception, scenario integration, and global connectivity to meet personalized user needs and complex driving scenarios. Neusoft, whose products cover over 130 countries and regions worldwide, addresses these challenges with its OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 7.0 through AI-driven innovation and global ecosystem collaboration. Powered by One Mate’s cross-agent collaboration and a sub-product matrix including One Map, One Sight, One Cloud, One Pay, One Store, One Link, and One Guard, the solution delivers full-link global mobility services spanning navigation, in-cabin AR, payment, app ecosystem services, connectivity and security. By breaking down functional silos, it streamlines multi-step operations into a single “depart” command, leveraging full-stack AI technology across perception, decision-making, interaction, and execution processes.

Guan Xin, Vice President of Neusoft and General Manager of Neusoft Automotive Innovative Solutions Division, said, “Adhering to the core principles of AI and globalization, OneCoreGo® 7.0 keeps innovating, evolving into a globally intelligent mobility companion that truly understands user needs.”

To enhance driving safety and mobility efficiency, OneCoreGo® 7.0 has also comprehensively upgraded its sub-products: One Map Global Navigation newly introduces 3D city effects, 3D lane-level maps, and traffic light guidance, offering dedicated solutions for two-wheelers and commercial vehicles as well. One Sight AR For Car improves navigation display effects, reducing instances of taking wrong routes. One Pay In-Vehicle Payment achieves over 90% payment coverage for parking services across core European cities. Combined with One Cloud’s global compliance cloud monitoring platform and One Guard’s full-stack vehicle networking security services, it creates a truly comprehensive OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution.

Neusoft NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform: Dual-track Architecture for AI Integration in Every Vehicle

Amid the AI-driven transformation of the automotive industry, the market faces two challenges: limited computing power in legacy vehicles and high adaptation difficulties for next-gen models. Neusoft’s NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform adopts a flexible “distributed + centralized” dual-track architecture approach. For existing vehicle models, it introduces the AI BOX solution, rapidly boosting computing power via external AI computing units, significantly reducing upgrade costs and timelines. For new vehicle models built on next-gen central computing platforms, Neusoft provides a full-stack AI cockpit software product suite, meeting automakers’ stringent requirements for system stability, reliability, and full-domain control.

Pang Hongyan, Vice President of Neusoft and General Manager of the Automotive Intelligent Software Division, said, “Our dual-track architecture enables every vehicle to embrace AI and enjoy an intelligent future. Both existing models and new-generation vehicles can find the most suitable path to intelligentization.”

Moreover, Neusoft’s NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform features scenario-based, human-centric AI Agents seamlessly integrating driving safety, occupant care services, intelligent assisted driving and in-cabin entertainment. Neusoft also collaborates with global ecosystem partners to drive intelligent upgrades of in-cabin interaction products, fostering a more open and dynamic intelligent cockpit ecosystem.

Strategic Upgrade of Neusoft Smart Go: A World-leading Provider of Full-Domain Upper-Body Electronics Solutions for Intelligent Vehicles

Aligning with the trend of E/E architecture evolution from distributed control to “central computing + zonal control”, Neusoft Smart Go, a subsidiary of Neusoft in the field of intelligent vehicle connectivity, has completed a strategic upgrade, aiming to become a global leader in full-domain upper-body electronics solutions for intelligent vehicles.

This strategic upgrade positions Neusoft Smart Go to focus on full-domain scenarios in upper-body electronics, building a product matrix covering full-category in-vehicle electronics solutions, including central computing platforms, cockpit-driving-parking integration, intelligent cockpits, intelligent communications, intelligent audio systems, and zonal control units, and pioneering the integration of large model algorithms.

Jian Guodong, Senior Vice President of Neusoft and CEO of Neusoft Smart Go, said, “This strategic upgrade represents a significant leap from partial focus to comprehensive layout. Through our dual-track strategy of high-end cutting-edge solutions and mature standardized products, we can flexibly meet the mass production needs of vehicle models across different regions and price segments worldwide.” Neusoft Smart Go will provide mass-producible, adaptable hardware-software integrated solutions, empowering global automakers in achieving intelligent transformation.

Neusoft’s President, Mr.Gai Longjia stated, “In the future, Neusoft Smart Go will create stronger synergy with Neusoft Corporation by sharing internal technologies and capabilities while responding jointly to external demands. This specialized yet collaborative model will preserve business unit’s agility and expertise while enhancing Neusoft’s full-stack technological advantages.”

As a trusted partner in a smarter world, Neusoft is committed to collaborating with global automakers and ecosystem partners to build an open and inclusive intelligent automotive community together for the future of global mobility.

For more information about Neusoft, please visit www.neusoft.com.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/neusoft-showcases-full-stack–global-innovations-at-auto-china-2026-302753701.html

SOURCE Neusoft Corporation

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Lianlian DigiTech Returns to Money20/20 Asia to Expand Partnerships, Share Industry Trends, and Explore AI-Enabled Global Financial Infrastructure

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BANGKOK, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lianlian DigiTech, a leading global provider of digital payment services, was once again invited to participate in Money20/20 Asia, one of the world’s most influential fintech gatherings, held in Bangkok, Thailand from April 21 to 23. At the event, the company presented its latest developments in cross-border payment infrastructure, technology innovation, and ecosystem collaboration, offering a comprehensive view of its work enhancing global cross-border payment capabilities.

During the conference, Lianlian DigiTech announced a strategic partnership with UK-based fintech company USI Money to further strengthen its global cross-border payment network, delivering more efficient and reliable fund flows for merchants worldwide. Shen Enguang, Co-President of Lianlian DigiTech; Mark Ma, Head of Global Banking Partnership at LianLian Global; and Bryan Jiang, General Manager Hong Kong of LianLian Global, attended the event and engaged with representatives from international financial institutions. They shared perspectives on fintech trends and global payment innovation, offering industry insight into the continued evolution of a more integrated and interoperable cross-border payments ecosystem.

Building a Borderless Payment Network with Global Partners Including USI Money

At the event, Lianlian DigiTech formalized a strategic collaboration with London-headquartered USI Money to further develop its global payment infrastructure.

The partnership will focus on cross-border remittance and foreign exchange services, combining both companies’ technological capabilities and resources to deliver a one-stop payment and collection solution for global businesses. The offering is built to be efficient, secure, and cost-effective, improving overall fund flow efficiency and streamlining foreign exchange execution.

Syed Bukhari, Group Chief Business and Operating Officer at USI Money, said: “Our partnership with Lianlian will strengthen our remittance capabilities, creating greater value for our customers through broader network coverage and improved transaction performance.”

Bryan Jiang, General Manager Hong Kong of LianLian Global, said: “By leveraging the complementary strengths of our ecosystem partners in technology and compliance, Lianlian will continue to scale its global payment network and improve transaction efficiency. We remain committed to enhancing financial connectivity across global financial markets and delivering more efficient and reliable cross-border payment solutions for our customers.”

Founded in 2009 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2024 (2598.HK), Lianlian DigiTech is a China-based, globally focused digital payment company with increasingly integrated AI capabilities across its platform. Guided by its mission of “Connecting the world, Empowering global commerce,” the company focuses on developing a trusted and scalable financial infrastructure. As of the end of 2025, Lianlian DigiTech has built a cross-border payment network covering more than 100 countries and regions, serving over 10.4 million customers worldwide.

USI Money is a foreign exchange and international remittance service provider offering tailored cross-border financial solutions for businesses and individuals. With competitive real-time exchange rates and efficient execution as its core strengths, the company delivers fast, secure, and reliable global fund transfers.

In addition, Lianlian DigiTech co-hosted a networking session with Unlimit during the event, providing a forum for industry dialogue. The session brought together a broad group of fintech partners to explore collaborative models and help foster a more connected ecosystem.

Industry Roundtables: Unlocking Layered Collaboration in AI-Driven Cross-Border Payments and Advancing Financial Inclusion in Emerging Markets

At the same time, Mark Ma and Bryan Jiang were invited to the themed roundtable discussions, where they shared insights drawn from industry practice and outlined new approaches to aligning fintech innovation with the global financial system.

At the roundtable on “Fintech and Banks,” Mark Ma noted that the global payment system is rapidly shifting from isolated capabilities to a layered, collaborative model. Banks continue to serve as the foundational infrastructure, responsible for clearing networks and liquidity management. Fintech firms like Lianlian, meanwhile, build on top of this foundation to deliver application-layer services for businesses, transforming complex cross-border payment channels into more accessible solutions that support a wider range of practical business scenarios. He also emphasized fintech’s growing role in compliance and value creation. By embedding risk controls and verification processes into technology workflows, fintech companies can act as compliance intermediaries, improving efficiency while filtering risk and enabling banks to operate more effectively at scale. Meanwhile, insights derived from transaction data and business flows allow for more precise evaluation of small and medium-sized businesses, shifting capital allocation from experience-based decisions to data-driven approaches and improving access to financial services.

At the roundtable titled “Different Worlds, Shared Challenges: Bridging Emerging Markets,” Bryan Jiang pointed out that the core of financial inclusion is shifting from scale of coverage to practical usability in everyday financial activity. The ability to serve underserved segments such as small and micro merchants and overseas workers in a sustained and reliable manner ultimately depends on continuous improvements in product design and operational capabilities. Using emerging markets as an example, Jiang explained that small and medium-sized businesses in these regions often face challenges such as difficult account setup, complex cross-border collections, high foreign exchange costs, and multi-layered tax requirements. Many existing solutions still follow traditional business-focused models, resulting in cumbersome KYB processes and lengthy review cycles that are misaligned with the asset-light, high-frequency, fast-turnover nature of these businesses. In response, Lianlian has lowered barriers to fund flows by offering local collection accounts, optimizing foreign exchange mechanisms, and improving settlement efficiency. The company has also restructured account architecture, streamlined review processes, and enhanced fund visibility, creating a more seamless and intuitive user experience that better aligns financial services with its clients’ business operations and day-to-day activities.

As digital technologies increasingly integrate with the real economy, innovations in AI and blockchain are reshaping the foundations of global financial services. Lianlian DigiTech has long invested in AI capabilities, global compliance, and the growth of its international service network. Its broad licensing coverage, regulatory track record, localized service capabilities, and technical reliability have earned the trust of regulators, customers, and partners worldwide.

Looking ahead, Lianlian DigiTech will continue to build on its cross-border expertise and compliance experience to further develop its AI capabilities and deepen collaboration with global partners. The company aims to extend its role beyond payment network services into more integrated financial infrastructure solutions. Lianlian DigiTech remains committed to serving as a trusted platform for global financial transactions in an increasingly digital environment, enabling businesses and individuals worldwide to access faster, more efficient, and more seamless cross-border financial services.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/lianlian-digitech-returns-to-money2020-asia-to-expand-partnerships-share-industry-trends-and-explore-ai-enabled-global-financial-infrastructure-302753667.html

SOURCE LianLian Global

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The Building & Furniture Category Highlights Sustainable and Human‑Centric Design at the 139th Canton Fair

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GUANGZHOU, China, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Phase 2 of the 139th Canton Fair has seen the Building & Furniture category emphasize green Infrastructure and human-centric design.

A major highlight of the building and decorative materials section is the introduction of photovoltaic marble-textured cladding. This innovative surfacing material bridges the gap between high-end aesthetics and renewable energy. Unlike traditional solar panels that rely on glass, this non-opaque cladding uses precise microscopic structures to guide light to internal PV cells.

This technology offers 60% higher efficiency than traditional transparent solar systems while reducing carbon emissions by over 50%. Its ability to reproduce stone, wood, or brick‑like 3D textures allows architects to integrate power generation into a wide range of building styles without the industrial appearance of traditional solar panels.

Indoor environments are also becoming smarter and safer. Manufacturers are showcasing high-efficiency antibacterial surfacing, utilizing visible light catalysis to provide 24-hour protection against mold and bacteria. These advanced decorative papers and panels are becoming the new standard for high-end interior decoration, prioritizing long-term hygiene in residential and commercial spaces.

The sanitary ware sector is increasingly focused on the aging global population and those with limited mobility. A standout innovation is the electric lift-and-rotate shower chair. Designed for the dry-wet separation bathroom layout, it allows users to sit in a dry area and be safely rotated and lifted into the shower via remote control. This waterproof, low-voltage system provides dignity and independence for the elderly while reducing the physical strain on caregivers.

Hygiene and ease of maintenance have also seen a breakthrough with wall-mounted toilets. By moving the lid connection to the tank wall and adopting a mortise‑and‑tenon structure, the design eliminates the hard‑to‑clean areas where bacteria typically accumulate. Many of these units also incorporate ergonomic grab bars directly into the frame, blending safety with a minimalist aesthetic.

In the sports and leisure industry, the shift toward sustainability is seen in non-infill synthetic turf. This next-generation football grass eliminates the need for rubber granules or sand, providing a natural touch and superior shock absorption while significantly reducing maintenance costs and microplastic pollution.

All these innovations demonstrate how the Building & Furniture sector is advancing toward greener materials, smarter functionality, and more human‑centered design, setting new benchmarks for the future of living spaces.

For pre-registration, please click: https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-building–furniture-category-highlights-sustainable-and-humancentric-design-at-the-139th-canton-fair-302753654.html

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