Connect with us

Technology

NovoNutrients Raises US$18 million Series A led by Woodside Energy and co-led by CM Venture Capital

Published

on

Funding to Accelerate Development of Innovative Carbon Capture and Utilization Technology for Sustainable Protein Production

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — NovoNutrients, a biotech trailblazer transforming CO₂ emissions into premium protein, today announced the US$18 million successful first closing of a Series A financing that includes US$10.3 million in new capital and the conversion of US$8 million in previously issued SAFEs. The round was led by Woodside Energy, a global energy company, and co-led by CM Venture Capital, an advanced/sustainable material investment company. Other participants include SOSV’s IndieBio and Decarbonization Consortium, Happiness Capital, The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust, and Audacy Ventures. The round targets additional closings for a total of US$23 million.

The potential applications for Novotein™ span pet food, aquaculture, and plant-based alternatives for human consumption.

NovoNutrients’ pioneering process captures industrial CO₂ emissions and combines them with hydrogen to produce Novotein™, a nutritious and environmentally responsible protein ingredient. NovoNutrients’ plans to utilize an asset-light strategy encompassing licensing and strategic partnerships.

The Series A funding will support NovoNutrients’ industrial pilot program, team growth, and commercial partnerships. NovoNutrients has already secured technology development agreements (TDAs) in the energy and nutrition sectors, including a TDA entered into with Woodside Energy in 2023.

“This investment brings us closer to realizing our vision of a world where industrial emissions are upcycled into essential nutrients for a growing population,” said David Tze, CEO of NovoNutrients.

Novotein™ has demonstrated its nutritional excellence and versatility in animal studies, comparing favorably to both traditional and emerging protein alternatives. This premium ingredient significantly reduces water and land use compared to conventional proteins.

The potential applications for Novotein™ span pet food, aquaculture, and plant-based alternatives for human consumption. This versatility helps to address the increasing global demand for cost-effective, sustainable protein sources across multiple markets.

“With this Series A financing, NovoNutrients is well-positioned to accelerate its growth and quickly become a leading supplier of CCU technology that enables sustainable protein ingredients,” said Min Zhou, Managing Partner of CM Venture Capital. “Their leading-edge approach aligns with our focus on renewable carbon, advanced materials science and hard-tech innovations. We have great confidence in the NovoNutrients team’s ability to execute their ambitious vision.”

This Series A round marks a significant milestone for NovoNutrients as it advances its technology. Supported by its investors and partners, the company is poised to make substantial contributions to global food security and industrial decarbonization. As NovoNutrients expands its technology and partnerships, it aims to become a leading provider of sustainable protein ingredients and a key player in the global transition towards a lower carbon economy.

About NovoNutrients
NovoNutrients transforms industrial CO₂ emissions into premium protein ingredients for food and feed. Their proprietary gas fermentation technology employs natural microbes to convert CO₂ and clean hydrogen into complete protein with nutritional value equivalent to beef. NovoNutrients’ efficient business model allows emitters to invest in profitable carbon capture and utilization projects, with NovoNutrients serving as the technology partner. Visit [www.novonutrients.com](http://www.novonutrients.com/) for more information.

About Woodside Energy
We are a global energy company founded in Australia, providing reliable and affordable energy to help people lead better lives. We aim to thrive through the global energy transition with a low cost, lower carbon, profitable, resilient and diversified portfolio1. Today our portfolio includes a diverse range of oil and gas assets. We’re also developing a portfolio of new energy products and lower carbon services. Visit [www.woodside.com] for more information.

About CM Venture Capital
CM Venture Capital is a leading venture capital firm that invests in renewable carbon, advanced materials science and hard technologies. Backed by Fortune 500 companies – BASF, BAT, GE, Henkel, Heraeus, Petronas, Samsung, SABIC – CM Venture Capital has a global reach and a strong network in China. CM Venture Capital partners with ambitious entrepreneurs to build companies that address challenges in decarbonization, digital transformation, energy transformation and material transformation. Visit [cmventure.net] for more information.

1 For Woodside, a lower carbon portfolio is one from which the net equity scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, which includes the use of offsets, are being reduced towards targets, and into which new energy products and lower carbon services are planned to be introduced as a complement to existing and new investments in oil and gas. Our Climate Policy sets out the principles that we believe will assist us achieve this aim.

NovoNutrients Media Contact:
David Tze, press@novonutrients.com, 415-236-2455

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novonutrients-raises-us18-million-series-a-led-by-woodside-energy-and-co-led-by-cm-venture-capital-302197385.html

SOURCE NovoNutrients

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

From China Mobile’s Call Upgrade to the Commercial Launch of “Calling + AI” by Leading Operators: AI Is Reshaping the Value of Native Calling

Published

on

By

BEIJING, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On June 15, 2026, China Mobile announced a comprehensive upgrade to its traditional calling services, ushering in a next-generation calling experience defined by HD, intelligence, and security. This milestone not only marks a major leap in telecommunication innovation but also reflects a global, inevitable shift: the transformation of basic communication into intelligent, inclusive services.

Breaking Experience Barriers and Redefining the Paradigm of Basic Calling

Overcoming the limitations of traditional, voice-only interactions, China Mobile has leveraged its mature VoLTE/VoNR network foundation to deeply integrate AI models with HD audio and video capabilities. Without requiring users to change their phones or SIM cards, seven core AI functions are now seamlessly embedded into the native dialer interface.

These upgrades include Live Captions bridge communication gaps for the elderly and hearing-impaired; HD video calls and AI noise reduction create a crystal-clear, immersive calling experience; AI anti-fraud intercepts high-risk calls in real time to safeguard users’ assets. Furthermore, the introduction of Data Channel (DC) technology and visual call menus transforms standard calls into agile, interactive service windows, enabling multi-party collaboration and seamless business transactions directly within the call. Through this initiative, China Mobile has successfully evolved traditional calls from a mere voice pipeline into a secure, integrated information hub.

“Calling + AI” Becomes a Strategic Consensus Among Global Leading Operators

From a global perspective, China Mobile’s call upgrade is not an isolated milestone, but a microcosm of the global telecommunications industry’s broader transformation. Throughout 2026, major operators worldwide are accelerating the commercial deployment of “Calling + AI” solutions:

Deutsche Telekom launched Magenta AI, leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance calling across all scenarios;T-Mobile US introduced a network-side, real-time translation service covering over 80 languages, effectively breaking down cross-border communication barriers;Saudi stc rolled out English-Arabic bilingual simultaneous interpretation, which has now entered large-scale commercial trials;South Korea’s LG U+ launched its ixi-O intelligent calling assistant, shifting the user experience from passive responses to proactive smart interactions and earning three prestigious GLOMO industry awards.

The synchronized efforts of these global leaders confirm that basic calling services have officially entered a new era of AI integration. Deeply empowered by artificial intelligence, “Calling + AI” has become the definitive blueprint for the intelligent transformation of the global telecommunications industry. As operators continue to refine these native capabilities, the traditional voice network is poised to reclaim its position as the most secure, ubiquitous, and valuable entry point in the AI era.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/from-china-mobiles-call-upgrade-to-the-commercial-launch-of-calling–ai-by-leading-operators-ai-is-reshaping-the-value-of-native-calling-302834622.html

SOURCE China Mobile

Continue Reading

Technology

Trip.com Group Sincerely Accepts Administrative Penalty Decision Issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China

Published

on

By

SINGAPORE, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trip.com Group Limited (Nasdaq: TCOM; HKEX: 9961) today announced that it has received the administrative penalty decision issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China.

Trip.com Group sincerely accepts the decision and will adopt rectification measures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to implement the decision’s requirements. The Company will strengthen its long-term governance mechanisms and strive to contribute to the sustainable development of the travel industry.

Trip.com Group’s management team will host a conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on July 27, 2026 (or 8:00 PM Hong Kong Time on July 27, 2026).

The conference call will be available on Webcast live at: http://investors.trip.com.

All participants must pre-register to join this conference call using the participant registration link below:
https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIb78e08d8f18340c4882a7e4ab961906b.

Upon registration, each participant will receive details for this conference call, including dial-in numbers and a unique access PIN. To join the conference, please dial the number provided, enter your PIN, and you will join the conference instantly.

For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations
Trip.com Group Limited
Email: iremail@trip.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tripcom-group-sincerely-accepts-administrative-penalty-decision-issued-by-the-state-administration-for-market-regulation-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-302834599.html

SOURCE Trip.com Group Limited

Continue Reading

Technology

NAVER Partners with Brookfield and NVIDIA to Expand Korea’s National AI Factory Infrastructure Buildout

Published

on

By

SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NAVER, Brookfield and NVIDIA announced an expansion of Korea’s sovereign AI factory infrastructure. New investments will increase the initial NVIDIA DSX™ AI factory deployment from 55 megawatts to 200 megawatts.

Announced during Korea President Jae Myung Lee’s AI Summit visit to San Francisco, the planned 200-megawatt expansion will be built with the NVIDIA DSX platform at NAVER’s GAK Sejong hyperscale data center in Sejong, South Korea. The expanded infrastructure will provide Korea- and U.S.- based AI innovators with access to production-scale AI compute for building next-generation models, agents and AI-powered services.

Under the terms of the agreements, Brookfield will fund up to $9 billion as the exclusive capital partner, NVIDIA will invest $1 billion and NAVER will fund the remaining amount to finance the $10 billion project.

This builds on NAVER’s June announcement to extend its GAK Sejong data center with NVIDIA DSX, with a long-term path to gigawatt-scale sovereign AI infrastructure serving Korea’s enterprises, industries, government organizations and global AI cloud customers. Combining Brookfield’s capital with NVIDIA’s computing platform, the investment supports NAVER’s AI factory deployment.

“NVIDIA’s strategic investment and our infrastructure supply agreement with Brookfield have propelled NAVER’s vision for the AI Factory business into a robust execution phase,” said Haejin Lee, Founder and Chairman of NAVER. “Leveraging the solid partnerships with our global partners, we will drive technological innovation, foster a sovereign AI ecosystem, and spearhead efforts to strengthen South Korea’s AI competitiveness.” 

AI Factory Expansion and Open Model Collaboration to Fuel AI Innovators

NAVER, as an NVIDIA Cloud Partner, provides deep expertise in operating hyperscale infrastructure powered by the full-stack NVIDIA AI platform. The 200-megawatt AI factory, featuring NVIDIA Vera Rubin and Blackwell platforms, will establish a dedicated resource pool for emerging AI companies, providing the compute, software and support needed to develop and deploy competitive AI models and applications at scale.

This expanded infrastructure also builds on NAVER and NVIDIA’s collaboration on open model development for agentic and physical AI. NAVER is advancing its HyperCLOVA X models to be based on NVIDIA Nemotron™ 3 Ultra open models with its proprietary data and training expertise. NAVER is also the first Korean company to join the NVIDIA Nemotron Coalition, contributing to open model development across pretraining, post-training and reinforcement learning.

NAVER plans to launch an AI agent platform in Korea in the second half of the year, powered by NVIDIA Agent Toolkit software including NVIDIA NemoClaw™ blueprints. NAVER is also developing a Seoul World Model using proprietary urban street-view and spatial modeling data, built on NVIDIA Cosmos™ world foundation models.

About NAVER

Founded in 1999, NAVER is Korea’s largest Internet company and one of the world’s top tech companies. Leading cutting-edge technologies, NAVER operates the No.1 search engine in Korea and holds various business portfolios encompassing commerce, fintech, cloud, AI and robotics.

NAVER recorded sales of KRW 12.04 trillion (USD 8.18 billion) in 2025. TEAM NAVER continues to enhance its business portfolio and expand its global presence across Japan, North America, and Europe, while pursuing innovation through continuous research and development in future technologies.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/naver-partners-with-brookfield-and-nvidia-to-expand-koreas-national-ai-factory-infrastructure-buildout-302834577.html

SOURCE NAVER

Continue Reading

Trending