Connect with us

Technology

Electronic Merchant Systems Announces Strategic Majority Investment from BharCap Partners

Published

on

Investment Empowers Next Stage of Growth and Innovation for Leading Merchant Services Provider

CLEVELAND, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Financial Technology company Electronic Merchant Systems (EMS), an industry-leading merchant solutions and payments provider, is pleased to announce a strategic majority investment by BharCap Partners, LLC (“BharCap”), a Greenwich, CT based private investment firm focused on the financial services sector. The investment marks a significant milestone in EMS’ growth journey and enables the company to accelerate growth and enhance its client service offerings. 

EMS offers payment processing solutions for retail and eCommerce merchants through three distinct go-to-market sales channels, with a focus on eCommerce and small-to-medium sized merchants. EMS processes approximately $6 Billion in transaction volume for 25,000 merchants nationwide. With a seasoned leadership team, a scalable platform, and unique distribution channels, EMS is well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities and expand its merchant network.

Afshin Yazdian, who joined EMS as CEO and Executive Chairman in 2023, commented, “This is a big moment for EMS and our incredible team, and we look forward to working with a great partner in BharCap. We are now well positioned to continue the transformation of EMS into a leading FinTech Platform. I am grateful for BharCap’s belief in our vision and strategy.  I am excited to work with the team and BharCap to continue to build our amazing organization.”

EMS was previously majority-owned by Jim Weiland, who founded the company in 1988. The company began as a local three-person sales office and has expanded to operate nationwide. Jim will retain a minority ownership stake in EMS and will remain on the EMS Board of Directors post-transaction.

Jim noted, “I could not be happier about the outcome for EMS. Afshin has a proven track record of building great companies and established himself as a highly effective leader who can now take EMS to another level of size and scale. I am also grateful to FT Partners for their support throughout this transaction. I look forward to working with Bharath and the team at BharCap as I believe they are the perfect partner for me and the EMS management team. I admire BharCap’s approach and style when working with founders; it is clear they have walked in our shoes. The BharCap team’s operational and strategic orientation, coupled with their sector expertise, will help drive our next phase of growth. I also would like to thank our dedicated and hardworking employees, who play an integral part in the growth and achievements of EMS. Our company’s success is a reflection of their efforts. I am excited for the growth opportunities that will be available to them as EMS enters this new chapter.”

Bharath Srikrishnan, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of BharCap, noted, “The payment processing industry was the first financial services sub-sector I worked in 24 years ago, and I have always considered it to be one of the most attractive sub-sectors in which to invest. We first met EMS almost a decade ago, and we have deep respect for EMS’ ability to deliver unparalleled service to their partners in the digital economy. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we have tremendous empathy for founders, and are therefore often chosen to be a company’s first capital partner – and we do not take this responsibility lightly. We hope to build on EMS’ great legacy while also leveraging our proven toolkit to help management execute its next phase of innovation and expansion.”

In the past 15 months, BharCap has invested approximately $700 Million of equity, comprising $1.7 Billion in enterprise value, in five companies in the payment processing, insurance services, insurance distribution, wealth management and specialty finance sub-sectors of financial services, in each case backing proven management teams to capitalize on demonstrated secular growth trends.

With BharCap’s investment and partnership, EMS expects to become an active player in the M&A market. In January 2024, EMS further bolstered its distribution channels and significantly expanded its technology stack through the acquisition of Los Angeles, California-based PaymentCloud. 

Ethan Wang, BharCap Co-Founder and Partner, added, “Afshin brings considerable M&A expertise to EMS, which coupled with BharCap’s resources, will enable the company to become a credible acquiror of payment processing businesses and merchant portfolios. We look forward to helping EMS develop into a reliable and repeatable strategic acquiror.” 

In conjunction with BharCap’s investment, BharCap Operating Partners and strategic advisors Raj Date and Karl Mehta will join the EMS Board of Directors alongside Bharath Srikrishnan, Ethan Wang, Jim Weiland and Afshin Yazdian. Both Raj and Karl are financial technology veterans who bring decades of experience to the EMS Board.

Financial Technology Partners (FT Partners) served as exclusive financial advisor and Sullivan & Cromwell along with UB Greensfelder served as legal counsel to EMS. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal counsel to BharCap. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Electronic Merchant Systems:  

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Electronic Merchant Systems is an industry-leading merchant services provider that businesses depend on for their processing needs. Over 25,000 retail, internet, and omnichannel customers nationwide rely on the firm’s diverse suite of modern payment solutions.

From credit card processing and risk management to gateways and virtual terminals, sales software, and web management, EMS offers comprehensive tools that empower businesses to thrive. EMS enables frictionless onboarding, swift underwriting, and exemplary post-approval merchant support. Our operations encompass research and development, underwriting, sales, marketing, and end-to-end innovation. EMS further leverages the robust services of its subsidiaries, MaxxPay, Total Touch, Paysley and PaymentCloud, to drive success for clients. Discover more at https://www.emscorporate.com.

About BharCap Partners: 

BharCap Partners, LLC is a private investment firm investing in businesses across the financial services industry including financial technology and tech-enabled services; insurance distribution and insurance services; and asset and wealth management. BharCap manages over $2 billion of capital across 12 investments. For more information, please visit https://bharcap.com.

Media Contacts:
Delia Cannan / Pamela Greene
Reevemark
212-433-4600
BharCapPartnersTeam@reevemark.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electronic-merchant-systems-announces-strategic-majority-investment-from-bharcap-partners-302212624.html

SOURCE Electronic Merchant Systems

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

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

Technology

Baidu to Report First Quarter 2026 Financial Results on May 18, 2026

Published

on

By

BEIJING, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIDU; HKEX: 9888 (HKD Counter) and 89888 (RMB Counter)) (“Baidu” or the “Company”), a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, today announced that it will report its financial results for the First Quarter 2026 ended March 31, 2026, before the U.S. market opens on May 18, 2026. Baidu’s management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM on May 18, 2026, U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 PM on May 18, 2026, Beijing Time).

Please register in advance of the conference call using the link provided below. It will automatically direct you to the registration page of “Baidu Inc. Q1 2026 Earnings Conference Call”. Please follow the steps to enter your registration details, then click “Register”. Upon registering, you will then be provided with the dial-in number, the passcode, and your unique access PIN. This information will also be emailed to you as a calendar invite.

For pre-registration, please click:
https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10054331-iu876y.html

In the 10 minutes prior to the call start time, you may use the conference access information (including dial-in number(s), the passcode and unique access PIN) provided in the calendar invite that you have received following your pre-registration.

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of this conference call will be available at https://ir.baidu.com.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following number until May 25, 2026:
US: 1 855 883 1031
Reply PIN: 10054331

About Baidu

Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on Nasdaq under “BIDU” and the HKEX under “9888.” One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baidu-to-report-first-quarter-2026-financial-results-on-may-18-2026-302751204.html

SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Phase 1 of 139th Canton Fair Introduces New Dedicated Product Zones as Emerging Technologies Take Center Stage

Published

on

By

GUANGZHOU, China, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 139th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) has further optimized its exhibition landscape with nine new dedicated product zones, reflecting ongoing structural shifts in global trade and the continued upgrading of China’s export portfolio.

Among the most closely watched additions in Phase 1 are the consumer and agricultural drone zones, both making their debut at the Canton Fair and offering a focused showcase of applications in the low‑altitude economy. The consumer drone zone showcases progress in flight control, AI‑based obstacle avoidance and energy efficiency across imaging, tourism, emergency response and patrol. The agricultural drone zone highlights precision farming, with spraying, seeding and field‑management demonstrations showing terrain‑following, intelligent route planning, and precise payload control.

On day one, a Shandong‑based drone manufacturer welcomed buyers from 30+ countries, with over 50 strong leads. One buyer, after seeing load and wind‑resistance demonstrations, immediately confirmed three sample units and even proposed becoming a regional distributor.

Display technology is another focal point of Phase 1, highlighting advances in color accuracy, energy efficiency, and overall visual performance. Developments in fine‑grained control, expanded color gamut, and reduced power consumption point to a clear trend toward immersive viewing experiences combined with sustainability gains.

The smart wearables zone underscores how intelligent devices are becoming key interfaces for human‑machine interaction. From real‑time language translation and adaptive noise cancellation to long‑term health monitoring and AI‑enabled eyewear, wearables are evolving from standalone products into integrated systems that support communication, well‑being, and productivity across daily and professional settings.

The service robots zone further illustrates how artificial intelligence is moving from conceptual exploration to large‑scale deployment. Advanced robots showcased across industrial, commercial, medical, and public‑service scenarios demonstrate growing autonomy, multi‑sensory perception, and closer human-robot collaboration.

By bringing emerging technologies into clearer focus through dedicated zones, the 139th Canton Fair is reinforcing its function as a platform where trade trends take shape, innovation meets application, and global buyers gain early insights into cutting-edge technologies.

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

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2963958/1.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/phase-1-of-139th-canton-fair-introduces-new-dedicated-product-zones-as-emerging-technologies-take-center-stage-302751520.html

Continue Reading

Technology

OZMOSI Announces Strategic Partnership with Planview to Advance AI-Driven Planning in Pharmaceutical R&D

Published

on

By

By combining structured clinical intelligence with AI-driven portfolio planning, the partnership gives pharmaceutical teams a faster, clearer way to make high-stakes R&D decisions

SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS, N.J., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — OZMOSI, a leading provider of structured pharmaceutical development intelligence, today announced a strategic partnership with Planview, the leading AI-powered end-to-end platform for Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) and Digital Product Delivery (DPD).

By integrating OZMOSI’s machine-readable clinical datasets directly into Planview’s AI-driven portfolio planning platform, external scientific data is now connected to internal R&D planning in one system,  helping pharmaceutical organizations better predict market shifts, prioritize R&D investments, and make faster, more confident decisions.

This integration brings external clinical reality into internal R&D decision-making, so teams can plan based on what’s actually happening, not just on what they hope will happen.

The two organizations combine deep expertise in complementary areas, united by a shared focus on improving the quality and usability of data for strategic decision-making. OZMOSI provides structured, machine-readable intelligence across clinical trials, drug development programs, regulatory activity, and scientific literature, built on a consistent taxonomy that standardizes how data is connected and understood. Planview’s platform enables organizations to model complex investment scenarios, align initiatives with corporate strategy, and optimize resource allocation.

Together, these capabilities give teams a clearer, more complete view of the R&D landscape, grounded in clean, standardized data and strengthened by AI-driven analysis.

“AI is only as powerful as the data that fuels it,” said Beau Bush, President and Founder of OZMOSI. “Pharmaceutical organizations have no shortage of data, but too often it’s fragmented, inconsistent, and difficult to operationalize. By bringing OZMOSI’s structured data foundation together with Planview’s AI-driven planning capabilities, we’re enabling teams to move beyond disconnected analysis and toward truly integrated, forward-looking decision-making.”

“Strategic planning in pharmaceutical R&D is becoming increasingly dependent on advanced analytics and AI,” said  Louise Allen, Chief Product Officer at Planview. “Integrating OZMOSI’s clinical intelligence into Planview’s platform enables pharmaceutical leaders to make better decisions by combining trusted external data with AI-driven planning

OZMOSI’s dataset spans more than 800,000 clinical trials, over 35,000 drugs, and 4,000 diseases and conditions. It brings together insights from clinical trial registries, regulatory filings, scientific literature, company disclosures, and industry announcements into a unified, structured dataset.

When integrated into Planview’s platform, this intelligence enables pharmaceutical and biotech organizations to evaluate competitive landscapes, identify emerging clinical trends, and simulate portfolio outcomes with unprecedented precision.

Together, OZMOSI and Planview are redefining how pharmaceutical organizations approach R&D strategy, ensuring that investment decisions are guided by accurate, standardized, and AI-ready data. By combining internal portfolio visibility with a continuously updated external view of the market, the partnership helps leaders not only understand what they have, but what to do next.

About OZMOSI

Founded in 2013, OZMOSI specializes in transforming complex pharmaceutical R&D intelligence into structured, machine-readable data. The company provides the foundation needed for accurate competitive analysis, product forecasting, and portfolio strategy. Through its proprietary taxonomy and semantic layer, OZMOSI connects fragmented data across the pharmaceutical ecosystem, enabling faster, more confident decision-making for global pharma, biotech, and investment teams.

Based in Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, OZMOSI is focused on making pharmaceutical intelligence clear, usable, and ready for the future of AI-driven strategy. Learn more at www.ozmosi.com.

About Planview

Planview is the leading end-to-end platform for Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) and Digital Product Delivery (DPD), powered by advanced AI capabilities that give business and technology leaders the strategic foresight to prioritize investments and initiatives, make plans real within constraints, and pivot with certainty when things change. Our AI-driven connected platform of solutions underpins the business and digital transformations of more than 3,000 customers and 3.1 million users globally. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Planview has over 1,500 employees worldwide. Learn more at www.planview.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ozmosi-announces-strategic-partnership-with-planview-to-advance-ai-driven-planning-in-pharmaceutical-rd-302750944.html

SOURCE Ozmosi Company

Continue Reading

Trending