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INEOS QUATTRO FINANCE 2 PLC ANNOUNCES CASH TENDER OFFER FOR ANY AND ALL OF ITS 3 3/8 % SENIOR SECURED NOTES DUE 2026

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2 years ago

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THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014, AS AMENDED (AND INCLUDING AS IT FORMS PART OF UNITED KINGDOM DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT  2018, AS AMENDED) (“MAR”)

LONDON, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — INEOS Quattro Finance 2 Plc (the ‘Offeror’), a company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, announces today an offer to purchase any and all of its outstanding U.S.$146,179,000 33/8% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 (the “Securities”), issued by the Offeror and guaranteed by INEOS Quattro Holdings Limited (‘IQHL’), a company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales and certain of its subsidiaries, for cash (the “Offer”). The terms and conditions of the Offer are described in an offer to purchase dated September 23, 2024 (the ‘Offer to Purchase’). Capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this announcement have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Offer to Purchase.

Holders are advised to read carefully the Offer to Purchase for full details of, and information on the procedures for participating in, the Offer.

The following table sets forth certain information relating to pricing for the Offer.

Title of Security

ISIN  

CUSIP

Principal Amount Outstanding

Maturity Date

Par Call Date

Purchase Price
per U.S.$1,000

Amount
subject to the Offer

33/8% Senior Secured Notes due 2026

US45674GAA22 / USG4772GAA34

45674G AA2 / G4772G AA3

U.S.$146,179,000(1)

January 15, 2026

January 15, 2025

U.S.$995

Any and all

Note:

(1)

The Offeror has discussed the Offer with certain of the Offeror’s ultimate shareholders and entities controlled by one or more of them (‘Permitted Holders’), who collectively hold approximately U.S.$6,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Securities. Such Permitted Holders have informed the Offeror of their intention to tender some or all of their Securities for purchase pursuant to the Offer.

Purpose of the Offer

The purpose of the Offer is, amongst other things, to proactively manage the Offeror’s expected maturity profile. The Offer also provides Holders with the opportunity to sell their current holdings in the Securities, as more fully described in the Offer to Purchase. To the extent that less than all of the Securities are tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer, the Offeror intends to give a notice of optional redemption with respect to such Securities to redeem the Securities that remain outstanding after completion of the Offer in full at par on January 15, 2025 in accordance with their terms.

The Offer

The Offeror will pay a purchase price (the ‘Purchase Price’) per U.S. $1,000 principal amount of Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer of U.S.$995. In addition, the Offeror will also pay accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities purchased pursuant to the Offer (including Securities tendered according to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures (as defined in the Offer to Purchase)) from and including the immediately preceding interest payment date, and up to but not including, the Settlement Date (the ‘Accrued Interest’). Holders whose Securities are tendered and purchased according to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures will not receive payment in respect of any interest for the period from and including the Settlement Date (as defined below).

The Purchase Price and the Accrued Interest for the Securities validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) in the Offer will be paid on the Settlement Date or the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date, as applicable (subject to the right of the Offeror to extend the Expiration Deadline and delay the acceptance of Tender Instructions as set out in the Offer to Purchase). If a Holder tenders less than the full amount of its holding of Securities, Tender Instructions must be submitted in respect of a principal amount of Securities so that the principal amount of any Securities held by such Holder after tendering is no less than the Minimum Denomination or an integral multiple of U.S.$1,000 above such Minimum Denomination. The ‘Minimum Denomination’ is U.S.$200,000.

The Offer is not conditioned on any minimum amount of Securities being tendered. The Offeror’s obligation to accept and pay for Securities in the Offer is, however, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the General Conditions and the condition that the Offeror and/or subsidiaries of IQHL shall have completed the New Debt Financing on terms satisfactory to the Offeror in its sole discretion, with aggregate net proceeds of at least €1,600,000,000 (equivalent) (the ‘Financing Condition’).

To the extent that less than all of the Securities are tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer, the Offeror intends to give a notice of optional redemption with respect to such Securities to redeem the Securities that remain outstanding after completion of the Offer in full at par on January 15, 2025 in accordance with their terms. Details of such optional redemption will be provided by the Offeror in a separate redemption notice given in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Securities on or after November 18, 2024. This announcement does not constitute a notice of redemption.

Announcements in connection with the Offer will be made by issuing a press release to a widely disseminated news or wire service. Copies of all such announcements, press releases and notices will also be available from the Tender & Information Agent. All documentation relating to the Offer, together with any updates, will also be available on the Offer Website https://deals.is.kroll.com/ineosusd operated by the Tender & Information Agent for the purpose of the Offer.

A tender of Securities for purchase pursuant to the Offer should be made by the submission of a valid Tender Instruction. If any Holder wishes to tender its Securities but such Holder cannot comply with the procedures for the submission of a valid Tender Instruction prior to the Expiration Deadline, such Holder may tender its Securities according to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures, as set out in the Offer to Purchase.

Securities purchased by the Offeror pursuant to the Offer are expected to be immediately canceled. Securities that have not been validly tendered and/or accepted for purchase, or which have been tendered and validly withdrawn, pursuant to the Offer will remain outstanding after the Settlement Date.

INDICATIVE TIMETABLE

This is an indicative timetable showing one possible outcome for the timing of the Offer based on the dates in the Offer to Purchase. This timetable is subject to change and dates and times may be extended, re-opened or amended by the Offeror in accordance with the terms of the Offer as described in the Offer to Purchase. Accordingly, the actual timetable may differ from the timetable below.

Date and Time

Action

September 23, 2024………………….

Commencement of the Offer

Offer to Purchase available from the Tender & Information Agent and on the Offer Website.

Offer announced through a press release to a recognized financial news service in the manner described under “Terms and Conditions of the Offer—Announcements” in the Offer to Purchase.

October 2, 2024, 5:00 p.m. (New
York City time)………………………………………. 

Expiration Deadline

The last time and date for Holders to submit Tender Instructions (or, where applicable, Notices of Guaranteed Delivery) in order to be able to participate in the Offer and to be eligible to receive the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest on the Settlement Date (or, where applicable, the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date).

October 2, 2024, 5:00 p.m. (New
York City time)……………………………………….

Withdrawal Deadline

Deadline for Holders to properly withdraw tenders of their Securities (or, where applicable, Notices of Guaranteed Delivery). If a tender of Securities (or, where applicable, a Notice of Guaranteed Delivery) is properly withdrawn, the Holder will not receive any consideration on the Settlement Date (or, where applicable, the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date) (unless that Holder validly re-tenders such Securities at or prior to the Expiration Deadline and the Securities are accepted by the Offeror).

October 3, 2024…………………………

Announcement of Results of the Offer

The Offeror expects to announce the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer (assuming that Securities tendered in accordance with the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures are validly delivered by the Guaranteed Delivery Deadline).

October 4, 2024, 5:00 p.m. (New
 York City time)……………………………………….

Guaranteed Delivery Deadline

The last time and date for Holders to validly deliver Securities in respect of which a Notice of Guaranteed Delivery was delivered at or prior to the Expiration Deadline.

Expected to be October 7, 2024..

Settlement Date

Settlement date for Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase by the Offeror (other than pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures). Payment of the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest in respect of any such Securities.

Expected to be October 8, 2024

Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date

Settlement date for Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase by the Offeror pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures. Payment of the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest in respect of any such Securities.

Subject to applicable securities laws and the terms set within the Offer to Purchase, the Offeror reserves the right, with respect to the Offer made by it, (i) to waive or modify in whole or in part any and all conditions to the Offer, (ii) to extend the Withdrawal Deadline and/or the Expiration Deadline, (iii) to modify or terminate the Offer or (iv) to otherwise amend the Offer in any respect. In the event that the Offer is terminated or otherwise not completed, the Purchase Price relating to the Securities subject to the Offer will not be paid or become payable, without regard to whether Holders have validly tendered their Securities (in which case such tendered Securities will be promptly returned to the Holders).

Holders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Securities when such intermediary would require to receive instructions from a Holder in order for that Holder to be able to participate in, or to validly withdraw their instruction to participate in, the Offer before the deadlines specified above. 

FURTHER INFORMATION

Holders of Securities may access the Offer to Purchase and the form of Notice of Guaranteed Delivery at https://deals.is.kroll.com/ineosusd

This announcement is released by INEOS Quattro Finance 2 Plc and contains information that qualified or may have qualified as inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of MAR, encompassing information relating to the Offer described above. For the purposes of MAR and Article 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055 (including as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as amended), this announcement is made by Dirk Arhelger, Head of Investor Relations at INEOS Quattro Finance 2 Plc.

Questions and requests for assistance in connection with the Offer may be directed to Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE, ING Bank N.V., London Branch or Santander US Capital Markets LLC:

Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE
Marienturm
Taunusanlage 9-10
D-60329 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Attention: Liability Management Group
Telephone: +44 20 7774 4836
Email:  liabilitymanagement.eu@gs.com 

ING Bank N.V., London Branch
8-10 Moorgate
London EC2R 6DA
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 20 7767 6784
Email: liability.management@ing.com  
Attention: Liability Management Group

Santander US Capital Markets LLC
437 Madison Avenue 
New York, NY 10022 
Call Collect: (212) 350-0660 
Toll Free: (855) 404-3636 
Attn: Liability Management
Email: AmericasLM@santander.us 

NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER

Whether or not the purchase of any Securities pursuant to the Offer is completed, the Offeror, IQHL or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, acquire Securities other than pursuant to the Offer, including through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, tender offers, exchange offers, redemptions or otherwise. Such purchases may be on such terms and at such prices as the Offeror or, if applicable, IQHL or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates may determine, which may be more or less than the prices to be paid pursuant to the Offer and could be for cash or other consideration or otherwise on terms more or less favorable than those contemplated by the Offer. Any future purchases of Securities by the Offeror or any of its affiliates will depend on various factors existing at the relevant time. There can be no assurance that the Offeror or any of its affiliates will pursue any such future offers to purchase or as to the structure or terms (or combinations thereof) of any such future offers to purchase. To the extent that less than all of the Securities are tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer, the Offeror intends to give a notice of optional redemption with respect to such Securities to redeem the Securities that remain outstanding after completion of the Offer in full at par on January 15, 2025 in accordance with their terms.

This announcement must be read in conjunction with the Offer to Purchase. This announcement and the Offer to Purchase contain important information which must be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Offer. If any Holder is in any doubt as to the action it should take or is unsure of the impact of the Offer, it is recommended to seek its own financial, legal or tax advice, including as to any tax consequences, from its stockbroker, bank manager, attorney, accountant or other independent financial, legal or tax adviser. Any individual or company whose Securities are held on its behalf by a broker, dealer, bank, custodian, trust company or other nominee or intermediary must contact such entity if it wishes to tender Securities in the Offer (or to validly withdraw any such tender). None of the Dealer Managers, the Tender & Information Agent, the Offeror, IQHL, nor any director, officer, employee, agent or affiliate of, any such person makes any recommendation whether Holders should tender Securities in the Offer.

Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains both historical and forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but only predictions and generally can be identified by use of statements that include phrases such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “probability,” “appear,” “project,” “estimate,” “intend,” “risk,” “target,” “goal,” “endeavor,” “outlook,” “optimistic,” “prospects” or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our objectives, plans or goals also are forward-looking statements. All statements that address the Offeror’s or IQHL’s future operating performance or events or developments that they expect or anticipate will occur in the future are forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are based on the Offeror’s or IQHL’s then current plans, estimates and projections and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. Factors that could materially affect these forward-looking statements can be found in the Offer to Purchase under the heading “Risk Factors.” Holders are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this announcement are made only as of the date of this announcement, and the Offeror undertakes no obligation to update publicly these forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events might or might not occur. The Offeror cannot assure you that projected results or events will be achieved.

OFFER AND DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS

This announcement and the Offer to Purchase do not constitute an offer or an invitation to participate in the Offer in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or invitation or for there to be such participation under applicable laws. The distribution of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement or the Offer to Purchase comes are required by the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the Tender & Information Agent to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

United Kingdom

The Offer to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer are only addressed to Holders where they would (if they were clients of the Offeror) be per se professional clients or per se eligible counterparties of the Offeror within the meaning of the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials are addressed to or directed at any persons who would be retail clients within the meaning of the FCA rules and any such persons should not act or rely on them. Recipients of the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer should note that the Offeror is acting on its own account in relation to the Offer and will not be responsible to any other person for providing the protections which would be afforded to clients of the Offeror or for providing advice in relation to the Offer.

The communication of the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer are not being made and such documents have not been approved by an authorised person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, the Offer to Purchase, such documents and/or other materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. Accordingly, the Offer to Purchase and the communication of all such documents and/or materials relating to the Offer are exempt from the restriction on financial promotions under Section 21 of the FSMA on the basis that they are only directed at and may only be communicated (i) to those persons in the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Promotion Order)), (ii) to those persons who are within Article 43(2) of the Financial Promotion Order, including existing members and creditors of either of the Offeror, (iii) to those persons who are outside of the United Kingdom, or (iv) to any other persons to whom they may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order (all such persons together being referred to as “Relevant Persons”) and the transactions contemplated herein will be available only to, and engaged in only with, Relevant Persons. Any person who is not a Relevant Person should not act on or rely on the Offer to Purchase.

EEA

In the EEA, this announcement and the Offer will not, directly or indirectly, be made to, or for the account of, any person other than to qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation.

Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase nor any other documentation or material relating to the Offer has been or will be submitted to a competent authority in the EEA for approval. Therefore, neither the Offer to Purchase nor any other documentation or material relating to the Offer qualifies as an approved prospectus as meant in Article 6 of the Prospectus Regulation.

Accordingly, in the EEA, the Offer may not be made by way of an “offer of securities to the public” within the meaning of Article 2(d) of the Prospectus Regulation and the Offer may not be promoted and is not being made to, any person in the EEA (with the exception of “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) in conjunction with Article 1(4)(a) of the Prospectus Regulation). This announcement, the Offer to Purchase and any other documentation or materials relating to the Offer (including memoranda, information circulars, brochures or similar documents) have not been forwarded or made available to, and are not being forwarded or made available to, directly or indirectly, any such person. 

With regard to the EEA, this announcement and the Offer to Purchase have been transmitted only for personal use by the aforementioned qualified investors and only for the purpose of the Offer. Accordingly, the information contained in this announcement and the Offer to Purchase may not be used for any other purpose or be transmitted to any other person in the EEA.

Belgium

None of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer have been submitted to or will be submitted for approval or recognition to the Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autorité des services et marchés financiers / Autoriteit voor financiële diensten en markten) and, accordingly, the Offer may not be made in the Kingdom of Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Articles 3 and 6 of the Belgian Law of April 1, 2007 on public takeover bids as amended or replaced from time to time. Accordingly, the Offer may not be advertised and the Offer will not be extended, and none of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar documents) has been or shall be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly, to any person in the Kingdom of Belgium other than “qualified investors” in the sense of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation, acting on their own account. This announcement and/or the Offer to Purchase have been issued only for the personal use of the above qualified investors and exclusively for the purpose of the Offer. Accordingly, the information contained in this announcement and/or the Offer to Purchase may not be used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other person in the Kingdom of Belgium.

France

This announcement, the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or offering materials relating to the Offer may not be distributed in the Republic of France except to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) as referred to in Article L.411-2 1° of the French Code monétaire et financier and defined in Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation. The Offer to Purchase has not been and will not be submitted for clearance to the Autorité des marchés financiers.

Italy

None of the Offer, this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer has been or will be submitted to the clearance procedure of the CONSOB, pursuant to applicable Italian laws and regulations.

The Offer is being carried out in the Republic of Italy (“Italy“) as an exempted offer pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of February 24, 1998, as amended (the “Financial Services Act”) and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of May 14, 1999, as amended (the “Issuers’ Regulation”). The Offer is also being carried out in compliance with article 35-bis, paragraph 7 of the Issuers’ Regulation.

Holders or beneficial owners of the Securities located in the Republic of Italy can tender the Securities through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in the Republic of Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of February 15, 2018, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority.

Spain

None of the Offer, this announcement or the Offer to Purchase constitutes an offer of securities to the public in Spain under Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 or a tender offer in Spain Law 6/2023 of 17 March on Securities Markets and Investment Services, and under Royal Decree 1066/2007, of 27 July, all of them as amended, and any regulation issued thereunder.

Accordingly, neither this announcement nor the Offer of Purchase have been or will be submitted for approval nor approved by the Spanish Securities Market Commission (Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores).

Switzerland

A public offer within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”) may not be directly or indirectly made in Switzerland with respect to the Securities. Therefore, none of this announcement, the Offer or any other offering or marketing material relating to the Securities constitutes a prospectus as such term is understood pursuant to article 35 FinSA or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Accordingly, the investor protection rules otherwise applicable to investors in Switzerland do not apply to the Offer. When in doubt, investors based in Switzerland are recommended to contact their legal, financial or tax adviser with respect to the Offer.

Luxembourg

The terms and conditions relating to this announcement and/or the Offer to Purchase have not been approved by and will not be submitted for approval to the Luxembourg Financial Services Authority (Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier) for purposes of public offering in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“Luxembourg“). Accordingly, the Offer may not be made to the public in Luxembourg, directly or indirectly, and none of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other prospectus, form of application, advertisement or other material may be distributed, or otherwise made available in or from, or published in, Luxembourg except in circumstances which do not constitute a public offer of securities to the public, subject to prospectus requirements, in accordance with the Luxembourg Act of 10 July 2005 on prospectuses for securities.

General

This announcement is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell Securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. The Offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and only in such jurisdictions as is permitted under applicable law. Please see the Offer to Purchase for certain important information on offer restrictions applicable to the Offer.

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Technology

BTQ Technologies’ QSSN Selected as Core Security Infrastructure for South Korea’s First Bank-Led KRW Stablecoin Proof-of-Concept

Published

6 hours ago

on

May 6, 2026

By

BTQ provides strategic advisory support and QSSN as core PQC security infrastructure for the iM Bank initiative on the Kaia mainnet, advancing post-quantum migration across global financial infrastructure

BTQ has been selected as the core post-quantum cryptography security technology provider for South Korea’s first bank-led KRW stablecoin proof-of-concept, delivering its Quantum Secure Stablecoin Settlement Network (“QSSN”) for the initiative.
 BTQ is providing strategic advisory support and helping coordinate implementation across the partnership with iM Bank and Finger, supporting the integration of post-quantum protections into regulated digital money infrastructure.
 Built on the Kaia mainnet, the proof-of-concept is connected to the blockchain ecosystems originally developed by Kakao and LINE, linking the initiative to two of the largest messaging and digital platform ecosystems in Korea and Japan.

VANCOUVER, BC, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – BTQ Technologies Corp. (“BTQ” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BTQ) (CBOE CA: BTQ), a global quantum technology company focused on securing mission-critical networks, today announced that it it has been selected as the core PQC security technology provider through its Quantum Secure Stablecoin Settlement Network (“QSSN”) in a proof-of-concept with its Korean strategic partner, Finger Inc. (“Finger”), and iM Bank, a leading Korean commercial bank, for South Korea’s first bank-led Korean won stablecoin infrastructure incorporating post-quantum cryptography (“PQC”).

The proof-of-concept represents more than a technical pilot. It marks an important step in bringing next-generation quantum security into banking infrastructure within Korea’s regulated financial system. In addition to providing QSSN as the core PQC security framework, BTQ is contributing consulting and strategic coordination across the three-way partnership, helping align the project’s security architecture, implementation approach, and long-term post-quantum migration objectives.

“Post-quantum migration requires more than a cryptographic upgrade. It requires coordination across infrastructure, implementation, and institutional stakeholders,” said Olivier Roussy Newton, Chief Executive Officer of BTQ Technologies. “In this initiative, BTQ is providing both strategic advisory support and QSSN as the post-quantum security architecture, while helping lead coordination across the three-way partnership. We believe this proof-of-concept demonstrates how financial institutions can begin integrating quantum-resilient protections into digital money systems in a practical and operationally viable way.”

South Korea’s First Bank-Led PQC Stablecoin Infrastructure Initiative

BTQ is working alongside iM Bank and Finger on a three-way initiative to validate the issuance and distribution infrastructure for a Korean won stablecoin. In addition to supplying QSSN as the PQC security layer, BTQ is providing consulting support and helping to guide coordination across the partnership as the parties evaluate how to integrate post-quantum protections into bank-led digital asset infrastructure.

The proof-of-concept will validate several key components, including real-time reconciliation between bank reserves and blockchain-issued supply, a global-standard smart contract architecture, connectivity to global infrastructure for overseas distribution, and the integration of a PQC-based dual-signature security structure. By applying BTQ’s PQC signature architecture alongside the existing ECDSA cryptographic framework, the system is designed to preserve operational continuity for financial institutions while proactively addressing future quantum computing threats.

Built on Kaia Mainnet

A notable feature of the proof-of-concept is that it will be implemented on the Kaia mainnet, one of Korea’s leading Layer 1 blockchain networks. Kaia was created through the merger of Klaytn, the blockchain originally developed by Kakao, and Finschia, the blockchain associated with LINE. Kakao and LINE sit at the center of two of the largest messaging and digital platform ecosystems in Korea and Japan, respectively, making Kaia a significant piece of regional digital infrastructure.

Klaytn previously participated in the Bank of Korea’s CBDC pilot ecosystem, and the Bank of Korea has continued to advance CBDC testing through initiatives such as Project Hangang.

By combining BTQ’s PQC technology with blockchain infrastructure tied to the Kakao and LINE ecosystems, the proof-of-concept is intended to establish a model that aligns institutional-grade security, blockchain scalability, and evolving regulatory requirements for digital money infrastructure.

QSSN as the Security Layer

The PQC security foundation for the initiative is BTQ’s Quantum Secure Stablecoin Settlement Network, or QSSN, a quantum-secure network architecture designed for stablecoin, tokenized deposit, payment, and digital asset infrastructure. QSSN is designed to protect critical issuer functions, including stablecoin issuance, burning, transfer authority, upgrade control, and administrative permissions, by integrating PQC-based signatures while maintaining existing user experience and operational workflows.

BTQ has previously announced that QSSN was highlighted in the U.S. Post-Quantum Financial Infrastructure Framework (“PQFIF”) as a model architecture for post-quantum digital money infrastructure. The Company has also positioned QSSN as a standards-oriented initiative advanced through QuINSA and aligned with emerging post-quantum financial infrastructure requirements.

Addressing the Harvest-Now, Decrypt-Later Risk

The timing of the proof-of-concept reflects the growing urgency surrounding the “Harvest-Now, Decrypt-Later” risk, in which attackers may collect encrypted financial data today and decrypt it later once sufficiently advanced quantum capabilities emerge. Global institutions are already accelerating post-quantum migration. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) has finalized its first set of post-quantum cryptography standards, including ML-DSA, ML-KEM, and SLH-DSA, while major technology companies and financial institutions continue to define their own post-quantum transition timelines.

BTQ’s QSSN addresses this challenge through a dual-signature design that allows existing ECDSA-based infrastructure to operate in parallel with NIST-aligned PQC signatures such as ML-DSA. This approach enables banks and payment infrastructure providers to begin a phased transition toward quantum-safe security without disrupting existing systems.

Expanding BTQ’s Korean Ecosystem

BTQ continues to expand its Korean ecosystem across digital assets, payments, banking infrastructure, and hardware-based security. In October 2025, BTQ announced that Finger had joined Danal as an early participant in BTQ’s QSSN pilot program, with the initiative expected to progress from proof-of-concept toward commercialization under QuINSA-aligned guidelines and broader industry frameworks such as PQFIF.

The commencement of the iM Bank proof-of-concept represents an important commercial signal for BTQ, indicating that demand for post-quantum migration among Korean financial institutions is beginning to move from policy discussion toward infrastructure-level implementation. As Korea advances both quantum technology policy and stablecoin-related regulatory discussions, BTQ believes QSSN is well positioned at the intersection of regulated finance, digital asset infrastructure, and post-quantum security.

About iM Bank
iM Bank is a South Korean commercial bank and a subsidiary of DGB Financial Group. Headquartered in Daegu, iM Bank presents itself as a financial companion for customers and traces its roots to Daegu Bank, which was established in 1967 as Korea’s first regional bank. For more information, please visit https://www.imbank.co.kr/

About Finger Inc. Group
Finger supplies and develops financial IT solutions to provide optimized money management strategies for employees and corporate customers. Providing “Smartphone Financial Services”, “Corporate Cash Management Services” for businesses, “Private Wealth Management Services” for private consumers.

Since the year 2000, Finger has accumulated a number of awards and patents regarding its businesses. Based on its Mobile Enterprise Application Platform(MEAP) Orchestra and its funds management system using screen-scrapping technologies, Finger was the first company in Korea to deliver a smartphone banking banking-service. For more information, please visit http://www.finger.co.kr/

About BTQ
BTQ Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: BTQ | Cboe CA: BTQ) is a quantum technology company focused on accelerating the transition from classical networks to the quantum internet. Backed by a broad patent portfolio and deep technical expertise, BTQ is advancing a full-stack, neutral-atom quantum computing platform spanning hardware, middleware, and post-quantum security solutions for finance, telecommunications, logistics, life sciences, and defense.

Connect with BTQ: Website | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Olivier Roussy Newton
CEO, Chairman
Neither Cboe Canada nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Information

Certain statements herein contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to the business plans of the Company, including with respect to its research partnerships, and anticipated markets in which the Company may be listing its common shares. Forward-looking statements or information often can be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan” or “may” and the variations of these words are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information.

The Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the development of post-quantum algorithms and quantum vulnerabilities, and the quantum computing industry generally. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks which may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, expressed or implied, by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include risks relating to: the availability of financing for the Company; business and economic conditions in the post-quantum and encryption computing industries generally; the speculative nature of the Company’s research and development programs; the supply and demand for labour and technological post-quantum and encryption technology; unanticipated events related to regulatory and licensing matters and environmental matters; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; changes in laws (including regulations respecting blockchains); risks related to the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 including, but not limited to, its impact on general economic conditions, the ability to obtain financing as required, and causing potential delays to research and development activities; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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SOURCE BTQ Technologies Corp.

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Zimmer Biomet to Present at the BofA Securities 2026 Health Care Conference

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6 hours ago

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May 6, 2026

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WARSAW, Ind., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE and SIX: ZBH), a global medical technology leader, today announced that members of the Zimmer Biomet management team will participate in the Bank of America Securities Health Care Conference on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with a fireside chat at 8:40 a.m. PT (11:40 a.m. ET).

A live audio webcast can be accessed via Zimmer Biomet’s Investor Relations website at https://investor.zimmerbiomet.com. It will be available for replay following the fireside chat.

About Zimmer Biomet 
Zimmer Biomet is a global medical technology leader with a comprehensive portfolio designed to maximize mobility and improve health. We seamlessly transform the patient experience through our innovative products and suite of integrated digital and robotic technologies that leverage data, data analytics and artificial intelligence.

With 90+ years of trusted leadership and proven expertise, Zimmer Biomet is positioned to deliver the highest quality solutions to patients and providers. Our legacy continues to come to life today through our progressive culture of evolution and innovation. 

For more information about our product portfolio, our operations in 25+ countries and sales in 100+ countries or about joining our team, visit www.zimmerbiomet.com or follow on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/zimmerbiomet or X at www.x.com/zimmerbiomet.

Contacts:

 

Media

Investors

Troy Kirkpatrick

David DeMartino

614-284-1926

646-531-6115

troy.kirkpatrick@zimmerbiomet.com

david.demartino@zimmerbiomet.com

Kirsten Fallon

Zach Weiner

781-779-5561

908-591-6955

kirsten.fallon@zimmerbiomet.com

zach.weiner@zimmerbiomet.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zimmer-biomet-to-present-at-the-bofa-securities-2026-health-care-conference-302763299.html

SOURCE Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.

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NextLadder Ventures Announces Co-Founder Leadership Team, Investment Focus Areas For Over $1 Billion Initiative Empowering Americans with Personalized, Tech-Enabled Support Tools

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6 hours ago

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May 6, 2026

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New senior hires from Google and The Collaborative Fund to lead product strategy and venture investing

Fund unveils first investment focus areas to catalyze new ‘Navigation Technology’ market, equipping Americans with cutting-edge tools to achieve economic security, opportunity and empowerment

ST. LOUIS, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NextLadder Ventures, a new fund backed by more than $1 billion in capital, today announced its priority investment areas for building a new market for “Navigation Technology” (NavTech) — tools that provide Americans with personalized solutions to navigate life’s challenges and achieve greater economic mobility — and announced its co-founding team, including two new senior hires.

The fund’s active focus areas are based on extensive research identifying the key experiences and high-stakes decision points that have an outsized impact on American families’ economic mobility. Launched investment areas include financial health, career navigation, and benefits and social services access, with further exploration underway around housing, legal aid, justice and re-entry, and mental and physical health. 

The organization is also today welcoming two senior leaders: Lauren Loktev is joining NextLadder as Managing Director of Investments and Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink as Managing Director of Product. Loktev was most recently a partner at the Collaborative Fund, where she backed several breakout companies in early child development, education, and sustainability. Gosselink comes to NextLadder from Google, where she led the company’s AI and social impact portfolio. They join a growing team which has deep expertise at the intersection of economic mobility, technology, public policy, and philanthropy.

NextLadder’s Focus Areas for Investment

Today, the fund is kicking off a plan to deploy $1 billion over the next seven years to accelerate the design, development, and deployment of accessible NavTech tools that aim to help families more successfully navigate the major life experiences that determine whether they get ahead or fall behind. As NextLadder’s inaugural frontier AI lab partner, Anthropic is supporting the build-out of the organization’s AI-native capabilities and is offering technical assistance to NextLadder’s portfolio organizations. 

As an increasing proportion of Americans across income levels find themselves overextended and overwhelmed, NavTech tools are designed to help individuals and families understand their options, connect to information and resources, and take action to recover from a setback or take advantage of an opportunity and reclaim their economic futures.

“Life is getting harder, and too many Americans are stuck facing some of the most complex and consequential moments of their lives without much support,” said Ryan Rippel, CEO of NextLadder Ventures. “Every day, millions in this country face fork-in-the-road decisions that have major implications on whether they climb up the economic ladder or fall farther behind. AI has understandably intensified many Americans’ anxieties about their jobs and their security in the economy. But these technologies are now also making it possible to deliver highly personalized, affordable tools to meet the needs of tens of millions of Americans in a way that has never been practically achievable or financially viable before. With NavTech tools, built for the reality of families’ everyday experiences, we can empower Americans to overcome setbacks, navigate life’s toughest financial decisions, and build more secure futures.”

NavTech tools, built with the needs of individuals, families, and trusted community partners at the center of their design, have the potential to ease burdens most acutely faced by 90 million Americans who live in households that have difficulty in paying for usual home expenses, and turbocharge the capacity of the 1.6 million community workers in non-profit or local, state, and federal government roles who serve them. This growing category of digital technologies includes tools that help families access opportunities such as personalized financial advice and legal aid, get connected with available resources and programs, and manage unexpected hurdles like losing a job or facing an eviction – while freeing social workers and service providers to spend more time on people and less time on red tape and paperwork.

The fund’s active investment areas include:

Financial Health: Developing highly personalized, AI-powered financial health tools that can provide tailored, sustained counsel to help users build savings and protect and recover from financial shocks;
Career Navigation: Building tools to support career navigation, manage and support career transitions, and help workers, case managers, and employers identify pathways to living wage work — all designed to help people successfully find the right jobs for them.
Benefits & Social Services Access: Helping eligible Americans seamlessly identify and enroll in all the benefits and social services available to them, particularly those that support career navigation and transitions, help them navigate critical life moments, and achieve stability toward economic opportunity.

NextLadder is exploring additional focus areas, including housing, legal aid, justice and re-entry, caregiving, and mental and physical health. More on the organization’s vision of these focus areas is available HERE.

In addition to backing direct NavTech solutions, NextLadder is investing in the developers, partners, and standards required to build a durable, self-sustaining market. Across all focus areas, the fund is prioritizing efforts to ensure NavTech tools are reliable, protect users’ privacy, and are trusted by the families who depend on them.

NextLadder’s Co-Founder Leadership Team

NextLadder’s five co-founders will be CEO Ryan Rippel, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer Rhett Dornbach-Bender, Chief of Staff Callie Schwartz, and the two new senior hires: Managing Director of Investments Lauren Loktev and Managing Director of Product Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink, rounding out the fund’s expertise in investing, technology, and impact.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Lauren and Brigitte to the NextLadder team,” said Rippel. “Brigitte has spent her career proving that when applied purposefully, AI and technology can deliver meaningful benefits for communities, and she’ll set the bar for what NavTech tools can deliver for American families today and in the years to come. And with her deep experience backing mission-driven founders, Lauren is the perfect leader to build our venture practice from the ground up and accelerate the growth of the NavTech field. With this team in place, we’re positioned to make NavTech tools easier to build, fund, and access so they reach the people who need them most.”

Loktev brings 15 years of venture capital experience investing at the intersection of for-profit and for-good. Most recently at Collaborative Fund, she backed several companies to significant scale and launched Collab+Sesame, a first-of-its-kind thematic seed fund in partnership with Sesame Workshop focused on early childhood education. At NextLadder, she will build and lead the fund’s venture practice, sourcing and scaling investments in the founders building the next generation of NavTech tools.

“We have a once in a generation opportunity to help steer AI solutions toward those who need them most,” said Loktev. “Many amazing, accomplished founders see this too, and they are on a mission to build scalable, transformative businesses in the critical verticals that help people navigate life-changing moments. I couldn’t be more excited to join NextLadder and to support the most inspiring leaders building this market from the ground up. Thanks to our unique, long-term mandate, we can be creative and flexible in investing across stage and check size to partner with the entrepreneurs and leaders we believe will change the world.”

Prior to her role at NextLadder, Gosselink spent over a decade at Google in several roles including Director of AI and Social Impact, directing more than $500 million in funding for organizations applying AI to address challenges including crisis response, education, and economic opportunity. At NextLadder, she will lead AI and product strategy across the fund’s portfolio, backing solutions and setting market-wide standards for how NavTech tools are designed, evaluated, and improved over time.

“If we collectively harness the AI transformation strategically and purposefully, we can transform the way Americans are empowered to access greater economic mobility,” said Gosselink. “We believe that people-centered products, combined with shifts in the market and the services available to families, can fundamentally reshape how millions of Americans navigate critical moments and achieve prosperity on their own terms.”

To request interviews from the NextLadder Ventures leadership team, contact media@nextladder.com.

About NextLadder Ventures

NextLadder Ventures is a time-bound venture with one goal: empower millions of Americans to reach their potential by 2040. Backed by over $1 billion in capital, the organization invests in breakthrough technologies that remove barriers to economic success and put people in control of their futures. NextLadder Ventures is trailblazing a new market for tech-enabled Navigation Technology tools that help people access the resources they need to navigate pivotal moments — offering flexible, risk-tolerant capital to entrepreneurs building these transformative tools today, while creating a pipeline of tech, talent, and capital for the long run.

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SOURCE NextLadder Ventures

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