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YäRKEN Raises Funds from 1982 Ventures to Expand AI-Driven IT Financial Management Across North American Enterprise Clients

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NEW YORK, May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — YäRKEN, the first AI native IT Financial Management (ITFM) platform for enterprise clients has announced a fundraising round led by 1982 Ventures. This funding will enable YäRKEN to further develop its AI capabilities and scale its customer base across North America.

The ITFM market is projected to grow at 12.7% per annum and hit US$14 billion (according to Business Research Insights, forecast period 2025-2033). This growth is driven by CIOs’ increasing need for solutions to effectively manage and forecast complex cloud and on-premises investments as well as managing software licences and usage across multiple business units. Yarken’s AI-native approach reduces implementation times, delivers average cost reductions of 15-25%, and significantly reduces ongoing maintenance hours by up to 50%.

Yarken was founded by seasoned entrepreneurs Ravi Kuppan (CEO) and Vaibhav Kulkarni (CTO), after the successful sale of their enterprise software company Tarantula Global to Constellation Software. Kuppan said, “Our years delivering software to large global enterprises showed us CIOs are struggling to manage sprawling IT infrastructure costs with legacy solutions and spreadsheets that are inflexible, slow to deploy, and expensive to maintain. We knew how to solve this by leveraging AI.”

Ravi Kuppan, Yarken CEO stated, “Yarken’s native AI can ingest and analyze data from any IT system, regardless of format. This means whether you’re tracking cloud spending, software licenses, or hardware assets, our clients gain comprehensive, actionable cost insights months faster than our competitors.” He added, “Yarken’s platform provides comprehensive audit trails and cost transparency, helping enterprises maintain compliance and enhance IT governance.”

Yarken, which was recently included in Gartner’s 2025 Market Guide for ITFM as an established offering, has been rapidly expanding in the United States and Canada.  US based Maryville Consulting, recognized for its expertise in Technology Business Management, will now offer Yarken’s platform to its extensive portfolio of enterprise clients, giving them streamlined access to Yarken’s powerful analytics and cost management tools.

“Yarken’s light TBM approach and ease of use help us provide innovative solutions to the North American market. By integrating Yarken’s platform into our service offerings, we can help clients gain deeper insights into IT spend and drive more strategic decision-making.” said Quinn Abraham, VP of TBM / FinOps at Maryville Consulting.

“Many CIOs are faced with the competing mandates of reducing costs while continuing to invest in new systems. Yarken’s AI-native platform gives CIOs full visibility on their tech spend, with integrated forecasting and benchmarking that produce actionable insights, including rapid IT planning capabilities, allowing for proactive budget adjustments that the business can collaborate on. The solution pays for itself,” said James Kim, Operating Partner of 1982 Ventures and former Managing Director at Accenture. He added, “Yarken is the only platform that integrates all areas of IT financial management and cloud operations with native AI, allowing enterprise clients to achieve faster time to value.”

Scott Krivokopich, Founding Managing Partner at 1982 Ventures, stated, “We are excited to support founders like Ravi and Vaibhav, who have a proven track record of building and exiting successful enterprise software companies. Our investment in Yarken fits perfectly within our strategy of backing companies that are leveraging AI to transform financial services and enterprise operations. Yarken’s innovative approach to IT financial management, powered by native AI, is precisely the kind of disruption we believe will reshape the industry.”

The funding will fuel Yarken’s next phase of growth. Specifically, the company plans to aggressively expand its customer base across North America, further develop its AI capabilities and scale operational capacity to support this growth. Building on the success of global SI partnerships.  Yarken is also exploring more strategic partners with key industry players to broaden its market reach and further enhance its service offerings.

Kuppan added, “We’re just getting started.  This investment enables us to deliver even more value to our customers and partners as we redefine how enterprises manage IT spend.”

About Yarken:

YäRKEN is a leading AI-native IT Financial Management (ITFM) solution provider recognized for its innovative approach and featured in Gartner’s Market Guide for ITFM 2025. Yarken enables businesses to gain complete visibility into their IT spend, optimize costs, and make strategic decisions through AI-driven insights, forecasting, and benchmarking. Yarken’s platform simplifies ITFM, providing faster implementation, enterprise-grade scalability, and robust analytics.

For more information, visit: www.yarken.com 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yarken-raises-funds-from-1982-ventures-to-expand-ai-driven-it-financial-management-across-north-american-enterprise-clients-302446154.html

SOURCE 1982 Ventures; Yarken

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOURCE LianLian Global

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOURCE CRAB 2B TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT CO., LIMITED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOURCE AiMOGA Robotics

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