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EarthX Announces Winners of the 2025 EarthX Climate Tech Prize and Ocean Exchange Pitch Competition, Celebrating Breakthrough Innovations in Power Grid and Ocean Solutions

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DALLAS, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Following a competitive selection process that spotlighted ten of some of the world’s most promising early-stage climate tech companies, EarthX announced Austin-based Zero Electric the winner of the prestigious 2025 EarthX Climate Tech Prize, awarded during the 9th annual E-Capital Summit at Earthx2025. This year, EarthX received more than 230 applications from sustainability-focused innovators from throughout the world tackling opportunities across a diverse set of industry sectors.

Zero Electric is reimagining how Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) connect to and participate in the grid. Co-Founders Jimi Adegbohun (CEO) and Felix Ogbeide (COO) created a grid-aware platform that generates dynamic, spatiotemporal hosting capacity maps and real-time flexibility insights, enabling faster interconnections, better DER monetization and intelligent grid operations. Zero Electric was awarded a $15,000 non-dilutive cash prize and had the opportunity to pitch before leading global investment, industry, and innovation leaders at the 9th annual E-Capital Summit.

Also at Earthx2025, Ceretune was chosen as the winner of the second annual Ocean Exchange pitch competition. Ceretune, founded by Reid Barnett, uses biomass growth data and water chemistry to guide plant selection, system placement, and measure impact. Their biodegradable, self-buoyant fabric supports seed-based plant growth on water, converting excess ocean phosphorus and nitrogen into biomass to combat nutrient pollution. As the winner of the 2025 pitch competition, Ceretune received a $25,000 grant.

“We’re proud to celebrate these visionary founders whose solutions reflect the cutting-edge promise of clean technology tackling both business and environmental challenges,” said Vikram Agrawal, Senior Director of EarthxCapital, who helps EarthX curate the event. “At EarthX, we believe breakthrough innovation and market-based solutions are essential to accelerating a more sustainable future and are proud to have hosted more than 100 innovators in Texas.”

The 2025 EarthX Climate Tech Prize, powered by Climate Solutions Prize in Montreal, is awarded annually to early-stage ventures with less than $250,000 in annual revenue and under $500,000 in dilutive funding. It is designed to spotlight early-stage ventures that combine high-impact environmental potential with scalable, investable business models. The awards are part of EarthX’s broader mission to convene capital, innovators, and policymakers to drive environmental solutions through actionable collaboration.

This year’s semi-finalists pitched their technologies during live sessions at the 2025 E-Capital Summit. For the first time since the award’s inception, the E-Capital Summit Investment Forum audience voted live to select which four semi-finalists (out of ten) would go on to compete in the EarthX Climate Tech Prize Finals. The four companies pitched in the finals on the public EarthX TV Stage, and the winner was selected by a panel of four judges including:

CS Freeland, Executive Director, Texas Venture AllianceGalith Levy, CEO, Climate Solutions PrizeGlenn Hamer, President & CEO, Texas Association of BusinessMike Ulica, Former President, National Geographic Society

The Ocean Exchange pitch competition, now in its second year at EarthX, is an extension of the partnership between two organizations, who believe that the best strategy for protecting a healthy global ecosystem is to adopt innovative solutions that drive the sustainable blue economy.

For more information on the Climate Tech Prize and Earthx2025 or the Ocean Exchange pitch competition, visit earthx.org.

ABOUT EARTHX
EarthX is a global environmental non-profit founded to inform, inspire, and drive impact towards securing a sustainable future for the planet. We apply an integrated and interdisciplinary approach, creating events, media, education, and public advocacy initiatives to galvanize awareness and action around key ecological and economic challenges. EarthX was founded in 2010 as Earth Day Dallas in an effort to increase environmental awareness in the local community. From 2010 to 2023, EarthX convened EarthX EXPO, the world’s largest green gathering in the days surrounding Earth Day in April. EarthX’s conferences and events convene governments, business and NGO leaders and a diverse array of attendees to cut across industry and political silos to bridge perspectives, leverage expertise, and foster multi-partisan collaboration that drives progress toward environmental solutions.

About Ocean Exchange
Ocean Exchange is a global ecosystem whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions for healthy oceans and the sustainable blue economy. A 501c3, Ocean Exchange fulfills this mission through a rigorous, multi-level program that includes annual monetary awards, promoting registered Solutions Inspiring Action across multiple communication channels, and facilitating access to the global network comprising its Board of Directors, Delegates, Solutions Review Team, Executive Team and other experts from around the world. Its award finalists have raised $3.1 billion in investment, IPO and exit transactions. Ocean Exchange’s mission is funded largely by private donations including those from Royal Caribbean, Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, Oceankind, Marine Research Hub of South Florida, Angus Littlejohn, Jr. Family, Apollo Opportunity Foundation, and other business and family philanthropic entities who share the passion for healthy oceans.

About Climate Solutions Prize
The Climate Solutions Prize is a unique initiative aimed at accelerating innovation in climate technology by incentivizing researchers and startups to develop groundbreaking technological solutions. The Climate Solutions Prize rewards the developers of the highest-potential projects with financial support, mentorship and collaboration they need to bring their solutions to market. Each year, winners of the Climate Solutions Prize are announced at the Climate Solutions Prize Festival. The Festival offers not only a platform for showcasing competitors’ innovations, but also a unique opportunity for networking and collaboration among all the key players in the climate technology ecosystem: researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, government officials and industry leaders.

EarthxCapital Innovation Ecosystem Partners
Activate Boston, AREI, ARPA-E, Austin Technology Incubator, BRITE Energy Innovators, Capital Factory, C10 Labs, Cleantech Leaders Roundtable, Cleantech Open, Cleantech San Diego, CleanTX, Cleveland Water Alliance, Climate – KIC, CSU Strata, Current, Energy Tech Nexus, Federal Labs Consortium, Gener8tor, Greentown Labs, Halliburton Labs, Impact Hub, Innovation Crossroads, Leaders on Purpose, LightWorks, Marine Research Hub, MaRS Discovery District, Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator, MassChallenge, New Energy Nexus, New Ventures, North Texas Innovation Alliance, NYU Urban Future Lab, Ocean Exchange, SeaAhead, Seaworthy Collective, SMU Hunt Institute for Social Entrepreneurship, Texas Venture Alliance, The Water Council, Unreasonable Group, US India Chamber of Commerce, USGBC.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/earthx-announces-winners-of-the-2025-earthx-climate-tech-prize-and-ocean-exchange-pitch-competition-celebrating-breakthrough-innovations-in-power-grid-and-ocean-solutions-302457924.html

SOURCE EarthX

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Sunrate and Netstorming Partner to Expand Payment Options for Global Travel Businesses

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LONDON, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sunrate, the global payment and treasury management platform, today announced a strategic partnership with Netstorming, a leading travel technology and software development company, at World Travel Market London 2026. The partnership will make Sunrate Cards available through Netstorming’s network, giving travel businesses greater choice and flexibility in managing B2B travel payments.

“Sunrate has established a strong presence in global travel payments and continues to evolve alongside the industry. As future technologies reshape how travel businesses operate, we see opportunities to enable more intelligent and seamless payment experiences, with next-generation capabilities such as our recently launched Agentic Card reflecting this ambition,” said Paul Meng, Co-founder and CEO of Sunrate. “Our partnership with Netstorming brings payment innovation closer to the technology powering global travel, supporting our vision for the future of travel payments.”

Through the partnership, Sunrate Cards will be added to Netstorming’s portfolio of payment options, enabling eligible travel businesses to use Sunrate Cards for supplier and other business payments. Designed for businesses operating across borders, Sunrate Cards provide greater control over payment flows through configurable spending parameters, enhanced security controls and real-time transaction visibility.

Sunrate Cards support settlement in more than 16 currencies, helping travel companies manage payments across different markets and currency zones while reducing the operational complexity associated with traditional payment methods.

“Travel is one of the world’s most interconnected industries, and its payment infrastructure must keep pace. Our partnership with Netstorming combines its deep travel technology expertise and network with Sunrate’s global payment capabilities, giving travel businesses another efficient way to manage supplier payments,” said Paul Batchelor, Head of Business Development, Europe at Sunrate. “We look forward to making B2B travel payments simpler, more flexible and more scalable.”

“Our network is the heart of our business. We believe that Sunrate’s solutions will provide our customers with greater flexibility expanding distribution opportunities. Together, our technology at Netstorming and Sunrate’s payment infrastructure will help drive stronger B2B connectivity and create new opportunities across the global tourism market,” said Nicola Rizzardini, CEO and Co-founder at Netstorming.

The partnership further strengthens Sunrate’s presence across the global travel technology ecosystem. Sunrate works with leading travel technology and payment platforms, enabling travel businesses to access capabilities spanning card issuance, international payments, global collection, global acquiring and treasury solutions.

About Sunrate

Sunrate is a leading global payment and treasury management platform for businesses worldwide. Founded in 2016, Sunrate has enabled companies to operate and scale both locally and globally in 190+ countries and regions with its cutting-edge infrastructure, global network, and unified solutions.

Sunrate operates through offices across key markets, including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London. The company partners with the top global financial institutions, such as Citibank, Standard Chartered, J.P. Morgan. Sunrate is also the principal member of Mastercard and Visa. To learn more about Sunrate, visit https://www.sunrate.com/.

About Netstorming

Netstorming is an Italian tech company specializing in the development of software solutions for the tourism industry. Founded in 2004, the company works with international tour operators, travel agencies and DMCs. Over the years, strong partnerships with major Italian and international operators, combined with a highly skilled team constantly updated on travel market trends and IT innovation, have positioned the company as a reference in travel technology.

Netstorming offers its core products and a wide range of technology services to the global tourism market. The company believes continuous innovation is key to delivering high performance tools that meet clients’ needs, working closely with partners to develop customized solutions that streamline operations and boost productivity.

Main products:

TOWeRS — B2B online booking systemBRIDGE — Centralized API/XML hotel integration solutionMIDA — Online accounting management system

More information: https://www.netstorming.net/

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sunrate-and-netstorming-partner-to-expand-payment-options-for-global-travel-businesses-302919266.html

SOURCE Sunrate

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New AI transformation company raises funding to advance AI adoption in Europe

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LONDON, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hg, the leading investor in European and transatlantic technology and services businesses, today announced an agreement to invest, with participation from Anthropic and angel investors, in a new AI transformation company to help European companies advance responsible AI adoption and product innovation.

The new company, which will formally launch later this year, will be an independent entity that works with organizations to advance AI adoption and AI-native product build, moving beyond pilots to measurable operational impact. The company will build on Claude, with forward deployed engineers, helping businesses move beyond simply adopting AI to building real, defensible advantage from it.

Built for Europe, the company will shape the organizations that will define Europe’s AI era – supporting businesses with distinctive IP, deep domain expertise and long-standing customer relationships that operate across a uniquely complex landscape of languages and regulatory regimes.

Steve Batchelor and JB Brian, Co-CEOs of Hg, commented: “This builds on Hg’s early conviction in the transformational power of AI. We’re delighted to announce our investment in this new company and look forward to further advancing Europe’s position within the global AI ecosystem.”

Steve Corfield, Head of Global Business Development and Partnerships at Anthropic, commented: “Businesses are looking for experienced teams to help them put Claude to work. We’re proud to invest in companies like this as they grow to meet that need.”

About Hg

Hg is an investor in European and transatlantic technology and services businesses. We are an AI leader in private equity, helping to build sector-leading enterprises that supply critical applications or workflow services to deliver intelligent automation for their customers.

We take an active approach to value creation, combining deep end-market knowledge with world class operational resources to support entrepreneurial leaders looking to scale and drive AI transformation.

With a vast European network and strong presence across North America, Hg currently has over $110 billion in assets under management and more than 400 employees. Our portfolio spans around 60 businesses worth over $195 billion in aggregate enterprise value, employing more than 140,000 people and consistently growing revenues at more than 16% annually.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-ai-transformation-company-raises-funding-to-advance-ai-adoption-in-europe-302927628.html

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Pudu Robotics Unveils PUDU TOMO S Series: Extending Lawn Care Automation to Blade Sharpening

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Bringing commercial robotics expertise home, PUDU combines automated blade care, precise edge cutting and intelligent navigation for easier lawn maintenance.

AMSTERDAM, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial robotics, today officially unveiled the PUDU TOMO S Series at its product launch event, bringing its robotics expertise into the home. Built around the SharpLoop™ Self-Sharpening System, the robotic mower series combines automated blade care with precise lawn maintenance to help homeowners achieve consistently clean cuts with less routine upkeep.

PUDU’s move into home robotics builds on years of serving demanding commercial environments. Working with globally renowned companies including Walmart, Toyota, Marriott and Pizza Hut has strengthened its experience in product reliability, adaptability, efficient deployment and ongoing support. Enterprise requirements for operational stability have helped PUDU develop and deploy robotics at scale, providing a foundation for its expansion into everyday home life.

Underpinning this expansion is PUDU’s “One Brain, Multiple Embodiments” architecture, which brings together embodied navigation, manipulation and interaction, alongside motion control and multi-robot coordination. This scalable foundation supports different robot forms and applications, enabling PUDU to bring its capabilities into the home.

“Bringing robotics home means giving people more time to enjoy everyday life,” said Felix Zhang, CEO of PUDU. “With PUDU TOMO, we are applying years of commercial robotics experience to lawn care, combining reliable performance with automation that extends from mowing to blade maintenance. By reducing the routine work behind a well-kept lawn, we are bringing our mission of making work easier and life better into people’s homes.”

PUDU TOMO S Series: Self-Sharpening System for Consistently Clean Cuts

Automated mowing saves time, but keeping blades sharp remains a recurring task for homeowners. The PUDU TOMO S Series brings blade care into the mowing cycle, combining automatic sharpening with powerful cutting to maintain lawn quality with less routine intervention.

At its core, the SharpLoop™ Self-Sharpening System automatically sharpens the rotary blades at the charging station when needed. This tool-free mow-return-sharpen-repeat cycle helps preserve blade sharpness and cutting performance over time. By reducing routine blade maintenance and replacement, it means less hands-on work with sharp blades and more time for homeowners to relax and enjoy their gardens.

The Lift-Cut-Discharge System tackles tall, dense and wet grass with dual 636 W high-torque motors driving the blades at up to 6,000 RPM. Aerodynamic high-lift blades raise flattened grass into the cutting path, while a dedicated rear discharge channel guides clippings away to help prevent buildup and blockages—delivering cleaner cuts with less clogging and manual rework.

Attention to detail extends to the lawn’s finish. PUDU TOMO’s Zero Edge Cutting combines an offset cutting deck with intelligent side sensing and a responsive side bumper. The deck positions the cutting path close to the boundary, while sensing and bumper feedback help guide movement along walls, trees, flower beds and open lawn edges, reducing uncut strips and manual trimming. Meanwhile, 180° rear-wheel zero-turn steering enables smooth, tight turns with less turf disruption. Alternating mowing directions and perimeter return routes further support an even appearance with fewer visible tracks.

All-wheel drive helps PUDU TOMO tackle challenging lawns with confidence. Four independent high-torque hub motors provide traction on slopes up to 45°. A floating cutting deck follows ground contours, while independent suspension supports obstacle crossing up to 6 cm.

Triple-Sense Navigation combines 360° LiDAR, AI Vision and network RTK for centimeter-level positioning without a local RTK reference station. One-Tap Auto Mapping identifies lawn boundaries and plans routes from the first run, eliminating boundary wires and manual mapping.

The PUDU TOMO S Series comes in three versions for lawns from 1,500 m² (0.37 acres) to 5,000 m² (1.24 acres), with sales expected in early spring 2027. For pricing and regional availability, visit PUDU HOME and subscribe for product news and launch updates.

About PUDU TOMO

TOMO is Pudu Robotics’ consumer robotic lawn care product line, redefining the standard of robot mowing through innovative cutting technologies that make lawn care simpler than ever. Featuring the world’s first self-sharpening rotary-blade robotic mower, the TOMO lineup frees homeowners from blade maintenance and replacement, delivering consistently precise, high-quality cuts—season after season.

Backed by Pudu Robotics, ranked No. 1 globally in commercial service robotics by both revenue and shipment volume, with over 130,000 robots shipped across more than 85 countries and regions and more than 1,900 patent applications worldwide, PUDU TOMO brings this proven technological foundation into the home, making effortless, worry-free lawn care accessible to households around the world.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/pudu-robotics-unveils-pudu-tomo-s-series-extending-lawn-care-automation-to-blade-sharpening-302927001.html

SOURCE Pudu Robotics

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