Technology

AtkinsRéalis to acquire Australia-based Engineering Consultancy WGA

Published

10 hours ago

April 21, 2026

MONTREAL, April 21, 2026 /CNW/ – AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. (TSX: ATRL), a world-class engineering services and nuclear company with offices around the world, announced today that it has entered into a scheme implementation deed to acquire Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec (WGA), a leading Australian and New Zealand engineering and project management consultancy firm.

The proposed acquisition represents a significant step in AtkinsRéalis’ ambition to build a national platform with strong local presence in key states and markets across Australia and to capitalize on Australia’s significant investment programs in infrastructure and other high growth client end-markets, such as Defence and Power & Renewables. The addition of WGA’s 800 professionals strengthens AtkinsRéalis’ delivery capacity and sector depth in priority infrastructure markets, including transportation, water, power and renewables, ports and marine, defence-related infrastructure, resources and industrial. Founded in 1976, WGA delivers long-term infrastructure programmes, supported by deep regional capability and strong client relationships across both countries.

“This transaction reflects our continued investment in the AMEA region, in line with our ‘Delivering Excellence, Driving Growth’ strategy,” said Ian L. Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer of AtkinsRéalis. “Australia is a priority market for us, where we are rapidly building scale and capability. WGA has deep regional expertise, strong client relationships and highly regarded capability across sectors that are closely aligned with our own. By bringing our teams together, we would be well positioned to deliver integrated solutions and better outcomes for our clients, while creating new opportunities for our people.”

The acquisition would reinforce AtkinsRéalis’ strategy of combining global capability with local proximity. WGA would gain access to AtkinsRéalis’ global systems, digital capabilities and technical excellence. This approach would support continuity for clients and employees, while creating expanded opportunities for collaboration, career development and technical growth.

“Joining AtkinsRéalis would mark a significant next step for WGA,” said Ben Stapleton, Joint Managing Director of WGA. “For more than 40 years, we’ve delivered practical, high-quality engineering solutions by being regionally embedded, backing our people, and building trusted, long-term partnerships with our clients. Becoming part of AtkinsRéalis would enable us to build on these strengths by connecting our team to broader technical expertise, global opportunities and investment, supporting and accelerating the next phase of our growth across Australia and New Zealand. Importantly, we can do this while staying true to what makes WGA unique, with strong alignment across our cultures and strategic priorities.”

The proposed transaction will be implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement under Part 5.1 of the Australian Corporations Act and is subject to customary closing conditions, including WGA shareholders’ approval, and the receipt of necessary regulatory and court approvals.

About AtkinsRéalis

Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital. News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About WGA

Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec (WGA) is a multi‑disciplinary engineering and project management consultancy with more than 40 years of experience delivering complex infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand. Employee‑owned and regionally embedded, WGA employs over 800 people operating from offices across South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory and New Zealand.

WGA supports clients across the full project lifecycle through engineering, project management and advisory services, with established capability in transport, water, power and renewables, ports and marine, defence‑related infrastructure, buildings, resources and industrial, urban development and sport and recreation sectors. Known for strong local leadership, long‑term client relationships and practical, buildable solutions, WGA operates with a delivery model aligned to how and where infrastructure is delivered. Learn more at wga.com.au.

Forward-Looking Statements

References in this press release to the “Company”, “AtkinsRéalis”, “we”, us” and “our” mean, as the context may require, AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. or all or some of its subsidiaries or joint arrangements or associates. Statements made in this press release that describe the Company’s expectations or strategies, including with respect to the acquisition of WGA (the “Transaction”), constitute “forward-looking statements” and can be identified by the use of the conditional or forward-looking terminology such as “estimates”, “expects”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “may”, “objective”, “plans”, “projects”, “should”, “will”, “likely”, or other variations thereon. Forward-looking statements also include any other statements that do not refer to historical facts. The Company cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and that its actual actions or results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are presented for the purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding certain key elements of the Company’s current objectives, strategic priorities, expectations and plans, and in obtaining a better understanding of the Company’s business and anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements made in this press release are based on a number of assumptions believed by the Company to be reasonable as at the date hereof and are subject to important risks and uncertainties, including the satisfaction of all closing conditions (which includes obtaining WGA shareholders’ approval), the receipt of necessary regulatory and court approvals, and the successful completion of the Transaction; management’s estimates and expectations in relation to future economic and business conditions and other factors in relation to the Transaction and resulting impact on growth and accretion in various financial metrics; and the absence of significant undisclosed costs or liabilities associated with the Transaction.

The forward-looking statements herein reflect the Company’s expectations as at the date of this press release and are subject to change after this date. The Company does not undertake to update publicly or to revise any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable legislation or regulation. The forward-looking information and statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE AtkinsRéalis

Technology

MemeMax Officially Launches, Introducing a Meme-Native Perpetual Trading Infrastructure

Published

34 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

SEOUL, South Korea, SHANGHAI and NEW YORK, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MemeMax, a perpetual decentralized exchange (Perp DEX), has officially launched, positioning itself as a trading infrastructure purpose-built for the meme coin market.

As the memecoin sector has grown into a multi-billion-dollar asset class, the lack of derivatives infrastructure tailored to its unique dynamics has become increasingly evident. MemeMax enters the market aiming to address this gap by offering a perpetual trading environment designed specifically for meme-driven assets.

Major meme assets such as DOGE, PEPE, and WIF have historically exhibited extreme volatility driven by narrative cycles and community participation. However, existing trading platforms have struggled to fully accommodate these characteristics.

Why Traditional Perp DEX Models Fall Short for Meme Markets

Most existing perpetual DEXs were originally designed around assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), where liquidity depth, relatively stable volatility, and structured price discovery dominate market behavior.

Memecoins operate under a fundamentally different dynamic. Price movements are often driven less by fundamentals and more by narrative momentum, community coordination, and viral attention cycles. These assets tend to experience rapid expansions and collapses, often outpacing the assumptions embedded in traditional oracle and liquidation systems.

Despite this, most platforms continue to apply the same infrastructure across all asset classes—creating a structural mismatch when applied to meme markets. MemeMax takes a different approach:

rather than adapting meme assets to fit existing systems, it introduces a trading infrastructure designed specifically for meme-driven market behavior.

Trading the Full Meme Cycle

MemeMax is designed to enable users to trade across the entire lifecycle of a meme.

Shorting narrative breakdownsEntering early during revival phasesNavigating extreme volatility environments

To support this, the platform’s oracle and liquidation mechanisms are structured with high-volatility, lower-liquidity assets in mind, rather than being retrofitted from BTC-centric models

Redefining Trading as Participation

Another key distinction lies in how MemeMax reframes trading itself.

Rather than viewing trading as isolated execution, MemeMax positions it as continuous participation. On-chain user actions are interconnected within a broader system, where behavior contributes directly to the dynamics of the platform.

This reflects a broader shift in meme markets, where price formation is increasingly influenced not only by liquidity, but also by attention and user participation.

Max Points (MP): A Participation-Based Metric

At the core of the platform is Max Points (MP), a native utility system designed to quantify user engagement beyond simple trading volume.

MP is calculated based on multiple dimensions, including:

Profit and loss (P&L) experienceConsistency of platform activity

Note: Incorporating “time spent in positions” into the calculation is planned as an additional feature in a future update.

By incorporating these factors, MemeMax moves away from purely volume-driven incentive models and introduces a system that captures holistic user participation.

MP is expected to serve as a foundational metric across the ecosystem, with applications in reward distribution, seasonal events, and access to platform features. Early participation is designed to provide compounding advantages as the ecosystem evolves.

Max Points (MP): An Activity Reward System

As part of the platform’s reward system, Max Points (MP) exist to reward users for their activities. To encourage consistent user participation rather than just focusing on trading volume, MP operates on a flexible seasonal basis. Adapting to market trends, each season introduces new objectives and various forms of rewards, such as airdrops, recognizing the broader value of ecosystem participation beyond simple PnL.

Staking (Coming Soon)

The staking feature is currently in preparation and will be officially launched in the future as the platform continues to expand.

REKT Pack (In Preparation)

Additionally, it has been confirmed that a “REKT Pack” is currently in preparation. This feature aims to add a layer of entertainment by playfully sublimating user liquidations into meme culture, turning the unfortunate event of getting “rekt” into an engaging and fun experience for the community.

Seasonal Structure for Continuous Expansion

The platform operates on a continuously live trading environment, complemented by recurring seasonal events.

Each season introduces new participation mechanics and reward structures without resetting existing user data. This allows MemeMax to maintain continuity while continuously evolving alongside market dynamics.

Toward a Dedicated Financial Layer for Meme Markets

As memecoins continue to evolve into a distinct segment of the crypto market—driven by community behavior and narrative cycles—the need for specialized infrastructure has become more apparent.

MemeMax positions itself within this trend by treating memes not simply as speculative assets, but as behavior-driven market primitives, embedding these dynamics directly into its trading architecture.

According to the team, “MemeMax is not just another exchange listing meme assets—it is designed as the financial infrastructure that the meme ecosystem has been missing.”

Now Live and Closed Beta Successfully Concluded

A closed beta test was held on April 14 and successfully concluded with great interest from participants.

MemeMax is now live, with users able to access perpetual trading immediately. Participants can begin accumulating Max Points (MP) through on-chain activity and take part in upcoming seasonal events and reward programs. Early users may benefit from first-mover advantages in MP accumulation, positioning themselves favorably within the platform’s evolving incentive structure.

Learn More

Homepage: https://go.mememax.com/official-ptradeDocs: https://docs.mememax.comX (Twitter): https://x.com/MemeMax_Fi

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SOURCE MemeMax

Technology

Sonata Software Achieves AWS Migration and Modernization Competency Status

Published

34 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. and BENGALURU, India, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sonata Software (NSE: SONATSOFTW) (BSE: 532221), a leading AI-first Modernization Engineering company, today announced that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Migration and Modernization Competency status.

This designation recognizes Sonata Software’s technical expertise and customer experience in helping enterprises accelerate application migration and modernization on AWS. It also reflects the company’s capabilities in supporting organizations as they modernize critical applications, improve operational efficiency, and build agile, resilient, and scalable digital platforms.

The AWS Migration and Modernization Competency helps customers identify AWS Partners with validated capabilities in migrating and modernizing applications from on-premises environments or other cloud platforms. This designation reflects Sonata Software’s capabilities in supporting customers across transformation initiatives spanning application migration, modernization, and optimization on AWS.

“Achieving the AWS Migration and Modernization Competency is an important milestone for Sonata Software and reflects our continued focus on modernization-led transformation,” said Manu Swami, Chief Technology Officer at Sonata Software. “For many enterprises, application modernization is now central to improving resilience, accelerating software delivery, and creating a more adaptable technology foundation. Our focus is on helping clients reduce technical debt, modernize with engineering rigor, and build platforms that support continuous innovation at scale.”

“Achieving the AWS Migration and Modernization Competency reinforces Sonata Software’s position as a trusted partner for enterprises pursuing large-scale transformation,” said Anthony Lange, Chief Revenue Officer at Sonata Software. “Our clients are looking for modernization programs that move quickly, reduce risk, and deliver visible business impact. This recognition strengthens our ability to take that message to the market and underscores the value we bring in helping customers accelerate outcomes through our partnership with AWS.”

Sonata Software continues to strengthen its AWS-aligned capabilities across cloud migration, application modernization, data transformation, platform engineering, and AI-enabled software delivery. In addition to the AWS Migration and Modernization Competency, Sonata has recently achieved AWS DevOps and Generative AI Competencies, along with key AWS service certifications, further reinforcing its ability to help enterprises simplify complexity, modernize business-critical systems, and derive value from their AWS investments.

About Sonata Software

Sonata Software is an AI-first modernization engineering company that helps enterprises transform legacy systems into intelligent, scalable business platforms. Powered by its Platformation™ framework and Harmoni.AI platform, Sonata delivers AI-led modernization across cloud, data, AI, Dynamics, test automation, and managed services. Headquartered in Bengaluru, India, Sonata has more than $1.2 billion in revenue and 6,400+ AI engineers supporting global delivery across regions including the US, UK, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Australia, DACH, and the Nordics. With deep partnerships across Microsoft, AWS, Salesforce, and Snowflake, Sonata helps Fortune 500 enterprises accelerate innovation, improve efficiency, and drive sustainable growth.

For more information, please visit https://www.sonata-software.com/

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2961889/Manu_Swami_CTO_Sonata_Software.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2681656/5928499/Sonata_Software_logo.jpg

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SOURCE Sonata Software

Technology

BELLA+CANVAS Brings Coachella 2026 Merchandise to Life with Immersive “Museum of Merchandise” Experience

Published

34 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Premium apparel leader transforms festival merch into a living archive of culture, creativity, and self-expression

INDIO, Calif., April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BELLA+CANVAS, the industry leader in premium blank apparel, successfully concluded its role as the official blank apparel provider for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2026 merchandise program, delivering both product and a standout on-site activation across two record-setting festival weekends.

At the heart of Coachella’s merchandise ecosystem, BELLA+CANVAS powered official festival products featuring a custom “printed on BELLA+CANVAS” neck label, giving fans a deeper connection to the garments they take home as wearable memories.

Extending beyond product, the brand introduced a first-of-its-kind immersive installation, “Coachella Merchandise: Then and Now — A Retrospective of Coachella Over the Years”. The design-forward, walk-through experience hosted by BELLA+CANVAS reimagined festival merchandise as both cultural archive and creative canvas. Hundreds of festivalgoers explored “Coachella: Then & Now”, revisiting standout pieces from past years while engaging in live, on-site customization.

At the “Museum of Merchandise” experience, guests were invited to print the vintage Coachella designs onto new BELLA+CANVAS t-shirts and sweatshirts of their choosing, blending past and present through personal style. With eight archival designs and eight premium garment options, attendees created unique combinations that reflected their individuality. Through live customization and past inspiration, the experience transformed nostalgia into one-of-a-kind, wearable pieces tied to each guest’s festival journey.

Across both weekends (April 10–12 and April 17–19), the “Museum of Merchandise” drew strong engagement. From festivalgoers, creators, and a curated network of industry influencers, including screen printers, merch designers, and apparel decorators, the experience was amplified in real time across digital platforms.

“Festival merchandise today is more than something you buy. It’s something you become part of,” said Megan Spire, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, BELLA+CANVAS. “At Coachella, BELLA+CANVAS set out to elevate the role of the blank and show how it serves as the foundation for cultural storytelling, creativity, and identity.”

In addition to festivalgoers, media and partners were also offered exclusive access to guided walkthroughs, behind-the-scenes insights into the evolution of festival merchandise, and conversations at the intersection of fashion, music, and experiential storytelling.

As festival merchandise continues to evolve into a form of cultural currency, BELLA+CANVAS’ presence at Coachella 2026 reinforced its position not only as a supplier but as a defining force behind how those stories are created and worn.

About BELLA+CANVAS
BELLA+CANVAS is a premium apparel company redefining the role of the “blank” clothing product in modern fashion, retail, and brand storytelling. Known for its elevated quality, on-trend fits, and commitment to innovation, the company partners with leading brands, creators, and cultural institutions to power high-impact merchandise and experiential moments. By combining fashion-forward design with scalable production capabilities, BELLA+CANVAS sits at the intersection of apparel, creativity, and culture while serving as the foundation behind some of today’s most influential branded experiences.

Social:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellacanvas/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bellacanvas/

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SOURCE BELLA+CANVAS