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Western & Southern Financial Group Acquires Till Financial, Expanding into Digital Family Banking Services and Investing in the Next Generation

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CINCINNATI, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Western & Southern Financial Group, a leading financial services company serving more than six million customers with insurance, retirement and investment solutions, today announced the acquisition of Till Financial, the fintech platform redefining how families raise financially capable kids. The transaction represents a significant strategic investment and marks a defining step in the company’s expansion into digital family banking solutions.

The acquisition delivers a proven platform to the millions of families Western & Southern already serves and accelerates the company’s direct-to-consumer strategy. Building on its 2018 acquisition of Gerber Life Insurance Company and subsequent addition of Fabric Technologies in 2022 – now branded Fabric by Gerber Life and home to the Plan Like a Parent™ platform – Till reinforces Western & Southern’s commitment to supporting families from early childhood through young adulthood.

“Families today need more than products – they need practical, modern solutions that help build financial confidence in an increasingly digital world,” said John F. Barrett, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Western & Southern Financial Group. “By pairing our strength and stability with Till’s innovative platform, we are deepening our commitment to serve families along life’s journey and helping the next generation build financial foundations for life.”

Family banking is an emerging category within consumer finance, and Till brings deep expertise across consumer fintech, product design, and payments infrastructure, with a dedicated focus on family banking since its founding in 2018. The platform delivers a collaborative family-centered experience through the Till app and debit card, featuring parental controls, automated allowances, shared savings goals, and security and fraud protection.

“We’ve spent years building Till into a platform families and partners truly rely on, and choosing the right partner for our next chapter was one of the most important decisions we could make,” said Taylor Burton, founder and chief executive officer of Till Financial. “What drew us to Western & Southern is that they think in generations, which is exactly how families think about raising kids. Together, we have a rare opportunity to help raise a generation that is better prepared for their financial futures.”

The acquisition meaningfully diversifies Western & Southern’s portfolio beyond traditional insurance and financial products and advances the company’s vision of delivering integrated financial wellness solutions across every life stage.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provided legal counsel to Western & Southern. Till Financial was represented by Citizens Financial Group, Inc. and legal counsel was provided by Goodwin Procter LLP. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About Western & Southern Financial Group

Founded in Cincinnati in 1888 as The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc., is No. 310 on the Fortune 500® and the parent company of a group of diversified financial services businesses. It serves 6.3 million customers — individuals, families, businesses, foundations and nonprofits — with a wide range of insurance, investment and retirement solutions through an ever-growing distribution system. Assets owned ($90.0 billion) and managed ($42.3 billion) totaled $132.3 billion as of March 31, 2026.1 Western & Southern is one of the strongest life insurance groups in the world, with seven life insurance subsidiaries that maintain very strong financial strength ratings. For more information, visit westernsouthern.com.

1 The financial information presented here is preliminary and unaudited.
Review our current financial ratings.
From Fortune ©2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. Fortune and Fortune 500 are registered trademarks of Fortune Media IP Limited and are used under license. Fortune Magazine and Fortune Media (USA) Corporation are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, Western & Southern Financial Group.

About Till Financial

Founded in 2018, Till Financial is a leading family banking platform helping families raise smarter spenders. Built around a collaborative family experience, parents get the tools to guide spending, saving, and earning, while kids get hands-on practice making real financial decisions. Till serves families nationwide through partnerships with organizations in student travel, youth sports, and other family-focused categories. Till is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at tillfinancial.com.

Contact:
Pete Schramm
Western & Southern Financial Group
513-419-2712
pete.schramm@westernsouthern.com

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SOURCE Western & Southern Financial Group

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VITG Unveils Modern Managed Services and Managed Detection & Response as Part of a Broader AI and Cybersecurity Transformation across ANZ

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SYDNEY, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As organisations across Australia and New Zealand navigate the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence, increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, and growing governance requirements, Virtual IT Group   (VITG) has announced the launch of Modern Managed Services  (MMS)  and Managed Detection & Response  (MDR) , that are next-generation managed services and managed security offerings designed to help organisations remain secure, resilient and ready for what’s next.

Modern Managed Services delivers a Modern Defensible Architecture framework for managed IT operations, ensuring security controls, governance frameworks and operational best practices are embedded and continuously maintained. Complementing this, Managed Detection & Response provides organisations with 24×7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) capability, actively monitoring, investigating and responding to threats using advanced security analytics and response technologies.

Jeremy Nees , Chief Product Officer, VITG , said:

“Too often, organisations purchase managed services only to discover they do not have the standard level of security they need. As businesses adopt AI, the old-world IT solutions that Managed Service Providers (MSP) are selling are simply not going to cut it. We’ve baked common security requirements into the MMS service from day one, applying the key principles of Modern Defensible Architecture: Secure-by-Design, Defense in Depth, and Zero Trust.

MDR and ZDR   can be layered on top or are available independently if you have your own IT service or team. The push to adopt AI is leaving security gaps across the ANZ mid-market. Our goal is to provide customers with technology that is secure, resilient, and ready for what’s next.”

The launch marks VITG’s second major solution release of the year, following the introduction of its Zero Trust Consulting Practice  and Zero Trust Detection & Response  (ZDR)  offering earlier in 2026. It is also the Group’s first launch since acquiring cybersecurity outfit Security Centric , building on the addition of Auckland based The Instillery  in 2025 and further strengthening VITG’s capabilities across managed services, cloud, cybersecurity, data and AI. VITG is also advancing a dedicated Data & AI Practice and Momentum, a continuous improvement framework currently being piloted with customers ahead of a market launch later this year.

Since joining VITG  at the start of the year, Maurice McCarthy , Chief Executive Officer , is committed to moving at pace to meet the demand that has been created off the back of the market’s rapid adoption of AI.   

McCarthy said, “The traditional managed services model was built for a different era. Today’s organisations need partners that can help them unlock the value of data and AI while strengthening cybersecurity, managing risk, and continuously evolving their technology environment.

Through the acquisition of Security Centric and The Instillery we have brought together market-leading expertise across managed services, data and AI, and cybersecurity. This launch is the first of several innovations we will introduce as we help organisations accelerate transformation and realise greater value from AI.”

Sash Vasilevski , Chief Security Officer, VITG , said:

“The technology businesses are using to unlock the value of AI, integrate systems, and build strong data foundations, is rapidly introducing new risks and attack surfaces.

As business leaders accelerate their adoption of AI, the gap between the threats they face and the security capabilities they have in place is growing faster than many businesses realise.”

Modern Managed Services and Managed Detection & Response are available immediately.

For more information, visit:

Modern Managed Services (MMS)

Managed Detection & Response (MDR)

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SOURCE Virtual IT Group

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DUVA Introduces DUVA ONE at IFA 2026: Personalized Sleep Earbuds That Respond in Real Time

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The Sleep System That Understands You Best.

BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DUVA, created by Fitnexa, is introducing DUVA ONE at IFA Berlin 2026. This intelligent in-ear sleep system is designed to sense changes in the user and the bedroom, then personalize audio, noise control, and device behavior throughout the night.

Most sleep wearables explain what happened after users wake up. DUVA ONE is designed to help while the night is still happening. Its low-profile earbuds, environment-sensing charging case, and app work together to determine when and how to respond.

A user might start the night with a podcast over Bluetooth. After they fall asleep, DUVA ONE can introduce locally stored sleep audio and optimize power use. If a partner begins snoring or traffic grows louder, it can adjust ANC or add sound masking. In the morning, a private offline alarm wakes only the wearer, without requiring an active phone connection.

In-ear PPG and motion sensors estimate sleep stages and track heart rate, HRV, sleep position, and movement, while the case monitors noise, light, temperature, and humidity. The AI Agent interprets these signals alongside playback status and personal preferences to select an appropriate response. Users control sleep audio, playback duration, ANC strategy, and nighttime interventions in the DUVA App.

“Sleep does not happen in a static environment, so sleep technology should not remain static either,” said Diego, Founder of Fitnexa. “DUVA ONE is designed to respond while sleep is still happening.”

Key Highlights

Layered noise relief: Passive isolation, Hybrid ANC, and sleep audio provide noise reduction of up to 42 dB, with Transparency Mode and adaptive ANC calibration.Personalized AI sleep guidance: The AI analyzes the user’s real-time sleep state and generates personalized audio guidance to help them gradually fall asleep.Side-sleeping comfort: Each fitted earbud weighs approximately 3.3 grams and has an approximately 9.9 mm low-profile design. Two ear-tip shapes and multiple tip and stabilizing-wing sizes provide more than 40 fit configurations.All-night battery: Up to 16 hours in the most power-efficient configuration, including 13 hours of local audio with ANC off and 9.5 hours with ANC on. The USB-C and wireless charging case provides up to five additional recharges.Private offline alarm: Alarms gradually increase in volume and offer 5, 10, or 15-minute snooze options through the earbud controls.Privacy-first sensing: DUVA ONE does not record conversations, store ambient audio, or upload raw environmental audio. Users can disable individual sensors and delete historical data.

DUVA ONE is planned for release in October 2026 at a target retail price of US$349.99, with target markets including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Australia.

Media Contact: essie@duva.com
Learn more: duva.com

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SOURCE DUVA

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China Xplained | The China Squeeze, or the China Opportunity?

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GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This is a news report from South: 

Is China’s manufacturing rise squeezing out or creating opportunities for other economies?

Ahead of the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in China this November, journalists and experts from around the world gathered in Guangdong for the Asia-Pacific Media Forum (APMF) 2026.

The forum opened in Shenzhen on September 5, bringing together more than 400 representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as from international organizations.

Before the opening of the forum, participants travelled across Guangdong to see China’s industries and development first-hand.

In this episode of China Xplained, we look at the numbers, supply chains, investment and voices from across the developing world—to ask a bigger question: Is China squeezing out room for other economies?

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-xplained–the-china-squeeze-or-the-china-opportunity-302870814.html

SOURCE South

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