EMERGINE INTRODUCES AI SEARCH VISIBILITY PLATFORM IN SINGAPORE

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Emergine has made its global debut at the What'sNEXT 2026 conference in Singapore, marking the international launch of its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search visibility platform.

The platform evolved from KAWO GEO and was developed by the team behind KAWO, a social media intelligence platform serving more than 500 brands.

In a statement, Emergine said the platform is designed to help brands navigate, monitor and manage the rapidly evolving generative search landscape across leading global and local AI ecosystems.

During the event, the company also previewed its "2026 Overview of GEO Citations for Mainstream AI Models" research report, which was officially released on Aug 5.

The report, jointly produced by Emergine and GrowthBox, analyses thousands of real AI interactions across multiple industries and models to examine how AI engines discover, evaluate and reference brand content.

Emergine aims to help brands navigate the evolving AI-driven search landscape by turning complex algorithmic insights into actionable intelligence.

As more users rely on AI platforms to discover information and make decisions, the platform enables businesses to better understand how their content is identified, evaluated and referenced across global AI ecosystems.

-- BERNAMA

Univar Solutions Acquires H.M. Royal, Expanding Reach in Rubber, Plastics, and Adhesive Additives in the United States

Strengthens service and supply across key U.S. markets by bringing together a century of technical expertise and trusted customers relationships

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Aug 4 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Univar Solutions LLC (“Univar Solutions” or “the Company”), a leading global solutions provider to users of specialty ingredients and chemicals, today announced it has acquired H.M. Royal, a highly respected 101-year-old specialty distributor of rubber, plastics, and adhesive additives. The addition of H.M. Royal strengthens the Performance Materials business within the Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions division, expanding access to specialized products, technical knowledge, and long-standing customer relationships, particularly on the East and West Coasts, where H.M. Royal has a strong presence. As the organizations come together, H.M. Royal customers will gain access to Univar Solutions’ broader scale, logistics network, and digital tools, while continuing to benefit from the technical expertise and trusted relationships that have been central to H.M. Royal’s success.

"We’re proud to welcome H.M. Royal into the Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions family,” said Nick Powell, CEO of Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions. “They bring deep technical expertise in rubber, plastics, and adhesives, along with long-standing customer and supplier partnerships, and together we offer an enhanced portfolio and team of professionals to better support customers in the U.S. Underscored by a shared commitment to service and excellence, this strategic partnership builds on both companies’ legacy of values-first and customer-centric business.”

“H.M. Royal has long been a trusted partner in the rubber, plastics adhesives, sealants, and protective coatings spaces, and this marks an important step forward for our Performance Materials business,” said Matthew Oliver, Senior Vice President of Performance Materials for Univar Solutions. “This combination allows us to create a more connected platform in rubber and plastics, strengthen collaboration, and open new opportunities for growth across the value chain. We are committed to preserving and building on the technical knowledge, supplier relationships, and market focus that have made H.M. Royal successful, especially in applications where consistency, processing performance, and reliable supply matter most.”

The combined organization is expected to deliver broader product access, extended technical support, and greater supply continuity for customers and supplier partners, building on both companies’ century-plus legacy of service and expertise.

“For more than 100 years, H.M. Royal has built its reputation on strong relationships, integrity, technical expertise, and an unwavering commitment to our customers and suppliers,” said Joseph Royal, President of H.M. Royal. “We are excited to join Univar Solutions, a company that shares these core values. Together, we look forward to building on H.M. Royal’s proud legacy and creating new opportunities for our employees, customers, and supply partners.”

About Univar Solutions
Univar Solutions is a leading global specialty chemical and ingredient distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world’s leading producers. With one of the industry’s largest private transportation fleets and technical sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools, the Company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries, and applications. While fulfilling its purpose to help keep communities healthy, fed, clean, and safe, Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and focus on Growing Together. Learn more at univarsolutions.com.

About H.M. Royal
H.M. Royal is a long-established distributor of specialty raw materials and chemicals, backed by decades of supplier relationships and 101 years of industry experience. The company offers over 1,000 chemical grades and supports customers with reliable supply, repackaging, and inventory management capabilities tailored to their needs. With 10 strategically located warehouses across the United States, H.M. Royal is positioned to provide timely delivery in quantities ranging from small bags to full truckloads. Its product portfolio serves a wide range of industries, including transportation, electronics, medical, construction, agriculture, mining, and industrial markets. As a family-owned business with third-generation leadership, H.M. Royal emphasizes personal service, dependable support, and cost-effective solutions for North American customers.

Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains “forward-looking statements” under applicable law regarding financial and operating items relating to the Company’s business. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as “believes,” "expects," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or other comparable terms. All forward-looking statements made in this communication are qualified by this cautionary language.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control, that could result in expectations not being realized or could otherwise materially and adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Although the forward-looking statements are based on what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, we caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this communication is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this communication. For additional information regarding factors that could affect the Company, please see the Company's most recent annual report and other financial reports, including the information set forth under the caption "Risk Factors." Any forward-looking statements represent the Company's views only as of the date of this communication and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any subsequent date, and the Company undertakes no obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update any forward-looking statement.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Media Relations
Dwayne Roark
+1 331-777-6031
mediarelations@univarsolutions.com 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a9bb0270-0253-4491-bae2-351ba1147ad6  

SOURCE: Univar Solutions LLC

--BERNAMA 

KIOXIA GP Series SSD Wins FMS “Best Of Show” Award

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- Kioxia Corporation announced that its KIOXIA GP Series PCIe NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) has received the FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage ‘Best of Show’ award in the ‘Specialized Storage’ category.

Kioxia said in a statement that the award recognises product and solution excellence, honouring companies and technologies shaping the future of the memory and storage industry.

Purpose-built for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, the KIOXIA GP1 PCIe 6.0 SSD is part of the GP Series, which Kioxia describes as the industry's first Super High Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) PCIe SSD optimised for graphics processing unit (GPU) direct access.

Powered by KIOXIA XL-FLASH generation 2 low-latency flash memory, the SSD delivers up to 10 million random-read IOPS with 512-byte data access, enabling flash memory to serve as a high-performance memory extension tier that can improve GPU utilisation for AI workloads.

“As AI infrastructure evolves, storage is becoming a critical enabler of next-generation system architectures. The KIOXIA GP Series reflects KIOXIA's continued innovation in flash memory and AI storage technologies,” said Future of Memory and Storage Conference Director, George Mullins.

Kioxia said the GP1 Series extends high bandwidth memory (HBM) with a high-performance flash tier, allowing AI systems to access larger datasets more efficiently without relying solely on costly in-node HBM or dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) expansion.

The company added that evaluation samples of the KIOXIA GP1 Series will be made available to select customers by the end of 2026.

-- BERNAMA

MOOVE RAISES US$250 MLN TO SCALE AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- Moove, a global mobility technology company, has raised US$250 million in a Series C funding round that values the company at US$2.1 billion, led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific. (US$1=RM4.09)

The funding will support Moove’s expansion of its autonomous vehicle business, including fleet ownership, autonomous vehicle infrastructure and its robotics-focused depot facilities known as “Nests”, where autonomous fleets are charged, serviced, maintained and managed.

The company also plans to expand into new markets and increase its autonomous vehicle workforce from about 150 employees to 500 by the end of the year.

Moove Co-Founder, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Advisory Board Chairman, Ladi Delano said the company is building the infrastructure needed to support autonomous mobility at scale.

“Autonomy requires fleets, charging, maintenance, data systems and 24/7 operations in every city — and that is what Moove is building,” he said in a statement.

Moove said scaling autonomous mobility requires more than vehicle technology, including access to capital, fleet operations, charging infrastructure, maintenance capabilities and operational systems. The company is building an infrastructure layer designed to support the deployment and management of autonomous transportation networks.

Since its founding in 2020, Moove has developed a mobility operations platform for human-driven ride-hailing services and now operates about 42,000 vehicles across 29 cities in 13 countries. It employs 3,300 people globally and has grown to US$420 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) through organic expansion and acquisitions, including Kovi in Brazil and Tokyo Taxi in Japan.

Moove is extending its fleet management and operational expertise into autonomous mobility, where it operates autonomous vehicle fleets through its partnership with Waymo in Phoenix and Miami, with future operations planned in London.

The company said it is applying its experience in fleet orchestration, operations, servicing, charging and logistics to support the deployment of next-generation autonomous vehicle systems.

-- BERNAMA

Vedanta Aluminium Posts Record Q1 Financial Results

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 (Bernama) -- Vedanta Aluminium Metal Limited, a global aluminium producer, reported record financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, with revenue reaching 21,105 crore Indian rupees, up 13 per cent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and 45 per cent year-on-year (YoY). (100 Indian rupees = RM4.29)

The growth was driven by higher volumes and improved realisations, marking the company's first quarter (Q1) as an independent listed company following its demerger.

The company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) reached an all-time high of 10,499 crore Indian rupees, up 24 per cent QoQ and 134 per cent YoY, while profit after tax climbed to 6,597 crore Indian rupees, an increase of 33 per cent QoQ and 205 per cent YoY.

“Our Q1 as an independent company reflects disciplined execution, operational resilience and a clear long-term strategy.

“Our focus on resource security, integrated operations and value-added products continues to strengthen our competitive position and support sustainable growth,” said the company’s Whole-Time Director and Chief Executive Officer, Rajesh Kumar in a statement.

The Board of Directors approved the company's first interim dividend of eight Indian rupees per equity share, bringing the cumulative dividend payout for the quarter to over 3,000 crore Indian rupees.

Operationally, aluminium production reached a record 632 kilotonnes (KT), while value-added products production also achieved an all-time high of 389 KT. Alumina production increased 41 per cent YoY to 826 KT, supported by expanded refining capacity and improved asset utilisation.

Serving customers in more than 60 countries through its integrated aluminium and alumina operations, Vedanta Aluminium continues to strengthen its position as a globally competitive producer.

-- BERNAMA

EXP REALTY SELECTED AS GLOBAL PLATFORM BY MEXICO’S RONIVAL REAL ESTATE

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- Real estate brokerage company, eXp Realty announced that Ronival Real Estate, the leading transaction company in Baja California Sur, Mexico, has selected eXp Realty as its global platform.

Founded in 2010 by Nick Fong and Rocio Montaño, Ronival has grown into a dominant force in Baja Sur’s luxury real estate market and will bring its full operation into eXp’s global network.

In a statement, eXp Realty said Baja California Sur has evolved from a vacation destination into one of the world’s most competitive luxury real estate markets, attracting international high-net-worth buyers who are increasingly relocating, investing and establishing permanent residences in the region.

“Our agents now have a direct line into one of the most sought-after luxury markets in the world through a team that spent 20 years earning its place at the top. We are proud to welcome them to the network,” said eXp Realty chief executive officer, Leo Pareja.

Meanwhile, Fong said Ronival was seeking a structure that could increase agents’ income opportunities, expand international referral reach and provide the infrastructure needed to compete at the highest level without disrupting the business model that made Ronival successful.

“When we looked at what this partnership makes possible, it stopped being an additional problem. It is not additive; it is geometric; each side amplifies what the other has built. That multiplier effect is what we were looking for, and we could not find it anywhere else," added Fong.

According to eXp Realty, the move establishes an immediate presence in one of Mexico’s most competitive luxury real estate markets and supports the company’s expansion across the Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) region.

For Ronival, the partnership provides access to eXp’s global infrastructure, referral network and technology platform, supporting its expansion into new markets and its ability to serve an increasingly international client base.

eXp Realty said the partnership reflects a broader trend of globalisation in the real estate industry, combining the strengths of an established local luxury brokerage with a global real estate platform.

-- BERNAMA

Toshiba Begins Mass Production Of Microcontrollers For Smart Appliances

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Bernama) -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (Toshiba) has begun mass production of its TXZ+ Family Entry-Class M4L Group microcontrollers, designed for next-generation home appliances, consumer products and industrial equipment.

In a statement, Toshiba said the new compact microcontrollers are built around an Arm Cortex-M4 core with a floating-point unit (FPU) and are designed for single-motor control applications, integrating dedicated motor-control hardware, security functions and functional safety features on a single chip.

The company said growing demand for energy-efficient, compact designs and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled products is driving the need for motor-control microcontrollers that deliver greater development efficiency, system reliability and high-precision control.

The microcontrollers operate at frequencies of up to 80 megahertz (MHz) and support a supply voltage range of 2.7 volts (V) to 5.5V, making them compatible with existing 3V- and 5V-based systems. They are available in four package types with 44 to 64 pins and memory configurations of 128 kilobytes (KB) and 256KB.

The 256KB variants feature dual-bank flash memory that enables firmware updates without interrupting system operation, supporting firmware over-the-air updates, while the 128KB models incorporate 64KB of data flash memory for log storage and configuration management.

To enhance system security and reliability, the microcontrollers integrate chip protection, secure access memory, non-rewritable flash protection and functional safety measures alongside communication interfaces, including a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter, a serial peripheral interface, an inter-integrated circuit and a serial memory interface.

Toshiba said it will support customers with product documentation, sample software, driver software, evaluation boards and development environments developed in collaboration with Arm ecosystem partners to accelerate product development and deployment.

-- BERNAMA