Israeli startup Astrix Security has banked $15 million in early stage venture capital investment to build technology to help organizations secure third-party app integrations.

The Tel Aviv-based Astrix said the seed round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners and F2 Capital. Venrock and a list of angel investors also participated.

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HONG KONG, Feb 23, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) welcomes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) 2022/23 Budget, including the additional funding to the Council for a support scheme for Hong Kong businesses in Mainland China, to help them capture opportunities under the National 14th Five-year Plan. The Budget was announced by the HKSAR Financial Secretary Paul Chan earlier today with relief measures for citizens and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hong Kong to support the economy amid the continuing COVID-19 challenges, and plan for its long-term sustainable development.

HKTDC Chairman Dr Peter K N Lam said: "The pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to SMEs in the past two years. The measures announced in this year's Budget, including enhancements to various export credit and SME financing schemes, can alleviate pressures on cash flow and operations. In addition, the various measures to support the IP (intellectual property) and technology sectors can also help SMEs tap into new markets and upgrade and transform their business.

"We are also encouraged that the HKSAR Government has allocated additional funding to support Hong Kong businesses pursuing development in the mainland. Through our network of mainland offices, we will work with partners including established Hong Kong business, professional services, and young entrepreneur associations in these cities, to organise training, exchange events, business missions and promotion campaigns.

"We believe this can help Hong Kong businesses in the mainland to expand and capture opportunities arising from the 'dual circulation' strategy and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so as to better integrate into the nation's development." Dr Lam said.

In addition to the mainland market, the HKTDC will continue helping SMEs capture business opportunities in mature and emerging markets. Dr Lam said: "We will continue to help Hong Kong companies develop ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and mature markets with enhancements to our flagship overseas promotions such as 'Think Business, Think Hong Kong', as well as strengthen our online and offline platforms, business matching services, SME support schemes and other training activities, to help Hong Kong businesses connect with global enterprises and target relevant opportunities effectively. We are also glad to learn that the Government will actively consider attracting more conventions and exhibition events to be organised in Hong Kong when the pandemic subsides."

"Our team at the HTKDC will do all we can to create new opportunities for our industries, enabling them to diversify and find new impetus for recovery and growth amid the pandemic." Dr Lam added.

Media enquiries:
HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department
Susanna Sin, Tel: +852 2584 4294, Email: [email protected]

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.comThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) welcomes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) 2022/23 Budget, including the additional funding to the Council for a support scheme for Hong Kong businesses in Mainland China, to help them capture opportunities under the National 14th Five-year Plan.

An investigation into the cyberattack targeting Iranian national media corporation, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), in late January 2022 resulted in the deployment of a wiper malware and other custom implants, as the country's national infrastructure continues to face a wave of attacks aimed at inflicting serious damage. "This indicates that the attackers' aim was also to disrupt

HONG KONG, Feb 21, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - Champion Real Estate Investment Trust (stock code: 2778), the owner of Three Garden Road and Langham Place, announces its financial results for year ended 31 December 2021.
Summary of financial results

FY 2021 FY 2020 Change
Total Rental Income (HK$ mil) 2,495 2,633 -5.2%
Net Property Income (HK$ mil) 2,197 2,347 -6.4%
Distributable Income (HK$ mil) 1,503 1,554 -3.3%
Distribution per unit (HK$) 0.2279 0.2496 -8.7%

31 Dec 2021 31 Dec 2020 Change
Gross Value of Portfolio (HK$ mil) 65,296 67,318 -3.0%
Net Asset Value per unit (HK$) 8.25 8.61 -4.2%
Gearing Ratio 22.9% 23.0% -0.1pp

Overview
The persistent COVID-19 pandemic continued to pose challenges to the operating environment for our business in 2021. Amid the gloomy market conditions, Champion REIT recorded a drop in distributable income by 3.3% to HK$1,503 million and distribution per unit ("DPU") declined 8.7% to HK$0.2279.

Three Garden Road
Three Garden Road recorded a shrank of the rental income by 3.8% to HK$1,460 million in 2021 (2020: HK$1,518 million). Average passing rent decreased to HK$108.3 per sq. ft. (based on lettable area) as at 31 December 2021. Demand from new and existing tenants gradually materialised in the second half, boosting the occupancy of the property to 89.0% as at 31 December 2021.

Langham Place Office Tower
The impact of negative rental reversion drove down rental income of Langham Place Office Tower to HK$365 million in 2021 (2020: HK$378 million), and passing rents of the property declined to HK$47.1 per sq. ft. (based on gross floor area) as at 31 December 2021. Occupancy of the property increased to 96.3% as at 31 December 2021, given the rebound in leasing momentum for beauty and healthcare tenants.

Langham Place Mall
Amid the challenging environment for retail leasing, the total rental income of the property went down 9.1% to HK$670 million (2020: HK$738 million). The average passing rents dropped to HK$165.9 per sq. ft. (based on lettable area) as at 31 December 2021. The mall remained fully occupied as at 31 December 2021, attributed by the spearhead of the Langham Beauty concept at our premises which upgraded the tenant mix and strengthened the strategic positioning of the mall.

Distribution
Distributable income of the Trust dropped 3.3% to HK$1,503 million (2020: HK$1,554 million) and DPU dropped 8.7% to HK$0.2279 (2020: HK$0.2496). Based on the closing unit price of HK$3.99 recorded on 31 December 2021, the total DPU represented a distribution yield of 5.7%.

Asset Value
The appraised value of the Trust's property portfolio was HK$65.3 billion as at 31 December 2021, declining 3.0% from HK$67.3 billion as at 31 December 2020.

Sustainability
We forged ahead to embrace change with resilience and agility to manage business continuity and put people at the heart of what we do. In addition to the BEAM Plus Existing Building Platinum certification, Langham Place Mall was awarded the international EDGE green building certification, making it the first shopping mall in Hong Kong to receive the recognition. The Trust also secured its first sustainability-linked loan and sustainability-linked swap, befitting our sustainability objectives.

Outlook
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the outlook of Hong Kong office and retail property market remains uncertain and difficult. The tightening of social distancing measures would continue to affect the business of our tenants. Relaxation of cross-border controls and quarantine requirements locally would be crucial for economic recovery.

Looking forward, we will continue to adopt a flexible leasing strategy to retain tenants and maintain high occupancy rates. Despite the unfavourable conditions, we strive to inject impetus to growth through asset enhancement and trade mix rebranding initiatives. We will take a prudent approach in balance sheet management in a rising rate environment. Equipped with a sufficient reserve, the Trust stands ready to pursue acquisition opportunities globally with a goal to generate long-term returns.

About Champion REIT (stock code: 2778)
Champion Real Estate Investment Trust is a trust formed to own and invest in income producing office and retail properties. The Trust focuses on Grade A commercial properties in prime locations. It currently offers investors direct exposure to nearly 3 million sq. ft. of prime office and retail floor area. These include two Hong Kong landmark properties, Three Garden Road and Langham Place, as well as a joint venture stake in 66 Shoe Lane in Central London. Since 2015, the Trust has been included in the Constituent of Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Benchmark Index of Hang Seng Indexes.
Website: https://www.championreit.com/

For press enquiries:
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Vicky Lee Tel: 2864 4834 Email: [email protected]
Christina Cheuk Tel: 2114 4979 Email: [email protected]
Yvonne Lee Tel: 2864 4847 Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.sprg.com.hk/



Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.comChampion Real Estate Investment Trust (stock code: 2778), the owner of Three Garden Road and Langham Place, announces its financial results for year ended 31 December 2021.

HONG KONG, Feb 21, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - The board of directors of Hypebeast Limited (Stock Code: 0150.HK) has announced the Group's unaudited key financial results for the three months ended 31 December 2021 ("FY2022 Q3").

The Group started the Financial Year on a high note and continued momentum in FY2022 Q3 with a strong emphasis on realizing strategic and geographical expansion initiatives to capitalize on new business opportunities. In particular, the Group has executed a multi-layered diversification strategy, including content generation in new interest areas such as art and sports, the continued expansion of advertising capabilities offered by the Group's Media segments, and product expansion on the E-Commerce and Retail segments, all of which have energized existing consumers and paved the way for future business growth.

As the trend towards digital channels continues, the Group has made a corresponding greater shift in marketing and advertising budgets from traditional marketing channels to digital and online channels, and the Group expects to benefit from this dynamic operating environment. The Group's existing strategies and a favorable operating environment will be strong drivers of new user acquisition and revenue growth throughout FY2022 and into the coming financial year.

Overall Performance
-- Revenue for 9M2022 was HK$681.1 million, increasing 43.9% compared to HK$473.3 million recorded in 9M2021;

-- Revenue for FY2022 Q3 was HK$240.2 million, increasing 27.9% compared to the HK$187.9 million recorded for FY2021 Q3;

-- Gross profit margin improved to 58.2%, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.8 percentage points from 49.4%;

-- Gross profit for 9M2022 was HK$396.4 million, representing an increase of 69.5% from HK$233.8 million in the same period last year.

Media Segment
-- The Media segment recorded a year-on-year increase in revenue of 66.2% from HK$302.7 million in 9M2021 to HK$502.9 million in 9M2022;

-- Media segment revenue in North America and major European countries rebounded strongly compared to the same period last year, with year-on-year increases of 177.7% and 69.0% respectively for 9M2022;

-- Gross profit margin for the Media segment increased by 7.7 percentage points versus prior year to 63.1% for 9M2022. The improvements were mainly due to production cost efficiencies generated from increased scale of media advertising production and streamlined campaign deliveries in the Media segment.

E-commerce and Retail Segment
-- The E-commerce and Retail segment revenue for 9M2022 was HK$178.2 million, representing an increase of 4.4% from HK$170.7 million in 9M2021;

-- Gross profit from the E-commerce and Retail segment increased by 19.2% from HK$66.2 million in 9M2021 to HK$78.9 million for 9M2022, while gross profit margin improved by 5.5 percentage points to 44.3% in 9M2022 due to increased sell-through rates and higher proportion of full-price sales achieved from continuous improvements in product marketing and streamlined consumer shopping experience;

-- The Group continued its product expansion strategy, expanding its offerings to homeware, toys and other lifestyle products on HBX to cater to all aspects of the HBX customer's lifestyle needs.

Operating Expenses
-- Selling and marketing expenses increased by 42.9% from HK$78.2 million for 9M2021 to HK$111.8 million for 9M2022. As a percentage of revenue, selling and marketing expenses remained constant at 16.5% for 9M2021 and 9M2022;

-- Administrative and operating expenses were HK$151.9 million for 9M2022, up by 77.6% from HK$85.5 million for 9M2021. As a percentage of revenue, administrative and operating expenses increased from 18.1% for 9M2021 to 22.3% for 9M2022;

-- Increase in operating expenses as a percentage of revenue from 34.6% in 9M2021 to 38.7% in the current period was mainly caused by (i) increases in headcounts within the Group's sales and marketing team to facilitate current and future business growth; and (ii) prudent cost management during the COVID-19 pandemic last year and government subsidies received in the comparative period.

For further details on the quarterly results performance, visit the Group's corporate website to view the full announcement.
https://hypebeast.ltd/investors

Investor Enquiries: [email protected]
Media Inquiries: [email protected]

Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Vicky Lee Tel: (852) 2864 4834 Email: [email protected]
Ivy Chan Tel: (852) 2864 4890 Email: [email protected]
Fax: (852) 2527 1196

About Hypebeast Limited (Stock Code: 0150.HK)
Hypebeast Ltd. is a publicly listed media and retail company that lives at the forefront of global culture, offering digital media, e-commerce and creative agency services to cultural enthusiasts worldwide . Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2016 and with a total reach of over 44.7M users across all platforms, the Group's Hypemedia division boasts global readership across Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and more, with the flagship Hypebeast platform available in five languages. The platform and community empowers the Group's various businesses, which encompasses Hypebeast and its multiple content distribution platforms, Hypemaker, its global creative agency and HBX, its e-commerce and retail platform.


Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.comThe board of directors of Hypebeast Limited (Stock Code: 0150.HK) has announced the Group's unaudited key financial results for the three months ended 31 December 2021 ("FY2022 Q3").

New hub announces partnership with Plantible Foods TEL AVIV, Israel–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ICL (NYSE: ICL) (TASE: ICL), a leading global specialty minerals company, today announced its innovation platform, ICL Planet Startup Hub, has invested in – and will be partnering with – Plantible Foods, a vertically integrated agricultural platform producing a functional protein derived from lemna. The […]

The post ICL Planet Startup Hub Continues to Invest in Plant-Based Proteins appeared first on Fintech News.

Workflow automation vendor Nintex today revealed it will acquire Kryon, a robotic process automation (RPA) and process discovery provider. The Tel Aviv, Israel-based Kryon targets the financial services and banking industry with its robotic process automation solutions, with clients including Microsoft, Allianz, DXC Technology and an unnamed “global bank” that leverages its bot product to […]

A team of Israeli entrepreneurs with roots in the application security ecosystem is taking a stab at software supply chain security with big backing from Bessemer Venture Partners.

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Wasted Talent strikes deal with Token||Traxx, furthering its imprint on the music industry as music NFTs are set

The post Wasted Talent strikes deal with Token||Traxx as music NFTs are set for the mainstream appeared first on Crypto-News.net.

.With February in full swing, let's take a look back at the biggest news stories from the worlds of Forex, Fintech and Crypto, in our best of the week segment.

Charlie FinkFollowJan 14, 2020·2 min readCompany Doubled Revenue in 2019Scope AR continues to expand its enterprise AR offerings after today announcing the acquisition of...