In one of the most benefited sectors, international gaming companies are raising the order value from Brazilian customers

CURITIBA, Brazil, Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In Brazil, global companies offering instalments as a payment solution experience an average weekly revenue growth of 40%, as revealed by internal data from EBANX, a global technology platform specialising in payment services for rising markets. This trend is particularly pronounced in the gaming sector, where the Average Order Value (AOV) with instalments increases by 98% compared to single-payment transactions.

Eduardo de Abreu, Vice President of Product at EBANX, explained that instalments are a cultural phenomenon in Brazil, rooted in the country’s history of high inflation in the 1980s and early 1990s. “Over time, instalments have become deeply ingrained in Brazilian and all Latin American cultures, providing consumers with a convenient and accessible way to make purchases, especially for higher-ticket values,” de Abreu added.

Latin America has emerged as the next frontier for the international expansion of gaming companies. The industry revenue in the region is projected to grow by 6.2% in 2024, surpassing Asia-Pacific’s growth rate of 1.5%, North America’s 0.6%, and Europe’s 3.2%, according to market research firm Newzoo. The latest data from EBANX on instalments outlines a strategy for international companies to access Latin America’s growing gaming market.

Offering instalment payments has already proven to be a key growth strategy for merchants in Brazil. For instance, after introducing this payment solution, a gaming platform processing transactions through EBANX saw a 169% increase in AOV over the course of one year. Another gaming company experienced a 14% weekly revenue boost after adding instalments as an option for customers.

“This merchant was even able to reconnect with its clients because of this feature,” said de Abreu. After the company began offering instalments, 30% of Brazilian customers who hadn’t purchased in one month returned to make higher-value payments. Today, nearly half of this merchant’s transaction volume in Brazil is driven by instalments.

The VP of Product pointed out that “understanding how customers behave in different markets is essential to unlocking greater opportunities.” De Abreu explained that by providing tailored solutions with traditional and alternative payment methods for Latin American gamers, global companies can navigate the region’s unique market dynamics, ensuring seamless transactions and boosting user engagement.

ABOUT EBANX

EBANX is the leading payment platform connecting global companies with customers from the fastest-growing digital markets in the world. The company was founded in 2012 in Brazil with the mission of giving people access to buy in international digital commerce. With powerful proprietary technology and infrastructure, combined with in-depth knowledge of the markets where it operates, EBANX enables global businesses to connect with hundreds of payment methods in different countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. EBANX goes beyond payments, increasing sales, and fostering seamless purchase experiences for businesses and clients.

For further information, please visit:
Website: https://www.ebanx.com/en/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ebanx

Advertisement

Media Contact:
Leonardo Stamillo
[email protected]
Content CO

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2584819/Eduardo_de_Abreu__Vice_President_of_Product_at_EBANX.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212992/EBANX_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/instalment-payments-boost-revenue-of-global-companies-in-brazil-by-40-reveals-ebanx-302335780.html

• Financing led by OrbiMed, Avoro Capital, and Samsara BioCapital, with additional investment from founding investor Medicxi
• Strengthens its leadership team with the appointments of industry veterans Rick Anderson as SVP Finance, Spencer Fisk as Chief Technical and Quality Officer, and Ling Zeng as General Counsel and EVP of Execution 
• IND-enabling studies underway for first-in-class PD1/VEGFR2 bifunctional antibody

LONDON and BOSTON, Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ottimo Pharma (“Ottimo”), a private biotech company pioneering bifunctional medicines to extend the lives of people living with cancer, today announces the completion of a Series A financing round of over $140 million. The financing will accelerate the lead asset, Jankistomig, a first-in-class PD1/VEGFR2 bifunctional antibody for multiple solid tumor indications, in both IV and SC forms as well as a pipeline of follow-on bifunctional assets.

The round was led by OrbiMed, Avoro Capital, Samsara BioCapital, and included blue chip investors RTW Investments, Decheng Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, Invus, and founding investor Medicxi. In connection with the financing Peter Thompson (OrbiMed), Mark Chin (Avoro Capital), and Srini Akkaraju (Samsara BioCapital) will join the Board of Directors.

Simultaneously, Ottimo has expanded its management team under the leadership of David Epstein, Chair and Chief Executive Officer. The Company announces the appointment of Rick Anderson as SVP Finance, Spencer Fisk as Chief Technical and Quality Officer, and Ling Zeng as General Counsel and EVP of Execution. Rick, Spencer, and Ling bring extensive pharma experience, having held senior roles at Seagen, Novartis, and Dicerna Pharmaceuticals.

Ottimo, co-founded by Medicxi and Jonny Finlay, emerged from stealth in October 2024. It is advancing IND-enabling studies for lead molecule Jankistomig, with a planned IND filing in late 2025.

Jankistomig is a first-in-class PD1/VEGFR2 bifunctional antibody that is differentiated from bispecific antibodies. It is exquisitely designed as a dual pathway, biparatopic single-agent IgG therapy, targeting immune checkpoint inhibition and angiogenesis in the treatment of cancer. This innovative approach aims to offer a wider therapeutic window regardless of tumor VEGF levels, with the potential to improve outcomes across multiple solid tumor indications. Jankistomig is expected to address a global oncology market valued at well over $50 billion. 

David Epstein, Chair & Chief Executive Officer of Ottimo Pharma, said: “The successful completion of our Series A financing marks a milestone for Ottimo as we advance our goal to make first-in-class bifunctional medicines to extend the lives of people living with cancer. Jankistomig represents a significant breakthrough with its novel design and mechanism of action, and we are incredibly grateful to have the backing of such well-renowned healthcare investors. With the addition of Rick, Spencer, and Ling, we have assembled a proven leadership team to progress Ottimo to our first IND by late 2025.”

Peter Thompson, General Partner at OrbiMed, Board Director of Ottimo Pharma, commented: “Ottimo’s unique approach has differentiated itself in the PD1/VEGF field. We are looking forward to working alongside this experienced team with their extensive track record to develop new cancer treatments with improved outcomes for patients.”

Francesco De Rubertis, Co-Founder and Partner at Medicxi, Board Director of Ottimo Pharma added: “Ottimo has shown considerable progress with Jankistomig. As a co-founder of the Company, we are pleased to welcome top-tier investors including OrbiMed, Avoro Capital, and Samsara BioCapital to the syndicate as we advance the pipeline to address multiple solid tumor indications.”

Fredric (Rick) Anderson has more than 30 years of leadership experience in strategic financial and operations management. Rick was the Vice President, Corporate Controller for Seagen Inc. from 2018, where he supported the Company’s growth and international expansion. He was a key member of the leadership team that led the $44 billion acquisition by Pfizer and supported the post-acquisition integration. Rick holds an MBA from the University of San Diego. He started his career as a CPA for Ernst & Young and later joined their mergers & acquisition group.

Spencer Fisk has more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing and CMC product development. Spencer joins Ottimo from National Resilience, Inc. where he transformed the R&D focus to deliver on disruptive approaches to accelerate multi-modality drug development. From 2018 to 2022, he served as the Chief Technical Operations Officer at Rubius Therapeutics. Before Rubius he held senior roles at Novartis AG where he led the team to the successful registration and launch of the first CAR-T cellular therapy product, Kymriah. Prior to Novartis, Spencer held various technical development and manufacturing roles at Merck, Genentech, Genencor, and Novo Nordisk.

Ling Zeng, Esq. was previously Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and a member of the executive leadership team of Omega Therapeutics. Prior to Omega, she was the Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Dicerna Pharmaceuticals and played a critical role in executing the Company’s strategy including the $3.3 billion acquisition by Novo Nordisk in 2021. Before working in biotech companies, Ling was Deputy Head Legal, Group Mergers and Acquisitions, at Novartis AG, responsible for global transactions across the Novartis Group. From 2009 to 2017, Ling held various executive roles of increasing responsibility at Bausch Health Companies.

Advertisement

About Ottimo Pharma
Ottimo Pharma is a private biotechnology company, co-founded in 2020 by Medicxi and Jonny Finlay, focused on the development of pioneering innovative cancer therapies for solid tumors. The Company’s lead asset, Jankistomig, is a PD1/VEGFR2 bifunctional antibody designed as a dual pathway, biparatopic single-agent IgG therapy, targeting both immune checkpoint inhibition and angiogenesis in the treatment of cancer. By advancing this dual-pathway approach, Ottimo aims to offer a wider therapeutic window, improve cancer treatment outcomes and reduce the overall healthcare burden. Ottimo anticipates filing of its first IND in late 2025.

Ottimo is backed by a global syndicate of life science investors including Medicxi, OrbiMed, Avoro Capital, Samsara BioCapital, RTW Investments, Decheng Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, and Invus. The Ottimo board includes Francesco De Rubertis, Co-Founder and Partner of Medicxi, Peter Thompson, General Partner at OrbiMed, Mark Chin, Partner at Avoro Capital, and Srinivas Akkaraju, founder, and Managing General Partner at Samsara BioCapital, alongside David Epstein and James Sabry. For more information, please visit: www.ottimopharma.com.

About OrbiMed
OrbiMed is a leading healthcare investment firm, with $17 billion in assets under management. OrbiMed invests globally across the healthcare industry, from start-ups to large multinational corporations, through private equity funds, public equity funds, and royalty/credit funds. OrbiMed seeks to be a capital provider of choice, providing tailored financing solutions and extensive global team resources to help build world-class healthcare companies. OrbiMed’s team of over 100 professionals is based in New York City, London, San Francisco, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Herzliya, and other key global markets. For more information, please visit www.orbimed.com. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @OrbiMed.

About Avoro Capital
Avoro Capital is a global life sciences investment firm with over $6.5 billion in capital primarily focused on supporting emerging life sciences and biotechnology companies. For more information, please visit: www.avorocapital.com

About Samsara BioCapital
Samsara BioCapital is a new breed of biotech investment firm focused on translating cutting-edge biology into new therapies to treat patients with unmet medical needs. Founded in 2016 by Srinivas Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D., our team of scientists, investors and entrepreneurs takes a long-term view on value creation across all stages of public and private life science companies. We believe in a collaborative, hands-on approach, working closely with entrepreneurs to harness exciting scientific advances and build leading companies. Samsara actively manages assets on behalf of endowments, foundations, and family offices. For more information, please visit www.samsaracap.com. 

About Medicxi
Medicxi is a healthcare-focused investment firm with the mission to create and invest in companies across the full drug development continuum. Leveraging deep expertise in drug development and company creation spanning over two decades, Medicxi invests in early and late-stage therapeutics with a product vision that can fulfill a clear unmet medical need. For more information, please visit: www.medicxi.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ottimo-pharma-raises-over-140-million-in-series-a-financing-302335272.html

BEIJING, Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Twenty-five years. That’s how long it took Macao to place itself among Asia’s wealthiest cities and the world at large.

The GDP of China’s Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) in 2023 stood at 379.5 billion MOP (about $47.5 billion), a sevenfold increase from 1999, the year Macao returned to China.

Macao is “a pearl on the palm” of the motherland, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday when he arrived in the city on a special plane to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to China.

Over the past 25 years, the practice of “One Country, Two Systems” with Macao characteristics has achieved success and is widely recognized by the world, showcasing great vitality and unique charm, President Xi said at the airport.

The ‘pearl’ of China

Approximately 2.8 billion inbound and outbound trips between the Macao SAR and the neighboring city of Zhuhai have been made since Macao’s return to the motherland, according to data released by the Zhuhai Customs on December 17.

The number of checkpoints linking the Macao SAR and Zhuhai has also grown from just two in 1999 to seven currently.

Hengqin Port is one of the busiest checkpoints. Hengqin island is home to the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone, which was established in 2021 by the Chinese central government to foster closer integration between the two regions. The zone has become a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, hosting nearly 6,500 Macao-invested enterprises and providing a platform for new industries.

Since its return, the central authorities have strongly supported the SAR, including creating a slew of policies to actively integrate the SAR into the national development. These efforts have transformed Macao into a modern, international metropolis with remarkable progress in both economic development and people’s livelihoods.

Macao’s achievement “is the glory of Macao residents and the pride of all Chinese people,” President Xi said upon his arrival on Wednesday, expressing confidence in its promising future.

Advertisement

According to official reports, President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will attend a gathering celebrating the anniversary and the inauguration ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macao SAR on Friday.

President Xi is also expected to inspect the 33-square-kilometer SAR. In his speech at the airport, Xi said he will have “extensive and in-depth exchanges with friends in Macao” on the region’s development during his visit.

He also expressed the belief that Macao will create an even brighter future by fully leveraging the institutional advantages of “One Country, Two Systems,” working hard and actively promoting innovation.

For more information, please click:

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-12-18/President-Xi-Jinping-delivers-speech-upon-arrival-in-Macao-SAR-1zqWeketB72/p.html

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cgtn-chinas-pearl-how-macao-thrives-since-its-return-25-years-ago-302335938.html