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LemFi Raises $33 Million To Transform Financial Services For Immigrants Everywhere

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OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — LemFi, a leading fintech platform transforming financial services for immigrants, has raised a $33 million Series A round led by Left Lane Capital. Other investors included Y-Combinator, Zrosk, Global Founders Capital, and Olive Tree.

Each year, millions of immigrants move abroad to start new lives, and the biggest hurdle they face is access to financial services. In 2020, Founders Ridwan Olalere and Rian Cochran joined forces to solve these challenges with a vision to build a platform that empowers the next generation of immigrants.

Olalere and Cochran first met while building OPay – one of Africa’s most successful fintech platforms. After combined decades of navigating the underlying complexities and regulatory nuances of cross-border payments in emerging markets, the two were uniquely positioned to leverage their experience as a launching pad for LemFi.

Olalere, LemFi’s CEO, drew from his own experience as an immigrant and shared, “Having lived on three continents and leading a multicultural team, our mission is deeply personal: creating a world where financial services are universally accessible. We’ve already made life easier for over half a million people, but we’re only just getting started.”

Today, within minutes of residency, a user can onboard with LemFi and use its multi-currency offering to send, receive, hold, convert and save in the currencies of both their country of origin and country of residence. In addition, LemFi also offers instant international transfers at the best exchange rates with zero fees on transfers or account maintenance.

“Our product is a game changer for users since traditional banks and other leading neo-banks have always steered clear of less common or more volatile currencies,” Ridwan Olalere explained. “This has driven immigrants to often use unsafe, informal channels or to stitch together several other services to solve some of their basic financial needs. Until now.”

In 2020, LemFi launched in Canada to enable easy and low-cost remittance payments to Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. By 2021, the company quickly expanded to the UK, and in parallel, broadened its reach by enabling 10 new African remittance corridors.

In a strategic consideration, LemFi acquired UK-based Rightcard Payment Services in late 2021. Through the acquisition, LemFi obtained an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority to provide customers with more services, such as higher transaction limits, e-money accounts, and more.

“LemFi has been very deliberate and strategic in acquiring licenses and building a robust network of financial institution partners to facilitate cross-border payments for immigrants,” said Matthew Miller, Principal at Left Lane Capital, who joined LemFi’s Board of Directors as part of the transaction. “We’re excited to support LemFi as it expands its product offering to serve more immigrant communities globally.”

2023 has similarly been a pivotal year for LemFi, with its new subsidiary Rightcard Payment Services securing an International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) license from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The IMTO license will enable LemFi to offer its services in partnership with Nigerian banks, empowering users by eliminating the need for intermediaries. The Acting Governor of the Central Bank, Folashodun Shonubi, recognizes the alignment of LemFi with the Central Bank’s goals of improving the availability of foreign exchange in Nigeria and ensuring exchange rate stability.

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LemFi remains committed to offering accessible and transparent financial services to migrant communities across the globe. With the conclusion of this latest investment round, the Company will seek to expand its product offering to the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as innovate on new product offerings according to the needs of its users.

About Left Lane Capital
Founded in 2019, Left Lane Capital is a New York and London based global venture capital and growth equity firm investing in internet and technology companies with a consumer orientation. Left Lane’s mission is to partner with extraordinary entrepreneurs who create category-defining companies across growth sectors of the economy, including software, healthcare, e-commerce, consumer, fintech, edtech, and other industries. Select investments include GoStudent, M1 Finance, Wayflyer, Yokoy, Masterworks, Blank Street, Talkiatry, WeTravel, and more. For more information, please visit www.leftlane.com.

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Acceleration of global marketing collaboration between Milk Partners, AirAsia rewards, and The Sandbox

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– Milk Partners, AirAsia rewards and The Sandbox are collaborating to provide a new experience allowing users to earn real-world value through the metaverse gaming platform

– Launching metaverse game project ‘MiL.k X BIGGIE Wonderverse’ offering SAND Tokens, Milk Coins and AirAsia points

– “MiL.k is committed to continuously expanding its blockchain ecosystem through strategic partnerships with global partners.”

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Milk Partners has announced a collaboration with The Sandbox, the global metaverse platform, and AirAsia rewards, the loyalty program of Asia’s leading online travel agency (OTA), AirAsia MOVE. This partnership is set to offer global users an immersive Web3 experience where they can earn rewards with real-world value through engaging in a metaverse-based game.

The newly launched ‘MiL.k X BIGGIE Wonderverse’ metaverse game allows users to earn Sand Tokens, Milk Coins, and AirAsia points. The game is inspired by BIGGIE, the mascot of AirAsia rewards, and modeled after the BIGGIE Wonderland mini-game in the AirAsia MOVE app. Users need to first complete tasks by collecting Milk Coins (symbolized game assets) in the Sandbox metaverse, which can be exchanged for other game assets such as virtual AirAsia points, virtual passports, and virtual boarding passes. Once all tasks are completed, users will then be rewarded with Milk Coins, Sand Tokens, and AirAsia points.

This collaboration has been based on MiL.k’s reliability and strong global network, which has steadily expanded partnerships with major global companies and has become an innovative model for the industry. 

This collaboration is part of MiL.k’s broader strategy to expand its blockchain-based loyalty ecosystem, which already includes partnerships with SK OK Cashbag, Lotte L.Point, CU, Megabox, Yanolja, and others. AirAsia rewards operates a comprehensive loyalty platform for the AirAsia group, enhancing its travel and lifestyle businesses, including airlines, online travel agent (OTA), logistics, aviation services, e-commerce, financial services, and more. The Sandbox, a global metaverse platform with over 6 million users, offers a unique space for creating games and generating revenue. Together, AirAsia rewards and The Sandbox will further expand MiL.k’s ecosystem through global partnerships.

The CEO of Milk Partners, Jungmin Cho said “Following our successful collaboration event with CU, we are happy to announce the next event with AirAsia rewards. Through this partnership, for partners, we are providing a new marketing channel on metaverse and for users, we are expecting to share the fun experience and real benefits.” He added, “We will continue to explore various opportunities with global partners across diverse industries.”

In June, MiL.k introduced a metaverse experience ‘Play CUX MiL.k’ with CU and The Sandbox, offering users an engaging new way to explore blockchain and the metaverse. MiL.k is committed to continuously expanding its global partnerships to provide more exciting experiences for global users.

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H&M Foundation: Global Change Award 2025 launched – with a mission to accelerate innovation for a net-zero textile industry by 2050

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STOCKHOLM, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The H&M Foundation today announces a significant shift in its overall strategic direction, focus on supporting the textile industry in halving its greenhouse gas emissions every decade by 2050, while promoting a just and fair transition for both people and the planet. The innovation challenge Global Change Award 2025 (GCA) is the first initiative to reflect this shift. 

 

 

GCA is now seeking innovative ideas addressing different high emission areas across the textile industry value chain, including sustainable materials and processes, responsible production, mindful consumption, and ‘wildcards’ that support the GCA purpose. Today, only a fraction of philanthropic capital is directed to climate. 

“The textile industry needs all hands-on deck if we are going to meet our climate goals by 2050, and we must ensure this transition is fair for everyone. I really believe that innovation is key to decarbonising the industry, and that the Global Change Award can play a role in identifying and growing future changemakers whose ideas can have a transformative impact if given the right support,” says Karl-Johan Persson, Board Member of the H&M Foundation.

Since GCA launched in 2015, 46 innovations have received support and a combined grant of 8 million euros. While it continues to award 10 winners every year, with each receiving 200,000 EUR, there are other key updates to the GCA:

  • New focus area – decarbonising the textile industry.
  • Holistic approach – equipping changemakers with a holistic people and planet mindset. 
  • Wider range of changemakers – switching to a nomination-based process, instead of an open application system.
  • Systems change approach – equipping changemakers to consider the entire textile value chain and its interconnectedness while also considering the impact on people.

“While the industry is hungry for innovation, the holistic perspective to decarbonisation is often lacking, and the critical early stages of an innovator’s journey overlooked – this is where philanthropy can make a real difference”, says Annie Lindmark, Programme Director for Innovation at the H&M Foundation.

In addition to financial support, winners will gain access to a powerful network of mentors, collaborators, and industry leaders to help bring their solutions to life. Together with partners Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, H&M Foundation will invite the winners to participate in a yearlong, tailormade Changemaker Programme. The Global Change Award 2025 winners will be announced in April 2025.

CONTACT: Jasmina Sofić, Media Relations Responsible, +4673 465 59 59

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Dow Jones to Expand WSJ Tech Live Event to Qatar

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Exclusive tech event will convene business leaders, investors and thought leaders in 2025

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif., Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Dow Jones announced today the expansion of WSJ Tech Live through a multi-year agreement that will bring the marquee event to the State of Qatar starting next year. Appearing on stage at this year’s event in Laguna Beach, Calif., Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, Director of the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar, and Almar Latour, publisher of The Wall Street Journal and CEO of Dow Jones, jointly announced that WSJ Tech Live Qatar will debut in late 2025 and take place annually for five years.

This marks the first time WSJ’s most exclusive tech event will be held in the Middle East. The invitation-only conference will bring together an audience of over 200 C-suite executives, investors, innovative startups and influential venture capitalists from across the world. Dow Jones will continue to operate WSJ Tech Live annually in California while adding WSJ Tech Live Qatar to the calendar starting in December 2025.

Sheikh Jassim highlighted that the conference aligns with Qatar’s vision to become a global hub for advanced technology and innovation, as outlined in the Third National Development Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030.

“Hosting WSJ Tech Live marks another significant step in the growth of Qatar’s technology ecosystem,” said Sheikh Jassim. “When the world’s top tech leaders gather in Qatar, it will create an unparalleled opportunity to benefit from their diverse expertise, insights and global networks. This will inspire local talent, attract international investment, and create avenues for strategic global partnerships that propel our development journey forward.”

“Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal deliver reliable journalism, data, and analytics to business professionals worldwide, and to do so we must reflect the entire global business community,” said Latour. “With the MENA region’s growth and increased role in tech–especially at the intersection of AI and the energy sector–we are delighted to be partnering with Qatar.”

Currently in its 11th year, WSJ Tech Live convenes the biggest newsmakers in technology across entertainment, music, robotics and AI, science and more. This year’s marquee event is the company’s most successful Tech Live since its inception, with record-breaking sponsorship revenue. The event showcased groundbreaking insights on a wide range of topics including the global impact of generative AI, the future of brain-computer interfaces, the outlook for startup investments, fostering the next generation of technology talent and how the upcoming U.S. election could impact the tech industry.

WSJ Tech Live joins a series of global events hosted in Qatar, including the FIFA World Cup™, Web Summit Qatar, Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix, and Doha Forum. The event also builds on Dow Jones’s existing presence in MENA, which serves as an important hub for reporting from The Wall Street Journal, and home to key sales and services functions.

About Dow Jones
Dow Jones is a global provider of news and business information, delivering content to consumers and organizations around the world across multiple formats, including print, digital, mobile and live events. Dow Jones has produced unrivaled quality content for more than 130 years and today has one of the world’s largest news-gathering operations globally. It is home to leading publications and products including the flagship Wall Street Journal, America’s largest newspaper by paid circulation; Barron’s, MarketWatch, Mansion Global, Financial News, Investor’s Business Daily, Factiva, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, Dow Jones Newswires, OPIS and Chemical Market Analytics. Dow Jones is a division of News Corp (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV).

About the Government Communications Office of the State of Qatar
The Government Communications Office was established in 2015 to serve as the strategic communications arm of the State of Qatar. It coordinates communications activities across government and public-sector institutions, showcasing the country’s vision, initiatives and achievements in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

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