Fintech PR
RAKBANK cooperates with UnionPay to drive contactless mobile payments in UAE

ABU DHABI, UAE, Sept. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — RAKBANK and UnionPay International have announced their cooperation to drive contactless mobile payments in UAE. RAKBANK has enabled all their terminals for accepting UnionPay contactless payments where card holders can use their mobile wallet, like ApplePay, and mobile banking APP or contactless cards. The partnership will significantly increase the acceptance touch points across the region and make United Arab Emirates as the first major market outside Mainland China which is completely contactless ready. The contactless payment solution is aimed at UnionPay cardholders visiting UAE as well as UnionPay cardholders living in the UAE. They can now enjoy cost effective, secure, and seamless payment experience at the point of acceptance.
RAKBANK, one of the leading acquirers in the UAE, through this partnership has integrated with UnionPay’s robust network and advanced payment technology to provide UnionPay card payment acceptance to RAKBANK’s merchants. This partnership will also contribute towards the vision of UAE to become the first cashless society in the region and enhance frictionless payment experience in the country. This tap and go payment experience will also empower the merchants of RAKBANK to accept cards not only issued from China, but also from a growing network of 75+ countries where UnionPay has established a strong card issuance business. UnionPay is the largest payment scheme in the world with its acceptance network spread across 180+ countries.
Shehzad Hameed, MD of Retail Banking at RAKBANK commented: “At RAKBANK, our customers are at the heart of everything we do. This partnership with UnionPay aligns perfectly with our mission to provide a seamless customer experience. We understand the importance of a secure and user-friendly payment option, and through this collaboration, we aim to offer our customers unrivaled convenience and peace of mind.
This strategic partnership represents a significant step forward in the financial services industry in the UAE, and we are thrilled to be at the forefront of this digital evolution. We look forward to the successful implementation of contactless payment services in collaboration with UnionPay and anticipate the positive impact it will have on our customers’ daily lives.”
James Yang, General Manager of UnionPay International Middle East commented: “UnionPay International is excited to partner with RAKBANK in revolutionizing the innovative payments in the UAE and we strongly believe that contactless payment experience will support the local businesses to scale up their business by opening their doors to cardholders from 75+ countries and the largest segment of customers traveling from China. The contactless payment experience for Chinese customers will give them a feel of making payments like they do in their home country using mobile banking app, ApplePay, Samsung Pay, Huawei Pay, Mi Pay and physical UnionPay contactless payment cards. We are confident that this new solution will open up some new categories of merchants who are willing to accept UnionPay cards in the country in a secure, faster and seamless payment experience.”
About UnionPay International
UnionPay International (UPI) is focused on the growth and support of UnionPay’s global business. In partnership with more than 2500 institutions worldwide, UnionPay International has enabled card acceptance in 181 countries and regions with issuance in 79 countries and regions. UnionPay International provides high quality, cost effective and secure cross-border payment services to the world’s largest cardholder base and ensures convenient local services to a growing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants.
The National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah (P.S.C)
RAKBANK, also known as The National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah (P.S.C), is one of the UAE’s most dynamic financial institutions. Founded in 1976, it underwent a major transformation in 2001 as it rebranded into RAKBANK and shifted its focus from purely corporate to retail and small business banking. In addition to offering a wide range of Personal Banking services, the Bank increased its lending in the traditional SME, Commercial, and Corporate segment in recent years. The Bank also offers Islamic Banking solutions, via RAKislamic, throughout its branches and its Telephone and Digital Banking channels. RAKBANK is a public joint stock company headquartered in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).
For more information, please visit www.rakbank.ae or contact the Call Centre on +9714 213 0000. Alternatively, you can connect with RAKBANK via twitter.com/rakbanklive and facebook.com/rakbank.
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Fintech PR
PTI Secures €1.2 Billion Multi-Jurisdiction Transaction

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Phoenix Tower International, LLC (“PTI”), through its Spanish subsidiary (PTI Iberica V, S.A.) announced today that it has closed a new €1.2 billion senior credit facility in Europe to consolidate its existing loans and provide substantial additional capacity to support further growth both in existing and new markets in Europe.
The transaction comprised of the following senior secured facilities: (i) a €700 million term loan, (ii) a €400 million delayed draw term loan, (iii) a €50 million revolving credit facility, and (iv) a €50 million debt service reserve facility, all of which are due in September 2030 (7 years). Proceeds from the facilities will be used to: (i) repay existing indebtedness including related fees and expenses, (ii) fund capital expenditure requirements and acquisitions, including the recent acquisition of the French portfolio of wireless tower assets from Cellnex (1,226 sites hosting SFR), and (iii) fund working capital requirements.
“The multi-jurisdiction loan provides PTI with the flexibility to continue to grow our business across Europe with incremental liquidity available at our disposal. The financing will allow us to strengthen our commitment to the region, as we continue to construct and invest in digital infrastructure in markets that are experiencing a rising demand for connectivity and technological upgrades. We are excited to continue to expand our presence in Europe and deliver value-add infrastructure solutions to our customers”, said Dagan Kasavana, Chief Executive Officer of PTI.
“By providing a flexible financing covering multiple jurisdictions, PTI was able to simplify its capital structure, reduce pricing, and access incremental funds to support future growth. Raising €1.2 billion in the current market environment speaks to the strength of PTI’s business model and underscores the lender community’s appetite to support the expansion of digital connectivity. We are pleased to partner with such a strong lender group in this landmark transaction”, said Michael Bremer, Chief Financial Officer of PTI.
Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking (“Natixis”) acted as Structuring Bank. Natixis and Deutsche Bank AG acted as Lead Bookrunners and Mandated Lead Arrangers, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., ING Bank N.V., and Scotiabank (Ireland) Designated Activity Company acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners, BNP Paribas and MUFG Bank acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers, and Citibank Europe PLC Dublin, Mizuho Bank Europe, and Toronto Dominion Bank acted as Participants. Natixis also acted as Facility Agent, Security Agent and Financial Modelling Bank, while ING Bank N.V. has been appointed as Sustainability Coordinator.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer acted as external legal counsel of the company, and Allen & Overy acted as external legal counsel of the lenders.
About PTI
PTI, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates over 22,000 telecom towers throughout Europe, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. In Europe, PTI is present in several countries including France, Italy, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus.
PTI was founded in 2013 with a mission to be a premier site provider to wireless operators across the world in high-growth markets. PTI’s investors include funds managed by Blackstone, Wren House and various members of the management team and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information, please visit www.phoenixintnl.com
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Fintech PR
BranchOut Food Inc. Expands Partnership with EnWave Corporation. Increasing Manufacturing Capacity by an Additional ~$15mm Annually & Secures Additional Product Exclusivities.

BEND, Ore, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — BranchOut Foods Inc. (NASDAQ: BOF), the global trailblazer in GentleDried natural snacks and superfood ingredients, is proud to announce a significant expansion of its partnership with EnWave Corporation (TSX-V: ENW | FSE: E4U). BranchOut has agreed to purchase a second large-scale, continuous throughput dehydration machine from Enwave. Under the terms of the new Equipment Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”), the 120kW REV™ machine is slated for delivery to BranchOut in late calendar 2024 and will add an additional $15mm in estimated topline capacity.
Eric Healy, CEO of BranchOut Food Inc., emphasized, “We are confident that this increased capacity will align perfectly with our growth trajectory, especially in light of our recent commitments from major retailers and the substantial sales pipeline we have established.”
Enwave’s Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV™) technology and associated patent portfolio was previously licensed to BranchOut along with exclusivity for its original core products. Under the new Agreement, the product exclusives have been significantly expanded to encompass the new and innovative products BranchOut has recently developed and will be launching in the very near future.
About BranchOut Food Inc.: BranchOut is an international food-tech company delivering truly great natural snacks and real superfood ingredients enabled by their licensed dehydration technology. BranchOut Food is a leading provider of high-quality dehydrated fruit and vegetable-based products and its commitment to quality and innovation sets it apart as a trusted brand and private label supplier. For more information about BranchOut Food Inc. and its products, please visit www.branchoutfood.com.
About EnWave: EnWave Corporation stands as a global leader in vacuum microwave dehydration innovation and application. Operating from its headquarters in Vancouver, BC, EnWave boasts an impressive intellectual property portfolio and has refined its Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV™) technology into a proven, consistent, and scalable drying solution. This revolutionary technology outperforms traditional drying methods in terms of efficiency, capacity, product quality, and cost.
Media Contact:
BranchOut Food Inc.
Email: [email protected]
Fintech PR
SIGMA Financial AI unveils Akili-AI: Cutting-Edge, AI-based, no-code suite of tools for traders

– Augments trader’s interactions and transforms decision-making capabilities
– Handles the full extent of structured to unstructured financial data
– Mitigates portfolio exposure risk and accelerates speed to market
LONDON, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — SIGMA Financial AI, an innovator in developing AI-driven trading solutions, launches Akili-AI*, a sophisticated suite of enterprise-ready trading strategy tools. Akili-AI is a cutting-edge, no-code solution enabling data-driven insights to support the specialist needs of the global financial services trading community.
Akili-AI incorporates machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to deliver agile tools which are more intelligent, faster and easier to use, enabling traders to create strategies at a scale and speed unachievable without AI support. Completely asset-class and instrument-agnostic, the Akili-AI system streams real-time trading data, allowing users to screen, test and design complex trading strategies promptly.
Their SaaS-based Pattern matching platform (Patterns as a Service) helps traders monitor thousands of instruments in real-time, scanning charts for momentum changes, technical signals, support, and resistance zones. The NLP research function supports fundamental and technical qualifications from thousands of news, social media and traders’ data. Akili-AI’s flexible modular architecture, built using modern protocols, is cloud-based and scales to support the largest trading enterprises.
Andy Simpson, Co-founder and CEO, commented, “Traders are having to cope with a constant squeeze on their book; this, combined with a huge increase in data volumes, has created the need for transformative solutions which can help them find an edge. They need the ability to find new liquidity fast, enhance their trade execution capabilities, and reduce portfolio risk; Akili-AI can deliver all this at a lower cost point and faster than ever.”
“Akili-AI transforms market interaction and improves productivity by liberating traders from the constraints imposed by long-established, outdated working practices and legacy technology infrastructures. Accelerated speed to market is crucial in an industry where every second counts. Our mission is to provide AI-based solutions which enhance the human experience – not replace them – helping to generate more revenue and increased profitability,” Andy continued.
Rob Maunder, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, said, “Our pioneering and creative team is an unusual blend of deep financial services experience, phenomenal engineering and world-class AI technologists who bring an unrivalled track record of developing new platforms at pace. We break the mould by delivering incredible engineering of low-latency, highly scalable systems drawing on more than a decade of generative AI experience in the social media and music industries.”
Andy concluded, “Akili-AI is the start of a refreshingly different journey of technological change; watch this space. There is much more to come.”
Akili-Ai will be showcased in the Innovators Pavilion at the FIA’s Futures and Options Expo on October 2-3, 2023 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk.
*Akili is the Swahili word for intelligence.
About SIGMA Financial AI:
We provide traders with a set of tools that are faster, smarter and easier to use. Our AI machine learning product suite unlocks trading opportunities through real-time analytics underpinned by world-leading, scalable, ultra-low latency architecture.
Note to Editors: For more information about SIGMA Financial AI, please visit www.sigmafinancial.ai.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sigma-financial-ai-unveils-akili-ai-cutting-edge-ai-based-no-code-suite-of-tools-for-traders-301941890.html
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