Fintech PR

Aramco expands global venture capital program with $4bn funds injection

Published

9 months ago

January 17, 2024

Company more than doubles funding for its venture capital arm, Aramco Ventures
Decision supports Aramco’s long-term strategy through investments in strategic areas of business development
Intention to finance game-changing innovations across a variety of industries

DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Aramco (“the Company”), one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has allocated an additional $4 billion to its global venture capital arm, Aramco Ventures. It will more than double the capital allotted to Aramco Ventures, increasing its total investment allocation from $3 billion to $7 billion.

It will take Aramco’s overall venture capital allocation to $7.5bn, which also includes the $500 million venture capital fund Wa’ed Ventures that focuses on the start-up ecosystem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The decision reflects the growing significance of Aramco’s venture capital program in enabling the development of disruptive new technologies, creating diversification opportunities for Aramco, and paving the way for collaborations with innovative start-ups. In doing so, it aims to help advance the Company’s long-term strategy, which includes a focus on new energies, chemicals and transition materials, diversified industrial businesses, and digital technologies.

Ahmad Al Khowaiter, Aramco Executive Vice President of Technology & Innovation, said: “Innovation is key to addressing some of the fundamental challenges facing the world today, including the energy transition. Through Aramco Ventures, we aim to support pioneers with big ambitions, and ultimately help bring their ideas to life. By injecting an additional $4 billion in funding over the next four years, we intend to provide the financial backing required to take game-changing solutions to the next level. This will provide crucial impetus to businesses at various stages of development around the world, while also contributing to Aramco’s own long-term objectives.”

Prior to the new capital allocation, Aramco Ventures managed three funds. These are a Digital/Industrial Fund, which stood at $500 million, investing in technologies of strategic importance to Aramco; the Prosperity7 Fund with $1 billion, investing in disruptive technology ventures beyond the energy sector; and the Sustainability Fund, which stood at $1.5 billion and invests in start-ups with the potential to support Aramco’s ambition to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions across its wholly-owned and operated assets by 2050.

Aramco Contact Information
X: @aramco

About Aramco

Aramco is a global integrated energy and chemicals company. We are driven by our core belief that energy is opportunity. From producing approximately one in every eight barrels of the world’s oil supply to developing new energy technologies, our global team is dedicated to creating impact in all that we do. We focus on making our resources more dependable, more sustainable and more useful. This helps promote stability and long-term growth around the world. www.aramco.com

About Aramco Ventures

Aramco Ventures is the corporate venturing subsidiary of Aramco, the world’s leading fully integrated energy and petrochemical enterprise. Headquartered in Dhahran with offices in North America, Europe and Asia, Aramco Ventures strategic venturing programs invest globally in start-up and high growth companies with technologies of strategic importance to its parent, Aramco, primarily supporting the company’s operational decarbonization, new lower-carbon fuels businesses, and digital transformation initiatives. Aramco Ventures also operates Prosperity7, the company’s disruptive technologies investment program.

For more information, please visit www.aramcoventures.com.

Disclaimer

The press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements relating to historical or current facts included in the press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give the Company’s current expectations and projections relating to its capital expenditures and investments, major projects, upstream and downstream performance, including relative to peers. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as “target,” “believe,” “expect,” “aim,” “intend,” “may,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “can have,” “likely,” “should,” “could,” and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors beyond the Company’s control that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the expected results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements, including the following factors: international crude oil supply and demand and the price at which it sells crude oil; the impact of pandemics or infectious diseases on business and economic conditions and on supply and demand for crude oil, gas and refined and petrochemical products; competitive pressure; climate change concerns and impacts; weather; cyclicity of gas, oil, refining and petrochemical sectors; terrorism and armed conflict; adverse economic or political developments; operational risks and hazards in the oil and gas, refining and petrochemicals industries; any significant deviation or changes in existing economic and operating conditions that could affect the estimated quantity and value of the Company’s proved reserves; losses from risks related to insufficient insurance; the Company’s ability to deliver on current and future projects; comparability amongst periods; the Company’s ability to realize benefits from recent and future acquisitions, including with respect to SABIC; risks related to operating in several countries; the Company’s dependence on its senior management and key personnel; the reliability and security of the Company’s IT systems; litigation to which the Company is or may be subject; risks related to oil, gas, environmental, health and safety and other regulations that impact the industries in which the Company operates; risks related to international operations, including sanctions and trade restrictions, anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and other laws and regulations; risks stemming from requirements to obtain, maintain, and renew governmental licenses, permits, and approvals; risks stemming from existing and potential laws, regulations, and other requirements or expectations relating to environmental protection, health and safety laws and regulations, and sale and use of chemicals and plastics; potential changes in equalization compensation received in connection with domestic sales of hydrocarbons; potential impact on tax rates if the Company does not separate its downstream business in a timeframe set by the Government of Saudi Arabia; risks related to Government-directed projects and other Government requirements, including those related to Government-set maximum level of crude oil production and target Maximum Sustainable Capacity (MSC); as well as the importance of the hydrocarbon industry to the Government; political and social instability and unrest and actual or potential armed conflicts in the regions in which the Company operates and other areas; interest and exchange rate fluctuations; risks arising should the Government eliminate or change the pegging of SAR to the U.S. dollar; and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the forward looking statements in this press release, as set forth in the Company’s latest periodic reports filed with the Saudi Stock Exchange. For additional information on the potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted please see the Company’s latest periodic reports filed with the Saudi Stock Exchange. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company’s present and future business strategies and the environment in which it will operate in the future. The information contained in the press release, including but not limited to forward-looking statements, applies only as of the date of this press release and is not intended to give any assurances as to future results. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to the press release, including any financial data or forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law or regulation. No person should construe the press release as financial, tax or investment advice. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements.

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Fintech PR

Reshaping Finance: Huawei’s Commitment to 4-Zero and Resilient Infrastructure

Published

7 hours ago

October 15, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

reshaping-finance:-huawei’s-commitment-to-4-zero-and-resilient-infrastructure

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On the first day of GITEX GLOBAL 2024, the Huawei Finance Forum was held under the theme of Boost Resilience, Reshaping Smarter Finance Together. This forum explored how to build resilient financial infrastructure for the future, as well as digital transformation and ecosystem development to help financial institutions gain a new competitive edge.

Over the past 15 years, China’s finance industry has undergone a significant transformation, largely driven by FinTech giants. As Chinese banks embarked on their digital transformation journey, Huawei developed an FSI solution framework, which focuses on reshaping customers’ resilience, agility, and intelligence.

“The value Huawei brings to our customers is not only in our products and solutions, but also in our unique capabilities, such as best practices worldwide, a global ecosystem, and an extensive digital talent system in China. These capabilities are crucial for customers’ successful transformation.” Shared by Alvin Feng, Director of Global Marketing and Solution Sales, Huawei Digital Finance BU.

Huawei has proposed reshaping resilient financial infrastructure with 4 Zeros: Zero Downtime, Zero Wait, Zero Touch, and Zero Trust. To achieve this, we need to coordinate cloud, network, storage, and computing infrastructure to develop an end-to-end resilient system.

Application modernization is vital for reshaping agility. Huawei has successfully supported many banks in transforming their legacy centralized architecture towards a cloud-native distributed architecture.

In terms of reshaping intelligence. Huawei supports banks in enhancing real-time data operations, a fundamental step for data intelligence. Meanwhile, we actively boost Generative AI adoption in banks through joint innovations in various scenarios.

Dr. Jassim Haji, President of the International Group of Artificial Intelligence, Executive Advisor of HH (His Highness) Nasser Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Center.

“Huawei is pioneering the future of intelligent finance, seamlessly blending AI innovation with enduring infrastructure. Their vision for All Intelligence and commitment to building resilient, secure, and efficient financial ecosystems is transforming the industry, creating smarter, more inclusive services for the AI era.” Said Dr. Jassim Haji, President of the International Group of Artificial Intelligence, Executive Advisor of HH (His Highness) Nasser Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Center.

Roger Wang, Director of Partner Development & Sales, Digital Finance BU, Huawei

“Huawei is continuously collaborating with global and local ecosystem partners to deliver value to customers by developing competitive scenario-based solutions”, stated by Roger Wang, Director of Partner Development & Sales, Digital Finance BU, Huawei. We consistently add value to our customers’ success through our global best practices, business and architecture innovation, and excellent service and support.

For more details, please visit: https://e.huawei.com/en/industries/finance

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Fintech PR

Qatari Diar Unveils Exclusive Waterfront Townhouses at The Seef Lusail

Published

10 hours ago

October 15, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

qatari-diar-unveils-exclusive-waterfront-townhouses-at-the-seef-lusail

Luxury Living Redefined with Attractive Investment Opportunities Starting from QAR 1.7 Million for apartments and QAR 3.4 Million for townhouses in Downtown Lusail

Flexible Payment Plans with 0% Interest and Direct Financing

Freehold Ownership and Residency in Qatar

DOHA, Qatar, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company announced the launch of exclusive upscale waterfront townhouses at The Seef in Downtown Lusail, offering exceptional investment opportunities with 0% interest, direct financing, and flexible payment plans. Lusail represents a bold step forward in sustainable, smart urban living. Known for its state-of-the-art infrastructure and forward-thinking design, Lusail offers a mix of residential, commercial, and entertainment districts just minutes from Qatar’s newest community.

Situated in the heart of Lusail’s waterfront district, The Seef offers a limited collection of luxurious townhouses starting from QAR 3.4 million and apartments starting from QAR 1.7 million. These residences offer immediate occupancy and are designed to provide residents with a blend of modern elegance and comfort. With breathtaking sea views overlooking Qetaifan Islands and Lusail’s iconic skyline, the townhouses redefine modern living.

Lusail’s thriving real estate market presents significant growth potential for investors. The Seef offers freehold ownership, providing residency in Qatar for foreigners. With mortgage financing options from leading local banks, in addition to direct payment plans with 0% interest extending to 6 years for apartments and 4 years for townhouses, owning a luxury residence in The Seef is more accessible than ever. Situated in a location known for attracting substantial foreign investment, The Seef promises robust returns whether for resale or long-term residence.

Eng. Ali Mohamed Al-Ali, CEO of Qatari Diar, said: “The launch of our exclusive waterfront townhouses at The Seef marks a significant milestone in offering unparalleled luxury living in Qatar. Lusail represents more than just a place to live; it’s a lifestyle destination that combines convenience, sophistication and investment potential. With the recent advancements in the Qatari mortgage law, we are thrilled to extend flexible financing options in partnership with several Qatari banks that make owning a piece of this vibrant community achievable for a broader market.”

The Seef’s townhouses are built to meet the diverse needs of residents, from professionals to families. Each townhouse features spacious layouts with high-end finishes, ensuring comfort and luxury at every turn. Residents will enjoy uninterrupted sea views, offering a tranquil escape within the city, and lush green landscapes that create a serene environment for relaxation. The prime location provides proximity to key attractions, including the Meryal Waterpark—the largest in Qatar—Lusail Marina, and Place Vendôme. Located near transit hubs, major highways, shopping centers, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions, The Seef offers residents unparalleled convenience, placing all the vibrant energy of Lusail right at their doorstep.

The Seef reflects Qatari Diar’s commitment to sustainability, with eco-friendly design elements that include energy-efficient infrastructure and green landscaping. The project’s unique architectural innovations, including sky bridge swimming pools and modern areas amenities, such as kids’ playgrounds, squash courts, gym facilities, retail outlets, and serene promenades, sets it apart from typical residential projects, creating a true lifestyle destination.

Prospective buyers and investors are invited to explore The Seef firsthand at the Cityscape Global in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 11 – 14 November. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the development, view its luxury offerings, and discover how The Seef can become part of their future in Lusail, Qatar’s city of the future.

For more information, please visit Qatari Diar’s website to explore The Seef and view the full portfolio of investment opportunities.

About Qatari Diar
Qatari Diar Real Estate Company was established in 2005 by the Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar. Headquartered northeast of capital, Doha, in the City of Lusail, on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. Qatari Diar was entrusted to support Qatar’s growing economy and to coordinate the country’s real estate development priorities. For more information, visit qataridiar.com.

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Fintech PR

PharmaMar Announces Positive and Statistically Significant Overall Survival and Progression-Free Survival Results for Zepzelca® (lurbinectedin) and Atezolizumab Combination in First-Line Maintenance Therapy for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

Published

10 hours ago

October 15, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

pharmamar-announces-positive-and-statistically-significant-overall-survival-and-progression-free-survival-results-for-zepzelca-(lurbinectedin)-and-atezolizumab-combination-in-first-line-maintenance-therapy-for-extensive-stage-small-cell-lung-cancer

Jazz plans to submit supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and PharmaMar will submit Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in first half of the year 2025 for this combination therapy as a first-line maintenance treatment for ES-SCLC.

MADRID, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — PharmaMar (MSE: PHM) and its partner Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: JAZZ) have announced today positive top-line results from the Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Zepzelca^® (lurbinectedin) in combination with the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq^®) compared to atezolizumab alone when administered as a maintenance treatment for adults with extensive-stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (ES-SCLC) following induction therapy with carboplatin, etoposide and atezolizumab. The combination of lurbinectedin and atezolizumab demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), as assessed by an independent review facility (IRF), compared to treatment with atezolizumab alone.

“Each year, approximately 63,000 to 72,000 new cases of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) are reported in Europe. A majority of these patients are diagnosed with extensive stage disease, which is aggressive and often difficult to treat, with poor prognosis,[i]^,[ii]^,[iii]” said Luis Paz-Ares, M.D., Ph.D., head of medical oncology at the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre in Madrid, Spain, and IMforte trial principal investigator. “These trial results demonstrate the efficacy of lurbinectedin, in combination with standard-of-care atezolizumab for patients in first-line maintenance treatment, a much-needed advancement for patients with extensive disease.”

“The results of the Phase 3 IMforte trial are highly encouraging and showed a statistically significant benefit for the lurbinectedin and atezolizumab combination for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer patients receiving this treatment in the first-line maintenance setting. These results demonstrate the potential of this regimen to delay disease progression and extend survival for patients with this aggressive disease,” said Rob Iannone, M.D., M.S.C.E., executive vice president, global head of research and development, and chief medical officer of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. “We are pleased with these clinically meaningful results and plan to submit an sNDA in the first half of 2025 to support this combination in the first-line maintenance setting. We thank the investigators and patients who are involved in this trial, along with our partners at Roche.“

“Lurbinectedin monotherapy is currently the standard of care in 2L SCLC. In Europe, it is only approved in Switzerland and early access and compassionate use programs have already allowed some European patients to benefit from lurbinectedin,” said Javier Jiménez, Chief Medical Officer of PharmaMar.

The combination was generally well-tolerated. The preliminary safety data in the ongoing trial is consistent with the known safety profiles of lurbinectedin and atezolizumab with no new safety signals observed in the combination arm.

Jazz and Roche plan to submit these data for presentation at a future medical meeting.

PharmaMar will submit a marketing authorisation application (MAA) to the EMA in the first half of 2025 to request regulatory approval in the European Union (EU). Lurbinectedin is available for use in 16 territories around the world.

Legal warning

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction.

About PharmaMar

PharmaMar is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of new oncology treatments, whose mission is to improve the healthcare outcomes of patients afflicted by serious diseases with our innovative medicines. The Company is inspired by the sea, driven by science, and motivated by patients with serious diseases to improve their lives by delivering novel medicines to them. PharmaMar intends to continue to be the world leader in marine medicinal discovery, development and innovation.

PharmaMar has developed and now commercializes Yondelis® in Europe by itself, as well as Zepzelca® (lurbinectedin), in the US; and Aplidin® (plitidepsin), in Australia, with different partners. In addition, it has a pipeline of drug candidates and a robust R&D oncology program. PharmaMar has other clinical-stage programs under development for several types of solid cancers: lurbinectedin, ecubectedin, PM534 and PM54. Headquartered in Madrid (Spain), PharmaMar has subsidiaries in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and The United States. PharmaMar also wholly owns Sylentis, a company dedicated to researching therapeutic applications of gene silencing (RNAi). To learn more about PharmaMar, please visit us at www.pharmamar.com.

About the IMforte Phase 3 Trial

IMforte (NCT05091567) is an ongoing Phase 3, randomized, multicenter maintenance trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of lurbinectedin plus atezolizumab in adults (≥18 years) with ES-SCLC following induction therapy with carboplatin, etoposide and atezolizumab. The primary endpoints for this study are OS and IRF-assessed PFS.

The trial consists of two phases: an induction phase and a maintenance phase. Participants were required to have an ongoing response or stable disease per the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 after the induction phase of four cycles of carboplatin, etoposide, and atezolizumab to be considered for eligibility screening for the maintenance phase. Eligible participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either lurbinectedin plus atezolizumab or atezolizumab in the maintenance phase.

The trial is sponsored by Roche and co-funded by Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Additional information about the trial, including eligibility criteria and a list of clinical trial sites, can be found at: https://clinicaltrials.gov (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05091567).

About Zepzelca^®

Zepzelca^® (lurbinectedin), also known as PM1183, is an analog of the marine compound ET-736 isolated from the sea squirt Ecteinascidia turbinata in which a hydrogen atom has been replaced by a methoxy group. It is a selective inhibitor of the oncogenic transcription programs on which many tumors are particularly dependent. Together with its effect on cancer cells, lurbinectedin inhibits oncogenic transcription in tumor-associated macrophages, downregulating the production of cytokines that are essential for the growth of the tumor. Transcriptional addiction is an acknowledged target in those diseases, many of them lacking other actionable targets.

please visit our website at www.pharmamar.com

[i] Cancer today. (s. f.). https://gco.iarc.who.int/today/en/fact-sheets-populations#regions

[ii] Alvarado-Lunda G, Morales-Espinosa D. Treatment for small cell lung cancer, where are we now? – A review. Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2016;5(1):26-38.

[iii] SEER Explorer Lung and Bronchus Cancer, Recent Trends in SEER Incidence Rates, 2000-2016, by Age, https://seer.cancer.gov/explorer Updated June 27, 2024. Accessed October 10, 2024.

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