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.

Advertisement

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dow-jones-to-expand-wsj-tech-live-event-to-qatar-302283664.html

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Gatemore Capital Management (“Gatemore”) is pleased to announce its participation in the Lightning Round of this year’s 13D Monitor Active-Passive Investor Summit.

Gatemore is presenting Watches of Switzerland Group PLC, an international retailer of luxury watches and jewellery based in Leicester, UK. WOSG is a leader in its industry, benefiting from long-standing relationships with world-leading luxury brands to provide its clientele with best-in-class merchandise, service, and commentary on trends in the luxury goods sector. With a portfolio of 220+ brick-and-mortar showrooms and an expanding online presence, WOSG has a leading position in the UK (a leading luxury watch market globally on a per capita basis) and is rapidly growing its market share in the vast and under-penetrated US market. Building on a robust track record, the Company’s long-standing, well-aligned leadership team further aims to double the business by FY28.

In September 2024, when WOSG was trading at 380p, Gatemore wrote a letter to the Board of WOSG to highlight the gap between the Company’s strong intrinsic value and relatively weak share price, calling for the Company to launch a substantial share buyback to accrete permanent value for shareholders.

In order for WOSG to fully unlock the value of its stock, we are now calling for the Company to move its primary listing to the US, a key growth market around which WOSG is already pursuing an ambitious growth strategy. As a result of this, we expect WOSG to generate the majority of its future revenues from the US market; now is the time for this listing change.

The move would also bring additional benefits, including:

• A fresh opportunity to highlight the Company’s exposure to the growing market for fine watches and branded jewellery in the US and no exposure to the luxury slowdown in Asia;
• Access to deeper pools of capital and long-term growth investors with a deep understanding of the US, the key growth market for WOSG;
• Higher valuations that more accurately reflect the Company’s intrinsic value; and
• Significantly greater liquidity.

Liad Meidar, Managing Partner at Gatemore, said: “Watches of Switzerland has established itself as the leading retailer of premium watches. It is an exceptional business, providing customers a premium experience and boasting longstanding partnerships with some of the strongest brands in the world. With a clear leading position in the UK market, the Company is now well positioned to unlock additional growth in the massive and underpenetrated US market.

We are impressed with the track record and ambition of the management team, and we call on them to consider a listing in the US to fulfil WOSG’s potential and help unlock the intrinsic value of this  business.”

Gatemore’s presentation on WOSG at 13D Monitor can be found here.

For media enquiries:

Greenbrook Advisory
Rob White, Teresa Berezowski
+44 (0)20 7952 2000
[email protected] 

About Gatemore Capital Management

Advertisement

Gatemore Capital Management manages an activist strategy focused on companies across consumer, industrial, healthcare, sports, media, and technology sectors. Gatemore primarily targets fundamentally sound businesses that are underperforming and/or undervalued but have strong potential for recovery and growth. Gatemore’s strategy is to influence outcomes and drive outperformance through thought leadership and deep engagement, aiming to effect positive change and unlock value within the companies in which they invest.

Learn more about Gatemore here.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gatemore-capital-management-presents-watches-of-switzerland-group-at-13d-monitor-302283443.html

Investment Empowers Next Stage of Growth and Innovation for Global Leader in Tech Protection and Support

DALLAS, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Likewize, a leading global provider of tech protection and support, today announced that its existing investor, Genstar Capital (“Genstar”), has increased its investment in Likewize following its initial investment in March 2023. This significant investment makes Genstar the majority investor in Likewize and strengthens their commitment to fueling Likewize’s continued growth and mission to make every tech problem painless. Management and Brightstar Capital Partners (“Brightstar”) will remain minority investors in Likewize, ensuring continued leadership in driving the company forward.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Dallas, TX, Likewize’s innovative approach is trusted by many of the world’s biggest brands, including telecommunications companies, financial institutions and retailers, to protect millions of customers from tech-related issues. The company handles over 250 million device issues annually, from warranty and repairs to upgrades and premium technical support.

Rod Millar, CEO of Likewize, commented, “Over the last five years, we’ve transformed into a global leader in tech protection and support. Genstar’s increased investment underscores their confidence in our vision and potential. With this deeper partnership, we can continue to push the boundaries of innovation and ensure our platform remains the industry leader. We are excited to expand our capabilities and feel well-positioned to capitalize on the vast market opportunities in the rapidly growing tech protection and support sectors.”

Since Genstar’s initial investment, Likewize has built significant momentum, growing its core business by more than 30%. Over the past 12 months, Likewize has added major partnerships with some of the world’s largest telecommunications carriers, retailers, and financial institutions and has expanded its footprint across Europe, enhancing its capabilities and market presence.

Ryan Clark, President and Managing Partner at Genstar, said, “We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Rod and the entire Likewize team, as well as Brightstar, as we’ve witnessed firsthand the company’s exceptional growth over the first 19 months of Genstar’s investment. This enhanced commitment to Likewize comes at a pivotal moment, delivering the support and capital for Likewize to continue delivering exceptional customer value and achieve its full growth potential.”

Andrew Weinberg, Founder and CEO of Brightstar, said: “We are proud of Likewize’s growth and transformation during our ownership period and the company’s success in becoming a global leader in tech protection and support. We look forward to continuing to work with Genstar and the management team and remain confident in Likewize’s future prospects and market leadership in this dynamic industry.”

The increased strategic investment from Genstar will allow Likewize to focus on accelerating adoption of added value solutions such as AI-driven claims handling and expanded premium tech support, ensuring it maintains its reputation for the industry’s best customer experience, commercials and technology.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Likewize
When your tech goes wrong, Likewize makes it right. Likewize offers the most comprehensive protection against any technology disruption. Whether a device is lost, stolen, damaged, malfunctioning, in need of an upgrade, or is in need of general troubleshooting, Likewize provides the solution. Trusted by the world’s largest brands including, telecommunications companies, financial institutions and retailers. Likewize operates in over 30 countries, resolving 250 million problems each year across insurance, warranty, repairs, trade-ins, recycling, and premium tech support. For more information, please visit: www.likewize.com. 

Advertisement

About Genstar Capital
Genstar Capital (www.gencap.com) is a leading private equity firm that has been actively investing in high-quality companies for over 30 years. Based in San Francisco, Genstar works in partnership with its management teams and its network of strategic advisors to transform its portfolio companies into industry-leading businesses. Genstar currently has approximately $49 billion of assets under management and targets investments focused on targeted segments of the financial services, industrials, software, and healthcare industries.

About Brightstar Capital Partners
Brightstar Capital Partners is a middle market private equity firm focused on investing in industrial, manufacturing, and services businesses where Brightstar believes it can drive significant value with respect to the management, operations, and strategic direction of the business. Brightstar employs an operationally intensive “Us & Us” approach that leverages its extensive experience and relationship network to help companies reach their full potential. For more information, please visit www.brightstarcp.com. 

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2537158/Likewize_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/genstar-capital-increases-strategic-investment-in-likewize-acquires-majority-stake-302283491.html