Fintech PR
Zulu Ecosystems and Severn Trent Water secure Innovate UK funding to pioneer catchment-scale Nature-based Solutions
- Partnership aims to develop innovative funding model for nature-based solutions that enhance water resilience in the Idle and Torne catchment, a priority area for environmental improvement
- Project will aggregate supply and demand for ecosystem services across the 1,200km2 catchment, benefiting both nature and local communities
- Led by Zulu Ecosystems, the collaboration seeks to accelerate private investment in nature recovery while addressing critical water challenges
LONDON, Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Zulu Ecosystems and Severn Trent Water have been awarded funding from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, for a £580,000 project to develop a groundbreaking catchment system operator model for unlocking private investment in nature. The project aims to enhance water resilience and deliver multiple benefits for both nature and local communities in the Idle and Torne River catchment.
The Idle and Torne catchment, identified as a priority catchment by the Environment Agency, faces significant challenges including drought risk, flood vulnerability, and water quality issues. Approximately 60% of water bodies in the catchment currently fail to meet good ecological status. However, the area also presents substantial opportunities for nature recovery, with potential to restore over 5,000 hectares of priority habitats and significantly improve water resources management.
This innovative partnership will leverage Zulu Ecosystems’ cutting-edge natural capital assessment capabilities and Severn Trent Water’s expertise in water management to create a scalable approach for funding and delivering nature-based solutions. The project will focus on interventions such as woodland creation, wetland restoration, and riparian woodland to address the catchment’s pressing environmental challenges. The project will engage local stakeholders, including farmers, landowners, and community groups, to ensure that interventions reflect local needs and knowledge.
Ed Asseily, CEO of Zulu Ecosystems, said:
“This funding from Innovate UK is a game-changer for how we approach local nature recovery and water resilience. By developing a catchment-scale model that aggregates both the supply of and demand for ecosystem services, we can accelerate the flow of private capital into nature-based solutions.”
Severn Trent Water will play a key role as the project’s System Operator, strategically coordinating plans and aligning stakeholder priorities to maximise outcomes for water services and the environment.
Richard Smith, Strategic Asset Planning Manager at Severn Trent Water, commented:
“We’re excited to partner with Zulu Ecosystems on this transformative project. By adopting a system operator approach, we can ensure that investments in nature-based solutions deliver the greatest possible benefits for our customers, local communities, and the environment.”
This project has been funded by Innovate UK as part of the ‘Integrating Finance and Biodiversity for a Nature Positive Future’ programme, a joint initiative between the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Innovate UK. This £7 million programme aims to develop solutions that embed the values of biodiversity into financial decision-making.
By bridging the gap between nature recovery and water resilience, this project has the potential to create a replicable model for sustainable landscape management across the UK. Innovate UK’s support underscores the national significance of developing new approaches to environmental management that can deliver multiple benefits, including improved water security, enhanced biodiversity, climate resilience, and potential new income streams for landowners.
Over the next 9 months, the project team will work closely with local stakeholders to identify priority interventions and develop a portfolio of investable nature-based solutions. The project aims to demonstrate how multi-stakeholder nature-based projects can be developed, funded, and delivered at catchment-scale to address climate adaptation and reverse biodiversity loss. Findings will be published to help scale similar initiatives across the UK and beyond.
For more information, please contact:
[email protected]
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/zulu-ecosystems-and-severn-trent-water-secure-innovate-uk-funding-to-pioneer-catchment-scale-nature-based-solutions-302252188.html
Fintech PR
BingX Introduces ALTCOIN Index Futures Trading: One Click, Countless Trends
VILNIUS, Lithuania, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BingX, a global leading cryptocurrency exchange, is excited to announce the launch of ALTCOIN Index, the first futures trading pair involving top altcoins. This innovative trading product offers users a one-click solution to efficiently track and trade major cryptocurrency trends with ease.
Traditionally used in stock markets, a futures index is a financial derivative that tracks the performance of a group of assets, such as stocks of commodities. These instruments were first introduced to simplify trading by allowing investors to speculate on or hedge against the collective movements of selected market sectors. Instead of purchasing individual stocks, traders are able to access broad market exposure in a single transaction, saving time and reducing costs.
In the cryptocurrency market, this new ALTCOIN/USDT futures trading pair works similarly by bundling the performance of the top mainstream cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding Bitcoin (BTC) and stablecoins. The current index includes ETH, XRP, SOL, BNB, DOGE, ADA, TRX, AVAX, and SHIB. This approach is more efficient compared to buying individual cryptocurrencies or ETFs as this allows for direct speculation using tiered leverage options without the need to manage multiple positions, effectively diversifying trading risks associated with individual asset volatility.
Vivien Lin, Chief Product Officer of BingX, commented on the new offering: “By aggregating a range of leading cryptocurrencies into a single trading instrument, we’re giving users a practical and efficient way to better capture market trends. This index trading pair should help our less experienced users with their trading goals more easily, particularly when they are unsure which asset to trade and just want to trade major altcoins in general with leverage.”
BingX users can take advantage of tiered leverage options and competitive rates consistent with the platform’s perpetual futures terms, simplifying open order management and enhancing trading efficiency. The platform also ensures that the index composition remains current, with regular quarterly adjustments and temporary updates in response to market conditions.
About BingX
Founded in 2018, BingX is a leading crypto exchange, serving over 10 million users worldwide. BingX offers diversified products and services, including spot, derivatives, copy trading, and asset management – all designed for the evolving needs of users, from beginners to professionals. BingX is committed to providing a trustworthy platform that empowers users with innovative tools and features to elevate their trading proficiency. In 2024, BingX proudly became the official crypto exchange partner of Chelsea Football Club, marking an exciting debut in the world of sports.
For more information please visit: https://bingx.com/
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bingx-introduces-altcoin-index-futures-trading-one-click-countless-trends-302339486.html
Fintech PR
Nodepay Raises $7M Total Funding To Power AI Growth with Real-Time Data Infrastructure
SINGAPORE, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nodepay, a decentralized AI platform transforming unused internet bandwidth into real-time data pipelines for AI training, today announced it has raised a second round of funding, bringing its total to $7 million.
The latest funding round welcomed new strategic investors IDG Capital ($23 Billion AUM), Mythos, Elevate Ventures, IBC, Optic Capital, Funders.VC, Matthew Tan (Etherscan founder) and Yusho Liu (CoinHako Co-founder & CEO) as notable angels. They join an impressive roster of previous backers that includes Animoca Brands, Mirana, OKX Ventures, JUMP Crypto, Tokenbay Capital and more.
Nodepay’s network taps into a global community of users running privacy-protected nodes. By sharing their spare internet bandwidth, these participants earn rewards for creating a real-time data source that improves AI inference with accurate, timely information—an approach known as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG).
Darren Nguyen, co-founder of Nodepay commented: “Our mission is to develop solutions that create tangible value for both AI developers and its end users. We give contributors a share in the AI ecosystem they help fundamentally build.”
Nodepay’s infrastructure platform integrates real-time data retrieval, a Web3-focused decentralized answer engine, reinforcement learning for more accurate model output, and gamified human verification. Together, these components combine to create a fair, collaborative, and innovative AI ecosystem.
Eric Le, investment director of IDG Capital, said, “The team at Nodepay is democratizing the AI economy by providing a platform that allows users to share directly in the value they create. We’re proud to support their vision of making AI more accessible and beneficial to all.”
With this funding, Nodepay will continue to commercialize its infrastructure to benefit both its community and partner AI labs. As it prepares to launch on Solana, Nodepay stands ready to lead the next era of decentralized AI development and training.
Already serving over 1.5 million active users worldwide, Nodepay continues to expand its reach, solidifying its role as a leader in the integration of AI and blockchain technology. Users can expect further updates and new announcements through their social channels and official website.
About Nodepay
Nodepay is a decentralized AI platform dedicated to democratizing AI training through real-time data retrieval. By turning idle internet bandwidth into a valuable resource, Nodepay fuels the next generation of AI models and stands at the forefront of AI decentralization.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nodepay-raises-7m-total-funding-to-power-ai-growth-with-real-time-data-infrastructure-302339478.html
Fintech PR
SM approaches 2025 with cautious optimism
PASAY CITY, Philippines, Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The SM Group is approaching the coming year with cautious optimism, encouraged by the continued growth of the Philippine economy.
SM Investments President and Chief Executive Officer Frederic C. DyBuncio said that despite ongoing challenges of peso volatility and higher inflation, the business sector has adapted well.
Consistent demand sustained household spending in the third quarter, with Household Final Consumption Expenditure posting a year-on-year growth of 5.1%, maintaining the same level in the same quarter last year, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
“Any moderation in inflation should trigger a strong confidence rebound. This could create opportunities in consumer-focused sectors in the country and we are poised to cater to these evolving demands,” Mr. DyBuncio said.
To cater to growing demand, SM continues to expand into more underserved areas, contributing to sustainable economic development and collaborating with government stakeholders to enhance access to modern retail, financial services, and integrated property developments.
“By investing and expanding to more areas nationwide, SM creates new markets and improves access to these essential sectors, serving more communities and helping stimulate sustained economic activities,” he said.
Mr. DyBuncio also said SM continues to invest in promising ventures such as renewable energy and logistics, that foster economic activity.
SM has invested in the clean energy industry through Philippine Geothermal Production Company (PGPC) which produces 300 Megawatts of geothermal steam supply. SM aims to continue to develop geothermal concessions through PGPC in support of the Department of Energy’s goal of reaching 50% renewable energy supply by 2040.
To encourage circularity towards green energy production, SM’s property arm, SM Prime Holdings partnered with GUUN Co. Ltd. (GUUN) to implement the Japanese technique of reducing landfill impact. The technology converts non-recyclable and hard-to-recycle packaging into alternative fuel.
SM’s banking arm, BDO Unibank is one of the largest funders of renewable energy projects. BDO has funded PHP898 billion in sustainable finance, including loans to 59 renewable energy projects as of December 2023.
In logistics and tourism, the improvement of transport networks across the country’s archipelago connects tourist and industrial areas that will help create inclusive growth. SM though its subsidiary 2GO launched MV Masigla and MV Masikap in 2024 to help better connect goods to 19 ports across the country including Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro and Manila, further supporting the government’s push for medium term growth through an upgraded tourism infrastructure and ecosystem.
“Our focus for 2025 will be to drive purposeful growth, empowering communities and partners through our investments towards a sustainable future,” Mr. DyBuncio said.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sm-approaches-2025-with-cautious-optimism-302339452.html
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