Fintech PR
REWARD ACQUIRES UK’S LEADING HOSPITALITY DATA INSIGHTS COMPANY (HDI) TO ENHANCE COMMERCE MEDIA OFFERING, DELIVERING DEEPER CONSUMER INSIGHTS FOR THE RETAIL SECTOR
- Reward completes acquisition of Hospitality Data Insights (HDI), a UK market-leading data insights company and longtime partner
- The acquisition will strengthen Reward’s Commerce Media proposition, enhancing consumer insights capabilities that unlock growth opportunities for global retail partners
- This acquisition follows a period of strong growth for Reward, further bolstered by recent strategic investment from Experian PLC, A FTSE 25 company, solidifying Reward’s position as a leader in Customer Engagement and Commerce Media
LONDON, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Reward, a global leader in Customer Engagement and Commerce Media, today announces the acquisition of Hospitality Data Insights (HDI), a prominent UK-based data insights company and trusted partner. This acquisition is set to further elevate Reward’s Commerce Media capabilities, driving enriched consumer insights for retail and bank partners worldwide.
HDI is known for delivering high-quality, independent data solutions to over 100 global and national brands in the hospitality and convenience sectors, including industry leaders McDonald’s, Pizza Express, and Deliveroo. With a focus on high-spend, high-frequency sectors representing over 20% of household spending, HDI strengthens Reward’s capability to deliver significant consumer value, supporting Reward’s commitment to deliver over £2 billion in rewards by 2025.
By combining HDI’s SKU-level data, product range, pricing insights, and consumer sentiment analysis with Reward’s transactional and behavioural insights, the acquisition enhances Reward’s suite of products for retail marketing, performance optimisation, and operational insights. HDI’s extensive sector expertise and talented team of data analysts add further depth to Reward’s offerings, positioning the company for growth as it establishes itself as the preferred marketing and insights partner. This strategic focus aims to help banks and retailers better understand customers while securing a larger share of marketing budgets.
The all cash acquisition reflects Reward’s period of significant growth. The recent strategic investment from Experian PLC has further enhanced Reward’s consumer insights capabilities, integrating new assets like its Mosaic product. Reward has also expanded its international footprint, with new investment directed at scaling operations in key regions such as Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Effective immediately, Darroch Bagshaw, Managing Director of HDI, will join Reward’s Leadership Team, reporting to CEO Jamie Samaha. While HDI has been primarily servicing its global brands in the UK, Reward and HDI are well-positioned to scale their enhanced capabilities internationally. The combined efforts will start in the hospitality and convenience sectors and move into other high priority spend categories including convenience and grocery.
Jamie Samaha, CEO of Reward, commented: “In today’s fast-evolving Commerce Media landscape, expanding consumer insights capabilities is more critical than ever. This acquisition of HDI marks a transformative step in our journey to deepen our understanding of consumer behaviour and amplify the value we deliver to our customers, banking partners, and retailers. HDI’s diverse portfolio of leading hospitality brands and innovative insight products opens significant opportunities for us to strengthen our retailer relationships in this key sector, all while driving toward our goal of delivering $2 billion in rewards by 2025.”
Darroch Bagshaw, Managing Director of HDI, added: “HDI’s mission has always been to provide market-leading insights to businesses across the hospitality sector using accurate and actionable data. Reward’s endorsement of our services is testament to our aligned commitment to high quality data analytics that drive investment decisions for the world’s largest retailers. We look forward to combining insights capabilities to provide enriched products and services to retailers and greater value to customers.”
ABOUT REWARD
Reward is a global leader in Customer Engagement and Commerce Media, operating in more than 15 markets across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of banking and retail, Reward’s platform combines technology, data insights and digital marketing to deliver personalised products and services that help brands deepen connections with customers.
As businesses strive to better understand and influence customer behaviour, Reward is poised to lead in the fast-growing commerce media space, offering consumer insights that enhance omnichannel experiences, boost sales and build customer loyalty.
Beyond unifying consumer insight and commerce, Reward is on a mission to make everyday spending more rewarding and every interaction count, delivering billions in rewards to customers.
For more information, please visit www.rewardinsight.com.
ABOUT HDI
Hospitality Data Insights (HDI) is a leading UK insights business, providing independent data insight to global and national brands operating in the UK hospitality sector since 2017, supporting over 100 different clients spanning Pubs & Bars, Restaurants & Casual Dining, QSR, Coffee Shops, Delivery, Convenience, Drinks Suppliers & Manufacturers, Investors and Consulting Firms.
HDI turns vast amounts of high-quality data into meaningful products and services that help operators improve their investment decisions, offer development and customer marketing; and help manufacturers sell and support their brands more effectively
Since late 2022, HDI have extended their capabilities into the UK grocery sector, tracking online pricing for 10 national grocers and monitoring customer spending patterns within over 40,000 individual convenience & grocery stores.
Fintech PR
UN International Procurement Seminar Held in Asia for the First Time: A Collaborative Initiative Between the UN and Ningbo
NINGBO, China, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On November 13, the 2024 United Nations International Procurement Seminar (IPS) commenced in Ningbo, marking the first time this authoritative, high-profile and professional conference has been held in Asia. The event brought together 50 senior procurement officials and representatives from 16 UN agencies, alongside over 200 supplier representatives from both domestic and international markets.
The selection of Ningbo as the venue prompts the question of why the UN chose Asia, and specifically China, for this significant event. A representative from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) office in China encapsulated the sentiment with the phrase “mutual engagement.”
In recent years, the total value of UN procurement has steadily climbed, reaching as high as $29.6 billion. Traditionally, the IPS has been held primarily in Europe three times a year. As the UN seeks to innovate its procurement methods and achieve sustainable development goals, it has increasingly turned its attention to China.
“China has a diverse industrial landscape, offering high-quality products and services at competitive prices. By increasing its procurement of Chinese goods, the UN can enhance the efficiency of its funding use, allowing more developing countries to benefit from UN development aid projects. This aligns with our mutual interests,” noted an official from the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of International Trade and Economic Relations.
Ningbo has consistently emphasized the importance of UN procurement, organizing various initiatives for local enterprises to engage in UN procurement activities in recent years. In September last year, the city hosted the China (Ningbo) UN Procurement Promotion Conference, helping nearly 110 companies successfully register on the official United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) website.
Following this event, the UNDP office in China expressed gratitude, recognizing Ningbo’s thriving manufacturing and foreign trade service sectors as having substantial potential to provide innovative solutions for UN procurement. “Ningbo serves as both a catalyst and a bridge, linking China with the world and the UN,” stated Neris M. Baez, Director of the UN Secretariat Procurement Division.
The UN procurement system offers several advantages, including duty exemptions, low exchange rate risks, market stability, and avoidance of trade barriers. These factors can assist in opening markets in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, generating potential benefits and spillover effects.
“China possesses a comprehensive and robust industrial and supply chain and is a globally influential logistics hub. However, we currently lack the necessary channels to connect with international high standards. The key to expanding institutional openness lies in mastering international high-standard trade regulations,” emphasized a representative from the Ningbo Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
If this seminar enables participants to become familiar with international high-standard trade regulations, it could establish a robust support system for engaging in UN procurement. This would create new opportunities in the international public procurement sector, empowering enterprises to secure more international orders through the UNGM website. From this perspective, the seminar represents an important “icebreaking journey.”
Contact: Sun Jiali
Tel.: 0086-18069269225
E-mail: [email protected]
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Fintech PR
Blockchain for Good Alliance Hosts Web3 Oscar, Celebrating Innovators Advancing UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The highly anticipated Web3 Oscar, a prestigious event hosted by the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), celebrating blockchain projects driving real-world impact aligned with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Industry leaders gathered in Bangkok to honour innovators shaping a sustainable future.
The event was part of BGA’s November lineup, featuring two major initiatives for global change through blockchain: the Sustainable Innovation Summit and the Web3 Oscar Awards.
Sustainable Innovation Summit: A Hackathon for Social Impact
Held from September 9 to November 11, 2024, the Sustainable Innovation Summit hosted a hackathon with a $100,000 prize pool, inviting participants worldwide to create blockchain solutions addressing key issues such as poverty, clean water access, and gender equality. The summit concluded with a Demo Day at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok, where finalists showcased their projects to blockchain pioneers, investors, and industry leaders, with opportunities for incubation support and equity-free funding.
Rising Stars
In a cinematic presentation style, 10 shortlisted projects from across the globe, participating in the Sustainable Innovation Summit’s 17 SDGs Challenge, took the stage. Each team presented their blockchain solutions to address sustainability challenges, telling the story of a “hero” confronting a global crisis (one of the 17 SDGs), with blockchain as the “tool” they wield for change.
Winners for the 17 SDGs Challenge:
- 1st Place: Grand Social Impact Award 🥇 EthicHub
- 2nd Place: Outstanding Social Innovation Award 🥈 Plastic Odyssey
- 3rd Place: Emerging Impact Award 🥉 ResearchHub
Rising Star Awards (top 10 projects, in no specific order):
- Wavy Health
- LAKE (LAK3)
- KulaDAO
- erable°
- arkreen
- UCO Network
- Edu3Labs
Web3 Oscar Awards: Honouring Leaders in Blockchain for Social Good
Coinciding with the hackathon’s Demo Day on November 11, the BGA Web3 Oscar Award recognizes individual contributions to blockchain for social good across three categories, with up to 7 total winners.
Each category highlights individual efforts aligning with BGA’s mission.
The Collaboration Bridge Award honours individuals who have played a vital role in guiding the strategic direction of the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA). This year’s recipients are:
- Harn, CEO of Trigger Asset Management
- Mariana de la Roche Wills from INATBA (International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications) and de la Roche W. Consulting
The Public Welfare Contribution Award celebrates individuals who have harnessed #BlockchainForGood. This award was presented to:
- BreeAnne Yek, Consultant at The Verdant Room
- Milica Dimitrijevic from Positiveblockchain.io
These individuals have demonstrated remarkable dedication, guidance, and pioneering work, significantly advancing the mission of the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA) in promoting sustainable development through blockchain technology.
In her closing remarks, Helen Liu, Co-founder and COO of Bybit and founder of BGA, explained how blockchain can bring people together to make a real difference worldwide. Her vision for leveraging blockchain to create worldwide impact was both inspiring and forward-thinking.
About Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA)
The Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA) is a long term collaborative non-profit initiative with key partners with the main aim to contribute to societal good by using blockchain technology to solve real world problems. By convening leaders, innovators, and organisations from across the blockchain community, BGA seeks to drive innovation, collaboration, and action towards a more sustainable and equitable world.
For more information
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.blockchainforgood.xyz
Twitter: www.twitter.com/chainforgood
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Fintech PR
Volante Technologies launches real-time payments intelligence solution for financial institutions
Volante Payments Intelligence gives all stakeholders a deep, accurate assessment of business performance, driving increased operational efficiency, time-to-market, internal innovation, and business growth
NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Volante Technologies, the global leader in Payments as a Service (PaaS), today announced the launch of Volante Payments Intelligence, a powerful new solution that offers financial institutions unparalleled visibility and operational control over their payments business. A modular component of the Volante Payments Platform, the solution enables banks to better understand their payments operations, simplifying decision-making while improving business performance.
Volante Payments Intelligence addresses the increasing volume and complexity of the payments landscape, driven by the proliferation of real-time payments, the adoption of ISO 20022, and the digitization of payment flows. The new offering harnesses historical and real-time payments data, delivering actionable intelligence that helps banks strategically plan, optimize operational efficiency, and accurately track performance.
As noted in the 2024 Corporate Banking IT Pressures & Priorities report from Celent, 60% of banks plan to increase migration of business-critical applications to the cloud by the end of 2025. Payments modernization now ranks as a top priority for corporate banks globally, signifying the need for solutions that provide intelligence across stakeholder viewpoints, streamline modernization efforts, and simplify operations.
“In a world where the volume and complexity of payments is increasing, operational resilience and efficiency are more important than ever. Managing through this requires banks to have instant insight into payment flows, operational performance, and the ability to quickly address issues,” said Gareth Lodge, Principal Analyst at Celent.
Volante Payments Intelligence reduces the time banks spend on manual reporting and allows them to prioritize operational efforts more effectively, staying ahead of regulatory demands. With enhanced observability, users can achieve more precise performance tracking, improving their ability to mitigate risks and adapt to market changes.
As financial institutions navigate an increasingly regulated environment, Volante Payments Intelligence offers critical tools to support resilience and compliance. The solution’s integration into existing systems and ease of deployment in private or hybrid cloud environments or as part of Volante’s PaaS offering ensures that institutions can start seeing results immediately.
“We developed Volante Payments Intelligence as a transformative solution, crafted in close collaboration with a diverse range of our customers to address a critical gap no other platform could fill: Delivering actionable, measurable, and personalized business intelligence in real-time,” said Deepak Gupta, EVP, Product, Engineering & Services, Volante Technologies.
“Payments Intelligence doesn’t just bridge the shortcomings of existing intelligence solutions; it redefines what business intelligence can achieve, empowering Volante customers, from small enterprises to global institutions, to unlock new heights in their operational efficiency and strategic growth. This continues Volante’s track record of, and our valued commitment to, driving time-to-market speed, innovation, and business growth for our customers,” concluded Gupta.
Volante plans to continue its innovation drive within Payments Intelligence through the addition of advanced dashboards to provide operators, managers, and executives with a more complete view of their payments business. By adding exception management, payment controls, and new AI-driven capabilities, financial institutions will be able to monitor and identify market dynamics more effectively.
For a deeper dive or to schedule a demo, visit volantetech.com/payments-intelligence.
On behalf of Volante Technologies:
Americas
Julian Byrne
anthonyBarnum
Public Relations
Tel. +1 (512) 665-9258
[email protected]
EMEA
Assyria Graves
Hard Numbers
Tel: +447507870214
[email protected]
[email protected]
About Volante Technologies
Volante Technologies is the trusted cloud payments modernization partner to financial businesses worldwide, giving them the freedom to evolve and innovate at record speed. Real-time native, API enabled, and ISO 20022 fluent, Volante’s Payments as a Service and underlying low-code platform process millions of mission-critical transactions and trillions in value daily. Volante’s customers include four of the top five global corporate banks, seven of the top ten U.S. banks, and two of the world’s largest card networks. Learn more at www.volantetech.com and linkedin.com/company/volante-technologies.
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