Fintech PR
Sapiens Now Available in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace

Microsoft Azure customers worldwide now gain access to Sapiens SaaS solutions to take advantage of the scalability, reliability, and agility of Azure to drive application development and shape business strategies.
UXBRIDGE, England, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Sapiens International Corporation (NASDAQ: SPNS) (TASE: SPNS), a global leader in intelligent insurance software solutions and a premium member of the Microsoft Top 100 Partner program, today announced the availability of Sapiens SaaS solutions in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. Sapiens’ customers can now take advantage of the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management.
Sapiens’ strategic alignment with Microsoft Azure underscores its commitment to enabling the insurance industry’s digital transformation. By leveraging Azure’s advanced AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service, Sapiens is empowering insurers to revolutionize operational efficiency and user experiences. Sapiens has integrated Microsoft GenAI technology into Sapiens’ newly launched insurance platform. Sapiens Digital Insurance Platform for Life & Annuity, for example, provides insurers a complete, step-by-step transformation utilizing Microsoft GenAI technology throughout the life and annuity lifecycle, enabling eAPP, illustrations, underwriting, and policy administration with next generation capabilities and services.
“The availability of Sapiens on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace enables insurers to leverage advanced capabilities with ease and efficiency and reinforces Sapiens’ commitment to partnering with our customers for their entire transformation journey,” said Alex Zukerman, Chief Strategy Officer at Sapiens. “This step strengthens our alignment with Microsoft’s cutting-edge AI solutions like Copilot, enabling our customers to innovate and thrive.”
“Microsoft Azure Marketplace welcomes Sapiens, which joins a cloud marketplace landscape offering flexibility and economic value while transacting tens of billions of dollars a year in revenues,” said Jake Zborowski, General Manager, Microsoft Azure Platform at Microsoft Corp. “Thanks to Azure Marketplace and partners like Sapiens, customers can do more with less by increasing efficiency, buying confidently, and spending smarter.”
The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use.
About Sapiens
Sapiens International Corporation (NASDAQ: SPNS) (TASE: SPNS) is a global leader in intelligent insurance software solutions. With Sapiens’ robust platform, customer-driven partnerships, and rich ecosystem, insurers are empowered to future-proof their organizations with operational excellence in a rapidly changing marketplace. We help insurers harness the power of AI and advanced automation to support core solutions for property and casualty, workers’ compensation, and life insurance, including reinsurance, financial & compliance, data & analytics, digital, and decision management. Sapiens boasts a longtime global presence, serving over 600 customers in more than 30 countries with its innovative SaaS offerings. Recognized by industry experts and selected for the Microsoft Top 100 Partner program, Sapiens is committed to partnering with our customers for their entire transformation journey and is continuously innovating to ensure their success.
For more information visit https://sapiens.com or follow us on LinkedIn
For more information, press only:
Contact: Yaffa Cohen-Ifrah
Sapiens Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Investor Relations
Email: [email protected]
Forward Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release that are incorporated herein and therein by reference are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations, as well as information currently available to us. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “plan” and similar expressions. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the degree of our success in our plans to leverage our global footprint to grow our sales; the degree of our success in integrating the companies that we have acquired through the implementation of our M&A growth strategy; the lengthy development cycles for our solutions, which may frustrate our ability to realize revenues and/or profits from our potential new solutions; our lengthy and complex sales cycles, which do not always result in the realization of revenues; the degree of our success in retaining our existing customers or competing effectively for greater market share; the global macroeconomic environment, including headwinds caused by inflation, relatively high interest rates, potentially unfavorable currency exchange rate movements, and uncertain economic conditions, and their impact on our revenues, profitability and cash flows; difficulties in successfully planning and managing changes in the size of our operations; the frequency of the long-term, large, complex projects that we perform that involve complex estimates of project costs and profit margins, which sometimes change mid-stream; the challenges and potential liability that heightened privacy laws and regulations pose to our business; occasional disputes with clients, which may adversely impact our results of operations and our reputation; various intellectual property issues related to our business; potential unanticipated product vulnerabilities or cybersecurity breaches of our or our customers’ systems; risks related to the insurance industry in which our clients operate; risks associated with our global sales and operations, such as changes in regulatory requirements, wide-spread viruses and epidemics like the coronavirus epidemic, and fluctuations in currency exchange rates; and risks related to our principal location in Israel and our status as a Cayman Islands company.
While we believe such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, should one or more of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, or these risks or uncertainties materialize, our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Please read the risks discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, to be filed in the near future, in order to review conditions that we believe could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason, to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations.
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Fintech PR
CGTN: China’s booming ice and snow industry fuels its economic growth

BEIJING, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, exemplifies the country’s thriving ice and snow economy.
During the eight-day 2025 Spring Festival holiday from January 28 to February 4, the city has seen booming snow tourism. As an ice-themed park known for its dazzling ice sculptures, Harbin Ice-Snow World attracted over 610,000 visits. In particular, more than 100,000 visits were made on February 1, setting a new record for single-day attendance.
The increasing popularity of the park is partly attributed to the city’s upcoming role as the host of the 9th Asian Winter Games, which will be held from February 7 to 14, marking China’s second major winter sports event following the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games and host a welcome banquet for foreign leaders in attendance.
Ice and snow economy enters ‘fast lane’
Xi has paid close attention to the development of China’s ice and snow sports and industries, urging efforts to consider ice and snow economy as a new growth point to promote the development of the whole industrial chain involving winter sports and culture, snow-and-ice equipment and tourism.
In recent years, as winter sports and tourism surged in popularity across China, the ice and snow economy has witnessed significant growth.
According to the General Administration of Sport of China, the number of people participating in various ice and snow sports such as skating, skiing, curling and ice hockey nationwide reached 57.35 million in the 2023-2024 snow season. Over 385 million winter leisure visits nationwide were recorded, marking a 38 percent increase from the previous year.
During the last snow season, Harbin alone welcomed over 87 million visitors, marking a 300 percent year-on-year increase and generating 124.8 billion yuan (about $17.4 billion) in tourism revenue – a staggering 500 percent growth.
Meanwhile, the ice and snow consumption is becoming an important growth point to expand domestic demand, transforming the “cold” resources into “hot” engine for economic development.
According to online shopping and tourism platforms, orders for ice and snow equipment surged, while searches and bookings for ice and snow tours saw rapid growth during the “Double 11” shopping festival last year.
On China’s leading e-commerce platform, Tmall, sales of categories such as down jackets, thermal wear and skiing equipment surged by over 200 percent year on year during the “Double 11” shopping festival.
Broad prospects
To harness its abundant ice and snow resources for economic development, China is intensifying efforts to expand its winter economy, encompassing sports, culture, equipment, and tourism.
According to the guidelines issued by the General Office of the State Council, the country aims to promote its ice and snow economy as a new growth point, with the goal of reaching an economic scale of 1.2 trillion yuan (about $169 billion) by 2027, and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.
To achieve these goals, various cities and regions are integrating winter sports and tourism into their development plans.
The Heilongjiang Province is promoting the establishment of a China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization winter sports demonstration zone, expediting the development of ice-and-snow equipment and digital industry parks.
In Beijing, the city has launched an action plan, proposing 24 specific measures in areas such as expanding the ice and snow sports and consumption, and advancing the construction of ice and snow venue facilities.
The vigorous growth of the ice and snow economy has also drawn global attention. A slew of measures, including optimizing the visa-free policy and opening new international flight routes, have attracted a number of foreign tourists to start their “China Travel” and enjoy the winter season in the country.
China’s thriving ice and snow economy has also injected new momentum into the global tourism market, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday, extending a warm invitation to friends from around the world to participate in ice and snow events, fostering friendship and cooperation.
For more information, please click:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-02-06/China-s-booming-ice-and-snow-industry-fuels-its-economic-growth–1ALQPnOkxO0/p.html
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Fintech PR
SM Investments Recognized for Landmark Capital Market Deal

PASAY CITY, Philippines, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SM Investments Corporation (SM Investments), the parent company of the SM Group, has been awarded the “Philippine Capital Market Deal of the Year” by International Financing Review Asia (IFR Asia) for its successful issuance of a USD500 million five-year bond in 2024. This recognition underscores SM Investments’ leadership in the capital markets and the strong confidence of global investors in the company’s financial strength.
IFR Asia cited SM Investments’ return to the US dollar bond market after a decade-long absence as a significant development for the Philippine corporate sector. The transaction, which was the largest five-year deal by a Philippine corporate in 2024, reopened the market amid volatile conditions and achieved competitive pricing at 35 basis points.
“This landmark transaction represents a major milestone for both SM Investments and the Philippine capital markets. The strong demand from investors reflects confidence in Philippine corporate issuers and underscores SM’s reputation as a stable and well-managed investment option,” said Erwin G. Pato, Executive Vice President for Treasury, Finance, and Planning at SM Investments Corporation.
IFR Asia noted that SM Investments’ bond issuance attracted significant investor interest, given the relative scarcity of corporate issuances from the Philippines in recent years. The transaction also marked SM Investments’ first bond issuance since its USD350 million 10-year note in June 2014.
The deal was arranged by leading global financial institutions, with HSBC, JP Morgan, Standard Chartered, and UBS acting as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners. BDO Capital and Chinabank Capital also participated as joint lead managers.
International Financing Review Asia is a respected source of news and analysis on capital markets and investment banking, reinforcing the credibility of this recognition.
SM Investments’ achievement highlights its commitment to financial excellence and its role in strengthening investor confidence in the Philippine market.
About SM Investments Corporation
SM Investments Corporation is one of the leading Philippine companies that is invested in market-leading businesses in retail, banking, and property. It also invests in ventures that capture high growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.
SM’s retail operations are the country’s largest and most diversified, consisting of grocery stores, department stores and specialty retail stores. SM’s property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is the largest integrated property developer in the Philippines with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels, and convention centers as well as tourism-related property developments. SM’s interests in banking are in BDO Unibank, Inc., the country’s largest bank, and China Banking Corporation, the fourth largest private domestic bank.
For more information, please visit www.sminvestments.com
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Fintech PR
BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025 Officially Concludes, Attracting Over 63,000 Visitors and Securing USD 90.6 Million in Export Contracts

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. (IDX: BBRI) successfully concluded BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025, reinforcing its commitment to empowering MSMEs and expanding their global market reach. Held from January 30 to February 2, 2025, at ICE BSD City, the event attracted over 63,000 visitors, generated IDR 38.9 billion in transactions, and secured USD 90.6 million in export contracts through business matching. The closing ceremony was led by BRI President Director Sunarso.
A Platform for Global MSME Expansion
With the theme “Broadening MSME’s Global Outreach”, the event showcased 1,000 top Indonesian MSMEs ready for the international market. The closing ceremony was attended by BRI Vice President Director Catur Budi Harto. BRI President Director Sunarso highlighted the expo’s success in raising awareness of local MSME products, exceeding its initial target of 50,000 visitors.
By February 1, 2025, transactions hit IDR 38.9 billion, exceeding expectations. Sunarso reaffirmed BRI’s commitment to MSMEs, with business matching continuing through 2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, holding twice-monthly sessions to boost exports.
This year’s BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025 saw the participation of 506 registered buyers from 34 countries, significantly exceeding the initial target of 94 buyers from 33 countries.
So far, 166 MSMEs have engaged in 270 business meetings, one of the standout success stories is PT Siger Jaya Abadi, which secured a USD 13.05 million export deal with Bluestar Food Corporation, USA.
BRI UMKM Awards: Honoring Top MSMEs
BRI recognized outstanding businesses in three categories:
1. Top Deals on Business Matching
For MSMEs achieving the highest potential transactions in business matching sessions:
- Bintang Kita Kemuliaan (Food & Beverage)
- Albasi Karang Layung (Home Décor & Craft)
- Gula Aren Temon (Food & Beverage)
2. Newcomers on Business Matching
For first-time exporters who successfully secured international buyers:
- Rumah Atsiri Indonesia (Healthcare & Wellness)
- Minyak Sacha Inchi (Food & Beverage)
- Organic Center (Food & Beverage)
3. Best Expo
For MSMEs demonstrating outstanding export readiness and digital adoption:
- Sila Agri Inovasi (Food & Beverage)
- Pelita Lumpang Mas (Food & Beverage)
- Restu Mande (Food & Beverage)
These awards highlight BRI’s commitment to empowering MSMEs globally while advancing financial literacy and inclusion.
For more details on BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025, visit briumkmexport.com.
For more information about BANK BRI, visit www.bri.co.id.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bri-umkm-export-2025-officially-concludes-attracting-over-63-000-visitors-and-securing-usd-90-6-million-in-export-contracts-302370823.html
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