TOKYO, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today an investment of approximately JPY 679 million (USD 4.5 million¹) for the development of diagnostics for tuberculosis, in addition to an investment of approximately JPY 15.9 million (USD 0.1 million¹) for a drug discovery project for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis.² 

Investment of approximately JPY 679 million (USD 4.5 million¹) for the development of diagnostics for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious infectious disease, with approximately 10.8 million cases and 1.25 million deaths reported in 2023, making it the leading causes of death from a single infectious agent.³ The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set a target to end TB by 2030, but achieving this goal requires accurate and accessible diagnostic technologies. Current TB tests face challenges such as low sensitivity, high costs, complexity, and the need for specialized equipment and sputum samples, making them unsuitable for all patients. In particular, children, people with conditions who cannot produce sputum, and those in resource-limited settings often struggle to receive timely diagnoses, causing the continued spread of the disease. To address this issue, the GHIT Fund has decided to invest approximately JPY 679 million (USD 4.5 million¹) towards a new TB diagnostic development project by US-based diagnostic developer Fluxus, Inc., ⁴ in partnership with Fujirebio, Inc., a developer of clinical diagnostics in Japan,⁴ and Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany.

This project will leverage Fluxus’ cutting-edge ultrasensitive detection technology to develop and validate a urine-based TB biomarker lipoarabinomannan (LAM) assay on its automated benchtop immunoassay analyzer. Additionally, the project will design and develop critical components for a portable, ultrasensitive point-of-care (PoC) system that integrates the urine LAM test. This advanced technology will enable rapid, accurate, and accessible diagnosis across a broader patient population, contributing to improved clinical outcomes and reduced transmission.

In addition, the GHIT Fund will invest approximately JPY 15.9 million (USD 0.1 million¹) in a screening project against Chagas disease and leishmaniasis by Kitasato University, Nagasaki University, University of Tokyo, and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

Please refer to Appendix 1 for detailed descriptions on these projects and their development stages.

As of March 31, 2025, the GHIT Fund has invested in 36 projects, including 15 discovery projects, 12 preclinical projects, and 9 clinical trials.⁵ The total amount of investments since 2013 is JPY 38.2 billion (USD 255 million¹) (Appendix 2).

¹ USD1 = JPY149.53, the approximate exchange rate on March 31, 2025.
² These awarded projects were selected and approved as new investments from among proposals to RFP2023-002 and RFP2024-001 for the Product Development Platform and the Screening Platform, which were open for applications from June 2023 to July 2024.
³ WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis
⁴ Fluxus, Inc. and Fujirebio, Inc. are members of Fujirebio.
⁵ This number includes projects in the registration phase.

The GHIT Fund is a Japan-based international public-private partnership (PPP) fund that was formed between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests in and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at addressing neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, which afflict the world’s vulnerable and underserved populations. In collaboration with global partners, the GHIT Fund mobilizes Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases.
https://www.ghitfund.org/en

Appendix 1. Project Details

ID: G2023-204

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Project Title	Ultrasensitive Detection of Urine LAM for Point-of-Care Rapid Diagnosis of All Forms of Tuberculosis
Collaboration Partners	1. Fluxus, Inc. (USA) 2. Fujirebio, Inc. (Japan) 3. Heidelberg University Hospital (Germany)
Disease	Tuberculosis
Intervention Advertisement	Diagnostics
Stage	Product Design, Product development
Awarded Amount	JPY 679,783,110 (USD 4.54 million)
Status	New project
Summary	[Project objective] To develop a prototype portable point-of-care (PoC) system and integrated ultrasensitive assay for detection of Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) in urine. The test will be benchmarked to a fully-validated ultrasensitive urine LAM assay being developed on Fluxus’ automated benchtop immunoassay analyzer. Advertisement   [Project design] The project objectives will be achieved by performing the following Specific Aims: 1) Complete development and validation of an ultrasensitive urine LAM assay on an existing benchtop immunoassay analyzer. This essay will be adapted and transferred to a stable and cost-effective PoC cartridge format. 2) Design and development of critical components for a portable, ultrasensitive PoC system, with functional cartridge and prototype PoC LAM assay.
Project Detail	https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/240/en

ID: S2024-122

Project Title	Searching for Chagas disease therapeutic seed compounds from microbial cultures
Collaboration Partners	1. Kitasato University (Japan) Advertisement 2. Nagasaki University (Japan) 3. University of Tokyo (Japan) 4. Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) (Switzerland)
Disease	Chagas disease / Leishmaniasis
Intervention	Drug
Stage	Screening
Awarded Amount Advertisement	JPY 15,945,864 (USD 106,639)
Status	New project
Summary	[Project objective] The main objective of our proposed project is to identify novel T. cruzi active scaffolds meeting GHIT/DNDi hit criteria and amenable for further development by screening microbial cultured broths with a natural product chemistry approach. We aim at characterizing at least five T. new chemical templates unprecedently associated with T. cruzi activity over an 18-month work period. We will also opportunistically evaluate the anti-Leishmania donovani activity of any antichagasic agent to be identified in the course of the project.   [Project design] In this project, three academic institutions (Kitasato University, Nagasaki University, and the University of Tokyo) and DNDi will utilize their expertise to identify at least five seed compounds for Chagas disease therapeutics produced by microorganisms in a one- and-a-half-year research period. The seed compounds for Chagas disease therapeutics to be identified during the project will also be assessed for their activity against Leishmania donovani, which causes visceral leishmaniasis, to verify their drug potential.
Project Detail	https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/241/en Advertisement

*All amounts are listed at an exchange rate of USD1 = JPY149.53, the approximate exchange rate on March 31, 2025.

Appendix 2. Investment Overview (as of March 31, 2025)

Investments to date
Total investments: 38.2 billion yen (USD 255 million¹)
Total invested projects: 136 (36 active projects and 100 completed projects)

To learn more about the GHIT Fund’s investments, please visit
Investment Overview: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/overview/en
Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfolio/en
Advancing Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/advancingportfolio/en
Clinical Candidates: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/clinicalcandidates/en 

For more information, contact:
Katy Lenard at +1-301-280-5719 or klenard@burness.com
Mina Ohata at +81-36441-2032 or mina.ohata@ghitfund.org

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In today’s rapidly evolving financial technology landscape, incumbents and challengers alike are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible—from regional expansion and payments network advancements to credit infrastructure innovations and AI‑powered super apps. Here’s your concise yet comprehensive op‑ed–style rundown of the day’s most impactful developments.

1. Fiserv Plants Its Flag in the Heartland

Overview: Milwaukee‑based Fiserv has officially confirmed that it will invest $125 million to renovate two buildings on Aspiria campus in Overland Park, Kansas, establishing a 2,000‑employee regional headquarters by March 2030. The new hub, dubbed “Project Turtle,” will transform 427,000 sq ft of former Sprint space into a strategic fintech nexus.

Source: KSHB 41 Kansas City News

Analysis & Opinion:

• Strategic Geography: Kansas City’s burgeoning tech talent pool and central U.S. location make Aspiria an ideal crossroads for Fiserv’s expansion, signaling that regional cost structures and quality‐of‐life factors are increasingly drawing fintech giants away from coastal hubs.

• Talent & Economics: Pledging an average salary of $125,000, Fiserv’s commitment underscores the fierce competition for skilled technologists outside traditional metros. Local incentives—property tax rebates and clawback provisions—reflect how states are sharpening their playbooks to attract large fintech employers.

• Implications for Fintech Clusters: As Fiserv’s new campus joins other high‑tech projects (e.g., Panasonic EV batteries in De Soto), the Kansas City area is rapidly becoming a Midwest fintech cluster, offering a blueprint for similar “second‑tier” cities vying for innovation dollars.

2. Circle Unveils a Global Payments Network on Stablecoins

Overview: Circle Internet Group announced the Circle Payments Network (CPN), a platform leveraging regulated stablecoins (USDC, EURC) to facilitate 24/7 real‑time settlement of cross‑border payments for banks, neo‑banks, and payment service providers. Governance partners include Santander, Deutsche Bank, Société Générale, and Standard Chartered.

Source: Press Release Hub

Analysis & Opinion:

• Cross‑Border Friction Points: With traditional remittances still averaging >6% fees and multi‑day settlement times, CPN’s programmable rails promise to undercut correspondent‑bank fees and compliance bottlenecks, particularly in emerging markets.

• Institutional Trust & Compliance: By imposing strict AML/CFT, licensing, and cybersecurity prerequisites, Circle addresses one of the biggest barriers to stablecoin adoption among regulated institutions—namely, the fear of regulatory backlash.

• Developer Ecosystem: The modular API architecture invites third‑party integrations, foreshadowing an “app store” of financial workflows. This opens new revenue streams for Circle and positions CPN as a foundational layer for decentralized finance (DeFi) interoperability among legacy institutions.

3. Braviant Charts a New Course for Financial Access

Overview: Braviant Holdings, marking its 10th anniversary in consumer credit innovation, has unveiled a multi‑pronged strategy to deepen partnerships with investors, lenders, vendors, and service providers, aiming to broaden access to alternative credit for the underbanked.

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Source: PR Newswire

Analysis & Opinion:

• Underbanked Market Focus: With the FDIC estimating 51.1 million underbanked U.S. adults and 33% of consumers sporting non‑prime credit scores, Braviant’s data‑driven underwriting and digital borrowing experience could finally bridge gaps left by traditional scoring models.

• Strategic Alliances: By courting a wider circle of financial service providers, Braviant looks to embed its analytics engine into partner workflows—transitioning from a standalone lender to a B2B2C platform.

• Sustainable Growth vs. Regulatory Scrutiny: As regulatory bodies intensify oversight of alternative lenders, transparency in Braviant’s innovative analytics will be as crucial as technological prowess in securing long‑term viability.

4. ANNA Money & Shaype Launch Australia’s First AI‑Powered Finance “Super App”

Overview: UK‑based ANNA Money, in partnership with embedded finance provider Shaype, has rolled out the first AI‑driven “business finance super app” tailored for Australian Pty Ltd companies. The platform consolidates banking, tax (IAS/BAS) prep, expense tracking, company formation, and corporate cards into a single interface.

Source: IBS Intelligence, PR Newswire

Analysis & Opinion:

• End of Fragmented Workflows: SMEs have long cobbled together disparate tools—accounting software, bank portals, expense apps—resulting in data silos. ANNA’s unified approach can slash admin time and elevate financial visibility.

• AI‑Driven Decisioning: Real‑time transaction categorization and predictive cash‑flow insights give business owners a 24/7 financial co‑pilot, potentially reducing reliance on external advisors for routine tasks.

• Embedded Finance Leapfrog: By leveraging Shaype’s infrastructure, ANNA bypasses lengthy integrations, showcasing how embedded finance partnerships accelerate time‑to‑market for super apps.

5. Yubi & Cockroach Labs Power Next‑Gen Credit Infrastructure

Overview: India’s leading lending‑tech platform Yubi has integrated CockroachDB to scale tenfold, unify its product suite, and support global expansion—while maintaining cloud neutrality.

Source: PR Newswire

Analysis & Opinion:

• Scalability & Resilience: CockroachDB’s geo‑partitioning and horizontal scaling ensure Yubi can handle surges in transaction volumes without downtime—a critical factor for mission‑critical credit processes.

• Compliance & Data Locality: As Yubi enters new jurisdictions, CockroachDB’s data‑locality controls help meet regional data‑sovereignty laws, reducing compliance risks for cross‑border lenders.

• Strategic Infrastructure Decisions: This partnership signals a broader industry shift toward cloud‑neutral, distributed databases—prioritizing flexibility over vendor lock‑in and aligning with the multi‑cloud strategies of enterprise fintechs.

The Takeaway: A Fintech Mosaic in Motion

Today’s briefs underscore three core themes shaping 2025’s fintech narrative:

1. Geographic Diversification: Fiserv’s move to Kansas and ANNA’s Australian launch illustrate that fintech growth is no longer siloed in legacy tech hubs.

2. Programmable Money & Real‑Time Rails: Circle’s CPN and stablecoin rails are accelerating cross‑border flows, foreshadowing an era where money movement is as frictionless as email.

3. Infrastructure & Data Strategy: From Braviant’s analytics to Yubi’s database overhaul, fintech leaders are doubling down on scalable, compliant, and intelligent back‑end systems to support rapid innovation.

As the industry matures, success will hinge not just on sleek front‑ends but on robust infrastructure, strategic partnerships, and regulatory foresight. Keep watching this space—tomorrow’s Pulse will bring you fresh insights.

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The post Fintech Pulse: Your Daily Industry Brief – April 22, 2025 (Fiserv, Circle, Braviant, ANNA Money & Shaype, Yubi) appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.

Fastest growth among peers for the second year in a row; Q4 new deal wins at $3B taking FY25 TCV to $9.3B

NEW YORK and NOIDA, India, April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year ended March 31, 2025.

The company continued its robust performance with FY25 revenue growing 4.3% to $13.84 billion. Deal pipeline continues to be strong and diversified with total new deal wins for the year at $9.3 billion. For FY26, the company has given a guidance of 2%-5% revenue growth YoY (CC) and EBIT margin at 18%-19%.    

“HCLTech grew the fastest among our peers for the second year in a row as we witnessed yet another year of disciplined execution. We delivered on our FY25 guidance with revenue growth of 4.7% in constant currency and EBIT margin of 18.3%. HCLSoftware growth continues to accelerate as it grew 3.5% CC this year. During this quarter, our services business delivered healthy growth of 0.7% QoQ CC amidst volatile market conditions. We saw very strong new bookings of $3 billion this quarter catalyzed by our AI propositions and integrated GTM organization that was set up at the start of the fiscal year. The strength of our execution should present us good medium-term opportunities emerging out of global uncertainties while we navigate the short-term cautiously,” said C Vijayakumar, CEO & Managing Director, HCLTech.

For FY25, Services revenue grew by 4.8% YoY (CC). Digital Services revenue grew by 8.6% YoY (CC) and now contributes 39% of Services revenue. HCLSoftware’s Annual Recurring Revenue came in at $1.03 billion, up 1.8% CC.

Industry vertical growth was led by Telecommunications, Media, Publishing & Entertainment with 43.4% growth YoY (CC), followed by Retail and CPG at 10.7% YoY (CC) and Technology and Services at 6.7% YoY (CC).  In terms of geographies, Americas was the fastest growing region with 5.3% YoY (CC) growth, while Europe grew by 3.5% YoY (CC) and the Rest of the World grew by 4.7% YoY (CC).

HCLTech announced a dividend of ₹18/share for the fourth quarter, bringing the total to ₹60/share for FY25.

“HCLTech delivered 6.5% INR revenue growth in FY25, yet another year of best-in-class performance. Our revenue came in at ₹117,055 crores, up 6.5% and EBIT at ₹21,420 crores, up 7%. HCLTech service revenue crossed a new milestone at ₹105,398 crores, up 6.6%. Our Net Income (NI) for the year came in at ₹17,390 crores, up 10.8%, translating to an EPS of ₹64.09,” added Shiv Walia, Chief Financial Officer, HCLTech.

HCLTech remained a partner of choice for G2000 enterprises, thanks to its future-ready portfolio. Among the key deals that HCLTech won in the quarter are:

• A US-based global hi-tech company selected HCLTech for a mega engineering services deal to serve the rapidly growing AI-powered silicon and software-defined vehicle segments.
• HCLTech will enable Western Union’s transition to an AI-led platform operating model and will help it establish an advanced technology center in Hyderabad.
• Carrix, the world’s largest independent marine and rail terminal operator, selected HCLTech to improve its global port operations with HCLTech’s advanced suite of AI Engineering and AIoT offerings.

Some of the key recognitions that HCLTech received in Q4 FY25 include: 

• Named the world’s fastest-growing IT services brand in Brand Finance 2025 Global 500 and IT Services Top 25 report
• Recognized as Global Top Employer for the third consecutive year by Top Employers Institute.
• Named one of Ethisphere’s 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the second consecutive year.
• Included in S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook for the third year in a row.

About HCLTech

HCLTech is a global technology company, home to more than 223,000 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around digital, engineering, cloud and AI, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. We work with clients across all major verticals, providing industry solutions for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Technology and Services, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG and Public Services. Consolidated revenues as of 12 months ending March 2025 totaled $13.8 billion. To learn how we can supercharge progress for you, visit hcltech.com.

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For further details, please contact:

Meredith Bucaro, Americas
meredith-bucaro@hcltech.com

Elka Ghudial, EMEA
elka.ghudial@hcltech.com 

James Galvin, APAC
james.galvin@hcltech.com

Nitin Shukla, India
nitin-shukla@hcltech.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hcltech-delivers-another-year-of-industry-leading-growth-302434912.html