Aqemia and Sanofi Expand Their Research Collaboration

 A new target nomination and a milestone payment mark the next step of the multi-year partnership first announced in December 2023

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Aqemia, the drug invention company combining generative AI and quantum-inspired physics to invent small molecule drugs, today announced the expansion of its multi-year research collaboration with the global pharmaceutical company, Sanofi. The expansion is marked by the nomination of a new therapeutic target and an additional payment.

The collaboration, first announced in December 2023, makes Aqemia eligible to receive up to a total of $140 million in upfront and milestone payments across programs. It spans the drug discovery journey from the identification of the very first hits to the selection of a development candidate. Aqemia leverages Qemi, its proprietary physics-based generative AI platform, to design novel molecules addressing Sanofi’s targets of choice, working in close collaboration with Sanofi scientific teams. Sanofi leads wet lab research, development and commercialization.

The collaboration now runs across continents, between Aqemia researchers in Paris and London and Sanofi researchers in Boston, Frankfurt and Paris. Aqemia’s platform has been put to work on Sanofi’s targets of interest, including difficult, first-in-class projects with limited chemical data upfront, and the joint way of working is now well established.

Sanofi is now taking a step further by nominating a new therapeutic target, expanding the scope of the work and triggering a milestone payment. The nomination reflects the confidence both teams place in the platform and in the people to address a growing range of research projects.

Maximilien Levesque, CEO and co-founder of Aqemia, commented, “We are thrilled to expand the collaboration with the nomination of a new target. It shows that our physics-based generative AI can deliver on real, hard projects, and reflects the strong ways of working and trust between our teams. We are committed to inventing innovative drugs in close alliance with Sanofi’s experts.”

About Aqemia

Aqemia is the drug invention company combining generative AI and quantum-inspired physics to invent novel small molecule drugs that address unmet medical needs. Powered by Qemi, its proprietary physics-based generative AI platform, Aqemia designs novel drug candidates in a repeatable, frugal and scalable way. Unlike approaches that require large amounts of experimental data to train on, Aqemia generates the data it needs in-house through highly efficient physics-based calculations, right from the start of each research project. Founded in 2019 and based in Paris, France, and London, UK, Aqemia partners with leading pharmaceutical companies and builds its own pipeline across critical diseases.

 

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contact@aqemia.com

The Estée Lauder Companies Appoints Madeleine Boyd as Senior Vice President, Global Brand Communications

 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) today announced the appointment of Madeleine Boyd as Senior Vice President, Global Brand Communications, effective July 20, 2026.

As part of the company’s continued efforts to strengthen how its brands better connect with consumers, Ms. Boyd will establish and lead a newly integrated Global Brand Communications team. In this role, she will ensure the company’s diverse portfolio is anchored by a cohesive enterprise communications strategy, while accelerating bold, consumer-first storytelling that drives earned media, cultural relevance, and brand desirability. She will also strengthen creator engagement, helping the company’s brands gain attention where culture is being shaped.

Ms. Boyd brings extensive experience spanning brand strategy, communications, consumer engagement, and cultural insights across the beauty, luxury, and lifestyle sectors. Most recently, she served as Global Senior Vice President, Beauty & Wellness at Together Group, where she led the Group’s Beauty & Wellness division across its portfolio of 15 leading agencies and consultancies, driving strategy, growth, and market positioning.

Prior to Together Group, Ms. Boyd spent nearly seven years at Karla Otto, one of the industry’s leading luxury communications agencies, where she held a series of senior leadership roles, ultimately serving as Senior Vice President, Global Beauty & Wellness. Earlier in her career, Ms. Boyd held roles across brand marketing, digital content, and editorial at MECCA and Vogue Australia.

Throughout her career, she has partnered with some of the world’s most influential beauty and luxury brands, helping them navigate evolving consumer behaviors, cultural trends, and new communications channels to build relevance and long-term brand equity.

“Madeleine brings a powerful combination of strategic communications expertise, cultural fluency, and a deep understanding of today’s beauty consumer,” said Meridith Webster, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies. “As we continue to evolve how our brands engage consumers and shape conversations globally, Madeleine will lead a best-in-class Global Brand Communications organization that elevates our storytelling, strengthens collaboration across our portfolio, and helps our brands earn relevance, resonance, and long-term desirability.”

About The Estée Lauder Companies

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The Company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

 

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Contacts

Media Relations:

Brendan Riley

briley@estee.com

Investor Relations:

Rainey Mancini

rmancini@estee.com

 

Ant International’s Alipay+ Connects Argentina's National QR Payment Scheme via PVS, Enabling for Cross-Border Digital Payment Nationwide at Millions of Merchants

 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Alipay+, a global digital payment gateway under Ant International, today announced that it will enable global travellers to make QR code payments at millions of merchants across Argentina through integration with the country's national QR payment scheme Transferencias 3.0, in partnership with PVS, a fintech company specialized in developing customized payment solutions in Latin America.

This service helps to enhance global travellers' travel experiences in Argentina, allowing them to pay seamlessly at restaurants, malls and tourist attractions. Using an Alipay+ partner payment app, they can now scan the national QR code displayed at all merchants to make cross-border payments across Argentina, similar to when they make digital payments in their home countries.

Alipay+ now connects 150 million merchants to over 50 global digital wallets and banking apps, reaching 2 billion user accounts. The merchant network includes those connected through over 10 national QR schemes across Asia and Middle East. Alipay+ partner apps will be enabled for cross-border payments in Argentina in phases. This would help local merchants, especially small businesses, to serve more international customers while continuing to use their existing QR acceptance infrastructure.

Argentina is home to one of the world's most advanced mobile payment ecosystems, where QR code payments is an integral part of everyday commerce. At its core is Transferencias 3.0, the national interoperable instant payment infrastructure developed by the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (BCRA), which enables consumers to pay with any participating digital wallet or banking app by scanning a single QR code.

“The way people pay is changing rapidly, and merchants need payment experiences that evolve at the same pace,” said Lucio Colunga, CEO of PVS. “Through our partnership with Alipay+, we are giving merchants across Latin America access to one of the world's largest digital payment ecosystems, connecting them with more than 2 billion user accounts worldwide. This enables international travellers to pay with the wallets they already know and trust while creating new growth opportunities for businesses across the region. This is another step toward a more connected, interoperable and global payments ecosystem.”

"Argentina's highly interoperable digital payment ecosystem creates a strong foundation for seamless digital commerce," said Weixiao Jiang, General Manager for North Asia and the Americas, Alipay+, Ant International. "We're honoured to integrate with the national QR payment scheme through the partnership with PVS. By connecting travellers from key international markets with a broad network of merchants, we hope to help boost inbound visitor spending, supporting the country's tourism economy while bringing more opportunities for local businesses."

With an average of over 20 million daily transactions, Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider. It supports financial institutions and merchants of all sizes across Asia, Europe, and the Americas with a comprehensive suite of solutions, ranging from payment and account services to embedded credit services, treasury management and other AI-powered financial innovations.

This latest initiative follows Alipay+'s partnership with PVS in May 2026 to roll out cross-border mobile payment service in Argentina and Chile. In addition, Ant International became the Argentina National Football Team's official sponsor for the Asia region (excluding the Middle East) in March 2026.

Beyond Argentina, Ant International is expanding partnerships with global and local payment service providers, fintech companies and digital platforms to broaden access to cross-border payments and inclusive financial services for businesses and consumers across Latin America. Recent initiatives include the co-launch of a digital wallet and the advancement of digital payments in Mexico, as well as expanding access to financing for underserved SMEs and individuals in Brazil.

Alongside QR code payment, Alipay+ NFC (near-field communication) enables cross-border transactions through its partnership with Mastercard. Starting with AlipayHK, GCash and Kakao Pay, users can now make NFC payments at Mastercard-enabled merchants worldwide, including across Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and other Latin American markets.

About Alipay+

Ant International's Alipay+ is a unified wallet gateway with cross-border payment and digitisation services that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payments a broad choice of deals and the convenience of digital services using their preferred payment app/e-wallet while travelling abroad. Many small and medium-sized businesses already use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.

 

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Ant International

PR@ant-intl.com

 

Visa Introduces Platform for Stablecoin Minting, Movement and Management

 

SAN FRANCISCO -

The Visa Stablecoin Platform gives financial institutions, fintechs and other payment providers a single environment to come onchain and run stablecoin operations with Visa.

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today, Visa (NYSE: V) announced the Visa Stablecoin Platform (VSP), a new enterprise platform designed to help financial institutions, fintechs, and crypto natives access stablecoin capabilities through a single Visa-managed environment.

Building on Visa’s broader crypto strategy, VSP gives FIs, fintechs and other payment providers a simple way to access, store, and redeem stablecoins, beginning with Open USD (OUSD), a new stablecoin recently introduced by Open Standard. This includes onchain wallet infrastructure through a newly introduced Wallet-as-a-Service offering and connectivity for minting and burning Open USD.

“Stablecoins are opening up a new layer of programmable money, but for most institutions the hard part isn’t the concept, it’s the operational reality,” said Jack Forestell, Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Visa. “With the Visa Stablecoin Platform, we’re giving our clients a single place to mint, move and manage stablecoin operations with the controls, security and network reach they already expect from Visa. It’s how we help them turn interest in stablecoins into real products and real payment flows.”

Visa Stablecoin Platform provides direct access to a range of stablecoin capabilities and flows alongside Visa’s network, risk and fraud capabilities, so institutions can move from exploration to implementation with greater confidence. This includes:

Access to Open USD: VSP integrates seamlessly into the Open Standard, providing institutions with direct access to Open USD alongside Visa’s network services. This gives clients a way to easily mint, burn, manage and transfer Open USD, bringing fiat onchain and managing flows in an environment they already trust.

Onchain wallet infrastructure: VSP packages the wallet infrastructure, controls and workflows needed to make stablecoins usable inside real-world treasury, settlement and product stacks for a range of institutional use cases.

Integration into Visa’s network: VSP is designed to enable connectivity of stablecoins into Visa’s network and tools, allowing users to embed stablecoin capabilities into existing payment flows, treasury operations and settlement processes. For existing Visa clients using Visa’s settlement, treasury and currency solutions, VSP provides direct interoperability to seamlessly integrate stablecoins into the workflows and systems they rely on today.

Built for trust on day one: VSP allows institutions to interact with stablecoin flows with the same security and trust that Visa is known for. Users will have access to features like dual-control approval for workflows, where one user initiates a sensitive action and another authorized user must approve it, comprehensive audit logging, and Wallet-as-a-Service features of secure passkeys and allow lists to control transfers, to help provide the level of security and control they require to operate.

VSP is interoperable with Visa's existing stablecoin offerings, including stablecoin settlement, stablecoin-linked cards, and stablecoin money movement. Together, these capabilities provide a full stack of solutions that help FIs and fintechs come onchain and enable crypto platforms to access Visa's global network.

How to get Started

Onboard and operate: Institutions can onboard into a Visa-managed wallet stack or connect existing wallets, creating a single home to manage stablecoin mint, burn, and transfer activity.

Connect bank accounts and controls: Clients can link bank accounts and configure approvals, users and policies to govern who can initiate and approve stablecoin movements.

Mint, move and manage stablecoin operations: From the start, VSP supports minting, redeeming, holding and transferring stablecoins, beginning with Open USD, as part of treasury, settlement and liquidity workflows.

VSP, including Wallet-as-a-Service, is initially available for beta testing with select clients, providing an early opportunity to explore how stablecoins fit into their strategies. As clients test and refine use cases, Visa will use those learnings to inform how and where the platform scales to broader market availability.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

 

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Contacts

Media Contacts

press@visa.com

Jackie Dresch

Conor Febos

 

Andersen Consulting Adds Collaborating Firm Smartbridge

 SAN FRANCISCO - Thursday, 16. July 2026 AETOSWire 

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Andersen Consulting announces a Collaboration Agreement with Smartbridge, a Texas-based digital and AI technology firm, enhancing its capabilities in data and analytics, and digital transformation services.

Founded in 2003, Smartbridge helps organizations accelerate their digital transformation and modernize operations through digital innovation, AI, data and analytics, and application modernization services. The firm works with clients in the oil and gas, medtech, and restaurant industries, combining advisory and technology services to enable enterprise transformation and growth. Leveraging strategic relationships with leading technology providers, Smartbridge helps organizations connect data, improve decision-making, and accelerate business outcomes.

“Organizations today are looking to accelerate their digital and AI transformation and are searching for practical ways to translate innovation into measurable business value,” said Sri Raju, CEO of Smartbridge. “Our team focuses on helping clients modernize and build the capabilities they need to deliver exceptional experience to their customers and create financial growth for their shareholders. Through our collaboration with Andersen Consulting, we broaden and deepen our capabilities, enabling Smartbridge to deliver integrated end-to-end services for our clients, many of whom have global operations.”

“Smartbridge has always been focused on helping clients solve complex operational challenges with practical, scalable solutions while driving the adoption that delivers measurable outcomes,” said Steve Senterfit, president of Smartbridge. “This collaboration deepens that ability and gives our clients access to broader capabilities as they scale.”

“Technology transformation is most effective when innovation, data, and execution are aligned,” said Mark L. Vorsatz, global chairman and CEO of Andersen. “Smartbridge brings a practical approach to helping organizations modernize critical functions, apply emerging technologies, and accelerate business performance.”

Andersen Consulting is a global consulting practice providing a comprehensive suite of services spanning corporate strategy, business, technology, and AI transformation, as well as human capital solutions. Andersen Consulting integrates with the multidimensional service model of Andersen Global, delivering world-class consulting, tax, legal, valuation, global mobility, and advisory expertise on a global platform with more than 50,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 1,000 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms. Andersen Consulting Holdings LP is a limited partnership and provides consulting solutions through its member firms and collaborating firms around the world.

 

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mediainquiries@Andersen.com

 

illumynt Appoints Anthony Giannetti as Senior Vice President of Global Operations

 Seasoned operations leader brings two decades of OEM and ITAD experience, including Dell, Apple, and Microsoft, as illumynt scales its global AI hardware lifecycle platform

 

(BUSINESS WIRE)--illumynt, a technology-driven leader in AI hardware lifecycle recovery and IT asset disposition (ITAD), today announced that Anthony "Tony" Giannetti has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Global Operations, effective July 13, 2026.

Giannetti brings more than two decades of operations and supply chain leadership from some of the technology industry's largest OEMs, including Dell, where he managed reverse supply chain operations, and Apple and Microsoft, where he held additional operations leadership roles. His background spans production engineering, reverse logistics, and large-scale operational management, disciplines directly relevant to illumynt's work certifying and recovering value from retired AI infrastructure at scale.

"Tony has spent his career on the operational side of exactly the problem we solve for our customers — how to move retired technology through a supply chain without losing the value still in it," said Jörg Herbarth, CEO of illumynt. "That perspective is invaluable as we grow our global operations and deepen our relationships with the OEMs and hyperscalers who trust us with their hardware."

Giannetti's appointment comes as illumynt continues to expand its global operational footprint, including the upcoming opening of the Talorem Innovation Center in Columbus, Ohio, this fall. This facility will expand illumynt's engineering-grade testing, grading, and recovery capacity pushing what’s possible in AI hardware lifecycle recovery even further.

"I spent years on the OEM side wrestling with what happens to hardware after its first deployment. illumynt is the first team I've seen bring real engineering infrastructure to that problem instead of just logistics. I'm looking forward to helping scale that globally," said Giannetti.

Giannetti holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

About illumynt

illumynt is a technology-driven leader in AI hardware lifecycle recovery, providing engineering-grade testing, certification, and value recovery for retired AI infrastructure, including GPU grading, chip-level NAND recovery, and liquid-cooled hardware evaluation. illumynt's Talorem platform brings engineering rigor to an industry historically built on logistics alone.

 

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Media

Alyson Kaye

617.407.6381

 

MultiBank Group Named Forex Broker of the Year 2026 at Money Expo Abu Dhabi

 

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - 

(BUSINESS WIRE)--MultiBank Group, one of the world's largest and most regulated online financial derivatives institutions, has been named Forex Broker of the Year at Money Expo Abu Dhabi. The event was held on 8–9 July 2026 at the ADNEC Centre. This flagship award recognizes the broker setting the benchmark for excellence across the global trading and fintech industry.

MultiBank Group's participation in the expo underscored its leadership position within the Middle East's financial landscape.

A Landmark Event for Trading and Fintech

Money Expo Abu Dhabi 2026 brought together traders, banks, fintech firms, liquidity providers, and market leaders from across the region and beyond. Winning top honors on this stage sends a clear signal across the entire industry.

“Being named Forex Broker of the Year is a defining moment for our Group,” said Johny Giacaman, Chief Business Operations Officer at MultiBank Group. “It reflects two decades of regulatory discipline, technological innovation, and an unwavering commitment to the traders and institutions who place their trust in us.”

Throughout the two-day event, teams from the Group's Dubai headquarters and Abu Dhabi office met with partners, investors, and traders.

The Standards Behind the Recognition

This award is earned through what MultiBank Group delivers to traders every day:

- Institutional-grade technology built for speed and precision, in every market condition

- Round-the-clock, multilingual support that treats every trader uniquely

- An unblemished regulatory record, earned trade by trade

This recognition reflects the standards MultiBank Group has consistently upheld for more than two decades.

Built on Trust and Regulation

Founded in California in 2005, MultiBank Group has grown into a global force in financial derivatives, trusted by 2 million+ clients in 100+ countries, regulated by 18+ of the world's top financial authorities, and moving over US$35 billion a day across Forex, Metals, Shares, Commodities, Indices, and Crypto. Recognition follows results: more than 80 industry awards and counting.

 

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Contacts

Nikolas Neofytou

Head of Direct Buys

nikolas.neofytou@multibankfx.com