Synchronoss Names Christina Gabrys Chief Legal Officer

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., July 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR), a global leader and innovator of cloud, messaging and digital products and platforms, today announced the appointment of Christina "Chrissy" Gabrys as Chief Legal Officer. Gabrys succeeds Ronald Prague who is stepping down after 15 years with the company to pursue other interests. In her new role, Gabrys will oversee all legal affairs for the company.

"Ron has played a significant role in shaping the Synchronoss that we are today. His leadership in negotiating and closing customer agreements, completing acquisitions and the company's other financial endeavors "" including his contribution to the successful recent recapitalization of the company "" has been invaluable and he will be greatly missed," said Jeff Miller, President and CEO of Synchronoss. "I would like to thank Ron for all he's contributed to the business. We will always consider him part of the Synchronoss family and wish him well in his new endeavors. Ron also has put in place a thorough transition plan that will allow Chrissy to quickly assume her new responsibilities as we welcome her to the senior leadership team."

Gabrys most recently served as Synchronoss' Assistant General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer where she worked with global customers and partners. As the company's Chief Compliance Officer, she updated its compliance program to ensure best practices for corporate policies and procedures and governance across the organization. Gabrys joined Synchronoss as part of its acquisition of Openwave Messaging where she was legal counsel for the Americas and APAC.

"I am honored to assume the position of Chief Legal Officer and look forward to working with Synchronoss team members across the globe to empower our customers to connect with subscribers in trusted and meaningful ways," said Gabrys. "I also want to express my sincere appreciation to Ron. His mentorship and diligent planning has paved the way for a seamless transition as I begin this new role."

About Synchronoss
Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ: SNCR) builds software that empowers companies around the world to connect with their subscribers in trusted and meaningful ways. The company's collection of products helps streamline networks, simplify onboarding and engage subscribers to unleash new revenue streams, reduce costs and increase speed to market. Hundreds of millions of subscribers trust Synchronoss products to stay in sync with the people, services and content they love. That's why more than 1,500 talented Synchronoss employees worldwide strive each day to reimagine a world in sync. Learn more at www.synchronoss.com

Media Contacts

For Synchronoss:
Anais Merlin, CCgroup UK
Diane Rose, CCgroup US
E: synchronoss@ccgrouppr.com

Investor Contact
For Synchronoss: Todd Kehrli/Joo–Hun Kim, MKR Investor Relations, Inc., E: investor@synchronoss.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8287737)

Accelerate Announces Digital Platform Launch

CHICAGO, July 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Accelerate has entered the global health ecosystem as a purpose–built digital platform that drives 365 healthcare transformation by connecting health professionals to insights from peers and thought leaders, professional development tools, networking opportunities and curated content""anytime, anywhere.

Accelerate's initial development has come from HIMSS, the global advisor and thought leader supporting the transformation of the health ecosystem through information and technology.

Accelerate is a natural extension of HIMSS's origins and foundation as a member–driven society, and is an innovative solution aimed to support members, partners and the global health ecosystem 365 days a year.

Hal Wolf, the president and CEO of HIMSS, emphasizes: "Global operations, decades of experience, and thousands of members provide HIMSS with the critical scale and expertise required to execute such an ambitious pursuit. With unparalleled relationships among healthcare providers, industry executives, and public entities, Accelerate will be a digital platform that convenes a variety of health stakeholders."

With Accelerate, professionals from all parts of the healthcare ecosystem have access to a highly personalized platform tailored to their unique needs. Organizations benefit from radically improved ways of managing, supporting, and developing their staff and members. Suppliers enjoy unmatched access to market insights, as well as innovative ways to engage with customers. Additionally, Accelerate will seamlessly integrate with curated 3rd party offerings""thereby empowering industry–leading partners to distribute their digital products and services through the platform 365 days a year.

“HIMSS membership has nearly doubled in the last four years to 110,000, with more than 36,000 living outside of North America. Last year underscored our commitment to respond and support our community and mission in dynamic ways and that we need capabilities to reach and support our members when they need it,” said Wolf. “HIMSS has lead the investment in Accelerate and helped it launch, and the platform will be an asset to not only HIMSS members, but to the global health ecosystem at large.”

Starting today, Accelerate is available to all HIMSS members, individual users, as well as to enterprises, organizations, and associations interested in getting access for their members.

Interested parties are invited to join a strong set of already–committed organizations and become part of the launch. For more information, visit www.youraccelerate.com.

Karen D. Groppe
Senior Director, Strategic Communications
Mobile 312.965.7898 | Twitter @Karen_D_Groppe


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8287706)

Acumen Closes $58 Million Impact Fund, the First to Drive Climate Adaptation for Smallholder Farmers

Nairobi, Kenya, July 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF) closed on June 30 at $58 million. This first–of–its–kind equity fund provides critical capital to support African agribusinesses that help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. Sponsored by Acumen and anchored by Green Climate Fund (GCF), the fund is supported by the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank (FMO), the Soros Economic Development Fund, the French development institution PROPARCO (through FISEA+, the AFD Fund advised by PROPARCO), the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Global Social Impact, and other respected investors and funders. The fund is managed by Acumen Capital Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary of Acumen.

"Smallholder farmers feed the world, but they are among the most affected by the climate crisis," said ARAF's Managing Director Tamer El–Raghy. "ARAF's impressive $58 million close, $8 million above our initial target for the fund, is a watershed moment and, with only 5% of climate investment directed toward adaptation, signals the beginning of a shift in climate finance. By investing in agri–startups in East and West Africa, ARAF can reduce poverty, build climate resilience, and demonstrate the impact of investing in resilient agriculture. Since we started deploying capital in 2020, our team has invested in five companies operating in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria."

Poverty, climate change, and resilient agriculture are intrinsically linked: More than half of the people living in poverty are smallholder farmers. These farmers provide a third of the world's food supply. In Africa, their role is even larger as they produce approximately 80% of the continent's food. Soil degradation, severe storms, shifting weather patterns, and more have changed the nature of farming, threatening farmers' livelihoods and their ability to feed communities worldwide. These challenges are intensified by structural inefficiencies and limited access to credit. By supporting agribusinesses that offer aggregation, digital platforms, and financial solutions to smallholder farmers, ARAF seeks to build an ecosystem that enables farmers to raise their incomes and increase their resilience.

"The Green Climate Fund is delighted to partner with Acumen to support innovative agribusinesses that enhance the climate resilience of smallholder farmers in Africa. GCF has supported the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund from the early concept phase and provided catalytic capital to unlock private investment into this first climate adaptation–focused agribusiness investment fund in Africa. The fund will make critical investments to support climate resilience and agriculture productivity for smallholder farmers across countries in East and West Africa and help shift the pattern of investment in climate change adaptation in Africa from grants to a long–term capital approach," said Director of GCF's Private Sector Facility Tony Clamp.

New research by Acumen, funded by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office's (FCDO) Strengthening Impact Investment Markets for Agriculture (SIIMA) program, illustrates the need for this transition, and calls for an increase in risk–tolerant, blended capital to sustainably scale agribusinesses that help build climate resilience. ARAF's first–loss layer, supported by GCF and IKEA Foundation, enables this risk tolerance. Research also shows the importance of working with farmers and providing repeat training and instruction on how to best leverage products and services. ARAF answers this call by using blended finance to provide long–term support to small and medium–sized agribusinesses and through its $5 million Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) that is designed to provide farmers with the hands–on support they need. The TAF is funded by grants from GCF, IKEA Foundation, FCDO, and FMO.

"We are pleased to support ARAF as a lead investor. As a very reputable investor with an impressive track record in impact investing, Acumen's focus on investing in promising early–stage companies active in smallholder value chains across East and West Africa aligns perfectly with FMO's strategy. More importantly, by also being the first climate adaptation–focused agribusiness fund for African smallholders, the fund meets both our Green and Reducing Inequalities labels," said Pieternel Boogaard, director of agribusiness, food, and water at FMO.

"The Soros Economic Development Fund is thrilled to support ARAF as a lead investor and help improve the climate resilience of smallholder farmers across sub–Saharan Africa. We believe ARAF can foster change by helping to seed, expand, or scale business models and restructure their relationship with powerful economic actors to empower smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods and thrive. While initiated before COVID–19, this investment speaks to the moment by supporting vulnerable communities that are already disproportionally at risk," said Catherine Cax, director of investments at the Soros Economic Development Fund.

To create ARAF, Acumen drew on its 20–year history supporting early–stage social enterprises and its experience scaling the off–grid energy sector through individual investments and commercial funds. Through ARAF, Acumen is bringing the same approach to resilient agriculture and delivering catalytic investment to address the capital gaps for agribusinesses on their journey to scale.

"The world's poorest communities are often those hit hardest by the negative impacts of climate change. While wealthier people can afford to adapt, rebuild, and relocate, the poor are left to fend for themselves. At Acumen, much of our work focuses on helping low–income people, particularly farmers, adapt to and become resilient to climate change. That's why we are so proud to sponsor ARAF and lead a group of committed investors to inject much needed capital into early–stage, integrated agribusinesses that will promote economic growth where it's needed most and help us build a future with the sustainability of the earth at its center," said Acumen Founder and CEO Jacqueline Novogratz. "Leveraging institutional support often requires initial philanthropic commitments, which are rare in the impact sector. We are deeply grateful to IKEA Foundation for its philanthropic gift that played a vital role in the launch of this critical fund."

ARAF's $58 million close illustrates a new focus on climate resilience among major investors. Together, the ARAF funders are reducing poverty, increasing climate resilience, and galvanizing sector–wide growth that can help build a more sustainable and prosperous future for us all.

***

CONTACT:

Liza Kane–Hartnett

+1 (941) 928.3843

lkanehartnett@acumen.org

About the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF)

ARAF is an impact agriculture venture capital fund that invests in agri–startups with business models that help smallholder farmers become more resilient to climate change. ARAF is managed by Acumen Capital Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary of Acumen. Learn more at www.ARAFund.com.

About Acumen

Acumen is changing the way the world tackles poverty. We invest patient capital in inclusive, early–stage social enterprises that serve people in poverty and enable them to transform their lives. We share our ethos, principles, and practices to train the next generation of leaders through Acumen Academy. We scale the most effective solutions to systemic poverty through for–profit, returnable impact funds, managed by Acumen Capital Partners, totaling more than $150 million. Founded in 2001 by Jacqueline Novogratz, Acumen has invested more than $137 million in 139 companies across Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States. Learn more at www.acumen.org and follow us on Twitter @Acumen.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8287495)

ISW Holdings Lands Significant Hosting/Mining Agreement with Global Leader Bitmain to Launch Phase One at New Georgia Cryptocurrency Mining Operation

LAS VEGAS, July 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via InvestorWire — ISW Holdings, Inc. (OTC: ISWH) ("ISW Holdings" or the "Company"), a global brand management holdings company, is excited to announce the signing of a cryptocurrency mining hosting agreement (the "Agreement") with Bitmain Technologies ("Bitmain"), the world's leading producer of cryptocurrency mining hardware and a leading global cryptocurrency mining firm.

The Agreement will form the backbone of the Company's Phase One launch of its cryptocurrency hosting and mining operation in Georgia. Further details related to this Agreement will be discussed in the near future.

Irene Gao, Antminer BD Director NCSA Region, Bitmain, said, “We are excited to have signed this new pioneering project to begin cooperation with ISW Holdings, a new milestone for the industry for creating hosting facilities overseas. The 200 MW facility is the first phase of our long–term partnership, utilizing renewable energy as its source. We expect to further expand this project into the future to support the development of the industry.”

"Bitmain is probably the most recognizable name in the mining space, and we are excited that they will be a major piece of our success in Georgia," remarked Alonzo Pierce, ISW Holdings president and chairman. "Once our 200 MW power tranche is fully utilized, we anticipate annualized revenues of over $200 million, but that will only close the first phase of our vision. We look forward to discussing our next phases in due course. If we are able to execute according to our full vision, we have the potential to drive exponential revenue growth ahead."

For more details and forward–looking statements, view the entire announcement: https://ibn.fm/ISWBitmainAnnouncement

About Bitmain

Bitmain Technologies is a multinational semiconductor company with state–of–the–art IC design capabilities. Bitmain offers products, including chips, servers, and cloud solutions for blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Haidian District, Beijing, Bitmain has research and development centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States. According to Frost & Sullivan, Bitmain is among the world's top 10 fabless IC designers and China's second largest. In the blockchain mining area, Bitmain has shipped billions of ASICs, accounting for 75% of the global market.

About ISW Holdings

ISW Holdings, Inc. (ISWH), based in Nevada, is a diversified portfolio company comprised of essential business lines that serve consumer product demands. Our expertise lies in strategic brand development, early growth facilitation, as well as brand identity through our proprietary procurement process. Together, with our partners, we seek to provide a structure that meets large scalability demands, as well as anticipated marketplace needs. We are able to meet these needs through a variety of strategic innovative processes. ISWH is creating and managing brands across a spectrum of disruptive industries. It maneuvers its proprietary companies through critical stages of market development, which includes conceptualization, go–to–market strategies, engineering, product integration and distribution efficiency. The company has also partnered with a well–known software development and consulting company, Bengala Technologies LLC, which is developing significant enhancements in the supply chain management space; and the partnership has a vitally needed patent now pending.

The Company's cryptocurrency mining segment, established in partnership with industry leader, Bit5ive LLC, is driven by a mission to mine cryptocurrency with a zero–carbon footprint.

For more information, visit www.iswholdings.com.

Company Contact:
info@ISWHoldings.com

Public Relations
EDM Media, LLC
https://edm.media

Corporate Communications:
InvestorBrandNetwork (IBN)
Los Angeles, California
www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com
310.299.1717 Office
Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8285569)