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Egyptian Court Convicts StreamEast Operators in Landmark Criminal Piracy Case

LOS ANGELES, July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world's leading anti-piracy coalition, today welcomed a landmark judgment issued by the Cairo Economic Court against two operators of the illegal streaming service StreamEast, marking one of the most significant criminal piracy rulings in Egypt and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The court found both defendants guilty of copyright infringement and sentenced each to two years' imprisonment. The court also imposed criminal fines totaling EGP 5.5 million (approximately US$110,000) per defendant, ordered the confiscation of assets used in the piracy operation, and directed the closure of multiple infringing domains associated with the illegal streaming network.

Through its 80 associated domains, the StreamEast network logged more than 1.6 billion visits before its 2025 shutdown, making it the world’s largest illicit live sports streaming operation. Working with Egyptian authorities, ACE led the investigation that culminated in the coordinated enforcement action carried out in August 2025 and the shutdown of the network.

“Today’s judgment delivers a strong and unmistakable message: digital piracy poses a serious threat to creators and fans in Egypt and elsewhere – and anyone who profits from it will face significant legal consequences,” said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE. “Our teamwork with Egyptian authorities, and our action against StreamEast, demonstrate the growing determination of governments to protect creative industries, consumers, and legitimate digital marketplaces across the region.”

The judgment reflects the continued commitment of Egyptian judicial and law enforcement authorities to combating organized digital piracy and protecting intellectual property rights.

In addition to the criminal penalties, the court granted the civil claim brought by Cable Network Egypt (CNE), ordering the defendants to pay provisional civil compensation and associated legal costs.

The judgment also ordered the closure of several infringing websites. While these domains were transferred to ACE during an enforcement operation in August 2025 and are already offline, the inclusion of a formal domain closure order represents an important legal precedent that could strengthen future criminal copyright enforcement efforts in Egypt.

The ruling further ordered the confiscation of computers, mobile phones, networking equipment, financial assets, and bank cards seized during the investigation, as well as publication of the judgment at the defendants' expense.

The StreamEast investigation has been one of ACE's largest criminal piracy matters in the MENA region, reflecting extensive cooperation between ACE, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, the Economic Affairs and Money Laundering Prosecution, the Cairo Economic Court, and industry partners. The case highlights the increasing focus of the Egyptian authorities on dismantling sophisticated piracy operations that illegally profit from stolen creative content while harming consumers and legitimate businesses.

Following the conclusion of the copyright proceedings, separate financial investigations arising from the case remain pending before the authorities.

About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations – and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association’s content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.

ACE Media Contact
John Mercurio
[email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9765499)

Al Tahaluf تطلق هويتها المؤسسية الجديدة وتعلن تحوّلها إلى HOV Global بالتزامن مع قيام شركة K. Hovnanian Middle East بتعزيز حضورها الاستثماري في المملكة العربية السعودية

الرياض، المملكة العربية السعودية, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

 أعلنت اليوم شركة Al Tahaluf Real Estate Company CJSC عن إطلاق هويتها المؤسسية الجديدة تحت اسم HOV Global CJSC. يأتي هذا التحوّل في أعقاب زيادة حصة الملكية المسيطرة لشركةK. Hovnanian M.E. Investments, LLC (KHME)، وهي شركة تابعة لشركة Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.، إحدى أكبر شركات بناء المساكن والتطوير العقاري في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والمدرجة في بورصة نيويورك تحت الرمز (NYSE: HOV).

يمثّل تغيير الهوية المؤسسية محطة مفصلية في نمو الشركة وتطوّرها، ويعكس الثقة الراسخة التي توليها KHME لسوق الإسكان السعودي ومستقبله الاقتصادي الواعد. الاسم الجديد مشتقّ من رمز التداول الخاص بشركةHovnanian في بورصة نيويورك (NYSE: HOV)، ويهدف إلى التأسيس لهوية موحّدة تعكس ارتباط الشركة بالمشاريع العقارية المتنوّعة التي تنفّذها في مختلف أنحاء المملكة. ولا يترتب على هذه الخطوة أي تغيير في العملاء الحاليين، أو العقود، أو الشراكات، أو المشاريع القائمة.

هذا وتتزامن الزيادة في حصة الملكية مع التزام KHME بضخ استثمارات أجنبية مباشرة إضافية، دعماً لمسيرة توسع HOV Global المستمرة في جميع أنحاء السعودية، من خلال تطوير مشاريع جديدة في قطاعات الإسكان والضيافة وتنمية المجتمعات العمرانية الجديدة.

وفي معرض تعليقه على هذا التطور، قال Rob Hofmann، رئيس مجلس الإدارة والرئيس التنفيذي لشركة HOV Global: “يمثّل اعتماد اسم HOV Global كهوية مؤسسية جديدة محطة بارزة في مسيرة تطور شركتنا. على مدى ثلاثة عشر عاماً، نجحت الشركة في اكتساب ثقة عملائها من خلال تقديم مشاريع تطوير عقارية عالية الجودة في مختلف أنحاء المملكة العربية السعودية. كما عملت على بناء فريق يضم أكثر من 100 موظف، ما أسهم في ترسيخ مكانتنا كواحدة من شركات التطوير العقاري الأكثر خبرة في المملكة. ومع زيادة KHME لحصتها في الشركة، سنعمل على الجمع بين خبرتنا المحلية الراسخة وبين الإمكانات المالية والتقنية العميقة لشركة Hovnanian وخبراتها في التصميم وإرثها العريق في بناء المنازل. واستناداً إلى خبرة تمتد لما يقرب من سبعة عقود في مجال بناء المنازل وتسليم مئات الآلاف من الوحدات السكنية في جميع أنحاء الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، تبرهن Hovnanian عن خبرة مثبتة في تطوير مجتمعات عمرانية استثنائية، وابتكار منتجات سكنية رائدة، وتقديم تجارب عملاء استثنائية، وهو ما سيدعم جهودنا لمواصلة الارتقاء بمعايير الإسكان الجديد في المملكة العربية السعودية.”

طوال مسيرتها، رسخت HOV Global مكانتها كشريك موثوق في قطاع الإسكان بالمملكة العربية السعودية، من خلال تعاونها المستمر مع نخبة من المنظمات العامة والخاصة الرائدة لتمكين المزيد من الأفراد من تملّك المنازل في جميع أنحاء المملكة. ومنذ تأسيسها في عام 2013، قامت الشركة بتسليم ما يقرب من 2،400 منزل، فيما تواصل تطوير محفظة واسعة من المشاريع، تضمّ نحو 3 آلاف منزل في كلّ من الرياض ومكة وجدة ومدينة الملك عبد الله الاقتصادية (KAEC)، من المتوقع أن يتمّ تسليمها خلال السنوات المقبلة.

ومن خلال شراكاتها الفاعلة مع كلّ من الشركة الوطنية للإسكان (NHCNational Housing Company- )، وصندوق التنمية السياحي السعودي (Tourism Development Fund – TDF)، وشركة Emaar، والمدينة الاقتصادية (The Economic City – EEC) — المطوّر الرئيسي لمدينة الملك عبد الله الاقتصادية (KAEC)، تدعمHOV Global بعضاً من أهم مشاريع الإسكان والضيافة وتنمية المجتمعات السكنية في المملكة.

واستناداً إلى مذكرة التفاهم المبرمة مع صندوق التنمية السياحي السعودي (Tourism Development Fund – TDF)، الجهة الوطنية المعنية بدعم الاستثمارات السياحية في السعودية، تضطلع HOV Global بدور حيوي في تمكين الاستثمارات عالية الجودة في قطاعات السياحة والضيافة والمشاريع السكنية ذات العلامات التجارية في مختلف أنحاء المملكة، بدءاً من مدينة الملك عبدالله الاقتصادية (KAEC)، وبما يكمّل أعمال التطوير الرئيسية التي تقودها المدينة الاقتصادية (EEC) في المدينة.

لمحة عن شركة K. Hovnanian Middle East:

تعدّ K. Hovnanian M.E. Investments, LLC شركة تابعة لشركة Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.، إحدى أكبر شركات بناء المساكن والتطوير العقاري في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وهي مدرجة في بورصة نيويورك تحت الرمز (NYSE: HOV). وبصفتها المساهم الأكبر في شركة HOV Global، توفر الشركة خبرات دولية تدعم تطوير مشاريع متعددة الاستخدامات واسعة النطاق، تشمل المشاريع السكنية والفندقية ومشاريع نمط الحياة، بما يسمح بإنشاء وجهات مستدامة وذات جودة عالمية في المملكة العربية السعودية والمنطقة ككل.

الاتصالات الإعلامية:

Robert Hofmann
رئيس مجلس الإدارة والرئيس التنفيذي
HOV Global CJSC
هاتف: +966 54 385 3901 (السعودية)
هاتف: +1 732 904 4876 (الولايات المتحدة)

Tyler Lewis
نائب الرئيس التنفيذي
HOV Global CJSC
هاتف: +966 55 287 4982 (السعودية)
هاتف: +1 713 248 2624 (الولايات المتحدة)
        


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9756058)

Al Tahaluf Rebrands to HOV Global as K. Hovnanian Middle East Expands its Investment in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Al Tahaluf Real Estate Company CJSC today announced its rebrand to HOV Global CJSC following an increase in majority ownership by K. Hovnanian M.E. Investments, LLC (KHME), a subsidiary of Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: HOV), one of the largest homebuilders in the United States.

The rebranding marks the next chapter in the company's growth and reflects KHME's confidence in Saudi Arabia's housing market and economic future. Derived from Hovnanian's NYSE ticker symbol, HOV, the new name establishes a unified identity across the company's developments throughout the Kingdom. Existing customers, contracts, partnerships, and projects remain unchanged.

The ownership increase is accompanied by additional foreign direct investment from KHME to support HOV Global's continued expansion across Saudi Arabia, including new housing, hospitality, and community development initiatives.

“The transition to HOV Global represents an important milestone in the evolution of our company,” said Rob Hofmann, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of HOV Global. “Over the past 13 years, we have earned the trust of our customers by delivering high-quality developments across Saudi Arabia, building a team of more than 100 associates, and establishing one of the Kingdom's most experienced real estate development organizations. With KHME increasing its ownership, we are further integrating our deep local experience with the financial strength, technology, design expertise, and homebuilding legacy of Hovnanian. Drawing on nearly seven decades of homebuilding experience and hundreds of thousands of homes delivered across the United States, Hovnanian brings proven expertise in creating exceptional communities, innovative residential products, and customer experiences that will help us continue raising the standard for new housing in Saudi Arabia.”

HOV Global has established itself as a trusted partner in Saudi Arabia's housing sector, working alongside leading public and private organizations to advance homeownership across the Kingdom. Since its founding in 2013, the company has delivered approximately 2,400 homes and has another 3,000 under development across Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, and King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), to be delivered over the next several years.

Its active partnerships with the National Housing Company (NHC), the Tourism Development Fund (TDF), and Emaar, The Economic City (EEC)—master developer of KAEC—support some of the Kingdom's most significant housing, hospitality, and community development projects.

Through an existing Memorandum of Understanding with TDF, Saudi Arabia's national steward of tourism investment, HOV Global is working to enable high-quality tourism, hospitality, and branded residential investment across the Kingdom, beginning in KAEC and complementing EEC's master-development work in the city.

About K. Hovnanian Middle East

K. Hovnanian M.E. Investments, LLC is a subsidiary of Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: HOV), one of the largest homebuilding and real estate development companies in the United States. As the majority owner of HOV Global, the company brings international expertise in large-scale residential, hospitality, lifestyle, and master-planned developments, supporting the creation of sustainable, world-class destinations across Saudi Arabia and the broader region.

Media Contacts

Rob Hofmann
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
HOV Global CJSC
Saudi: +966 54 385 3901
USA: +1 732 904 4876

Tyler Lewis
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
HOV Global CJSC
Saudi: +966 55 287 4982
USA: +1 713 248 2624


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9755637)

Striding AI Launches with Plans to Build Next-Generation Robotic Foundation Systems for Physical AI Deployment

BEIJING, June 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Striding AI today announced that it is developing a new generation of robotic foundation systems designed to accelerate the deployment of Physical AI in real-world environments.

The company’s approach focuses on building the foundational technologies required for robots to perceive, reason, act, and continuously improve through interaction with the physical world. By integrating advanced foundation models with robotic perception, control systems, real-world action data, and deployment infrastructure, Striding AI aims to enable intelligent machines to perform useful tasks across commercial, industrial, and everyday settings.

“We believe that breakthroughs in Physical AI emerge from the continuous co-evolution of data, models, and infrastructure,” said Song Yao, founder and CEO of Striding AI.

The company takes a systems-first approach to physical AI, integrating foundation models, robot hardware and software, data infrastructure, control systems, and deployment engineering for building scalable service. The company's leadership team includes founders and executives with backgrounds in AI chips, autonomous driving, robotics research, and industrial technology, combining deep technical expertise with experience bringing complex technologies into production environments.

Striding AI plans to begin with practical deployment scenarios in structured environments such as retail, where robots can support tasks including shelf restocking, inventory counting, product organization, and checkout assistance. These environments provide frequent human interaction, repeatable workflows, and rich operational data, making them a strong starting point for developing scalable Physical AI systems. Over time, Striding AI expects its robotic foundation systems to support broader applications across sectors including retail, food, agriculture, logistics, healthcare, and telecommunications. 

In early internal testing, Striding AI’s human-in-the-loop RL method improved task success rates by up to 3x. To scale this flywheel, Striding AI is building infrastructure for robot pretraining, distributed reinforcement learning, and edge-to-cloud orchestration, creating a platform designed to improve as more robots operate in real-world environments.

The capabilities developed in real-world environments, from handling diverse objects and understanding retail shelves to planning and executing complex tasks, are part of an integrated system designed for broader robotic applications. Through this systems-first approach, Striding AI aims to build robots that learn from real-world experience, improve over time, and gradually become part of everyday human environments.

Contact: Jimei Kou, [email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9752371)

تُعلن Striding AI انطلاقتها مع خطط لبناء أنظمة تأسيسية روبوتية من الجيل التالي لنشر الذكاء الاصطناعي الفيزيائي

BEIJING, June 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

ويركز نهج الشركة على بناء التقنيات الأساسية اللازمة لتمكين الروبوتات من الإدراك، والاستدلال، والتنفيذ، والتحسن المستمر من خلال التفاعل مع العالم المادي. ومن خلال دمج النماذج التأسيسية المتقدمة مع تقنيات الإدراك الروبوتي، وأنظمة التحكم، وبيانات الأفعال الواقعية، وبنية النشر، تسعى Striding AI إلى تمكين الآلات الذكية من أداء مهام مفيدة في البيئات التجارية والصناعية واليومية.

وقال سونغ ياو، مؤسس Striding AI ورئيسها التنفيذي:
“نؤمن بأن الاختراقات في مجال الذكاء الاصطناعي الفيزيائي تنشأ من التطور المتواصل والمشترك بين البيانات والنماذج والبنية التحتية.”

وتتبنى الشركة نهجاً قائماً على الأنظمة أولاً في الذكاء الاصطناعي الفيزيائي، من خلال دمج النماذج التأسيسية، وأجهزة وبرمجيات الروبوتات، وبنية البيانات، وأنظمة التحكم، وهندسة النشر، لبناء خدمات قابلة للتوسع. ويضم فريق القيادة في الشركة مؤسسين وتنفيذيين ذوي خبرات في شرائح الذكاء الاصطناعي، والقيادة الذاتية، وأبحاث الروبوتات، والتقنيات الصناعية، بما يجمع بين الخبرة التقنية العميقة وتجربة إدخال التقنيات المعقدة إلى بيئات الإنتاج.

وتخطط Striding AI للبدء بسيناريوهات نشر عملية في بيئات منظمة مثل قطاع التجزئة، حيث يمكن للروبوتات دعم مهام تشمل إعادة تعبئة الرفوف، وجرد المخزون، وتنظيم المنتجات، والمساعدة في عمليات الدفع. وتوفر هذه البيئات تفاعلاً بشرياً متكرراً، وسير عمل قابلاً للتكرار، وبيانات تشغيلية غنية، ما يجعلها نقطة انطلاق مناسبة لتطوير أنظمة ذكاء اصطناعي فيزيائي قابلة للتوسع.

وعلى المدى الطويل، تتوقع Striding AI أن تدعم أنظمتها الروبوتية التأسيسية تطبيقات أوسع في قطاعات تشمل التجزئة، والأغذية، والزراعة، والخدمات اللوجستية، والرعاية الصحية، والاتصالات. وتتمثل الرؤية طويلة الأمد للشركة في بناء روبوتات تتعلم من التجربة الواقعية، وتتحسن باستمرار، وتصبح جزءاً من البيئات اليومية للبشر.

وفي اختبارات داخلية مبكرة، حسّنت طريقة التعلم المعزز بمشاركة الإنسان لدى Striding AI معدلات نجاح المهام بما يصل إلى ثلاثة أضعاف. ولتوسيع هذه الدورة التطويرية، تعمل Striding AI على بناء بنية تحتية للتدريب المسبق للروبوتات، والتعلم المعزز الموزع، وتنسيق العمليات بين الحافة والسحابة، لتوفير منصة تتحسن مع تشغيل المزيد من الروبوتات في البيئات الواقعية.

وتُعد القدرات المطورة في البيئات الواقعية، من التعامل مع كائنات متنوعة وفهم رفوف المتاجر إلى تخطيط المهام المعقدة وتنفيذها، جزءاً من نظام متكامل مصمم لتطبيقات روبوتية أوسع. ومن خلال هذا النهج القائم على الأنظمة أولاً، تسعى Striding AI إلى بناء روبوتات تتعلم من التجربة الواقعية، وتتحسن بمرور الوقت، وتندمج تدريجياً في البيئات اليومية للبشر.

Contact: Jimei Kou, [email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9752371)

AI-Driven Revenue Optimisation Delivers Nearly $600 Million in Additional Profit for Travel Companies, Mize Data Reveals

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As travel companies face increasing pressure to improve margins in a highly competitive market, new data from Mize suggests AI-powered revenue optimization has become a major source of profit recovery across the industry.

Marking its 10th anniversary, Mize revealed that its platform has generated more than $596.2 million in incremental profit for over 350+ travel companies worldwide, optimising more than 7.1 million bookings across $4.5 billion in booking value.

The figures offer a snapshot of a broader shift taking place across travel distribution. Over the past decade, travel companies have increasingly moved away from static pricing and manual revenue management toward AI-driven systems capable of making real-time commercial decisions throughout the booking lifecycle.

“When we launched in 2016, many travel businesses accepted revenue leakage as a cost of doing business,” said Dor Krubiner, co-founder and CEO of Mize. “Today, AI allows companies to identify and capture revenue opportunities automatically, often in milliseconds.”

The company's growth mirrors wider changes in the travel technology sector. What began as a hotel-focused optimization platform has evolved into a broader travel revenue infrastructure provider spanning hotels, flights, fintech, and partner distribution networks.

Industry observers point to growing margin pressure, rising customer acquisition costs, and increased competition as key factors driving adoption of automated revenue optimisation technologies.

According to Mize data, the company has grown from generating its first $1 million in partner profit recovery in 2017 to nearly $600 million cumulatively by 2026, reflecting the increasing role of AI in commercial travel operations.

As the industry enters a new phase of AI adoption, the company believes the next decade will focus less on automation itself and more on autonomous revenue management systems capable of continuously optimising travel products across multiple verticals and channels.

A Decade of Compounding Growth

By 2022, Mize had grown to 150 clients and established a strong presence in China and other global markets. 2023 marked a major turning point. The company rebranded from Hotelmize to Mize, reflecting its evolution from a hotel revenue optimization solution into a multi-vertical travel technology platform. That same year, Mize launched its fintech suite and expanded into East Asia and the U.S. market. In 2025, Mize acquired RightRez and officially launched SmartRate, further strengthening its position as a multi-vertical travel technology company. In 2026, Mize marks its 10th anniversary as a global travel technology company serving hundreds of companies across the world. The platform now powers a growing suite of solutions, including its Partner Network, Smart Rate, and a dedicated flight rate optimization vertical, consolidating Mize's position as the AI-driven revenue infrastructure for travel companies worldwide.

About Mize

Mize is the AI-powered profitability partner for travel companies, helping them unlock new revenue, stabilize margins, and scale operations by improving every stage of the booking cycle. Its AI-driven infrastructure delivers consistent results across hotels, flights, and future verticals, turning marginal gains into long-term competitive advantage. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Tel Aviv, Mize supports 350+ clients worldwide and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in incremental profit for the travel industry.

Mize.tech

Contact Details
Patricia Alonso
CMO
[email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9747636)

Dmitry Shubov Consulting Warns Southeast Asian Startups About the 2026 U.S. “Pilot Trap”

FREMONT, Calif., June 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dmitry Shubov Consulting, an advisory firm helping Southeast Asian startups scale into the U.S., is telling founders to watch out for what it calls the 2026 U.S. “pilot trap.” The warning stems from a recent LegalBooks article, “How to Structure Enterprise Pilots That Show Traction,” which highlighted why clear success metrics and a direct path to full adoption are so vital. Looking at this issue through a cross-border lens, Dmitry Shubov Consulting notes that many Southeast Asian startups can misread early U.S. pilot projects, software trials, or enterprise testing as a sign of market readiness. The trouble is, they are rarely prepared for the complex pricing, contracting, procurement, and rollout demands needed to turn that initial interest into a lasting commercial deal.

For many founders, getting a U.S. company to test a product feels like a major breakthrough. And in some ways, it is. But Dmitry Shubov Consulting says a pilot only matters if the company knows how to carry that momentum forward once the trial period ends.

“Too many founders see a pilot in the U.S. as proof that they’ve already gained real traction, when often it only shows that a company is willing to test something new,” said Dmitry Shubov, founder of Dmitry Shubov Consulting. “If there’s no clear plan for pricing, internal ownership, decision-makers, and what happens after the pilot ends, that momentum can fade very quickly.”

The firm says this is where many promising expansion efforts begin to lose steam. Startups may focus heavily on product performance during a pilot but spend too little time thinking through what comes next — who owns the budget, how success will be measured, what legal review may be required, and what would need to happen for the customer to move from a short-term test to a paid relationship.

Rather than treating a pilot as a simple sign that the product works, Dmitry Shubov Consulting says founders should look at it as the beginning of a much bigger business process. That means being clear on what success looks like, who inside the customer’s organization is actually making the decision, what issues might come up during legal or procurement review, and what needs to happen for the relationship to continue after the pilot wraps up. With funding still tight in 2026, the firm says startups cannot rely on early interest alone — they need to show they can follow through.

By raising this pressing issue now, Dmitry Shubov Consulting hopes to encourage founders to look at pilot activity more carefully and more strategically. Early U.S. interest can be valuable, but only if a startup is prepared to turn that opening into something lasting. Reach out to Dmitry Shubov Consulting for more information.

About Dmitry Shubov Consulting

At Dmitry Shubov Consulting, our mission is to connect accredited investors with groundbreaking legal technology startups, fostering innovation and growth across Southeast Asia and helping Asian businesses enter the U.S. market. For more information, please visit our website or contact us directly.

Media Contact:

[email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9745894)

Dmitry Shubov Consulting Shares Expert Perspective on Why First U.S. Customer Readiness Matters More in Southeast Asia’s Tighter 2026 Funding Climate

FREMONT, Calif., June 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dmitry Shubov Consulting is sharing an expert perspective on why Southeast Asian startups need to carefully think about what happens after they land a first U.S. customer, especially in a year when funding remains harder to win, and growth is under closer scrutiny. The recent perspective comes as Q1 2026 reporting from DealStreetAsia pointed to a still-selective startup funding environment across Southeast Asia, adding pressure on founders to show not just early traction, but a business that can actually build on it.

For many startups, a long stretch of outreach goes into getting that first “yes.” When the contract is signed, founders naturally think the hardest part is over. It isn't. The very next morning, the workload just changes shape. You aren't pitching anymore. Instead, the startup is suddenly dealing with messy onboarding steps and client questions it did not fully anticipate.

“Landing a first U.S. customer is a real milestone, but it also has a way of showing founders what still is not working as well as they thought,” said Dmitry Shubov, Founder of Dmitry Shubov Consulting. “You can prove there is interest in the business and still realize the contracts, internal process, or delivery side are not ready to support growth in a consistent way.”

That shift is a lot tougher when venture funding is hard to come by. In a tighter market, startups often have less room to absorb operational mistakes while trying to build on early traction. If a startup struggles to deliver for its first big client, it can lose its hard-earned momentum before it even has a chance to look for the next deal.

This is especially true in enterprise fields like legal tech, AI, SaaS, and fintech. Buyers in these industries expect a professional, organized experience right from the start. Being persistent and flexible can get a founder through a single pilot program, but that doesn't mean the company has a repeatable system in place. If keeping the client happy still depends entirely on the founder jumping in to solve every single problem, that approach can become difficult to sustain when the next few clients sign up.

With this perspective on current complexities, Dmitry Shubov Consulting is focusing on a part of international expansion that people rarely talk about during the initial sales push. Getting that first U.S. customer is great, but what happens next says a lot more about the long-term strength of the business. For startups trying to expand into the West this year, the real challenge isn't just getting someone to say yes—it's having a business model steady enough to support that win. Partnering with a consulting firm can be the best first step. Reach out to Dmitry Shubov Consulting for more information.

About Dmitry Shubov Consulting

At Dmitry Shubov Consulting, our mission is to connect accredited investors with groundbreaking legal technology startups, fostering innovation and growth across Southeast Asia and helping Asian businesses enter the U.S. market. For more information, please visit our website or contact us directly.

Media Contact:

[email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9732289)

Into the Wild: GWM Brings the World's Best to the Gobi

BAODING, China, May 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This May, the Taklimakan Rally will host a milestone: for the first time, four international rally champions — Pau Navarro of Spain, Nicolas Cavigliasso of Argentina, Gerard Farres of Spain, and Rebecca Busi of Italy — will line up alongside China's fastest desert racers on the same course. On May 14, GWM confirmed a twelve-driver, four-factory-team roster assembled through a personal recruitment campaign launched by Chairman Jack Wey in March.

Founded in 2005, the Taklimakan — Asia's premier off-road event, known as the “Eastern Dakar” — earned FIA Grade A status in 2014. It runs more than 3,400 kilometers across thirteen stages in terrain that has broken some of the world's best drivers. For years, the world's elite competed primarily in North Africa and Europe while China's own rally culture grew largely unseen. GWM is attempting to change that.

By May 9, the international quartet had arrived at GWM's Baoding headquarters for a face-to-face meeting with Chairman Jack Wey — a level of personal engagement unusual at the top of a major automaker. Speaking directly to the drivers, Jack Wey offered what read less as ceremony than as commitment: “Motorsport requires no language. We hope to build deep, long-term cooperation — and we wish you excellent results in China Rally.”

Nicolas Cavigliasso of Argentina arrives as the 2025 Dakar Challenger champion, a distinction that earned him an FIA Gold license — one of the sport's rarest honors. He will be navigated by Valentina Pertegarini. Spain's Pau Navarro, the 2026 Dakar Challenger champion, joins with navigator Jan Rosa. Gerard Farres, a veteran of the Dakar Rally, will be paired with navigator Bruno Jacomy. Italy's Rebecca Busi — one of the world's most recognizable female rally drivers, with nearly 120,000 Instagram followers — completes the quartet.

Ma Hailong and two additional Chinese drivers, Zhang Jianfeng and Yao Weiqiang, complete the lineup. Yao Weiqiang is the 2025 China Rally T2.E champion in a TANK 300 Hi4-T. All three competed at the 2025 Taklimakan Rally.

“2016, we went to Dakar,” Jack Wey told the assembled drivers at Baoding. “We finished sixth — the highest any Chinese team has ever achieved.” The remark of someone who has raced at that level himself — and who is now investing personally to close the gap.

GWM's entry is built entirely around production-basis vehicles. The TANK 700 Hi4-T leads the lineup with a 3.0T V6 powertrain and Hi4-T intelligent four-wheel drive. The TANK 500 Hi4-Z carries a dedicated all-wheel drive architecture with a 201km electric range, optimized for the most demanding desert stages. The TANK 300 Hi4-T — proven across thousands of competitive kilometers — continues to demonstrate that durability and performance do not have to trade off. Three V6 Fire Bullet 3.0T pickups complete the production category entry.

The rally begins May 16 from Urumqi, runs through the Flaming Mountains near Shanshan and the Kumtag Desert, cuts south to the edge of the Taklimakan at Korla, and finishes in Aksu sixteen days later. Thirteen stages. One event.

The world's best are not here to pass judgment on Chinese motorsport. They are here to discover, alongside Chinese racing, what the sport looks like when the full picture finally comes together.

That answer waits at the finish line.

Contact: [email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9725951)

Shanxi Qinyuan: Lingkong Mountain Scenic Area will usher in Peak Tourist Season

CHANGZHI, China, May 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Since the “May Day” holiday, the Lingkong Mountain Scenic Area, nestled deep in the Taiyue Mountains of Qinyuan County, has experienced a significant surge in tourism. Along the access roads, self-driving tourists queued in an orderly manner and were guided by staff into designated parking areas. Families and groups of friends could be seen enjoying their outings amid a lively holiday atmosphere.

Qinyuan County Cultural Tourism Bureau noted that as an important component of Taiyue Mountain National Forest Park, the forest coverage rate of Lingkong Mountain is over 90%, forming a natural “oxygen bar” with a high concentration of negative oxygen ions, and making it one of the region's most popular destinations for leisure, wellness tourism, and nature experiences.

As visitors climbed the winding stone pathways through the scenic area, people can hear the exclamations: “It's incredible that so many trunks growing from a single tree!” Following the sound stands the “Nine-Flag Pine”, officially recognized by the Shanghai Great World Guinness Headquarters in 2004 as the world's largest Chinese pine. This ancient tree feathers one main stem sprouting nine branches, its twisted and sturdy limbs resemble nine towering banners fluttering in the wind, drawing visitors to pause, gaze upward, and capture the vibrant life force that has traversed for hundreds of years.

Many tourists choose to travel with their families. “The air in Lingkong Mountain is exceptionally fresh, and being in the mountains is truly relaxing,” said Liu Jing, a tourist from Taiyuan. “With the improving homestay facilities and better road transportation, I'll bring my kids here to escape the summer heat again.”

To prepare for the peak season, the Lingkong Mountain Scenic Area administration has implemented several proactive measures. All visitor facilities were fully inspected and maintained, and a comprehensive safety hazard screening was carried out. Key road sections and dangerous areas underwent extensive improvements. Additional staff were deployed at critical points such as the entrance, core scenic spots, and mountain trails, to handle vehicle coordination, entry verification, information inquiries, and other services. Meanwhile, strict regulations on forest fire prevention have been fully implemented. These efforts all aim to build a robust safety for the holiday, and ensure a high-quality tourist experience for visitors from all directions.

Source: Qinyuan County Bureau of Culture and Tourism


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9725310)