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November 12, 2026

Grepow Advances Next-Gen Energy Transition with Commercial Launch of High-Performance Sodium-Ion Pouch-Cell Platform

On Nov. 12, 2026, Grepow, a rechargeable cell and battery solutions manufacturer, introduced its all-new sodium-ion pouch-cell platform comprising five models. With capacities ranging from 2.0 Ah to 7.0 Ah, the cells are designed for low-temperature performance, high-rate pulse power, and flexible pack integration. The launch marks Grepow’s transition from technical validation toward commercial deployment of a multi-model sodium-ion product portfolio. As the global battery industry places greater emphasis on supply-chain resilience, cost competitiveness, and performance in extreme environments, sodium-ion batteries are rapidly transitioning from laboratory technology to commercial applications. Compared to lithium-ion, sodium resources are more abundant and widely distributed; sodium-ion battery systems are also expected to reduce reliance on critical metals such as cobalt and nickel, thereby alleviating pressure on resource extraction, raw material price volatility, and supply chain concentration risks. Furthermore, sodium-ion batteries offer improved safety and tolerance to over-discharge: their more stable electrochemical system helps reduce the risk of thermal runaway; even after deep discharge below the cutoff voltage, the batteries are expected to recover through subsequent charging, thereby reducing the risk of failure caused by long-term storage or extreme operating conditions. Sodium-ion batteries also offer exceptional cold-weather resilience, helping address the classic winter bottlenecks of lithium-ion technology—fast battery drain and charging difficulties. Driven by unique material design and fast ion transport dynamics, sodium ions move smoothly in sub-zero temperatures, delivering impressive capacity retention, fast charge acceptance, and strong power delivery. For commercial fleets and users in frigid climates, this can reduce heavy reliance on auxiliary heating and support more reliable winter operation. “Sodium-ion technology has potential beyond any single end product and should not be simply viewed as a full replacement for lithium-ion batteries. As material systems, manufacturing processes, and cell engineering mature, sodium-ion is emerging as an important complementary electrochemical route,” said Dr. Pi, a battery R&D expert at Grepow. With abundant raw materials, supply chain diversification, strong low-temperature resilience, enhanced safety, and superior over-discharge tolerance, sodium-ion batteries offer a compelling alternative for reliability-critical applications such as backup power, energy storage systems, industrial vehicles, and cold-weather starting. They are also well-positioned to become a key complement to lithium-ion systems across cost-sensitive energy storage, light mobility, and industrial sectors. Targeting demanding cold-climate applications, Grepow prioritized validating the extreme-cold pulse discharge performance of its sodium-ion cells. High-rate pulse discharge trials were conducted on both sodium-ion and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells at -20°C (28C rate). Under these test conditions, the selected sodium-ion cell demonstrated stronger low-temperature pulse-discharge capability than the tested LFP cell, establishing a strong preliminary engineering benchmark for starter batteries, heavy machinery, and outdoor power systems operating in frigid environments. Beyond low-temperature power performance, Grepow’s sodium-ion cells deliver longer cycle life, which can reduce replacement frequency and total cost of ownership, particularly for frequently used, long-life industrial and power applications. Under internal test conditions of 25°C, 1C charge, and 30C discharge, a selected sodium-ion cell retained 94% of its capacity after 2,000 cycles. Based on the current capacity-fade curve, the cell is projected to exceed 4,000 cycles before reaching 80% capacity retention, provided that the fade rate does not accelerate significantly. Rather than introducing a single off-the-shelf battery pack, Grepow is launching a customizable sodium-ion pouch-cell platform for customer evaluation and application testing. The initial series of Grepow’s sodium-ion cells comprises five models with capacities of 2.0 Ah, 3.0 Ah, 3.5 Ah, 6.5 Ah, and 7.0 Ah, each with a nominal voltage of 3.0 V. The cells support discharge rates of up to 45C for 30 seconds and pulse discharge rates of up to 100C for 2 seconds, meeting short-duration, high-power needs such as cold cranking, transient acceleration, and peak-power compensation. The range of pouch-cell formats provides flexibility in pack design and system integration. Based on customer requirements for voltage, current, operating temperature, available space, and installation method, Grepow supports cell selection and validation, sample testing, BMS and charging-system matching, structural design, and battery-system integration. Looking ahead, sodium-ion batteries are expected to find broader applications in areas such as energy storage in cold regions, backup power for communication base stations, cold-weather starting for construction machinery and commercial vehicles, outdoor power equipment, robotics, and light electric vehicles. Customers can evaluate the suitability of sodium-ion cells based on requirements such as low-temperature power output, high pulse output, operating modes, and system costs. Grepow will continue to refine its sodium-ion cell platform and work with industry partners to drive the commercialization of sodium-ion technology in an even wider range of demanding application scenarios. About Grepow Established in 1998, Grepow is a developer and manufacturer of rechargeable battery cells, custom BMS, and integrated battery solutions. Grepow provides battery solutions for applications including drones, RC hobbies, robotics, industrial equipment, smart wearables, consumer electronics, physical AI hardware, jump starters, starter batteries, and other professional fields. With the launch of its new sodium-ion pouch-cell platform, Grepow expands its engineering expertise into next-gen battery chemistry, delivering market-ready, customizable, and integration-friendly sodium-ion solutions for diverse commercial applications. Media Contact Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shenzhen-grepow-battery-co-ltd-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grepowbattery/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrepowBatteryOfficial

November 12, 2026

Business

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman tours Nippon Express logistics facility

On Tuesday, October 27, the NX Group welcomed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to BILT2, a logistics facility operated by Nippon Express Co., Ltd. (President: Shinjiro Takezoe), and located in the Baraki district of Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture. (Commemorative photo following the facility visit) Front row, from left to right: Rezaul Alam, Chief Operating Officer, NX Bangladesh Kei Sakai, Managing Director, NX Bangladesh Katsuhito Kobayashi, Managing Director, NX South Asia & Oceania Satoshi Otsuji, Senior Managing Executive Officer, NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS H.E. Mr. Tarique Rahman, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Mr. Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Minister of Finance and Minister of Planning Mr. M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism Back row, from right: Mr. Shinichi Saida, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh This visit was arranged in response to a request from the Bangladeshi government for a tour of this NX Group logistics facility. With the NX Group expanding its logistics operations in Bangladesh and working to develop its logistics infrastructure there, the visit provided an opportunity to showcase the Group’s advanced logistics initiatives in Japan. On the day of the visit, NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS Senior Managing Executive Officer Satoshi Otsuji and NX South Asia & Oceania Managing Director Katsuhito Kobayashi welcomed the prime minister and his delegation and briefed them on the BILT2 facility and the logistics services offered by Nippon Express. The delegation toured the logistics site, where storage and distribution processing are tailored to the specific characteristics of medical devices, apparel-related cargo and other goods. Inside the facility, the visitors observed operational processes such as order picking and X-ray inspections, and were introduced to the initiatives Nippon Express is implementing to maintain and improve logistics quality, including efforts to ensure greater quality control and operational efficiency. The NX Group’s global network and business operations in Bangladesh were also introduced, and the parties exchanged views on the development of logistics infrastructure in Bangladesh as well as the potential for further progress in infrastructure and logistics services. The NX Group has been augmenting its business foundations in Bangladesh while responding to logistics needs that have evolved alongside the country’s industrial development. Going beyond international transport, the Group has broadened its service scope to encompass warehousing and domestic delivery, supporting customers’ business activities by combining its global network with local logistics capabilities. Alongside its business operations, the Group is engaged in such community-based social contribution activities as providing support to disaster-stricken areas. Moving forward, the NX Group will continue to leverage its global network and the logistics expertise it has cultivated over many years to further enhance its logistics services in Bangladesh, all the while contributing to the country’s economic and social development through activities rooted in local communities.

November 12, 2026

Food & Beverage

From pudding to spritz: Coles brings more M&S to Christmas as Liquorland serves up this Summer’s sips

Australians and UK ex-pats alike can get their hands on even more Marks & Spencer food and drinks this Christmas, with Coles launching a new range of festive treats and Liquorland exclusively welcoming M&S drinks down under for the first time. From a Christmas twist on Percy Pig and traditional British puddings to $7 canned spritzes and a celebration-ready Champagne magnum, the festive line up has summer entertaining and festive gifting sorted. M&S POURS INTO LIQUORLAND Liquorland is declaring it spritz season, with Marks & Spencer’s iconic tinnies arriving in store and online, with customers for the first time able to get their hands on five flavours including the Hugo Spritz, Aperitivo Spritz, Limoncello Spritz, Tequila & Grapefruit Spritz and Sake & Lychee Spritz – all $7 each. The drinks are made with all-natural flavours, and are ready to chill, crack and serve for a range of events, from a backyard get-together to Christmas drinks. Liquorland is also welcoming some of M&S’s most-loved wines to Australia, available in stores and online from this month. The offer includes wines from the M&S Collection range – a premium label representing the very best of M&S, with wines sourced from some of the world’s leading wineries, selected for their exceptional quality and character, including the vibrant Italian Gavi De Gavi 750ml ($20) and full-bodied Amarone 750ml ($50). Also launching is the signature M&S Delacourt Champagne – available in both a classic 750ml bottle ($62) or a show-stopping 1.5L magnum ($120), made for popping on the Christmas table. Liquorland General Manager Commercial and Marketing, Sophie Hogg said the new M&S drinks range would give customers even more choice this summer, combining quality, convenience and great value. “We’re excited to bring some of M&S’ most popular spritzes, wines and champagne to Liquorland for the very first time, giving customers a taste of the iconic British brand just in time for Christmas,” Sophie said. “Australians’ love affair with the spritz shows no sign of slowing down, with sales at Liquorland up more than 50% over the past year. At just $7 a can, the new M&S spritzes make it easy to serve something a little different this festive season, whether you’re hosting Christmas lunch, heading to a barbecue or enjoying a summer picnic.” A VERY MERRY M&S CHRISTMAS AT COLES Coles Chief Commercial and Sustainability Officer, Anna Croft said customers had embraced M&S Food since the range arrived last year, with the first lolly range becoming one of the most successful confectionery launches in Coles' history. “Our customers have loved discovering M&S Food at Coles, and we’re excited to give them even more to enjoy this Christmas,” she said. “We’re bringing more of those much-loved M&S Food favourites to Australia, alongside new seasonal treats that customers can only find at Coles, whether they’re looking for something special for the table, a great gift or a treat to share.” M&S Percy Pig™ Merry Percymas 170g ($6) gives the much-loved fruit gums a seasonal spin, while dog lovers can get their paws on the M&S Christmas Puppy Parade 53g ($12), a playful collection of solid milk chocolate puppies in a mix of adorable breeds. The M&S Happy Christmas Mini Selection 71g ($12) brings together a variety of festive miniature chocolates in an accessible seasonal gift that’s also perfect for sharing. Christmas gifting gets the M&S treatment with the M&S Shortbread Light Up House 230g ($20), an intricately decorated keepsake that lights up and comes filled with Christmas tree-shaped shortbread. There are also M&S Milk Chocolate Coins 120g ($12) tucked inside a collectable postbox tin and M&S Peppermint Bark 250g ($20). For a taste of a traditional British Christmas, shoppers can also pick up the M&S Collection 12 Month Matured Christmas Pudding ($25) and M&S Collection Mince Pies 6pk ($15). M&S Managing Director of International Mark Lemming said the growing range would give Australian customers even more ways to discover M&S this Christmas. “We’ve been really encouraged by the response to M&S Food in Australia. It’s a great example of how, by working with strong partners, we can bring the best of M&S to more customers around the world,” he said. “This Christmas, we’re building on the momentum, with more of our much-loved Food favourites at Coles and, for the first time, M&S cocktails, wines and Champagne at Liquorland. It means Australians can discover even more of M&S this festive season, while for Brits spending Christmas away from home, there’s a familiar taste of an M&S Christmas, Down Under.” The Marks & Spencer spritz range is available at Liquorland stores nationally and online now, with M&S wines coming to select stores throughout November. Customers can find the M&S Food range arriving in stores and online this month, officially available from 18th November, with additional M&S products available at selected stores. To explore the full range and to find a participating store, visit: coles.com.au/offers/marks-and-spencer-stores For media enquiries, please contact Coles Media Line (03) 9829 5250 or [email protected]

November 12, 2026

Technology

TOPPAN and BitGo Conduct Proof-of-Concept for Decentralized Key Management Scheme to Securely and Seamlessly Manage Digital Assets

TOPPAN Inc. (TOPPAN), a TOPPAN Group company and wholly owned subsidiary of TOPPAN Holdings Inc. (TYO: 7911), and digital asset infrastructure provider BitGo Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BTGO) (BitGo) conducted a joint proof-of-concept (PoC) experiment from August to October 2026 for a Decentralized Key Management Scheme designed to manage digital assets securely and seamlessly. In this PoC, TOPPAN combined sophisticated private key (undisclosed digital keys used for encryption, digital signatures, etc.) management infrastructure and operational expertise cultivated in its card issuance business with BitGo’s operational management expertise for digital assets. Together, they constructed an environment to manage private keys across three parties, conducting technical verification of decentralized private key management and operation among the client, TOPPAN, and BitGo. Furthermore, by integrating with TOPPAN’s vLEI-Gateway™—a service for issuing global verifiable Legal Entity Identifiers (vLEI)1 —the scheme leveraged vLEIs to strictly verify the identity and authority of target corporations and corporate representatives when private keys are used or when registering destinations to digital asset transfer whitelists.2 This scheme is designed to eliminate Single Points of Failure3 (SPOF) while preventing unauthorized transactions via approvals by other parties and ensuring robust corporate identity verification, thereby supporting security and governance in private key operations. Background of the PoC In recent years, while the utilization of digital assets has expanded rapidly both in Japan and internationally, there have been numerous occurrences of unauthorized leaks and cyberattacks exploiting vulnerabilities in management systems. Furthermore, as external attacks become increasingly sophisticated and diverse through the exploitation of AI, strengthening governance environments—such as preventing internal fraud and ensuring strict identity verification (KYC/AML) of transaction partners—has become an urgent priority. However, building and maintaining a strict private key management environment and an advanced corporate authentication environment in-house requires substantial cost and specialized expertise, which may limit adoption to a limited number of large enterprises. These aspects may pose barriers to adoption for regional banks, municipalities, and corporations seeking to enter the digital asset space. In addition, traditional operations where a single party manages private keys alone carry the risk of concentrated cyberattacks, while also being vulnerable to SPOF risks such as data loss or system outages during natural disasters. Therefore, there has been strong demand for establishing a new, secure, and sustainable key management infrastructure, not only for security assurance but also from a business continuity perspective. Overview of the PoC To solve the aforementioned issues, TOPPAN and BitGo jointly developed and verified a new Decentralized Key Management Scheme by combining their respective strengths. By combining TOPPAN's long-cultivated sophisticated key management infrastructure and operational expertise with BitGo's advanced multi-signature key distribution technology, this scheme is designed to support secure decentralized management of private keys and signature execution. Furthermore, by integrating strict corporate verification via vLEI, an end-to-end defense mechanism—from decentralized storage of private keys to identity/corporate verification during transactions—was established to strengthen security and governance. ・Enhanced Resistance to Cyberattacks Signature authority is decentralized across three parties: the Client (main signature) executing the transaction, BitGo (countersignature) disallowing unilateral execution, and TOPPAN (backup key) storing a backup in a secure environment. Even if one party’s access authority or management environment is compromised by increasingly diverse cyberattacks, the transaction cannot be completed without approval from the other keys, helping to reduce the risk of unauthorized asset transfers. ・Rigorous Corporate Verification via vLEI Automated digital corporate verification via vLEI is conducted when registering on the digital asset transfer whitelist or executing transactions. By verifying the existence and authority of transaction counterparties, the system is designed to help reduce the risk of spoofing or accidental transfers to unauthorized addresses, demonstrating financial-institution-grade governance. ・Prevention of Internal Fraudulent Transactions Transactions cannot be completed solely through the client’s unilateral authority; requiring BitGo’s countersignature (multi-approval) combined with rigorous corporate verification via vLEI can help to reduce the risk of internal abuse of authority and fraudulent transactions. ・Strengthened Business Continuity (BC) Even if the keys of a client or BitGo become unavailable due to natural disaster or system failure, using the backup key stored by TOPPAN in a secure environment such as an HSM4 demonstrates that assets do not need to be frozen, and that continuous business operations are possible. Future Objectives Based on the results of this PoC, TOPPAN and BitGo will further advance the operational sophistication of their Decentralized Key Management Scheme, aiming for a service launch as early as 2028. Any launch remains subject to, among other things, definitive agreements, regulatory requirements, and technical and commercial readiness. TOPPAN and BitGo will provide a secure digital asset management and operation platform to regional banks, municipalities, and corporations facing challenges in private key management and compliance, contributing to the healthy expansion of the digital asset market. 1 vLEI (verifiable LEI): A verifiable credential that combines an LEI (Legal Entity Identifier)—a globally standardized corporate ID based on the international standard ISO 17442-3:2024—with Verifiable Credentials (VC) to prove the identity of legal entities such as corporations or individuals belonging to those entities. 2 Whitelist Registration: A mechanism to pre-screen, approve, and authorize only safe addresses (counterparties) for digital asset transfers and transactions, reducing the risk of unauthorized leaks or accidental transfers to unapproved destinations in advance. 3 Single Point of Failure (SPOF): A single component or location within a system that, if it fails or stops working, causes the entire system to stop functioning. 4 HSM (Hardware Security Module): A dedicated security hardware device that physically and securely performs cryptographic key generation, storage, and processing. It is designed to provide strong resistance against unauthorized external access and physical tampering attacks, executing secure encryption and signature processes without exposing private keys outside the device. About BitGo BitGo (NYSE: BTGO) is the digital asset infrastructure company delivering custody, wallets, staking, trading, financing, stablecoins, and settlement services from regulated cold storage. Since 2013, BitGo has focused on accelerating the transition of the financial system to a digital asset economy. BitGo maintains a global presence and multiple regulated entities, including BitGo Bank & Trust, National Association, the first federally chartered digital asset trust bank owned by a publicly traded company. Today, BitGo serves thousands of institutions, including many of the industry's top brands, financial institutions, exchanges, and platforms, and millions of investors worldwide. For more information, visit www.bitgo.com . About the TOPPAN Group Established in Tokyo in 1900, the TOPPAN Group is a leading and diversified global provider committed to delivering sustainable, integrated solutions in fields including printing, communications, security, packaging, décor materials, electronics, and digital transformation. The TOPPAN Group’s global team of more than 50,000 employees offers optimal solutions enabled by industry-leading expertise and technologies to address the diverse challenges of every business sector and society and contribute to the achievement of shared sustainability goals. https://www.holdings.toppan.com/en/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/toppan/

November 12, 2026

Technology

Mercans Launches Agentic Payroll, the World’s First End-to-End Agentic Payroll Model, and Takes On How Global Payroll Is Built

Mercans today launched Agentic Payroll, which the global payroll technology company calls the world’s first end-to-end agentic payroll delivery model and a new category it says will change how global payroll is delivered. AI agents run the payroll cycle from start to finish, and the client’s people keep every decision. Mercans delivers the model through their agentic service called NovAI, with early access open today for enterprise clients and full release planned for Q1 2027. For decades, the payroll industry has offered three delivery models. With SaaS, the client’s team runs payroll on a provider’s platform. With managed payroll service, the provider runs it and the client approves. With business process outsourcing (BPO), the provider owns the function. Each redesign changed which team did the work, and people still ran all six payroll processing steps of the cycle under every one of them. Agentic Payroll is the first model in which agents run five of those steps, Mercans says, with the client keeping the approval. Photo Courtesy of Unsplash.com Mercans argues that this changes what the industry has to be built on. AI agents are moving from pilots into everyday enterprise work, and research firm Gartner predicts that by 2028 a third of enterprise software will include them. Payroll, regulated and different in every country, needs a delivery model built for agents, the company says, and adding agents to the old models will not get there. That puts the pressure on how most global providers are set up. A multinational client usually signs one contract with one provider, but underneath it, payroll is often delivered on a different setup in every country. Mercans gives the example of a typical provider where Brazil and Mexico run on local software, Colombia on a partner’s platform, Saudi Arabia through a subcontractor, Egypt on spreadsheets, and Europe and Asia Pacific on different platforms again. Across four regions, that comes to ten countries, seven platforms and five different agent setups under a single contract. On a patchwork like that, Mercans says, AI can only be as global as the platform it runs on. Agents stay local, people re-key data at every hand-off, and providers cannot automate what they subcontract. The problem, in Mercans’ view, is the infrastructure rather than AI. Mercans runs payroll on its own engine, on one codebase in more than 100 countries, with the same agents in each. An orchestrator agent directs specialist agents across the whole cycle, from collecting inputs to preparing filings and answering employees. That single engine is why Mercans says NovAI is the only end-to-end agentic payroll service available today. For payroll teams, the change is a move from processing to oversight. The client approves every payroll and filing, decides every exception, and releases every payment, and no Mercans system can release a payment. Clients can also switch Agentic Payroll on entity by entity on the same platform, without re-implementation. A Fortune 500 energy-technology company is already building with Mercans in early access. “Payroll has been redesigned many times, and every redesign moved the same work to a different team,” said Tatjana Domovits, Group CEO of Mercans. “With Agentic Payroll, the agents do the work and people make the decisions.” About Mercans Mercans is a global payroll technology company. Its platform, HR Blizz™, gives SMBs and enterprises one secure system to run payroll anywhere in the world, with built-in compliance, real-time data and native HCM integration. Built on 24 years of global payroll expertise, Mercans owns its technology, entities and in-country teams, with no subcontracting, giving clients one accountable payroll partner. More information is available at mercans.com .

November 12, 2026

Business

Fiona Bao's Genpulse Makes the US Its Main Market for Physical AI in Personal Health

Fiona Bao's company began with something she could see in her own reflection. As a university student studying bioengineering, she went through hair loss herself, and the experience set her on the path to building hair and scalp tools from artificial intelligence and medical imaging. That personal starting point now carries a larger claim. Bao believes consumer health AI has spent too long listening and too little time looking, and she is taking that argument to the United States. Her company, Genpulse, began in Singapore and is now based in San Francisco, with the United States as its main market. Bao spends much of her time there and in New York and Los Angeles, and the people backing the company include the founders of two well-known American consumer businesses, one in digital health and one in payments. Photo Courtesy of Genpulse An Incubator, a Clinic and 200 Salons Genpulse started in 2023, when Bao's founding team was accepted into the National University of Singapore's Graduate Research Innovation Programme, known as GRIP. The hard early problem was data. A scalp analysis model is only as reliable as the images it learns from, and a young company has to gather those images before it can train anything worth selling. The team built its own. Working with the National Skin Centre in Singapore and more than 200 salons around the world, it collected and annotated more than 30,000 medical scalp images. In April 2024, Genpulse launched its first product line, Lushair , in Singapore. "I started the company in Asia and built Genpulse from Singapore, where we developed the first iterations of the technology and ecosystem," Bao said. The Gap Bao Wants to Close Bao's thesis is easy to state and hard to execute. Most health AI people use today waits to be told what is wrong. Genpulse gives the AI hardware of its own, so it can observe biological signals directly, track them over time and learn from what happens after it makes a recommendation. She sums up the system in five words, sense, understand, act, track and learn. A scanner captures the signal. The AI agent interprets it and suggests what to do. The next scan shows whether the suggestion worked, and that result goes back into the agent, which becomes more specific to the person each time the cycle repeats. "What personally interests me is the gap between how much AI knows about the world and how little context it actually has about an individual human body," she said. Lushair is where that idea meets customers. Its at-home scanners photograph the scalp under magnification, and the app compares each new scan with the user's first, building a history that a single conversation with a chatbot cannot produce. The company positions Lushair as a tool for tracking change, and it directs medical questions to doctors and dermatologists. Two Founders Who Know the Customer Genpulse has raised its seed financing at a $40 million valuation. Two names among its backers stand out for anyone who follows American consumer technology. Demetri Karagas co-founded Thirty Madison in 2017. The company's first brand, Keeps , launched in January 2018 and sold hair loss treatment directly to consumers through telemedicine. That gives Genpulse a backer who has already built a business around the customer Lushair serves first. Iqram Magdon-Ismail co-founded Venmo in 2009 with his college roommate. Braintree bought the app in 2012, and PayPal bought Braintree in 2013, according to Entrepreneur . Venmo became one of the most popular ways Americans pay each other, and that kind of repeat behavior is what Genpulse needs. A tracking product is only as useful as the number of times people return to it. Bao sees the significance of the pairing in broader terms. "Entrepreneurs who previously helped build major consumer platforms in digital health and fintech are now backing a company exploring what happens when consumer AI moves beyond software and gains a physical sensing layer," she said. What the Numbers Show Genpulse has generated about $2.5 million in cumulative revenue. Roughly $1 million has come from consumers and about $1.5 million from businesses, which can license Lushair's analysis through an API, run salon and clinic software on it, or sell the hardware under their own brand. The consumer side has reached more than 20,000 people. Bao treats the figure as evidence that the loop runs in the real world, with people scanning, acting on what they see and scanning again. "Hair and scalp give us a highly visual and accessible place to begin building that loop," she said. Starting with hair is a practical choice. Customers can see the problem, they care about it, and progress shows up in pictures they can compare. It is a sensible place for a company with larger plans to learn how people actually use a health device at home, before it extends the same system into other areas of personal health. The American Test The product is ready for that market. Lushair's devices already ship to the United States, and its app runs on iPhone, so its main market already has something customers can buy and use today. In San Francisco, Bao is building relationships across AI, healthcare, research and consumer technology. The move puts Genpulse in the market where OpenAI first launched Health in ChatGPT, and where its scanner-first alternative will face the most direct comparison. That comparison is the right one for her to invite. Genpulse arrives with paying customers internationally, an image library built with Singapore's National Skin Centre, and backers who have already built American consumer brands in hair loss and payments. Bao started out trying to understand what was happening on her own scalp. The US market will now show whether the approach she built from that problem can change how millions of people track their health.

November 12, 2026

Technology

Data.co Launches Private AI Platform and Data Marketplace Featuring 91 Datasets From 25 Providers

Data.co today announced the launch of its enterprise data and artificial intelligence platform , combining private AI infrastructure, enterprise governance and a unified marketplace of public and licensed datasets. The platform launches with three core offerings: Data.co Control, which enables organizations to deploy and govern AI within their own infrastructure; the Data.co Marketplace, featuring 91 datasets from 25 providers; and app.data.co, a centralized interface for accessing datasets through a query console, REST API or Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for AI agents. The platform is designed to address two significant challenges facing enterprise AI adoption: maintaining control over sensitive organizational data and simplifying access to reliable external information. "Companies are moving quickly to implement AI, but they're running into two fundamental problems: they don't want sensitive data leaving their infrastructure, and they need better access to trusted external data to make their AI systems useful," said Nate Nead, CEO of Data.co. "We're addressing both problems with one platform. Data.co Control gives enterprises ownership over where and how their AI operates, while our marketplace provides a single access point to the data that powers intelligent applications and autonomous agents. We believe these capabilities increasingly need to work together." Data.co Control: Private AI Infrastructure With Enterprise Governance Data.co Control enables regulated organizations and enterprises to connect internal data sources, operate private language models and govern AI activity without requiring sensitive information to leave their environments. The platform supports on-premises, private cloud, hybrid and fully air-gapped deployments. Core capabilities include: Customer-local runtime: Access decisions, sensitive processing and model inference operate within the customer's infrastructure. A separate hosted account plane handles licensing, accounts and billing without requiring continuous connectivity for local enforcement. Private LLM infrastructure: Support for vLLM on dedicated GPU infrastructure and Ollama for smaller deployments, accessed through a unified OpenAI-compatible gateway. Deterministic policy enforcement: Identity-based controls govern which users, service accounts, models and AI agents can access specific data and execute designated operations. Policy decisions are handled by a deterministic engine rather than delegated to a language model. Permission-aware connectors and private RAG: Internal connectors inherit existing source permissions to prevent AI applications from retrieving information beyond an authorized user's access. AI agent governance: Tool calls executed by AI agents are identified, scoped, monitored and logged. Enterprise auditability: Requests, policy decisions, approvals and administrative actions generate exportable audit records to support security reviews and compliance requirements. Data.co Control is designed for organizations in financial services, healthcare, legal services, manufacturing and other industries where data privacy, infrastructure ownership and regulatory oversight are primary considerations. Data.co Marketplace: One API Key Across 91 Datasets Through the Data.co Marketplace customers can access datasets using a browser-based query console, a REST API or MCP integrations designed specifically for AI-powered applications and autonomous agents. "Accessing external data at scale has traditionally meant negotiating with multiple providers, building separate integrations, managing different authentication methods and maintaining pipelines as APIs change," said Timothy Carter, Chief Revenue Officer of Data.co. "We're simplifying that process by creating a unified access layer. Our goal is to make enterprise-grade data consumption substantially easier for software developers, analytics teams and businesses deploying AI agents. Instead of building twenty different connections, customers can work through one platform and focus on what they actually want to accomplish with the data." The marketplace includes a unified query console for exploring datasets and viewing structured results, a versioned REST API at api.data.co/v1 with organization-scoped authentication and usage metering, and an MCP server that enables AI agents to discover and query datasets through standardized tools. Each record returned by the platform includes source attribution, applicable licensing information and retrieval timestamps, providing transparency into the origins of the data. The platform also supports legal research through LAW.co, including access to U.S. court opinions, AI-generated case summaries and citation relationships. Data.co manages upstream provider connections through standardized connector contracts that enforce query validation, rate limits, caching policies and applicable licensing restrictions. Launch Catalog Spans Financial, Economic, Government, Healthcare and Legal Data At launch, the Data.co Marketplace includes 91 datasets from 25 providers across six primary categories. Companies and Financial Data: Integrations with SEC EDGAR, FDIC BankFind, GLEIF, UK Companies House, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) provide access to corporate filings, XBRL financial statements, banking institutions and branches, global legal entity identifiers, UK company records, futures positioning and consumer complaint information. Economic Indicators: Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Energy Information Administration (EIA), Federal Reserve Board, U.S. Treasury, World Bank and U.S. Census Bureau covers inflation, employment, wages, GDP, energy markets, interest rates, government debt, international development indicators and demographic trends. Government and Political Data: Sources including USAspending, the Federal Register, Federal Election Commission (FEC) and Senate lobbying disclosures provide access to federal contracts, grants, regulatory notices, campaign finance records and lobbying activity. Safety, Healthcare and Environmental Data: Integrations with openFDA, CMS NPPES, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA ECHO provide information on drug and product recalls, healthcare providers, vehicle safety, environmental compliance and enforcement activity. Nonprofit and Research Data: IRS and OpenAlex datasets support research into tax-exempt organizations, scholarly publications, research institutions and funding relationships. Legal Data: Through its integration with LAW.co, the platform provides access to U.S. court opinions, AI-generated case summaries and case citation relationships, supporting legal research applications and AI-powered legal workflows. The marketplace incorporates source-specific licensing controls and usage restrictions. Where datasets contain third-party or restricted information, Data.co limits access based on applicable source terms and permitted uses. Certain information, including personal data appearing in corporate, political or regulatory records, is subject to additional restrictions. Built for an AI Economy That Depends on Trusted Data As organizations move beyond AI chat interfaces toward systems that autonomously research, analyze and execute tasks, the quality and traceability of the underlying data become increasingly important. Data.co is designed to provide AI agents with structured access to external information while preserving clear attribution to the original source. "AI is only as useful as the information it can reliably access," said Samuel Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer of Data.co. "There's a significant difference between asking an AI model to generate an answer and giving it direct access to authoritative financial filings, economic data, regulatory information or legal records. We're building Data.co around that distinction. Every dataset has a documented origin, and every response is designed to be traceable. That's critical as businesses begin relying on AI agents for increasingly consequential decisions." The platform's MCP server extends dataset access to compatible AI development environments and agent frameworks, enabling applications to discover available data sources and execute permitted queries without requiring custom integrations for every provider. About Data.co Data.co, a division of Nead, LLC and DEV.co , develops private AI infrastructure, enterprise AI governance software and a unified marketplace of public and licensed datasets for businesses, developers and AI agents. Its Data.co Control platform enables organizations to deploy and govern private AI systems within customer-controlled infrastructure, including air-gapped environments. The Data.co Marketplace provides centralized access to structured external data through REST APIs, MCP integrations and a browser-based query interface.

November 11, 2026

Technology

Sentry Interactive Advances NFC Mobile Access Security with Post-Quantum Credentials

Sentry Interactive today announced the introduction of post-quantum security capabilities within its Sentry Open Credential over IP solution, enabling organizations to deploy next-generation post-quantum mobile credentials while continuing to use their existing physical access control systems (PACS). This advancement reinforces Sentry's commitment to making mobile access more secure, flexible, and accessible, giving organizations a practical path to post-quantum security without costly infrastructure replacement. "The future of access control is mobile, open, and built for a new era of security," said Denis Hébert, Chairman and CEO of Sentry Interactive. "We're bringing post-quantum credential technology to market in a way that allows organizations to move forward without abandoning the systems they've already invested in. This is about delivering stronger security today while giving customers the flexibility and freedom to modernize on their own terms." Sentry Interactive's solution incorporates ML-DSA (Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm), the post-quantum digital signature standard established by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under FIPS 204. Designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers, the technology provides advanced protection for mobile credential identity and authentication. Through a new software-based translation layer, Sentry's post-quantum mobile credentials integrate with existing PACS platforms, allowing organizations to strengthen credential security while retaining their current access control infrastructure, decision-making and event logging processes. Credentials are delivered directly to users' smartphones, where private cryptographic keys remain securely stored. When presented at a Sentry Smart Access Tile , credential requests are securely processed through Sentry's network and integrated with the organization's existing PACS. By combining post-quantum credential security with seamless integration into existing systems, Sentry is making the next generation of mobile access available today, without requiring organizations to rethink or replace the infrastructure they depend on.

November 11, 2026

Business

Matrix Robotics MATRIX-3 Makes Its CIIE Debut as a Humanoid Tour Guide in a Real-World Setting for the First Time

The 9th China International Import Expo recently opened in Shanghai. Matrix Robotics' third-generation general-purpose humanoid robot, MATRIX-3, made its debut at the expo, serving as an intelligent tour guide for the first time in a real-world scenario . It autonomously promoted and interacted with visitors in a crowded and noisy public environment, showcasing the commercial potential of domestically produced physical AI humanoid robots in public knowledge service scenarios . The CIIE debut showcased an interactive guided tour system that broke free from pre-set scripts, enabling autonomous visitor services. The exhibition venue is characterized by high visitor flow and complex background noise. MATRIX-3 completely breaks free from the constraints of pre-set scripts, requiring no manual line-by-line control. It autonomously completes the entire business chain, including visitor perception, multimodal interaction switching, company information explanation, and visitor response and interaction. The robot can autonomously retrieve explanation content based on the on-site visitor status, achieving a truly intuitive guided tour experience that "understands the environment and comprehends the visitors." WAVE Physical World Base Model Empowering the "brain - cerebellum" synergistically to drive natural human-computer interaction The core of the robot's cognitive dialogue and physical coordination comes from Matrix Robotics' self-developed WAVE physical world base model . The model adopts an original "brain-cerebellum" collaborative system: the WAVE base model acts as the "brain," responsible for environmental perception, understanding visitor intentions, knowledge base retrieval, and dialogue logic planning; the general motion control model acts as the "cerebellum," outputting human-like natural walking and gesture expression, enabling the robot to "understand questions, speak clearly, and move naturally." Relying on self-developed training infrastructure and a complete data toolchain, real devices continuously feed back scenario data in real exhibition environments, forming a compounding flywheel of technology and continuously optimizing key capabilities such as voice recognition in noisy environments and dynamic crowd avoidance. On the hardware front, the MATRIX-3 is 1.70 meters tall and weighs 65 kilograms, making it suitable for human passage. Equipped with a 27-DOF rope-driven dexterous hand, its fingertip sensing accuracy reaches 0.1 Newtons, balancing interactive safety and movement dexterity. This integrated hardware and software solution demonstrates that humanoid robots, in addition to grasping and delivering physical operations, can also handle knowledge service tasks such as explanation and promotion. Unlocking New Scenarios for Guided Tour Services: Physical AI Drives Humanoid Robots from Exhibits to Practical Services The China International Import Expo (CIIE) brings together global businesses and industry resources. MATRIX-3 serves as a human-machine bridge for technological exchange, showcasing the practical achievements of domestically developed embodied intelligence in the form of Physical AI. This guided, live-action demonstration provides a practical example of how humanoid robots can move beyond their role as mere "stage exhibits" and be applied to routine public services.

November 11, 2026

Health

Red Star Foundation Launches First-Ever National Veteran Suicide Resource Directory With 492 Organizations Already Listed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | NOV. 11, 2026 Red Star Foundation Launches First-Ever National Veteran Suicide Resource Directory With 492 Organizations Already Listed Free nationwide directory connects veterans, current military, first responders and families with critical support while giving smaller nonprofits greater opportunities for national visibility. CLEARWATER, Fla., Nov. 11, 2026 — Red Star Foundation has launched the nation's first national resource directory dedicated specifically to veteran suicide prevention and postvention, featuring 492 organizations at launch and opportunities for hundreds more to participate free of charge. The National Suicide Prevention & Postvention Resource Directory addresses two major challenges: helping individuals and families find the assistance they need and helping organizations, particularly smaller nonprofits and community-based programs, reach those who need their services. Unlike directories focused on general veteran services, this new national platform brings together suicide prevention, intervention and postvention resources serving veterans, current military, first responders and families affected by suicide loss. Giving Smaller Nonprofits National Visibility One of the directory's primary objectives is to help smaller organizations overcome a significant barrier to their success: being discovered. Across the country, local nonprofits and grassroots organizations provide essential services but often operate with limited budgets, small staffs and little funding for marketing or advertising. As a result, individuals searching for help may never discover organizations offering precisely the services they need. "A small nonprofit in rural America might be doing extraordinary work helping veterans or surviving families, but if people don't know it exists, its ability to help is limited," said Jerry Shaffer, founder and CEO of Red Star Foundation. "Some of the most effective organizations are also the least visible. We want to change that by giving them a national platform where people can discover their services without requiring them to spend money on advertising." The directory provides eligible organizations free listings, helping expand their visibility, strengthen referral networks and connect with veterans and families beyond their immediate communities. 492 Organizations at Launch, With Nationwide Expansion Underway With 492 organizations already represented, the directory provides a centralized platform for discovering assistance across multiple areas of need. Resources include suicide prevention, mental health counseling, peer support, crisis intervention, substance use treatment, housing assistance, financial support, employment services, family assistance and suicide loss postvention. Rather than navigating numerous unrelated websites, visitors can explore organizations and services relevant to their circumstances through one national resource. "No single organization can address every challenge or meet every need," Shaffer said. "But with 492 organizations already represented, we are beginning to connect the dots. As more organizations participate, we can build a stronger national network that makes it easier for people to find help and for organizations to connect with one another." Red Star Foundation is encouraging additional organizations nationwide to register and help expand the directory's coverage. Connecting People With Support Before a Crisis Suicide prevention extends beyond emergency intervention. Financial instability, unemployment, housing insecurity, relationship difficulties, social isolation and challenges transitioning from military to civilian life can contribute to emotional distress. Connecting individuals with appropriate assistance early may help address these challenges before they escalate. "When someone is struggling, the last thing they should have to do is spend hours searching the internet trying to figure out where to turn," Shaffer said. "And when a family is desperately looking for help for someone they love, having access to the right resource at the right time can make all the difference." By consolidating resources into one searchable platform, the foundation aims to reduce barriers to finding support and help individuals, families and providers identify relevant services more efficiently. Supporting Families Left Behind After Suicide A defining feature of the directory is its emphasis on postvention, which provides support to individuals, families and communities following a suicide death. While suicide prevention receives significant national attention, surviving families often struggle to find specialized assistance addressing their grief, isolation, unanswered questions and the stigma associated with suicide loss. Surviving spouses, parents, children and siblings may need long-term grief counseling, peer connections, assistance for children and practical support. Red Star Foundation recognizes these families as Red Star Families, reflecting its mission of Honoring the Forgotten Families. "For too long, the families left behind after a suicide have been overlooked," Shaffer said. "Preventing the next suicide is critically important, but so is caring for the people who are left behind. We cannot ignore the long-term impact suicide has on spouses, children, parents and entire families." The directory includes postvention resources designed to connect surviving families with organizations that understand their unique challenges. Building a Stronger National Network Beyond connecting individuals with assistance, the directory seeks to strengthen collaboration among organizations working in suicide prevention and postvention. Many nonprofits operate independently, unaware of complementary programs or specialized services available elsewhere. A centralized directory can help organizations discover potential partners, establish referral relationships and connect individuals with services beyond their own capabilities. "We don't need every organization trying to do everything," Shaffer said. "We need organizations working together, understanding what resources exist and connecting people with the services that best meet their needs. The directory can help make that possible." Organizations Invited to Register for Free Red Star Foundation invites nonprofits, community organizations, government agencies and other qualified providers offering suicide prevention, postvention or related services to register at no cost. Organizations can submit information about their programs, geographic coverage, eligibility requirements and contact details for review. The foundation also offers the Red Star Verified Resource Program, helping users identify organizations that have completed its verification process. "This is bigger than Red Star Foundation," Shaffer said. "If we help a small nonprofit reach someone it otherwise never would have reached, or help a family discover support they didn't know existed, we are making a difference." Access the Directory or Register an Organization Search the National Resource Directory: https://redstarfoundation.org/veteran-suicide-prevention/resources Register Your Organization for Free: https://redstarfoundation.org/veteran-suicide-prevention/resources/register Red Star Verified Resource Program: https://redstarfoundation.org/veteran-suicide-prevention/resources/verified-toolkit About Red Star Foundation Red Star Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, dedicated to preventing suicide among current military, veterans and first responders while recognizing and supporting families left behind after suicide loss. Guided by its pillars of Hope, Recognition and Connection, the foundation advances suicide prevention and postvention through the Red Star Service Banner, Red Star Voices, peer-to-peer support, community engagement and the National Suicide Prevention & Postvention Resource Directory. Learn more at https://redstarfoundation.org. Media Contact Red Star Foundation Clearwater, FL Website: https://redstarfoundation.org Media resources: https://redstarfoundation.org/media/national-resource-directory/ ###

November 11, 2026

Business

Millennia-Old "Iron City" Keeps Its Heritage as Green Shaowu Shows a New Face

The city of Shaowu in Fujian Province recently brought its signature calling cards—the national-level intangible cultural heritage Shaowu Nuo dance, the national geographical indication product Suitong tea (literally "copper-crushing tea"), and "Wuyi Bamboo Cube," China's first regional public brand for the bamboo industry—to the cultural exchange showcase of the 7th World Media Summit. Through intangible heritage performances, product displays and a city presentation, it introduced the history and culture, ecological strengths and industrial achievements of a thousand-year-old city to Chinese and foreign media guests. Shaowu lies in northwest Fujian and is also known as the "Iron City." It has been a county for more than 1,700 years and sits close to two World Heritage sites, Mount Wuyi and Taining, earning it the name "South Wuyi." The city currently has 512 immovable cultural relics of various levels on record, 57 intangible cultural heritage items, forest coverage of nearly 80 percent, and a year-round rate of 100 percent of days with good or excellent air quality. During the event, Vice Mayor Deng Weihua cited a local saying—"each rapid rises a fathom higher, and Shaowu sits up in the sky"—and summed up Shaowu as "a living ancient city," "a green new city with real substance," and "a livable and inclusive small city." Summit guests sample Suitong tea at the event. Shaowu Nuo dance. Shaowu's distinctive culture drew the attention of Chinese and foreign guests at the showcase. The national-level intangible heritage Shaowu Nuo dance originated in the Song Dynasty; dancers wear masks and express traditional folk culture through an archaic style of movement, and it is known as a "living fossil" of ancient Nuo. Suitong tea, cultivated for a thousand years, is said to take its name from the claim that it can break copper coins when chewed together with them, and it drew guests to taste it on site. Jean Musy, president of the Foreign Press Association of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, said after tasting it: "It is really fragrant on the palate, and together with the legend of chewing up copper coins, it left a deep impression on me." Beyond traditional culture, Shaowu's green industrial development was another highlight. The city has 673,000 mu (about 44,900 hectares) of bamboo forest, and in 2024 its bamboo industry generated total output value of RMB 8.59 billion. Its production of bamboo chopsticks and bamboo knives, forks and spoons accounts for 60 percent and 90 percent of the national total, respectively. The "Wuyi Bamboo Cube" brand is valued at more than RMB 22.3 billion. In recent years, Shaowu has continued to explore "bamboo as a substitute for plastic," with a single bamboo pole able to be made into more than 5,000 kinds of creative products, including keyboards and bicycles. This October, Shaowu was selected for the Food and Agriculture Organization's Green Cities Network. The event also promoted tourism resources such as the "World Heritage No. 1 Scenic Route," which links the World Heritage sites of Mount Wuyi and Taining, further showcasing Shaowu's achievements in ecological protection and green development. Shaowu brought the national-level intangible cultural heritage Shaowu Nuo dance, the national geographical indication product Suitong tea and "Wuyi Bamboo Cube," China's first regional public brand for the bamboo industry, to the cultural exchange showcase of the 7th World Media Summit. Through intangible heritage performances, product displays and a city presentation, it showed Chinese and foreign media guests the history and culture, ecological advantages and industrial development of a thousand-year-old city.

November 11, 2026

Travel & Leisure

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London Unveils 'The Spirit Of Christmas' - A Season Of Wonder, Generosity And Giving In Partnership With Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity

This festive season, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London is launching The Spirit of Christmas , a celebration of wonder, generosity and hospitality that invites guests into a shared story of care, imagination and giving, in partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity). As the hotel prepares to mark its 125th anniversary and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) looks ahead to 175 years of caring for children and families, the festive season becomes the opening chapter of a journey shaped by compassion, service, imagination, and shared moments of meaning. From family adventures inspired by Neverland to wishes shared beneath a Christmas tree and simple acts of kindness supporting GOSH Charity, guests are invited not simply to observe the season, but to become part of its story. Funds raised for GOSH Charity over the festive period help bring comfort, joy and moments of magic to the wards at GOSH, and give more families the hope of looking forward to many more Christmases to come. The season is inspired by two writers whose legacies are closely woven into the story of GOSH: J.M. Barrie, who gifted the rights to Peter Pan to the hospital, and Charles Dickens, who helped champion the hospital in its earliest years. This Christmas, their legacies inspire a season of imagination, generosity and hope. At the heart of the hotel, a Christmas tree in gold, white and soft celadon will transform the lobby, alongside a Wishing Tree inviting guests to share messages of hope throughout the festive period. The season unfolds through two complementary worlds: The Spirit of Wonder and The Spirit of Generosity. THE SPIRIT OF WONDER The Spirit of Wonder is led by Families by M.O. – Wonders of Neverland , inspired by J.M. Barrie's connection to GOSH and the hotel's unique setting beside Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. From the hotel's doorstep, families are invited into a world of imagination and discovery, with Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland and its Magical Ice Kingdom just moments away. Inside the hotel, young guests will be welcomed with thoughtful seasonal touches and be gifted a Peter Pan storybook. Beyond the family stay, the spirit of Neverland will continue at The Rosebery, where a children's festive afternoon tea will bring childhood wonder to life with elegance and imagination. THE SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY Alongside Barrie's world of wonder, The Spirit of Generosity draws inspiration from Charles Dickens and his historic support for GOSH, celebrating the warmth, hospitality and human connection at the heart of Christmas. The Rosebery will present A Christmas Wish Afternoon Tea, inspired by togetherness, tradition and hope for the future, with the Wishing Tree inviting guests to pause, reflect and add their own message of hope. At Mandarin Bar , seasonal cocktails inspired by Past, Present and Future will offer a contemporary expression of Dickens' themes, creating moments of connection filled with warmth, reflection and generosity. As Dinner by Heston Blumenthal's sixteen-year chapter draws to a close, the festive season offers one final opportunity to experience its most iconic dishes, celebrating the stories and flavours that have defined the two Michelin-starred restaurant. The Aubrey reimagines festive tradition with Japanese Fried Chicken, a contemporary Japanese take designed for sharing around the table. THE INVISIBLE MINCE PIE The Invisible Mince Pie will unite the hotel's festive experiences as the season's signature charitable initiative, giving guests a simple and memorable way to take part in the spirit of generosity. Available across participating restaurants, bars and festive experiences, guests may order an Invisible Mince Pie from the menu. In place of the pie, an illustrated wishing card designed by artist Charlie Child will arrive at the table, inviting guests to write a wish before hanging it on the hotel's Wishing Tree. The full £5 contribution will be donated directly to GOSH Charity, turning a moment of festive imagination into a direct act of giving. Funds raised for GOSH Charity help make Christmas feel like Christmas for seriously ill children at GOSH, from decorating trees with the Play team to carol singing with the Chaplaincy team. 12 DAYS OF GIVING Returning for the festive season, 12 Days of Giving will bring together guests, partners and colleagues through a series of experiences, from wreath making with Moyses Stevens to family cupcake decorating with Executive Pastry Chef Emmanuel Bonneau, creating further opportunities to come together through shared experience and generosity. Tickets will be available for £12, with all ticket revenue donated directly to GOSH Charity. BEYOND THE SEASON, INTO A NEW YEAR The partnership will create opportunities to share joy and togetherness with children, families and carers connected to GOSH Charity, including plans for a festive afternoon tea at the hotel. Beyond Christmas, the partnership will continue into 2027, when Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London marks 125 years and GOSH celebrates 175 years of caring for seriously ill children and families. Philippe Kronberg, General Manager of Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, said: “Christmas is a time when hospitality can mean something especially powerful. It is about warmth, care and the small moments that make people feel remembered. Through our partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, we hope to bring that spirit to life through moments of generosity, imagination and wonder, while beginning a shared journey as we look towards our respective anniversaries in 2027.” The Spirit of Christmas launches on 18 November 2026 and runs throughout the festive season across dining, accommodation, family experiences, charitable initiatives and community programming at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London. About Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity) stops at nothing to help give seriously ill children childhoods that are fuller, funner and longer. For the hundreds of children from all over the UK who are treated by Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) every day, for children with rare or complex illnesses everywhere, for this generation and all those to come. GOSH has been transforming the lives of seriously ill children since opening its doors in 1852 and has always depended on charitable support. GOSH Charity funds groundbreaking research into children's health, cutting-edge medical equipment, child-centred medical facilities and the support services children and families going through the toughest journey of their lives urgently need. But there is so much more we need to do. Together with our supporters, we can give seriously ill children the best chance, and the best childhoods, possible. Because we believe no childhood should be lost to serious illness. Join us, visit gosh.org today. About Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London Sitting between glorious Royal Parkland and the buzz of central Knightsbridge, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London offers the essence of timeless heritage coupled with contemporary flair and impeccable service. Each of the hotel's rooms and suites have been designed by internationally-renowned designer Joyce Wang, to reflect the natural beauty of neighbouring Hyde Park. An award-winning spa and diverse dining choices from two-Michelin starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Japanese Izakaya at The Aubrey, Traditional Afternoon Tea in The Rosebery and cocktails in the Mandarin Bar makes Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London one of London's premier addresses.

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Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London Unveils 'The Spirit Of Christmas' - A Season Of Wonder, Generosity And Giving In Partnership With Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity

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