Author: Ravi Shankar

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

10 November 2026

RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER

FOR

IRISH CONTINENTAL GROUP, PLC

BY

BLUEFIN BIDCO LIMITED

TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY WAY OF A SCHEME OF ARRANGEMENT UNDER CHAPTER 1 OF PART 9 OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2014

SANCTION OF THE SCHEME BY THE HIGH COURT

The Independent Directors of Irish Continental Group, plc (“ICG”) are pleased to announce that the scheme of arrangement under Chapter 1 of Part 9 of the Companies Act 2014 (the “Scheme”) to implement the unanimously recommended cash acquisition by Bluefin Bidco Limited (“BidCo”) of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of ICG (other than the Excluded Shares) (the “Acquisition”) has today been sanctioned by the High Court of Ireland.

The Scheme and the Acquisition will become effective on delivery to the Registrar of Companies of the Court Order. Pursuant to and in accordance with clause 8(3)(b) of the Transaction Agreement, ICG and BidCo have agreed that delivery of the Court Order is expected to occur on 20 November 2026 (the “Effective Date”).

Accordingly, 20 November 2026 is expected to be the last date on which trading of ICG Units on Euronext Dublin and the London Stock Exchange will occur. Cancellation of the admission of ICG Units to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Dublin and the listing of ICG Units on the Official List of Euronext Dublin is expected to occur by 7.00 a.m. on 23 November 2026 (being the first business day following the Effective Date). Cancellation of the admission of ICG Units to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and the listing of ICG Units on the FCA’s Official list is expected to occur by 8.00 a.m. on 23 November 2026 (being the first business day following the Effective Date).

In accordance with the requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules, all consideration to be paid by BidCo to Scheme Shareholders under the terms of the Scheme is expected to be distributed by no later than 4 December 2026.
Capitalised terms used, but not defined, in this Announcement have the same meaning as in the Scheme Document dated 5 August 2026. All times stated in this Announcement are to time in Dublin.   

Enquiries

Irish Continental Group, plc Brian Holland	+353 1 607 5700 investor.relations@icg.ie
PJT Partners (UK) Limited (Financial Adviser and Rule 3 Adviser to ICG) Basil Geoghegan Ronan Crotty Henry Lebus	+44 (0)20 3650 1100
Q4 Public Relations (Public Relations Adviser to ICG) Gerry O’Sullivan	+353 87 259 7644 gerry@q4pr.ie

  

Responsibility Statement

The Independent ICG Board accept responsibility for the information contained in this Announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the Independent ICG Board (which has taken all reasonable care to ensure such is the case), the information contained in this Announcement for which they accept responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information. 

Adviser

PJT Partners, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively as financial adviser to ICG and no one else in connection with the matters described herein and will not be responsible to anyone other than ICG for providing the protections afforded to clients of PJT Partners nor for providing advice in connection with the matters described herein. Neither PJT Partners nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or representatives owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of PJT Partners in connection with this Announcement, the Acquisition, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

No Offer or Solicitation

This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form any part of any offer or invitation, or the solicitation of an offer, to purchase or otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The Acquisition will be made solely by means of the Scheme Document (or, if applicable, the Takeover Offer Documents), which will contain the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition, including details of how to vote in respect of the Acquisition. Any decision in respect of, or other response to, the Acquisition, should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Scheme Document (or, if applicable, the Takeover Offer Documents).

This Announcement does not constitute a prospectus or a prospectus equivalent document.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to ICG. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts and can generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “target”, “expect”, “estimate”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, “will”, “may”, “would”, “could” or “should” or their negative variants or other variations. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of ICG to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Announcement. ICG undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required.

Disclosure requirements of the Takeover Rules

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Irish Takeover Rules, any person ‘interested’ (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of ‘relevant securities’ of ICG must disclose all ‘dealings’ in such ‘relevant securities’ during the ‘offer period’. The disclosure of a ‘dealing’ in ‘relevant securities’ by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (Irish/UK time) on the business day following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the ‘offer period’ ends. If two or more persons cooperate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an ‘interest’ in ‘relevant securities’ of ICG, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules. A dealing disclosure must contain the details specified in Rule 8.6(b) of the Irish Takeover Rules, including details of the dealing concerned and of the person’s interests and short positions in any ‘relevant securities’ of ICG.

All ‘dealings’ in ‘relevant securities’ of ICG by BidCo, or by any party ‘acting in concert’ with BidCo, must also be disclosed by no later than 12 noon (Irish/UK time) on the ‘business’ day following the date of the relevant transaction. If two or more persons co-operate on the basis of an agreement, either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire for one or more of them an ‘interest’ in ‘relevant securities’, they will be deemed to be a single person for these purposes.

Disclosure tables, giving details of the companies in whose ‘relevant securities’ and ‘dealings’ should be disclosed, can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel’s website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie.   

‘Interests’ in securities arise, in summary, when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an ‘interest’ by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities.

Terms in quotation marks in this section are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can also be found on the Irish Takeover Panel’s website. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a dealing under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel’s website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel on telephone number +353 1 678 9020.

Publication on Website

Pursuant to Rule 26.1 of the Irish Takeover Rules, a copy of this Announcement will be made available on ICG’s website (www.icg.ie) by no later than 12:00 noon (Irish/UK time) on the business day following the date of this Announcement. Neither the content of any such website, nor the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on such website, is incorporated into, or forms part of, this Announcement.

General

This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with the laws of Ireland and the Irish Takeover Rules, and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of Ireland.

The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into certain jurisdictions may be restricted by the laws of those jurisdictions. Persons who are not resident in Ireland or the United Kingdom, or who are subject to the laws of another jurisdiction, should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Failure to do so may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, ICG disclaims any responsibility or liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person.

Any decision in relation to the Acquisition should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Scheme Document. If you are in any doubt about the contents of this Announcement or the action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own independent financial advice immediately from your appropriately authorised independent financial adviser.

DENVER, Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (247MarketNews)— Kraig Biocraft Laboratories (OTCQB: KBLB) recently shipped its first commercial order of recombinant spider silk yarn to a globally recognized sportswear brand. The September 29 announcement confirmed delivery for a confidential performance-apparel pilot. Attention now turns to what the customer makes and when it will be ready to show it.

Meanwhile, KBLB has been busy working on another way to improve its transgenic silkworms: enhancing their diet. On November 2, the company announced a program testing targeted dietary additives to support spider silk protein production. The goal is more output and better fiber performance. The work is still in its early stages.

In addition to that first commercial order, Kraig announced on October 26 that it shipped requested samples to a textile innovator known for advanced yarn-spinning equipment. According to Kraig, the recipient has collaborated with tier-1 aerospace manufacturers on new fibers and hybrid structures.

Spider silk has attracted considerable scientific and commercial interest because of its exceptional combination of strength, flexibility and toughness. Certain varieties can absorb substantial energy before breaking while remaining remarkably lightweight. These characteristics could make spider silk valuable in applications where conventional fibers face performance limitations, including athletic apparel, protective textiles, advanced composites and specialized industrial materials. Its potential also extends to emerging fields such as medical materials, robotics and aerospace engineering.

The historical challenge has been producing spider silk in commercially useful quantities. Spiders are territorial and cannibalistic, making conventional farming impractical. Kraig’s approach uses genetically engineered silkworms to produce spider silk proteins through a biological process that can be scaled using established silkworm-rearing infrastructure.

Editor’s opinion: “If customers begin unveiling products made with Kraig’s material—a shoe, a shirt or another performance textile—I believe we could see another wave of media coverage. A recognizable product would give people a new way to understand what this technology can do.”

This company has gone from a concept to commercial deliveries and is preparing to expand its production business. On October 12, Kraig announced an application for an expanded investment license for its Vietnamese production subsidiary, Prodigy Silk, to support additional capacity and infrastructure.

Three rearing centers are operating on staggered schedules to maintain a supply of hybrid silkworm eggs for subsequent silk production. That system supports the company’s efforts to build inventory for samples and future sales. Kraig reported that August production exceeded its June record of nearly 2.5 metric tons of cocoons by more than 30%.

It’s easy to imagine the applications for KBLB’s hybrid spider silk. The current material combines spider silk and silkworm silk proteins, spun by the silkworm itself. Kraig describes its protein-based fiber as biodegradable.

The company is also in the laboratory with Project Atlas, using targeted genetic engineering and breeding to pursue fibers with greater strength, toughness and flexibility. On September 24, Kraig announced that every planned Atlas transgene had been incorporated into living silkworm hosts. The next stage is establishing stable breeding lines and evaluating more than 200 potential genetic combinations.

Kraig’s broader research includes silk-protein genes from Darwin’s bark spider and the pursuit of pure spider silk. The bark spider produces one of the toughest natural fibers scientists have studied. Toughness measures how much energy a material can absorb before breaking, which helps explain the interest in bringing those properties into fibers that silkworms can produce at scale.

Kraig has already attracted attention from National Geographic, which featured the company in its March 2026 issue. Veritasium’s spider-silk video includes the memorable demonstration of a presenter swinging from a cord made with Kraig’s material.

Editor’s opinion: “That gives a company like Kraig a chance to attract attention as its own customer programs and scientific work advance. Transgenic silkworms producing a super fiber certainly fit the description of a small company with big technology. Apparel is an obvious starting point; longer term, I can imagine specialized materials reaching into robotics and other demanding applications. That is the possibility that makes this platform exciting to me.

“Check out National Geographic, watch the video, read the company’s releases and follow the next developments. There is plenty here to get excited about. In my view, Kraig is just getting started.”

About the Author

Ben Hansel is a financial and business writer with a background in business, sales, and finance. He graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso. His professional and educational background informs his coverage of financial markets, corporate developments, economic trends and the broader forces shaping the market.

About 247MarketNews

In today’s fast-moving markets, visibility is everything and 247MarketNews provides a powerful suite of investor relations and public relations solutions designed to elevate your company’s profile quickly and effectively. Whether you’re an established name seeking broader awareness, or a micro-cap looking to break out of obscurity, 247MarketNews delivers targeted, high-impact coverage through timely news distribution, analyst report placements, featured editorials, and multi-channel amplification across financial platforms, social media, and investor communities. Our services help cut through the noise, attract institutional interest, drive exposure, and build long-term shareholder credibility, all while maintaining full SEC compliance and transparency. For Analyst Report coverage, custom IR campaigns, press release syndication, or other tailored investor and public relations solutions, contact sales@247marketnews.com to discuss how 247MarketNews can help accelerate your company’s visibility and valuation trajectory.

PAID EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE: This is a paid editorial communication intended for informational purposes only. 247MarketNews is a third-party media provider that owns KBLB shares, which are on deposit and may be sold at the editor’s discretion, and has been compensated for providing ongoing KBLB market outreach and other services.. This press release may include technical analysis and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. Trading stocks involves risks, and readers should consult with their financial advisor before making investment decisions. For further information, please visit www.247marketnews.com or https://go.247marketnews.com/kblb-disclosure/

Important Editorial Note: 247MarketNews highlights companies approaching significant catalysts and inflection points. This report reflects information available at the time of publication. Since developments can occur rapidly, readers should independently verify current information and review all company filings and disclosures.

CONTACT:
247MarketNews
Editor@247marketnews.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company’s ability to grow its business and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, general economic conditions, and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update such forward-looking statements except in accordance with applicable law.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b5e9476d-a64a-4440-960f-c840bfe64ef6

RENO, Nev., Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EMPLOYERS (NYSE: EIG), America’s Workers’ Comp Specialist^®, today announced it is expanding its excess workers’ compensation insurance program for authorized self-insured groups, a key sector in the estimated $1.5 billion excess workers’ compensation market. The program helps to give group funds and administrators excess protection against large losses, along with claims analytics and risk services which could improve the fund’s results.

Data visibility is vital to helping self-insured groups improve safety and reduce claims. EMPLOYERS Excess Workers’ Compensation program pairs coverage with a risk intelligence platform enabling insureds to understand what preventative measures may be taken to help reduce their exposures. Tools include:

• Claims analytics at the group and member level that identify the claims, classes, and exposures driving severity, to help groups act earlier to mitigate loss development.
• Real-time claims visibility and reporting for trustees, administrators, and members, supplementing periodic loss runs with more current data.
• Industry benchmarking based on aggregated, de-identified data, that shows how the group and its members compare with peer organizations.
• Loss prevention and risk advisory services for member employers, plus information to support the group’s decision on program structure, retention levels, and risk financing.

“Self-insured groups depend on the results of every member, and these groups need more than simply excess capacity to protect the fund,” said Robby Swayze, EMPLOYERS’ Vice President of Excess Workers’ Compensation. “They need a carrier that helps them understand and manage what is driving their losses. Our specific and aggregate coverage helps to protect the group against severe claims and adverse years, while our analytics, benchmarking, and risk advisory services help trustees identify and act on the trends behind those losses, from the group level down to each individual member. For members with operations outside the group’s home state, our cross-border solution pairs the group’s excess program with EMPLOYERS’ guaranteed cost coverage, so those exposures don’t fall through the gap.”

Self-insured groups pool the workers’ compensation obligations of member employers, typically in the same industry or association, and are generally governed by a board of trustees or similar governing body. The fund for such groups retains risk up to a set level and relies on excess coverage for losses above it. Subject to applicable policy terms, EMPLOYERS’ Excess Workers’ Compensation program provides that protection through two types of coverage. Specific excess coverage reimburses the fund for a covered loss on an individual claim above the specific retention, while aggregate excess coverage applies when the fund’s total covered losses for a given policy period exceed the aggregate retention, up to the applicable limit.

The program is underwritten by Employers Assurance Company, rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. Excess Workers’ Compensation insurance from EMPLOYERS is currently available in select jurisdictions. Coverage is subject to underwriting and to the terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy issued. Risk services are available to eligible policyholders and are not a substitute for any actuarial, legal, or other professional advice. For details on the program, underwriting appetite, available jurisdictions, attachment points, and services, visit www.employers.com/excess-workers-compensation/.

About EMPLOYERS

Employers Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EIG), is a holding company with subsidiaries that are specialty providers of workers’ compensation insurance, excess workers’ compensation, and related services (collectively “EMPLOYERS”) focused on small and mid-sized businesses engaged in lower hazard industries with its guaranteed cost product and self-insured enterprises with its excess workers’ compensation program. EMPLOYERS leverages over a century of experience to deliver comprehensive coverage solutions that meet the unique needs of its customers. Drawing from its long history and extensive knowledge, EMPLOYERS empowers businesses by protecting their most valuable asset – their employees – through exceptional claims management, loss control, and risk management services, to help businesses create safer work environments.

Excess workers’ compensation insurance is offered through Employers Assurance Company, rated A (Excellent) by the A.M. Best Company. Excess workers’ compensation coverage is not currently available in all jurisdictions. Go to www.employers.com/excess-workers-compensation/ for more information regarding this product offering. EMPLOYERS^® and America’s Workers’ Comp Specialist^® are registered trademarks of EIG Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Employers Holdings, Inc.

Media Contact:
Kimberly Eye
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
772-214-6153 | keye@employers.com

Financial/Investor Relations Contact:
Michael Pedraja
EVP, Chief Financial Officer
775-327-2706 | mpedraja@employers.com

AB Pieno žvaigždės
Notice of a material event

AB Pieno žvaigždės has signed an agreement to sell a part of the assets of its plant in Pasvalys for making semi-finished cheese products

AB Pieno žvaigždės (the “Company”) has signed the Assets Sale and Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) with AB Rokiškio sūris and its subsidiary UAB RS IT (the “Buyer”) concerning the sale of a part of the semi-finished cheese products making facilities and associated infrastructure of the Company’s branch Pasvalio sūrinė, including buildings, land plots, equipment and engineering networks, situated at Mūšos str. 14, Pasvalys, Mūšos str. 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F, Pasvalys (the “Assets”), to the Buyer.

Together with the Assets, the Buyer will take over the employment relationships with the employees associated with the Assets, which will be transferred to the Buyer in accordance with the procedure laid down by law, thereby ensuring that the employees can continue working at the same workplace.

The Transaction does not involve the transfer of the equipment, buildings, and associated infrastructure located at Mūšos str. 2C, Pasvalys, which are required for the cheese ripening (maturing) and packaging operations of the Company’s Pasvalio sūrinė branch; such assets shall remain the property of the Company, thereby ensuring the uninterrupted production of cheese and its supply to the market. The assets sold under the Agreement do not include the Company’s trademarks, other intellectual property rights, or active agreements with suppliers and buyers. These rights and agreements shall not be transferred to the Buyer.

In addition, alongside the Assets Sale and Purchase Agreement, the Buyer and AB Rokiškio sūris and its subsidiary entered into agreements for provision of services by the Buyer to the Company in connection with the production of semi-finished cheese products after the closing of the transaction.

The Transaction will be closed once the conditions set out in the Agreement are fulfilled, the main one being obtaining a concentration permit from the Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania if such a permit is required. As completion of the transaction remains subject to the satisfaction of conditions precedent, the transaction value will be disclosed following completion.

The Company will issue a separate notice about the closing.

Danutė Kairevičienė
CFO

+370 5 246 1414

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION OF THIS PRESS RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL

In accordance with the investor news dated 9 November 2026, the offering of the new Perpetual NC5.25-year Restricted Tier 1 Capital Notes (the “Notes”) was priced and subscribed today. Alm. Brand A/S has subsequently decided to issue notes for a nominal amount of DKK 325 million.

The issue of the Notes will be settled on 18 November 2026. The Notes will have a variable interest rate of 3M CIBOR +260bps per annum.

The first interest payment date will be 18 February 2027. The Notes are perpetual, but Alm. Brand A/S has the option, subject to the fulfilment of the redemption and purchase conditions set out in the terms and conditions of the Notes, to redeem the Notes at par on any day from (and including) 18 November 2031 to (and including) 18 February 2032, or on any Interest Payment Date thereafter.

The Notes are expected to be listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen on or prior to 30 June 2027.

Contact
Please direct any questions regarding this announcement to:

Investors and equity analysts:                       

VP, Head of Investor Relations & ESG           
Mads Thinggaard                             
Mobile no, +45 2025 5469              

Attachment

• Investor news_RT1 Pricing Annonucement

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: IZEA), a leading influencer marketing company that makes Creator Economy solutions for marketers, announced today that its conference call to review and discuss its third quarter 2026 financial results will begin at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 12, 2026.

IZEA’s Chief Executive Officer Patrick Venetucci and Chief Financial Officer Peter Biere will host the call, followed by a question and answer period.

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
Webcast link: https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1778906&tp_key=6b57d8dfd2
Toll-free dial-in number: 1-877-407-4018
International dial-in number: 1-201-689-8471

Please call the conference telephone number five (5) minutes before the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. A call replay will be made available approximately 3 hours after the conference ends until Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Toll-free replay number: 1-844-512-2921
International replay number: 1-412-317-6671
Replay ID: 13763279

About IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (“IZEA”) is a full-service creator economy agency powered by our proprietary ZED technology, with a mission to to make Creator Economy solutions for marketers. We do this by lighting up the Creator Economy with IZEAs—our strategies, campaigns, and solutions that build brands and drive demand. Since launching the industry’s first-ever influencer marketing platform in 2006, IZEA has facilitated nearly 4 million collaborations between brands and creators.

Press Contact
John Francis
IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
Phone: 407-674-6911
Email: ir@izea.com

• New program helps AI-native startups build and scale with Zoom’s industry-leading speech, language, and voice AI Services, no equity stake required; applications open today

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced AI Launchpad, a new grant program offering eligible startups up to $150,000 in Zoom AI Services credits to build and scale next-gen AI-native applications — completely equity-free. Removing the costly barrier posed by multi-vendor APIs, the program provides founders with access to the AI technology used in Zoom’s own products, plus technical support to accelerate go-to-market growth.

“AI startups should spend time solving real problems, not stitching together infrastructure,” said X.D. Huang, chief technology officer at Zoom. “AI Launchpad gives founders the same industry-leading AI technology that powers our own products, plus resources to move faster and focus their engineering talent where it matters most.”

Building AI-powered products often forces startups to stitch together a patchwork of expensive third-party providers for speech, language, and decision-making. AI Launchpad helps eliminate this hurdle by providing a unified platform, so developers can spend more time building their products and less time managing the technology behind them.

The program builds on Zoom AI Services, which delivers Zoom’s AI capabilities to developers through standalone APIs. These services span speech recognition, summarization, translation, voice AI, and decision intelligence, so developers can build applications that better understand conversations, generate responses, and take action. AI Launchpad extends Zoom’s investment in AI infrastructure to emerging companies developing new products across industries.

Helping startups build with Zoom AI Services

AI Launchpad gives startups access to Zoom AI Services, a platform that brings speech, language, and decision-making capabilities together without requiring developers to build and manage each component themselves.

Startups can use Zoom’s APIs to develop a range of AI-powered products, including:

• Voice AI and customer service agents that understand spoken requests, generate natural responses, and support customer interactions.
• Conversation intelligence applications that transcribe and summarize calls, meetings, and other audio to surface useful information and support follow-up workflows.
• Multilingual experiences that use translation and speech capabilities to help people communicate across languages.
• AI-powered workflows that use the Decisions API to analyze information, classify requests, and help determine the next action.

The program offers three tiers based on a startup’s stage, technical needs, and eligibility:

TIER	API CREDITS	BENEFITS
Launch	$5,000	Community resources Technical office hours
Scale	$50,000	Engineering support Co-marketing opportunities
Propel	$150,000	Advanced technical guidance Early feature access Go-to-market collaboration

Credits are available for up to 12 months. Participating startups may also receive engineering guidance, opportunities to showcase their products through Zoom’s developer channels, and introductions to potential enterprise customers.

Applications now open

AI Launchpad is designed for startups developing software products with speech, language, or conversational AI at their core. Applicants will be evaluated based on their product, team, technical approach, traction, and plans to build with Zoom AI Services.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with a limited number of startups accepted into the program.

To learn more about AI Launchpad and apply, visit https://zoom.ai/ai-launchpad.

About Zoom
Zoom (NASDAQ:ZM) is a system of action for modern work, turning live collaboration into completed results. From entrepreneurs to global enterprises, customers choose Zoom to seamlessly collaborate, communicate, and drive outcomes across meetings, phone, contact center, and more — all with the built-in assistance of Zoom AI. Founded in 2011, Zoom is headquartered in San Jose, CA. For more information, visit zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Travis Isaman
press@zoom.us

Star Performer designation recognizes year-over-year improvement in both market impact and vision and capability

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOUN), a global leader in voice and agentic AI, today announced that Everest Group has positioned it as a Leader and a Star Performer in the Conversational AI and AI Agents in Customer Experience Management (CXM) Products PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026.

Everest Group assessed SoundHound on market impact, vision, and capability. The Star Performer title recognizes providers with the strongest year-over-year improvement on the PEAK Matrix across both.

“Everest Group’s Star Performer title measures how far a company moves in a year, and this was a year of incredible progress for us,” said Keyvan Mohajer, CEO & Co-Founder of SoundHound AI. “We launched OASYS in May and OASYS Edge in September, giving businesses one platform to build, test, run, and improve AI agents in the cloud, on the device, or both. Enterprises are now putting that work in front of their customers on every channel they serve.”

OASYS (Orchestrated Agent System), SoundHound’s agentic AI platform, manages the full life of an AI agent: building it, testing it, running it, and improving it. Teams give OASYS their existing transcripts and documentation, and it generates agents ready for review in minutes. It tests them in simulation before launch and proposes improvements once they’re live. On voice channels, agents run on SoundHound’s own speech recognition model, so they handle interruptions, mid-conversation language switches, and noisy settings.

When a conversation needs a person, SoundHound’s patented Human Assisted Resolution lets a team member step in to provide instruction to the AI agent behind the scenes without ever transferring the customer. OASYS AI agents are built once and run across phone, chat, kiosks, drive-thrus, smart devices, and vehicles – in the cloud, on the device, or both with OASYS Edge.

“Conversational AI is moving beyond scripted interactions toward voice-native, multimodal agents that can resolve increasingly complex customer needs and completing transactions,” said Sharang Sharma, Vice President at Everest Group. “SoundHound AI’s OASYS platform reflects this evolution by combining voice-native agentic execution with deterministic workflows, multilayered guardrails, and human-assisted resolution. This balance of autonomy and control enables enterprises to automate complex interactions while retaining oversight, strengthening SoundHound AI’s Leader position and earning it Star Performer recognition in Everest Group’s Conversational AI and AI Agents in CXM Products PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026.”

Customers are already seeing results from SoundHound’s agents. MUSC Health’s AI agent, Emily, has supported more than 2.2 million patient calls and now helps patients refill prescriptions at the health system’s retail and specialty pharmacies. At insurer Quálitas, AI agents handle about 100,000 calls a month and resolve more than 74% of car assistance requests end to end.

To see how businesses build, run, and improve AI agents with OASYS, visit www.soundhound.com/oasys.

About SoundHound AI

SoundHound AI (Nasdaq: SOUN) is a voice and agentic AI company that enables businesses to deliver natural, end-to-end conversational experiences across digital and physical channels, including phones, kiosks, chat, smart devices, drive-thrus, TVs, in-vehicle, and more. Its agentic platform, OASYS, is a self-learning, orchestrated AI system where organizations can build and deploy conversational AI agents to handle transactions, tasks, and workflows on behalf of customers and employees. Built on proprietary technology backed by 800+ patents and years of AI research, SoundHound serves leading brands across industries including automotive, financial services, healthcare, retail, telecommunications, and more. It powers millions of products and processes billions of interactions annually for enterprise customers worldwide. Learn more at: www.soundhound.com

Media Contact

Fiona McEvoy
PR@soundhound.com
415-610-6590

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/91a56481-81c1-4549-aa3d-edd40cadc5e5

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Vancouver, British Columbia, Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amaya Big Sky Capital Corp. (“Amaya” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: AMYA.P), a capital pool company, is pleased to announce a consolidation of all of its issued and outstanding common shares (the “Shares”) on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation Share for every four (4) pre-consolidation Shares (the “Consolidation”), to be followed by an offering of up to 60,000,000 post-Consolidation Shares at a price of $0.05 per post-Consolidation Share for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000 (the “Offering”).

Share Consolidation

The board of directors of the Company believes the Consolidation will provide a more appropriate capital structure for the Offering and a potential Qualifying Transaction (as such term is defined in Policy 2.4 – Capital Pool Companies of the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSX-V”)). The Company currently has 5,870,100 Shares issued and outstanding. Following the Consolidation, the Company expects to have approximately 1,467,525 Shares issued and outstanding, subject to adjustment for rounding, before completion of the Offering. The exercise price and number of Shares issuable under the Company’s outstanding stock options and agent’s warrants will be adjusted proportionately in accordance with their terms. Shares held in escrow under the Company’s CPC escrow agreement will remain in escrow on a post-Consolidation basis.

No fractional Shares will be issued in connection with the Consolidation. Any fractional interest in a Share of less than 0.5 of a Share will be cancelled without compensation, and any fractional interest equal to or greater than 0.5 of a Share will be rounded up to one whole Share. The Company’s name and trading symbol will not change. The post-Consolidation Shares are expected to be assigned a new CUSIP and ISIN, which, together with the effective date of the Consolidation and the date on which the Shares are expected to commence trading on a post-Consolidation basis, will be announced in a separate news release once the Company has received approval from the TSX-V.

In accordance with the articles of the Company, the Consolidation has been approved by the board of directors of the Company and shareholder approval is not required. The Consolidation remains subject to the acceptance of the TSX-V. Registered shareholders will receive a letter of transmittal from the Company’s transfer agent, Endeavor Trust Corporation, with instructions for exchanging their existing share certificates or DRS advices for post-Consolidation Shares. Shareholders who hold their Shares through a broker or other intermediary do not need to take any action.

Private Placement

The Offering will be completed after the Consolidation takes effect, and all Shares issued under the Offering will be issued on a post-Consolidation basis.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to identify and evaluate assets or businesses for a potential Qualifying Transaction, to pay costs associated with completing a Qualifying Transaction, and for general and administrative expenses, in each case as permitted under Policy 2.4 – Capital Pool Companies of the TSX-V.

The securities issued in the Offering will be subject to applicable hold periods imposed under applicable securities legislation, including a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the closing date of the Offering pursuant to National Instrument 45-102. The Company may pay finder’s fees to eligible finders in connection with the Offering, subject to compliance with applicable securities laws and TSX-V policies.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Amaya Big Sky Capital Corp.

Amaya is a capital pool company within the meaning of TSX-V Policy 2.4, has not commenced commercial operations, and has no assets other than cash.

For further information, please contact:

Ryan Hounjet, Director and Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: 403-542-6215

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “intends” or “anticipates”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “should”, “would” or “occur”. This information and these statements, referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”, are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management’s expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things:

•      the Consolidation, including its effective date, the treatment of fractional Shares, TSX-V acceptance and the number of Shares outstanding following the Consolidation;
•      the completion of the Offering following the Consolidation;
•      the anticipated proceeds to be raised under the Offering;
•      the intended use of any proceeds raised under the Offering;
•      the payment of any finder’s fees in connection with the Offering; and
•      the Company’s ability to identify and complete a Qualifying Transaction.

These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required regulatory approvals for the Consolidation and the Offering, including TSX-V approval; the inability of the Company to raise the anticipated proceeds under the Offering; the inability of the Company to utilize the anticipated proceeds of the Offering as anticipated; and risks related to global financial markets, including the trading price of the Shares.

In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation: the Company will obtain the required regulatory approvals for the Consolidation and the Offering, including TSX-V approval; the Company will be able to raise the anticipated proceeds under the Offering and on the timetable anticipated; and the Company will use the proceeds of the Offering as currently anticipated.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement or forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

• AI Sentiment Analysis in NewsWhip classifies each article as positive, negative or neutral for a brand, based on its effect on reputation rather than the tone of the words.
• Teams can set their own criteria to track key messages, and every result links back to the source articles.
• The launch is featured in today’s Q4 Breaking Ground event alongside customer speakers, Indiana University and Bell Bank.

CHICAGO, Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sprout Social (Nasdaq: SPT), a leading AI-powered Social Intelligence platform, today announced the launch of AI Sentiment Analysis within NewsWhip to help brands understand how news coverage shapes their reputation and immediately answer leadership’s critical question: what does this coverage mean for us? AI Sentiment Analysis reads full articles in context to evaluate how coverage actually lands. By assessing whether a story realistically alters audience perception rather than scoring isolated keywords, communications teams can accurately separate industry noise from genuine reputational risk.

The feature is built directly into NewsWhip dashboards, allowing communications and PR teams to set up custom Analyzers in a few clicks. Teams can track whether their core messages are landing as intended, measure sentiment shifts driven by specific news stories, and identify who is receiving blame or praise during a crisis. Every metric links directly back to the underlying articles and driver summaries, giving communications leaders clear, defensible data to back up their reporting.

“AI Sentiment Analysis is a game-changer for brand communications because it cuts through the noise of keyword scoring to show PR and brand leaders how coverage actually impacts their reputation,” said Scott Morris, Chief Marketing Officer at Sprout Social. “This launch directly aligns with the broader mission of Sprout’s social intelligence platform: we do not just monitor conversations, we surface actionable insights that help teams to engage quickly and support real, measurable impact across their entire organizations.”

The launch of AI Sentiment Analysis headlines Sprout Social’s Q4 Breaking Ground event today, showcasing the company’s latest product innovations alongside customer stories. The event highlights how organizations are putting recent enhancements across Sprout’s social intelligence platform to work to scale impact and deepen audience connection.

Featured speakers include Indiana University (IU), whose social media team used the Sprout platform to navigate a sudden fivefold surge in inbound messages during its football program’s national championship run. By relying on the Smart Inbox, listening topics, and custom tagging, IU scaled response workflows across campus, caught authentic fan interactions that captured national media attention, and connected athletic momentum directly back to academic excellence.

“When inbox volume multiplied overnight, our goal was never just to monitor the surge, but to actively engage with the people behind it,” said Jill Trimbach, Executive Director of Social Media at Indiana University. “Sprout gave us the tools to surface those standout moments and respond with care. That real-time engagement allowed us to turn a national sports milestone into lasting value and visibility for IU’s broader mission.”

Attendees will also hear from Bell Bank, whose marketing team leveraged Sprout’s analytics and reporting to transition away from high-volume publishing toward intentional, culture-driven storytelling. The change fueled a 40% increase in total social engagement rate across channels.

To learn more about Sprout Social’s social intelligence platform please visit, sproutsocial.com.

About Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a leading AI-powered social intelligence platform, built on the belief that All Business is Social℠. Powered by Trellis, Sprout’s proprietary AI agent, the platform is designed to transform real-time social media signals into actionable insights that drive business forward. Consistently recognized as a top software by G2, Sprout enables brands to deliver smarter, faster business impact through a suite of solutions including comprehensive publishing and engagement, customer care, influencer marketing, advocacy and predictive media intelligence. Sprout’s software operates across all major social networks and digital platforms. For more information about Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT), visit sproutsocial.com.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is AI Sentiment Analysis in NewsWhip? AI Sentiment Analysis in NewsWhip evaluates how news coverage impacts brand reputation. Instead of scoring positive or negative keywords in isolation, it analyzes full articles in context to determine whether a story realistically shifts audience perception or poses genuine reputational risk.
2. How does AI Sentiment Analysis differ from traditional sentiment tools? Traditional sentiment tools rely on static keyword matching, which routinely misclassifies context, sarcasm, and industry jargon. NewsWhip’s AI Sentiment Analysis evaluates the holistic meaning of each story, allowing communications teams to measure core message pull-through, assess narrative shifts during breaking news, and separate everyday media noise from actionable risk.
3. How does Sprout Social use AI across its social intelligence platform? Sprout Social launched Trellis, its proprietary AI agent, and Trellis Studio to turn digital conversations into strategic business insights across Listening, Publishing, the Smart Inbox, and Reporting. Rather than just monitoring volume, Sprout’s AI automates routine tasks, unifies media intelligence from NewsWhip with social channels, and surfaces proactive recommendations to help teams protect brand reputation and scale customer connection.
4. What are real-world examples of brands using Sprout Social to scale their impact? Brands across education and financial services use Sprout Social to turn social data into measurable outcomes:
   • Indiana University: Managed a 5x surge in inbound messages during its football program’s national championship run by using Sprout’s Smart Inbox, listening topics, and custom tagging to scale cross-campus response workflows and catch viral fan moments.
   • Bell Bank: Used Sprout’s performance and channel-level analytics to shift away from high-volume posting toward intentional, culture-driven storytelling, driving a 40% increase in total social engagement rate year-over-year.
5. Who has access to NewsWhip AI Sentiment Analysis, and how is it set up? AI Sentiment Analysis is available directly within NewsWhip dashboards for brand customers. PR and communications teams can create custom Analyzers in a few clicks to track priority brand messages, follow narrative trends, and review driver summaries that link straight back to the original articles.

Social Media Profiles
www.x.com/SproutSocial
www.x.com/SproutSocialIR
www.facebook.com/SproutSocialInc
www.linkedin.com/company/sprout-social-inc-/
www.instagram.com/sproutsocial

Media Contact
Abigail Hart
Email: pr@sproutsocial.com
Phone: (860) 309-4550

Investors:
Lexi Johnson
Twitter: @SproutSocialIR
Email: investors@sproutsocial.com
Phone: (312) 528-9166