Author: Ravi Shankar

– Stable or increased weight was twice as common among pancreatic cancer patients in the atebimetinib + mGnP study, compared to those in a benchmark study –

– Patients with stable or increased weight at three months had significantly longer overall survival than patients who lost weight at three months –

– Overall survival was comparable among patients with moderate and deeper tumor volume reductions, suggesting presence of tumor reduction may be more important than depth of response –

– Findings support atebimetinib’s mechanisms designed to extend survival including tumor volume reduction and body mass preservation –

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Immuneering Corporation (Nasdaq: IMRX), a late-stage clinical oncology company focused on keeping cancer patients alive and helping them thrive, today announced the presentation of new data at the 2026 AACR Conference on Pancreatic Cancer in San Diego, California. The findings, presented by Peter Vu, M.D., MHA, UC San Diego Health, support a potential dual mechanism of action through which atebimetinib may improve survival in pancreatic cancer by both reducing tumor volume and preserving body mass.

“We designed atebimetinib to do several important things at the same time: to shrink tumors and to counteract the tumor-driven weight loss (known as cachexia) that harms many cancer patients, all while minimizing side effects,” said Ben Zeskind, Ph.D., Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Immuneering. “We already reported that 84% of evaluable patients treated with atebimetinib + mGnP have stable or increasing weight. Now we can add that these pancreatic cancer patients in our study were twice as likely to have stable or increasing weight as those in a benchmark study, and the patients in our study with stable or increasing weight had longer overall survival than those who lost weight. We believe reduction in tumor volume, maximization of tolerability, and preservation of body mass all contributed to the compelling 17.3-month median overall survival we reported at ASCO 2026 in 55 first-line pancreatic cancer patients treated with atebimetinib + mGnP in our Phase 2a study. We are excited to now be evaluating atebimetinib + mGnP in our ongoing Phase 3 MAPKeeper 301 clinical trial, which is actively enrolling first-line pancreatic cancer patients.”

“Cachexia is an especially important problem in pancreatic cancer and can have a profound impact on patients’ survival and quality of life,” said Peter Vu, M.D., MHA, UC San Diego Health and lead author of the poster. “In this exploratory analysis, patients who maintained their weight at three months had longer overall survival than those who lost weight, and two-thirds of patients with anorexia symptoms at baseline reported improvement while on treatment. Having enrolled a number of patients on this study, I’ve been encouraged by how well the combination has been tolerated. These findings support further study of whether atebimetinib may benefit patients beyond conventional measures of tumor response, and I’m hopeful the Phase 3 MAPKeeper 301 trial will help define its role as a new treatment option for pancreatic cancer.”

The poster, entitled “Atebimetinib Reduces Tumor Volume and Preserves Body Mass: A Dual Mechanism for Extended Survival in Pancreatic Cancer,” evaluated the relationship between body mass preservation, tumor volume reduction and overall survival in first-line pancreatic cancer patients treated with atebimetinib in combination with modified gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (mGnP) in a single-arm Phase 2a study, using exploratory, post-hoc analyses with the same data cutoff date as the ASCO presentation (April 24, 2026). Highlights of the data include:

• Median overall survival of 17.3 months was previously reported in 55 first-line pancreatic cancer patients treated with atebimetinib + mGnP, and 84% of evaluable patients had stable or increased weight at three months. In the new analysis presented at AACR Pancreatic Cancer 2026, the proportion of patients demonstrating stable or increasing weight was approximately two-fold higher among atebimetinib + mGnP-treated patients evaluable for weight trajectory analysis (n=23) compared with patients from a published benchmark study (Fuller S, et al, JNCI, 117:8, 2025, 1729–1732, https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djaf030). Median weight trajectory stabilized during atebimetinib treatment.
• Among first-line pancreatic cancer patients treated with atebimetinib + mGnP, those with stable or increased weight at three months had significantly longer overall survival than patients who experienced weight loss at three months (HR=3.13; p=0.049). Median overall survival had not been reached in the weight-stable or weight-gain group after median follow-up of 15.2 months.
• Among patients with low baseline scores of 37 or below on the FAACT-Anorexia Cachexia Subscale (ACS), 66% achieved an improvement of at least four points on this patient-reported outcome while on treatment. These improvements were observed across a range of RECIST responses.
• The analysis also evaluated the relationship between tumor volume reduction and overall survival. Overall survival among patients with deeper tumor volume reductions, defined as a sum of longest diameters (SLD) reduction of at least 30%, was comparable to overall survival among patients with moderate tumor volume reductions of between 0% and 30%. Median overall survival was not reached in either group. In contrast, median overall survival was reached among patients without a measured reduction in SLD. The findings suggest that achieving tumor volume reduction may be more important to overall survival than the depth of tumor reduction and that clinically meaningful benefit may extend to patients whose tumor shrinkage does not meet the threshold for a RECIST partial response.

Following presentation, the poster will be available on the publications section of Immuneering’s website at https://immuneering.com/publications.

Atebimetinib in combination with mGnP is currently being evaluated in a Phase 3 MAPKeeper 301 clinical trial in patients with first-line pancreatic cancer (NCT07562152).

About Immuneering Corporation
Immuneering is a late-stage clinical oncology company dedicated to keeping cancer patients alive and helping them thrive, with an initial focus on patients with RAS, RAF, and other MAPK-driven cancers. The Company is developing an entirely new category of cancer medicines, Deep Cyclic Inhibitors, designed to improve overall survival by three mechanisms: shrinking tumors durably with less resistance, preserving body mass by countering cachexia, and minimizing side effects to maximize performance status and combinability. Immuneering’s lead product candidate, atebimetinib, is an oral, once-daily Deep Cyclic Inhibitor of MEK, designed to improve survival across many cancer indications. The Company is conducting a global randomized pivotal trial, MAPKeeper 301, evaluating atebimetinib in combination with chemotherapy in first-line pancreatic cancer patients. The Company’s development pipeline also includes additional combination opportunities and preclinical stage programs. For more information, please visit www.immuneering.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding: the treatment potential of atebimetinib, alone or in combination with other agents to treat cancer including modified Gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (mGnP); the finding that presence of tumor reduction may be more important than depth of response; atebimetinib’s design mechanisms and the relationship between body mass preservation and tumor volume reduction to extend survival in pancreatic cancer.

These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: we are a late-stage clinical oncology company with a limited operating history and have not completed any registrational clinical trials; we have incurred significant losses, are not currently profitable and may never become profitable; limitations on our cash runway and potential increases in expenditures; our need for additional funding; our unproven approach to therapeutic intervention; our ability to address regulatory questions and changing regulatory standards, and the uncertainties relating to regulatory filings, reviews and approvals; the lengthy, expensive, and uncertain process of clinical drug development, including the uncertainty of whether positive preclinical or early clinical efficacy and safety results are confirmed in later-stage trials, potential delays in activation of trial sites or enrollment of trial participants, or failure to obtain regulatory approvals; our reliance on third parties and collaborators to conduct our clinical trials, manufacture our product candidates, and develop and commercialize our product candidates, if approved; failure to compete successfully against other drug companies; protection of our proprietary technology and the confidentiality of our trade secrets; potential lawsuits for, or claims of, infringement of third-party intellectual property or challenges to the ownership of our intellectual property; our patents being found invalid or unenforceable; costs and resources of operating as a public company; and unfavorable or no analyst research or reports.

These and other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2026, and our other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Investor Contact:
Laurence Watts
New Street Investor Relations
laurence@newstreetir.com

Media Contact:
David Caouette
dcaouette@immuneering.com

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — King Copper Discovery Corp. (“King Copper” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: KCP, OTCQB: TBXXF, FSE: 3RIO) is pleased to announce that Dr. David Burrows has joined the Company’s Technical Advisory Team following his review of historical drill core, geological data and the broader exploration opportunity at the Colquemayo Copper Project in southern Peru.

Dr. Burrows brings more than 30 years of global exploration experience, including as Chief Geologist, Global Exploration at Vale for 16 years (2006-2022) and before that at Inco Exploration (1990-2006). His career has included extensive exploration experience across porphyry Cu-Au-(Mo) and high-sulphidation epithermal systems in Indonesia, the Philippines, Peru and Chile.

Importantly, Dr. Burrows was a member of the discovery team responsible for the Onto Cu-Au discovery in Indonesia, which received the 2025 PDAC Thayer Lindsley Award for an international mineral discovery. He is also co-author of “The Onto Cu-Au Discovery, Eastern Sumbawa, Indonesia: A Large, Middle Pleistocene Lithocap-Hosted High-Sulfidation Covellite-Pyrite Porphyry Deposit.”

His experience evaluating large-scale porphyry and high-sulphidation systems complements King Copper’s ongoing technical work at Colquemayo, where the Company has identified five priority porphyry targets beneath and adjacent to an extensive high-sulphidation lithocap and historically drilled copper mineralization.

Dr. Burrows holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Economic Geology from the University of Toronto and a B.A. in Natural Sciences (Geology) from Trinity College Dublin. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Geology at Laurentian University.

Dr. Burrows joins a technical team that includes Doug Kirwin, Lead Strategic and Technical Advisor, and Chico Azevedo, Vice President of Exploration.

Jonathan Richards, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are very pleased to welcome David to King Copper Discovery’s Technical Advisory Team. His extensive experience with porphyry and high-sulphidation systems, including his involvement in the award winning Onto Cu-Au discovery, is highly relevant to the geological setting we are evaluating at the Colquemayo Copper Project. David has had the opportunity to review our historical drill core and technical data, and his perspective will be valuable as we continue to refine our geological model and advance our priority targets toward drilling. With David joining Doug Kirwin and Chico Azevedo, we have assembled an exceptional depth of global discovery and exploration experience around Colquemayo.”

The appointment follows a period of significant technical and corporate advancement at Colquemayo, including the recent expansion of King Copper’s land position across the broader Colquemayo copper district.

King Copper Technical Team Leadership

Chico Azevedo – Vice President of Exploration

• Former Exploration Manager, IAMGOLD, Argentina
• Former South America Exploration Manager, Gold Fields, where he led exploration teams during the discovery and development of the Salares Norte gold-silver deposit and advancement of the Chucapaca gold-copper-silver deposit (currently the San Gabriel mine, operated by Buenaventura).
• Past President, Society of Economic Geologists
• Recipient of the SEG 2026 Ralp W. Marsden Award

Doug Kirwin – Lead Strategic and Technical Advisor

• Former Executive Vice President of Ivanhoe Mines (1996–2012)
• Co-recipient of the 2004 PDAC Thayer Lindsley Award for Best Global Discovery as a member of the joint discovery team responsible for the Hugo Dummett orebody at Oyu Tolgoi
• Past President, Society of Economic Geologists
• Adjunct Professor of Geology, James Cook University

Dr. David Burrows – Technical Advisor

• Former Chief Geologist, Global Exploration, Vale
• More than 30 years of global exploration experience, including extensive work on porphyry and high-sulphidation systems
• Member of the Onto Cu-Au discovery team, recipient of the 2025 PDAC Thayer Lindsley Award for Best Global Discovery
• Adjunct Professor of Geology, Laurentian University

Advancing Colquemayo

King Copper continues to advance Colquemayo toward its inaugural drill program, with recent progress including:

• Relogging and reinterpretation of more than 20,000 metres of historical drill core and integration into an updated 3D geological model.
• Identification of five priority porphyry targets across the approximately 12km by 4km high-sulphidation lithocap.
• Recent approval of Declaración de Impacto Ambiental (“DIA”) permit that allows for 36,000 metres of diamond drilling from 40 drill platforms across 59 drill holes.
• Drill contractor selection and remaining pre-mobilization requirements advancing.

The fully funded drill program is designed to systematically test the broader potential of the Colquemayo mineral
ized system.

On Behalf of the Company,
Jonathan Richards, Chief Executive Officer and Director.

Contact Information:
Harp Gosal | Director of Capital Markets & Communications
E: hgosal@kingcopperdiscovery.com
Website: www.kingcopperdiscovery.com
Address: #1012-1030 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC V6E 3M5

For Investor Relations enquiries, please contact +1 604 218 1142

Statements

About King Copper Discovery Corp and Our Projects: King Copper is a TSXV-listed exploration company focused on the Colquemayo copper-gold project in South America. The Company is led by a team responsible for multiple copper-gold-silver discoveries.

Forward Looking Statement: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements, including the expected closing date of the Financing, the investor’s expected ownership interest in King Copper and the expected use of proceeds from the Financing. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “projects”, “potential” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will”, “would”, “may”, “could” or “should” occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the receipt of regulatory approvals, market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions, as well as legal, social, and economic conditions in Argentina and Peru, where the Company’s mineral exploration properties are located. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release or has in any way approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — King Copper Discovery Corp. (“King Copper” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: KCP, OTCQB: TBXXF, FSE: 3RIO) is pleased to announce that Dr. David Burrows has joined the Company’s Technical Advisory Team following his review of historical drill core, geological data and the broader exploration opportunity at the Colquemayo Copper Project in southern Peru.

Dr. Burrows brings more than 30 years of global exploration experience, including as Chief Geologist, Global Exploration at Vale for 16 years (2006-2022) and before that at Inco Exploration (1990-2006). His career has included extensive exploration experience across porphyry Cu-Au-(Mo) and high-sulphidation epithermal systems in Indonesia, the Philippines, Peru and Chile.

Importantly, Dr. Burrows was a member of the discovery team responsible for the Onto Cu-Au discovery in Indonesia, which received the 2025 PDAC Thayer Lindsley Award for an international mineral discovery. He is also co-author of “The Onto Cu-Au Discovery, Eastern Sumbawa, Indonesia: A Large, Middle Pleistocene Lithocap-Hosted High-Sulfidation Covellite-Pyrite Porphyry Deposit.”

His experience evaluating large-scale porphyry and high-sulphidation systems complements King Copper’s ongoing technical work at Colquemayo, where the Company has identified five priority porphyry targets beneath and adjacent to an extensive high-sulphidation lithocap and historically drilled copper mineralization.

Dr. Burrows holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Economic Geology from the University of Toronto and a B.A. in Natural Sciences (Geology) from Trinity College Dublin. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Geology at Laurentian University.

Dr. Burrows joins a technical team that includes Doug Kirwin, Lead Strategic and Technical Advisor, and Chico Azevedo, Vice President of Exploration.

Jonathan Richards, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are very pleased to welcome David to King Copper Discovery’s Technical Advisory Team. His extensive experience with porphyry and high-sulphidation systems, including his involvement in the award winning Onto Cu-Au discovery, is highly relevant to the geological setting we are evaluating at the Colquemayo Copper Project. David has had the opportunity to review our historical drill core and technical data, and his perspective will be valuable as we continue to refine our geological model and advance our priority targets toward drilling. With David joining Doug Kirwin and Chico Azevedo, we have assembled an exceptional depth of global discovery and exploration experience around Colquemayo.”

The appointment follows a period of significant technical and corporate advancement at Colquemayo, including the recent expansion of King Copper’s land position across the broader Colquemayo copper district.

King Copper Technical Team Leadership

Chico Azevedo – Vice President of Exploration

• Former Exploration Manager, IAMGOLD, Argentina
• Former South America Exploration Manager, Gold Fields, where he led exploration teams during the discovery and development of the Salares Norte gold-silver deposit and advancement of the Chucapaca gold-copper-silver deposit (currently the San Gabriel mine, operated by Buenaventura).
• Past President, Society of Economic Geologists
• Recipient of the SEG 2026 Ralp W. Marsden Award

Doug Kirwin – Lead Strategic and Technical Advisor

• Former Executive Vice President of Ivanhoe Mines (1996–2012)
• Co-recipient of the 2004 PDAC Thayer Lindsley Award for Best Global Discovery as a member of the joint discovery team responsible for the Hugo Dummett orebody at Oyu Tolgoi
• Past President, Society of Economic Geologists
• Adjunct Professor of Geology, James Cook University

Dr. David Burrows – Technical Advisor

• Former Chief Geologist, Global Exploration, Vale
• More than 30 years of global exploration experience, including extensive work on porphyry and high-sulphidation systems
• Member of the Onto Cu-Au discovery team, recipient of the 2025 PDAC Thayer Lindsley Award for Best Global Discovery
• Adjunct Professor of Geology, Laurentian University

Advancing Colquemayo

King Copper continues to advance Colquemayo toward its inaugural drill program, with recent progress including:

• Relogging and reinterpretation of more than 20,000 metres of historical drill core and integration into an updated 3D geological model.
• Identification of five priority porphyry targets across the approximately 12km by 4km high-sulphidation lithocap.
• Recent approval of Declaración de Impacto Ambiental (“DIA”) permit that allows for 36,000 metres of diamond drilling from 40 drill platforms across 59 drill holes.
• Drill contractor selection and remaining pre-mobilization requirements advancing.

The fully funded drill program is designed to systematically test the broader potential of the Colquemayo mineral
ized system.

On Behalf of the Company,
Jonathan Richards, Chief Executive Officer and Director.

Contact Information:
Harp Gosal | Director of Capital Markets & Communications
E: hgosal@kingcopperdiscovery.com
Website: www.kingcopperdiscovery.com
Address: #1012-1030 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC V6E 3M5

For Investor Relations enquiries, please contact +1 604 218 1142

Statements

About King Copper Discovery Corp and Our Projects: King Copper is a TSXV-listed exploration company focused on the Colquemayo copper-gold project in South America. The Company is led by a team responsible for multiple copper-gold-silver discoveries.

Forward Looking Statement: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements, including the expected closing date of the Financing, the investor’s expected ownership interest in King Copper and the expected use of proceeds from the Financing. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “projects”, “potential” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will”, “would”, “may”, “could” or “should” occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the receipt of regulatory approvals, market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions, as well as legal, social, and economic conditions in Argentina and Peru, where the Company’s mineral exploration properties are located. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release or has in any way approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release.

NEW YORK, N.Y. and JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Valley National Bancorp (“Valley”) (NASDAQ: VLY) and Bluevine Inc. (“Bluevine”) announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Valley will acquire Bluevine, a leading nationwide digital banking platform for small businesses.

The acquisition directly aligns with Valley’s stated strategic priorities of enhancing its funding base, expanding its small business franchise, and accelerating its digital and artificial intelligence (“AI”) strategy. Bluevine will bring Valley a scaled, high-growth digital small business platform; $2.1 billion of low-cost, digitally-sourced deposits which Bluevine and Valley intend to grow over time; and an established suite of integrated banking, payments, lending and financial-management solutions designed for small businesses across the country. Additionally, Bluevine’s engineering, product, data science and AI talent will help accelerate Valley’s long-term technology strategy, which includes a focus on broader development of internal capabilities and less reliance on third-party software and service providers.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, Bluevine serves approximately 175,000 active small business customers and was voted 2026 Best Overall Small Business Bank by Money.com and 2026 Best Online Business Checking Account by NerdWallet. Bluevine has demonstrated momentum in building small business operating relationships, with platform-generated deposits increasing at an approximately 35% compound annual growth rate from 2023 through the second quarter of 2026. Approximately 99% of these deposits are currently from non-borrowing customers, which is expected to provide Valley with access to a diversified, relationship-driven source of core funding.

The transaction adds a nationwide digital acquisition channel to complement Valley’s long-standing relationship-led banking model. By gaining access to Valley’s branch network and broader treasury management, credit, insurance, wealth and capital markets solutions, Bluevine customers will benefit from a more holistic value proposition as clients of the combined organization. Valley’s existing small business customers will benefit from Bluevine’s industry-leading digital platform which combines business checking, payments, bill pay, invoicing, lending and financial-management capabilities in a unified experience for small businesses.

The acquisition will also accelerate Valley’s technology and AI strategy by adding approximately 180 research and development professionals and engineers, primarily located in established technology hubs like Redwood City, California; Jersey City, New Jersey; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Tel Aviv, Israel. Bluevine brings a highly capable engineering culture, modern technology architecture, and meaningful experience applying data and AI solutions to small business workflows. Owning these capabilities will give Valley greater control over its customer experience, more speed in bringing solutions to market, and a durable foundation for further innovation beyond Bluevine’s legacy small business focus areas.

Under the terms of the proposed transaction, Valley will acquire Bluevine for total consideration of approximately $340 million. The consideration is expected to consist of approximately 75% cash and 25% Valley common stock, subject to the terms of the definitive agreement and customary adjustments. Inclusive of expected synergies, the acquisition is expected to be approximately 8% accretive to estimated 2028 earnings per share. The transaction is also expected to result in approximately 5% tangible book value dilution at closing, with an estimated earn back period of approximately 3 years.

Ira Robbins, Valley’s Chairman, President & CEO commented that, “The acquisition of Bluevine directly advances the strategic priorities we have previously communicated to our shareholders. It is expected to enhance our core funding capabilities, add a proven small business growth platform and meaningfully accelerate our digital and AI capabilities. Bluevine has built an impressive franchise which has generated a diversified base of small business operating deposit relationships, a highly engaged customer community and a modern technology platform purpose-built for the needs of small businesses.” He also stated, “By combining Valley’s balance sheet and product capabilities with Bluevine’s digital platform and customer-acquisition engine, we can accelerate our aspiration to be the bank of choice for small businesses across the country. The combination also creates a compelling cross-sell opportunity to further deepen the scope of the current banking relationships across both Valley and Bluevine customer bases by delivering a broader set of products and an enhanced customer experience.”

Eyal Lifshitz, Co-Founder & CEO of Bluevine said, “Bluevine was founded to give small business owners the financial tools and digital experience they need to manage and grow their businesses. Valley shares that commitment and brings the balance sheet capacity, relationship banking expertise and broader capabilities necessary to support our customers through every stage of their journey. Together, we will be able to expand our impact while preserving the technology, customer focus and entrepreneurial culture that have driven Bluevine’s success. We look forward to joining Valley and continuing to enhance our small business banking platform.” Following the transaction close, Mr. Lifshitz will join Valley as Head of Small Business Banking.

The acquisition is expected to close in early 2027, subject to standard regulatory approvals, and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions. An investor presentation with additional information about the transaction can be found on Valley’s website at www.valley.com.

Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is serving as financial advisor to Valley and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal counsel to Valley. Financial Technology Partners acted as the exclusive advisor to Bluevine and its Board of Directors in the sale to Valley. Sidley Austin LLP served as legal counsel to Bluevine.

Investor Conference Call

Valley executives will host a conference call at 8:30 AM Eastern Standard Time today to discuss this transaction. Those wishing to participate should pre-register using this link: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIecb95d105ce54ea584b76feeda2143b3 to receive the dial-in number and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call. The teleconference will also be webcast live at: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/udw2c42h.

About Valley

As the principal subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ: VLY), Valley National Bank is a regional financial institution with over $66 billion in assets. Founded in 1927, Valley has more than 220 branch locations and commercial offices across New Jersey, New York, Florida, Alabama, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Arizona, while serving clients nationwide. Valley delivers a full range of consumer, commercial, and wealth management solutions designed to support everything from homeownership and business growth to long-term financial planning. Big enough to support complex financial needs and small enough to stay deeply connected, Valley is grounded in a relationship-led approach focused on understanding people first. That same relationship-led approach guides Valley’s commitment to community investment and responsible corporate citizenship. To learn more, visit www.valley.com or call the Valley Customer Care Center at 800-522-4100.

About Bluevine

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, Bluevine provides an integrated suite of digital banking, payments, lending and financial-management solutions designed for small businesses. As of June 2026, Bluevine served approximately 175,000 active small business customers and had served more than 415,000 businesses since inception. Visit www.bluevine.com for more information.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not historical facts and include expressions about management’s confidence and strategies and management’s expectations about our business, new and existing programs and products, acquisitions, relationships, opportunities, taxation, technology, market conditions and economic expectations. These statements may be identified by forward-looking terminology such as “intend,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “position,” “view,” “opportunity,” “allow,” “continues,” “reflects,” “would,” “could,” “typically,” “usually,” “anticipate,” “may,” “estimate,” “outlook,” “project” or similar statements or variations of such terms. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of factors that could affect our results is included in our SEC filings, including Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in our expectations, except as required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

Contacts:
Valley National Bancorp		Bluevine Inc.
Travis Lan		Eyal Lifshitz
Senior Executive Vice President and		Co-Founder and
Chief Financial Officer		Chief Executive Officer
973-686-5007		203-535-7170

NEW YORK, N.Y. and JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Valley National Bancorp (“Valley”) (NASDAQ: VLY) and Bluevine Inc. (“Bluevine”) announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Valley will acquire Bluevine, a leading nationwide digital banking platform for small businesses.

The acquisition directly aligns with Valley’s stated strategic priorities of enhancing its funding base, expanding its small business franchise, and accelerating its digital and artificial intelligence (“AI”) strategy. Bluevine will bring Valley a scaled, high-growth digital small business platform; $2.1 billion of low-cost, digitally-sourced deposits which Bluevine and Valley intend to grow over time; and an established suite of integrated banking, payments, lending and financial-management solutions designed for small businesses across the country. Additionally, Bluevine’s engineering, product, data science and AI talent will help accelerate Valley’s long-term technology strategy, which includes a focus on broader development of internal capabilities and less reliance on third-party software and service providers.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, Bluevine serves approximately 175,000 active small business customers and was voted 2026 Best Overall Small Business Bank by Money.com and 2026 Best Online Business Checking Account by NerdWallet. Bluevine has demonstrated momentum in building small business operating relationships, with platform-generated deposits increasing at an approximately 35% compound annual growth rate from 2023 through the second quarter of 2026. Approximately 99% of these deposits are currently from non-borrowing customers, which is expected to provide Valley with access to a diversified, relationship-driven source of core funding.

The transaction adds a nationwide digital acquisition channel to complement Valley’s long-standing relationship-led banking model. By gaining access to Valley’s branch network and broader treasury management, credit, insurance, wealth and capital markets solutions, Bluevine customers will benefit from a more holistic value proposition as clients of the combined organization. Valley’s existing small business customers will benefit from Bluevine’s industry-leading digital platform which combines business checking, payments, bill pay, invoicing, lending and financial-management capabilities in a unified experience for small businesses.

The acquisition will also accelerate Valley’s technology and AI strategy by adding approximately 180 research and development professionals and engineers, primarily located in established technology hubs like Redwood City, California; Jersey City, New Jersey; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Tel Aviv, Israel. Bluevine brings a highly capable engineering culture, modern technology architecture, and meaningful experience applying data and AI solutions to small business workflows. Owning these capabilities will give Valley greater control over its customer experience, more speed in bringing solutions to market, and a durable foundation for further innovation beyond Bluevine’s legacy small business focus areas.

Under the terms of the proposed transaction, Valley will acquire Bluevine for total consideration of approximately $340 million. The consideration is expected to consist of approximately 75% cash and 25% Valley common stock, subject to the terms of the definitive agreement and customary adjustments. Inclusive of expected synergies, the acquisition is expected to be approximately 8% accretive to estimated 2028 earnings per share. The transaction is also expected to result in approximately 5% tangible book value dilution at closing, with an estimated earn back period of approximately 3 years.

Ira Robbins, Valley’s Chairman, President & CEO commented that, “The acquisition of Bluevine directly advances the strategic priorities we have previously communicated to our shareholders. It is expected to enhance our core funding capabilities, add a proven small business growth platform and meaningfully accelerate our digital and AI capabilities. Bluevine has built an impressive franchise which has generated a diversified base of small business operating deposit relationships, a highly engaged customer community and a modern technology platform purpose-built for the needs of small businesses.” He also stated, “By combining Valley’s balance sheet and product capabilities with Bluevine’s digital platform and customer-acquisition engine, we can accelerate our aspiration to be the bank of choice for small businesses across the country. The combination also creates a compelling cross-sell opportunity to further deepen the scope of the current banking relationships across both Valley and Bluevine customer bases by delivering a broader set of products and an enhanced customer experience.”

Eyal Lifshitz, Co-Founder & CEO of Bluevine said, “Bluevine was founded to give small business owners the financial tools and digital experience they need to manage and grow their businesses. Valley shares that commitment and brings the balance sheet capacity, relationship banking expertise and broader capabilities necessary to support our customers through every stage of their journey. Together, we will be able to expand our impact while preserving the technology, customer focus and entrepreneurial culture that have driven Bluevine’s success. We look forward to joining Valley and continuing to enhance our small business banking platform.” Following the transaction close, Mr. Lifshitz will join Valley as Head of Small Business Banking.

The acquisition is expected to close in early 2027, subject to standard regulatory approvals, and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions. An investor presentation with additional information about the transaction can be found on Valley’s website at www.valley.com.

Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is serving as financial advisor to Valley and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal counsel to Valley. Financial Technology Partners acted as the exclusive advisor to Bluevine and its Board of Directors in the sale to Valley. Sidley Austin LLP served as legal counsel to Bluevine.

Investor Conference Call

Valley executives will host a conference call at 8:30 AM Eastern Standard Time today to discuss this transaction. Those wishing to participate should pre-register using this link: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIecb95d105ce54ea584b76feeda2143b3 to receive the dial-in number and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call. The teleconference will also be webcast live at: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/udw2c42h.

About Valley

As the principal subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ: VLY), Valley National Bank is a regional financial institution with over $66 billion in assets. Founded in 1927, Valley has more than 220 branch locations and commercial offices across New Jersey, New York, Florida, Alabama, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Arizona, while serving clients nationwide. Valley delivers a full range of consumer, commercial, and wealth management solutions designed to support everything from homeownership and business growth to long-term financial planning. Big enough to support complex financial needs and small enough to stay deeply connected, Valley is grounded in a relationship-led approach focused on understanding people first. That same relationship-led approach guides Valley’s commitment to community investment and responsible corporate citizenship. To learn more, visit www.valley.com or call the Valley Customer Care Center at 800-522-4100.

About Bluevine

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, Bluevine provides an integrated suite of digital banking, payments, lending and financial-management solutions designed for small businesses. As of June 2026, Bluevine served approximately 175,000 active small business customers and had served more than 415,000 businesses since inception. Visit www.bluevine.com for more information.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not historical facts and include expressions about management’s confidence and strategies and management’s expectations about our business, new and existing programs and products, acquisitions, relationships, opportunities, taxation, technology, market conditions and economic expectations. These statements may be identified by forward-looking terminology such as “intend,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “position,” “view,” “opportunity,” “allow,” “continues,” “reflects,” “would,” “could,” “typically,” “usually,” “anticipate,” “may,” “estimate,” “outlook,” “project” or similar statements or variations of such terms. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of factors that could affect our results is included in our SEC filings, including Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in our expectations, except as required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

Contacts:
Valley National Bancorp		Bluevine Inc.
Travis Lan		Eyal Lifshitz
Senior Executive Vice President and		Co-Founder and
Chief Financial Officer		Chief Executive Officer
973-686-5007		203-535-7170

Advanced AI infrastructure made available at nominal cost is expected to accelerate model development, tuning, experimentation, and evaluation supporting Fusemachines’ AI Twin technology

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fusemachines Inc. (NASDAQ: FUSE), a leading provider of enterprise AI products and services, today announced that modulAIre, an IBM Platinum Business Partner, has provided Fusemachines access to its IBM Fusion infrastructure at nominal cost as part of the companies’ existing strategic partnership, significantly expanding the advanced computing infrastructure available to Fusemachines as it continues development of its recently unveiled AI Twin technology.

The expanded infrastructure access is expected to enable Fusemachines’ research and engineering teams to experiment with, evaluate and improve the AI models and systems underlying AI Twin technology at a more rapid pace.

Fusemachines and modulAIre announced their strategic partnership in February 2026 to combine Fusemachines’ AI technology and development capabilities with modulAIre’s expertise across IBM technologies and infrastructure. The latest initiative expands that relationship into research and technology development, with modulAIre making its proprietary, AI-optimized Fusion infrastructure available to support Fusemachines’ ongoing AI Twin work.

For Fusemachines, access to this infrastructure creates additional capacity to run model experiments, test different architectures, conduct model evaluation and optimization, and accelerate the iterative development cycles required for advanced AI systems.

“One of our objectives in partnering with Fusemachines has been to combine strong AI development capabilities with our customized IBM enterprise technology ecosystem,” said Curren Katz, PhD, CEO of modulAIre. “By providing access to our proprietary, AI-optimized IBM Fusion infrastructure at nominal cost, we are helping give the Fusemachines team the infrastructure needed to experiment, learn and advance its ambitious AI Twin vision more rapidly. The same platform supports organizations at every stage of AI adoption, from advanced R&D teams to nonprofits deploying their first AI capabilities. Clients begin with the modules they need today and add capabilities as their needs grow.”

Fusemachines unveiled its AI Twin technology on September 17, 2026, demonstrating a future in which intelligent AI counterparts could represent employees, participate in meetings, share knowledge and perform authorized work on their behalf.

Unlike AI agents designed primarily around specific tasks or workflows, Fusemachines envisions an AI Twin as an intelligent digital representation capable of understanding an individual’s knowledge, responsibilities, preferences, priorities and organizational context. Developing such systems requires the integration of multiple areas of artificial intelligence, including large language models, agentic reasoning, voice and conversational AI, memory, knowledge retrieval, enterprise context and real-time human-AI interaction.

The company believes rapidly testing and improving the models and architectures across these areas will be an important component of advancing AI Twin technology.

“AI Twin is one of the most ambitious technology initiatives we have undertaken at Fusemachines,” said Sameer Maskey, PhD, Founder and CEO of Fusemachines. “Access to advanced infrastructure such as IBM Fusion gives our research team greater ability to experiment and iterate quickly. I am pleased to see our partnership with modulAIre continue to deepen as we work together to advance this technology.”

modulAIre has customized and purpose-built its Fusion hardware for AI-optimization, scalability, and storage-to-inference operations, realizing IBM’s vision of Fusion as a turnkey infrastructure platform designed to simplify the deployment and operation of AI workloads while allowing organizations to scale compute, storage and GPU resources as requirements evolve. Its integration with technologies including Red Hat OpenShift provides an open environment for developing, deploying and managing AI applications and models.

The infrastructure is expected to complement Fusemachines’ existing research and development resources and provide additional capacity for the company’s AI Twin research program, while continuing to power modulAIre’s AI-in-a-Box.

Fusemachines plans to continue advancing AI Twin technology while also exploring how components developed through the initiative can be incorporated into its broader portfolio of enterprise AI products and Agentic AI solutions.

About Fusemachines
Founded in 2013, Fusemachines is a global provider of enterprise AI products and services, on a mission to democratize AI. Leveraging proprietary AI Studio, AI Engines and AI Agents, the company helps drive clients’ AI Enterprise Transformation, regardless of where they are in their Digital AI journeys. With offices in North America, Asia and Latin America, Fusemachines provides a suite of enterprise AI offerings and specialty services that allow organizations of any size to implement and scale AI.

Fusemachines continues to actively pursue the mission of democratizing AI by providing high-quality AI education in underserved communities and helping organizations achieve their full potential with AI.

To learn about Fusemachines, visit www.fusemachines.com.

About modulAIre
modulAIre is an IBM Platinum Business Partner led by former Fortune 100 executives and industry-recognized AI experts. Specializing in “AI-in-a-Box” solutions, modulAIre helps organizations move beyond generative AI usage to become “AI Value Creators” by embedding ethical, scalable, and governed AI into core business functions. With over 225 digital transformations executed, the firm delivers rapid operational value through its proprietary modular framework.

For more information, visit www.modulaire.ai.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s agentic AI programs, product development initiatives, commercialization strategy, enterprise AI offerings, and expected market opportunities. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions.

These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to customer adoption and retention; the Company’s ability to develop, maintain, and enhance its products and platform; the ability of the Company’s AI solutions to deliver expected operational and business benefits; reliance on third-party platforms, partners, data, and infrastructure; competition in the markets in which the Company operates; cybersecurity, data privacy, regulatory, and intellectual property risks; and changing macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions.

Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 27, 2026, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Fusemachines undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media Contact:

pr@fusemachines.com

Investor Contact:

ir@fusemachines.com

+1 347 212-5075

Advanced AI infrastructure made available at nominal cost is expected to accelerate model development, tuning, experimentation, and evaluation supporting Fusemachines’ AI Twin technology

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fusemachines Inc. (NASDAQ: FUSE), a leading provider of enterprise AI products and services, today announced that modulAIre, an IBM Platinum Business Partner, has provided Fusemachines access to its IBM Fusion infrastructure at nominal cost as part of the companies’ existing strategic partnership, significantly expanding the advanced computing infrastructure available to Fusemachines as it continues development of its recently unveiled AI Twin technology.

The expanded infrastructure access is expected to enable Fusemachines’ research and engineering teams to experiment with, evaluate and improve the AI models and systems underlying AI Twin technology at a more rapid pace.

Fusemachines and modulAIre announced their strategic partnership in February 2026 to combine Fusemachines’ AI technology and development capabilities with modulAIre’s expertise across IBM technologies and infrastructure. The latest initiative expands that relationship into research and technology development, with modulAIre making its proprietary, AI-optimized Fusion infrastructure available to support Fusemachines’ ongoing AI Twin work.

For Fusemachines, access to this infrastructure creates additional capacity to run model experiments, test different architectures, conduct model evaluation and optimization, and accelerate the iterative development cycles required for advanced AI systems.

“One of our objectives in partnering with Fusemachines has been to combine strong AI development capabilities with our customized IBM enterprise technology ecosystem,” said Curren Katz, PhD, CEO of modulAIre. “By providing access to our proprietary, AI-optimized IBM Fusion infrastructure at nominal cost, we are helping give the Fusemachines team the infrastructure needed to experiment, learn and advance its ambitious AI Twin vision more rapidly. The same platform supports organizations at every stage of AI adoption, from advanced R&D teams to nonprofits deploying their first AI capabilities. Clients begin with the modules they need today and add capabilities as their needs grow.”

Fusemachines unveiled its AI Twin technology on September 17, 2026, demonstrating a future in which intelligent AI counterparts could represent employees, participate in meetings, share knowledge and perform authorized work on their behalf.

Unlike AI agents designed primarily around specific tasks or workflows, Fusemachines envisions an AI Twin as an intelligent digital representation capable of understanding an individual’s knowledge, responsibilities, preferences, priorities and organizational context. Developing such systems requires the integration of multiple areas of artificial intelligence, including large language models, agentic reasoning, voice and conversational AI, memory, knowledge retrieval, enterprise context and real-time human-AI interaction.

The company believes rapidly testing and improving the models and architectures across these areas will be an important component of advancing AI Twin technology.

“AI Twin is one of the most ambitious technology initiatives we have undertaken at Fusemachines,” said Sameer Maskey, PhD, Founder and CEO of Fusemachines. “Access to advanced infrastructure such as IBM Fusion gives our research team greater ability to experiment and iterate quickly. I am pleased to see our partnership with modulAIre continue to deepen as we work together to advance this technology.”

modulAIre has customized and purpose-built its Fusion hardware for AI-optimization, scalability, and storage-to-inference operations, realizing IBM’s vision of Fusion as a turnkey infrastructure platform designed to simplify the deployment and operation of AI workloads while allowing organizations to scale compute, storage and GPU resources as requirements evolve. Its integration with technologies including Red Hat OpenShift provides an open environment for developing, deploying and managing AI applications and models.

The infrastructure is expected to complement Fusemachines’ existing research and development resources and provide additional capacity for the company’s AI Twin research program, while continuing to power modulAIre’s AI-in-a-Box.

Fusemachines plans to continue advancing AI Twin technology while also exploring how components developed through the initiative can be incorporated into its broader portfolio of enterprise AI products and Agentic AI solutions.

About Fusemachines
Founded in 2013, Fusemachines is a global provider of enterprise AI products and services, on a mission to democratize AI. Leveraging proprietary AI Studio, AI Engines and AI Agents, the company helps drive clients’ AI Enterprise Transformation, regardless of where they are in their Digital AI journeys. With offices in North America, Asia and Latin America, Fusemachines provides a suite of enterprise AI offerings and specialty services that allow organizations of any size to implement and scale AI.

Fusemachines continues to actively pursue the mission of democratizing AI by providing high-quality AI education in underserved communities and helping organizations achieve their full potential with AI.

To learn about Fusemachines, visit www.fusemachines.com.

About modulAIre
modulAIre is an IBM Platinum Business Partner led by former Fortune 100 executives and industry-recognized AI experts. Specializing in “AI-in-a-Box” solutions, modulAIre helps organizations move beyond generative AI usage to become “AI Value Creators” by embedding ethical, scalable, and governed AI into core business functions. With over 225 digital transformations executed, the firm delivers rapid operational value through its proprietary modular framework.

For more information, visit www.modulaire.ai.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s agentic AI programs, product development initiatives, commercialization strategy, enterprise AI offerings, and expected market opportunities. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions.

These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to customer adoption and retention; the Company’s ability to develop, maintain, and enhance its products and platform; the ability of the Company’s AI solutions to deliver expected operational and business benefits; reliance on third-party platforms, partners, data, and infrastructure; competition in the markets in which the Company operates; cybersecurity, data privacy, regulatory, and intellectual property risks; and changing macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions.

Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 27, 2026, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Fusemachines undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media Contact:

pr@fusemachines.com

Investor Contact:

ir@fusemachines.com

+1 347 212-5075

BEIJING, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) has released the 2026 China Top 500 Private Enterprises list. Shandong Energy Chain Holding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Newlinks Technology Limited (“Newlinks”), the parent company of NaaS Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: NAAS) (“NaaS” or the “Company”), has been named to the list, ranking No. 401. The inclusion recognizes Shandong Energy Chain Holding Co., Ltd.’s scale in China’s private sector and reflects Newlinks’ efforts to advance digitalization across the energy industry, including through artificial intelligence (AI).

The list is based on the 28th Survey of Large-Scale Private Enterprises organized by ACFIC, in which 6,350 enterprises with operating revenue of more than RMB 1 billion in 2025 participated. With its broad coverage and the consistent statistical methodology maintained over many years, the list has become an important reference for government authorities, investors and research institutions in observing the scale and structural changes of China’s private economy.

A Leading Energy Digitalization Group

Founded in 2016, Newlinks is among the earliest enterprises in China to focus on the Energy Internet of Things (Energy IoT). Applying its “Newlink-as-a-Service” model, the company connects the supply and demand sides of transportation energy. On the refined oil side, it partners with 26,000 gas stations across approximately 1,800 cities and towns in China. Cumulatively, it has served more than 100 million vehicle owners and over 10,000 corporate customers in China.

NAAS: AI-Powered Charging Platform Achieving First Operating Profit

NaaS is a new energy asset operation service provider, with businesses spanning charging network aggregation, digital integration of charging stations, online user services, station operation and maintenance, and supply chain upgrading. It provides electric vehicle (EV) owners with one-stop charging access and offers energy replenishment ecosystem solutions to automakers and charging station operators, enhancing station operating efficiency through AI-driven supply-demand matching and digital tools. As of the end of June 2026, China had 48.97 million new energy vehicles (NEVs), accounting for 13.19% of its total vehicle fleet. In the first half of 2026, NaaS achieved positive operating profit for the first time, evidencing that its technology-driven platform service model has completed a closed business loop. At the same time, charging stations remain geographically dispersed with uneven utilization across individual sites, and the value of aggregation platforms and digital operations continues to be unlocked.

Synergies Across Network, Customers and Data

Shandong Energy Chain Holding Co., Ltd.’s inclusion on the list further confirms the customer base, network scale and ecosystem capabilities that underpin NaaS. The two parties’ synergies are reflected in several areas. First, network synergy: the charging network and the Group’s gas station network are complementary in layout and connected in terms of station resources, supporting the development of integrated energy scenarios such as co-located fuel-and-charging stations at qualified sites. Second, customer synergy: the Group’s OEM, fleet and corporate customer resources are open to the charging business, and fueling and charging services are jointly pre-installed in the smart cockpits of approximately 80% of the major automakers in China. Third, data synergy: transaction and demand data from both the fuel and charging sides are pooled to feed the platform’s supply-demand matching algorithms and dispatch models, improving station utilization and matching efficiency.

Shandong Energy Chain Holding Co., Ltd.’s inclusion on this year’s ACFIC China Top 500 Private Enterprises list adds an important footnote to the energy digitalization path Newlinks has pursued over the past decade. As NEV penetration continues to rise and the application of AI to energy supply-demand matching remains at an early stage, NaaS will continue to focus on its core interconnection platform business. Leveraging the data foundation built through scaled operations, the Company will use AI to continuously improve the efficiency of charging supply-demand matching and, in the specific scenarios of vehicle energy replenishment and station operations, seek to enhance both service experience and operating quality.

About NaaS Technology Inc.

NaaS Technology Inc. is the first U.S.-listed EV charging service company in China. The Company is a subsidiary of Newlinks, a leading energy digitalization group in China, and is one of the leading providers of new energy asset operation services. The Company uses advanced technology to intelligently match charging supply with demand, offering EV users a seamless, efficient and smart charging experience, while empowering charging stations and operators to optimize operations, improve efficiency and enhance profitability.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates” and similar statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: NaaS’ goals and strategies; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; its ability to continuously develop new technologies, services and products and keep pace with changes in the industries in which it operates; the growth of China’s EV charging industry and NaaS’ future business development; the demand for and market acceptance of NaaS’ products and services; NaaS’ ability to protect and enforce its intellectual property rights; NaaS’ ability to attract and retain qualified executives and personnel; fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and NaaS’ ability to obtain adequate financing; NaaS’ relationships with end users, customers, suppliers and other business partners; competition in the industry; relevant government policies and regulations; and fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and globally. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in NaaS’ filings with the SEC.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations
NaaS Technology Inc.
E-mail: ir@enaas.com

Media inquiries:
E-mail: pr@enaas.com

BEIJING, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) has released the 2026 China Top 500 Private Enterprises list. Shandong Energy Chain Holding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Newlinks Technology Limited (“Newlinks”), the parent company of NaaS Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: NAAS) (“NaaS” or the “Company”), has been named to the list, ranking No. 401. The inclusion recognizes Shandong Energy Chain Holding Co., Ltd.’s scale in China’s private sector and reflects Newlinks’ efforts to advance digitalization across the energy industry, including through artificial intelligence (AI).

The list is based on the 28th Survey of Large-Scale Private Enterprises organized by ACFIC, in which 6,350 enterprises with operating revenue of more than RMB 1 billion in 2025 participated. With its broad coverage and the consistent statistical methodology maintained over many years, the list has become an important reference for government authorities, investors and research institutions in observing the scale and structural changes of China’s private economy.

A Leading Energy Digitalization Group

Founded in 2016, Newlinks is among the earliest enterprises in China to focus on the Energy Internet of Things (Energy IoT). Applying its “Newlink-as-a-Service” model, the company connects the supply and demand sides of transportation energy. On the refined oil side, it partners with 26,000 gas stations across approximately 1,800 cities and towns in China. Cumulatively, it has served more than 100 million vehicle owners and over 10,000 corporate customers in China.

NAAS: AI-Powered Charging Platform Achieving First Operating Profit

NaaS is a new energy asset operation service provider, with businesses spanning charging network aggregation, digital integration of charging stations, online user services, station operation and maintenance, and supply chain upgrading. It provides electric vehicle (EV) owners with one-stop charging access and offers energy replenishment ecosystem solutions to automakers and charging station operators, enhancing station operating efficiency through AI-driven supply-demand matching and digital tools. As of the end of June 2026, China had 48.97 million new energy vehicles (NEVs), accounting for 13.19% of its total vehicle fleet. In the first half of 2026, NaaS achieved positive operating profit for the first time, evidencing that its technology-driven platform service model has completed a closed business loop. At the same time, charging stations remain geographically dispersed with uneven utilization across individual sites, and the value of aggregation platforms and digital operations continues to be unlocked.

Synergies Across Network, Customers and Data

Shandong Energy Chain Holding Co., Ltd.’s inclusion on the list further confirms the customer base, network scale and ecosystem capabilities that underpin NaaS. The two parties’ synergies are reflected in several areas. First, network synergy: the charging network and the Group’s gas station network are complementary in layout and connected in terms of station resources, supporting the development of integrated energy scenarios such as co-located fuel-and-charging stations at qualified sites. Second, customer synergy: the Group’s OEM, fleet and corporate customer resources are open to the charging business, and fueling and charging services are jointly pre-installed in the smart cockpits of approximately 80% of the major automakers in China. Third, data synergy: transaction and demand data from both the fuel and charging sides are pooled to feed the platform’s supply-demand matching algorithms and dispatch models, improving station utilization and matching efficiency.

Shandong Energy Chain Holding Co., Ltd.’s inclusion on this year’s ACFIC China Top 500 Private Enterprises list adds an important footnote to the energy digitalization path Newlinks has pursued over the past decade. As NEV penetration continues to rise and the application of AI to energy supply-demand matching remains at an early stage, NaaS will continue to focus on its core interconnection platform business. Leveraging the data foundation built through scaled operations, the Company will use AI to continuously improve the efficiency of charging supply-demand matching and, in the specific scenarios of vehicle energy replenishment and station operations, seek to enhance both service experience and operating quality.

About NaaS Technology Inc.

NaaS Technology Inc. is the first U.S.-listed EV charging service company in China. The Company is a subsidiary of Newlinks, a leading energy digitalization group in China, and is one of the leading providers of new energy asset operation services. The Company uses advanced technology to intelligently match charging supply with demand, offering EV users a seamless, efficient and smart charging experience, while empowering charging stations and operators to optimize operations, improve efficiency and enhance profitability.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates” and similar statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: NaaS’ goals and strategies; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; its ability to continuously develop new technologies, services and products and keep pace with changes in the industries in which it operates; the growth of China’s EV charging industry and NaaS’ future business development; the demand for and market acceptance of NaaS’ products and services; NaaS’ ability to protect and enforce its intellectual property rights; NaaS’ ability to attract and retain qualified executives and personnel; fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and NaaS’ ability to obtain adequate financing; NaaS’ relationships with end users, customers, suppliers and other business partners; competition in the industry; relevant government policies and regulations; and fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and globally. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in NaaS’ filings with the SEC.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Investor Relations
NaaS Technology Inc.
E-mail: ir@enaas.com

Media inquiries:
E-mail: pr@enaas.com

LONDON, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) today unveiled Radar AI Assistant, a new natural language capability within Radar Vision, its AI-driven performance and experience monitoring tool built for insurers.

The AI technology enables pricing, underwriting, claims and portfolio management teams to identify emerging issues and uncover hidden patterns within their data, providing real-time, actionable insights for competitive advantage. Radar AI Assistant goes on to explain the likely drivers and feeds these insights directly into recommended pricing and underwriting actions.

During its development, WTW invested significantly to leverage and embed the expertise and specialist insurance judgement of its leading consulting team. This specialist expertise sets the capability apart from generic AI tools, enabling it to deliver game-changing levels of comprehensive, accurate and actionable insights that support confident, real-world insurance decision-making.

Pardeep Bassi, Global Proposition Leader in Data Science, Insurance Consulting and Technology, WTW, said: “A single emerging risk signal may be too weak to justify action. Radar AI Assistant, guided by insurance expertise, can consolidate multiple early indicators into a clearer, more credible view that supports confident action ahead of competitors reliant on isolated signals.

“Radar AI Assistant puts this capability directly into the hands of underwriters and portfolio managers without the need for new tools or additional reports, helping insurers turn monitoring into a source of competitive advantage.”

This latest investment in Radar’s broader AI strategy leverages over 30 years of WTW insurance expertise and commitment to supporting insurers to scale AI adoption, strengthen decision-making, improve enterprise-wide outcomes and enhance business performance.

About Radar
Radar is a leading insurance technology platform that unifies pricing, underwriting, and claims into a single end-to-end solution. Built by insurance specialists and backed by more than 30 years of industry innovation, Radar leverages proprietary analytics and advanced generative AI capabilities to help personal and commercial lines insurers make faster, smarter, and more confident decisions across the insurance lifecycle. Trusted by more than 500 insurers worldwide, Radar enables organisations to improve operational efficiency, accelerate growth, and deliver measurable business outcomes at scale.

Radar is part of WTW’s Insurance Consulting and Technology business, which helps insurers navigate complexity and drive transformation through a unique combination of deep insurance expertise, strategic advisory services, and market-leading technology.

About Insurance Consulting and Technology
WTW’s Insurance Consulting and Technology business is a global leader in P&C, Life, and Health insurance software and advisory services. With over 1,700 colleagues in 35 markets, we combine deep insurance expertise with leading-edge technology to help insurers navigate complexity and unlock value across pricing, underwriting, reserving, financial and capital modelling, claims, portfolio management, and regulatory reporting.

We’re redefining insurance through innovation and technology. By harnessing Generative and Agentic AI, we’re creating next-generation processes that reduce friction, enhance decision-making, and unlock faster, smarter outcomes for our clients. These capabilities accelerate innovation and enable us to deliver with unmatched precision and scale.

More than 1,000 insurers across six continents – including many of the world’s leading insurance groups – trust our unique combination of advisory insight and advanced software to power their businesses and drive sustainable growth.

About WTW
At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organisations sharpen their strategy, enhance organisational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximise performance.

Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success — and provide perspective that moves you.

Learn more at wtwco.com.

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Andrew Collis: +44 7932 725 267 | andrew@acolliscommunications.com