Tag: PR Newswire

• CATL opens Middle East’s first NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh —currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China.
• The facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions.
• It also functions as a regional ecosystem hub linking diverse stakeholders and resources to drive industrial synergy and sustainable growth.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On January 10, 2026, CATL opened the Middle East’s first and currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China—the NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh—strengthening its after-sales presence in the Middle East and supporting the region’s shift toward cleaner energy systems.

The opening comes as Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East advance ambitious electrification and decarbonization goals under Vision 2030 and similar national initiatives. Taking Saudi Arabia as an example, The Kingdom has set a goal to transition 30% of all vehicles in Riyadh to electric by 2030, as part of a larger strategy to reduce emissions in the capital city by 50%. Sustainability policies are also driving the shift to electric equipment, such as promoting the use of electric forklifts, while encouraging the use of green energy on farms under the Saudi Green Initiative. However, progress is tempered by persistent challenges, including longstanding oil dependency, surging electricity demand, extreme climatic conditions, and limited charging and service infrastructure.

Strategically designed to overcome these obstacles, the Riyadh facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions. 

Covering more than 7,000 square meters, the Riyadh center combines exhibition areas, diagnostics and maintenance zones, refurbishment facilities, training spaces, and a customer lounge. It is designed to serve not only as a localized service hub for the region and a showcase of CATL’s system-level capabilities across electric mobility, energy storage, and intelligent electrification, but also as a platform that links diverse resources, fostering industrial synergy across the ecosystem.

A full-lifecycle approach to new energy services

Relying on CATL’s deep R&D and extreme manufacturing capabilities, NING SERVICE Experience Center provides customers with full-lifecycle services that encompass battery diagnostics, repair, maintenance, rework, training, recycling, aftermarket logistics and warehousing. Its services span over seven major product categories—from passenger and commercial vehicles to energy storage systems—along with diverse repair scenarios, setting a new benchmark for new energy service delivery in the region.

Leveraging CATL’s advanced diagnostics and repair expertise, along with established service processes, the center’s comprehensive after-sales services

helps enterprise customers reduce downtime, lower maintenance costs, and extend asset life, providing greater certainty around long-term performance and residual value while reducing long-term ownership costs and delivering more cost-effective and reliable services for end users.

Advancing localized operations and capability building

The Riyadh center serves as a key platform for CATL’s localized operations in the Middle East, supporting talent development and long-term local value creation. Through dedicated training facilities, CATL builds after-sales and technical expertise in the new energy sector, contributing to skilled employment and knowledge transfer across the Middle East. Globally, NING SERVICE operates 10 training centers, totalling 2,300 square meters, and has certified more than 9,700 new energy after-sales professionals through partnerships with vocational institutions.

Beyond talent development, CATL is deepening its localization strategy by reinforcing local infrastructure and building ecosystem partnerships. CATL is in discussion with top-tier local industry players—including fuel network operators to rapidly provide green electricity to gas stations and major infrastructure companies to electrify their truck fleets, as well as energy companies to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions.

These initiatives not only bolster CATL’s local service capabilities and market confidence, but also by enabling key partners, jointly drive the scaled adoption of comprehensive new energy solutions across the Middle East.

“As a leading energy company in Saudi Arabia, we see tremendous opportunities in energy transformation. For instance, we plan to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions at our gas stations and electrify forklifts to reduce reliance on oil. We look forward to collaborating with top players like CATL to drive this transition forward,” said Ahmed Ibrahim，Assistant General Manager For Procurement of Al Drees, a leading provider of petroleum and logistics services in Saudi Arabia.

“The launch of CATL’s Riyadh aftermarket flagship underscores our shared commitment to driving the global energy transition. This milestone not only reflects the growing demand for sustainable solutions in Saudi Arabia but also embodies our collective vision for a cleaner, electrified future. As the investor behind the experience centre, we are confident that this partnership will accelerate electrification and strengthen the region’s role in advancing the energy transition.” said Lin Chaofan, CEO of F4S. 

Part of a global network

The Saudi Arabia opening builds on CATL’s global service footprint, which includes more than 1,200 professional service stations across 76 countries and 73 spare-parts warehouses worldwide. CATL ranks No. 1 globally in spare parts inventory stocked with 100% genuine parts, with a total warehouse area of more than 370,000 square meters. To date, NING SERVICE has supported more than six million electric vehicles, providing professional after-sales services for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage customers.

A long-term commitment to the Middle East

Bruce Li, President of Quality System, Aftermarket Business, Battery Management System Department at CATL, said the Riyadh center reflects a strategic, long-term view of the region.

“Our decision to establish this center in Riyadh is not only a commercial choice, but a long-term commitment,” Li said. “As the first NING SERVICE Experience Center in the Middle East, it is more than a service facility. It is a new energy aftermarket ecosystem hub that brings together advanced technology, professional training, and industry collaboration—effectively connecting diverse stakeholders and resources to foster deeper synergy and sustainable growth across the region. Starting from here, CATL will continue to expand its after-sales service network across the Middle East, align closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and support the region’s energy transition through a reliable, end-to-end service system.”

As the Middle East accelerates its shift toward electrification and energy storage adoption, CATL’s expanded NING SERVICE presence is poised to deliver the technical reliability and sustained partnerships essential for this transformation.

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SOURCE Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL)

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — After a four-day run, the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2026) drew to a close in Las Vegas, USA. Making its debut at the event, BiLight , a global leader in flexible perovskite photovoltaic (PV) technology, emerged as a dark horse in the green tech track with a portfolio of world-first products and disruptive technical solutions. Guided by its brand vision of “Energy Equity,” the company is driving the global scenario-based adoption of flexible PV technology.

Themed “Defining the Physical Boundaries of AI,” this year’s CES highlighted the deep integration of green energy and AI as a key trend. BiLight showcased three core product lines at the Las Vegas Convention Center, shattering the inherent perception of traditional PV products as “bulky, rigid, and single-scenario.” Among the highlights, the world-premier rollable flexible perovskite solar curtain garnered significant attention, integrating sunshade, heat insulation, and power generation functions to directly supply electricity to home and office devices, reshaping the “PV + Space” application ecosystem. Additionally, the handheld rollable solar product became a hot favorite for outdoor PV applications, thanks to its portability and efficient energy supplementation capabilities. The lithium-free perovskite electronic nameplate set a new benchmark for office innovation: optimized with low-light power generation technology, it can stably supply energy under ordinary indoor lighting. Paired with low-power e-paper display and Bluetooth refresh functions, it achieves “seamless charging and permanent use,” addressing the resource waste of traditional paper nameplates and the environmental concerns of lithium-ion battery devices. This innovative solution attracted extensive consultations and negotiations with office equipment manufacturers and purchasers.

During the show, BiLight’s technical strength sparked a wave of cross-industry collaborations. A leading energy storage enterprise held in-depth discussions with BiLight, exploring joint R&D around the “flexible PV + portable energy storage” scenario to solve the battery life anxiety of outdoor devices through technological integration. In the automotive sector, industry representative SHM focused on applications such as rollable solar sunroofs and automotive curtain PV, engaging in detailed discussions on technical adaptation and product implementation to open up new paths for upgrading automotive energy endurance. AI hardware firm BleeqUp and satellite equipment companies also held talks with BiLight, exploring the potential applications of flexible perovskite technology in smart terminals, space energy, and IoT tracking.

Beyond product displays, at a themed roadshow hosted by TMTPost, James Fang, Co-Founder of BiLight, elaborated on the company’s strategic layout. During the roadshow, BiLight released a three-year product roadmap, aiming to gradually achieve full-scenario coverage across consumer electronics, automotive energy storage, building-integrated PV, and satellite energy, constructing a “PV+” ecosystem. The vision of “Energy Equity” and the clear product roadmap demonstrated BiLight’s development potential to global industry partners, strengthening their confidence in future collaborations.

Looking ahead, BiLight will continue to prioritize technological R&D as its core, deepen cooperation with global industry partners, and promote the widespread adoption of flexible PV technology in more fields. With innovative strength, the company is committed to reshaping the global energy application landscape, fulfilling its brand promise of “Energy Equity,” and making green energy accessible to everyone.

Contact:
hugoni@bilight.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bilight-shines-at-ces-2026-flexible-perovskite-pv-takes-global-stage-uniting-partners-for-an-energy-innovation-era-302657747.html

SOURCE Bilight

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — After a four-day run, the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2026) drew to a close in Las Vegas, USA. Making its debut at the event, BiLight , a global leader in flexible perovskite photovoltaic (PV) technology, emerged as a dark horse in the green tech track with a portfolio of world-first products and disruptive technical solutions. Guided by its brand vision of “Energy Equity,” the company is driving the global scenario-based adoption of flexible PV technology.

Themed “Defining the Physical Boundaries of AI,” this year’s CES highlighted the deep integration of green energy and AI as a key trend. BiLight showcased three core product lines at the Las Vegas Convention Center, shattering the inherent perception of traditional PV products as “bulky, rigid, and single-scenario.” Among the highlights, the world-premier rollable flexible perovskite solar curtain garnered significant attention, integrating sunshade, heat insulation, and power generation functions to directly supply electricity to home and office devices, reshaping the “PV + Space” application ecosystem. Additionally, the handheld rollable solar product became a hot favorite for outdoor PV applications, thanks to its portability and efficient energy supplementation capabilities. The lithium-free perovskite electronic nameplate set a new benchmark for office innovation: optimized with low-light power generation technology, it can stably supply energy under ordinary indoor lighting. Paired with low-power e-paper display and Bluetooth refresh functions, it achieves “seamless charging and permanent use,” addressing the resource waste of traditional paper nameplates and the environmental concerns of lithium-ion battery devices. This innovative solution attracted extensive consultations and negotiations with office equipment manufacturers and purchasers.

During the show, BiLight’s technical strength sparked a wave of cross-industry collaborations. A leading energy storage enterprise held in-depth discussions with BiLight, exploring joint R&D around the “flexible PV + portable energy storage” scenario to solve the battery life anxiety of outdoor devices through technological integration. In the automotive sector, industry representative SHM focused on applications such as rollable solar sunroofs and automotive curtain PV, engaging in detailed discussions on technical adaptation and product implementation to open up new paths for upgrading automotive energy endurance. AI hardware firm BleeqUp and satellite equipment companies also held talks with BiLight, exploring the potential applications of flexible perovskite technology in smart terminals, space energy, and IoT tracking.

Beyond product displays, at a themed roadshow hosted by TMTPost, James Fang, Co-Founder of BiLight, elaborated on the company’s strategic layout. During the roadshow, BiLight released a three-year product roadmap, aiming to gradually achieve full-scenario coverage across consumer electronics, automotive energy storage, building-integrated PV, and satellite energy, constructing a “PV+” ecosystem. The vision of “Energy Equity” and the clear product roadmap demonstrated BiLight’s development potential to global industry partners, strengthening their confidence in future collaborations.

Looking ahead, BiLight will continue to prioritize technological R&D as its core, deepen cooperation with global industry partners, and promote the widespread adoption of flexible PV technology in more fields. With innovative strength, the company is committed to reshaping the global energy application landscape, fulfilling its brand promise of “Energy Equity,” and making green energy accessible to everyone.

Contact:
hugoni@bilight.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bilight-shines-at-ces-2026-flexible-perovskite-pv-takes-global-stage-uniting-partners-for-an-energy-innovation-era-302657747.html

SOURCE Bilight

TULSA, Okla., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The University of Tulsa’s Center for Global Engagement has announced that 11 students were awarded a combined total of $34,500 in grants through the competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. This is the highest number of recipients on record for UTulsa and marks a significant achievement for the students, providing crucial financial support for their academic endeavors abroad.

The 11 award recipients will pursue diverse international study opportunities, with seven students receiving grants for travel courses and four students earning awards for semester, summer or year-long programs.

In addition to the base scholarship, two students received supplemental awards for high-priority global areas and fields:

• One student received the Gilman-STEM Supplemental Award for study in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field.
• One student received the Gilman-DAAD Supplemental Award, in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service.

“Winning this award is an incredible honor and a meaningful affirmation of the work I’ve put into my academic and personal growth. It represents both the recognition of my potential and the trust that others have in my ability to make the most of this experience,” said recipient Andrea Taylor, a sophomore Spanish and biochemistry major from Tulsa who will travel to Spain. “The opportunity to go abroad means expanding my perspective in ways that aren’t possible inside a classroom. It gives me the chance to immerse myself in a new culture, challenge myself in unfamiliar environments and develop independence, adaptability and global awareness.”

Other recipients are:

• Oswaldo Atilano, a nursing junior from Tulsa, who will study in Peru
• Angel Gutierrez, an international engineering and language student from Mounds, who is headed to Thailand
• Kasra Iranpour, a mechanical engineering junior from Edmond, who will study in Belgium and the Netherlands
• Michelle Jones, a music senior from Broken Arrow, who will study in Italy
• Vung Kop, a business information systems junior from Jenks, who will study in India
• Aiva P. Liman, a cybersecurity sophomore from Houston, who will study in China
• Jennifer Luna, a psychology senior from Jenks, who will study in China and Japan
• Bristie Rahman, a cybersecurity senior from Sapulpa, who will study in China
• Harrison Schwichtenberg, a biology senior from Tulsa, who will study in Thailand
• Alexis Watson, an international science and language student from Wichita, Kansas, who is headed to Germany

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/utulsa-announces-record-high-11-students-receive-gilman-international-scholarships-302657681.html

SOURCE The University of Tulsa

$25,000 grant to provide 200,000 servings of fresh milk to Pennsylvania families in need

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marking a decade of support for Feeding Pennsylvania’s Fill a Glass with Hope® program, the FirstEnergy Foundation today awarded a $25,000 grant during the initiative’s 2026 kickoff at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. This contribution brings the Foundation’s total investment in the program to $250,000 since 2016 and demonstrates its commitment to strengthening communities and addressing food insecurity.

As the nation’s first statewide charitable fresh milk program, Fill a Glass with Hope® has helped Pennsylvania food banks provide families in need with more than 41 million servings of milk – which is enough to provide three glasses of milk to every Pennsylvania resident. The program is a collaboration between Feeding Pennsylvania, the American Dairy Association Northeast and the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association.

Every Dollar Makes a Difference
Milk is one of the most requested items at food banks, yet it’s rarely donated because it’s perishable. This program bridges the gap and delivers fresh, nutritious milk to families in the Commonwealth, particularly children. According to Feeding Pennsylvania, every $1 donated provides eight glasses of milk to local food banks.  

John Hawkins, President of FirstEnergy Pennsylvania: “Our commitment to the communities we serve goes far beyond keeping the lights on. This year, the FirstEnergy Foundation’s $25,000 donation will provide approximately 200,000 servings of milk to families in need across Pennsylvania, many of whom live within our service areas.”

This contribution follows the Foundation’s recent distribution of $750,000 in grants to 37 food banks and pantries across Pennsylvania during Hunger Action Month in September 2025. In total, the initiative provided $2.5 million to 104 hunger-relief organizations across the six states served by FirstEnergy and its companies, marking the Foundation’s largest hunger-relief investment to date.

To learn more about the Fill a Glass with Hope program or provide support, visit http://www.feedingpa.org.

About the FirstEnergy Foundation
The FirstEnergy Foundation provides support to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits that serve and meet the critical needs of customers in communities served by FirstEnergy’s electric operating companies and in areas where the company conducts business. The Foundation distributed more than $5.5 million in community support across FirstEnergy’s service area in 2025.

The FirstEnergy Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. For more information about grant opportunities or corporate sponsorships, visit the FirstEnergy Foundation webpage or email inquiries to FirstEnergy’s Community Involvement team.

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company’s transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

Former Managing Partner of Skadden’s Palo Alto office joins Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt’s space-based energy infrastructure company to lead worldwide operations, legal and regulatory affairs

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Aetherflux, the space-based solar power company founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, today announced the appointment of Joe Yaffe as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Legal Officer (CLO). In this dual executive role, Yaffe will oversee the company’s worldwide operations, legal, and regulatory affairs. Yaffe’s appointment follows Aetherlux’s recent $90M Series A financing and the announcement that it is targeting Q1 2027 for the first launch of its “Galactic Brain” orbital data center project.

“Aetherflux is tackling two of the hardest problems in the modern world: energy abundance and the infrastructure for next-generation compute. The world-class team we are building is critical to our approach,” said Baiju Bhatt, Founder and CEO of Aetherflux. “Joe brings a rare combination of operational discipline and strategic judgment, having guided companies through their most complex stages of growth. I am excited to welcome him as a partner to help us navigate the next frontier of the space economy.”

Yaffe joins Aetherflux following a distinguished career as the Managing Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Palo Alto office. With over three decades of experience, he has advised high-growth technology companies, founders, and boards on critical governance, strategic transactions, and compensation issues. His move to an executive operator role underscores Aetherflux’s focus on building the organizational and regulatory infrastructure required to successfully harness and commercialize space-based solar power. Yaffe will be based out of the company’s headquarters in San Carlos, California.

“Joining Aetherflux is a rare opportunity to contribute to a mission that will fundamentally change how humanity accesses and uses energy, and is uniquely poised to solve the energy crisis hindering the race to artificial intelligence,” said Joe Yaffe, incoming COO and CLO. “Baiju and the team are rewriting the playbook for orbital infrastructure, and I look forward to building the operational backbone that turns this vision into a reality.”

Aetherflux recently announced a Q1 2027 target for its first orbital data center satellite, which leverages solar power in space to address the massive energy needs for artificial intelligence. The project, dubbed “Galactic Brain”, offers a bypass to the current five-to-eight-year time horizon for data centers to be built on Earth. This builds upon the company’s existing work developing space-solar satellites for beaming power to contested environments. In 2026, the company plans to launch its first satellite to wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth using lasers.

About Aetherflux
Aetherflux is revolutionizing energy distribution by harvesting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth via infrared lasers. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt, the company is building a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide resilient, scalable power to remote or contested environments around the world.. Backed by Index Ventures, NEA, and other leading investors, Aetherflux is also pioneering the “Galactic Brain,” an orbital compute network powered by space solar to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aetherflux-appoints-joe-yaffe-as-chief-operating-officer-and-chief-legal-officer-302657618.html

SOURCE Aetherflux

Former Managing Partner of Skadden’s Palo Alto office joins Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt’s space-based energy infrastructure company to lead worldwide operations, legal and regulatory affairs

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Aetherflux, the space-based solar power company founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, today announced the appointment of Joe Yaffe as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Legal Officer (CLO). In this dual executive role, Yaffe will oversee the company’s worldwide operations, legal, and regulatory affairs. Yaffe’s appointment follows Aetherlux’s recent $90M Series A financing and the announcement that it is targeting Q1 2027 for the first launch of its “Galactic Brain” orbital data center project.

“Aetherflux is tackling two of the hardest problems in the modern world: energy abundance and the infrastructure for next-generation compute. The world-class team we are building is critical to our approach,” said Baiju Bhatt, Founder and CEO of Aetherflux. “Joe brings a rare combination of operational discipline and strategic judgment, having guided companies through their most complex stages of growth. I am excited to welcome him as a partner to help us navigate the next frontier of the space economy.”

Yaffe joins Aetherflux following a distinguished career as the Managing Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Palo Alto office. With over three decades of experience, he has advised high-growth technology companies, founders, and boards on critical governance, strategic transactions, and compensation issues. His move to an executive operator role underscores Aetherflux’s focus on building the organizational and regulatory infrastructure required to successfully harness and commercialize space-based solar power. Yaffe will be based out of the company’s headquarters in San Carlos, California.

“Joining Aetherflux is a rare opportunity to contribute to a mission that will fundamentally change how humanity accesses and uses energy, and is uniquely poised to solve the energy crisis hindering the race to artificial intelligence,” said Joe Yaffe, incoming COO and CLO. “Baiju and the team are rewriting the playbook for orbital infrastructure, and I look forward to building the operational backbone that turns this vision into a reality.”

Aetherflux recently announced a Q1 2027 target for its first orbital data center satellite, which leverages solar power in space to address the massive energy needs for artificial intelligence. The project, dubbed “Galactic Brain”, offers a bypass to the current five-to-eight-year time horizon for data centers to be built on Earth. This builds upon the company’s existing work developing space-solar satellites for beaming power to contested environments. In 2026, the company plans to launch its first satellite to wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth using lasers.

About Aetherflux
Aetherflux is revolutionizing energy distribution by harvesting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth via infrared lasers. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt, the company is building a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide resilient, scalable power to remote or contested environments around the world.. Backed by Index Ventures, NEA, and other leading investors, Aetherflux is also pioneering the “Galactic Brain,” an orbital compute network powered by space solar to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aetherflux-appoints-joe-yaffe-as-chief-operating-officer-and-chief-legal-officer-302657618.html

SOURCE Aetherflux

Former Managing Partner of Skadden’s Palo Alto office joins Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt’s space-based energy infrastructure company to lead worldwide operations, legal and regulatory affairs

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Aetherflux, the space-based solar power company founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, today announced the appointment of Joe Yaffe as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Legal Officer (CLO). In this dual executive role, Yaffe will oversee the company’s worldwide operations, legal, and regulatory affairs. Yaffe’s appointment follows Aetherlux’s recent $90M Series A financing and the announcement that it is targeting Q1 2027 for the first launch of its “Galactic Brain” orbital data center project.

“Aetherflux is tackling two of the hardest problems in the modern world: energy abundance and the infrastructure for next-generation compute. The world-class team we are building is critical to our approach,” said Baiju Bhatt, Founder and CEO of Aetherflux. “Joe brings a rare combination of operational discipline and strategic judgment, having guided companies through their most complex stages of growth. I am excited to welcome him as a partner to help us navigate the next frontier of the space economy.”

Yaffe joins Aetherflux following a distinguished career as the Managing Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Palo Alto office. With over three decades of experience, he has advised high-growth technology companies, founders, and boards on critical governance, strategic transactions, and compensation issues. His move to an executive operator role underscores Aetherflux’s focus on building the organizational and regulatory infrastructure required to successfully harness and commercialize space-based solar power. Yaffe will be based out of the company’s headquarters in San Carlos, California.

“Joining Aetherflux is a rare opportunity to contribute to a mission that will fundamentally change how humanity accesses and uses energy, and is uniquely poised to solve the energy crisis hindering the race to artificial intelligence,” said Joe Yaffe, incoming COO and CLO. “Baiju and the team are rewriting the playbook for orbital infrastructure, and I look forward to building the operational backbone that turns this vision into a reality.”

Aetherflux recently announced a Q1 2027 target for its first orbital data center satellite, which leverages solar power in space to address the massive energy needs for artificial intelligence. The project, dubbed “Galactic Brain”, offers a bypass to the current five-to-eight-year time horizon for data centers to be built on Earth. This builds upon the company’s existing work developing space-solar satellites for beaming power to contested environments. In 2026, the company plans to launch its first satellite to wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth using lasers.

About Aetherflux
Aetherflux is revolutionizing energy distribution by harvesting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth via infrared lasers. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt, the company is building a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide resilient, scalable power to remote or contested environments around the world.. Backed by Index Ventures, NEA, and other leading investors, Aetherflux is also pioneering the “Galactic Brain,” an orbital compute network powered by space solar to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aetherflux-appoints-joe-yaffe-as-chief-operating-officer-and-chief-legal-officer-302657618.html

SOURCE Aetherflux

Former Managing Partner of Skadden’s Palo Alto office joins Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt’s space-based energy infrastructure company to lead worldwide operations, legal and regulatory affairs

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Aetherflux, the space-based solar power company founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, today announced the appointment of Joe Yaffe as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Legal Officer (CLO). In this dual executive role, Yaffe will oversee the company’s worldwide operations, legal, and regulatory affairs. Yaffe’s appointment follows Aetherlux’s recent $90M Series A financing and the announcement that it is targeting Q1 2027 for the first launch of its “Galactic Brain” orbital data center project.

“Aetherflux is tackling two of the hardest problems in the modern world: energy abundance and the infrastructure for next-generation compute. The world-class team we are building is critical to our approach,” said Baiju Bhatt, Founder and CEO of Aetherflux. “Joe brings a rare combination of operational discipline and strategic judgment, having guided companies through their most complex stages of growth. I am excited to welcome him as a partner to help us navigate the next frontier of the space economy.”

Yaffe joins Aetherflux following a distinguished career as the Managing Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Palo Alto office. With over three decades of experience, he has advised high-growth technology companies, founders, and boards on critical governance, strategic transactions, and compensation issues. His move to an executive operator role underscores Aetherflux’s focus on building the organizational and regulatory infrastructure required to successfully harness and commercialize space-based solar power. Yaffe will be based out of the company’s headquarters in San Carlos, California.

“Joining Aetherflux is a rare opportunity to contribute to a mission that will fundamentally change how humanity accesses and uses energy, and is uniquely poised to solve the energy crisis hindering the race to artificial intelligence,” said Joe Yaffe, incoming COO and CLO. “Baiju and the team are rewriting the playbook for orbital infrastructure, and I look forward to building the operational backbone that turns this vision into a reality.”

Aetherflux recently announced a Q1 2027 target for its first orbital data center satellite, which leverages solar power in space to address the massive energy needs for artificial intelligence. The project, dubbed “Galactic Brain”, offers a bypass to the current five-to-eight-year time horizon for data centers to be built on Earth. This builds upon the company’s existing work developing space-solar satellites for beaming power to contested environments. In 2026, the company plans to launch its first satellite to wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth using lasers.

About Aetherflux
Aetherflux is revolutionizing energy distribution by harvesting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth via infrared lasers. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt, the company is building a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide resilient, scalable power to remote or contested environments around the world.. Backed by Index Ventures, NEA, and other leading investors, Aetherflux is also pioneering the “Galactic Brain,” an orbital compute network powered by space solar to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aetherflux-appoints-joe-yaffe-as-chief-operating-officer-and-chief-legal-officer-302657618.html

SOURCE Aetherflux

Texture and WattTime have partnered to bring real-time marginal CO₂ emissions intelligence directly into the Texture platform. Energy services companies can view emissions impact alongside normalized energy data across sites, devices, and portfolios, with no additional setup required. The integration supports clearer operational decision-making, sustainability reporting, and planning by embedding trusted grid emissions data directly into existing workflows.

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Energy services companies are increasingly incorporating emissions considerations into how they operate, plan, and report. Yet it remains challenging to connect real-time emissions data with day-to-day operational insights and site-level decisions. Texture and WattTime are partnering to address that challenge.

This collaboration brings WattTime’s trusted real-time marginal emissions data directly into the Texture platform, enabling customers to view and act on emissions impact alongside their core energy data — without additional integration work or system configuration.

What This Partnership Enables

The integration allows energy services companies to access emissions intelligence within the same workflows they already use to manage sites, devices, and operational insights in Texture.

Joint Value Highlights

• Real-time emissions visibility: View marginal CO₂ emissions data, supplied by WattTime, directly within Texture.
• Operational context: Emissions data is automatically layered onto normalized energy data (sites, devices, utility bills), enabling clearer understanding of environmental impact.
• Improved decision-making: Organizations can evaluate the emissions implications of consumption patterns, scheduling, and distributed energy operations.
• Scalable and pre-configured: All Texture workspaces include WattTime-powered emissions signals — no extra setup required.

Why This Matters for Energy Services Companies

Integrating emissions data into operational workflows has historically required custom pipelines, manual modeling, or separate systems that don’t align well with day-to-day energy management. For energy services companies, this creates friction: emissions insights may exist, but they often sit outside the context of the operational data needed to act on them.

With Texture, this process becomes significantly more streamlined. The platform already normalizes site, device, and utility data into a consistent structure. By enriching this data with WattTime’s real-time emissions signals, Texture enables organizations to view environmental impact directly alongside operational performance—within a single, unified interface.

This helps energy services companies interpret emissions data more clearly, compare it across portfolios, and incorporate it into reporting, planning, and potential automation use cases without additional integration work. The result is a more practical and accessible way to bring emissions intelligence into both strategic and day-to-day decision-making.

PULL QUOTE:
“Our team has a shared mission to make actionable power grid emissions data as accessible and easy to use as possible, and our partnership with Texture is helping to do just that,” said WattTime’s vice president of strategic growth, Laura Corso. “Texture’s users can now access highly granular data to make more informed decisions about a variety of power grid interventions and find out how their actions affect or, ideally, reduce carbon emissions.”

What’s Available Today

Through the partnership, real-time marginal CO₂ emissions data from WattTime is now incorporated directly into Texture’s Signals framework. This means that emissions impact is automatically available across sites, devices, and portfolio-level views the moment an organization begins using Texture.

Rather than exposing raw data, Texture calculates emissions metrics using WattTime inputs in a way that aligns with partner data agreements while still providing customers with the insights they need. Energy services companies can use this information to assess operational impact, understand consumption patterns in relation to grid emissions, and support internal or customer-facing sustainability reporting.

In addition to what’s currently available, Texture will also introduce avoided emissions metrics in the future. This will give organizations a more complete picture of environmental performance over time and strengthen long-term impact analysis.

About WattTime

WattTime is an environmental tech nonprofit that provides real-time and historical grid emissions data. Founded by UC Berkeley researchers, WattTime develops tools that help organizations incorporate emissions intelligence into energy and sustainability decision-making.

About Texture

Texture is a platform to automate complex grid operations. The platform integrates, normalizes, and enriches data from devices, meters, and markets, giving energy service companies the real-time intelligence needed to manage their networks scale. Texture enables its customers to streamline program operations, improve grid reliability, and deploy advanced energy workflows with confidence.

Get Started

Start incorporating emissions intelligence into your operations today. WattTime-powered emissions signals are available now across all Texture workspaces, with no configuration required. Schedule a demo with Texture to learn more.

Media Contact

Jes Hudgins, Director, Delivery & Ops

press@texturehq.com

https://www.texturehq.com/press

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SOURCE Texture