Day: July 23, 2022

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Qstay Hospitality Technologies Raises a $6.5 Million SEED Round

Dubai hospitality technology company QSTAY that is redefining the guest experience through technology and design has announced $6.5M SEED round to support its growth plans and expansion to global markets.

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DUBAI, Arab Emirates, July 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Qstay Hospitality Technologies (“Qstay” or the “Company”), a Dubai DIFC based next-generation hospitality company that is redefining the guest experience through technology and design, announced that they have recently closed on a SEED round of $6.5 million. Funding was a mix of debt and equity.

Qstay was officially launched in 2020 and was co-founded by a long-time UAE resident Artur Khayrullin, CO-CEO; Ukrainian born Ekaterina Rogozhina, CCO; Ukrainian American Alec Fesenko, CO-CEO and his wife Natalya Fesenko, the initial investor. Since its founding, Qstay has executed against its mission to transform the hospitality industry through modern, technology-powered service and inspiring, thoughtfully designed accommodations, combined into one seamlessly managed experience. Qstay currently operates close to 200 properties in the UAE and Europe, 200 more are signed and expects to have 450 revenue generating units by the end of 2022.

Qstay operates as a virtual hotel brand which provides luxury hotel-like services and amenities such as bathrobes, slippers, luxury toiletries, bathroom amenities, tea, Starbucks coffee, additionally Qstay provides digital app-based access to nearby pools, beaches, gyms and spas for its guests staying in beachfront properties.

Qstay holds coveted Superhost status and higher ratings on Airbnb than its competitors and that translates into exceptional occupancy rate which is now consistently above 80% and an outstanding REVPAR of $195, which is well above the competition. Qstay has had positive EBITDA for the last two quarters and projects to be Net Income positive in Q4 2022, only in the second year of operation.

Company’s revenue has been growing at rate of over 100% quarter over quarter and Qstay expects its portfolio to grow to over 600 units and to achieve revenue of $50 million in 2023.

Qstay founder and CO-CEO Artur Khayrullin says the capital will be used to “accelerate the amazing growth we’ve seen so far,” and the concept plans to expand to at least five cities across Europe and the Middle East the next 12 months.

“Driven by QSTAY’s differentiated digital service model, the Company can reduce operating costs by as much as 50% compared to traditional hotels. Through innovative technology, additional digital services such as mobile-based access to the facilities of top beach resorts and thoughtfully designed accommodations, QSTAY is revolutionizing the hospitality industry,” says Artur Khayrullin. “With one of a kind modernized service, our guests experience an uncompromising quality with inspiring design at a price point that democratizes access to an extraordinary hospitality experience.”

The company leases large groups of units in the top locations, upgrades and furnishes them to the consistent luxury standard and supports them with the extensive luxury hotel-like services and amenities, providing guests with exceptionally designed accommodations at affordable prices on a nightly, weekly or monthly basis.

The company also offers text-enabled around-the-clock concierge service, and confirms that while it doesn’t own any of its units, all of them “are directly leased and managed by Qstay.”

“Our raise underscores the strength of the business and the rapid shift taking place within the hospitality industry due to technological innovations. Our vision for travel is making beautiful, well-designed spaces accessible to everyone with technology, while providing exceptional mobile app-based add-on services,” said Alec Fesenko, co-founder and CO-CEO. “We are far more efficient than traditional hotels while also providing a unique space and add-on services that are flexible enough to meet everyone’s needs. Whether you’re traveling on your own, for business, with your family or with friends, you will always have a space that can accommodate you.”

Currently Qstay is developing a differentiated, tech-driven platform that will provide seamless booking, digital concierge and a unified, on-demand platform for maintenance and service.

This raise will provide Qstay with additional capital to accelerate and supercharge Qstay’s vision.

Qstay plans to further capitalize on opportunities within the growing $800+ billion global lodging market and strengthen its position as a differentiated, rapidly growing innovator in the hospitality industry. Over the next few years, Qstay plans to continue investing in technology and expanding its footprint and product offering to drive an unparalleled guest experience, while also delivering even greater value to its investors, real estate partners and guests.

Press contact: artur@qstay.ae

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Due to Popular Demand, bitcoinblack Opens Membership Waitlist for No-Limit Crypto Credit Card

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MIAMI, July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The bitcoinblack community, which is limited to 10,000 members globally, today announces it is taking applications for their waitlist. According to company executives, the move is in response to growing demand from community members eager to become an exclusive bitcoinblack credit card holder.

bitcoinblack members all receive the world’s only no-limit, all-metal, black crypto credit card. Exclusive membership benefits also include access to the bitcoinblack mansion located in Turks & Caicos, private jet bookings, admission to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, and usage of the bitcoinblack crypto exchange. Members also have the ability to earn bitcoinblack’s official reward token known as SPEND ($SPND), which can be redeemed for admission to some of the world’s most luxurious private events curated by Haute Living Magazine.

Seasoned crypto investor and bitcoinblack CEO, Prakash Chand, said, “The rollout of applications for the waitlist is a really important step in building the bitcoinblack community, which ultimately will have an intimate membership of VIPs globally.”

bitcoinblack also announced a partnership with Haute Living to create the Haute Living Luxury Marketplace, which will launch on Sept. 15, 2022. bitcoinblack members will be able to redeem their SPEND tokens for one-of-a-kind premium rewards and experiences available in the marketplace.

The marketplace will be exclusive to bitcoinblack members and will include limited edition luxury cars, watches and clothing in addition to Haute Living events not available anywhere else.

“Our community is very excited about the marketplace and the exclusive ‘once-in-a-lifetime’-type experiences that they will have the ability to access with their SPEND tokens,” said Kamal Hotchandani, Chief Luxury Officer of bitcoinblack and Founder of Haute Living. “Members know from our reputation that they can expect the best in premium events and other luxe rewards.”

Now that the waitlist is open, anyone interested in joining the bitcoinblack waitlist can do so via bitcoinblackcreditcard.com. Applicants who are referrals from an existing member will receive priority.

About bitcoinblack

bitcoinblack is the world’s most exclusive crypto-powered black credit card. Backed by the cardholder’s bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies, bitcoinblack opens up a world of freedom and luxury that includes high-limit purchases and opulent members-only rewards powered by the $SPND token.

Contact:

Mark Cadiz
(647) 982-4175
sales@bitcoinblackcreditcard.com

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Satellite Intelligence Company Astraea Secures $6.5M Series A Funding

Oversubscribed Round Led by Aligned Climate Capital and Carbon Drawdown Collective

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Astraea, Inc. (Astraea), a satellite intelligence company, today closed an oversubscribed $6.5 million Series A round led by Aligned Climate Capital and Carbon Drawdown Collective with participation from CAV Angels, Tydall Investment Partners, and existing investor University of Virginia (UVA) Seed Fund.

Astraea’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, EarthAI, leverages geospatial data from more than 1,000 satellites to address climate change. Using cutting-edge artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing technologies, Astraea enables customers to rapidly and cost-effectively access and operationalize satellite insights across multiple industries, including clean energy, agriculture, conservation, carbon finance, and real estate.

“We are grateful to have Aligned Climate Capital and Carbon Drawdown Collective as partners in this next phase of scaling our business,” said Brendan Richardson, CEO of Astraea. “They both recognize the incredible potential for satellite data and analytics to vastly accelerate the energy transition and decarbonize at scale. We couldn’t be more excited to continue this work with their support.”

Aligned Climate Capital, an asset manager focused exclusively on companies and real assets that are decarbonizing the economy, invested $3 million in the Series A round.

“We know firsthand that satellite imagery can be a powerful platform for managing renewable energy assets and other decarbonization projects,” said Peter Davidson, CEO of Aligned Climate Capital. “Astraea’s software platform makes it easy to find new project sites, monitor construction projects, and manage existing assets.”

Astraea’s platform has already been put to use by industry-leading agriculture companies and conservation organizations to promote sustainable land use, develop solar power infrastructure, and monitor carbon offset projects among thousands of use cases.

“Congratulations to the entire Astraea team on closing this round,” said Bob Creeden, UVA Seed Fund managing director. “It has been a thrill to witness the growth of the company and its truly unique product. We look forward to continuing our support and watching Astraea grow and be successful in the future.”

Astraea will use the proceeds from this raise to support business development, hire data scientists, and expand commercial partnerships with satellite data providers.

PRESS CONTACT
Shannon Tevendale
Stevendale@astraea.io
About Astraea 
Astraea was founded in 2016 as a for-profit Benefit Corporation located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Astraea’s cloud-native platform EarthAI provides the tools and infrastructure required to build production-level analytics on satellite, aerial, and drone imagery. By eliminating common barriers to processing this valuable resource, Astraea is enabling individuals and organizations to access, analyze, and unlock actionable insights from petabytes of Earth-observing data at a fraction of the cost and complexity previously required.
Astraea: See the Earth as it could be.
https://astraea.earth

About Aligned Climate Capital 
Aligned Climate Capital LLC is an asset manager investing exclusively in the people, companies, and real assets that are decarbonizing the global economy. Founded in 2019, Aligned is a dynamic and mission-driven firm managing more than $1.8 billion in assets that believes solving climate change is a unique opportunity to generate strong financial returns while also achieving meaningful environmental and social impact. Aligned’s senior leadership has been at the forefront of mobilizing private capital to solve climate change for more than a decade, having held senior positions in asset management and government service.
https://www.alignedclimatecapital.com

About Carbon Drawdown Collective 
The Carbon Drawdown Collective was formed to scale up the deployment of climate solutions. CDC collaborates with partners in the private and non-profit sectors to fund a diverse portfolio of companies, organizations and initiatives.

About CAV Angels 
CAV Angels strives to catalyze UVA alumni’s engagement in burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystems and mobilize the highest levels of investment in the most promising early-stage companies through tailored educational programming, hands-on student engagement, and curated access to robust and proprietary deal flow.

About University of Virginia Licensing & Ventures Group 
University of Virginia Licensing & Ventures Group (UVA LVG) is the intellectual property management and innovation commercialization organization for the University’s research portfolio. Created in 2016, the UVA LVG Seed Fund invests in companies that have been founded to commercialize UVA intellectual property. The fund aligns with one of the strategic goals of President Jim Ryan in striving to be “both great and good” by maximizing the economic impact of UVA discoveries and improving lives at the University and around the world.
https://lvg.virginia.edu/funding/uva-lvg-seed-fund

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Strict law enforcement against perpetrators of child violence: Jokowi

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called for strict law enforcement against perpetrators of violence against children, including sexual abuse and physical and verbal forms of violence.

“I guess strict law enforcement, is the responsibility of all of us to prevent it from recurring,” the president stated after chairing an event to commemorate National Children’s Day at the Bogor Botanical Garden, West Java Province, on Saturday.

Those committing violence against children must be legally processed in line with the existing regulations to prevent other cases of violence against children in whatever form, he stressed.

“I guess all of them, whomsoever they are, should be processed. There should be no verbal violence, no bullying, no physical violence, no sexual violence. All of those acts are not allowed according to the regulations. And it has punishment (consequences),” he stated.

On the occasion of National Children’s Day commemorated every July 23, President Jokowi reminded adults to not have overly high aspirations of children.

Children should be allowed to be active and creative in their world, he stated.

“I like to see children being happy with various (forms of) creativity by showcasing their activities. I think that is actually the world of children. Do not force children to follow the wishes of adults too much, as children are children. Their world is the world of children,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News

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Jakarta to establish groundwater-free zones by August 2023

The Jakarta provincial government will strictly enforce the implementation of groundwater-free zones on August 1, 2023, as stipulated in Gubernatorial Regulation No. 93 of 2021.

“Please be well prepared that from August 1, 2023, we will be really firm and strict to implement groundwater-free zoning rules,” the development and environment assistant for Jakarta’s regional secretary, Afan Adriansyah Idris, stated here, Saturday.

By August 1, 2023, he elaborated that buildings with more than eight floors, with an area of over five thousand square meters, and the area where the building stands already has clean water services, are no longer allowed to use groundwater.

The regulation also stipulates that every owner and manager of the buildings that meet the criteria is prohibited from taking and/or utilizing groundwater starting from August 1, 2023, except for dewatering activities.

Dewatering is a water control activity for the purpose of draining the excavation area that will be used as an underground building or for other purposes.

Idris said that his side is currently expanding the coverage of clean water services.

The recent facility built by the Jakarta provincial government is the city forest water treatment plant, with a capacity of 500 liters per second.

Earlier, on October 22, 2021, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan issued Gubernatorial Regulation No. 93 of 2021 on groundwater-free zones.

The regulation was issued due to the limited availability of groundwater and land subsidence occurring in Jakarta.

City-owned tap water company PT PAM Jaya will strengthen the existence of clean water pipes in areas that are prohibited from using groundwater, President Director of PAM Jaya Arief Nasrudin stated.

“PAM Jaya is conducting a campaign in collaboration with the Jakarta provincial government and the water resources office to strengthen the process, so that it can be applied and relevant information is disseminated to the residents of Jakarta,” Nasrudin remarked.

Source: Antara News

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Children’s Day offers momentum to realize golden generation by 2045

The commemoration of 2022 National Children’s Day on July 23 offered the momentum to realize a golden or quality generation by 2045, Chief of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Moeldoko stated.

“Our task is to realize the golden generation amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the unsolved challenges. National Children’s Day must be a momentum to strengthen each other’s commitment, synergy, and collaboration to realize the golden generation by 2045,” Moeldoko explained here, Saturday.

The chief of staff expressed optimism that the golden generation would have members, with the requisite quality, dignity, and ability to master science and technology and build character through applying the values of Pancasila.

According to Moeldoko, a golden generation can also be realized by protecting and fulfilling the rights of children since being in the mother’s womb.

He drew attention to the roadmap designed by the government to help build the 2045 golden generation comprising the National Talent Management program, Presidential Instruction for Maternity Insurance, as well as several presidential regulations that have been issued for the acceleration of stunting reduction; tuberculosis mitigation; and handling violence against children.

“These are all real manifestations of President Jokowi’s seriousness in creating a prime generation,” he stated.

Furthermore, Moeldoko noted that through Government Regulation No. 78 of 2021 on Special Protection for Children, the government is also present for children in need of special protection, such as those undergoing a legal process, victims of terrorism networks, victims of sexual violence and crimes, or victims in emergency situations or disasters.

He also lauded ministries and institutions, local governments, and all elements of society that have worked hard to reduce the rates of stunting and violence, child marriage, and child labor.

“This includes the remarkable achievement of the children’s vaccine (coverage). The Presidential Staff Office lauds the hard work of all stakeholders involved,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News

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Midwives have important role in stunting reduction: BKKBN

Midwives are playing an important role in assisting families to support childhood stunting reduction efforts in Indonesia, the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) has said.

“The midwives’ contribution to efforts to reduce the stunting rate can be initiated from the prevention process through family approaches and assistance,” Director of Quality Development at the BKKBN’s family planning office, Martin Suanta, said at the “Inspirational Midwife for the Nation” program, here on Saturday.

The agency commended the program, which has been organized by the government and the private sector this year. The program is a combination of two similar programs hosted in West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Aceh, South Sulawesi, Banten, South Sumatra, Southeast Sulawesi, and Papua.

This year, the program will be conducted in 4 of the 12 provinces targeted for the Stunting Reduction Program. The program is expected to engage the community firsthand, especially in remote areas where maternal and child health problems are rampant.

“I commend the ‘Inspirational Midwife for the Country’ (program), this is extraordinary,” Suanta said.

Stunting prevention starts by ensuring that the condition of every bride or couple of childbearing age is ideal for marriage and pregnancy. To achieve this, the agency has set up family assistance teams comprising midwives.

The teams assist prospective couples, including by checking their health before marriage, and getting their data registered in the Electronic Ready for Marriage Ready for Pregnancy or Elsimil application.

Prospective brides or couples of childbearing age also receive guidance on marriage, specifically stunting prevention. One of the focuses during mentoring is meeting the nutritional needs of prospective brides or couples of childbearing age in a bid to prevent chronic energy deficiency and anemia, some of the risks that can lead to the birth of stunted children.

Preventing stunting is important to create good human resources for Indonesia in the future. Stunting does not only result in stunted physical development, but also leads to less-than-optimal brain development, which can interfere with a person’s productivity and creativity.

The program, which is the result of a collaboration between the National Population and Family Planning Agency, PT Kimia Farma, and the Dompet Dhuafa Foundation, is expected to create a generation of great people, or a demographic bonus, by 2045, chairman of the board of trustees of the Dompet Dhuafa Foundation, Rahmad Riyadi, said.

Meanwhile, director of human resources at Kimia Farma, Dharma Syahputra, said the program puts emphasis on the duty of midwives, who have a direct impact on public health services.

“If midwives help, they are given a place and space, given appreciation (to encourage them to) make service innovations and health promotion can be done better; hopefully, this can help the community,” Syahputra added.

Source: Antara News

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Local government innovations up significantly: BSKDN

The number of innovations produced by regional governments has increased significantly in the past two years, the Agency of Domestic Policy Strategy (BSKDN) of the Ministry of Home Affairs informed here on Saturday.

“The increase is based on data from the Regional Innovation Index built by the Home Ministry,” BKSDN head Eko Prasetyanto said while issuing directions on the socialization of the assessment of the Regional Innovation Index and the 2022 Innovative Government Award (IGA).

In 2018, the number of regional innovations was recorded at 3,718, while in 2021, the number reached 25,124, he informed.

Therefore, he emphasized that the Agency of Domestic Policy Strategy is continuing to encourage regional governments to improve innovations, which can be done by cooperating with each other.

This would allow the number of innovations to increase and policies issued by regions to run more efficiently and effectively.

“Let’s share the innovations that we have carried out together and then, we replicate them for the development of the districts, cities, provinces that we love,” Prasetyanto said.

In addition, regional innovation is not only limited to digital-based innovation, but also includes coordination for problem-solving, he explained.

To understand the implementation of regional innovations, he urged local governments to stick to various regulations, including Law No. 23 of 2014 concerning Regional Government and Law No. 11 of 2019 concerning the National System of Science and Technology.

The regulations also include Government Regulation No. 38 of 2017 concerning regional innovation, as well as Ministerial Regulation Number 104 of 2018 on measurement, assessment, awarding, and incentives for regional innovation.

“It needs to be understood by all parties, meaning that among legal materials, implementation, culture, this must run simultaneously,” he added.

Source: Antara News

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