Author: Neel Achary

Africa Rising Music Conference 2026 concludes with landmark international collaborations, artist development initiative, future-focused industry conversations and announces 2027 dates.

Africa Rising Music Conference (ARMC) 2026 concluded this past weekend at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, delivering two days of forward-thinking conversations, international networking, and cultural exchange that further cemented ARMC’s position as one of Africa’s most important music industry platforms. 

Bringing together over 1000 artists, executives, entrepreneurs, policymakers, creatives and innovators from over 15 countries over the two conference days, ARMC 2026 focused not only on conversations about the future of music – but on creating tangible opportunities and real industry outcomes for African artists. The star-studded line-up and attendees featured leading voices from music, culture and government, including Elaine, TRESOR, Kim Jayde and Janesh, alongside key institutional representation from the Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the German Embassy Pretoria, the Australian High Commission Pretoria and the Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria.
One of the conference’s most significant announcements was the official launch of the Music Mentorship Program for South African Artists, a new collaboration between the German Embassy Pretoria, ARMC and Paradise Worldwide. Officially unveiled during the conference by representatives from all three organisations, the initiative is designed to bridge the gap between creativity and professional music industry development for South African artists.

“Music and diplomacy share many traits. They connect people. They foster collaboration. When successful, they create something bigger than the sum of its parts. ARMC’s Mentorship Programme for South African Artists is about just that: connections between German and South African artists to create something beautiful. As the German Embassy, we are glad to be part of this.” – Marten Menger, Head of the Cultural Department at the German Embassy Pretoria.

Applications for the programme are now officially open, with five selected artists set to receive comprehensive support for an upcoming release project including professional mastering, release strategy support, one-on-one international mentorship paired with established German music industry professionals and artists, EP and single artwork design, professional press shots, in-studio promotional content production and visual storytelling support. The launch marked a major step toward building stronger international creative exchange between South Africa and Germany while investing directly in the next generation of South African talent.
 
Another standout moment at ARMC 2026 was the introduction of the Berlin AI Think Tank in Africa, which created a critical platform for discussions around artificial intelligence, creator consent, licensing, attribution and fair remuneration within the rapidly evolving music landscape. With local and international stakeholders in attendance – including SAMPRA, CAPASSO, AIxchange, the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM), Fraunhofer IDMT and others – the Think Tank initiated critical conversations around the next steps toward a more independent and sustainable Pan-African AI ecosystem for music and the creative industries.

ARMC 2026 also strengthened international cultural ties to Australia, the official international focus country of this year’s edition, through the SA Meets Australia Networking Reception, presented in collaboration with the Australian High Commission Pretoria, Creative Australia and Alchemy Music. The reception featured a special live performance by Australian artist DOBBY, whose appearance became one of the conference’s defining moments when he invited emerging South African rappers onto the stage for an improvised freestyle collaboration – creating an authentic and spontaneous exchange between young artists from both countries. The moment reflected ARMC’s broader vision of fostering meaningful global collaboration through music and culture.

“ARMC provides an important platform to bring together artists and industry from around Africa and the world to exchange experiences, knowledge and ideas. Alchemy Music is proud to bring the first Australian delegation to the event, highlighting common challenges and opportunities as well as showcasing the extraordinary talent of First Nation rapper DOBBY and alt-r&b/ambient electronica singer, songwriter and producer Milan Ring.” – Frank Rodi, Alchemy Music

Beyond the conference programme, ARMC 2026 delivered a dynamic live music experience with performances and showcases from artists including Henrik Schwarz (DE), Young Duragg (ZA), Mörda (ZA), Doowap (ZA), Rouge (ZA), HARUNA (UK), TIMANTI (UK) and many more, celebrating the diversity and global influence of contemporary African music culture.

“Having hosted a workshop on female empowerment at last year’s conference, returning to ARMC this year as an artist was incredibly special,” said Rouge. “I’ve made so many meaningful connections through this platform and witnessed firsthand how important these spaces are for African creatives. ARMC is more than just a conference, it’s a growing movement that the global music industry should be paying close attention to.”

The success of ARMC 2026 was made possible through the support of headline partner Paradise Worldwide as well as Mint Digital Services, Johnnie Walker AfroExchange, Jaecoo, SAMRO, Ray-Ban, KFC, SAMPRA, Billboard Africa, Hype Magazine, Music In Africa, Trace, Resident Advisor,  sponsors, speakers, artists, delegates, media and collaborators who contributed to making this year’s edition one of the conference’s most impactful and internationally connected gatherings to date.
ARMC 2027 dates have officially been announced – save the date for 21st & 22nd May 2027. Early bird tickets for next year’s conference are now officially available on Quicket. 

Hexagon Nutrition IPO Opens on June 5, 2026

Chandigarh, May 27 : Hexagon Nutrition Limited  proposes to open an initial public offering of its equity shares of face value of ₹1 each  on Friday, June 05, 2026. The Anchor Investor Bidding Date is one Working Day before the Bid/Offer Opening Date, being Thursday, June 04, 2026. The Bid/ Offer Closing Date is Tuesday, June 09, 2026.

The Price Band of the Offer has been fixed from INR  42 per Equity Share to INR 45 per Equity Share. Bids can be made for a minimum of 333 Equity Shares and multiples of 333 Equity Shares thereafter.

The offer comprises an offer for sale of up to 30,859,704 Equity Shares, aggregating up to INR 1,388.69 million (INR 138.87 Crore (calculated at upper end of the price band)) by existing shareholders, Arun Purushottam Kelkar, Subhash Purushottam Kelkar, Aditya Kelkar and Nutan Subhash Kelkar 

Hexagon Nutrition Limited is a focused nutrition company with a differentiated and research-oriented approach, operating across the nutrition value chain through Branded wellness nutrition products/ clinical nutrition products , premix formulations (B2B2C), and Ready to Use Foods and Micronutrient Powder . The company is recognized as one of the largest premix players in India, supplying customised vitamin and mineral premixes to leading Indian and multinational FMCG companies. It is also one of the largest licensed suppliers of MNPs under UN programmes, supporting global food fortification and public health initiatives

Internationally, Hexagon Nutrition’s distribution network extends across non-exclusive 19 regional distributors covering Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The company also maintain 3 overseas offices located in South Africa, Uzbekistan and Hong Kong that support the overseas business operations. Over the past three Fiscals, their products were exported to over 75 countries. The Company has positioned itself as a holistic nutrition company with global nutritional expertise.

The Offer is being made in terms of Rule 19(2)(b) of the SCRR, read with Regulation 31 of the SEBI ICDR Regulations. The Offer is being made for at least 25% of the post- Offer paid-up Equity Share capital of our Company. The Offer is being made through the Book Building Process in accordance with Regulation 6(1) of the SEBI ICDR Regulations wherein in terms of Regulation 32(1) of the SEBI ICDR Regulations, not more than 50% of the Offer shall be available for allocation on a proportionate basis to Qualified Institutional Buyers (“QIBs” and such portion the “QIB Portion”), provided that our Company may, in consultation with the Book Running Lead Managers, allocate up to 60% of the QIB Portion to Anchor Investors on a discretionary basis, in accordance with the SEBI ICDR Regulations (the “Anchor Investor Portion”), of which 40% shall be reserved as follows: (i) 33.33% for domestic Mutual Funds; and (ii) 6.67% for Life Insurance Companies and Pension Funds, subject to valid Bids being received from domestic Mutual Funds, Life Insurance Companies and Pension Funds at or above the Anchor Investor Offer Price. In case the aggregate demand from Life Insurance Companies and Pension Funds is less than 6.67%, the remaining Equity Shares will be added to the portion allocated to domestic Mutual Funds, in accordance with the SEBI ICDR Regulations. In the event of under-subscription or non-allocation in the Anchor Investor Portion, the balance Equity Shares shall be added to the remaining QIB Portion (“Net QIB Portion”).

Further, 5% of the Net QIB Portion shall be available for allocation on a proportionate basis only to Mutual Funds, and the remainder of the Net QIB Portion shall be available for allocation on a proportionate basis to all QIBs, including Mutual Funds, subject to valid Bids being received at or above the Offer Price. However, if the aggregate demand from the Mutual Funds is less than 5% of the Net QIB Portion, the balance Equity Shares available for allocation will be added to the remaining QIB Portion for proportionate allocation to QIBs. Further, not less than 15% of the Offer shall be available for allocation on a proportionate basis to Non-Institutional Bidders in accordance with the SEBI ICDR Regulations, subject to valid Bids being received at or above the Offer Price, out of which (a) one-third of such portion shall be reserved for Bidders with application size of more than INR 0.20 million and up to INR 1.00 million; and (b) two-thirds of such portion shall be reserved for Bidders with application size of more than INR 1.00 million provided that the unsubscribed portion in either of such sub-categories may be allocated to Bidders in the other sub-category of Non-Institutional Bidders; and not less than 35% of the Offer shall be available for allocation to Retail Individual Bidders in accordance with the SEBI ICDR Regulations, subject to valid Bids being received at or above the Offer Price.

All Bidders (except Anchor Investors) are mandatorily required to utilize the Application Supported by Blocked Amount (“ASBA”) process by providing details of their respective ASBA accounts and UPI ID in case of UPI Bidders using the UPI Mechanism, as applicable, pursuant to which their corresponding Bid Amount will be blocked by the Self Certified Syndicate Banks (“SCSBs”) or by the Sponsor Banks under the UPI Mechanism, as the case may be, to the extent of the respective Bid Amounts. Anchor Investors are not permitted to participate in the Offer through the ASBA process.

The Equity Shares of the Company are proposed to be listed on BSE Limited (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) (BSE and NSE together, the Stock Exchanges). For the purposes of the Offer, the Designated Stock Exchange shall be NSE.

Cumulative Capital Private Limited and Catalyst Capital Partners Private Limited are the Book Running Lead Managers (BRLMs) to the issue.

All capitalised terms not defined herein would have the same meaning as attributed to them in the Red Herring Prospectus dated May 25, 2026.

Zendesk Commits Dollar 100M to Help Startups Build with AI, Expands VC Program

Bangalore, May 27 : At its annual Relate conference, Zendesk today announced a new Dollar 100 million, two-year commitment to help startups move faster, automate, and build world-class customer experiences into their stack from day one. The Zendesk for Startups program is built for the next generation of founders, offering access to products at no cost, along with resources and partner benefits to help them build and scale faster. For the first time, Zendesk is also extending dedicated benefits to venture capital partners across their portfolios. 

 “The decisions founders make early about their customer infrastructure shape everything that comes after,” said Adrian McDermott, CTO, Zendesk. “I joined Zendesk when we were a small startup, and those early decisions shaped everything that followed. We built this program with that experience in mind. AI has fundamentally changed what a small team can accomplish from day one—founders shouldn’t have to choose between moving fast and building right. With AI built in from the start, they can do both while extending their runway by removing cost as a barrier.”

More than 50,000 startups globally have scaled on Zendesk, including fast-growing companies like ElevenLabs and Canva. Built to grow with startups, the program supports founders and extends through Series B for companies with up to 250 employees. Members receive up to two years of access to Zendesk’s full AI suite the longest no-cost commitment of any CX startup offering currently available plus more seats and higher monthly resolution limits than comparable programs. They also gain access to a new digital membership hub and exclusive partner benefits from AWS, GitHub, Notion, and others. 

Qualified startups receive an enhanced offer, including:

• Runway: Up to two years of access to Zendesk at no cost, to help startups preserve capital while they build.

• Automation: AI Agents Advanced to automate support earlier before headcount becomes the constraint.

• Velocity: Frictionless VIP onboarding and implementation support, helping startups go live quickly and start seeing value fast.

• Support: Dedicated sales support, giving founders direct access to a team that can help as they scale.

• Community: Exclusive events, founder sessions, and partner programming, connecting startups with peers, experts, and ecosystem partners.

• Feedback: Direct access to Zendesk Labs, Zendesk Ventures, and Zendesk executives, creating more opportunities for feedback, product input, and strategic support.

“The process of organizing people and resources for government bids is notoriously inefficient, and the best teams often lose because of it,” said Lauren Burke Silva, Co-Founder and CEO, MERIT. “We built MERIT to streamline that pursuit process. By choosing Zendesk, we’re able to automate workflows and deploy AI agents from day one—allowing us to stay lean and focused on our mission to help our customers win.”

Zendesk is broadening the program to include dedicated benefits for venture capital firms. Through partnerships with a16z, Techstars, LvlUp Ventures, 500 Global, and others, investors gain access to closed-door interactive AI sessions, quarterly portfolio reviews, Zendesk Employee Service, direct access to Zendesk executives through the Executive Sponsor program, and more. 

“The best founders move fast and build with conviction,” said David Cohen, Founder and CEO, Techstars. “What Zendesk is doing here is meeting them at that pace with real resources and a real commitment to the ecosystem. This is exactly why Techstars is deepening its partnership with Zendesk. This is the kind of partnership that helps the next generation of breakout companies get off the ground and scale.”

RINA reaches one billion in revenue and continues its growth plan

Genoa (Italy), May 26: The shareholders’ meeting of RINA, the multinational inspection, certification and consulting engineering group, today approved the 2025 financial statements, reporting revenues of €1.03 billion, up 11% compared to 2024, and adjusted EBITDA of €155 million (+12.5% versus 2024, improving from 14.8% to 15% of revenues). The Group’s net profit rose to €39.7 million, up from €30.4 million on the previous year, while financial leverage remains stable at around 1x. In addition, RINA continues to build its future growth, supporting tomorrow’s revenues with a new order intake-to-revenue ratio above 1.2x.

The positive trend continued into the first quarter of 2026, with revenues of €246 million, up 2.7% on the same period in 2025. Order intake reached approximately €346 million.

Ugo Salerno, Executive Chairman of RINA, said: “Surpassing €1 billion in revenue underscores the solidity of RINA as a company able to evolve while maintaining a clear trajectory of growth. We plan to support further development also through targeted international acquisitions, focusing on businesses with strong strategic potential. This milestone is the result of a long-term journey built on our people, our expertise, and our ability to adapt in an ever-changing environment. These results confirm the Group’s capacity to seize market opportunities and translate them into development and long-term value.”

Carlo Luzzatto, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of RINA, commented: “We are accelerating the execution of our 2030 strategic plan, consolidating the Group’s commitment to innovation, a long-standing distinguishing feature of RINA. This path also includes the acquisition of Foreship, a strategic step which further strengthened our capabilities in the marine and naval engineering sectors, expanding our international footprint. I am very proud of the results achieved so far, thanks to the collective effort of all our colleagues.”