Ford Foundation Embeds Multiyear Flexible Funding and Institutional Strengthening Across Entire Global Portfolio

Ford establishes 50% multiyear general operating floor worldwide, commits 5% of program

funding to strengthen shared civil society infrastructure.

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Ford Foundation today announced that it will embed multiyear flexible funding and institutional strengthening as default baseline practices across its entire global portfolio as part of its broader Innovation Agenda. This follows the release of How We Meet This Moment, a report outlining the foundation’s new strategic direction.

The move guarantees hundreds of millions of dollars in predictable, flexible capital for organizations navigating increasingly complex conditions worldwide.

The shift builds on insights from Ford’s landmark Building Institutions and Networks (BUILD) initiative, with a decade of grantmaking data showing that civil society partners deliver their strongest work when funders offer multiyear flexible support, invest in institutional health, and trust leaders with the independence to carry out their missions.

Ford is integrating these principles into everyday grantmaking across all areas of work through its Office of Innovation, which will play a crucial part in strategy development over the course of 2027.

Key operational commitments will include:

• A Floor of 50% Multiyear General Support: At least half of Ford’s total annual program grantmaking budget will be anchored in multiyear general operating support (ranging from three to five years), ensuring grantee partners have stability alongside operational flexibility.
• A 5% Commitment to Institutional Strengthening: Starting in 2028, Ford will commit 5% of its annual program budget—an eightfold increase to dedicated capacity funding. Rather than a one-size-fits-all requirement, these institutional strengthening resources will be available to Ford grantees based on their specific organizational needs, regardless of grant size, type, or term.
• Support for the Broader Ecosystem: Crucially, this investment extends support beyond Ford’s portfolio by backing independent capacity-building networks and technical assistance providers that deliver essential services such as legal support, digital security, and financial health directly to organizations across the wider civil society ecosystem.
• Appointing a Director of Grantmaking Excellence: To lead foundation-wide implementation, Ford is promoting Luc Athayde-Rizzaro to director of grantmaking excellence starting in January 2027. Currently serving as grantmaking excellence officer, Athayde-Rizzaro has been a key architect of Ford’s learning and grantmaking practice.

“Over the last decade, we learned a simple truth: Organizations do their best work when funders get out of the way, provide flexible funding over multiple years, and help them build institutional strength,” said Noorain Khan, chief innovation officer at the Ford Foundation. “True innovation is about taking what we know works and making it our global baseline. Luc is an exceptional leader whose vision and deep expertise have already helped transform our internal approaches, and I am thrilled to see him take the helm as we embed these standards foundation-wide.”

“As we chart our path forward, fortifying democracy’s preconditions requires changing what we fund and how we fund,” said Heather Gerken, president of the Ford Foundation. “Grantmaking excellence starts with listening to our partners and giving them the long-term stability and autonomy to lead. I am deeply grateful to Noorain and Luc for their exceptional leadership as we implement this practice across the entire foundation. We hope the philanthropic sector will join us in making flexible, multiyear support a standard practice.”

About the Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For 90 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $18 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Learn more at www.fordfoundation.org.

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Solidion Technology (NASDAQ: STI) Reports Third Quarter Financial Results, Highlighting Strong Cash Balance, Reduction in Liabilities and Positive EPS

Company Maintains Strong Cash Position of $26.2 Million, Reduces Total Liabilities by Approximately 40%, and Reports Positive Earnings per Share (EPS) of $0.02

DALLAS, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Solidion Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: STI) (“Solidion Technology” or “the Company”), an advanced battery technology provider, today reported its Third Quarter 2026 Financial and Operating Results. The condensed consolidated financial statements of Solidion Technology and additional information can be found in Solidion Technology’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 9, 2026 (the “Form 10-Q”). This earnings release should be read together with the information contained in the Form 10-Q.

Solidion Technology maintained a healthy cash balance of approximately $26.2 million, reduced total liabilities by approximately 40% compared to year-end 2025, and reported positive net income for the quarter.

Third Quarter 2026 Financial and Corporate Highlights 

• Strong Liquidity: Maintained cash and cash equivalents of $26.2 million as of September 30, 2026, compared to $27.7 million at June 30, 2026.
• Positive Working Capital: Working capital of $19.6 million as of September 30, 2026, compared to a deficit of $11.2 million at December 31, 2025.
• Reduced Liabilities: Total liabilities declined approximately 40% to $7.5 million, compared to $12.0 million at December 31, 2025.
• Positive Net Income: Reported quarterly net income of approximately $244,000, compared to a net loss of $4.1 million in the prior-year period.
• Strengthened Stockholders’ Equity: Stockholders’ equity reached $23.8 million, compared to a deficit of $7.2 million at year-end 2025.
• Financial Flexibility: The Company believes its capital position supports continued investment in its technology portfolio and evaluation of strategic acquisition opportunities.
• Board Governance: On August 31, 2026, the Company expanded its Board of Directors with the appointment of three independent directors, Mark Schwartz, Kimi L. Ellen and Dante W. Robinson.
• Share Repurchase Program: On September 13, 2026, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $1.0 million of the Company’s common stock.

TABLE 1: QUARTERLY FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

“During the third quarter, we continued strengthening Solidion Technology’s financial foundation while positioning the Company for its next phase of growth,” said Jaymes Winters, Chief Executive Officer of Solidion Technology. “We remain disciplined and opportunistic in our approach to acquisitions. Our healthy cash position and improved balance sheet provide us with the flexibility to continue to pursue opportunities that complement our existing technology and manufacturing capabilities.”

“We believe our strategy positions Solidion Technology to capitalize on opportunities across the energy storage industry, while maintaining our commitment to long-term shareholder value.”

Business Highlights

Technology and Commercialization

• PEAK Series UPS for AI Data Centers: Solidion has developed its PEAK Series uninterruptible power supply system using its 5500 silicon-carbon anode cell. Based on Company testing, the system is designed to reduce UPS footprint by up to 30%, while the cell is designed to last up to three times longer than conventional backup battery systems.
• High-Power Battery Cells: Solidion has developed its high-energy 5.5Ah 21700 cylindrical cell, with an energy density of 305 Wh/kg and continuous charge/discharge capability exceeding 2C.
• Government Research Programs: Solidion is conducting research under two U.S. Department of Energy grants, both conducted jointly with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Company’s partner on its 2025 R&D 100 Award. The Company is also performing research under a firm-fixed-price U.S. Army STTR contract to develop a flexible, fiber-based rechargeable battery system.

Strategic Priorities

For the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, Solidion Technology intends to remain an opportunistic and disciplined acquirer of revenue-generating assets and businesses in the battery storage sector that amplify its existing technology and IP portfolio while simultaneously advancing its commercialization initiatives and strengthening its manufacturing and commercial capabilities.

About Solidion Technology, Inc.

Solidion Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: STI) is an advanced battery technology company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with R&D and manufacturing operations in Dayton, Ohio. Solidion develops silicon-rich anodes, solid-state batteries, and fire-retardant electrolytes designed to deliver higher energy density, improved safety, and lower cost for the electric vehicle, energy storage, consumer electronics, aerospace and defense, and AI data center markets, including next-generation backup power for data center operators. The Company is backed by a global portfolio of over 385 patents covering innovations such as high-capacity, silane gas-free, and graphene-enabled silicon anodes, biomass-based graphite, and advanced lithium-sulfur and lithium-metal technologies. Solidion also pursues a disciplined acquisition strategy focused on opportunities that complement its platform and create long-term shareholder value.

For more information, please visit www.ir.solidiontech.com or contact Investor Relations.

Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Solidion Technology Inc., (NASDAQ: STI) (the “Company,” “Solidion,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Without limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include the words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “position,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions or the negative thereof, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release may include, for example, statements about our financial and business performance and statements about our business, expansion plans and opportunities. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the inability of our batteries to perform as expected, including design or manufacturing defects; competition in the evolving battery cell market and the selection of other battery cell technologies by OEMs; the need for additional safety testing of our battery technology before it can be installed in electric vehicles; reliance on complex production equipment, and operational and cost uncertainty in production; the performance of licensed technologies that have not been commercialized, or have only been commercialized to a limited extent; raw material and component price increases, supply constraints, and our ability to control costs and achieve cost advantages at scale; the pace of consumer adoption of electric vehicles; the unavailability of government incentives and subsidies; our ability to attract customers and to accurately forecast supply, demand and manufacturing requirements; our ability to attract and retain key employees and qualified personnel; our limited operating history and untested business model; our history of losses; our ability to obtain additional capital on commercially reasonable terms, or at all; our ability to manage growth and build our brand; the accuracy of assumptions and estimates behind our technical and production timelines and our financial statements; material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting; product liability claims, litigation, regulatory actions and government investigations; substantial and changing regulations; cybersecurity incidents, security breaches, and data privacy compliance; tariffs and trade tensions, including a potential global trade war; and other risks detailed in our other Securities and Exchange Commission filings, particularly in the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Please follow us on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/solidion-tech

X: https://x.com/solidiontech

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Cisco Unveils Frontier AI Red Teaming and Agent Observability to Secure the Agentic Enterprise

AI Defense, Splunk, and Cisco IQ innovations give security and operations teams one loop to find risk, measure value, and prove trust.

News Summary:

• Cisco AI Defense’s adaptive AI red teaming framework is adding Anthropic’s Claude Mythos, harnessing advanced adversarial reasoning to simulate real-world attacks on AI agents.
• With Cisco’s enhanced Tokenomics, organizations can optimize AI spend to defend what matters most by connecting agent cost directly with ROI in real time.
• Cisco IQ, which leverages decades of vulnerability and troubleshooting data, now correlates live threat detection data with potentially exposed network infrastructure at machine speed to accelerate remediation.
• Together, these innovations offer enterprises an always-on trust loop to secure, govern, and observe increasingly capable AI agents and complex enterprise AI deployments.

MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CISCO LIVE APJC — Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced it is adding Claude Mythos to AI Defense for red teaming AI applications and agents, empowering defenders to stress-test AI systems with frontier adversary reasoning. Coupled with new Splunk Agent Observability and Cisco IQ advancements, Cisco is preparing enterprises for a new era of trust that requires securing, observing, and governing agents at machine speed.

“You cannot scale what you cannot secure, govern, or observe,” said Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel. “By uniting frontier-level AI runtime protections with machine-speed agent quality controls, we are building a continuous trust loop: protecting agents from compromise while ensuring every token spent delivers measurable business value.”

As AI agents proliferate and connect to complex tools and sensitive data, 81% of ITOps and engineering professionals cite increased cooperation between security and observability teams, according to a global Splunk research report last month. Cisco’s Splunk and AI Defense innovations equip security leaders to account for token spend and effective tool use while conducting tailored security testing against highly capable AI agents.

Since Cisco launched AI Defense in January 2025, it has helped hundreds of customers identify critical flaws in AI models, applications, and agents before they reach production. Its adaptive red teaming allows security teams to quickly build customized, multi-step attacks on target systems to uncover specific risks. Claude Mythos will augment this framework with advanced reasoning that plans tests that matter and translates the results into attack ideas for each system.

Features include:  

• Realistic Adversarial Ideation: generates multi-step, contextual attack paths designed to help identify subtle vulnerabilities across complex architectures.

• Secure, Contained Access: By design, customers interact only through AI Defense’s structured interface: Customers have no open-ended prompt access.

• Audit Trails and Repeatable Results: AI Defense records each testing action for audit, and results can be carried over to inform follow-up attack loops.

“Enterprises are increasingly building AI agents into their core operations and want to test those agents thoroughly before putting them into production,” said Michael Moore, Cybersecurity Lead at Anthropic. “By bringing Claude Mythos to Cisco AI Defense, Cisco can help security teams red team their agents with advanced reasoning that plans tests and generates attack ideas for each system.”

Cisco engineered AI Defense to use Claude Mythos with multi-layered safeguards:

• Registered, Authorized Targets: Operates exclusively against targets explicitly registered, owned, and authorized for testing by the enterprise customer; it cannot scan arbitrary internet infrastructure.

• Named Operator Attribution: Every red teaming engagement requires authentication and is cryptographically tied to a named enterprise operator.

• Revocable Execution: Engagements run with a fixed job and objectives defined by the human user, with time-bound sessions that can be halted on demand.

• Dual-Layer Oversight: Product-level controls in AI Defense operate alongside program-level safeguards and monitoring.

Closing the Loop: From Test Findings to Measurable Agent ROI

Frontier AI models can excel at complex security tasks such as crafting AI red teaming strategies. That capability cuts both ways. AI is lowering the barrier to entry for attackers just as many enterprises are working to balance security, governance, and ROI considerations across growing AI portfolios.

For organizations to confidently deploy AI agents at scale, they need unified, real-time visibility into AI agent cost, business performance, and quality. Cisco is bridging the trust gap with new Splunk Agent Observability enhancements:

• Tokenomics: cost governance, soon to be available in AWS Marketplace, that ties AI spend to output quality. Using usage data from Amazon Bedrock and Amazon CloudWatch, it pairs each agent’s cost with evaluations that grade the quality and impact of its work, giving organizations a single view of AI ROI. This extends the token-spend attribution launched at .conf26, which tracks costs across AI agents and coding tools such as Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor.

• Eval-G1 Evaluation Models: Splunk Agent Observability extends our support for turning agentic traces and expert feedback into custom small language models that execute evals and guardrails at up to 98% lower cost than a commercial LLM. These next generation Eval-G1 models deliver evaluation response times 2.5x faster than traditional LLMs and enable real-time agent control with high accuracy.

• The Evaluation Tuner: Teams can turn their agentic traces and subject matter expert feedback into fine-tuned evaluator models to enforce quality standards and steer agents at machine speed.

Adaptive red teaming with Claude Mythos is coming soon for select enterprises. Tokenomics will be available in private preview in December, with general availability in  AWS Marketplace early 2027. The evaluation models and the evaluation tuner are generally available starting this month.

Connecting Infrastructure Exposure to Security Action with Cisco IQ and Cisco Data Fabric Powered by the Splunk Platform

While understanding vulnerability exposure is critical, defenders must also accelerate how they remediate risk across complex enterprise estates. Cisco IQ identifies critical exposures, and the powerful ecosystem of Cisco Partners and Professional Services turns insight into action. Partners help deliver remediation at scale and modernize infrastructure, and Cisco Professional Services bring deep expertise to put new Cisco capabilities into practice. Together, Cisco and its partners can help streamline operations and future-proof your IT infrastructure for the AI era.

As AI-accelerated threats compress the window between vulnerability disclosure and exploitation from weeks to hours, point-in-time audits leave organizations exposed. To help security and network operations teams act at machine speed, Cisco is extending real-time intelligence from Cisco IQ—which has close to 17,000 customers across more than 22 million devices—directly into enterprise security environments, open agentic protocols, and automated lifecycle workflows.

Key updates include:

• Cisco Data Fabric Integration: Ingests Cisco IQ vulnerability, lifecycle, and configuration data directly into Splunk Platform via open APIs, enabling SecOps teams and AI agents to correlate live threat detections with underlying network exposure in Splunk Enterprise Security.

• Model Context Protocol (MCP) & ServiceNow Connectors: Provides structured infrastructure context to supported AI agents and enterprise IT Service Management platforms, automatically translating exposure findings into asset-linked ServiceNow problem records to coordinate remediation without manual data reconciliation.

• AI-Powered Resilient Infrastructure Playbook: Surfaces critical lifecycle vulnerabilities, including personalized alerts for known defects and quantum-safe cryptographic readiness, allowing teams and certified partners to scope and prioritize modernization roadmaps.

“AI is shrinking the time organizations have to respond to threats, and knowing where you’re exposed only matters if you can act on it,” said Liz Centoni, Cisco EVP and Chief Customer Experience Officer. “Bringing Cisco IQ vulnerability insights into Cisco Data Fabric powered by the Splunk Platform gives analysts that context in the middle of an investigation, so they can decide what to do next. With our partners and Professional Services teams, we’re helping customers move from identifying risk to actually reducing it.”

To learn more about securing and observing the agentic enterprise, visit cisco.com/go/ai-defense.

Read more in our blogs:

• Cisco AI Defense to Add Anthropic’s Claude Mythos for AI Red Teaming
• Splunk by Cisco Brings Agent ROI to AWS Marketplace and Real-time Evaluations to Everyone
• From Risk to Resilience: Close the Gap Between Knowing and Fixing
• Moving Fast and Staying in Control in the Agentic AI Era

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world. With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen digital resilience. With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco’s trademarks can be found at http://www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word ‘partner’ does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

Disclaimer: The timeline for the release of some products, features and integrations is subject to change given ongoing evolution in development and innovation.

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Accor Group & Hard Rock International Sign Global Strategic Partnership

  Images, Info

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Accor and Hard Rock International have announced a global strategic partnership covering loyalty, distribution, and international development.

Upon successful closing, the partnership aims to enhance access to benefits for members by bolstering both loyalty programs—ALL Accor and Unity by Hard Rock—including point conversion and status matching to existing members. Ennismore, will provide development and operational support, strengthening the growth opportunities for the Hard Rock brand portfolio. 

Hotels within the Hard Rock brand portfolio will have the option to join the globally renowned ALL Accor distribution and loyalty platform, gaining access to over 125 million ALL Accor members worldwide. Accor will connect participating Hard Rock hotels to its global sales and distribution network, broadening the brand’s reach, while Hard Rock continues to operate its own direct marketing and distribution channels.

“Hard Rock has always believed in the power of music, entertainment and hospitality to bring people together, and this partnership carries that spirit to more guests, in more places, than ever before,” said Jim Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Hard Rock International. “Together with Accor and Ennismore, we are opening a new chapter for our brand, one that will introduce Hard Rock to exciting new destinations around the world and give Unity by Hard Rock members expanded access, reciprocal benefits and unforgettable new ways to experience our resorts.”

Sébastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO of Accor, said: “We are incredibly proud and excited to partner with Hard Rock, one of the world’s most iconic and globally recognized hospitality and entertainment brands. With its extraordinary heritage, powerful identity and unique ability to connect music, entertainment and hospitality, Hard Rock will bring an exciting new world of experiences to our guests, while opening up exceptional opportunities to connect with new audiences around the globe. This landmark partnership is a powerful demonstration of the strength, scale and global reach of ALL Accor, our unique platform connecting more than 125 million members across 110 countries with exceptional brands and experiences. Combined with Ennismore’s unrivalled expertise in operating culturally relevant lifestyle brands and experiences, we have a tremendous opportunity to accelerate Hard Rock Hotels’ global expansion and unlock significant value for all our stakeholders. Together, we are bringing the power of two exceptional platforms to build something truly distinctive and further reinforce our leadership in lifestyle hospitality worldwide.”

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Scientific Games Announces Annual Sustainability Report Highlighting Progress in Responsible Gaming and Environmental Stewardship

ATLANTA, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Scientific Games has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, detailing advances in responsible gaming, environmental stewardship, employee engagement and community impact. The report highlights how the global lottery company is integrating corporate responsibility into its products, operations and partnerships to support the long-term sustainability of the lottery industry and the good cause programs it funds.

Andrew Jackson, Scientific Games VP of Corporate Responsibility, said, “Our 2025 Sustainability Report reflects the practical steps we are taking to operate more responsibly and help our lottery partners do the same. From research that strengthens responsible gaming programs to investments in renewable electricity and more sustainable products, we are turning our commitments into action. Our employees bring that commitment to life every day, helping create lasting value for our customers and communities around the world.”

Covering January 1 through December 31, 2025, the report details progress across Scientific Games’ five corporate responsibility pillars: Benefiting Communities; Empowering Employees & Partners; Expanding Responsible Gaming with Healthy Play; Minimizing Environmental Impacts; and Operating with Integrity.

Key highlights of the Scientific Games 2025 Sustainability Report include:

Benefiting Communities: The company’s award-winning urban farm at its Montréal campus produced approximately 15 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, helping provide more than 150,000 meals and 2,600 food baskets for vulnerable local residents. Scientific Games also launched the SG Tech Project at its global headquarters in Metro Atlanta, donating gently used, refurbished devices to local schools to expand classroom technology access, extend equipment life and reduce electronic waste.

Empowering Employees & Partners: Scientific Games refreshed the company’s mission and values through a collaborative process informed by employee feedback and continued investing in development, recognition and well-being.

Expanding Responsible Gaming through Healthy Play: The company completed its fourth National Responsible Gaming Study, featuring a nationally representative sample of 3,405 U.S. adults and additional research across nine states. The findings help lottery customers develop measurable, evidence-based strategies tailored to their communities. Scientific Games also established an internal Responsible Gaming Working Group to strengthen coordination and implementation across its global operations.

Minimizing Environmental Impacts: In 2025, Scientific Games recycled or recovered energy from 91% of the 12,200 metric tons of waste the company generated. Its Leeds and Warrington, UK facilities began using 100% renewable electricity backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin certificates. The company also expanded emissions measurement and product life cycle analyses, while a Warrington packaging initiative converted 60% of cartons received from manufacturing sites into reusable packaging for retailer deliveries.

Operating with Integrity: Scientific Games reinforced its commitment to ethical business practices through Board oversight, supplier due diligence and employee education. Employees completed 14,416 hours of cybersecurity training, supporting the company’s focus on protecting customer information and maintaining trust.

Scientific Games supports 150 lottery customers across six continents with products, technologies and services that help generate funding for education, healthcare, environmental protection and other essential community programs. The company is one of the first lottery suppliers globally certified by the World Lottery Association as a Responsible Gaming supplier.

The full 2025 Sustainability Report is available here.

Healthy Play® is a trademark of Scientific Games. © 2026 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

About Scientific Games

Scientific Games is a global leader in retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services that drive profits for government-sponsored lottery and sports betting programs. From enterprise gaming platforms to exciting entertainment experiences and trailblazing retail and digital solutions, we elevate play every day. We are industry pioneers in instant games, data analytics, retail solutions and iLottery. Built on a foundation of trusted partnerships since 1973, Scientific Games combines relentless innovation, performance and unwavering security to responsibly propel the industry forward. For more information, visit scientificgames.com.

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NABEP Replaces Decades-Old Steel Lines with 1,149 Kilometers of New Pipe on Lake Maracaibo

BACHAQUERO, Venezuela, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) has installed 1,149 kilometers of new flexible pipe on the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo since beginning operations there in 2024. The pipe replaces aging steel lines, which have been a main source of leaks that have damaged the lake for decades.

Flexible pipe with protective layers resists the corrosion associated with old steel. Laid in continuous sections from barges, it has fewer joints where leaks typically start. NABEP also repaired critical sections of 12-inch oil and gas trunk lines this year by installing nearly four kilometers of new steel pipe.

Lake Maracaibo’s pollution problem dates to the early 1900s. Decades of intensive production, inadequate maintenance and underinvestment left most of the lake’s estimated 25,000 kilometers of underwater pipeline corroding. In 2021, a Simón Bolívar University scientist told NASA’s Earth Observatory that most of the pipelines were 50 years old. NASA has also cited estimates of 40,000 to 50,000 oil leaks and spills across Venezuela between 2010 and 2016 alone.

NABEP inherited part of that network in 2024 and made replacing it a priority. Rather than patching old lines section by section, the company is replacing each well’s lines entirely. The program has run new flow and gas lines to 435 wells in the Bachaquero and Ceuta fields. Of those, 301 are already producing through the new pipe, with about 52,000 barrels of oil a day now flowing from the wellhead through new lines. The remaining wells have their new lines in place and will produce through them when they come back online.

“Decades of neglect have left oil on Lake Maracaibo’s shores and fishing families struggling to make a living from its waters,” said NABEP CEO Alejandro Betancourt. “Cleanups alone can’t keep up while old pipes keep leaking, so we’re reinvesting in a lasting fix: replacing the corroded lines we inherited, one by one. We are working steadily to replace the graveyard of rusted equipment and oil slicks we see today with modern infrastructure built to the highest safety and environmental standards. We’re committed to being good stewards of this lake and good neighbors to the communities that depend on it.”

The work continues. NABEP has 176 kilometers of new pipe in storage, 791 more in transit, and plans to lay about 3,400 additional kilometers, including new lines connecting 144 wells to the Bachaquero 3 compressor plant. The program is part of broader efforts to clean up and restore Lake Maracaibo.

About North American Blue Energy Partners

North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) is an independent oil exploration and production company operating in North and Latin America, with offices in Caracas, Maracaibo and Lechería. NABEP is committed to the responsible development of energy resources, the safety of its people and the prosperity of the communities where it operates. www.nabep.net

Media contact: press@nabep.com 

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Toptal AI Launches, Delivers Frontier-grade AI With Open-weight Models and Full Data Ownership

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Toptal, recently ranked the #1 Most Reliable Professional Services Company in America by Newsweek, today announced the launch of Toptal AI, a new full-stack AI services company. Toptal AI develops, evaluates, and deploys frontier-grade AI using a combination of open-weight and proprietary models while allowing organizations to retain full ownership and control over their AI systems and data. Launching with more than 200 PhDs in AI-related fields, 100 forward-deployed engineers, and 15 new product lines, Toptal AI serves frontier AI labs, innovative enterprises, and fast-growing startups, acting as the single partner to help organizations realize all of their AI ambitions. Toptal AI encompasses the entire spectrum of AI products, platforms, and services and launches with a curated ecosystem of technology partners, with signed agreements with Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXSI, Gemini, Copilot, Amazon Nova, Databricks, Agentforce, ElevenLabs, Lovable, Miro, Fin, Glean, and Writer.

Toptal AI’s unique AI stack comprises AI strategy, solutions and services, partnerships, talent, platforms, data services, and managed services–everything imaginable in AI. Organizations can develop and fine-tune open-weight, domain-specific models tailored to their data and business; deploy production-ready agents that operate across existing workflows while keeping humans in control; and commercialize their data and AI capabilities to create new revenue streams, all while maintaining full data ownership. Toptal AI also includes a suite of ready-to-deploy outcome agents tailored to specific industries and business contexts.

While Toptal AI is vendor-neutral, it also has its own suite of products and platforms to help companies jump-start their AI journey. AI Workstation serves as the unified control center for connecting and operating any combination of platforms and tools, regardless of provider or vendor. Other Toptal AI platforms include ActionTrace, which captures real work activity across systems and workflows; Operationalize, which fills a critical gap by adding organizational context and establishing a unified business ontology; Maestro, which uses that structured data and context to build and manage models and agents; and RL Refinery, which creates reinforcement learning environments to train models on domain-specific data. This suite of products is a unique recipe for context and model creation that drives enterprise intelligence forward in a repeatable and scalable format.

Toptal AI’s three-part methodology ensures that AI development at all phases captures, implements, and scales anything AI can do with precision, consistency, and cost-effectiveness. Toptal AI maintains these systems through a robust MLOps, LLMOps, and managed services offering.



“Toptal AI gives enterprises the ability to deploy frontier-grade AI while maintaining full ownership and control over their costs, systems, data, and infrastructure,” said Taso Du Val, founder and CEO of Toptal. “Our unique combination of AI products and experts makes developing AI agents and fine-tuned models possible at a scale that was previously unimaginable.”

About Toptal

Toptal is the world’s largest talent network of highly skilled domain experts, connecting businesses with the top 3% of freelance talent on demand. Toptal was ranked the #1 Most Reliable Professional Services Company in America by Newsweek and Statista, based on an independent survey of more than 2,400 decision-makers at Fortune 500s. Toptal’s network includes talent from AI leaders such as OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepMind, and Palantir, as reported by Forbes. Founded in 2010, Toptal has served more than 35,000 clients across more than 140 countries. For more information, please visit Toptal.com.

Contact

Luiz Baia

SVP of Marketing Strategy

luiz.baia@toptal.com

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Blockchain.com Appoints Lisa Nelson and Luis Berruga to Board of Directors

New appointments bolster board experience in scaling finance and technology growth companies

LONDON, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Blockchain.com, a global leader in crypto services for retail and institutional users, today announced the appointments of former Microsoft executive, Lisa Nelson, and former Global X ETFs CEO, Luis Berruga, to its board of directors.

Nelson and Berruga’s appointments add further diversity of background and expertise in scaling technology, traditional finance and digital assets growth companies to Blockchain.com’s board.

With respective experience operating or serving on the boards of publicly traded companies like Microsoft and SOL Strategies, Nelson and Berruga strengthen the board’s expertise in corporate governance, financial oversight, strategic growth and emerging technologies.

“The exceptional caliber and strength of our board already stands out in the digital assets industry and reflects the ambition of Blockchain.com,” said Peter Smith, Executive Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Blockchain.com. “Lisa and Luis bring complementary experience across global finance, technology and scaling growth companies. Their diverse perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to scale our own business.”

“Digital assets are moving from the margins of finance toward its core, and that shift will reward companies that earn trust at scale. Blockchain.com has done that for 15 years, across every market cycle,” said Lisa Nelson, Board Director of Blockchain.com. “I’m honored to join the board and help guide its next chapter, building on that foundation with rigor and a relentless focus on customers seeking modern solutions to archaic, legacy financial services.”

“Sitting at the intersection of traditional finance and decentralized finance for much of my recent work, it’s clear that more assets of all types are going to move onchain,” said Luis Berruga, Board Director of Blockchain.com. “Blockchain.com is perfectly positioned to help connect traditional financial markets with the growing onchain economy. I’m very much looking forward to helping scale the business alongside the rest of the board and management team.”

Nelson currently serves on the boards of Banqer Software, Spark New Zealand and Brooks Running. She also advises several venture funds and early-stage tech startups around the world. Nelson is an almost 15-year veteran of Microsoft, where she held executive positions in finance, investor relations, and business development. She also co-founded Microsoft’s first venture fund, M12, and as its managing director, helped deploy hundreds of millions of dollars in funding across more than 80 startups globally. Nelson is a CPA and began her career at EY.

Berruga also serves as an independent director of SOL Strategies, lead independent trustee and audit committee chairman of the Tidal ETF platform, an independent trustee of KraneShares ETFs, and an independent director of the VistaOne Fund by Vista Equity Partners. He was also CEO and board chair of Global X ETFs, which he scaled from a startup into a leading ETF platform, with assets under management of $85 billion across more than 150 ETFs on four continents. Earlier in his career, Berruga spent time at Jefferies and Morgan Stanley.

About Blockchain.com:

Blockchain.com is connecting the world to the future of finance. The most trusted and fastest-growing global crypto company helps millions safely access cryptocurrency. Since its inception in 2011, Blockchain.com has supported over 95M+ wallets, 44M+ confirmed accounts, and more than $1.1 trillion in crypto transactions. Operating in more than 70 jurisdictions, Blockchain.com offers secure self-custody, institutional services, and a growing product suite aligned with global regulation and privacy standards.

Media Contact:

Press@blockchain.com

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Apptio Expands Portfolio to Help Enterprises Connect AI Spending to Business Value

Updates include new connections for leading frontier AI systems, expanded financial planning and AI-assisted analysis

Key facts 

• Track AI spending alongside broader technology costs, with direct connections that bring model consumption and usage data into the Apptio portfolio.
• Plan and optimize AI spending with IBM Cloudability capabilities for AI application costing, token usage, budgeting, forecasting and AI service commitment recommendations.
• Connect AI investments and AI TCO to business results with new IBM Apptio AI Value & ROI capabilities.

ARMONK, N.Y., Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Apptio, an IBM company (NYSE: IBM), today is announcing new connections for leading frontier AI systems to help enterprises track AI costs and usage alongside their broader technology spending. The connections accompany expanded AI cost-management capabilities across its portfolio to help organizations forecast spending, evaluate costs against business results and decide which AI investments to scale.

An IBM IBV study published in June 2026 found that 85% of surveyed technology executives reported that they lack full visibility into real-time AI spending. With costs spread across model providers, cloud infrastructure, applications and teams, organizations need a clearer picture of what AI initiatives cost and which are delivering business value.

Beyond the new AI connection capabilities, IBM is expanding capabilities across the Apptio portfolio to help organizations plan AI spending, measure business value and understand Kubernetes network costs. New Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and AI-assisted analysis also help teams access and analyze technology financial data through AI tools of their choice.

“AI investment is growing faster than many organizations can effectively govern and evaluate, and fragmented and outdated technology and AI data only adds to the complexity,” said Eugene Khvostov, Chief Product Officer, IBM Apptio. “We’re expanding these capabilities across our portfolio to address these challenges head-on and give teams the technology financial intelligence they need to understand the economics of AI at the most granular and real-time level, make better decisions and direct investment toward the initiatives delivering the greatest value.”  

Connecting AI usage with enterprise technology economics 

IBM is introducing direct native AI cost and usage connections for leading frontier AI systems across the Apptio portfolio. These connections are designed to help organizations incorporate AI consumption data into their broader technology financial management practices, providing greater visibility into an increasingly important category of enterprise technology spend.

IBM is also introducing MCP servers designed to connect financial, operational, organizational and portfolio data with external AI tools, helping organizations to bring technology into the environments where their teams work and make decisions.

Bringing AI-powered insights across the Apptio portfolio 

IBM is expanding AI-assisted decision support across the product portfolio. Users can ask natural-language questions of their financial, cloud and portfolio data to surface drivers, risks and opportunities and reach insights quickly, helping to reduce reliance on specialist users or manual navigation through reports.

New and enhanced capabilities include:

• More comprehensive AI cost management and AI Insights in IBM Cloudability. Alongside traditional cloud costs, organizations can incorporate AI application costing as well as usage and token data. Cloudability also supports AI and cloud unit economics and optimization of AI rates through commitment recommendations for hyperscalers’ AI services, while financial planning capabilities can support forecasting and budgeting for AI costs.  AI Assistant enables users to ask plain-English questions about cloud and AI spend and receive insights generated from their connected data. 
• Expanded AI capabilities in IBM Apptio.  Features including, IBM Apptio AI Assistant, AI Lens and AI Data Assistant are designed to accelerate analysis and automate data preparation, while expanded AI Economics capabilities provide deeper visibility into AI spend, total cost and usage. New AI Value & ROI capabilities are designed to help organizations connect technology investments with measurable business outcomes, while driver-based planning is designed to improve forecasting of variable spend.
• Enhanced Kubernetes network cost visibility in IBM Kubecost. Expanded network cost visibility helps teams understand the network costs generated by their Kubernetes environments, with added detail for AWS NAT Gateway ingress and egress, cross-zone and cross-region traffic. Organizations can more easily investigate what is driving network spend and connect those charges back to the Kubernetes resources and traffic patterns behind them.

“Enterprises are investing aggressively in AI, but visibility into cost alone isn’t enough. Leaders need to understand what they’re spending, who owns it and, ultimately, what value the business is getting in return,” said Tim Crawford, Founder and Principal Analyst, AVOA. “By bringing together technology, financial and portfolio intelligence, Apptio is helping organizations create a more complete picture of their AI and broader technology investments to make better decisions.”

Together, these capabilities are designed to give technology, finance and business leaders a more connected approach to managing the economics of AI, from understanding underlying consumption and infrastructure costs to planning investments and measuring the business value they generate, helping organizations make smarter, faster and more informed technology investment decisions.

Availability: 

• AI system connectors are generally available, with connectors for additional sources planned for Q4.
• MCP servers for IBM Cloudability (GA: Q4), IBM Apptio (GA: Q4), IBM Kubecost (GA: Q3) and IBM Targetprocess (GA: Q4)
• IBM Cloudability support for AI Commitments available in Q3, with continued incremental support in Q1 and Q2 2027
• IBM Cloudability support for AI Unit Economics is generally available, with additional enhancements in Q4 2026 and incremental support in Q1 and Q2 2027.
• IBM Cloudability Financial Planning for AI services is generally available.
• IBM Apptio AI Assistant (Conversational Insights & Expert Guidance), AI Lens (Report Summarization) and AI Data Assistant are generally available.
• IBM Apptio AI Value & ROI and AI Economics maturity journey via AI Spend, AI TCO & Usage enhancements are generally available as of November 6, 2026.
• Driver-Based Planning will be generally available in Q4.
• AI Scenario Planning will be available in Q4.
• IBM Kubecost expanded network cost visibility is generally available to all product tiers.

About Apptio, an IBM Company 

Apptio, an IBM company, is a leading technology spend and value management software provider. Apptio’s AI-powered data insights empower leaders to make smarter financial and operational decisions across Information Technology (IT), multi-cloud FinOps and digital product development. Apptio’s mission is to deliver business value with every technology investment and team. Powered by Apptio’s cloud platform, Apptio’s SaaS applications help translate technology spend into clear business outcomes and financial ROI. As a pioneer and category leader in Technology Business Management (TBM), FinOps and Agile Portfolio Management, Apptio works with thousands of customers, partners and community members worldwide.

¹ IBM Institute for Business Value, June 2026. Survey of 2,000 senior technology executives across 33 geographies and 19 industries, conducted with Oxford Economics from January to April 2026.

Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent, including anticipated availability dates and functionality, are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only.

Media contact: 

Jas McDonald

IBM

Jas.McDonald@ibm.com  

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Harley-Davidson Selects Horizon Global as Growth Partner

Partnership Will Bring the Brand’s Media Operations Together Under One Unified Global Operating Model

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Horizon Global, the bold breakthrough agency alternative, has been awarded the global media business for Harley-Davidson, following a months-long review. The move will bring greater transparency, clarity, and consistency to Harley-Davidson’s global media operations, helping the brand better connect with existing and prospective riders across markets, grow its global audience, and bring greater coordination, consistency, and efficiency to its media investment. 

“Harley-Davidson is about delivering joy and swagger to the world of motorcycling. Horizon’s integrated approach to media gives us the opportunity to better serve our core and welcome in new riders. The teams are a great match. They are as passionate about media as we are about motorcycles,” said Marcus Fischer, Chief Brand Officer, Harley-Davidson. 

Horizon Global will manage media strategy, investment, planning and measurement across North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM. The appointment reflects the appeal of Horizon Global’s approach, offering marketers greater choice through a model that combines global scale and capabilities with the agility and entrepreneurial spirit to challenge convention. For Harley-Davidson, this means greater visibility and coordination across global media operations while preserving the market-level intelligence and flexibility needed to engage in locally relevant ways. 

“Few brands have successfully transformed a customer base into a lifelong lifestyle movement the way Harley-Davidson has,” said Bob Lord, CEO, Horizon Global. “Marcus and his team understand what global marketers need today and share in our belief that meaningful growth comes from challenging conventions. We’ve developed tremendous respect for the Harley-Davidson team throughout this process, and we’re excited to get to work helping them realize their ambitions and drive measurable business growth.” 

About Harley-Davidson 

Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture by delivering a motorcycle lifestyle with distinctive and customizable motorcycles, parts & accessories, experiences, riding gear and apparel. What We Make: The World’s Best Motorcycles. Period. Who We Serve: Motorcycle Riders Worldwide. Why We Do It: To Protect and Grow Motorcycle Culture. What We Stand For: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and has a controlling interest in Harley-Davidson Financial Services and LiveWire Group, Inc. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get riders on the road. LiveWire is committed to developing the technology of the future and investing in the capabilities needed to lead the transformation of motorsports. Learn more at harley-davidson.com. 

About Horizon Global 

Horizon Global is a pioneering joint venture between Horizon Media Holdings and Havas, established as the first global agency network built specifically for the modern marketer in the AI era. Headquartered in New York and spanning over 100 countries, the network commands a combined $20 billion in global billings to service US-centric global client opportunities. Powered by BluConverged — a seamless, AI-native platform uniting Horizon’s Blu and Havas’ Converged.AI — Horizon Global empowers marketers with smarter insights, faster outcomes, and unparalleled platform transparency at a global scale.

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