Acquires open source automation pioneer Robocorp to ignite a new era of intelligent agents for enterprise knowledge work.
Atlanta, GA – WEBWIRE – Monday, January 29, 2024
Sema4.ai is on a mission to build intelligent agents that transform how knowledge workers collaborate with AI. Led by open source pioneers and fueled by $30.5M from investors, including Benchmark, Mayfield, and Canvas Ventures, Sema4.ai is poised to become the leader in the $88B autonomous agent market. Today, the company announced the acquisition of open source automation innovator Robocorp, accelerating their position to build, run, and manage intelligent agents for the enterprise.
For the worlds billion knowledge workers, the promise of AI has yet to be realized. Large Language Models (LLMs) can summarize vast amounts of information and converse with humans but struggle to support and streamline the complex end-to-end workflows of knowledge workers. Existing enterprise automation solutions are limited to simple, repetitive, point-to-point tasks because they lack the fundamental competencies for knowledge work, such as the intelligence and reasoning to manage ambiguity, and the ability to adapt to changing enterprise context and take real-time action.
Sema4.ai enables meaningful human-AI collaboration, supporting and streamlining the complex decision-making of knowledge workers. Customers can now leverage the power of LLMs safely and securely across their most mission-critical workflows moving from low-level, low-value automation to native, ground-up, AI-based agents.
Sema4.ais founding team is made up of proven industry leaders Rob Bearden, Ram Venkatesh, Suds Menon, and Paul Codding, with deep expertise and decades of experience spanning data management, distributed systems, application development, and open source from companies such as Cloudera, Docker, Hortonworks, SpringSource, and JBoss. With this acquisition, Robocorp founder and CEO Antti Karjalainen joins the founding team, adding further depth of experience in open source and automation.
Our founders each have a proven track record of building significant enterprise software businesses, said Rob Bearden, CEO of Sema4.ai. Our acquisition of Robocorp was borne out of a deep conviction that intelligence without action is incomplete, and action without intelligence is, at best, non-strategic. Together, were well-positioned to build category-defining intelligent agents that connect context to action, changing how work gets done in the enterprise.
Benchmarks relationship with Rob Bearden has spanned 20+ years of open source success stories with over $2B in current product revenue from JBoss to, more recently, Cloudera, said Peter Fenton, General Partner at Benchmark. The pillars of his leadership, open source AI, and the agent technology of Robocorp will allow major enterprises to safely build, run, and manage paradigm-shifting AI applications, with the potency of an open source foundation that will only grow in strength with time.
As a People First investor, it is an honor to partner with the experienced founding team behind Sema4.ai as they pursue a transformational GenAI opportunity to accelerate the $88 billion AI economy, said Navin Chaddha, Managing Partner at Mayfield. Our investment in Sema4.ai reflects our belief that plumbing layers drive enterprise adoption during paradigm shifts. In the age of AI, we think of this as cognitive plumbing, as models/middleware/tools, data, infrastructure, and semis/systems automate cognitive tasks to unlock new possibilities.
Sema4.ai also announced a community release of a new AI Actions framework that integrates directly with LangChain and OpenAI.
With Sema4.ais Python-based AI Actions framework, teams can create intelligent agents that act against their enterprise systems using LLMs. Intelligent agents transform LLMs from information processors to active participants in enterprise systems, enabling completely new and practical use cases for Generative AI.
We see Python as the language of choice for developing intelligent agents, and thats why we expanded the Robocorp platform to focus on automation as code, said Antti Karjalainen, founder and CEO at Robocorp and co-founder of Sema4.ai. Our new integration with LangChain makes it possible for AI developers to use LLMs to take direct action against their enterprise applications and data, closing the loop from conversation to action to get real work done.
Over the coming months, Sema4.ai will focus on growth and hiring for key automation product areas. Open positions are posted on LinkedIn.
About Sema4.ai
Sema4.ai is on a mission to define the future of knowledge work by building intelligent agents that transform how knowledge workers collaborate with AI. With a founding team of proven industry leaders from companies such as Cloudera, VMware, Hortonworks, and JBoss, and the acquisition of open source automation pioneer Robocorp, Sema4.ais category-defining intelligent agents connect context to action, changing how work gets done in the enterprise. Sema4.ai is where the promise of AI meets the potential of people.
WebWireID317127
Contact Information
Natalie Bartels
Media Contact
VSC on behalf of Sema4.ai
mayfield@vsc.co
This news content may be integrated into any legitimate news gathering and publishing effort. Linking is permitted.
News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.
Contents.com today announces a new Series B funding round of $18 million, supported by major European and American venture capital funds.
This funding aims to consolidate its leadership position in the market for generating and orchestrating multilingual content for medium and large enterprises, thanks to its proprietary all-in-one technology platform based on artificial intelligence. AI is revolutionizing the way people acquire information and satisfy their thirst for knowledge.
Founded in 2021, Contents.com has rapidly expanded its international presence, now boasting clients in Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia. Worldwide, medium and large enterprises use the Contents.com SaaS technology platform to manage integrated and coordinated workflows for producing multilanguage and multi-format digital content, including images and videos. The Contents.com platform offers an optimized user experience, integrated with major CMS, eCommerce, and DAM solutions in the enterprise sector. It simplifies the use of the most famous international LLMs (Large Language Models) to produce original content, thereby reducing time and costs while maintaining quality. This facilitates the work of the marketing, ecommerce, and media management departments of client companies.
Since its establishment in 2021, Contents.com has experienced remarkable growth, attracting thousands of customers globally, including several billion-dollar companies, and achieving double-digit year-over-year growth. The company’s mission is to integrate AI seamlessly into business operations. This funding will enhance their technological capabilities and expand their global team, reinforcing their leadership in the AI content creation industry.
Sinergia Venture Fund of Alkemia Capital is leading Contents.com’s operation, with participation from Thomson Reuters Ventures and others. The capital raised from this initiative is earmarked for significant expansion of Contents.com’s international business. This includes enhancing their technological capabilities and solutions, as well as a strategic increase in their corporate staff, with a particular emphasis on growing their Innovation Technology and Sales teams.
“In an era where innovation drives progress, Contents.com aims to assist global companies to stay ahead. On this extraordinary journey, our fundraising philosophy has remained the same: to seek not just funding, but collaborations that align with our values and innovative vision. Series B isn’t just a financial milestone, but a demonstration of our bold challenge to the conventions of the tech world. This funding will push us beyond traditional boundaries, revolutionizing high-quality, multilingual content creation globally. We’re committed to transforming global communication, connecting ideas and cultures through AI-based advanced solutions. Together with our partners, we’re redefining the global tech landscape, making an impact well beyond our corporate growth. We are here with Contents.com to influence global content creation,” declares Massimiliano Squillace, CEO & Founder of Contents.com.
“We are excited about our role as the lead investor in the recent capital increase of Contents.com. Our trust in Massimiliano, the founder, and his exceptional team is the foundation of this decision. We strongly believe in their vision and Contents.com’s innovative approach to the generative AI market. The generative AI market is in a phase of exponential growth, with forecasts indicating a global market value that could exceed $50 billion by 2026. This technology is opening new frontiers in various sectors, from digital marketing to industrial automation. Contents.com is perfectly positioned to capitalize on these opportunities and drive innovation in this rapidly evolving sector,” says Simone Cremonini, Partner of Sinergia Venture Fund of Alkemia Capital.
“The Contents.com team has built an application that enables the practical use of generative AI for enterprise content creation. We are excited to work with them to bring the application’s rich capabilities to our teams and to our customers so that in turn, they can create high quality multilingual content,” says Tamara Steffens, Managing Director of Thomson Reuters Ventures.
For this Series B transaction, Contents.com was represented by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. An experienced team led by Partner Attilio Mazzilli and Of Counsel Livia Maria Pedroni provided strategic legal advice, underscoring Orrick’s commitment to supporting innovation and growth in the technology sector.
About Contents.com
Contents.com is Series B company leader in AI content creation for enterprise, providing a robust AI platform that facilitates the generation of diverse content types including text, audio, video, and animations. The platform is equipped with advanced tools tailored to support a variety of content needs. Its innovative Brand Voice service stands out, allowing businesses to craft content that resonates with their unique brand identity through AI-driven customization. Designed for a wide range of users, from small bloggers to large corporations, Contents.com makes content creation more efficient, creative, and accessible in multiple languages, catering to a global audience.
For more information, please visit the website www.contents.com and follow us on LinkedIn
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – KJTS Group Berhad (“KJTS” or the “Company”), and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the “KJTS Group”), a building support services provider in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, is pleased to announce the Company’s launch of the prospectus for upcoming initial public offering (“IPO”) on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad (“Bursa Securities”).
[L-R]: 1. Dr. Teoh Pek Loo, Independent Non-Executive Director, KJTS Group Berhad 2. Mr. Ng Kok Ken, Independent Non-Executive Director, KJTS Group Berhad 3. Mr. Sheldon Wee Tah Poh, Executive Director, KJTS Group Berhad 4. Ms. Lee Jim Leng, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hong Leong Investment Bank Berhad 5. Mr. Lee Kok Choon, Managing Director, KJTS Group Berhad 6. Ms. Elaine Law Soh Ying, Independent Non-Executive Director, KJTS Group Berhad 7. Mr. Phang Siew Loong, Head of Equity Markets, Hong Leong Investment Bank Berhad
The IPO aims to raise RM58.9 million through the issuance of 218.03 million new shares at a retail price of RM0.27 per share. The proceeds from the IPO will be allocated as follows:
RM44.9 million for business expansion, including RM40.4 million specifically for the expansion of the Cooling Energy Segment and RM4.5 million for expansion of offices in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
RM8.1 million for working capital.
RM5.8 million to defray listing expenses.
Executive Director of KJTS Group Berhad, Mr. Sheldon Wee Tah Poh stated, “I am proud to be part of this pivotal moment with our prospectus launch. This step marks a significant milestone for KJTS, symbolising our commitment to growth and innovation in the building support services industry. It paves the way for us to enhance our services and expand our reach in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. We are optimistic about the future and the opportunities this IPO opens for our company.
Our IPO also marks a significant step in scaling our operations and enhancing our service offerings in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The focus on expanding our Cooling Energy Segment and our regional office network reflects our commitment to meeting the growing demand for high-quality building support services.”
Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Hong Leong Investment Bank Berhad, Ms. Lee Jim Leng, expressed her support, stating, “As we step into an era where sustainability and efficiency are valued, KJTS is well-positioned to meet these challenges head-on. KJTS’s strategic vision, combined with operational excellence, ensures their continued growth and competitive edge in the building the support services sector.”
KJTS has demonstrated consistent growth, underpinned by the Group’s expertise in EPCC of cooling energy systems, cleaning services, and FM services. The Company’s commitment to quality, efficiency, and sustainability has established it as an established provider in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
Hong Leong Investment Bank Berhad is the Principal Adviser, Sponsor, Sole Underwriter, and Sole Bookrunner.
HONG KONG, Jan 4, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) –AEON Credit Service (Asia) Company Limited (“AEON Credit” or the “Group”; Stock Code: 00900) today announced its results for the nine months ended 30 November 2023 (“first nine months of FY2023” or the “Reporting Period”).
During the Reporting Period, the Group’s revenue jumped by 34.4% year-on-year to HK$1,192.9 million, as the continued increase in credit card receivables and personal loan receivables, driven by the Group’s marketing programs, together with the increase in the interest rate on card credit purchases, resulted in a significant rise in interest income. The growth in revenue was also attributable to the fees and commissions from the credit card acquiring business, which increased by HK$9.4 million to HK$32.1 million, due to an increase in the number of card acquiring merchants and transaction volume. Meanwhile, profit after tax grew 12.8% to HK$282.3 million, with earnings per share rose to 67.40 HK cents.
As the market continued to recover, the Group took a number of customised, proactive measures during the Reporting Period to drive healthy growth in both sales and receivables, with an objective to build a quality portfolio that is expected to provide income, growth and resilience at the same time. As a result, the Group’s overall sales for the first nine months of FY2023 increased by 18.5% compared with the same period last year (“first nine months of FY2022” or the “Previous Period”), and the gross advances and receivables balance increased by 16.8% from the end of February 2023.
In terms of marketing, the Group utilized targeted and attractive promotions to better publicise its competitive products and services to the right customers. Besides, to further enhance the security and convenience to credit card users, new functions such as UnionPay QR Pay, UnionPay QR Cash, Apple Pay and Google Pay have been added in to provide customers with alternative means to make payments and cash withdrawals, in addition to the biometric authentication on the Company’s new mobile application and one-time passwords for online transactions. Regarding the quality of the credit portfolio, the Group continued to enhance its credit assessment model with updated market indicators and adopted up-to-date analytical tools for account management, which has significantly helped control the increase in delinquent receivables.
In parallel with business growth, the Group attaches great importance to integrating sustainability into its business operations. In early September 2023, the Group began to gradually phase out traditional first-use PVC plastics in its credit cards in favour of post-consumer recycled poly vinyl chloride (“rPVC”) plastics approved by the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). This move will provide more environmentally conscious consumers with access to sustainable credit card products.
Looking ahead, in the face of mixed economic signals, the Group will strive to accelerate the growth momentum of sales and receivables, while continuing to improve credit assessment approaches and techniques to maintain a stable asset quality portfolio. On the marketing side, the Group will continue to launch mass promotion initiatives for both its credit card and personal loan businesses with gamification and incentives to capture increasing consumer spending in the market. Meanwhile new mobile payment products and digital services will be launched to enrich the customer journey and ensure that the Group stays ahead in this competitive environment. With regards to sustainability, the Group will seek to adopt more digitalised payment solutions and energy-saving solutions to further reduce its carbon footprint and energy consumption.
Mr. Tomoharu Fukayama, Managing Director of AEON Credit, said, “We are pleased to have achieved continued solid growth in both revenue and profit in the first nine months of FY2023. Our commitment to providing exceptional credit card services remains steadfast, as we strive to meet the evolving needs of our customers. We are also determined to expand our customer base with more innovative and customized offerings. With a strong liquidity position and balance sheet, we are confident of our ability to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities in the growing consumer finance market and sustain our growth trajectory for the future.”
About AEON Credit Service (Asia) Company Limited (Stock Code: 00900)
AEON Credit Service (Asia) Company Limited, a subsidiary of AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd. (TSE: 8570) and a member of the AEON Group, was set up in 1987 and listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited in 1995. The Group is principally engaged in the consumer finance business, which includes the issuance of credit cards and the provision of personal loan financing, card payment processing services, insurance agency and brokerage business in Hong Kong and microfinance business in Mainland China.
For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.aeon.com.hk.
MARKING A DECADE OF ASIA PACIFIC MARKET LEADERSHIP
Hong Kong Autumn Auction Sale Total
HK$55 million / US$7 million
94% Sold by Lot
115% Hammer Against Low Estimate
More Than Half of Lots Sold Over High Estimate
Christies proudly marks a decade of market leadership for Handbags & Accessories in Asia Pacific with a 2023 annual sale total of HK$154 million / US$20 million, the highest ever for the category globally. Through its meticulous sale curations in Asia, featuring the most iconic and coveted designs from renowned maisons, Christies is consistently presenting exciting and unique collecting opportunities for fashion lovers worldwide.
This record annual sale total was realised on 25 November 2023, after Christies Handbags & Accessories live auction in Hong Kong reached HK$54,986,400 (US$7,086,983), and was 94% sold by lot, achieving a hammer price 115% against the low estimate. Many of the sensational handbags presented exceeded expectations and over half of lots sold above their high estimates. The category continues to draw in new and younger buyers to Christies as well as significant digital engagement 28% of the buyers were new, millennials accounted for over 70% of new buyers, and more than 40% of collectors acquired pieces through online bidding. The sale attracted global participation from 24 countries across 4 continents.
About Christies
Founded in 1766, Christies is a world-leading art and luxury business with a physical presence in 46 countriesthroughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, andflagshipinternational sales hubsinNew York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. Renowned and trusted for our expert live and online-onlyauctions, as well as bespokePrivate Sales,Christies unparalleled network of specialists offers our clients a full portfolio ofglobal services, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christiesauctionsspan more than80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from$500toover $100 million.Christies has sold 8 of the 10 most important single-owner collections inhistory, achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction, launched thefirstfully on-chain auction platformdedicated to exceptional NFT artand managesan investment fundto support innovative startups in the art market. Christies is also committed to advancingresponsible culturethroughout its business and communities worldwide.Tolearn more, browse, bid,discover, and join us for the best of art and luxury atchristies.comor by downloading Christies apps.
* Please note when quoting estimates above that other fees will apply in addition to the hammer price – see Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of the sale catalogue.*Estimates do not include buyers premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyers premium.
