Category: What’s News Asia

• Commercial framework identifies NANO Nuclear as Tillman’s preferred nuclear technology provider; Parties targeting 2 gigawatts (“GW”) or more of advanced nuclear capacity by the mid-2030s and 6 GW or more by 2040
• Framework also includes fully milestone-vesting warrants for Tillman to purchase up to $100 million of NANO Nuclear Energy common stock, with a majority of the warrants vesting upon future binding reactor purchase commitments and a portion vesting upon achievement of key project-development milestones

New York, New York–(Newsfile Corp. – August 24, 2026) – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear micro modular reactor and technology company focused on developing next-generation energy solutions, today announced the signing of a non-binding Strategic Commercial Framework with Tillman Global Holdings (“TGH” or “Tillman”) and its global data-center platform, Tillman Digital Gateway (“TDG”), to advance the future deployment of NANO Nuclear’s KRONOS MMR™ Energy Systems across Tillman’s planned AI industrial zones in the United States.

The framework identifies NANO Nuclear as Tillman’s anticipated preferred nuclear technology provider and establishes a structure for the parties to collaborate on the evaluation and development of nuclear generation opportunities across Tillman’s growing U.S. data-center pipeline, with a parallel opportunity to expand to certain international markets.

In connection with the proposed collaboration, the parties are targeting 2 GW or more of advanced nuclear capacity by the mid-2030s and 6 GW or more by 2040, subject to general and site-specific definitive agreements, customer commitments, financing, regulatory approvals and other project requirements.

Tillman, a global firm that develops, owns, and scales large-scale digital and energy infrastructure, is advancing a multi-state pipeline of planned AI industrial zones in the U.S. designed to support gigawatt-scale power requirements from anticipated hyperscale and AI tenant customers. As part of its power-first development strategy, Tillman evaluates sites for their ability to accommodate multiple sources of generation and intends to reserve the space to integrate advanced nuclear power as a medium- to long-term source of reliable, baseload generation.

Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear and Tillman Digital Gateway Sign Strategic Commercial Framework to Advance Nuclear Power for Gigawatt-Scale U.S. AI Industrial Zones

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11703/311012_76d0c2c274ee3872_003full.jpg

Under the framework, NANO Nuclear and Tillman intend to collaborate across the nuclear project-development lifecycle, including site evaluation and diligence, licensing and development planning, customer engagement and project deployment. The contemplated structure would combine Tillman’s infrastructure development, project financing and power-development capabilities with NANO Nuclear’s advanced reactor technology, nuclear licensing capabilities and integrated approach to the nuclear fuel cycle.

Combining Complementary Infrastructure and Nuclear Capabilities

Tillman and its affiliated companies have significant experience developing, financing, owning and operating large-scale digital and energy infrastructure, including U.S. cell towers, fiber infrastructure, in-building connectivity systems and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and have secured approximately $16 billion of capital since inception. Tillman is leveraging this experience for the development of power-first AI infrastructure designed to address the scale, reliability and speed-to-market requirements of next-generation computing customers.

NANO Nuclear is developing its KRONOS MMR Energy System, a 15 MWe High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor designed to support modular and phased deployment. The parties believe the technology’s modular architecture is particularly well-suited for staged deployment at large-scale data-center campuses as nuclear generation becomes available over the medium and long term.

“Power availability is becoming one of the defining constraints on the continued expansion of AI infrastructure, and addressing this challenge will require both near-term execution and long-term planning,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer of NANO Nuclear Energy. “This framework represents a milestone in our future customer acquisition strategy, as Tillman brings deep infrastructure-development capabilities, access to capital and relationships across the technology ecosystem, together with a power-first approach to developing the next generation of AI campuses. By planning for nuclear at the earliest stages of site development, we believe we can establish a practical pathway to introduce reliable, baseload power as these campuses scale.”

“For NANO Nuclear, this framework represents an important potential commercialization pathway that connects our technology with an anticipated multi-gigawatt-site pipeline of power demand,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “Importantly, the structure is intended to align both organizations around measurable project-development and commercial milestones as individual opportunities progress. We believe combining Tillman’s infrastructure-development capabilities with our nuclear technology, regulatory licensing pathway and deployment model can create a scalable foundation for future nuclear-powered AI infrastructure.”

“Meeting the extraordinary power requirements of next-generation AI infrastructure requires us to plan not only for what our campuses need today, but for the resilient, scalable power architecture they will require for decades to come,” said Sachit Ahuja, Co-President of Tillman Global Holdings. “We view NANO Nuclear as an emerging leader in advanced nuclear whose progress to date, commercially focused strategy and modular technology platform make it a compelling potential solution for our medium- and long-term power requirements. This framework combines Tillman’s infrastructure-development platform and relationships with large-scale technology customers and NANO Nuclear’s advanced nuclear capabilities, creating a pathway to benefit from the integration of nuclear generation into future Tillman campuses as our portfolio expands.”

Potential Multi-Gigawatt Deployment Pathway

As part of the proposed collaboration, the parties are targeting 2 GW or more of advanced nuclear capacity by the mid-2030s, with a longer-term objective of 6 GW or more by 2040 across Tillman projects. The parties are also evaluating opportunities to extend their collaboration to select international markets where Tillman or its affiliates are developing or evaluating large-scale digital infrastructure.

Key Elements of the Proposed Framework

Preferred nuclear technology relationship: The framework identifies NANO Nuclear as Tillman’s proposed preferred nuclear technology provider for potential advanced nuclear energy deployments across Tillman’s planned U.S. AI industrial zones.

Joint project development: Tillman and NANO Nuclear intend to evaluate candidate sites for future nuclear energy deployment and collaborate on site diligence, development and licensing planning, customer engagement and project structuring as individual opportunities advance.

IPP-style deployment model: For qualifying projects, the parties contemplate an independent-power-producer-style structure under which Tillman or its affiliates would finance, develop and own project power infrastructure and NANO Nuclear would develop, support operations, and supply the reactors and fuel, with specific commercial arrangements to be negotiated on a project-by-project basis.

Milestone-Based Warrant Arrangement and $5 Million Initial Equity Grant: The framework contemplates the proposed issuance to Tillman of fully milestone-vesting warrants to purchase up to $100 million of NANO Nuclear common stock. A majority of the warrants would vest only upon future binding reactor purchase commitments. The remaining portion of the warrants would vest only upon achievement of specified project-development milestones.

The framework also contemplates an initial restricted common stock grant to Tillman with a notional value of $5 million, a portion of which would vest upon execution of definitive equity grant agreements, with the substantial majority vesting only upon achievement of specified project-development milestones.

Project-level equity participation: The framework also contemplates potential rights for NANO Nuclear to participate alongside Tillman in a portion of the equity of certain project-level entities associated with future nuclear generation and corresponding data-center development once qualifying nuclear projects reach specified development milestones. Any such participation is subject to separately negotiated project-specific terms and definitive agreements.

All of the foregoing terms remain subject to evolution based on the preparation and execution of definitive documentation.

NANO Nuclear is being advised on the transaction by EAS Advisors LLC, acting through Odeon Capital Group LLC.

About Tillman Global Holdings
Tillman Global Holdings is a U.S.-based holding company that builds and scales leading businesses in essential digital and energy infrastructure. Founded in 2013 by Sanjiv Ahuja, the firm operates with a long-term, operator-led approach, leveraging deep expertise and disciplined capital allocation to address evolving customer and connectivity needs. Tillman applies its hands-on management model to create robust infrastructure platforms that support economic growth and deliver long-term value across the territories in which it operates.

Tillman’s current portfolio companies operate premier fiber networks, mobile tower platforms, hyperscale data centers, in-building connectivity systems, and energy infrastructure. For more information, visit tillmanglobal.com.

About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.
NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is a North American advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across five business lines: (i) cutting edge portable and other microreactor technologies, (ii) nuclear fuel supply chain, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation, (iv) nuclear applications for space and (v) nuclear industry consulting services.

Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s reactor products in development include the proprietary KRONOS MMR™ Energy System, a stationary high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is in construction permit pre-application engagement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, “ZEUS”, a portable solid core battery reactor, and the space focused, portable LOKI MMR™, each representing advanced developments in energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.

Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, bolstered by the May 2026 acquisition of Secured Transportation Services (STS), is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world and provides nuclear engineering and materials transport services in the U.S. and globally. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy.

HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.

NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as the LOKI MMR™ system and other power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.

For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

For further NANO Nuclear information, please contact:
Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management and collaborators in connection with this news release contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “contemplated”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “explore,” “plans”, “aim,” “goal,” “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” or derivations of these words and other words of similar meaning about the future, although these are not the exclusive terms that denote forward-looking statements. In this press release, forward-looking statements include those relating to (i) the Company’s potential commercial collaboration with Tillman, which is presently only subject to a non-binding written framework and remains subject to the preparation, negotiation and execution of both general and project specific definitive agreements and (ii) the Company’s and Tillman’s business and operational development plans in general. These and other forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to, the risk that the Company and Tillman may never advance beyond the exploratory stage and reach definitive documentation (on the terms set forth herein, or at all) or an actual investment by Tillman in the Company, as well as the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”), Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (“CNSC”) or related state or other U.S. or non-U.S nuclear licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology and the acquisition of complementary technology or businesses, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays, integration issues and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain key vendor, technology and customer contracts and the significant funding necessary to execute on our business plan, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, policies and licensing requirements, including by the DOE, and the NRC, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act and the May 23, 2025 Executive Orders seeking to streamline nuclear regulation, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the operating a developing business a highly regulated, competitive and rapidly evolving industry, including that our plans may change and we may use our cash on hand faster or in different ways than anticipated as our business requires. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Cross-industry Collaboration to Support Northern Metropolis Growth
Total Investment Approximately HK$16.8 Billion

HONG KONG SAR– Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – HSK New Development Limited, a joint venture formed by China Overseas Land & Investment Limited (Stock Code: 0688), China Merchants Land Limited (Stock Code: 0978), China Resources Land (Overseas) Limited, CTG Investment Management Corporation Limited, JD.com Inc., and Sino Land Company Limited (Stock Code: 0083), has been awarded the development project for the first pilot area within the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (the ‘HSK Pilot Area’) in the Northern Metropolis. In full support of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and under the coordination of the HKSAR Government, the joint venture will leverage the strengths of cross-boundary collaboration across diverse industries to invest in, develop and operate a large-scale smart logistics project. The project will also incorporate residential and community commercial facilities, with innovative technologies driving industrial upgrading, contributing to the high-quality development of the Northern Metropolis and reinforcing the commitment to supporting Hong Kong’s long-term development.

Mr Daryl Ng, Chairman of Sino Land Company Limited, said, ‘The National 15th Five-Year Plan states the accelerated development of the Northern Metropolis as a key priority of Hong Kong’s future growth engine. We are truly honoured to have been awarded the HSK Pilot Area project alongside our distinguished corporate partners. We have full confidence in Hong Kong and believe that the cross-sector collaboration can help bring together diverse expertise to contribute to the region’s innovation and technology development. In the HKSAR Government’s first Five-Year Plan, the Chief Executive also highlighted the pivotal role of the Northern Metropolis in enriching the housing ladder and creating more opportunities and space for home ownership. We are committed to bringing high-value industries and a quality living community to the Northern Metropolis, providing more housing and employment opportunities while enhancing connectivity between Hong Kong and cities across the Greater Bay Area.’

Hashtag: #SinoLand #NorthernMetropolis #HungShuiKiu

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Vancouver, British Columbia – Newsfile Corp. – August 24, 2026 – Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) (“Pacific Empire”, “PEMC” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that diamond drilling is now underway at its flagship Trident copper-gold porphyry project, with drilling also planned at the Company’s Pinnacle project, located immediately to the west of Trident, in north-central British Columbia. The 2026 exploration program is being managed by Equity Exploration Consultants Ltd. (“Equity”), which was formally engaged by the Company earlier this year to provide technical leadership and project management for the season.

2026 Diamond Drilling Underway at Trident
Diamond drilling is now underway at the Trident property, with initial holes testing the Trident Main Zone to follow up on the Company’s 2025 drill results, which included holes DD25-TRI-001, DD25-TRI-005 and DD25-TRI-006.

Following completion of drilling at Trident Main Zone, the drill rig is planned to move to the eastern portion of the Trident property, where the Company just completed two ground-based induced polarization (“IP”) lines designed to follow up on an anomalous chargeability response originally identified in a 2014 survey. Interpretation of the expanded IP dataset has identified a significantly larger area of anomalous chargeability, which has been prioritized as the next drill target at Trident.

2026 Diamond Drilling Planned at Pinnacle
Following completion of drilling at the Trident Main Zone and Trident East IP target, diamond drilling is planned to move to the Company’s Pinnacle property, where it will test targets identified from the June 2026 airborne magnetic survey, as well as the Pinnacle South target.

2026 Work Completed to Date
Prior to the commencement of drilling, the following work has been completed at Trident and Pinnacle as part of the 2026 field season:

• Two ground-based IP lines at Trident, expanding on a 2014 chargeability anomaly and identifying a significantly larger area of anomalous chargeability in the eastern portion of the property.
• An airborne magnetic survey across the northern Pinnacle property block.
• Review of historical drill core from Trident and Pinnacle.
• Review of historical exploration data from Trident and Pinnacle.

Pacific Empire’s President and CEO, Brad Peters, commented: “With diamond drilling now underway at Trident, we are excited to begin testing both the follow-up targets from our 2025 program and the substantially larger IP chargeability anomaly identified through this year’s geophysical work. The expanded target area in the eastern portion of the property is particularly compelling, and the opportunity it gives us to step out and think big about the scale of this system is exciting. At the same time, results from the airborne magnetic survey at north Pinnacle, when considered alongside historical drilling, are equally encouraging. We believe 2026 will be a pivotal year for both projects and look forward to updating shareholders as results become available.”

Figure 1: Location of the four target areas planned for 2026 drilling on Pacific Empire’s Trident and Pinnacle properties. Coordinates shown in NAD83, UTM Zone 10N.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/311026_1d04783a54446945_001full.jpg

Figure 2: 2026 airborne magnetic survey coverage over the Trident and Pinnacle properties, with the Pinnacle North target area outlined in yellow. Coordinates in NAD83, UTM Zone 10N.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/311026_1d04783a54446945_002full.jpg

Qualified Person’s Statement
Ron Voordouw, P.Geo., Ph.D., is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Dr. Voordouw is independent of Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. as defined in NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

About Pacific Empire
Pacific Empire is a copper exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC. The Company has a district scale land position in north-central British Columbia.

British Columbia is a “Green” copper jurisdiction with abundant hydroelectric power, access and infrastructure in close proximity to the end market.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,
“Brad Peters”
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Pacific Empire Minerals Corp.
Tel: +1-604-356-6246
brad@pemcorp.ca
www.pemcorp.ca
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, and “intend”, statements that an action or event “may”, “might”, “could”, “should”, or “will” be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the timing, scope and results of the 2026 diamond drilling program at Trident and Pinnacle. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Singapore-headquartered GFTN convene more than 6,000 participants from 74 countries in Tashkent to accelerate investment, financial innovation and regional connectivity

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – Uzbekistan today put its financial reform agenda before a global audience, bringing together policymakers, regulators, investors and founders to advance its ambition to become a gateway for capital, technology and financial connectivity across Central Asia.

The Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum 2026, convened by the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Singapore-headquartered Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), and co-hosted by Ant International, brings together more than 6,000 participants from 74 countries, almost 200 speakers and more than 25 investors representing US$4 billion in assets under management.

Held at CAEx on 24–25 August, the Forum moves to the Islamic Civilisation Centre on 26 August for The Azimuth, a dedicated programme on Islamic finance and entrepreneurship.

Uzbekistan’s Reform Push Opens the Door to Global Investment
Opening the Forum, H.E. Jamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, set out the next phase of the country’s economic transformation: converting a decade of reform into deeper markets, greater private-sector participation and long-term investment.

“Over the past 10 years, as a result of structural reforms, our economy has demonstrated strong and steady growth. During this period, the size of our economy has tripled. Going forward, we will work to achieve investment-grade credit ratings, complete accession to the World Trade Organization, further reduce the state’s presence in the economy, and continue market-oriented reform. This effort will strengthen the role of the private sector, deepen Uzbekistan’s integration into the global economy and create greater opportunities for domestic and international investors,” said H.E. Jamshid Kuchkarov.

Uzbekistan enters the Forum with strong economic and regulatory momentum. GDP grew 8.5% in the first half of 2026, foreign investment reached US$8.3 billion in the first quarter, and Moody’s upgraded the sovereign rating to Ba2 in June. Presidential Decree PQ-359 and the National FinTech Strategy are advancing open banking, digital payments and financial innovation, with a target of US$1 billion in fintech investment by 2030. Digital-payment adoption rose from 39% in 2021 to 71% in 2025.

In his opening address, The Silk Road Initiative: Turning a Socio-Economic Heritage into Central Asia’s Financial Innovation Corridor, H.E. Timur Ishmetov, Governor, Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan, framed the country’s fintech strategy through five building blocks drawn from the region’s intellectual and commercial heritage: Al-Jabr, restoring what is missing; Al-Muqabala, balancing the elements of a sustainable financial ecosystem; Zarkaynar, creating a marketplace where innovation meets opportunity; Saroy, building shared financial infrastructure; and Madrassa, developing talent.

With 57% of payments now cashless, SMEs accounting for more than half the economy and a target of 5,000 young people trained in financial technology by 2030, the Central Bank is translating these principles into its regulatory sandbox, open-banking APIs, payments infrastructure and innovation framework.

“Scale alone is not sufficient. The objective must be to translate technological adoption and transaction growth into sustainable economic value, competition and broader financial development, while maintaining financial stability, resilience and public trust,” Governor Ishmetov said.

Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO, Global Finance & Technology Network added:.

“Uzbekistan has the ingredients to become Central Asia’s digital finance gateway: strong political commitment, bold regulatory reform, growing digital adoption and a clear ambition to attract international investment. The next step is to turn those foundations into investment, partnerships and financial corridors that connect Central Asia to the world. That is what the Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum is designed to accelerate.”

That opportunity comes as fintech moves firmly into the global financial mainstream. In 2025, global fintech revenues reached US$504 billion, growing 22% and more than four times faster than incumbent financial institutions, while 74% of the largest public fintechs were profitable, according to the 2026 Global Fintech Report by BCG and FT Partners.

For Central Asia, the opportunity is to capture more of that growth by combining financial innovation, inclusion and regional connectivity with the regulatory and institutional foundations required to attract long-term capital.

From Domestic Reform to a Financial Silk Road

The Forum is examining how Uzbekistan’s domestic transformation can support a more connected Central Asian financial system, with priorities spanning investable markets, interoperable payments, digital identity, open APIs, tokenisation, digital money, cross-border settlement and long-term institutional capital.

Central Asia’s relatively young financial infrastructure creates an opportunity to build interoperable systems without inheriting all the constraints of legacy architecture. The next step is moving from domestic digitalisation to cross-border connectivity, with faster settlement, lower remittance costs and infrastructure capable of connecting national financial systems.

The wider ambition is to recast the historic Silk Road for the digital economy, extending its role from the movement of goods to the movement of money, capital and data between Central Asia and markets across the Middle East, China, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Greater connectivity, however, will require more than technology. Predictable regulation, deeper markets, institutional capital, cybersecurity and trusted governance will determine whether new payment rails, AI, tokenisation and digital assets can scale safely across borders.

New Islamic Banking Law Opens Uzbekistan to US$6 Trillion Market

Uzbekistan’s new Islamic banking law, effective from June 2026, creates the country’s first legal framework for Shariah-compliant banking and opens a potential channel to a global Islamic finance market approaching US$6 trillion in assets.

The Forum culminates on 26 August with The Azimuth at the Islamic Civilisation Centre, focused on the standards, Shariah governance, liquidity, digital infrastructure and cross-border capital required to scale the sector. The opportunity extends beyond domestic Islamic banking to positioning Uzbekistan as a bridge between Central Asia and Islamic finance markets across the Gulf, Türkiye, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Governor Ishmetov issued a direct invitation to international investors and innovators: “Uzbekistan is open to investment, technology, expertise and long-term partnership. Build here. Test new solutions here. Invest here. Develop talent here. With the right partnerships, Central Asia can become a more connected, competitive and internationally integrated financial region.”

Hashtag: #GFTN

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About the Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum

The inaugural Silk Road Finance and Technology Forum takes place in Tashkent from 24 to 26 August 2026, co-hosted by the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN). The Forum connects policymakers, regulators, investors and founders to shape Central Asia’s next financial corridor across five strategic themes: digital payments and infrastructure, Islamic finance and new corridors, AI and emerging technology, tokenisation and digital assets, and cross-border finance and regulation.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/119613917
Website: silkroadfinancetechnologyforum.com

About the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)

The Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) is a Singapore-headquartered not-for-profit organisation established in 2024. With offices in Tokyo, Berlin, and India, GFTN’s mission is to bridge policy, capital, and technology to build financial systems that are resilient, efficient, and inclusive. GFTN Services hosts global forums across five continents, bringing together innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers from over 130 countries. It offers policy advice to governments to promote financial technology innovation, inclusion, and capacity building. GFTN Capital will be a venture capital firm investing in growth-stage FinTechs globally. For more information, please visit www.gftn.co.

BEIJING, CHINA– Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games opened yesterday at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the “Ice Ribbon.” As another real-world validation of 5G Capital in robotics and embodied AI, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei have built an integrated digital foundation powered by a 5G-A GigaUplink network, supporting intelligent event operations, robot competition, and spectator experiences. The deployment also lays a connectivity foundation for humanoid robots to move beyond the arena and into everyday life. Across Beijing, 5G Capital’s region-wide GigaUplink network is providing ubiquitous, secure, and reliable connectivity for a growing range of cultural tourism, embodied AI, and Mobile AI applications and events.

This year’s Games feature major upgrades in both scale and competition design. A total of 1,301 competitions across 51 events will see 2,056 humanoid robots from 666 teams worldwide take part. The number of events has nearly doubled from 26 in the inaugural Games to 51 this year, with new high-intensity head-to-head events such as table tennis and kickboxing. Scenario-based competitions have also expanded into real-world settings including industrial production, hotels, homes, and logistics, while dance events place greater emphasis on synchronized movement across multiple robots. More autonomous competition formats and significantly higher task complexity are placing stringent demands on networks for high-capacity uplink, millisecond-level responsiveness, and high reliability, supporting real-time robot telemetry, precise control signaling, and multi-robot coordination.

To meet these requirements, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei deployed a dedicated 100 MHz network, complemented by a 300 MHz LampSite ultra-wideband indoor network, to support real-time robot telemetry and precise signaling exchange. A dedicated 5QI 7 slice combined with carrier isolation keeps end-to-end latency for humanoid robots within 30 milliseconds, supporting millisecond-level decision-making and response while helping ensure the precision of multi-robot coordination, obstacle avoidance, and fine-motion control.

By further integrating the dedicated network with BeiDou RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) positioning, the solution delivers decimeter- to sub-decimeter-level positioning accuracy, supporting autonomous navigation, agile obstacle avoidance, and precision racing in complex environments. On-site tests recorded a peak uplink speed of 1 Gbps, with average latency below 30 milliseconds.

While safeguarding mission-critical connectivity for the robots, China Unicom has also made the network experience of on-site spectators a priority. To address the high-density, heavy-traffic demands of large crowds, network resources and service assurance policies are dynamically adjusted according to different phases and areas of the event, including admission, waiting, competition, and departure. Core services such as instant messaging, ticket inquiries, QR-code admission, and mobile payments are prioritized for stable access, while the network also accommodates data-intensive services such as photo uploads, short-video sharing, and live streaming. This allows spectators to stay connected, interact seamlessly, and share highlights in real time even during peak traffic periods.

On the operations side, China Unicom has also developed China’s first embodied AI robot management platform designed for event scenarios. Through a unique network ID assigned to each robot, event staff can monitor its location within the venue, competition status, and operational metrics in real time, creating a closed-loop operations and management system.

Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Beijing, said: “This network deployment is not only a real-world test of China Unicom’s network capabilities; it will also help us accumulate valuable network assurance experience for the large-scale deployment of embodied AI. China Unicom will continue to build on the experience gained through the 5G Capital initiative and turn technological innovation into tangible and replicable network capabilities for the Mobile AI era. In doing so, we aim to support industrial innovation and help bring Chinese solutions to the world with China Unicom’s expertise.”

David Li, President of Huawei’s Wireless TDD Product Line, said: “The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games have provided a compelling real-world validation of the 5G-A 100 MHz GigaUplink network based on 3.5 GHz 2CC + 2.1 GHz SUL for embodied AI scenarios. Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to work with China Unicom Beijing to strengthen uplink capabilities and advance spectrum coordination, building multidimensional network capabilities with tiered and differentiated service assurance for multimodal device-to-cloud transmission. This will enable real-time interaction and precise control across a wide range of embodied AI scenarios.

“Networks are about more than speed. Low latency, high reliability, and ubiquitous coverage are equally important. Building on these capabilities, we will further advance the 5G Capital initiative, continue to expand the boundaries of network performance, and lay a solid foundation for the Mobile AI era, working with industry partners to enable an intelligent future.”

Hashtag: #Huawei #WorldHumanoidRobotGames

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – HiDream.ai today launched HiDream-O1-World, a native omni-modal interactive world model that lets users generate complete, explorable 3D worlds from a single text prompt, image, or interactive control.

The model combines three core capabilities — roaming, editing, and interaction — and is built on HiDream.ai’s self-developed UiT (Unified Transformer) architecture. The upgraded UiT delivers a key breakthrough on two persistent challenges in the field: spatiotemporal consistency and physical consistency. As cameras pan, zoom, or track, scene geometry remains stable — objects don’t vanish or deform, and collisions, occlusions, and gravitational responses follow real-world causal logic rather than appearing as randomly stitched frames.

“The value of an interactive world model isn’t in generating a photorealistic 3D scene — it’s in AI beginning to genuinely understand the depth of space, the texture of objects, the inertia of motion, and the logic of light and shadow,” said Yao Ting, CTO of HiDream.ai. “This is a systematic reconstruction of how the physical world works. HiDream-O1-World is the first bridge in that reconstruction — every interaction leads to a world never reached before.”

Topping the Leaderboard on Debut

HiDream-O1-World’s first third-party benchmark results came from WBench, an interactive world model evaluation benchmark jointly developed by Meituan’s LongCat team and Fudan University. The model topped the core Navi sub-leaderboard with an average score of 80.9, ranked first in the Physical dimension at 73.3, and scored 88.0 on Consistency — the best overall performance on the board.

WBench covers 289 multi-turn interaction cases and 1,058 interaction turns across five dimensions and 22 metrics. Its Navi board, focused on spatial navigation and viewpoint control, is widely regarded as the core measure of a world model’s spatial understanding. Topping Navi on its first entry, HiDream-O1-World sets a new performance ceiling for interactive world models — outperforming established players including Tencent Hunyuan 1.5.

One-Click World Generation for Immersive Interaction

The model lets users generate structurally complete, stylistically diverse interactive worlds from a short description, a single image, or simple controls. Upload a photo of a room, for example, and the model rapidly constructs a high-precision digital twin, completing the full panorama with accurate proportions and fine-grained detail.

Users can explore worlds in first-person or third-person mode, freely driving a character and adjusting viewpoints. In a diving scene, light patterns on the water surface and refracted glimmers on the seabed shift in sync with the camera; coral textures remain crisp and drift-free throughout.

Beyond roaming, HiDream-O1-World enables real-time editing — directing characters to grab, run, crouch, or jump, or triggering environmental events like rainfall. Changes maintain globally unified coherence across geometry, lighting, materials, and physical logic, ensuring every interaction remains self-consistent.

The model generalizes across humans, animals, and fictional characters, adapting to each one’s form and motion. In a snow-climbing scene, footprints press realistic indentations into the snow, snowflakes drift at varied speeds, and distant ridgelines blend naturally with rock textures as the viewpoint shifts. It supports a wide scene and stylistic range — from real city streets and natural terrain to anime-style cartoons and AAA-game-grade rendering.

Two Core Breakthroughs: Spatiotemporal and Physical Consistency

Interactive world models have long been constrained by three problems: space, physics, and memory. Camera switches cause blurring and scene drift; physics violations undermine credibility; and without long-term memory, objects disappear when the view turns. HiDream-O1-World addresses these through two coordinated capabilities:

Long-horizon spatiotemporal consistency. The model pairs 3D priors injected into Memory context with Test-Time Training (TTT) online maintenance. The Memory mechanism encodes scene geometry and object relationships as 3D priors, letting the model “remember” explored structures across viewpoint switches — fundamentally eliminating drift and scene resets. TTT performs lightweight online adaptation during inference, dynamically optimizing adapters so internal representations stay aligned with the scene’s 3D constraints. Where conventional models act like a painter redrawing every frame — with errors compounding into drift and vanishing objects — HiDream-O1-World behaves like a director with spatial memory: it records scene structure rather than re-guessing the environment at each step, recalling the corresponding view when the camera moves.

Globally stable physical consistency. On the training side, a generative world simulator produces synthetic data covering rigid-body collisions, fluid motion, soft-body deformation, and gravity-driven projectiles — systematically reinforcing the model’s inductive bias through physics-simulated data. On the inference side, the same TTT mechanism enhances physical consistency online, adjusting representations when new object types or materials appear so subsequent frames better follow that scene’s physics. This dual-engine design delivers gains of 13.6% over the industry average on visual-plausibility evaluation and 12.7% on causal-fidelity evaluation across fluid, collision, and deformation dimensions.

The research has been accepted to ECCV 2026 (European Conference on Computer Vision), one of the three premier academic conferences in computer vision and AI.

Paper: DreamWorld: Geometry-Grounded Video Diffusion for 3D-Consistent World Modeling
Project page: https://yanghb22-fdu.github.io/DreamWorld

Three New Industry Frontiers

Beyond technical breakthroughs, HiDream-O1-World opens new possibilities for industrial transformation:

AI interactive film and games. Users no longer follow a linear plot passively but become active participants, with worlds evolving along branching storylines — delivering cinematic visual quality, unprecedented immersion, and the enjoyment of multiple endings.

Embodied-AI simulation. The model builds physically grounded, high-fidelity simulation spaces — cities, factories, interiors — providing virtual testbeds for robotics training, autonomous driving, and smart manufacturing, replacing high-cost, high-risk real-world testing.

3D scene production. Creators can generate 3D figurines, home scenes, and art spaces with complete structure and rich detail, supporting structural fine-tuning and instant style switching. It even extends to the microscopic world — simulating cellular behavior and protein interactions for drug discovery and disease-mechanism research.

When the physical world can be generated at a click and explored freely, many industries deserve to be reimagined. These fields are only the tip of the iceberg — as more developers and creators join, the application boundaries of interactive world models will extend far beyond what can be described today.

Hashtag: #HiDreamAI

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – ECOVACS Robotics, a global leader in home service robotics, brought its “Created for Ease” philosophy to life at Singapore Pop Toy Show (PTS) 2026 through an unexpected collaboration with POP MART. Under the theme “Unbox the Ease,” ECOVACS invited visitors to discover how smart home robotics can transform everyday living, turning daily routines into moments of surprise, delight and effortless convenience.

Held from 21 to 23 August at MBS Expo & Convention Centre, the activation showcased ECOVACS’ latest innovations, DEEBOT T90 PRO OMNI and WINBOT mini 2, alongside interactive experiences inspired by POP MART’s culture of discovery and collectability.

“Created for Ease” – A Philosophy Nearly Two Decades in the Making

ECOVACS has spent nearly two decades building technologies that quietly takes care of everyday chores. For ECOVACS, “Unbox the Ease” extends beyond the excitement of opening a collectible. It reflects the moment of discovery when people realise how much time, effort and mental load can be removed through intelligent automation.

Much like the anticipation that comes with revealing a new POP MART character, visitors were invited to uncover something equally unexpected: a smarter, easier way to experience everyday living. Through hands-on product demonstrations and interactive installations, ECOVACS transformed its technology from a product showcase into an experience of discovery.

When Smart Living Meets Pop Culture

By partnering with POP MART, ECOVACS connected with a new generation of consumers through a shared spirit of curiosity, creativity and discovery. While POP MART inspires excitement through collectible characters, ECOVACS creates delight and ease through automated home robotics. Together, the collaboration highlighted how innovation can be both functional and emotionally engaging.

After all, it’s only when DEEBOT and WINBOT are quietly taking care of the floors and windows that people gain back the time to indulge in what they love, whether that’s unboxing the latest blind box or hunting down a new POP MART figure.

As home robotics become an increasingly natural part of modern lifestyles, ECOVACS continues to push the boundaries of innovation, helping consumers spend less time on chores and more time on what matters most.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

New 302-room hotel opens in the heart of Osaka, with a grand celebration marking the official debut of Travelodge Hotels Asia’s new mascot, Trevor.

OSAKA, JAPAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – Travelodge Hotels Asia (TLA) celebrates the official opening of Travelodge Osaka Shinsaibashi, which welcomed its first guests on 1 August 2026. The milestone was marked with a Grand Opening celebration on 6 August 2026, bringing together partners and guests to celebrate the latest addition to Travelodge Hotels Asia’s growing portfolio in Japan.

Located in the heart of Osaka, the new 302-room hotel offers travelers a comfortable and convenient base from which to explore one of Japan’s most vibrant cities. Situated just moments from Nagahoribashi Station and within walking distance of Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street and the iconic Dotonbori district, the hotel places guests close to Osaka’s renowned shopping, dining and entertainment experiences.

The Grand Opening celebration also marked another exciting milestone for Travelodge Hotels Asia with the official introduction of Trevor, the brand’s mascot. Friendly, smart and loyal, Trevor embodies the warm, welcoming and approachable spirit of Travelodge Hotels Asia.

“Japan continues to be a key market for Travelodge Hotels Asia, and the opening of Travelodge Osaka Shinsaibashi represents an exciting new chapter in our growth journey,” said Pinky Lam, Chief Operating Officer of Travelodge Hotels Asia. “We were honoured to celebrate this important milestone alongside our valued partners and guests, including Mr. Hiroshi Mizohata, Chairman and President of the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau. With its prime location in one of Osaka’s most dynamic neighbourhoods, the hotel allows us to offer travellers even greater comfort, convenience and connection when exploring the city. We are also delighted to introduce Trevor as our new brand mascot, bringing a fun and welcoming personality that we hope will create even more memorable connections with our guests.”

To celebrate the opening, Travelodge Osaka Shinsaibashi is inviting guests to Stay Gold in Osaka for a chance to win exciting prizes, including a Gold Bar. The special promotion adds an extra touch of excitement to a stay in Osaka and gives travelers another reason to discover the city’s newest Travelodge hotel.

Guests can enjoy our Best Price Guarantee by booking directly through our official website, www.travelodgehotels.asia. Travelers are also encouraged to join Travelodge Cashback, our free membership program, to earn up to 5% cashback after every stay, along with access to exclusive member benefits and special offers.

Members can also enjoy the Hello, Autumn Sale, with up to 45% OFF stays at participating Travelodge Hotels Asia properties. Available exclusively to members, the limited-time offer gives travelers even more reasons to plan ahead and enjoy greater value on their upcoming journeys.

The opening of Travelodge Osaka Shinsaibashi reflects Travelodge Hotels Asia’s continued commitment to expanding its presence in key destinations while delivering its signature experience of Comfort, Convenience and Connection. With its doors now officially open, the hotel welcomes travelers to experience the best of Osaka from the heart of the city — and perhaps even take home a little gold along the way.
Hashtag: #TravelodgeHotelsAsia

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Travelodge Hotels Asia

Travelodge Hotels Asia is a fast-growing hotel management and franchise company headquartered in Singapore, with operations across Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand.

With 19 hotels currently in operation and plans to expand to more than 50 properties by 2030, the company focuses on delivering value-driven stays in strategic locations. Backed by more than 80 years of global brand heritage, Travelodge offers its signature experience centered on Comfort, Convenience and Connection.

From surging sports interest to last-minute purchase, Hong Kong users are eager for greater access to live entertainment experiences

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – With the excitement of football events and chart-topping concerts still reverberating across the city, Hong Kong is carrying the momentum into a vibrant summer of live entertainment. Capturing the pulse of the moment, MoreTickets, Asia’s No.1* live event ticket resale platform, releases Hong Kong’s top international and local live events[1] scheduled for the summer period (July and August), alongside consumer insights into platform users’ ticket-buying behavior.

Concerts Top Summer Searches as Sports Interest Surges

MoreTickets offers a wide range of live entertainment events worldwide, including popular concerts, sporting events, theatre performances and many more. Concerts continue to drive the summer entertainment landscape, capturing the majority of user interests. According to MoreTickets data1, the “Concert” category accounts for nearly two-thirds of all searches for live events or shows scheduled in July and August, reinforcing the city’s demand for major headline acts. Interest in “Sports” category is also rising, with searches up about 150% year on year, reflecting heightened appetite for major matches and global tournament moments this summer.

Top 10 Most–Searched Live Events Scheduled for July and August[1]:

Local Hong Kong artists and city-based performances remain highly searched, representing more than 70% of total searches, led by Sammi Cheng and MC Cheung, two renowned local singers who appeal spans generations. Fueled by global FIFA World Cup fever, the Hong Kong Football Festival emerged as a breakout hit, ranking the third among the top searches.

Hong Kong Live Event Goers Made Last-Minute Purchase, and Rise in Single-Ticket Purchases

In Hong Kong, MoreTickets users are deciding closer to the event date. MoreTickets purchase data[2] shows that nearly two out of five ticket transactions were made within seven days of the show (37%), signaling a more spontaneous approach to live entertainment planning. This last-minute pattern is strongest in event categories such as pop music concerts (55%) and fan meetings (40%). Among those last-minute buyers, 60% of the purchases opted for single-seat tickets, underscoring strong eagerness to attend live shows, supported by the platform’s real-time availability andtransparent pricing. MoreTickets helps users compare across the spectrum and secure the best fit with confidence.

Top 10 Events Purchased Within 7-Days of Event Date in May 2:

A Safer Way to Find Tickets with MoreTickets

As live entertainment demand becomes more immediate and fragmented, many consumers still struggle when trying to secure tickets through various channels. MoreTickets offers an alternative as a safer platform with real-time availability, transparent-priced listing, and a secure refund guarantee, making it a reliable choice for live-event goers. It operates with two core safeguards – vetted sellers supported by a verified ticket-sourcing network, and escrow-based payment held until successful event entry.

Trusted by millions of users, MoreTickets helps users secure ticket access safely, ensuring they can enjoy the live entertainment moments that matter.

Hashtag: #MoreTickets

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About MoreTickets

MoreTickets is Asia’s No.1* live event ticket resale platform, dedicated to providing convenient, secure, and hassle-free ticketing services. The platform covers a wide range of live entertainment, including popular concerts, sporting events, theatre performances, and more. To date, MoreTickets is trusted by millions of users in Hong Kong and Macau, with its ticket sourcing network spanning major global live events across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, as well as Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas.

By integrating comprehensive event information and ticket sources, MoreTickets helps users quickly search and compare options while offering end-to-end services, including secure payment, order protection, and post-sale support. The platform is committed to delivering a seamless, intuitive, and reliable ticketing experience, ensuring users never miss out on their most anticipated shows.

*Measured by GMV of live event ticket resale platform in Asia in 2025 (According to Frost & Sullivan’s research on the live event resale platform industry in Asia, as of May 2026

For more information, please visit https://www.moretickets.com/.

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – A Vietnamese men’s grooming brand is preparing to enter the U.S. market with a business model that has been developed and scaled across Asia. The move will be an important test of East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop)’s ability to expand internationally, taking one of Asia’s leading men’s grooming chains into the world’s most competitive barbershop market.

From a Vietnamese barbershop to an international network of more than 130 locations

In the global men’s grooming industry, building an international brand requires barbershop chains to solve a fundamental challenge: How can they standardize services, train staff, maintain a consistent customer experience and scale their model without losing their identity?

This is the formula behind many of the world’s leading names in the hair and grooming industry, including Great Clips, Supercuts, Sport Clips Haircuts, TONI&GUY, QB House and Jawed Habib Hair & Beauty. These brands have transformed a service industry traditionally dependent on individual craftsmanship into scalable business systems.

East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) is pursuing a similar path. Founded in Vietnam in 2018, the company has grown into a network of more than 130 locations, with over 1,000 barbers, while gradually expanding into international markets. At this scale, East West operates in a different league from independent barbershops.

The value of a barbershop chain with hundreds of locations lies in its ability to deliver a consistent experience across the entire network. This is also why East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) has been ranked among the Top 10 large-scale grooming brands in the world.

But as it prepares to enter the U.S. market, the key question is whether this model can be successfully transferred and operated in a completely different market.

Beyond the haircut: When a barbershop becomes an experience

East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) seeks to differentiate itself by developing an “Experiential Barbershop” concept, combining grooming with relaxation and entertainment.

From the moment customers walk through the door, they are greeted by a space filled with greenery, along with relaxation areas featuring pool tables, chess, a piano, a bar and bookshelves. The chain, which caters exclusively to men and boys, also features car-themed barber chairs and dedicated play areas for its younger customers.

Its services extend well beyond a haircut, including hair washing, ear cleaning, massage, hair restoration treatments, perming, coloring, nail care, shoe cleaning and phone sanitization.

East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) aims to change the way customers perceive a barbershop. Rather than simply purchasing a grooming service, customers can take time to relax, look after themselves or bring their children along to a space designed around the overall experience.

As consumers increasingly value the overall experience alongside service quality, this approach reflects the changing dynamics of the men’s grooming market.

The United States: East West Barbershop’s next major test

The United States is no random choice. It represents the next step in East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop)’s international strategy, building on a business model that has already been tested in Vietnam and several overseas markets.

The U.S. is home to many major barbershop and salon brands and is one of the world’s most mature markets for franchising in the service sector.

Great Clips is a prime example. With thousands of salons across the United States and Canada, the brand demonstrates the scale a haircut business can achieve when its model is standardized and successfully replicated.

Supercuts, Sport Clips and many other chains have likewise spent years building strong brand recognition and extensive customer networks.

Against this backdrop, the Vietnamese brand must answer a fundamental question: Why would American consumers choose a brand from Vietnam over names they already know and recognize?

East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop)’s answer is not simply to compete on price. Its goal is to “export” a business model that combines customer experience, workforce training, operating standards and franchising.

This requires the company to turn its operational experience into a transferable system while addressing the many differences between Vietnam and the United States.

East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) identifies barber training, skills standardization and the ability to adapt to a new environment as key foundations of this process. International expansion also creates opportunities for Vietnamese barbers to gain exposure to international working environments.

East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) has also linked its development with social initiatives, including free vocational training for young people, mobile haircut programs offering free services, and contributions to charitable activities. These efforts contribute to a distinctive brand story: a service business seeking to develop its brand, its profession and its community at the same time.

After nearly a decade of establishment and development, East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) is gradually proving that a business model built in Vietnam can be standardized, franchised, and compete on the same playing field as the major players in the global hair industry.

If successful in the U.S., East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop)’s story will go beyond being a Top 10 brand or a network of more than 130 locations. It will be the story of how a Vietnamese service business transformed capabilities built at home into a model capable of reaching the global stage.

Hashtag: #EastWestBarbershop #Dongtaybarbershop

https://dongtaybarbershop.com

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

East West Barbershop Vietnam Joint Stock Company