KRANESHARES AI FUND BEATS NASDAQ-100, HELPED BY ANTHROPIC STAKE

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- KraneShares announced the private investments in its KraneShares Public-Private AI & Technology exchange-traded fund (ETF), including a stake in artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic, have contributed significantly to the fund’s returns since its launch in July 2024.

The fund, which trades under the ticker AGIX, returned 70.13 per cent from its inception on July 17, 2024, to Oct 31, 2026, compared with 45.64 per cent for the Nasdaq-100 Index, with its private holdings contributing 11.92 percentage points, the company said in a statement.

“Anthropic showed what is possible when a fund like AGIX can get onto the cap table of a category-defining AI company early, and our goal is to keep finding the next opportunities like it,” said KraneShares Senior Investment Strategist, Derek Yan.

The company said AGIX became the first ETF to invest directly in Anthropic, the maker of the Claude AI models, in February 2025, at a valuation of US$61.5 billion. (US$1 = RM4.05)

KraneShares Head of Capital Markets and AGIX Portfolio Manager, James Maund said combining public AI stocks with direct stakes in private companies such as Anthropic allows investors to take part in these companies’ growth before they go public.

The update comes as Anthropic moves towards a stock market listing after filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Oct 26 to list on Nasdaq under the ticker “ANT”, according to KraneShares citing a Wall Street Journal report.

The fund also holds stakes in private companies including General Intuition, Ayar Labs, Standard Bots, Apptronik, and Nuro.

-- BERNAMA

DENODO, AWS SEAL MULTI-YEAR DEAL ON AI DATA ACCESS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Denodo, a data management company, has signed a multi-year strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help companies build and scale agentic artificial intelligence (AI), meaning AI systems that can make decisions and take actions on their own, using real-time business data.

The agreement builds on the companies’ existing relationship and includes joint workshops, co-marketing, co-selling and commercial incentives, as well as solutions with systems integrators for uses such as fraud prevention in banking, claims processing in insurance and predictive maintenance in manufacturing, Denodo said in a statement.

“Together with AWS, we give joint customers a unified AI data layer so that agents can access live, governed data and active context across every enterprise source, without moving or replicating it.

“This expanded collaboration helps our customers move from pilot to production in days rather than months and scale with confidence,” said Denodo Chief Executive Officer, Ángel Viña in a statement.

Meanwhile, AWS Director of Americas Technology Partners, Allison Johnson said the collaboration helps customers extend the value of their AWS AI investments to all their data, wherever it is stored.

Denodo’s software allows AWS AI services to use company data held in on-premises systems, other cloud services and software as a service (SaaS) applications without first copying or moving it.

Denodo is available as a fully managed cloud service or for deployment in customers’ own AWS accounts and can be bought through AWS Marketplace.

-- BERNAMA

Reality Partners with Merkl to Support rToken Dividend Distribution Across DeFi

VICTORIA, Seychelles, Nov 10 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reality, the tokenization platform bringing publicly listed equities onchain and part of the Bitget ecosystem, has partnered with Merkl to identify eligible rToken holders whose tokens are deployed across supported DeFi protocols. This will enable them to keep receiving dividends in stablecoin, even when their tokens are put to work in DeFi instead of sitting in a wallet.

rTokens provide tokenized exposure to publicly listed stocks and ETFs, including eligible economic benefits such as dividends. When these tokens are deposited into lending markets, liquidity pools or staking contracts, the smart contract may appear as the holder onchain instead of the individual user. This makes it more difficult to identify who should receive the associated dividend distributions.

Merkl’s reward forwarder technology addresses this by tracing token positions through supported smart contracts to identify the underlying holders and allocate distributions according to the applicable rules. The system can account for multiple layers of DeFi contracts and protocol-specific fees. Users and developers can check if individual contracts are supported through the Merkl Studio Forwarder Scan tool.

"The challenge with assets held in DeFi is knowing who sits behind each position," said Pablo Veyrat, CEO and Co-founder of Merkl. "Our forwarder technology traces ownership through nested smart contracts and tells Reality exactly who holds what, so dividends can reach the right people wherever their tokens are deployed."

"Tokenized equities should be useful beyond trading," said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. "If someone puts their rTokens to work in DeFi, they should still be able to receive the dividends they’re eligible for. Working with Merkl helps us address that challenge and makes tokenized equities more practical for everyday use."

Under the partnership, Reality continues to manage rToken issuance and dividend entitlements, while Merkl provides the reward forwarding infrastructure for identifying eligible holders across supported DeFi positions. Reality’s rToken model distributes eligible cash dividends separately from the token’s price, with net cash dividends generally settled in USDT. Distribution through DeFi remains subject to the supported contracts and applicable distribution rules.

The partnership builds on the growing adoption of rTokens within Bitget’s UEX ecosystem. According to a DeFiLlama report, rToken trading volume reached $1.16 billion in cumulative volume between June and July, while the number of users trading both crypto and rTokens grew 23.54% month over month in July 2026, pointing to rising demand for tokenized equities as part of broader, cross-asset strategies. The integration with Merkl supports the next stage of development, helping extend the use of tokenized equities beyond exchange-based trading into DeFi.

About Reality

Reality is a regulated real-world asset issuance platform built for global markets, and is proudly part of the Bitget ecosystem. Working with licensed brokers across major exchanges, including Nasdaq and the NYSE, we purchase and hold the underlying assets in custody, then issue the corresponding rights on-chain. This connects traditional capital markets with on-chain infrastructure, opening institutional-grade access to real-world assets for users worldwide.

About Merkl

Merkl is the leading onchain money streaming platform. Stablecoin issuers, fintechs, neobanks and tokenized funds use Merkl to calculate and send yield, dividends and payouts. Merkl tracks ownership across lending markets, liquidity pools and other nested smart contracts, so every payment reaches the beneficial owner behind each position. Since launching in July 2023, Merkl has distributed over $1.8B in tokens across 60+ chains for more than 1,000 companies, including PayPal, Coinbase, Robinhood and Morpho.

For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cc2e8771-09cc-41d7-b3c3-d46f4533278f

SOURCE: Bitget Limited

DISCLAIMER: BERNAMA MREM are not accountable for any causes of website defacement, misuse, or illegal activities connected to cryptocurrency, blockchain, tokenisation, or bitcoin. This material should not be considered as guidance or an opinion, as it does not constitute financial or investment advice. Use this information at your own risk; we are not liable for any losses or damages caused by the republication of this article.

--BERNAMA

MARCO GADOLA JOINS ANGELALIGN AS SENIOR ADVISOR

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Hong Kong-listed clear aligner maker, Angelalign Technology Inc (Angel) has appointed former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of dental medical device company, Straumann Group, Marco Gadola as Senior Advisor.

In this role, Gadola will advise Angel’s board and senior management on culture, strategy and governance, the company said in a statement.

“We welcome Marco as an advocate for our customers and employees around the world and to help us build an outstanding global organisation with a great culture,” said Angel CEO, Fox Hu.

Meanwhile, Gadola said he has followed the company for 10 years and has seen how the company has evolved, from a regional leader in innovative clinical solutions and high-quality products, to a worldwide organisation with an impressive innovation pipeline, citing his excitement to join Angel.

Founded in 2003 and publicly listed since 2021, Angel provides clear aligner solutions to clinically focused professionals and patients in over 60 countries.

-- BERNAMA

Saudi Fund for Development Signs Six Development Loan Agreements Worth Over USD 403 Million with Syria

 

^{HRH the Crown Prince and President of the Syrian Arab Republic Al-Sharaa witness signing of agreements (Photo: AETOSWire)} 


RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov 6 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has signed six concessional development loan agreements worth more than USD 403 million with the Syrian Arab Republic, marking a significant step in supporting the country’s recovery through the rehabilitation of essential infrastructure, restoration of vital public services and improvement of living conditions for communities affected by years of conflict.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261105350224/en/ 

The agreements, signed under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, reflect the Kingdom’s continued commitment to supporting Syria’s development priorities. The signing ceremony was witnessed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, with SFD CEO Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad and Syrian Minister of Finance Mohammed Yusr Barniyeh signing the agreements on behalf of their respective institutions.

Spanning six development areas, the financing will address pressing needs while strengthening the resilience of communities and public institutions across Syria.

A USD 90 million loan will rehabilitate generating units at the Aleppo Thermal Power Plant, helping restore reliable electricity supplies for approximately 5 million people and supporting economic activity, while a USD 30 million water project will install 300,000 smart meters to improve water service efficiency for approximately 1.5 million people.

A further USD 105 million will finance the construction, rehabilitation and equipping of 25 civil defence centres, strengthening emergency response and disaster management capabilities for more than 7 million people. In the housing sector, USD 60 million will support the rehabilitation of up to 10,000 damaged homes, improving living conditions and community stability.

The agreements also include USD 100 million to rehabilitate, construct and equip hospitals and health centres, restoring essential healthcare services and expanding access to care, alongside USD 18 million to support digital transformation and institutional development at Syria’s Ministry of Finance, enhancing the efficiency and transparency of government financial services.

Together, these projects will contribute to restoring essential services, strengthening community resilience and supporting sustainable development, building on Saudi Arabia’s continued assistance to Syria, including two grants provided through SFD in September 2025 to supply crude oil and cover part of public employees’ salaries over three months.

*Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261105350224/en/

Contact

Nawaf Alojrush
alojrush@sfd.gov.sa
+966112714148

Source : Saudi Fund for Development

SEENTHIS CONNECTS CLAUDE, CHATGPT TO BUILD VIDEO ADS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Stockholm-based video advertising company, SeenThis has launched SeenThis Studio MCP, which connects artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as Claude and ChatGPT to SeenThis Studio platform, allowing them to build video ads from a single brief.

“AI is changing how every agency works, and video advertising is next. SeenThis has always built the technology behind the ad, from creation to delivery, and SeenThis Studio MCP puts that technology to work for the AI tools agencies already rely on,” said SeenThis Chief Executive Officer, Jesper Benon.

The tool uses Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for connecting AI tools to other software, and is available in early access to a limited group of agencies and brands, the company said in a statement.

Teams share a brief with the AI tool they already use, which then builds and animates editable video ads in the required formats, creates versions for different markets, languages and offers, and shares previews for client approval.

“Your AI tool knows your brand. Our engine knows how an ad has to work. The more SeenThis Studio can do, the more your AI tool can do,” said SeenThis Chief Product and Technology Officer, Mark Pasternak.

SeenThis said early tests showed production time cut by more than 90 per cent, with complex video ads that would normally take most of a working day ready in under an hour.

Approved ads can be sent directly from SeenThis Studio to the DV360 advertising platform and to social media platforms such as Meta and TikTok.

-- BERNAMA

DENODO NAMED GARTNER LEADER IN DATA INTEGRATION TOOLS FOR SEVENTH STRAIGHT YEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Data management company, Denodo has been named a Leader in research firm Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools for the seventh consecutive year.

The 2026 report, published on Nov 2, analysed 19 vendors. Denodo said it believes the recognition reflects the strength of its support for agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and the loyalty of its customers.

“We are extremely proud that Gartner has once again recognised Denodo as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools, as Gartner has done for the previous six years,” said Denodo Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ravi Shankar.

In a statement, he said data integration was increasingly driven by the needs of AI agents, which require data that is integrated, governed and supported by business context.

Gartner said in the report that by 2028, 60 per cent of data integration tasks will be completed autonomously, freeing up 20 per cent of data engineers’ time.

Since last year’s report, Denodo has released two updates to its platform. Denodo Platform 9.4, released in March, enables AI systems and users to access live data within governance boundaries, while version 9.5, released in July, adds features to support AI agents.

The Denodo Platform has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 337 user ratings on the Gartner Peer Insights platform, as of November 2026.

-- BERNAMA