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Artificial Intelligence

Stem Completes Business Combination with Star Peak Energy Transition Corp.

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Creates first publicly traded pure-play smart energy storage company

Results in over $600 million of gross cash proceeds to Stem

Stem’s common stock to begin trading on the NYSE under symbol “STEM” on April 29, 2021

MILLBRAE, Calif., April 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stem, Inc., a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven clean energy storage services, announced today that it has completed its previously announced business combination with Star Peak Energy Transition Corp. (“Star Peak”).

The transaction was unanimously approved by Star Peak’s Board of Directors and was approved at a special meeting of Star Peak stockholders on April 27, 2021. In connection with the closing, Star Peak changed its name to Stem, Inc. (“Stem” or the “Company”). The ticker symbols for the common stock and warrants of Stem will change from “STPK” and “STPK.WS” to “STEM” and “STEM.WS” and will begin trading as such on the New York Stock Exchange on April 29, 2021.

John Carrington, Chief Executive Officer of Stem, commented, “We are excited to complete this business combination, which will accelerate the next phase of Stem’s growth and further extend our leadership position in AI-driven clean energy storage systems. We continue to benefit from strong, sustainable macro tailwinds as the world deepens its commitment to de-carbonization. Our experience, robust service offerings and industry-leading software, AthenaTM, continue to differentiate Stem in this rapidly growing market, providing our customers enhanced savings, reliability, and sustainability. We appreciate the invaluable collaboration from Star Peak to make this transaction a success, and look forward to their ongoing support as we deliver value to Stem stakeholders.”

Michael Morgan, Chairman of Star Peak and Director of Stem, commented, “We are proud to complete the combination of Star Peak and Stem, establishing Stem as the first pure-play smart energy storage company to go public in the U.S. We are more confident than ever in Stem’s significant value, offering investors a unique ESG opportunity to invest in a pure play clean energy company that’s helping to revolutionize the electric grid. I look forward to continued partnership with John and the world-class Stem team as we drive further growth and success over the long-term.”

Bill Bush, Chief Financial Officer of Stem, commented, “With over $500 million of cash on the balance sheet, zero debt and a new public platform, we are now armed with the capital that will help propel Stem’s product, capabilities and market reach to the next level. We remain well positioned for significant visible growth, including a more than four-fold expected annual increase in our 2021 revenue, 100% of which is covered by our contracted backlog.”

Transaction Overview

The transaction is primarily comprised of $383 million of cash from Star Peak’s former trust account and $225 million of cash from a private investment in public equity (PIPE), not including transaction fees. The PIPE is anchored by investors including funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Van Eck Associates Corporation, Adage Capital Management, L.P., Electron Capital Partners, and Senator Investment Group. Stem will use the proceeds to fund the company’s planned growth, advance its Athena™ software platform, and repay all outstanding debts. All Stem shareholders have rolled 100% of their equity holdings into the new public company.

Stem’s legacy senior management team will continue to lead the now combined company, including John Carrington (Chief Executive Officer), Bill Bush (Chief Financial Officer), Larsh Johnson (Chief Technology Officer), Prakesh Patel (Chief Strategy Officer), Mark Triplett (Chief Operating Officer), Alan Russo (Chief Revenue Officer) and Sylvia Lan (Vice President, Human Resources).

Stem’s Board of Directors will be comprised of eight (8) members, seven (7) of whom are “independent directors” as defined in the NYSE listing standards and applicable U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules. The Board of Directors will be led by Chairman, Mr. David Buzby and will also include John Carrington, CEO of Stem.

A more detailed description of the transaction can be found in the definitive proxy statement filed by Star Peak with the SEC on March 30, 2021.

Advisors

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Star Peak. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC served as joint capital markets advisors to Star Peak and as co-placement agents on the PIPE offering. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Star Peak. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as lead financial advisor to Stem. Nomura Greentech served as a financial advisor to Stem, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as well as Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati served as legal advisors to Stem.

About Stem, Inc.

Stem (NYSE: STEM) provides solutions that address the challenges of today’s dynamic energy market. By combining advanced energy storage solutions with Athena™, a world-class AI-powered analytics platform, Stem enables customers and partners to optimize energy use by automatically switching between battery power, onsite generation and grid power. Stem’s solutions help enterprise customers benefit from a clean, adaptive energy infrastructure and achieve a wide variety of goals, including expense reduction, resilience, sustainability, environmental and corporate responsibility and innovation. Stem also offers full support for solar partners interested in adding storage to standalone, community or commercial solar projects – both behind and in front of the meter. For more information, visit www.stem.com.

About Star Peak Energy Transition Corp.

Star Peak is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Star Peak is led by a management team with extensive experience investing in the energy, energy infrastructure and renewables sectors, including Chairman, Michael Morgan and Chief Executive Officer, Eric Scheyer. Michael Morgan is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Triangle Peak Partners LP and currently serves as a director of Sunnova Energy International (NYSE: NOVA) and lead director of Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI), one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America, a company he joined at its founding in 1997. Eric Scheyer is a Partner at Magnetar and has served as the Head of the Magnetar Energy and Infrastructure Group since its inception in 2005.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this communication may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For example, projections of future revenue and other metrics are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” “or“ or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Stem and its management, depend upon inherently uncertain factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to: Stem’s ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of Stem to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; risks relating to the development and performance of Stem’s energy storage systems and software-enabled services; the possibility that Stem may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; the ability to maintain the listing of Stem’s securities on the New York Stock Exchange following the consummation of the business combination; the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations of Stem; changes in applicable laws or regulations; Stem’s estimates of its financial performance; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Stem or others following the consummation of the business combination; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on Stem’s business, financial condition and results of operations; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the definitive proxy statement relating to the business combination filed by Star Peak on March 30, 2021 and other documents Stem files with the SEC in the future. Nothing in this communication should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward looking statements will be achieved. We caution you that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive, and readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Stem does not undertake any duty to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Stem Investor Contacts
Ted Durbin, Stem
Marc Silverberg, ICR
[email protected]

Stem Media Contacts
Cory Ziskind, ICR
[email protected]

Star Peak Contacts
Tricia Quinn, Courtney Kozel
[email protected]
(847) 905-4400

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/876b2467-61f5-41f5-8af4-fb0fba53bf53

GlobeNewswire is one of the world's largest newswire distribution networks, specializing in the delivery of corporate press releases financial disclosures and multimedia content to the media, investment community, individual investors and the general public.

Artificial Intelligence

QSAN Unveils Latest Solutions for AI Era at COMPUTEX 2024

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Introducing Next-Gen NVMe Array and All-New Container Platform
TAIPEI, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AI is sweeping the globe, transforming industries and spurring enterprises to adopt AI in business. As companies gear up to seize this incredible opportunity of rapid business growth, upgrading their IT infrastructure is the first step. At COMPUTEX 2024, QSAN will unveil state-of-the-art solutions to assist enterprises in the AI era.

Unparalleled Performance All NVMe Flash ArrayThe next-generation XCubeFAS 5226 is now delivering extremely fast performance. It features low latency, high throughput, and robust IOPs to accelerate demanding workloads for the upcoming AI era.
Innovative Container PlatformThe KubeSwift series is an innovative appliance that empowers SMBs with CaaS (Container as a Service) capabilities. This all-in-one solution streamlines containerized application deployment, management, and scaling, providing a robust foundation for modern IT infrastructures.
High Scalability Enterprise Unified StorageAs artificial intelligence continues to advance, the value of data will grow exponentially, driving the need for expanded storage capacity. XCubeNXT is an enterprise unified storage system with PB-level scalability, high availability, and multi-functional connectivity. It aims to prepare for storing massive amounts of material generated by AI.
Register for QSAN Tech Talk
QSAN will host tech talks to provide insights into storage technology and the future. Professionals will have in-depth discussions on topics such as AI applications, storage technology trends, market analysis, and prediction. Register for tech talk for more forecasts.
Make an Appointment with a QSAN Expert Consultant
Tailor-made storage consulting will also be available at COMPUTEX 2024. For the best chance of accelerating your business, make an appointment with a QSAN expert.
QSAN at 2024 COMPUTEX Information
Event Date: June 4 ~ 7, 2024Event Time: (GMT+8) 9:30 AM ~ 05:30 PMBooth No.: M1435a (AI Computing & System Integration)Location: 4F, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1 (TaiNEX 1)Address: No.1, Jingmao 2nd Rd., Nangang District, Taipei City 115, Taiwan
QSAN Showroom for Tech Talk and Expert Consultant
Event Date: June 4 ~ 7, 2024Event Time: (GMT+8) 10:00 AM ~ 05:30 PMLocation: QSAN ShowRoomAddress: No. 2, Ln. 1, Fukang St., Nangang District, Taipei City 115, Taiwan
For more information, please visit: www.QSAN.com
Media Contacts Email: [email protected] Address: 4F., No.103, RuiHu Street, NeiHu District, Taipei, Taiwan11494 Phone: +886-2-7720-2118

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Artificial Intelligence

Kanazawa University research: Biochemical tails tell a story

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KANAZAWA, Japan, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University report in Nano Letters how the use of high-speed atomic force microscopy helps to understand the crucial role played by certain biomolecules in DNA wrapping dynamics.

In plants and animals, the basic packaging units of DNA, which carry genetic information, are the so-called nucleosomes. A nucleosome consists of a segment of DNA wound around eight proteins known as histones. During gene expression (the process lying at the basis of protein production), nucleosomes are involved in various dynamical structural changes, such as nucleosome sliding, DNA unwrapping and other DNA–histone interactions. Of particular importance in these processes are the end structures, or tails, of the histones. Histone tails undergo chemical modifications, changing the histone’s functionality as needed. Detailed studies, and especially visualizations, of nucleosome dynamics are crucial for better understanding the role of histone tails. Mikihiro Shibata from Kanazawa University and colleagues have now succeeded in making video recordings of tail-less nucleosomes, showing that the absence of histone tails significantly increases a nucleosome’s dynamic activity.
The scientists used high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), a powerful nanoimaging tool for visualizing molecular structures and their dynamics at high spatial and temporal resolution. For this, the nucleosomes needed to be put onto a substrate. Shibata and colleagues used a film of so-called pillar[5]arenes (molecules with a pentagonal tubular structure) as the substrate, forming an ideal surface as the nucleosomes are easily adsorbed to it without dynamical processes getting suppressed.
The researchers first looked at nucleosomes for which all eight histones lacked tails. Based on their HS-AFM observations, they concluded that nucleosome sliding and DNA unwrapping/rewrapping occurred more often than for normal (canonical) nucleosomes. This suggests that without tails, the histone–DNA interaction is weakened, leading to a situation in which DNA can more easily detach from the histones.
To better understand the roles of specific histone tails, Shibata and colleagues prepared nucleosomes where one type of histone was tailless. There are four different types of histones, called H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. HS-AFM experiments on the nucleosomes revealed that H2B and H3 tail-less nucleosomes showed an increased frequency of dynamics. Conversely, this means that canonical H2B and H3 histones are essential for nucleosome stability.
The scientists point out that they could not observe any actual motion of histone tails — most likely the temporal resolution of the study, 0.3 seconds, was much slower than the rate of the wrapping/unwrapping dynamics of the tails. Despite this limitation, the work of Shibata and colleagues clearly proves that the tails of H2B and H3 histones are the main contributors to nucleosome dynamics. Regarding future work, quoting the researchers, “a technique for tagging histone tail tips might enable HS-AFM to capture the movements of the histone tails themselves.”
Background
High-speed atomic force microscopy
The general principle of atomic force microscopy (AFM) is to make a very small tip scan the surface of a sample. During this horizontal (xy) scan, the tip, which is attached to a small cantilever, follows the sample’s vertical (z) profile, inducing a force on the cantilever that can be measured. The magnitude of the force at the xy position can be related to the z value; the xyz data generated during a scan then result in a height map providing structural information about the investigated sample. In high-speed-AFM (HS-AFM), the working principle is slightly more involved: the cantilever is made to oscillate near its resonance frequency. When the tip is moved around a surface, the variations in the amplitude (or the frequency) of the cantilever’s oscillation — resulting from the tip’s interaction with the sample’s surface — are recorded, as these provide a measure for the local z value. AFM does not involve lenses, so its resolution is not restricted by the so-called diffraction limit as in X-ray diffraction, for example.
HS-AFM results in a video, where the time interval between frames depends on the speed with which a single image can be generated (by xy-scanning the sample). Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University have in recent years developed HS-AFM further, so that it can be applied to study biochemical molecules and biomolecular processes in real-time. Mikihiro Shibata and colleagues have now applied the method to study nucleosome dynamics in detail, and in particular the role of the molecular endings of histones — proteins that play a crucial role in DNA accessibility.
Reference
Shin Morioka, Takumi Oishi, Suguru Hatazawa, Takahiro Kakuta, Tomoki Ogoshi, Kenichi Umeda, Noriyuki Kodera, Hitoshi Kurumizaka, and Mikihiro Shibata. High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Reveals the Nucleosome Sliding and DNA Unwrapping/Wrapping Dynamics of Tail-less Nucleosomes, Nano Letters ,2024.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00801https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00801 
https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-1-12.png Figure 1.
High-speed atomic force microscopy visualization of nucleosome dynamics with canonical (top) and tail-less (bottom) histones.© 2024 American Chemical Society
ContactHiroe YonedaSenior Specialist in Project Planning and OutreachNanoLSI Administration Office, Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)Kanazawa UniversityKakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, JapanEmail: [email protected]: +81 (76) 234-4555
About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University
Understanding nanoscale mechanisms of life phenomena by exploring “uncharted nano-realms”
Cells are the basic units of almost all life forms. We are developing nanoprobe technologies that allow direct imaging, analysis, and manipulation of the behavior and dynamics of important macromolecules in living organisms, such as proteins and nucleic acids, at the surface and interior of cells. We aim at acquiring a fundamental understanding of the various life phenomena at the nanoscale.https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/
About the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)
The WPI program was launched in 2007 by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to foster globally visible research centers boasting the highest standards and outstanding research environments. Numbering more than a dozen and operating at institutions throughout the country, these centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to engage in innovative modes of management and research. The program is administered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
See the latest research news from the centers at the WPI News Portal: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsportal/WPI
Main WPI program site: www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-toplevel
About Kanazawa University
As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities.
The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa – a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas.http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/
 
 
 

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Artificial Intelligence

Geek+ and System Teknik deploy first PopPick solution in the Nordics for the pharmacy group Med24.dk

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DUSSELDORF, Germany, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Geekplus, the global leader in mobile robot and smart logistics solutions, has deployed the first Shelf-to-Person PopPick project in the Nordics for one of the biggest online pharmacy wholesalers in the region, Med24.dk. System Teknik partnered on the Denmark project, which includes three PopPick stations and 30 Shelf-to-Person robots, bringing a flexible solution to a region where fixed automation still dominates.  

“With the rise of e-commerce, Med24.dk had been struggling with huge sales growth coupled with fast delivery demands from customers in Denmark, Norway, Sweden searching for pharmacy, health and beauty products. Peak season events had also caused considerable strain to their operations,” said Blond Shkodrani, channel partner manager for the Nordics at Geekplus. “Due to their overwhelming success, Med24.dk needed a modular, automated order fulfillment solution for fast, efficient order fulfillment.”
The Geekplus modular Shelf-to-Person solution optimizes warehouse operations using mobile robots to transport shelves. In a region where fixed and cubic solutions have been the trend during recent years, Shelf-to-Person handles goods of all sizes while removing the need for infrastructure investment, making it the most flexible response to order fulfillment challenges.
PopPick workstations use two retrieval arms and four presentation locations to present pickers with multiple, moveable 78-tote racks at one time, resulting in an industry-leading throughput of 450 totes per hour. PopPick can store goods of all types and sizes; the solution is not limited to small pieces and improves ergonomics for workers while picking. It also takes up less space than traditional systems, so customers can use more stations without adding facility space.
“We are very pleased to invest in flooring robots from Geekplus,” said Med24.dk CEO Nils Træholt. “We believe that this new and innovative technology can help us realize our growth ambitions, while maintaining good delivery times for the benefit of our customers.”
Morten Kirch, System Teknik’s CSO, added: “Due to Med24.dk’s growth, we are thrilled to be able to deliver a tailor-made, automated solution that matches their needs.”
Geekplus offers a suite of Goods-to-Person mobile order fulfillment solutions — the only comprehensive robotic offering controlled by a single software platform.
“Through trusted partners like System Teknik, we’re showing customers all over Europe that Geekplus truly is a one-stop shop for modular warehouse automation,” Shkodrani said.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2395198/Med24_Geekplus_PopPick.jpg Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2373458/Geekplus_logo.jpg
 
 

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