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Prodigy Finance Establishes another $350 Million Facility for International Masters Students with Citi, Schroders Capital, and SCIO Capital

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LONDON, July 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Prodigy Finance, a social impact driven FinTech and a leading international student loan lender, is proud to announce a $350 million facility with Citi, Schroders Capital and SCIO Capital. This is the first transaction that Prodigy has closed under their new multi-issuance special purpose vehicle structure.
The joint initiative between Prodigy Finance and their funding partners represents a significant commitment to providing accessible financial support to aspiring masters students from around the world. To date, Prodigy has funded over $1.8 billion in postgraduate education loans to more than 35,000 high-potential students from over 100 different countries.
According to 2022 market intelligence firm HolonIQ, a ‘most likely’ scenario will see around 8 million internationally mobile students register in foreign institutions by 2030 – and in line with this finding, the $350 million facility will be dedicated to financing international masters students, allowing them to bridge their financial gaps and pursue their educational aspirations with confidence.
As of 2022, 86% of Prodigy Finance’s borrowers hail from emerging markets, while 67% are first-generation students. With this facility, Prodigy Finance aims to further democratise access to education, fostering a diverse and inclusive academic environment that celebrates talent from every corner of the globe across a variety of degree programmes. Notably, Prodigy Finance saw a rise of 97% in applications submitted for financing in STEM degrees in 2022, compared to 2021.
By offering competitive interest rates and flexible repayment options, the facility aims to make pursuing a master’s degree more financially viable for deserving students, who will be able to apply for finance to fund more than 5,000 courses across the fields of computer science, information systems, analytics, engineering management and more in 19 countries – including Prodigy Finance’s recent expansion of approved courses in Australian universities.
“We are thrilled to secure this facility from Citi, Schroders Capital and SCIO Capital, which we will deploy to enable international masters students to unlock their full potential,” said Neha Sethi, CFO at Prodigy Finance. “Education is a catalyst for societal progress, and we believe that financial barriers should not hinder anyone’s pursuit of knowledge. Through this initiative, we are committed to empowering students to realise their dreams and contribute meaningfully to the world.”
“We are pleased to continue our financing relationship with Prodigy,” said Michelle Russell-Dowe, Global Head of Securitized Product & Asset-Based Finance at Schroders Capital. “As access to credit globally becomes more scarce we appreciate the opportunity to find attractive investments facilitating education, and we are happy to complete our second financing with Prodigy in this area.”
“SCIO is excited to continue to support Prodigy Finance’s journey and their important mission of providing equal access to life changing education around the globe,” said Jason Harris, CRO at SCIO Capital.
To learn more about this transformative initiative, please visit Prodigy Finance’s social impact page.
About Prodigy Finance
Founded in 2007, Prodigy Finance is an international student lender that has helped over 35,000 international masters students attend the world’s top universities. To date, Prodigy Finance has disbursed over $1.8 billion in funding to students from more than 150 countries.
Prodigy Finance is fueled by impact investors, and other private qualified entities who invest in tomorrow’s leaders whilst earning a financial and social return. Prodigy Finance’s borderless lending model enables students to apply for a loan based on their future earning potential and not just their current circumstances and credit history.
Schroders Capital
Schroders Capital provides investors with access to a broad range of private asset investment opportunities, portfolio building blocks and customised private asset strategies. Its team focuses on delivering best-in-class, risk-adjusted returns and executing investments through a combination of direct investment capabilities and broader solutions in all private market asset classes, through comingled funds and customised private asset mandates.
The team aims to achieve sustainable returns through a rigorous approach and in alignment with a culture characterised by performance, collaboration and integrity. 
With $90.6 billion (£75.3 billion; €84.8 billion)* assets under management, Schroders Capital offers a diversified range of investment strategies, including real estate, private equity, secondaries, venture capital, infrastructure, securitised products and asset-based finance, private debt, insurance-linked securities and BlueOrchard (Impact Specialists).
*Assets under management as of 31 December 2022 (including non-fee earning dry powder and in-house cross holdings).
Schroders plc
Founded in 1804, Schroders is one of Europe’s largest independent investment management firms by assets under management. As at 31 December 2022, assets under management were £737.5 billion (€831.3 billion; $887.2 billion). The founding family remain a core shareholder, holding approximately 48% of the firm’s voting shares. Schroders has continued to deliver strong financial results. It has a market capitalisation of circa £7 billion and employs over 6,100 people across 38 locations.
Schroders has benefited from the most diverse business model of any UK asset manager by geography, by asset class and by client type. Schroders offers innovative products and solutions across their five business areas of solutions; institutional; mutual funds; private assets & alternatives; and wealth management. Clients include insurance companies, pension schemes, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations. They also manage assets for end clients as part of their relationships with distributors, financial advisers and online platforms. Schroders’ Wealth Management offering reflects their strategic ambition to provide wealth management and financial planning services to clients across the wealth spectrum.
Schroders’ strategic aims are to grow their asset management business, build closer relationships with end clients and expand their private assets and alternatives business. Schroders’ purpose is to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. The business channels capital into sustainable and durable businesses to accelerate positive change in the world. Schroders’ business philosophy is based on the belief that if they deliver for clients, they deliver for Shareholders and other stakeholders.
Further information about Schroders can be found at www.schroders.com.
Issued by Schroder Investment Management Limited. Registration No 1893220 England. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For regular updates by e-mail please register online at www.schroders.com for our alerting service.
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Metabolon Now Includes Spectral Data Files for All Global Discovery Panel Projects

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MORRISVILLE, N.C., May 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Metabolon, Inc., the global leader in providing metabolomics solutions advancing a wide variety of life science research, diagnostic, therapeutic development, and precision medicine applications, today announced the availability of spectral data files as an option for Global Discovery Panel projects, providing clients with an enhanced level of detail and transparency in metabolomics analysis. The addition of spectral data further complements Metabolon’s robust suite of metabolomics offerings, including the largest Level 1 library of metabolites, an advanced bioinformatics platform, and expert scientific support.

Spectral data is the initial data generated during a mass spectrometry (MS)- based metabolomic analysis. Spectral data contains a wealth of information about the metabolites present in a sample, including their chemical structure, concentration, and interactions with other molecules. Metabolon facilitates further exploration of the dark metabolome and validation of findings by offering spectral data files as an option with Global Discovery Panel projects. These data should enable the discovery of unique metabolites and biomarkers.
“The availability of spectral data enhancement not only provides clients with a more comprehensive view of their metabolomics data but also reinforces our commitment to transparency and delivering unparalleled value to our clients,” said Ro Hastie, CEO at Metabolon.
This significant update underscores Metabolon’s commitment to providing comprehensive and actionable insights to empower scientific discoveries and drive advancements in healthcare and multiomics research. Visit https://www.metabolon.com/ to learn more about how Metabolon deciphers thousands of discrete chemical signals to discover biomarkers and reveal biological pathways.
About Metabolon Metabolon, Inc. is the global leader in metabolomics, with a mission to deliver biochemical data and insights that expand and accelerate the impact of life sciences research and complement other ‘omics’ technologies. With more than 20 years, 10,000+ projects, 3,000+ publications, and ISO 9001:2015, CLIA, and CAP certifications, Metabolon has developed industry-leading scientific, technology, and bioinformatics techniques.  Metabolon’s Global Discovery Panel is enabled by the world’s largest proprietary metabolomics reference library. Metabolon’s industry-leading data and translational science expertise help customers and partners address some of the most challenging and pressing questions in the life sciences, accelerating research and enhancing development success. The company offers scalable, customizable multiomics solutions, including metabolomics and lipidomics supporting customer needs from discovery through clinical trials and product life-cycle management. For more information, please visit www.metabolon.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About MetabolomicsMetabolomics, the large-scale study of all small molecules in a biological system, is the only ‘omics technology that provides a complete current-state functional readout of a biological system. Metabolomics helps researchers see beyond the genetic variation of individuals, capturing the combined impact of genetic as well as external factors such as the effect of drugs, diet, lifestyle, and the microbiome on human health. By measuring thousands of discrete chemical signals that form biological pathways in the body, metabolomics can reveal important biomarkers enabling a better understanding of a drug’s mechanism of action, pharmacodynamics, and safety profile, as well as individual responses to therapy.
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Caseware Introduces AiDA: The AI-Powered Digital Assistant Changing the Face of Accounting and Audit

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TORONTO, May 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Caseware International, a global leader in cloud-enabled audit, financial reporting and data analytics solutions, is delighted to announce the pre-launch availability of Caseware AiDA, its Artificial Intelligence digital assistant. As the latest enhancement to the industry-leading Caseware Cloud platform, AiDA complements Caseware’s comprehensive suite of solutions created with accounting, audit and finance professionals in mind.

AiDA is designed to enhance efficiency, ensure compliance and provide precise, context-aware responses to profession-specific enquiries enabling accounting, audit and finance experts to work more efficiently, collaborate with greater effectiveness and gain deeper insights.
Whether providing timely responses to methodology or compliance questions, supporting the processing and analysis of audit evidence, or assisting with the production of key audit workpapers and deliverables, AiDA empowers professional users to achieve more with less effort. This will, in turn, drive practice growth and power the financial success of clients.
David Osborne, Chief Executive Officer at Caseware International remarked, “Caseware AiDA is the future. Our vision is to place powerful tools in the hands of our clients, enabling them to do their work better than they have ever done before. This release is just the beginning of a wave of innovation in AI and it demonstrates the focus we have on our accelerated roadmap to build out our offering on the Caseware Cloud platform. Caseware AiDA offers powerful digital assistance to accountants and is further proof of the ways in which Caseware is underpinning the relevance of the profession.”
Some of the benefits to be gained from Caseware AiDA include:
Enhanced workflow efficiency with precision and relevance – whether summarizing lengthy PDFs or providing informed answers about your documentation in the moment, AiDA helps you work smarter, not harder.Reassurance around security and compliance – with AiDA, no prompts are stored or fed back into the model. Users can trust AiDA to maintain the highest data security and compliance standards that Caseware has always delivered for the profession.Assistance with routine tasks – AiDA assists with mundane tasks, enabling professionals to focus on strategic decision-making.Focus on quality output – AiDA delivers a safe and fit-for-purpose resource which ensures efficient workflows for clients.Feedback on AiDA has underscored the demand for tailored, secure AI solutions in professional environments. Danielle Supkis Cheek, VP, Head of Analytics and AI at Caseware International commented, “We recently showcased AiDA to a number of clients beyond our beta phase community at Caseware’s 2024 North American User Group. The response was phenomenal and, in line with our roadmap, we’re excited to continue to enhance AiDA based on user feedback and technological advancements.”
Currently available to Caseware Cloud customers in the United States for early access, AiDA will ultimately be available across the globe and, specifically, in Australia, Canada and Europe later this year. Soon, AiDA will be a core component of all cloud-enabled solutions, across all regions. AiDA’s capabilities are constantly evolving, including better context awareness in document interactions and more extensive support for multilingual queries. AiDA is set to transform how professionals in the accounting and audit fields manage their tasks, offering unparalleled support and efficiency.
Caseware AiDA (pronounced AY-duh) draws inspiration from Ada Lovelace, whose impact on scientific computing continues to influence generations of technologists and mathematicians around the world.
Caseware encourages users to explore AiDA’s features and experience the future of digital assistance. To see AiDA in action, join us at ENGAGE at the ARIA Resort & Casino from June 3-6 or sign up to hear more from Danielle Supkis Cheek at the Streamlining Audits with AI: Efficiency and Quality Gains webinar taking place at 11:00 AM ET on July, 18.
About Caseware InternationalCaseware is the leading global provider of desktop and cloud-enabled solutions for audit, assurance, financial reporting and data analytics for accounting firms, corporations, and government regulators. Caseware’s innovative tools and platforms help more than half a million customers in 130 countries work smarter, dig deeper and see further as they transform insights into impact. For more information, visit www.caseware.com.
 
Notes to editorsIn the event of media enquiries, please contact:Jill QuinnDirector of Corporate CommunicationsCaseware [email protected]
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LONGi announces the “Lighthouse Project” to expand the agile intelligent manufacturing to more of its own production bases across the globe

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JIAXING, China, May 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On May 23rd, LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “LONGi “), a global leader in solar technology, officially announced the “Lighthouse Project”, which will continue to rapidly expand the agile intelligent manufacturing model of LONGi’s Jiaxing Lighthouse Factory to more production and manufacturing bases, achieving a comprehensive upgrade of production intelligent manufacturing capabilities. This sets a digitalization benchmark for high-quality development in the PV industry and leads the way forward.

The first “Lighthouse Factory” in the global PV industry – LONGi’s Jiaxing Production Base, lifted the mysterious veil for the public. An experience group composed of industry experts, customer representatives, and media journalists became the first visitors to LONGi’s Jiaxing Lighthouse Factory, immersing themselves in the production line and experiencing the charm of “Lighthouse Factory” intelligent manufacturing.
Established in 2020, LONGi’s Jiaxing Production Base mainly produces LONGi’s BC (Back-Contact) series of high-efficiency solar modules. It has Phase I, II, and III factories, covering a total area of more than 1,300 acres, with 51 intelligent production lines and an overall module production capacity exceeding 35GW, making it one of the largest industrial clusters in the industry.
On December 14, 2023, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released a new batch of “Lighthouse Network” lists, and LONGi’s Jiaxing Production Base was the only factory in the global PV industry to be included. This signifies that LONGi’s achievements in intelligent manufacturing and digitalization are leading globally, becoming a representative of advanced manufacturing, and the first global “Lighthouse Factory” in the PV industry has attracted much attention.
During this close-up experience at LONGi’s Jiaxing Lighthouse Factory, all members of the experience group expressed their shock and unprecedentedly felt the disruptive upgrade of AI intelligence to traditional industry. The innovation of LONGi’s Jiaxing Lighthouse Factory is not only in the transformation of production line automation and intelligence but also in the reconstruction of production relations. AI intelligence has become the brain of production management, continuously innovating autonomously based on big data models, achieving a truly meaningful intelligent manufacturing upgrade and self-driving force, and safeguarding quality and efficiency.
LONGi’s Jiaxing Lighthouse Factory has built over 30 digital use cases, achieving a 43% increase in product quality reliability, an 84% reduction in product production and delivery cycle, and a 20% reduction in overall unit energy consumption at the base, becoming a model of high-quality development in the photovoltaic industry.
The most core aspect of LONGi’s Jiaxing Lighthouse Factory is the five major coolest technologies. AI intelligent distribution of solar cells realizes precise delivery of customer needs, ensuring efficient production by intelligently optimizing daily production plans. More flexible automation in production ensures the standardization of each link in the module production process, fully meeting the customized scene requirements of customers. AI quality inspection throughout the entire life cycle of product production leaves no place for quality hazards, ensuring the quality of the product is as solid as a rock. The end-to-end delivery system has reconstructed the intelligent management of order production and delivery cycles, achieving rapid and high-quality satisfaction of customer product needs. Intelligent human resource management has greatly improved production efficiency while enhancing the innovation of employees, transforming each excellent skill and experience into data, continuously optimizing skills and management autonomously, ensuring the optimal arrangement of order demands and human resources, and effectively guaranteeing high-quality product output.
The combination of artificial intelligence, big data, cloud platforms, and industrial muscles is the four elements that make LONGi’s Jiaxing Lighthouse Factory successful, and also the core of LONGi’s intelligent manufacturing. LONGi’s BC (Back-Contact) full-scene products have also reached a new level under the support of LONGi’s intelligent manufacturing. The reason why TaiRay silicon wafers, HPBC2.0, Hi-MO 9, Hi-MO X6 Max, and other major products have concentrated on explosions this year is due to LONGi’s intelligent manufacturing’s absolute satisfaction in understanding customer needs.
LONGi’s Vice President Zhang Haimeng said in his keynote speech: Since the official announcement of BC (Back-Contact) technology last September, LONGi has released multiple new scene-based module products. Whether it is anti-dust accumulation or heat and humidity resistance, the core purpose is to meet the customized needs of customers through differentiated innovation. All of this is inseparable from the confidence in production strength brought by LONGi’s intelligent manufacturing, and it is also the strong support of LONGi’s intelligent manufacturing that has truly implemented “customer-centric.”
During the panel session of the day, Hu Zhifeng, Head of Intelligent Manufacturing Department, Module Manufacturing Center of LONGi, revealed that the newly launched Hi-MO X6 Max modules will be officially put into production at LONGi’s Jiaxing Lighthouse Factory in the near future. With the help of digital and intelligent means, product quality is improved, and energy consumption is reduced. “Use the most advanced production technology to achieve the highest level of technical products and create higher value for customers.”
LONGi has always adhered to the core value of customer value, providing customers with high-value and reliable products as its own responsibility, continuously exploring new paths for the clean energy industry, from efficiency research and development to product and solution scenario, from traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing driven by digitalization, step by step towards a green energy world, leading the global energy transition with LONGi’s intelligent manufacturing.
About LONGi
Founded in 2000, LONGi is committed to being the world’s leading solar technology company, focusing on customer-driven value creation for full scenario energy transformation.
Under its mission of ‘making the best of solar energy to build a green world’, LONGi has dedicated itself to technology innovation and established five business sectors, covering mono silicon wafers cells and modules, commercial & industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions and hydrogen equipment. The company has honed its capabilities to provide green energy and has more recently, also embraced green hydrogen products and solutions to support global zero carbon development. www.longi.com 
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