KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26, 2024 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - GoKardz, a new-age digital business card platform, launched its innovative solution to redefine modern networking. GoKardz, a Malaysia-based tech startup that hosted a soft launch event in Kuala Lumpur, promises to be a game-changer in how professionals manage and share their digital identities. Based on the available statistics, five million trees are cut down each year to produce business cards. And hundred billion paper business cards are printed every year, of which 88% of business cards are thrown away or lost within a week, making it is big and meaningful problem to solve. With GoKardz, users can now seamlessly connect, network, and present themselves in the most dynamic and personalized way, using a solution that is highly sustainable.Amaresh Panda, Founder of GoKardzGoKardz is not just a digital business card platform; it is a comprehensive solution for creating a distinct professional identity in the digital era, coupled with a platform-enabled services ecosystem. With GoKardz, users can seamlessly connect, network, and present themselves in the most dynamic, personalized and sustainable way. And, its platform-enabled services ecosystem is the foundation for delivering real value to business & enterprise users by offering them solutions for identity & access management, programmatic advertising & marketing solutions, job listings and an online store with exclusive GoKardz branded merchandise.Guests Downloading the GoKardz AppAmaresh Panda, the visionary founder of GoKardz, has always been passionate about leveraging technology to solve real-world problems. He envisages GoKardz to be the world’s leading platform for professional digital identity, modern networking, and opportunity discovery. He says, with ‘One Card, Infinite Opportunities’ as its tag line, the company’s mission is to revolutionize professional networking by bridging gaps, fostering collaboration, and creating opportunities for professionals worldwide through simple and user-empowering technology that is sustainable. He continues to add, ‘While there are a few other similar products in the market that offer digital cards, we have made a bold attempt to take the game to a whole new level by keeping the digital business card at the centre and curating the whole digital identity and product-enabled services ecosystem around it. I am confident it will offer tremendous added value to our users, individual as well as corporates.’ When asked about, who could benefit the most by using the GoKardz solutions, Amaresh replied, ‘While any individual or business user is welcome to experience our product, we believe entrepreneurs & business owners, professionals in sales & marketing, freelancers who need to promote their products & services, event attendees and the professionals in the recruitment & talent industry stand to benefit the most out of the current features on the platform.’GoKardz, is a venture from the venture building studio of Kuber Ventures, a Singapore-based venture studio with presence across India, Malaysia & Australia. The venture-building partnership and investment from Kuber Ventures has significantly bolstered GoKardz’s time to market, innovation capabilities & growth. With this strategic support, GoKardz will be able to enhance its technology infrastructure, expand its range of features, and improve user experience, quite rapidly. The market access provided by Kuber Ventures will also enable GoKardz to accelerate its market expansion beyond Malaysian shores as the company grows its footprint, reaching a broader audience and establishing a stronger presence in the industry.Guests with Kuber Ventures TeamAccording to Alok Kumar, the visionary Partner of Kuber Ventures, GoKardz is the first product in 2024 to be launched from our venture studio and has tremendous potential for growth. With their digital & NFC-enabled cards, tracking & managing contacts for individual as well as business or enterprise users is a breeze. On top of it, the platform also offers certain curated services specially designed for businesses and an online store with GoKardz merchandise, which will be launched soon.Karunjit Kumar Dhir, the Partner at Kuber Ventures added, with attention spans getting shorter and information overload everywhere, it is time to simplify fundamental things like managing our digital identity and the way we network or keep in touch with our friends, colleagues, business partners and professional network at large. Paper business cards are often misplaced, outdated, or discarded. For companies, paper cards mean lost control over sharing, no analytics to measure effectiveness, and the inability to update contacts in real-time, limiting their use for marketing and brand consistency. We are excited to witness the growth and engagement of early adopters on the platform, and the fact that GoKardz team has already started onboarding paying customers gives us high confidence about this latest venture from our studio this year. I am excited to start using the GoKardz mobile app and my personalised NFC-enabled card powered by GoKardz and the fact that I will never have to worry about printing or managing my paper business cards ever again.Showcasing GoKardz NFC Card and MerchandiseAbout GoKardz GoKardz is a digital business card platform dedicated to redefining professional networking. It offers a vibrant networking environment, a dynamic job platform, and various professional services, all designed to make advanced technology accessible, inclusive, and impactful. The platform supports multiple languages and provides robust customization options to reflect unique professional identities. Above all, it enables all of us in going green by adopting a more sustainable alternative than paper-based cards, which are difficult to track & maintain.For more details on GoKardz, visit our website. Join us to witness the future of professional networking with GoKardz.Experience GoKardz and redefine your professional networking by downloading our app from the following links:GoKardz for iOS: https://apple.co/3wdzhJDGoKardz for Android: https://bit.ly/3UsJvxQGoKardz: Digital Business Cards to Elevate Networking & Amplify SuccessEmpower your professional network with GoKardz digital cards. Create your digital business card, download our iOS or Android app, or get started on our web dashboard today!For more information, please contact:Email: hello@gokardz.com ; komal@mianext.comWebsite: www.gokardz.com Copyright 2024 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

Gross Revenue surged by 34.4% year-on-year to RM36.6 million.Net Property Income increased by 33.7% to RM20.7 million, bolstered by new revenue stream from its recently acquired non-retail asset - Kolej Yayasan Saad.Strong performance across Hektar Malls with 6.4% Positive Rental Reversion and close to 90% overall committed occupancy.Announces first interim income distribution of 1.9 sen per unit together with Income Distribution Reinvestment Plan.KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23, 2024 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Hektar Asset Management Sdn. Bhd., the Manager of Hektar Real Estate Investment Trust (“Hektar REIT”) is pleased to announce the second quarter results for the financial year ending 30 June 2024 (“Q2 FY2024”), highlighting a significant improvement in financial performance driven by new revenue contribution from Kolej Yayasan Saad and effective operational management.Sabrina Halim, Chief Operating Officer of Hektar Asset Management In Q2 FY2024, Hektar REIT reported revenue of RM36.6 million, an increase of 34.4% compared to RM27.2 million in the preceding year’s corresponding quarter (“Q2 FY2023”) largely attributed to the rental income recognised from its newly acquired education asset, Kolej Yayasan Saad (“KYS”). Net Property Income (“NPI”) increased by 33.7% from RM15.5 million to RM20.7 million, and Net Realised Income surged by 42.8% to RM9.9 million in Q2 FY2024.Hektar REITSummary of Financial Results for 2Q24Q2’ 2024RM’000Q2’ 2023RM’000Variance%Total Revenue36,55727,20734.4Nei Property Income (“NPI”)20,71315,42733.7Net Realised Income9,9336,95642.8 The quarter under review saw an encouraging rental reversion rate across all Hektar Malls with overall rental reversion recorded at 6.4%. On its tenancy expiry profile, a total of 28 renewals and new tenancies were secured which make up to 3.2% of the portfolio’s net lettable area. Cumulatively, a total of 62 renewals and new tenancies representing 259,676 sf of 12.7% of its retail portfolio’s net lettable area have been completed to-date with other expiring tenancies are currently in advanced negotiations stage, on track for conclusion by year-end.Supported by the strong financial performance, the Manager of Hektar REIT has declared an interim income distribution of 1.9 sen per unit for Q2 FY2024, totalling RM13.4 million. This translates to an annualised dividend yield of 6.4% based on the closing price of RM0.595 on 28 June 2024. The Income Distribution Reinvestment Plan (“IDRP”) will be applied, allowing unitholders to reinvest their dividends into new units. Unitholders are presented with this option to enhance their investments in Hektar REIT, in alignment to Hektar REIT’s capital growth and preservation objectives.As at Q2 FY2024, the overall occupancy rate at Hektar Malls was recorded at 87.2%. On the other hand, secured occupancy rate has further improved to 89.3% with tenants committed to open their doors to customers in the coming quarters. The encouraging numbers resulted from Hektar REIT’s enhance leasing strategies, continuous Asset Enhancement Initiatives (“AEI”) together with the strong retail industry outlook for the remaining half of 2024.To further extract values from its portfolio of retail assets, the Manager’s focus remains to be on Subang Parade’s overall repositioning. Urban Agenda Design Sdn Bhd was recently appointed as the lead architect for the rejuvenation project which covers Subang Parade’s interior and exterior facelifts to be implemented over three (3) years. Urban Agenda Design Sdn Bhd is an experienced party with extensive redevelopment portfolio ranging from REX KL, Semua House, The Five and Maximin Office (PJ). The management foresees improved occupancy levels, positive rental reversions, property valuation and increase in visitor traffic post-renovation works. The project is currently at the detailed design stage with the actual works on-site targeted to commence by Q1 2025.Sabrina Halim, Chief Operating Officer of Hektar Asset Management Sdn. Bhd. commented, "The positive results derived from the successful acquisition of our first non-retail asset marks a significant milestone in our diversification strategy. This strategic move not only broadens our portfolio but also enhances our resilience against market fluctuations. We believe that diversifying our asset base with high-quality, income-generating properties will provide a more stable revenue stream and reduce our dependency on retail assets alone.”She further added, “As we move forward, we are actively exploring further accretive opportunities that align with our long-term growth objectives, ensuring that we continue to deliver sustainable and attractive returns to our unitholders. Our commitment to optimising our asset portfolio and implementing prudent capital management practices will drive Hektar REIT’s growth and position us strongly in an increasingly competitive market environment."The Manager recently announced the intention to double Hektar REIT’s portfolio size to RM3 billion by 2027. Presented by various opportunities, the Manager is carefully appraising the prospects for their financial feasibility, strength of income stream, growth potential and contribution to the portfolio’s blended returns. With a target of having a well-balanced portfolio, the Manager is focusing on its core which is underserved retail assets with value creation potential, while also eyeing for resilient assets such as education properties within the K-12 segment and light industrial properties. Meanwhile, the Manager is continuously enhancing the leasing and marketing initiatives at Hektar Malls, with pockets of minor AEIs implemented on-site to further enhance the value propositions of the shopping centres.ABOUT HEKTAR REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTHektar Real Estate Investment Trust (“Hektar REIT”) is Malaysia’s first listed retail-focused REIT. The primary objectives of Hektar REIT are to provide unitholders with sustainable dividend income and to achieve a long-term capital appreciation of the REIT. Hektar REIT was listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 4 December 2006 and currently owns 2 million square feet of retail space in 4 states with assets valued at RM1.2 billion as at 31 December 2023. Hektar REIT is managed by Hektar Asset Management Sdn Bhd and the property manager is Hektar Property Services Sdn Bhd. Hektar REIT’s portfolio of diversified properties includes Subang Parade in Subang Jaya, Selangor; Mahkota Parade and Kolej Yayasan Saad in Melaka; Wetex Parade & Classic Hotel in Muar, Johor; Central Square in Sungai Petani, Kedah; Kulim Central in Kulim, Kedah and Segamat Central in Segamat, Johor. For more information, please visit www.HektarREIT.comFor more information or inquiries, please contact:Hektar Asset Management Sdn BhdD1-U3-10, Solaris DutamasNo 1, Jalan Dutamas 150480 Kuala LumpurMalaysia Investor RelationsTel: +603 6205 5570Fax: +603 6205 5571Email: ir@HektarREIT.comWeb: www.HektarREIT.com Copyright 2024 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23, 2024 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - EPB Group Berhad (“EPB”), and its group of companies (the “Group”), an established one-stop food processing and packaging machinery solutions provider, proudly made its debut today on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad (“Bursa Securities”). The shares opened at RM0.65 per share, representing a significant 16.07% premium over the IPO price of RM0.56 per share.Ms. Tan Poh Lin, Senior Vice President of Malacca Securities Sdn. Bhd.Mr. Fok Chuan Meng, Head of Dealing of Malacca Securities Sdn. Bhd.Mr. Stephen Chua Chee Keong, Independent Non-Executive DirectorEn. Noor Azman Bin Nordin, Independent Non-Executive ChairmanMr. Liew Meng Hooi, Deputy Managing Director of EPB Group BerhadMr. Yeoh Chee Min, Managing Director of EPB Group BerhadMs. Ooi Kim Kew, Executive Director of EPB Group BerhadMr. Khor Chai Tian, Independent Non-Executive Director of EPB Group BerhadMr. Ooi Hun Pin, Independent Non-Executive Director of EPB Group BerhadMr. Wong Yoke Nyen, Director of WYNCORP Advisory Sdn, Bhd.[L-R] EPB is listed under the stock name "EPB" with the stock code “0317”.Specialising in the design, customisation, fabrication, integration, and automation of production lines, the Group is a recognised leader in the food processing and packaging machinery industry. The Group’s innovative technologies and dedication to operational efficiency have been crucial in enhancing the quality of food processing and packaging solutions, supporting clients' environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") goals, including improving operational efficiency and product quality.The successful initial public offering of EPB raised RM40.08 million from the Public Issue, which will be allocated for the following: -RM24.60 million towards factory expansion, including acquisition of land, construction of factory, and purchase of machinery;RM3.00 million for the repayment of bank borrowings;RM8.48 million for working capital purposes; andRM4.00 million for listing expenses.En. Noor Azman Bin Nordin, Independent Non-Executive Chairman, stated: "We are deeply appreciative of the overwhelming response to our IPO. This significant occasion marks a milestone for EPB, reflecting the hard work and dedication of our team and the market's confidence in our vision and strategy. The increasing demand for automation and advanced machinery in the food processing and packaging sectors presents tremendous opportunities for us. With our listing, EPB is well-positioned to drive growth and innovation. Our plans include expanding our business footprint in Penang by building a new corporate office and a factory to enhance our production capabilities and provide additional warehousing space to meet future demand. We look forward to leveraging these opportunities to deliver greater value to our stakeholders.”Ms. Lim Chia Wei, Managing Director of Malacca Securities Sdn. Bhd., shared: “The successful listing of EPB Group Berhad marks an important milestone for the company and highlights the strong prospects of the industry. The sector continues to evolve with increasing consumer demand for high-quality, efficient automated solutions for food processing and packaging. Concurrently, EPB Group’s strategic focus on technological advancements and customisation uniquely positions it to capitalise on these trends. We are excited to support EPB Group in leveraging these opportunities to drive growth and innovation in the food processing and packaging machinery industry.”Malacca Securities Sdn. Bhd. is the Principal Adviser, Sponsor, Underwriter and Placement Agent, and WYNCORP Advisory Sdn. Bhd. is the Corporate Finance Adviser of EPB Group Berhad.About EPB Group Berhad and its group of companies (“EPB Group”)Since EPB Group Berhad (“EPB”) and its group of companies (the “Group”) inception in 1992, EPB Group has established itself as an experienced player in the food processing and packaging machinery industry in Malaysia. Starting with trading manual packaging machines, EPB Group has grown and diversified its offerings to include comprehensive solutions such as the design, customisation, fabrication, integration, and automation of production lines specifically for the food manufacturing and processing sectors. Additionally, EPB Group has expanded into trading of cellulose casings and manufacturing and trading of flexible packaging materials, enhancing its portfolio to cater to the dynamic needs of the food industry. Known for its dedication to innovation, customer-centric solutions, and operational excellence, EPB Group continues to strengthen its position in the market, driven by a commitment to advancing food processing and packaging technologies and expanding its presence both locally and regionally. For more information, visit https://epb.group/Issued By: Swan Consultancy Sdn. Bhd. on behalf of EPB Group BerhadFor more information, please contact:Jazzmin WanTel: +60 17-289 4110Email: j.wan@swanconsultancy.bizXinyi ChingTel: +60 19-337 9099Email: x.ching@swanconsultancy.biz Copyright 2024 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com.