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Faraday Future Launches Immersive FF Nexus Academy Summer Camps for Los Angeles Students, Advancing Its Embodied AI Robotics Education Strategy

• The students participated in valuable classroom discussions and hands-on interactive sessions with the latest robotics’ technologies that FF is leading.

• The three one week summer sessions of the FF AI-Robotics program are taught over a full five-day period and include students from Lynwood Unified School District and El Segundo Unified School District in Los Angeles.

• FF has officially signed a strategic cooperation MOUs with both Lynwood Unified School District and El Segundo Unified School District to advance K–12 EAI robotics education, as well as a formal cooperation agreement with Lynwood Unified School District for its robotics summer camp.

• FF aims to build the first scaled EAI education ecosystem in the United States, continuing to focus on EAI Robotics Education, expanding collaboration opportunities with schools, school districts, education institutions, STEM communities, and industry partners.

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFAI) (“Faraday Future”, “FF” or the “Company”), a California-based global Embodied AI (EAI) ecosystem company, announced today that it began its second week of three flagship demonstration robotics summer camps. The Company has partnered with two major public-school districts in Los Angeles — Lynwood Unified School District and El Segundo Unified School District, where FF’s new headquarters is located — to host these EAI robotics summer camps. At the same time, FF has officially launched its summer camp collaboration with Triple I, a U.S. full-service education institution, providing support and enablement across products, technology, curriculum content, and the broader education ecosystem.

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The FF summer program takes students from their first robot introduction to a live, autonomous system showcase in front of FF engineers and executives — all in a single week. And rather than working with toy kits or simulations alone, the students train on FF’s own robotics fleet: Navi, a customizable quadruped platform students build and personalize; Aegis, an industrial-grade quadruped capable of real torque and autonomous navigation; Master, a bipedal humanoid robot; and Futurist, the data platform that captures and trains on students’ own movements. By the end of the week, every student has programmed, driven, and debugged real hardware — not simulations.

The students participated in classroom-style educational sessions, where they learned about topics such as open-source platforms, programmability, pre-programmed commands, robotic attachments (e.g., robotic arms), the newest technologies: ROS2, C++, Python, and an introduction to FF’s robots. They also participated in interactive games related to programming robotics. The program is structured as a five-day progressional learning environment, with days split into segments that are broken out as follows:

Day One opens with safety training and a “meet the fleet” briefing before students dive into their first coding lesson — sense-think-act logic on the Aegis platform — and a 3D-modeling lab where they design and print their own robot components.

Day Two advances into autonomy: students refresh core robotics concepts, run an AI-vision search mission, learn the physics of torque through a hands-on lesson, and write their first “Ghost Track” in a fully autonomous, hard-coded robot path.

Day Three shifts to mechanical engineering fundamentals, including a robot-arm and seesaw challenge, a lesson on the center of mass, and an introduction to Python programming.

Day Four moves into humanoid robotics and applied AI: bipedal safety and control, kinematics, telemetry, machine learning, and even training a robot’s facial recognition and personality systems. A signature thread runs through every single day: a timed, scored robot racetrack challenge that each student runs twice per session.

By Day Five, students have accumulated a full week of their own performance data — and the closing day opens with a data-analytics lesson in which students calculate the mean, median, and variance of their own racetrack results, turning a week of friendly competition into a genuine statistics lesson. The week closes with an awards ceremony featuring remarks from FF’s leadership and other program leaders, the presentation of Certificates of Achievement, and a final racetrack award for the week’s top performers.

“This interactive FF robotics camp with local high school students at our HQ is designed to give students a credible, hands-on introduction to the field of autonomous robotics — not as an abstraction, but as a full week of real engineering work on real machines and provides us a window to hear firsthand feedback of our robotics strategy as it will relate to students and future curriculum,” said Chris Chen, Co-CEO of FF AI-Robotics at FF. “We believe that education will become the first major scenario in the initial phase of the consumer robotics market as we move aggressively to build out our EAI education ecosystem.”

FF views education as one of the most important early large-scale application scenarios for consumer and institutional EAI robotics. Through a dual-entry strategy serving both B2B education institutions and B2C family learning, the Company aims to connect classroom-based instruction, hands-on robotics practice, continued learning at home, and the development of the next generation of EAI creators.

The Company is actively advancing robots from product showcases into real education scenarios, helping K-12 students, universities, education institutions, and innovation communities engage with, understand, and apply AI and embodied intelligence at an earlier stage. By integrating EAI Robotics products with education activities, the Company aims to provide students with a more intuitive and participatory AI learning experience, helping the next generation of AI Natives develop engineering thinking, creativity, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills.

ABOUT FARADAY FUTURE

Founded in 2014, Faraday Future (FF) is a U.S.-based Physical AI ecosystem company dedicated to reshaping the future of robotics and mobility solutions through AI innovation and technologies. FF focuses on two major product strategies within the Embodied AI (EAI) robotics business: EAI humanoid and bionic robots, and EAI automotive-focused robots. By building a “Four-Core Full-Stack AI” ecosystem of “EAI Brain, EAI Device, Industry Productivity Solutions and the Developer Platform, and EAI Data Factory ,” FF aims to create an evolutionary flywheel: scaled device delivery, data collection and training, continuous evolution of the EAI Brain, stronger product capability, and even larger-scale delivery and deployment. Through this flywheel, FF seeks to maximize its commercial value and lead to the advancement of Physical AI. For more information, please visit Faraday Future’s official website: https://www.ff.com/

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “plan to,” “can,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “potential,” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding potential future legal actions against alleged illegal market manipulation or similar improper activities, and FF’s entry into the embodied AI robotics market and robotics deliveries and development, involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors, that may affect actual results or outcomes include, among others: the Company’s ability to timely regain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid requirement; the Company’s common stock will be suspended from trading on Nasdaq if it’s closing price is $0.10 or less for 10 consecutive trading days; the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern and improve its liquidity and financial position; the Company’s ability to pay its outstanding obligations, which it currently lacks; the availability of sufficient share capital to meet its current obligations and execute on its strategy, which the Company currently lacks; the agreement of stockholders to substantially increase the Company’s share capital, which could result in substantial additional dilution; the willingness of convertible debt investors to fund the Company while it lacks sufficient share capital for conversions; demand for the Company’s robotics products; the ability of B2B preorder companies to locate customers to purchase our robotics products, on which their nonbinding preorders substantially depend; competition in the robotics industry, which includes companies with far superior experience, funding and name recognition; the ability of the Company to build an EAI education ecosystem that serves both the B2C consumer market and the B2B institutional education market; the acceptance by teachers and students of the Company’s robotics products in the education market; the Company’s reliance on a single OEM for most of its robotics products; the Company’s ability to get the planned robotics products to comply with all applicable U.S. rules and regulations; the ability of the robotics OEM to timely supply robotics to the Company; tariff uncertainty for imported products, particularly from China; demand from automobile dealers for robotics products; the Company’s ability to homologate FX vehicles for sale; the Company’s ability to secure the necessary funding to execute on the FX strategy, which is substantial; the Company’s ability to secure an occupancy certificate covering all of its Hanford facility; the Company’s ability to remediate its material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and the risks related to the restatement of previously issued consolidated financial statements; the Company’s limited operating history and the significant barriers to growth it faces; the Company’s history of substantial losses and expectation of continued losses; the success of the Company’s payroll expense reduction plan; the Company’s ability to execute on its plans to develop and market its vehicles and the timing of these development programs; the Company’s estimates of the size of the markets for its vehicles and cost to bring those vehicles to market; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the Company’s vehicles; the Company’s ability to cover future warranty claims; the success of other competing manufacturers; the performance and security of the Company’s vehicles; current and potential litigation involving the Company; the Company’s ability to receive funds from, satisfy the conditions precedent of and close on the various financings described elsewhere by the Company; the result of future financing efforts, the failure of any of which could result in the Company seeking protection under the Bankruptcy Code; the Company’s indebtedness; the Company’s ability to use its “at-the-market” program; insurance coverage; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s products; potential negative impacts of a reverse stock split; potential cost, headcount and salary reduction actions may not be sufficient or may not achieve their expected results; circumstances outside of the Company’s control, such as natural disasters, climate change, health epidemics and pandemics, terrorist attacks, and civil unrest; risks related to the Company’s operations in China; the success of the Company’s remedial measures taken in response to the Special Committee findings; the Company’s dependence on its suppliers and contract manufacturer; the Company’s ability to develop and protect its technologies; the Company’s ability to protect against cybersecurity risks; and the ability of the Company to attract and retain employees, any adverse developments in existing legal proceedings or the initiation of new legal proceedings, and volatility of the Company’s stock price. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, filed with the SEC on May 14, 2026, and Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2026, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC.

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Investors (English): [email protected]

Investors (Chinese): [email protected]

Media: [email protected]

KEYWORDS: California United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Home Goods Manufacturing Retail Other Technology Children Artificial Intelligence Software Family Hardware Consumer Data Management Technology Public Relations/Investor Relations Other Retail Robotics Other Manufacturing Communications Primary/Secondary Education

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Faraday Future Launches Immersive FF Nexus Academy Summer Camps for Los Angeles Students, Advancing Its Embodied AI Robotics Education Strategy

Photo

The students participated in valuable classroom discussions and hands-on interactive sessions with the latest robotics’ technologies that FF is leading.

Photo

The three one week summer sessions of the FF AI-Robotics program are taught over a full five-day period and include students from Lynwood Unified School District and El Segundo Unified School District in Los Angeles.

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Liberty Energy Inc. Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend

DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Liberty Energy Inc. (NYSE: LBRT; “Liberty” or the “Company”) announced today that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has declared a dividend of $0.09 per share of Class A common stock, to be paid on September 18, 2026, to holders of record as of September 4, 2026.

Future declarations of quarterly cash dividends are subject to approval by the Board of Directors and to the Board’s continuing determination that the declarations of dividends are in the best interests of Liberty and its stockholders. Future dividends may be adjusted at the Board’s discretion based on market conditions and capital availability.

About Liberty Energy

Liberty Energy Inc. (NYSE: LBRT) is a leading energy services company. Liberty is one of the largest providers of completion services and technologies to onshore oil, natural gas, and enhanced geothermal energy producers in North America. Liberty also owns and operates Liberty Power Innovations LLC, providing advanced distributed power and energy storage solutions, supported by strategic relationships across advanced nuclear, enhanced geothermal, and battery energy storage systems, serving the commercial and industrial, data center, energy, and mining industries. Liberty was founded in 2011 with a relentless focus on value creation through a culture of innovation and excellence and the development of next generation technology. Liberty is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. For more information, please visit www.libertyenergy.com and www.libertypowerinnovations.com, or contact Investor Relations at [email protected].

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260714903019/en/

Michael Stock

Chief Financial Officer

Anjali Voria, CFA

Vice President of Investor Relations

[email protected]

+1-303-515-2851

KEYWORDS: United States North America Colorado

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Oil/Gas Alternative Energy Energy Other Energy Utilities

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Asia Pacific Spending on Tech Services Sharply Higher in Q2, as AI Drives Demand, ISG Index™ Shows

Combined market up 50%, as XaaS soars 57% and managed services climbs 18%

SYDNEY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Asia Pacific spending on technology services accelerated sharply in the second quarter, with AI adoption propelling the region to its fastest growth in nearly five years, according to the latest state-of-the-industry report from Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm.

The Asia Pacific ISG Index™, which measures commercial outsourcing contracts with annual contract value (ACV) of US $5 million or more, shows second-quarter ACV for the combined market (both cloud-based XaaS and managed services) climbed 50.5 percent, to a record US $7.6 billion. It was the region’s best quarterly growth rate since the fourth quarter of 2021, and the second quarter in a row it turned in positive results.

“We are clearly seeing renewed momentum in the Asia Pacific market,” said Michael Gale, partner and regional leader, ISG Asia Pacific. “Cloud demand continues to accelerate, as enterprises seek infrastructure services to support AI adoption, while managed services is showing resilience, producing its first US $1 billion ACV quarter in a year and a half.”

Driven by AI, spending on cloud-based services soared 57 percent year on year, to US $6.6 billion, the segment’s highest growth rate in almost five years. Managed services, meanwhile, advanced 18 percent, to just over US $1.0 billion, and was up 30 percent sequentially from the first quarter.

Within the XaaS segment, infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) ACV surged 59 percent, to US $5.8 billion, while software-as-a-service (SaaS) ACV jumped 49 percent, to US $818 million.

In managed services, IT outsourcing (ITO) ACV climbed 46 percent, to US $810 million, on strong demand for application development and maintenance (ADM) services and bundled infrastructure and ADM services. Business process outsourcing (BPO), meanwhile, edged lower, down 3 percent, to US $129 million, with strong growth in industry-specific services not enough to offset weakness in customer engagement services. Engineering, research and development (ER&D) services slumped by 53 percent, to US $85.5 million, as AI impacted demand for software engineering services.

During the quarter, 54 managed services contracts were awarded, down 23 percent year on year.

Among industries, several of the region’s smaller sectors showed strong growth in the quarter: both retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) were up by triple digits, while business services and healthcare/pharmaceuticals each were up more than 50 percent. The region’s two largest industries for outsourcing saw mixed results: banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) was up 3 percent, while manufacturing pulled back 7 percent.

Geographically, the region’s smaller sourcing markets saw the fastest growth, with Southeast Asia up by triple digits and China up nearly 100 percent. The larger markets delivered solid growth, with Japan up 21 percent and Australia/New Zealand, the region’s largest market, up 12 percent, breaking a string of five consecutive quarters of declining results. India, meanwhile, was down 45 percent.

First-Half Results

Asia Pacific’s combined market ACV in the first half rose 29 percent, to US $14.3 billion. The XaaS segment climbed 32 percent, to US $12.5 billion, accounting for 87 percent of the combined market. Managed services rose 10 percent, to US $1.8 billion.

Within XaaS, IaaS and SaaS both saw a similar rate of growth: IaaS was up 32 percent to US $11.0 billion, while SaaS rose 31 percent, to US $1.5 billion.

Within managed services, ITO was up 5.5 percent, to US $1.2 billion, and BPO was down 9 percent, to US $261 million, while ER&D climbed 65 percent, to US $335 million. The 115 managed services contracts awarded in the first half were down 9 percent from the prior year.

2026 Global Forecast

For the full year, ISG said it is maintaining its global forecast of 2.1 percent revenue growth for managed services. At the same time, ISG is raising its previous growth forecast for cloud-based XaaS by 500 basis points, to 30 percent, reflecting continuing strong demand for AI infrastructure and software services.

About the ISG Index™

The ISG Index™ is recognized as the authoritative source for marketplace intelligence on the global technology and business services industry. For 95 consecutive quarters, it has detailed the latest industry data and trends for financial analysts, enterprise buyers, software and service providers, law firms, universities and the media.

The 2Q26 Global ISG Index results were presented during a webcast on July 9. To view a replay of the webcast and download presentation slides, visit this webpage.

About ISG

ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data and research, in-depth knowledge and governance of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,500 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.

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Will Thoretz, ISG

+1 203 517 3119

[email protected]

Erik Arvidson, Matter Communications for ISG

+1 978 518 4542

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: Australia/Oceania Australia Asia Pacific

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Software Networks Data Analytics Consulting Artificial Intelligence Data Management Professional Services Technology

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TriCo Bancshares Investor Alert: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of TriCo Bancshares – TCBK

NEW YORK & NEW ORLEANS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (“KSF”) are investigating the proposed sale of TriCo Bancshares (NasdaqGS: TCBK) to First Hawaiian, Inc. (NasdaqGS: FHB). Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of TriCo will receive 2.095 First Hawaiian shares for each share of TriCo that they own. Upon closing of the Proposed Transaction, TriCo shareholders are expected to own approximately 35% of the combined company. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company.

If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ([email protected]) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nasdaqgs-tcbk/ to learn more.

To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedIn

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Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
Lewis S. Kahn
[email protected]
855-768-1857
1100 Poydras St., Suite 960
New Orleans, LA 70163

KEYWORDS: Louisiana United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Class Action Lawsuit Professional Services Legal

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Strategic Storage Trust VI, Inc. and Strategic Storage Growth Trust III, Inc. to Combine in All-Stock Merger

Merger to Combine Two SmartStop-Sponsored REITs

New portfolio comprised of 37 wholly owned properties, eight joint ventures, and beneficial ownership interest in three DST programs

LADERA RANCH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Strategic Storage Trust VI, Inc. (“SST VI” or the “Company”), a publicly registered non-listed real estate investment trust sponsored by an affiliate of SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (“SmartStop”) (NYSE: SMA), and Strategic Storage Growth Trust III, Inc. (“SSGT III”), a private REIT also sponsored by an affiliate of SmartStop, announced today that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger by which SST VI will acquire SSGT III in an all-stock transaction (the “Merger”). The transaction brings together two SmartStop-sponsored REITs, and the combined company is expected to have a total asset value of approximately $1.2 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, SST VI will acquire all of the real estate owned by SSGT III, consisting of 12 wholly owned self-storage facilities located across four states and three Canadian provinces, comprising approximately 9,215 self-storage units and approximately 1.0 million net rentable square feet. SST VI will also acquire SSGT III’s 50% equity interest in three unconsolidated real estate ventures in British Columbia and Québec, held with subsidiaries of SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust, an unaffiliated third party. These consist of one operating self-storage property in Laval, Québec and two parcels of land in Victoria and New Westminster, British Columbia, being developed into self-storage facilities, with estimated completion in 2027. In addition, SST VI will acquire SSGT III’s beneficial interests in three Delaware Statutory Trust (“DST”) sponsored programs comprising eight self-storage facilities across five states, representing approximately 5,370 units and approximately 694,800 net rentable square feet.

The combined company will have a portfolio of 37 wholly owned self-storage facilities, representing approximately 29,415 units and 3.2 million net rentable square feet, along with joint venture interests and beneficial interests in DST-sponsored programs.

“This merger is a transformational step for both companies,” said H. Michael Schwartz, President and Chief Executive Officer of SST VI and SSGT III. “By bringing SSGT III’s high-quality, growth-oriented portfolio together with SST VI’s existing assets, we are creating a combined company with a fair market value of over $1 billion. That scale meaningfully strengthens our competitive position, sharpens our operating efficiencies, and gives us a stronger platform from which to pursue future growth. We believe this combination also enhances our strategic flexibility and the potential long-term value of the portfolio as we continue to evaluate the best path forward for our stockholders. Because the SSGT III portfolio is already managed within the SmartStop platform, stockholders and customers can expect total continuity of operations throughout the process.”

Under the terms of the agreement, SSGT III stockholders will receive one share of SST VI Class A common stock for each share of SSGT III common stock they own. Upon completion of the transaction, existing SST VI stockholders will own approximately 59% of the combined company, and SSGT III stockholders will own approximately 38%, with the remaining approximately 3% held by other SST VI operating partnership unitholders.

The proposed merger is expected to provide several potential benefits to stockholders of both companies, including: continued diversified exposure to the self-storage sector; an anticipated increase in distribution rate for SSGT III stockholders following the Merger; additional economies of scale and improved borrowing terms as a result of the combined company’s greater size; and efficiency of operations given the strong geographic overlap and shared SmartStop Self Storage branding between the two portfolios.

The Merger was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both SST VI and SSGT III, following unanimous approval and recommendations from the special committees of each board, which are composed entirely of independent directors. The Merger is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to the approval of SSGT III’s stockholders and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition and does not require the approval of SST VI’s stockholders. The merger agreement provides SSGT III with a 42-day “window shop” period, during which the SSGT III special committee may consider unsolicited alternative acquisition proposals from third parties as described in the merger agreement. In the event of a superior proposal, the “window shop” provisions contain customary matching rights for SST VI and a reduced termination payment payable to SST VI if such superior proposal is accepted during the 42-day window. Additional information regarding the Merger and the merger agreement can be found in the Form 8-K filed by SST VI with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 14, 2026.

Advisors

Robert A. Stanger & Company, Inc. serves as financial advisor, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP serves as legal counsel and Venable LLP serves as special Maryland legal counsel to the SST VI special committee, while KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. serves as financial advisor and Bass, Berry & Sims PLC and Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler, P.A. serve as legal counsel to the SSGT III special committee.

About Strategic Storage Trust VI, Inc. (SST VI)

SST VI is a public non-traded REIT that elected to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. SST VI’s primary investment strategy is to invest in income-producing and growth self-storage facilities and related self-storage real estate investments in the United States and Canada. As of July 14, 2026, SST VI owned 25 operating self-storage properties of which 13 are located in seven states (Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington) comprising approximately 9,015 units and 1,079,395 rentable square feet (including parking) and 12 properties located in three Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario) comprising approximately 11,185 units and 1,158,015 rentable square feet (including parking) in addition to joint venture interests in five operational properties in two Canadian provinces (Ontario and Québec) and one wholly owned development property in Florida.

About Strategic Storage Growth Trust III, Inc. (SSGT III)

SSGT III is a Maryland corporation that elected to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. SSGT III’s primary investment strategy is to invest in growth-oriented self-storage facilities and related self-storage real estate investments in the United States and Canada. As of July 14, 2026, SSGT III owned 12 operating self-storage properties of which seven are located in four states (California, Florida, New Jersey and Texas) comprising approximately 6,035 units and 655,275 rentable square feet (including parking) and five properties located in three Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario) comprising approximately 3,180 units and 326,190 rentable square feet (including parking) in addition to joint venture interests in one operational and two developmental properties in two Canadian provinces (British Columbia and Québec). In addition, a subsidiary of SSGT III serves as the sponsor of three Delaware Statutory Trusts, which currently own eight operating properties in the United States comprising approximately 5,370 units and 694,800 net rentable square feet.

About SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (SmartStop)

SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (“SmartStop”) (NYSE: SMA) is a self-managed REIT with a fully integrated operations team of more than 1,000 self-storage professionals focused on growing the SmartStop® Self Storage brand. SmartStop, through its indirect subsidiary, SmartStop REIT Advisors, LLC, also sponsors other self-storage programs and, through its Managed Platform, offers third-party management services in the U.S. and Canada. As of July 14, 2026, SmartStop has an owned or managed portfolio of 460 operating properties in 36 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada, comprising over 275,000 units and more than 35 million rentable square feet. SmartStop and its affiliates own or manage 52 operating self-storage properties across four provinces in Canada, which total approximately 46,000 units and 4.6 million rentable square feet. Additional information regarding SmartStop is available at www.smartstopselfstorage.com.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed merger, SST VI intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC that will include a proxy statement of SSGT III and will also constitute a prospectus of SST VI. SSGT III intends to mail or otherwise provide to its stockholders the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials, and hold a meeting of its stockholders to obtain the requisite stockholder approval of the merger. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, SSGT III’S STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IN ITS ENTIRETY WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED MERGER OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE THEREIN BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER AND THE PARTIES TO THE PROPOSED MERGER. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents that SST VI files with the SEC (when available) from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and SST VI’s website at https://strategicreit.com/products/sst6/. In addition, the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed by SST VI with the SEC (when available) may be obtained from SST VI free of charge by directing a request to the following address: Strategic Storage Trust VI, Inc., Attention: Nicholas M. Look, 10 Terrace Road, Ladera Ranch, California 92694, or by calling (877) 327-3485.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or a solicitation of a proxy or of any vote or approval. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed merger.

Participants in Solicitation Relating to the Merger

SST VI and SSGT III and their respective directors and executive officers, as well as SS Growth Advisor III, LLC, may be deemed, under SEC rules, to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from SSGT III’s stockholders with respect to the proposed merger. Security holders can obtain information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of such persons in SST VI’s proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed merger when it becomes available.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements about the expected timing, completion and effects of the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and all other statements in this press release and any attachments provided with this press release, other than historical facts, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by our use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” or other similar words. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and any such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the following cautionary statements.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and are based on current expectations and involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. SST VI and SSGT III may not be able to complete the proposed transaction on the terms described above or other acceptable terms or at all because of a number of factors, including without limitation, the following: (i) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement; (ii) the failure to obtain the approval of SSGT III’s stockholders or the failure to satisfy the other closing conditions to the merger; (iii) risks related to disruption of management’s attention from the parties’ ongoing business operations due to the transaction; and (iv) the effect of the announcement of the merger on the ability of the parties to retain and hire key personnel, maintain relationships with their customers and suppliers, and maintain their operating results and business generally.

Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. In addition, the forward-looking statements represent SST VI’s and SSGT III’s views as of the date on which such statements were made. SST VI and SSGT III anticipate that subsequent events and developments may cause their views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing SST VI’s or SSGT III’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. Additional factors that may affect the business or financial results of SST VI are described in the risk factors included in SST VI’s filings with the SEC, including SST VI’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, copies of which are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. SST VI and SSGT III expressly disclaim a duty to provide updates to forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or other occurrences.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260714533420/en/

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Veradermics to Hold Conference Call to Discuss Study ‘207’ Phase 2 Clinical Trial Results of VDPHL01 in Females with Mild-to-Moderate Pattern Hair Loss

Conference call will take place on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 8:00 am ET

NEW HAVEN, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Veradermics, Incorporated (NYSE: MANE), a dermatologist-founded, late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapeutics for pattern hair loss, today announced it will host an investor call and live webcast on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 8:00 am ET to review results from female treatment arms of the Phase 2 open-label Study ‘207’ evaluating VDPHL01, a proprietary extended-release oral minoxidil tablet, in males and females with mild-to-moderate pattern hair loss.

Webcast Details:

Time: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. ET.

Joining: The event and the accompanying slides will be available on the Events page in the Investors section of the Company’s website. A replay will be available following the call.

About VDPHL01

VDPHL01 (extended-release minoxidil tablet) is a proprietary investigational, oral non-hormonal drug in Phase 3 development for pattern hair loss in both women and men. VDPHL01 leverages extended-release technology to deliver a minoxidil product with the potential for improved efficacy and safety. The proprietary extended-release formulation utilizes a gel matrix designed to deliver long-lasting, steady release of minoxidil for sustained absorption. VDPHL01 has been shown to avoid the high peak concentrations of immediate-release oral minoxidil, while extending time above the minimum hair growth threshold to increase time for hair to grow. If approved, VDPHL01 would be the only FDA-approved oral non-hormonal treatment for pattern hair loss in both male and female patients. VDPHL01 is protected by a broad library of patents and patent applications related to the key innovations of VDPHL01. The earliest expiring patent term is 2043.

About Pattern Hair Loss

Pattern hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia, affects an estimated 80 million people in the United States (30 million women and 50 million men). Pattern hair loss can have a significant impact on quality of life, affecting an individual’s mental health and relationships. People with pattern hair loss often experience depression, low self-esteem and social withdrawal. There have been no new FDA-approved prescription medicines for pattern hair loss in nearly 30 years. In addition to prescription medicines, current treatments include over-the-counter “nutraceuticals” that produce inconsistent results and contribute to high dissatisfaction among patients and healthcare providers. The prevalence of pattern hair loss and the market demand for new treatments contribute to making it the largest aesthetics market worldwide, projected to reach approximately $30 billion by 2028.

About Veradermics, Inc.

Veradermics is a dermatologist-founded, late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapeutics for pattern hair loss. Veradermics aims to develop a focused portfolio of aesthetic dermatology product candidates targeting high-prevalence dermatologic conditions, with potential selective development of medical dermatology product candidates. Its lead program, VDPHL01, is being developed as an oral, non-hormonal treatment for men and women with pattern hair loss, to reduce the barriers to wide adoption of chronic hair loss therapy and potentially transform pattern hair loss treatment. VDPHL01 is an oral, extended-release proprietary formulation of minoxidil, a proven hair growth agent, designed to maximize minoxidil’s impact on hair restoration while minimizing the risk of cardiac activity. For additional information, visit www.veradermics.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260714064893/en/

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University of Phoenix AnnouncesCollaboration with OpenAI to Advance AI-Powered Learning, Workforce Innovation and Research

Collaboration will accelerate AI integration across teaching and learning, student services, operations, workforce readiness and collaborative research to help prepare working adult learners for the AI economy

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Artificial intelligence is transforming nearly every profession, creating a vital need for working adults to continuously develop new skills while they are already in the workforce. Recognizing this challenge, University of Phoenix today announced a collaboration with OpenAI designed to help working adult learners build the AI capabilities they need to succeed in a rapidly changing economy.

With OpenAI, University of Phoenix will explore high-value AI applications across teaching and learning, student support, career services, institutional operations and collaborative research, all with a singular focus on helping working professionals develop practical AI skills they can immediately apply in their workplaces.

The collaboration builds upon University of Phoenix’s comprehensive, institution-wide AI strategy and reflects a shared commitment to ensuring AI is implemented responsibly, ethically and with measurable impact for learners, educators and employers.

“Artificial intelligence represents one of the most significant shifts in the future of work since the emergence of the internet,” said Chris Lynne, Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Education Partners and President of University of Phoenix. “Our students aren’t preparing for tomorrow’s workforce—they’re already shaping today’s. Together with OpenAI, University of Phoenix has an opportunity to help working adults build practical AI capabilities they can immediately apply in their careers while advancing new understanding of how AI can improve learning, career mobility and workforce success.”

“AI has the greatest impact when institutions combine access to advanced technology with the expertise, vision and support needed to put it to work in meaningful ways,” said Kevin Mills, Head of Education Go-to-Market at OpenAI. “We’re excited to collaborate with the University of Phoenix to expand access to ChatGPT Edu while helping foster the capabilities, culture and confidence needed to accelerate responsible AI adoption across the institution. Together, we’re laying the foundation for new approaches to teaching, learning and student success in the age of AI.”

Built Around the Working Adult Learner

University of Phoenix offers a uniquely valuable environment for advancing the future of AI-enabled learning because of the learners it serves. With an average student age of approximately 38, University of Phoenix students are working adults balancing careers, families and education simultaneously. They are not preparing to enter the workforce—they are already driving it.

Together, OpenAI and University of Phoenix will explore new ways to help these learners build AI fluency and workplace-ready skills that can be applied immediately on the job. By integrating AI into learning experiences and studying how working professionals use those capabilities in real-world settings, the collaboration aims to accelerate skills development, improve learning outcomes and better understand how AI can help today’s workforce adapt to rapidly changing industries.

Because University of Phoenix serves professionals actively applying new knowledge in their workplaces, the partnership also creates a rare opportunity to observe, measure and continuously improve AI-enabled learning in real time—generating insights that can help shape the future of higher education and workforce development.

Accelerating AI Across the University

The collaboration creates opportunities for University of Phoenix to explore AI innovation across multiple dimensions of the university, with OpenAI, including:

• AI-powered teaching and learning experiences that deepen student engagement and improve educational outcomes.

• Expanded AI skills development integrated throughout academic programs to prepare graduates for an AI-enabled workplace.

• New tools and resources that increase faculty productivity while enhancing personalized student support.

• AI-enabled career services that help learners better understand emerging workforce demands, identify skills gaps and navigate evolving career pathways.

• Administrative innovations that improve institutional efficiency while enhancing the student experience.

• Workforce-aligned solutions that help employers address rapidly changing AI capability needs within their organizations.

Building on a Strong Foundation

This collaboration will build upon a significant body of work University of Phoenix has already undertaken to thoughtfully and responsibly embed artificial intelligence throughout the institution.

Recognizing early that AI literacy would become an essential workforce competency, the University established a comprehensive AI strategy centered on three academic pillars:

• Embedding AI competencies into academic programs and curricula.

• Leveraging AI to enhance teaching, learning and student support.

• Integrating AI into institutional processes and operations through a human-centered, responsible AI framework.

Today, AI is already integrated across most of the University of Phoenix experience. More than 20 different degree programs are being systematically embedded with AI skills and literacy, and students have access to Microsoft Copilot and AI-powered academic support through the Phoenix Academic Support System (PASS); while Phoebe®, the University’s AI-powered student support assistant, helps thousands of learners each day with real-time assistance. Additionally, the University’s Center for AI Resources serves as a centralized hub for AI literacy and responsible use, faculty have completed institution-wide AI training, and students are increasingly engaging in classroom-based, scenario-driven AI experiences that simulate real workplace applications.

The University’s philosophy regarding AI is simple: it should amplify human potential—not replace it. Every AI initiative the University has designed, thus far, and will going forward, should strengthen critical thinking, problem solving, ethical judgment and career readiness while helping learners develop the confidence to responsibly and ethically use AI throughout their professional lives.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate how University of Phoenix is moving beyond conversations about AI, to actions implementing it at scale in ways that are practical, ethical and directly aligned with workforce needs. This collaboration with OpenAI will advance this important work and more.

Advancing AI Research for Working Adult Learners

The collaboration also aligns with the University’s ongoing leadership in workforce research, including studies examining career optimism, AI adoption, employer readiness, workforce transformation and the changing relationship between education and work. This collaboration with OpenAI could fuel deeper exploration of how AI can transform higher education while strengthening workforce outcomes.

Because many of University of Phoenix’s students apply new knowledge while actively employed, the collaboration creates an uncommon opportunity to understand how AI influences learning, workplace performance and career advancement in real-world settings. The resulting insights have the potential to inform employers, policymakers and higher education institutions seeking more effective ways to prepare today’s workforce for tomorrow’s economy.

As AI continues to reshape nearly every industry, University of Phoenix and OpenAI share a vision of ensuring working adult learners have access to the education, experiences and tools necessary to remain competitive, adaptable and successful throughout their careers. Together, the organizations aim to demonstrate how higher education can become an engine for lifelong AI capability—preparing learners not simply for their next job, but for a lifetime of learning, adaptation and opportunity.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is Built for Real Life. 50 Years Strong. The University innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world through flexible online learning, relevant courses, academic AI pillars, and skills-mapped curriculum for associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Active students and alumni have access to Career Services for Life® resources including career guidance and tools. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

About Phoenix Education Partners, Inc.

Phoenix Education Partners, Inc. (NYSE: PXED) is the parent company of The University of Phoenix, Inc., a pioneer in online education for working adults.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260714651626/en/

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Walker & Dunlop Reports Student Housing Poised for New Investment Cycle as Demand Holds Strong

BETHESDA, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Walker & Dunlop, Inc. today released its 2026 Student Housing Outlook that signals that a strong preleasing year and resilient enrollment growth, combined with a slowdown in new student housing construction, are setting the stage for a new investment cycle in one of commercial real estate’s strongest-performing sectors.

The Outlook describes how after several years of record rent growth and rapid development, the purpose-built student housing market is shifting into a more fundamentals-driven phase. The findings come as commercial real estate investors look beyond traditional multifamily assets in search of sectors offering durable cash flow and long-term demand. Undersupply continues to exist across most major university markets, leading investors to increasingly target campuses with sustained enrollment growth.

“Student housing has returned to being a fundamentals-driven business,” said Will Baker, senior managing director of Capital Markets Real Estate Finance at Walker & Dunlop. “While overall sector fundamentals remain strong, investors are placing greater emphasis on universities with favorable demographics, and barriers to new development, rather than pursuing broad national strategies.”

The report highlights the strength of those fundamentals. National preleasing reached 71.6%, up 2% year over year, while fall 2025 enrollment increased 1.8% from the prior year to 4.9 million students. Investor demand has remained equally resilient, with national student housing transaction volume totaling $8.8 billion, a 28% increase from 2023, underscoring the sector’s continued appeal despite a higher-cost capital environment.

Among its key findings, the report identifies several themes shaping the year ahead, including:

• Enrollment growth and preleasing remain strong, supporting demand.

• Construction starts continue to slow, improving the medium-term supply outlook.

• Institutional capital remains active, with increasing selectivity toward high-performing university markets.

• Owners increasingly pursue recapitalizations and structured liquidity solutions instead of outright asset sales.

• Pricing continues to adjust while transaction activity rebounds, creating attractive acquisition opportunities.

“Today’s opportunities are being created by discipline,” said Christopher Epp, managing director of Capital Markets Investment Sales at Walker & Dunlop. “As pricing becomes more market-specific and new supply moderates, investors with the right local knowledge and capital strategy are well positioned to capitalize on the next phase of the cycle.”

Walker & Dunlop is a leader in student housing investment sales and financing. In 2025, the firm closed approximately $716 million in student housing investment sales and, through 2025, has financed more than $14.3 billion and sold more than $10.9 billion of student housing assets. For more information about Walker & Dunlop’s student housing experts, visit our website.

To learn more about Walker & Dunlop’s student housing capabilities, read the full 2026 Student Housing Outlook here.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest commercial real estate finance and advisory services firms in the United States and internationally. Our ideas and capital create communities where people live, work, shop, and play. Our innovative people, breadth of our brand, and our technological capabilities make us one of the most insightful and client-focused firms in the commercial real estate industry.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260714902878/en/

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