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Microvast Announces Location of First Polyaramid Separator Plant in Kentucky

HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Microvast Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MVST), (“Microvast” or the “Company”), a technology innovator that designs, develops and manufactures lithium-ion battery solutions, today announced the location of its first polyaramid separator plant in Hopkinsville, Kentucky with a $504 million investment. The project, intended to be the world’s first mass production facility for the cutting edge polyaramid separator technology, will create up to 562 new full-time jobs.

“We are excited to announce this next chapter for Microvast, as we intend to build the world’s first mass production facility for our cutting edge polyaramid separator technology,” said Yang Wu, Microvast’s Founder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This material took over 10 years to develop internally and we believe it offers significant safety advantages compared to other polypropylene or polyethylene separator technology available today. We are pleased to expand our manufacturing footprint into Kentucky as it continues to position itself as a leader in EV manufacturing and are eager to work closely with the local community as we begin construction.”

Microvast plans to invest $504 million to establish operations on a 100-acre site in Commerce Park II in Hopkins in a 350,000-square-foot building. Construction is expected to begin in 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in 2025. The campus, which will include a collaboration with General Motors, is expected to be funded in part by a $200 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law intended to develop a North American-focused EV supply chain.

With this facility, Microvast intends to build the world’s first mass production facility for their cutting edge polyaramid separator technology. The polyaramid material was part of a United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) technical assessment project, which independently confirmed through U.S. National Labs the polyaramid separator’s specifications and positive impacts to vehicle safety. Once complete, the plant is expected to have an annual capacity of 300 million square meters, or approximately 19 GWh.

“We expect the safety advantages of our innovative, highly thermally stable polyaramid separators to transform high-energy lithium-ion battery development and drive significant value for the industry,” said Dr. Wenjuan Mattis, chief technology officer at Microvast.

Polyaramid is a high-temperature resistant, fire-retardant aromatic polyamide, which is commonly used in firefighting garments and insulating papers. Microvast holds unique, patented wet-process technology to produce a thin polyaramid base film. Unlike the current widely used polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) based separators in lithium-ion batteries, which melt at approximately 135°C and 165°C, respectively, Microvast’s patented polyaramid separator is capable of resisting temperatures in excess of 300°C. This high temperature resistance, combined with high porosity, excellent wettability and electrolyte retention, improves the overall safety, fast charging, and cycle-life of lithium-ion batteries in EVs as well as other applications.

About Microvast

Founded in Houston, Texas in 2006 as a research and technology driven company, Microvast has evolved into a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of battery solutions for mobile and stationary applications. Microvast provides a broad portfolio of fast-charging lithium-ion battery solutions, with different chemistries, performance characteristics and price points to meet the diverse requirements of its customer base. Microvast is renowned for its cutting-edge cell technology and its vertical integration capabilities which extend from core battery chemistry (cathode, anode, electrolyte, and separator) to modules and packs.

Since placing its first battery systems into operation in electric buses more than a decade ago, Microvast has expanded its business to serve a broad range of commercial, passenger and specialty vehicles, including mining, material handling, and power vehicles and equipment, as well as grid-scale energy storage applications.

For more information, please visit www.microvast.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter (@microvast).

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Investor Relations

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KEYWORDS: United States North America Texas Kentucky

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Engineering Other Energy Technology Batteries Manufacturing Other Technology Energy

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The Thrill of Adventure Comes to Curiosity Stream This Spring and Summer With Brand-Defining Originals

New Films and Series Explore the World and Beyond Like Never Before, Uncovering Stories from Modern-Day Arctic Espionage to Zombie Fungus

SILVER SPRING, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Curiosity Inc. (NASDAQ: CURI), a leading global factual media and entertainment company, is announcing its 2023 spring and summer slate of original films, series, and specials coming to its flagship streaming service, Curiosity Stream. High-octane adventures showcase compelling stories from the real cowboys of the American West and an Egyptian queen who crushed a powerful priesthood, to the prehistoric behemoths of the African Savannah and history’s most intriguing – and unsolved – crimes.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005638/en/

The Curiosity original series ‘Lift The Ice’ premieres on Curiosity Stream April 20th, 2023. (Photo: Business Wire)

Every thriller needs a ticking clock, and there’s none more compelling than the melting of the world’s cryosphere. Premiering April 20th, the Curiosity original series Lift The Ice follows six field-leading experts as they climb, dive, rappel, ice axe, and tunnel their way to the heart of a rapidly-evolving global warming story. This 6-part adventure explores one of the greatest mysteries on Earth today — what will be revealed when we lift the ice?

The 5-part original natural history series GIANTS takes humanity’s obsession with size into the animal kingdom. Premiering May 18th, wildlife filmmaker Dan O’Neill leads an adventurous team around the globe to find the biggest beasts that walk our planet and unlock their evolutionary secrets like never before. Watch the GIANTS trailer here.

And this summer, Grammy Award-winning musician and bard Dom Flemons takes us on a riveting ride through the history of early America in TheReal Wild West. Beyond the gunslingers and lawmen, meet the diverse pioneers — black and Hispanic cowboys, female homesteaders, immigrants, and tribal leaders — who shaped a country.

Curiosity Stream’s original films, series, and specials coming soon:

Lift The Ice

We’ve long suspected that the frozen parts of our planet are hiding life-changing scientific discoveries, historical mysteries, rare viruses, and possibly even the key to the search for alien life. Follow a team of fearless scientists and explorers on a journey to the end of the Earth, as they make ground-breaking discoveries and solve scientific puzzles that could radically reshape the future of humanity. A 6-part series produced by Beach House Productions and Curiosity Studios.

GIANTS

GIANTS combines the latest science and cutting-edge CGI to connect the dots among the behemoths that roam our natural world, both past and present, and to explore how to protect their habitats for the future. Filmmaker Dan O’Neill leads a team of field biologists, bioengineers, and animal behaviorists to explore how these formidable creatures managed to achieve such massive proportions and what processes drive such extremes of nature. A 5-part series produced by Off the Fence and Curiosity Studios.

Queens Of Ancient Egypt

Cleopatra is the most famous of all the ancient queens, but history is revealing extraordinary new details about the other matriarchs who presided over the birth of ancient Egypt. These are the incredible, untold stories of Egypt’s female monarchs, many of whose names and stories are all but forgotten… until now. Drawing on fascinating new discoveries and cutting-edge research, explore how these women became standard bearers for their sex long before the modern era. A 3-part series produced by Tile Films and Curiosity Studios.

Unearthed: Ancient Murder Mysteries

Homicide detective Rod Demery and famed scientist Professor Turi King team up to investigate history’s most intriguing murders using modern investigation techniques. Demery visits crime scenes and interviews archaeologist witnesses, while King, best known for leading the DNA verification of Richard III of England, examines the latest forensic evidence. Unearthing a list of suspects for each murder, Demery and King use their extensive experience to predict the killer’s identity. A 6-part series produced by Off the Fence and Curiosity Studios.

The Real Wild West

The famed wild west – where outlaws rampage and lawmen become legends – is a great story. Cowboys and native Americans are eternal archetypes, but the real history of the American West is filled with rich tales of diverse pioneers, unprecedented opportunity, ambition, fortune, and technological marvels that change the country and the world. This is the definitive story of the American West. A 4-part series produced by Roller Coaster Road Productions and Curiosity Studios.

Zombie Fungus Attack

The next breath you take is loaded with fungi spores. While most are not harmful, it’s time for viruses to step aside and give fungal infections the attention they require. Dive into the world of dangerous fungi that are a threat to humans and get an in depth look at the war between ants and fungi. Produced by Curiosity Studios.

Normandy: Land of Warriors

From the Viking invasions to William the Conqueror to the great sieges of Richard the Lionheart, the history of Normandy is an incredible military epic spanning more than 300 years. Take a deep dive into the great armed conflicts that made the Normans one of the world’s most powerful dynasties. A 3-part series produced by ZED Studios and Curiosity Studios.

History: The Interesting Bits

Factual really can be funny! Take an irreverent look at some of history’s biggest happenings through some of its fruitiest facts. History: The Interesting Bits rambles across centuries, making connections, checking out the weird people and strange events – and most importantly — editing out the boring stuff — to explore the mad, epic, salacious, and frankly unbelievable parts of our past that don’t always make it into the history books. An 8-part series produced by Impossible Factual and Curiosity Studios.

Nature’s Hidden Miracles

Humans may think they are the smartest, most evolved lifeforms on the planet. But science says… not so. Explore the natural world through the latest cutting-edge science as it leads us deeper into the workings of evolution, going far beyond what we thought we knew. From the lush greenery that covers our planet to the microorganisms invisible to the naked eye, be prepared to experience our world in a brand-new light. A 3-part series produced by NHK and Curiosity Studios.

Breakthrough: Jupiter’s Moons and the Search for Life

We’ve known about them for centuries and have been photographing them for decades, but now a new pair of missions will be launching to bring us closer than ever to Jupiter’s icy moons: Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede. Will the missions finally find the answer to astronomy’s biggest question… do the conditions for life exist beyond Earth? Produced by Curiosity Studios.

About Curiosity

Curiosity Inc. is the entertainment brand for people who want to know more. The global media company is home to award-winning original and curated factual films, shows, and series covering science, nature, history, technology, society, and lifestyle. With approximately 23 million paying subscribers worldwide and thousands of titles, the company operates the flagship Curiosity Stream SVOD service, available in more than 175 countries; Curiosity Channel, the linear television channel available via global distribution partners; Curiosity Now, a free, ad-supported channel; Curiosity Audio Network, featuring original content and podcasts; and Curiosity Studios, which oversees original programming. Curiosity Inc. also owns and operates One Day University, which provides access to engaging talks and lectures from leading university and college professors. Curiosity Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CuriosityStream Inc. (Nasdaq: CURI). For more information, visit CuriosityStream.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005638/en/

Vanessa Gillon

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KEYWORDS: Maryland United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Film & Motion Pictures Communications Media Entertainment TV and Radio

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Presto Promotes Dan Mosher to President and Xavier Casanova to Chief Operating Officer

SAN CARLOS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Presto Automation Inc. (Nasdaq: PRST), one of the largest drive-thru automation technology providers in the hospitality industry (“Company”), today announced the promotion of Dan Mosher to president and Xavier Casanova to chief operating officer, effective immediately.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005316/en/

Dan Mosher, President, Presto Automation Inc. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Dan and Xavier have been key leaders at Presto and were instrumental in successfully developing and implementing Presto Voice, the industry’s most advanced drive-thru AI voice ordering platform,” said Presto Chairman and Interim CEO Krishna Gupta. He continued, “I am delighted to partner with these two and the rest of our exceptional management team as we continue to execute on our product roadmap for our customers,” said Gupta.

Mosher has served as the Company’s chief revenue officer since he joined Presto in March 2021. He has overseen the industry’s largest drive-thru rollout of voice AI technology at Del Taco and Checkers. He will continue to focus on the customer-facing and commercial sides of Presto’s business and work with Gupta to implement the Company’s critical strategic and financial initiatives. Mosher was senior vice president & Merchant Lead at Postmates prior to joining Presto.

“I am excited to take on the role of president during this inflection point in the restaurant hospitality industry,” said Mosher. “Restaurant operators are making decisions now about when they are going to deploy voice recognition AI, given recent advancements. Presto’s platform is state of the art, and I look forward to leading on the company’s revenue growth and providing exceptional service.”

Casanova will head operations for Presto and continue to drive innovation and streamline operations across engineering, product management, and other support functions. Casanova has played a vital role in the successful rollout of Presto Voice^TM and is leading the collaboration with OpenAI to drive greater innovation across Presto’s products. A Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur, Casanova founded several successful startups including Fireclick (acquired by Digital River) and Liveclicker (acquired by Campaign Monitor).

“With our deep expertise in restaurant AI and automation, we are well-positioned to support the hospitality industry as it evolves to meet changing consumer expectations,” said Casanova. “I am excited to take on this new role as chief operating officer and work closely with our amazing team to continue developing innovative solutions that empower our customers to succeed.”

Presto Voice uses advanced AI techniques, including large language models (LLM) and generative AI, to understand natural human language and offer logical responses to customer queries. A leading AI voice automation solution for restaurant drive-thrus, Presto Voice offers an average 6% increase in sales due to consistent upselling and up to 9 hours of labor saved per day per store. The Company also offers another AI solution, Presto Vision™, which provides unique pieces of real-time data for drive-thru operations optimization.

About Presto

Presto (NASDAQ: PRST) overlays next-generation digital solutions onto the physical world. Presto’s enterprise-grade Voice, Vision, and Touch™ technologies help hospitality businesses thrive while delighting guests. With over 380 million transactions processed, Presto is one of the largest labor automation technology providers in the industry. Founded by Rajat Suri while he was a student at MIT in 2008, Presto is headquartered in Silicon Valley in San Carlos, California and counts among its customers some of the top 20 restaurant chains in the United States.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “outlook,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “continue,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “would” and other similar words and expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of the date they are made. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Presto disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. Presto cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Presto. In addition, Presto cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to the following risks and uncertainties: our ability to manage our growth effectively, to sustain our recent revenue growth or attract new customers; the limited operating history with our new Vision and Voice products in a new and developing market; our ability to achieve revenue growth while our expenses increase; continued adverse impacts from COVID-19 (including as a result of global supply chain shortages); the loss of any of our three largest customers or a reduction in their business with us; our ability to improve and enhance the functionality, performance, reliability, design, security, or scalability of our platform to respond to customers’ evolving needs; our ability to protect the security of our customers’’ information; changing privacy laws, regulations and standards, and our ability to comply with contractual obligations and laws related to data privacy and security; unfavorable conditions in the restaurant industry or the global economy, including with respect to food, labor, and occupancy costs; the availability of capital or financing on acceptable terms, if at all; financial covenants and other restrictions on our actions contained in our financing agreements that may limit our operational flexibility; the length and unpredictability of our sales cycles and the amount of investments required in sales efforts; material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and, our ability to remediate these deficiencies; our ability to continue as a going concern; our ability to receive additional financing in a timely manner; shortages, price increases, changes, delays or discontinuations of hardware; our ability to maintain relationships with our payment processors; our relies on computer hardware, licensed software and services rendered by third parties; U.S. laws and regulations (including with respect to payment transaction processing), many of which are unsettled and still developing, and our or our customers’ ability to comply with such laws and regulations; significant changes in U.S. and international trade policies that restrict imports or increase tariffs; any requirements to collect additional sales taxes or be subject to other tax liabilities that may increase the costs to our customers; our ability to adequately protect our intellectual property rights; claims by third parties of intellectual property infringement; our use of open-source software in our platform; and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Presto’s business generally as set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005316/en/

Investors:

Adam Rogers, VP Investor Relations

[email protected]

Media:

Christopher Cast & Brian Ruby

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KEYWORDS: California United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Retail Restaurant/Bar Apps/Applications Technology Software Artificial Intelligence Hardware

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Big Milestone: More than 50,000 Students Now Accessing Empowerment Scholarship Account Funding for Private School Education in Arizona

Many of Those Students Pursuing Online Education as Virtual Offerings Expand Nationwide

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
More than 50,000 students are now using Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account funding to pay for private school education.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005081/en/

According to the Arizona Department of Education, 50,718 students are using ESA funding to attend private school as of late March. The program provides about $7,000 per student — or more for special-needs students — that can be applied to tuition or other private school expenses.

And, many of those students are choosing online education options as their private school curriculum. According to data provided by the publication The 74, in an average across 10 states, virtual school enrollment rose to 170 percent of its pre-pandemic level in 2020-21 — but then nudged up further to 176 percent in 2021-22.

Arizona was ranked 7^th in the country in 2021, the last year for which data is available, in the total number of students enrolled in full-time online education, according to the Digital Learning Collaborative.

And according to National School Choice Week, In the U.S., approximately 375,000 K-12 students attended a statewide online school full-time in 2019-2020, a number that jumped to 656,000 for the 2020-2021 school year, with further growth since. In fact, according to the same study:

• “In 36 states, online public schools have been established by state authorities, by school districts, or charter schools, meaning students can attend these schools full-time, tuition-free for all grades K-12.”
• “In addition, at least 35 states offer part-time online public schooling through course access, which allows students to use online coursework to supplement their education with specific classes. In many states, this is accessible, and sometimes even free, for private school or homeschooled students.”

“Online learning is not only here to stay, it is the preferred method of learning for hundreds of thousands of students and families nationwide,” said Janice Gruneberg, Senior Vice President & Superintendent of Schools for Grand Canyon Private Academy, a private online school serving Arizona residents. “The milestone of having 50,000 students using ESA funding for private school is significant, and we know first-hand that online learning is one of the big reasons behind the growth.”

Arizona families have unique options for an online, private education curriculum suited to their child’s specific needs provided by K12, one of the nation’s leading online learning providers. And because these programs are virtual, students located anywhere in Arizona with an internet connection can access all of the educational options available — and take advantages of the safety and support provided by an online learning curriculum. These schools are tuition-free with use of the ESA program to all students who reside in Arizona, and are staffed by state-licensed teachers:

• Grand Canyon Private Academy (GCPA), launched this past fall, a new online private school serving grades K–11 for the 2023-24 school year. The school’s curriculum features a dual enrollment program that enables students to graduate with an associate degree, seminar-based instruction with a collaborative and discussion-focused approach and an Early World Language Program that gives students the opportunity to graduate trilingual.
• FaithPrep Arizona, providing Arizona families with access to a private online Christian school and homeschool program for students in grades K-12.

Overall, the online learning industry is projected to grow by almost 10 percent annually over the next five years, according to a Mordor Intelligence study of digital education trends. This growth is being fueled by increasing need for job opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, which have boosted the demand for STEM education.

“We are seeing a tremendous demand for quality private, online education opportunities that can be specifically geared for each individual student,” Gruneberg said. “The goal is always to create a brighter future and a pathway to success for each student and family.”

Both K12 schools are now accepting enrollments for the 2023-2024 school year. Families are encouraged to attend online information sessions hosted by the schools. For more information, visit the websites for Grand Canyon Private Academy and FaithPrep Arizona.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005081/en/

Tom Evans

602.448.5483 | [email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Arizona

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Teens Parenting Other Technology Family Other Education Continuing Consumer Primary/Secondary Education

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