MANAMA, Bahrain, Oct 6, 2025 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - FinTech Forward 2025 (FF25), the region's premier strategic financial technology event, today announced that two globally renowned innovators will headline this year's edition as title speakers: Changpeng Zhao (CZ), former CEO of Binance and Dhiraj Mukherjee, Cofounder of Shazam. Their participation reflects the flagship event's growing role as a global stage for innovation, convening leaders who have transformed industries and reshaped how millions around the world engage with technology and financial services.Zhao, widely recognised as CZ, is the founder and former CEO of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. Under his leadership, Binance grew to serve more than 235 million users across 180 countries, offering access to over 350 digital assets. From its founding in 2017 to becoming a global leader in less than a decade, Binance's journey highlights both the scale and speed of transformation in financial technology. His insights will provide unique relevance to FF25's exploration of the future of money, markets, and global financial innovation.Mukherjee co-founded Shazam, the revolutionary app that revolutionised how people discover and connect with music. Launched in 2002, Shazam was among the first mobile applications to harness artificial intelligence at scale, ultimately achieving more than two billion downloads worldwide. The company was acquired by Apple in 2018. Mukherjee is now widely recognised as a thought leader on responsible innovation and the future of digital ecosystems. His career highlights the power of technology to shape human experiences, making his perspective particularly valuable to FF25's conversations on creativity, disruption, and impact.Their presence further strengthens the event's ability to convene diverse perspectives on the forces shaping the future of finance. Both will be speaking at fireside chats, CZ in a session titled "Crypto in transition: legitimacy, trust and the future of modern finance", and Dhiraj's fireside chat is set to tackle how to strategically plan for the long-term success and achieve durable, sustainable impact.Taking place on the 8th and 9th of October 2025 at Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB), FF25 is hosted by Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB), leveraging the Kingdom's position as a regional financial hub and gateway to the USD 2.15 trillion GCC market. Bahrain is recognised for its agile and forward-looking regulatory framework, pioneering initiatives in areas such as open banking, digital assets, and cloud adoption. Combined with a highly skilled bilingual workforce and advanced tech infrastructure, the Kingdom has become a launchpad for fintechs and international firms expanding into the Middle East.By welcoming visionaries such as CZ and Dhiraj Mukherjee, FinTech Forward 2025 reaffirms its status as the Middle East's leading fintech forum and highlights Bahrain's unique role as a hub for global business and a catalyst for the future of finance. For more information about FinTech Forward 2025 and to register, please click here.For more information, please contact:Abdulelah AbdullaCommunications DepartmentEconomic Development BoardPhone: +973-39798919E-mail: internationalmedia@bahrainedb.comSOURCE: Bahrain Economic Development Board Copyright 2025 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia--(ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com - October 6, 2025) - Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. (TSXV: GMG) ("GMG" or the "Company") is proud to announce the following updates on THERMAL-XR®.GMG is pleased to announce it has received REACH registration in Europe – enabling THERMAL-XR® to be sold in Europe. Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is the process mandated by the European Union (EU) regulation for companies manufacturing or importing chemical substances into the EU in quantities of one tonne or more per year.GMG is also very proud to launch its "GMG SPRAY ACADEMY" – which is a training program to enable more distributors and contractors around the world to understand how to clean, prepare and coat surfaces with GMG's patented graphene coating system – THERMAL-XR®. The training programs are conducted in person, online and eventually through video-training. Customers can receive the 5 year warranty for the THERMAL-XR® coating if the coating is provided by a trained and accredited technician. https://graphenemanufacturinggroup.arlo.co/w/.Figure 1: GMG PRODUCT RANGETo view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8082/269248_0b4778627431e8dc_001full.jpgGMG's Managing Director and CEO, Craig Nicol, commented: "Another big step for GMG's commercialisation of its world leading products – really good to see!"GMG's Chairman and Non-Executive Director, Jack Perkowski, commented: "Congrats to the team – each step to commercialisation is important and demonstrates progress in the Company's transition to fully commercial operations."About GMG:GMG is an Australian based clean-technology company which develops, makes and sells energy saving and energy storage solutions, enabled by graphene manufactured via in house production process. GMG uses its own proprietary production process to decompose natural gas (i.e. methane) into its natural elements, carbon (as graphene), hydrogen and some residual hydrocarbon gases. This process produces high quality, low cost, scalable, 'tuneable' and low/no contaminant graphene suitable for use in clean-technology and other applications.The Company's present focus is to de-risk and develop commercial scale-up capabilities, and secure market applications. In the energy savings segment, GMG has initially focused on graphene enhanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning ("HVAC-R") coating (or energy-saving coating) which is now being marketed into other applications including electronic heat sinks, industrial process plants and data centres. Another product GMG has developed is the graphene lubricant additive focused on saving liquid fuels initially for diesel engines.In the energy storage segment, GMG and the University of Queensland are working collaboratively with financial support from the Australian Government to progress R&D and commercialization of graphene aluminium-ion batteries ("G+AI Batteries"). GMG has also developed a graphene additive slurry that is aimed to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries.GMG's 4 critical business objectives are:Produce Graphene and improve/scale cell production processesBuild Revenue from Energy Savings ProductsDevelop Next-Generation BatteryDevelop Supply Chain, Partners & Project Execution CapabilityFor further information please contact:Craig Nicol, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of the Company at craig.nicol@graphenemg.com, +61 415 445 223Leo Karabelas at Focus Communications Investor Relations, leo@fcir.ca, +1 647 689 6041Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends", "expects" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or will "potentially" or "likely" occur. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward‐looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding the products being available for order or delivery to distributors around the world.Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions of management, including, without limitation, that GMG will be able to take orders and deliveries to meet distributor demand around the worldwide. Additionally, forward-looking information involves a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of GMG to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation, that products may not be available for sales or delivery to meet customers' expectations.Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/269248 Copyright 2025 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

SINGAPORE, Oct 6, 2025 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept in cybersecurity but is now the frontline. Fortinet, a global leader in cybersecurity, has unveiled findings from a 2025 IDC survey that show a dramatic surge in AI adoption across Singapore’s enterprises, with 82% of organisations already integrating AI into their security operations.The IDC study, commissioned by Fortinet, highlights how AI is now central to threat detection, incident response and even recruitment and investment strategies. As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, AI is being deployed not just to keep pace, but to get ahead.AI: A double-edged swordAI is transforming cybersecurity on both sides of the battlefield. While defenders use it to automate detection and scale threat intelligence, attackers are also leveraging AI to launch faster, stealthier and more adaptive campaigns.The survey found that some 56% of Singapore organisations encountered AI-powered threats in the past year. Among them, 52% saw a two-fold increase in threat volume, while 42% reported a three-fold surge. These attacks often exploit gaps in visibility and governance, making them harder to detect and contain.From detection to predictionAI’s role in cybersecurity is advancing rapidly. Beyond basic detection, organisations are now deploying AI for automated response, predictive threat modelling and behavioural analytics.Generative AI (GenAI) is gaining traction for tasks like updating rules, detecting social engineering, and guiding investigations. However, trust in full autonomy remains low. Auto-remediation is still rare, indicating that most teams are in the “co-pilot” phase of AI adoption.Building AI-first teamsThe rise of AI is reshaping the cybersecurity workforce. The top five roles in demand across Singapore include security data scientists, AI security engineers and AI-specific incident response professionals.Organisations are no longer just buying AI tools but building teams around them. This reflects a broader trend of aligning talent with technology to stay ahead of evolving threats.Strategic spending and smarter investmentsCybersecurity budgets are increasing, but cautiously. While 86% of organisations reported budget growth, 68% saw increases of less than 5%.Spending is being directed toward high-impact areas like identity security, Zero Trust frameworks, and cloud-native protection. This marks a shift from infrastructure-heavy investments to more targeted, risk-centric strategies.Understaffed and overwhelmedDespite growing executive attention, many cybersecurity teams remain stretched thin. Only 6% of the total workforce is allocated to internal IT, and just 13% of that focuses on cybersecurity. Less than 15% of organisations have a dedicated Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), and only 6% have purpose-built threat hunting teams.This lack of specialisation is contributing to burnout and reduced effectiveness.Convergence and consolidation take centre stageTo combat complexity, organisations are embracing unified cybersecurity frameworks. A staggering 96% are either converging security and networking or actively evaluating it. Additionally, 70% are considering vendor consolidation – not just for cost savings, but for better integration, faster support and improved security posture.Simon Piff, Research Vice-President at IDC Asia-Pacific, noted: “Organisations are no longer experimenting with AI, they are embedding it across threat detection, incident response and team design. This signals a new era of security operations that is smarter, faster and more adaptive to the evolving risk landscape. AI is fundamentally reshaping how threats are identified, prioritised and acted upon. This evolution demands a parallel shift in strategy and talent.”Jess Ng, Country Manager, Singapore and Brunei, Fortinet, added: “CISOs across Singapore are entering a more advanced phase of cybersecurity planning – one where AI is not just augmenting defences but influencing how organisations structure teams, allocate budgets and prioritise threats. At Fortinet, we are helping customers embrace this shift by embedding AI across the platform, enabling faster detection, smarter responses, and more resilient operations as cyber risks become more complex and distributed.”About FortinetFortinet is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet's solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including Computer Emergency Response Teams (“CERTS”), government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.Media Contact:Leonard Lowleonard.low@priorityconsultants.com Copyright 2025 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com