Month: July 2021

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Religious Persecution Against Tai Ji Men

Lanterns of Conscience Illuminating a Brighter Path to Religious Freedom

Members of Tai Ji Men display traditional Tai Ji Men lanterns, which symbolize that conscience lights up people’s hearts and guides them to make the right decision, respect and tolerate one another, and create a world of love and peace where conscience prevails.

Despite 24 years of ongoing violations of their human rights and religious freedom, Tai Ji Men continues to Promote Love, Peace, and Conscience Around the World

Action Alliance to Redress 1219 is a partner of International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit 2021

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit 2021 held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C. on July 13–15 is the largest and most important religious freedom event of the year, with over 1,000 people participating, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Congressman Frank Wolf, USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel, and other advocates to raise awareness of religious liberty in all corners of the world.

In addition to plenary and breakout sessions, there is an exhibition hall where representatives of every major religion and many organizations have set up booths to showcase their missions to attendees seeking to learn more. Hundreds of people came by the exhibition hall, drawn in by the colorful costumes of the Action Alliance to Redress 1219 booth to learn about Tai Ji Men, which has self-funded trips to 101 nations to promote love, peace, and conscience under the guidance of its leader Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze. At the booth today, members of Tai Ji Men displayed traditional Tai Ji Men lanterns, which symbolize brightness and pointing people in the right direction. The lanterns also symbolize conscience, which guides people to make the right decision, respect and tolerate one another, and apply their conscience to create a world of love and peace where human rights prevail.

Tai Ji Men is an organization rooted in esoteric Taoism and has 15 chapters in the United States and Taiwan. It has tens of thousands of members from all around the world, who benefit from practicing Tai Ji Men Qigong. Since it was formally chartered in 1966, the nature of Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy has remained unchanged. The deeper history of the organization that emphasizes wisdom and martial arts has been passed down from Shifu (master) to his dizi (disciples) from generation to generation. The organization has been dedicated to promoting a culture of love and peace, as well as improving global citizens’ physical, mental, and spiritual health.

In 2001, during the 54th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, the 9/11 attacks occurred, the deadliest attacks on US soil. After that, many people were anxious to leave New York. Dr. Hong and his dizi (disciples), who had gone to New York for the Conference, chose to stay there to host the “Ceremony of Ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love” to calm people’s hearts and pray for the United States and the world, with UN ambassadors, leaders of NGOs from various countries, and many peace promoters in attendance.

Tai Ji Men’s chapters in California have been actively involved in their respective communities for over two decades and have been highly praised by visionaries in various fields.

At the invitation of Senator Jesse Helms, the then Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Tai Ji Men organized a cultural program on Capitol Hill in 2000. Mayor Anthony A. Williams of the District of Columbia proclaimed March 22, 2000 as the Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy Day in Washington, D.C. and praised Tai Ji Men as International Ambassadors of Goodwill and Peace.

Mayor Jeremy Harris of the City and County of Honolulu proclaimed September 16, 2001 as Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy and Dr. Hong Tao-Tze Day, in recognition of Dr. Hong and Tai Ji Men’s contributions to advancing cultural exchanges and harmony among nations.

Additionally, Mayor Tom Bates of the City of Berkeley proclaimed August 5, 2005, as the Federation of World Peace and Love Day in the city of Berkeley, in recognition of Dr. Hong’s dedication to leading FOWPAL to promote peace and love for all humanity. (Dr. Hong is the president of the Federation of World Peace and Love).

Tragically, despite praise from presidents of Taiwan and international acclaim, Tai Ji Men has been persecuted in Taiwan, with its leader’s and members’ human rights and religious freedom being violated for over 24 years! In 1996, the Taiwanese government conducted a political purge targeting religious organizations. A prosecutor named Hou Kuan-jen falsely accused Tai Ji Men and Dr. Hong of fraud, tax evasion, and raising goblins, with fake witnesses and fabricated evidence. It took Tai Ji Men more than a decade to be found innocent of tax evasion and all other charges by the criminal division of the Supreme Court in 2007, confirming that Tai Ji Men did not owe any tax. However, the case did not end there. Taiwan’s National Taxation Bureau ignored the Supreme Court’s final decision and continued to issue unjustified tax bills to Tai Ji Men, resulting in the unlawful seizure and confiscation of its sacred land for self-cultivation last year, generating massive peaceful protests on the streets and drawing the attention and igniting discussions from international scholars and experts in the areas of human rights, religion, and law.

Tai Ji Men members from across the United States actively participated in the 2021 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit, speaking out to the world and urging the Taiwanese government to resolve this case of injustice as soon as possible, return to Tai Ji Men its sacred land for self-cultivation, and protect people’s freedom of religion or belief, which is a fundamental right.

Over the past 24 years, under the leadership of Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, worldwide members of Tai Ji Men have never given up hope and have insisted on doing the right thing, even though they have been persecuted for 24 years. During this time, they have visited 101 nations to promote love, peace, and conscience through cultural exchange. Tai Ji Men’s shifu (master) and dizi (disciples) hope to use their own experience to encourage others suffering similar plights to continue seeking justice and working together for a world where people follow their conscience and enjoy human rights, religious freedom, and equality.

About Action Alliance to Redress 1219: Action Alliance to Redress 1219 is a group of international and Taiwanese legal, religious, and human rights specialists working to restore the truth about the ongoing persecution of Tai Ji Men in Taiwan by a small group of bureaucrats that has lasted for 24 years, as well as their misuse of authority and violations of the law. In addition to rectifying the Tai Ji Men case and revealing the truth, it is also committed to defending religious freedom and calling on those in power not to infringe on people’s human rights.

Media Contact:
Lily Chen
Representative
admin@act1219.org
626-202-5268

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/64cec01e-18f1-452a-8df6-20c28d4ccade. The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.

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ITA ready for take-off in October with new 2021-2025 plan approved by EU Commission

ROME and BRUSSELS, Belgium, July 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ITA (Italia Trasporto Aereo) will be operational from October the 15th, flying a fleet of 52 aircraft that will grow to 105 by the end of 2025, as envisaged in the 2021-2025 business plan approved by the Board of Directors of the newly established company destined to take over from Alitalia. The plan also provides for the ‘discontinuity’ requested by the European Commission during negotiations with the Italian Government over the past few months. ITA will be able to acquire, through direct negotiation with Alitalia, the assets to manage the flight sector, the so-called ‘aviation’ branch. The Alitalia brand will be sold through a public tender, issued and managed by Alitalia, in which ITA itself will participate, as it believes that the brand is an essential element for the plan. ‘Ground Handling’ and ‘Maintenance’ activities will also be contracted through a public tender.

ITA will initially operate with a fleet of 52 aircraft. By 2022, it will grow to 78 aircraft and, from 2022 onwards, new-generation aircraft will be gradually added to the fleet. By the end of 2025, the number of aircraft will rise to 105. Over the plan period, ITA plans to rely on a single strategic partner for aircraft, and discussions are underway with the main partners. All employees will be hired under a new employment contract. The ‘Aviation’ branch is expected to employ 2.750-2.950 people, rising to 5.550-5.700 by 2025. In the event that ITA is awarded contracts for the ‘Ground Handling’ and ‘Maintenance’ activities, 2.650-2.700 and 1.100-1.250 staff are expected to be employed respectively.

ITA’s plan has been approved, forecasting a turnover that will reach  3.329 million euros in 2025, with an economic result of 209 million euros and an operational break-even to be reached by third quarter 2023.

At first, the airline will fly to 45 destinations with 61 routes, growing to 74 destinations and 89 routes by 2025. As for long-haul routes, ITA will initially provide connections to New York, Tokyo, Boston and Miami, but new routes to São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Washington and Los Angeles are expected to be added in the summer 2022. From Fiumicino (Rome) and Linate (Milan) airports there will be connections to the main EU destinations. During the shareholders’ meeting scheduled for July, it will be decided on an initial capital increase of 700 million euros.

ITA’s executive chairman Alfredo Altavilla stated: “The approval of ITA’s business plan by the European Commission and the confirmation of compliance with the MEOP, which certifies the soundness of the project in terms of private investment by the public shareholder, is an important result that paves the way for the launch of ITA. Now, within 90 days, we should complete the transition leading to the take-off of the first aircraft on 15 October. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Italian Government and our representatives in Brussels for the teamwork that made it possible to achieve this important result after months of negotiations, and which we trust will continue in the months to come”.

The CEO and managing director of ITA, Fabio Lazzerini, said: “I am particularly satisfied with the acknowledgement of the industrial and financial solidity underlying the approval of the Plan. A plan which, starting from the customer and its needs, will place ITA among the best companies in Europe in terms of economic, social and environmental sustainability, while guaranteeing connectivity to businesses, tourists and citizens. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the ITA team for the enthusiastic and total commitment with which they have worked during these challenging months, and to the institutions and stakeholders in the sector (ENAC, ENAV, the airport system) for the openness and trust they are showing us. Now we face the great challenge of launching a successful airline in three months. A challenge to which we will devote all our energy.”

For more information:
LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director
Barbara Sanicola – barbara.sanicola@lapresse.it +39 02 26305578 M +39 333 3905243

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Vietnam Shops for Vaccines in Hopes of Avoiding More Lockdowns

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Vietnam’s government is on a global vaccine shopping spree in hopes it can stem a surge of COVID-19 infections without resorting to more lockdowns like those that have already set back the economy and angered an increasingly frustrated public.

Like many of its East Asia neighbors, Vietnam is experiencing some of its highest infection rates since the pandemic began early last year, registering more than 2,000 new cases in a day for the first time earlier this week. It recorded 2,383 new cases on July 12, the fifth consecutive day of record highs.

However, public patience is wearing thin with the sort of restrictions that helped to keep three earlier waves of infections in check. After almost 50 days of lockdown in Ho Chi Minh City, even those who once supported the government unconditionally began to question the way Vietnam has been fighting the pandemic.

Some are also questioning whether an all-out battle against the virus is necessary, given that Vietnam is reporting far lower mortality rates from COVID-19 than many countries with more advanced health care systems. The nation’s official figures show only 130 deaths from more than 30,000 cases — a mortality rate of 0.4% compared to 1.8% in the United States.

Previous lockdowns have taken a toll on the economy. Vietnam’s General Statistics Office this month reported that 12.8 million people aged 15 or older were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during the April-June period of this year.

Of those, 557,000 people lost their jobs, 4.1 million people had to temporarily suspend their business, 4.3 million people had their working hours cut or had to take time off or rotate work, and 8.5 million workers had their income reduced.

That has the nation’s leaders in Hanoi placing their hopes in a stepped-up campaign to vaccinate more than 70% of the population by the end of March 2022. According to Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, the campaign will kick off this month with approximately 8.7 million vaccine doses to be administered in 18,000 vaccination centers.

That will be an ambitious undertaking, requiring an estimated 150 million vaccine doses over the next nine months. So far, Vietnam has injected not quite 4 million doses since it received its first batch of vaccines in April through COVAX, the U.N.-backed body working to get vaccines to less developed countries.

The Ministry of Health says 9 million doses have been received altogether since February, including the products of U.S., Russian, Chinese and British pharmaceutical companies.

The effort got a boost on July 10, when Vietnam received 2 million doses of the U.S.-made Moderna vaccine through the COVAX facility. The shipment is part of the 80 million doses vaccine that U.S. President Joe Biden has committed to share globally.

The foreign ministry announced this week it is also in talks with Russia and India to purchase 40 million Sputnik V and 15 million Covaxin doses, respectively. Altogether, it says, it has secured commitments to provide more than 120 million doses.

Vietnam’s leaders are also intent on developing the country’s own vaccine. Nanogen’s Nanocovax vaccine, backed by Prime Minister Ph?m Minh Chính, is about to finish trials and is expected to be available beginning in August.

An important consideration is the government’s desire to avoid the “vaccine diplomacy” of China, which has been accused of using its largess with vaccines to pressure Southeast Asia countries for favorable policies on other security issues.

Another worry is that some citizens will turn down certain vaccines in hopes of being injected with one that is considered to be more effective against the virus. A wave of social media posts has emerged criticizing people who want to choose vaccines on their own.

Source: Voice Of America

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Hubble Space Telescope Fixed After Month of no Science

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. – The Hubble Space Telescope should be back in action soon, following a tricky, remote repair job by NASA.

The orbiting observatory went dark in mid-June, with all astronomical viewing halted.

NASA initially suspected a 1980s-era computer as the source of the problem. But after the backup payload computer also failed, flight controllers at Maryland’s Goddard Space Flight Center focused on the science instruments’ bigger and more encompassing command and data unit, installed by spacewalking astronauts in 2009.

Engineers successfully switched to the backup equipment Thursday, and the crucial payload computer kicked in. NASA said Friday that science observations should resume quickly, if everything goes well.

A similar switch took place in 2008 after part of the older system failed.

“Congrats to the team!” NASA’s science mission chief Thomas Zurbuchen tweeted.

Launched in 1990, Hubble has made more than 1.5 million observations of the universe. NASA launched five repair missions to the telescope during the space shuttle program. The final tuneup was in 2009.

NASA plans to launch Hubble’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, by year’s end.

Source: Voice Of America

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SafeAI Expands to Canada, Announces New Chief Revenue Officer

Autonomous heavy equipment pioneer continues global expansion into key markets, bolsters executive team

MILPITAS, Calif., July 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SafeAI, a global leader in autonomous heavy equipment, today announced continued global expansion with its entry into Canada. To accelerate growth internationally, including in Canada, today SafeAI also announced that David Prusinski has joined the company as Chief Revenue Officer.

With booming construction and mining industries, Canada is a natural next step for SafeAI’s growing business. Canada’s mining industry is one of the largest in the world, accounting for 7.8% of the country’s GDP in 2020. The country’s construction sector is also a leading contributor to the nation’s GDP, with continued opportunities for growth due to government-funded infrastructure projects. With its connected autonomous technology, SafeAI is poised to accelerate productivity in the nation’s heavy industry.

“At SafeAI, we believe autonomy has the power to create smarter, safer, more productive heavy industry. With flourishing construction and mining sectors, Canada is a natural fit for our business,” said Bibhrajit Halder, Founder & CEO at SafeAI. “As we continue to grow our business to meet rising demand for autonomy, we’re proud to also expand our executive team. With years of leadership experience, a proven track record of spearheading growth, and knowledge of the Canadian market, David brings an invaluable perspective to our team as we continue to scale our organization and transform off-road autonomous projects globally.”

Prusinski brings 25 years of experience driving growth at prominent technology companies across Canada to the CRO role. Prior to joining SafeAI, he worked for nine years at Fleet Complete, one of the fastest-growing providers of connected commercial vehicle solutions. Before that, he also held leadership roles at BlackBerry and InSystems.

“Heavy industry is on the brink of a period of mass adoption for autonomous technology,” said Prusinski. “Now that we’ve seen the value and impact of automation for safer, more efficient construction and mining sites, there is no going back. Today, I’m excited to join the team at SafeAI to drive continued expansion and help companies worldwide unlock the value of connected autonomy to improve safety, reimagine workflows, and power results.”

Expansion into Canada comes on the heels of a year of significant growth for SafeAI as the company accelerated off-road deployment of autonomous technology. In late 2020, the company announced partnerships with industry leaders—including Obayashi and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company—to expand its ecosystem and more effectively deliver autonomy at scale. Earlier this year, SafeAI announced its expansion into Australia, the world’s largest mining market, and the addition of several new executives to lead the charge. Most recently, the company announced $21 million in Series A funding to accelerate research and development and global growth.

To learn more about SafeAI’s technology, or to get the latest updates, please visit safeai.ai.

About SafeAI
SafeAI is a global autonomous heavy equipment leader focused on advancing modern industry. SafeAI retrofits heavy equipment for autonomous applications in mining and construction to serve a massive ecosystem of industry players with complex needs. By building a software platform with the most advanced, industry-specific AI, SafeAI enables equipment owners to transform existing machines into self-operating robotic assets. The company currently is running an autonomous CAT 725 at a quarry in California. SafeAI is based in Milpitas, CA.

Contact
LaunchSquad for SafeAI
safeai@launchsquad.com

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Sweegen’s Bestevia® Rebaudioside M Approved in Europe

Forging the future with better sugar reduction solutions for food and beverages in the region.

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., July 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sweegen’s footprint in Europe became stronger after the European Union Commission published its approval of Sweegen’s non-GMO Signature Bestevia Rebaudioside M (Reb M) for use in food and beverages.

The approval of Sweegen’s Signature Bestevia Reb M leads the future of wellness in food and drink in Europe. Brands in Europe now have access to the best-tasting highly sought-after stevia sweetener. The availability broadens the toolkit for sugar alternatives to reimagine food and drink, opening new doors for creating healthy products for consumers.

“Sweegen’s Signature Bestevia Reb M approval is a celebration of good health and wellness for product developers and consumers alike,” said Luca Giannone, SVP of Sales. “This is just one of our many milestones in Europe to transform products for having a positive and lasting impact on our ever-evolving health.”

Consumers are increasingly aware of the need to reduce sugar in their diets for better health. Yet, when they are making decisions for purchasing food and beverages, consumers will ultimately select the brand with the best taste. Therefore, tackling the toughest sugar reduction challenges is a priority for brands as taste is the reason for repeat purchases.

The soft drinks industry in Europe is making a pledge to cut added sugars in Europe. The Union of European Soft Drinks Associations (UNESDA) announced on June 29 this year to reduce average added sugars in its beverages by another 10% across Europe by 2025.

In its further commitment to Europe, Sweegen has aligned the availability of its Reb M with commercializing the high-purity sweetener at its manufacturing facility in Europe. The facility is open in Europe for helping food and beverage manufacturers with rapid production and low cost-in-use sugar reduction solutions.

To compliment the approval of Reb M, Sweegen invested in designing and building its Innovation Studio in Reading, England, near London. The studio opened its doors in January 2021 with a full applications team to collaborate with food and beverage manufacturers on exploring the entire consumer landscape to understand what trends are driving consumer behavior, and then provide inspirational ingredients to represent those trend drivers.

“Our rapid innovation in application development enables our customer-focused solutions to help manufacturers create great-tasting, clean, natural, plant-based, sustainable products that meet today’s end-consumer needs and desires,” said Giannone.

Around the world, Sweegen’s Innovation Studios are open globally: Southern California, Mexico City, Reading (London) and very soon in Singapore. These studios will leverage local tastes and knowledge while serving as creative centers to explore and discover product innovations motivated by consumer trends and regional tastes.

“Sweegen’s global regulatory mission is the hallmark of opening new sugar reduction opportunities to manufacturers and brands for replacing sugar in foods and beverages, nutritional products, and many other market products world-wide,” said Hadi Omrani, director of regulatory affairs. “Europe is an important region in our global regulatory vision as we continually forge the future of wellness in food and drink around the world.”

Sweegen offers brands cost-effective and rapid innovation for sugar reduction solutions for beverage, dairy, savory and bakery with its Bestevia Taste Solutions for Europe.

Sweegen is the first company to receive the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel’s safety status for any steviol glycoside produced by alternative and sustainable technologies. To achieve high purity clean-tasting stevia leaf sweeteners, Sweegen uses a bioconversion process starting with the stevia leaf. This process enabled Sweegen to obtain the Non-GMO Project verification for its Signature Bestevia stevia sweeteners in the U.S. market.

Bestevia Reb M was commercialized in 2017 and has already been approved in many regions around the world.

About Sweegen

Sweegen provides sweet taste solutions for food and beverage manufacturers around the world.

We are on a mission to reduce the sugar and artificial sweeteners in our global diet.  Partnering with customers, we create delicious zero-sugar products that consumers love.  With the best Signature Stevia sweeteners in our portfolio such as Bestevia® Rebs B, D, E, I, M, and N, along with our deep knowledge of flavor modulators and texturants, Sweegen delivers market-leading solutions that customers want and consumers prefer.

For more information, please contact info@sweegen.com and visit Sweegen’s website, www.sweegen.com.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, among other statements, statements regarding the future prospects for Reb M stevia leaf sweetener. These statements are based on current expectations, but are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are beyond the control of Sweegen, Inc.

Relevant risks and uncertainties include those referenced in the historic filings of Sweegen, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements, and therefore should be carefully considered. Sweegen, Inc. assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments.

Attachment

Ana Arakelian
Sweegen
+1.949.709.0583
ana.arakelian@sweegen.com

 

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Rapid Micro Biosystems Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering

LOWELL, Mass., July 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rapid Micro Biosystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: RPID) (“Rapid Micro”), an innovative life sciences technology company providing mission critical automation solutions to facilitate the efficient manufacturing and fast, safe release of healthcare products, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 7,920,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a price to the public of $20.00 per share. All of the shares of Class A common stock are being offered by Rapid Micro. The gross proceeds from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by Rapid Micro, are expected to be $158.4 million, excluding any exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. Rapid Micro’s Class A common stock is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “RPID” on July 15, 2021. The offering is expected to close on July 19, 2021, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. In addition, Rapid Micro has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,188,000 shares of Rapid Micro’s Class A common stock at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Cowen and Company, LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated are acting as joint book-running managers of the offering.

A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-257431) relating to the offering has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and became effective on July 14, 2021. The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Attention: Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, telephone: (866) 803-9204 or email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmchase.com; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014, or by email at prospectus@morganstanley.com; Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, Attention: Prospectus Department, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY, 11717, by telephone at (833) 297-2926, or by email at PostSaleManualRequests@broadridge.com; or Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Attention: Syndicate, One Montgomery Street, Suite 3700, San Francisco, CA 94104, telephone: (415) 364-2720 or email at syndprospectus@stifel.com.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Contacts

Media:
media@rapidmicrobio.com

Investors:
investors@rapidmicrobio.com