Vistage Small and Midsize Business CEO Survey Shows Economic Outlook Deteriorating as Healthcare, Financing and Operating Costs Squeeze Margins

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Small and midsize business (SMB) CEOs' confidence in the economy declined for the third consecutive quarter in Q3 2026, according to the latest CEO Confidence Index from Vistage, a CEO coaching and peer advisory organization. The Index dropped 3.4 points to 80.8, down from 84.2 last quarter.

Vistage's latest survey found that economic sentiment has also weakened significantly from last quarter, with expectations for the year ahead falling the most. Business-level expectations are slightly more resilient, with 62% of CEOs still expecting revenue growth and 50% planning to expand their workforce. Still, mounting health care expenses amid open enrollment season and other rising costs are making it increasingly difficult to turn growth into profit.

"CEOs have struggled with economic uncertainty since the COVID pandemic and, more recently, with geopolitical instability," said Joe Galvin, Vistage's chief research officer. "Those concerns have now become reality, as growing inflation, higher interest rates, and the soaring price of energy translate into a vicious cycle of increased cost and compressed margins with no end in sight."

Since 2003, Vistage has measured SMB CEOs' sentiment on a variety of economic and business factors each quarter. ITR Economics' rate-of-change methodology has confirmed the Vistage CEO Confidence Index is a leading indicator of the U.S. Industrial Production Index nine months in advance, providing a clear view into the future.

"When you look at all of the rising input costs, materials, labor, electricity and insurance, amid economic headwinds like high interest rates, it's difficult to imagine a world in which margins don't compress and we don't face profitability struggles as we go into 2027," said Eric Post, Deputy Chief Economist at ITR Economics. "We want to make sure businesses don't over plan for what their top line can do in 2027 as the economy slows."

Q3 2026 Vistage CEO Confidence Index highlights include:

Economic optimism falls as CEOs look ahead.

- 46% of CEOs report that U.S. economic conditions have worsened compared to last year, while only 14% say conditions have improved, down 5 percentage points from last quarter.

- Only 19% expect the economy to improve over the next year, down 10 percentage points from last quarter and 13 points below Q3 2025.

- 34% now expect conditions to worsen, up 8 points from last quarter.

CEO revenue expectations soften modestly, and a smaller proportion expect increased profits.

- 62% expect higher revenue (down 2 percentage points from last quarter), but only 47% expect higher profit, as rising costs eat into margins.

- 36% plan to increase fixed investments over the next year, down 2 percentage points from 38% last quarter.

Health care costs add to the squeeze as open enrollment nears.

- 74% of CEOs expect health care costs to rise by at least 6% next year, including 33% who expect increases above 10%.

- 71% plan to seek competitive bids on their health benefits plan, including 24% who plan to change providers or plans. Just 23% of CEOs prefer to keep their current plan without shopping around.

- CEOs are weighing alternatives such as self-insurance, captive insurance, level-funded plans, PEOs and ICHRAs, while balancing cost saving against recruiting and retention risks of reducing benefits or shifting more costs to employees.

CEOs adopt a defensive financial posture as rates rise.

- Analysis of open-ended responses revealed that CEOs are responding to elevated interest rates with the following strategies: 

- Reducing debt and avoiding new borrowing

- Building cash reserves and funding growth through operating cash flow

- Applying tighter criteria to capital investments and acquisitions

- Refinancing or locking in fixed rates

Hiring plans hold steady and AI Use Increases

- 50% plan to expand their workforce (same as last quarter), while 11% expect a decrease.

- 82% of CEOs report using generative AI themselves, up from 76% in Q4 2025. Only 3% say no one in their organization uses it.

- More than 70% of CEOs whose businesses support data centers or AI infrastructure expect that segment of their business to grow in the next 12 months.

Talent, costs, and customer hesitation remain a challenge.

- Analysis of open-ended responses revealed that CEOs' top business challenges include finding and retaining qualified talent as well as rising costs for labor, fuel, insurance, materials, freight, and tariffs.

- Economic uncertainty is increasingly suppressing demand, with CEOs describing customers who delay, postpone or cancel orders and sales pipelines that are smaller and less reliable.

View the full results of the Q3 2026 Vistage CEO Confidence Index at: vistage.com/ceoindex.

About the Vistage CEO Confidence Index

Since 2003, the Vistage CEO Confidence Index has captured the sentiment of small and midsize business CEOs, presidents, and business owners in the United States about the economy each quarter. The Q3 2026 Vistage CEO Confidence Index survey was conducted online and sent to 9,443 active Vistage members participating in Chief Executive and Small Business groups. It was open between September 8 and 22, 2026, and captured input from 1,146 leaders.

Using ITR Economics' rate-of-change methodology, analysis has revealed that the Vistage CEO Confidence Index is a leading indicator of the U.S. Industrial Production Index 9 months in advance. For more than 20 years, the Vistage CEO Confidence Index has been recognized as the definitive voice of high-performing, high-integrity leaders. As a trusted resource, the Index provides world-class insights to inform decision-making for CEOs and other key leaders of small and midsize businesses.

About Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

Vistage is the world's largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization. Since 1957 we've been guiding CEOs and owners of small and midsize businesses to greater success. It's why Vistage member companies average 21+ years, while most U.S. businesses fail within five. Today, 45,000 members in 40 countries turn to Vistage to become better leaders who drive better outcomes. Learn more at www.vistage.com.

SOURCE Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

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Best Bill Pay Software for Small Business (2026): Melio Selected by Better Business Advice for Streamlining Vendor Payments

NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Better Business Advice has published a new review of bill pay software for small businesses, selecting Melio for streamlining vendor payments through a centralized accounts payable workflow.

Best Bill Pay Software for Small Business:

- Melio - a business payment platform that helps small businesses manage vendor bills, automate accounts payable tasks, schedule payments, and organize payment records across multiple payment methods

The recognition comes as small businesses replace scattered invoice files, bank portals, checks, email approvals, and manual data entry with digital payment tools. The review found that Melio brings invoice capture, approvals, payment scheduling, accounting synchronization, and payment tracking into one system.

Why Did Better Business Advice Select Melio for Small Business Bill Pay

In the review, Melio is selected as the best bill pay software for small business because the platform addresses more than the final transfer of funds. Better Business Advice highlights a connected workflow for managing bills before, during, and after payment, reducing repetitive administrative work without requiring a complex finance stack.

Key reasons cited in the review include:

- End-to-end bill management: Invoice capture, review, approval, payment, and accounting updates can be handled within one workflow.

- Flexible vendor payments: Businesses can fund eligible payments through ACH, credit or debit card, checks, wires, expedited transfers, and international payment options.

- Approval controls: User roles, permissions, and multi-level approval workflows can support businesses with more than one person involved in accounts payable.

- Accounting synchronization: Supported integrations can reduce duplicate data entry and help keep payment records aligned.

- AI-powered bill management: Agent Mel can retrieve information about bills, vendors, payment status, outstanding balances, and payment settings through a conversational interface.

- Mobile access: Payment creation, review, approvals, and transaction management can be handled through the Melio mobile app.

How Does Melio Streamline Vendor Payments

Melio organizes accounts payable into five main stages: capture, review, approve, pay, and sync. Bills can be imported or scanned, payment details can be checked before processing, approvals can be assigned by role, and one-time or recurring payments can be scheduled in advance. Batch tools can also group several bills into a more efficient payment process.

For small businesses comparing accounts payable automation software, vendor payment software, or online bill pay for businesses, the larger benefit is less manual handling around each invoice and clearer oversight of upcoming obligations.

What Payment Options Does Melio Support

Payment flexibility is a major factor in the Better Business Advice selection. Standard ACH transfers are available, while eligible card-funded payments allow a business to pay by card even when a vendor normally receives funds another way. Standard card-funded vendor payments carry a 2.9% fee.

Melio also supports paper checks, wire transfers, faster delivery options, and eligible international vendor payments. Different funding and receiving methods can help businesses work with varying vendor preferences while keeping payment activity centralized.

How Much Does Melio Cost

Businesses can choose from four main pricing tiers based on payment volume and account management needs through Melio:

- Go: $0 per month: Includes five free ACH payments per month and core bill pay features.

- Core: $25 per month: Includes 20 free ACH payments per month, along with additional accounting and automation tools.

- Boost: $55 per month: Includes 50 free ACH payments per month and more advanced user controls.

- Unlimited: $80 per month: Includes unlimited ACH payments and unlimited user seats.

Transaction fees can still apply to card-funded payments, expedited delivery, wires, and international transactions. Better Business Advice notes that the overall cost depends on payment volume and payment method, making the fee structure an important consideration when comparing small business bill pay software.

Why Does Centralized Bill Pay Matter for Growing Businesses

As payment volume increases, fragmented processes can create more reconciliation work, missed approvals, and less visibility into cash flow. A centralized system can make vendor payment management easier to track as a business grows.

Melio reports support for more than two million vendors and more than 40 million bills processed through the platform. Better Business Advice identified payment flexibility, AP automation, accounting synchronization, and scalable plan options as the main reasons for the selection.

The full review is available on the Better Business Advice website.

About Melio

Melio serves US SMBs and accounting firms with accounts payable, receivable and cash flow management solutions. Headquartered in New York with offices in Tel Aviv, Israel. Founded in 2018, Melio has scaled rapidly to serve over 80,000 customers. Melio's leading platform integrates with and maintains partnerships with financial institutions, allowing businesses to sync payments data and avoid manual entry. Melio also acts as a technology service provider for vertical SaaS platforms and financial institutions including Capital One and Shopify, and distribution partners including Fiserv through a syndication model. This enables Melio to potentially reach millions of small businesses to provide embedded accounts payable products.

About Better Business Advice: Better Business Advice covers the news and strategies driving modern business success. The information provided by Better Business Advice does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials are for general informational purposes only. As an affiliate, Better Business Advice may earn commissions from services mentioned in the links provided.

SOURCE BetterBusinessAdvice.com

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24X Completes Spot Cryptocurrency Trade in BTC with Standard Chartered and Wintermute

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 24X Bermuda Limited ("24X") today announced that it has successfully completed its second consecutive spot cryptocurrency client trade on its institutional-grade, multi-asset trading platform, solidifying its position as one of a select few global venues offering both crypto spot and FX trading on a single, unified technology infrastructure.

The trade was executed in Bitcoin (BTC) as part of 24X's strategic partnership with Standard Chartered, a leading international banking group and one of the world's global systemically important banks (G-SIBs). Standard Chartered acted as liquidity taker and Wintermute served as liquidity provider for this trade.

The transaction follows 24X's inaugural spot crypto trade, in which Cumberland DRW served as liquidity provider. Taken together, these two trades mark the continued development of regulated, institutional-grade infrastructure for digital asset markets, demonstrating how established financial institutions and specialist liquidity providers are helping accelerate the adoption of digital assets by institutional investors.

"Institutional demand for digital assets is increasing at an unprecedented level, and our 24X platform is ready to meet this moment," said 24X CEO and Founder Dmitri Galinov. "This trade with Wintermute affirms the deep liquidity, rigorous oversight, and the seamless workflow of our crypto trading infrastructure. We are very happy to be working with Wintermute and Standard Chartered on this transaction, and we look forward to continuing to execute these types of trades as global markets continue to converge around digital assets."

"Institutions already represent a significant part of the digital asset market, as reflected in their record share of our OTC spot flow in the first half of 2026, and expect the same quality of execution and infrastructure they are used to in traditional markets. Meeting those expectations requires the long-term investment in technology and operational efficiency we've made since Wintermute was founded. That approach has allowed us to serve a broad range of counterparties and now expand into traditional markets. We're pleased to have provided liquidity for this trade," said Evgeny Gaevoy, CEO and founder of Wintermute.

24X also offers Deliverable Swaps, Non-Deliverable Swaps, Metals and Spot products to institutional customers in addition to NDFs. Since its launch in 2019, 24X's multi-asset offering through a single trading interface has enabled market participants to access increased liquidity at lower cost. 24X's crypto activity is regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority.

About 24X

24X Bermuda Holdings LLC ("24 Exchange") is a privately held company with two primary operating subsidiaries: 24X Bermuda Limited, which allows seamless and cost-effective exchange of currency exposures; and 24X National Exchange LLC, the first national securities exchange approved by the SEC to operate 23 hours each weekday. 24X's mission is to enable cost-effective trades across a growing range of asset classes around the clock. 24X lowers the cost of exchanging assets in the global markets while delivering creative and unique workflows catered to each asset class. More information is available at https://24exchange.com/. 24X National Exchange enables retail and institutional customers around the world to trade in U.S. equities via broker-dealers who are approved members. More information about 24X National Exchange is available at https://equities.24exchange.com/home.

About Wintermute

Wintermute is a global algorithmic trading firm, leading OTC desk, and liquidity provider operating across digital asset and traditional financial markets. With over $3.5 trillion in annual trading volume, it provides liquidity across more than 70 centralized and decentralized exchanges and is a key partner to token projects seeking deep, scalable liquidity. Wintermute's proprietary trading infrastructure allows it to trade across the entire digital asset ecosystem as well as on the leading global derivatives exchanges in traditional markets, making it the preferred counterparty for a broad range of market participants, including some of the world's largest financial institutions. Alongside trading, building is central to Wintermute's DNA, from backing early-stage projects through Wintermute Ventures to incubating new protocols, some of which have grown into independent businesses. 

Media Contact:

Eric Andrus, KARV

[email protected]

SOURCE 24 Exchange

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eMemory/PUFsecurity Showcases OCP S.A.F.E.-Approved PUFrt at OCP Global Summit, Strengthening AI Data Center Security with Caliptra

PUFrt receives OCP S.A.F.E. Scope 3 approval following an independent security assessment of its resistance to physical attacks that could compromise sensitive information stored in silicon.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PUFsecurity, a subsidiary of eMemory Technology, was spotlighted at Microsoft's Caliptra Workshop on October 12, the opening day of the sold-out 2026 OCP Global Summit. The workshop drew nearly 400 attendees.

In his talk, "Caliptra Specification to Silicon Reality & a Turnkey Solution for Ecosystem Integrations," PUFsecurity Principal Security Architect Kent Chuang highlighted how PUFrt helps bring the open-source Caliptra specification into production-ready silicon for AI data centers.

PUFrt has also received OCP S.A.F.E. approval following an independent Scope 3 security assessment and is now listed on the OCP Marketplace, marking an important milestone in advancing hardware security for cloud and AI infrastructure.

PUFrt: The Physical Security Anchor for the Caliptra Architecture

Caliptra is an open-source hardware Root-of-Trust architecture developed under the Open Compute Project (OCP), designed to provide every chip in cloud servers with a verifiable identity and a trusted boot path.

As AI infrastructure continues to expand rapidly, every chip within a data center must have a verifiable identity. Caliptra is becoming the standard for establishing this trust, while PUFrt provides the underlying physical security foundation, from key generation to chip mass-production testing, ensuring security throughout the supply chain and enabling large-scale deployment across the ecosystem.

PUFrt integrates eMemory's NeoPUF technology to generate chip-specific Unique Device Secrets (UDS), NeoFuse anti-fuse One-Time Programmable (OTP) memory for on-chip data storage, and an entropy source compliant with NIST SP 800-90B standards. As an early adopter of Caliptra, PUFrt has already been successfully integrated into Caliptra products from ASPEED, a leading provider of server management chips (BMC/SMC), as well as security systems from several major memory manufacturers and networking-related chips.

OCP S.A.F.E. Scope 3 Approval: Independently Assessed for Physical Attack Resistance

PUFrt completed its Scope 3 assessment in 2026, focusing on its ability to resist physical threats, including fault injection and side-channel attacks. The OCP S.A.F.E. program provides an industry-wide, standardized, and independent security review framework for hardware and software, helping customers avoid repetitive security assessments.

For silicon Roots of Trust, resistance to physical attacks is particularly important because the cryptographic keys and device secrets they protect serve as the foundation for higher-level security functions.

Supporting the Agentic AI Era with Caliptra

As AI infrastructure evolves to support Agentic AI workloads capable of autonomous decision-making, data center security architectures are rapidly transitioning from proprietary, closed systems toward standardized, open-source architectures such as Caliptra.

PUFrt now fully supports Caliptra 1.x and 2.x silicon IP requirements on advanced process nodes. Through PUFsecurity's "One-Stop-Shop Service," chip design teams can access a complete, pre-validated solution integrating Caliptra and PUFrt, covering verification, certification support, and end-to-end engineering guidance, significantly shortening the development-to-mass-production timeline.

The OCP Marketplace listing for PUFsecurity's OCP S.A.F.E.-approved PUFrt is available here.

About PUFsecurity

PUFsecurity, a subsidiary of eMemory Technology, is a leading global provider of Hardware Root of Trust technology, focusing on security IP solutions built around PUF (Physical Unclonable Function) technology. Leveraging parent company eMemory's NeoPUF native key technology and OTP secure storage foundation, PUFsecurity concentrates on the development and deployment of NeoPUF and comprehensive security architectures, helping chip and system designers address the security challenges of the quantum era and build long-term resilient defenses. Its core products include the PUFrt, PUFcc, PUFhsm, and PUFPQC security IPs, and the company continues to expand a PUF-based Security-as-a-Service ecosystem that provides identity, protection, and authentication for the next generation of connected devices. For more information, visit www.pufsecurity.com.

SOURCE PUFsecurity Corporation; eMemory Technology Inc.

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YINGFA Showcases TOPCon 3.0 Multi-Cut and XBC 2.0 Solar Cells at REI 2026

Manufacturing in China and Indonesia, combined with dedicated local support in India, strengthens partnerships with module manufacturers

GREATER NOIDA, India, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- YINGFA will showcase its TOPCon multi-cut and XBC solar cells at Renewable Energy India Expo 2026, taking place October 22–24 at India Expo Mart. At Hall 14, Booth C33, the company will present cell technologies designed to help module manufacturers achieve higher efficiency and greater design flexibility, supported by production facilities in China and Indonesia and dedicated local customer support in India.

Cell Innovation for Module Design

YINGFA's TOPCon 3.0 solar cells deliver a measured cell efficiency of 27.3% and are available in full-cell, half-cut, third-cut and quarter-cut formats to accommodate different module designs. Visitors can view physical samples and discuss cell selection, product configurations and manufacturing compatibility with the YINGFA team.

YINGFA's XBC 2.0 solar cells deliver efficiencies of up to 28.4%, combining a pure black appearance with a front surface free of metal gridlines. These characteristics make them suitable for module designs where both performance and aesthetics matter.

Both efficiency figures apply to individual solar cells. Actual finished-module performance will vary depending on module design, materials and manufacturing processes.

Global Manufacturing, Local Support

With manufacturing operations in China and Indonesia, including PT. Bintan Cellular Indonesia (BCI), YINGFA combines international production capacity with dedicated customer support in India.

Its India-based team provides customers with access to sales, technical and customer service specialists, helping address product requirements, quality considerations and after-sales needs. By combining manufacturing capabilities across Asia with local market expertise, YINGFA aims to strengthen long-term partnerships with Indian module manufacturers.

At REI 2026, YINGFA invites customers and industry partners to visit Hall 14, Booth C33 to learn more about its solar cell portfolio, discuss next-generation module designs and explore potential areas of collaboration.

About YINGFA

YINGFA is a solar cell manufacturer with operations in China and Indonesia, serving customers in international markets. Its portfolio includes TOPCon and XBC solar cells in multiple formats. With a commitment to "We Only Make Better Solar Cells," YINGFA focuses on cell innovation, manufacturing quality and customer service.

SOURCE YINGFA

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HNS 2026 | Huawei Launches Newly Upgraded Stellar Intelligent Fabric for the European Market

FLORENCE, Italy, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Huawei Network Summit 2026 Europe (HNS 2026), industry leaders convened for the executive roundtable, "Founded on Resilience, Forged by Intelligence: Building Europe's Next-Generation Open Data Center Networks." During the event, Huawei introduced its newly upgraded Stellar Intelligent Fabric for the European market. With enhanced intelligence, performance, and reliability, the solution empowers enterprises to build ultra-resilient, ultra-efficient next-generation open data center networks.

Opening the session, Bingyu Zhou, Vice Director of Huawei European ICT Marketing & Solution Sales Dept, noted that intelligence adoption will reshape global industries over the next decade, creating a strategic window for Europe. Delivering hyperscale capacity, high throughput, automated O&M, modular architecture, and low power consumption, Huawei data center networks advance Europe's green strategy and industry digitization. Guided by its "In Europe, For Europe" commitment, Huawei collaborates with regional partners to build open network infrastructure.

Johnny Cheng, Vice President of Data Center Network Domain at Huawei Data Communication Product Line, emphasized that exponential growth in data center scale and complexity is straining operational efficiency and uptime. To address this, Huawei launched the Stellar Intelligent Ultra-Resilient Fabric. Powered by StarryWing Digital Map 2.0 and Rock-Solid Architecture 2.0, it establishes an intelligent, open network fabric that eliminates single points of failure and safeguards critical workloads.

Sharing deployment results, Mesut ÖZCA, Leader Solutions Manager at KoçSistem, stated: "We partnered with Huawei to modernize our data center resilience, using StarryWing Digital Map to deploy a multi-DC topology. Multi-plane networking provides cross-center self-healing capabilities, keeping our compute services continuously online even during localized hardware failures."

Aldo Artigiani, Technical Officer of OEHI's Interconnect Working Group, highlighted that artificial intelligence is accelerating the dawn of an intelligent world, with robust artificial intelligence infrastructure as its cornerstone. International bodies like ITU-T and OEHI have rolled out Ethernet standards for artificial intelligence and HPC, delivering higher performance and optimized TCO. Artigiani called on the industry to embrace open Ethernet to collaboratively drive advancement.

Looking ahead, Huawei will maintain open collaboration and technical innovation. By deepening partnerships across Europe, Huawei will advance data center networking architectures, empower enterprise transformation, and foster high-quality, sustainable digital economic growth.

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BEIJING, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily:

During a reception held by the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva in late September, China's Shanxi province showcased its intangible cultural heritage to more than 100 foreign diplomats attending the event.

Officials and artists from Shanxi hosted an ICH exhibition, attracting attention from guests with its rich portfolio of exhibits.

Yang Xuefei, a knotting artist from the northern Shanxi city of Datong, for instance, displayed 48 brooches made using 'Datong knotting', a recognized ICH craft.

She made some brooches for Swiss guests on-site.

While featuring the edelweiss, a national symbol of Switzerland, the pieces also contained elements of Datong's local culture — the ornamental flying ribbons inspired by the Yungang Grottoes statues.

Yang and her colleagues have created more than 500 creative cultural products based on the Datong knotting technique and local culture.

In recent years, Yang's team has displayed the products in a number of countries, making these small articles a vehicle to promote Chinese culture globally.

Bai Huaibing, a master inheritor of the ancient colored glaze production technique in Jiexiu, displayed more than 20 exhibits at the event.

The city of Jiexiu boasts a millennium-long history of colored glaze craftsmanship, hosting numerous buildings and ornaments adorned with this well-preserved art form. The colored glaze pieces include ceramics, building ornaments and sculptures.

Hailing from a family with many generations dedicated to colored glaze production, Bai has developed a great number of glazed items that appeal to modern aesthetics.

At the exhibition, the artist taught visitors how to apply glaze to pottery bodies, giving them a better understanding of the traditional Chinese art.

Also on display at the event were Shangdang brocade from Changzhi, hand-polished lacquerware from Pingyao and chengni ink slabs from Yuncheng, as well as many others.

The exhibition's organizers said Shanxi is renowned for its rich intangible cultural heritage resources. It boasts 182 representative ICH items on the national list and 198 nationally recognized ICH inheritors. In addition, it hosts more than 1,000 provincial-level ICH items.

The exhibition had attracted visitors' attention to Shanxi. Many visitors, who were not so familiar with the province, began to browse maps of Shanxi on their smartphones and even talked about plans to visit.

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"From K-Beauty to K-Patch": MARSHIQUE Expands into North America with Launch at Ulta Beauty

Targeted wrinkle and lifting patches, along with MARSHIQUE's signature eyelash serum, will be available to U.S. beauty enthusiasts through Ulta Beauty

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global beauty brand MARSHIQUE is officially entering Ulta Beauty, the nation's largest beauty retailer, marking a major step in the brand's expansion into the North American market.

MARSHIQUE officially launched on Ulta.com on October 18, followed by an in-store launch at 500+ Ulta Beauty locations nationwide beginning November 1. The debut will give MARSHIQUE a strong retail presence in the U.S. and expand the brand's reach among American beauty consumers.

With more than 1,500 stores nationwide, Ulta Beauty is the largest specialty beauty retailer in the United States, offering a broad portfolio of global beauty brands across skincare, makeup, haircare, and other categories.

From Wrinkles to Lifting: MARSHIQUE's Targeted Patch Collection Arrives in the U.S.

A key highlight of MARSHIQUE's Ulta Beauty launch is the introduction of its complete range of targeted patches.

MARSHIQUE has developed a specialized patch collection designed to address specific areas and concerns, including patches targeting the appearance of wrinkles around the frown lines, smile lines, forehead, and eye area, as well as the neck, along with lifting patches designed for the appearance of facial contours.

Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to facial care, MARSHIQUE offers a more targeted routine: apply the patch directly to the area of concern for focused, targeted care. This approach has helped the brand establish a distinctive position in the patch-care category.

Beginning with its frown line patch, MARSHIQUE has continued to expand its assortment to address a wider range of specific areas—including the smile lines, forehead, eye area, and neck—as well as lifting and contouring. Through this continued expansion, the brand has positioned patches as a distinct beauty-care category in their own right.

From Targeted Patches to Eyelash Serum: MARSHIQUE's Signature Beauty Solutions

The Ulta Beauty launch will feature MARSHIQUE's complete patch collection, and its signature eyelash serum, another key product category for the brand.

MARSHIQUE has continued to develop easy-to-use at-home beauty solutions built around specific consumer needs. Its product portfolio is designed to make targeted beauty care simple and convenient enough to incorporate into everyday routines.

The brand's eyelash serum has become one of MARSHIQUE's core product categories alongside its patch collection in the Korean market. With its U.S. launch, the brand will introduce consumers to a broader range of targeted beauty solutions beyond its signature patches.

Beyond K-Beauty: Introducing "K-Patch" to the Global Beauty Market

MARSHIQUE sees its Ulta Beauty launch as more than an expansion of its international distribution network. The launch marks an important opportunity to bring "K-Patch"—a targeted beauty-care concept developed in the Korean market— to the mainstream U.S. beauty market.

While K-Beauty has built a strong global presence through categories such as skincare and makeup, MARSHIQUE is looking to expand that conversation by introducing K-Patch, a category centered on targeted patches for specific concerns such as wrinkles, lifting, and facial contouring.

A MARSHIQUE representative said, "Our Ulta Beauty launch is particularly meaningful because we are introducing not just a single product, but our full range of patches, which has built a strong presence in the Korean market, together with our signature eyelash serum."

"From targeted concerns around the frown lines, smile lines, forehead, eye area, and neck to lifting and facial contouring, our goal is to offer U.S. consumers a new and convenient approach to their at-home beauty routines," the representative added.

The representative continued, "Just as K-Beauty has grown into a major force in the global beauty industry, our goal is to establish K-Patch as a distinct beauty category that consumers around the world can discover, embrace, and incorporate into their routines."

Following its Ulta Beauty launch, MARSHIQUE plans to continue expanding its brand awareness and consumer reach across the United States while developing differentiated products centered around its targeted patch collection. The brand also plans to further expand its presence in global markets by continuing to build on its expertise in targeted, at-home beauty care.

MARSHIQUE became available to shop on Ulta.com on October 18 and will be available in 504 Ulta Beauty stores nationwide on November 1 with the assortment ranging from $16 to $25.

SOURCE MARSHIQUE

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The attempt became one of the highlights of Moldova's flagship wine event and gave a visual dimension to the anniversary edition's theme, "United by Wine". Hundreds of participants came together to form a single grapevine, one of the most recognisable symbols of the country's winemaking heritage.

Stretching approximately 39 metres, the human grapevine followed a design approved in advance by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™. Participants recreated the roots, trunk, branches, six grape clusters, six leaves and vine tendrils. Different clothing colours were used to distinguish the elements and ensure the formation could be clearly recognised from the air.

All 493 participants were individually registered and assigned fixed positions, while entry and counting were strictly controlled. QR-code scanning was used as part of the verification process to prevent double counting.

The participants remained in formation for around 15 minutes while the record attempt was assessed against more than 30 technical criteria, including compliance with the approved design, the number and positioning of participants, the size of the formation and the required photographic and video evidence.

"The Republic of Moldova has achieved a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title, and for us this is undoubtedly the most beautiful gift for the 25th edition of National Wine Day.

Hundreds of people came together to form a single grapevine – a symbol of our winemaking traditions and a visual expression of this year's message, 'United by Wine'," said Stefan Iamandi, Director of the National Office for Vine and Wine.

The anniversary edition also reached new participation milestones, bringing together 114 wineries, selling 14,000 tasting booklets – around 50% more than in 2025 – and welcoming visitors from more than 70 countries.

National Wine Day is Moldova's largest annual event dedicated to the "Wine of Moldova. Unexpectedly Great." national wine brand. The next edition is scheduled for October 2–3, 2027.

Contact: Ionela Stati, [email protected]

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New Ai-powered fitness platform OptimalFit launched by BODi Trainer Joel Freeman and PNBA Olympia Champion Megan Freeman

Built from the ground up, OptimalFit combines personalized nutrition, training, progress tracking, and adaptive AI guidance in one connected platform.

DALLAS, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Joel Freeman, creator of popular BODi programs including LIIFT4, LIIFT MORE, and 10 ROUNDS, and his wife, Megan Freeman, a PNBA Natural Olympia World Champion and NPC Competitor, announce the launch of OptimalFit, an AI-powered fitness platform designed to personalize and adapt both nutrition and training to each individual.

Developed over more than two years, OptimalFit brings together the essential components of fitness in one connected experience, helping users make adjustments as their goals, preferences, schedules, and progress evolve.

Nutrition and Training That Adapt to You

OptimalFit places nutrition alongside training as a foundation of personalized fitness.

Users can establish individualized nutrition targets, track food intake, create recipes, plan meals, and receive guidance tailored to their goals, dietary preferences, and nutritional needs.

Rather than relying on rigid meal plans or disconnected tracking tools, OptimalFit is designed to help users adapt their nutrition while keeping it connected to their training and progress.

The platform also provides personalized workout programming that can adjust to equipment availability, schedules, fitness levels, and changing circumstances.

Built From the Ground Up

After exploring existing white-label fitness platforms, Joel and Megan determined that available solutions couldn't deliver the integration, customization, and adaptability they envisioned.

"We didn't want another app that simply delivers workouts or tracks calories," said Joel Freeman, Co-Founder and CEO. "We wanted nutrition, training, and progress to work together, with the flexibility to adapt to each person. Building from scratch allowed us to create that experience."

Meet Olli: Personalized AI Guidance

At the center of OptimalFit is Olli, an AI fitness assistant developed and refined over more than a year. Olli considers users' goals, preferences, training history, nutrition, and progress to help customize workouts, develop recipes, guide nutritional decisions, and adjust plans as needs change.

"Fitness and nutrition aren't one-size-fits-all," said Megan Freeman, Co-Founder. "We wanted to make personalized guidance more accessible and help people adapt without constantly starting over."

OptimalFit launched October 18, 2026, with Charter Member pricing of $19.95 monthly or $199 annually, available on both iOS and Google mobile devices. Available in United States and Canada.

Learn more at https://optimalfit.com

SOURCE OPFIT LLC

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