DENVER, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- "This National Manufacturing Week, EverPeak is proud to recognize the light manufacturers and machine shops that turn raw materials into the goods our communities depend on every day. These businesses are the backbone of American industry for their precision, resilience, and behind-the-scenes steadiness that keep supply chains moving.

At EverPeak, we know that running a manufacturing operation brings real complexity, and we exist to make workers' comp coverage easy, affordable, and predictable.

To every machine shop and light manufacturer we're proud to protect: thank you for building the things that build everything else."

About EverPeak® Insurance

EverPeak Insurance is a workers' compensation insurance solution offering comprehensive coverage and market-leading service for businesses across the United States. With an approach to care based on Pinnacol Assurance's 100+ years of industry-leading underwriting, claims and risk management experience, we cover the hardest-working businesses because we work hard, too. EverPeak Insurance offers skilled protection for businesses with the toughest risks and partners with insurance agents who strive to offer the best protection to those businesses that need it most. Learn more at everpeak.com.

Media Contact:

Liz Johnson Director, Public Relations, EverPeak Insurance 720.939.7238 (mobile) [email protected]

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DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- According to MarketsandMarkets™, the Smart Shopping Cart Market is estimated to be USD 0.59 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach USD 1.65 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 18.7%.

Browse 200 market data Tables and 45 Figures spread through 250 Pages and in-depth TOC on 'Smart Shopping Cart Market - Global Forecast to 2032'

Smart Shopping Cart Market Size & Forecast:

- Market Size Available for Years: 2025–2032

- 2025 Market Size: USD 0.33 billion

- 2026 Market Size: USD 0.59 billion

- 2032 Projected Market Size: USD 1.65 billion

- CAGR (2026–2032): 18.7%

Smart Shopping Cart Market Trends & Insights:

- The market is gaining traction as retailers increasingly adopt smart carts to automate checkout, improve shopping convenience, and strengthen digital engagement within physical stores.

- By application area, the supermarkets segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 19.4%.

- By mode of sale, the distributor segment is projected to grow the fastest from 2026 to 2032.

- North America accounted for a 42.4% share in 2026.

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Smart shopping carts are increasingly being adopted as retailers seek to bridge digital and physical shopping experiences within stores. Traditional shopping carts provide limited opportunities for retailers to interact with customers once they enter a store, whereas connected carts can provide digital assistance throughout the shopping journey. Shoppers can access product information, receive relevant offers, locate products, and manage purchases through the cart itself. Retailers can also connect smart carts with loyalty programs, POS systems, and digital payment platforms to create a more integrated shopping experience. The growing use of computer vision, sensor technologies, and embedded computing is improving these carts' ability to recognize products and respond to customer interactions in real time. As retailers invest in omnichannel strategies, smart carts are becoming an important in-store technology for connecting customer engagement, digital services, and transaction capabilities.

The supermarkets segment is expected to have the fastest growth during the forecast period.

Supermarkets are expected to witness the fastest growth in the Smart Shopping Cart Market due to the increasing need to make high-frequency grocery shopping more convenient and digitally enabled. Grocery purchases often involve multiple product categories and frequent repeat visits, creating opportunities for smart carts to simplify shopping and provide relevant assistance during the trip. Features such as digital shopping lists, product location guidance, basket monitoring, and personalized offers can help shoppers navigate stores more efficiently. Retailers can also use these capabilities to promote complementary products and strengthen loyalty engagement during routine shopping trips. The growing adoption of smart cart solutions by grocery retailers in North America and other developed markets is further supporting segment growth. As supermarkets increasingly combine physical stores with digital loyalty and e-commerce ecosystems, smart carts can provide a direct technology layer for extending these digital services into the store.

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Fully integrated cart segment is expected to have the largest market size.

Fully integrated smart carts are expected to account for the largest market size during the forecast period. These purpose-built carts incorporate cameras, sensors, computing systems, displays, and payment capabilities into a single platform, allowing retailers to deploy multiple smart shopping functions through one device. Their integrated architecture provides greater control over hardware and software performance and enables retailers to deliver a consistent shopping experience across stores. Fully integrated carts are particularly suitable for large grocery chains and retailers undertaking broader store modernization initiatives, where standardized technology can be deployed across multiple locations. Solutions such as Caper Carts and Amazon Dash Cart show the growing use of purpose-built carts that combine product recognition, transaction processing, and customer engagement. Although fully integrated carts require greater upfront investment than retrofit solutions, their ability to support multiple applications within a single platform makes them attractive to retailers seeking a comprehensive smart shopping solution. The increasing integration of checkout, loyalty, promotions, and digital assistance is expected to support continued demand for fully integrated carts.

Asia Pacific to register highest growth rate during forecast period.

Asia Pacific is expected to register the fastest growth in the Smart Shopping Cart Market, supported by the rapid modernization of retail infrastructure and increasing adoption of technology-enabled shopping formats. Retailers across countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India are increasingly investing in digital solutions to improve the in-store experience and differentiate their formats from traditional retail outlets. The region's strong e-commerce ecosystem is also encouraging retailers to bring digital capabilities such as personalized recommendations, mobile payments, and loyalty engagement into physical stores. In addition, local technology developers and electronics manufacturers support the development of smart carts that can adapt to regional payment systems and store formats. Smart cart deployments in supermarkets and large-format stores are expected to increase as retailers experiment with automated checkout, digital merchandising, and connected shopping experiences. The expansion of modern grocery retail and increasing investment in retail technology across emerging Asian markets is expected to create significant opportunities for smart shopping cart providers in the region.

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Top Companies in Smart Shopping Cart Market:

The Top Companies in Smart Shopping Cart Market are Amazon (US), Caper (US), Veeve (US), Shopic (Israel), SuperHii (China), Tracxpoint (Israel), Cust2Mate (Israel), Shekel (Israel), Faytech (US), KBST (Germany), MetroClick (US), Retail AI (Japan), Pentland Firth Software (Germany), VasyERP (India), Smapca (India), SwiftForce (India), KwikKart (US), ZeroQs (Poland), Shopreme (Austria), and Trollee (Hong Kong).

Smart Shopping Cart Market - Investment & funding + Merger & Acquisition

Investment Funding Context

The Smart Shopping Cart Market is attracting investment as retailers and technology providers modernize physical stores with AI-powered checkout, computer vision, and connected shopping technologies. Investment activity is increasingly focused on product recognition, autonomous checkout, retrofit solutions, retail media, and integration with payment and loyalty platforms. The funding landscape includes both standalone smart cart companies and larger retail technology platforms expanding into connected in-store solutions. For instance, Shopic raised USD 35 million in Series B funding in 2022, bringing its total funding to about USD 56 million, and used the investment to expand its AI-enabled smart cart solution across global grocery markets. Instacart has also invested in smart cart capabilities through its acquisition of Caper AI, integrating smart carts and checkout technologies into its broader retailer technology platform. More recently, A2Z Cust2Mate has secured large commercial orders for its smart cart platform, including a USD 55 million order from Yochananof in 2025 and a USD 50 million, five-year agreement with Carrefour Israel in 2026. These developments indicate that investment is increasingly moving from early-stage technology development toward large-scale commercial deployment and recurring revenue models.

Revenue Shift Context

The Smart Shopping Cart Market is gradually shifting from a hardware-led revenue model toward recurring technology and digital-service revenues. Traditional smart cart deployments primarily generate revenue through cart and associated hardware sales, with additional income from installation, maintenance, and technical support. However, vendors are increasingly introducing subscription and per-cart models that combine hardware with software, analytics, maintenance, and continuous feature updates. A2Z Cust2Mate, for example, is moving toward multiyear subscription arrangements in which retailers pay upfront and recurring fees for carts, software, maintenance, and support. At the same time, smart carts are becoming platforms for retail media, personalized promotions, data analytics, and third-party digital services, creating additional revenue streams for vendors and retailers. Cust2Mate's agreements demonstrate this transition, with contracts incorporating monthly per-cart charges, advertising, data services, and revenue-sharing arrangements. This shift is expected to improve revenue visibility for vendors, reduce dependence on one-time hardware sales, and increase the long-term commercial value of deployed smart cart fleets.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions in the Smart Shopping Cart Market have focused primarily on bringing smart cart technology into broader retail technology ecosystems rather than consolidating standalone cart manufacturers. A notable transaction was Instacart's acquisition of Caper AI in October 2021, which brought Caper's AI-powered smart carts and smart checkout technology into Instacart's retailer enablement platform. The transaction allowed Instacart to combine Caper's in-store technology with its existing ecommerce, fulfillment, loyalty, and retail technology capabilities.

Colombia Earthquake Refocuses Attention on L.A.'s Non-Ductile Concrete Risk

Alpha Structural's Kyle Tourjé says owners of older concrete buildings need to understand how their structures are likely to perform in a major earthquake before determining retrofit scope, cost, and timing.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More than a decade after Los Angeles adopted its mandatory retrofit program for certain non-ductile concrete buildings, fewer than 15% of affected properties had submitted retrofit plans, according to research published in Earthquake Spectra in July 2026. Researchers found financing was perceived as the greatest barrier, alongside technical, relocation, and governance challenges.

The finding now sits against the backdrop of a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia in August. A United Nations Development Programme assessment reported that more than 225,000 structures were affected and estimated $13.28 billion in direct physical damage. The scale of the damage offers an example of what can happen when unprepared structures are exposed to severe shaking.

"One of the biggest misconceptions is that more reinforcing steel automatically means better earthquake performance," said Kyle Tourjé, Executive Vice President of Alpha Structural, a California structural engineering and construction firm specializing in foundation repair, seismic retrofitting, and complex structural upgrades. "A building can contain significant amounts of reinforcing steel and still perform poorly."

Older Concrete Buildings Can Fail Under Strong Shaking

A non-ductile concrete building is a reinforced-concrete structure that lacks the seismic detailing needed to deform and dissipate earthquake energy without brittle failure. A ductile structure, by contrast, is designed to flex and absorb strong shaking while maintaining the integrity of critical structural components.

Older concrete buildings may have deficiencies because of horizontal or vertical irregularities in the structural system. They may also have insufficient resilience in concrete elements and connections, including columns, beam-column joints, reinforcement patterns, column and beam confinement, and diaphragms. Tourjé said engineers may also find insufficient lap-splice lengths, where sections of reinforcing steel overlap, or wider spacing of ties and stirrups within columns and beams. "In some older buildings, those components were not designed to handle the intense, cyclic nature of forces we now account for in seismic design," Tourjé said.

Los Angeles Drew a Line at 1977

Los Angeles' retrofit program applies to certain concrete buildings constructed under permit applications submitted before January 13, 1977. The date reflects a period before major seismic-code improvements changed how reinforced-concrete buildings were detailed for earthquake performance.

That does not mean every building from that era will perform poorly. A review may begin with original drawings to understand the structural system, reinforcement patterns, and applicable code at the time of construction. Engineers may then need field investigation because "plans rarely tell the whole story," Tourjé said. "Site investigations, material testing, reinforcement mapping, and selective exploratory work may be needed to understand the structure that is actually there today."

Defining the Retrofit Before the Cost

Non-ductile concrete retrofits can be more complex than programs aimed at a single, well-defined building weakness. A soft-story retrofit, for example, may focus primarily on strengthening one vulnerable level. An older concrete building may require engineers to evaluate how multiple systems and components behave together.

Depending on the deficiencies identified, strengthening may include work on columns, beams, diaphragms, connections, new shear walls, steel bracing, steel/concrete moment frames, or strengthening of other critical structural elements.

The scope does not always require an all-at-once approach. Tourjé said some projects may allow improvements to be prioritized or phased based on the severity of deficiencies, occupancy constraints, available financing, and the owner's broader project goals. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety also points property owners to Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, financing as one option for eligible seismic retrofit improvements.

"Owners cannot make informed financial commitments until they understand which deficiencies exist and which solutions are likely to deliver the greatest risk reduction," Tourjé said.

Evaluation Comes Before the Earthquake

Delaying an evaluation can leave owners making structural, financial, and construction decisions under far greater pressure after a damaging event. "Once a potential seismic vulnerability is identified, the most important next step is developing a clear engineering understanding of existing conditions," Tourjé said. "That process helps owners determine the actual level of risk, the scope of potential strengthening, and the options available before a major earthquake forces those decisions."

Meeting compliance requirements, Tourjé emphasized, does not eliminate the structural vulnerability that may already exist. "A deadline is a regulatory milestone. Structural risk is a life-safety issue."

About Alpha Structural, Inc.

When he saw geological challenges trigger catastrophic building collapses, Dave Tourje, founder of Alpha Structural, Inc., immersed himself in construction repairs and mitigation facing the iconic hillside homes and buildings throughout Los Angeles in the 1980s. He recognized a lack of skilled tradesmen and the need for repairs or upgrades to be engineered and constructed successfully. Today, Alpha Structural is Southern California's premier structural repair and engineering firm. With more than 30 years of experience in foundation repair, hillside stabilization, and seismic retrofitting with challenges of earthquakes, wildfires and landslides, Alpha Structural distinguishes itself by being dual-licensed and authorized by the State of California to both engineer and build in-house—an integration that eliminates miscommunication and cost overruns seen when engineering and construction are handled separately. Alpha Structural is trusted by homeowners, municipalities, and commercial partners alike. For more information visit Alpha Structural.

References:

- Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. (n.d.). Non-ductile concrete retrofit owner guide. City of Los Angeles. dbs.lacity.gov/sites/default/files/efs/forms/pc17/non-ductile-concrete-retrofit-owner-guide.pdf

- Rhoades, K. R., Liel, A. B., & Dashti, S. (2026). Perceived enablers and barriers of the Los Angeles non-ductile concrete seismic retrofit ordinance. Earthquake Spectra, 42(3), e70100. doi.org/10.1002/esp4.70100

- United Nations Development Programme. (2026, August 28). RAPIDA assessment of Colombia earthquake estimates USD 13.2 billion (COP 42.1 trillion) in structural damage and generated 16.9 million cubic metres of debris. undp.org/latin-america/press-releases/rapida-assessment-colombia-earthquake-estimates-usd-132-billion-cop-421-trillion-structural-damage-and-generated-169

Media Inquiries:

Karla Jo Helms

JOTO PR™

727-777-4629

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Makera Empowers Small Businesses to Bring Manufacturing In-House with Carvera Air Desktop CNC

MIDDLETOWN, Del., Sep. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Makera, a company dedicated to making desktop CNC technology more accessible, is helping small businesses and independent entrepreneurs bring precision manufacturing capabilities into their own workshops. With Makera Carvera Air, creators across industries are reducing reliance on external suppliers, accelerating product development, and unlocking new opportunities for small-batch production.

Traditionally, access to CNC machining has required significant investments in industrial equipment, dedicated facilities, and specialized expertise. For small businesses, these barriers can limit creativity, slow production cycles, and increase manufacturing costs.

Makera Carvera Air is changing this by bringing professional-grade CNC capabilities into a compact and accessible platform, enabling entrepreneurs to prototype faster, manufacture specialized components, and maintain greater control over their production process.

Helping Craft Businesses Scale Without Losing Creativity

For custom knifemaker Jesse Jarosz of Jarosz Knives, craftsmanship and precision are central to his business. However, as his designs became more complex, traditional manual processes limited his ability to efficiently create intricate components.

By integrating Carvera Air into his workflow, Jesse was able to expand his design capabilities while maintaining the handcrafted quality of his knives. The desktop CNC machine enabled him to produce precision components such as handle scales, backspacers, and custom inlays, allowing his small-batch knife business to achieve greater consistency and efficiency.

"CNC gave me an opportunity to effectively add greater complexity to my knives in a way that was actually practical from a business standpoint," said Jesse Jarosz, Founder of Jarosz Knives.

Rather than replacing traditional craftsmanship, CNC technology became a tool that allowed Jesse to focus more on design innovation and customer-driven customization.

Turning Desktop CNC Into a Business Opportunity

For veteran machinist Wylder Barrows, CNC machining was already part of his professional background. However, he wanted a compact manufacturing solution that could support his own independent projects outside of traditional machining environments.

Using Carvera Air, Wylder began producing custom molds and specialty components, including injection molds for small-scale products. The machine allowed him to create a new revenue stream while maintaining the flexibility of a small workshop environment.

Within approximately six months, his Carvera Air investment had paid for itself through his machining side business. "My mold-making side hustle has paid for the cost of the Air," said Wylder Barrows.

For independent entrepreneurs, desktop CNC provides a practical way to explore new business opportunities without the cost and complexity typically associated with industrial manufacturing equipment.

Supporting Specialized Markets Through Local Manufacturing

For Rory Turnham of RS Junkie, Carvera Air provides a solution for producing specialized motorcycle components for enthusiasts maintaining and upgrading older two-stroke motorcycles.

Traditional manufacturing methods often make low-volume production challenging due to tooling costs and minimum order requirements. With desktop CNC, Rory can manufacture customized and replacement parts in smaller quantities, helping serve niche communities that may not be supported by conventional mass production.

Redefining What Small-Scale Manufacturing Can Be

Across industries, small businesses share a common challenge: transforming unique ideas into real products with limited resources.

Through Carvera Air, Makera is enabling entrepreneurs to bring manufacturing closer to where creativity happens. By combining precision machining, compact design, and an accessible workflow, desktop CNC technology is helping small businesses prototype faster, produce locally, and create products that previously required larger manufacturing resources.

"Small businesses are built around creativity, craftsmanship, and the ability to solve unique problems," said Josh Zhang, CEO at Makera. "Our mission is to provide creators with the tools they need to turn their ideas into real products and grow their businesses."

From independent workshops to specialized product brands, Makera Carvera Air is helping redefine the future of small-scale manufacturing.

Celebrating Five Years of Makera Innovation

To celebrate Makera's fifth anniversary, we're making our desktop CNC solutions more accessible to creators and small businesses through exclusive anniversary offers. Until September 30, customers can enjoy special savings and take another step toward bringing their manufacturing capabilities in-house.

To learn more about the anniversary promotion and available offers, please visit Makera's official website.

For regular updates on Makera, follow us on:

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SOURCE Makera

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New and expanded partnerships help institutions strengthen the student residential experience, increase IT capacity and modernize campus connectivity

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Driven by growing demand from higher education institutions, Boldyn Networks (Boldyn) announced 20 new and expanded agreements with colleges and universities across the United States. Anchored by Boldyn's residential network services (ResNet), the agreements also include expanded campus connectivity with managed network services (Managed Campus), managed IT services, network monitoring and specialized professional services. These include executive advisory, cloud and security assessments, and comprehensive IT and network assessments that help institutions optimize performance, reduce risk, and align technology investments with their strategic goals.

The institutions range from community colleges and private universities to large public universities. While the scope of each engagement is tailored to the institution's individual needs and goals, the new partnerships represent a shared focus by higher-ed institutions to strengthen campus connectivity, improve technology operations and deliver a seamless digital experience for students, faculty and staff.

"Campus IT teams are being asked to do more with less everyday while managing increasingly complex networks and growing expectations from students and faculty," said Matt Loecke, SVP Higher Education at Boldyn Networks US. "These agreements show the different ways institutions are responding, from building connectivity into new student housing to expanding managed IT services across the campus. Our team gives institutions an experienced partner to the day-to-day, allowing their team to focus on other institutional priorities."

See the list of partnerships and the full press release HERE.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Boldyn Networks

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Single platform connects verified users, authenticated products, configurable policy controls and compliance intelligence across the product life cycle, from manufacture through point of use

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IKE Tech LLC, a compliance infrastructure company, announced the launch of IKE 2.0, its next-generation platform for continuous compliance for regulated products, initially focused on the global nicotine category.

Most compliance systems stop at the point of sale. Once a regulated product leaves retail, existing systems generally cannot determine who ultimately uses it, whether the product is authentic or whether applicable requirements are followed. IKE 2.0 is designed to extend accountability from manufacture and import through retail sale and real-world use.

IKE 2.0 is a single, modular platform providing identity trust, product authentication, configurable enforcement and compliance intelligence across the regulated product lifecycle. The platform connects four layers:

- Person Layer. Verifies who is using a product, not just who purchased it, and converts verified identity into a secure Human Identity Token protecting personal data in all subsequent interactions.

- Product Layer. Confirms whether a product is authentic and traceable from manufacture through point of use, via direct device integration or NFC Smart Tags.

- Policy Layer. Applies configurable access and compliance requirements based on jurisdiction, product, SKU or other regulatory factors.

- Intelligence Layer. Uses telemetry and analytics to support anomaly detection, governance and compliance review with human oversight.

"Regulated industries share a common infrastructure challenge. Eligibility and compliance may be verified at the point of sale, entry or initial authorization, but accountability often weakens once a product or user moves beyond that first check," said Thomas Chen, founding member and head of technology and IP of IKE Tech. "Compliance cannot stop at the cash register. IKE 2.0 is built to carry identity verification, product authentication and configurable policy controls through the product and access life cycle, giving manufacturers and regulators a way to maintain accountability at the point of use."

Closing the Post-Sale Compliance Gap

The problem is acute in the nicotine sector. Products can be diverted through unauthorized channels, counterfeited without detection, or accessed by ineligible users with no mechanism to identify or prevent it. IKE 2.0 addresses that gap by connecting a verified user, an authenticated product and the applicable policy at the point of use.

Jason Carignan, founding member and board director at IKE Tech, added, "Across regulated industries, manufacturers and brand operators face the same challenge: compliance systems are built for the point of sale but offer little visibility or control beyond it. IKE 2.0 changes that. It gives manufacturers real-time supply chain intelligence, anti-counterfeit protections and compliance reporting that can be demonstrated to regulators and partners across markets, without building for each one."

IKE 2.0 is available through a web platform for manufacturers and brand operators, and a brand-configurable consumer application, both run on the same infrastructure. The platform is protected by 11 issued patents across identity, authentication and governance infrastructure, with additional applications pending.

Privacy is built into the IKE architecture, not added as a feature. Identity is verified, then abstracted and tokenized into a Human Identity Token, so raw personal information does not circulate through later interactions. Biometric processing occurs on-device. The platform is SOC 2 Type II certified and is designed for GDPR and CCPA compliance.

Built on Proven Foundations: IKE in the Nicotine Market

IKE 2.0 is built on infrastructure already deployed in the global regulated nicotine category. IKE Tech filed the first standalone component premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) in the U.S. for an interoperable age-verification technology in April 2025. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the application for review in 2025, and the review remains ongoing.1 The FDA's March 2026 draft guidance on flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems also discussed device access restriction as a critical factor in PMTA evaluations as part of its consideration of mitigating youth risk.

In controlled Human Factors Study testing involving 102 participants, the system prevented underage device activation in every attempted case. The study also reported a 91% adult ease-of-use rating and a user error rate below 1%. The study has not been peer-reviewed, and controlled findings do not guarantee identical real-world outcomes.

IKE Tech's age-verification technology was recognized as Privacy-Centric Age Assurance Solution of the Year and received Highly Commended recognition for Innovation in Age Assurance Technology at the Global Age Assurance Standards Summit.

Looking Ahead

While nicotine is IKE Tech's first market, IKE 2.0 is designed as configurable infrastructure for any regulated category where identity, eligibility, product authenticity and access requirements must be verified and maintained. IKE Tech intends to extend the platform into additional regulated categories including cannabis, healthcare and medical products, gaming and adult-restricted products and services, subject to applicable laws, regulations and market-specific configuration.

About IKE Tech LLC

IKE Tech LLC, founded in 2024, is a compliance infrastructure company and joint venture among Ispire Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: ISPR), Touch Point Worldwide Inc. d/b/a Berify, and Chemular Inc. IKE Tech builds and operates the compliance infrastructure layer that connects verified identity, authenticated products and configurable policy enforcement in one interoperable platform. The company enables manufacturers, regulators and brand operators to maintain visibility, control and accountability throughout the product life cycle, including after purchase. For more information, visit www.iketech.com.

1 Acceptance for review is not a marketing authorization.

SOURCE IKE Tech LLC

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MUMBAI, India, RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, DUBAI, UAE, DALLAS, and SINGAPORE, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspira Enterprise, a global leader in cybersecurity services, today announced that it has been recognized as a Major Contender in the Everest Group Cybersecurity Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026 – Global. This recognition places Inspira among the cybersecurity service providers Everest Group evaluated for market success and delivery capabilities in the global cybersecurity services landscape.

Commenting on the achievement, Chetan Jain, Managing Director, Inspira Enterprise, remarked, "We are proud to have Inspira Enterprise recognized by Everest Group as a Major Contender in Everest Group's Cybersecurity Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026 – Global. This strongly validates our continued investments in cybersecurity capabilities, talent, technology, and global delivery. We remain focused on delivering innovative and outcome-driven cybersecurity services that enable our customers to navigate an evolving threat landscape with greater confidence and resilience."

Kumar Avijit, Vice President at Everest Group, said, "Inspira Enterprise has strengthened its position in the global cybersecurity services market through its managed security capabilities, industry-aligned offerings, and broad technology partner ecosystem. Its AI-enabled MDR capabilities and iSmart2 dashboard help enterprises improve detection, response, and operational visibility, while its IAM, PAM, ITDR, and non-human identity capabilities support evolving identity security requirements. Inspira also brings industry-specific frameworks and control mappings to address regulatory needs, complemented by five Cyber Fusion Centers and a regional delivery footprint that enable 24x7 managed security operations. While its capabilities in areas such as broader agentic AI, scaled SASE and SSE, and sovereign cloud continue to mature, its expanding security portfolio and delivery capabilities have positioned Inspira Enterprise as a Major Contender in Everest Group's Cybersecurity Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026 – Global."

Over the years, Inspira Enterprise has built a strong global presence delivering intelligent, end-to-end cybersecurity solutions. With Cyber Fusion Centers and 24x7 support, Inspira helps organizations strengthen security, compliance, and risk management while building digital trust.

View the complete report here - https://inspiraenterprise.com/insights/inspira-enterprise-named-major-contender-in-everest-groups-2026-cybersecurity-services

About Inspira Enterprise

Inspira Enterprise is a global cybersecurity, AI and digital transformation services provider helping organizations secure, govern and operate their digital environments in an increasingly AI-driven world. With a presence across 20+ countries, Inspira delivers end-to-end capabilities spanning cybersecurity for AI, cyber advisory and governance, identity and access management, managed detection and response, threat and vulnerability management, cloud and infrastructure security, data security, OT/IoT security, ServiceNow Risk & Security, Microsoft Security and managed security services.

Disclaimer

Licensed extracts taken from Everest Group's PEAK Matrix® Reports may be used by licensed third parties for use in their own marketing and promotional activities and collateral. Selected extracts from Everest Group's PEAK Matrix® reports do not necessarily provide the full context of our research and analysis. All research and analysis conducted by Everest Group's analysts and included in Everest Group's PEAK Matrix® reports is independent and no organization has paid a fee to be featured or to influence their ranking. To access the complete research and to learn more about our methodology, please visit Everest Group PEAK Matrix® Reports. 

Media Contact:

Arvind Lakshmiratan

Chief Marketing Officer

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SOURCE Inspira Enterprise

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Toyota, Truliant invest a combined $200,000 to support student financial literacy & career readiness.

GREENSBORO, N.C., Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Truliant Federal Credit Union (Truliant) announces a combined $200,000 investment with Toyota North Carolina (Toyota) for Junior Achievement of the Triad (JA)'s Finance Park Mobile. The JA Finance Park Mobile will help young people see how the choices they make today can shape their futures and bring a new, hands-on financial literacy and career-readiness experience directly to students in the Piedmont Triad region.

JA Finance Park Mobile will serve more than 5,000 students in grades 6–12 at 56 schools annually, expanding JA programming across Alamance, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph and Rockingham counties. Priority will be given to schools serving high-need communities, helping close a critical learning gap.

"The commitments from Toyota North Carolina and Truliant give JA Finance Park Mobile the momentum to become a lasting regional resource," said Grace Thompson, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of the Triad. "By connecting classroom learning with the needs of local employers, the program will help students identify career pathways, build the skills to pursue them and see how those opportunities can contribute to long-term economic mobility."

JA Finance Park Mobile pairs classroom lessons with an immersive mobile city simulation, giving students the opportunity to put financial concepts into practice. Working alongside community volunteers, students will explore careers, understand credit and debt, navigate realistic life scenarios and create a personal budget—experiencing firsthand the decisions that come with adulthood.

"At Truliant, we believe practical financial education should be accessible at every stage of life, not just in adulthood," said Todd Hall, president and CEO of Truliant Federal Credit Union. "JA Finance Park Mobile gives students an early opportunity to practice managing money and make informed decisions about their futures."

JA Finance Park Mobile will connect students with local employers while building financial knowledge, career awareness and decision-making confidence to shape their futures.

"Toyota is proud to help bring JA Finance Park Mobile directly to students across the Piedmont Triad," said Toyota North Carolina President Don Stewart. "This investment will expand access to meaningful, hands-on financial education and career exploration, helping students across the Triad build the knowledge, confidence and decision-making skills they need to plan for their futures."

During its first year, JA Finance Park Mobile is expected to engage more than 100 educators and 200 community volunteers, generating 1,500 volunteer hours across more than 120 days of programming on school campuses. Those connections will help students better understand the opportunities available close to home while strengthening the region's future talent pipeline.

"Today's students are tomorrow's workforce," said Thompson. "Together with Toyota North Carolina and Truliant, we are giving young people the financial confidence and career awareness to make informed choices about their futures."

About Junior Achievement of the Triad

For more than 65 years, Junior Achievement has inspired and prepared young people to succeed by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to own their economic success. Through experiential learning in financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship, Junior Achievement helps students connect classroom learning with real-world opportunities. Learn more at triadjafpm.com.

About Truliant Federal Credit Union

Truliant is a not-for-profit financial institution based in Winston-Salem, N.C. that improves lives by providing great service and straightforward financial solutions. Truliant was chartered in 1952 and serves more than 328,000 members. A top 100 U.S. credit union, Truliant has more than 35 branches in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands and directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America (nearly 48,000 in the U.S.).

For almost 70 years, Toyota has assembled over 50 million cars and trucks in North America at the company's 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, the company's plant in North Carolina began assembling automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.9 million cars and trucks (more than 2.5 million in the U.S.) in 2025, of which more than 47 percent were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

SOURCE Truliant Federal Credit Union

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FairPlay finds Prism Data's CashScore® Increases Both Credit Signal and Financial Inclusion

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FairPlay, the AI enablement company for the financial services industry, today released the results of an independent fairness assessment of Prism Data's CashScore®, its cash flow underwriting score that predicts risk independently of credit scores using real-time deposit transaction data.

Prism's CashScore enables lenders to analyze bank account transaction data to identify more high-quality borrowers and reduce losses. Through a comprehensive data study, FairPlay tested whether CashScore achieves these results fairly, without creating proxy risk or unjustified disparities in outcomes.

FairPlay's assessment found:

- Proxy Testing – CashScore was not correlated with protected status in a way that might suggest that it functions as a proxy for protected status.

- Underwriting Outcomes – On a risk-adjusted basis, no statistically significant differences in underwriting outcomes were found between protected class consumers and non-protected class consumers evaluated using CashScore.

- Scorability – Protected class consumers were equally as likely as non-protected class consumers to have sufficient data to receive a CashScore.

"The promise of cash flow underwriting is that lenders can see more about the borrower's financial health and behavior than the traditional credit file can show," said Kareem Saleh, Founder and CEO of FairPlay. "The test is whether you can widen that lens without introducing or widening disparities. Our analysis of Prism's CashScore shows you can."

"As pioneers of cash flow underwriting, we've built our solutions from the ground up not only for business impact, but also for compliance, transparency, and fairness," said Jason Rosen, Founder and CEO of Prism. "For over a decade, we've studied our impact and consistently found that this approach expands financial opportunity without discrimination or disparate impact. FairPlay's independent, innovative testing methodology provides further evidence of that."

About FairPlay

FairPlay is the AI enablement company for the financial services and insurance industries. FairPlay specializes in testing, tuning, and validating AI systems and agents, helping institutions deploy AI faster, more profitably, and in full compliance. Its products address the toughest challenges in AI deployment, including Bias Testing, Model Optimization, Model and Agentic Validation, Second Look, and Safe AI Sourcing. FairPlay's work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Politico, American Banker, and Forbes. In 2023, Fast Company recognized FairPlay as a "World Changing Idea." To learn more, please visit fairplay.ai.

About Prism

Prism Data is the leading provider of cash flow underwriting and intelligence solutions for consumer and SMB lending. Its flagship product, CashScore®, enables lenders and banks to use first- and third-party deposit data to better understand applicant and customer risk, providing a more inclusive and predictive view of financial health than traditional credit data alone. Prism Data's suite of solutions also includes Income, which delivers a comprehensive view of earnings across traditional and non-traditional sources; Insights, a library of tens of thousands of cash flow attributes for custom modeling; and Pulse, which extends these capabilities into continuous, time-series customer monitoring post-origination. To learn more, please visit prismdata.com.

SOURCE FairPlay

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JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla., Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ATP Flight School is set to host an exclusive career expo for students and alumni at its Arlington, Texas, training center with 20 airline and industry partners on October 1. Nearly 500 aspiring airline pilots are slated to attend the networking event, where they'll have the opportunity to speak directly with pilot recruiters and representatives from airlines including American, Delta, Frontier, United, SkyWest and more.

While airline pilot demand remains strong, it is competitive, with the majority of airlines recruiting exclusively through their cadet programs.1 ATP students have access to every regional airline cadet program, and the career expo gives students and graduates from across the nation the opportunity to speak directly with airlines and chart their path to the flight deck through ATP's airline-backed Career Tracks™.

The career expo is one of several ways ATP supports alumni beyond training. Through the no-cost ATP Alumni Association, ATP has invested more than $460,000 in alumni career development and support since the beginning of 2025.

In 2026, ATP doubled the number of sponsored passes available to alumni and instructors for major aviation industry conferences, providing greater access to airline recruiters, industry leaders and professional networking opportunities. ATP also continues to award a fully sponsored Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP CTP) and A320 Type Rating each quarter, helping alumni gain advanced qualifications as they progress toward airline careers.

Additionally, ATP has expanded airline interview support, partnering with Spitfire Elite to provide alumni with discounted and fully sponsored interview preparation. That support has included interview preparation resources for displaced Spirit Airlines pilots as they pursued new airline opportunities.

"ATP's investment in its graduates extends beyond flight training and well into their airline careers," said Michael Arnold, Vice President of Marketing, ATP Flight School. "Through the ATP Alumni Association, we're expanding access to advanced training, interview preparation, industry events and direct airline connections that help graduates secure airline pilot jobs."

ATP alumni can learn more about the career expo and register for free at ATPAlumni.org/career-expo-rsvp.

About ATP Flight School

ATP is the nation's largest flight school, providing students with the most efficient path to a successful airline pilot career. For 40 years, ATP has been the leader in professional flight training, supplying pilots to airlines and corporate operators. ATPFlightSchool.com

About ATP Alumni Association

The ATP Alumni Association fosters a community for ATP graduates, providing networking opportunities, career resources, and support. The association hosts events, such as the upcoming career expo, to connect alumni with leading airlines and advance their professional development. For more information, visit ATPAlumni.org 

Media Contact

Michael Arnold

Vice President of Marketing

[email protected]

(904) 595-7950

1Aero Crew Solutions, "2026 Pilot Hiring Outlook," From the Interview Table, email newsletter, January 2026, subject line "Is It Okay to Post Your Paycheck Online?"

SOURCE ATP Flight School

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