XPRIZE Wildfire Awards $4.55M to Innovators Advancing Wildfire Detection and Response

Global Competition Recognizes Breakthrough Progress in Technologies Designed to Detect and Address Wildfires at Their Earliest, Most Controllable Stage

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- XPRIZE, the world's leader in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, today announced awardees across both tracks of XPRIZE Wildfire, an $11 million global competition launched in 2023 to accelerate innovation in firefighting technologies. The awardees were announced during the XPRIZE Wildfire Awards Ceremony held at the New York City Fire Museum.

XPRIZE Wildfire was designed to develop new technologies to help prevent destructive wildfires, enabling humanity and beneficial wildfires to safely coexist. Sponsored by PG&E and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation as well as Minderoo Foundation and Lockheed Martin, the competition challenged teams across two complementary tracks, Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence and Autonomous Wildfire Response. Together, teams within the two tracks aimed to prove that speed, accuracy and autonomy can transform how wildfires are detected and addressed at the incipient stage, their earliest, most controllable stage, to shorten the time between detection and rapid response, inform management practices and minimize negative impacts.

"Destructive wildfires are becoming more extreme, costly and difficult to manage, making faster, more effective approaches increasingly urgent," said Andrea Santy, XPRIZE Wildfire Executive Program Director. "These teams pushed the boundaries of what is possible today, demonstrating meaningful advances in wildfire detection and response while helping identify where continued innovation is needed to move these technologies toward real-world deployment at scale."

Following rigorous Finals Testing under real-world conditions, XPRIZE is recognizing teams for standout achievements that demonstrate meaningful progress toward that goal:

Track A: Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence

Track A challenged teams to utilize space-based Earth Observation data synthesized with artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect, characterize and report wildfires faster and more accurately across vast landscapes.

XPRIZE awarded $1.05 million across five Track A teams, recognizing meaningful advances in space-based wildfire detection and intelligence. Judges recognized progress in multi-sensor system integration, detection methodology, commercial readiness, operational capabilities, and innovative algorithms. The results also helped identify key technical gaps that must be addressed to enable reliable, real-time wildfire detection from space.

- 1st Place – System Integration Awardee, $500,000: SIRIUS Wildfire Alliance

SIRIUS Wildfire Alliance demonstrated comprehensive end-to-end and system integration methodology, integrating SAR and optical data to support fire characterization and spread modeling.

- 2nd Place – Methodological Innovation Awardee, $250,000: Team Snuffed

Team Snuffed developed a probabilistic data-fusion framework designed to provide transparent, auditable and uncertainty-aware wildfire detection, with strong firefighter-facing usability.

- Special Recognition, Commercial Viability, $100,000: MyRadar

As a commercially mature team, MyRadar utilized upstream satellite acquisition and demonstrated spatial precision.

- Special Recognition, Operational Deliverable, $100,000: DeepFire

DeepFire demonstrated an operational fire-spread-alert capability designed to support wildfire detection and intelligence.

- Special Recognition, Innovative Algorithm Application, $100,000: Mayday.AI

Mayday.AI applied an algorithm originally developed for volcanic-ash detection to identify wildfire smoke plumes through cloud cover.

"When Minderoo backed this challenge, we set a clear goal: find fires faster and give firefighters better information," said Minderoo Foundation's Dr. Andrew Forrest AO. "Earlier this year, the finalist teams put their technologies to the test in real-world conditions alongside the NSW Rural Fire Service. Innovation only makes a difference when it works where lives, livelihoods and landscapes are on the line. These teams have shown what is possible."

Track B: Autonomous Wildfire Response

In June 2026, Autonomous Wildfire Response competitors put their solutions to the test in the Alaskan wilderness. Teams were challenged to autonomously detect and completely suppress a high-risk fire within 10 minutes of ignition across 1,000 km² of challenging terrain, without disturbing nearby decoy fires.

The XPRIZE Wildfire Judging Panel awarded $3.5 million across three Track B Finalist teams, recognizing distinct breakthroughs across the autonomous wildfire response cycle:

- First Place Awardee, $1.2 Million: Anduril Industries Anduril's modular Lattice software platform provided an integrated detection-to-suppression integrated pathway for unifying cameras, sensors and drones.

- Second Place Awardee, $800,000: Dryad Networks Dryad's Silvanet, a 170-sensor persistent field network, combined with their Silvaguard drones, demonstrated end-to-end autonomy.

- Third Place Awardee, $500,000: AURA Foresight AURA successfully demonstrated autonomous and persistent detection, meeting the critical 10-minute detection gate.

The Lockheed Martin Accurate Detection Intelligence Bonus Prize of $1 million was awarded to Anduril Industries for their rapid and precise multi-sensor detector performance.

"Witnessing the ingenuity of the competing teams reinforces our belief that making the most progress requires a firefighter-first mindset in order to innovate within the realities of the frontline," said Adam Broecker, Vice President, LM Evolve, Lockheed Martin. "Lockheed Martin is proud to support an initiative that pushes the boundaries of autonomous detection and rapid response. While the final prize remains on the horizon, every milestone achieved in this competition brings us closer to giving firefighters, communities, and mutual aid networks the transformative tools they need to stay ahead of the fire."

Together, the results across both tracks demonstrate breakthrough progress in how wildfires can be autonomously detected and addressed at the incipient stage. This final milestone demonstrates meaningful progress toward XPRIZE Wildfire's goal of a future where emerging fires can be identified and addressed faster — before they become large-scale disasters — while also helping define the work still needed to move these technologies toward broader real-world deployment.

"We are proud to be the Impact Phase Partner of XPRIZE Wildfire, supporting innovators developing breakthrough technologies that can transform how wildfires are detected and addressed in the critical early moments when every second counts," said Mark Quinlan, Chief Safety Officer and Senior Vice President, Wildfire, Emergency and Operations, PG&E. " Protecting our customers and the hometowns we serve from wildfire risk is one of PG&E's most important responsibilities. Over the past several years, we have strengthened our wildfire prevention approach through multiple layers of protection and mitigation, but we know there is always more work to do. We are grateful for our partnership with XPRIZE and the innovators participating in XPRIZE Wildfire. Together, we can help bridge the gap between innovation and deployment and accelerate solutions that will enhance safety for all facing the threat of wildfire."

"XPRIZE Wildfire has highlighted both the urgency of this challenge and the need to invest in innovative, practical solutions," said Genny Biggs, Program Director of the Wildfire Resilience Initiative at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. "Competing teams helped advance our understanding of what's possible today, as well as the technical gaps that will have to be filled to deliver faster, more actionable intelligence in the future."

From Competition to Real-World Impact

The conclusion of XPRIZE Wildfire marks a major milestone, but not the end of the work. The competition will now move into a 12- to 15-month Impact Phase focused on helping translate promising technologies from both tracks into durable, deployable solutions for real-world wildfire management.

Through the Impact Phase, XPRIZE aims to build on the competition's momentum and accelerate adoption, investment and collaboration so emerging technologies can strengthen how wildfires are detected, managed and addressed before they become destructive.

"From the beginning, our hope for XPRIZE Wildfire was to change what is possible in the fight against destructive wildfires," said Anousheh Ansari, Chief Executive Officer, XPRIZE. "The progress we are celebrating now is an important step, but the true impact of this competition will be measured by what happens next. We hope to see these innovations utilized by communities and responders to detect and address fires sooner, creating a future where fires can be detected and addressed before they become destructive."

XPRIZE Wildfire is offered in partnership with Co-Title Sponsors Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Presenting Sponsor and Co-Designer of XPRIZE Space-Based Wildfire Detection and Intelligence Track Minderoo Foundation, Accurate Detection Intelligence Bonus Prize Sponsor Lockheed Martin and Supporting Sponsors Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Costa Navarino, American Family Insurance, Fairfax Financial, the Roddenberry Foundation, and individual benefactors. PG&E is the lead sponsor of the Impact Phase.

About XPRIZE

XPRIZE is the recognized global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity's greatest challenges.

Kapor Center Launches PRIME Alliance to Transform How Cities Work With Startups

El Paso, Little Rock and Oakland make up the inaugural cohort for the multiyear initiative connecting local government with mission-driven, gap-closing startups

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the Clinton Global Initiative, the Kapor Center announced El Paso, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Oakland, California, as the first cohort selected to overhaul how their governments partner with the startups working to solve urgent public problems in order to improve millions of American lives. As part of the Kapor Center's PRIME Alliance, the initial cohort will take on a multiyear initiative connecting government with gap-closing startups building solutions to urgent challenges in areas such as housing, child care, health care, education, workforce development, and financial stability. Together they form the inaugural cohort that will help build a practical model for how governments and mission-driven entrepreneurs can work together.

"Oakland is where this work was born, and we intend to be the city that proves it can work," said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. "Too many good solutions stall before they ever reach the people who need them. By joining this alliance, we're committing to open our doors to the founders solving real problems in areas that make a difference, and make it easier for them to partner with the city that's been their home."

The selections mark the moment the PRIME Alliance moves from research to implementation. Over the coming months, the Kapor Center will work with leaders in each jurisdiction to identify priority challenges, connect governments with gap-closing founders, and test new approaches to partnership and adoption that other jurisdictions can learn from. The PRIME Alliance follows a Kapor Center report, Breaking Down Barriers, based on more than 60 entrepreneurs and investors who together hold over 3,000 public-sector contracts.

"Little Rock is proving that a capital city in the heart of the country can lead on innovation," said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. "We've already moved to put smart, responsible technology to work for our residents, and this alliance lets us go further — opening our doors to founders whose solutions can make government faster, fairer, and more effective. This is an investment in Little Rock's future as a place where entrepreneurs know their work can matter."

The report found that the main barriers founders face are drawn-out contracting timelines, hard-to-find government buyers, inconsistent applications, and compliance requirements that are difficult for small companies to meet. It estimates that gaps in sectors such as housing, education, health care, and child care cost the U.S. economy more than $5 trillion a year, and that a 2 percent improvement would add about $100.7 billion annually. The report also points to early results at the state level: a partnership with Binti drove a 33 percent increase in the share of foster youth placed with families in Maryland.

"El Paso has always been a city that builds. Our problem has never been a shortage of good ideas; it's the systems that slow them down," said El Paso Mayor Renard U. Johnson. "We're changing that. We want the folks who are solving real problems for our families to work with the City effectively and often, and this initiative is a step in the right direction."

"Founders kept telling us the same thing: the hardest part of solving a public problem isn't building the solution, it's getting through the government's front door," said Chike Aguh, Head of Innovation and Strategy for Gap-Closing Startups at the Kapor Center. "El Paso, Little Rock, and Oakland are choosing to change that, pairing the speed of a startup with the scale of government, so good ideas reach families in months, not years."

For more information, visit: https://www.kaporcenter.org/primealliance/

About the PRIME Alliance

The PRIME Alliance is a multiyear Kapor Center initiative that brings local and state governments together with gap-closing startups — companies whose products are designed to close opportunity gaps in areas such as child care, housing, health care, education, workforce development, and financial stability. Led by Chike Aguh, the Alliance grew out of the Kapor Center's 2026 report, Breaking Down Barriers: Overcoming Government Hurdles for Gap-Closing Founders, which drew on more than 60 entrepreneurs and investors with experience across over 3,000 public-sector contracts and estimated as much as $100.7 billion in potential annual economic gains from faster, more effective public-private partnerships. Learn more at kaporcenter.org/primealliance.

About the Kapor Center

The Kapor Center works to make the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Its work spans expanding access to technology and computer science education, conducting research on access and opportunity in computing, investing in community organizations and gap-closing ventures, and broadening access to capital for entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds.

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The lawsuit alleges Los Arboles Harvesting violated the California Labor Code by failing to provide its employees with meal and rest periods.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles labor law attorneys at Zakay Law Group, APLC, filed a class action complaint against Los Arboles Harvesting, Inc., for allegedly failing to provide meal and rest breaks. The class action lawsuit, Case No. 2026CUOE071332, is currently pending in the Ventura County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

According to the lawsuit, Los Arboles Harvesting allegedly violated California Labor Code Sections §§ 201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 226.7, 510, 512, 558, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, 1198.5 and 2802 by failing to: (1) pay minimum wages; (2) pay overtime wages; (3) provide required meal and rest periods; (4) provide accurate itemized wage statements; (5) provide wages when due; (6) reimburse for required business expenses; and (7) permit inspection of employee records.

As a result of their rigorous work schedules, Los Arboles Harvesting's employees were allegedly unable to take off duty meal breaks and were not fully relieved of duty for meal periods. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges employees were from time to time interrupted during their off-duty meal breaks to complete tasks for Los Arboles Harvesting. Employees were allegedly required to perform work as ordered by Los Arboles Harvesting for more than five (5) hours during a shift without receiving an off-duty meal break. Further, the lawsuit alleges Los Arboles Harvesting failed to provide employees with a second off-duty meal period each workday in which these employees were required by Los Arboles Harvesting to work ten (10) hours of work. The policy of Los Arboles Harvesting allegedly caused employees to remain on-call and on duty during what was supposed to be their off-duty meal periods. Employees therefore allegedly forfeited meal breaks without additional compensation and in accordance with the strict corporate policy and practice of Los Arboles Harvesting.

If you would like to know more about the Los Arboles Harvesting lawsuit, please contact Attorney Jackland Hom today by calling (619) 255-9047.

Zakay Law Group, APLC is a labor and employment law firm located in San Diego, California that serves employees across California and dedicates its practice to fighting for employees who have been wronged by their employers due to unfair employment practices. Contact one of their attorneys today if you need help with workplace issues regarding wage and hour, wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, and harassment.

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Corgi Insurance Expands Trucking Program to Cover Tow Trucks

New towing program combines Auto Liability, On-Hook Coverage and Garage Keepers into one policy

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Corgi Insurance announced the expansion of its trucking insurance program to include towing and tow-truck businesses.

Towing operations face a different set of risks than traditional freight haulers. While tow trucks spend much of their time on the road, their core exposure comes from transporting, handling and storing other people's vehicles.

Corgi's new towing program is designed around those specific risks, bringing key coverages together under one umbrella.

The program combines Auto Liability, On-Hook Coverage and Garage Keepers coverage, giving towing businesses a single policy and insurer for these core exposures.

"Tow trucks aren't just another type of commercial truck," said Josh Shih, Head of Underwriting at Corgi. "The risks are different because you're responsible for someone else's vehicle while you're towing it, and in some cases while it's in your care. We built our towing program around that reality."

Traditionally, towing businesses may need to piece together coverage across multiple policies and carriers. Corgi is bringing these coverages together into one program designed specifically for towing operations.

The expansion builds on Corgi's broader trucking program, which provides insurance solutions for commercial transportation businesses and is designed to support specialized trucking risks.

Towing businesses can learn more about Corgi's towing insurance program at trucking.corgi.com.

About Corgi Insurance

Corgi is an AI-native insurance carrier built for high-growth companies and specialized commercial risks. Corgi combines proprietary underwriting technology, modern insurance infrastructure and in-house claims capabilities to provide coverage for businesses across a growing range of industries.

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Erika Lee

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Signia Invites Hearing Care Professionals to Live Noisy at COSM Dallas for the Signia MaX Launch Celebration

Immersive visuals, hands-on demonstrations, and a custom drone show marked Signia's most important launch to date and recognized the partners who will help define its impact on hearing care

ISELIN, N.J., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearing aid innovator Signia, part of WSA, brought together hearing care professionals at COSM Dallas on September 18 for the U.S. launch of Signia Multi-adaptive Xperience (MaX). With a program featuring clinical messaging brought to life in an immersive dome theater to a must-see neuroscientist keynote speaker, the evening celebrated a breakthrough in hearing technology and the shared ambition of Signia and its partners to help more people Live Noisy by participating fully in the conversations they love.

COSM's sweeping visuals set the stage for Signia MaX, the world's first multi-dimensional AI hearing aid platform with four deep neural networks powered by Acoustic Intelligence™. Hands-on demonstrations and discussions with Signia experts gave attendees a close look at how the platform addresses one of hearing care's toughest challenges: following dynamic group conversations in noise.

The event also put Signia's hearing care partners at its heart, recognizing their expertise in understanding patients' needs and helping them hear and participate more confidently at family dinners, crowded restaurants, and gatherings with friends.

"Signia MaX is our most important launch to date. Its four deep neural networks and Acoustic Intelligence mark a breakthrough in helping people participate in the conversations that matter most," said Mike O'Neil, President of Wholesale, WSA US. "Our hearing care partners have helped make Signia what it is today, and their expertise will be essential to making MaX a game changer for patients. This launch belongs to them, too. This event gave us the opportunity to recognize that partnership and set an ambitious course for what we can accomplish together."

Bringing Live Noisy to Life at COSM Dallas

'Live Noisy' reflects Signia's belief that hearing care should keep people part of life's energy – not isolate them from it. Rather than simply cutting noise, Signia MaX uses Acoustic Intelligence™ to understand the complete soundscape – conversations, environments, and even the wearer's own voice – and adapts in real time. This helps wearers stay engaged in what matters most while preserving the vibrancy of the world around them.

The event embraced that philosophy, surrounding guests with opportunities to connect and experience Signia MaX together. Cocktails and live product demonstrations opened the evening before attendees entered COSM's dome theater, where expansive visuals set the stage for a presentation exploring the platform's technology and clinical benefits.

Keynote speaker Dr. Poppy Crum, a neuroscientist and technologist, Stanford University adjunct professor, and former chief scientist at Dolby Laboratories, expanded on those themes with a discussion connecting neuroscience, auditory perception, AI, and the human experience.

Over dinner and additional demonstrations, hearing care professionals shared perspectives with colleagues and WSA experts on what Signia MaX could offer their patients. Guests then experienced ORBITAL, an immersive film exploring Earth and the cosmos through astronauts' eyes. The film invited guests to look up in wonder – a fitting lead-in to the rooftop finale, where a custom drone show lit up the sky with Signia MaX imagery.

"Our partners give patients the expertise, encouragement, and care that make better hearing possible. We wanted this launch to give them an evening they would remember and show how much they mean to everyone at WSA," said Sheree Rajan, VP of Marketing, Wholesale, WSA US. "From the dome presentation to the drone show finale, we celebrated Signia MaX alongside the people who will make its success possible. Sharing that experience with our partners made it an incredibly proud and exciting night for our team."

Taking on Hearing Care's Toughest Conversations

Acoustic Intelligence™ delivers system-level intelligence through four adaptive technologies – RealTime Conversation EnhancementAI, Own Voice ProcessingAI, Ambient Scene AdaptationAI and Dynamic Noise ControlAI. Working together, these technologies enable Signia MaX to understand the complete listening environment and adapt in real time as conversations and surroundings change. In Signia's research, 97% of wearers performed better with Signia MaX in noisy group conversations compared with key competitors.1

"Patients often tell me how frustrating it is to lose track of a conversation when several people are talking. They want to catch the joke, join the discussion, and feel included," said Jaysee A. Soto, HAS, BC-HIS, hearing care professional and owner of Altamonte Family Hearing. "Exploring Signia MaX in Dallas with the WSA team and so many colleagues made this launch especially exciting. I left the event eager to introduce patients to Signia MaX and explore how it could help them feel more confident in life's busiest, loudest moments."

Signia MaX is available in the U.S., with Pure C&G MaX as the first hearing aid on the platform. For more information, visit Signia.net. For the press kit, click here.

About Signia

Signia, a part of WSA, is one of the world's leading hearing aid brands. We aim to enhance human performance through iconic innovations and consumer-friendly designs that shape the hearing health market. Since its launch in 2016, Signia has regularly brought innovative, industry-leading solutions to the market and is a pioneer in rechargeable hearing technology.

In addition to highly innovative hearing aids, Signia also delivers tools and apps to increase customer interaction and engagement at all levels of hearing aid management. Signia, and its Hearing Care Professionals, enable hearing aid wearers not just to correct hearing loss but to gain an edge — to Be Brilliant.

Media Contact

Samantha Bryton

Griffin360

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1 Jensen, N.S., Wilson, C., Kamkar Parsi, H., Ramirez, I., & Vormann, M. (2026). Signia Multi-adaptive Xperience outperforms key competitors in group conversation in noise. Signia White Paper

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Powered by WICShopper Online, the pilot offers a more convenient and accessible alternative for families who face transportation, mobility, or geographic barriers to shopping at brick-and-mortar, WIC-authorized retailers.

"Online grocery shopping has become commonplace, and WIC participants deserve access to the same convenient shopping options available to other consumers," said Heidi Staats, Director of WIC Innovation and Partnerships at Umoja Health.  "Through WICShopper Online, JPMA and Umoja Health are helping State Agencies reach families in rural and underserved communities while creating new online shopping and home delivery opportunities for small, independent, minority- and tribal-owned retailers." 

Finding WIC-approved products, navigating out-of-stock items and feeling embarrassed at checkout are among the challenges participants cite most often. Traditional WIC shopping and delivery models also generally require participants to shop at an authorized retailer and redeem benefits in person, including entering a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in the presence of a cashier. These requirements can create significant barriers for families with limited mobility or those who live far from participating stores.

WICShopper Online streamlines the shopping experience by allowing participants to identify eligible foods, build an online order, redeem their WIC benefits, and schedule home delivery.  The model is designed to improve convenience, privacy, safety, and equitable access to nutritious foods while complementing the existing WIC retail system.

"WICShopper is trusted by over 1.4 million families each month for shopping assistance, and this pilot brings that same trust and reliability to online ordering," said Ryan Magee, President of JPMA. "By extending the experience to online ordering and home delivery, we're clearing the way for families to access the full nutritional benefits WIC provides."

WIC is a federally funded nutrition program administered by State Agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations throughout the United States and its territories.  The program serves pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum individuals, infants and children up to age five who are determined to be at nutritional risk.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, WIC served approximately 6.8 million participants each month in fiscal year 2025, including an estimated 41% of all infants in the United States.

To learn more about WIC and find information about applying for benefits, go to https://signupwic.com.

About Umoja Health

Umoja Health is a mission-driven national leader in food, nutrition, and health, working to ensure that geography, income, and circumstance do not limit a person's ability to live a healthier life. Through its Food For Health, Nutrition Security Solutions and Government Solutions divisions, Umoja delivers Food Is Medicine programs, nutrition education, member engagement and whole-person health solutions; strengthens food-access programs for community-based organizations; and helps government agencies modernize WIC and child nutrition programs. This work is supported by extensive experience in food and logistics and a nationwide distribution network that reaches people in every community, including the most rural and remote areas. Meaning "unity" in Swahili, Umoja reflects an integrated approach that combines expertise, strategic partnerships, innovation and infrastructure to expand access to quality food and better health for all. Learn more at UmojaHealth.com.

About JPMA

JPMA has been providing technology solutions to modernize WIC and help participants succeed in the program for over 20 years. JPMA created WICShopper, the most widely used WIC participant mobile application, used by 36 WIC state agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations to serve more than 1.4 million families who shop with the app nearly 7 million times each month. JPMA's solutions also include WICShopper Online, an online shopping solution supporting WIC food benefit redemption, and WICSmart, a collaborative nutrition education eLearning platform, and SFMNP – an app for participants of the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Learn more at JPMA.com.

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Antolin will help expand PRIMA's global network of hospitality providers, travel professionals, creators and distribution partners.

MIAMI, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PRIMA VIP INC today announced that Gil Antolin, founder of Luxury World Traveler, has joined PRIMA as a strategic partner to help expand its network of hospitality providers and demand partners, advancing the company's mission to turn trusted recommendations into bookable experiences and shared economic opportunity.

Antolin's role will support both sides of PRIMA's growth: expanding the hospitality businesses available on the platform and strengthening the network of people and organizations that connect customers to them. PRIMA links restaurants, nightlife, wellness and experiences with hotels, concierges, travel professionals, creators, residential communities and other distribution partners. The platform is designed to turn trusted recommendations into attributable bookings, with partners sharing in the revenue those bookings generate.

"Hospitality runs on relationships. People ask someone they trust where to eat, where to stay and what to do," said Alex Zhardanovsky, founder of PRIMA. "We are building the infrastructure that turns those recommendations into measurable business. Gil brings an exceptional combination of hospitality relationships, global media reach and AI technology expertise that will help us expand both sides of the network."

Antolin founded Luxury World Traveler in 2013, growing it into a global luxury travel media and marketing brand with more than 5 million followers across social platforms. He has worked with more than 2,000 hotels and organized over 30 influencer marketing events worldwide. Antolin has also co-founded two AI-powered hospitality software companies, extending his work in luxury travel and digital marketing into technology designed to improve hospitality operations and the guest experience.

"The future of hospitality is not technology replacing human connection; it is technology making that connection more valuable," said Antolin. "That is what makes PRIMA exciting. It applies AI and intelligent commerce to one of the oldest and most powerful forces in hospitality: trust. I'm looking forward to helping grow the PRIMA network worldwide."

About PRIMA

PRIMA VIP INC is building a hospitality booking and recommendation network that connects service providers with the people and organizations that bring them customers. Its model combines hospitality discovery, booking attribution and revenue sharing, enabling trusted recommendations to become measurable commerce.

PRIMA's mission is to ensure that the people and organizations creating value through their knowledge, relationships and recommendations can participate in the economic value they generate.

Website: https://primaapp.com

Whitepaper: https://whitepaper.primaapp.com

About Gil Antolin

Gil Antolin is the founder of Luxury World Traveler, a luxury travel marketing brand he launched in 2013 that now reaches a global audience of more than 5 million social media followers. He has consulted for over 2,000 hotels worldwide and is co-founder of Worldie AI and M2Lux, two AI powered hospitality software companies.

Website: https://luxwt.com

Media Contact

Adam Zhardanovsky

PRIMA VIP INC

647 339 7724

[email protected] 

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Stardock Announces Snipboard, a Better Clipboard Manager

PLYMOUTH, Mich., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Stardock announced Snipboard, a new clipboard manager for Windows that introduces a dock-style interface for accessing, organizing, and reusing copied content. Designed to feel at home on Windows, Snipboard keeps text, links, images, files, and folders within reach without getting in the way of your workflow.

At the center of Snipboard is its innovative clipboard dock that gives users a visual way to interact with everything they copy. The dock can be positioned on any side of the monitor, giving users the flexibility to place it where it best fits their desktop and workflow. Instead of digging through a traditional clipboard history, copied content appears as recognizable cards that make it easy to see what you copied, find what you need, and paste it directly into your work.

The dock is designed to stay out of the way until you need it, while giving you fast access to clipboard history, search, and pinned content. Frequently used text, links, and images can be pinned so they remain available as new content arrives, turning the clipboard from a temporary holding place into an everyday productivity tool.

Snipboard also brings your clipboard across PCs connected on your local network. Users can copy text, links, and images on one PC and paste them on another, as well as transfer copied files and folders directly between connected devices.

"Copy and paste is something everyone uses every day, but the experience hasn't evolved much beyond the basics," said Brad Sams, General Manager of Stardock Software. "With Snipboard, we wanted to build a clipboard manager that feels like it belongs in Windows while giving users a faster and more visual way to work with everything they copy."

Snipboard includes extensive personalization options with support for light and dark themes, customizable colors, card sizes, transparency, animations, and keyboard shortcuts. Users can customize where the dock appears on their display and how it looks to create an experience that fits naturally into their desktop.

Privacy and control are built into Snipboard as well. Users can exclude selected applications from clipboard history and sharing, set retention limits to automatically remove older unpinned content, and pause synchronization between devices while continuing to use their local clipboard history.

Snipboard is available today as part of Object Desktop at no additional cost while in beta.

Screenshots:

Please contact [email protected] for all media inquiries.

About Stardock: Stardock Software is the world's leading developer of desktop enhancements. For over 30 years, Stardock has developed software including Fences®, Start11™, WindowBlinds™, Groupy®, DeskScapes™, Multiplicity®, and more.

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Bird.com secures $450m financing as it launches communications infrastructure for AI agents

- $450 million debt financing led by J.P. Morgan, Capital One and Citi comprises a $400 million term loan and $50 million revolving credit facility.

- Revamped Bird platform builds on giving AI agents access to the outer world in a regulated compliance-focused Agentic Harness to send messages, make calls, and manage email directly, as Bird accelerates its push into the US.

- Bird generated $165 million EBITDA in 2025 following extensive automation across the business.

NEW YORK and AMSTERDAM, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AI communications infrastructure company Bird.com has completed a $450 million debt financing, led by J.P. Morgan, and unveiled a revamped Agentic Harness platform that now lets AI agents send messages, place calls, manage email, and even get their own eSIM phone plan on Bird's network without custom integration.

The platform forms part of Bird's broader repositioning to serve the growing agent economy as the company accelerates its push into the US.

This follows a two-year period during which the company continued to grow, generated $165 million EBITDA in 2025 and extensively automated its operations.

Bird's headcount has fallen from more than 1,000 at its peak to 120 today, driven by extensive automation across the business rather than a retreat from the market. The automation drive has resulted in higher productivity and lower prices for customers, with some channels costing 90% less than competitors.

Robert Vis, founder and CEO of Bird.com, said:

"This is the direction the global economy is heading in, and we as a company have demonstrated how automation can work. We didn't automate to cut headcount, we did it to become more productive, and the headcount came down as a result."

"Half the apps on your phone rely on our infrastructure, and yet we're running this business at a fraction of the size we used to be. You can't do that unless you're automated in a way that would have sounded crazy a few years ago."

The $450 million financing comprises a $400 million term loan and $50 million revolving credit facility. It is structured as a dividend recapitalization, providing liquidity to Bird's existing shareholders, including current and former employees with equity in the company. The financing involved seven banks, including J.P. Morgan, Capital One and Citi.

Shikha Goyal-Allain, Managing Director and Market Executive, Innovation Economy, Commercial Banking at J.P. Morgan, said:

"We're seeing significant growth in agentic AI, and we expect that to keep accelerating as agents transact and communicate on people's behalf. Bird has built a business combining scale, a lean operating model and sustained profitability. Leading this financing reflects our confidence in Bird's fundamentals and in Robert's track record of running a highly efficient, profitable business as it takes on its next chapter."

Bird's revamped platform includes a new layer — its Agentic Harness — specifically designed for AI agents to use Bird's products via the technical protocols they rely on to connect to software, with full access to create, update and manage information across Bird's systems on their own, so no human needs to log in. Operational mechanics that previously had to be handled manually by developers, including how message delivery differs by country and how to reach an inbox differently depending on the provider, can now be executed without a human in the loop. Agents' ability to manage the Harness end-to-end is a significant differentiator versus competitors such as Twilio where agents' access is more limited. Further, the platform connects to multiple major AI models rather than a single one, giving Bird's customers enormous flexibility.

Robert Vis added:

"The world is filling up with AI agents. They can reason, plan and decide. But an agent that can't send the email, fire the text or pick up the phone never actually achieves anything. We've built the layer that lets AI take actions in the real world. With Bird, every app or web application can communicate through ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor, making the agent economy work."

Notes to editors

J.P. Morgan led the financing as joint lead arranger, joint bookrunner and administrative agent, with Capital One and Citi as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Flagstar and Huntington are also in the lender syndicate.

About Bird.com

Bird.com is an AI communications infrastructure company founded in 2011 by Robert Vis. It is the messaging infrastructure of the modern internet, moving trillions of messages a year. It offers one API for email, SMS, WhatsApp, voice and RCS, built so that developers and AI agents can reach the world in a few lines of code. It is trusted by enterprises across 150+ countries and is dual-headquartered in New York and Amsterdam. Learn more at bird.com.

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Oct. 3 ceremony at Bear Mountain Resort will celebrate Jackie's legacy, followed by wildlife education, conservation and stewardship activities throughout Big Bear Valley on Oct. 4

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Big Bear Valley will come together Oct. 3–4 for Wings Over Big Bear, a community weekend honoring Jackie the bald eagle and carrying forward the connection she inspired between people, wildlife and the natural environment.

Jackie was a beloved wild bald eagle who made her home in Big Bear Valley and became known around the world through the Friends of Big Bear Valley nest camera. Millions of people followed Jackie and her mate, Shadow, as they nested, weathered mountain storms and raised their young high above Big Bear Lake.

In July, Jackie was found weak and unable to fly and was rescued near Big Bear Lake. After more than three weeks of intensive care, treatment and testing, she died Aug. 10 at age 14.

For years, Jackie gave viewers a rare, real-time window into the life of a bald eagle in the wild. Her story reached audiences around the world and inspired a deeper appreciation for Big Bear's wildlife and natural environment, making her both a beloved local icon and a worldwide ambassador of wildlife education, conservation and stewardship.

The weekend begins Saturday, Oct. 3, with a public commemoration at Bear Mountain Resort. On Sunday, Oct. 4, Wildlife Education Day will extend Jackie's legacy through wildlife education, conservation and stewardship activities at locations throughout Big Bear Valley.

"Jackie gave millions of people a reason to look up, pay attention to the natural world, and care more deeply about wildlife and the places that sustain it," said Travis Scott, CEO of Visit Big Bear. "Wings Over Big Bear is our community's opportunity to come together, celebrate what Jackie gave us, and carry those values forward through education, conservation, and stewardship."

Wings Over Big Bear brings together organizations dedicated to wildlife, conservation, education, cultural heritage, and stewardship throughout Big Bear Valley.

The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation will open Saturday's ceremony, bringing an important cultural perspective and recognition of the Nation's enduring relationship with the Valley, its wildlife and its ancestral landscape.

Additional partners include Visit Big Bear, Care for Big Bear, Big Bear Alpine Zoo, Southern California Mountains Foundation, Big Bear Chamber of Commerce, County of San Bernardino, Big Bear Arts Council, San Bernardino National Forest, Big Bear Mountain Resort and other participating organizations.

Wings Over Big Bear Weekend at a Glance

Wings Over Big Bear will unfold across two days, beginning with a community commemoration for Jackie on Saturday and continuing with hands-on wildlife education, conservation and stewardship opportunities throughout Big Bear Valley on Sunday.

Saturday, Oct. 3: Community Commemoration for Jackie

Event information and RSVP: https://www.bigbear.com/wings-over-big-bear/

Location: Bear Mountain Resort, 43101 Goldmine Drive, Big Bear Lake

Admission: Free and open to the public

RSVP: Advance RSVP encouraged

Event hours: 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Schedule:

10 a.m. — Venue Opens

Guests may arrive and gather as local Mountaintop Strings performs. Food and beverage service from Bear Mountain Resort will also begin at 10 a.m.

10:30 a.m. — Jackie Commemoration Begins

The formal ceremony will open with the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation.

The program will include music and remarks from community, wildlife, conservation, government and tourism representatives, including Friends of Big Bear Valley, the U.S. Forest Service, Southern California Mountains Foundation, Visit California, San Bernardino County and the California State Legislature.

Approximately 12:10 p.m. — Formal Ceremony Concludes

Following the ceremony, guests are invited to visit participating wildlife, conservation, education and community organizations.

12:10–1:30 p.m. — Community and Wildlife Booths

Attendees can connect with organizations working across Big Bear Valley and Southern California in wildlife education, conservation, stewardship and community engagement.

Participating organizations include Friends of Big Bear Valley, Big Bear Alpine Zoo, Big Bear Discovery Center, Care for Big Bear, U.S. Forest Service, Southern California Mountains Foundation, Wildlands Conservancy's Oak Glen Preserve, Sierra Club Big Bear Group, Environmental Education Collaborative, Inland Empire Resource Conservation District, Santa Ana Watershed, Big Bear Valley Education Trust and additional community partners.

Sunday, Oct. 4: Wildlife Education Day

Event information: https://www.bigbear.com/wings-over-big-bear/

On Sunday, Wings Over Big Bear expands from remembrance to participation with Wildlife Education Day, featuring activities at locations throughout Big Bear Valley.

Rather than a single centralized program, Sunday will offer a variety of opportunities to explore Big Bear's wildlife, habitat and conservation efforts.

Planned activities include:

- Birdwatching: Guided opportunities to observe and learn about local birdlife

- Grey's Peak guided hike: Explore trail stewardship, wildlife closures and eagle habitat

- Native seed collecting: Help support restoration efforts on National Forest lands

- Butler Peak wildlife and raptor viewing: Learn about local wildlife and birds of prey

- Big Bear eagle history: Educational programming exploring the Valley's history with bald eagles

- Youth Eagle Ambassador Program: Wildlife education designed for younger participants

- Wildlife and lake education: Self-guided learning opportunities

- Eagles of Big Bear: Photo and educational displays

- Postcards for Jackie: A community remembrance activity

- Jackie-inspired children's art: Creative activities for young visitors

- Additional programming: More wildlife, conservation and stewardship activities will be announced

Some Sunday activities will have limited capacity or require advance registration, while others will be self-guided or available throughout the day. Sunday activity times, locations, registration requirements and additional programming are still being finalized. Attendees should check the official Wings Over Big Bear page on BigBear.com before attending for the latest schedule and registration information.

Programming Continues to Evolve

Wings Over Big Bear was organized following Jackie's unexpected passing, giving community partners a relatively short planning period. Additional Oct. 4 activity times, locations, registration details and participating organizations will be announced as they are finalized.

For more information, please visit BigBear.com.

About Visit Big Bear

Visit Big Bear welcomes nearly 7.5 million visitors annually who explore its 823,826 acres of national forests, 22-mile freshwater lake and unique alpine setting.  Located two-hours from Los Angeles, the four-seasons destination sits at 6,752 ft., (2,058 meters) offering 300 average days of sunshine, a vibrant ski season with two resorts and 3,100+ unique lodgings from modest A frames to  lakefront resorts.   Located in San Bernardino County approximately 105 mi./ 169 km., northeast of the Los Angeles basin, Big Bear's gateway airports include Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Ontario International Airport (ONT), Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) and John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana (SNA).  Visit Big Bear is a non-profit destination marketing organization designed to enhance the economic vitality of the community by increasing tourism revenue.  For more information, go to www.visitbigbear.com.

SOURCE Visit Big Bear

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