Q&A with Tara Ryan, Chief Marketing Officer at Incorta

Media 7 | November 15, 2021

We had the opportunity to interview the data-enthusiast and the former first Chief Data Officer in Sweden, Vanessa Eriksson, SVP, Chief Digital Officer at Zenseact and Board Member at Fidesmo, where she explored the different features of the autonomous vehicle. Read on to find out more about the Zenseact protects critical business and company information.

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Media 7 | April 22, 2020

Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder of SharpEnd leads the company’s mission to help brands move closer than ever to consumers by connecting packaging, retail and experiential activity. He is a regular speaker and writer on how to build brands in a connected world. He has spoken at Cannes, the Festival of Marketing, LuxePack Monaco and New York, Ad:Week Europe and New York, DMA, the Connected Consumer Conference, Mobile World Congress and the IoT World Forum. MEDIA 7: How did the idea of “the agency of things” come to your mind? CAMERON WORTH: SharpEnd was created in 2015 as the world’s first Internet of Things focused agency, so there is a slight play on words when we say we’re the Agency of Things. I think the idea of giving things their own agency is an interesting concept, and the strapline fits our capabilities on multiple levels. M7: In what way does technology drive the association of SharpEnd with global brands? What approaches are followed to enable sustainability? CW: Our simple proposition is to help build brands in a connected world, and to do that you must always start with identified consumer needs or pain points and look at technology as just an enabler to deliver an appropriate solution (when appropriate).  Take the issue of sustainability, which is often a pain point for brands that grapple with issues such as how we can reward sustainable behaviour change. One of our approaches to this could be to look at communicating the recycling credentials of the different products. Whilst the consumer can engage with a product as part of a wider consumer experience, the same technology could also house content that could tell you whether the product is recyclable, which type of bin it goes in etc. SharpEnd’s work with Unilever is a case in point. We built a digital product that incentivised recycling through gamification but also served to educate through informing people how and where to recycle in a clear fashion. All users had to do was simply scan their packaging to have all this information at their disposal.

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MEDIA 7 | March 9, 2020

Rachel Gabato, COO at ripe.io is a highly experienced and proven Product Management executive and advisor with experiences in designing, developing and delivering enterprise SaaS solutions for start-ups, mid-size and large companies. I have demonstrated success is managing solutions across all stages of the software lifecycle. Deck 7: What is your favorite part of working at ripe.io? RACHEL GABATO: My favorite part of working at ripe.io is the diverse background of people that ripe.io has brought together. We’re a blockchain technology company with a mission to build long-lasting trust and confidence in our food supply chain through a platform where everyone can access transparent and reliable information on the origin, journey and quality of their food.  Our co-founders originate from the fintech space, so they were very familiar with blockchain as a technology. They assessed multiple industries and identified the food supply chain as a industry which could be transformed by leveraging this technology. I didn’t have any knowledge of agriculture and the food supply chain, but I had a background in retail supply chain technology. However, we also have food scientists, data scientists, farmers, sustainable agriculture specialists, flavor specialists, blockchain technologists on staff;  it’s a diverse group that has their own specialty but when we have ideation sessions, the education and sharing that happens is tremendous. This is one of my favorite parts of ripe.io – seeing us all educating, supporting and working together to work on our common mission. If you would have asked me two years ago if I would be visiting farms, I would have said no. However, much has changed, and I’ve been on hog farms, produce and citrus farms, sugar cane farms, etc. and visited all participants involved in the supply chain. I find this space incredibly fascinating and interesting. I now have a much better understanding where food comes from, how it gets to us, how it’s grown and handled. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from our team and it’s the intersection of technology and solving the challenges of the food supply chain which I’m incredibly passionate about.

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FREIGHT

Telegraph | September 27, 2022

Telegraph, a Chicago-based startup building next-generation software for the freight rail industry, and Watco, a highly diversified transportation company, recently announced their new collaboration. The combination of Watco's decades of rail logistics experience and Telegraph software is helping shippers solve their toughest logistics challenges, especially rail transportation. The enhanced technology provides customers visibility of their railcars beyond Watco facilities or tracks. "We recognized a distinct need for software designed for the rail-centric supply chain,The industry presents unique challenges that this collaboration allows us to address. Together, we're making rail a more compelling option for shippers." -Telegraph co-founder Shachar Astor. Telegraph helps railroads, shippers, logistics providers, and railcar lessors work more efficiently via a singular platform. The company uplevels the consumer experience, making it easier for businesses to incorporate rail into their procurement and execution processes. Telegraph's tool helps us be more effective and efficient so we can focus on solving common rail issues for our customers. It is quick, it is easy, it is powerful," said Watco Vice President of Logistics Sales Michelle Bowling. "We help our customers keep their freight moving and provide cost-saving opportunities such as rate negotiations and demurrage risk mitigation. Telegraph provides exceptional predictability and visibility for carload and intermodal shipments. Leveraging EDI, API, and telematics integrations, the platform delivers best-in-class forecastability and pipeline management. To date, the company has saved customers thousands of hours in manual work and millions of dollars in accessorial charges. It's a pleasure to build alongside the team at Watco. Both organizations share an operational grit and customer focus that has unlocked immense value. We're excited about our shared pursuit of making it easier for everyone to incorporate rail into their supply chain, added Telegraph CEO Harris Ligon. About Telegraph Telegraph provides a cloud-based operating system for railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, and railcar leasing companies. With an innovative platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, and proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers and makes shipping by rail easier and more effective. For details, visit www.telegraph.io About Watco Watco is a leading transportation service and logistics company that provides transportation, material handling and warehousing, logistics, railcar repair, and design and development for customers throughout North America and Australia. For details, visit www.watco.com

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SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY,SUPPLY CHAIN

Eclypsium | October 06, 2022

Eclypsium® announced it has raised $25 million in Series B financing led by Ten Eleven Ventures, the original cybersecurity-focused, global, stage-agnostic investment firm. Global Brain's KDDI Open Innovation Fund (KOIF) and J-Ventures are also participating investors in the round. New investors are joined in the round by prior lead investors Andreessen Horowitz and Madrona Venture Group, and existing investors Alumni Ventures, AV8 Ventures, Intel Capital, Mindset Ventures, Oregon Venture Fund (OVF), Translink Capital and Ubiquity Ventures. This brings the company’s total funding to $50 million. Eclypsium also welcomes Alex Doll, Ten Eleven’s co-founder, to its Board of Directors.Eclypsium will use the Series B capital to expand its product capabilities to help its enterprise and public sector customers secure and ensure integrity of hardware, firmware and the software supply chain, further accelerate enterprise and Federal sales momentum, and continue to foster its leadership in supply chain security research. Recent reports indicate that 80% of organizations experienced a cyberattack due to vulnerabilities in their supply chain. Supply chain attacks were up more than 100% year-over-year in 2021. Government agencies globally are increasingly issuing warnings and mandates such as the White House OMB memorandum on enhancing supply chain security. Device software and firmware has emerged as the leading source and accounts for almost a quarter of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities published by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Eclypsium solves a critical and often overlooked dimension of the cybersecurity puzzle - ensuring every device is continuously protected against supply chain risk," commented new lead investor Alex Doll of Ten Eleven Ventures. "While device security was historically more controllable by the original device manufacturer, today's complex supply chain and reliance on third-party software and componentry have exponentially expanded the attack surface. Eclypsium has entered the market at the perfect time to address these complexities with its comprehensive solution. We are proud to join the forward-looking investors already backing them in their important mission. Eclypsium also announced the addition of Alex Doll to its Board of Directors. As Co-Founder and Managing General Partner of cybersecurity speciality Ten Eleven Ventures and former Co-Founder of PGP Corp. (acquired by Symantec), Mr. Doll brings many years of experience in leading and growing cybersecurity companies to help guide Eclypsium in its next phase of growth. Since Eclypsium’s Series A round, the company has increased headcount by 5x, achieved 35x growth in annual recurring revenue and expanded its customer base by 13x. In addition to these achievements, Eclypsium has also: Appointed multiple industry leaders to its executive team across sales, engineering, marketing, and research Won multiple prestigious awards including the Gartner Cool Vendor, CNBC Upstart 100, and Fast Company Most Innovative Security Companies awards Discovered industry-wide risks in the supply chains of major equipment manufacturers across enterprise laptops, servers, PC firmware, and critical device software. Been added to CISA’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation as the only supply chain security solution for enterprise hardware and firmware. “The complexity and dependency on global supply chains of critical hardware and software has created an attractive and rapidly growing playing field for threat actors, whose goal is to achieve maximum detrimental impact, across as many organizations at once. As such, we are seeing a shift in focus as organizations evaluate their defense approaches and move towards the zero trust principle in protecting their devices and supply chains, We look forward to partnering with our new investors as we continue to educate and equip organizations with the knowledge and tools to defend their device fleets and supply chains. This investment will further expand our footprint as the leading provider of a comprehensive platform securing critical hardware, firmware and software in organizations’ supply chains.” -Yuriy Bulygin, CEO and Co-Founder of Eclypsium ABOUT ECLYPSIUM Eclypsium’s cloud-based platform provides digital supply chain security for critical hardware, firmware and software. Eclypsium defends enterprises and government agencies from the deep implants and exploits that have become the vector of choice for modern adversaries. For more information, visit eclypsium.com.

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SUPPLY CHAIN

RELEX Solutions | September 27, 2022

Kwik Trip, a leading convenience store chain in the US, will partner with RELEX Solutions, provider of unified retail planning solutions, to implement automated planograms, floor planning, and supply chain optimization solutions. RELEX will service Kwik Trip’s convenience stores throughout the Midwest United States, driving improved sales, inventory management, and operational efficiency with a solution that seamlessly combines central planning and store operations.Previously, Kwik Trip handled their planograms and inventory forecasting and replenishment through legacy systems and spreadsheets. They needed a highly accurate, automated system to manage their more than 3,500 SKUs across 20 planning categories, at each of their 850 convenience store locations. After reviewing other vendors, Kwik Trip selected RELEX for its automated, AI-driven solutions, which will reduce manual efforts in both stores and head office locations. Additionally, they will use RELEX’s in-store mobile solution, which empowers store personnel with a transparent view to store level order proposals, planograms, and floor plans. “We run a lean operation at Kwik Trip and need our planograms and demand forecasts to be both precise and easy to use for our central planners and store employees alike, We’re extremely impressed by RELEX’s ability to produce highly optimized, automated, and accurate replenishment orders and space plans, as well as being a solution that allows for flexible interaction between our operations and merchandising teams.” -Jake Vogel, Director of Category Management and Procurement. RELEX is a tremendous tool and a natural fit for the convenience industry,” says Carlos Victoria, SVP Sales, Americas for RELEX Solutions. “RELEX’s AI-driven solution has a strong track record of optimizing forecasting and replenishment for fresh assortments, seasonal inventories, and even promotions. We’re happy to partner with Kwik Trip and help them to reach their space planning goals, leading to a more convenient and pleasant customer experience. About RELEX Solutions RELEX Solutions helps retailers and consumer brands drive profitable growth across all sales and distribution channels by maximizing customer satisfaction and minimizing operative costs. Our market-leading, unified supply chain and retail planning platform helps retailers and consumer goods companies align and optimize demand, merchandising, supply chain, and operations planning across the end-to-end value chain. We drive record-high product availability, increased sales, improved sustainability, and the best return on investment in inventory, space, workforce, and capacity. Leading brands like Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, Kum & Go, Rite Aid, Sprouts Farmers Market, Sheetz, and Circle K trust RELEX to optimize their supply chain and retail planning. Go to relexsolutions.com for more. About Kwik Trip Kwik Trip is a family-owned company that serves customers with more than 800 convenient, clean retail convenience stores and also produces more than 80% of the products featured in the stores supplied by its own commissary, bakery, dairy and distribution center located in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

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