Madison Realty Capital Closes $105 Million Acquisition and Modernization Loan for Four Seasons Hotel in Prime Miami Location

NEW YORK, July 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Madison Realty Capital, a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investment strategies, today announced it has provided a $105 million loan to Fort Partners for the acquisition and modernization of the Four Seasons Hotel Miami located at 1435 Brickell Avenue in Brickell, Florida.  The loan was originated from Madison’s income strategy that offers transitional loans to institutional sponsors. In 2019, Madison provided a $210 million loan to Fort Partners for its construction of the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale.

“We are pleased to continue our work with Fort Partners, a best-in-class developer with a strong track record in South Florida, and deliver a timely, customized financing solution for this exciting project,” said Josh Zegen, Managing Principal and Co-Founder of Madison Realty Capital. “Fort Partners, in close collaboration with Four Seasons, have put forth a strong plan that will modernize the property focused on enhancing room configurations, pool deck and lobby, and upgrade the food & beverage options by partnering with renowned chefs and restaurateurs.  Moreover, Brickell is an attractive, established neighborhood in Miami that caters to both tourists and business clients given its proximity to South Beach. We look forward to supporting Fort Partners in the future.”

“This is our second large loan with Madison Realty Capital, and again they executed quickly and delivered certainty of execution. Madison offered a highly competitive rate with a flexible structure that will allow us to effectively implement our renovation and repositioning plan for this strategic asset,” said Michael Conaghan, partner with Fort Partners LLC.

The 221-key hotel is part of a 70-story mixed-use tower that includes class-A office space, residential condominiums, an Equinox health club, retail space and a parking garage.  Millennium Partners developed the property in 2003 and Handel Architects led the design. The acquisition marks the fourth Four Seasons property in Fort Partners’ Florida portfolio alongside hotels located in Surfside, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach.

JLL Managing Director Jim Dockerty, Senior Managing Director, Kevin Davis, and Managing Director, Mark Fisher represented Fort Partners in the deal.

 

About Madison Realty Capital 

Madison Realty Capital is a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm that manages approximately $6 billion in total assets on behalf of an institutional global investor base. Since 2004, Madison Realty Capital has completed more than $15 billion in transactions in the U.S. providing reputable borrowers with flexible and highly customized financing solutions, strong underwriting capabilities, and certainty of execution. Headquartered in New York City, with offices in Los Angeles and Miami, the firm has over 60 employees across all real estate investment, development, and property management disciplines. Madison Realty Capital has been frequently named to the Commercial Observer’s prestigious “Power 100” list of New York City real estate players and is consistently cited as a top construction lender, among other industry recognitions. To learn more, follow us on LinkedIn and visit www.madisonrealtycapital.com.

Nathaniel Garnick/Grace Cartwright
Gasthalter & Co.
(212) 257-4170
madisonrealty@gasthalter.com

 

Grifols étend son activité en Afrique en signant un accord pour la création d’une usine de fabrication de solutions intraveineuses au Nigeria

– Il sera construit par Grifols Engineering, une référence mondiale dans le développement et la construction d’installations de production avancées pour les industries de la santé et de la biotechnologie

L’usine sera opérationnelle en 2024 et produira 5,5 millions de poches de solutions intraveineuses (IV) par an pour le propriétaire de l’usine, Dozie and Dozie’s Pharma Nig Ltd, un important distributeur de produits de santé au Nigeria et dans les pays voisins

– Grifols a récemment marqué une étape importante en Afrique grâce à un partenariat stratégique clé avec le gouvernement égyptien pour développer des médicaments dérivés du plasma et améliorer l’autosuffisance de la région dans ces traitements

BARCELONE, Espagne, le 19 juillet 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Grifols (MCE : GRF, MCE: GRF.P NASDAQ: GRFS), l’un des principaux producteurs mondiaux de médicaments dérivés du plasma et fournisseur de technologies et de services pour les hôpitaux, les cliniques et les centres de préparation, a annoncé aujourd’hui qu’il allait créer une usine de production de solutions intraveineuses (IV) au Nigeria pour Dozie et Dozie’s Pharma Nig Ltd, l’un des principaux fournisseurs de produits de santé dans le pays et la région environnante.

Lorsqu’elle sera achevée en 2024 dans le sud-est du Nigeria, la phase initiale de l’installation de fabrication produira chaque année jusqu’à 5,5 millions de poches de solutions intraveineuses qui seront utilisées dans les hôpitaux et autres établissements de santé du Nigeria et d’autres pays africains.

Grifols Engineering, qui possède une vaste expérience mondiale dans la construction d’installations de production avancées et spécialisées pour les secteurs de la santé et de la biotechnologie, concevra l’usine et fournira les salles blanches et les équipements de traitement. Une capacité suffisante sera incorporée pour permettre le doublement de la production afin de répondre à la croissance prévue de la demande.

« Grifols est extrêmement heureux d’avoir été sélectionné par Dozie et Dozie’s Pharma pour une usine de fabrication de solutions IV à la pointe de la technologie, afin d’améliorer la prestation de soins de santé au Nigeria et en Afrique de l’Ouest », a déclaré Daniel Fleta, directeur industriel de Grifols.

« Cette usine est la dernière démonstration de notre engagement permanent à fournir des médicaments et des solutions de santé de haute qualité pour répondre aux besoins croissants de la région », a déclaré Chidi Dozie, PDG de Dozie and Dozie’s Pharma Nig Ltd, qui distribue actuellement les thérapies dérivées du plasma de Grifols.

Grifols a renforcé sa présence en Afrique lorsqu’en novembre 2020, elle a conclu une alliance stratégique clé avec le gouvernement égyptien pour développer le marché local des thérapies dérivées du plasma, avec notamment l’ouverture de 20 centres de plasma et la construction d’une usine de fractionnement du plasma et d’une usine de purification et de remplissage. L’Afrique bénéficiera de cette infrastructure avancée visant à renforcer l’autosuffisance régionale en matière d’hémodérivés.

La société a également conçu et mis en place un centre de collecte de plasma et des laboratoires modulaires au Liberia dans le cadre de la lutte contre Ebola, et elle achève la construction d’une usine de solutions intraveineuses qu’elle a conçue et équipée au Maroc.

À propos de Grifols

Grifols est une entreprise mondiale de soins de santé fondée à Barcelone en 1909, qui s’est engagée à améliorer la santé et le bien-être des personnes dans le monde entier. Ses quatre divisions – Bioscience, Diagnostic, Hospital et Bio Supplies – développent, produisent et commercialisent des solutions et des services innovants qui sont vendus dans plus de 100 pays.

Pionnière dans le domaine de la science du plasma, Grifols exploite un réseau grandissant de centres de transfusion dans le monde. Elle transforme le plasma collecté en médicaments essentiels utilisés pour traiter des maladies rares, chroniques et parfois mortelles. En tant que leader reconnu en médecine transfusionnelle, Grifols propose également un portefeuille complet de solutions conçues pour améliorer la sécurité des dons de sang jusqu’à la transfusion. La société fournit également des outils, des informations et des services permettant aux hôpitaux, pharmacies et professionnels de santé de prodiguer efficacement des soins médicaux spécialisés.

Grifols, qui compte près de 24 000 employés dans plus de 30 pays et régions, s’engage à appliquer un modèle d’entreprise durable qui établit la norme en matière d’innovation continue, de qualité, de sécurité et de leadership éthique.

En 2020, l’impact économique de Grifols dans les principaux pays où l’entreprise exerce ses activités s’est élevé à 7,5 milliards d’euros. L’entreprise a également généré 140 000 emplois, y compris les emplois indirects et induits.

Les actions de classe A de la société sont cotées à la bourse d’Espagne où elles font partie de l’Ibex-35 (MCE : GRF). Les actions de classe B de Grifols sans droit de vote sont cotées au Mercado Continuo (MCE : GRF.P) et au NASDAQ aux États-Unis via des ADR (NASDAQ : GRFS).

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez consulter le site www.grifols.com

À propos de Dozie et Dozie’s Pharma Nig Ltd.

Avec son siège social à Abuja, au Nigeria, Dozie and Dozie’s Pharm Nig. Ltd est une entreprise primée créée en 1990. Elle a été créée avec la mission claire de mettre des médicaments spécialisés issus de la recherche à la disposition des clients au Nigeria et dans d’autres régions d’Afrique. Elle s’est concentrée sur l’importation de médicaments dans divers domaines, dont l’oncologie et l’immunologie, entre autres. En raison de l’énorme succès de cette activité, la société progresse vers l’exclusivité totale de ces médicaments spécialisés dans presque tous les hôpitaux tertiaires, les hôpitaux d’entreprise, les meilleures cliniques privées et les institutions et agences gouvernementales. Pour plus d’informations, veuillez consulter le site https://consumer.huawei.com/en/mobileservices/appgallery/

CLAUSE LIMITATIVE DE RESPONSABILITÉ

Les faits et chiffres contenus dans le présent rapport qui ne font pas référence à des données historiques sont des « projections et hypothèses futures ». Des mots et expressions tels que « croire », « espérer », « anticiper », « prédire », « s’attendre », « avoir l’intention », « devrait », « cherchera à réaliser », « il est estimé », « futur » et des expressions similaires, dans la mesure où ils se rapportent au groupe Grifols, sont utilisés pour identifier les projections et hypothèses futures. Ces expressions reflètent les suppositions, hypothèses, attentes et prédictions de l’équipe de direction au moment de la rédaction du présent rapport, et celles-ci dépendent d’un certain nombre de facteurs susceptibles de faire varier sensiblement les résultats réels. Les résultats futurs du groupe Grifols pourraient être affectés par des événements liés à ses propres activités, tels qu’une pénurie d’approvisionnement en matières premières pour la fabrication de ses produits, l’apparition de produits concurrents sur le marché, ou l’évolution du cadre réglementaire des marchés sur lesquels le groupe exerce ses activités. À la date de rédaction du présent rapport, le groupe Grifols a adopté les mesures nécessaires pour atténuer l’impact potentiel de ces événements. Grifols, S.A. n’accepte aucune obligation de rendre public, de réviser ou de mettre à jour les projections ou les hypothèses futures pour les adapter aux événements ou aux circonstances postérieures à la date de rédaction de ce rapport, sauf si la législation en vigueur l’exige expressément. Le présent document ne constitue pas une offre ou une invitation à acheter ou à souscrire des actions, conformément aux dispositions des lois espagnoles suivantes : le décret royal 4/2015 du 23 octobre, approuvant le texte de refonte de la loi sur le marché des valeurs mobilières ; le décret royal 5/2005 du 11 mars et/ou le décret royal 1310/2005 du 4 novembre, avec ses réglementations sur l’application. En outre, le présent document ne constitue pas une offre d’achat, de vente ou d’échange, ni une demande d’offre d’achat, de vente ou d’échange de titres, ni une demande de vote ou d’approbation dans toute autre juridiction. Les informations contenues dans ce document n’ont pas été vérifiées ni examinées par les auditeurs externes du groupe Grifols.

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Grifols further expands its activity in Africa with agreement to set up an intravenous solutions manufacturing plant in Nigeria

To be constructed by Grifols Engineering, a global standard-bearer in the development and building of advanced production facilities for the healthcare and biotechnology industries

The plant will be operational in 2024 and will produce 5.5 million intravenous solutions (IV) bags yearly for the plant’s owner, Dozie and Dozie’s Pharma Nig Ltd., a leading distributor of healthcare products in Nigeria and neighboring countries

Grifols recently marked a milestone in Africa through a key strategic partnership with the government of Egypt to develop plasma-derived medicines and enhance the region’s self-sufficiency in these treatments

BARCELONA, Spain, July 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Grifols (MCE: GRF, MCE: GRF.P NASDAQ: GRFS), a leading global producer of plasma-derived medicines and provider of technologies and services for hospitals, clinics and compounding centers, today announced it will establish an intravenous (IV) solutions production plant in Nigeria for Dozie and Dozie’s Pharma Nig Ltd., a leading provider of healthcare products in the country and surrounding region.

When completed in 2024 in southeast Nigeria, the manufacturing installation’s initial phase will produce as many as 5.5 million intravenous solutions bags yearly to be used in hospitals and other healthcare institutions in Nigeria and other African countries.

Grifols Engineering, with broad global experience building advanced, specialized production facilities for the healthcare and biotechnology sectors, will design the plant and provide clean rooms and process equipment. Sufficient capacity will be incorporated to enable the doubling of output to meet the expected growth in demand.

“Grifols is extremely pleased to be selected by Dozie and Dozie’s Pharma for a state-of-the-art IV solutions manufacturing plant to enhance healthcare delivery in Nigeria and Western Africa,” said Daniel Fleta, Grifols Chief Industrial Officer.

“This plant is the latest demonstration of our ongoing commitment to provide high-quality medicines and healthcare solutions to meet the growing needs of the region,” stated Chidi Dozie, CEO of Dozie and Dozie’s Pharma Nig Ltd., which currently distributes Grifols plasma-derived therapies.

Grifols strengthened its presence in Africa when in November 2020 it entered into a key strategic alliance with the government of Egypt to develop the local market for plasma-derived therapies, including the opening of 20 plasma centers and the construction of a plasma fractionation plant and a purification and fill-and-finish plant. Africa will benefit from this advanced infrastructure aimed at strengthening regional self-sufficiency in hemoderivatives.

The company has also designed and established a plasma collection center and modular laboratories in Liberia as part of efforts to combat Ebola, and is completing an IV solutions plant it designed and equipped in Morocco.

About Grifols

Grifols is a global healthcare company founded in Barcelona in 1909 committed to improving the health and well-being of people around the world. Its four divisions – Bioscience, Diagnostic, Hospital and Bio Supplies – develop, produce and market innovative solutions and services that are sold in more than 100 countries.

Pioneers in the plasma industry, Grifols operates a growing network of donation centers worldwide. It transforms collected plasma into essential medicines to treat chronic, rare and, at times, life-threatening conditions. As a recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Grifols also offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions designed to enhance safety from donation to transfusion. In addition, the company supplies tools, information and services that enable hospitals, pharmacies and healthcare professionals to efficiently deliver expert medical care.

Grifols, with nearly 24,000 employees in more than 30 countries and regions, is committed to a sustainable business model that sets the standard for continuous innovation, quality, safety and ethical leadership.

In 2020, Grifols’ economic impact in its core countries of operation was EUR 7.5 billion. The company also generated 140,000 jobs, including indirect and induced.

The company’s class A shares are listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, where they are part of the Ibex-35 (MCE:GRF). Grifols non-voting class B shares are listed on the Mercado Continuo (MCE:GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ through ADRs (NASDAQ:GRFS).

For more information, please visit www.grifols.com

About Dozie and Dozie’s Pharma Nig Ltd.

With headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, Dozie and Dozie’s Pharm Nig. Ltd is an award-winning company established in 1990. It was formed with a clear mission of making research-driven specialty medicines available to clients in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Its focus has been on the importation of medicines in various areas including oncology and immunology, among others. Due to the huge success of this business, the company is progressing towards total exclusivity for these specialised drugs in almost all the tertiary hospitals, corporate hospitals, and the top private clinics and government institutions and agencies. For more information, please visit www.dozieanddoziespharm.com.ng

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

The facts and figures contained in this report that do not refer to historical data are “future projections and assumptions”. Words and expressions such as “believe”, “hope”, “anticipate”, “predict”, “expect”, “intend”, “should”, “will seek to achieve”, “it is estimated”, “future” and similar expressions, insofar as they relate to the Grifols group, are used to identify future projections and assumptions. These expressions reflect the assumptions, hypotheses, expectations and predictions of the management team at the time of writing this report, and these are subject to a number of factors that mean that the actual results may be materially different. The future results of the Grifols group could be affected by events relating to its own activities, such as a shortage of supplies of raw materials for the manufacture of its products, the appearance of competitor products on the market, or changes to the regulatory framework of the markets in which it operates, among others. At the date of compiling this report, the Grifols group has adopted the necessary measures to mitigate the potential impact of these events. Grifols, S.A. does not accept any obligation to publicly report, revise or update future projections or assumptions to adapt them to events or circumstances subsequent to the date of writing this report, except where expressly required by the applicable legislation. This document does not constitute an offer or invitation to buy or subscribe shares in accordance with the provisions of the following Spanish legislation: Royal Legislative Decree 4/2015, of 23 October, approving recast text of Securities Market Law; Royal Decree Law 5/2005, of 11 March and/or Royal Decree 1310/2005, of 4 November, and any regulations developing this legislation. In addition, this document does not constitute an offer of purchase, sale or exchange, or a request for an offer of purchase, sale or exchange of securities, or a request for any vote or approval in any other jurisdiction. The information included in this document has not been verified nor reviewed by the external auditors of the Grifols group.

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“UNITE BY EMOTION” to deliver cheers from all over the world to athletes online on the opening day of the world’s most attractive sporting event.

TOKYO, July 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — On July 23, 2021, as the international sports competition begins, I’mbesideyou Inc. will launch “UNITE BY EMOTION”, a service that will allow us to visualize the cheers of people around the world online through AI and deliver them to the athletes and people around the world. The aim is to create an opportunity for people around the world to connect with each other emotionally by providing a new experience for online spectators at the Games, which will be held without spectators for the first time in history, and to deliver cheers to the athletes.

・About “UNITE BY EMOTION”

“UNITE BY EMOTION” is a service that uses I’mbesideyou’s emotion recognition technology to visualize each individuals’ emotions and projects to the world, by people from all over the world posting videos and photos of themselves cheering on athletes.

UNITE BY EMOTION

Posted videos and photos will be randomly displayed on the site. Your support and feelings will be conveyed to people all over the world through “UNITE BY EMOTION”.

Anyone in the world can contribute. Send a message of support to your favorite athlete, or your favorite country!

Countries that have been supported will be displayed on the site. You can also send a message of support to a country other than the one you live in!

This service will be available worldwide, completely free of charge, and without any advertisements. It is an initiative to send our best wishes to the athletes who are competing without spectators.

UNITE BY EMOTION is scheduled to launch on the opening day of the Games. In the meantime, you can post your support on the teaser site, and register your e-mail address to receive information before the service starts. The illustration of the earth on the teaser site rotates with the movement of the mouse, so have fun playing!

Our thoughts : We were absolutely surprised that the world’s most famous athletic event, held in our own country, would be staged without spectators.What can we do for the athletes who will be competing under unusual circumstances? What can we do for the people around the world who are looking forward to watching the games at the venue? The result of our own thinking is “UNITE BY EMOTION”.

We are working on this service to turn the suffering caused by COVID-19 into hope for a new era. If you share our vision, please register your support and share the URL of the service site and the hashtag “#UNITEBYEMOTION”.

URL: https://world-emotions.imbesideyou.com/index.html

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1575037/UNITE_BY_EMOTION.jpg

Zoom to Acquire Five9

The combination of Zoom’s robust communications platform with Five9’s intelligent cloud contact center will enable organizations to reimagine the way they engage with their customers

SAN JOSE, Calif. and SAN RAMON, Calif., July 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVN), a leading provider of the intelligent cloud contact center, in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $14.7 billion. Combining Five9’s Contact Center as a Service (“CCaaS”) solution with Zoom’s broad communications platform will transform how businesses connect with their customers, building the customer engagement platform of the future.

The acquisition is expected to help enhance Zoom’s presence with enterprise customers and allow it to accelerate its long-term growth opportunity by adding the $24 billion contact center market. Five9 is a pioneer of cloud-based contact center software. Its highly-scalable and secure cloud contact center delivers a comprehensive suite of easy-to-use applications that allows management and optimization of customer interactions across many different channels.

“We are continuously looking for ways to enhance our platform, and the addition of Five9 is a natural fit that will deliver even more happiness and value to our customers,” said Eric S. Yuan, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Zoom. “Zoom is built on a core belief that robust and reliable communications technology enables interactions that build greater empathy and trust, and we believe that holds particularly true for customer engagement. Enterprises communicate with their customers primarily through the contact center, and we believe this acquisition creates a leading customer engagement platform that will help redefine how companies of all sizes connect with their customers. We are thrilled to join forces with the Five9 team, and I look forward to welcoming them to the Zoom family.”

“Businesses spend significant resources annually on their contact centers, but still struggle to deliver a seamless experience for their customers,” said Rowan Trollope, Chief Executive Officer of Five9. “It has always been Five9’s mission to make it easy for businesses to fix that problem and engage with their customers in a more meaningful and efficient way. Joining forces with Zoom will provide Five9’s business customers access to best-of-breed solutions, particularly Zoom Phone, that will enable them to realize more value and deliver real results for their business. This, combined with Zoom’s ‘ease-of use’ philosophy and broad communication portfolio, will truly enable customers to engage via their preferred channel of choice.”

Zoom’s acquisition of Five9 is complementary to the growing popularity of its Zoom Phone offering. Zoom Phone is a modern, cloud phone system that offers a digital alternative to legacy phone offerings, enabling organizations to connect and interact in new and convenient ways to keep businesses moving.

The combination also offers both companies significant cross-selling opportunities to each other’s respective customer bases. As a result of the acquisition, Zoom will play an even greater role in driving the digital future and bringing companies and their customers closer together.

Following the close of the transaction, Five9 will be an operating unit of Zoom and Rowan Trollope will become a President of Zoom and continue as CEO of Five9, reporting to Eric Yuan.

Details on the Proposed Transaction
As part of the agreement, Five9 stockholders will receive 0.5533 shares of Class A common stock of Zoom Video Communications, Inc. for each share of Five9, Inc. Based on the closing share price of Zoom Class A common stock as of July 16, 2021, this represents a per share price for Five9 common stock of $200.28 and an implied transaction value of approximately $14.7 billion.

The Boards of Directors of Zoom and Five9 have approved the transaction. The Board of Directors of Five9 recommends that Five9 stockholders approve the transaction and adopt the merger agreement. The transaction, which is anticipated to close in the first half of calendar year 2022, is subject to approval by Five9 stockholders, the receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Additional details and information about the terms and conditions of the acquisition will be available in current reports on Form 8-K to be filed by Zoom and Five9 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Advisors
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as exclusive financial advisor and Cooley LLP is serving as legal counsel to Zoom. Qatalyst Partners is serving as exclusive financial advisor and Latham and Watkins LLP is serving as legal counsel to Five9.

Transaction Conference Call Information
Zoom and Five9 will host a Zoom Video Webinar for investors on Monday, July 19, 2021 at 5:30 am Pacific Time / 8:30 am Eastern Time. Investors are invited to join the Zoom Video Webinar by visiting: https://investors.zoom.us/. A replay will be available shortly after the call ends.

About Zoom
Zoom is for you. We help you express ideas, connect to others, and build toward a future limited only by your imagination. Our frictionless communications platform is the only one that started with video as its foundation, and we have set the standard for innovation ever since. That is why we are an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for individuals, small businesses, and large enterprises alike. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ: ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom.

About Five9
Five9 is an industry-leading provider of cloud contact center solutions, bringing the power of cloud innovation to more than 2,000 customers worldwide and facilitating billions of customer engagements annually. The Five9 Intelligent Cloud Contact Center provides digital engagement, analytics, workflow automation, workforce optimization, and practical AI to help customers reimagine their customer experience. Designed to be reliable, secure, compliant, and scalable, the Five9 platform helps increase agent and supervisor productivity, connects the contact center to the business, and ultimately deliver tangible business results including increased revenue and enhanced customer trust and loyalty.

Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking information related to Zoom, Five9 and the acquisition of Five9 by Zoom that involves substantial risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements in this communication include, among other things, statements about the potential benefits of the proposed transaction for Zoom, Five9 and their respective customers, Zoom’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to the combined company, the size of the opportunity for Zoom in contact centers, the financial condition, results of operations and business of Zoom or Five9, and the anticipated timing of closing of the proposed transaction.

Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to the ability of Zoom to consummate the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all; Zoom’s ability to successfully integrate Five9’s operations and personnel; Zoom’s ability to implement its plan, forecasts and other expectations with respect to Five9’s business after the completion of the transaction and realize expected synergies; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to consummation of the proposed transaction; Zoom’s ability to secure regulatory approvals on the terms expected in a timely manner or at all, especially in light of recent regulatory developments in the United States and elsewhere; the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, including the possibility that the expected benefits from the proposed transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; any negative effects of the announcement or the consummation of the proposed transaction on the market price of Zoom’s Class A common stock or on Zoom’s operating results; the impact of significant transaction costs and unknown liabilities on Zoom’s operating results; the risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the proposed transaction; the exertion of management’s time and Zoom’s resources, and other expenses incurred in connection with any regulatory or governmental consents or approvals for the transaction; the possibility that competing offers will be made to acquire Five9; the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transaction on Zoom and Five9’s business relationships, operating results, and business generally; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures on Zoom and Five9’s businesses and general economic conditions; the impact of geopolitical events; Zoom’s service performance and security, including the resources and costs required to avoid unanticipated downtime and prevent, detect and remediate potential security breaches; cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities that could lead to reduced revenue, increased costs, liability claims, or harm to Zoom’s reputation or competitive position; excessive outages and disruptions to Zoom’s online services if Zoom fails to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure; competitive factors, including new market entrants and changes in the competitive environment and increased competition; customer demand for Zoom’s products and services; Zoom and Five9’s ability to attract, integrate and retain qualified personnel; Zoom’s ability to protect its intellectual property rights and develop its brand; Zoom’s ability to develop new services and product features; Zoom’s operating results and cash flow; the impact of the transaction on Zoom’s strategy of acquiring or making investments in complementary businesses, joint ventures, services, technologies and intellectual property rights; changes in tax and other laws, regulations, rates and policies; and the impact of new accounting pronouncements.

These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed transaction, will be described in the registration statement on Form S-4 and proxy statement/prospectus that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors to be presented in the registration statement on Form S-4 are, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. For additional information about other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to Zoom’s and Five9’s respective periodic reports and other filings with the SEC, including the risk factors identified in Zoom’s and Five9’s most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Reports on Form 10-K.

The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof. Zoom assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed merger, Zoom intends to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, which will include a document that serves as a prospectus of Zoom and a proxy statement of Five9 (the “proxy statement/prospectus”). After the registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC, the proxy statement/prospectus will be delivered to stockholders of Five9. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, SECURITY HOLDERS OF ZOOM AND FIVE9 ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE MERGER THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain copies of the proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other documents filed by Zoom and Five9 with the SEC, without charge, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Zoom will be available free of charge under the SEC Filings heading of the Investor Relations section of Zoom’s website at https://investors.Zoom.us/. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Five9 will be available free of charge under the Financials & Filings heading of the Investor Relations section of Five9’s website at https://investors.five9.com/.

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Zoom Press Relations
Colleen Rodriguez
Global Media Relations Lead
press@zoom.us

Zoom Investor Relations
Tom McCallum
Head of Investor Relations
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Five9 Press Relations
Allison Wilson
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Chief Financial Officer
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lisa@blueshirtgroup.com

Chess Brings Hope to Kenya Youth in Informal Settlement

More than half of the Kenyan capital’s nearly five million people live in slums, where many young people are lured by drugs and crime. In one neighborhood, a group is using the game of chess to help transform the lives of young people.

We are in Mukuru Kwa Njenga an informal settlement that is about thirteen kilometers from Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Among the youth here practicing chess, who number about twenty, is Sarah Momanyi. At 15, she’s a teen sensation in the sport, but her start wasn’t easy.

“When I first started playing chess, it was hard because I was like the only girl, and my grandmother, she never supported me, because of playing with boys. It was really hard,” she said.

It’s been five years since a sports outreach ministry introduced chess to this informal settlement to help keep young people away from drugs and crime.

Every Saturday, the students here practice the game for five hours. The sport has provided a safe avenue for Momanyi and other young residents to hone and perfect their skills.

The chess initiative has drawn about 800 students from various schools within Mukuru Kwa Njenga, which has a population of about half a million people.

Josephat Owila is a national chess instructor and head coach with the Sports Outreach Ministry.

“Socially they are good because they can be able to coexist with others in the society also in their schools, their respective schools. They are performing well, which means that they are critical thinkers and are creative also,” he said.

John Mukabi, the head of Chess Kenya, the national body that manages the sport, told VOA the sport faces challenges in the country.

“For these informal settlement areas, like here in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, they don’t have internet connection, they need laptops and things like that and also chessboards,” he said.

Still, the young residents play the game despite obstacles. As for Momanyi, she continues to practice every day and hopes to one day become a grand master.

Source: Voice of America

Poverty at Root of South Africa Violence and Looting: Analyst

After a week of public violence that shocked the world, South Africa is beginning to reflect on the cause.

Mass looting and destruction of property followed the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court after he refused to testify at an inquiry into corruption alleged to have happened when he led South Africa between 2009 and 2018.

The violence left more than 200 people dead and hundreds injured, with damage to the economy estimated at billions of dollars. The unrest was only quelled by the deployment of 25,000 soldiers, who are still patrolling parts of the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The African National Congress, or ANC, government has been widely criticized for its handling of the crisis. Speaking to the nation this past weekend, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the riots were “orchestrated” to cause social instability and “severely weaken, even dislodge,” his administration.

“Using the pretext of a political grievance, those behind these acts have sought to provoke a popular insurrection,” Ramaphosa said. “They’ve sought to exploit the social and economic conditions under which many South Africans live… and to provoke ordinary citizens and criminal networks to engage in opportunistic acts of wanton looting.”

Ramaphosa said the chaos was used as a “smokescreen” to carry out “economic sabotage” by burning trucks and blocking key highways, and torching warehouses, factories and shopping malls.

“Through social media, fake news and misinformation, they’ve sought to inflame racial tensions and violence,” he said. “Worst of all, these instigators have sought to manipulate the poor and the vulnerable for their own benefit. This attempted insurrection has failed. It has failed to gain popular support amongst our people.”

One of the alleged instigators is Thulani Dlomo, who used to be one of Zuma’s top intelligence agents. Police arrested and questioned him on Saturday but released him without charge.

Dlomo told reporters in Durban he never instigated anything, as he was a “patriotic, God-fearing” South African.

“Our people must not allow any influence that will divide our communities. We must unite, as the people of this country, in ensuring that we leave a legacy for our children and for the next generation. So, this is not the time to point fingers,” he said.

ANC veteran and former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils said it’s important that the inciters are punished for what they’ve done.

But Kasrils said it’s also important to acknowledge the violence stems in part from what he said is the ruling party’s failed economic policies, such as former President Thabo Mbeki’s GEAR project, which did not meet its goal of increasing growth. GEAR, or Growth, Employment and Redistribution, also called for job creation and restructuring of the economy.

“The GEAR program,” he said, “was not an economic system that was really able to radically deal with what Mandela said was our priority, and that was changing the lives of the poorest of the poor.” He was referring to late President Nelson Mandela.

Instead, Kasrils said immense wealth remained with a few white capitalists, and a new, super-rich class of black tycoons.

He said while the ANC did provide some houses and basic services to the poor, poverty and inequality increased, largely because of the ruling party’s failure to create jobs.

Then, Kasrils said suspected corruption siphoned off billions of dollars that should have been used to fundamentally improve South Africa. The investigation into allegations that Zuma and others in his government were involved has split the ANC, with many voters standing with Zuma, who has denied any involvement in corruption.

On Monday, Zuma’s corruption trial resumed. He faces charges of fraud and bribery relating to the purchase of military jets when he was vice president in 1999.

Proceedings were being held via video link, and the defense was expected to focus on its request to have the prosecutor dropped from the case, saying he has leaked information to the news media.

Source: Voice of America