Cat ownership is booming, and so is the demand for better cat litter. Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTI), a global specialty minerals company, is betting big on that trend with a slate of major plant upgrades designed to supercharge its SIVO pet care business.

The company is investing in facilities in Dyersburg, Tennessee; Brantford, Ontario; and Chaoyang City, China. Together, the projects aim to boost output, improve flexibility, and streamline logistics, ensuring SIVO can keep pace with rising customer demand for private-label cat litter. The expansions are already underway and are set to be completed by the end of 2025.

Why It Matters

MTI’s consumer segment has a simple math problem: cat ownership is at its highest level in a decade, and the litter box market is straining to keep up. Demand for innovative, high-quality litter—customizable in formulas, sizes, and packaging—isn’t just growing; it’s fragmenting. That makes scalable, flexible production more valuable than ever.

“These investments will help improve productivity, safety, quality, and capacity at our facilities and allow us to meet the growing customer demand for innovative, high-quality cat litter solutions,” said D.J. Monagle III, Group President of MTI’s Consumer & Specialties Segment.

A Global Play

Each upgrade has a distinct purpose. The Dyersburg and Brantford plants are getting more flexible manufacturing capabilities and streamlined logistics, allowing MTI to serve North American retailers more efficiently. In Chaoyang City, MTI is dialing up production capacity to serve a wider and increasingly diverse Asian market.

This global spread matters. With operations on five continents, vertically integrated supply chains, and access to mineral reserves, SIVO has positioned itself as the go-to partner for both regional retailers and major global brands.

Beyond Just Capacity

While extra tonnage matters, MTI says these upgrades will also address customer needs for R&D support and modern packaging capabilities. That’s critical as private-label players—once focused mainly on cost—now compete aggressively on quality, sustainability, and branding.

“With over 35 years of experience in the cat litter industry and deep mineral application expertise, our pet care team continues to bring innovative products to market,” said MTI Chairman and CEO Douglas T. Dietrich. “The investments at our plants will not only increase our capacity but also address key customer requirements for R&D and packaging, high-quality products, and strategically located facilities that will help us grow the private label cat litter category.”

Industry Context

Pet ownership has long been a resilient market, but the private-label segment is where the real disruption is happening. As retailers lean into house brands, companies like MTI are racing to scale up production while meeting higher expectations for sustainability, variety, and performance. Competitors from both traditional consumer goods giants and upstart eco-friendly brands are circling, but MTI’s vertical integration and mineral expertise give it an edge.

If all goes to plan, by the end of 2025, MTI’s global cat litter infrastructure won’t just be bigger—it’ll be smarter, greener, and better equipped to keep cats (and their owners) happy.

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Cash application might not sound glamorous, but for CFOs, it’s mission-critical. And now Esker—the France-based provider of AI automation for finance—has earned a spotlight of its own. The Hackett Group has recognized Esker as a Top Performer in its 2025 Digital World Class Matrix for Cash Application Software, ranking it above peers across 10 performance criteria.

The recognition places Esker among the top 15 vendors evaluated for customer-to-cash processes. What sets it apart: AI-driven automation that not only speeds up the dull work of reconciling payments but also clears the way for smarter, leaner finance operations.

Why CFOs Care

Cashflow optimization is now the number one priority for finance chiefs, according to Hackett’s latest Finance Key Issues Study. And the math behind the urgency is stark: automation can reallocate 63% of staff, slash process costs by 43%, and free up unapplied cash that might otherwise sit idle.

For finance teams, those numbers mean more than efficiency. Faster cash allocation translates into stronger balance sheets, healthier customer relationships, and resilience against economic volatility.

Esker’s Edge

Esker’s Cash Application solution uses its Synergy AI engine to capture and reconcile payments against open invoices, even when remittance data is messy. Processing time drops from hours to minutes, while analysts focus only on exceptions instead of routine matches.

That combination of speed and usability was key to Esker’s “Top Performer” status, alongside features like:

• Multi-ERP integration capabilities

• AI-powered automation with agentic decision-making

• Global scalability and support

• Flexible remittance capture

• Real-time receivables visibility

• Customization and a clean user experience

“The easy-to-navigate interface helps analysts immediately see what needs to be done and focus on what matters most,” said Bryan DeGraw, Senior Research Director at The Hackett Group.

Real-World Payoff

Recognition is one thing, results are another. At Eagle Foods, Esker cut large remittance processing time in half, reduced open deductions by 80%, and trimmed cash posting time by 60%. For a process often viewed as a cost center, that’s a transformation CFOs can’t ignore.

The Bigger Picture

Finance software is in the middle of its own AI revolution. Where older tools automated basic data entry, today’s platforms aim to deliver strategic visibility. Esker’s recognition signals that the battle for dominance in the Office of the CFO will be fought not on features alone, but on the ability to connect automation directly to business impact—cash in, cash out, and fewer headaches in between.

For now, Esker has secured itself a seat at the head of the table.

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Firmus Technologies is turning up the heat on the AI infrastructure race—without burning excess energy. The Australia- and Singapore-based company has tapped Rafay Systems, a specialist in cloud-native orchestration, to add Platform-as-a-Service capabilities to the Firmus AI Cloud.

The partnership promises to streamline how developers train, fine-tune, and deploy AI models, giving enterprises and startups alike a smoother path from prototype to production.

A Full-Stack AI Factory

At the heart of this integration is Firmus’ AI FactoryOS, a proprietary operating system that manages compute, cooling, and orchestration. Layer Rafay’s orchestration platform on top, and you get a frictionless, full-stack experience tailored for AI workloads at scale.

That means self-service access to everything from bare metal GPU clusters to developer-ready AI services. For data scientists, it translates into a no-fuss toolkit: Jupyter Notebooks, ML workbenches, and NVIDIA’s growing AI suite, including NIM. Developers, meanwhile, gain streamlined serverless inference and fine-tuning options—making it easier to build business-specific models without wrangling infrastructure.

Southgate: Australia’s Green AI Powerhouse

The integration also opens the door to Project Southgate, Firmus’ flagship deployment and the largest GPU cluster in Australia. Southgate is designed with dense compute efficiency and powered by renewable energy, cutting both cost and carbon impact.

“Rafay helps us offer a best-in-class experience to users accessing Southgate compute—turning next-gen hardware into a highly usable, low-friction cloud environment,” said Dr. Daniel Kearney, CTO at Firmus Technologies.

For developers in Asia-Pacific, that means access to serious GPU horsepower without the usual complexity—or environmental baggage.

Rafay’s Take

Rafay, no stranger to scaling Kubernetes-based workloads, sees the partnership as a step toward democratizing enterprise AI in the region.

“With our Kubernetes Operations Platform integrated into the Firmus AI Cloud, users of all sizes in the region now gain the control and scalability they need to go from prototyping to production with unprecedented agility and cost-efficiency,” said Haseeb Budhani, CEO and co-founder of Rafay.

Why It Matters

The Firmus-Rafay tie-up is another sign of how fast the AI infrastructure market is evolving. Hyperscalers like AWS and Azure may dominate cloud AI, but regional players such as Firmus are carving out niches with sovereign, sustainable, and developer-friendly platforms.

For enterprises wary of data sovereignty issues—or just tired of ballooning cloud bills—the appeal of a vertically integrated, energy-efficient AI stack is obvious.

If the partnership delivers as promised, Firmus could position itself as a serious alternative in Asia-Pacific’s AI infrastructure ecosystem—one that combines cutting-edge compute with green credentials and a developer-first experience.

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When biotech meets epigenetics, the result can be a lot more than another scientific acronym. VolitionRx, the multinational epigenetics firm best known for its nucleosome-based biomarkers, has signed a deal with Hologic Diagenode to co-market its Nu.Q Discover service—a suite of assays designed for rapid epigenetic profiling.

The move could accelerate adoption of epigenetic biomarkers in pharma R&D, potentially reshaping how scientists approach drug development, clinical studies, and even personalized medicine.

A Market on the Brink

Nu.Q Discover isn’t just another lab kit. It promises faster, scalable insights into disease models, preclinical testing, and clinical trial design. Volition pegs the addressable market at around $200 million annually—a figure that looks increasingly realistic as biopharma companies race to integrate epigenetic data into treatment pathways.

Hologic, which booked over $4 billion in revenue in 2024, brings global reach and a hefty customer base across biotech, pharma, academia, and government. For Volition, that’s a distribution pipeline it couldn’t easily build on its own.

If the one-year partnership proves successful, Hologic could become the exclusive provider of Nu.Q Discover services. That exclusivity clause hints at confidence from both sides that epigenetic profiling is moving from niche research to mainstream application.

Why This Matters

Epigenetics has long promised to explain why two patients with the same diagnosis can respond differently to treatment. By quantifying nucleosomes—fragments of DNA wrapped around proteins—Nu.Q Discover aims to give researchers a clearer read on disease progression and drug response.

“By incorporating Nu.Q biomarkers into study design, we may identify specific epigenetic signatures linked to disease states and treatment responses,” said Raphael Werding, Head of Life Sciences at Hologic. “That helps match patients with the therapies most likely to benefit them—while sparing others from ineffective treatments.”

That statement isn’t just marketing fluff; it’s a nod to one of pharma’s thorniest challenges: cutting the trial-and-error out of precision medicine.

Looking Ahead

The partnership also signals how major diagnostics players are hedging bets beyond oncology. Hologic notes potential in cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and immunology research—disease areas where early, precise biomarkers are still lacking.

For Volition, the collaboration is also about validation. Having a heavyweight like Hologic back its nucleosome quantification technology gives the Nu.Q platform more credibility in a field crowded with competing biomarker approaches.

Industry watchers will be keeping an eye on how quickly Nu.Q Discover adoption scales. With rivals investing heavily in AI-driven drug discovery platforms and biomarker innovation, Volition and Hologic may need to move fast to secure their stake in a rapidly fragmenting market.

But one thing is clear: epigenetics just scored a much bigger stage.

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Builder.io is accelerating enterprise front-end development with AI-powered visual workflows, now available through Google Cloud Marketplace. The move combines Builder.io’s design-to-code platform with Google Cloud’s global infrastructure and Vertex AI, enabling organizations to modernize legacy systems, scale securely, and speed delivery cycles.

AI Meets Enterprise Development

By integrating with Vertex AI, Firebase, BigQuery, and Cloud Storage, Builder.io lets teams convert Figma designs and natural language prompts into production-ready code. Product managers, designers, and marketers can visually generate and iterate on experiences while engineers retain full control over the underlying code.

The platform is enterprise-ready, meeting SOC 2 and GDPR standards, with HIPAA-ready options where applicable, and runs natively across Google Cloud regions. This ensures global scalability, compliance, and security while supporting faster, AI-driven workflows.

Measurable Business Impact

Early adopters are seeing tangible results:

• Fabletics: Saved over $600,000 annually in development costs.

• Anheuser-Busch: Launched 20+ sites in under eight months.

• Storyblocks: Built new internal dashboards in under two hours.

Steve Sewell, Founder & CEO of Builder.io, emphasized the value for cross-functional teams: “Running on Google Cloud means we can give enterprises speed without compromise. It's AI-enabled, globally scalable, and backed by the security they expect.”

Dai Vu, Managing Director of Google Cloud Marketplace & ISV GTM Programs, added: “Bringing Builder.io to Google Cloud Marketplace helps customers quickly deploy, manage, and scale AI-powered visual development on trusted infrastructure, accelerating digital transformation.”

Why It Matters

As enterprises grapple with legacy frontends and development bottlenecks, Builder.io’s platform offers a no-compromise solution—delivering rapid, visually-driven, AI-enabled development while maintaining enterprise-grade compliance and control. This aligns with broader industry trends of design-to-code automation and AI-augmented software development, helping organizations stay competitive in an increasingly fast-paced digital landscape.

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Jobber, a leading provider of home service software, is doubling down on AI to make life easier for blue-collar service professionals. Following the launch of its AI-powered Receptionist, Jobber today unveiled three new AI features designed to automate administrative tasks and boost productivity: Jobber Voice, Campaign Generator, and AI-powered automations for quotes.

Jobber Voice: Hands-Free Productivity

Fieldwork is rarely desk-friendly, and admin tasks often eat into billable hours. Jobber Voice lets service pros manage over 100 tasks hands-free—documenting work, sending invoices, creating quotes, updating clients, or even checking business performance—all without leaving the job site. For homeowners, this means faster responses and fewer delays, improving overall service experience. The feature is live today on the Jobber mobile app.

Campaign Generator: Marketing Made Easy

Marketing often falls by the wayside for small service businesses. Jobber’s Campaign Generator solves this by automatically creating branded, ready-to-send email campaigns in minutes. From re-engaging past clients to promoting seasonal services, the tool builds the structure and copy for campaigns with minimal input. This enables pros to maintain consistent outreach and keeps schedules full—all without hiring a marketer. Campaign Generator is available in Jobber’s Marketing Suite.

AI-Powered Automations: Smarter, Faster Workflows

Jobber’s new automations reduce manual admin by drafting quotes instantly, surfacing high-value quote alerts, and recommending next best actions within workflows. These automations eliminate missed steps and accelerate response times, ensuring homeowners get quicker quotes and smoother service. Available on the Jobber web app for Connect, Grow, and Plus plan members, these AI-driven tools let pros focus on what really matters: doing the job and growing their business.

Jobber AI: Built for Blue-Collar Businesses

Unlike generic AI tools, Jobber AI is purpose-built for service pros. It learns from each business’s workflow, anticipating needs and connecting the customer journey from first request to final payment. By combining Jobber Voice, Campaign Generator, and automated workflows, the platform cuts busywork, reduces errors, and delivers a seamless homeowner experience.

Sam Pillar, CEO and co-founder of Jobber, summed it up: “Home service pros don’t have time to chase trends—they need technology that works for them today. With Jobber AI, we’re setting the standard for how AI can truly serve small businesses.”

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Wereldhave is taking in-mall advertising to the next level. The Dutch real estate company has signed an exclusive partnership with Ocean Outdoor Netherlands to install and operate more than 150 new digital advertising screens across 11 shopping and Full Service Centers. The network, set to launch in early 2026, builds on their existing collaboration with large-format video walls while introducing a nationwide, high-impact media channel.

Why It Matters

With 69 million annual visitors, Wereldhave’s centers provide advertisers a unique combination of national reach and regional precision. The new digital network allows tenants, brands, and media agencies to deliver dynamic, targeted messaging in high-traffic areas—a step up from traditional static signage.

Matthijs Storm, CEO of Wereldhave, highlighted the strategic value: “Partnering with Ocean Outdoor – including their Ocean Labs innovation hub – strengthens our commercial Center Media proposition, creating new opportunities for advertisers seeking greater impact and engagement.”

Features and Market Impact

The partnership is designed not just for footfall engagement but also to enhance the customer experience, making shopping environments more interactive and informative. The initiative is projected to add at least €0.03 to Wereldhave’s Direct Result Per Share (DRPS) annually, underlining the financial upside of integrating digital media into retail real estate.

This move aligns with Wereldhave’s broader strategy to grow Mall Income through diversified revenue streams. Recent successes include tenant promotions, specialty leasing, and joint venture management fees, including the newly announced Zoetermeer venture. By combining digital media with existing services and promotional initiatives, Wereldhave aims to reinforce its long-term value creation while offering measurable ROI for advertisers.

The Bigger Picture

Digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising continues to expand globally as brands seek real-world touchpoints that combine scale with engagement. Wereldhave’s approach mirrors broader retail trends in Europe, where shopping centers increasingly function as hybrid entertainment and media venues. Competitors and other mall operators are likely watching closely as the Dutch rollout tests both technical execution and advertiser appetite for dynamic, high-traffic placements.

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Search.com, a new generative AI platform with ambitions to upend traditional search, just dropped a bold proclamation: keywords are dead. In its first white paper, The Keyword is Dying – Long Live Intent, the company argues that keyword-driven SEO and social feeds no longer define how people find information. Instead, intent-based generative AI tools, interfaces, and agents have become the new Internet front door.

The End of Keywords?

The argument isn’t just academic. Search.com points to behavioral shifts: 42% of users now phrase queries as conversational questions, not keyword strings. That’s a staggering shift for an industry that, for two decades, has lived and died on keyword density and link-building.

Melissa Anderson, President of Search.com, frames it bluntly: “Intent-based AI isn’t the future, it’s happening now. The platforms that adapt to this will shape the next phase of the Internet.”

Big Growth, Bigger Signal

Since its June launch, Search.com claims 90% organic growth, projecting an eye-popping 1,200% annual compounded growth. That’s not a quirky niche spike — it signals what may be a structural reset in how discovery and navigation work online.

The broader implication: If keywords are indeed losing their grip, businesses that still optimize solely for traditional SEO could find themselves invisible in the new landscape.

A Different Take on AI Search

Unlike some AI search platforms that scrape the open web, Search.com is partnering directly with publishers, pulling in content only with permission, and compensating fairly. In return, publishers gain AI tools to modernize how audiences interact with their content. Several major media and content providers are already adopting Search.com’s tech to replace keyword-driven search on their own platforms.

Why It Matters

For marketers and publishers, the white paper is less of a prediction and more of a warning shot: intent is the new currency. If consumer discovery shifts to conversational AI agents, strategies built on keyword rankings and feed optimization may no longer deliver.

And while it’s too early to declare the obituary of SEO, Search.com’s rise suggests the industry’s future will look less like chasing keywords — and more like designing for intent.

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