MahaloHub has rolled out Clarity, an AI-powered, video-first Resonance Insights engine designed to help PR, marketing, and communications teams predict which messaging will hit the mark before campaigns go live.

Unlike traditional transcript-only tools, Clarity analyzes voice, tone, emotion, pacing, and facial cues, delivering actionable summaries, themes, standout quotes, and sentiment insights. The goal: accelerate campaign development, de-risk creative decisions, and uncover insights that improve engagement across audiences.

Why Clarity Matters

With brands and agencies producing more content than ever, determining which messaging resonates can be a guessing game. Clarity addresses this with:

• Accelerated campaigns: Pre-launch validation of creative concepts and messaging

• Performance insights: Pinpoints high-resonance language and ideas

• Lower research costs: Replaces ad hoc studies with multi-stakeholder, video-first feedback

• Brand trust: Amplifies authentic employee and customer voices across communications

Patrick Rooney, MahaloHub CEO, emphasized the impact: “Brands and agencies don’t just capture and distribute stories on MahaloHub – they gain Clarity into what’s going to resonate with their audiences. Teams can move faster and de-risk campaigns with insights they can act on immediately.”

Use Cases in Action

Clarity is flexible enough to address multiple marketing and communications challenges:

• Message testing at scale: Develop and refine messaging, taglines, and creative concepts quickly

• Campaign validation: Pressure-test narratives and double down on top performers

• Employee voice & culture: Strengthen EVP and internal messaging with employee insights

• Crisis & reputation management: Assess message resonance during sensitive periods

• Agency differentiation: Offer video-first resonance insights as a premium client service

Unified Platform Advantage

Clarity is fully integrated into MahaloHub’s end-to-end storytelling platform, letting teams capture stories, analyze video insights, edit content, and distribute across channels—all from a single subscription. By unifying capture, creation, insights, and distribution, teams can reduce costs, accelerate time-to-insight, and increase the likelihood that campaigns will connect with their audiences.

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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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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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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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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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Stockouts may be the bane of grocery shoppers, but they’re also a billion-dollar headache for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. Instacart thinks it has a fix—and it just signed on Advantage Solutions to make it happen.

The two companies have announced a strategic partnership aimed at transforming in-store execution for CPGs. The deal combines Instacart’s technology and scale with Advantage’s field execution muscle to give brands real-time visibility into shelf conditions and the ability to act on them almost immediately.

Shoppers as Auditors

The model hinges on Instacart’s 600,000-strong shopper community. Using Instacart’s audit tech, shoppers can check availability, pricing, placement, and display execution while they’re in stores. Those insights don’t just get filed away—they trigger alerts to Advantage’s retail field teams, who can swoop in to fix issues ranging from empty shelves to missing displays.

Once the problem is resolved, Instacart shoppers validate the fix, giving brands proof of performance without the guesswork. For CPGs, that closes the loop: instant detection, immediate resolution, and verifiable results.

Why It Matters

Managing in-store execution is notoriously complex—and expensive. Out-of-stocks cost retailers and brands billions in lost sales annually, while inconsistent displays erode marketing spend. For Instacart, this is a logical expansion beyond delivery into supply chain visibility, turning its shopper base into a data and compliance engine.

“Managing in-store inventory is one of the most costly and complex challenges in grocery, and when products aren’t on shelves, everyone loses,” said Andrew Nodes, VP and GM of Instacart Business & Supply Chain. “We’re giving CPGs real-time data and insights to spot issues faster, act immediately, and do so in an expansive, yet affordable way.”

Advantage CEO Dave Peacock added: “By combining Instacart’s shopper community and technology with Advantage’s relentless retail execution and industry connectivity, we’re helping CPGs ensure greater on-shelf availability, fewer out-of-stocks, and stronger display compliance.”

Early Results, Bigger Ambitions

The companies have already piloted the model, with plans to scale in 2026. While neither has shared hard metrics yet, the integration could redefine how brands handle shelf visibility at scale—especially as grocers push for tighter supply chain efficiency and omnichannel consistency.

Industry Context

The partnership comes as retailers and CPGs double down on retail media networks and data-driven merchandising. Rivals like NielsenIQ and IRI have long offered in-store insights, but Instacart’s advantage is speed: audits can happen in near real-time, powered by a workforce already in stores for other reasons. Advantage brings the boots-on-the-ground expertise to translate alerts into immediate action.

If the rollout works as promised, this partnership could shrink one of retail’s most persistent blind spots—turning Instacart from a grocery delivery app into a serious player in supply chain intelligence.

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When cable giants start rethinking how they test the very networks carrying billions of connections, it’s worth paying attention. Liberty Global, one of the world’s largest converged video and broadband providers, has signed on with Vecima Networks to put its Entra® Access Test Platform at the center of its next-gen broadband strategy.

The move signals more than a tech refresh—it’s part of a broader industry push to ensure future-proof, interoperable, and vendor-neutral broadband infrastructures.

Why This Matters

At a glance, testing platforms may sound like plumbing. But in broadband, plumbing matters. A single crack can mean outages, compliance headaches, or bottlenecks for millions of subscribers.

Vecima’s Entra Access Test Platform is built to replicate production-scale environments—meaning it can mimic real-world network conditions without putting live systems at risk. For operators like Liberty Global, that translates into faster validation of Converged Multi-Access Network (CMAN) technologies, especially the shift to virtual Cable Modem Termination Systems (vCMTS), which replace hardware-heavy legacy setups with software-driven solutions.

The appeal? Reduced costs, greater scalability, and fewer vendor lock-ins—three pillars every operator is chasing as streaming, gaming, and IoT drive unprecedented demand.

Setting a Standard

Colin Buechner, Liberty Global’s Chief Network Officer, called the partnership a “strategic advancement” and pointed to its role in establishing a vendor-neutral testing framework. That phrase is key. With multiple Tier 1 operators already validating vCMTS through Vecima’s platform, the industry may be inching toward a de facto standard for broadband testing.

Ken Kerwin, Group VP at Vecima, framed it more bluntly: if operators want vCMTS to work as reliably as the legacy CCAP systems they’re replacing, automated and scalable testing isn’t optional—it’s mission-critical.

The Bigger Picture

The collaboration builds on Vecima’s growing momentum. In 2024, the company acquired Falcon V Systems, a European firm known for deep automation expertise. That deal expanded Vecima’s R&D footprint and added muscle to its push for scalable, vendor-agnostic solutions.

For Liberty Global, which serves millions across Europe, aligning with Vecima isn’t just about smoother deployments today—it’s about future-proofing networks against the next decade of broadband demand. With data traffic doubling roughly every two years, operators that skip this kind of groundwork risk falling behind.

The Competitive Angle

Vecima isn’t alone in chasing the testing and interoperability niche. Rivals like Harmonic and CommScope are also pushing vCMTS-friendly solutions. But Vecima’s combination of real-world deployments, Tier 1 validations, and a vendor-neutral stance gives it a persuasive edge.

For Liberty Global, the partnership doubles as a signal to peers: network transformation isn’t just about speed upgrades, it’s about building testing frameworks that scale as fast as demand does.

Bottom Line

This isn’t a flashy product launch—it’s infrastructure hygiene at its most strategic. But make no mistake: Liberty Global’s adoption of Vecima’s Entra Access Test Platform represents a milestone in how broadband operators validate, deploy, and scale their next-gen networks.

If interoperability and automation really do become the “common language” of the cable sector, Vecima just helped write the first chapter.

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Augmented reality just got a lot easier for marketers. Skanteq, a martech startup, has launched a no-app, no-code AR platform designed to remove the technical and financial barriers that have long kept AR out of reach for most businesses.

The browser-based platform transforms physical touchpoints—packaging, print, signage, and other collateral—into interactive digital experiences accessible via a simple QR code. No app downloads, no coding skills, no developer resources required.

Accessibility Meets Simplicity

“Bringing Skanteq to market represents a major step forward in making AR truly accessible,” said Ron Fountain, CEO and Founder. “For too long, AR has been viewed as costly, complicated, and out of reach for most businesses. Skanteq is changing that.”

Tim Wagner, COO, emphasized speed and scalability. “We wanted to give marketers a tool that works seamlessly—without the need for coding or app downloads. The result is interactive experiences that are impactful, easy to manage, and simple to measure.”

Key Features

• Instant Accessibility: End-users engage instantly by scanning a QR code.

• Ease of Use: Launch campaigns in minutes with zero technical knowledge.

• Cross-Industry Scalability: Suitable for businesses of all sizes.

• Dynamic Updating: Campaigns can be modified anytime, extending the life of printed materials.

Why It Matters

AR has often been considered a luxury for brands with deep pockets or in-house development teams. By lowering the entry barriers, Skanteq is enabling any business to run immersive campaigns, making interactive experiences more mainstream.

The startup is offering free trials for early adopters, giving marketers a chance to explore AR-enabled campaigns without upfront investment. For brands looking to drive engagement, QR-code-triggered AR could be a game-changer for packaging, retail signage, or event marketing.

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