News

Rye, N.Y. – September 15, 2026 -- Dunes Point Capital, LP ("DPC") has sold NextGen Security LLC to funds advised by Apax Partners LLP, exiting an electronic security integrator that operates across 8 locations.

NextGen serves regulated facilities across four end markets

Based in Exton, Pennsylvania, NextGen is an end-to-end integrator of electronic security systems for complex and regulated facilities. The company serves industrial, healthcare, education, and commercial end markets through its 8-location footprint.

Multiple advisory firms structured the transaction

William Blair & Company, L.L.C. and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. served as M&A advisors to DPC on the sale. Polsinelli PC acted as legal advisor, while Alvarez & Marsal Global Transaction Advisory Group provided financial due diligence services for the deal.

Herndon – September 15, 2026 -- ST Engineering iDirect has rolled out new AI governance and automation features for its Foresight orchestration platform, targeting satellite operators managing increasingly complex multi-orbit networks.

Foresight gains agentic governance and change-management controls

The update introduces four capabilities: Agentic Governance for AI agent oversight and audit trails, Governed Change Management for approval-based workflows before AI-driven changes go live, AI Usage Visibility and Cost Controls for monitoring and budgeting AI consumption, and Accelerated Onboarding that automatically discovers network inventory and deploys platform components.

Washington – September 15, 2026 -- Exiger has compressed what was estimated as a three-year, $180 million platform overhaul into a four-month, $20 million sprint, launching an AI-native version of its 1Exiger supply chain and trade compliance platform with backing from Carlyle, Insight Partners, and JMI Equity.

Exiger's new AI development engine writes 95% of first-generation code

The company's AI product development lifecycle (AI-PDLC) automates each stage of software development, integrating with Exiger's secure CI/CD pipeline atop a proprietary dataset the firm describes as the largest in supply chain, defense, and corporate intelligence, spanning three trillion data points. CEO Brandon Daniels said the platform allows a team of a few hundred 'Experience Builders' and engineers to match output typically requiring 10,000 staff engineers at larger firms.

Delray Beach, Fla. – September 15, 2026 -- The global molded pulp packaging market is projected to grow from $8.02 billion in 2026 to $10.82 billion by 2031, a 6.2% compound annual growth rate, according to MarketsandMarkets.

E-commerce and plastic-reduction rules drive fiber packaging demand

Rising e-commerce volumes are fueling demand for protective molded pulp inserts and cushioning for fragile goods, while corporate sustainability mandates push brands toward fiber-based alternatives to plastic and foam. Improved recycling of paper and agricultural fibers is expanding the raw-material base for manufacturers.

Munich – September 15, 2026 -- Up to 3,000 registered pharmacists, pharmacy technicians (PTA) and pharmacy clerks (PKA) are set to attend the APOTHEKENTOUR in Munich on September 12-13, the event's second stop after Berlin drew more than 2,500 attendees and a 15% year-on-year increase in visitors.

Munich stop packs 170 talks and pharma-partner cases into one weekend

The Munich edition, powered by APOTHEKE ADHOC and PTA IN LOVE, will feature more than 170 lectures, several live talks and new product showcases connecting attendees directly with pharmaceutical industry partners. The event is scheduled deliberately the weekend before the Deutscher Apothekertag, where Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) is expected to address the sector's political future.

Stuttgart – September 15, 2026 -- Stuttgart-based ERP vendor Planat GmbH has launched an 'AI Ready' strategy that lets manufacturing SMEs integrate artificial intelligence tools without committing to a single vendor or deployment model.

Planat decouples AI integration from fixed vendor lock-in

Marco Bux, Principal Product Manager and Head of Development at Planat, said the ERP system is built so that customers can select AI technologies and operating models that match their own requirements rather than being forced into a predetermined path. "AI Ready means for us that new AI technologies should be integrable in the future without users having to commit early to a specific route," Bux said, framing the approach as a matter of investment protection for mid-sized manufacturers.

Berlin – – September 15, 2026 -- dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur will livestream the closing event of EUconomy - Partnerships4Prosperity on September 15, 2026, at 18:30 CEST via LinkedIn, marking the conclusion of a 12-month media initiative co-financed by the European Union.

Event documents EU-funded cross-border projects across five German border regions

EUconomy - Partnerships4Prosperity, produced by dpa-Custom Content, has tracked EU-backed cross-border initiatives in German border regions adjoining Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, France and Denmark. The project distributed multilingual journalistic content packages -- including video, images and social media material -- free of charge to media outlets in Germany and beyond, illustrating how EU cohesion policy and Interreg funding drive regional development, sustainability, innovation, job creation and professional training.

Paris – September 15, 2026 -- More than one in three people, or 38%, remain offline despite living within mobile broadband coverage zones, according to a new report from GSMA Intelligence produced in collaboration with Huawei and unveiled at UNESCO's Digital Learning Week. The report, titled "Bridging the Divide: Enhancing Digital Literacy in the AI Era," attributes the gap to shortfalls in digital skills, user trust and AI literacy affecting 3.1 billion people worldwide.

Physical network coverage has outpaced actual usage

Mobile broadband infrastructure now physically reaches 96% of the global population, the report states, yet usage lags far behind due to capability barriers rather than access constraints. Closing this capability gap could add approximately $3.5 trillion to global GDP by 2030, with more than 90% of those gains projected to flow to low- and middle-income countries.

Washington – September 15, 2026 -- NGP VAN has rolled out a redesigned Bulk Upload workflow aimed at eliminating one of the most error-prone tasks for Democratic and progressive campaign staff, automatically detecting file types and flagging formatting issues before an import runs.

New workflow catches errors before data enters the system

The updated tool performs pre-validation checks that surface formatting and matching problems ahead of an import, replacing a process that previously required staff to manually identify file types and troubleshoot errors after uploads failed. Column mapping is now automated, matching spreadsheet fields directly to NGP VAN's data fields and cutting repetitive manual setup.

New York and Hong Kong – September 15, 2026 -- CSTS Enterprises and ShanKai Sports have formed CSTS Hospitality, a joint venture targeting premium sports hospitality and event experiences across Asia and global markets, tied to properties including FIFA World Cup 2026 and UEFA EURO 2028.

New venture combines CSTS global reach with ShanKai's China market access

The joint venture pairs CSTS Enterprises' capabilities in international sports, entertainment, travel technology and experiential marketing with ShanKai Sports' hospitality expertise in China, including sponsorship development and talent management. ShanKai Sports, founded in 2009, is one of China's leading international sports management firms, offering sponsorship, hospitality, sports travel, event operations, media and consulting services.