News

Singapore – September 15, 2026 -- YYForce Inc. (NASDAQ: YFOR) has appointed Andrew Davison as Chief Strategic Officer, effective September 14, 2026, tasking him with corporate strategy, portfolio governance and operational scaling as the AI-enabled workforce management and integrated facility management (IFM) provider expands beyond Asia.

Davison brings 20 years of cross-market leadership to YYForce's expansion push

Davison most recently served as Director and Head of Transformational Delivery (APAC) at Lancia Consult in Singapore, where he built the firm's Jakarta presence and led regional delivery operating models across multiple markets. He also conducted executive-level operational due diligence and investment evaluation for private equity and corporate clients during that tenure.

Sacramento – September 15, 2026 -- Health Net, a Medi-Cal managed care plan and Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) subsidiary, has invested $2 million in Stanislaus Equity Partners (STEP) to provide gap financing for 50 shovel-ready affordable housing developments in Stanislaus County.

Multi-year grant targets funding shortfalls blocking ready-to-build projects

The multi-year grant will be deployed by STEP through a mix of grants, forgivable loans and low-interest loans, structured to unlock additional public and private capital for developments that are otherwise stalled by financing gaps. STEP said the flexible tools are intended to accelerate delivery of affordable units and reduce displacement risk for residents across the county.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- Midea has sold more than 10 million air conditioners using R290 natural refrigerant since 2018, cutting an estimated 5.2 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions, the company said at IFA 2026, an impact it compares to the carbon absorption of 6.2 million hectares of Amazon rainforest.

Midea marks 16 years as top global manufacturer of R290 air conditioners

The company has led global production of air conditioners using R290 refrigerant for 16 consecutive years, driving compressor safety and performance advances tied to the gas. R290 carries an extremely low global warming potential, near-zero CO2 emissions, no PFAS content, and delivers roughly 10% higher energy efficiency than conventional refrigerants, according to Midea. A transparent unit on the IFA stand let visitors view the refrigerant system operating in real time.

Alexandria, Va. – September 15, 2026 -- Woodpack Global has launched Crate Design SystemTM (CDS), a new software tool aimed at replacing decades-old methods still used across the wooden crate and industrial wood packaging industry.

Crate design tools have lagged behind industry needs since the 1960s

Much of the foundational research underpinning wooden crate design dates back more than six decades, forcing engineers and manufacturers to rely on outdated calculation methods not built for modern crate applications. CDS is positioned as the first purpose-built software option for this segment, adapting fastener behavior, wood property, and structural performance models from Woodpack Global's existing Pallet Design SystemTM (PDS).

Uniondale, N.Y. – September 15, 2026 -- Marquis Who's Who has included Monib A. Zirvi, MD, PhD, in its biographical volumes, recognizing more than two decades of work in dermatology and diagnostic genetics as a related patent dispute involving Illumina Inc. reaches final resolution.

Zirvi Has Practiced Dermatology at Summit Health Since 2004

Dr. Zirvi has served as a dermatologist with Summit Health and as an attending physician at Atlantic Health System's Overlook Medical Center since 2004, focusing on general dermatology, skin cancer detection and hair and nail disorders. Summit Health named him among its 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors. He is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology and holds a courtesy instructor appointment in microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine, where he earned his MD and PhD.

Washington – – September 15, 2026 -- Clearsight Advisors served as exclusive sell-side advisor to Ambit RD, Inc. on its acquisition by Danforth Health, Inc., a portfolio company of Avesi Partners, in a deal announced by the firms.

Ambit brings patient-identification technology to Danforth's life sciences platform

Ambit RD specializes in commercial strategy, advanced analytics, and patient identification solutions for rare and specialty biopharma markets, operating through three service lines: Strategic Services, Analytics & Data Services, and Patient ID Services. The company helps biopharmaceutical organizations locate patients, speed therapy adoption, and engage healthcare providers across the clinical and commercial continuum.

Lexington, Ky. – September 15, 2026 -- A 14-year audit of 758 B2B press releases found that none scored above the 80-out-of-100 threshold required to be considered "AI wire-ready," according to research accompanying the launch of Pitch'd, a press release builder now live at www.pitchdapp.com.

Study finds AI-citation readiness in B2B releases nearly halved as AI search emerged

The report, titled "Why ChatGPT Doesn't Cite Your Releases," tracked the share of releases scoring well on AI-visibility metrics and found it fell from 21.5 percent in the pre-AI era to 10.8 percent in the AI era, driven by newly required scoring criteria tied to answer engine optimization (AEO). The findings underpin the case for Pitch'd, built by St. Nick Media Services, a B2B PR agency founded in 1998.

Washington – September 15, 2026 -- Rural counties hosting AI data centers could pay every household between $4,500 and $8,900 a year without raising taxes or imposing new costs on developers, according to a report published by the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI).

Local Opposition Now Outpaces Energy Supply as the Top Barrier to Data Center Construction

The number of local data center moratoria enacted across the U.S. rose from six in 2024 to 294 in 2026, the report states. A March Gallup poll found 71% of Americans would oppose an AI data center in their area, compared with 53% who would oppose a nuclear power plant nearby.

Atlanta – September 15, 2026 -- Granum has relaunched Greenius, its employee training platform for landscaping and arboriculture businesses, with new native mobile apps and bilingual course content in English and Spanish.

New hires can start training within five minutes via QR code sign-up

The rebuilt platform lets landscaping companies onboard a new hire by scanning a QR code, placing them into training content in under five minutes. The system draws on a library of more than 200 purpose-built courses covering landscaping and tree care operations.

Standardized playlists aim to keep crew output consistent across job sites

Businesses can assign pre-built, role-specific course playlists so that every new hire receives identical training regardless of which crew or manager brought them on. Granum says the goal is uniform output quality across properties, independent of on-site supervision.

Lake Oswego, Ore. – – September 15, 2026 -- LeadVenture, the digital technology partner serving roughly 40,000 dealerships and service centers, has appointed Nasi Jazayeri as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 8, 2026.

Jazayeri succeeds Tim MacDonald, who moves to an advisory board role

Tim MacDonald transitions out of the CEO seat but will remain on LeadVenture's Board of Directors in an advisory capacity. MacDonald described Jazayeri as "one of the most impressive technology executives you will meet, a builder who connects product and go-to-market."