Canadian Online Publishing Awards 2022

BRAMPTON, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DATA Communications Management Corp. (TSX: DCM; OTCQX: DCMDF) (“DCM” or the "Company"), a provider of marketing and business communication solutions to companies across North America, is pleased to report continued momentum in the fourth quarter of 2022 with revenue up +20.0%, gross profit up +33.0%, and EBITDA¹ up +89.9%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2022, revenue is up +16.3%, gross profit is up +21.1%, net income is up +792.4%, and EBITDA is up +45.3%, compared to 2021, respectively. Revenue growth has been driven by a combination of expansion revenue with existing clients, and new business wins. Gross margin growth exceeded revenue growth, reflecting the Company’s commitment to operational success and driving higher levels of net income.

FISCAL 2022 AND FOURTH QUARTER 2022 HIGHLIGHTS - BUILDING A BIGGER BUSINESS

• Revenue for fiscal 2022 was up +16.3%, or +$38.5 million, vs. 2021 (YA), for total revenues of $273.8 million;

• Gross profit accelerated +21.1%, or +$14.7 million, vs. YA to $84.2 million;

• Gross profit as a percentage of revenues grew +1.3 percentage points to 30.8%, vs. 29.5% YA;

• Net income was up +792.4%, or +$12.4 million, vs. YA to $14.0 million;

• EBITDA grew +45.3%, or +$11.3 million, vs. YA to $36.4 million;

• No restructuring expenses or any other “adjustments” or one-time costs, other than one-time add backs of $1.9 million in Q4 for costs related to the planned acquisition of RRD Canada;

• Total debt lower by 26%, or -$9.7 million, vs. year end 2021 to $27.3 million;

• Basic and diluted EPS of $0.32 and $0.30, respectively, compared with $0.04 and $0.03, respectively, in fiscal 2021.

• Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2022 was up +20.0%, or +$12.2 million, vs. Q4 2021, for total revenues of $73.0 million;

• Gross profit accelerated +33.0%, or +$5.8 million, vs. Q4 2021 to $23.6 million;

• Gross profit as a percentage of revenues grew +3.1 percentage points to 32.2%, vs. Q4 2021;

• EBITDA grew +89.9%, or +$4.5 million, vs. Q4 2021 to $9.5 million;

• Basic and diluted EPS of $0.08 compared with $(0.04) in Q4 2021.

2022 OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS – BUILDING A BETTER BUSINESS

• We are pleased to announce the planned acquisition of the Canadian operations of R.R. Donnelley & Sons (“RRD Canada”);

• Successfully onboarded 35 new enterprise clients in fiscal 2022;

• We completed our second “Voice of the Customer” survey, and our Apex Score measuring overall client engagement was up 14% from a year ago;

• We completed our third employee engagement survey in the past year, and our Gallup scores for “mean engagement levels” are up 8%, while our overall percentile ranking grew 18 points;

• With regards to our sustainability initiatives, we are pleased to report we have reforested almost 700,000 trees in connection with our PrintReleaf initiative, offsetting one hundred percent of our clients’ paper usage;

• Productivity improvements continued, with revenue per associate reaching our year-end target of $300,000, up a full +18% compared to year end 2021.

MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY

"We are pleased to report on our success in 2022, which demonstrates our continued progress building both a better and a bigger business. With our recent announcement of the planned acquisition of RRD Canada, we believe we are well-positioned to further accelerate our positive momentum," says Richard Kellam, CEO and President of DCM.

"We are confident that RRD Canada will be an excellent strategic fit with our business and that the acquisition will enable us to better serve our customers by adding new capabilities to our existing offerings and accelerating our speed to market for new innovations. Importantly, we believe that combining DCM and RRD Canada will better position our business for sustainable and long-term success serving customers across North America. We believe the transaction also represents a compelling strategic opportunity for shareholders, as we expect the combined company to benefit from accelerated sales growth, reduced costs, enhanced financial performance, further operational efficiencies, and ultimately value creation."

"I would like to thank the entire DCM team for a strong finish to 2022, and a special thanks to the team’s continued, relentless focus on building both a better and a bigger business. Results like these only come when everyone is moving forward together. We look forward to reporting on continued positive momentum through fiscal 2023."

FISCAL 2022 AND FOURTH QUARTER 2022 EARNINGS CALL

The Company will host a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 9.00 a.m. Eastern time. Mr. Kellam, and James Lorimer, CFO, will present the fiscal 2022 and fourth quarter 2022 results followed by a live Q&A period.

Instructions on how to access both the webcast and telephone call are available below. For those unable to join live, a replay of the webcast will be available on the DCM Investor Relations page.

DCM will be using Microsoft Teams to broadcast our earnings call, which will be accessible via the options below:

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 262 426 723 179
Passcode: vg8BJ8

Or call in (audio only)

+1 647-749-9154,,998937139# Canada, Toronto
Phone Conference ID: 998 937 139#

The Company’s full results will be posted on its Investor Relations page and on www.sedar.com. A video message from Mr. Kellam will also be posted on the Company’s website.

TABLE 1 The following table sets out selected historical consolidated financial information for the periods noted.

TABLE 2 The following table provides reconciliations of net income to EBITDA and of net income to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods noted.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation

TABLE 3 The following table provides reconciliations of net income (loss) to Adjusted net income (loss) and a presentation of Adjusted net income per share for the periods noted.

Adjusted net income reconciliation

About DATA Communications Management Corp.

DCM is a marketing and business communications partner that helps companies simplify the complex ways they communicate and operate, so they can accomplish more with fewer steps and less effort. For over 60 years, DCM has been serving major brands in vertical markets including financial services, retail, healthcare, energy, other regulated industries, and the public sector. We integrate seamlessly into our clients’ businesses thanks to our deep understanding of their needs, transformative tech-enabled solutions, and end-to-end service offering. Whether we’re running technology platforms, sending marketing messages, or managing print workflows, our goal is to make everything surprisingly simple.

Additional information relating to DATA Communications Management Corp. is available on www.datacm.com, and in the disclosure documents filed by DATA Communications Management Corp. on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking” statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, objectives or achievements of DCM, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, objectives or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “believe”, “intend”, “plan”, and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect DCM’s current views regarding future events and operating performance, are based on information currently available to DCM, and speak only as of the date of this press release. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions and should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such performance or results will be achieved. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance, objectives or achievements of DCM to be materially different from any future results, performance, objectives or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The principal factors, assumptions and risks that DCM made or took into account in the preparation of these forward-looking statements include: there is limited growth in the traditional printing business, which may impact our ability to grow our sales or even maintain historical levels of sales of printed business communications documents; increases in the cost of, and supply constraints related to, paper, ink and other raw material inputs used by DCM, as well as increases in freight costs, may adversely impact the availability of raw materials and our production, revenues and profitability; our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon management’s ability to meet forecast revenue and profitability targets for at least the next twelve months in order to comply with our financial covenants under its credit facilities or to obtain financial covenant waivers from our lenders if necessary; we may not be successful in obtaining capital to fund our business plans on satisfactory terms (or at all), including, without, limitation, with respect to investments in digital innovation (such as the development and successful marketing and sale of new digital capabilities), capital expenditures, and potential acquisitions; all of our outstanding indebtedness under our bank credit facility is subject to floating interest rates, and therefore is subject to fluctuations in interest rates; our credit agreements governing our senior indebtedness contain numerous restrictive covenants that limit us with respect to certain business matters, including, without limitation, our ability to incur additional indebtedness, re-pay certain indebtedness, pay dividends, make investments, sell or otherwise dispose of assets and merge or consolidate with another entity; we may not be able to successfully implement our digital growth strategy on a timely basis or at all; competition from competitors supplying similar products and services, some of whom have greater economic resources than us and are well-established suppliers; and our operating results are sensitive to economic conditions, which can have a significant impact on us, and uncertain economic conditions may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, including, without limitation, our ability to realize the benefits expected from restructuring and business reorganization initiatives, reducing costs, and reducing and paying our long-term debt; the ability of DCM to obtain the applicable regulatory approvals of the acquisition; the ability of the combined company to realize anticipated benefits from the combination of DCM and RRD Canada; the ability of DCM to complete the proposed sales and leasebacks of certain properties'; and our success in integrating RRD Canada. Additional factors are discussed elsewhere in this press release and under the headings "Liquidity and capital resources" and “Risks and Uncertainties” in DCM’s management’s discussion and analysis and in DCM’s other publicly available disclosure documents, as filed by DCM on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this press release as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Unless required by applicable securities law, DCM does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

NON-IFRS MEASURES

This press release includes certain non-IFRS measures as supplementary information. Except as otherwise noted, when used in this press release, EBITDA means earnings before interest and finance costs, taxes, depreciation and amortization and Adjusted EBITDA means EBITDA adjusted for restructuring expenses, and one-time business reorganization costs. Adjusted net income (loss) means net income (loss) adjusted for restructuring expenses, onetime business reorganization costs, and the tax effects of those items. Adjusted net income (loss) per share (basic and diluted) is calculated by dividing Adjusted net income (loss) for the period by the weighted average number of common shares of DCM (basic and diluted) outstanding during the period. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues means Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenues and Adjusted net income (loss) as a percentage of revenues means adjusted net income (loss) divided by revenue, in each case for the same period. In addition to net income (loss), DCM uses non-IFRS measures and ratios, including Adjusted net income (loss), Adjusted net income (loss) per share, Adjusted net income (loss) as a percentage of revenues, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues to provide investors with supplemental measures of DCM’s operating performance and thus highlight trends in its core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. DCM also believes that securities analysts, investors, rating agencies and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS measures in the evaluation of issuers. DCM’s management also uses non-IFRS measures in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, prepare annual operating budgets and assess its ability to meet future debt service, capital expenditure and working capital requirements. Adjusted net income (loss), Adjusted net income (loss) per share, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not earnings measures recognized by IFRS and do not have any standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. Therefore, Adjusted net income (loss), Adjusted net income (loss) per share, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

Investors are cautioned that Adjusted net income (loss), Adjusted net income (loss) per share, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as alternatives to net income (loss) determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of DCM’s performance. For a reconciliation of net income (loss) to EBITDA and a reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA, see Table 3 in the most recent Management's Discussion & Analysis filed on www.sedar.com. For a reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted net income (loss) and a presentation of Adjusted net income (loss) per share, see Table 4 in the Company's most recent Management's Discussion & Analysis filed on www.sedar.com.

Mr. Richard Kellam
President and Chief Executive Officer
DATA Communications Management Corp.
Tel: (905) 791-3151

Mr. James E. Lorimer
Chief Financial Officer
DATA Communications Management Corp.
Tel: (905) 791-3151
ir@datacm.com

Regional e-reading partnership brings thrilling new literature opportunities to millions in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--$LEBGF #GOTransit--Legible Inc. (CSE:READ) (OTCQB:LEBGF) (FSE: D0T) ("Legible” or the “Company”) is delighted to announce the launch of its regional #GOTransitReads Book Club in partnership with Metrolinx, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) transit authority, serving a population of more than seven million people in Ontario.

The first Book Club book is a gripping psychological suspense novel, The Perfect Marriage, by bestselling author Jeneva Rose. A juicy, twisty, and utterly addictive thriller that will keep readers turning pages, The Perfect Marriage has been optioned by Picture Perfect Federation for development as a film or TV series and was made available to the Book Club via Legible’s partnership with book distributor Open Road Media.

The #GOTransitReads Book Club is available to GO Transit riders and the seven million inhabitants of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Legible and Metrolinx will be sharing discussion ideas with readers and providing opportunities for comments and interactions about the Book Club books through social media.

The #GOTransitReads Book Club will bring thousands of new users to Legible’s eBookstore, helping drive large-scale regional brand awareness and sales.

Legible is the official ebook partner of GO Transit, a division of Metrolinx, with a train and bus network covering more than 11,000 square kms, helping over one million customers get where they need to be safely and reliably every week. Legible offers GO Transit riders curated ebook selections and a seamless connection to its extensive catalogue of approximately two million books via GO Wi-Fi Plus, GO Transit’s unique entertainment portal, inspiring riders to become readers who “READ on the GO.”

About Legible Inc.

Legible Inc. is a book entertainment and media company with a mission: millions of books for billions of readers, globally. Legible provides innovative eReading experiences to anyone anywhere with an internet-enabled device. Legible has developed two high-value verticals: a browser-based, mobile-first B2C eBook entertainment platform delivering a global online bookstore and reading system for the emerging web with high-growth potential called Legible.com; and a global B2B eBook conversion and production service with high revenue potential called Legible Publishing. Founded and led by a team of technologists, authors, eBook publishers, designers, and publishing industry insiders, Legible is transforming the digital publishing industry and gaining market share through innovative, 21st century publishing and global reading experiences. Legible embraces core values of sustainability, accessibility, and global literacy.

Visit Legible.com and discover the place where eBooks come to life.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

This Press Release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information (“forward-looking statements”), including statements regarding Legible’s business. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Legible's control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, currency fluctuations, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Although Legible believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking information. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and, except as required by applicable law, Legible does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN UNITED STATES

Legible Inc.
Deborah Harford
EVP, Global Strategic Partnerships
1 (672) 514-2665
(CSE:READ) (OTCQB:LEBGF) (FSE:D0T)
invest@legible.com
Website: https://invest.legible.com

Public relations management platform’s AI-powered monitoring now tracks more than 2 million articles a day

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#pr--Muck Rack, the public relations management (PRM) platform that helps organizations find the right journalists to pitch, monitor and report on media coverage and prove the value of earned media, today announced a significant expansion of its Global Media Monitoring capabilities to include more than 600,000 global news sources, spanning online, television, radio, newsletters and print, powered by AI technology.

The monitoring enhancements include the addition of hundreds of thousands new online outlets, a 250% year-over-year increase. Using the latest advances in AI and machine learning to source and surface relevant information from across the web, Twitter and broadcast, Muck Rack has tripled the number of articles it monitors to more than two million articles a day, and will continue to increase its network of media sources and articles over time.

The increase is a result of Muck Rack’s significant investment in its monitoring offerings across 45 key countries of the more than 230 it monitors, including Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, India, Japan and the Netherlands, among many others. It monitors content across 123 languages.

The additional data also powers Muck Rack Alerts, Reporting and Dashboards, as well as Muck Rack’s industry-leading Media Database, with the aim of helping customers track, measure and showcase even more coverage and prove the value of their work.

“With these enhancements, we’ve built a best-in-class monitoring experience that’s the perfect pairing to our beloved media database,” said Gregory Galant, cofounder and CEO of Muck Rack. “We’ve taken great care to ensure every outlet and article we monitor is a valuable media source to provide the most accurate and timely monitoring and reporting for our customers.”

Because it’s built from the ground up, Muck Rack’s platform also allows customers to do more with their new data sources, including:

• The ability to follow journalists and their work and engage directly with them via Alerts.
• The ability to filter in/out what sources are most important with just a few clicks.
• Access to Muck Rack’s flexible Coverage Reports, Dashboards, Presentations and Newsletters to best showcase coverage value.

The monitoring enhancements follow a series of new product enhancements in recent months, including the ability to listen to 35 million+ podcast episodes within the Muck Rack platform, new Google Analytics Dashboard widgets to see how PR efforts impact web traffic, and the ability to group syndicated articles in Search and Alerts, among many others. Request a demo for a tour of Muck Rack’s platform.

About Muck Rack

Muck Rack’s Public Relations Management (PRM) platform enables thousands of organizations including Google, International Rescue Committee, Pfizer, Golin, Zapier and Duolingo to build trust, tell their stories and prove the value of earned media through its media database and monitoring and reporting features. Journalists use Muck Rack’s free tools to showcase their portfolios, analyze news about any topic and measure the impact of their stories. Learn more at muckrack.com.

We're Hiring!

Linda Zebian
linda@muckrack.com

Based on the global WEBTOON sensation with more than six billion views, the “True Beauty” mobile game will offer engaging puzzle gameplay and character customization; Pre-registration is currently open

The “True Beauty” mobile game is the latest example of WEBTOON’s expanding IP & Creator Ecosystem, reaching new fans through new formats

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WEBTOON, the world’s largest digital comics platform, and LINE Studio, today announced March 14 as the official launch date for the much-anticipated “True Beauty” mobile game. The game is the first to be developed by LINE Studio based on the global WEBTOON digital comic sensation “True Beauty.” The “True Beauty” mobile game will be released globally by Studio Lico--a subsidiary of WEBTOON--and LINE Studio, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Designed to reflect the one-of-a-kind style and vivid designs from Yaongyi’s original WEBTOON series, the “True Beauty” mobile game will offer puzzle-style, color-matching gameplay. Fan-favorite characters from the “True Beauty” webcomic, such as Jugyeong, Suho, and Seojun, will appear as playable characters in the game. Each character's appearance will transform as users progress through the game, with customizable upgrades and designs, all informed by LINE Studio's deep experience in casual mobile game development.

“True Beauty” is a global webcomic phenomenon, accumulating more than six billion views since launching in 2018 on WEBTOON. The webcomic follows Jugyeong Lim, who after being bullied for her looks, uses online video tutorials to transform into a beautiful popular girl. Caught in a love triangle between a mystery man and a bad boy, Jugyeong navigates both high school and her personal life, while her self-esteem, romantic life and career are constantly in flux.

Yaongyi’s story about self-esteem, love, and learning to accept yourself for who you are has been adapted as a popular K-drama and a film is in development. “True Beauty” is also available in print from WEBTOON Unscrolled, Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group’s new graphic novel imprint. True Beauty Vol. 1 is available now, with Vol. 2 hitting bookshelves June 6, 2023. A total of eight volumes are planned for the graphic novel series.

Pre-registration is currently open on Google Play and Apple App Store until the official release on March 14. Users who pre-register will receive a limited edition green school uniform costume and additional perks at launch.

The “True Beauty” mobile game is the latest example of WEBTOON’s growing IP and Creator ecosystem, bringing hit digital comics from WEBTOON to new fans and formats, including games from subsidiary Studio Lico. Founded in 2017, Studio Lico produces a range of digital content, such as webcomics, animation projects, and games. Studio Lico previously published Yumi’s Cells the Puzzle, a mobile game based on the popular WEBTOON series Yumi’s Cells. The WEBTOON family of brands now includes capabilities and projects in film, series, gaming, print publishing, and more.

About WEBTOON
WEBTOON is the world's largest digital comics platform, home to some of the biggest artists, IP, and fandoms in comics. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON has revolutionized the comics industry for comic fans and creators. Today, a diverse new generation of international comic artists have found a home on WEBTOON, where the company’s storytelling technology allows anyone to become a creator and build a global audience for their stories.

With a massive catalog of incredible digital comics from rising stars on WEBTOON CANVAS platform, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators, there’s something for every type of comic fan on WEBTOON. With 85.6 million monthly active users, and WEBTOON adaptations on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and other screens around the world, WEBTOON’s passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. The company has worked with DC Comics, Marvel Entertainment, HYBE, and many more of the world’s biggest entertainment brands.

The WEBTOON app is free to download on Android and iOS devices.

About LINE Studio

LINE Studio is a global casual game developer who creates games enjoyed all around the world. LINE Studio’s LINE Rangers, LINE Chef, LINE Bubble, LINE Bubble2 and LINE Magic Coin are LINE’s most popular games and reached the top rankings and sales results in the global market such as Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. LINE Studio is constantly researching and developing games of various genres that are loved by gamers around the world.

BECK Media for WEBTOON
webtoon@beckmedia.com

The world’s largest digital comics platform ranks in the Top 10 of the 2023 World’s Most Innovative Companies, and No. 1 in the Media category

The company joins the ranks of OpenAI, Disney, Tiffany & Co., and more

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WEBTOON, the world’s largest digital comics platform, has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023. A pioneer in webcomics, with growing global influence in entertainment, publishing, and IP, WEBTOON was ranked No. 1 in the Media category, and in the Top 10 of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.

This year’s list highlights the businesses at the forefront of their respective industries, paving the way for the innovations of tomorrow. These companies are setting the standard with some of the greatest accomplishments of the modern world. In addition to the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, 540 organizations are recognized across 54 sectors and regions.

“WEBTOON was founded to make it easier to create and read comics on mobile devices,” said Junkoo Kim, WEBTOON Founder and Global CEO. “As a lifelong comics fan, I’m thrilled to see that vision inspire a new generation of creators, bring more fans to comics, and receive this incredible recognition. This achievement isn’t just about WEBTOON, it’s a recognition of our global creator community and their creativity. Their stories and artistic innovations have transformed comics and entertainment for a new generation, and I want to congratulate every WEBTOON creator as part of this news.”

“Our storytelling technology platform has inspired diverse comic creators and fans around the world,” said Ken Kim, CEO, WEBTOON Americas. “Comics have never been more popular and we’re incredibly proud to be part of the medium’s evolution. With our IP & Creator ecosystem, our massive global audience, and accessible platform, we’re incredibly proud to bring comics to the mainstream on our platform, and to screens and bookshelves everywhere.”

WEBTOON pioneered the mobile vertical scroll format for webcomics, revolutionizing the comics industry by making it easy for creators to publish and share their stories with global audiences. The result is a billion-dollar business innovation and an unmatched IP & Creator ecosystem, with capabilities in TV, film, print publishing from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, serialized fiction with YONDER, webnovels from Wattpad, gaming from Studio Lico, and more.

Digital comics from WEBTOON have been the source of a growing number of hit TV and film projects. Netflix sensation “All of Us are Dead,” started as a digital comic on WEBTOON before the adaptation became one of the Top 5 all-time non-English series on the streamer globally. Other hit WEBTOON adaptations include “Hellbound,” “The Sound of Magic,” “Sweet Home,” and “Lookism” on Netflix; Crunchyroll hits “Tower of God,” “The God of High School,” and “Noblesse”; and “Connect” and “Kiss Sixth Sense” on Disney+. Today, around 300 adaptations from WEBTOON’s digital comic and webnovel brands are in development around the world.

WEBTOON content has also seen enormous success in traditional publishing. Rachel Smythe’s webcomic sensation “Lore Olympus” was published by Penguin Random House with the first three volumes hitting #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. The company’s graphic novel imprint, WEBTOON Unscrolled launched in 2021, bringing global hits “Tower of God,” “True Beauty,” and other fan-favorite titles to bookshelves everywhere.

WEBTOON’s creator-friendly business model has resulted in an innovative new creator economy for comic artists in the US and around the world. Between 2020 and 2021, WEBTOON paid out more than USD $27M--or more than USD $1M each month--to English language creators. In Korea, where the company’s creator model is at its most mature, top creators can earn an average of $250k per year.

WEBTOON partners with some of the biggest brands in entertainment to extend their IP and reach the massive Gen Z audience on the platform. The company has partnered and developed content collaborations with companies like DC, Marvel, McDonald’s, Archie, HYBE--for the record-breaking BTS-inspired 7FATES: CHAKHO webcomic series-- and many others.

Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out the companies making the biggest strides around the globe. They also judged nominations received through their application process.

The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides a firsthand look at the inspiring and innovative efforts of companies across all sectors of the economy.

“What a strange and thrilling year it has been to honor this year’s Most Innovative Companies. This year’s list compiles some of the most cutting-edge groundbreakers who are changing our world every single day, from legacy organizations like McDonald’s to upstarts like MrBeast and institutions such as NASA. Everyone on this list does something completely, uniquely different, yet, they all have one thing in common: innovation,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan.

Fast Company will host its third annual Most Innovative Companies Summit on April 19 and 20. The virtual summit celebrates the Most Innovative Companies in business, and provides an inside look at cutting-edge business trends and what it takes to innovate in 2023. Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies issue (March/April 2023) is available online here, as well as in-app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning March 14. The hashtag is #FCMostInnovative.

About WEBTOON
WEBTOON is the world's largest digital comics platform, home to some of the biggest artists, IP, and fandoms in comics. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON has revolutionized the comics industry for comic fans and creators. Today, a diverse new generation of international comic artists have found a home on WEBTOON, where the company’s storytelling technology allows anyone to become a creator and build a global audience for their stories.

With a massive catalog of incredible digital comics from rising stars on WEBTOON CANVAS platform, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators, there’s something for every type of comic fan on WEBTOON. With 85.6 million monthly active users, and WEBTOON adaptations on Netflix, HBO Max, and other screens around the world, WEBTOON’s passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. The company has worked with DC Comics, Marvel Entertainment, HYBE, and many more of the world’s biggest entertainment brands.

The WEBTOON app is free to download on Android and iOS devices.

ABOUT FAST COMPANY
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.

BECK Media for WEBTOON
webtoon@beckmedia.com

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following the announcement of the Montreal Gazette Community Advisory Council last week, Postmedia today announced the founding members of the Council. The group of 11 leaders represent a cross-section of Montrealers who have two things in common – a belief in the importance of the Montreal Gazette to Montreal and Quebec and a shared interest in its future sustainability.

“We want to harness the support of the Gazette community interested in strengthening the institution. To date, preliminary consultations with members of the Council have resulted in an adjustment to our plan which will keep more journalists in the newsroom. Now the work really begins as we look to our supporters to help drive our business towards a stronger future,” said Andrew MacLeod, President & CEO, Postmedia. “I want to thank Anthony Housefather, M.P., an enthusiastic champion of the Gazette, who was instrumental in the formation of the Council.”

The goal of the Council is to connect partner and reader commitment, which has been expressed so passionately in the past weeks, to business results in the form of digital subscription and advertising revenue growth and, ultimately, reinvestment and long-term sustainability. “It has been wonderful to see outpouring of goodwill however, the city needs to understand we have to lift revenue,” said MacLeod. “The work of the Council will be to continue to deepen the connection of the Montreal Gazette with the city and help to ensure a sustainable and healthy future for journalism serving Montreal and Quebec.” The role of the Council will be to offer advice, support and strategies to help drive measurable business results for the Gazette. The Council will play no role in editorial direction or content.

Members of the Gazette Community Advisory Council

David Bensadoun, Chief Executive Officer ALDO Group
Tiffany Callender, CEO of The Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE)
Gurveen K Chadha, Business Operations Lead, Shopify
Joan Fraser, Former Canadian Senator and journalist
Jonathan Goldbloom, Partner at Avenue Strategic Communications
Tasha Lackman, Executive Director at Le Dépôt | The Depot Community Food Centre
Eric Maldoff, C.M., Ad. E. Partner, Lapointe Rosenstein Marchand Melançon
Andrew Molson, Chairman, AVENIR GLOBAL
Angelo Pacitto, Postmedia’s regional director of media sales for Montreal
Michael Prupas, Owner, Muse Entertainment
Bert Archer, Editor in Chief, Montreal Gazette, will act as Postmedia’s management representative on the Council. In this non-editorial role, Bert will run Council meetings and measure and report on outcomes.

While the new Gazette Community Advisory Council initiative is focused specifically on Montreal, we know communities across Canada share a deep desire to ensure sustainability of local journalism and we are exploring opportunities to establish additional councils in other cities.

About Postmedia Network Inc.

Postmedia Network Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B), is a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences Our expertise in home delivery and expanding distribution network powers Postmedia Parcel Services. For more information, visit: www.postmedia.com, www.postmediasolutions.com, and www.postmediaparcelservices.com.

Postmedia
Phyllise Gelfand
Vice President, Communications
(647) 273-9287
pgelfand@postmedia.com

The world’s most innovative brands in media, entertainment, retail, and technology lean on Alida as their trusted CX provider

TORONTO & VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alida, a leader in experience management, today announced its high-performing Q4 2022 with strong product innovation, customer growth, and expansions. Top global organizations in retail, media & entertainment, and technology selected Alida as their Customer Experience (CX) provider, joining brands like Adobe, Groupe SEB, HBOMax, J.Crew, Spectrum Brands, and XFL. Alida has helped them access their most engaged customers, gather reliable feedback, and drive profitable business growth amidst a challenging year.

Alida continues to see significant increases in gross revenue, achieving a 20%+ Q4 growth rate. Last quarter, the company saw over 100 global organizations choose Alida through new partnerships, expansions, or renewals. Companies are investing in Alida’s Community solution as the foundation of their CX strategy which contributed to approximately 70% of its annual revenue. Looking to create stronger collaborative relationships with their customers through the power of Community, a multinational insurance company and an international automotive corporation closed $1.32 Million and $780,000 deals with Alida, respectively.

“With the threat of a recession, budgets are tightening and consumers are far more selective with their dollars. Customer experience solutions that prioritize community will be the best competitive advantage to enable companies to thrive,” said Ross Wainwright, CEO at Alida. “We are seeing more brands invest in Alida’s TXM platform to access our Community product as the foundation of their CX strategy. By leveraging the Alida community they can better access their most engaged customers, gain more reliable insights, and engage in real dialogue to build long-term loyalty and trust. All things that impact the bottom line.”

At the recent Alida Innovation Day, the company showcased innovative brands in community-centered experience delivery and recipients of the Alida Delta Awards. Winners included Castorama in France, Duke Health, Globe in Malaysia, Indigo Books & Music, Morning Brew, Pierre & Vacances, Pixel United, Sun Life U.S., Travelport, and Twitch Ads among others. Alida’s new ebook, Insight-Driven Innovation: How top brands harness ongoing customer feedback, provides compelling guidance and best practices from these top innovators on how to get ahead with CX this year.

“B2B Clients can be tough to engage. They have limited time and need to see immediate value in participating in a community,” stated Lydia Frangos, Senior Client Insights Analyst, Sun Life U.S. “Their feedback is so important in informing the decisions we make, whether it’s our products, services, or client support. We had to find a way to hear from them regularly and these communities allow us to do that.”

Alida has continued to receive top marks for its dedication to customer experience and satisfaction. G2.com awarded the company, Leader in Experience Management Software, Easiest to do Business With, and the Users Love Us badge. In addition to its strong focus on CX, Alida also continues to highly prioritizes its employee experience and culture. In 2H 2022, Alida was recognized for 8 culture awards, including Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures, Best Workplaces in Technology, and Best Company Happiness, among others.

For more information on Alida’s products and how they can help your organization uncover and action your customers’ truth, visit www.alida.com/products.

About Alida

Alida believes in a world where customers are respected as the ultimate source of truth. Because knowing the whole truth about your customers—even the parts that are hard to hear—can help companies make better decisions that drive long-term customer loyalty and growth.

That’s why Alida created its Total Experience Management Platform; a comprehensive CX solution powered by a highly-engaged, verified, always-on community of your most engaged customers that fuels sustainable business impact.

With Alida, innovative companies like HBOMax, Adobe, lululemon and LinkedIn can anticipate their customers' ever-evolving needs to make better decisions, build long-term relationships, and grow businesses that stand the test of time.

Over 176 million people globally have used Alida's Total Experience platform to inform over 60,000 customer experiences initiatives.

Join us on our mission to put truth into action at www.alida.com and @alidaTXM.

Media
Genevieve Raveau
Senior Manager, Global Communications
genevieve.raveau@alida.com

PHOENIX, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VIQ Solutions Inc. ("VIQ", "VIQ Solutions" or the "Company") (TSX and Nasdaq: VQS), a global provider of secure, AI-driven, digital voice and video capture technology and transcription services, today announces the seamless integration of VIQ Carbon media platform and Sony Ci Media Cloud to streamline the media production process simplifying content creation.

VIQ Carbon, a cloud-based media content and text workflow platform, was developed to address broadcast production needs, including administrative controls for organizations with complex workflows and a need for a high level of security. The integration of Sony Ci will remove redundant steps and the need to transfer files across system platforms, while allowing the users to remain within the secure infrastructure of Sony Ci.

This integration, the first of its kind, supports the management of a wide variety of content types, including fully integrated captioned video, to support client needs. Media professionals working inside the Sony Ci platform can now utilize VIQ’s self-serve, AI-powered draft document to self-edit or send for a professional verbatim record by VIQ's experienced teams. The text is then delivered back into Sony Ci in tandem with their submitted media files. VIQ, with Sony Ci, has created a self-serve, AI-powered workflow that will positively impact the ease and speed of production and delivery of broadcast content globally.

“As the utilization of VIQ’s Carbon continues to exceed our expectations -- doubling user growth and production volume since October 2022 -- we anticipate this new integration will transform how many media professionals work,” said Elizabeth Pennell, Senior Vice President Media, VIQ Solutions. “The integration with Sony Ci is expected to bolster VIQ's media offering by securely managing synched audio and video recordings for expedited content creation, while seamlessly sharing data between VIQ's Carbon and Sony Ci to create efficiency and speed complex projects.”

As the appetite for digitalization of recorded events increases, technology is required to keep pace with the amount of digital content created every day. Committed to helping media professionals speed content creation, VIQ's AI-based speech-to-text technology increases efficiency, decreases turnaround time, and yields higher transcription accuracy.

About VIQ Solutions

VIQ Solutions is a global provider of secure, AI-driven, digital voice and video capture technology and transcription services. VIQ offers a seamless, comprehensive solution suite that delivers intelligent automation, enhanced with human review, to drive transformation in the way content is captured, secured, and repurposed into actionable information. The cyber-secure, AI technology and services platform are implemented in the most rigid security environments including criminal justice, legal, insurance, government, corporate finance, media, and transcription service provider markets, enabling them to improve the quality and accessibility of evidence, to easily identify predictive insights and to achieve digital transformation faster and at a lower cost.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information (“forward-looking statements”) under applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Forward-looking statements typically contain statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, those statements with respect to the benefits of the integration between VIQ Could and Sony Ci. Forward-looking statements are based on several factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such statements and information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although VIQ believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because VIQ can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified in this news release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Company’s strategy and objectives. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions that have been used.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of this news release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors described in greater detail in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s annual information form dated March 31, 2022 and in the Company’s other materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company; however, these factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media:
Laura Haggard, Chief Marketing Officer, VIQ Solutions
Email: marketing@viqsolutions.com

For more information about VIQ, please visit viqsolutions.com.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following a groundswell of support for the Montreal Gazette and local journalism, Postmedia today announced the creation of a Community Advisory Council charged with helping to strengthen the sustainability of the 245-year-old newspaper.

“It is heartening to see the groundswell of support for the Gazette. We are in the business of providing local coverage and journalistic excellence – it is at the core of what we do. But communities must understand that it is a business, we are not a government utility. Working together we can harness this support to grow advertising and subscription revenues and build a lasting and sustainable future for the Gazette,” said Andrew MacLeod, President & CEO Postmedia.

The creation of the Council follows the difficult decision by Postmedia, owner of the Gazette, to undertake several transformational initiatives including editorial staff reductions that have varied by city, leaving the Gazette newsroom among the largest of Postmedia’s broadsheet markets. This and other transformation initiatives have been implemented recently in order to transform the business by changing how it operates while managing cost and mitigating revenue decline.

Council members will be announced next week. They represent a cross-section of Montrealers who cherish the Gazette as the voice for English language representation in the province. It will be comprised of politicians, business and community leaders who believe in the vital role of local journalism. The role of the Council will be to offer advice, support and strategies to help drive revenue and will play no role in editorial direction or content.

“We’re very appreciative of how Montrealers have rallied around the Gazette and look forward to measuring the impact the Council has on the Gazette’s future,” said Mr. MacLeod.

About Postmedia Network Inc.

Postmedia Network Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B), is a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences Our expertise in home delivery and expanding distribution network powers Postmedia Parcel Services. For more information, visit: www.postmedia.com, www.postmediasolutions.com, and www.postmediaparcelservices.com.

For more information:
Postmedia
Phyllise Gelfand
Vice President, Communications
(647) 273-9287
pgelfand@postmedia.com

Canadians are invited to nominate individuals from the news media industry for their chance to be honoured in the organization's upcoming limited-edition illustrated book - Champions.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#ChampionsoftheTruth--News Media Canada is inviting nominations for individuals who have worked in Canadian newspapers - both past and present - to be considered for inclusion in its upcoming book. The publication, entitled Champions, will be released in the fall of 2023 as part of the annual National Newspaper Week celebrations and will feature the incredible stories of up to 25 notable Canadians from the newspaper industry.

The organization is looking for Champions Of The Truth, individuals whose work in Canadian news media has positively impacted their communities and who are encouraging the next generation of industry trailblazers. The Champions featured in the book will be celebrated as an integral part of what keeps our democracy thriving through a vibrant and independent news media.

“Local journalism is vital to our democracy, providing local, original content that cannot be found anywhere else,” said Paul Deegan, president and chief executive officer of News Media Canada. “The Champions book will highlight the power of words and the people behind the press who use them to communicate essential information to Canadians each and every day. We’re excited to celebrate and honour these individuals and invite everyone to participate by nominating a Champion today.”

All nominees will be evaluated by an independent selection committee based on predetermined criteria. More information on who is eligible for nomination, how to nominate an individual and the evaluation criteria can be found on the News Media Canada website - here - alongside a program FAQ.

Nominations are now open and will be accepted until Friday, March 3, 2023. The nomination form can be accessed here.

The Champions book will be produced using News Media Canada’s custom Champions font that is available for free download at www.nationalnewspaperweek.ca.

This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

About News Media Canada

News Media Canada is the voice of the print and digital news media industry in Canada and represents hundreds of trusted titles in every province and territory. News Media Canada is an advocate in public policy for daily and community media outlets and contributes to the ongoing evolution of the news media industry by raising awareness and promoting the benefits of news media across all platforms. For more information, visit www.newsmediacanada.ca or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Kelly Levson, News Media Canada | klevson@newsmediacanada.ca

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (“Postmedia” or the “Company”) is pleased to report that at its annual general and special meeting of shareholders, held in Toronto on February 9, 2023, each of the directors listed as nominees in the management proxy circular dated December 16, 2022 were elected as directors of the Company. Directors have been appointed to serve until the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders.

Appointment of Auditors – Approved

Election of Directors – Approved

Shareholder Rights Plan Reconfirmation – Approved

*As a vote for each motion was taken by a show of hands, the number of votes disclosed reflects only those proxies received by management in advance of the meeting.

About Postmedia Network Canada Corp.

Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B) is the holding company that owns Postmedia Network Inc., a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences Our expertise in home delivery and expanding distribution network powers Postmedia Parcel Services. For more information, visit www.postmedia.com, www.postmediasolutions.com and www.postmediaparcelservices.com.

For more information:
Media Contact
Phyllise Gelfand
Vice President, Communications
(647) 273-9287
pgelfand@postmedia.com

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#initiativedejournalismelocal--News Media Canada is inviting news media organizations to submit applications for the Local Journalism Initiative, which provides funding to hire reporters to cover civic issues and institutions in underserved communities across Canada.

Created by the Government of Canada, the Local Journalism Initiative is a five-year program that supports the creation of original civic journalism relevant to the diverse needs of people living in news deserts and areas of news poverty in Canada.

Print and digital news media organizations may to apply to News Media Canada, including French-language media in Quebec, English-language media in the rest of Canada, and Indigenous media across the country. Applications may be submitted for new project proposals, as well as renewal of existing projects previously funded under News Media Canada.

Applicants must identify the underserved community that they propose to cover, along with the specific civic issues that will be the focus of the project. Applications may request funding for full-time, part-time, freelance or short-term projects producing standard news stories and/or long-form, in-depth, investigative journalism.

In 2023-2024, News Media Canada intends to provide funding for a minimum of 98 LJI reporters on contracts with terms of up to 12 months. Of these, 89 reporters will be allocated on a regional model based on population, and 9 reporters to Indigenous media.

LJI reporters will cover civic institutions such as courthouses, city halls, band councils, school boards, Parliament or provincial legislatures. Their stories will help citizens know what is going on where they live and will be shared with accredited media organizations across the country.

Applications will be accepted until Friday, February 17, 2023, via email.

For more information on eligibility criteria and to download the application form and guidelines, visit the Local Journalism Initiative website at www.localjournalisminitiative.ca.

About News Media Canada

News Media Canada is the voice of the print and digital news media industry in Canada and represents hundreds of trusted titles in every province and territory. News Media Canada is an advocate in public policy for daily and community media outlets and contributes to the ongoing evolution of the news media industry by raising awareness and promoting the benefits of news media across all platforms. Visit our website at www.newsmediacanada.ca or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

For more information, please contact:

Tina Ongkeko, Director, Local Journalism Initiative
News Media Canada
tongkeko@newsmediacanada.ca

Christian Dognon, Coordinator, Local Journalism Initiative
News Media Canada
lji@newsmediacanada.ca

VerbaOne will streamline processes for campus stores and increase access to and affordability of learning materials for all students

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VitalSource^® today announced the launch of VerbaOne, a revolutionary course materials program to help independent campus stores operate Equitable Access (EA). VerbaOne will streamline pricing, adoptions, sourcing, and delivery of print and digital content in one platform, greatly simplifying complex processes for campus stores and increasing access and affordability for students.

“Equitable Access is transforming course materials delivery, and VerbaOne is our latest contribution to the change: a comprehensive toolkit for independent stores to implement the model,” said Kent Freeman, CEO of VitalSource.

EA improves affordability by providing every student with day-one access to all course materials for one predictable, low, flat rate. With VerbaOne, independent stores get one toolset to launch and manage EA, and instructors enjoy full academic freedom with access to all course materials, including both paid publisher content and free materials.

“Until now, most independent stores haven’t had the tools or resources to implement an EA program,” said Jared Pearlman, Chief Strategy Officer for VitalSource. “We’ve partnered with several trailblazing independent stores over the last few years, and VerbaOne is the culmination of our work together: a set of tools and resources to put EA in reach for every indie store.”

Click here to learn more about VerbaOne and Equitable Access programs.

VerbaOne’s purpose-built and proven tools and software are designed for stores to self-operate EA, keeping all control local. Key features include:

• Comprehensive Tooling: From the pricing and rollout of the program to adoptions, sourcing, and delivery of both print and digital materials to students, stores have the tools they need in one place.
• Flexible Terms, One Invoice: Stores can choose to source digital only or both digital and print through VerbaOne. Either way, they receive one consolidated invoice.
• A Unified Student Experience: Students access digital content, physical materials messaging, and program-level opt-out tools all in the learning management system (LMS).
• Best Practices Support: An advocacy toolkit will be provided to VerbaOne customers with detailed information about developing an EA launch strategy, communication, best practices, and more to help educate stakeholders and facilitate implementation.
• Sustainability: VerbaOne is the industry’s first carbon-neutral course materials program as VitalSource offsets the carbon cost of every print and digital material delivered.

“VerbaOne embodies our commitment at VitalSource to developing new, cutting-edge technologies designed to improve access and affordability for all students,” added Freeman. “VerbaOne also raises the bar on sustainability as the industry’s first carbon-neutral course materials program.”

VitalSource is the leading education technology solutions provider, serving more than eighteen million users and ten thousand institutions globally in the last year. In 2017, VitalSource acquired Verba Software, a technology platform co-founded by Pearlman nearly a decade earlier as a student government project at Harvard University to address rising textbook costs. Verba now serves over 300 independent college stores with a suite of products that has grown to meet the changing needs of campus stores.

To learn more about VerbaOne, visit get.vitalsource.com/verbaone.

About VitalSource

VitalSource Technologies, LLC is the leading education technology solutions provider committed to helping partners create, deliver, and distribute affordable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences worldwide. As a recognized innovator in the digital course materials market, VitalSource is best known for partnering with more than 1,000 publishers and resellers to deliver extraordinary learning experiences to millions of active users globally—and today we’re also powering new, cutting-edge technologies designed to optimize teaching and learning for maximum results. Learn more at https://get.vitalsource.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Erin McCarthy
press@vitalsource.com

Legible Also Closes First Tranche of Unit Offering Private Placement and Increases Offering Size to $1,100,000

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--$LEBGF #digitalpublishing--Legible Inc. (CSE: READ) (FSE: D0T) (OTCQB: LEBGF) ("Legible” or the “Company”) is proud to announce that it has partnered with Tim Urban, world-renowned writer and thinker behind the popular blog Wait But Why, to produce his new book "What’s Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies" as a digital-only publication.

Tim Urban is one of the most sought-after writers and thinkers of our time. “What’s Our Problem?” takes readers on a deep-dive journey to explore the most pressing issues facing society today and offers a roadmap for solving them. Presented in the classic style of Tim’s blog Wait But Why, and packed with original concepts, sticky metaphors, and 300 drawings, the book is guaranteed to be a thought-provoking and entertaining read that will leave a lasting impression on all who read it.

"We're honoured to be working with Tim on this groundbreaking project," said Kaleeg Hainsworth, CEO of Legible. "The Legible team is thrilled to help bring his vision for solving society's problems to a global audience."

Tim Urban’s blog Wait But Why, a long-form website with wry stick figure illustrations, explores the intersection of technology, psychology. The blog has over 600,000 email subscribers, receives millions of unique visitors per month, and has garnered famous fans like Elon Musk. Tim’s 2016 TED main stage talk, Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator, ranks in the top five most-watched TED talks with over 65 million views.

"What’s Our Problem?" will be published exclusively in digital format and will be available for purchase in early 2023.

Unit Offering Private Placement

Legible also announces that, further to its January 16, 2023 News Release, it has increased the size of its private placement of units (“Units”) from $550,000 to up to $1,100,000 (the “Private ‎Placement”).‎

In addition, Legible also announced that it has completed the closing of the first tranche of the Private Placement. Legible issued 3,982,727 Units at a price of $0.11 per Unit for gross proceeds of $438,100 (less the finder’s fee of $2,420 for net proceeds of $435,680; $18,000 of which was the settlement of outstanding indebtedness).

Mr. David Van Seters, a director of Legible, subscribed for 81,818 Units and Ms. Shannon Kaustinen, also a director of Legible, subscribed for 81,818 Units under the Private ‎Placement. Legible has determined that exemptions from the various requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 are ‎available for the issuance of the Units (Formal Valuation - Issuer Not Listed on Specified Markets; Minority Approval - Fair ‎Market Value Not More Than $2,500,000).

Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (“Common Share”) and one common share purchase warrant (“Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.15 for a period of one (1) year from closing; provided that if, at any time, after the date that is four months and one day following the closing, the volume weighted average trading price of the common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”) is at least $0.45 per share for a period of 5 consecutive trading days, the expiry date of the Warrants may be accelerated by the Company to a date that is not less than 21 days after the date that notice of such acceleration is provided to the Warrant holders, which notice may be by way of general press release.

As noted above, finders acting in connection with the Private Placement received fees in the aggregate amount of $2,420 and 22,000 finder’s warrants. Each finder’s warrant may be exercised to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.11 per share for a period of one (1) year from the closing; provided that if, at any time, after the date that is four months and one day following the closing, the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the CSE is at least $0.45 per share for a period of 5 consecutive trading days, the expiry date of the finder’s warrants may be accelerated by the Company to a date that is not less than 21 days after the date that notice of such acceleration is provided to the finder’s warrant holders, which notice may be by way of general press release.

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Private Placement for general working capital purposes including technology development, product and feature releases, marketing awareness and conversion campaigns.‎ All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a hold period that expires on June 3, 2023.

About Legible Inc.

Legible Inc. is a book entertainment and media company with a mission: millions of books for billions of readers, globally. Legible provides innovative eReading experiences to anyone anywhere with an internet-enabled device. Legible has developed two high-value verticals: a browser-based, mobile-first B2C eBook entertainment platform delivering a global online bookstore and reading system for the emerging web with high-growth potential called Legible.com; and a global B2B eBook conversion and production service with high revenue potential called Legible Publishing. Founded and led by a team of technologists, authors, eBook publishers, designers, and publishing industry insiders, Legible is transforming the digital publishing industry and gaining market share through innovative, 21st century publishing and global reading experiences. Legible embraces core values of sustainability, accessibility, and global literacy.

Visit Legible.com and discover the place where eBooks come to life.

Website: https://invest.legible.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

This Press Release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information (“forward-looking statements”), including statements regarding Legible’s business and the Private Placement. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Legible's control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, currency fluctuations, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Although Legible believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward- looking information. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward- looking information, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and, except as required by applicable law, Legible does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Legible Inc.
Deborah Harford
EVP, Global Strategic Partnerships
1 (672) 514-2665
(CSE: READ) (FSE: D0T) (OTCQB: LEBGF)
invest@legible.com

First Collaboration is a Weeklong Careers and Canine Program This Summer

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and American Printing House for the Blind (APH) ConnectCenter have announced a partnership to offer joint programming and career development programs for young adults who are blind or have low vision. The partnership is groundbreaking because it’s the first time in the U.S. a leading educational organization in the blindness community has joined forces with a guide dog school to offer career programming for young adults considering the guide dog lifestyle.

The inaugural collaboration is called Careers & Canine Connections, which is a weeklong immersive program for young adults aged 18-24. The program, scheduled for August 7-12, will be held on and around GDB’s Oregon campus. It offers a deep dive into career exploration and how guide dogs can fit into future employment opportunities for their handlers. Careers & Canine Connections was designed to help young adults overcome the huge unemployment and underemployment issue the blindness community has historically faced.

Participants will learn about new career options, practice interviewing techniques, explore the value of networking, and enjoy unique hands-on experience with guide dogs. Although it is not a guide dog training program, Careers & Canine Connections is tailored for young job seekers interested in exploring guide dog mobility.

“We’re overjoyed to partner with APH Connect Center to support career readiness of our young participants in a way that integrates the use of a guide dog into their employment plans and decisions,” said Christine Benninger, president and CEO of Guide Dogs for the Blind. “APH Connect Center has such an amazing library and breadth of experience, so we hope to grow this partnership in meaningful ways to help participants live the lives they want to live by fulfilling their career dreams in practically any role in society.”

“This is another wonderful partnership that we are happy to see come to fruition. It is very important that individuals who are blind or have low vision have access to learn about guide dogs, just as it is important for them to learn how to handle and maneuver applying for jobs and interviews,” said Paul Schroeder, APH Vice President, Impact & Outreach. “This program allows participants to gain valuable mentorship and get unique hands-on experience that will last a lifetime.”

In recent years, GDB has expanded its services to engage more youth who are blind or have low vision. In addition to Careers & Canine Connections, GDB offers its K9 Buddy Program, which matches specially selected dogs to become pets and companions for individuals five years or older; Camp GDB, an annual camp for youth and young adults to learn more about the guide dog lifestyle; and Ready, Set, FORWARD, a series of virtual workshops for youth, families, and blindness professionals.

Careers & Canine Connections is free to participants who meet certain criteria. Applications are due on or before April 1, 2023. To learn more, visit Careers-canines-connections.

About Guide Dogs for the Blind

Headquartered in San Rafael, Calif., Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) is the largest guide dog school in North America. It is a passionate community that prepares highly qualified guide dogs to empower individuals who are blind or have low vision to move through the world more safely and confidently. More than 16,000 guide teams have graduated from GDB since it was founded in 1942. Over the course of 80 years, GDB’s mission has expanded to three kinds of programs: a Guide Dog Mobility Program, an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Program, and a K9 Buddy Program. GDB not only improves mobility for its clients, but it also furthers inclusion and advocates for policy reforms that change how the world views blindness. GDB’s services are provided free of charge, and it receives no government funding. The organization was the subject of an award-winning documentary feature called Pick of the Litter, which was developed into a television docuseries by the same name for Disney+. For more information, visit guidedogs.com, or call 800.295.4050.

About American Printing House for the Blind’s ConnectCenter

The APH ConnectCenter offers curated advice and resources to assist children, parents, adults, job seekers who are blind or low vision and their associated professionals, leading to greater independence and success in their lives. Trained staff at the ConnectCenter Information and Referral Line are always ready to help. Those looking for resources and services related to vision loss can call 800-232-5463, or visit https://aphconnectcenter.org/. American Printing House for the Blind is headquartered at 1839 Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky. To visit APH’s website, please go to https://www.aph.org/.

Barbara Zamost
barbara@zamostpr.com
(415) 987-2810

PHOENIX, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VIQ Solutions Inc. ("VIQ", "VIQ Solutions" or the "Company") (TSX and Nasdaq: VQS), a global provider of secure, AI-driven, digital voice and video capture technology and transcription services, today announced the addition of a new ASR technology to its engine agnostic portfolio driving improvements in efficiency and diarization in multi-speaker environments.

Built upon the existing ISO27001 certified secure cloud platform, the cutting edge, proprietary ASR technology sets the foundation for advancements in AI-based translation and foreign language transcription capabilities. This proprietary ASR pipeline is expected to create new efficiencies and improved accuracy as it learns from the large multi-industry data sets that VIQ creates, edits, and annotates.

The Company’s strategy, to capitalize on the commoditized speech to text platforms, benefits from the rapid advancements offered both commercially and as open-source technologies. VIQ offerings are agnostic to speech recognition programs, cloud infrastructure and hardware. The engine agnostic approach ensures they utilize the best suited and most efficient speech engine and focuses R&D investments on industry, geography and customer-centric customizations based on the characteristics of a media file. This specialized workflow creates a highly accurate “FirstDraft” document for self-editing or modification by VIQ professional editors. This unique strategy provides a clear distinction in investments related to post processing to enhance the diarized draft, associated formatting and customization of templates, which are most challenging in the complex industries served by VIQ.

“Our clients see the value in our ability to implement our integrated solutions and service offerings to transform and analyze digital content, and securely generate accurate actionable information,” said Vahram Sukyas, Chief Technology Officer, VIQ Solutions. “We continue to assess and add additional speech engines to our arsenal as needed, creating a high-quality user experience for our clients.”

As the appetite for digitalization of recorded events, technology is required to keep pace with the amount of evidentiary content created every day. VIQ's AI-based speech-to-text technology increases efficiency, decreases turnaround time, and yields higher transcription accuracy.

About VIQ Solutions

VIQ Solutions is a global provider of secure, AI-driven, digital voice and video capture technology and transcription services. VIQ offers a seamless, comprehensive solution suite that delivers intelligent automation, enhanced with human review, to drive transformation in the way content is captured, secured, and repurposed into actionable information. The cyber-secure, AI technology and services platform are implemented in the most rigid security environments including criminal justice, legal, insurance, government, corporate finance, media, and transcription service provider markets, enabling them to improve the quality and accessibility of evidence, to easily identify predictive insights and to achieve digital transformation faster and at a lower cost.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information (“forward-looking statements”) under applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Forward-looking statements typically contain statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, those statements with respect to the Company’s strategy and the expected benefits of the proprietary ASR pipeline. Forward-looking statements are based on several factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such statements and information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although VIQ believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because VIQ can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified in this news release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Company’s objectives. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions that have been used.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of this news release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the factors described in greater detail in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s annual information form dated March 31, 2022 and in the Company’s other materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company; however, these factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media:
Laura Haggard
Chief Marketing Officer
VIQ Solutions
Email: marketing@viqsolutions.com

Investor Relations:
Laura Kiernan
High Touch Investor Relations
Ph. 1-914-598-7733
Email: viq@htir.net

For more information about VIQ, please visit viqsolutions.com.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--$LEBGF #digitalbooks--Legible Inc. (CSE: READ) (FSE: D0T) (OTCQB: LEBGF) ("Legible” or the “Company”) is delighted to announce that it has qualified to trade on the OTCQB Venture Market (“OTCQB”). Legible’s common shares will begin trading on the OTCQB effective today under the ticker symbol LEBGF.

The Company’s common shares will continue to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) under the symbol “READ” and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (“FSE”) under the symbol “D0T”. Furthermore, as announced on January 10, 2023, Legible’s shares are DTC eligible for electronic clearing and settlement with the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for trading in the U.S.

“We are delighted to begin trading on the OTCQB. This an important milestone for Legible, which will help increase our visibility and accessibility to a broader audience of U.S. investors and brokers and build awareness with industry analysts as we advance our unique eReading and audiobook offerings,” said Kaleeg Hainsworth, Legible’s CEO. “We would like to thank the team at B. Riley Securities, headed by Ms. Becky Popoff, who provided us with excellent advisory services and acted as our OTCQB Sponsor.”

The OTCQB is a U.S.-based transparent trading platform operated by the OTC Markets Group in New York and is the premier marketplace for entrepreneurial and development stage U.S. and international companies committed to providing a high-quality trading and information experience for U.S. investors. To be eligible, companies must be up to date in their SEDAR financial reporting, pass a minimum bid price test, and undergo an annual company verification and management certification process.

As a verified market with efficient access to U.S. investors, the OTCQB helps Canadian companies build shareholder value to improve liquidity and achieve fair valuation. As a result, more Canadian companies are traded on OTC Markets than the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq combined. The key benefits of trading on the OTCQB include efficient market standards, transparency, visibility, and robust technology.

Hainsworth added, “Legible’s management team is exploring ways to establish new partnerships in the US, similar to our large-scale regional transit authority partnership with Go Transit in Ontario's Greater Toronto Area, that will make eReading more widely accessible to U.S. customers and investors, and enhance awareness for the Legible brand.”

About Legible Inc.

Legible Inc. is a book entertainment and media company with a mission: millions of books for billions of readers, globally. Legible provides innovative eReading experiences to anyone anywhere with an internet-enabled device. Legible has developed two high-value verticals: a browser-based, mobile-first B2C eBook entertainment platform delivering a global online bookstore and reading system for the emerging web with high-growth potential called Legible.com; and a global B2B eBook conversion and production service with high revenue potential called Legible Publishing. Founded and led by a team of technologists, authors, eBook publishers, designers, and publishing industry insiders, Legible is transforming the digital publishing industry and gaining market share through innovative, 21st century publishing and global reading experiences. Legible embraces core values of sustainability, accessibility, and global literacy.

Visit Legible.com and discover the place where eBooks come to life.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

This Press Release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information (“forward-looking statements”), including statements regarding Legible’s business. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Legible's control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, currency fluctuations, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Although Legible believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward- looking information. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward- looking information, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and, except as required by applicable law, Legible does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Legible Inc.
Deborah Harford
EVP, Global Strategic Partnerships
1 (672) 514-2665
(CSE: READ) (FSE: D0T) (OTCQB: LEBGF)
invest@legible.com
Website: https://invest.legible.com