Latest news with #BOF
Cision Canada
28-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
BOF Capital Unveils Groundbreaking Investment Funds to Empower Black Entrepreneurs and Homeowners
First-of-its-kind initiative delivers financial solutions built by and for the Black diaspora across North America TORONTO, May 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Black Opportunity Fund ("BOF") is proud to announce the launch of BOF Capital Inc. ("BOF Capital"), a game-changing, first-of-its-kind initiative dedicated to tackling systemic economic barriers and building generational wealth for Black communities. Its' initial two privately sponsored funds represent a groundbreaking shift— investment funds designed by and for the Black diaspora across North America. BOF Capital is launching two groundbreaking investment funds aimed at fostering economic inclusion: BOF Capital Growth Fund: An impact focused fund investing in Black-led businesses, providing financial backing, mentorship, and market access to help entrepreneurs scale and succeed. The Fund will target initial capital commitments of $100 million. Ourboro BOF Capital Opportunity Fund: In partnership with Ourboro Inc., a housing investment fund, designed to increase Black homeownership through an innovative shared equity model, ensuring more Black Canadians can build wealth through home ownership. The Fund will target initial capital commitments of $50 million. BOF Capital is pleased to announce the appointment of Gajan Kulasingam as its Managing Partner. Mr. Kulasingam, a seasoned finance executive with extensive experience in impact investing and economic development, will lead BOF Capital's strategic direction, ensuring its funds create meaningful, long-term impact for Black entrepreneurs and homeowners. "I am honoured to have the privilege to lead BOF Capital. We know that access to funding has long been a barrier for Black entrepreneurs, limiting opportunities for growth and success," said Gajan Kulasingam. "We also understand the importance of homeownership for wealth generation and socio-economic mobility for Black Canadians. BOF Capital is tackling these inequities head-on—providing the financial backing and strategic support needed to help Black businesses thrive while ensuring more Black families can achieve homeownership and build generational wealth." At its core, BOF Capital is about community-driven economic empowerment. By addressing systemic barriers to funding, BOF Capital is creating an ecosystem of support where Black-owned businesses can grow and scale, families can secure housing and build equity, and generational wealth can ultimately be catalyzed within Black communities. Said Craig Wellington, CEO of BOF: "We are creating innovative and sustainable pathways to economic empowerment by directly addressing the funding and opportunity gaps that have historically limited Black Canadians and those across the diaspora, from building generational wealth." For BOF Capital, the numbers tell a clear story: systemic barriers continue to hinder wealth creation for Black entrepreneurs and aspiring homeowners. Most recent data reveal that Black-owned businesses receive less than 1% of total growth capital, limiting their potential for growth and success. At the same time, homeownership remains one of the most powerful drivers of generational wealth, yet only 44% of Black Canadians own homes, compared to 72% for the general population. BOF Capital understands that closing the wealth gap starts with closing the homeownership gap, ensuring more Black families have access to the financial resources needed to build long-term stability and prosperity. "We're very proud to partner with BOF Capital to unlock home ownership for Black Canadians," said Nicholas Pope, Co-Founder & Chief Investment Officer of Ourboro. He added, "As a social impact business, catalyzing generational wealth creation for a historically underrepresented community is core to our values as a business." BOF Capital is pleased to announce the constitution of its Board, represented by Lori Hall-Kimm, Narinder Dhami, Kurankye Sekyi-Otu, Christine Williams, Noberta Faustin, Craig Wellington, Dennis Mitchell, Ray Williams and Colin Lynch. Each of these individuals brings invaluable knowledge and expertise to BOF Capital, and their work will directly contribute to the firm's commitment to bridging the investment gap for Black-led businesses and creating accessible pathways to homeownership for Black Canadians. As the latest phase of the Black Opportunity Fund's transformative strategy to disrupt traditional models of philanthropy, BOF Capital is redefining traditional financing models that have historically underserved Black communities To learn more about BOF Capital – please visit To learn more about Ourboro – please visit About BOF Capital BOF Capital is a sponsored entity of Black Opportunity Fund (BOF), dedicated to empowering Black entrepreneurs and families through strategic investments in business and homeownership. As a private funded, Black-led investment initiative, BOF Capital is setting a new precedent in impact-driven investing. About Black Opportunity Fund Black Opportunity Fund (BOF) is a community-led Canadian Charitable organization, that supports a prosperous, healthy and thriving Black Canada by challenging anti-Black racism in two ways. Firstly - responding to long standing underinvestment in Black communities, by delivering sustainable and needs-informed capital streams, managed by Black people for the benefit of Black communities. Secondly – working nationally to strengthen collective actions by Black organizations and leaders, helping them to create new and more impactful ways to support and advocate for our community. BOF prioritizes initiatives around education and youth, health, women and gender, criminal justice, entrepreneurship, arts, culture and recreation, and food insecurity, that impact the quality of life in Black communities across Canada.
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Business Standard
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Graphite electrodes shares in demand; Graphite, HEG soar 15%; here's why
Graphite India, HEG share price today Shares of graphite electrodes companies, Graphite India and HEG, rallied up to 15 per cent on the BSE in Monday's intraday trade. The rise in Graphite India and HEG shares came amid reports of Japan's Resonac planning to close graphite electrode plants in China and Malaysia. Individually, Graphite India zoomed 15 per cent to ₹558.75, hitting an over three-month high on the BSE. The average trading volume on the counter jumped nearly 10-times today with as many as 7.27 million equity shares, cumulatively, changing hands on the NSE and BSE. Shares of HEG, meanwhile, surged 11 per cent to ₹544.65 on the back of a three-fold rise in its average trading volume. Around 5.32 million shares, together, changed hands on the NSE and BSE till the time of writing this report. What's driving the rally in Graphite India, HEG stock prices? According to reports, Japan's Resonac will quit Chinese and Southeast Asian production of graphite electrodes for steelmakers, scaling back in a bid to improve margins that have been squeezed by an influx of low-priced Chinese parts. Graphite electrodes are used in electric arc furnace (EAF) based steel mills and is a consumable item for the steel industry. The graphite electrode industry is highly consolidated with the top five major global manufacturers accounting for almost 75 per cent of the high end UHP electrode capacity. The majority of this capacity, however, is currently located in high cost regions like the US, Europe, and Japan. K K Bangur, Chairman of Graphite India, on May 14, 2025, said that the graphite electrode prices remain under pressure, while raw material costs, particularly petroleum needle coke, have not declined in tandem, leading to an impact on operating margins. Given the company's diversified export portfolio across multiple geographies, the impact of any US tariffs on the company's financial performance is limited. That said, the outlook for graphite electrodes remains positive with the medium-term move towards EAF-based production, which supports lower carbon emissions and greater operational flexibility. As of 2023, EAFs accounted for 28 per cent of global steel production, with this projected to increase to 41 per cent by 2030. In the US, the transition is more advanced with 68 per cent of steel already produced through the EAF route, highlighting the growing move towards cleaner steelmaking technologies. In line with these global sustainability initiatives, approximately 100 million tonnes of new EAF capacity is expected to be added over the next 2 to 3 years. The focus on substantial decarbonisation measures in developing economies supports the growth of the EAF process compared with the Blast Furnace / Bessimer Oxygen Furnace (BF/BOF) process. Governments around the world are also introducing stringent environmental regulations to reduce pollution. This will further support the growth of the EAF process and along with decarbonization, drive the future demand for graphite electrodes. The use of the EAF process in the steel industry is not only important for sustainable steel production but is a more cost-effective manufacturing method. About Graphite India Graphite India is the largest Indian producer of graphite electrodes and one of the largest globally by total capacity. Its manufacturing capacity of 98,000 tonnes per annum is spread over three plants at Durgapur and Nashik in India and Nurnberg in Germany. The company, through its subsidiary, has progressively acquired and now owns more than a 60 per cent stake in General Graphene Corporation, a US based company which has developed a breakthrough proprietary technology which would allow it to produce large area, high quality, low cost graphene sheets in industrial applications in scaled up commercial volumes. Graphite India has also acquired a 31 per cent stake in Godi India. This investment is part of its strategy to diversify into advanced chemistry battery technologies for the development of electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage battery cells.
Entrepreneur
10-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
From Lead to Loyalty: How AI Builds Market Leaders in Financial Services
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Asia Pacific, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In today's hyper-competitive financial landscape, institutions that embed artificial intelligence across the entire customer journey are emerging as clear market leaders. What distinguishes these frontrunners is not just their adoption of technology, but their ability to harness AI as a strategic infrastructure—one that unites data, intelligence, and personalized engagement from the very first interaction to long-term loyalty. The journey begins with precision-driven lead qualification. AI systems are now capable of parsing massive volumes of behavioural, contextual, and transactional data to identify high-value prospects. Platforms like BOF's AIMEE integrate advanced segmentation with predictive analytics to deliver customized outreach and content. This translates into higher conversion rates and lower acquisition costs, giving firms a competitive edge in a crowded market. Onboarding, traditionally a pain point in financial services, is transformed into a seamless digital experience. AI facilitates instant identity verification, document authentication, and real-time risk assessment. These innovations reduce friction while ensuring compliance with complex regulatory frameworks. Importantly, they also set the tone for a responsive and trustworthy client relationship. Yet, the most significant value of AI unfolds after onboarding. Financial institutions are increasingly relying on AI models to continuously analyze account activity, spending patterns, investment performance, and long-term goals. This enables real-time personalization, from tailored financial advice to proactive alerts and fraud detection. Clients benefit from services that feel intuitive, relevant, and always a step ahead. Generative AI (GenAI) enhances this dynamic by adding a layer of intelligence that goes beyond pattern recognition. These models can create financial simulations, generate customized product summaries, and support human advisors with rapid scenario analysis. For instance, GenAI tools help simulate mortgage plans or investment outcomes based on personal financial data—making complex decisions easier for the end user and increasing trust in the institution's advisory capabilities. Such integration of GenAI isn't just technological sophistication—it's a strategic differentiator. Institutions that scale these capabilities gain a notable advantage in cross-selling, client retention, and customer lifetime value. Indeed, personalization driven by AI has been shown to significantly reduce churn and improve satisfaction across all customer segments. However, market leadership through AI requires more than technical capacity. Financial firms must address critical challenges such as data security, AI explainability, and ethical use. The increasing reliance on algorithmic decisions raises the bar for transparency and fairness. Regulatory expectations are evolving rapidly, and institutions must design governance frameworks that anticipate scrutiny, ensure data integrity, and uphold public trust. Furthermore, as AI expands the digital footprint of financial services, cybersecurity becomes both a risk and a necessity. While AI can detect and neutralize threats in real time, it also broadens the attack surface. A robust, "security by design" approach is essential to balance innovation with resilience. In this new paradigm, intelligence is no longer an add-on. It is the engine behind scalable growth, deeper customer relationships, and enduring market leadership in the age of algorithmic finance.
Fashion United
29-04-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
Botter duo strengthens G-Star Raw as creative directors
G-Star Raw has appointed Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, the creative duo and designers behind Dutch fashion label Botter, as creative directors, according to Business of Fashion (BOF). The duo has been working at the denim brand since last year on the reintroduction of the 'Raw Research' line and the main collections for menswear and womenswear. They will present their first collection in January during Paris Fashion Week. Work at G-Star and Botter In addition to their work for G-Star, Botter and Herrebrugh will remain active at their own label, Botter. However, they confirmed to BOF that the brand will not be showing during fashion weeks for the time being. Botter, founded in 2017, is known for its Caribbean influences and has won awards such as the Hyères Grand Prix and the Andam Fashion Award. In 2018, the brand was among the finalists for the LVMH Prize. Between 2018 and 2022, the duo was creatively responsible at Nina Ricci. New step for G-Star G-Star was founded in 1989 by Jos van Tilburg. In 2023, the brand was acquired by US-based WHP Global, which also has interests in Rag & Bone and Vera Wang, among others. Botter and Herrebrugh are the first creative directors at G-Star since Aitor Throup's departure in 2018. FashionUnited has contacted G-Star for more information. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
