Latest news with #Benefits
Tourism Breaking News
2 days ago
- Business
- Tourism Breaking News
Majid Al Futtaim and Ennismore announce plans for Egypt's first 25hours Hotel
Post Views: 60 Majid Al Futtaim announced a new strategic partnership with Ennismore to launch Egypt's first 25hours Hotel at Junction, Majid Al Futtaim's upcoming business and lifestyle destination in West Cairo. The new addition marks the debut of the 25hours brand in the Egyptian market, reinforcing Junction's position as a dynamic hub for hospitality, business, and culture. Bringing a playful, design-led approach to hospitality, 25hours will inject fresh creative energy into West Cairo. Known for its eclectic interiors, strong sense of place, and immersive storytelling, the brand's arrival signals a bold reimagining of how hotels contribute to urban culture. Gaurav Bhushan, Chief Executive Officer for Ennismore, said, 'Ennismore is honoured to be partnering with Majid Al Futtaim to bring 25hours to Egypt for the first time, especially within a lifestyle destination like Junction. Each 25hours Hotel is inspired by the rich culture and history of its location, and we look forward to creating a strong sense of storytelling through design and community spaces through our restaurants and bars for our guests.' 'At Majid Al Futtaim, we believe in creating destinations that truly reflect the needs and aspirations of today's customers. The arrival of 25hours at Junction marks an exciting moment in our refounding journey and continues our longstanding legacy of introducing bold, innovative concepts to the communities we serve.' said Ahmed El Shamy, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Properties. 'This partnership also marks a significant step in our vision to create destinations that are both commercially vibrant and culturally meaningful, while further reinforcing our long-term commitment to building integrated, future-ready environments that drive economic growth and foster innovation.' Situated in the heart of Junction, the hotel will feature approximately 250 keys, comprising both hotel rooms and 25hours Heimat branded residences. Designed to reflect the 25hours ethos, the property will offer guests a more immersive connection to the brand's distinctive lifestyle experience. Guests and residents will have access to three distinctive dining venues, coworking areas, spa and wellness facilities, and flexible spaces for meetings and events. Innovatively transcending conventional residential norms, 25hours Heimat offers an unparalleled living experience, complete with a range of unconventional amenities accessed through an on-site concierge and Accor's Ownership Benefits Programme. Founded in Germany and now part of Ennismore, a global collective of lifestyle brands, 25hours continues to grow and expand, boasting a reputation for creative, experience-driven stays that are rooted in the identity of each location. Bringing together premium business and lifestyle offerings, Junction spans more than 129,000 sqm across two interconnected plots. The development includes 13 cutting-edge office buildings, curated retail and F&B experiences, and sustainable infrastructure designed to meet LEED Gold certification standards. With 97,000 sqm of flexible, state-of-the-art workspace, Junction is purpose-built for modern business and future-ready enterprises. First introduced in April 2025, Junction is a key part of Majid Al Futtaim's development strategy in Egypt. The destination is designed to foster productivity, creativity, and community through its modern infrastructure, walkable layout, and curated public spaces. With sustainability as a core principle, Junction aims to achieve LEED Gold certification. Blending commercial and lifestyle elements, Junction is redefining the way people work, collaborate, and engage with the city. The arrival of 25hours will add a new layer of vibrancy to Junction, helping shape it into a landmark destination for business, culture, and modern enterprise.
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
UIDAI makes public non-personal Aadhaar Dashboard Data to promote transparency, research
New Delhi [India], May 19 (ANI): The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has begun sharing non-personal, anonymised data from the Aadhaar Dashboard on the open government data platform, according to a statement from the Ministry of Electronics and IT. The move aims to further promote transparency, research, and data-driven policy making. The datasets, released by the Chief Data Officer (CDO) and Deputy Director General of UIDAI, include aggregated insights on Aadhaar enrolment, updates, and authentication patterns, categorised by geography, age group and other relevant parameters. By making these non-personal and anonymised datasets accessible, UIDAI aims to support academic research, innovation in digital services, and collaborative developments. The Minister added that this initiative opens new avenues for evidence-based policy-making and technological innovation, furthering UIDAI's commitment to transparency, public good, and secure data governance. 'It also aligns with the broader government vision of fostering evidence-based policy making and maximising the value of open data for the public good. It is expected to further boost digital inclusion and governance efficiency,' the ministry added. Aadhaar, India's 12-digit unique identification number, has reshaped the nation's approach to identity verification and service delivery since its inception in 2009. The program was launched with a mission to provide every resident with a reliable, digitally verifiable identity using minimal demographic and biometric data. Aadhaar's robust authentication framework addresses long-standing issues of identity-related fraud and resource leakage by eliminating duplicate and fake identities. This ambitious initiative has grown into the world's largest digital identity program, enabling authentication anytime, anywhere, and facilitating transparent, targeted distribution of services, benefits, and subsidies. The establishment of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to oversee the issuance of Aadhaar marked a significant step forward. In 2016, UIDAI gained statutory status under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits, and Services) Act, 2016, further solidifying its role in India's governance. (ANI)
Business Wire
18-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Capital One Completes Acquisition of Discover
MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF) today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Discover Financial Services. 'This deal brings together two innovative, mission-driven companies that together are poised to deliver breakthrough products and experiences to consumers, businesses, and merchants,' said Richard D. Fairbank, Founder and CEO of Capital One. 'I am particularly grateful for the leadership and partnership of Discover's Board of Directors, its Executive Management Committee, and interim CEO Michael Shepherd. Their advocacy for Discover and its customers, and our shared commitment to a successful closing were instrumental in achieving today's milestone. Through the efforts of thousands of associates across Capital One and Discover, we are well-positioned to continue our quest to change banking for good for millions of customers,' added Fairbank. Capital One announced on February 19, 2024, that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Discover. The acquisition was approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on April 18, 2025, and by the Delaware State Bank Commissioner on December 18, 2024. Stockholders of Capital One and Discover voted in favor of the deal on February 18, 2025. In connection with the acquisition, Capital One expanded its Board of Directors from 12 to 15 and appointed Thomas G. Maheras, Michael Shepherd, and Jennifer L. Wong, each a member of Discover's former Board of Directors, to serve on the Capital One Board of Directors. At this time, Capital One and Discover customer accounts and banking relationships remain unchanged. Customers will be provided with comprehensive information in advance of any forthcoming changes. Until then, customers do not need to take any action and will continue to be served through their respective Capital One and Discover customer tools and channels. Capital One intends to continue to offer Discover credit card products as Discover-branded cards alongside the other consumer cards currently offered by Capital One. The Discover®, PULSE®, and Diners Club International® networks will join our suite of offerings. Investing in our Communities Capital One is committed to investing in our local communities and expanding economic and financial opportunity. Implementation of Capital One's historic, $265 billion Community Benefits Plan, developed in connection with the acquisition and in partnership with leading community organizations, will also now begin, mobilizing funding and support to advance lending, investment, and services to strengthen economic opportunity and financial well-being across America. Advisors Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal advisor, Cleary Gottlieb served as co-antitrust legal advisor, and Centerview Partners LLC served as financial advisor to Capital One. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP served as legal advisor and PJT Partners and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as financial advisors to Discover. Further information on Capital One's acquisition of Discover can be found at About Capital One Capital One Financial Corporation ( is a financial holding company which, along with its subsidiaries, had $367.5 billion in deposits and $493.6 billion in total assets as of March 31, 2025. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has branches and Cafés located primarily in New York, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'COF' and is included in the S&P 100 index. Additional information about Capital One can be found at Capital One About at Forward-Looking Statements Information in this communication, other than statements of historical facts, may constitute forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may include, but are not limited to, statements related to the expected benefits of the transaction. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terminology such as 'may,' 'will,' 'should,' 'targets,' 'scheduled,' 'plans,' 'intends,' 'goal,' 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'believes,' 'forecasts,' 'outlook,' 'estimates,' 'potential,' or 'continue' or negatives of such terms or other comparable terminology. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Capital One to differ materially from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the transaction, including the risk that the cost savings and any revenue synergies and other anticipated benefits from the transaction may not be fully realized or may take longer than anticipated to be realized, and the risk that the integration of Discover's business and operations into Capital One will be materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than expected. Additional factors that could affect future results of Capital One can be found in Capital One's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, in each case filed with the SEC and available on the SEC's website at Capital One disclaims any obligation and do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this communication, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by federal securities laws.
Business Wire
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Origin Launches With $21M Series A To Disrupt the $45 billion Global Benefits Industry
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Origin, the world's first Global Benefits Intelligence platform, today officially launched, announcing it has raised $21 million in Series A funding led by Felix Capital, with participation from Acadian Ventures and Notion Ventures. Additional investment has been secured from Tudor Havriliuc, former VP of HR at Meta, Paul Daugherty, Enterprise AI author, recently retired CTO of Accenture, Jacqui Canney CHRO at ServiceNow, and Laura Modiano Startups Lead for OpenAI in EMEA. The funding round values Origin at $106 million and will accelerate the company's mission to revolutionize the $45 billion global benefits industry by providing HR and benefits leaders with unprecedented visibility, strategic insight, and cost control. Multinational corporations annually spend hundreds of millions on employee benefits without clear oversight, effective management, or measurable ROI. HR and benefits teams struggle to navigate outdated technologies, fragmented data, and complex vendor ecosystems, limiting their ability to deliver strategic value to their organizations. According to Gartner, 55% of HR leaders report their current technologies fail to meet evolving business needs, and enterprises lose an estimated $6,000 per employee per year on underused, redundant, or mismanaged benefits. "We created Origin because global benefits teams urgently need clarity, efficiency, and control," said Chris Bruce, CEO and Co-founder of Origin. "Our AI-powered platform, Origin, turns vast, fragmented benefits data into a single source of actionable insights, enabling immediate cost savings, strategic decision-making, and better employee outcomes. Origin empowers HR leaders to transition from administrative complexity to strategic clarity, optimizing one of their organization's largest investments." Origin's core innovation is Cuido™, the first-ever Artificial Benefits Intelligence™. Cuido ingests and structures massive volumes of previously unstructured data - including benefit policies, leave allowances, vendor contracts, and commissions - into a centralized, intuitive intelligence layer. This real-time visibility allows benefits teams to instantly identify and eliminate inefficiencies, streamline vendor management, enhance employee engagement, and improve operational efficiencies. Origin has been co-created with leading multinational corporations such as Pfizer, Comcast, EA, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and bp, transforming their global benefits operations. Initial implementations have demonstrated substantial cost reductions and increased operational efficiency. 'At Felix, our mission is to back founders who are empowering new ways of living and working - it's at the heart of what we do. The benefits space is behind in AI adoption, and we believe Origin is uniquely positioned to lead the way,' said Antoine Nussenbaum, Co-Founder and Partner at Felix Capital. 'We have had a thesis in the future of work for some time due to the relational shift between employers and employees. We were drawn to Origin, having known Chris for years and been impressed by his unique track record in the global benefits space. The Origin team, thanks to over two decades in the space, is perfectly positioned to understand the clear need for transparency and simplicity in today's complex market. With Cuido and its AI-powered benefits intelligence, Origin is not only empowering benefits leaders and employees, but also building the kind of forward-thinking product that moves the world forward. We're proud to back Chris, Peter, and this experienced team.' The new funding will support Origin's continued international expansion throughout the US and Europe and the further development of Origin and Cuido's capabilities. 'The best thing about working with Origin is that it's a conversation. We talk through our problems and Origin gives us answers with an outside the box of way of approaching things,' said Amy Manning, Senior Director, Global Retirement & International Benefits, Pfizer. 'We were able to, in a very short period of time, get to the core information we needed on contracts that flowed into very complicated retirement plans, understand what we needed to do to change and how it impacted colleagues. It was a program that was going to take us about six months without Origin, and it took us two weeks. It's really improved my decision-making.' About Origin Origin is the first Global Benefits Intelligence platform, empowering HR and benefits teams to strategically manage and optimize global employee benefits. Origin's Artificial Benefits Intelligence™, Cuido™, transforms fragmented global benefits data into actionable insights, providing instant visibility, significant cost savings, and improved vendor and employee management capabilities. Founded by industry veterans Chris Bruce and Pete Craghill, Origin is transforming global benefits management from administrative complexity into strategic clarity. About Felix Capital Felix Capital is a London-based venture capital firm, operating at the intersection of technology and creativity. The firm's mission is to be a partner of choice for the best entrepreneurs – creative innovators empowering new ways of living and working. Felix aims to help founders build brands and products that shape our culture and move the world forward. Illustrative investments in Europe and North America include: TravelPerk, a global corporate travel platform; Mirakl, a Saas platform for marketplaces; Pigment, bringing business planning into the argentic era; Moonbug, a media platform for kids entertainment including 'Cocomelon' and 'Blippi'; HungryPanda, a food delivery business for the Chinese community and Mejuri, a modern jewellery brand. About Acadian Ventures Acadian Ventures is a highly specialised venture capital firm that invests at an early stage in the next generation of work technologies. Our thesis is to invest in companies transforming work with technology to make people's working lives simpler, more gratifying, and ultimately more productive. About Notion Ventures Notion Capital is a European B2B SaaS and Cloud VC with more than $1bn assets under management and with more than 100 investments to date. The Notion team founded, built and exited two highly successful SaaS businesses - Star and MessageLabs - and invests exclusively in exceptional founders with the ambition to build global category leaders. The Notion portfolio includes GoCardless, Mews, Paddle, Unbabel and YuLife. Notion is also the founder of Included VC, the venture capital fellowship for individuals from diverse and overlooked communities from around the world.
Mint
27-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Man gets ₹2.5 lakh just to get off Delta Airline plane: Here's why
A man, aboard an early morning Delta flight on a Monday, was in for a pleasant surprise when the airline offered a whopping ₹ 2.5 lakh to two lucky passengers just to deboard its 'max-capacity' plane. In a viral Reddit post, the man said, 'Delta offered $3,000 to get off a flight after boarding. I didn't even think—I just threw my hand up!' The man said he always thought 'once you board, you're locked in and done,' and shared the details of his lucky day. The Redditor said the 'unreal' incident was from April 21, the Monday after Easter. 'I was booked on a Delta flight from Chicago O'Hare to Seattle, 7:50 AM departure. Monday after Easter—aka a max-capacity travel kinda day.' He said he had just boarded the flight and settled in, when a gate agent walked up to the front of first class —no mic, no big announcement—and casually said, 'We're looking for two volunteers to deplane due to fuel rebalancing issues. Compensation is $3,000.' Calling it a 'travel myth', the Redditor said he had barely processed it before his hand was in the air. 'No hesitation. I wasn't letting anyone else beat me to it. Another passenger raised their right after.' 'We both got off the plane and were handed: • One $2,000 credit • One $1,000 credit,' he said, adding that Delta can't issue more than $2,000 in one go, so they split it. 'The credits are loaded into their Choice Benefits portal, where you can convert them to gift cards (Amazon, Airbnb, etc.) or Delta flight credit,' he said, while also cautioning others not to choose Visa due to expiration date and fees/limitations. 'So yeah…basically $3,000 for taking a later flight and working from home with family.' The Reddit user said there was a change in the plane's equipment, so Delta realised they needed to offload people before they finished boarding. 'So they started asking for volunteers at the gate, and 22 passengers took the deal for ₹ 1,45,146 ($1,700) each.' He then shared that he wasn't aware of the offer earlier, and had already boarded the flight. 'I was literally sitting in my seat, headphones out, when I heard the offer.' And because he moved fast after boarding, he 'walked away with the highest payout on the plane: $3,000.' He shared that the two 'fuel rebalancing deplanes' received $3,000, and everyone else received $1,700 vouchers.
