Latest news with #Haskell
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
England international James Haskell announces heartbreaking news as he's flooded with support
England international James Haskell announces heartbreaking news as he's flooded with support James Haskell revealed sad news on his social media channels and was flooded with support from the game of rugby James Haskell said his dad was "an amazing husband, a loving father, and a man who would help anyone in need." (Image: James Haskell on Instagram ) Former England international James Haskell has announced the tragic passing of his father, adding that he is finding comfort in knowing his dad is now at peace. Taking to Instagram, Haskell revealed the news with a collection of photos and a fitting tribute to his dad. The rugby family flooded the comments, with the likes of Mike Brown, Danny Care and Ugo Monye offering their condolences. Haskell branded his father's humour as "legendary" and recognised the unwavering support of his rugby career. In Haskell's post, he included some touching photos to remember his dad, which included his wedding day and multiple family photos from years gone by. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "This is never an easy thing to write," began Haskell. "My dad has passed away and while it's unbearably sad, it's also a celebration of an incredible man. He had more energy, more wit, and more heart than anyone I've ever known. "He made me who I am. He supported me at every game, pushed me to be better, and loved me unconditionally. "He didn't always get it right but he always gave his best, and his work ethic was second to none. "He was an amazing husband, a loving father, and a man who would help anyone in need. His humour was legendary. His presence filled every room. "In the end, he was in a bad way, and though it's heartbreaking to say goodbye, there's comfort in knowing he's now at peace. "He leaves behind a huge hole in our lives especially for my mum and brother but we will hold onto the memories that made him who he was. "I love you, Dad. I know you loved me and I know you were proud of me. You kept everything I ever did, framed it, treasured it and I'll never forget that. I'll think of you every single day. Always. "You lived your life and always did it your way!" Content cannot be displayed without consent Haskell retired from rugby in 2019 and has since forged a successful post-playing career. Alongside Alex Payne and Mike Tindall, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby has become one of the most popular rugby podcasts in the world, going on multiple tours in recent years. Article continues below Alongside that, he's written a plethora of books and is also an accomplished house music DJ and producer.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Innventure Reports First Quarter 2025 Results
Accelsius continues to build momentum within the large and growing liquid cooling market Innventure reiterates confidence in achieving revenue growth inflection during the second half of 2025 ORLANDO, Fla., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innventure, Inc. (NASDAQ: INV) ('Innventure'), a technology commercialization platform, today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. 'Innventure's operating companies continued their momentum to start 2025, with both Accelsius and AeroFlexx further positioning themselves for revenue growth inflection in the second half of this year.' said Bill Haskell, Innventure's Chief Executive Officer. 'We founded Innventure to bring disruptive technologies to market by building companies we believe represent at least $1 billion enterprise value opportunities. Our companies are led by incredibly talented operators who are armed with differentiated technologies designed to meet significant unmet market needs. When it comes to high-growth ventures, timing the inflection point is inherently challenging, but from where we sit today, the confidence we have in our current family of companies has never been higher. ' Mr. Haskell continued, 'We are most excited about Accelsius's position in the two-phase, direct-to-chip liquid cooling market. Accelsius has a market leading technology and is engaged in deep discussions with many of the major players including hyperscalers, OEMs, colocation operators and AI-as-a-Service operators. Josh and his team are at the forefront of a seismic liquid cooling adoption cycle that we and data center operators across the ecosystem believe will occur in the near future. Once this shift takes hold, Accelsius is well equipped to catch the wave and drive significant value for our shareholders.' Conference Call and Webcast A conference call to discuss these results has been scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET on May 15, 2025. The event will be webcasted live via Innventure's investor relations website or via this link. Parties interested in joining via teleconference can register using this link. After registering, you will be provided dial in details and a unique dial-in PIN. Registration is open through the live call, but to ensure you are connected for the full call, we suggest registering in advance. Innventure will also post a slide presentation to accompany the prepared remarks to its investor relations website shortly before the of the start of the event. About Innventure Innventure founds, funds, and operates companies with a focus on transformative, sustainable technology solutions acquired or licensed from multinational corporations. As owner-operators, Innventure takes what it believes to be breakthrough technologies from early evaluation to scaled commercialization utilizing an approach designed to help mitigate risk as it builds disruptive companies it believes have the potential to achieve a target enterprise value of at least $1 billion. Innventure defines ''disruptive'' as innovations that have the ability to significantly change the way businesses, industries, markets and/or consumers operate. Non-GAAP Financial Measures We use certain financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (GAAP) to supplement our consolidated financial statements. These non-GAAP financial measures provide additional information to investors to facilitate comparisons of past and present operating results, identify trends in our underlying operating performance, and offer greater transparency on how we evaluate our business activities. These measures are integral to our processes for budgeting, managing operations, making strategic decisions, and evaluating our performance. Our primary non-GAAP financial measures are EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. We define EBITDA as net income before interest, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA further adjusted to exclude certain non-cash items, non-recurring expenses, and other items that are not indicative of our core operating activities. These may include stock-based compensation, acquisition costs, and other financial items. We believe Adjusted EBITDA is valuable for investors and analysts as it provides additional insight into our operational performance, excluding the impacts of certain financing, investing, and other non-operational activities. This measure helps in comparing our current operating results with prior periods and with those of other companies in our industry. It is also used internally for allocating resources efficiently, assessing the economic outcomes of acquisitions and strategic decisions, and evaluating the performance of our management team. There are limitations to Adjusted EBITDA, including its exclusion of cash expenditures, future requirements for capital expenditures and contractual commitments, and changes in or cash requirements for working capital needs. Adjusted EBITDA also omits significant interest expenses and related cash requirements for interest and payments. While depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the associated assets will often need to be replaced in the future, and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the cash required for such replacements. Additionally, Adjusted EBITDA does not account for income or other taxes or necessary cash tax payments. Investors should use caution when comparing our non-GAAP measure to similar metrics used by other companies, as definitions can vary. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial measures. In presenting Adjusted EBITDA, we aim to provide investors with an additional tool for assessing the operational performance of our business. It serves as a useful complement to our GAAP results, offering a more comprehensive understanding of our financial health and operational efficiencies. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or Innventure's (the 'Company's') future financial or operating performance, expectations regarding new contractual arrangements, anticipated product line expansions and product testing and market acceptance, and these statements may refer to projections and forecasts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by future or conditional words such as 'plan,' 'believe,' 'expect,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'outlook,' 'estimate,' 'forecast,' 'project,' 'continue,' 'could,' 'may,' 'might,' 'possible,' 'will,' 'potential,' 'predict,' 'should,' 'would' and other similar words and expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions), but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements are based on the current assumptions and expectations of future events that are inherently subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances and their potential effects and speak only as of the date of this press release. There can be no assurance that future developments will be those that have been anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the parties) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described in the Company's public filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the following: (a) the Company's and its subsidiaries' ability to execute on strategies and achieve future financial performance, including their respective future business plans, expansion and acquisition plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products and services, pricing, operating expenses, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and the Company's and its subsidiaries' ability to invest in growth initiatives; (b) the implementation, market acceptance and success of the Company's and its subsidiaries' business models and growth strategies; (c) the Company's and its subsidiaries' future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash; (d) the Company's access to funds under the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement with YA II PN, Ltd. ('YA') or the Securities Purchase Agreement and related convertible debentures with YA due to certain conditions, restrictions and limitations set forth therein; (e) certain restrictions and limitations set forth in the Company's debt instruments, which may impair the Company's financial and operating flexibility; (f) the Company and its subsidiaries ability to generate liquidity and maintain sufficient capital to operate as anticipated; (g) the Company's and its subsidiaries' ability to obtain funding for their operations and future growth and to continue as going concerns; (h) the risk that the technology solutions that the Company and its subsidiaries license or acquire from third parties or develop internally may not function as anticipated or provide the benefits anticipated; (i) developments and projections relating to the Company's and its subsidiaries' competitors and industry; (j) the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to scale the operations of their businesses; (k) the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to establish substantial commercial sales of their products; (l) the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to compete against companies with greater capital and other resources or superior technology or products; (m) the Company and its subsidiaries' ability to meet, and to continue to meet, applicable regulatory requirements for the use of their respective products and the numerous regulatory requirements generally applicable to their businesses; (m) the outcome of any legal proceedings against the Company or its subsidiaries; (o) the Company's ability to find future opportunities to license or acquire breakthrough technology solutions from multinational corporations or other third parties ('Technology Solutions Provider') and to satisfy the requirements imposed by or to avoid disagreements with its current and future Technology Solutions Providers; (p) the risk that the launch of new companies distracts the Company's management from its other subsidiaries and their operations; (q) the risk that the Company may be deemed an investment company under the Investment Company Act, which would impose burdensome compliance requirements and restrictions on its activities; (r) the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to sufficiently protect their intellectual property rights and to avoid or resolve in a timely and cost-effective manner any disputes that may arise relating to its use of the intellectual property of third parties; (s) the risk of a cyber-attack or a failure of the Company's or its subsidiaries' information technology and data security infrastructure; (t) geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations; (u) potential adverse effects of other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (v) operational risks related to the Company and its subsidiaries that have limited or no operating history; and (w) limited liquidity and trading of the Company's securities. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, the Company undertakes no obligation to update statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Media Contact: Laurie Steinberg, Solebury Strategic Communications press@ Investor Relations Contact: Sloan Bohlen, Solebury Strategic Communications investorrelations@ Inc. and SubsidiariesCondensed Consolidated Balance Sheets(in thousands, except share and per share amounts) March 31, 2025(Unaudited) December 31, 2024 Assets Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 1,375 $ 11,119 Accounts receivable 237 283 Due from related parties 124 4,536 Inventories 5,220 5,178 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,329 3,170 Total Current Assets 10,285 24,286 Investments 33,684 28,734 Property, plant and equipment, net 2,186 1,414 Intangible assets, net 176,750 182,153 Goodwill 436,807 667,936 Other assets 707 766 Total Assets $ 660,419 $ 905,289 Liabilities and Stockholders' Deficit Accounts payable $ 5,061 $ 3,248 Accrued employee benefits 11,216 9,273 Accrued expenses 3,102 2,478 Related party notes payable - current — 14,000 Notes payable - current 2,141 625 Patent installment payable - current 700 1,225 Obligation to issue equity 261 4,158 Warrant liability 24,003 34,023 Income taxes payable 500 — Other current liabilities 340 317 Total Current Liabilities 47,324 69,347 Notes payable, net of current portion 12,346 13,654 Earnout liability 7,470 14,752 Stock-based compensation liability 718 1,160 Patent installment payable, net of current 12,375 12,375 Deferred income taxes 25,454 27,353 Other liabilities 260 355 Total Liabilities 105,947 138,996 Commitments and Contingencies (Note 16) Mezzanine Equity Preferred Stock, $0.0001 par value, 25,000,000 shares authorized, 2,885,848 and — shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively 28,727 — Stockholders' Equity Preferred Stock, $0.0001 par value, 25,000,000 shares authorized, 1,118,808 and 1,102,000 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively — — Common Stock, $0.0001 par value, 250,000,000 shares authorized, 47,103,800 and 44,597,154 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively 5 4 Additional paid-in capital 484,256 502,865 Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) gain (1,478 ) 909 Accumulated deficit (221,285 ) (78,262 ) Total Innventure, Inc., Stockholders' Equity 261,498 425,516 Non-controlling interest 264,247 340,777 Total Stockholders' Equity 525,745 766,293 Total Liabilities, Mezzanine and Stockholders' Equity $ 660,419 $ 905,289 See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial Inc. and SubsidiariesCondensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)(Unaudited) (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) Successor Predecessor Three monthsended March 31,2025 Three monthsended March 31,2024 Revenue $ 224 $ 224 Operating Expenses Cost of sales 184 — General and administrative 19,676 7,904 Sales and marketing 2,096 1,183 Research and development 6,253 1,669 Goodwill impairment 233,213 — Total Operating Expenses 261,422 10,756 Loss from Operations (261,198 ) (10,532 ) Non-operating (Expense) and Income Interest expense, net (1,538 ) (405 ) Net gain on investments — 5,189 Net loss on investments - due to related parties — (186 ) Change in fair value of financial liabilities 16,429 (478 ) Equity method investment (loss) gain (6,756 ) 5 Realized gain on conversion of available for sale investment 1,507 — Loss on extinguishment of related party debt (3,538 ) — Loss on conversion of promissory notes — (1,119 ) Miscellaneous other income 21 — Total Non-operating Income 6,125 3,006 Loss before income taxes (255,073 ) (7,526 ) Income tax benefit (1,399 ) — Net Loss (253,674 ) (7,526 ) Less: net loss attributable to Non-redeemable non-controlling interest (110,677 ) (2,307 ) Net Loss Attributable to Innventure, Inc. Stockholders / Innventure LLC Unitholders (142,997 ) (5,219 ) Basic and diluted loss per share $ (3.10 ) Basic and diluted weighted average common shares 46,252,922 Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes: Unrealized loss on available for sale debt securities - related party (880 ) — Reclassification of realized gain on conversion of available for sale investments (1,507 ) — Total other comprehensive loss, net of taxes (2,387 ) — Total comprehensive loss, net of taxes (256,061 ) (7,526 ) Less: comprehensive loss attributable to Non-redeemable non-controlling interest (110,677 ) (2,307 ) Net Comprehensive Loss Attributable to Innventure, Inc. Stockholders / Innventure LLC Unitholders $ (145,384 ) $ (5,219 ) See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial Inc. and SubsidiariesCondensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Unitholders' Deficit (Predecessor)(Unaudited) (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) Class BPreferred Class B-1Preferred Class A Class C AccumulatedDeficit AccumulatedOCI Non-ControllingInterest Total(Deficit)Equity December 31, 2023 38,122 3,323 1,950 844 (64,284 ) — 1,559 (18,486 ) Net loss — — — — (5,219 ) — (2,307 ) (7,526 ) Units issued to non-controlling interest — — — — — — 3,503 3,503 Issuance of preferred units, net of issuance costs 7,566 — — — — — — 7,566 Unit-based compensation — — — 51 — — 345 396 Issuance of units to non-controlling interest in exchange of convertible promissory notes — — — — — — 8,443 8,443 Accretion of redeemable units to redemption value — — — — (4,415 ) — — (4,415 ) March 31, 2024 $ 45,688 $ 3,323 $ 1,950 $ 895 $ (73,918 ) $ — $ 11,543 $ (10,519 ) See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements. Innventure, Inc. and SubsidiariesCondensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Mezzanine and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) (Successor)(Unaudited) (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) Stockholders' Equity MezzanineEquity PreferredStock CommonStock PreferredStock Shares Amount Shares Amount AdditionalPaid-InCapital AccumulatedDeficit AccumulatedOCI Non-ControllingInterest TotalStockholders'Equity Shares Amount December 31, 2024 1,102,000 $ — 44,597,154 $ 4 $ 502,865 $ (78,262 ) $ 909 $ 340,777 $ 766,293 — $ — Net loss — — — — — (142,997 ) — (110,677 ) (253,674 ) — — Series B Preferred Stock buyback (5,000 ) — — — (50 ) — — — (50 ) — — Series B Preferred Stock issued for paid-in-kind dividends 21,808 — — — 218 — — — 218 — — Issuance of common shares, net of issuance costs — — 161,964 — 1,927 — — — 1,927 — — Vesting of earnout shares — — 2,344,682 1 873 — — — 874 — — Other comprehensive gain, net of taxes — — — — — — (2,387 ) — (2,387 ) — — Conversion of related party notes — — — — — — — — — 2,310,848 23,108 Issuance of Series C Preferred Stock, net — — — — — — — — — 575,000 5,663 Non-controlling interest issued and related transfers — — — — (26,303 ) — — 33,249 6,946 — — Distributions to Stockholders — — — — — (26 ) — — (26 ) — — Stock-based compensation — — — — 4,943 — — 898 5,841 — — Accrued preferred dividends — — — — (217 ) — — — (217 ) — (44 ) March 31, 2025 1,118,808 $ — 47,103,800 $ 5 $ 484,256 $ (221,285 ) $ (1,478 ) $ 264,247 $ 525,745 2,885,848 $ 28,727 See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial Inc. and SubsidiariesCondensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows(Unaudited) (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) Successor Predecessor Three months endedMarch 31, 2025 Three months endedMarch 31, 2024 Cash Flows Used in Operating Activities Net loss $ (253,674 ) $ (7,526 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash and cash equivalents used in operating activities: Stock-based compensation 5,841 396 Interest income on debt securities - related party (91 ) — Change in fair value of financial liabilities (16,429 ) 478 Change in fair value of payables due to related parties — 186 Non-cash interest expense on notes payable 510 230 Net (gain) loss on investments — (5,189 ) Equity method investment gain (loss) 6,756 (5 ) Realized gain on conversion of available for sale investments (1,507 ) — Loss on extinguishment of related party debt 3,538 — Loss on conversion of promissory notes — 1,119 Deferred income taxes (1,899 ) — Depreciation and amortization 5,548 — Goodwill impairment 233,213 — Payment of patent installment (525 ) — Non-cash rent costs 61 — Other, net — 67 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 46 — Prepaid expenses and other current assets (122 ) (136 ) Inventory (42 ) — Accounts payable 1,587 1,234 Accrued employee benefits 1,943 1,329 Accrued expenses 565 488 Stock-based compensation liability (442 ) — Income taxes payable 500 — Other current liabilities (73 ) (68 ) Net Cash Used in Operating Activities (14,696 ) (7,397 ) Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities Investment in available-for-sale debt securities - equity method investee (2,337 ) — Advances to equity method investee — (2,540 ) Acquisition of property, plant and equipment (917 ) (640 ) Net Cash Used in Investing Activities (3,254 ) (3,180 ) Cash Flows Provided by Financing Activities Proceeds from issuance of equity, net of issuance costs 3,675 7,116 Proceeds from the issuance of equity to non-controlling interest, net of issuance costs 4,907 3,503 Payment of debts (300 ) (460 ) Distributions to Stockholders (26 ) — Payment of promissory notes to related parties — — Repurchase of Preferred Stock (50 ) — Cash Flows Provided by Financing Activities 8,206 10,159 Net Decrease in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash (9,744 ) (418 ) Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Beginning of period 11,119 2,575 Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash End of period $ 1,375 $ 2,157 See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial Inc. and SubsidiariesCondensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows(Unaudited) (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) Successor Predecessor Three months endedMarch 31, 2025 Three months endedMarch 31, 2024 Supplemental Cash Flow Information Cash paid for interest $ 1,127 $ 55 Supplemental Disclosure of Noncash Financing Information Accretion of redeemable units to redemption value — 4,415 Issuance of units to non-controlling interest in exchange of convertible promissory notes — 7,324 Conversion of working capital loans to equity method investee into investments in debt securities - related party 4,375 — Extinguishment of debt with Series C Preferred Stock 14,000 — Contribution of Series C Preferred Stock to equity method investee 5,783 — Conversion of AFX available-for-sale term loan into equity method investments 8,757 — Issuance of stock in exchange for services 4,002 — Equity reallocation between non-controlling interest and additional paid-in capital 26,304 — See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial Inc. and SubsidiariesNon-GAAP Financial Measures(in thousands, except share and per share amounts) Successor Predecessor Three months endedMarch 31, 2025 Three months endedMarch 31, 2024 Net loss (253,674 ) (7,526 ) Interest expense, net(1) 1,538 405 Depreciation and amortization expense 5,548 — Income tax benefit (1,399 ) — EBITDA (247,987 ) (7,121 ) Transaction and other related costs(2) — 3,272 Change in fair value of financial liabilities(3) (16,429 ) 478 Stock-based compensation(4) 5,841 396 Goodwill impairment(5) 233,213 — Loss on extinguishment of related party debt(6) 3,538 — Loss on conversion of promissory notes — 1,119 Adjusted EBITDA (21,824 ) (1,856 ) (1) Interest Expense, net, includes interest incurred on our various borrowing facilities and the amortization of debt issuance costs. (2) Transaction and other related costs – For the three months ended March 31, 2025 (Successor) and three months ended March 31, 2024 (Predecessor), this is comprised of consulting, legal, and other professional fees related to the Business Combination.(3) Change in fair value of financial liabilities – For the three months ended March 31, 2025 (Successor), the change in fair value of financial liabilities primarily consists of the change in fair value of the warrant liability and the earnout liability. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 (Predecessor), this is comprised entirely of the change in fair value of the embedded derivative associated with the convertible notes.(4) Stock based compensation – For the three months ended March 31, 2025 (Successor), stock based compensation primarily consisted of awards in the 2024 Equity and Incentive Plan entered into on October 2, 2024 subsequent to the Business Combination. These awards consisted of Stock Options, Restricted Stock Units, and Stock Appreciation Rights. Further, a portion of this expense was related to share based payment employee incentive plans in existence at Innventure LLC and other subsidiaries. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 (Predecessor), stock based compensation was comprised wholly of share based payment employee incentive plans in existence at Innventure LLC and other subsidiaries.(5) Goodwill impairment - For the three months ended March 31, 2025 (Successor), the Company recognized a goodwill impairment charge due to sustained decreases in the Company's publicly quoted share price and market capitalization, which were, at least in part, sensitive to the general downward volatility experienced in the stock market during late February and March. There was no similar goodwill impairment charge for the three months ended March 31, 2024 (Predecessor).(6) Loss on extinguishment of related party debt - For the three months ended March 31, 2025 (Successor), the Company extinguished certain related party debts by issuing Series C Preferred Stock. There was no loss on extinguishment of related party debt for the three months ended March 31, 2024 (Predecessor).Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2026 three-star DL Alexander Haskell breaks down commitment to Penn State
Class of 2026 three-star defensive end/defensive tackle Alexander Haskell is a Nittany Lion. He announced his verbal committed to Penn State on Friday, live streaming his ceremony via Instagram. He chose Penn State over fellow finalists Duke, Michigan and Syracuse. Advertisement Haskell, out of St. Joseph's Preparatory in Philadelphia, currently ranks as the No. 24 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania and the No. 39 defensive end in the 2026 cycle. It means a lot to Haskell to be able to play for his home-state program and play under PSU head coach James Franklin, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and defensive line coach Deion Barnes in the future. "I chose to commit to Penn State because they were the first school that said they believed in me and I have been up there a lot and it's always felt like home," Haskell told "Also, playing in my home state in front of 100,000-plus people will be a very cool experience." Haskell has built a strong bond with Barnes, his future position coach, over the past few years. He also has a lot of respect for Franklin's accomplishments and looks forward to playing for him. Advertisement While Knowles is newer to Penn State's staff (he was hired in late January), Haskell shares a connection with the defensive coordinator, as Knowles also is a Philadelphia native who attended St. Joe's Prep. "I am closest to Coach Barnes because he was the actual coach that told me at a camp my freshman year that he believed in me," Haskell explained. "Coach Knowles is also a great guy and from St. Joe's Prep, so we have a lot more similarities than I thought. Coach Franklin is the man and one of the most respected coaches in the sport and he's produced a lot of talent and I feel like I can add to that." As he mentioned, Haskell has been a frequent visitor to Happy Valley. His last trip to Penn State's campus was approximately three weeks ago and he was able to watch the Nittany Lions work during a spring practice. "Spring practice was really good and I felt like I can see myself doing that every day," Haskell said about his most recent visit to Penn State. Advertisement He plans to return to University Park for an official visit with Penn State during the weekend of May 30 through June 1. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Haskell is a versatile defensive lineman with a tireless motor and quick burst off of the snap. He can play on the outside as a defensive end or on the inside as a defensive tackle. The exact spot he will play at Penn State is undermined as of now, but the Nittany Lions know that Haskell's versatility along the defensive line will be beneficial. "They think I can be either one depending on how I do when I get there, and that was always my goal to just be able to be versatile and get on the field as fast as possible," Haskell said when asked about playing defensive end or defensive tackle. Advertisement Haskell helped lead St. Joe's Prep to an 11-2 record and a PIAA Class 6A state championship in 2024. It was the third-straight title for the Hawks. In addition to the schools already mentioned, Haskell received scholarship offers from Boston College, Indiana, Miami (FL.), Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Wisconsin and others. Despite the many options, Haskell knew Penn State was home. "Just the talent they've produced and the coaches are genuine, and it's in my home state, so you can't go wrong," Haskell said when asked what stands out most about Penn State's program. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH PENN STATE FANS AT
Associated Press
06-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Construction Industry's Flagship Startup Competition Kicks Off Its 9th Edition
PRESS RELEASE: Paid Content from ACCESS Newswire. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation. Published [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Construction Startup Competition 2025 is on the lookout for the world's brightest startups ready to transform the industry and make construction more sustainable, efficient, on time, and disruptive. The competition is hosted by leading venture capital and construction sector firms: Cemex Ventures, Caterpillar, Dysruptek by Haskell, Ferrovial, Hilti, VINCI Group's Leonard, NOVA by Saint-Gobain, Trimble & Zacua Ventures. MADRID, ES / ACCESS Newswire / May 6, 2025 / Construction Startup Competition 2025 is officially underway, marking the 9th edition of the leading global platform and network for startups revolutionizing the construction industry. This year, Cemex Ventures, Caterpillar, Dysruptek by Haskell, Ferrovial, Hilti, VINCI Group's Leonard, NOVA by Saint-Gobain, Trimble, and Zacua Ventures each supporting the competition, inviting the world's most innovative startups to Construction Startup Competition 2025 Logo The focus is on driving real-world impact across four key areas: Green Construction (sustainable), Enhanced Productivity (efficient), Construction Supply Chain (on time), and Future of Construction (disruptive). Selected startups may gain exposure to global industries, strategic capital, pilot opportunities, and invaluable industry connections. The journey culminates at Pitch Day at Trimble Dimensions User Conference (November 10-12, 2025), where the winning startups will pitch live and compete for cash prizes. Over the past 8 years, Construction Startup Competition has supported startup growth by facilitating exposure to funding and increasing industry visibility. To date, 44 winners (startups that advanced to the Pitch Day event) have been selected, together raising over US$448 million in investment. 'Construction Startup Competition is where startups go global, connect with industry leaders, and unlock new opportunities,' said Gonzalo Galindo, Head of Cemex Ventures. 'With over 3,000 startups in our network, many of which have scaled to become key players within the sector, this competition catalyzes the next wave of construction innovation.' As the construction sector evolves, the most prominent innovators are Building the New Construction Rules. Contech and Cleantech innovators looking to showcase their solutions can take the next step and apply today at Contact Information Paloma Hernandez Communication & Marketing [email protected] Francisco Javier Osete Marketing & Communication Lead [email protected] +34 647 38 34 76 SOURCE: Cemex Ventures press release
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Diet-obsessed TV star who got Hollywood hooked on first rapid weight loss pill before scandal brought it down has stark Ozempic warning
To the stars, it must have seemed too good to be true - a miracle pill that would help them shed those last few pounds in time for the weekend's red carpet. The product was StarCaps, a powerful diuretic. Nikki Haskell, the drug's creator, claims celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, Kate Winslet, Chelsea Handler, Ivana Trump, Beverly Johnson and even President Bill Clinton were all taking it. Haskell befriended many household names ranging from Michael Jackson to Imelda Marcos, and even brought her pal Donald Trump with his new bride Ivana to the opening night of Studio 54. StarCaps hit the scene in the 1980s and swept Hollywood by the '90s, with billboards up and down the Sunset Strip splashed with slogans like 'Dare To Be Thin' - but that was before an explosive scandal brought the whole enterprise crashing down. In 2008, Haskell was sued by an NFL star who got suspended when he tested positive for a banned substance that can be used to hide steroid use. He blamed StarCaps, triggering a rollercoaster of legal drama that left Haskell bankrupt. Now, Haskell exclusively tells the Daily Mail about the rise and fall of the original Hollywood weight-loss hack, and how she became the 'scapegoat' for the ultimate juggernaut of American professional sports. Who Is Nikki Haskell? Haskell, who calls Hollywood hot spot Craig's her 'favorite fast food restaurant,' has watched her weight like a hawk all her life. She is not opposed to Ozempic and its 'phenomenal' impact, given the 'huge crisis' of obesity in America, but she also takes pains to draw a distinction between the potent diabetes drug and what she maintains was her own 'natural product.' Her mother 'put me on a diet when I was born' and wanted her to be 'born married,' she quipped over lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge. Haskell's go at matrimony yielded less than fairytale results - two failed marriages to the same man - but the first divorce got her $18,000 that she successfully invested, leading to a career as one of the first female stock brokers on Wall Street. When she got tired of finance, she moved to showbiz, hosting a globetrotting interview program called The Nikki Haskell Show that pioneered the formula subsequently turned into a sprawling industry by series like Entertainment Tonight. Brooke Shields, Giorgio Armani, Andy Warhol, Sophia Loren, Kevin Kline, Liza Minnelli, the Trumps, the Marcoses, all wound up chitchatting with Haskell on camera. In April 1977 Haskell brought her pals, the newlywed Trumps, to the opening of a buzzy new Manhattan nightspot called Studio 54 - but The Donald was 'not a club person,' and when they arrived at the venue at what was apparently the preposterously early time of 10:30pm it was still being painted. 'So they weren't even playing any music yet. We were there when they dropped the first record and we stayed there for awhile,' she said. 'So when we we went out the back door, there were thousands of people pushed against the door. This is the back door, not even the front door. They went all the way around the block. So that's what happened. People couldn't get into Studio and because they couldn't get in, it became a hit.' How It Started 'It took me 10 years to become an overnight success,' Haskell says now. By 1986, surrounded by an army of showbiz connections and with supermodel Beverly Johnson as her best friend, Haskell was poised to create a product that would eventually grow into a Hollywood sensation. Enter StarCaps, billed as a natural diuretic made from garlic and papaya, capsulized in Peru and then priced at $100 for a bottle of 30 tablets. Unlike the injectable Ozempic, which has helped users shed over 100lbs, Haskell's diet pills would only 'flush you out' and enable a few pounds of weight loss. Tireless and determined, she hustled around to the drugstores herself, hawking her product to the leery owners and being turned down again and again. Her ship finally came in when she had lunch in New York with Liza Minnelli and then took her to the upscale Madison Avenue pharmacy Boyd's, where she made an attempt to finagle StarCaps onto the shelves - and got an unexpected helping hand from the city's spiraling crime problem. 'I was pitching the product to the owner and just then a woman yells out: "I've been robbed! I've been robbed!" Like right in the middle of my sales pitch,' said Haskell. 'Everybody walked away. I was like hysterical.' Luckily, the fact Minnelli was at the scene of a theft at a swank Upper East Side redoubt meant Haskell got a call from the famous gossip columnist Cindy Adams. 'And I told her what happened and she wrote the first story about the StarCaps,' Haskell proudly recalled. The product was then featured on the popular tabloid TV show Hard Copy, and the business was off and running. She hit the road as a saleswoman for her pills, dashing around to drugstores and conventions, occasionally with Beverly Johnson in tow. 'It was really a hard job,' she says now. 'I mean, I give myself a lot of credit. I did not take no for an answer.' The Rise... In the 1990s, as the StarCaps craze gathered steam, Haskell had a brainwave that tuned her brand into a part of the Los Angeles landscape. Following on from the era of Angelyne and her pink Corvette, Haskell acquired a string of billboards along the Sunset Strip, with her own trim frame and broad smile prominently featured as she held up her diet pills. She unveiled the first ad at a party attended by Milton Berle and Red Buttons, and the billboards then quickly spread, blaring messages at commuters like: 'You don't have to be a star to look like one,' 'Dare to be thin,' and 'One size fits all.' Haskell had now fashioned herself and StarCaps into a Hollywood landmark, an achievement that hit only a slight snag when her billboards disappeared one day. The company that owned them had, it turned out, been sold to another firm whose CEO Brian Kennedy had taken down Haskell's ads and would only agree to restore them at what she said was a brutal markup. She recalled that over lunch at La Scala on a rainy day in Beverly Hills, he informed her that if she wanted her billboards back she would have to splash out $25,000 a month, at which point she duly dissolved into floods of tears. 'I never cry,' she said. 'I'm not a crier. I'm not a crybaby, and I got hysterical. I don't know. And he went: "No, no, no, whatever you do, here, stop crying."' Having weakened his defenses, Haskell sweetened by the pot by offering him artwork by the acclaimed American painter LeRoy Neiman, who happened to be a friend of hers, and whom Kennedy happened to hugely admire. 'I mean, if I had given him a Picasso he wouldn't have wanted it,' said Haskell. 'He only wanted LeRoy Neimans. I mean, how lucky was that?' Her success did put the occasional crimp in her love life, as when she went on a blind date at the bar of the Sunset Tower Hotel with a man who 'looked like Robert Redford' but appeared not to know who she was. Over dinner, he told her he had no desire for the 'spotlight' and hoped to lead a 'very quiet life' - only for them to stroll out of the hotel and be immediately confronted by the sight of a massive billboard with his date's face on it. StarCaps enjoyed 70 percent repeat business and 'no returns,' she insisted. 'Nobody ever got sick from it, nobody ever had a problem with it. It was a hit. It was flawless.' ...And Fall The beginning of the end came in 2008, when NFL lineman Jamar Nesbit of the New Orleans Saints was slapped with a four-game drug suspension. His system had been found to contain the banned substance bumetanide, a loop diuretic that can be used to conceal steroids or performance-enhancing drugs by flushing them out of a player's system before he has to get tested. Nesbit turned around and sued Haskell, claiming the bumetanide was only in his body because he was taking StarCaps, which he had no idea contained it. Indeed, the StarCaps bottle described the formula as a 'natural extract' of 'papaya and garlic,' with no mention of bumetanide. A cascade of NFL players started pinning the blame on StarCaps when their drug tests turned up evidence of the prohibited chemical. Haskell wound up in court fighting for the life of her company, not to mention the whopping $17 million worth of pills she had just gotten bottled. Six years after Nesbit's drug test, Haskell pled guilty to misbranding StarCaps by failing to disclose there was any bumetanide in it. Now, however, she insists that the product never actually contained bumetanide at all, which she says she knew because she maintains she had her StarCaps tested when they arrived in America after being capsulized in Peru. Haskell's argument is that the StarCaps did not have bumetanide in them when they were ingested in the proper amounts, but that 'if you take a high concentration of something, it becomes another product.' Her guilty plea, she says, was the final result of years of catastrophic legal advice by various attorneys, some of whom 'got me in more trouble than I was already in.' She burned through $20 million of her life savings on lawyers, over the course of a bruising battle that drove her to declare personal and corporate bankruptcy. Haskell says she ultimately gave up and pled guilty because her finances had been depleted and she would have had to 'depose the whole NFL' to keep going. She becomes visibly emotional when discussing the ordeal even now, a decade later, and at times appears as though she might be on the verge of tears. Haskell maintains she became a 'scapegoat' for steroid use in pro football, where the alleged offenders 'went up to NFL Heaven, and they blamed me and the whole thing went away for them, but I lost my business.' One silver lining was that her celebrity friends rallied around her, including Ivana Trump, who was 'very protective of me.' However she had to have her $17 million worth of StarCaps destroyed, a blow that still rankles with her, emblematic of the saga she now looks back on as 'the most devastating experience I've ever had in my life.' Ozempic 'I'm never gonna change my passion for the diet industry and for health and things that you shouldn't be eating,' said Haskell, who noted by way of example that she 'wouldn't drink a Coca-Cola if you paid me.' She takes a nuanced view of the current Ozempic trend sweeping Hollywood, where a drug created to treat diabetes has turned into a galloping weight loss fad because of its function as an appetite suppressant. Haskell feels the 'end result' of the injectable 'has been phenomenal,' given the 'hit' taken by 'the snack industry and the candy industry. All the profits are down because people have stopped eating as much.' Indeed, junk food companies including Frito-Lay, Campbell's, General Mills and Kraft Heinz have suffered financially in the past year, per the Wall Street Journal. 'The only problem is,' said Haskell: 'you're not changing your eating habits. You're just eating less. And the trick to diet is you have to change your eating habits.' Case in point: having had ice cream with lunch, Haskell skipped dinner that night.
