Latest news with #Mercator
Business Journals
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
New AI platform has mapped every construction project in Texas giving contractors "God mode" for leads
A New Edge in Construction Intelligence Texas GCs have always relied on luck, timing, and relationships to win new construction projects. But a new AI-powered platform by is a game changer helping GCs discover private projects earlier, engage decision-makers sooner, and win deals ahead of competitors. One Houston-based general contractor put it plainly: 'It's God mode for leads.' a Texas-focused market intelligence platform, has mapped over 65,000 active private construction projects across the state. The platform provides structured access to early-stage signals such as rezoning activity, land title changes, permitting updates, and ownership transfers—often before plans are finalized or teams are selected. Unlike traditional platforms that rely on user input or call centers, pulls directly from city and state databases, private sources, and creates proprietary data where no structured information currently exists. Every update is tied to a traceable source document, giving users a clear paper trail for every insight. equips users to act early by connecting dots that would take a human weeks to uncover. Built for Early Signal Detection Contractors can follow civil engineers, developers, and architects, track movement across projects, and engage earlier with decision-makers. The platform helps BD teams position themselves as trusted advisors—shaping scope, not reacting to it. is the only source of early intelligence on private construction projects before the bid stage, giving contractors real-time visibility into upcoming opportunities. It surfaces what's coming—not just what's already out there. 10x Better Than Legacy Tools Traditional bid-management platforms like ConstructConnect and Dodge track public bid-stage activity. But by the time projects hit those systems, it's often too late. Private work is different. You find very few private opportunities on bid boards, and often the ones featured are much too late. 'ConstructConnect tells you what's already happening. Mercator shows you what's coming,' says founder Chloe Smith. Chloe Smith created the platform in 2020 after watching her father, a 45-year industry veteran, prepare for retirement. 'They were flying blind,' she recalls. 'Had he walked out, they wouldn't know where the work was coming from next.' 'My dad always talked to me about relationships,' she adds. 'As I matured, I realized the massive risk this imposed on his company. If he decided to retire, those relationships would disappear. Their revenue channel instantly appeared highly fragile.' She describes as a force multiplier tool for BD teams: a sales 'cheat code' that eliminates hours of manual research and replaces it with verified, real-time intelligence. And more than that, it solves a deeper pain point: the FOMO of not knowing what you don't know. 'We were tired of hearing about projects too late. With Mercator, we're in early—and it's directly impacted our win rate.' — VP, Business Development Free Permits App – Click Here Results on the Ground Texas-based users are already seeing impact. It's already being used by GCs like Joeris, Bartlett Cocke, and ChalkLine, and it's quickly becoming the de-facto standard in proactive business development across the state. A Houston interiors firm used to identify a permit revision, secure a meeting, and win the project. A Dallas GC tracked multifamily conversions early and secured two jobs before competitors were even aware. One Houston-based contractor secured a self-storage project by spotting an early land acquisition and rezoning signal. They invited the developer to tour a similar build, influenced the design, and ultimately won the job. A self-perform contractor identified a healthcare expansion weeks in advance and locked in supplier work ahead of any bid package. Internal metrics show users surface 3–5x more early-stage opportunities weekly—and spend far less time chasing dead-end leads. 'If I have one coffee meeting, I might walk away with two leads in an hour. If I'm on Mercator, I could find five in that same time.' — Director of Business Development, General Contractor 'It really allows us to parse the data, analyze it, and get high-quality leads to reps in the field. So yes, I'm a fan.' — Senior Manager, Business Development 'Mercator cuts through the noise. We don't waste time chasing dead-end leads anymore.' — Sales Manager Pricing – Click Here to Book a Live Demo Widespread Adoption and Growing Demand is actively used by members of Houston AGC, Austin AGC, San Antonio AGC, and Texo AGC/ABC. It tracks commercial, industrial, healthcare, institutional, and multifamily projects across tenant improvement, exterior renovations, core and shell, and ground up construction in every major metro in the state. The platform's growth reflects a broader shift in how construction teams are using technology. In a more competitive, margin-conscious market, timing and insight have become decisive advantages. 'AI gives people the time and space to be more strategic,' says Nihar Dalmia, a partner at Deloitte. 'It enables higher-value work and accelerates decision-making.' doesn't replace business development. It sharpens it. The best teams don't just react faster—they show up earlier, with more to offer.
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
APAC Regulatory Complexity Creates 29% Higher Workload for Multinationals
SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 8, 2025-- Multinational organizations face significantly higher operational demands in Asia-Pacific, with entities requiring 28.7% more management tasks than the global average, according to new data released in the Asia-Pacific Special Report by Mercator ® by Citco (Mercator). The analysis reveals stark contrasts in processing times - from 11 days in digitally advanced Singapore to 64 days in Macau - creating unprecedented challenges for corporate secretarial teams managing multi-jurisdictional portfolios. The findings, representing $USD10.37 billion in market capital, draw from actual operational data across 180 jurisdictions and 20 different types of corporate secretarial activities. Regional Position Activity Level: 5.37 tasks per entity vs global average of 4.18 APAC entities average 5.37 tasks versus the global 4.18, reflecting complex regulatory requirements and varying governance approaches. While regional hubs offer streamlined processes, the overall management burden remains significantly higher, often requiring local expertise. Governance: Highest global volume of board and shareholder decisions APAC leads globally in board-level activity, with triple the board and shareholder tasks compared to European counterparts. This reflects the region's distinct approach where boards serve as active management tools, with many markets requiring local directors and in-country representatives. Cost: 14% above North America, 47% below Middle East & Africa Entity management costs position APAC 14% above North American averages while maintaining a 47% advantage against Middle East & Africa. This reflects APAC's uniquely diverse market composition - from Malaysia's competitive rates to South Korea's premium service environment. Jurisdictional Rankings New Zealand leads the overall cost and time efficiency rankings, with multinationals benefiting from its streamlined digital processes and straightforward compliance requirements. Singapore tops processing speed, while Malaysia emerges as most cost-efficient. At the other end of the scale, South Korea, China, and Indonesia rank lowest with the most costly and complex, demanding careful planning and necessitating specific local expertise. Kariem Abdellatif, Head of Mercator ® by Citco comments: 'Our analysis reveals a stark reality in Asia-Pacific: organizations face a 29% higher workload managing their entities compared to global averages, driven by a growing digital divide across the region. While markets like New Zealand have fully embraced and embedded technology-enabled processes, others like Japan maintain more traditional requirements that significantly increase complexity and resources needed. This creates two distinct operational realities for multinational organizations. What's particularly challenging for global in-house teams is navigating these extremes both within a single region and a single team - from 11-day processing times in Singapore to 64 days in Macau. The contrast is striking: while one jurisdiction accepts simple e-signature execution, another requires multiple sequential approvals in a foreign language just to process a single document. As regulatory requirements evolve and digital transformation accelerates, this gap will likely widen further, making strategic entity management crucial for operational success.' To read the full report please visit: Notes to editors: About the report Part of Mercator's Entity Portfolio Management report series – the Asia-Pacific: Special Report provides direct insight into the cost and time required to manage entities across APAC. Unlike survey and sentiment-based reports, this report combines real-life data, with expert insights from our jurisdictional and cross-jurisdictional experts. This approach delivers benchmarks for multinational companies, with jurisdictions ranked by cost efficiency, time efficiency, and overall performance scores that combine both metrics to provide a comprehensive review of entity management across the region. The data The statistics that form the basis of this report cover the period between April 2024 to May 2025 and are drawn directly from Mercator ® by Citco's proprietary EPM technology platform – Entica ® – which individually records all the activities undertaken for clients. The data represents approximately $USD10.37 billion in market capital, spread across major business sectors in APAC. The global data covers over 180 jurisdictions and 20 different types of corporate secretarial activities. APAC's jurisdictional rankings feature the 17 most active jurisdictions in APAC (meeting a threshold of minimum five tasks or four entities). About Mercator ® by Citco Mercator by Citco (Mercator) is the pioneer of Entity Portfolio Management and a strategic partner for many organizations with a global footprint. Mercator's unrivalled knowledge and focus on entity management combined with our proprietary technology 'Entica ® ' is evolving the way multinational companies view and manage their portfolio of entities. Mercator's services cover over 180 jurisdictions via a single-point-of-contact model, delivered by highly-experienced, client-dedicated teams, supported by local operations that cover all time zones. Find out more at: About the Citco group of companies (Citco) The Citco group of companies (Citco) is a network of independent companies worldwide. These companies are leading providers of asset-servicing solutions to the global alternative investment industry. With $2 trillion in assets under administration and operations spanning across 36 countries, Citco's unique culture of innovation and client-driven solutions have provided Citco's clients with a trusted partner for more than four decades. View source version on CONTACT: Press contacts: Jack Kincade, Instinctif Partners:[email protected] KEYWORD: SINGAPORE SOUTHEAST ASIA ASIA PACIFIC INDUSTRY KEYWORD: FINANCE CONSULTING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LEGAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SOURCE: Mercator Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 07/08/2025 12:01 PM/DISC: 07/08/2025 12:02 PM
Business Wire
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
APAC Regulatory Complexity Creates 29% Higher Workload for Multinationals
SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Multinational organizations face significantly higher operational demands in Asia-Pacific, with entities requiring 28.7% more management tasks than the global average, according to new data released in the Asia-Pacific Special Report by Mercator ® by Citco (Mercator). The analysis reveals stark contrasts in processing times - from 11 days in digitally advanced Singapore to 64 days in Macau - creating unprecedented challenges for corporate secretarial teams managing multi-jurisdictional portfolios. The findings, representing $USD10.37 billion in market capital, draw from actual operational data across 180 jurisdictions and 20 different types of corporate secretarial activities. Regional Position Activity Level: 5.37 tasks per entity vs global average of 4.18 APAC entities average 5.37 tasks versus the global 4.18, reflecting complex regulatory requirements and varying governance approaches. While regional hubs offer streamlined processes, the overall management burden remains significantly higher, often requiring local expertise. Governance: Highest global volume of board and shareholder decisions APAC leads globally in board-level activity, with triple the board and shareholder tasks compared to European counterparts. This reflects the region's distinct approach where boards serve as active management tools, with many markets requiring local directors and in-country representatives. Cost: 14% above North America, 47% below Middle East & Africa Entity management costs position APAC 14% above North American averages while maintaining a 47% advantage against Middle East & Africa. This reflects APAC's uniquely diverse market composition - from Malaysia's competitive rates to South Korea's premium service environment. Jurisdictional Rankings New Zealand leads the overall cost and time efficiency rankings, with multinationals benefiting from its streamlined digital processes and straightforward compliance requirements. Singapore tops processing speed, while Malaysia emerges as most cost-efficient. At the other end of the scale, South Korea, China, and Indonesia rank lowest with the most costly and complex, demanding careful planning and necessitating specific local expertise. Kariem Abdellatif, Head of Mercator ® by Citco comments: "Our analysis reveals a stark reality in Asia-Pacific: organizations face a 29% higher workload managing their entities compared to global averages, driven by a growing digital divide across the region. While markets like New Zealand have fully embraced and embedded technology-enabled processes, others like Japan maintain more traditional requirements that significantly increase complexity and resources needed. This creates two distinct operational realities for multinational organizations. What's particularly challenging for global in-house teams is navigating these extremes both within a single region and a single team - from 11-day processing times in Singapore to 64 days in Macau. The contrast is striking: while one jurisdiction accepts simple e-signature execution, another requires multiple sequential approvals in a foreign language just to process a single document. As regulatory requirements evolve and digital transformation accelerates, this gap will likely widen further, making strategic entity management crucial for operational success." To read the full report please visit: Notes to editors: About the report Part of Mercator's Entity Portfolio Management report series – the Asia-Pacific: Special Report provides direct insight into the cost and time required to manage entities across APAC. Unlike survey and sentiment-based reports, this report combines real-life data, with expert insights from our jurisdictional and cross-jurisdictional experts. This approach delivers benchmarks for multinational companies, with jurisdictions ranked by cost efficiency, time efficiency, and overall performance scores that combine both metrics to provide a comprehensive review of entity management across the region. The data The statistics that form the basis of this report cover the period between April 2024 to May 2025 and are drawn directly from Mercator ® by Citco's proprietary EPM technology platform – Entica ® – which individually records all the activities undertaken for clients. The data represents approximately $USD10.37 billion in market capital, spread across major business sectors in APAC. The global data covers over 180 jurisdictions and 20 different types of corporate secretarial activities. APAC's jurisdictional rankings feature the 17 most active jurisdictions in APAC (meeting a threshold of minimum five tasks or four entities). About Mercator ® by Citco Mercator by Citco (Mercator) is the pioneer of Entity Portfolio Management and a strategic partner for many organizations with a global footprint. Mercator's unrivalled knowledge and focus on entity management combined with our proprietary technology 'Entica ® ' is evolving the way multinational companies view and manage their portfolio of entities. Mercator's services cover over 180 jurisdictions via a single-point-of-contact model, delivered by highly-experienced, client-dedicated teams, supported by local operations that cover all time zones. Find out more at: About the Citco group of companies (Citco) The Citco group of companies (Citco) is a network of independent companies worldwide. These companies are leading providers of asset-servicing solutions to the global alternative investment industry. With $2 trillion in assets under administration and operations spanning across 36 countries, Citco's unique culture of innovation and client-driven solutions have provided Citco's clients with a trusted partner for more than four decades.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How AI Can Help Save Our Oceans
Some AI startups are trying to track and limit overfishing. Credit - Jeff J Mitchell—Getty Images At this week's U.N. Oceans Conference in the south of France, delegates need only glance outside the conference hall at the glittering Mediterranean for a stark reminder of the problem they are trying to solve. Scientists estimate there are now about 400 ocean 'dead zones' in the world, where no sea life can survive—more than double the number 20 years ago. The oceans, which cover 70% of Earth and are crucial to mitigating global warming, will likely contain more tonnage of plastic junk than fish by 2050. And by 2100, about 90% of marine species could be extinct. But for all the grim talk among government officials, scientists, and investors, there is also much discussion about something that might help: Artificial intelligence. AI has been used by oceanographers for many years, most commonly to gather data from robots sitting deep underwater. But scientists and environmentalists say breakthroughs just in the past few years—first, with generative AI, and since this year with vastly more sophisticated agentic AI—open possibilities for which they have long been waiting. 'What is very new today is what we call the 'what if' scenarios,' says Alain Arnaud, head of the Digital Ocean department for Mercator, a European Union intergovernmental institution of ocean scientists who have created a 'digital twin of the ocean'—a forensic baseline examination of the global seas. Depicted on a giant live-tracking monitor mounted in the conference's public exhibition space, the 'digital twin' shows dots of 9 billion or so data points beamed up to satellites from underwater cameras. While that type of data is not necessarily new, innovation in AI finally allows Mercator to game out dizzyingly complex scenarios in split-second timing. 'Is my tuna here? If I fish in this area, at this period, what's the impact on the population? Is it better in that area?' Arnaud says, standing in front of the live tracker, as he described just one situation. Until now, turning vast quantities of data into policy and actions has been dauntingly expensive and lengthy for most governments, not to mention the nonprofit environmental organizations and startups that have poured into Nice this week. But now, some say the focus on oceans could open a whole new tech front, as countries and companies try to figure out how to reduce their environmental impact and as AI applications proliferate. 'The potential is immense,' says investor Christian Lim, who heads the ocean investment fund for Swen Capital Partners, an asset manager in Paris. 'You're investing in innovations which transform massive industries,' he says, citing the $300 billion global seafood industry, and the global shipping industry, which transports more than 80% of the world's cargo. Lim, an ardent free-diver (he dived near the conference site this week) quit his finance job in 2018 to launch his own ocean venture-capital company, before joining Swen. 'I looked around and realized no one was doing this,' he says. 'I decided to do it myself.' Lim is among many in Nice this week discussing how to launch money-making ideas to help oceans regenerate. The Norwegian startup OptoScale, for example, launched in 2018 to tackle a major problem in the region's oceans: industrial salmon fishing. A single OptoScale AI-enabled camera dropped into a cage with about 200,000 fish calculates each salmon's weight in real time, and beams it back to the office computer to calculate the exact amount of food to provide the fish—a huge savings in cost, waste, and ocean pollution. The startup now has contracts with big fishing companies, and Lim, an early investor, sold out last month to New York investment firm Insight Partners. Water pollution is being tackled by Swedish firm Cognizant, which harnesses agentic AI to help companies track the water quality of rivers and water networks in the U.K.—a persistent issue for which utilities companies have been fined. 'Three months ago we discovered two sewage networks that were supposed to be closed off in the 1970s,' Stig Martin Fiskaa, who heads Cognizant's ocean program, told a conference panel on Tuesday. The company plans to make its AI application freely available this week. 'It has only been tested in the U.K.,' Fiskaa says. 'We are pretty confident it can work anywhere in the world.' Meanwhile, OnDeck Fisheries AI, a Vancouver startup, captures video footage from fishing vessels, then uses AI to identify specific species caught or thrown into the ocean. This helps crack down on rampant illegal fishing. It can also avoid companies and countries posting people on-board to monitor fishing; several have been murdered for exposing large-scale violations. 'It is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world,' says Ronald Tardiff, ocean innovation lead for the World Economic Forum's center for nature and climate in Geneva. 'OnDeck can have AI spot every instance where someone threw something overboard and identify exactly what it is.' Some say that if small-scale AI ideas show they will make money, big companies could well rush in. 'Build a prototype that proves itself, work out a business model, and then bang, it's investable,' Frederick Tsao, chairman of Singapore's TPC shipping giant, told TIME in Nice on Wednesday; he has spent days meeting with top officials and scientists, and says he has found many potential collaborators for ocean regeneration projects. 'The money is here,' he says. Until those investable ideas gel, many in Nice say ocean regeneration is severely lacking in investments—compared to on-land climate projects. 'The technology is here, and it's powerful,' Stephen Keppel, president of Pvblic Foundation, a Miami nonprofit funder, told a panel in Nice on Tuesday. 'We are not lacking data. We're lacking interoperability, and the way to turn it into action.' Contact us at letters@
Time Magazine
11-06-2025
- Science
- Time Magazine
How AI Can Help Save Our Oceans
At this week's U.N. Oceans Conference in the south of France, delegates need only glance outside the conference hall at the glittering Mediterranean for a stark reminder of the problem they are trying to solve. Scientists estimate there are now about 400 ocean 'dead zones ' in the world, where no sea life can survive—more than double the number 20 years ago. The oceans, which cover 70% of Earth and are crucial to mitigating global warming, will likely contain more tonnage of plastic junk than fish by 2050. And by 2100, about 90% of marine species could be extinct. But for all the grim talk among government officials, scientists, and investors, there is also much discussion about something that might help: Artificial intelligence. AI has been used by oceanographers for many years, most commonly to gather data from robots sitting deep underwater. But scientists and environmentalists say breakthroughs just in the past few years—first, with generative AI, and since this year with vastly more sophisticated agentic AI—open possibilities for which they have long been waiting. 'What is very new today is what we call the 'what if' scenarios,' says Alain Arnaud, head of the Digital Ocean department for Mercator, a European Union intergovernmental institution of ocean scientists who have created a ' digital twin of the ocean' —a forensic baseline examination of the global seas. Depicted on a giant live-tracking monitor mounted in the conference's public exhibition space, the 'digital twin' shows dots of 9 billion or so data points beamed up to satellites from underwater cameras. While that type of data is not necessarily new, innovation in AI finally allows Mercator to game out dizzyingly complex scenarios in split-second timing. 'Is my tuna here? If I fish in this area, at this period, what's the impact on the population? Is it better in that area?' Arnaud says, standing in front of the live tracker, as he described just one situation. Until now, turning vast quantities of data into policy and actions has been dauntingly expensive and lengthy for most governments, not to mention the nonprofit environmental organizations and startups that have poured into Nice this week. But now, some say the focus on oceans could open a whole new tech front, as countries and companies try to figure out how to reduce their environmental impact and as AI applications proliferate. 'The potential is immense,' says investor Christian Lim, who heads the ocean investment fund for Swen Capital Partners, an asset manager in Paris. 'You're investing in innovations which transform massive industries,' he says, citing the $300 billion global seafood industry, and the global shipping industry, which transports more than 80% of the world's cargo. Lim, an ardent free-diver (he dived near the conference site this week) quit his finance job in 2018 to launch his own ocean venture-capital company, before joining Swen. 'I looked around and realized no one was doing this,' he says. 'I decided to do it myself.' Lim is among many in Nice this week discussing how to launch money-making ideas to help oceans regenerate. The Norwegian startup OptoScale, for example, launched in 2018 to tackle a major problem in the region's oceans: industrial salmon fishing. A single OptoScale AI-enabled camera dropped into a cage with about 200,000 fish calculates each salmon's weight in real time, and beams it back to the office computer to calculate the exact amount of food to provide the fish—a huge savings in cost, waste, and ocean pollution. The startup now has contracts with big fishing companies, and Lim, an early investor, sold out last month to New York investment firm Insight Partners. Water pollution is being tackled by Swedish firm Cognizant, which harnesses agentic AI to help companies track the water quality of rivers and water networks in the U.K.—a persistent issue for which utilities companies have been fined. 'Three months ago we discovered two sewage networks that were supposed to be closed off in the 1970s,' Stig Martin Fiskaa, who heads Cognizant's ocean program, told a conference panel on Tuesday. The company plans to make its AI application freely available this week. 'It has only been tested in the U.K.,' Fiskaa says. 'We are pretty confident it can work anywhere in the world.' Meanwhile, OnDeck Fisheries AI, a Vancouver startup, captures video footage from fishing vessels, then uses AI to identify specific species caught or thrown into the ocean. This helps crack down on rampant illegal fishing. It can also avoid companies and countries posting people on-board to monitor fishing; several have been murdered for exposing large-scale violations. 'It is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world,' says Ronald Tardiff, ocean innovation lead for the World Economic Forum's center for nature and climate in Geneva. 'OnDeck can have AI spot every instance where someone threw something overboard and identify exactly what it is.' Some say that if small-scale AI ideas show they will make money, big companies could well rush in. 'Build a prototype that proves itself, work out a business model, and then bang, it's investable,' Frederick Tsao, chairman of Singapore's TPC shipping giant, told TIME in Nice on Wednesday; he has spent days meeting with top officials and scientists, and says he has found many potential collaborators for ocean regeneration projects. 'The money is here,' he says. Until those investable ideas gel, many in Nice say ocean regeneration is severely lacking in investments—compared to on-land climate projects. 'The technology is here, and it's powerful,' Stephen Keppel, president of Pvblic Foundation, a Miami nonprofit funder, told a panel in Nice on Tuesday. 'We are not lacking data. We're lacking interoperability, and the way to turn it into action.'
