EnWave Corporation CEO Brent Charleton joined Steve Darling from Proactive to announce the company has signed a commercial license agreement with Hokkai Yamato Foods Japan, a leading producer of processed foods such as soups, furikake, and ochazuke. As part of the agreement, Hokkai Yamato has acquired a 10kW Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV™) machine to drive product development and support early-stage commercial production in Japan. This license grants Hokkai Yamato exclusive rights to use EnWave’s patented REV™ technology for the production of various food products within Japan. In return, Hokkai Yamato will pay royalties to EnWave, consistent with existing licensing agreements. EnWave will work closely with Hokkai Yamato to optimize product development and ensure long-term commercial success. In addition to expanding its presence in the Japanese food sector, EnWave has also signed a master service agreement with BioTechnique, a U.S.-based pharmaceutical contract manufacturer. This agreement lays the groundwork for BioTechnique to evaluate EnWave’s REV™ dehydration technology as a potential alternative to freeze-drying in biopharmaceutical applications. As part of the collaboration, BioTechnique will conduct paid testing of several liquid pharmaceutical products, drying them in vials using pilot-scale REV™ machinery at EnWave’s Innovation Center in Delta, British Columbia. If the results prove successful, BioTechnique may choose to acquire its own REV™ equipment to provide dehydration services directly to its network of leading pharmaceutical clients. #proactiveinvestors #enwavecorporation #tsxv #enw #DehydrationTech #VacuumMicrowave #RoyaltyBusinessModel #BluechipClients #FoodTech #BusinessNews #Investing #CEOInterview #Peru #Spain #Blueberry #Snacks #Royalties #TradeMission

Straker Ltd CEO Grant Straker talked with Proactive at AIM"S Small and Midcap Conference about how the company is leveraging artificial intelligence to reshape the global language services industry. Straker explained how the business evolved from early content management systems into a leading AI-powered translation platform over the last 15 years. The company focuses on blending machine learning with human expertise to deliver high-quality, cost-effective language services. A key milestone has been the integration of its platform by IBM, which now uses Straker’s technology for all its internal translations. “They’ve gone from a multi-vendor traditional model to just us,” Straker said, highlighting how the move has streamlined IBM’s operations while reducing costs. He also discussed the company's proprietary "Terry" language model and its innovative quality estimation* system. This tool evaluates translated content for accuracy, determining whether it needs human review—improving efficiency and boosting gross margins. Straker outlined a clear investor case, emphasizing three pillars: financial strength, innovation, and global distribution. The company is targeting revenues of AUD 45 million for the year, with no debt, AUD 12 million in cash, and annual R&D investment of AUD 7 million. With operations in ten countries and strategic alignment with IBM’s AI stack, Straker positioned the company as well-placed to scale quickly through operating leverage in AI. #AI #StrakerLtd #GrantStraker #LanguageTech #TranslationAI #IBMPartnership #ArtificialIntelligence #InvestorUpdate #MachineTranslation #TechStocks #ASXStocks #TerryModel #QualityEstimation #ProactiveInvestors #SmallCapASX

Chesnara PLC (LSE:CSN) CEO Steve Murray talked to Proactive's Stephen Gunnion about the company’s strong 2024 full-year results, highlighting robust cash generation and consistent dividend growth. Murray highlighted that Chesnara generated £60 million in cash over the year, providing strong dividend coverage and supporting its 20-year track record of uninterrupted dividend growth. The business also increased its overall value and maintained a strong solvency position. The interview also covered Chesnara’s acquisition strategy, with Murray detailing the second Canada Life deal, which delivered an uplift in economic value to £11 million—higher than the £8 million initially expected—off a £2 million consideration. He explained that Chesnara currently holds around £200 million in acquisition firepower, supported by a solvency capital ratio of 203%. Murray described the current M&A pipeline as “positive,” noting that a reduction in private equity competition is opening up new opportunities in the UK and Benelux. He also commented on broader macroeconomic conditions, noting that despite some volatility, Chesnara’s long-term outlook remains stable due to natural hedges and long-duration contracts. Looking ahead to 2025, Murray reiterated Chesnara’s confidence in maintaining dividend growth, underpinned by strong visibility on future cash flows well above required commitments. For more CEO interviews and investor insights, visit Proactive’s YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like the video, subscribe to our channel, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an update. #Chesnara #InsuranceStocks #DividendGrowth #MergersAndAcquisitions #CashGeneration #UKStocks #BeneluxMarkets #CanadaLifeDeal #FinancialResults #InvestorUpdates #ProactiveInvestors

Digitalbox PLC (AIM:DBOX) CEO James Carter takes Proactive's Stephen Gunnion through the company’s strong 2024 performance and its strategy heading into 2025. The company delivered a 31% increase in revenue during the year, with Carter describing it as “a good turnaround year.” He pointed to audience growth that outperformed broader news media trends, and revenue growth that exceeded global digital advertising market averages. Carter credited the success to the strength of Digitalbox’s brands and editorial teams, as well as the company’s in-house Graphene Ad Stack technology. “The editorial teams are really very well tuned into what their audiences want,” he said. Among standout performers were TV Guide, which achieved 90% traffic growth in Q4 following a move to a web app format, and The Tab, which benefited from social media asset integration. The Poke also saw a 22% increase in traffic following increased content investment. The company expanded its portfolio from six to eight brands in 2024, aiming to reach ten by the end of 2025. Looking ahead, Carter said 2025 is in line with expectations so far, and Digitalbox remains “cautiously optimistic” amid projected 10% growth in the digital ad market. Visit Proactive’s YouTube channel for more videos, and don’t forget to give the video a like, subscribe to the channel and enable notifications for future content. #Digitalbox #JamesCarter #MediaGrowth #DigitalAdvertising #TVGuide #TheTab #OnlineMedia #RevenueGrowth #AdTech #MediaBrands #InvestorUpdate #ProactiveInvestors