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Noida,  May 13 : As soaring summer temperatures swept across India, air conditioners quickly moved from wishlists to shopping carts. But while consumers continued delaying the final purchase, the rising heat outside became the perfect moment to drive action.

With India in the grip of an early summer heatwave, Inshorts Group partnered with Flipkart to create a dynamic weather-triggered ad innovation for Flipkart’s ‘Super Cooling Days’ campaign  with the ‘Heat Trigger Weather Widget’ at its core. The widget captured users’ locations to display their city’s real-time temperature and live weather conditions directly within the Inshorts feed. 

But the real innovation lay in what happened next – the moment temperatures crossed the 32°C mark, the widget animated live – transforming from a real-time weather display into Flipkart’s Super Cooling Days creative. Rising heat, in that instant, became a purchase trigger.

Conceptualized and executed by the Inshorts team, the pan-India campaign ran from April 16 to April 25, 2026. The triggered experience showcased AC deals from Voltas and Haier, alongside pricing offers and a prominent ‘Buy Now’ CTA redirecting users to Flipkart to complete their purchase journey.

 Speaking about the campaign, Rohan Dixit, Associate Director, Brand Solutions at Inshorts Group said

“At Inshorts Group, we are constantly exploring how real-time moments can be transformed into more meaningful advertising experiences. With Flipkart’s Super Cooling Days campaign, we used live weather intelligence and contextual storytelling to turn rising temperatures into a real-time commerce trigger – creating an experience that felt intuitive, immersive, and naturally integrated into the consumer journey.”

The campaign also reflected a broader shift in how brands are approaching contextual advertising. Sharing his thoughts about the campaign, Chetan Gupta, Associate Director – South and East, Inshorts Group, said:

“Consumers today respond to advertising that meets them in the moment – not just in the feed. With Flipkart’s Super Cooling Days campaign, we didn’t just serve an ad  we responded to a real-world signal, in real time, with content that made complete sense to the consumer at that exact instant. The advertising landscape is moving towards experiences rooted in real-world consumer behaviour and this campaign is a good example of what that looks like in practice. That’s the kind of contextual advertising experience we’re building at Inshorts Group.”

 

 

The InnoVision CEO Expands the Agency’s Internal Leadership Training Into a Free Professional Development Series for Aspiring Leaders  SAN DIEGO — May 13 — While many businesses have been struggling to navigate economic uncertainty and workforce instability, national marketing agency InnoVision Marketing Group has continued to expand, a success CEO Ric Militi attributes to the company’s core philosophies and commitment to elevated client service. After earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in 2025, the Anti-Agency™ continues to demonstrate how strong leadership and organizational culture can drive long-term growth.  Now, Militi is bringing those leadership principles to a broader audience through a free professional development series titled The Fundamentals of Success.  Created from the same weekly companywide meetings that have helped shape InnoVision’s culture for more than two decades, The Fundamentals of Success transforms internal leadership lessons into short-form digital content designed for professionals, entrepreneurs and aspiring leaders seeking practical guidance in today’s evolving business landscape.  During each companywide meeting, Militi introduces five different fundamentals ranging from extraordinary communication and detail obsession to grit, humility, accountability and enthusiasm. These sessions are recorded and repurposed into accessible educational content, offering viewers an authentic look at the principles that shape leadership and culture inside the agency.  “My family immigrated to the United States when I was three years old, and everything we owned fit inside an old ocean liner trunk. I still have it today as a reminder of where I came from,” said Militi. “Financially, we struggled. I went out on my own at a young age and often had to scrape together enough money for my next meal. It took me too long to figure out that success is rarely built on talent alone. Most of the time, it comes down to human behaviors like trust, loyalty, respect, communication, attention to detail and consistently showing up. The Fundamentals of Success is my way of sharing the many lessons I had to learn in a simplified, relatable, format. So even if it enriches only one person’s life, then it was worth doing.”  The series explores dozens of soft-skill principles designed to support long-term growth in both business and life. Each video focuses on a specific fundamental, with broader themes including leadership, communication, discipline, collaboration, consistency and personal development. By making this coaching content widely accessible, the series provides professionals with practical insights they can apply both personally and professionally.  Having taught these principles for more than 20 years, Militi and InnoVision Marketing Group have  demonstrated the impact of investing in people, culture and consistency. Through The Fundamentals of Success, Militi aims to inspire the next generation of leaders while reinforcing the importance of integrity, accountability and character in achieving sustainable success.  As companies continue adapting to shifting workplace dynamics and economic pressures, the demand for strong leadership and people-focused culture has become increasingly important. By opening these leadership conversations to a wider audience, Militi is extending InnoVision’s impact beyond the workplace while creating a practical resource for professionals seeking growth, resilience and long-term career development.

Grenoble, May 13: Mantle8, the Grenoble France based natural hydrogen exploration company, has raised €31M in Series A funding to leverage its proprietary technology stack across a global exploration and drilling campaign targeting the first commercially exploitable reservoir of high-purity natural hydrogen. The round was led by Sandwater and includes Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Ecotechnologies 2 fund managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance, IP Group, Wind Capital and Calderion (an Audacia-backed investment platform).

This capital will be deployed during the next two years to fund the world’s most advanced natural hydrogen exploration and drilling campaign. Mantle8’s novel technology platform, which is tailored to identify commercially viable natural hydrogen reservoirs, will be employed across its global development pipeline to identify and rank the most promising opportunities. These sites will then be drilled to confirm natural hydrogen accumulations and to evaluate volume, purity, and reservoir quality in support of commercially viable, large-scale production.

Hydrogen is a crucial part of our future decarbonised industrial system; however, the importance of its role will depend on its price and origin. Mantle8’s novel technology for identifying commercially viable natural hydrogen reserves reduces exploration risk and cost, with economic models projecting production costs as low as €0.80/kg, significantly contributing to a much lower average cost of clean hydrogen supply. This will fundamentally change the hydrogen sector’s economics, unlocking a low-carbon source of sovereign energy supply for Europe as well as other geographies. By cooperating with partners focused on drilling and exploiting target reservoirs, the technology can be rolled out quickly and at scale.

“This raise reflects the growing conviction among leading clean tech investors that natural hydrogen is a resource worth pursuing at scale,” said Emmanuel Masini, Founder and CEO of Mantle8. “The existence of natural hydrogen is a well-established scientific fact; the challenge has been finding free gas accumulations of high-purity hydrogen that are commercially viable. I’m proud that we’ve built and patented an entire technology stack to answer this critical challenge, meeting the expectations of our existing shareholders” he continued. “The next steps are to identify the prospects in our pipeline that meet our commercial hurdles and drill them. I’m excited to welcome investors who have a long history of involvement in subsurface resources, sovereign investments and ecosystem building.”

“We built Sandwater to back exceptional founder teams with the technical depth and operational rigour to solve critical challenges and deliver solutions that lead to a better future”, said Tom Even Mortensen, Founder and Managing Partner of Sandwater. “Mantle8 is exactly that kind of company. Emmanuel and his team have built truly proprietary exploration technology, validated it in the field, and now have a clear plan to move into the commercial phase. Natural hydrogen sits at the intersection of energy transition and resource discovery, two areas where Europe must lead as it seeks energy sovereignty. This is a demanding challenge but with the potential to create a new clean energy source, which is what we need and why we see in Mantle8 the opportunity for outsized impact and return”

“Geologic hydrogen is one of the most surprising energy developments of the past decade, with the potential to play a significant role in the global energy mix,” said Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “The Mantle8 team has made impressive progress in advancing its rigorous, geology-driven approach to exploration, and the team continues to execute on targeting the first commercially exploitable reservoir of high-purity natural hydrogen.”

“Natural hydrogen represents a strategic opportunity for France and for Europe,” said Alexandre Wagner, Investment Director at Bpifrance Green Venture. “Mantle8 combines a proprietary exploration technology stack with a clear path to commercialization. Backing this company, aligns with our mandate to accelerate the energy transition through sovereign, low-carbon solutions that could be developed before the end of the decade.”

Mantle8’s Series A follows a period of significant momentum for Mantle8. In 2025, the company raised a €3.4M Seed Round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and went on to complete the world’s first 4D imaging of an active underground natural hydrogen system using HOREX® at its Hydrogeco project in the French Pyrenees. Earlier this year, Mantle8 received a €2.06M grant from the EU Just Transition Fund to industrialise its core exploration technologies.

This investment round brings total funding raised by Mantle8 to €37M (US$44M). “With this backing, we will work alongside industrial partners globally to move from exploration through to commercial development”, said Bart Markus, Mantle8’s chairman. “The next two years are about proving that the active hydrogen systems our technology has pinpointed can deliver sustained, commercially viable flow.”

 

May 13: Oxford International and the University of Bradford have today announced the expansion of their long-standing international college partnership with the addition of a new 5-year collaboration incorporating direct entry recruitment alongside programme delivery designed and awarded by the university at Oxford International’s higher education institution, Universal Higher Education UK (UHE UK) in Greenwich, London. The triple pronged approach to student recruitment has been designed to support the university’s international growth ambition.

This development marks a significant milestone in the partnership, enabling international students to access a broader range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the University of Bradford via an expanded set of entry routes.

A university on the rise

The University of Bradford continues to strengthen its global standing, recognised for both academic quality and social impact. In the latest QS World University Rankings 2026, the University is ranked 47th in the UK, reflecting continued upward momentum.

Renowned for its commitment to social mobility and student success, the University of Bradford continues to deliver strong graduate outcomes and impactful research aligned with global challenges. According to the most recent Higher Education Statistics Agency figures, the University of Bradford ranked 16th in the UK for graduates entering high-skilled employment, marking a major step towards its strategic ambition of being in the UK top 10 for graduate outcomes. Additionally, the University of Bradford offers careers advice up to five years after graduation.

Expanding access through multiple access routes

The introduction of further routes to higher education with the University of Bradford will provide international students with increased flexibility and choice for higher education study, reinforcing the university’s commitment to broadening access to higher education for international students, while creating new opportunities for students to benefit from a career-focused education in the UK.

This expansion complements the existing international college, which has successfully prepared international students for progression to degree-level study at University of Bradford for many years. 

Supporting over 80,000 students each year, Oxford International’s global recruitment team, enhanced by a network of over 2,500 educational consultants, operates across more than 50 international source markets, seamlessly working alongside partners’ recruitment teams and providing local insight and strategic guidance.

Lil Bremmerman-Richard, Group CEO of Oxford International states:

“This expansion represents an important step in the evolution of our partnership with the University of Bradford. By introducing direct entry recruitment along with programme delivery designed and awarded by the university at UHE UK, in addition to our established international college, we are creating a more comprehensive and flexible offering that meets the diverse needs of international students around the world. We are proud to deepen our collaboration with an institution that shares our commitment to access, quality, and student success.”

Nick Braisby, Interim Vice-Chancellor of University of Bradford added:

“Our partnership with Oxford International has helped us to build a vibrant and diverse international student community. In line with the University‘s 10-year Strategy, this partnership will expand the ways international students can study with us. By widening access to our award-winning education, we can help more students to become career-ready and achieve success, wherever they are from. I look forward to welcoming more international students to our global community in the coming academic year.”

More details on programmes to be offered and first intake dates will be available soon.

 

Abu Dhabi, UAE – May 13: AD Ports Group (ADX: ADPORTS), a leading global enabler of integrated trade, industry, and logistics solutions, today reported strong revenue and net profit performance in the first quarter of 2026, demonstrating the resilience of its diversified and integrated trade ecosystem amidst the challenging and complex geopolitical and macroeconomic backdrop.

From a service offering and geographic perspective, AD Ports Group’s diversified operations, and vertically integrated business model based on long-term partnerships and contracts, focused strategy, and operational flexibility, have proven once again to be effective in turning risks into differentiated opportunities. Throughout the obvious challenges posed by the geopolitical situation in the Arabian Gulf, the Group has been able to maintain uninterrupted services, operating normally with precautionary business continuity protocols activated.

Continuity measures include the rerouting of cargo operations and feeder services to Fujairah Terminals and Khorfakkan Port, and deployment of new land and air bridges, complemented by additional warehousing and storage facilities. AD Ports Group launched new regional feeder shipping services to maintain supply chain integrity, redeploying and scaling up its container and bulk cargo vessels fleet, with plans to further increase fleet capacity. The new services connect with ports in India, Pakistan and Oman, as well as Red Sea ports, and ports along the Upper Arabian Gulf region.

The Group also established a land bridge to transport cargo from Fujairah and Khorfakkan through bonded customs corridors across the UAE to Khalifa Port, Jebel Ali Port, and Sharjah, using 800 trucks and four new daily rail services by Etihad Rail. These efforts were supported by the Group’s expanded warehousing and storage capacity for essential goods, currently exceeding 76,000 m2, with plans to more than double to 188,000 m2.

Leveraging its award-winning digital trade infrastructure, the Group also launched new freight management platforms that delivered visibility and resilience, enabling the efficient management of trade flows. By unifying and processing data across the Group’s global operations, these platforms have enabled the Group to act on real-time trade lane intelligence to strengthen supply chain integrity, whilst repurposing empty import containers for export along alternative high-volume corridors, which enhanced resilience and reduced time and cost for customers.

In Maritime & Shipping, the strong performance was a combination of volume and price effects, notably in container feeders, Ro-Ro, and tankers, as well as increased drydocking activities. Container feeder shipping volumes rose 20% YoY to 871K TEUs in Q1 2026, driven by increased services and capacity, whilst the bulk, multipurpose, and Ro-Ro vessel fleet reached 63, up from 41 in the same period a year earlier.

In the Economic Cities & Free Zones Cluster, growth momentum continued with 843,000 m2 (net) new industrial land leases in KEZAD Abu Dhabi, generating strong demand for warehouses, staff accommodation, and utilities provision. KEZAD also completed the sale of a group of warehouses to MAIR Group for AED 295 million and sold a 1.0 km2 mixed-use land plot to Danube Properties for AED 840 million, as part of the Group’s strategy to actively manage its asset portfolio across all business Clusters, and monetise real estate and non-core assets, when opportune.  

In the Ports Cluster, UAE operations remained resilient in the face of challenging regional events, with quarterly container throughput declining 5% YoY and general cargo volumes dropping 23% YoY, which were largely offset by strong growth internationally of 17% YoY and 21% YoY, respectively. In the UAE, container capacity utilisation stood at 54% (57% at Khalifa Port), whilst internationally it reached 65%, up from 58% in Q1 2025.

In Logistics, the global freight environment remains challenging, with rising operational costs, and in the UAE quarterly polymer volumes declined 6% YoY as a result of the regional situation.

In Q1 2026, AD Ports Group continued expanding internationally with a trade corridor and region-focused strategy. The Middle East, Central Asia, Pakistan, Egypt, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Mediterranean regions remained in focus, as the Group continued to build operational scale and long-term partnerships. A 30-year concession was secured for a brownfield multipurpose port in Aqaba, Jordan, and a 30-year concession was signed for a new greenfield dry bulk terminal at Douala Port in Cameroon. In parallel, the Group has continued to interconnect its 38 port terminals with associated maritime and logistics services, increasing synergies and enhancing asset utilisation.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO – AD Ports Group, said: “Faced with rapidly evolving regional developments with global macroeconomic and supply chain implications, AD Ports Group responded decisively in Q1 2026, demonstrating the agility, resilience, and forward-thinking that have underpinned our strong growth over the past two decades. Our Q1 performance was robust, with Group Revenue and Net Profit delivering strong double-digit year-on-year growth of 25% and 41%, respectively. We acted swiftly to mitigate disruption, elevating the ports in Fujairah and Khorfakkan as alternative gateways for the country and the region, launching contingency feeder shipping services, expanding warehousing capacity, and activating integrated land, rail, and air bridges that will sustain our growth into Q2 and beyond. Under the guidance of our wise leadership in the UAE, AD Ports Group will continue to anticipate and adapt to global developments, further strengthening the resilience of our UAE-based global supply chain network, while delivering sustained value creation and growth for our shareholders.”

In its Balance Sheet, AD Ports Group’s debt leverage continued to improve, with a Net Leverage of 3.9x, vs. 4.1x in Q1 2025, and 4.0x in Q4 2025.

Despite a low cash conversion ratio of 62%, Cash Flows from Operations reached AED 943 million in Q1 2026, +30% YoY, on steady growth in operating profit from core operations, and AED 74 million from the asset monetisation programme under a two-year payment plan for the sale of warehouses to MAIR Group.

With quarterly organic CapEx of AED 1.35 billion, the Group generated slightly negative Free Cash Flow to the Firm (FCFF) of AED 348 million but maintains annual guidance of positive FCFF going forward, subject to the evolving regional situation.    

Q1 2026 Financial KPIs

AED m	Q1 2025	Q4 2025	Q1 2026	YoY %
Revenue	4,597	5,954	5,750	25%
EBITDA 1)	1,136	1,606	1,516	33%
EBITDA Margin (%)	24.7%	27.0%	26.4%	1.7%
Profit Before Tax (PBT)	515	646	729	42%
Total Net Profit	464	567	653	41%
Net Profit – Owners of the Company	348	454	497	43%
Non-Controlling Interests	116	113	156	34%
Reported EPS (AED) 2)	0.07	0.09	0.10	43%

1)EBITDA is calculated by taking net profit and adding depreciation and amortization, finance costs, income tax expense, impairment of investment properties and subtracting government grants, fair value gain on pre-existing interest in a joint venture and finance income.

2)Based on the weighted average number of shares for the period.

Key Developments in Q1 2026

Ports Cluster 

·Joined Africa Ports Development’s (APD) 30-year concession to design, build and operate a new dry bulk terminal at the Port of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon. The agreement establishes an investment structure, under which AD Ports Group together with two other UAE investors own 60% of the operating company, alongside ADP’s 40% ownership, implying an effective economic interest of 51% for AD Ports Group.

·Signed a 30-year concession agreement with Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) to operate the brownfield Aqaba Multipurpose Port, Jordan’s only and exclusive general cargo and multipurpose seaport. The concession was secured through a JV with AD Ports Group holding 70% ownership and ADC 30%.

·Secured a USD 115 million project finance facility led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and National Bank of Kuwait-Egypt (NBK) to support the development of the Noatum Ports Safaga Terminal in Egypt.

Economic Cities & Free Zones Cluster

·Signed a 50-year land lease with Galadari Brothers’ heavy equipment division to establish a AED 75 million facility in KEZAD A (Al Ma’mourah). The 150,000 m2 facility will be used for storage and distribution of heavy machinery and industrial equipment in the region.

·Sold a group of warehouses in KEZAD Logistics Park – KLP Free Zone 3 (FZ3) in Abu Dhabi to MAIR Group for AED 295 million.

·Launched the 450,000 m2 Metal Park, the world’s first pay-as-you-grow metals ecosystem in Abu Dhabi.

·Signed an AED 840 million land sale agreement with Danube Properties for a 1.0 km2 plot located within the 16 km2 KEZAD Town Centre for the development of a residential and mixed-use project.

·Signed a 50-year land lease with Jotun Abu Dhabi to establish a new 83,177 m2 manufacturing facility in ICAD – KEZAD Musaffah with an investment value of AED 450 million. Jotun Abu Dhabi is relocating from its existing 22,000 m2 facility.

Maritime & Shipping Cluster

• Safeen Drydocks, part of Noatum Maritime, acquired 100% ownership of Balenciaga Astilleros Shipyard, one of Spain’s most established and technologically advanced shipbuilding and repair facilities, for a total consideration of EUR 11.2 million.

Others

• Refinanced a USD 2.5 billion syndicated loan with two UAE banks, extending maturity to March 2029, and reducing future borrowing costs.

Key Developments Post Q1 2026

·Signed new land leases for five new projects in KEZAD Al Ain and KEZAD A (Al Ma’mourah), covering a total footprint of over 84,000 m2 and representing a total investment of AED 147 million. The projects are in the automotive (car cleaning products), metal, and logistics industries.

·Sold three warehouses in KEZAD Logistics Park (KLP) in Abu Dhabi to Aldar for AED 650 million.

·Signed a strategic partnership with Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement to develop Al Selmiyyah Defence Industrial Free Zone in Abu Dhabi. Al Selmiyyah will be developed as a zone dedicated to advancing defence manufacturing in the UAE. AD Ports Group will serve as a strategic partner and advisor for the zone, leading the master planning process, shaping land use and infrastructure planning, and providing industrial zone development expertise to support phased delivery, ecosystem integration, and connectivity to regional and global trade networks, in line with international best practices.

 

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