Press Release
JUMO and Standard Bank launch Social Finance Framework to scale inclusive finance in Africa
Cape Town, South Africa, September 11th, 2026, FinanceWire
Designed to support the mobilisation of sustainable funding for financial inclusion and economic empowerment across Africa.
Banking technology company JUMO has launched a new Social Finance Framework (SFF) in partnership with Standard Bank’s Sustainable Finance team. The framework aligns with internationally recognised sustainable finance guidelines and provides a transparent structure for raising social finance, such as social loans and social bonds.
This will fund financially inclusive lending activities on JUMO’s technology platform to positively impact underserved individuals, micro enterprises and SMEs across the nine African markets JUMO operates in. With an addressable lending opportunity and a scalable, technology-enabled platform, JUMO is well positioned to deploy capital efficiently across high-growth African markets. The framework is also supported by a positive second party opinion from Endiligence.
Founded with a vision to close the access gap in financial systems for emerging markets, JUMO has built AI-powered technology and lasting partnerships with financial institutions and telcos to expand access to financial services for communities traditionally excluded from formal banking systems. JUMO has demonstrated rapid and accelerating scale, with over $10bn in lifetime disbursements and more than 317 million loans delivered since inception. This is underpinned by 79% year-on-year growth in disbursements and record monthly volumes. The platform delivers measurable inclusion outcomes, with millions of new-to-bank customers, significant participation from youth, women and rural populations, and meaningful exposure to low-income segments often excluded from formal finance.
The framework supports funding for eligible social activities including:
- SME and microenterprise financing
- Employment generation
- Economic empowerment
- Access to responsible digital financial services
JUMO operates digital financial ecosystems across multiple African markets, with further expansion planned across the continent.
“The launch of the framework represents an important milestone in JUMO’s sustainable finance journey and underpins our core commitment to responsible lending,’ says JUMO CEO Paul Whelpton. ‘It enables a broader pool of development finance institutions, impact investors and sustainability-focused funders to access transparent and measurable social impact opportunities in Africa.”
“The framework standardises the governance, reporting and impact measurement processes intended to provide investors with confidence that financing is directed towards eligible social activities aligned with global sustainable finance standards,’ says George Karamitsos, VP of Sustainable Finance for Standard Bank. ‘The framework provides a credible, transparent vehicle to channel institutional capital into JUMO’s proven platform at scale.”
By combining JUMO’s technology-driven banking infrastructure with sustainable finance principles, the jointly established framework aims to accelerate access to responsible credit and unlock economic opportunity for millions of underserved consumers and businesses across the continent.
Capital directly supports underserved populations, including youth, women, rural communities, and low-income individuals, with clear evidence of improved livelihoods.
About JUMO
JUMO has developed AI-led financial technology that enables banks to offer a new generation of digital credit and savings products to millions of entrepreneurs in Africa. JUMO works with partners, such as banks, e-money operators and payments providers, to facilitate high-tech information and money management systems.
Since its founding in 2015, JUMO has disbursed over $10 billion to 40 million people in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Benin and Cameroon. JUMO’s administration of over 317 million individual loans has proven that microcredit in Africa is imperative, impactful and sustainable.
With unmatched speed to market and low infrastructure costs, JUMO aims to bring banking to everyone, everywhere, at any time.
Media enquiries
comms@jumo.world
About Standard Bank
The Standard Bank Group is the largest African bank by assets, operating in 21 African countries, 4 global financial centres and 2 offshore hubs.
Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, we are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with share code SBK, and the Namibian Stock Exchange, share code SNB. Standard Bank has a 163-year history in South Africa and started building a franchise outside southern Africa in the early 1990s. Our strategic position, which enables us to connect Africa to other select emerging markets as well as pools of capital in developed markets, and our balanced portfolio of businesses, provide significant opportunities for growth.
As at 30 June 2026, Standard Bank Group had 19.5 million clients, employed over 50 000 people (including Liberty) and had over 1 200 points of representation and over 5 600 ATMs across the African continent. The group’s largest shareholder is the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world’s largest bank, with a 19.7% shareholding. In addition, Standard Bank Group and ICBC share a strategic partnership that facilitates trade and deal flow between Africa, China and select emerging markets.
For further information, go to http://www.standardbank.com
Social Finance Framework Objectives
The framework serves five key strategic purposes:
Unlock Institutional & Impact Capital
The framework creates a credible structure through which global investors, DFIs and banks can fund sustainable lending activities on JUMO’s platform with confidence.
Scale Financial Inclusion and Social Impact
It supports funding for underserved individuals and SMEs who often lack access to traditional banking products.
Create Credibility Through International Standards
Alignment with globally recognised sustainable finance principles provides transparency, governance and market credibility.
Enable Repeat Sustainable Funding
The framework streamlines future social financing transactions and creates long-term fundraising efficiencies.
Position JUMO as a Sustainable Fintech Leader
The framework elevates JUMO beyond a fintech lender into a recognised sustainable finance platform supporting inclusive growth across Africa.
Contact
Head of Content and Communications
Rose Cohen
JUMO
rose.cohen@jumo.world
+27 83 6750354
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
InviteCount Launches All-in-One Wedding Platform for Websites, Invitations, RSVPs and Planning
United States, 11th Sep 2026 — Invite Count LLC has announced the launch of InviteCount, an all-in-one wedding platform that brings wedding websites, digital invitations, RSVP management, guest management and wedding planning tools together in one place. Designed to simplify the planning process, InviteCount gives couples the tools to create a beautiful wedding website, manage their guests and organize important details of their celebration from a single platform.
Available worldwide at invitecount.com, InviteCount is built around a single guest list that powers the platform’s website, digital and printable invitations, RSVPs, seating chart, budget, planning checklist, vendor management and day-of schedule. The platform is sold through a one-time payment per wedding, with nothing renewing after the wedding.
A key part of InviteCount’s approach is keeping the guest experience simple. Guests do not need to create an account, download an app or interact with advertising or vendor marketing. They can respond to an invitation through a single link or QR code, while couples maintain control of their guest information and wedding planning.
One Guest List Across the Wedding
InviteCount connects its planning tools through one underlying guest list rather than requiring couples to move information between separate applications. When a guest changes information such as a meal choice, the update can flow through the relevant planning tools, including seating and catering numbers.
The platform includes RSVP collection with attendance, meal choices, dietary notes, plus-ones, custom questions and guest messages. Live RSVP analytics provide attendance and meal totals, while guest information can be exported for use by caterers and other wedding professionals.
InviteCount also includes a guest list manager, seating planner, table capacities, printable seating charts, guest messaging, registry links and honeymoon-fund functionality.
Three Studios for the Wedding Experience
InviteCount’s Website Studio provides a browser-based editor with 250+ wedding website designs, 10+ page layouts, 300+ color palettes. Couples can preview their websites on desktop and mobile, customize individual template elements and manage cover-photo positioning.
The Card Studio provides a five-card printed suite consisting of Cover, Invitation, Details, Wedding Party and RSVP cards. The cards can be customized with event details, wording, decorative elements and RSVP QR codes, then exported as print-ready PDFs for home printing or an independent print shop.
The Interactive Card Studio adds cinematic digital experiences for save-the-date, thank-you and welcome cards. Couples can choose from animated entrances, colorways, paper treatments, wax-seal monograms, ribbons and other visual elements. Cards can be shared through links, messages, email or QR codes and can connect guests to the wedding website.
Guest Invitations in 16 Languages
InviteCount supports multilingual guest invitations, allowing couples to provide a more accessible experience for guests from different countries and language backgrounds.
Guest-facing invitations are currently available in 16 languages and language variants:
- English
- Danish
- German
- Spanish
- French
- Italian
- Dutch
- Norwegian
- Swedish
- Turkish
- Bulgarian
- Russian
- Armenian
- Traditional Chinese
- Simplified Chinese
- Arabic
Arabic invitations are supported with right-to-left layouts. The multilingual experience can be used across the guest-facing invitation and RSVP experience, helping couples communicate important wedding information in their guests’ preferred language.
Try Before Signing Up
InviteCount also offers Sneak Peek, allowing visitors to preview their own engagement photo, names and wedding details across the platform’s designs without creating an account or uploading the photo. The preview operates in the browser, with the images remaining on the visitor’s device.
The experience includes desktop and phone previews, theme search, color filtering, layout selection and an interactive card-entrance playground.
One-Time Pricing
InviteCount offers a free plan for weddings with up to 30 guests, while paid plans are structured as a single payment per wedding:
- Free: $0 for up to 30 guests
- Premium: $49 for up to 100 guests
- Signature: $79 for unlimited guests
Every wedding after the first is available at half price, at $25 for Premium and $40 for Signature. Paid plans add features including custom domains, premium page layouts and additional interactive card options.
Tools for the Wedding Day
InviteCount extends beyond planning with a day-of operations hub, guest photo collection and collaboration features. Couples can create a guest photo QR code for use at the celebration, allowing guests to upload photos without an account or app. Hosts can moderate submissions or display them automatically through a live photo wall.
The platform also provides ceremony, reception and evening-party management, vendor organization, budget tracking, wedding-day schedules, address collection and guest communications.
InviteCount is operated by Invite Count LLC, registered in Wyoming, USA. The company received its federal EIN in June 2026 and is currently accepting real payments through Stripe Checkout worldwide.
About InviteCount
InviteCount is an all-in-one wedding platform that gives couples one place to build a wedding website, create digital and printable invitations, collect RSVPs and manage their guest list, seating chart, budget, checklist and vendors. Guests can respond through a single link without an account, app or advertising. InviteCount is available worldwide at invitecount.com and offers free access for weddings with up to 30 guests, with paid plans sold as a one-time payment per wedding.
Media Contact
Organization: InviteCount
Contact Person: RoseMarie Cruz
Website: http://invitecount.com/
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Release id: 48996
The post InviteCount Launches All-in-One Wedding Platform for Websites, Invitations, RSVPs and Planning appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
Shute Family Foundation Aims to Surpass 200k Raised for Tunnel to Towers at 6th Annual 9-11 Golf Tournament
The Shute Family Foundation will host its 6th Annual 9/11 Charity Golf Tournament on September 11 at Saint Anne Country Club, aiming to surpass $200,000 raised for Tunnel to Towers. The event will honor veterans and first responders and feature a live painting and charity auction by Master Disney Artist Rob Surette.
FEEDING HILLS, MA, August 24, 2026 – The Shute Family Foundation is proud to announce its 6th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, taking place Friday, September 11, 2026, at Saint Anne Country Club in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts.
This premier regional event will bring together golfers, veterans, first responders, business leaders, and community supporters from across Western Massachusetts and Central Connecticut to honor the memory of our nation’s fallen heroes while raising funds for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
To date, the Shute Family Foundation has raised an incredible $184,000 for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. With a fundraising goal of $50,000 for this year’s tournament, the organization is on track to surpass the $200,000 lifetime fundraising milestone.
“Reaching this $200,000 milestone on the anniversary of September 11th is a testament to the incredible generosity of our local community,” said Dave Shute, founder of the Shute Family Foundation. “Our mission is to support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in its vital work providing mortgage-free homes to our nation’s catastrophically injured veterans, Gold Star families, and families of fallen first responders. We invite everyone to join us this year and help us surpass our biggest goal yet.”
The tournament will feature a four-person scramble with a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start. In addition to a premier day on the course, participants will take part in a powerful opening ceremony honoring local military members and first responders, followed by awards, raffles, and a live charity auction.
A highlight of this year’s event will be a live speed-painting performance by world-renowned Master Disney Artist Rob Surette of Haverhill, Massachusetts. Surette will create an original patriotic work of art live during the tournament. The completed piece will then be auctioned, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the foundation.
Tournament registration, corporate sponsorship packages, and direct donation opportunities are currently available, with space filling quickly.
To register a team, secure a sponsorship, make a donation, or learn more about supporting this milestone event, visit www.theshutefamilyfoundation.com.
About the Shute Family Foundation
The Shute Family Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uniting communities across Western Massachusetts and Central Connecticut in support of America’s heroes. Through its flagship annual golf tournament, the foundation has become a leading regional contributor to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, helping ensure that the sacrifices of military service members and first responders are never forgotten.
David V. Shute, Founder
The Shute Family Foundation
413-896-1122
ShuteFamilyFoundation@gmail.com
www.theshutefamilyfoundation.com
Media Contact
Organization: Shute Family Foundation
Contact Person: Dave Shute
Website: https://www.theshutefamilyfoundation.com
Email: Send Email
City: Suffield
State: Connecticut
Country: United States
Release id: 48949
The post Shute Family Foundation Aims to Surpass 200k Raised for Tunnel to Towers at 6th Annual 9-11 Golf Tournament appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
Airwheel SE3SX AI Wheel Luxury Suitcase Wins 2026 WGA for Smart Electric Riding Carry-On Hand Luggage
HONG KONG, CHINA – The SE3SX Cabin Suitcase recently received the Silver Award in Product Design at the 2026 WGA Wonder Global Design Award, standing out among numerous international entries. The recognition highlights not only its distinctive industrial design, but also Airwheel’s continued exploration of how intelligent technology can be integrated into real-world travel.
Rather than treating luggage as a passive container, Airwheel is developing it as an active mobility device—combining electric drive technology, intelligent controls, connected features and premium design in a compact carry-on format.
From Traditional Luggage to Intelligent Mobility
For decades, the fundamental concept of luggage has remained largely unchanged: pack belongings, pull the handle and walk.
Airwheel approached the problem differently.
The company recognized that the most physically demanding part of many journeys does not necessarily happen during a flight or train ride. It often occurs while travelers move through expansive airports, railway stations, exhibition centers, hotels and transportation hubs, carrying or pulling luggage over long distances.
The result was a new product category that combines luggage with personal mobility.
The Airwheel SE3SX Electric Riding Cabin Suitcase allows users to transition from conventional pulling to powered riding. Equipped with a high-performance brushless motor, the suitcase can reach a riding speed of up to 9.9 km/h, providing an alternative way to move through appropriate travel environments.
Its intelligent riding handle integrates key riding controls, allowing users to manage acceleration, braking, steering and reverse functions with a relatively intuitive control layout. This approach reduces the learning curve while making the riding experience feel more like a compact personal mobility device.
For Airwheel, the objective is not simply to make a suitcase that can move. It is to make luggage more useful once travelers leave the airport gate, hotel lobby or railway platform.
SE3SX: Where Intelligent Design Meets Practical Engineering
The SE3SX combines mobility with a structure designed around both riding and luggage protection.
Its motorized front wheel uses a retractable structure that can extend the wheelbase by approximately 180 mm when riding. The longer wheelbase is designed to enhance stability and handling, helping the suitcase maintain a more controlled riding experience across suitable indoor and outdoor surfaces.
The suitcase body uses an ABS+PC composite construction, reinforced with an integrated aviation-aluminum frame structure. With a maximum load capacity of 95 kg, the design balances the requirements of riding stability with the everyday demands of carrying personal belongings.
This engineering approach reflects a broader philosophy behind the SE3SX: intelligent functionality should not come at the expense of practicality.
A Smart Suitcase still needs to function as luggage. A Luxury Suitcase still needs to look refined. And an Electric Riding Suitcase still needs to provide a reliable and intuitive riding experience.
SE3SX brings these elements together in one 20-inch travel platform.
Intelligent Interaction Beyond the Physical Ride
The evolution of the SE3SX does not stop with electric mobility.
Through its dedicated intelligent APP, users can access key operating information such as riding speed, battery level and accumulated mileage. Riding speed can be adjusted within a range of 0.1–9.9 km/h, allowing users to select a more suitable pace for different environments.
The APP also extends control beyond basic riding.
Users can remotely control the suitcase’s retractable structure, customize its lighting experience and access additional intelligent functions. The built-in ambient lighting supports 8 colors and 9 lighting effects, allowing the suitcase to develop a distinctive visual identity while reinforcing its technology-oriented design language.
Additional functions include low-battery reminders, Bluetooth disconnection alerts, cruise control, intelligent remote control and programming-oriented features.
Together, these capabilities transform the suitcase from a mechanical travel accessory into a connected intelligent device.
The idea is simple: instead of forcing users to adapt to complicated technology, the technology should gradually disappear into the experience.
Apple Find My Adds Another Layer of Travel Security
Connectivity also plays an important role in modern travel.
The Airwheel SE3SX supports Apple Find My, allowing compatible Apple devices to help users locate the suitcase through the Find My network. When the suitcase is within an appropriate nearby range, users can also activate a sound to assist with locating it.
For travelers moving through crowded airports, railway stations, hotels or other busy environments, location-based connectivity can provide an additional layer of reassurance.
The feature reflects a wider shift in how people think about travel equipment. A modern suitcase is no longer isolated from the digital ecosystem surrounding its owner.
It can be connected, monitored and managed as part of a broader intelligent travel experience.
Designed for Real-World Travel
Advanced technology only becomes meaningful when it works within real travel conditions.
The Airwheel SE3SX adopts a 20-inch carry-on format, measuring approximately 530 × 360 × 236 mm, making it compact enough for everyday business trips, leisure travel and other mobility scenarios.
The product is equipped with a 73.26 Wh lithium battery and incorporates a modular, removable battery design to facilitate handling and inspection where required. The battery has passed International safety certification.
A TSA-compatible combination lock further supports international travel, while an external USB output interface allows users to recharge mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and Bluetooth headphones during a journey.
These details demonstrate an important principle behind SE3SX: intelligent travel technology must remain connected to the realities of travel.
An Award That Recognizes More Than Appearance
The 2026 WGA Wonder Global Design Award evaluates product design across multiple dimensions, including creativity, aesthetics, functionality, practicality, market impact, emotional impact and problem-solving.
The SE3SX Silver Award therefore represents recognition beyond visual design.
Its combination of electric mobility, intelligent interaction, structural engineering and travel-oriented functionality demonstrates how a familiar everyday product can be reconsidered through technology.
For Airwheel, international design recognition has become part of a longer journey.
Since entering the intelligent mobility field, the company has continued to invest in areas including electric drive systems, intelligent control, structural design and human-machine interaction. Airwheel has accumulated more than 600 patents globally and has developed a portfolio spanning intelligent mobility products and smart travel equipment.
The company’s products have also received recognition from international design and innovation programs, reflecting its ongoing efforts to combine technology with practical product design.
Building a Broader Intelligent Travel Ecosystem
SE3SXD Ai Luxury Suitcase is the flagship expression of this philosophy, but it is not the only product in Airwheel’s intelligent travel portfolio.
The SE3SL+ Airport Suitcase extend smart riding technology to different travel preferences, combining riding functionality with features such as intelligent APP connectivity, Apple Find My and USB charging.
The SE3miniT Boarding suitcase focuses on a lighter and more compact riding experience for users who prioritize portability and flexible urban mobility.
For travelers requiring additional luggage capacity, the SE3T expands the concept into a larger 24-inch format with approximately 48 liters of storage capacity and a riding speed of up to 13 km/h.
Airwheel also extends intelligent riding technology into family travel with the SQ3S and SQ3S children’s smart riding suitcases, creating a different approach to mobility and entertainment for younger travelers.
Together, these products demonstrate that Airwheel’s vision is broader than a single electric suitcase.
The company is building a product ecosystem around the idea that travel equipment can become more intelligent, more connected and more responsive to individual needs.
The Next Step in Intelligent Travel
The evolution of luggage is no longer limited to lighter materials, larger wheels or additional storage.
The next generation is increasingly about interaction.
From Smart Suitcase to AI Suitcase, from traditional carry-on luggage to Electric Riding Suitcase, Airwheel is exploring how technology can give everyday travel equipment new capabilities without making the experience unnecessarily complicated.
The Airwheel SE3SX represents one step in that evolution.
It combines powered mobility, intelligent control, connected functions, premium construction and carry-on-oriented design in a single platform—turning the suitcase from something travelers simply pull behind them into something that can actively participate in the journey.
For Airwheel, the future of travel is not simply about arriving faster.
It is about making the entire journey smarter, easier and more connected. And with the SE3SX, that future is beginning to take shape—one journey, one innovation and one intelligent suitcase at a time.
Media Contact
Company: Airwheel
Contact: Media Team
Email: Jonas@airwheel.net
Website: https://www.airwheel.net
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
InviteCount Launches All-in-One Wedding Platform for Websites, Invitations, RSVPs and Planning
JUMO and Standard Bank launch Social Finance Framework to scale inclusive finance in Africa
Shute Family Foundation Aims to Surpass 200k Raised for Tunnel to Towers at 6th Annual 9-11 Golf Tournament
Benzinga Money Article Discusses How to Become Part of the 12% of Retirees Who Have Achieved the Recommended $550,000 Minimum Retirement Savings Threshold
Apu Apustaja Conquers New York with Lively Street Ads, Including Times Square Billboard
Bay Smokes Maintains Quality Amid Legislative Changes in the Hemp Industry
-
Press Release7 days ago
Ignacio Duron Discusses Why Customer Trust Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage in Home Services
-
Press Release3 days ago
Terrance Bradford Tampa, FL Discusses the Importance of Setting Realistic Expectations in Construction Projects
-
Press Release3 days ago
Net Boardroom Launches Global Media Monitoring Platform with Multilingual Coverage and Alerts
-
Press Release3 days ago
Rapid Indexer Launches Innovative SEO Tool for Link Building and Instant URL Indexing Solution
-
Press Release4 days ago
WEB3GUARANTEE Launches: A Decentralized Custody Trading Platform Reshaping On-Chain Transaction Trust with Smart Contracts
-
Press Release1 week ago
Tazapay Now Live on the Borderless.xyz Network For Seamless Money Movement to Asia Pacific and Latin America
-
Press Release6 days ago
Hilltop Painting Brings Trusted Interior and Exterior Painting to Whatcom and Skagit County Homes
-
Press Release6 days ago
Aaron Byrnes Commits to a Newport Beach Pickleball Meetup for Local Players