KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- SBC Medical Group Holdings Inc (SBC Medical) reported a 13 per cent year-on-year (yoy) increase in consolidated revenue to US$49 million for the second quarter (Q2) of fiscal 2026 ended June 30. (US$1 = RM4.08)
Net income attributable to SBC Medical surged 335 per cent yoy to US$11 million, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 32 per cent to US$20 million.
Basic earnings per share jumped 400 per cent year-on-year to US$0.10, while net income margin increased 16 percentage points to 22 per cent and adjusted EBITDA margin climbed six percentage points to 41 per cent.
In a statement, SBC Medical Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Yoshiyuki Aikawa said the company was increasingly confident that its growth reacceleration reflected strengthening underlying fundamentals, with the convergence of healthcare and artificial intelligence (AI) becoming a source of competitive advantage.
He said the company is leveraging more than 26 years of accumulated management data to develop AI-enabled services, including AI-powered call centres, AI-driven marketing and AI-assisted site selection for new clinics.
The company said the quarter marked a reacceleration in growth, supported by the expansion of its points business following a change in operating policy and higher service fees driven by enhanced AI-enabled support capabilities.
The medical corporations supported by SBC Medical also continued to expand, with the number of locations increasing by 34 yoy to 287 as of end-June. Last-12-month patient visits reached 6.9 million, up 10 per cent yoy, while average spending per visit rose nine per cent to US$287.
The company said fee revisions for call centre services provided to five affiliated medical corporations, together with separate fee revisions reflecting expanded support for Rize Clinic and Gorilla Clinic, are expected to increase annual service fees by approximately US$15 million if their impact is realised for a full year.
Looking ahead, SBC Medical said it will deepen its multi-brand strategy in aesthetic dermatology in Japan, expand its non-aesthetic business and accelerate international growth through its collaboration with OrangeTwist in the United States and expansion in Southeast Asia, anchored in Thailand. The company also plans to enter the longevity market.
-- BERNAMA
Thursday, August 13, 2026
84% of Singapore Consumers Say Age-Gated Content Can Harm Minors, Putting Pressure on Platforms to Strengthen Age Assurance
84% of Singapore Consumers Say Age-Gated Content Can Harm Minors, Putting Pressure on Platforms to Strengthen Age Assurance
New Jumio research also finds 81% of consumers in Singapore are willing to verify their age online and reveals growing support for reusable identity as a proportionate path to protecting minors and personal data
SINGAPORE, Aug 14 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Jumio, the leading provider of AI-powered identity intelligence, today released new findings from its 2026 Online Identity Study, revealing strong consumer support for protecting minors online and growing expectations for platforms to implement effective, proportionate age assurance.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260812013936/en/
The research found that 81% of global consumers and 84% in Singapore think access to age-gated materials online is harmful to minors. Consumers also indicated that they are open to participating in age verification efforts, with 75% globally and 81% in Singapore saying they are willing to verify their age online to ensure minors cannot access adult products and platforms.
While 83% of consumers in Singapore also believe age verification is an important tool for preventing access to harmful or restricted content, opinions vary on who bears the ultimate responsibility. When asked who they hold most responsible for protecting minors online, respondents pointed primarily to parents (68%), followed by government agencies (36%), individuals themselves (29%) and tech marketplaces (18%). Notably, 84% in Singapore also support government action to regulate access.
While consumers support stronger protections for minors online, effective age assurance also requires their participation. The findings reveal a challenge for digital platforms: consumers in Singapore want stronger safeguards, but some remain hesitant to complete identity checks or share personal information to enable them.
- 36% of respondents said they would avoid a platform entirely if asked to provide personal data for age verification.
- 46% of respondents said they would choose a less secure or less convenient platform if it meant avoiding identity checks altogether.
- 78% said they would feel more comfortable if they only had to share proof of eligibility rather than full personal details.
The findings underscore the balancing act facing digital platforms: delivering the level of assurance needed to effectively protect minors while making the verification experience proportionate to the risk and minimizing unnecessary friction for legitimate users. This confirms the importance of modern digital IDs, which can provide age assurance without sharing personal data. Building trust in the age assurance experience also requires organizations to explain why verification is necessary and how personal information is handled and protected.
“There’s still a major trust gap around what happens to personal data during age verification. Stronger age assurance doesn’t necessarily mean collecting and permanently storing large amounts of sensitive data, but consumers need to understand what information is required and why,” said Joe Kaufmann, global head of privacy at Jumio. “Transparency and responsible data handling are critical to building trust and encouraging consumers to participate in the verification process.”
Consumers also signaled strong interest in verification models such as reusable identity solutions that reduce repetitive checks while maintaining strong assurance. Notably, 65% globally and 70% in Singapore said they would prefer to verify their age once and reuse that verification across multiple platforms, rather than repeating the process each time.
The research also highlights why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to age assurance. Age estimation uses a selfie to predict a person’s age and produces a probabilistic signal, while age verification confirms that an individual meets a specific age threshold using information from a government-issued ID, typically supported by identity and liveness checks. While some platforms are experimenting with AI-powered age estimation tools, identity experts caution that estimated age signals may not provide enough assurance for regulated environments or higher-risk platforms.
“There’s an important distinction between estimating someone’s age and truly verifying it,” said Jumio CEO Mark Lorion. “Age estimation may reduce friction in lower-risk situations, but when platforms require high assurance, especially where minors are involved, the strongest age assurance is a multi-layered approach using a government-issued ID and a selfie check to confirm the real person behind the credential. The focus now must be on delivering that assurance while minimizing the amount of data collected and stored.”
As age verification requirements continue to expand globally, the research suggests consumers are willing to participate in stronger identity checks, but only if organizations can demonstrate transparency, privacy protection and responsible data handling. For digital platforms, building trust may depend as much on explaining how data is protected as on the verification technology itself.
Learn more about age assurance trends and modern techniques businesses can use to best protect minors online while also protecting data privacy by downloading Identity, Privacy, and Protection: The Future of Online Age Assurance.
To learn more about Jumio and its award-winning, AI-powered identity intelligence solutions, visit jumio.com.
About the Research
The Jumio 2026 Online Identity Study surveyed 8,003 adult consumers evenly distributed across the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Mexico. Censuswide fielded the survey between April 14 and April 27, 2026. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.
About Jumio
Jumio helps organizations to know and trust their customers online. From account opening to ongoing monitoring, the Jumio Platform provides AI-powered identity intelligence anchored in biometric authentication, automation and data-driven insights to accurately establish, maintain and reassert trust.
Leveraging powerful automated technology including biometric screening, AI/machine learning, liveness detection and no-code orchestration with hundreds of data sources, Jumio helps to fight fraud and financial crime, onboard customers faster and meet regulatory compliance including KYC and AML. Jumio has processed more than 1 billion transactions spanning over 200 countries and territories from real-time web and mobile transactions.
Based in Sunnyvale, California, Jumio operates globally with offices and representation in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has been the recipient of numerous awards for innovation. Jumio is backed by Centana Growth Partners, Great Hill Partners and Millennium Technology Value Partners.
For more information, please visit www.jumio.com.
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260812013936/en/
Contact
Media Contact
Luke Nazir
FINN Partners
Luke.Nazir@finnpartners.com
+65 8139 2504
Source : Jumio
“There’s still a major trust gap around what happens to personal data during age verification. Stronger age assurance doesn’t necessarily mean collecting and permanently storing large amounts of sensitive data, but consumers need to understand what information is required and why,” said Joe Kaufmann, global head of privacy at Jumio. “Transparency and responsible data handling are critical to building trust and encouraging consumers to participate in the verification process.”
Consumers also signaled strong interest in verification models such as reusable identity solutions that reduce repetitive checks while maintaining strong assurance. Notably, 65% globally and 70% in Singapore said they would prefer to verify their age once and reuse that verification across multiple platforms, rather than repeating the process each time.
The research also highlights why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to age assurance. Age estimation uses a selfie to predict a person’s age and produces a probabilistic signal, while age verification confirms that an individual meets a specific age threshold using information from a government-issued ID, typically supported by identity and liveness checks. While some platforms are experimenting with AI-powered age estimation tools, identity experts caution that estimated age signals may not provide enough assurance for regulated environments or higher-risk platforms.
“There’s an important distinction between estimating someone’s age and truly verifying it,” said Jumio CEO Mark Lorion. “Age estimation may reduce friction in lower-risk situations, but when platforms require high assurance, especially where minors are involved, the strongest age assurance is a multi-layered approach using a government-issued ID and a selfie check to confirm the real person behind the credential. The focus now must be on delivering that assurance while minimizing the amount of data collected and stored.”
As age verification requirements continue to expand globally, the research suggests consumers are willing to participate in stronger identity checks, but only if organizations can demonstrate transparency, privacy protection and responsible data handling. For digital platforms, building trust may depend as much on explaining how data is protected as on the verification technology itself.
Learn more about age assurance trends and modern techniques businesses can use to best protect minors online while also protecting data privacy by downloading Identity, Privacy, and Protection: The Future of Online Age Assurance.
To learn more about Jumio and its award-winning, AI-powered identity intelligence solutions, visit jumio.com.
About the Research
The Jumio 2026 Online Identity Study surveyed 8,003 adult consumers evenly distributed across the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Mexico. Censuswide fielded the survey between April 14 and April 27, 2026. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.
About Jumio
Jumio helps organizations to know and trust their customers online. From account opening to ongoing monitoring, the Jumio Platform provides AI-powered identity intelligence anchored in biometric authentication, automation and data-driven insights to accurately establish, maintain and reassert trust.
Leveraging powerful automated technology including biometric screening, AI/machine learning, liveness detection and no-code orchestration with hundreds of data sources, Jumio helps to fight fraud and financial crime, onboard customers faster and meet regulatory compliance including KYC and AML. Jumio has processed more than 1 billion transactions spanning over 200 countries and territories from real-time web and mobile transactions.
Based in Sunnyvale, California, Jumio operates globally with offices and representation in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has been the recipient of numerous awards for innovation. Jumio is backed by Centana Growth Partners, Great Hill Partners and Millennium Technology Value Partners.
For more information, please visit www.jumio.com.
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260812013936/en/
Contact
Media Contact
Luke Nazir
FINN Partners
Luke.Nazir@finnpartners.com
+65 8139 2504
Source : Jumio
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
IHERB MARKS 30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH GLOBAL SALE, PLATFORM EXPANSION
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- iHerb, a global eCommerce retailer of vitamins, minerals, supplements and health and wellness products, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with its biggest sales event of the year and the addition of 10 newly supported languages to its shopping platform.
In a statement, the company said the milestone comes as it serves well over 16 million customers across approximately 180 countries, reflecting growing consumer interest in proactive health and wellness.
The anniversary promotions will begin on Aug 19 ahead of the company's September anniversary, offering discounts of up to 30 per cent across more than 600 brands, alongside daily flash deals and other customer rewards.
iHerb Chief Executive Officer, Emun Zabihi said the company's 30-year milestone reflects the growth of its customers and team members, adding that it remains focused on improving the customer experience and investing in trust, access and convenience.
The platform's newly supported languages include European Spanish, European Portuguese, Georgian, Bosnian, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Armenian, Farsi, Hindi and Cantonese, bringing its total language offerings to 46.
iHerb said each language experience is localised to enable customers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to browse products and complete purchases in their preferred language.
Founded in 1996, iHerb has grown from selling its first supplement online from an apartment in Pasadena, California, into a global direct-to-consumer wellness platform, supported by a logistics network of climate-controlled and GMP and/or ISO-compliant facilities.
-- BERNAMA
In a statement, the company said the milestone comes as it serves well over 16 million customers across approximately 180 countries, reflecting growing consumer interest in proactive health and wellness.
The anniversary promotions will begin on Aug 19 ahead of the company's September anniversary, offering discounts of up to 30 per cent across more than 600 brands, alongside daily flash deals and other customer rewards.
iHerb Chief Executive Officer, Emun Zabihi said the company's 30-year milestone reflects the growth of its customers and team members, adding that it remains focused on improving the customer experience and investing in trust, access and convenience.
The platform's newly supported languages include European Spanish, European Portuguese, Georgian, Bosnian, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Armenian, Farsi, Hindi and Cantonese, bringing its total language offerings to 46.
iHerb said each language experience is localised to enable customers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to browse products and complete purchases in their preferred language.
Founded in 1996, iHerb has grown from selling its first supplement online from an apartment in Pasadena, California, into a global direct-to-consumer wellness platform, supported by a logistics network of climate-controlled and GMP and/or ISO-compliant facilities.
-- BERNAMA
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
AM BEST: RECORD REINSURANCE CAPITAL TESTS UNDERWRITING DISCIPLINE
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Global reinsurers are facing increased pressure on pricing as strong earnings since 2023 have driven capital to record levels, raising questions over whether underwriting discipline can be maintained amid growing competition, according to a new report by AM Best.
The Best’s Market Segment Report, titled “Global Reinsurance at an Inflection Point: Can Discipline Survive the Temptation of Record Capital?”, stated that the global non-life reinsurance segment continues to benefit from strong capitalisation, favourable earnings generation and supportive market conditions.
However, growing competition is putting pressure on reinsurance pricing, particularly in property lines. Unlike previous hard markets, capital has largely accumulated within existing organisations rather than through a wave of new entrants, giving reinsurers multiple opportunities to deploy capital.
According to the report, casualty reinsurance is also emerging as an important strategic concern, with some reinsurers pursuing growth opportunities supported by enhanced rates, while others remain cautious amid uncertainty surrounding social inflation, litigation funding, larger jury awards and adverse legal environments.
“Casualty exposures often develop over many years, meaning that decisions being made today may not be fully understood until well into the next decade,” said AM Best director, Dan Hofmeister in a statement.
AM Best expects the non-life reinsurance market to maintain favourable earnings profiles barring an outsized catastrophe event, but says the ability to preserve underwriting discipline and pricing integrity amid record capital will be critical to sustaining recent profitability.
The report also noted that reinsurance renewal trends intensified during the April and midyear renewals, with United States (US) property catastrophe placements, led by Florida, recording widely estimated reductions of 15 per cent to 20 per cent.
Meanwhile, US and Bermuda reinsurers have improved their combined ratios to the mid-80s to low-90s range under US generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) from an underwriting loss position in 2020.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also increasingly expected to become a differentiating factor for reinsurers that successfully integrate the technology, although limited and inconsistent data can constrain model effectiveness while increasing exposure to cyber and systemic risks.
-- BERNAMA
Monday, August 10, 2026
SPACE42, AUTONOMOUS A2Z SIGN US$7 MLN AGREEMENT FOR UAE LEVEL-4 MOBILITY
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- Space42, a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based artificial intelligence (AI)-powered SpaceTech company, and South Korea’s Autonomous A2Z (A2Z) have signed a US$7 million commercial agreement to deploy Level-4 autonomous mobility solutions in the UAE. (US$1=RM4.09)
In a statement, the company said this is the first commercial agreement under the two companies’ broader partnership and is a direct supply contract separate from the joint venture announced in 2025 to support the long-term commercialisation of intelligent mobility solutions in the UAE.
The agreement combines A2Z’s Level-4 autonomous driving technology with Space42’s AI, geospatial and connectivity capabilities. For A2Z, the agreement marks a step in its international expansion, while Space42 said it advances its efforts to enable safe and reliable driverless vehicle operations at scale.
Space42 chief executive officer (CEO) of Smart Solutions, Hasan Al Hosani said autonomous mobility is critical infrastructure for smart city development and that the UAE has created conditions for its integration into everyday transport.
Meanwhile, A2Z CEO, Han Ji-hyung said the agreement demonstrates that autonomous driving technology developed and validated in South Korea is ready for international deployment.
Pilot robo-shuttle services using A2Z’s ‘ROii’, along with other modified and retrofitted autonomous vehicles, will undergo operational testing and demand assessment. The companies expect the rollout to expand into demand-responsive transport (DRT) and tourism shuttle operations.
The project aligns with the UAE’s broader efforts to advance AI-enabled transportation and intelligent mobility under its National Smart Mobility Strategy.
Space42 said its mobility portfolio includes TXAI, an autonomous taxi service that has travelled more than 600,000 kilometres (km) across 20,000 trips with zero recorded accidents since operations began in 2021.
A2Z has conducted autonomous driving trials across 13 cities and provinces in South Korea and operates 91 permitted autonomous vehicles with over 1.02 million km of cumulative driving experience. Commercial execution of the agreement was led by Autonomous to Global (A2G), A2Z’s Singapore-based joint venture with Kilsa Global.
-- BERNAMA
In a statement, the company said this is the first commercial agreement under the two companies’ broader partnership and is a direct supply contract separate from the joint venture announced in 2025 to support the long-term commercialisation of intelligent mobility solutions in the UAE.
The agreement combines A2Z’s Level-4 autonomous driving technology with Space42’s AI, geospatial and connectivity capabilities. For A2Z, the agreement marks a step in its international expansion, while Space42 said it advances its efforts to enable safe and reliable driverless vehicle operations at scale.
Space42 chief executive officer (CEO) of Smart Solutions, Hasan Al Hosani said autonomous mobility is critical infrastructure for smart city development and that the UAE has created conditions for its integration into everyday transport.
Meanwhile, A2Z CEO, Han Ji-hyung said the agreement demonstrates that autonomous driving technology developed and validated in South Korea is ready for international deployment.
Pilot robo-shuttle services using A2Z’s ‘ROii’, along with other modified and retrofitted autonomous vehicles, will undergo operational testing and demand assessment. The companies expect the rollout to expand into demand-responsive transport (DRT) and tourism shuttle operations.
The project aligns with the UAE’s broader efforts to advance AI-enabled transportation and intelligent mobility under its National Smart Mobility Strategy.
Space42 said its mobility portfolio includes TXAI, an autonomous taxi service that has travelled more than 600,000 kilometres (km) across 20,000 trips with zero recorded accidents since operations began in 2021.
A2Z has conducted autonomous driving trials across 13 cities and provinces in South Korea and operates 91 permitted autonomous vehicles with over 1.02 million km of cumulative driving experience. Commercial execution of the agreement was led by Autonomous to Global (A2G), A2Z’s Singapore-based joint venture with Kilsa Global.
-- BERNAMA
Sunday, August 9, 2026
Mary Kay Reaffirms Global Women Empowerment Commitment
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Mary Kay China supports the Hope for Pearl Program, providing financial assistance to girls from economically disadvantaged areas to receive a life-changing education, opening doors to new possibilities and bright futures. (Photo Courtesy: Mary Kay China) |
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Mary Kay Inc has reaffirmed its commitment to enriching women’s lives worldwide through its signature Pink Changing Lives Program, a global initiative that combines purpose-driven giving with cause marketing to create meaningful and measurable impact across communities.
Mary Kay in a statement said since 1996, the programme has provided over US$230 million in monetary and product donations to nonprofit organisations that empower women, improve women’s health and safety, and protect natural resources. (US$1=RM4.08)
“Through Pink Changing Lives, every market, consumer, Independent Beauty Consultant and designated purchase has the power to uplift a woman, support a family, and strengthen a community.
“This programme reflects who we are at our core – a company committed to turning purpose into action and creating a world where every woman can thrive,” said Mary Kay Inc Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Allison Levy.
More than US$19 million has been channelled back into local communities through a portion of sales from designated products across participating markets.
According to Mary Kay, each purchase of a Pink Changing Lives-designated product directly contributes to charitable efforts, allowing consumers to participate in giving back through their everyday choices.
In China, Mary Kay beauty consultants help fund educational opportunities for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds through the Hope for Pearl Program, linking beauty experiences with life-changing access to education.
Its global outreach efforts in Germany include partnerships with organisations such as the Reiner Meutsch FLY & HELP Foundation, supporting education through the construction and renovation of 12 schools in underserved regions.
The company's partnership in Colombia with Fundación Colombianitos supports safe spaces for children, including the restoration of community facilities for after-school activities and youth development.
Present in 40 markets worldwide, Mary Kay ranked eighth among 5,500 brands on Forbes’ 2026 Best Brands for Social Impact list, improving from ninth place in 2025.
-- BERNAMA
Saturday, August 8, 2026
Toshiba Unveils Secure Microcontrollers For IoT Devices
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| Toshiba: TXZ+™ Family Entry-Class M4V Group for IoT and industrial system control applications. |
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (Toshiba) has announced the TXZ+ Family Entry-Class M4V Group, a new series of microcontrollers designed to enhance security and data management in Internet of Things (IoT) devices and industrial equipment.
In a statement, the company said engineering samples of the microcontrollers, which feature an Arm Cortex-M4 core with a floating-point unit (FPU), are now available.
The M4V Group incorporates a multilayered security architecture combining access control, memory protection and execution control functions to help safeguard systems against unauthorised access and program tampering.
Built for consumer and industrial equipment, the microcontrollers operate at frequencies of up to 80 megahertz (MHz) and integrate code flash memory, data flash memory and random access memory (RAM) to support secure storage of configuration and log data.
The devices also support over-the-air (OTA) updates and feature a serial memory interface for external flash memory, enabling efficient management of large-volume data and firmware in connected systems.
According to Toshiba, the microcontrollers include integrated peripherals for system control and brushless DC motor applications, while supporting a range of development tools, starter kits and software to facilitate product evaluation and application development.
The company said it will continue to expand its microcontroller portfolio and development resources to support secure and flexible system design for consumer and industrial applications.
-- BERNAMA
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