GENEVA and PARIS, Sept. 17, 2021 /CNW/ — #WeToo, the world’s first global organisation to eradicate child abuse, launches today. It will bring together leading businesses and individuals to raise funds and awareness to help tackle the growing abuse of children worldwide.

UNICEF and the World Health Organisation estimate that every year 55 million children in Europe – and about a billion worldwide – are the victims of physical, sexual, or psychological abuse or neglect. That is more children than the population of Europe being abused globally.

While both governments and NGOs such as UNICEF have done much to tackle child abuse, the problem is still growing, made worse by the COVID pandemic. #WeToo aims to bring the private sector’s dynamism and resources into the work of ending child abuse.

It will do so in three ways:

Raise money: the fight against child abuse is under-funded. Individuals and leading businesses can help correct that.

Distribute effectively: it is not enough just to raise money; we also need to get it to those who can use it most effectively and quickly. The #WeToo expert committee will choose projects to fund worldwide according to impact and quality. All donations will be distributed, monitored and publicly reviewed every 6 months with interim reviews to ensure milestones are achieved on time by use of the latest blockchain technology from Concordium.

Campaign for action: we, too, can do our best raise awareness of not just the problem, but also the solution. The further up the public agenda child abuse goes, the more likely that society, including governments, is to act.The movement’s first event takes place on October 16, 2021, with a global DJ’ed yoga event hosted by Stewart Gilchrist and Friends, with sessions being held in the Himalayas, London, Paris, Bali, Copenhagen, Shanghai and New York.

“Children’s voices need to be prioritized and heard, not silenced. It is timely and appropriate that adults unite and commit to stopping child abuse, and I am so delighted that leading figures in the private sector have offered to help us solve this pressing and urgent global child abuse crisis. This is just what is needed to improve the outlook for our children,” said Hanna Dam-Stokholm, #WeToo’s founder.

#WeToo has already agreed to work alongside one of the world’s leading professional service providers Ernst & Young, Live Nation, the world’s leading live music promoter, and Concordium, the leading blockchain company.

The organisation’s campaign plan has been drawn up by the #WeToo Expert Committee, comprising some of the world’s best child protection experts, such as Dr Pierre Levy-Soussan, an expert at the French Tribunals and international child protection expert, and Dr Rasmus Kjeldahl, Director of the Danish children’s NGO “Børns Vilkår.”

#WeToo already has in place an exciting agenda of forthcoming events, campaigns, alliances and concerts, more details of which will be released at a later date.

About Hanna Dam-Stokholm

Senior expertise from the logistics sector and in launching and building luxury brands globally (A.P.Moller-Maersk, Estee Lauder, KAO…). Activist, determined to stop ignorance of child abuse and conjugal violence.

#WeToo contact:
Maribel Conti
Press Officer
maribelc@wetoo.info
+44 (0)7557 491860
6 Rue de la Rôtisserie, 1204 Genève, Switzerland
15 Rue Danielle Casanova, 75001 Paris, France

Partnership aims to enhance the Swvl customer experience and change the paradigm of mass transit on a global scale

Swvl continues to expand its platform and growth potential through compelling partnerships with industry leaders

ZUG, Switzerland and DUBAI, UAE – August 10, 2021 – Concordium, a leading blockchain technologies company, and Swvl, Inc. (“Swvl”), a Dubai-based provider of mass transit and shared mobility solutions, today announced a strategic partnership to, for the first time, use blockchain technologies to develop transformative next generation mass transit systems.

Swvl is a global tech start-up based in Dubai, with an implied, fully diluted equity value of approximately $1.5 billion, providing a semi-private alternative to public transportation for individuals who cannot afford or access private options. On July 28, 2021, Swvl announced entry into a definitive agreement for a business combination with Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital (“Queen’s Gambit”) (NASDAQ: GMBT), the first special purpose acquisition company led by women.

Swvl makes mobility safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly, while ensuring that it is accessible and affordable for everyone. Customers book rides on an easy-to-use app with varied payment options and access high-quality private buses and vans that operate according to fixed and semi-fixed routes, stations, times, and prices.

Concordium will provide a blockchain-based technology platform that aims to upgrade the mass transit travel experience for Swvl’s customers. The platform is intended to help solve the highly-complex logistical challenges inherent in mass transit, while advancing Swvl’s efforts at decarbonization and smart, green mobility.

Concordium’s platform is intended to, among other things, provide these key benefits:

Natural ebbs and flows in customers’ travel needs can be traced faster and more accurately, and fed into evolving travel routes through Swvl’s dynamic routing capabilities, making trips faster and cheaper.

The technology allows for the creation of interactive relationships between Swvl and its customers with enhanced driver monitoring and performance tracking, as well as increased efficiency and quality of service – making trips with Swvl even safer and more reliable.

Driver remuneration can also be better linked to performance, incentivizing drivers to provide the best possible service.

Lone Fonss Schroder, Concordium’s chief executive, said: “Mass transit systems are inherently flawed, with inefficiencies that create significant barriers and cause daily commuting to be a struggle. Combining Concordium’s differentiated blockchain technology with Swvl’s cutting-edge mobility platform provides a seamless commuting experience that will change mass transit on a global scale.”

Mostafa Kandil, Swvl Founder and CEO, said: “Swvl set out to create the mass transit system of the future, for the cities of the future. Our partnership with Concordium will improve the real-time capabilities of our offerings. We will be even better positioned to capitalize on fast-changing customer demands, resulting in quicker and more flexible commuting experiences.”

Contacts

Concordium Media
Lone Fonss Schroder
Concordium
+45 53 80 88 39

Swvl Media
Daniel Yunger
Kekst CNC
kekst-swvl@kekstcnc.com
917-574-8582

Swvl Investors
Youssef Salem
Swvl CFO
Investor.relations@swvl.com

About Concordium

Concordium is a Public and Sustainable Proof-of-Stake-blockchain with a unique Identity layer at the protocol level. Concordium differs from other participants by offering previously unseen guarantees of transparency, and regulation without compromising privacy by introducing built-in identity management at the protocol level and zero-knowledge proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with perfect privacy.

About Swvl

Swvl has built a parallel mass transit system offering intercity, intracity, B2B and B2G transportation in 10 megacities across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Following the closing of its business combination with Queen’s Gambit, which is expected to occur in the fourth calendar quarter of 2021, Swvl will become the first $1bn+ unicorn from the Middle East to list on Nasdaq and the only tech-enabled mass transit solutions company to list on any exchange.

The transaction is expected to accelerate its long-term growth strategy and expansion into 20 countries across five continents by 2025.

Additional Information

In connection with the business combination, Pivotal Holdings Corp (“Holdings”) intends to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form F-4, which will include a preliminary prospectus and preliminary proxy statement and, after the registration statement is declared effective, Queen’s Gambit will mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents relating to the business combination to its shareholders. This communication is not a substitute for the registration statement, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Queen’s Gambit will send to its shareholders in connection with the business combination.

INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES TO THE BUSINESS COMBINATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC free of charge at www.sec.gov. The definitive proxy statement/final prospectus (if and when available) will be mailed to shareholders of Queen’s Gambit as of a record date to be established for voting on the business combination. Shareholders of Queen’s Gambit will also be able to obtain copies of the proxy statement/prospectus without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital, 55 Hudson Yards, 44th Floor, New York, New York, 10001.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made herein are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future events, the proposed business combination between Swvl and Queen’s Gambit, the estimated or anticipated future results and benefits of the combined company following the business combination, including the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the business combination, future opportunities for the combined company and other statements that are not historical facts.

These statements are based on the current expectations of Swvl and/or Queen’s Gambit’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on, by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Swvl and Queen’s Gambit. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties regarding Swvl’s business and the business combination, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general economic, political and business conditions, including but not limited to the economic and operational disruptions and other effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the inability of the parties to consummate the business combination or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the business combination agreement; the number of redemption requests made by Queen’s Gambit’s shareholders in connection with the business combination; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties following the announcement of the business combination; the risk that the approval of the shareholders of Swvl or Queen’s Gambit for the potential transaction is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, including as a result of a delay in consummating the potential transaction or additional information that may later arise in connection with preparation of the registration statement on Form F-4 and proxy materials, or after the consummation of the business combination as a result of the limited time SPAC had to conduct due diligence; the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the business combination; the ability of the combined company to execute its growth strategy, manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; competition with other companies in the mobility industry; Swvl’s limited operating history and lack of experience as a public company; the lack of, or recent implementation of, certain policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including with respect to anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and cyber protection; the risk that Swvl is not able to execute its growth plan, which depends on rapid, international expansion; the risk that Swvl is unable to attract and retain consumers and qualified drivers and other high quality personnel; the risk that Swvl is unable to protect and enforce its intellectual property rights; the risk that Swvl is unable to determine rider demand to develop new offerings on its platform; the difficulty of obtaining required registrations, licenses, permits or approvals in jurisdictions in which Swvl currently operates or may in the future operate; the fact that Swvl currently operates in and intends to expand into jurisdictions that are, or have been, characterized by political instability, may have inadequate or limited regulatory and legal frameworks and may have limited, if any, treaties or other arrangements in place to protect foreign investment or involvement; the risk that Swvl’s drivers could be classified as employees, workers or quasi-employees in the jurisdictions they operate; the fact that Swvl has operations in countries known to experience high levels of corruption and is subject to territorial anti-corruption laws in these jurisdictions; the ability of Holdings to obtain or maintain the listing of its securities on a U.S. national securities exchange following the business combination; costs related to the business combination; and other risks that will be detailed from time to time in filings with the SEC. The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. There may be additional risks that Swvl presently does not know or that Swvl currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements provide Swvl’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. Swvl anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Swvl’s assessments and projections to change. However, while Swvl may elect to update these forward-looking statements in the future, Swvl specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Swvl’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

Participants in the Solicitation

Holdings, Swvl, Queen’s Gambit and their respective directors, executive officers, other members of management, and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of Queen’s Gambit’s shareholders in connection with the business combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names and interests in the business combination of the directors and officers of Holdings, Swvl and Queen’s Gambit in the registration statement on Form F-4 to be filed with the SEC by Holdings, which will include the proxy statement of Queen’s Gambit for the business combination. Information about Queen’s Gambit’s directors and executive officers is also available in Queen’s Gambit’s Annual Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and other relevant materials filed with the SEC.

No Offer or Solicitation

This news release is for informational purposes only and is not a “solicitation” as defined in Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This news release is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the business combination or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Zug – June 20 2021 – Concordium has today unveiled an ambitious, industry-leading partnership programme for global developers as part of its ongoing commitment to build a credible, trusted and sustainable blockchain industry.

The programme offers developers a chance to work alongside some of the most respected names in the blockchain industry and help release the full potential of blockchain and cryptocurrency technology.

Concordium’s platform offers access to a safe, transparent, regulatable and sustainable blockchain and cryptocurrency, marking the end of an era of anonymity and distrust that has undermined the development of the industry.

The Concordium platform differs from other industry participants by offering previously unseen guarantees of governance and transparency, without compromising privacy.

Users are identifiable and the provenance of every transaction is trackable, creating trust for users and meeting the needs of global regulators. At the same time, identities can be made available, but only if necessary

The Swiss-based company made its Mainnet debut in June, clearing the way for any developer or user to access the Concordium platform and – from today – start receiving financial support to work alongside the company in its mission to revolutionise the industry.

The newly-announced Concordium Free & Open Grants Programme offers developers up to USD20,000 for initial grants and USD75,000 for follow-up grants.

“We are not just a company, we are part of a community,” said Lone Fønss Schrøder, Concordium’s chief executive. “We know we can’t help this industry maximise its potential alone. That’s why we are supporting developers and asking them to join us.”

Developers will be able to work alongside members of Concordium’s Executive and Steering Committee, which includes some of the most respected names in the industry, such as ETH Zurich Prof.Ueli Maurer and Prof. Hans Gersbach, Dr. Torben Pedersen Concordium’s CTO and Father of the Pedersen Commitment, and Michael Jackson former Skype COO and Mangrove Capital Partner.

“This is a two way street,” said Torben Pryds Pedersen, Concordium’s CTO. “All good science is collaborative. As an open and decentralized project, Concordium’s vision is grounded in reciprocity and giving back to developers and the science community. First, we created the Concordium Blockchain Research Center in Aarhus, then we announced the DevX Initiative and now, with this grants programme, we will support and strengthen the science and development behind blockchain and technology in general.”

Concordium believes credible participants in the blockchain industry must be responsible for driving change and building trust in the technology.

“The need is urgent,” said Lone Fønss Schrøder. “Failure to act risks delaying the broader adoption of the technology and will prevent businesses and consumers from benefiting from the potential blockchain and cryptocurrency offers.”

Concordium focuses on the requirements of developers and companies, taking into account future regulatory rules and doing so sustainably solves the problems that have so far prevented the widespread use of blockchain technology.

Concordium was founded by a non-profit Swiss foundation and is backed by a select group of respected academics and industry veterans. From its birth in 2018, it has combined the development of its own blockchain and cryptocurrency with a desire to help redefine the values upon which the industry has been associated.

The company’s combination of cutting-edge technology and commitment to a global rules-based system has attracted the interest of investors. Earlier this year, it successfully raised over USD 41m from private and strategic sales, valuing the company at USD4.45bn.

The Concordium Free & Open Grants Programme process is open to any developer or technology project eager to contribute to the Concordium and/or Rustlang ecosystems.

Applicants can find a list of areas in the Concordium Technology Stack that demand particular development here. The application is open to any developer or technology project, if you are interested you can apply here.

Grants are tracked transparently on GitHub and disbursed in Euros, US Dollars, or CCD, Concordium’s cryptocurrency.

About Concordium
Concordium is a Public and Sustainable Proof-of-Stake-blockchain with a unique Identity layer at the protocol level. Concordium differs from other participants by offering previously unseen guarantees of transparency, and regulation without compromising privacy by introducing built-in identity management at the protocol level and zero-knowledge proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with perfect privacy.

Contact
Maria Rojas
Concordium
Communications
E: mar@concordium.com

ZUG, Switzerland, (June 23, 2021): Concordium AG is proud to announce that it has been accepted as a full member of the Japan Blockchain Association. It now becomes the first overseas blockchain platform to join the Association, which comprises over 120 domestic and international companies and organizations. The news comes only a week after Concordium launched the mainnet of its enterprise-grade blockchain, which features a unique built-in identity protocol.

The Japan Blockchain Association (JPA) was established in 2014 as the country’s first general incorporated association dedicated to the education and promotion of blockchain technology. From a small group of founding members, the JBA membership now includes international firms such as Microsoft and Deloitte, along with crypto-native companies such as Kraken and bitFlyer.

Concordium now joins them, becoming the first non-Japanese blockchain platform to do so.

“The Japanese vision for blockchain and cryptocurrency regulation fits very well Concordium’s regulatable, transparent, and sustainable blockchain, and we are proud to join the Japan Blockchain Association” said Lone Fønss Schrøder, Chief Executive Officer of Concordium.

In joining the JBA, Concordium aims to further its goal of building a stronger connection between blockchain technology and the real world. By participating in JBA activities and working together with other members, Concordium hopes to promote the adoption and development of blockchain technology in society.

Concordium welcomes the opportunity to expand its network into the Japanese blockchain community at an exciting time, having only just launched on mainnet in recent weeks. The launch comes after four successful testnet runs and means that Concordium is now onboarding enterprise developers to start building production-ready applications. The platform’s unique identity protocol uses a hybrid approach combining on-chain zero-knowledge proofs to assure privacy with off-chain real-world identity verifiers to ensure provenance.

To find out more, visit: https://concordium.com/
About Concordium

Concordium is a decentralized and sustainable public blockchain that solves the shortcomings of traditional blockchains through built-in user identification and Zero-Knowledge-Proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with securing private data. The technology supports encrypted payments, provides relevant authorities the ability to identify users, and allows the user to verify the identity of counterparties.

Based on science-based- and peer-reviewed protocols, Concordiums blockchain has a solid cryptographic focus, with protocols developed by academics from some of the world’s leading universities in this field together with Concordium’s research team. The project is led and advised by senior business executives from industries including banking, automotive, logistics, retail, energy, and telecommunications. It has also established partnerships with several esteemed scientific institutions, including the Concordium Blockchain Research center Aarhus, Aarhus University, ETH Zurich, and the Indian Institute of Science.
About the Japan Blockchain Association

The Japan Blockchain Association (JBA) aims to promote a healthy business environment and user protection system for blockchain technology and the cryptographic assets supported by it and to contribute to the development of the digital asset industry in Japan.

JBA activities include promoting interaction among members, detecting trends and taking up various topics through subcommittees and study groups, and sharing knowledge and information. The JBA also analyzes the factors and issues that hinder the development of innovation, organizes discussions, prepares voluntary guidelines, and compiles them as governmental proposals to serve as a platform for cooperation between the public and private sectors.

The JPA was established in 2014 and is Japan’s oldest general incorporated association dedicated to the education and promotion of blockchain technology.

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Zug – June the 9th 2021 – Concordium, the blockchain company, will for the first time offer the world access to a safe, transparent, regulatable and sustainable blockchain and cryptocurrency, marking the end of an era of anonymity and distrust that has undermined the development of the industry.

After three years of development, the Concordium Blockchain and its Cryptocurrency, the CCD, will make its Mainnet debut on June 9, a move that for the first time clears the way for any developer or user to access the Concordium platform.

The Concordium platform differs from other industry participants by offering previously unseen guarantees of governance and transparency, without compromising privacy.

Users are identifiable and the provenance of every transaction is trackable, creating trust for users and meeting the needs of global regulators. At the same time, identities can be made available, but only if necessary. “Privacy, but not anonymity” said Lone Fonss Schroder, Concordium’s chief executive.

The company said credible participants in the industry were being damaged by a subset of users that was undermining trust in the technology, delaying broader adoption and hindering businesses and consumers from benefiting from the potential blockchain and cryptocurrency offers.

“The time has come for the blockchain industry to respect the general rules of society. With the launch of Concordium Blockchain, the era of anonymity, opacity and lack of transparency has come to an end,” said Lars Seier Christensen, Concordium’s chairman.

This commitment to a set of modern values for the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry also applies to sustainability. Concordium uses 0.001 percent of the energy required for other leading cryptocurrencies currently available.

Concordium believes focusing on the requirements of developers and companies, taking into account future regulatory rules and doing so sustainably solves the problems that have so far prevented the widespread use of blockchain technology.

“This is the tool that global businesses have been waiting for,” said Ms Fonss Schroder. “This industry needs to realise that without trust and acceptance there is nothing.”

Concordium was founded by a non-profit Swiss foundation and is backed by a select group of respected academics and industry veterans. From its birth in 2018, it has combined the development of its own blockchain and cryptocurrency with a desire to help redefine the values upon which the industry has been associated.

“This is not just an image problem, it’s far more serious,” said Ms Fonss Schroder. “Global business is rules-based. The sooner the blockchain and crypto industry wakes up to the need to play by the rules the sooner the full potential of blockchain will be realised.”

The company’s combination of cutting-edge technology and commitment to a global rules-based system has attracted the interest of investors. Earlier this year, it successfully raised over USD 41m from private and strategic sales, and the most recent sales is valuing the company at USD 4.45bn.

Contacts
Maria Rojas
Concordium
PR Manager
P: +45-42958375
E: mar@concordium.com

About Concordium
Concordium is a layer 1, public and permissionless Proof-of-Stake-based Blockchain with a unique Identity layer at the protocol level. Concordium’s core features solve the shortcomings of classic blockchains by introducing built-in identity management at the protocol level and zero-knowledge proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with perfect privacy. Upon launch of its mainnet, Concordium will provide integrated high-quality user tools and extensive smart-contract layer features. This provides cutting-edge functionality and allows for programmable decentralized smart contracts capable of transferring value and information in a secure, scalable fashion, features that are particularly relevant to enterprise applications.

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Zug, Switzerland – April 2, 2020  

Concordium, next-generation blockchain for enterprises and the first with user ID verification built-in at the protocol level, has released its Public Testnet and an updated White Paper.

Concordium’s CEO, Lone Fønss Schrøder, says: “After many months of intensive scientific research and development, we are happy to announce that our first Public Testnet has gone live and that we have issued our updated White Paper.”

The main objective of Concordium Testnet is to identify any system and operational design imperfections by inviting participants to stress-test the network via various performance-based challenges. Participants will be able to bake new blocks on the chain and play a part in the novel finalization protocol. Besides, they can explore Concordium’s 1.0 web-based wallet, creating IDs, simulate transfers, and more.

Lone Fønss Schrøder adds:  “We are looking forward to experimenting together with our community on this Testnet in preparation for our Mainnet launch later this year”.

Concordium’s Chairman and Founder, Lars Seier Christensen, says: “I’m pleased by this crucial milestone achievement, not least that Concordium during the COVID-19 crisis has been able to work entirely online and decentralized. I am very passionate about Concordium – and it is more relevant than ever because the crisis will make governmental authorities, financial institutions, and society at large re-evaluate how our financial, logistics, provenance, production and most other business systems work and how blockchain can support and improve it in the future.”  

Media Contact
Maria Rojas // Concordium
PR Manager
P: +45 42958375
E: mar@concordium.com

About Concordium

Concordium is the next-generation, enterprise-focused, decentralized blockchain and the first with ID built-in at the protocol level.

Concordium’s core features solve the shortcomings of classic blockchains by introducing built-in identity management at the protocol level and zero-knowledge proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with perfect privacy. This is in addition to regulatory compliance for payments made on the blockchain.

Concordium will, in the Mainnet release, also provide integrated high-quality user tools and extensive smart-contract layer features coded in a proprietary programming language. This provides cutting-edge functionality and allows for programmable decentralized smart contracts capable of transferring value and information in a secure, scalable fashion, features that are particularly relevant to enterprise applications.

Concordium’s Mainnet release is due later in 2020.

Danish Industry Foundation awards grant to pursue blockchain education initiatives for C-suite executives.

Zug, Switzerland – December 20, 2019 - Concordium, the world’s leading open- source, permissionless and decentralized blockchain with built-in identity management at the protocol level, together with its partners, has received a grant of one million euros from the Danish Industry Foundation to develop an online blockchain education course geared toward C-suite executives.

Blockchain Academy Network will educate company leaders in the use of blockchain technology as part of a new two-year project. The purpose of the initiative, which is targeted at senior executives and IT and Digital managers in Denmark, is to give them an insight into the blockchain concept, not only from a technological viewpoint, but also from managerial and business-related perspectives. The partners behind the initiative are the Alexandra Instituttet, Concordium Blockchain Research Center Aarhus at Aarhus University, the Institute of Future Studies, the European Blockchain Center at the IT University in Copenhagen and Concordium.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO of Concordium, comments: “Blockchain technology opens up many possibilities for further democratizing market forces for the benefit of people and companies. It’s important to educate people about the possibilities of this technology and which factors are important when choosing a blockchain technology. As one of the world’s only blockchains, Concordium has built-in user ID, is poised to meet regulatory demands, is secure and fast, and is a ‘green’ blockchain in the sense that it doesn’t entail the irresponsible energy consumption that many other blockchains do. All these are important factors for people and companies wanting to reap the potential of blockchain technology.”

Part of the EUR 1 million (DKK 6.7 million) grant will support the creation of a globally accessible,
online course available through Concordium’s website. Concordium’s course aims to provide a general insight into blockchain. Modules will include what blockchain is, how companies can use blockchain successfully, how to evaluate different blockchain platforms, and how to approach, develop and implement use cases.

“We’d like to thank the Danish Industry Foundation for this significant seal of approval and look
forward to delivering high-quality blockchain modules informed by key industry insights,” Lone Fønss Schrøder concludes. Besides the many education activities on offer under the new project, a blockchain panel will be set up with the purpose of stimulating a shared, future-oriented dialog on how to strengthen the competitiveness of Danish businesses from a blockchain perspective.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO of Concordium, is available for interview.

About Concordium
Swiss-based Concordium is creating the world’s leading open-source, permissionless and decentralized blockchain with built-in identity management at the protocol level. Concordium enables regulatory compliance, allowing businesses to harness the power of blockchain technology.

Concordium’s protocol is deeply rooted in the latest scientific research in collaboration with the
Concordium Blockchain Research Center at Aarhus University, Denmark, and ETH Zürich, Switzerland. Among the protocol’s key features are sharding, formal verification, transactional privacy and smart contract flexibility, enabling the network to operate at unprecedented speed and security.

These advancements place Concordium at the threshold of a new paradigm shift, one that will
change the overall tenor of the space and leave older blockchains behind in the wake of a new
generation of projects for the future economy.

Concordium’s team has unmatched professional experience across multiple disciplines and
industries, with senior executive leadership hailing from some of the world’s leading organizations
and from the highest levels of government and systemically critical banks.

Media Contact
Alette Pramming // Concordium
Head of Communication
P: +45 53735750
E: ahp@concordium.com

The Swiss non-profit behind the Concordium Blockchain Network, announces the establishment of the Concordium Blockchain Research Center, in partnership with Aarhus University’s Department of Computer Science. The Center’s mission is to provide the foundational research to support the development of energy-efficient, scalable blockchains that are provably secure. The initial grant is 50 million DKK, or about 7.5 million USD, over a five-year period.

The first blockchains that followed Bitcoin were focused on trying to make their systems operational, rather than worrying about efficiency and security. This strategy made sense during the early exploratory phase of the blockchain space, but many early iterations were slow and insecure due to poor design. Often, these problems were built into the fabric of the blockchains and could not be fixed later.

The Concordium Blockchain Research Center’s goal is to build on decades’ worth of research to create new blockchain technologies. The center will focus on areas such as consensus protocol efficiency, sharding, and state-flattening, as well as new cryptographic techniques supporting privacy-preserving identification, KYC and AML, better zero-knowledge techniques, and formal verification of smart contracts.

“Aarhus University and the Concordium Blockchain Network have both developed special expertise in blockchain technology and the foundational theory behind it. Both parties wish to expand their knowledge in this area through research projects,” said Lars Seier Christensen, Chairman of the Concordium Foundation. “The knowledge generated by the Concordium Blockchain Research Center will be freely available to the public. For Concordium, the aim is to enable business entities to deploy a public blockchain safely, legally, and efficiently.”

“The foundation of the blockchain revolution has so far largely been built on sand. The next generation of blockchain will have to be built on science to ensure a solid foundation of the space,” said Professor Jesper Buus Nielsen, leader of the Concordium Blockchain Research Center. “At Aarhus University, we have several research groups that are world leading in the techniques that are needed to lay this foundation. They’ve gained this reputation through decades of curiosity-driven, foundational research. Our team is uniquely qualified to broadly attack the challenges standing in the way of a blockchain revolution. It would be almost criminal not to step up to the plate.”

“Denmark is at the forefront of digitalization providing companies and researchers a solid foundation for taking full advantage of the opportunities new technologies present,” said Anders Samuelsen, Denmark’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. “With an investment of this scale in the world-class computer science team at Aarhus University, Concordium brings together technological development with commercial opportunities to the future benefit of society. It confirms the attractiveness of Denmark as a premier destination for technology development.”

The Concordium Foundation has announced initial funding of approximately 10 million DKK (about 1.5 million USD) per year for the Concordium Blockchain Research Center for the first five years. In addition to its seven principal investigators, the center has hired four PhD students and four postdoctoral researchers for 2019.

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