SINGAPORE and ANAHEIM, USA – Media Outreach Newswire – 25 February 2025 – Allwin Medical Devices Inc. (“Allwin”), a leading manufacturer of a wide range of medical devices addressing women’s health (IVF), urology, gastroenterology and interventional radiology has partnered with Esco, a leading global provider of life sciences equipment that serves multiple global markets including the in vitro fertilization (IVF) market, via a strategic partnership. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Esco Lifesciences Group and Allwin Medical Deal Signing, 13 February 2025
Strategic Partnership Rationale
The IVF consumables portfolio of Allwin Medical will expand Esco’s IVF instrument portfolio, and the combined product portfolio will have a complementary balance between consumables and instruments.
IVF clinicians and embryologists who use either Allwin’s consumables or Esco’s time lapse or standard IVF incubators will have access to a more complete workflow solution.
The strong sales and operational presence of Allwin Medical in India will serve Esco well by providing the company with an established base and strong presence in the country, one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world.
Most significantly, the management and personnel of Allwin Medical have demonstrated exceptional talent, acumen, and expertise in the IVF consumables market. Their ongoing contributions to the advancement and success of Allwin Medical is highly valued.
XQ Lin, Chief Executive Officer of Esco, said, “Infertility is a problem that has social, psychological, and economic impacts to the afflicted individuals and couples. It has been estimated that 1 in 6 couples will struggle with infertility at least once in their lifetime. This transaction brings together two companies intent on accelerating innovation for our IVF customers and enabling dreams of couples around the world. Through Esco Medical, our IVF medical devices business unit, Esco Lifesciences Group provides comprehensive ART workflow solutions to IVF clinics, laboratories, and research centers worldwide. Our integrated portfolio, including Time-Lapse Incubators, IVF Workstations, and a witnessing and traceability system designed in Denmark and manufactured in Europe, streamlines processes and optimizes outcomes. With our majority stake, strategic investment in Allwin, we will be in a strong position to fulfill our companies’ missions of enabling our customers to make the world healthier, more equitable, and resilient.”
Dhiren Mehta, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Allwin Medical, noted, “Allwin’s mission since our inception has been to deliver high quality, innovative, and reliable product to laboratories in the IVF/ART and urology markets. We enable our customers to deliver better outcomes to patients globally. By partnering with Esco, we expect to be well-positioned to better serve our customers’ needs worldwide. With Allwin we All Win!”
Dr. Amit Kakar, Managing Partner and Head of Asia at Novo Holdings, and a member of Esco’s Board of Directors, added, “Novo Holdings has been a strong supporter of Esco since our investment in 2021. The strategic investment in Allwin provides a meaningful growth opportunity for Esco. We are confident that the partnership with the Allwin team and expansion of Esco’s presence in IVF consumables and India will serve both companies well.”
Advisors Forvis Mazars served as exclusive financial advisor to the Esco Lifesciences Group. IndusLaw and Finn Dixon & Herling LLP served as legal advisors to the Esco Lifesciences Group. Confluentia Advisors served as exclusive financial advisor to Allwin Medical. Khaitan & Co and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP served as legal advisors to Allwin Medical.
The Healthy with KidSTART initiative has expanded significantly, growing from supporting 120 families in 2020 to more than 3,100 families in 2024
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 February 2025 – On 22 February 2025, over 600 KidSTART parents and children gathered for a day of fun at the What’s for Lunch? A Farm Adventure food expo organised by Prudential Singapore (“Prudential’) and KidSTART Singapore (“KidSTART”). The event featured a series of activities and performances to promote healthy eating and was held at The Lawn @ The Foothills, Fort Canning Park.
(From left) Mr Joel Tan, Chief Executive Officer of KidSTART Singapore, KidSTART mother Ms Nur Farah, Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development, Ms Chan San San, Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Singapore, and KidSTART mother Ms Sangeetha D/O Jagathisa, join more than 600 parents and children at the What’s for Lunch? A Farm Adventure food expo, at The Lawn @ The Foothills, Fort Canning Park.
Joining the families was the event’s Guest-of-Honour, Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development, Ms Chan San San, CEO of Prudential Singapore, and Mr Joel Tan, CEO of KidSTART Singapore. Programme Presenters include the Health Promotion Board and National University Hospital.
The event also marked the fifth anniversary of Healthy with KidSTART, an early childhood nutrition programme launched in 2020. This initiative aims to help lower-income families with children aged six and below – a period critical for physical and cognitive development – adopt healthy eating habits. The programme, a collaboration between KidSTART and leading life and health insurer Prudential as the main sponsor, has grown significantly from supporting 120 families in 2020 to more than 3,100 families in 2024. It provides monthly fresh produce packs including vegetables and fruits, as well as resources on healthy eating from Prudential.
This longstanding partnership between KidSTART and Prudential has been a cornerstone in promoting early childhood nutrition and well-being for lower-income families. Prudential has gone beyond providing monthly fresh produce packs to actively engaging in community outreach efforts such as educational workshops, the provision of healthy plates¹ for children, and resource development such as live online cooking shows and recipe cards with tips on how to engage young children in the kitchen during meal preparation. Prudential² and KidSTART volunteers have clocked almost 20,000 volunteering hours since the inception of the programme packing and delivering the fresh produce packs at least three times a year.
Recognising the pivotal role of family meals in shaping lifelong nutrition, the What’s for Lunch? series was introduced in 2022. This series features interactive cooking workshops by celebrity chefs to equip parents with practical skills and confidence to prepare balanced meals, as well as tips on how to engage their children while cooking. This initiative aligns with Prudential’s goal to ensure lower-income families and children have access to healthy ingredients and the know-how to prepare budget-friendly and nutritious meals, enabling people to live well for longer.
At What’s for Lunch? A Farm Adventure, parents and children enjoyed an eventful day of child-related health and nutrition activities. This is the first event of such scale that has been arranged for KidSTART families by Prudential. The day’s itinerary included craft and stage activities for children, educational workshops such as a Weaning workshop titled “Solid Start: Nurturing Your Baby’s Love for Real Food” and a “How to: Affordable & Healthy Meals” talk by Programme Presenters National University Hospital (NUH) and Health Promotion Board (HPB) respectively, as well as live cooking demonstrations by celebrity chef Mel Dean.
Throughout the event, families were encouraged to participate in the various farm-themed games and activities where they could collect stamps and redeem a goodie bag containing a limited edition What’s for Lunch? 2025 recipe book, food pouches and a parent-child engagement activity booklet from HPB. The games and activities included Farmer’s Market Sweep, where attendees shopped for ingredients to prepare nutritious dishes, Palette to Plate, a colourful art-making activity using vegetable and fruit stamps, and Colourful Farm Sorting, a team game that helps parents understand the importance of incorporating a wide variety of coloured foods into their child’s diet.
Through this initiative, KidSTART and Prudential are not just addressing nutritional needs but also nurturing healthier, happier families for a brighter future. This shared mission reinforces the importance of ensuring every child gets a good start in life to enjoy a vibrant and healthy future.
Quotes
Ms Sun Xue Ling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development, said: “Today we celebrate the fifth-year anniversary of Healthy with KidSTART. When we first started this, it was still during the COVID-19 pandemic and we had to do everything mostly online. Over the last five years, so many things have happened. KidSTART, with the support of Prudential as the main sponsor, has produced fresh food produce packs and recipe cards, online cooking demonstration series which have helped lighten the load for busy parents and provided families valuable tips on child nutrition and practical meal preparation tips. It’s not just about eating. As you eat together, you will also form strong family bonds in the process.”
Ms Chan San San, CEO of Prudential Singapore, said: “We are pleased to celebrate the five-year milestone of the Healthy with KidSTART programme. At Prudential, we want to do our part to ensure children from lower-income families have access to healthier foods, and share with parents how to prepare affordable, nutritious meals. This will foster healthy eating habits from young and contribute towards a healthier future. We see this as a commitment to support our community’s well-being.”
Mr Joel Tan, CEO of KidSTART Singapore, said: “We are grateful for the support and partnership of valuable partners such as Prudential Singapore, who as the main sponsor, have been instrumental, in the growth and success of the Healthy with KidSTART programme, allowing more than 3,100 families to benefit from monthly fresh food produce packs each month. Good nutrition during the early years is essential to a child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Prudential’s steadfast commitment over the years also means that our families are able to rely on their continued support, which gives them greater peace of mind and allow them to focus more on their children’s other needs. The programme has helped to address nutritional gaps and support healthier communities, while also strengthening parent-child bonds. This milestone is especially meaningful as KidSTART marks its fifth anniversary this year, with an exciting lineup of events planned to commemorate this occasion. We look forward to continued meaningful collaborations to give every child a brighter and healthier future.”
Quote from Beneficiary 1 – Ms Cindy Too Xing Di Cindy is the mother of Ace Tong Wei Heng, who joined the KidSTART programme in February 2024.
Cindy Too, Healthy with KidSTART beneficiary, said:“We’ve always preferred home-cooked meals, and the fresh food produce packs from the Healthy with KidSTART programme have been such a great help. Using the fresh ingredients, we make soups and porridge for our son, who has just started on solids. It makes us happy to know that we have help to build healthy eating habits for our son from as early as possible.”
Quote from Beneficiary 2 – Ms Sangeetha D/O Jagathisan Sangeetha is the mother of Vihas Vedhan S/O Vasanthran, and Vihana D/O Vasanthran. They joined the KidSTART programme in December 2023.
Sangeetha D/O Jagathisa, Healthy with KidSTART beneficiary, said:“Before joining the Healthy with KidSTART programme, we were quite picky eaters and rarely bought vegetables for our meals. But with the fresh food packs, we didn’t want the vegetables to go to waste, so we started including them in our meals. It’s been such a positive change! Our 1.5-year-old son has become curious and willing to try different vegetables, and we’re so happy he’s not a fussy eater. I also learned about new vegetables I’d never seen before and picked up tips from relatives and online to cook them. These fresh food packs have really encouraged us to explore healthier meals together as a family.”
Quote from Beneficiary 3 – Ms Nur Farah Jannah Binte Abdul Karim Nur Farah is the mother of Arfa Ayaana Binte Muhammad Firdaus, Asfa Aryan Bin Muhammad Firdaus, and Ayla Amelia Binte Muhammad Aqil. They joined the KidSTART programme in March 2022.
Nur Farah, Healthy with KidSTART beneficiary, said:“With the fresh produce provided, we’ve been able to prepare healthy meals for the family, ensuring there’s food on the table. This was very helpful especially during tough times. As a mom who is currently breastfeeding, these nutritious ingredients have been essential in supporting my milk supply to feed my baby. It’s also a joy to see my children excitedly identify the ingredients in the pack and talk about them—it’s become a fun and educational experience for all of us.”
ANNEX
About Healthy with KidSTART
Healthy with KidSTART is an early childhood nutrition programme, launched in 2020 as a collaboration between KidSTART Singapore (“KidSTART”) and Prudential Singapore. The initiative is aimed at promoting healthy eating habits among children aged 0-6 years old, recognising that good nutrition during this stage is crucial to their development.
Through the programme, families receive monthly deliveries of fresh vegetables and fruits. They also gain access to recipe cards that teach them how to make healthy meals via simple and affordable recipes with the items they receive.
¹Healthy Plates were provided to families in the past, to encourage and educate parents on providing the right proportions of each food category in meals for their children.
²Prudential volunteers comprise Prudential employees, agency force, partners and friends and family.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 February 2025 – DFI Retail Group (“DFI”) today announced important leadership changes to strengthen its strategic capabilities and drive growth. Ella Chan has been appointed as Group Chief Strategy Officer, effective 1 April 2025. Ella brings over two decades of leadership experience in global strategy, transformation, and innovation within the retail and consumer sectors. In her new role, Ella will oversee Corporate Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions, Investor Relations, and Customer Insights.
DFI Retail Group appoints Ella Chan as Group Chief Strategy Officer, effective 1 April 2025
Ella’s extensive career includes impactful roles at Walmart across the US, China and Hong Kong, where she drove significant business growth and operational excellence. Her achievements include leading initiatives resulting in double-digit sales growth, pioneering digital innovations, and developing new retail formats tailored to evolving consumer needs.
Wee Lee Loh, DFI’s Group Chief Digital Officer, will expand his responsibilities to serve as Group Chief Digital and yuu Rewards Officer, overseeing yuu Rewards, Retail Analytics, and Retail Media. Wee Lee, who joined DFI in September 2023, has a strong background in digital transformation and e-commerce. His expanded role reflects the DFI’s commitment to leveraging data-driven insights and digital innovation to enhance customer engagement.
Scott Price, Group Chief Executive, DFI Retail Group said, “We are pleased to welcome Ella to our leadership team and to expand Wee Lee’s responsibilities. I’m confident their leadership will further strengthen our ability to respond to evolving customer needs, empower our people, and deliver sustained value for our shareholders as we continue driving growth and innovation across the business.”
These appointments underscore DFI Retail Group’s dedication to fostering talent, driving strategic growth, and delivering operational excellence in the rapidly evolving retail landscape.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 February 2025 – France has over 100 different apple varieties thanks to its unique climate and fertile soil. Recently, climate change has significantly impacted global agriculture, particularly affecting fruit cultivation. Following a challenging harvest in 2023, Europe’s apple production faces its second-lowest level of the century, primarily due to severe frost conditions in Eastern Europe, which results in a total yield of just 10.2 million tons—a decline of 1.3 million tons compared to the previous year. In contrast, France’s total apple production in 2024 remains relatively stable, at 1.4 million tons (figures finalized in November 2024). This reflects a slight decrease from 2023 but represents a stable crop compared to the three-year average, showcasing the resilience of French apple cultivation.
Interfel Malaysia Kombucha Workshop
The outlook for specific apple varieties varies widely. While the yield of some of the major French varieties such as Golden and Gala has increased —by 8% for Golden and 1% for Gala— other varieties, such as Granny Smith and Fuji, have declined by 26-30%. The production of club varieties and local selections has also decreased this year. For instance, Pink Lady, France’s third-largest variety, yielded 154,000 tons, indicating a 10% decline. Meanwhile, the crop of Jazz has decreased by 19%.
For more than 25 years, French apple growers have proactively embraced innovative and adaptive measures. They are implementing sustainable agricultural practices such as precision irrigation, soil management, and environmentally friendly pest control to ensure the healthy growth of the trees and enhance their resilience. These methods not only protect the environment but also secure a sustainable supply of high-quality apples. Each apple not only tastes delicious but also embodies this commitment.
To introduce the authenticity of its produce and its process of responsible farming, INTERFEL hosted a series of annual activities in Malaysia. The series of activities include French Apple Kombucha Workshop for influencers, consumer roadshow, and in-store samplings at major retail stores such as AEON, Lotus, Econsave, and Jaya Gorcer. The activities happened from December 2024 until March 2025 with great success.
With emphasis on sustainability, Interfel aims to expand their initiative by promoting diverse methods of consuming French Apples and supporting sustainability through various activities that offer versatile uses for French Apples, promoting health, and minimizing the environmental footprint—all while celebrating the varied culinary possibilities of this nutritious fruit.
These activities were a resounding success, drawing the participation of 20 local influencers in the French Apple Kombucha Workshop and reaching over thousands of consumers through in-store samplings. Consumers also enjoyed lively roadshow events featuring fun games and exciting prizes, making the experience both memorable and interactive. French apples are still in season and available at major Malaysian supermarkets until March 2025.
Today, almost 1,300 French apple growers are committed to producing high-quality apples that are both environmentally friendly and rich in taste. Want to discover more delicious recipes and updates about French apples? Follow us on social media @FruitVegFromFR for the latest news and event information, letting you get up close and personal with this delightful and healthy offering from France!
Aimed at businesses of any size and at any sustainability stage, the partnership service has already engaged nearly 50 global partners since its soft launch
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 February 2025 – The Mills Fabrica, a global collaborative hub propelling sustainability-focused innovations in the techstyle and agrifood sectors, today announces the launch of its partnership service, designed to help brands and organisations — of any size and at any sustainability stage — discover new opportunities for advancing environmental and social impact in their operations.
This initiative builds on The Mills Fabrica’s mission to catalyse industry-wide shifts towards sustainability by bridging the gap between sustainable innovations and leading brands and organisations, effectively creating opportunities for mutual growth. Brands and organisations can choose from a range of bespoke programmes such as Sustainability Discovery Day, Sustainability Workshops, Impact Campaign Experiences, Sustainability Innovation Scouting, and Impact Retail & Pop-Up Experiences to accelerate their sustainability journey and overcome industry-specific challenges. Since its soft launch eight months ago, The Mills Fabrica has already engaged nearly 50 global businesses, demonstrating a strong demand for the new service.
“Over the years, working with dozens of changemakers, one fact stands clear — the future of sustainability depends on a cross-sector collective effort, with entrepreneurs, industry veterans, manufacturers, investors, and consumers uniting behind one shared vision. With our proven track record in driving innovation and a deep understanding of our partners’ needs, it is only natural for The Mills Fabrica to launch this service. Through offering tailored programmes, we hope to unlock the full potential of collaboration by connecting brands and organisations with cutting-edge sustainability-focused innovation, specialist industry knowledge and our unique network of ecosystem partners. Together, we can drive planet-positive outcomes at scale, laying the groundwork for a regenerative future,” said Cintia Nunes, General Manager and Head of Asia, The Mills Fabrica.
The unique global innovation connector providing unparalleled access to extensive resources and bespoke programmes
The scale and urgency of the climate crisis underscores a crucial need to empower businesses to confidently navigate the innovation landscape and achieve purposeful, sustainable growth. Today, businesses face mounting pressure to adopt sustainability practices — not only to meet the demands of conscious consumers, but also to comply with new regulatory requirements and unlock operational efficiencies. Yet, significant barriers remain, including challenges in integrating sustainable-thinking, identifying new opportunities for advancing sustainability, sourcing sustainability-focused tech innovations and effectively quantifying impact.
This is where the new partnership service comes in. With a strong belief that the climate crisis demands global collaboration, The Mills Fabrica serves as a unique global innovation connector. In a world where brands and organisations play a critical role in the sustainability ecosystem, it acts as a crucial bridge that pulls together knowledge, resources and strategies to drive large-scale environmental and social impact.
Having partnered with 100+ global brands and 35 startups worldwide, The Mills Fabrica is in an ideal position to offer brands and organisations 360-degree access to an innovation ecosystem, encompassing access to market intelligence, technology integration, and retail data. It takes a highly tailored approach, collaborating closely with each brand and organisation to understand their unique challenges and co-creating bespoke programmes that drive measurable impact. Prominent players in the retail sector such as L’Oréal also engaged with The Mills Fabrica’s partnership service to advance their sustainability journey.
The bridge builders driving tangible, planet-positive outcomes for industry-wide sustainability progress
Sustainability is not a one-size-fits-all journey. Brands and organisations often struggle not just with implementing sustainability initiatives, but also with measuring and communicating the true environmental and social impact of their efforts in a meaningful way.
Whether integrating impact-thinking into their organisations or sourcing sustainability-focused innovations, businesses can leverage The Mills Fabrica’s measurement approach to quantify and communicate their progress. Utilising the nine planetary boundaries framework outlined by the Stockholm Resilience Center and IRIS+, its measurement approach instils confidence, ensuring sustainability efforts are not just in place but actively demonstrating real change.
One example of its programmes is The Mills Fabrica’s Impact Retail & Pop-Up Experiences, which allow partners to engage directly with consumers through its impact retail store Fabrica X. Here, they can test campaigns, gather vital consumer data and create retail showcases to reach and educate consumers. All campaigns are measured using its industry-recognised framework.
Fidelity International, a leading investment fund committed to sustainable development, partnered with Fabrica X on a biomaterial campaign to highlight the importance of sustainable consumer consumption. Through the impact retail store, it showcased innovative alternative materials to inspire consumers to adopt an eco-conscious lifestyle and showcased the groundbreaking work of material pioneers. The campaign received positive feedback from the public, with over half (66%) of surveyed participants agreeing that they should be more considerate about clothing materials.
Cintia continues, “At The Mills Fabrica, we are bringing together partners and innovators to create powerful collaborations that drive impactful sustainability progress. Recognising the diverse needs of brands and organisations in addressing sustainability challenges, we work with our partners to co-create programmes that are flexible, regardless of their sustainability stage or budget. We invite businesses from all sectors to join us in our mission and leverage this service to accelerate environmental and social impact through innovation.”
For more information on The Mills Fabrica’s new partnership service, please visit here.
Hashtag: #TheMillsFabrica
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
“Under the leadership of mana whenua, Protect Rotokākahi Incorporated has filed for interim enforcement orders in the Environment Court to immediately stop Rotorua Lakes Council’s construction of a sewage pipe through wāhi tapu by Lake Rotokākahi,” said spokesperson for court action Te Whatanui Leka Taumalolo Skipwith.
“Last night, over 100 police marched on our whenua and took control over this sacred area.”
“They forcefully and violently removed our protectors on site, and today they have allowed the council to start drilling where our ancestors are buried.”
“Many of our people were killed here by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. This is where our ancestors lie.”
“Our people have been shut out of this whole pipeline approval process, and now we are shut off our whenua while it is desecrated before our eyes. So, we are escalating to urgent legal action to immediately stop the drilling.”
“This builds on the Environment Court applications already filed last week. Rotorua Lakes Council never obtained the required resource consent for conducting earthworks around Lake Rotokākahi. We are asking the Environment Court for an urgent halt to the council’s works while the court considers this.”
“Our people are here to protect what is ours, and what is sacred. We deserve the chance to protect our wāhi tapu in court before it is too late.”
Mana whenua and their supporters are calling on people to join them on the whenua and bear witness as we show resistance throughout this desecration. The Protect Rotokākahi Instagram is urging a call-to-action for its supporters to “Show Up for a Shift” and hold the frontline as an expression of enduring peaceful protection.
“The fight is actually going to be done here on the whenua, at whawhai, at protections like Rotokākahi. Peaceful resistance is the way we are going to be able to have liberation. And the way we are going to be doing that is being able to stand together side by side,”
“And so that’s the reason why we’re here, we’ve always been here, we will never leave.”
Police are following strong lines of enquiry in the investigation into arsons at churches in Masterton on the morning of Saturday 22 February.
As part of our enquiries, we are seeking information about a green Ford Festiva which was seen leaving one of those fires.
Police are working to establish the movements of the vehicle in the early hours of Saturday morning when the arsons were reported, and the day or days beforehand.
The vehicle was located abandoned on Sunday 23 February on Mikimiki Road, Masterton.
A significant search was deployed into the area, however no occupants of the vehicle were located.
Anyone with information that could assist with the investigation, including sightings of this vehicle, is urged to contact Police via 105 online or the 105 phone reporting line, referencing file number 250222/1673.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
