Latest news with #MichaelFitzgerald
Web Release
3 days ago
- Business
- Web Release
Big Bower Wins Top Honour at Innovation Challenge 2025 with Biosphere Award Victory
Big Bower, the AI-powered platform transforming how consumer products are developed and manufactured, has been awarded the prestigious Biosphere Award at the Innovation Challenge 2025 Finale. The accolade, backed by UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man, recognises businesses making a measurable impact across sustainability, innovation, and community. Big Bower took the top prize for its mission to help product creators make smarter, more responsible decisions from the moment an idea is born. 'We built Big Bower to stop waste before it starts,' said Martin Kaprockyj, CEO and co-founder of Big Bower. 'This platform helps people launch real products, but in a way that cuts through greenwashing, overproduction, and unsustainable packaging. Winning the Biosphere Award tells us we're on the right track, and that this work matters.' At the live pitch finale, Big Bower demonstrated how its AI assistant, Bower AI, guides users to develop new supplement, food, or wellness products by suggesting ingredients, packaging, and manufacturing partners, all while flagging sustainability best practices. From biodegradable options that are actually composted to reducing unnecessary freight miles, the platform empowers entrepreneurs to build brands that align with planet-first values. 'This award is a huge moment for us, and for the Isle of Man,' added co-founder Michael Fitzgerald. 'We're proud to be part of a new generation of tech companies proving you can scale without sacrificing purpose.' The Big Bower platform has already helped new entrepreneurs across the UK create viable product concepts and connect with manufacturers offering low minimum order quantities and fast turnaround. The next phase of growth will focus on onboarding more product creators, expanding manufacturing partnerships, and scaling internationally. The company's win signals a broader shift towards smarter product development, where technology, transparency, and sustainability work together from day one.
South China Morning Post
26-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's MTR Corp raises US$3 billion from its largest bond issue
Hong Kong's MTR Corp has issued its largest public bond, raising US$3 billion from a three-tranche offering amid a hot credit market in Asia. Advertisement The railway operator's bond received a strong response from local and international institutional investors, who subscribed to US$13.4 billion in the book-building process, or 4.47 times the issue size. The pricing was tightened by 27 to 35 basis points from the initial price guidance. The five-year US$500 million tranche was priced at 4.375 per cent, the 10-year US$1 billion note at 4.875 per cent and the 30-year US$1.5 billion tranche at 5.25 per cent. The 30-year tranche was the largest US dollar note from a Hong Kong corporate issuer in more than two decades, MTR Corp said on Wednesday. 'The successful bond issuance highlights the confidence investors have in our operational capabilities and financial strength,' said Michael Fitzgerald, MTR Corp's finance director. The MTR's operation control centre in Tsing Yi. Photo: Elson Li The funds would support infrastructure development and asset replacement, he added. Advertisement The transaction set new benchmarks for issuers in Hong Kong and Asia, according to Rainy Lu, executive director of debt capital markets at UBS global banking. UBS was a joint global coordinator for the issue.
