Latest news with #Create
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U Q1 Earnings Call: Unity Highlights AI Ad Platform Progress Amid Lower Revenue Outlook
Game engine maker Unity (NYSE:U) beat Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, but sales fell by 5.5% year on year to $435 million. On the other hand, next quarter's revenue guidance of $420 million was less impressive, coming in 1.9% below analysts' estimates. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.24 per share was significantly above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy U? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $435 million vs analyst estimates of $416.8 million (5.5% year-on-year decline, 4.4% beat) Adjusted EPS: $0.24 vs analyst estimates of $0.11 (significant beat) Revenue Guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $420 million at the midpoint, below analyst estimates of $428 million EBITDA guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $72.5 million at the midpoint, below analyst estimates of $79.05 million Market Capitalization: $10.33 billion Unity's first quarter performance reflected the early impact of its AI-driven advertising platform, Unity Vector, and strong adoption of Unity 6 in its Create segment. CEO Matthew Bromberg credited the company's 'accelerated rollout of Vector ahead of schedule,' which delivered a 15% to 20% increase in installs and in-app purchase value on iOS compared to previous models. Management pointed to double-digit subscription growth in Create, particularly from non-gaming industries, as another positive factor, and emphasized that transitioning away from low-margin professional services has improved the revenue mix. CFO Jarrod Yahes highlighted disciplined cost management—especially in general and administrative and sales and marketing expenses—as a key contributor to margin improvement. For the coming quarter, Unity's guidance reflects a cautious stance, shaped by a mix of internal transitions and ongoing industry challenges. Management noted that although Unity Vector has begun to yield higher advertiser returns, the financial benefits will take time to be fully visible as legacy ad products are phased out. Bromberg stated, 'Our confidence in the future of our Grow business has never been stronger,' but also cautioned that the company is 'being prudent about how we're guiding this business' given its early stage. Yahes explained that increased cloud costs from operating both legacy and new ad models will normalize in the second half, supporting better profitability. Management also acknowledged the broader macroeconomic environment but said gaming's resilience and the focus on performance-based advertising should buffer major impacts. Unity's leadership attributed Q1 results to rapid AI ad platform deployment, strong subscription momentum, and deliberate resource reallocation. Management also identified a multi-quarter transition period as a significant factor affecting near-term results. AI-powered ad platform rollout: The full migration of Unity's ad network to the new AI-driven Vector platform was completed ahead of schedule. Management reported that Vector delivered a 15% to 20% lift in installs and in-app purchase value for iOS advertisers compared to the legacy system. Initial Android results are tracking similarly. Shift toward high-margin subscriptions: The Create segment saw double-digit year-over-year subscription growth, offsetting declines in low-margin professional services. Subscription revenue now comprises nearly 80% of Create, with industry verticals outside gaming contributing meaningfully to growth. Resource reallocation to Vector: Unity aggressively shifted investment toward machine learning and cloud infrastructure to support Vector, while reducing costs in general and administrative and sales and marketing. R&D spending increased, but management expects these costs to normalize as legacy ad models are retired. Non-strategic revenue runoff: CFO Jarrod Yahes clarified that sequential declines in Create are primarily due to planned reductions in non-core revenue streams, which now account for under 2% of total revenue, providing a clearer focus on core growth areas. Platform expansion beyond gaming: Management highlighted new customers in healthcare, industrial training, and digital twins, citing consistent revenue growth from non-gaming verticals for nine consecutive quarters. These emerging use cases are now the fastest-growing part of Unity's subscription business. Unity's near-term outlook is shaped by ongoing migration to its AI ad platform, normalization of costs, and continued uptake of core subscription products. AI-driven ad business ramp: Management expects Unity Vector to drive long-term revenue growth as advertisers see higher returns and shift budgets to the platform. However, in the immediate term, overall Grow segment revenue is tempered by declines in legacy ad products as customer spending transitions to Vector. Normalization of cloud and R&D costs: With the completion of the Vector migration, Unity anticipates cloud and R&D expenses will decrease in the second half of the year, supporting margin improvement. CFO Jarrod Yahes noted that operating leverage from high gross margins should enable profitability as ad business scales. Industry diversification and new pricing: The company is seeing early success from expanding Create into new industry verticals and implementing price improvements. Management expects these trends, along with continued seat growth, to support double-digit subscription revenue growth through 2025. Looking ahead, the StockStory team will monitor (1) the pace at which advertisers increase spend on Unity Vector and whether it sustains its reported performance gains, (2) the impact of normalizing cloud and R&D costs on margins as legacy ad models are fully retired, and (3) the continued expansion and retention of non-gaming industry customers in the Create segment. Developments in product pricing and successful delivery of new platform features will also be critical for validating Unity's growth strategy. Unity currently trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 5.7×. Should you double down or take your chips? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. 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Zawya
11-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Create. partners with Dubai Economy & Tourism to launch AI-powered learning portal for entrepreneurs
Dubai, UAE – Create. has partnered with Dubai Economy & Tourism (DET) to create an innovative course portal designed to enhance the learning experience for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. This innovative platform integrates a dynamic website with a custom-built AI-powered learning system, marking a significant step in positioning Dubai as a global business hub under the D33 Vision. Recognising the need to equip new and aspiring entrepreneurs with essential business knowledge, the Dubai SME Hub was developed as an accessible, scalable, and cost-effective learning solution. The portal features AI-generated content that is designed, written, and presented by AI, ensuring high-quality, personalised learning experiences. DET challenged Create. to push the boundaries of AI-powered education, inspiring the team to develop a platform that redefines how knowledge is created and shared. This vision led to the development of an advanced AI-driven learning system that delivers intelligent, adaptive, and scalable educational experiences tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs. In just a short timeframe, Create. successfully delivered 70 lessons across seven subjects in both English and Arabic—amounting to 140 video modules plus online tutoring. To achieve this at scale, the team developed an end-to-end AI workflow that streamlined content creation while maintaining human oversight where it mattered most. The AI-driven workflow not only accelerated content production but also resulted in an estimated 10x savings in time and costs. The learning hub effectively serves as a personalised start-up incubator, providing aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools to navigate their business journey with confidence. Additionally, the platform also includes an AI Tutor, a conversational chatbot that is trained on the content so that users could get recommendations for what to study based on their needs or even ask questions at any time and get real, context-aware feedback along their learning journeys. 'At Create., we are leading AI-powered education for the region, reimagining how knowledge is created and delivered at scale. By developing all new AI workflows, we've enabled one-to-one business learning experiences without the heavy costs typically associated with launching traditional training programmes. This initiative represents the future of education; adaptive, scalable, and deeply impactful. We are truly proud to be at the forefront of this transformation.' Says Romain Colomer, Experience & Innovation Director at Create. Following the successful launch of the platform, the initiative has now entered Phase 2, which focuses on expanding course content, increasing learner engagement, and further refining AI-powered production processes to enhance efficiency and scalability. Check it here: About Create. Create. is the Middle East's leading strategic digital communications agency, with a team of 160+ across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, and part of the Code and Theory family of agencies under the Stagwell Global Network. They have also been named Campaign Middle East's Digital Agency of the year, for the third consecutive year. The agency partners with destination brands, nation builders and visionaries to drive positive cultural and economic transformation. The team is built to deliver digital strategy, products, content, and innovation through a culture focused on driving impact, with award-winning quality, at speed. For further information, please contact: talktous@ Discover more about Create:
Kyodo News
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
"pixiv" Arrives at "Animate Osaka/Kansai Expo Store" POP-UP Space from June 20th! Featuring Award-Winning Artwork Exhibitions and Sales of Art Books and Related Merchandise!
By Koji Uchida, Animate Times - 13 minutes ago - 14:33 | All The 6th POP-UP event, "Create, Connect, pixiv Exhibition", will be held from Friday, June 20th to Thursday, July 3rd at the "Animate Osaka/Kansai Expo Store" located on the first floor of the West Ringside Marketplace in the West Gate Zone of the 2025 World Exposition site in Osaka. This exhibition showcases the appeal of pixiv, which continues to evolve as the "hub of creative culture", and introduces various initiatives implemented both domestically and internationally. There's also an interactive corner where visitors can draw illustrations on wooden plaques (ema) and display them. Furthermore, the venue will offer pixiv-supervised art books from the "VISIONS" series, art collections from the "ARTISTS IN" series featuring globally active creators, and other pixiv-related merchandise for sale. Visitors who download the pixiv app will receive an original pixiv sticker on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to check that out as well. Stay tuned for more information about the POP-UP space and other updates on the "Animate Osaka/Kansai Expo Store" official website and social media channels. POP-UP Information Create, Connect, pixiv Exhibition [Duration] Friday, June 20, 2025 - Thursday, July 3, 2025 [Special Offer] Visitors who download the pixiv app will receive an original pixiv sticker (while supplies last). *On July 3rd (Thursday), the POP-UP space will close at 18:00. Product Information NYART BOOK 1,540 yen (tax included) Acrylic Keychains 900 yen each (tax included), 22 varieties Clear File Sets 1,200 yen each (tax included), 11 types (2 files per set) Acrylic Keychain（New tarou2 products） 990 yen (tax included) Smartphone Sticker（New tarou2 products） 600 yen (tax included) Photo-style Card（New tarou2 products） 600 yen (tax included) 25mm Can Badge（New tarou2 products） 550 yen (tax included) *Please note that content may be subject to change, postponement, or cancellation due to various circumstances. Store Information Animate Osaka/Kansai Expo Store (animate EXPO 2025 STORE) Duration : Sunday, April 13, 2025 - Monday, October 13, 2025 (Public Holiday) Location : Yumeshima, Osaka West Gate Zone, West Ringside Marketplace 1F Business Hours : 9:00 - 21:00 Related Links ■"Animate Osaka/Kansai Expo Store" Official Website ■"Animate Osaka/Kansai Expo Store" Official X (Twitter) ■"Animate" Official Website ■"Osaka/Kansai Expo" Official Website
Sharjah 24
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sharjah 24
UAEBbY launches 2025 creative writing competition
Annual initiative This annual competition is part of the "Read, Dream, Create" campaign, launched by the board in 2013 to strengthen the relationship between children and books, promote reading and literary creativity within the UAE community, and offer young creatives the opportunity to develop their abilities and enter the fields of literature and publishing. Unique opportunity Marwa Al-Aqroubi, Chairwoman of the UAE Board on Books for Young People, emphasized that the creative writing competition represents a unique opportunity for children and youth to develop their literary imagination and enhance their skills in expression and writing in Arabic. She noted that creative writing is not just a linguistic skill, but also a tool for developing critical thinking and boosting self-confidence. Supporting young creatives Al-Aqroubi explained that the competition aims not only to discover talents but also to refine and develop them by providing a platform for children and youth to showcase their literary creations. Some previous participants have turned their passion for writing into actual literary projects, demonstrating the positive impact of the competition. Inspiring new experiences The Chairwoman stressed that the "Read, Dream, Create" campaign aims to enhance the role of books in the lives of children and youth, inspiring them to explore new experiences in the world of literature. She invited all children and youth in the UAE to participate in the competition and seize this opportunity to unleash their imagination and literary skills. Submission details The submission period will remain open until July 31, 2025. Stories must be written in Arabic and be the original work of the author, with the option to include illustrations. Texts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format, along with the electronic form available on the "Read, Dream, Create" campaign website. Age categories and prizes Participants will be divided into three age categories: 6 to 9 years, 10 to 12 years, and 13 to 18 years. Each category winner will receive a cash prize of 3,000 AED, along with a collection of valuable books and a certificate of appreciation. Winning stories will also be published on the campaign's website. Impact of the competition Since its inception, the competition has successfully motivated hundreds of children and youth to develop their writing and language skills, encouraging them to continue reading and engaging in literary creativity, paving the way for some young creators to enter the publishing world and turn their texts into printed editions.
IOL News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Sanef and partners launch initiative to protect journalists and human rights defenders
Sanef, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and Amnesty International SA launched a new initiative to protect journalists and human rights defenders. Image: - Human rights organisations and the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) have launched a new initiative to protect journalists and human rights defenders from any form of threat and intimidation. Sanef, Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and Amnesty International SA, launched 'Create Project' to safeguard journalists and human rights from rising threats in the form of online abuse, physical intimidation, surveillance and harassment. The project, called Capacitating Resilience, Enhancing Accountability and Transforming the Environment (Create), aims to strengthen the protection of journalists and human rights defenders in Southern Africa. The organisations said journalists and human rights defenders in South Africa and the region are facing rising threats in the form of online abuse, physical intimidation, surveillance and harassment in the face of a global anti-rights movement. This comes as the organisations celebrated World Freedom Day on Saturday. May 3 acts as a reminder to the governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. The organisations said the initiative recognised that attacks on media freedom and civic activism were not isolated and that they are part of a broader pattern aimed at silencing truth and undermining the democratic space. The project is designed to push back against that. In March 2018, former EFF deputy president, Floyd Shivambu, who is now the umKhonto weSizwe (MK) party secretary general, was caught on camera intimidating a multimedia journalist Adrian de Kock outside parliament. In 2020, police in Swaziland raided the home of Zweli Martin Dlami, the editor of the Swaziland News, and arrested him for two articles he published about King Mswati III, lying about the political and economic situation and accusing him of promoting a cultural ceremony where women could be sexually abused. His laptops, cellphones, hard drives and other electronic devices were also seized. In April 2021, SABC Radio news journalist Phanuel Shuma was forced to lay a charge of intimidation with police after brothers Manqoba and Lucky Khoza, who were accused of murder and a prosecutor accused of taking a bribe, wanted him to derail their case, at his workplace in Pretoria. In 2022, human rights defenders Ayanda Ngila and Siyabonga Manqele were murdered and joined the growing list of activists who have been assassinated for their work, like environmental activist Mam'Fikile Ntshangase and whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who were killed for their role in advocating for the rights of marginalised communties and speaking out against corruption. The new initiative aims to build a safe, supportive, and responsive environment where journalists can do their work without fear, and where defenders of human rights can continue to raise their voices without being punished for it. Sanef executive director Reggy Moalusi said, 'This is a key training initiative, coming at the right time when journalists across southern Africa are increasingly being harassed and intimidated. We seek to see a better environment where journalists are better treated and are allowed to do their work without any fear of being hunted down by those who simply hate the work they do, and they are afraid of being exposed for all the wrongdoing.' At the core of the project is the development of a system where journalists can report threats and harassment safely and confidentially. These reports will not only help secure emergency support for those in immediate danger but will also contribute to a growing body of evidence that can be used to hold perpetrators accountable and influence legal and policy reforms. Amnesty International SA executive director Shenilla Mohamed said, 'This is an important project which underscores the work Amnesty International South Africa, along with other organisations, has been doing on human rights defenders. Journalists, like all human rights defenders, need to be protected. Attacks on journalists ultimately restrict the right to freedom of expression in the country and have the potential to limit the right of the public to access accurate information in the public interest. A vibrant and free press is a key building block of any society.' By collecting and analysing data on threats and trends, the CREATE project will help shape more informed responses from policymakers, media organizations, and human rights institutions. The aim is to close the gaps that currently allow perpetrators of harassment and violence to act without consequence. The organisations added that to protect press freedom, the broader environment must be safe for all defenders of rights and democracy. The project strengthens referral networks and access to information so that more defenders, not just those in major cities or established media, can get help when they need it most.
