/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S./

TORONTO, Aug. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Urbana Corporation ("Urbana" or the “Corporation”) (TSX and CSE: URB, URB.A) congratulates Blue Ocean Technologies, LLC (“Blue Ocean”) of New Jersey on its new strategic partnership with the Tokyo Stock Exchange (the “Strategic Partnership”). As part of the new partnership, the TSE is expected to make a 5% investment into Blue Ocean Technologies. The transaction is anticipated to close September 2023. Urbana’s ownership remains at approximately 35% of Blue Ocean.

Urbana is optimistic having the Tokyo Stock Exchange as a co-investor in Blue Ocean and believes that this new Strategic Partnership between the two organizations will accelerate Blue Ocean’s growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

The full text of Blue Ocean’s press release, on August 7, 2023, on this Strategic Partnership is below.

Blue Ocean is a unique capital markets fintech company empowering global investors by making trading possible during U.S. overnight trading hours through its proprietary trading platform.

For further information contact:

Elizabeth Naumovski
Investor Relations
(416) 595-9106 enaumovski@urbanacorp.com

Certain statements in this news release constitute “forward-looking” statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Urbana to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Unless required by applicable securities law, Urbana does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Blue Ocean Technologies & Tokyo Stock Exchange Announce Partnership & Strategic Investment

Blue Ocean ATS Gains Footprint into Japan

NEW YORK and TOKYO, Aug. 7, 2023 -- Blue Ocean Technologies, LLC (BOT), a unique capital markets fintech leader in global afterhours trading, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) announced today a strategic partnership expanding the trading customer base of both Blue Ocean ATS, the Blue Ocean trading platform, and TSE. As part of the new partnership, the TSE will make a 5% investment into Blue Ocean Technologies. The transaction is expected to close September 2023.

As part of the new strategic alliance, Blue Ocean Technologies will enter the Japanese trading market for the first time adding to its continued growth within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. TSE will provide BOT reliable, transparent, and efficient trading access in Japan by leveraging its expertise on Japanese market structure and regulation. TSE will also seek to provide Blue Ocean ATS' customers cross-border trading opportunities of Japanese equities.