DÜSSELDORF, Germany, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Henkel returns to CES® 2025 with a splash, with the official unveiling of its Smartwash™ Technology, an AI-driven, cartridge-based detergent dosing system that can power washing machines and dishwashers. The global consumer and industrial business leader spearheads this innovation with the launch of Persil® and Somat® Smartwash, targeting the European market as of 2025. Henkel's presence at the show also sets the stage for multiple industry partnership discussions with global appliance manufacturers and technology leaders, around the creation of the machine of the future.
Henkel's Smartwash Laundry Concept Machine
Persil and Somat Smartwash devices break ground for Henkel's autonomous sensing innovation, dispensing the right amount of detergent at the right times during multiple wash cycles, delivering optimal results in any machine, existing or new. Henkel's Smartwash laundry concept machine, showcased at the Venetian Expo, builds on the functionality of its smart devices, demonstrating the exponential possibilities for laundry and dish care.
"Our Smartwash concept leverages Henkel's chemical expertise, our understanding of our consumers, and our ability to innovate at pace with AI technology," says Frank Meyer, Corporate Senior Vice President and Head of R&D of Henkel Consumer Brands. "After years of internal development, now collaborating with industry partners is a pivotal moment. With Smartwash, together we will transform the laundry and dish care industry with elevated performance, more convenience, and a lower environmental impact."
Smartwash demos with appliance and tech leaders at CES have generated an appetite for partnership. Potential partners laud Henkel's ability to couple state of the art compacted disaggregated chemistry with an advanced algorithmic approach to dosing, to achieve unparalleled performance and efficiency. Excitement generated from meetings aligns with Henkel's intent to increase speed of development and marketability, bringing more value and impact to partners and customers, faster.
Research shows that consumers continue to seek better solutions to clean and care for their garments. Additionally, many consumers are unsure about which detergents to use (71%) and how much to dose (57%).1 Smartwash solves all these issues by selecting ideal washing configurations for each load, for less work and waste, and a new level of performance. Dorothee Boivin, Corporate Vice President of New Business and Homecare, expressed excitement around bringing a co-created product to market, "Laundry continues to be viewed as a household chore filled with pain points. With Smartwash and our partners, we will reinvent the user experience by setting a new standard of clean and care, while offering a more engaging and personalized solution for consumers."
Building on the successes from this week, Henkel aims to continue showcasing the Smartwash Technology at additional conferences and trade shows, including the American Cleaning Institute Annual Meeting & Industry Convention in Orlando, FL. Companies interested in learning more about partnering with Henkel can request additional information by emailing henkel-ces@henkel.com.
About Henkel
With its brands, innovations and technologies, Henkel holds leading market positions worldwide in the industrial and consumer businesses. The business unit Adhesive Technologies is the global leader in the market for adhesives, sealants and functional coatings. With Consumer Brands, the company holds leading positions especially in laundry & home care and hair in many markets and categories around the world. The company's three strongest brands are Loctite, Persil and Schwarzkopf. In fiscal 2023, Henkel reported sales of more than 21.5 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of around 2.6 billion euros. Henkel's preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. Sustainability has a long tradition at Henkel, and the company has a clear sustainability strategy with specific targets. Henkel was founded in 1876 and today employs a diverse team of about 48,000 people worldwide – united by a strong corporate culture, shared values and a common purpose: "Pioneers at heart for the good of generations." More information at www.henkel.com.
1 Source: Laundry Dairies 2023 (Global) & Insight Screener 2024 (Germany)
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Henkel's Smartwash™ Defines a New Era of Clean at CES® 2025
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SINGAPORE, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Visa, a world leader in digital payments today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trip.com Group, marking a strategic collaboration to power richer travel experiences for Asia Pacific consumers. The MoU will harness Visa's global payments network and Trip.com Group's extensive ecosystem, enabling travellers to discover personalised recommendations, access offers for dream destinations and transact seamlessly on their journeys.
Trip.com Group will also become a global Anchor Partner for Visa Destinations, a global experience-led program that connects cardholders to curated travel experiences shaped by culture and local insights, allowing travellers to plan journeys around what matters most.
As Anchor Partner, Trip.com Group will integrate Visa Destinations into its ecosystem to create enhanced travel value propositions and provide personalised offers and benefits to a wide spectrum of consumer segments. Visa and Trip.com Group will also collaborate on joint marketing and promotional initiatives in selected markets, enabling more people to discover dream destinations and experiences around the world.
In addition, Visa and Trip.com Group will explore deeper collaborations catered to rapidly growing segments across Asia Pacific, including new ways for Trip.com Group users to access Visa's affluent offerings such as its global portfolio of sports, music, and lifestyle partnerships, while giving Visa Infinite cardholders access to exclusive Trip.com Group offers. Visa and Trip.com Group will also work closely to accelerate travel between Mainland China and the rest of the region.
The collaboration between Visa and Trip.com Group coincides with Asia Pacific's evolving travel landscape, defined by resilient travel appetites and an increasingly digital-first population. According to Visa's Global Travel Intentions (GTI) 2026 study:
- Almost three in four (72%) survey respondents plan to travel within Asia in the coming months, with one in four intending to travel to Japan
- Digital payments are second nature to Asia Pacific travellers, with 73% of respondents bringing along credit cards or mobile wallets for their trips.
- 92% of respondents went online to plan and research travel recommendations for recent trips, with 49% using AI tools to find travel destinations or ideas
Danielle Jin, Chief Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific at Visa, said: "Travel is a major engine shaping Asia Pacific's cultures and economies. At Visa, we believe everyone can be the traveller they want to be. Our collaboration with Trip.com Group is built for what travellers want today, combining trusted global payments with unmatched travel discovery through our platforms. We look forward to a successful collaboration with Trip.com Group, working closely to deliver more curated, rewarding, and seamless travel experiences that connect people to what they are most passionate about."
Bo Sun, Chief Marketing Officer at Trip.com Group, said: "At Trip.com Group, our mission is to inspire discovery and deliver seamless journeys — constantly innovating to create the perfect trip every time. Through this strategic collaboration with Visa, we are advancing this mission in the Asia Pacific and beyond by integrating trusted payments capabilities, curated travel experiences, and expanded premium offerings across our one-stop travel ecosystem. Together, we are creating more than just convenience for the world's travellers — we are delivering a high-value travel proposition that transforms every spark of inspiration into an unforgettable experience."
About Visa
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group is on the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.
Follow us on: X , Facebook , LinkedIn , and YouTube.
SINGAPORE, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Visa, a world leader in digital payments today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trip.com Group, marking a strategic collaboration to power richer travel experiences for Asia Pacific consumers. The MoU will harness Visa's global payments network and Trip.com Group's extensive ecosystem, enabling travellers to discover personalised recommendations, access offers for dream destinations and transact seamlessly on their journeys.
Trip.com Group will also become a global Anchor Partner for Visa Destinations, a global experience-led program that connects cardholders to curated travel experiences shaped by culture and local insights, allowing travellers to plan journeys around what matters most.
As Anchor Partner, Trip.com Group will integrate Visa Destinations into its ecosystem to create enhanced travel value propositions and provide personalised offers and benefits to a wide spectrum of consumer segments. Visa and Trip.com Group will also collaborate on joint marketing and promotional initiatives in selected markets, enabling more people to discover dream destinations and experiences around the world.
In addition, Visa and Trip.com Group will explore deeper collaborations catered to rapidly growing segments across Asia Pacific, including new ways for Trip.com Group users to access Visa's affluent offerings such as its global portfolio of sports, music, and lifestyle partnerships, while giving Visa Infinite cardholders access to exclusive Trip.com Group offers. Visa and Trip.com Group will also work closely to accelerate travel between Mainland China and the rest of the region.
The collaboration between Visa and Trip.com Group coincides with Asia Pacific's evolving travel landscape, defined by resilient travel appetites and an increasingly digital-first population. According to Visa's Global Travel Intentions (GTI) 2026 study:
- Almost three in four (72%) survey respondents plan to travel within Asia in the coming months, with one in four intending to travel to Japan
- Digital payments are second nature to Asia Pacific travellers, with 73% of respondents bringing along credit cards or mobile wallets for their trips.
- 92% of respondents went online to plan and research travel recommendations for recent trips, with 49% using AI tools to find travel destinations or ideas
Danielle Jin, Chief Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific at Visa, said: "Travel is a major engine shaping Asia Pacific's cultures and economies. At Visa, we believe everyone can be the traveller they want to be. Our collaboration with Trip.com Group is built for what travellers want today, combining trusted global payments with unmatched travel discovery through our platforms. We look forward to a successful collaboration with Trip.com Group, working closely to deliver more curated, rewarding, and seamless travel experiences that connect people to what they are most passionate about."
Bo Sun, Chief Marketing Officer at Trip.com Group, said: "At Trip.com Group, our mission is to inspire discovery and deliver seamless journeys — constantly innovating to create the perfect trip every time. Through this strategic collaboration with Visa, we are advancing this mission in the Asia Pacific and beyond by integrating trusted payments capabilities, curated travel experiences, and expanded premium offerings across our one-stop travel ecosystem. Together, we are creating more than just convenience for the world's travellers — we are delivering a high-value travel proposition that transforms every spark of inspiration into an unforgettable experience."
About Visa
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group is on the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.
Follow us on: X , Facebook , LinkedIn , and YouTube.
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Visa and Trip.com Group Ink Strategic Collaboration, Enabling Consumers to Chase Their Passions Through Travel
