New funding and ad support aim to ease capital gaps for small wedding businesses
Updated
March 17, 2026 1:01 AM
Mannequins display white wedding dresses in a bridal shop window. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
The Knot Worldwide, a global wedding technology platform and vendor marketplace, has launched a new grant initiative aimed at small businesses in the wedding industry.
The company, which operates brands such as The Knot and WeddingWire, connects couples with wedding professionals and provides tools to help vendors grow. It says the new WeddingPro Grant Program is designed to address a persistent challenge in the sector: access to capital.
Under the program, up to US$500,000 will be distributed to U.S.-based wedding professionals who run small businesses. The support will come in the form of financial grants, advertising credits on WeddingPro and mentorship. Selected businesses will also receive access to education resources and community support through the company’s network.
The move comes at a time when many wedding businesses remain small and resource-constrained. According to the company’s State of the Vendor Report, more than half of wedding businesses employ fewer than ten people. Three in four professionals surveyed said adaptability is critical to long-term success, while flexible funding remains a barrier. The grant program is positioned as a response to that funding gap.
“Our mission at The Knot Worldwide is to help the nearly 900,000 small businesses on our global platforms get discovered through our centralized vendor marketplace as well as give them the tools and resources to grow their business,” said Raina Moskowitz, Chief Executive Officer, The Knot Worldwide. “We consistently hear from our wedding professionals that access to capital is a barrier to getting started in the industry. With our new WeddingPro Grant Program, we will provide access to both capital and critical support services such as mentorship and education that will enable small business owners to further grow and scale.”
The application window opens on February 23 and closes on March 27. Winners are expected to be notified by May 2026, subject to eligibility verification and compliance with the official rules.
The program is open to U.S. wedding professionals who operate small businesses, have been in business for at least six months, can demonstrate an active revenue stream and earn at least 50% of their revenue from weddings. Applicants must submit a short form and a video outlining their business and how they would use the grant funds over the next 12 to 24 months. They can choose whether they prefer a monetary grant or free advertising support on WeddingPro.
To execute the program, The Knot Worldwide has partnered with the Global Entrepreneurship Network, which works with entrepreneurs worldwide. The company says the initiative builds on earlier efforts to support vendors on its platform, which includes about 200,000 wedding professionals in the United States. Its impact will depend on how effectively the support reaches the businesses that need it most. The real measure will be whether it helps them achieve steady, sustainable growth.
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The US$50.8 million deal strengthens TECO’s push into modular infrastructure and faster data center deployment across Southeast Asia.
Updated
May 26, 2026 5:39 PM
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
TECO Electric & Machinery is expanding further into Southeast Asia’s AI data center infrastructure market through a new acquisition in Malaysia.
The Taiwan-based company has signed an agreement to acquire approximately 78 percent of Malaysian engineering firm Dynaciate Engineering in a deal valued at around MYR 200 million (US$50.8 million). According to TECO, the acquisition is aimed at strengthening its modular data center manufacturing capabilities and supporting its expansion across Southeast Asia’s data center infrastructure sector.
Under the agreement, Dynaciate will become TECO’s global manufacturing hub for modular data center and power equipment products. The company will also serve as an engineering hub supporting TECO’s regional expansion efforts, particularly in AI data center infrastructure projects.
TECO Chairman Morris Li said the integration between both companies has improved execution efficiency and increased the company’s in-house modular prefabrication capabilities. According to the company, the collaboration has reduced data center delivery timelines to as little as six months.
Dynaciate is headquartered in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Its facilities span approximately 36,000 square meters and include eight production buildings focused on stainless steel and carbon steel fabrication. The company said the site is also eligible for export tax incentives that support future global supply chain deployment.
According to TECO, Dynaciate has experience in engineering, steel fabrication and large-scale industrial projects for multinational corporations. The company added that Dynaciate has expanded into the data center engineering market since 2025 through projects involving international cloud service provider clients.
TECO estimates that after the acquisition, around 65 percent of future data center-related revenue will come from modular data centers and prefabricated products, while the remaining 35 percent will come from AI data center engineering projects. The company also forecasts that data center-related revenue within its Power & Energy Business Group will rise from below 10 percent to 30 percent this year.
Dynaciate CEO Ng Kim Thiea said the company is entering a new phase of growth through the partnership with TECO. He added that Dynaciate has extensive experience supporting engineering and industrial projects across the region.
The acquisition marks a further expansion of TECO’s presence in the AI data center infrastructure sector as companies continue increasing investments in modular infrastructure and regional engineering capacity.