| SeriousTraders Monthly February 2018 |
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This Month Includes: |
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ABcann Global (TSX.V: ABCN) (OTCQB: (ABCCF)
ABcann Medicinals, Inc. is a globally licensed, cost efficient producer of premium quality organic standardized medicinal cannabis. One of the earliest licensed Canadian medical marijuana producers under Canada's federally-controlled Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), ABcann has five years of operating experience in the burgeoning medical marijuana space. The company currently owns and operates a fully functioning 14,500 square foot facility in Napanee, Ontario. Additionally, ABcann owns 65 acres of real estate with proper zoning and existing infrastructure in place to support the construction of another production facility of up to one million square feet.
In a November 2016 report, market research firm Canaccord Genuity Group forecasted that the medical marijuana market in Canada could see sales in excess of $8 billion by 2024, creating a sizable opportunity for the country's licensed producers (LPs). The research firm also noted that the "rigorous process of becoming a licensed producer of cannabis in Canada imposes significant barriers to entry and there will be a shortfall of supply in a legalized market in the short-term." This market barrier serves as a strategic advantage for ABcann as it prepares for its highly-anticipated IPO, which is currently scheduled for April 2017.
Canaccord's synopsis of the Canadian cannabis industry is supported by recent market activity, as companies sporting one of the illustrious Canadian government licenses for medicinal production have recorded strong growth following IPO. Canopy Growth (OTC: TWMJ), one of the largest fully-licensed Canadian marijuana growers, saw share prices skyrocket by more than 700 percent in the months following its initial offering. Aphria Inc. (OTC: APHQF), another licensed grower, climbed by more than 900 percent following its IPO. Other companies that have recorded huge growth since going public include Aurora Cannabis (OTC: ACBFF), climbing nearly 900 percent, and SupremePharma (OTC: SPRWF), which soared more than 1,300 percent.
With these market trends in mind, ABcann's impending IPO is one that prospective investors in the marijuana sector will want to explore. Recalls from some of the biggest players in the Canadian cannabis industry have highlighted the considerable learning curve that LPs face in today's market, which makes ABcann's proven track record in the market all the more noteworthy. The company has built a reputation over the years for its best-in-class standardized approach to growing cannabis, including the thoughtful omission of pesticides and a computer monitored growing technique that allows ABcann to minimize the risks of variance in its yields and ensure the creation of consistently high-quality products.
This technique, which the company calls the ABcann Advantage, has helped it record a customer retention rate of 94.7 percent alongside 30 percent month-over-month customer growth. When combined with ABcann's current yield rate, which it has measured at roughly 100 percent greater than the industry average, the company has constructed a strong foundation upon which to build a sizable presence in the global cannabis industry. This global growth potential is illustrated by ABcann's partnership with Israel's Syqe Medical, producer of the world's first selective-dose pharmaceutical grade medicinal plant inhaler. After visiting the company's production facility, Perry Davidson, founder of Syqe Medical, noted that ABcann's production technologies put it "in a class with the best in the world" in its ability to produce standardized pharmaceutical grade cannabis.
ABcann's entry into the public sector is being guided by a seasoned management team, board of directors and advisory board that feature well over a century of combined industry experience. Ken Clement, the company' founder and executive chairman, has been the key component and driving force behind ABcann's development since its inception. His vision of standardized production and dosage sets ABcann apart in the medical cannabis sector. Clement is joined on the company's management team by CEO Aaron Keay. Keay brings more than a decade of capital markets experience to ABcann, having played a role in raising approximately $250 million for public and private market issuers.
Notably, ABcann also has access to the 'Father of Cannabis Research', Raphael Mechoulam, PhD, through its board of advisors. An organic chemist and professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mechoulam was the first scientist to isolate both cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and he has received more than 25 prestigious academic awards, including the Rothschild Prize in Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences in 2012.
With more than 65 acres of growth capacity, a healthy cash balance to fund upcoming construction efforts, steady sales growth, industry-leading yield rates and an established operations team in place, ABcann is well-positioned to compete in the rapidly-expanding Canadian medicinal cannabis industry. These factors, along with the company's ongoing global expansion into the European, Australian and Israeli markets, show why ABcann Medicinals' upcoming public offering fits the bill as "Canada's Next Medical Marijuana IPO."
AnalytixInsight Inc. (TSX.V: ALY)
(OTCQB: ATIXF)
AnalytixInsight (TSX.V: ALY) (OTCQB: ATIXF) is an artificial intelligence (AI) company that transforms data into knowledge. The company has developed a proprietary, machine-learning technology that algorithmically analyzes big data and distills it into actionable insights. AnalytixInsight has strategic initiatives in fintech, blockchain and workflow analytics, and its technology is scalable and extendable to virtually any data-driven industry such as sports, communications, healthcare, insurance or government.
The company's flagship product – CapitalCube.com – is a financial portal providing comprehensive company analysis including on-demand fundamental research, portfolio evaluation and screening tools on over 50,000 global equities and North American ETFs. CapitalCube's online portal is designed to empower investment ideas by providing in-depth analysis, peer-to-peer performance evaluations, accounting and earnings reports, dividend strength and AI-supported information about likely corporate actions such as dividend changes, share buybacks and acquisitions. AnalytixInsight provides a robust technology that is frequently rebalanced to maintain a desired risk profile, matching risk to ideal ETF exposure, with regular compliance reporting.
CapitalCube's freemium pricing model allows free access to basic financial information, with additional in-depth analysis and predictive analytics provided at a rate of $25 per month, and customized peer analysis for $300 per month. CapitalCube publishes 3,000 articles daily and has multi-language capabilities. Thomson Reuters and Africa Investor have recently been added to the growing network of content partnerships that already includes Euronext NV, Yahoo Finance and The Wall Street Journal.
Euclides Technologies is a subsidiary company focused on Field Service Management software solutions, led by a team with decades of experience in developing and implementing workforce management solutions for large global corporations. With worldwide customers representing over 100,000 field service personnel across multiple industries, Euclides Technologies has a deep understanding of the increasing amount of data generated within the industry, as well as the analytics solution offerings to transform that data into knowledge.
MarketWall is a Fintech subsidiary that develops integrated software solutions as part of an ecosystem of smart devices that includes PCs, tablets, smart phones, wearable mobile devices and Smart TV. AnalytixInsight Inc. has joint ownership in MarketWall together with Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy's largest retail bank which has over 4,000 branches and a market capitalization of $40 billion Euros. MarketWall is expected to deploy its real-time stock trading and mobile banking app to Intesa Sanpaolo's 12.6 million customers in six European countries during 2018. The mobile stock trading application will directly interface with Intesa Sanpaolo's established MarketHub trading platform. As a Samsung Global Partner, the MarketWall app is preloaded in mobile devices in certain areas in Europe.
AnalytixInsight is currently evaluating and pursuing Blockchain initiatives which are contiguous with its artificial intelligence platform, to use a distributed ledger technology to reduce transaction costs and settlement times for its users, partners, and subsidiaries. The Company believes these initiatives will enhance current revenues being received from existing multi-year agreements with its partners.
Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: (CHOOF)
Choom Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: CHOOF) (CSE: CHOO) channels the laid-back spirit of Hawaii to the Okanagan region of British Columbia with a generous nod to the inspirational, yet unofficial, history of the 1970s "Choom Gang," a group of buddies in Honolulu (including former President Barack Obama) who knew how to relax with "choom," the local's term for marijuana. Choom's trademark slogans pivot off another unconventional phrase ("Say Hello to…"), bringing a heady dose of good times and good friends together as the company invites investors to "Say Hello to Choom™" as it lights up the adult recreational cannabis market in Canada.
Choom™ has been an ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations) applicant since November 2013 in Vernon, B.C. The company's first application has received security clearance and is now in the detailed review stage. They also recently announced their second late-stage ACMPR application, which is in its confirmation of readiness stage. Cannabis Compliance Inc. has been retained to help expedite Choom's initial license applications to ensure the company's readiness for legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada mid-summer 2018.
True to the company's character, Choom™ is retrofitting two large facilities – No. 1 in Vernon, B.C., and No. 2 on Vancouver Island – to house its cannabis growing facilities. Phase 1 of the Vernon property will provide Choom™ with 6,800 square feet of growing space, capable of producing 660 kg/year of cannabis at an estimated revenue of $6.6 million, excluding oils. The company expects this facility to be completed by July 2018, the same month that Canada is expected to formally legalize recreational marijuana for adult use. A potential Phase 2, to be completed by the end of 2018, would add another 6,800 square feet for a total of 1,500 kg/year capacity, which would nearly double No. 1's revenue. A Level 9 vault is also planned with a storage capacity of 15,000 kg. While the No. 2 facility on Vancouver Island is smaller – 4,500 square feet – its retrofit is also slated to be completed by July 2018. Plans include doubling this space as well, which would add about $9 million in annual revenue, excluding cannabis oils.
Choom™ announced its retail dispensary strategy with the intention of establishing market leadership in reaching the Canadian cannabis consumer. The partner program is already in the retail space design stage as the company seeks to build a chain of branded retail cannabis dispensaries in jurisdictions in Canada where recreational cannabis is legal. Choom™ Stores will have a cool, modern layout and design created to emit an authentic "Aloha" vibe. Choom™ is all about producing high-grade cultivars and curating them for a bigger audience.
A savvy, experienced management team includes Chris Bogart, president and CEO; John Oh, R.P.I.C., Operations Manager; Robert Bayrack, Master Grower, S.P.I.C.; and Adrian Robinson, Strategic Advisor. Bogart has over two decades of international experience in capital markets and was a co-founder of InMed Pharmaceuticals and Magnum Uranium. He has structured complex equity financing transactions in the U.S., Europe and Canada. Bogart is joined on the Board of Directors by Kevin Pull, Stephen Tong and John Oh.
While the medical marijuana industry is expected to double by 2021 to 500,000 registered users, the true highlight of the recreational cannabis represents the key cultural shift set to launch in Canada. With an estimated $4.9B to $8.7B retail market coming, now is the right time for a Recreation Brand like Choom™ to be involved in this growing industry. Establishing and maintaining Choom™ premium brand loyalty is a key factor in the company's growth strategy. Get ready to "Say Hello" to opportunity, good times and good friends with Choom™.
Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (CSRH)
Consorteum Holdings, Inc. is a software development and mobile solutions company focused on the delivery of digital offerings to mobile devices. The company provides mobile offerings, delivery of mobile content, mobile payments solutions and products through a mix of direct offerings, partnerships, license agreements and joint venture arrangements. A multi-year transition from a transaction management company focused on transaction processing solutions and products for the payment processing and financial transaction markets to multiple business verticals deepens the company's commitment to deliver innovating solutions to end users who are using smart handset devices in radical new ways.
Consorteum Holdings, utilizing its Universal Mobile Interface™ ("UMI") solution, offers opportunities in numerous markets with its capacity to support fully regulated, regionally compliant financial and social transactions via web and mobile. The company's UMI technology has the capacity to provide solutions in FinTech, data analytics, secure payment processing, compliance lead transaction management and various digital social event sectors. The UMI platform allows cross operating system development to support all mobile devices while addressing the complex and highly regulated needs of the mobile FinTech industry.
Led by the development team at Consorteum's wholly owned subsidiary 359 Mobile Inc., the Company has created an end-to-end FinTech solution utilizing the company's UMI technology platform. Current mobile application and transaction solutions are plagued by poor experiences. Because UMI's technology platform is designed to work across innovative payment, experience and product solutions, 359 Mobile believes there are both direct and partnership opportunities for the 359 Mobile UMI solution.
Consorteum's primary sales and marketing strategy is focused on enabling and delivering solutions to the global mobile FinTech market with an emphasis initially on mobile gaming. The trend towards increased mobile gambling supports the need for a mobile platform such as the UMI to meet existing and new compliance regulations for the online gambling industry. The online gambling market is projected to double to nearly $1 trillion by 2021, according to a study by Juniper Research, with the majority of growth in this sector attributed to mobile devices. Consorteum's management team believes there are fresh opportunities in this sector such as Mobile Marketing Services providing one-to-one marketing experiences for consumers; offering real-time services to Mobile Sports Book operators; and providing fixed odds betting solutions as well as social-based transactional solutions.
Consorteum's management team includes Chairman and CEO Craig A. Fielding, a co-founder of the company with extensive experience in technology, programming and large system building; and Chief Operating Officer Patrick Shuster, who has over 25 years of business experience in sales, engineering, operations and marketing for the telecommunications industry. They are joined by John Osborne, SVP of Technology of ThreeFiftyNine Inc., an innovator in embedded systems hardware and software design; Patrick Doran, SVP of business development and marketing with over 30 years of diversified experience in major corporations as well as early stage companies; and Glenn Charlesworth, VP of Accounting, a seasoned executive with a solid track record in financial reporting, strategic planning, general management and operations, finance, start-up situations, and cash flow challenged operations.
Consorteum Holdings is committed to bridging the mobile divide by providing mobile connectivity, secure transactional processing and social connectivity solutions for both cloud and hosted based offerings in multiple business sectors.
Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST)
Earth Science Tech, Inc. is an innovative biotechnology company operating in the fields of hemp cannabinoid (CBD), nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and medical device research and development. Earth Science Tech offers the highest purity and quality, full-spectrum, high-grade hemp CBD (cannabidiol) oil on the market. Made using the supercritical CO2 liquid extraction process, the company's CBD oil is 100 percent natural and organic. Earth Science Tech has partnered with the University of Central Oklahoma and DV Biologics Laboratory to conduct research and development projects that scientifically support and advance the healthcare benefits of its high-grade hemp CBD oil.
Earth Science Tech Inc. currently has three wholly owned subsidiaries focused on developing its role as a world leader in the CBD space and expanding its work in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. These subsidiaries include:
- Earth Science Pharma, Inc., which is committed to development of low cost, noninvasive diagnostic tools, medical devices, testing processes and vaccines for sexually transmitted infections and/or diseases. Earth Science Pharmaceutical CEO and chief science officer Michel Aubé is leading the company's research and development efforts. The company's first medical device, MSN-2, is a home kit designed for the detection of STIs, such as chlamydia, from a self-obtained gynecological specimen. Earth Science Pharma is working to develop and bring to market medical devices and vaccines that meet the specific needs of women.
- Cannabis Therapeutics, Inc. ("CTI"), which is poised to take a leadership role in the development of new, leading-edge, cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. CTI is invested in research and development to explore and harness the medicinal power of cannabidiol. The company holds a provisional application patent for a CBD product that is focused on developing treatments for breast and ovarian cancers.
- KannaBidioiD ("KBD") provides a wide variety of products geared toward the recreational space of cannabis. KBD's unique Kanna and CBD formulation is sold and distributed in CBD-infused edibles and vapes/e-liquids products. Kanna and CBD synergistically enhance one another, providing optimal relaxation, an uplifting sensation, enhanced focus and the added benefit of assisting with nicotine reduction therapy.
Earth Science Tech celebrated a significant, developmental year during 2017 by sharing its achievements in a condensed end-of-year report. Among the report's highlights are the implementation of a development plan for the coming three years, which includes expanding into Canada and opening new manufacturing and shipping facilities. Of particular interest is the acquisition of Canna Inno Laboratories Inc., a company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which gives Earth Science Tech access to Canadian government grants offered to innovators in the pharmaceutical industry. ETST has also launched development of proprietary prophylactic therapies utilizing cannabidiol (CBD) to treat various forms of breast cancer.
In October 2017, ETST announced it is cooperating with the Clinique SIDA Amité (AIDS Friendship Clinic) for a mini-clinical trial, the last trial needed before the MSN-2 device, designed for the detection of STIs, enters molecular diagnostic trials. And in November 2017, the company began pre-launch human trials on a new CBD formula to fight against the U.S. opioid epidemic. The new formula, expected to decrease cravings and the negative effects of withdrawal in addicts, is based on industrial hemp CBD mixed with a known natural ingredient proven to help increase dopamine levels. ETST's medical devices will first be launched in Vietnam, Djibouti and Morocco while the company awaits regulatory permission to enter the North American market.
The company expects to up-list to the OTCQB in early 2018, which management believes will attract well-funded institutional investors and pave the way to becoming the next billion-dollar-in-capitalization company on the OTC markets. Other highlights include completion of the company's Scientific Advisory Council with a team of recognized scientists, the launching of several CBD-infused edible products and entry into the medical devices market through collaborative partnerships.
Earth Science Tech has signed a collaborate agreement with Laboratories BNK Canada, a private laboratory that will conduct the clinical studies necessary for MSN-2 medical device-related services to meet regulatory requirements. ETST has confirmed the MSN-2 device's ability to detect chlamydia, and is working to validate similar results for gonorrhea, both highly infectious diseases that often have permanent consequences for patients. ETST will also add testing for trichomoniasis and a complete body fluid panel to detect the different serotypes of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. These additions will help the company create sales opportunities in the global market for diagnostic testing of STDs that Transparency Market Research has indicated will grow to $108 billion by 2019.
Cannabis Therapeutics is in the development stage of two cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical drugs and three cannabinoid-based nutraceutical products targeting a variety of ailments such as anxiety, depression, triple negative breast cancer, and fatty liver disease, among others. Research into the benefits of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid molecules found in the cannabis plant is supported by ETST's International Application for Provisional Patent titled "Cannabidiol Compositions Including Mixtures and Uses Thereof," which was filed on October 8, 2015. Cannabis Thera's R&D efforts are concentrated on developing CBD-based drugs and nutraceutical products and in working to integrate the CBD molecule with existing generic drug molecules to create more efficient medications with fewer and less severe side effects. A report in Hemp Business Journal predicts the CBD consumer market will grow to $2.1 billion by 2020, while other industry experts expect an increase to almost $3 billion by 2021. A recent report by Statista projects the U.S. consumer market for cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals could reach $50 billion by the year 2029.
The management team at Earth Science Tech brings decades of invaluable experience to the nutraceutical, dietary supplement field as well as the life sciences sectors. Nickolas S. Tabraue, who serves as the president, director and chief operating officer, is an industry veteran with extensive knowledge of supplements, retail management, customer service and sales expertise. He is joined by CEO and CSO Dr. Michel Aubé, a microbiologist whose scientific research in sexually transmitted infections, cancer and stem cell biology has been widely published in several prestigious medical journals. Sergio Castillo, chief marketing officer, and Gabriel Aviles, chief sales officer, bring a wealth of marketing and sales experience to Earth Science Tech, which is complemented by Issa El-Cheikh, Ph.D., and his 25 years in the international finance, accounting, planning and execution of large scale transactions in the public and private sectors.
Earth Science Tech's products include CBD, a natural constituent of hemp oil derived from hemp stalk and seed. EST offers CBD in the form of vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, personal care products, homeopathies, functional foods and other products delivered in such forms as capsules, tablets, soft gels, chewables, liquids, creams, sprays, powders and whole herbs. Earth Science products can be found at retail stores throughout the United States and are available for purchase through the internet.
Epazz, Inc. (EPAZ)
Epazz, Inc. (OTC: EPAZ) is a leading provider of blockchain cryptocurrency mobile apps and cloud-based business software solutions that specializes in providing customized web applications to the corporate world, higher education institutions and the public sector. The company's strategic expansion into the investment fintech software space can be seen in the recent acquisition of the android app CryptoFolio, which securely tracks and manages Bitcoin and Altcoin portfolios. Epazz, Inc., which acquired the software rights, source code and user base of CryptoFolio, plans to add additional cryptocurrencies and languages to the app, along with an iOS version to attract more users.
Epazz also offers ZenaPay Bitcoin wallet, which has been downloaded more than 10,000 times since its launch on the Play Store. A subsidiary of Epazz, ZenaPay is a financial technology company that offers a unique, secure and reliable Bitcoin payment app, allowing consumers to acquire Bitcoin at the point-of-sale. The consumer can then use this digital currency to make a purchase with ease. The CryptoFolio business model provides free features to attract users and then allows users to purchase additional features from $1.99 to $5.99 each. CryptoFolio is a great add-on app for ZenaPay, and future versions of CryptoFolio will include an option to download ZenaPay.
"We are starting 2018 with ZenaPay on both major mobile apps' platforms," said Shaun Passley, PhD, CEO and founder of Epazz. "We are in the processing of developing new blockchain technology which will introduce an additional source of revenue streams for our company."
Epazz technology makes it easy to convert legacy systems into cloud business process software, for which the company then charges an annual subscription fee. Epazz has acquired 11 software companies that have converted or are in the process of converting their legacy software products to cloud software using Epazz technology. Epazz then markets the new cloud-based solutions to new and existing customers.
Epazz's unique BoxesOS™ applications can create virtual communities for enhanced communication, provide information and content for decision-making, and create a secure marketplace for any type of commerce. Epazz has also filed a provisional patent for its new blockchain smart legal contract technology that reduces fraud in business transactional contracts. The technology allows for a transactional contract to become a living contract that is tracked and traced; it also verifies that a section of terms within a contract are followed and that all parties of an agreement obey the terms of the contract.
"Blockchain-based technology is the future of the Internet," Passley said. "Epazz will add blockchain technology to all of our products in the coming months using our blockchain cloud platform, BoxesOS. The company has been working with customers to understand the best uses of blockchain, and we are excited about filing the first of many blockchain patents, with many more to come."
EVIO, Inc. (EVIO)
EVIO, Inc., via the EVIO Labs division, is the nation's leading provider of accredited analytical testing, scientific research and advisory services to the regulated cannabis industry. EVIO Labs provides state-mandated ancillary services that are required to ensure the safety and quality of the nation's cannabis supply. EVIO Labs has performed over 50,000 tests during the past two years and grown from one laboratory in Oregon to nine labs spanning California, Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts and Florida.
EVIO Labs is driving the cannabis testing industry by providing clients nationwide with consistent high-quality cannabis analytical services backed by quality control assurances. The company also provides advisory services that help cannabis producers and retailers enhance production processes, achieve regulatory compliance and meet quality goals.
EVIO Labs is on track to open 18 laboratories by the end of 2018 at locations around the United States. The Oregon-based company provides analytical services that include testing cannabis and industrial hemp flower, extracts and infused products. The labs specialize in performing the following tests:
- Cannabinoid analysis, which properly characterizes the many primary cannabinoids found in cannabis including THC, CBD, and several other cannabinoids.
- Terpene analysis, which identifies the aromatic compounds of the plant (terpene), which can help identify the therapeutic potential of a cannabis flower or extract.
- Moisture content and water activity, which measure the moisture levels of dried cannabis and are indicators of microbiological growth potential.
- Pesticide residue analysis of over 100 different pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, growth regulators and other agrochemicals that may be present on cannabis.
- Detection of harmful residual solvents left behind in the cannabis extract production process.
- Microbial testing screen for bacterial and fungal contamination in cannabis and cannabis-infused products.
- Detection of heavy metals including lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic.
EVIO Labs is rapidly becoming the nation's leading cannabis biotechnology company. Led by a management team with extensive experience in designing and rolling out successful business ventures, product research and development, regulatory and compliance protocols, medical cannabis cultivation, production and analytical chemistry techniques, EVIO Labs is prepared to take advantage of today's fastest growing industry.
First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC)
(OTCQB: FTSSF)
First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQB: FTSSF), with headquarters in Canada, is the largest land owner in the Cobalt Camp in Ontario with control of over 10,000 hectares (nearly 25,000 acres) of prospective land and 50 historic cobalt/silver mines. The company's assets include a mill and the only permitted cobalt extraction refinery in North America capable of producing battery material, providing an integrated solution for cobalt projects. First Cobalt began drilling in the historic Cobalt Camp in 2017 and seeks to build shareholder value through new discovery and growth opportunities.
First Cobalt's 2018 $C7 million drilling program, which includes testing different styles of mineralized areas throughout the Cobalt Camp in more than 10 past-producing mines known to contain cobalt, is a significant expansion over its 2017 exploration activities. The company received positive test drill results from the Bellellen mine location, with early results confirming the presence of high-grade cobalt and nickel, prompting First Cobalt to increase its drilling program at that site. A prospecting sampling program of existing muckpiles around the camp's historic mines, trenches, pits and surrounding bedrock could provide an early production scenario.
First Cobalt Corp. is moving quickly to leverage its potential against an economic background that estimates global consumption for refined cobalt is set to grow at an average rate of approximately 5 percent per annum for the next 10 years. The electric vehicle market, in particular, is driving this sector since more than 50 percent of the world's current production of cobalt is used in the manufacture of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The global lithium-ion battery market, as estimated by Zion Market Research, indicates the value at around USD $31 billion in 2016 and is expected to generate revenue of nearly USD $68 billion by end of 2022, growing at a compound annual growth rate of slightly above 17 percent.
First Cobalt is embracing innovation in the mining sector, utilizing a digital compilation of 100-plus years of mining and geological data spanning the historically prolific Cobalt Mining Camp's lifespan. First Cobalt's management team is also assessing the ability of artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery cycle. As a member of the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC) and Metal Earth Project, First Cobalt conducts regional geophysical surveys for geological interpretation of structures controlling cobalt-silver mineralization.
The company's clear pathway to production and cash flow generation includes being one of only four fully permitted cobalt extraction refineries in Canada with significant material and processing infrastructure on site. With the price of cobalt increasing significantly and its importance in the growing battery market underpinning a strong long-term demand forecast, First Cobalt Corp. and its mining interests are primed for success.
First Cobalt Corp. President and CEO Trent Mell, a mining executive and capital markets professional with extensive international transactional experience, is joined by a team of reputable and seasoned deal-makers, mine builders and mine operators with decades of global experience in exploration, business development, geoscience, engineering and finance.
Global Hemp Group, Inc. (CSE: GHG) (FRANKFURT: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF)
Global Hemp Group, Inc. (CSE: GHG) (FRANKFURT: GHG) (OTC: GBHPF), headquartered in British Columbia, Canada, is a publicly traded company founded in 2014. Global Hemp Group is focused on acquiring and developing a strategic portfolio of like-minded companies that believe in the significant potential of the industrial hemp plant. Global Hemp Group's focused on attracting joint venture partners across all sectors of the industrial hemp industries with the commitment to improve quality of life by researching, developing and distributing sustainable materials, products and services produced from hemp.
The company's mission is to build a strategic portfolio of hemp-based companies that operate synergistically to consistently deliver a solid ROI to its shareholders. Global Hemp Group has established the concept of Hemp Agro-Industrial Zone (HAIZ) (https://globalhempgroup.com/hempagro/) in order to build cooperative mechanisms across industrial sectors with a focus on different parts of the hemp plant. Under the HAIZ strategy, Global Hemp Group brings together capital, farmers and labor in an effort to build a "soil-to-shelf" portfolio of complimentary companies and joint venture partners in the global hemp industry.
Global Hemp Group has chosen to only work with suppliers of high quality, sustainable raw materials and finished products derived from the hemp plant. Among the leading industries utilizing industrial hemp's exceptional properties is the automotive sector, building materials market, bio-composites, energy-related markets, super-foods, nutritional supplements, nutraceuticals and the cannabinoid markets. Guided by the principal theme of "global environmental stewardship," Global Hemp Group focuses on the key concepts of sustainability and social responsibility in all its endeavors.
Global Hemp Group's joint venture with publicly traded Marijuana Company of America on hemp cultivation trials in 2017, designed to develop commercial hemp production on the Acadian peninsula of New Brunswick, Canada, for the first time in 20 years, was a great success. The partners are preparing for the upcoming changes in Canada's cannabis legislation that will permit cannabinoid extraction from industrial hemp. Farmers have already been recruited to plant a minimum of 125 acres of industrial hemp for the 2018 growing season, with the goal of increasing the acreage under cultivation to 1,000+ acres by year three of the joint project. Global Hemp Group is preparing an application for a processing license to extract cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids from the upcoming industrial hemp crop. Discussions are also underway with potential processing partners for the extraction of cannabinoids and straw processing for building materials for the upcoming harvest in October 2018, with a longer term plan to establish permanent processing facilities by October 2019.
Global Hemp Group is led by Charles Larsen as its president, CEO and chairman of the board. Larsen's more than 30 years of experience working in government, public, private and startup companies as an executive manager includes being the founding president of Medical Marijuana, Inc., the first public company in the Cannabis space. Larsen is also a founder and current director of Marijuana Company of America, Inc., and has been actively involved in the cannabis and hemp industry for nearly a decade. Larsen is joined by Curt Huber, who serves as CFO and director. Huber is an independent corporate and financial consultant with more than 25 years of experience in all facets of public companies among many different sectors including mining, oil and gas, and technology.
Also joining the management team as director is Dr. Paul T. Perrault, an agricultural economist trained in cooperative development and in rural development. Perrault's experience includes years of consulting on rural development projects introducing new crops in several developing countries and strengthening agricultural research organizations, principally in Africa. Jeff Kilpatrick also serves as a director and is currently a program supervisor of Alachua County Department of Court Services in Gainesville, Florida. Kilpatrick, who spent 21 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, is a member of LEAP – Law Enforcement Against Prohibition – and is president elect for the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (NAPSA).
Global Hemp Group's business philosophy is "A healthier future through sustainable business strategies."
Global Payout, Inc. (GOHE)
Global Payout, Inc. (GOHE) provides comprehensive payment solutions that can be fully customized for virtually any domestic and international organization distributing money worldwide. The company is committed to enabling global access to technology for optimizing financial transactions and delivering a global financial eco-system with top-tier banking institutions and the highest level financial technology partnerships.
Today, more than ever before, commercial enterprises and government institutions need powerful financial technology solutions that have the flexibility to deliver innovative customer centric services and drive operational efficiency gains throughout the organization. The Global Reserve Platform is Global Payout's fully configurable "banking-in-a-box" web-based platform that can fulfill the front-to-back office processing requirements of domestic, foreign exchange and international payment service providers. This platform is designed to improve work flow, operational efficiencies, and global financial management for enterprises operating across the globe.
The Global Reserve Platform can manage practically any financial product, including core and traditional banking products, online banking, card management, mobile wallets, merchant payment processing, biometric payments and authentication management, bill payments and P2P payments, international remittances, government benefits management, loans management, FOREX, and SWIFT / ACH / SEPA payments. Powered by the Global Reserve Administrative module, the platform can be customized for enterprises across a multitude of business sectors.
Investment in financial technology (FINTECH) companies has grown dramatically in recent years with the role of today's banks shrinking and demand for improved financial solutions continuing to rise. As the industry has continued to expand rapidly, Global Payout's management team has directed its focus on identifying the most promising market sectors with FINTECH needs. The four core areas selected are logistics, small and medium enterprises (SME), banking and travel.
In 2015, Global Payout introduced MoneyTrac Technology Inc. as a majority owned subsidiary to more effectively focus on the development of financial technologies that specifically address many of the challenges that enterprises in a variety of alternative and "high-risk" market sectors are faced with in processing financial transactions. Powered by Virtu Network Solutions, the MoneyTrac Technology platform is one the most configurable and intuitive financial technology platforms available to alternative and "high-risk" enterprises and provides them with solutions that effectively manages everything from pin debit and virtual currency, to compliance and cash flow logistics.
With the global economy constantly becoming more diversified and connected, Global Payout is well positioned with the technology software solutions its team has developed to address many different needs worldwide. Management has committed itself to exploring and identifying every avenue possible for further establishing itself as a recognized leader in FINTECH solutions.
Hiku Brands Co. Ltd. (CSE: HIKU)
(OTC: DJACF)
Headquartered in British Columbia's picturesque Okanagan Valley, Hiku Brands Co. Ltd. (CSE: HIKU) (OTC: DJACF) is a premium cannabis lifestyle brand growing high-quality handcrafted cannabis flower. Hiku's wholly owned subsidiary is a licensed producer of cannabis under the ACMPR that has requested its Pre-Sales License Inspection, the last step prior to receiving a license to sell cannabis under the ACMPR. Hiku's Dominion Facility is a state-of-the-art ACMPR licensed production facility capable of producing approximately 660 kg year of dried cannabis flower. Hiku's second facility, a 22,580 sq ft warehouse, "the FUTURE LAB", is targeting its Phase 1 completion by Q2 2018 and once the facility is fully built-out utilizing an industry leading multi-tier system powered by LED lighting provided by Fluence BioEngineering, Hiku's annual production capacity is expected to be in excess of 5,000 kgs. Hiku was founded by the proven entrepreneurial team that started SAXX Underwear®.
On December 21, 2017, Hiku and TS Brandco Holdings Inc. ("Tokyo Smoke") announced that they have entered into a binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") to merger the two companies and create a uniquely positioned cannabis company combining a best-in-class craft cannabis producer with an award-winning lifestyle brand and retail-focused cannabis company. It is anticipated that the combined company resulting from the merger will use the name "Hiku Brands Company Ltd." ("Hiku") to refer to the brand house containing premium cannabis brands DOJA, Tokyo Smoke, and Van der Pop.
Hiku recently closed on a $10 million strategic equity investment from Aphria Inc. ("Aphria") (TSX:APH and US OTC: APHQF) to expand their product offering ahead of the recreational market.
Upon completion of the merger, Hiku will have a robust cash position of approximately $31 million, which it plans to invest in expanding its cannabis production capacity, growing its retail footprint, and adding select brands to its portfolio through highly strategic and complementary acquisitions.
About Tokyo Smoke
Founded in 2015 by Alan and Lorne Gertner, Tokyo Smoke is an award-winning cannabis lifestyle brand that brings sophistication and design to the fast-growing industry. With immersive experiences and design-first, non-dispensary retail spaces selling coffee, cannabis accessories and design products, the brand has six locations in Canada, with plans to expand nationwide. Recently named "Brand of the Year" at the Canadian Cannabis Awards, Tokyo Smoke has showcased excellence in brand storytelling, and has developed an international reputation as the go-to destination for engaging content offerings within the industry. With the acquisition of fellow designer cannabis brand Van der Pop, and by partnering with Aphria Inc. (TSX: APH and US OTC: APHQF) and WeedMD (TSXV: WMD), Tokyo Smoke continues to be the leading Canadian brand in the cannabis space.
About Hiku
Hiku is focused on handcrafted cannabis production, immersive retail experiences, and building a portfolio of iconic, engaging cannabis lifestyle brands. Hiku is differentiated as the only Canadian craft cannabis producer with a significant national retail footprint and a growing brand house including premium cannabis lifestyle brands DOJA, Tokyo Smoke, and Van der Pop.
Hiku's wholly owned subsidiary, DOJA Cannabis Ltd., is a federally licensed producer pursuant to the ACMPR, owning two production facilities in the heart of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. The company operates a network of retail stores selling coffee, clothing and curated accessories, across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
IEG Holdings Corp. (IEGH)
IEG Holdings Corp. (OTCQB: IEGH) is a publicly traded, global leader in consumer finance providing small-sized online personal loans in the United States via a state-licensed operating subsidiary, Investment Evolution Corporation, under the consumer brand "Mr. Amazing Loans." Based in Las Vegas, the company originates consumer loans in 20 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin via its online platform and distribution network. IEGH is a licensed direct lender with state licenses and/or certificates of authority to lend in each state and offers all loans within the prevailing statutory rates.
Mr. Amazing Loans is a leading FinTech company specializing in dedicated loan amounts of $5,000 to $10,000 offered directly to consumers through an easy-to-use website known for its professional interaction with applicants. All loans are originated, processed and serviced out of the company's Las Vegas corporate offices, eliminating the need for physical locations in each state where IEGH is licensed to conduct business. The company's loans are unsecured consumer loans that mature in five years at interest rates significantly less than those of payday lenders. Consumers are able to receive same-day processing and are assured of no hidden or additional fees, no prepayment penalty, with repayment and interest rates fixed at 29.9% or less Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for the life of the loan.
The Center for Responsible Lending states the typical payday loan has rates ranging from 391% to 521% APR on loans that typically range from $100 to $1,000. Conversely, Mr. Amazing Loans's terms are designed with low fixed repayments to fit into consumer budgets with the added goal of helping clients reach a stronger financial position. Loan funds are deposited directly into an approved consumer's checking account and may be approved the same day after necessary application documentation is received.
IEG Holdings has also incorporated Investment Evolution Crypto, LLC., a 100 percent owned subsidiary, and tasked the new company with exploring business opportunities in the cryptocurrency/blockchain industry. Specifically, the subsidiary company will explore the legalities and economic risks of entering into a joint venture with IEGH's other 100 percent owned subsidiary company, Investment Evolution Corporation dba Mr. Amazing Loans. Among the questions to be answered during this development planning stage are whether Mr. Amazing Loans should accept repayment of customer loans in the form of leading crypto/blockchain currencies such as Bitcoin, provide the equivalent of USD $5,000 and $10,000 loans to consumers in cryptocurrencies, and potentially create and issue an Investment Evolution cryptocurrency.
Paul Mathieson, IEG Holdings' chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has over 19 years of finance industry experience in lending, funds management, stock market research and investment banking. He has been a member of the board of directors at IEGH since 2012 and of its subsidiary since 2009. Mathieson founded IEG Holdings Limited in Sydney, Australia, launching the Amazing Loans business in that country in 2005 and then in the United States via IEGC in 2010. He was awarded Ernst & Young's 2007 Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Eastern Region). Mathieson is joined by Carla Cholewinski, who serves as chief operating officer with over 37 years of experience in the finance industry including banking, credit union management, regulatory oversight, debt securitization and underwriting.
Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP)
Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) has developed and out-licenses its proprietary technology for improved taste, rapidity, and delivery of bioactive compounds, including cannabinoids. Though boasting a wide range of health benefits, cannabinoids are traditionally poorly absorbed by the body's gastrointestinal tract. To achieve higher effectiveness, consumers usually default to smoking. Lexaria provides a superior administration method by delivering hemp oil ingredients – or through locally licensed partners, cannabis oil ingredients – through a patented process within food products.
The key differentiator between Lexaria's products and others on the market is the company's disruptive technology proven to enhance the absorption of orally ingested cannabinoids while improving the "unusual" taste of cannabinoids and allowing for lower overall dosing with higher efficacy. Lexaria is primarily a B2B enterprise, and is in licensing discussions or has existing agreements with companies in Canada, the largest-market states in the USA, and internationally. Lexaria has also developed its own brands partly for demonstration purposes, utilizing its patented technology to infuse hemp oil ingredients within lipids in popular foods. These brands include ViPova™, Lexaria Energy Foods, and TurboCBD™.
In 2015, Lexaria commissioned an independent, third-party lab to test its technology under carefully monitored in vitro conditions. Results showed that the company's technological process and lipid formulation both improve intestinal absorption as much as 500%. Additional follow-up studies in human volunteers suggested that Lexaria's processed, lipid-infused tea may be more effective in an actual gastrointestinal system than in an in vitro simulation with results indicating as much as a 1,000% increase in overall absorption.
Lexaria also has an R&D partnership with the Canadian government's National Research Council. That R&D is expected to characterize molecular bond formation theorized to occur with Lexaria's unique technology between the lipid delivery agents and the bioactive substances it processes and combines. Results from this R&D are expected to support accelerating B2B relationships – not just in the cannabis industry, but also to support new B2B business relationships in the fields of vitamins, NSAIDs, and nicotine delivery. All of these sectors expected to offer additional future growth potential.
Aside from testing, a critical component of Lexaria Bioscience's business model is a strong intellectual property portfolio that utilizes the most commonly used food processing techniques. As of 2017, the company's patent portfolio includes 19 patent applications filed and pending in more than 40 countries around the world. The most recent patent applications expand Lexaria's lipophilic food and beverage composition claims to include the processing of cannabinoids, vitamins, NSAIDs and nicotine in many of the world's most commonly used food processing ingredients. Lexaria is expecting additional new patent awards both in the USA and internationally in 2017 and 2018.
Royalties play a vital role in Lexaria's revenue-generating business model. The company out-licenses its technology (royalty) to third party partners, and has several deals signed and/or pending. The company's growth initiatives are guided by a management team headed by CEO Chris Bunka, a serial entrepreneur who has raised more than $50 million in working capital for the companies he has led over the course of his career. He is supported by a team of professionals with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and bioscience sectors, invention, toxicology, consumer goods, and other relevant skillsets.
Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P)
Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (FSE: HN3P) is a publicly traded Canadian-based company with strategic investments in businesses that are established, revenue- producing players in the medicinal and recreational cannabis market. Liberty Leaf's focus is to build and support a diversified portfolio of cannabis-sector businesses, including those involved in the cultivation and processing of legal medicinal and recreational cannabis, value-added CBD/THC pet products, and supply-chain products for this dynamic and fast-growing sector. Liberty Leaf provides funding, management, HR resources and marketing expertise to help companies thrive and accelerate growth.
Liberty Leaf's leading investments to date include:
- North Road Ventures – An emerging end-to-end distributor of cultivated and manufactured cannabis products to licensed legal retailers. North Road has updated its application for an Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) license to be distribution/sales-focused, making the company unique in the crowded field of other cultivation-based applicants. This forward-thinking initiative will help fulfill the anticipated increase in Canada's recreational cannabis space once legalization takes effect in mid-2018. The submission includes a boost in product-vault capacity that will result in a five-fold increase in products available for distribution. Cannabidiol (CBD)-oil products are expected to account for 50 percent or more of projected sales.
- Just Kush Enterprises – Liberty Leaf holds a 60 percent interest in Just Kush, a cultivator of premium, proprietary cannabis strains selected for different levels of CBDs and THCs. Just Kush's cultivation facility is located near Oliver, British Columbia, and it currently controls a facility which holds a Medical Marihuana Access Regulations (MMAR) license. The company is also a late-stage applicant for an ACMPR license (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations), which will enable Just Kush to produce cannabis for the medicinal and recreational market.
Liberty Leaf is also an active partner with the following companies:
- ESEV R&D – A privately owned, medical marijuana research and development company based in New York with clinical laboratories located in Israel. ESEV R&D, in collaboration with a leading clinical research organization in Israel, has launched a one-of-a-kind service for North American medical cannabis companies to organize and oversee clinical trials seeking to demonstrate the efficacy of medical cannabis products for specific medical conditions. Liberty Leaf has a three-year collaborative agreement with ESEV. Under that agreement, ESEV is researching the efficacy of CBDs in pets, with the 1st formulation trial targeting canine osteoarthritis, a medical condition that includes: hip dysplasia; elbow dysplasia; and hind-knee, also known as stifle, degenerative joint disease (DJD).
- Blox Labs Inc. – A boutique technology development company focused on creating best-in-class software solutions driven by emerging trends in blockchain, smart contracts and decentralized application technologies. Liberty Leaf and Blox Labs are developing "cannaBLOX," a blockchain-based smart contract supply chain management platform for the legalized cannabis industry. The cannaBLOX blockchain software will aim to ease and obliterate logistical bottlenecks, ensure product safety and quality of supply, minimize fraud and potential criminal activity, and assist with taxation and regulatory compliance across various levels of government within the legalized cannabis marketplace. To date, preliminary framework and analysis required for a cannaBLOX Whitepaper has been completed and a development team that specializes in blockchain and decentralized application technologies, including omni-language development in Ethereum and NEO, is now working on the project.
The company's management team is led by President and Director William Rascan who has 25-plus years in the investment brokerage industry, most recently as a partner, senior investment advisor with Northern Securities. Rascan's business experience ranges from active international trading clients to raising capital for junior mining companies on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Rascan is joined by CFO Jamie Robinson, a chartered accountant who specializes in accounting, auditing, and financial reporting under both IFRS and ASPE. Prior to joining Liberty Leaf, Robinson worked at Deloitte as a manager focused on publicly listed and private company audits, business review, performance enhancement engagements and restructuring proceedings.
Steven Feldman, who has more than 25 years of experience in the capital markets and was part of the original management team of SouthGobi Resources; and Doug Macdonell, a retired RCMP officer and recognized expert in the field of cannabis and cultivation, serve as company directors. Dr. Robert Jackman, who has worked closely with multiple clients in the medical cannabis and Natural and Non-prescription Health Products (NNHP) industries in North America, was recently appointed as scientific project manager/fulfillment.
Liberty Leaf's advisory board includes international lawyer, writer and speaker Robert W.E. Laurie; Barinder Rasode, who currently serves as CEO of the National Institute for Cannabis Health & Education (NICHE); and Dr. Mary C. Fitzpatrick, B.S., D.V.M., whose primary focus is on helping companion animals live pain free in their senior years.
Marijuana Company of America Inc.
(MCOA)
The founders of Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC:MCOA) (the "Company") are pioneers in the cannabis industry going back to 2009 when Don Steinberg, MCOA's CEO, founded the first marijuana company ever to trade on a U.S. stock market, Medical Marijuana Inc. Since then, Don and his partner, Charlie Larsen, have formed Global Hemp Group and Marijuana Company of America. They have experienced the shift of legislation first hand, not only for the legalization of marijuana but also the emerging hemp-based CBD products.
The CBD market is growing exponentially and consequently the founders of MCOA have constructed their business model around the development of industrial hemp-based CBD products. The industrial hemp plant can be used to produce products that are carbon neutral or even carbon negative. It is one of the longest, strongest natural fibers on earth, used as a building material that is free of mold, pesticide-resistant, and fire proof. Hemp has also been described as a "super food," which provides additional business opportunities. No part of the plant is left unused and the Company's overall strategy is to take advantage of every profit center from farm to the multiple valuable finished products.
The cannabis and hemp industries are experiencing unprecedented growth that is expected to continue for many years as these industries are now accepted globally and continue to mature and expand. North American consumers spent $6.7 billion on legal cannabis products in 2016, up 34% from 2015's $5 billion. This trend is widely expected to explode at a 27% compounded annual growth rate to reach $22.6 billion by 2021, according to ArcView Market Research.
The company offers investors the opportunity to be on the forefront of cannabis and hemp innovation through cultivation, processing in the legal cannabis and industrial hemp sectors. The Company's business model includes producing a diverse portfolio of synergistic business segments that provide value to its shareholders. Its vertically integrated business model and distribution platforms are positioned to capture market share by developing recognizable and valuable brands.
Under the MCOA umbrella, wholly owned subsidiary hempSMART™, Inc. is committed to bringing high quality CBD-based products to the market through its affiliate marketing program. Through hempSMART, MCOA's strategic approach to the distribution of products is through a networking architecture geared to maintain customer loyalty and capture market share. The patent-pending product "hempSMART Brain," is designed to revolutionize the safe and effective support of healthy brain function. The brand new product, HempSMART DROPS, is a full-spectrum CBD tincture formulated with hemp and fractionated coconut oils. The hempSMART marketing team has decades of experience, and is well positioned to take the hempSMART brand to a global audience.
Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions
(REFG)
Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG), headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, is a first-tier merchant processing cannabis industry pioneer, offering one of the first and only comprehensive card processing operations of its kind to serve the state-sanctioned medical marijuana industry. The company's state of the art system, which also tracks sales and tax collection, and eliminates the need to deal in cash-only transactions.
Through its robust, closed-loop merchant processing system, the company's unique "StateSourced" proprietary system enables authorized operation under FinCEN parameters and complies with all regulatory frameworks. StateSourced is tailored to deliver full-spectrum merchant processing services, providing the convenience of modern commercial card processing resources and making it the first operation of its kind geared to the legal cannabis industry.
StateSourced is not a prepaid or gift card, which is an important variable for merchants since standard banking institutions have not offered this form of payment processing to the legal cannabis industry. Federal law still considers marijuana illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, although 29 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the plant either for medicinal or recreational uses or both. This restriction has kept financial institutions at bay since most banks are federally insured and haven't been inclined to venture into the nascent industry.
Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions is able to offer its StateSourced card on a state-by-state basis where the card can be used in purchasing product from a legal, authorized vendor, providing a much-needed option for consumers and businesses alike. In another first, the company is collaborating with First Bitcoin Capital Corporation to integrate First Bitcoin's cryptocurrency ($Weed) with Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions' StateSourced payment gateway. This collaboration will allow state-licensed marijuana establishments across the nation to accept both StateSourced debit cards and cryptocurrencies such as WeedCoin and Bitcoin.
Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions president and CEO Jeremy Roberts and his executive team are working with state lawmakers to introduce legislation in an effort to address the growing problems in banking for the medical cannabis industry. For companies in the emerging legal cannabis industry, where retail and non-retail transactions such as vendor payments and payroll are almost exclusively paid for with cash, the solutions offered by StateSourced can help businesses avoid the inherent risks associated with a cash-intensive sector. Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions has also signed its first StateSourced contract with a Las Vegas-based vertically integrated marijuana establishment.
"We've completed our transition from development stage to revenue stage," says Roberts. "We have just started our business development efforts and the market is responding very well. We anticipate having many more, similar releases."
Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions provides end-to-end management across multiple systems for medicinal marijuana operations. The company solves the fragmentation problem experienced by many of these rapidly growing companies by identifying tools that are important to dispensaries and customizing those tools to meet the specific needs of this unique industry.
Medical Innovation Holdings, Inc. (MIHI)
Medical Innovation Holdings, Inc., a Colorado-based publicly traded company, owns and operates strategically aligned healthcare service and product companies focused on the delivery of patient care, management services for physician offices, lab services, and pharma; and non-pharma medicines and alternatives to patients and consumers. Healthcare services are delivered and managed through the company's MSO, 3Point Care. 3Point Care uses virtual telemedicine with a unique customized software and hardware platform as a way of bringing quality medical care to rural and medically underserved areas (MUAs) of the country.
3Point Care provides personalized high-tech, high-touch telemedicine encounters that link virtual health specialty doctors with traditional primary physicians and their patients. This approach helps reduce the cost of care while enhancing the quality of care. The company's telemedicine approach is vastly different from other providers who rely on a monthly subscription to opt in the network and then require an encounter fee by the patient each and every time an on-demand physician is utilized. This approach breaks the continuum of care, relies on symptom-based diagnosis, does not accept insurance, and there is no certainty you are dealing with a licensed practitioner. In summation they are not a medical practice but a contract service to deliver virtual care. Because 3Point Care deploys doctors through an actual medical practice, there is no subscription fee. The company works with anyone and everyone that has insurance including Medicare and Medicaid. It works hand and hand with the patient's primary care physician so the continuum of care is always maintained. Part of the integrated software application enables the processing of insurance claims whereby doctors are paid for their services. This allows deductibles to be captured, allowing the patients to take advantage of medical tax deductions.
TeleLifeMd, a multi-disciplinary specialty healthcare practice with strong experience in telemedicine, is the primary deliverer of patient medical care. 3Point care has a unique and exclusive relationship with TeleLifeMD, acting as its management services organization by providing all levels of service that include scheduling, providing telemedicine hardware and software products and support, processing claims, paying all invoices and payroll incurred by TeleLifeMD, as well as any other service required to operate the practice.
BKare Diagnostics, another wholly owned subsidiary of MIHI, is tasked with delivering medical and health-related services such as laboratory testing, diagnostics, and alternative medicines primarily proven nutraceuticals. Its goal is to eventually infuse these products with 100% CBD/Hemp oil and THC-based oils to create new product categories as the law catches up with the cannabis marketplace. The opportunity to offer workable solutions that solve real health problems outside typical big pharma is very exciting for the company. It sees significant revenue opportunities in this space.
MIHI firmly believes the best way to provide access to high-quality medical care is through support and delivery of evidence-based virtual medicine, commonly known as telemedicine. With 80 million people living in rural, medically underserved areas of the nation, the company is poised to fill a glaring void in the healthcare industry by applying cutting-edge technology and time-tested business practices to deliver real-time care. Among the 16 areas of medical specialties available are cardiology, infertility, gastroenterology, pediatrics and obstetrics.
The company serves a number of constituents and stakeholders interested in reducing the cost of health care while simultaneously increasing the quality of care, improving access to health services for millions of people, and bringing value to company shareholders. Its unique platform incorporates every aspect of a telemedicine visit into a single, comprehensive package.
MGX Minerals Inc. (CSE: XMG) (FKT: 1MG) (OTCQB: MGXMF)
MGX Minerals Inc. is a diversified Canadian resource company developing large-scale mineral portfolios in specific commodities and jurisdictions in North America. The company controls significant interest in lithium, magnesium and silicon assets that offer streamlined development timelines and low capital expenditures. MGX Minerals and its engineering partner have developed a patent-pending, low-energy design process to extract valuable minerals from the abundant, highly mineralized brine wastewater produced each year by oil and gas companies.
This proprietary, petrolithium process rapidly concentrates lithium and other minerals from brine in less than a day. That's a stunning advancement from the conventional method of extracting minerals from brine through an evaporation process that can take up to 18 months, requires hundreds of acres of land, and averages less than a 50 percent mineral recovery rate. Using this advanced water purification technology, MGX Minerals cleans the wastewater that accompanies petroleum as it's being pulled up to the surface. The company's petrolithium process eliminates the need to inject contaminated wastewater back into the ground, which prevents drinking water contamination and possible earthquakes.
In January 2017, MGX Minerals successfully recovered concentrated lithium from heavy oil evaporator blowdown wastewater using its rapid recovery process, an accomplishment independently confirmed by the Saskatchewan Research Council. In August 2017, the company also successfully processed wastewater and lithium brine from eight North American projects at its one-cubic-meter-per-hour processing plant, proving the technology is economically viable. Research group Global Water Intelligence expects the wastewater treatment industry to grow into a $45 billion market annually by 2025, which suggests there are ample revenue-generating opportunities for MGX Minerals technology.
Lithium, the "white gold" of the new energy economy, is the key to clean energy development as global demand for hybrid and electric vehicles, high-drain portable electronic devices, and large-scale energy storage systems ramps up. Grand View Research, Inc. reports that the global lithium-ion battery market is expected to reach $93.1 billion by 2025. Current market forces show a high demand for lithium and a low supply, which further supports the necessity of MGX Mineral's cleaner, faster method of extracting high-value minerals from brine wastewater.
MGX Minerals is led by a team of industry standout performers who have worked in the mining and technology industries for decades. The leadership team is joined by an array of top-notch technical partners with unmatched experience in the oil and gas sectors, environmental services industry, marketing and product development, along with applied research and commercial development of technologies.
Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE)
Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) is a global financial technology and value-added solutions group that supports electronic payments acceptance in an omni-channel environment spanning across point-of-sale, e-commerce, and mobile devices. Net Element operates a payments-as-a-service transactional model and value-added services platform for small to medium enterprises in the U.S. and selected emerging markets. Internationally, Net Element's strategy is to leverage its omni-channel platform to deliver flexible offerings to emerging markets with diverse banking, regulatory and demographic conditions. Net Element was ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in North America on Deloitte's 2017 Technology Fast 500 ™ and South Florida Business Journal's 2016 fastest growing technology companies.
Net Element believes the future of global commerce is being revolutionized as consumers quickly migrate toward omni-channel shopping utilizing mobile devices, desktop, and online services. Net Element's all-in-one payment solutions support and unify a whole range of applications through a single, robust platform, allowing global onboarding and support for multiple payment methods.
In a partnership with Bunker Capital, Net Element has also launched a new blockchain-focused business unit that will develop and deploy blockchain technology-based solutions. Net Element expects the new division to create a decentralized crypto-based ecosystem that will act as a framework for an unlimited number of value-added services, connecting merchants and consumers in a seamless, economically efficient transaction. This new business unit intends to also identify and invest in unique projects that decentralize and disrupt the payment processing industry by combining blockchain technology and real-world applications with talented development teams, strong fundamentals and addressable markets large in size.
"We believe that we're at the dawn of a new evolution where additional digital payment methods are being introduced," Net Element CEO Oleg Firer, says. "Introduction of our division focused on blockchain as part of the NASDAQ-listed entity will add transparency and compliance assurance to our investors as well as provide access to deploy value-added services to over 20 million electronic commerce clients that are currently part of Net Element's growing network."
Net Element clients are treated to customized solutions that provide the flexibility needed to keep up with customers. Among the services offered are mobile payment apps that accept payments anywhere, anytime; cloud-based solutions built to increase productivity and enhance revenue for clients and partners; marketing solutions that turn lookers into buyers; and business analytics that make it easy for clients to monitor business metrics, engage with customers and compare the competition. Its multi-channel platform combines e-commerce, offline, point-of-sale, comprehensive back office tools, mobile point-of-sale, credit scoring and customer interaction in one powerful platform-as-a-service technology.
Net Element owns and operates a global mobile payments and transactional processing provider, TOT Group, Inc., with the following subsidiaries:
- Unified Payments – An award-winning, customized mobile billing and payments solution, recognized by Inc. Magazine as the No. 1 Fastest Growing Company in America in 2012.
- Digital Provider – A leading provider of SMS messaging and mobile billing solutions.
- Aptito – A next-generation, all-in-one, cloud-based restaurant management and point-of-sale payments platform using wireless technology.
- Payonline – A fully integrated, processor agnostic electronic commerce platform.
Net Element is ranked No. 418 on Deloitte's 2017 Technology Fast 500™ list of North America's 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies. Net Element grew 190 percent. The company's chief executive officer, Oleg Firer, credits the company's progression to organic growth in its North America Transactions Segment, specifically the success of its Unified Payments brand, which focuses on value-added payment acceptance solutions for small to medium enterprises in the United States.
"The Deloitte 2017 North America Technology Fast 500 winners underscore the impact of technological innovation and world class customer service in driving growth, in a fiercely competitive environment," said Sandra Shirai, vice chairman, Deloitte Consulting LLP and U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader. "These companies are on the cutting edge, and are transforming the way we do business."
Net Element's suite of application performing interfaces (APIs) and connectors power commerce for businesses of all sizes through multi-channel platforms, all-in-one digital solutions, and end-to-end encryption of cardholder data utilizing tamper resistant hardware that ensures integrity and simplifies security.
Net Element's corporate team is led by director and CEO Oleg Firer, who is responsible for the overall vision, strategy and execution of the company's mission of powering global commerce. He is joined by CFO Jonathan New, CPA, and Steven Wolberg, who is the company's chief legal officer and secretary. Each corporate officer brings a unique blend of leadership, vision, experience and creative energy to the company.
From mobile payments and value-added transactional innovations such as Digital Provider and Aptito to e-commerce and retail payment transaction processing brands like Payonline and United Payments, Net Element is transforming the online and mobile experience.
ORHub, Inc. (ORHB)
ORHub, Inc. (ORHB) is a cloud-based software platform designed to transform the business of surgery into a value-based model. The platform empowers care providers at every stage of the surgical process to collaborate, organize, deliver, measure, and reimburse in one intuitive, easy-to-use program. This significantly decreases cost and improves outcomes by eliminating inefficiencies, duplications of effort, and errors and omissions that result from siloed processes in outdated software and poor handoffs from one part of the care process to another.
The need for ORHub is clear. Health care costs are out of control at more than 17% of US GDP, which equates to over $3 trillion per year. With costs rising every year due to an aging population and increasingly expensive treatments, providers are under severe pressure to become more efficient and reduce costs. This is happening because payors are aggressively reducing reimbursements and finally moving away from fee-for-service and toward a performance-based reimbursement system referred to as value-based health care.
Accurately measuring the cost of treating a condition and relating that cost to the patient's outcome is at the heart of value-based health care. Institutions that have adopted this model have reaped savings of 20-40% on their overall cost of care. Unfortunately, today's siloed IT systems are fundamentally at odds with this process. Legacy health care solutions come from a fee-for-service world and have reinforced the problem and produced a system with erratic quality and unsustainable costs. Most health care applications today are incremental improvements on these existing systems or are simple digital implementations of antiquated pen-and-paper processes.
Providers wanting to practice value-based health care need value-based software. ORHub creates a value-based solution that will revolutionize surgical care delivery by tracking the cost of treating a condition from diagnosis to discharge, and tracking outcomes that resulted from that treatment.
In an industry where major IT rollouts traditionally cost millions of dollars and take an average of eighteen months, pilot installations of ORHub have been completed in less than a month. By avoiding integration with legacy systems completely through a radically comprehensive and collaborative approach, providers see results right away. This approach produces real-time metrics in a uniform manner at any institution, which makes it ideal for large providers looking to make improvements across the board at multiple facilities.
ORHub started as a pilot program developed in cooperation with a major Southern California hospital. It has since expanded operations into a second facility at the number two non-profit hospital system in the US. Three additional pilot programs are scheduled prior to a national launch.
The company is also a showcase member of the startup program at Microsoft, which has been a key partner by providing financial assistance, strategy, introductions to influencers and mentors, and access to its sales organization who see ORHub as an exciting partner to expand the utilization of Microsoft Surface devices and Azure Cloud. Microsoft is funding a major case study in partnership with Intel about the impact of ORHub on participating institutions to be concluded sometime in Q2 2017.
ORHub's leadership team is helmed by Colt Melby, who was appointed CEO in 2016 and has been crucial to developing and executing the company's business strategy. Mr. Melby's extensive business experience includes the NASDAQ uplisting of Smith and Wesson (now American Outdoor Brands), CUI Global Inc., and Quest Resource Holdings Corp. His wealth of information and relationships have been vital in helping the company go from concept to production in institutional medicine in less than a year.
Delivering surgical care to a single patient is a complex process that may take half a dozen companies and more than a dozen departments cooperating inside and outside the care facility. ORHub simplifies and streamlines this process by enabling vendors, providers, and surgeons to collaborate on providing care.
Petrogress, Inc. (PGAS)
Petrogress, Inc., founded in 2009, owns and operates a fleet of tankers from its base in the historic Port of Piraeus, Greece, through a series of Marshall Islands subsidiaries. The company is an international merchant of petroleum products which includes reliably marketing and trading crude oil, distillates, and refined products off the coast of West Africa. The company also operates service and shipping facilities at the Port of Limassol in Cyprus and the Port of Tema, Greater Accra, in Ghana. It is actively seeking expansion opportunities, including in operating and developing natural gas production and transmission facilities along with LNG processing in the U.S., refinery operations in north and west Africa, and the transport and sales of LNG in Europe.
Petrogress has created a diversified revenue stream, giving it a significant advantage over similar companies working in the oil and gas shipping arena. A case in point is the recent formation of "PG Cypyard & Offshore Service Terminal Ltd. ("Cypyard"), through the company's wholly owned subsidiary, Petrogress Int'l, LLC. Cypyard is concluding negotiations for an operations and management agreement covering ports in Hellenic Cyprus, including the Port of Limassol, directly with the Cyprus Ports Authority. Current plans include a long-term lease with renewal options covering all in-place port facilities, including floating dock and dry dock areas, with cranes and scaffolding, construction and repair workshops and storage, and complete on-site administrative and office space.
"I think the opportunities there are great, and dealing directly with partners in government has numerous benefits," said Christos P. Traios, president of Petrogress Inc. in a news release announcing the venture. The recent appointment of two industry experts to the Petrogress Advisory Board is expected to help the company capitalize on future growth opportunities while simultaneously developing a comprehensive U.S. and international lobbying and government outreach program to facilitate business plans in the U.S., European Union and Africa.
Additional Petrogress Inc. subsidiaries are:
- Petrogress Co. Ltd., an international merchant of petroleum products that combines regional market knowledge with over 20 years of excellent shipping experience.
- Petronave Carriers LLC, which manages an in-house fleet of crude oil carriers and trades them in West Africa, a country known as a difficult area for navigation and trade.
- Petrogress Oil & Gas Energy Inc., which has expansion plans through a supply of liquified natural gas located in the oil fields of Texas with an eye toward exporting LNG to Mediterranean markets.
Petrogress continues to "adjust its sails" in order to meet new challenges. Opportunities include upstream oil resources and exploration, the addition of more product fleet carriers, downstream movement of petroleum products from refineries to finished sales, and sea transportation of liquified natural gas. A closely followed economist, Jim O'Neill, states that oil prices could spike more than 25% in the next year. O'Neill, now an economics professor at the University of Manchester, says the market is finally waking up to the fact that global economic growth is gaining momentum and likely expanding at 4 percent or higher. That means there will be more demand for oil, the article states, which translates into brighter days ahead for companies like Petrogress.
Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF)
Petroteq Energy Inc. is a Canadian-registered, publicly traded company engaged in the development and implementation of proprietary technologies for the environmentally safe extraction of heavy oils from oil sands, oil shale deposits and shallow oil deposits. The company is focused on oil and gas exploration and production on mineral leases it owns in Texas with Accord GR Energy Inc. and in expanding production capacity at its Asphalt Ridge heavy oil extraction facility in Utah.
Petroteq Energy is also participating in a blockchain initiative aimed at solving the global transaction needs of the oil and gas industry through the development of PetroBLOQ, the Company's collaboration formed with First Bitcoin Capital Corp. (OTC: BITCF). PetroBLOQ's novel blockchain-based oil and gas supply chain management platform is currently being co-developed by the two companies.
PetroBLOQ recently joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance ("EEA"), the world's largest open-source blockchain initiative. Membership with the 200-member EEA represents a wide variety of industries and offers 14 industry-focused, member-driven working groups.
"Joining this community of forward-looking enterprises and blockchain innovators is an important step for PetroBLOQ as we develop transformative solutions for the oil and gas industry," said Petroteq Energy CEO Alex Blyumkin.
In addition, Petroteq has joined the American Petroleum Institute (API). The API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, promoting safety across the industry globally and influencing public policy in support of a strong, viable oil and natural gas industry. "API has led the development of operating standards for our industry, and we look forward to contributing our experience with oilfield technologies in addition to introducing our PetroBLOQ platform to its members throughout the supply chain," Blyumkin previously stated.
Petroteq Energy's patent-pending application is a closed-loop, solvent-based process, which results in significantly lower per-barrel production costs than those incurred with traditional hot water-based oil sands extraction technologies. This green technology utilizes a small, modular footprint, produces no greenhouse gases, requires no high temperatures, leaves only clean dry sand, and could be deployed to unlock heavy oil deposits located around the world.
The Company's Asphalt Ridge mineral lease on 3,000-plus acres in northeastern Utah features a large contingent oil sands resource base with an estimated 87 million barrels of oil equivalent. In 2015, the company produced 10,000 barrels of oil from the Utah location and plans to increase production are underway. Utah holds over 32 billion barrels of undeveloped oil sands resources, which are also known as "oil-wet" deposits containing a mixture of sand and a dense, extremely viscous form of petroleum referred to as bitumen or tar. A recent upswing in developing domestic energy sources has intensified interest in technological advances such as Petroteq's Liquid Extraction System.
The company's Texas location includes an ownership interest (46%) in 7,000 acres under mineral leases with Accord, a Houston-based oil and gas exploration company that focuses on the development and recovery of heavy oil reserves and deposits. Two enhanced, licensed oil recovery technologies designed to increase oil recovery from more than 80 shallow oil wells on the property are expected to substantially improve the recovery rates of heavy oil deposits in this area. In both the Utah oil sands and traditional oil patch Texas project, the Company, its subsidiaries and Accord are using proprietary technologies, processes and methodologies to recover heavy oil, providing a distinct, strategic economic advantage for Petroteq Energy and its shareholders.
The Company continues to evaluate the development of other medium to heavy oil exploration, production and recovery projects on a global basis through a variety of structured agreements. These opportunities or other arrangements with private and governmental entities that utilize Petroteq Energy's proprietary licensed technologies are expected to generate a significant return on investment.
The Company's management team, board of directors and officers form an invaluable cross-section of industry leaders with extensive experience ranging from chemical engineering and solvent research, business development, international project management, entrepreneurial achievements, and senior management for global energy companies in North America and the Middle East. This impressive knowledge base covers both conventional and unconventional oil and gas projects and production, both in upstream and downstream industry sectors.
Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. (PVOTF)
Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCQB: PVOTF), based in Vancouver, Canada, is an emerging biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals that provide novel treatments for unmet healthcare needs. Pivot's recent acquisition of BiPhasix ™ Transdermal Drug Delivery technology for the delivery of cannabinoids (CBD) to patients provides the answer for an age-old problem associated with cannabinoid-based therapies: the lack of a robust smoke-less delivery mechanism.
Research into the bioavailability of cannabinoid-based therapeutics shows that rates of absorption vary greatly between smoking cannabis to an orally-consumed product, with a difference noted even between individuals. Cannabinoids are degraded in the stomach and smoking may not appeal to patients for health or lifestyle reasons. Topical delivery, while a better alternative, has suffered from weak formulation issues. Transdermal cannabinoid delivery, on the other hand, could provide a better alternative route since it reduces side effects and bypasses other absorption issues. In addition, transdermal delivery provides the benefit of enabling patients to access a steady stream of medication over a prolonged period with fewer side effects.
Pivot Pharmaceutical's newly created subsidiary, Pivot Green Stream Health Solutions Inc. ("Pivot Green Stream"), will focus on improving the bioavailability of cannabinoid-based and pharmaceuticals. BiPhasix™ has been tested in FDA and EMA approved human clinical trials, which have shown the delivery system enhances the bioavailability of many drugs and improves clinical outcomes. Pivot Green Stream is tasked with developing several natural health products containing cannabinoids (CBD) that can receive a Health Canada Natural Health Product (NHP) designation. This marketing method ensures a shorter development cycle and faster revenue generation opportunities.
Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc., which has positioned itself as a growing and crucial vertical in the cannabis industry, represents a compelling opportunity in the biotechnology field. The company's plans include working with Licensed Producers (LP) and Licensed Dealers (LD) to bring newer therapies to patients. The company has also applied to list on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE).
The global medical marijuana market is expected to reach a value of $55.8 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growing number of states and countries gaining approval for using cannabis in therapeutic applications is expected to continue driving the market forward.
Pivot Pharmaceuticals has assembled a highly experienced management team, bringing together a wealth of clinical, commercial, product development and financial experience. Among the many healthcare targets in Pivot's pipeline are cancer supportive care, pain and inflammation, women's sexual dysfunction, dermatology and eye disease.
PotNetwork Holding Inc. (POTN)
PotNetwork Holding, Inc., based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a holding company. The company's First Capital Venture Co. subsidiary is the owner of Diamond CBD, Inc., a producer of widely-distributed CBD hemp extracts and the primary operating entity of PotNetwork Holding.
Diamond CBD is made up of chemists and other scientists focused on developing and producing very high-quality CBD oil over a broad range of products, based upon a thorough understanding of the various natural molecules found in hemp and their particular properties. All products are made with federally legal cannabidiol (CBD), and are available in hundreds of flavors and sizes. The company emphasizes a dedication to 100% natural lab-tested CBD ingredients, with a carefully monitored process all the way from the source farm, through production, and final delivery to retail shelves.
PotNetwork, through Diamond CBD, delivers products to all 50 states, as well as internationally, and controls 15 CBD brands. The company lists the following product brands:
- Diamond CBD Gummies – Diamond CBD branded edible gummies made from crystal isolate. Available in a variety of flavors and gummy styles, including rainbow bites, mini fruit, gummy worms, sour snakes, and more.
- Chill Gummies – Chill gummies are more robust than its counterpart, the "Relax" gummy line. Chill Gummies are edible CBD gummies available in a wide variety of flavors, strengths, and styles including gummy bears, sour snakes, rainbow bites, watermelon slices, sour snakes, rainbow bites, peanut butter chocolate, ocean gummies, gummy worms, gummy rings and more.
- CBD Liquid Gold – CBD Liquid Gold is derived from naturally grown industrial hemp plants, certified by USA labs and then carefully mixed with a patent-pending (non-PG) all-natural base formulation.
- Blue CBD – Blue CBD Crystal Isolate is a high-end vapor liquid and oral drop infused with premium CBD rich hemp oil. CBD liquids are Premium Gold quality and test at a 7X higher concentration.
- Relax Gummies – Relax Gummies give a lighter effect of CBD with some natural flavors in comparison to its counterpart Chill Gummies. Relax Gummies are perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth that's looking for a lighter effect without sacrificing quality or taste.
- Premium Hemp Liquid Pet – CBD For Pets is a new and refreshing product from Diamond CBD for all the millions of pets out there. It is an organic product and also has unique flavors in it.
- CBD Re-Leaf – Disposable, long-lasting, and ready to Use CBD Re-leaf vaping pens available in a variety of flavors. Easily take CBD anywhere on the go.
- Relax Extreme CBD – Relax Extreme CBD Oil provides a high-quality, high-strength dose of CBD through oral drops. It is very easy to use and works instantly. Simply place a drop under the tongue. Available in various strengths.
- CBD Double Shot – CBD Double Shots are specifically designed for one-time use. Easily squeeze the package in your mouth and swallow; it's that simple. Take it anywhere you go. Relaxation is now conveniently in your pocket. Drinkable CBD shots provide a quick boost of relaxation on the go. Available in various flavors. Chill Pill – CBD infused capsules available in various strengths. Relax, take a Chill Pill.
Over 1.2 million people currently use cannabis, including CBD products, for medical application, including cancer, epilepsy, and depression. By sourcing hemp outside the U.S., the company avoids current federally-based legal problems involved in growing cannabis domestically. In the meantime, PotNetwork Holding continues to target a large and rapidly developing cannabis market, expanding from $6.5 billion in 2016, to an expected $30 billion in 2021 (Forbes), and $50 billion in 2026 (Bloomberg). The cannabidiol market alone is projected to reach $2.1 billion in 2020, a 700% increase from 2015. PotNetwork Holding Inc. plans to expand its subsidiaries as well as make strategic acquisitions.
Pressure BioSciences Inc. (PBIO)
Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) develops, markets and sells proprietary laboratory instrumentation and associated consumables to the life sciences sample preparation market. Sample preparation refers to the wide range of activities that precede most forms of scientific analysis. It is often complex and time-consuming, yet a critical part of scientific research. The market for sample preparation products is currently estimated at $6 billion worldwide.
The Company's product line can be used to exquisitely control the sample preparation process. It is based on a patented, enabling technology platform called pressure cycling technology ("PCT"). PCT uses alternating cycles of hydrostatic pressure between ambient (14.5 psi) and ultra-high levels (up to 100,000 psi) to safely and reproducibly control critical biological processes, such as the lysis (breakage) of cells, the digestion of proteins, and the inactivation of pathogens.
Pressure BioSciences' product line is led by its newly released, next-generation Barocycler 2320EXTREME instrument. Named a finalist in the prestigious 2017 R&D Awards (also known as the "Oscars of Innovation"), the Barocycler 2320EXT is already being touted by some key opinion leaders as an essential element of the $1.8 billion U.S. "Cancer Moonshot" program. For example, Professor Phil Robinson, Co-head of the cancer research center of the Children's Medical Research Institute (Sydney, Australia), said in a recent interview: "We are collecting the whole proteome on 70,000 tumor samples from all classes where complete clinical outcome is known. Due to its unique capabilities, the Barocycler 2320EXT has become a critical part of our program. It is the primary enabler of the high-throughput component of the project. Without this step, our project simply could not be done. In fact, the Barocycler 2320EXT works so well we have just purchased two more."
Momentum is building when it comes to the potential for using the Company's unique PCT technology platform. Leading scientists are intrigued by Pressure BioSciences' approach, which among other attributes, revolutionizes the process of rupturing cells (lysis) for further study, yielding superior biomolecules for investigation. The Company's technology transcends current methods of breaking open cells, which use chemicals, blades, metal beads, or other damaging and altering methods that can ultimately adversely affect the result for researchers. Pressure BioSciences' PCT technology utilizes customized, controlled hydrostatic (water) pressure to rupture cells in a chamber, enabling exquisitely customized levels of pressure to optimally break open different types of cells at prescribed pressure levels—something never before accomplished in a commercial setting. Using this pioneering method, the result is a truer, more legitimate sample, which boosts the efficacy of research and the quality of results. The potential impact of this technology on scientific advancement is enormous, enabling research scientists to begin their studies with biological samples of unprecedented integrity, with the potential to improve research outcomes at the earliest, most critical step. PCT can additionally inactivate pathogens (e.g., viruses, bacteria) using hydrostatic pressure, making the samples safer to study—another innovation with astronomical potential for application in a variety of markets.
The Company's high-pressure instruments for research purposes are marketed throughout the United States, Europe, China and Japan. To date, Pressure BioSciences has installed nearly 300 PCT Systems in over 165 leading academic, government, biotech and pharma laboratories around the world. Its primary applications are in biomarker discovery, forensics, agriculture and pathology. Over 100 scientific papers have been published on the advantages of the PCT platform, which is also being used in the specialized fields of drug discovery and design, bio-therapeutics characterization, soil and plant biology, vaccine development and histology.
Impressive as their biotech business is, there is more to the PBI story. Pressure BioSciences recently received two patents in China for its novel Ultra Shear Technology (UST), a process that has potential in a wide range of industrial applications, including extending the shelf life of some food products and making two insoluble liquids (like oil in water) soluble. Patents have also been filed in many other countries worldwide. UST is a novel technique based on the use of intense shear forces generated from ultra-high-pressure valve discharge.
This important technology has the potential to play a significant role in a number of commercially important areas through its ability to create high-quality, stable nanoemulsions. Scientific studies indicate that improved absorption, higher bioavailability, greater stability, lower surfactant levels and other advantages can be achieved with nanoemulsions – all hugely important factors in the fields of nutraceuticals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and in various medical products. There is an enormous opportunity in the cannabis market, since the technology can potentially reduce oil droplets containing cannabidiol (CBD) to nanoparticles, after which they can be safely suspended in a stable water solution—something many companies have endeavored to achieve without success. Researchers looking for a way to increase the bioavailability of cannabinoids in the body will find this technology a game changer.
The Company's UST technology also has possibilities in the production of clean label foods, which are currently processed using several innovative methods, including high-pressure treatments (such as Starbucks' Evolution line of juices). In 2015, the worldwide market for high-pressure processed (HPP) food was estimated at U.S. $10 billion. UST uses ultra-high pressures and certain valves to generate intense shear forces under controlled temperature conditions to produce nanoemulsions, and which also significantly reduces food-borne pathogens. Pressure BioSciences' initial focus with this technology will be to evaluate UST for the production of high-quality dairy products and beverages.
PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE: 18H)
PreveCeutical Medical Inc. (CSE: PREV) (OTCQB: PRVCF) (FSE:18H), headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is a health sciences company dedicated to researching and developing innovative options for preventive and curative therapies utilizing organic and Nature Identical™ products. The company is strategically staking out select positions in the medically acute areas of diabetes and obesity, pain management, neurological disorders and cancer.
PreveCeutical Medical Inc. had its beginnings in 2009 when Stephen Van Deventer, a seasoned businessman and venture capitalist, and Kimberly Van Deventer, a successful entrepreneur, met and formed a business partnership. The duo created Cornerstone Global Partners, a venture capital and business development company, and became involved in numerous ventures including building companies such as Aurora Cannabis Inc. Taking their interest in the health and wellness market further, the pair began researching how nature and science can work together to benefit health-conscious consumers. Coining and trademarking the word "PreveCeutical" – a combination of the words "preventive" and "pharmaceutical" – was a precursor to the company's formation and incorporation in October 2015.
The company's first product was developed in the Dominican Republic and is now marketed and distributed worldwide by PreveCeutical. It is a Caribbean Blue Scorpion venom product sold under the trade name CELLB9®. This product is an oral dilute solution infused with select peptides sourced exclusively from the blue scorpion (Rhopalurus princeps) found only in Caribbean nations. The active potentiated ingredients in CELLB9, which have been used in over 40 countries for over a decade, appear to support health at a deep, cellular level. PreveCeutical's research team is using proprietary chemistry to generate Nature Identical™ peptides derived from natural compounds found in Caribbean Blue Scorpion venom with the goal of eventually treating, regulating and preventing cancer progression. Peptides are also being used to target an array of disease indications including metabolic disorders, pain management, cancers, cardiovascular and infectious diseases.
PreveCeutical is developing the first nose-to-brain delivery system of cannabinoids (CBDs) with a novel process that prepares insoluble drug-containing nano-micelles and successfully incorporating them into a proprietary sol-gels application, essentially creating a targeted drug delivery vehicle. Intended for use via a nasal spray, this unique formulation rapidly gels upon contact with mucosal tissue, which paves the way for direct nose-to-brain delivery. This novel application eliminates first pass metabolism (stomach, intestines, liver), potentially improving bioavailability and delivering extended time release formulations that may alleviate side effects of higher dosage therapeutics. This CBD-based patented formula is projected to be deployed in selected markets with licensed medical marijuana companies within 18 months.
PreveCeutical is working with four leading Australian research centers to develop a curative therapy for diabetes and obesity. This four-year program involves engineering a novel approach that selectively targets the gene that encodes for the protein PTP-1B, which is implicated and over-expressed in both type-2 diabetes and obesity. PreveCeutical's gene-silencing technology would effectively "turn off" the genetic signal which leads to the over-production of this key protein molecule, bringing it back down to safe, normalized levels, and prevent the body from storing excessive fat. Diabetes kills one person every six seconds, with more than $800 billion spent globally on the disease.
Another exciting joint venture, established with Sports 1 Marketing, will focus on the therapeutic potential in the peptides and proteins connected to the Caribbean Blue Scorpion venom to potentially treat mild brain injury concussions. Developing a therapeutic product geared towards athletes who suffer from concussions could help alleviate suffering experienced by those who are affected by head trauma.
PreveCeutical Medical's science and research team is led by Dr. Harendra (Harry) Parekh, Ph.D., who is based at the University of Queensland's (UQ) Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE), and Dr. Makarand Jawadekar, Ph.D., whose 28 years of R&D experience with Pfizer Inc., is applicable in his role as chief science officer. Research collaborators include Dr. Rakesh Veedu, an emerging expert internationally in the field of molecular medicine, and Professor Grant Ramm, who is currently head of a leading medical research institute located in Brisbane, Australia.
PreveCeutical Medical is partnering with leading industry experts and companies in its quest to be a leader in the preventive health sciences sector. Its Research and Development partnership with UniQuest, the main commercialization company for the University of Queensland, provides PreveCeutical with the rights to all intellectual property arising from projects created under the agreement. PreveCeutical Medical Inc.'s management team brings an extensive portfolio of research experience, product development, deep corporate strategy and capital markets leadership to the company's core.
Reign Sapphire Corp. (RGNP)
Reign Sapphire Corp. (OTCQB: RGNP) is a direct-to-consumer, custom and branded jewelry company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Reign's mission is to provide ethical and sustainable jewelry direct to the modern consumer, marketed through sophisticated digital initiatives that speak directly to individuals through social media channels and personalized promotions. The company's lean operating model ensures expenses are linked to order flow with flexible production schedules targeting just-in-time delivery, which in turn reduces or eliminates commodity risk. Reign is a member of the American Gem Trading Association, which is committed to fair trade and processing of gemstones.
Reign Sapphire Corp. owns and operates three divisions: Reign Brands, Reign Ventures and Reign Blockchain. Reign Brands features four unique, niche jewelry brands with separate social media followings:
- Reign Sapphires: Ethically produced, millennial-targeted sapphire jewelry sourced from Australia.
- Coordinates Collection: Custom jewelry inscribed with location coordinates commemorating life's special moments.
- Le Bloc: Classic, customized jewelry.
- ION Collection by Jen Selter: Athleisure jewelry brand.
Reign Ventures is the company's joint venture platform for investment and development of jewelry technology-related products.
Reign Blockchain authenticates its sapphires as conflict-free, allowing customers to wear products created by a company that shares their beliefs in human dignity and environmental stewardship. In 2018, Reign Blockchain is preparing to conduct an initial coin offering (ICO) for ReignCoin, subject to regulatory approval. ReignCoin will serve as Reign's cryptocurrency as part of a blockchain-based loyalty reward program.
The company's products are sold through a commission-based affiliate program that is supported by personalized email campaigns and promotions, celebrity promotion and gifting, digital advertising based on keyword purchases and sponsored ads, and creative publicity events and media outreach to attract maximum exposure. The successful launch of a company-wide social media influencer campaign across all its retail brands boosted Reign's Instagram, Twitter and Facebook followings by double digits within the first three weeks of going live.
Reign continues to seek out international partnerships, adding to the success it has already achieved in the Middle East, where its flagship store is in the Dubai Mall. The company recently teamed up with the original founder of its Coordinates Collection brand, Owen de Vries, who will lead its Europe and United Kingdom sales efforts. The Netherlands-based operation will proliferate Reign point-of-sales that are adapted for local language, digital marketing and customer service.
Reign Sapphire Corp. is led by president and CEO Joseph Segelman, who has also served on the board of directors since December 2014. Segelman earlier served as the Chief Executive Officer and managing director of Australian Sapphire Corporation, Shefa Mining Corporation and Spencer Lloyd & Associates. He is an experienced marketing and operations professional with over 20 years of experience in logistics and marketing, and extensive experience in the Australian mining and gem industry. He is also a director and board member of OBK (a Sydney, Australia, based charity) and a Captain (Chaplain) in the Australian Army reserves. Segelman is the author of "Take Action: Successful Australians Share their Secrets." (Lothian Books, 2004).
The company's board of advisors includes Andrea Hansen, jewelry marketing veteran and former president of the Women's Jewelry Association; Jeremy Avitan, CPA and compliance executive; Michael Lawrence corporate lawyer and litigator, Doug Cole, corporate financier and entrepreneur, Thierry Chaunu, a luxury goods executive with prior senior management roles at Chopard, Christofle and Cartier, and Pinny Gwinisch, founder of Ice.com and adjunct professor at McGill and Rutgers University.
RJD Green Inc. (RJDG)
RJD Green Inc. is a holding company with a focus on acquiring and managing assets and companies in three divisions. These initial high-growth enterprise opportunities offer diversity in separate recession resistant markets. The division holdings include:
- RJD Green Healthcare Services – provides services to reduce cost and enhance management and operational capabilities in the healthcare sector.
- Earthlinc Environmental Services – provides green environmental services and technologies.
- Silex Holdings – acquires specialty construction and industrial manufacturing assets.
RJD Green Healthcare Services, through its wholly owned subsidiary IOSOFT Inc., provides proprietary software and IT support for medical billing, healthcare claims adjudication, and electronic payments between healthcare payers and providers. IOSOFT's unique payment technologies and services or software can be integrated with existing systems of healthcare payers such as Blue Cross, Aetna, CIGNA and others. IOSOFT provides targeted offerings for healthcare providers, provider networks, physicians and hospitals, and clearinghouse companies.
Earthlinc Environmental Solutions was formed to bring forward green-applied technologies and offer environmental services with a focus on North America. The division's first acquisition, Animal Waste Management, is launching operations of a patented, fully developed technology for processing waste produced on commercial poultry and hog farms. Development of this technology was supported by the University of Arkansas and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. This important technology improves the farm's productivity and is competitively priced with the current expense of handling waste removal at these sites.
The company's third division – Silex Holdings Inc. – was formed to acquire and manage high-growth assets and business enterprises in the industrial and construction specialty services sectors. With its first acquisition of Silex Interiors, a manufacturer, distributor and installer of counter tops, cabinets and related kitchen and bath products, the division is poised to expand into major national markets through internal expansion, acquisition and franchising. The company is modeled to operate a minimum of four corporately owned locations with 12 to 18 franchise locations nationwide.
RJD Green seeks to participate as owners, partners or in joint ventures in a wide range of business enterprises. The company's goal of creating a successful, enjoyable business enterprise for its company team and staff, along with its business partners and investors, is paired with the goal of maximizing the business potential of the enterprise by enhancing profits and the quality of the company.
SinglePoint, Inc. (SING)
SinglePoint, Inc. (SING) has grown from a full-service mobile technology provider to a publicly-traded holding company. Through diversification into horizontal markets, SinglePoint is building its portfolio by acquiring an interest in undervalued subsidiaries, thereby providing a rich, diversified holding base.
SinglePoint's approach is to first research and identify acquisition opportunities in which it can take an active and influential role among existing leadership to provide enhanced strategy and direction. Target companies are undervalued, cash-flow positive, with high potential and verified assets. SinglePoint acquires and takes controlling interest of successful candidate companies.
SinglePoint recently signed a Letter of Intent to acquire an interest in Jacksam Corp., dba Convectium, a profitable California-based provider of equipment, branding, and packaging solutions for the cannabis industry. Convectium has developed the world's first cartridge and vape pen oil filling machine for wholesale distribution to dispensaries. The 710Shark and 710Seal systems can fill and package over 100 cartridges or disposable vape pens in 30 seconds and are sold to dispensaries through its EquipCanna.com brand. The company also operates a consumer brand that includes BlackoutX and HazeSticks and reaches customers in over 52 countries.
Additionally, SinglePoint has raised more than $300,000. The move provides management with ample capital to execute its business plan, while avoiding debt repayments that can eat into cash flow and reduce flexibility over time. It's also a rare development for a development-stage company in the cannabis industry.
Guided by a visionary leadership team with extensive experience in technology, engineering, marketing and raising capital, SinglePoint continues to explore high-potential acquisition opportunities to grow and diversify its current holding base. The company also plans to uplist to the OTCQB and become a fully reporting company during the current fiscal year.
The company has engaged Milost Advisors to pursue acquisitions and financing facilities toward funding acquisitions, as well as to provide working capital. Milost Advisors will assist SinglePoint in the acquisition of undervalued companies with annual revenues of at least $50 million, and has already identified potential acquisition targets for the company to consider.
Skinvisible, Inc. (SKVI)
Skinvisible, Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a Research and Development company whose patented Invisicare® technology can be used to revitalize or create new medical or skincare products, allowing a company that licenses Skinvisible's formulations to sell their own patented product and combat generic competitors.
A prescription dermatology product can generate $100 million or more a year, with the potential to lose 50-90% of that revenue when it goes off patent. Preserving that revenue is why the licensing of a product made with Invisicare is a very desirable option for many companies. The Company has developed a pipeline of 40 products using Invisicare, with a primary focus on optimizing the performance and increasing the value of "gold standard" dermatology drugs and licensing them to international and multi-national companies in the pharmaceutical, over-the-counter and cosmeceutical markets.
Invisicare® is a high performance topical and transdermal delivery system which enhances the delivery of drugs and other ingredients to and through the skin. The key to Skinvisible's patented technology and trademarked Invisicare® family of polymer delivery vehicles is its formula and process for combining hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers into stable complexes in water emulsions. Invisicare® can be a key component of life cycle management, extending the life with a new patent-protected product, dramatically expanding the company's revenue stream.
Independent studies of Invisicare ® have shown the following benefits:
- Active ingredients stay on the skin for up to four hours or more and resist wash off and rub off.
- Delivery method results in improved efficacy, reduced skin irritation and lower required dosage.
- Unique formulations are non-drying and provide the ability to control the release of active ingredients.
- Products form a protective barrier, which means normal skin respiration and perspiration occur and the product wears off as part of the skin's natural exfoliation process.
Terry Howlett, President, founder and CEO of Skinvisible Inc., said the Company has more than 15 years of scientific research and product development experience. All development is conducted using stringent pharmaceutical standards. The Company has licensed a number of its formulations including a prescription hemorrhoid cream in the USA, its anti-aging Kintari® line of products and DermSafe®, its non-alcohol hand sanitizer to a licensee in China. Producing licensed products for the booming cannabis industry is also an important element of the company's business strategy.
Skinvisible's foray into the rapidly expanding market for medicinal and recreational cannabis products is already underway with the development of the company's first hemp-derived CBD (cannabidiol) products. Skinvisible has negotiated an exclusive licensing deal in Canada with Canopy Growth Corporation, one of the world's leading cannabis companies. As part of the company's overall growth strategy, Skinvisible is also negotiating with a Licensed Producer in Las Vegas where Skinvisible scientists will develop THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) products for the legal recreational and medical marijuana market for the USA. Notably, Skinvisible is actively pursuing potential licensees through-out the world where medical cannabis is legal. These licensees will have the exclusive right to manufacture and distribute Skinvisible's cannabis products within their territory.
"We are excited about the results we are already seeing just with our hemp-derived CBD products," Howlett says. "Our science shows that our CBD products release almost four times that of market leaders and our transdermal product had an 81% penetration rate at 6 hours. These results are significant and provide the difference between ordinary cannabis products and ones enhanced by Invisicare."
The Company's business model includes out-licensing its formulations for a development fee, license fee and on-going royalties in addition to selling its Invisicare polymers to its licensees.
Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSX.V: SLL)
(FRA: S5L) (OTCQX: STLHF)
Standard Lithium Ltd. is a Canadian-based energy exploration and development company that is building one of the largest portfolios of high quality, domestic U.S. lithium brine assets. Its data and technology driven project development model is grounded in knowledge, opportunity and speed. Standard Lithium is led by an innovative and results-oriented management team with a strong focus on technical skills. The company has acquired several prospective lithium brine projects with known geological values consistent with producing basins, including its primary focus, the Bristol Dry Lake, California brownfield project that is permitted for related mineral production with accompanying world class infrastructure which are expected to contribute to faster, lower cost exploration and commercial development programs.
Recent results from a geophysical survey of the 25,000-acre Bristol Lake site suggest a high concentration of lithium-bearing brines are present throughout the company's mineral lease agreement claims. Standard Lithium's strategic partner in the venture, National Chloride Corporation of America, is well established in the region. All necessary infrastructure is on site, which gives Standard Lithium immediate access to conduct exploration brine sampling, lithium extraction, evaporation and processing activities, all within a fast-track project development schedule.
World demand for lithium continues to surge. The global lithium compounds market is projected to reach U.S. $5.87 billion by 2020, at a compound annual growth rate of 13.22% between 2015 and 2020. Lithium-ion batteries are the fastest growing segment of the market.
Standard Lithium's determination to provide battery-grade lithium materials is bolstered by its recently appointed Scientific Advisory Council. These leading lithium extraction scientists and process engineers will oversee and direct the necessary lithium extraction process testing work. In addition to the Bristol Lake Brine Project, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding in August with an unnamed New York Stock Exchange-listed company on an option for Standard to acquire lithium exploration and productions rights on 30,000 net brine acres overlying the Smackover formation in a region with a history of commercial-scale brine processing. Management believes lithium-bearing brines are likely present in this area. Smackover brines are metal-rich brine anomalies in reservoir rocks along the Gulf Coast from east Texas to Florida known to be a prime lithium resource. This resource may be one of the most promising ones to develop, given that a large-scale brine extraction, processing and reinjection industry is already well established.
Recently, Standard Lithium closed a multi-million dollar private placement offering, which allows the company to advance its current projects and pursue strategic acquisitions in the lithium sector. The company is well positioned with significant exploration opportunities featuring low cost production costs, easy transport, proximity to demand, and access to innovative production methodology.
Tapinator, Inc. (TAPM)
Tapinator, Inc. is a developer and publisher of mobile games on the iOS, Google Play and Amazon platforms. The Company's portfolio includes over 300 mobile gaming titles generating hundreds of thousands of daily player downloads that provide predictable and attractive returns through the sale of branded advertisements and consumer app store transactions. Tapinator, based in New York and with product development teams located throughout the world, was founded in 2013 by a visionary team that has been building mobile games and applications since 2007 and has achieved multiple successful exits.
Tapinator's business strategy includes the creation of a select number of best-in-class Full-Featured Games, such as ROCKY™ and Solitaire Dash, which provide game players with more in-depth, unique content that supports long-term retention and generates higher investment returns. The Full-Featured Games model creates the potential for sustainable $100+ million franchise-type games that have product lifespans of at least five years. Tapinator uses a proprietary set of dynamic development and marketing processes factored upon gaming category, estimated player retention and projected player profitability.
Recent successful launches of two new Full-Featured titles – Big Sport Fishing 2017 and Dice Mage 2 – were recognized on the Apple iOS platform as "New Games We Love." During the game's first seven days after global release, Big Sport Fishing 2017 received well over 520,000 player downloads. Four new titles, ColorFill, Divide & Conquer, Shadowborne and Fusion Heroes, are in the pipeline for release in Q4 2017 and Q1 2018 as well. The formula for these game combines proven gameplay elements with best-in-class monetization systems, supplemented by Tapinator's strong creative team of developers, strategists and product specialists. The company's Rapid-Launch Games division also saw increasing player interest recently with the launch of Fidget Spinner Superhero and Scary Shark Evolution 3D.
Tapinator's diversified revenue sources includes 54 percent from advertising placed within its mobile games and 46 percent from consumer app store purchases. The Company limits advertising placements to between game levels and also runs rewarded video ad units that are tied directly into the game's currency. Tapinator's portfolio includes more than 300 active titles, with no single game accounting for more than 25 percent of total revenues during the first half of 2017.
As Tapinator looks toward the future, opportunities in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) show great promise. The company has released several prototype VR games to gather data before pursuing a more significant VR product. Recent market reports suggest that the VR industry will hit $30 billion by 2020 and the AR industry will surpass that with a projected $120 billion. Tapinator also plans to pursue publishing transactions that leverage its network, platform relationships and operational excellence. Significant opportunities for expanding Tapinator's gaming IP to new platforms such as Steam and leading messaging apps are also on the horizon. The company is targeting a 30+ percent annual bookings growth target for 2017-2019.
Teewinot Life Sciences
Teewinot Life Sciences is an international biopharmaceutical company employing its patent-protected CannSynthesis® technology to biosynthesize cannabinoids for the large-scale manufacture of pharmaceutically pure cannabinoids including the varin series of compounds, which are only found in relatively small quantities in the cannabis plant. Teewinot's focus is on the biosynthetic production of pure, naturally-occurring cannabinoids, cannabinoid prodrugs and analog compounds by utilizing proprietary biocatalysis and synthetic biology for clinical development of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals. To date, Teewinot researchers have synthesized over 18 different naturally occurring cannabinoids in pharmaceutically pure form. The company employs its proprietary, disruptive technology to develop therapeutics for diseases identified as viable cannabinoid targets such as pain management, opioid addiction, oncology, psychiatric and central nervous system disorders, inflammation, and other drug development indications. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Teewinot is a global leader in the manufacturing and delivery of safe and standardized products containing cannabinoids, cannabinoid prodrugs, and cannabinoid analogs for diverse consumer markets. The company's wholly owned subsidiaries in Ireland and Canada, along with collaborations formed with key research institutions, consumer product companies, manufacturers, and local communities, combine cutting-edge scientific research on cannabinoids with an aggressive intellectual property portfolio to create new and improved patient therapies.
Teewinot Laboratories ("TLABS") is the center of all research for the company, operating Health Canada federally-licensed laboratories in both Vancouver, British Columbia, and Steinbach, Manitoba. The Vancouver laboratory has primary expertise in genomics, synthetic biology, organic chemistry, and molecular biology. It also provides services focused on the scaling and refinement of biosynthetic processes and outputs. The Steinbach laboratory provides services focused on formulation technologies, plant breeding (genetic development and engineering), and research analytics.
Teewinot Technologies Ltd. ("TTECH"), located in Dublin, Ireland, serves as the Intellectual Property repository and global patient filer for the Teewinot Life Sciences Group. TTECH is responsible for all IP management and is the contracted party for all licensing agreements. TTECH also services the company's global regulatory oversight group and provides accounting and audit services to the Teewinot family of companies.
Teewinot has licensed its CannSynthesis® technology for the commercial production of the first analytical standard of CBCA (cannabichromenic acid) and for the manufacture of a patient-protected prodrug of a cannabinoid. A prodrug is a molecule that after administration is metabolized into a pharmacologically active drug. Teewinot's cannabinoid prodrugs are designed to be more bioavailable and stable in the human body, thereby increasing their efficacy. Since the majority of cannabinoids are produced in very small quantities in the cannabis plant and are expensive to chemically synthesize, most cannabinoids have not been available for research and therapeutic applications. That has now changed with the development and commercial introduction of Teewinot's revolutionary technologies for the manufacture and formulation of cannabinoids in kilogram quantities. Teewinot's CannSynthesis® technology is able to take cannabinoid pharmaceuticals from theory to reality, facilitating regulatory compliance with its ability to deliver consistent and controlled dosages. Through its partnerships with leading universities and pharmaceutical companies, Teewinot is working to move the development of these proprietary compounds into clinics to provide novel patient therapies.
Teewinot enjoys commercial first-mover advantage in the field of cannabinoid biosynthesis with patents covering biosynthetic processes and equipment for the manufacture of cannabinoids, as well as water-soluble cannabinoid formulation technology. Teewinot's disciplined approach to research and development targets specific applications, which allows for customized product solutions and formulation challenges. Teewinot is available to assist commercial partners in the development or manufacture of new cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals, prodrugs or analogs. For the first time, licensees will be able to manufacture commercial quantities of naturally-occurring cannabinoids and cannabinoid prodrugs that does not involve growing the cannabis plant or expensive chemical synthesis. Regulations and emerging technologies create significant impacts on the entire cannabis-related industry and companies that focus on cannabinoids provide investors with a rewarding path forward.
Teewinot has assembled a veteran management team with demonstrated success in leadership, growth, pharmaceutical development, marketing and aftermarket support. The organization includes a team of highly experienced scientists, business people, attorneys and other support personnel who are carefully aligning the intellectual property strategy with business goals and scientific developments. Teewinot President, Director and CEO Jeffrey M. Korentur is a co-founder of the company with more than 25 years of experience in leadership position in military and private sector roles. He is joined by Richard Peet, J.D., Ph.D., who serves as the chief intellectual property counsel; Bryan K. Brink, vice president of finance; Dr. Malcolm Kavarana, chief scientific officer and senior director intellectual property; and Eric A. Walker as chief information officer.
Teewinot's strengths lie in its commitment to innovative research that unlocks the medicinal properties found within the cannabis plant, its disciplined approach to research and development with targeted applications, and its determination to connect and collaborate with research institutions, consumer product companies, manufacturers, local communities, and team members. Teewinot's global technology and intellectual property represent a breakthrough in the creation and delivery of cannabinoid-based medicines and therapies.
The Green Organic Dutchman (TGOD)
The Green Organic Dutchman ("TGOD"), whose principal location is in Hamilton, Ontario, produces farm grown, organic, pesticide-free medical cannabis in small batches using all natural, organic craft growing principles. TGOD is licensed under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) to cultivate medical cannabis. The company carries out its principal activities producing cannabis pursuant to the provisions of the ACMPR and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada).
Committed to becoming the global leader in delivering organic cannabis solutions that enhance people's lives, TGOD consistently adheres to the highest levels of excellence. Its world-class management team includes a proven group of leaders with outstanding executive and operational experience specific to consumer packaged goods, consumer products, cannabis and finance industries.
TGOD is positioned as one of the highest quality and most cost efficient cannabis producers in Canada by leveraging innovative technology and low-cost power solutions. It holds one of the largest land packages under a single ACMPR license in Canada, providing future cannabis Agri-park style development and opportunities for joint ventures, licensing and distribution partners. Its industry leading alliance partners include Eaton, Ledcor Group and Hamilton Utilities Corp.
Eaton is the second largest power management company in the world and promises to supply innovative and cost effective power solutions to meet TGOD's growing demands. Construction management is supplied by Ledcor, Canada's second largest multidisciplinary construction company and a pioneer in the Green Building Industry. An alliance with Hamilton Utilities Corp allows TGOD to reduce its power costs from $0.13 per kWh to less than $0.05 per kWh. Greenhouse design is provided by Larssen Greenhouse, whose 25-plus years of experience in building some of the most modern and sophisticated greenhouses in the industry will provide TGOD with state of the art, climate-controlled hybrid greenhouse solutions.
Canada is quickly becoming a hub for cannabis investors with over $1.3 billion raised by Canadian companies to date. There are 58 licensed producers to service a population of 36 million and only two organic producers. TGOD, which holds licenses in Ontario and Quebec, is strategically located in both provinces that together claim 22 million Canadians as residents. Another estimated 57 million people live next door in six U.S. bordering states.
The Canadian cannabis market currently has a massive supply demand gap, which makes TGOD's expansion plans even more important to investors. These plans include a combined build-out capacity of 970,000 square feet, allowing TGOD to produce 116,000 kg annually of organic cannabis. Upon completion, Phase One in Hamilton, Ontario, which is fully funded, will provide 150,000 square feet of growing capacity capable of producing up to 14,000 kg of cannabis or $112 million in revenue at $8 a gram.
The company's Quebec expansion will be constructed on a recently secured 75-acre property near Montreal. This new property has a planned expansion of 820,000 square feet capable of producing 102,000 kg of organic cannabis. The first phase of this expansion is underway and construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. Quebec's first phase will consist of 220,000 square feet capable of producing 22,000 kg of cannabis. Two additional expansion phases will add 250,000 square feet (26,000 kg of cannabis) and 350,000 square feet (54,000 kg of cannabis). Power costs remain exceptionally low for both facilities with access to all other needed utilities available and close by.
TGOD also plans to gain a share of the burgeoning cannabis oils market which by Q1 2017 accounted for 49 percent of all cannabis sold in Canada under the ACMPR, up from only 27% in Q2 2016. TGOD has ordered a purpose-built extraction laboratory with an estimated commission in Q4 of 2017. This is a commercial-scale CO2 extraction unit capable of processing up to 12,000 kg of raw material per year and producing approximately $170 million worth of organic cannabis oils. Raw cannabis oil provides a significant downstream manufacturing opportunity into several potential recreational market verticals including edibles, beverages, topicals and concentrates.
Data from the Canadian ACMPR Market Trends report indicates a rising number of consumers will continue to seek out healthier, less conspicuous ways to consume cannabis, ensuring sales of organic cannabis oil products remain brisk. Organic cannabis products demand a significant premium compared to non-organic products and the demand keeps growing.
Plans to take the company public are underway with an initial public offering (IPO) slated for January 2018. In November, the company raised $13 million in equity financing and in March closed a $27 million non-brokered private placement. Another $20 million is currently being raised before the IPO in January, which will be utilized for expansion plans.
TGOD is uniquely positioned between the medical and recreational cannabis industry since Canada is scheduled to legalize cannabis for all adults in mid-2018. As of August 2017, TGOD has 2,400 shareholders. Established in 2012, TGOD's motto, "Making Life Better," can be seen in its strategic partnerships, top quality management team, and dedication to organic farming and principles.
Veritas Pharma Inc. (CSE: VRT)
(OTC: VRTHF) (FRT: 2VP)
Veritas Pharma Inc. is an emerging pharmaceutical and IP development company publicly traded in Canada, the United States and Germany. Through its recently acquired 80 percent stake in Cannevert Therapeutics Ltd., also known as Veritas' R&D arm, the company is clinically profiling various cannabis cultivars to pharmacologically connect unique strains with specific disease conditions. Veritas Pharma's goal is to perform clinical trials to prove the efficacy of the designated lead cannabis strains and to market the clinically effective cultivars as prescription medicines in a fast-track protocol.
Veritas Pharma's management and R&D team comprises decades of pharmaceutical, clinical and scientific research expertise into several key industry leaders. Lui Franciosi, PhD, who has over 20 years of experience conducting pharmaceutical and medical device studies in academia and industry, leads the company as its CEO. In addition to a team of trained technicians and students working out of academic facilities, Veritas Pharma is pleased to have a renowned group of scientists on board to lead its research efforts. Team members hold 10 PhDs/MD licenses with expertise in chemistry, pharmacology and clinical trials.
Veritas Pharma's mission is to develop and commercialize the most effective cannabis strains, backed by clinical data. This innovative research and development path aims to solve the critical need for real science to support claims surrounding medical cannabis. The company's approach, combined with its strategic alliances, will effectively address the medical community's concerns over the complexities of cannabis potency, efficacy, quality and content in the nearly 800 cannabis strains currently known in the world. Opportunities for innovation and scientific advancement related to the field of cannabis therapeutics will accelerate the knowledge base and provide a valuable alternative to the global opioid market that is estimated at nearly U.S. $35 billion. A growing negative opinion regarding the use of opioids for pain will continue to drive the need for alternative medical applications such as those provided by cannabis.
Veritas Pharma's clinical cannabis development pipeline includes R&D for chronic pain, nausea, migraine, inflammation, muscle spasms, epilepsy and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The strategic alliance formed with Cannevert and its scientists will enable Veritas to be at the forefront of developing new and unique strains of medicinal cannabis. These plants, which they plan to patent protect for a variety of unmet medical needs, are destined to help patients suffering with chronic and debilitating symptoms of a variety of medical issues. Over 250 experiments have been performed so far with another 150 pharmacological and biological studies conducted. Veritas Pharma has also entered into an agreement with Sechelt Organic Marijuana Inc., which has a Licensed Producer application pending with Health Canada, to acquire 100 percent ownership in the company.
Results of the company's research to date illustrate Veritas' unique place in the medical cannabis industry. The company's focus on the biological effect of the actual spectrum of cannabinoids sets Veritas apart as it seeks to patent and protect results-driven strains.
Victory Square Technologies Inc. (CSE: VST) (OTC: VSQTF) (FRANKFURT: 6F6) (WKN: A2AKL8)
Victory Square Technologies Inc. (CSE: VST) (OTC: VSQTF) (FRANKFURT: 6F6) (WKN: A2AKL8) is a venture builder that creates, funds and empowers entrepreneurs working in the fields of blockchain technology, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, personalized health, gaming and film. As a technology incubator, Victory Square invests in game-changing entrepreneurs who are provided access to education programs, global mentorship networks, distribution partners, creative workspaces, resources, and other forms of operational support to help them scale internationally.
Victory Square has made multiple early partnerships and investments in the blockchain space. Approximately three years ago the company incubated and invested in BTL Group, which is now a $150 million dollar TSX-listed company offering blockchain solutions across multiple industries with particular focus on the finance, energy and gaming sectors. BTL's showcase product – Interbit – is a blockchain platform that facilitates the rapid development of business applications that dramatically improve efficiency. Some of the world's largest institutions are using Interbit to explore new opportunities on private blockchains.
A new social sports betting platform to be developed by Victory Square's wholly owned subsidiary, FansUnite Media Inc. As a social sports data platform, FansUnite relies on robust data to allow members of its community to engage with like-minded individuals by collaborating, discussing, and predicting the winners of sporting events with a free virtual currency. The integration of blockchain technology into FansUnite's social sports data platform could also lead to blockchain initiatives developed by other divisions and subsidiaries of Victory Square.
Integral to the FansUnite platform is the introduction of FAN Tokens, an in-game currency purchased with the cryptocurrency Ethereum that token holders can use to place wagers. FansUnite members will be able to earn FAN Tokens through participation in any number of networking effects identified in the company's Bounty program.
"Blockchain technology and the inherent security it provides will enable us to push every envelope we can to build the most dynamic and responsive social sports betting platform," said Darius Eghdami, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FansUnite. "The opportunity to secure data through Blockchain certainly appeals to the accountant in me and we are confident it will become the gold standard among sports betting sites around the world."
Company subsidiary Victory Square Health Inc., which serves as the venture arm dedicated to companies focused on the development of solutions in personalized health technologies, has also invested in Personalized Biomarkers Inc. (PBI). PBI develops test kits that reliably predict the expected response to a number of therapies prior to prescription, with an initial focus on diabetes. Within this field, five potential biomarkers have been identified, allowing PBI to enter a $4 billion market opportunity.
"We are excited for the opportunity to partner with Personalized Biomarkers as they have correctly identified a massive market opportunity, and have formed an exceptional team of industry leaders," said Shafin Diamond Tejani, Chief Executive Officer of Victory Square. "This is another investment that is fully aligned with our newly created subsidiary, and one we expect to significantly impact the landscape of personalized medicine."
A partnership with Insight Diagnostics Inc., also through Victory Square Health, will focus on the development of a personalized diagnostic solution for the improved management and prevention of Type II diabetes.
The company's investment in V2 Games, a development and publishing studio of high-quality mobile games, is another example of incubating great ideas. V2 Games is well known for its successful launch of PAC-MAN Bounce and Beast Brawlers, two of the company's releases that are capturing the gaming world by the millions of downloads.
In a move designed to strengthen its presence in film and entertainment, Victory Square has acquired a 40 percent equity stake in United Film Fund II, LLC, which is producing three major motion pictures in 2017 and 2018 including "What They Had," starring two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank.
"This kind of investment in entertainment and film represents a major plank for our Company going forward and we consider ourselves fortunate to have the opportunity to acquire this 40% stake in the Film Fund," said Tejani, who has launched more than 40 startups in 21 countries that employ hundreds of people and generate more than $100 million in annual revenues. "We believe it's another strong initiative in film production for us and our stakeholders," he added.
Victory Square has strategically positioned itself in the legal cannabis industry through an investment in Tantalus Labs, a Canadian-based cannabis cultivation company. Tantalus Labs optimizes plant health and sustainable cultivation by using a unique, environmentally controlled greenhouse engineered specifically for growing cannabis. Called a "SunLab," the greenhouse takes 90 percent less electricity, uses filtered rainwater, and cools the growing environment to prevent stagnant moisture, recycling the air every 7 minutes to achieve maximum airflow.
Victory Square and its leadership team have seamlessly transitioned from its former identity as Fantasy 6 Sports Inc, a company focused solely on fantasy sports, mobile gaming and immersive sports, to a strategic technology company that creates, funds and successfully executes leading-edge ideas. A long-time technology entrepreneur and advocate of the industry, Tejani received the Person-of-the-Year Award at the 2017 Technology Impact Awards in British Columbia, a hallmark award category that recognizes betterment of the tech industry through leadership and philanthropic or enterprise skills and talents. Tejani has pledged to match up to $1 million in donated funds to be shared by a number of Canadian endeavors aimed at education and child-safe projects.
"These are exciting and important steps in the evolution and growth of our Company, and which properly and fully align with our strategic plan focusing on our core competencies in Blockchain Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Gaming, Personalized Health, Film and Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality," said Tejani. "We're spurred on by the success we have had in building on our original forays into fantasy sports, mobile gaming and immersive sports. In addition, we are energized by our most recent initiatives in sports, personalized health and entertainment and the confidence being shown by our shareholders in the dynamic direction of the Company."
Victory Square Technologies and its management team believe innovation, incubation of excellent ideas and social responsibility are at the core of its growing success.
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