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betterU Education $BTRU.ca Develops an Application Programming Interface (API) Advancing Access and Automation of the Company’s Global Education Marketplace

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:03 AM on Friday, September 22nd, 2017

Betteru large

  • Announced the development of the company’s ‘RESTful API’ that will enable the automation and management of global partners and additional services to be made available on betterU’s marketplace
  • ‘RESTful API’ is a services layer of the betterU ecosystem that will enable the company to advance its asset-light model and support scalable global growth

OTTAWA, Sept. 22, 2017 — betterU Education Corp. (TSX-V:BTRU) (FRANKFURT:5OGA), (“betterU”), is pleased to announce the development of the company’s ‘RESTful API’ that will enable the automation and management of global partners and additional services to be made available on betterU’s marketplace. The ‘RESTful API’ is a services layer of the betterU ecosystem that will enable the company to advance its asset-light model and support scalable global growth.

RESTful API
Image of the betterU RESTful API

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c7819d0-078e-4768-94fe-7dc5f719b777.

The betterU ‘RESTful API’ benefits include:

  • the ability for partners to add and manage their content, sign-up promotions, set their pricing;
  • a quick and easy onboarding process for thousands of courses from around the world;
  • the ability to manage partners, programs and course promotions;
  • an opportunity for partners to add and manage jobs postings;
  • a quick and easy onboarding process able to support thousands of jobs;
  • ability to provide access to partners’ online sales data and reports;
  • ability of new partners to be able to register automatically on betterU marketplace;
  • ability of content and other partners to ‘push and pull’ information of all course content;
  • an infrastructure for ‘coming soon’ onboarding portal.

betterU’s RESTful API will enable its partners to dynamically control the content and pricing of courses posted on betterU marketplace. This will enable them to easily come up with ad hoc promotions and post marketing materials on the company’s marketplace all subject to approval stages by betterU.

The advancement of the betterU’s marketplace ecosystem has been an important part of the company’s development. As betterU continues to advance its global efforts with the integrating of course providers, employment opportunities and corporate partners, automated efficiencies will help support rapid growth.  This automation will support reduced ongoing management costs, increase available products and services and support expansion of new company offerings. “The advancement of our RESTful API has been part of the company’s main goals for the last several years. It is wonderful to see the company advancing our technology infrastructure,” said Hagai Amiel CTO of betterU Education Corp.

About betterU

betterU, a global education marketplace, aims to provide access to quality education from around the world to foster growth and opportunity to those who want to better their lives. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ‘education-to employment’ ecosystem. betterU’s offerings can be categorized into four broad functions: to complement school programs with flexible KG-12 programs preparing children for next stage of education, to foster an exceptional educational environment by providing befitting skills that lead to a better career, to bridge the gap between one’s existing education and prospective job requirement by training them and lastly, to connect the end user to various job opportunities.

www.betterU.ca and www.betterU.in

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements and information, which may involve risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Factors that might cause a difference include, but are not limited to, competitive developments, risks associated with betterU’s growth, the state of the financial markets, regulatory risks and other factors. There can be no assurance or guarantees that any statements of forward-looking information contained in this release will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all subsequent written and oral statements containing forward-looking information are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, betterU disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers should not place undue reliance on any statements of forward-looking information that speak only as of the date of this release. Further information on betterU’s public filings, including their most recent audited consolidated financial statements, are available at www.sedar.com.

For further information, please visit  http://www.betteru.ca/investor-overview/

Investor contact:

Investor Relations
1-613-695-4100 Ext. 233
Email: ir@betteru.ca

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Madison Square Garden Company Appoints Head of #Esports Division $GMBL

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:48 AM on Friday, September 22nd, 2017

  • Esports are second only to movies in the 18 to 25 demographic
  • Nick Allen, who until recently was the vice president of esports for video streaming service Twitch, was named the head of Madison Square Gard Company’s “growing esports division,” effective October 2nd

The holding company for Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the New York Knicks just hired a Twitch executive to head up its esports efforts.

Nick Allen, who until recently was the vice president of esports for video streaming service Twitch, was named the head of Madison Square Gard Company’s “growing esports division,” effective October 2nd, according to the company.

Allen will be responsible for driving the company’s efforts to expand its presence in the esports industry, with a primary focus on operating Counter Logic Gaming (CLG), MSG’s newly acquired esports franchise. In his new role, Allen will serve as CLG’s chief operating officer, working with CLG Founder and President George “HotshotGG” Georgallidis on advancing the company’s initiatives, including creating live, tickets events. He will also be in charge of creating esports events at MSG venues across the country.

The Madison Square Garden Company operated a number of high profile venues around the country including New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; the Forum in Inglewood, CA; The Chicago Theatre; and the Wang Theatre in Boston. The company also owns the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers and the New York Liberty (WNBA).

This July, Madison Square Garden bought a controlling interest in Counter Logic Gaming, which was founded in 2010 as a League of Legends team. CLG now fields teams in a variety of esports including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Hearthstone, Call of Duty and Super Smash Bros.

“We couldn’t be happier with the addition of Nick to our team here at MSG as we start to take a leadership role in the growth of the esports industry,” Jordan Solomon, executive vice president, MSG Sports, Madison Square Garden Company, said in a prepared statement. “Nick brings with him an extensive knowledge of esports and a deep set of relationships developed through overseeing some of the industry’s most popular events, and he has created initiatives that have continued to grow the gaming community. His vision for the esports space will be an invaluable asset to The Madison Square Garden Company and to CLG.”

Prior to joining Twitch in 2015, Allen was the esports operations manager for Riot Games, establishing the organization’s first team dedicated to the operation of esports competitions, including League of Legends World Championships, Championship Series, and Challenger Series. Before Riot Games, he served as an esports division and operations manager for IGN Entertainment.

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/madison-square-garden-company-appoints-esports-head-w504697

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betterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – How To Monetize A Developing Country

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:11 PM on Thursday, September 21st, 2017
betterU Education Corp. is a global education marketplace that provides access to quality education from the top educators into emerging markets such as India.
To date, the company has enlisted over 10,000 programs from over 50 institutions and 8 countries. betterU has also announced several global strategic partnerships that have gone unnoticed by the general public, with each deal having the potential to generate enormous value for its shareholders.

Current Price: C$0.42
Shares Outstanding: 51.8 million
Market Capitalization: C$21.8 million

Currently focused on the hundreds of millions of potential customers in India, betterU aims to equalize education around the world by providing accessibility, choice, and affordability, all within an ‘Amazon’ like platform providing opportunities to those who want to better their lives. The company’s vision is to provide a better education, which can lead to a better job and ultimately create a better life by bridging the gap between education and the job industry.

betterU was founded in early 2013, and it took over 4 years to put the foundation in place, including global leadership, localized teams, international partnerships, mass marketing, support technologies and infrastructure to operate in India.

It took more than 2 years to establish the company’s operating entity within India including incorporating, banking and an ability to collect payments in local currency. 98% of the country’s population of over 1.3 billion do not have credit cards to enable them to purchase international education. India is considered a closed currency market, and the only way to transact is to be established as an Indian entity, which has been for many foreigners too lengthy of a process to set-up.

This was one among many significant barriers to entries that make it extremely difficult for other educators to do business in India. betterU has the first mover advantage, and is the only global education marketplace established for emerging markets.

The business model is simple, betterU provides mass marketing across India, collecting all registrations payments, user data and then connects the learner seamlessly into a content partner’s learning environment. betterU holds back 20% to 50% of revenues collected as their fee depending on the partner’s brand and offering that is available. betterU has over 10,000 courses in its arsenal, provided by reputable institutions such as edx’s Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Udemy, Pluralsight, Skillsoft and more.
(Sample of content partners, Source: betterU)

Education In India – Big Business

There is no denying India is a large market. Ever since Jim O’Neill, the global economist at Goldman Sachs, coined the phrase ‘BRIC’ in the early 2000s, India has proven to be a financial juggernaut on the world stage. The country is singled out due to its young population, healthy savings and investment rates, and its increasing integration into the global economy. In fact, for the first time, India was the first on the World Bank’s growth look in 2015-2016.By extension, the education sector provides massive opportunity, with almost 30% of the population between the ages 0-14, and 260 million students enrolled in more than 1.5 million schools. Over 34 million students are enrolled in ~50,000 colleges and institutions for higher education, making it the largest vertical in the world. The education sector is currently valued at $98 billion, and is expected to climb to $144 billion by 2020.
Intuitively, the online education market will be growing just as fast. In a recent study released by KPMG, the sector is currently valued at $250 million, and is expected to reach ~$2 billion by 2021. This growth will be primary fueled by paid users, which is expected to grow from current 1.6 million users to 9.5 million in 2021. The largest segment of online education is re-skilling and certification, currently valued at $93 million, and expected to grow to $463 million by 2021.

Strategic Partnership With The Largest National Media Company
betterU’s head office is located in Ottawa, Canada, but it also has local offices in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. One of the key shareholders in its Indian entity, Skillsdox India Private Ltd., owned 50% by betterU and 50% by Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. (the Times Group), the largest media company in India.

betterU and the Times Group have entered into an investment and marketing agreement, where the Times Group will make an in-kind investment of ~$30 million into Skillsdox India. The Times Group will provide media-based marketing that will cover 80% of India. This partnership provides betterU with immense exposure and penetration for education in India.

Last month, the company launched a visibility campaign, and saw 14,000 visitors with a bounce rate of 29% versus the average of 50%. Last year numbers saw a 3% conversion to registrations, 40% of whom ended up buying. The company’s social media followers grew from ~20,000 over the last year to now over 130,000 in just the last 6 weeks.

The company has only used $1 million of the in-kind investment, and is now building out a digital campaign to fully utilize the marketing partnership. Once this campaign is fully active, it will provide a significant pipeline of learners to the platform.

Strategic Partnership With The Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC)
Prime Minister Modi has a vision to skill 500 million people by 2022. Thus, many global educators are clamoring for a spot at the table, however, most simply do not have the infrastructure to do so. betterU’s unique approach of pre- and post assessments to determine the ideal learning path has given the company an incredible edge in dealing with a variety of learners and scenarios.

In November 2016, betterU held its first Skills Leadership Summit in Delhi that included many industry, academia and government leaders. A panelist, the CEO of TSSC, Lieutenant-General Kochhar outlined the importance of skills development and the required collaboration between industry and educators.

betterU fostered this relationship, and after 10 months of discussions, an MOU was executed with the TSSC to jointly support the skilling of millions of workers in the telecom sector. The two organizations will combine efforts to support multiple initiatives, including the development of country-wide learning centres; the development and acquisition of localized educational programs; development of rural area mobility learning; and the further advancement of a customized skilling platform.

The TSSC expects the need to skill over 8.8 million people in the telecom sector by 2022, and will do so by utilizing the portfolio of courses available through betterU’s global education marketplace. This will be an incredible collaboration once formalized, and will provide a robust and steady stream of revenue for betterU.

Strategic Partnership With NASSCOM/IT-ITes SSC

Similar to the TSSC MOU, betterU have begun formal discussions and due diligence with NASSCOM/IT-ITes SSC for the purpose of skilling millions of professionals across the IT sector. In show of support for betterU and Canada’s commitment to bilateral trade, Brian Parrott, Minister Commercial and Senior Trade Commission Services from the Canadian embassy, was also present at the meeting.Robust Pipeline

Speaking with management, there is a variety of opportunities in the pipeline at various stages of development. Each has the potential to either bolster revenues or provide game changing cash flow to the table.betterU is on the cusp of consummating a partnership with one of the largest technology companies in the market, which will allow this company to establish itself in India with a strategic partner who can collect its revenue. This can lead the way to a larger, more formal agreements down the line.
betterU’s most recent partnership is with the Central Bank of India to provide instructor led leadership training in Mumbai for all their Assistant General Managers. The company is currently expecting feedback on the training results, and looking forward to continue building its relationship.

Proven Management Team – Brad Loiselle

Brad Loiselle, President, CEO, Founder, is a serially successful entrepreneur, with an exit in the online education space already.He was the founder of Canada’s largest supplier of licensed paper goods, EasyWrapLines, which manufactured and distributed licensed paper goods products (gift bags, wrapping paper, etc.) for entertainment companies such as Disney, Marvel, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, and Fox Entertainment, just to name a few.

After this venture, Brad was in China and saw the struggles of education up close. He thought that technology was the perfect way to organize the space, and realized no one was offering content to the online masses. He created his own methodology, built the platform, and hit the conference circuit to get the word out.

His company, iPal (Interactive Professional Applied Learning), provided a full development solution to online education. His focus was to create a company that would eventually bring quality education to the mass population of the emerging markets.

iPal developed courses for employees at companies such as BMW, Scotia Bank, IATA, Service Canada College, and Knightsbridge. In fact, it was Knightsbridge that eventually acquired iPal in July 2011, using the methodology to build courses across North America.

Brad saw the potential of what online learning could bring to the developing world, and built betterU to service this lucrative space. Brad has a significant equity position in betterU and has entered into a volunteering pooling agreement to restrict his shares for sale on the exchange, and maintains the burning desire to build a leading company to eventually sell off to a major tech company.

The online education space is a hot sector. Some notable acquisitions include Tutor.com acquiring IAC for an estimated $40 million; Pearson Education buying a controlling stake in TutorVista for $127 million. Chan-Zuckerberg, Sequoia and others have -backed Byju for over $125M; Chegg acquiring InstaEDU for $30 million; and Linkedin acquiring Lynda.com for $1.5 billion.

Moving Forward

At a $20 million market cap, betterU is undervalued.It appears there is a lot of interest on the investment front, and we believe Brad will be able to secure a significant investment in the next six months.

The company will experience rapid organic growth through its partnership with The Times Group, with each partnership in the pipeline offering significant leaps in valuation once solidified.

Brad is a proven company maker, and it also helps he already has a significant exit in the online education space. This will be his third home run, and at current prices the perfect entry into this company.

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Fundamental Research Re-Initiates Coverage on New Age Metals Inc. $NAM.ca with Largest Undeveloped Primary #PGM Deposit in Canada

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:13 PM on Thursday, September 21st, 2017

New age large

  • Advancing its River Valley PGM project to a Preliminary Economic Assessment in 2018
  • Project has a measured and indicated resource of 91 Mt grading 0.84 g/t Pd + Pt + Au, 0.06% Cu, and 0.02% Ni, containing 3.9 Moz PdEq (palladium equivalent)
  • Currently pursuing a 16,500 ft drill program to confirm and expand the newly discovered high-grade near surface resource on the northern portion of the project
  • Palladium prices have almost doubled since the end of 2015
  • Also has a portfolio of five hard-rock lithium projects in Canada

Global platinum production was approximately 5.5 Moz, and global palladium production was approximately 6.6 Moz in 2016. To put in perspective, global gold production was 99.2 Moz in 2016. The following charts show the top platinum and palladium producers in the world. 


Canada is the fourth largest platinum (8% of global), and third largest palladium (11% of global) producer. The U.S. imports approximately 1.38 Moz of platinum (92% of its demand) and 1.92 Moz of palladium (86% of its demand) every year. The strong reliance on imports indicates the importance of PGM projects in North America. 

Canada is the fourth largest platinum (8% of global), and third largest palladium (11% of global) producer. The U.S. imports approximately 1.38 Moz of platinum (92% of its demand) and 1.92 Moz of palladium (86% of its demand) every year. The strong reliance on imports indicates the importance of PGM projects in North America. 


Palladium has been one of the best performing commodities in recent times as prices were up 96%, from US$500 per oz at the end of 2015, to the current price of US$980 per oz. 

READ ENTIRE REPORT

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Toronto Raptors, #NBA take ‘logical’ step into new frontier: Elite #Esports league $GMBL

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:26 AM on Wednesday, September 20th, 2017

Could the day come where more people watch the video-game avatars of average folks than superstar NBA athletes?

Don’t laugh. The growth of esports — defined as “a multiplayer video game played competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers” — has been nothing short of staggering.

Millions of people love to watch these top-notch players show their stuff. Sometimes, they even fill up arenas, and it’s only getting bigger and bigger every year.

The NBA joined forces with Take-Two Interactive, publisher of the NBA 2K video game series, to create a new league that will begin play in 2018, with 17 NBA franchises, including the Toronto Raptors, taking part in the inaugural season.

“It all started last February, when (NBA commissioner Adam Silver) and Strauss Zelnick (CEO of Take-Two) announced we were going to be doing the league, but even before that, we had been exploring the esports space, trying to figure out where we could fit into it,” Brendan Donohue said Monday.

Donohue, the managing director of the NBA 2K esports league, was in town to shed some light on the venture, since many of a certain age don’t have much of a clue of what it is all about, or why esports is so popular.

“It’s 5-on-5. Oftentimes, people are used to seeing video games being played 1-on-1,” Donohue said. “This actually is going to be five human beings playing five other human beings, controlling every player on the virtual court. So there will be no artificial intelligence whatsoever.

“The good thing is, several of our owners previously had and still own other teams and other titles … So we’ve had our owners that have been passionate about esports in general, so it just made logical sense for us to make the next step. The NBA has been running a league for two-quarters of a century, and then you have 2K, which is the most popular sports game amongst the major leagues. It just seemed logical for us to take a run at this.”

In this Sept. 3 file photo, fans watch a League of Legends esports competition at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris. Christophe Simon / AFP / Getty Images

There is already a waiting list for Year 2, as other NBA teams look to join the party.

And why not? Last month, Palisade Research released an esports primer which read in part: “The Esports sector is forecasted to generate $1.13 billion (U.S.) in 2017, with 258 million viewers. By 2021, revenue is expected to grow to $2.70 billion, and to 438 million viewers. Some analysts peg revenues to reach as high as $3.31 billion, which would almost match the revenues of the established National Hockey League ($3.7 billion), and on the heels of the National Basketball Association ($4.8 billion).”

Donohue said he has heard those projections, but right now, the focus is on “just wanting to be the best possible.”

He is well aware of how the financial world feels about esports, though.

“For example, you look at something like Twitch, which has 10 million daily viewers,” Donohue said. “Goldman Sachs has looked at it and I’ve seen their reports — they predict it will be 20 million (daily viewers) by 2020. Everyone who is looking at this is predicting both viewership and revenues to continue to explode in the near future.”

Donohue knew Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment wouldn’t sit on the sidelines.

“I’ve known the folks at MLSE for a long period of time,” he said. “They are extremely innovative, they are very digitally savvy, they are a great organization and I know they are passionate about this space, so I assumed they were going to be in.”

Could the NHL follow in the NBA’s footsteps in getting into esports in a major way?

It could happen down the line considering the massive financial potential. Washington Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is already heavily involved, and MLSE, Madison Square Garden (New York Knicks and Rangers) and Joshua Harris (Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils), three of the 17 initial NBA participants, also own NHL franchises.

In this March 1 file photo, Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka (centre) drives to the hoop against the Washington Wizards. Chris Young / CP

MLSE declined to comment on Monday about a potential Maple Leafs esports franchise.

At a business summit back in March, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, “We envision something that would augment a fan’s affinity to his team … because, ultimately, I could envision a league-wide competition where each club runs a competition to see who will be represented in the equivalent of our championship, but for our esport game.”

At the time, Bettman said the NHL had been discussing the idea for over a year, “and if (NHL video game maker Electronic Arts) can continue to get some traction in developing a game that would work like that, we’ll be in that business.”

Which would be no surprise at all to Donohue.

“I would expect other leagues to follow our lead and to get involved in this. I would expect that to happen. I think it’s great for esports,” he said.

“Other (professional league) games being successful just continues to grow the broader universe.”

ONLY THE BEST

The players for the new NBA 2K esports league will come from all over.

“Our goal, to make this the best league possible, is to find the best 85 players on the planet. They can be anywhere in the world, they can be male, they can be female — we just want the best 85 players,” league managing director Brendan Donohue told Postmedia on Monday.

Players will be paid by their respective teams. Tryouts will start around Feb. 1, 2018, with a draft to follow in mid-March. The season will run from May 1 and go for 15 weeks, before concluding with two weeks of playoffs ending the third week of August.

When most people think esports, if they know anything about the phenomenon in the first place, they picture teenagers and people in their early 20s playing video games. Donohue said NBA 2K players don’t really fit that description.

“We actually don’t skew that young. So, 58 per cent of our player are actually over 25, so we skew a little older,” he said. “I think there are some myths about our players in general. They’re actually more likely to be educated, more likely to have a higher income. There are some myths out there about esports.”

For the first season, the 17 teams will play “in a central studio, or maybe two, somewhere in North America,” Donohue said.

Games won’t be played in sold-out arenas just yet, but that could happen down the line.

“We’re excited to be in Toronto (long-term),” Donohue said. “When they’ve had esports events (at the Air Canada Centre) before they’ve been very successful. We see this as a great market.”

Source: http://nationalpost.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors-nba-take-logical-step-into-new-frontier-elite-esports-league

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Invested in #MMJ stocks such as #Cannabis Sativa $CBDS ? Check out the world’s largest B2C #Vaporizer company Namaste $N.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:12 AM on Wednesday, September 20th, 2017

Nlogo

N: CSE

  • World’s Largest E-Commerce B2C Vaporizer Company
  • Record Monthly Sales in August of C$1.43M
  • Revenue for AUG 31 2018 expected $24.9 million
  • Owns 26 e-commerce stores in 20 countries
  • Distribution centers in North America, South America, Europe and Asia Pacific
  • Aggressively expanding into manufacturing and wholesaling
  • Product acquisition agreement announced with Aphria Inc.

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Namaste $N.ca Announces Product Acquisition Agreement With Aphria Inc. $APH.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:49 AM on Wednesday, September 20th, 2017

Nlogo

  • Signed a Product Acquisition Agreement with Aphria Inc. (TSX:APH) (OTCQB:APHQF), to supply medical cannabis through Namaste’s Cannmart facility in Ontario, Canada
  • Agreement represents further progress for Namaste in securing supply agreements with high quality producers of medical cannabis

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 20, 2017 — Namaste Technologies Inc. (“Namaste” or the “Company”) (CSE:N) (FRANKFURT:M5BQ) (OTCMKTS:NXTTF) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Product Acquisition Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Aphria Inc. (“Aphria”) (TSX:APH) (OTCQB:APHQF), to supply medical cannabis through Namaste’s Cannmart facility in Ontario, Canada.

The Agreement represents further progress for Namaste in securing supply agreements with high quality producers of medical cannabis. Namaste intends to build on its current product offerings through its distribution license, by creating an online marketplace that is inclusive of medical cannabis for our Canadian customers. Namaste is pleased to have brought on Aphria, one of Canada’s leading licensed producers focused on production of pharmaceutical grade medical cannabis products.

About Aphria Inc.

Aphria Inc., one of Canada’s lowest cost producers, produces, supplies and sells medical cannabis. Located in Leamington, Ontario, the greenhouse capital of Canada, Aphria is truly powered by sunlight, allowing for the most natural growing conditions available. It is committed to providing pharma-grade medical cannabis, superior patient care while balancing patient economics and returns to shareholders. It is the first public licensed producer to report positive cash flow from operations and the first to report positive earnings in consecutive quarters.

Management Commentary

Sean Dollinger, President and CEO of Namaste comments: “We are very pleased to be working with Aphria, who we believe to be one of the top Canadian producers of the highest quality medical cannabis products. Our goal is to create an online marketplace for our patients that will offer a variety of products sourced from various producers in Canada and overseas. We plan to leverage our existing database of Canadian consumers along with our expertise in e-commerce to provide a unique platform for medical patients to access. We are excited to offer Aphria product to our Cannmart patients shipped from our facility in Toronto, Ontario.”

About Namaste Technologies Inc.

Namaste Technologies Inc. is an emerging leader in vaporizer and accessories space. Namaste has 26 ecommerce retail stores in 20 countries, offers the largest range of brand name vaporizers products on the market and is actively manufacturing and launching multiple unique proprietary products for retail and wholesale distribution. The Company is currently focused on expanding its product offering, acquisitions and strategic partnerships, and entering new markets globally.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

“Sean Dollinger”
Chief Executive Officer
Direct: +1 (786) 389 9771
Email: info@namastevapes.com

Further information on the Company and its products can be accessed through the links below:

www.namastetechnologies.com

www.namastevaporizers.com

www.namastevaporizers.co.uk

www.everyonedoesit.com

www.everyonedoesit.co.uk

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains forward-looking information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management’s reasonable assumptions, Namaste assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company’s disclosure documents which can be found under the Company’s profile on www.sedar.com. This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The CSE has neither reviewed nor approved the contents of this press release.

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INTERVIEW: HPQ Silicon $HPQ.ca Discusses Importance Of Operational “Mini Model” Of Planned 200 tonnes Per Annum Pilot Plant

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:19 PM on Tuesday, September 19th, 2017

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$GR.ca Great Atlantic Receives Diamond Drilling Permit Keymet Precious – Base Metal Property Bathurst, New Brunswick

Posted by Er at 9:28 AM on Tuesday, September 19th, 2017

 

 

  • Located 20 kilometres northwest of Bathurst
  • Multiple pathfinder minerals located ( gold, silver, zinc, lead and / or copper occurrences )
  • 500 metre drill program to test multiple base metal and silver bearing vein occurrences

Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) – GREAT ATLANTIC RESOURCES CORP. (TSXV.GR) (the “Company” or “Great Atlantic”) is pleased to announce it has received a diamond drilling permit from the New Brunswick Dept. of Energy and Mines for its Keymet Precious – Base Metal Property, located in northeast New Brunswick. The Company is planning drilling beginning in mid-September in the northwest region of the property. The Keymet property, located approximately 20 kilometres northwest of Bathurst, hosts multiple gold, silver, zinc, lead and / or copper occurrences including the Keymet deposit, site of the historic Keymet Mine. Drilling will further test an area of reported zinc, lead, copper and silver bearing vein(s) including 2015 Great Atlantic drill intersections (16.7 % zinc and 152 g/t silver over 1.8 meter core length and 8.7% zinc over 4.28 meter core length) and a near-by gold bearing zone discovered by the Company in a 2015 trench (1.1 g/t gold over 4.9 meters in channel sampling).

 

To view the graphic in its original size, please click here

 

The drilling program is planned for the northwest region of the Keymet Property, a priority area for the Company. The program will be a minimum of 500 metres. Multiple base metal and silver bearing vein occurrences are reported in this region, including the historic Keymet Mine which operated during the 1950s. The drilling program will further test one of these vein occurrences, referred to as the Elmtree 12 vein occurrences. Gold bearing boulders and gold bearing zones in trench bedrock are also documented in this region of the property. The drilling program will test one such gold zone.

 

Historic Keymet Mine (1950s)

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The Elmtree 12 base metal and silver bearing vein occurrence is located approximately 1.4 kilometres northwest of the historic Keymet Mine. Closed-spaced 1980s diamond drill holes (Brunswick Mining and Smelting and Aurtec Inc.) intersected near-surface mineralized veins in this area. A 0.88 metre core length interval from a 1981 drill hole was reported to grade 7.72% Cu, 11.36% Zn and 13.6 ounces per ton Ag. A 1.22 metre core length sample from a near-by 1989 drill hole was reported to assay 16.4% Cu, 10.11% Zn and 31.0 ounces per ton Ag. The true width of these intersections is unknown. These drill intersections are within 50 metre vertical depth. During 2015, Great Atlantic conducted trenching in the area of these reported 1980s drill holes. One trench exposed a northwest striking mineralized vein approximately above the reported 1980s drill intersections. A 0.5 metre channel samples across the vein returned 1.52% zinc, 1.94% copper and 308 g/t silver.

 

During 2015 Great Atlantic drilled two holes (Ky-15-3 and Ky-15-4) in the area of the 2015 trench and the 1980s holes. These holes were also collared within a zone of gold bearing silicified sedimentary boulders previously discovered by the Company (boulder assays reported up to 51 grams per tonne Au.). The zone of gold-bearing boulders extends west of these two holes in the reported up-ice glacial direction. Both holes intersected base metal and silver bearing veins and local gold mineralization.

 

 

Zinc, copper and silver bearing vein in 2015 Trench at Elmtree 12 Vein Occurrence

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Both Ky-15-3 and Ky-15-4 were drilled from the same set-up to the northeast (050 degree azimuth) approximately under the previous 2015 trench and from the opposite direction as the reported 1980s holes. Ky-15-3 was drilled at a 45 degree angle and intersected sphalerite – rich veins at 60.80 – 62.60 metres (returning 16.68% zinc, 1.11% copper and 152.0 g/t silver over a 1.80 metre core length). Ky-15-4 was drilled at a 60 degree dip on the same azimuth to intersect the veins deeper. Multiple sphalerite bearing veins were intersected in this hole at 90.07 – 94.35 metres (returning 8.68% zinc and 44.8 g/t silver Ag over 4.28 metre core length), approximately 35 metres vertically under the main vein intersected in Ky-15-3. Hole Ky-15-3 intersected a gold bearing interval, with a sample at 30.10 – 32.20 meters (2.1 meter core length) returning 3.28 g/t gold. The true width of these initial 2015 drill intersections is unknown at this time.

 

Drilling is planned during September 2017 on either side of holes Ky-15-3 and Ky-15-4 testing the continuation of the zinc, copper and silver bearing veins along strike and testing the continuation of the gold bearing zone intersected in Ky-15-3.

 

Drilling is also planned during the September program under a gold bearing zone exposed during a 2015 trench southwest of holes Ky-15-3 and Ky-15-4. Channel samples from a zone of altered sediments returned 1.11 g/t gold over a 4.9 metre total length. The channel samples were orientated east-west parallel to the trench direction. The orientation of this gold bearing zone has not been determined. This gold bearing zone is approximately 80 metres southwest of the collars of holes Ky-15-3 and Ky-15-4.

 

Zinc (sphalerite) – bearing carbonate vein in Ky-15-4.

To view the graphic in its original size, please click here

 

Access to the property is excellent with paved roads transecting the property, including a provincial highway. The property covers an area of approximately 3,400 hectares.

 

Readers are warned that historical records referred to in this News Release have been examined but not verified by a qualified person. Further work is required to verify that historical assays referred to in this News Release are accurate.

 

David Martin, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, is responsible for the technical information contained in this News Release.

 

About Great Atlantic Resources Corp.: Great Atlantic Resources Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on the discovery and development of mineral assets in the resource-rich and sovereign risk-free realm of Atlantic Canada, one of the number one mining regions of the world. Great Atlantic is currently surging forward building the company utilizing a Project Generation model, with a special focus on the most critical elements on the planet that are prominent in Atlantic Canada, Antimony, Tungsten and Gold.

 

On Behalf of the board of directors

 

“Lorne Mann”

 

This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future exploration drilling, exploration activities and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of financing, and general economic, market or business conditions.

 

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

 

Great Atlantic Resource Corp

888 Dunsmuir Street – Suite 888, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 3K4

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PUREVAP(TM) Pilot Plant Testing Starting Early With Commissioning of $HPQ.ca 1/250 Scale Pilot Equipment

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:40 AM on Tuesday, September 19th, 2017

Hpq large

  • Advanced, second stage bench testing program is about to commence
  • Gen 2 PUREVAPtm Quartz Reduction Reactor (“QRR”) reactor, 1/250 scale model of the planned 200 tonnes per annum (tpa) Pilot Plant will be operational in the coming weeks

MONTREAL, QUEBEC–(Sept. 19, 2017) – HPQ Silicon Resources Inc (“HPQ”) (TSX VENTURE:HPQ)(FRANKFURT:UGE)(OTC PINK:URAGF) is pleased to advise shareholders that an advanced, second stage bench testing program is about to commence. PyroGenesis Canada Inc (PyroGenesis) has informed HPQ that the Gen 2 PUREVAPtm Quartz Reduction Reactor (“QRR”) reactor, 1/250 scale model of the planned 200 tonnes per annum (tpa) Pilot Plant will be operational in the coming weeks.

Bernard J. Tourillon, Chairman and CEO of HPQ Silicon stated, “The design and construction of the Gen 2 PUREVAPtm QRR is another exciting step toward commercialization and is a result of the collaborative efforts of PyroGenesis and HPQ. Building on our success to date the Gen 2 PUREVAPtm QRR will allow for further refinements to the silicon purification and testing of the numerous process improvements now planned for the Pilot Plant. This will greatly de-risk our project and provide valuable information sooner as we continue to make the process adjustments needed to produce Solar Grade Silicon Metal.”

GEN 1 PUREVAPtm QRR REACTOR: SUCCESSFUL AND NOW BEING RETIRED

The first generation batch lab scale PUREVAPtm QRR (now referred to as Gen 1 PUREVAPtm) was built to prove the concept that quartz could be transformed in one step into Silicon Metal (Si), for the solar panel industry. A series of tests using the Gen 1 PUREVAPtm were ordered (September 2, 2016 PR) to generate key technical data required for the design of the 200 tpa pilot plant capable of producing Solar Grade Si (SoG Si). The Gen 1 PUREVAPtm process succeeded, demonstrating significant impurity removal, in one step, transforming low purity SiO2 (Quartz) into 3N+ Purity Si (99.97% Si) (May 16, 2017 PR, January 26, 2017 PR, November 29, 2016 PR, November 2, 2016 PR and September 29, 2016 PR). This product exceeds the highest purity level of the Metallurgical Grade Silicon Metal (Mg Si) industry, a US$5.5 billion dollar per year industry1.

1 Source CRU, 2018 MG Si demand projected at 2,5 M tonnes, 2018 prices US$2,200 per tonne (Ferroglobe)

Our next key milestone is to produce quantities of solar grade silicon for testing of its electrical characteristics, sending material to industry participants and finalize Pilot plant design en route to commercialization. CEO Bernard Tourillon commented, “Our Gen 1 PUREVAPtm was a great success and we believe the reactor will eventually make its way to a science and engineering hall of fame. It has currently reached its maximum operational efficiencies and nothing more could be gained by additional tests.”

GEN 2 PUREVAPtm QRR REACTOR PRESENTS MAJOR DE-RISKING MILESTONES

The Gen 2 Purevap™ QRR will focus on Process Refinement, Characterization, Metallurgical Testing and purity improvements using the new semi-continuous feed 1/250 scale pilot-plant (May 4, 2017, PR).

Based on Gen 1 PUREVAPtm results, PyroGenesis completed the detailed engineering and design of the 200 tpa pilot plant, including substantial process modifications. Gen 2 PUREVAPtm therefore is an upgraded version of the Gen 1 Purevaptm that will be a true 1/250 scale replica of the planned larger pilot plant (Gen 3 PUREVAPtm). The Gen 2 PUREVAPtm is undergoing final manufacturing, assembly and testing and will be operational during the first weeks of October 2017.

The start of this new metallurgical testing program using The Gen 2 PUREVAPtm represents major de-risking of the Pilot Plant program for the following reasons:

  • Gen 2 will allow specific process design improvements and modifications derived from Gen 1 PUREVAPtm test work to be implemented and perfected;
  • The Gen 2 produces larger silicon Metal (Si) samples to test improvements to the purification process;
  • Gen 2 allows an intermediate step in scaling up to the Pilot Plant, mitigating that scaling up risk;
  • Gen 2 will allow the following Milestones to be reached sooner than originally planned;
    • Producing larger Si samples for testing by potential purchasers;
    • Allows HPQ and Pyrogenesis to test the electrical parameters of the High Purity Si;
    • Produce enough material to send samples to Solar industry participants;
    • Provide data to demonstrate the economics of PUREVAP™ QRR.

PYROGENESIS CEO REMARKS

“We are pleased to join HPQ in announcing both reaching this new milestone and commencing the second stage testing program,” said P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. “I also wish to commend the team, both at PyroGenesis and HPQ, for having persevered through the many challenges to date and for all the discoveries they made along the way (the ability to transform low purity Quartz into 3N+ Silicon Metal in one step at lab scale not being the least of them). As we have said in the past, it will not be a straight line to success, but given the results to date we are more confident then ever before that we will have a commercial success. What level of success, is yet to be determined. As in all projects, delays will occur, but I firmly believe we are on the right track to have a significant impact in the high purity silicon and solar markets.”

UPDATE ON SILICON METAL PURITY TESTING

Further to our June 23, 2017 press release, the company continued to work with PyroGenesis and a number of specialized laboratories on silicon analysis protocols. Specifically, efforts focus on analytical procedures, certification, and analysis turn around time. We are working with our partners to resolve the analytical bottlenecks.

Results will be reported in a comprehensive report on the proof of concept and phase one process characterization and metallurgical testing programs, being prepared by PyroGenesis.

This Press Release Is Available On The Company’s CEO Verified Discussion Forum, A Moderated Social Media Platform That Enables Civilized Discussion and Q&A Between Management and Shareholders.

About HPQ Silicon

HPQ Silicon Resources Inc is a TSX-V listed resource company planning to become a vertically integrated and diversified Metallurgical Grade and Solar Grade Silicon Metal producer.

Our business model is focused on developing a disruptive one step High Purity and Solar Grade Silicon Metal manufacturing process (patent pending). HPQ plans to generate high yield returns and significant free cash flow within a relatively short time line. The process will have a greatly decreased carbon footprint, energy footprint, and will eliminate the use of the toxic chemical reagents and by products now in use by the current solar silicon production technologies, which fundamentally date from designs made in the mid 1900’s.

Disclaimers:

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words “may”, “plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “in the process” and other similar expressions which constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current expectation and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company’s on-going filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Shares outstanding: 170,003,173

HPQ Silicon Resources Inc.
Bernard J. Tourillon
Chairman and CEO
(514) 907-1011

HPQ Silicon Resources Inc.
Patrick Levasseur
President and COO
(514) 262-9239
www.HPQSilicon.com

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